CREDIT AGREEMENT Dated as of May 14, 2004, among

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EX-4.5 2 dex45.htm CREDIT AGREEMENT Credit Agreement

Exhibit 4.5

 


 

CREDIT AGREEMENT

 

Dated as of May 14, 2004,

 

among

 

HEALTH MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATES, INC.,

as the Borrower,

 

BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,

as Administrative Agent and L/C Issuer,

 

WACHOVIA BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,

as Syndication Agent

 

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK,

and

SUNTRUST BANK,

as Co-Documentation Agents

 

and

 

The Other Lenders Party Hereto

 

BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC

and

WACHOVIA CAPITAL MARKETS, LLC,

as

Joint Lead Arrangers and Joint Book Managers

 



TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Section


       Page

ARTICLE I.

  DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING TERMS    1

1.01 

  Defined Terms    1

1.02 

  Other Interpretive Provisions    21

1.03 

  Accounting Terms    22

1.04 

  Rounding    22

1.05 

  References to Agreements and Laws    22

1.06 

  Times of Day    23

1.07 

  Letter of Credit Amounts    23

ARTICLE II.

  THE COMMITMENTS AND CREDIT EXTENSIONS    23

2.01 

  Loans    23

2.02 

  Borrowings, Conversions and Continuations of Loans    23

2.03 

  Letters of Credit    25

2.04 

  [Intentionally Omitted]    32

2.05 

  Prepayments    32

2.06 

  Termination or Reduction of Commitments    33

2.07 

  Repayment of Loans    33

2.08 

  Interest    33

2.09 

  Fees    34

2.10 

  Computation of Interest and Fees    34

2.11 

  Evidence of Debt    35

2.12 

  Payments Generally    35

2.13 

  Sharing of Payments    37

2.14 

  Increase in Commitments    37

ARTICLE III.

  TAXES, YIELD PROTECTION AND ILLEGALITY    38

3.01 

  Taxes    38

3.02 

  Illegality    39

3.03 

  Inability to Determine Rates    40

3.04 

  Increased Cost and Reduced Return; Capital Adequacy; Reserves on Eurodollar Rate Loans    40

3.05 

  Compensation for Losses    41

 

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3.06 

  Matters Applicable to all Requests for Compensation    41

3.07 

  Survival    41

ARTICLE IV.

  CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO CREDIT EXTENSIONS    41

4.01 

  Conditions of Initial Credit Extension    41

4.02 

  Conditions to all Credit Extensions    43

ARTICLE V.

  REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES    44

5.01 

  Existence, Qualification and Power; Compliance with Laws    44

5.02 

  Authorization; No Contravention    44

5.03 

  Governmental Authorization; Other Consents    44

5.04 

  Binding Effect    44

5.05 

  Solvency    44

5.06 

  Subsidiaries and Other Equity Investments    44

5.07 

  Financial Statements; No Material Adverse Effect    45

5.08 

  Ownership of Property; Liens    45

5.09 

  Taxes    46

5.10 

  Other Agreements    46

5.11 

  Contract Providers    46

5.12 

  Litigation    47

5.13 

  Margin Stock    47

5.14 

  Investment Company Act; Public Utility Holding Company Act    47

5.15 

  Intellectual Property    48

5.16 

  Disclosure    48

5.17 

  ERISA Compliance    48

5.18 

  No Default    49

5.19 

  Environmental Compliance    49

5.20 

  Employment Matters    50

5.21 

  RICO    50

5.22 

  Insurance    50

5.23 

  Reimbursement from Third Party Payors    50

5.24 

  Fraud and Abuse    51

5.25 

  Licensing and Accreditation    51

5.26 

  Compliance with Laws    52

 

ii


ARTICLE VI.

  AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS    52

6.01 

  Financial Statements    52

6.02 

  Certificates; Other Information    53

6.03 

  Notices    54

6.04 

  Maintenance of Properties    55

6.05 

  Existence, Qualification, Etc    55

6.06 

  Compliance with Regulations; Payment of Obligations    56

6.07 

  Maintenance of Insurance    56

6.08 

  Books and Records    56

6.09 

  Inspection Rights    56

6.10 

  Compliance with Laws    56

6.11 

  Governmental Licenses    57

6.12 

  Notice of Environmental Complaint or Condition    57

6.13 

  Environmental Compliance    57

6.14 

  Further Assurances    57

6.15 

  Continued Operations    57

6.16 

  Guaranty    58

6.17 

  New Subsidiaries    58

6.18 

  Use of Proceeds    59

ARTICLE VII.

  NEGATIVE COVENANTS    59

7.01 

  Financial Covenants    59

7.02 

  Acquisitions    59

7.03 

  Liens    59

7.04 

  Indebtedness of Subsidiaries    61

7.05 

  Transfer of Assets    61

7.06 

  Investments    61

7.07 

  Merger or Consolidation    61

7.08 

  Restricted Payments    62

7.09 

  Transactions with Affiliates    62

7.10 

  Fiscal Year    62

7.11 

  Dissolution, etc    62

7.12 

  Limitations on Sales and Leasebacks    62

 

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7.13

   Rate Hedging Obligations    63

7.14 

   Burdensome Agreements    63

7.15 

   Retirement of Treasury Stock    63

7.16 

   Capital Expenditures of Restricted Subsidiaries    63

ARTICLE VIII.

   EVENTS OF DEFAULT AND REMEDIES    63

8.01 

   Events of Default    63

8.02 

   Remedies Upon Event of Default    66

8.03 

   Application of Funds    66

ARTICLE IX.

   ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT    67

9.01 

   Appointment and Authorization of Administrative Agent    67

9.02 

   Delegation of Duties    68

9.03 

   Liability of Administrative Agent    68

9.04 

   Reliance by Administrative Agent    68

9.05 

   Notice of Default    69

9.06 

   Credit Decision; Disclosure of Information by Administrative Agent    69

9.07 

   Indemnification of Administrative Agent    70

9.08 

   Administrative Agent in its Individual Capacity    70

9.09 

   Successor Administrative Agent    70

9.10 

   Administrative Agent May File Proofs of Claim    71

9.11 

   Guaranty Matters    72

9.12 

   Other Agents; Arrangers and Managers    72

ARTICLE X.

   MISCELLANEOUS    72

10.01 

   Amendments, Etc    72

10.02 

   Notices and Other Communications; Facsimile Copies    73

10.03 

   No Waiver; Cumulative Remedies    74

10.04 

   Attorney Costs, Expenses and Taxes    75

10.05 

   Indemnification by the Borrower    75

10.06 

   Payments Set Aside    76

10.07 

   Successors and Assigns    76

10.08 

   Confidentiality    80

10.09 

   Set-off    80

10.10 

   Interest Rate Limitation    81

 

iv


10.11 

  Counterparts    81

10.12 

  Integration    81

10.13 

  Survival of Representations and Warranties    81

10.14 

  Severability    81

10.15 

  Tax Forms    82

10.16 

  [Intentionally Omitted]    83

10.17 

  Governing Law    84

10.18 

  Waiver of Right to Trial by Jury    84

10.19 

  USA PATRIOT Act Notice    84

 

The schedules and exhibits to the Credit Agreement are listed below. Upon request, Health Management Associates, Inc. will furnish supplementally a copy of any schedule or exhibit to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

SCHEDULES

 

2.01

  Commitments and Pro Rata Shares

5.06

  Subsidiaries and Other Equity Investments

5.07

  Supplement to Interim Financial Statements

5.08

  Existing Liens

5.09

  Tax Matters

5.20

  Employment Matters

10.02

  Administrative Agent’s Office, Certain Addresses for Notices

 

EXHIBITS

 

    Form of

A

  Loan Notice

B

  Note

C

  Compliance Certificate

D

  Assignment and Assumption

E

  Opinion Matters

F

  Guaranty

 

v


CREDIT AGREEMENT

 

This CREDIT AGREEMENT (“Agreement”) is entered into as of May 14, 2004, among HEALTH MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATES, INC., a Delaware corporation (the “Borrower”), each lender from time to time party hereto (collectively, the “Lenders” and individually, a “Lender”), BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as Administrative Agent and L/C Issuer, WACHOVIA BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Syndication Agent and JP MORGAN CHASE BANK and SUNTRUST BANK, as Co-Documentation Agents.

 

The Borrower has requested that the Lenders provide a revolving credit facility, including a letter of credit subfacility, and the Lenders are willing to do so on the terms and conditions set forth herein.

 

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

 

ARTICLE I.

DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING TERMS

 

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

 

Acquisition” means (i) the acquisition of a controlling equity interest in another Person (including the purchase of an option, warrant or convertible or similar type security to acquire such a controlling interest at the time it becomes exercisable by the holder thereof), whether by purchase of such equity interest or upon exercise of an option or warrant for, or conversion of securities into, such equity interest, (ii) the acquisition of assets of another Person which constitute all or substantially all of the assets of such Person or of a line or lines of business conducted by such Person, or (iii) the long term lease of assets or rights of another Person which (alone or together with a transaction contemplated by clauses (i) or (ii) above) constitute all or substantially all of the assets of such Person or of a line of business conducted by such Person.

 

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

 

Administrative Agent’s Office” means the Administrative Agent’s address and, as appropriate, account as set forth on Schedule 10.02, or such other address or account as the Administrative Agent may from time to time notify the Borrower and the Lenders.

 

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

 

Affiliate” means, with respect to any 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. “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. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, a Person shall be

 

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deemed to be Controlled by another Person if such other Person possesses, directly or indirectly, power to vote 10% or more of the securities having ordinary voting power for the election of directors, managing general partners or the equivalent.

 

Agent-Related Persons” means the Administrative Agent, together with its Affiliates (including, in the case of Bank of America in its capacity as the Administrative Agent, BAS), and the officers, directors, employees, agents and attorneys-in-fact of such Persons and Affiliates.

 

Aggregate Commitments” means the Commitments of all the Lenders.

 

Agreement” means this Credit Agreement.

 

Applicable Rate” means, from time to time, the following percentages per annum, based upon the Debt Rating as set forth below:

 

Pricing
Level


  

Debt Ratings

S&P/Moody’s


   Facility
Fee


   

Eurodollar
Rate

Loans and

Letters of
Credit


 

1

   A/A2 or better    0.080 %   0.270 %

2

   A-/A3    0.100 %   0.400 %

3

   BBB+/Baa1    0.125 %   0.500 %

4

   BBB/Baa2    0.150 %   0.600 %

5

   BBB-/Baa3    0.200 %   0.800 %

6

   Below BBB-/Baa3    0.350 %   1.150 %

 

Debt Rating” means, as of any date of determination, the rating as determined by either S&P or Moody’s (collectively, the “Debt Ratings”) of the Borrower’s non-credit-enhanced, senior unsecured long-term debt; provided that if a Debt Rating is issued by each of the foregoing rating agencies, then the higher of such Debt Ratings shall apply (with the Debt Rating for Pricing Level 1 being the highest and the Debt Rating for Pricing Level 6 being the lowest), unless there is a split in Debt Ratings of more than one level, in which case the Pricing Level that is one level lower than the higher Debt Rating shall apply.

 

Initially, the Applicable Rate shall be determined based upon the Debt Rating specified in the certificate delivered pursuant to Section 4.01(a)(vii). Thereafter, each change in the Applicable Rate resulting from a publicly announced change in the Debt Rating shall be effective during the period commencing on the date of the public announcement thereof and ending on the date immediately preceding the effective date of the next such change. Pricing Level 6 shall apply during any period in which both S&P and Moody’s have ceased or suspended issuing Debt Ratings of the Borrower’s non-credit-enhanced, senior unsecured long-term debt.

 

Arrangers” means BAS and WCM, collectively, in their capacities as joint lead arrangers and joint book managers.

 

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Assignment and Assumption” means an Assignment and Assumption substantially in the form of Exhibit D.

 

Attorney Costs” means and includes all reasonable fees, expenses and disbursements of any law firm or other external counsel and, without duplication, the allocated reasonable cost of internal legal services and all expenses and disbursements of internal counsel.

 

Attributable Indebtedness” means, on any date, (a) in respect of any Capital Lease of any Person, the capitalized amount thereof that would appear on a balance sheet of such Person prepared as of such date in accordance with GAAP, and (b) in respect of any Synthetic Lease Obligation, the capitalized amount of the remaining lease payments under the relevant lease that would appear on a balance sheet of such Person prepared as of such date in accordance with GAAP if such lease were accounted for as a Capital Lease.

 

Audited Financial Statements” means the audited consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2003, and the related consolidated statements of income or operations, shareholders’ equity and cash flows for such fiscal year of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, including the notes thereto.

 

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

 

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

 

BAS” means Banc of America Securities LLC.

 

Base Rate” means for any day a fluctuating rate per annum equal to the higher of (a) the Federal Funds Rate plus 1/2 of 1% or (b) the rate of interest in effect for such day as publicly announced from time to time by Bank of America as its “prime rate.” The “prime rate” is a rate set by Bank of America based upon various factors including Bank of America’s costs and desired return, general economic conditions and other factors, and is used as a reference point for pricing some loans, which may be priced at, above, or below such announced rate. Any change in such rate announced by Bank of America shall take effect at the opening of business on the day specified in the public announcement of such change.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks are authorized to close under the Laws of, or are in fact closed in, the state

 

3


where the Administrative Agent’s Office is located and, if such day relates to any Eurodollar Rate Loan, means any such day on which dealings in Dollar deposits are conducted by and between banks in the London interbank eurodollar market.

 

Capital Expenditures” means, with respect to the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, for any period, all expenditures (whether paid in cash or accrued as liabilities) by the Borrower or any Subsidiary during such period for items that would be classified as “property, plant or equipment” or comparable items on the consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, including without limitation all transactional costs incurred in connection with such expenditures provided the same have been capitalized, excluding, however, the amount of any Capital Expenditures paid for with proceeds of casualty insurance as evidenced in writing and submitted to the Administrative Agent together with any Compliance Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 6.02(b); provided, that, for the purpose of Section 7.16 only, the term “Capital Expenditures” shall also include the present value of the lease payments due under each Capital Lease entered into by the Borrower or its Subsidiaries during such period over the term of such Capital Lease applying a discount rate equal to the interest rate provided in such lease (or in the absence of a stated interest rate, that rate used in the preparation of the Audited Financial Statements), all the foregoing in accordance with GAAP.

 

Capital Leases” means all leases which have been or should be capitalized in accordance with GAAP as in effect from time to time including Statement No. 13 of the Financial Accounting Standards Board and any successor thereof.

 

Cash Collateralize” has the meaning specified in Section 2.03(g).

 

Change of Control” means, with respect to any Person, an event or series of events by which:

 

(a) any “person” or “group” (as such terms are used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, but excluding any employee benefit plan of such person or its subsidiaries, and any person or entity acting in its capacity as trustee, agent or other fiduciary or administrator of any such plan) becomes the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except that a person or group shall be deemed to have “beneficial ownership” of all securities that such person or group has the right to acquire (such right, an “option right”), whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time), directly or indirectly, of 33 1/3% or more of the equity securities of such Person entitled to vote for members of the board of directors or equivalent governing body of such Person on a fully-diluted basis (and taking into account all such securities that such person or group has the right to acquire pursuant to any option right);

 

(b) during any period of 12 consecutive months, a majority of the members of the board of directors or other equivalent governing body of such Person cease to be composed of individuals (i) who were members of that board or equivalent governing body on the first day of such period, (ii) whose election or nomination to that board or equivalent governing body was approved by individuals referred to in clause (i) above constituting at the time of such election or nomination at least a majority of that board or

 

4


equivalent governing body or (iii) whose election or nomination to that board or other equivalent governing body was approved by individuals referred to in clauses (i) and (ii) above constituting at the time of such election or nomination at least a majority of that board or equivalent governing body (excluding, in the case of both clause (ii) and clause (iii), any individual whose initial nomination for, or assumption of office as, a member of that board or equivalent governing body occurs as a result of an actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents for the election or removal of one or more directors by any person or group other than a solicitation for the election of one or more directors by or on behalf of the board of directors); or

 

(c) any Person or two or more Persons acting in concert shall have acquired, by contract or otherwise, or shall have entered into a contract or arrangement that, upon consummation thereof, will result in its or their acquisition of the power to exercise, directly or indirectly, a controlling influence on the management or policies of the Borrower.

 

Closing Date” means the first date all the conditions precedent in Section 4.01 are satisfied or waived in accordance with Section 10.01.

 

CMS” means the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services of HHS, and any successor thereto.

 

Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

 

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

 

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

 

Consolidated EBITDA” means, for any period, for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, an amount equal to Consolidated Net Income for such period plus (a) the following to the extent deducted in calculating such Consolidated Net Income: (i) Consolidated Interest Expense for such period, (ii) the provision for federal, state, local and foreign income taxes payable by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for such period, (iii) the amount of depreciation and amortization expense deducted in determining such Consolidated Net Income and (iv) other non-recurring expenses of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries reducing such Consolidated Net Income which do not represent a cash item in such period or any future period and minus (b) all non-cash items increasing Consolidated Net Income for such period.

 

Consolidated Indebtedness” means, as of any date of determination, all Indebtedness for Money Borrowed of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, all determined on a consolidated basis.

 

Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio” means, with respect to the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for any Four-Quarter Period ending on the date of computation thereof, the ratio of

 

5


(a) Consolidated EBITDA for such period less Capital Expenditures (excluding Costs of Acquisitions to the extent otherwise included in Capital Expenditures) for such period, to (b) Consolidated Interest Expense for such period.

 

Consolidated Interest Expense” means, for any period, for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, the sum of (a) all interest, premium payments, debt discount, fees, charges and related expenses of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in connection with borrowed money (including capitalized interest) or in connection with the deferred purchase price of assets, in each case to the extent treated as interest in accordance with GAAP, (b) the portion of rent expense of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries with respect to such period under Capital Leases that is treated as interest in accordance with GAAP, plus (c) the portion of rent expense of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries with respect to such period in connection with Synthetic Lease Obligations that would be treated as interest in accordance with GAAP if such lease were accounted for as a Capital Lease.

 

Consolidated Leverage Ratio” means, as of the last day of any fiscal quarter, the ratio of (a) Consolidated Indebtedness (determined as at such date) to (b) Consolidated EBITDA (for the Four-Quarter Period ending on such date).

 

Consolidated Net Income” means, for any period, for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, the net income of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries (excluding extraordinary gains but including extraordinary losses) for that period.

 

Consolidated Total Assets” means, as of any date on which the amount thereof is to be determined, the net book value of all assets of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.

 

Contingent Obligation” means, as to any Person, any direct or indirect liability of that Person with respect to any Indebtedness, lease, dividend, guaranty, letter of credit or other obligation (each a “primary obligation”) of another Person (the “primary obligor”), whether or not contingent, (a) to purchase, repurchase or otherwise acquire any such primary obligation or any property constituting direct or indirect security therefor, or (b) to advance or provide funds (i) for the payment or discharge of any such primary obligation, or (ii) to maintain working capital or equity capital of the primary obligor in respect of any such primary obligation or otherwise to maintain the net worth or solvency or any balance sheet item, level of income or financial condition of such primary obligor, or (c) to purchase property, securities or services primarily for the purpose of assuring the owner of any such primary obligation of the ability of the primary obligor thereof to make payment of such primary obligation, or (d) otherwise to assure or hold harmless the owner of any such primary obligation against loss or failure or inability to perform in respect thereof. The amount of any Contingent Obligation shall be deemed to be an amount equal to the stated or determinable amount of the primary obligation in respect of which such Contingent Obligation is made or, if not stated or determinable, the maximum reasonably anticipated liability in respect thereof.

 

Contract Provider” means any Person who provides professional health care services under or pursuant to any contract with the Borrower or any Subsidiary.

 

6


Contractual Obligation” means, as to any Person, any provision of any security issued by such Person or of any agreement, instrument or other undertaking to which such Person is a party or by which it or any of its property is bound.

 

Control” has the meaning specified in the definition of Affiliate.

 

Cost of Acquisition” means, with respect to any Acquisition, as at the date of entering into any agreement therefor, the sum of the following (without duplication): (a) the value of the Equity Interests of the Borrower or any Subsidiary to be transferred in connection therewith, (b) the amount of any cash and fair market value of other property (excluding property described in clause (a) and the unpaid principal amount of any debt instrument) given as consideration, including the full amount of all prepaid rent and the present value (using a discount rate reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent) of any rent to be paid periodically pursuant to the provisions of long-term leases of the type described in clause (iii) of the definition of Acquisition, (c) the amount (determined by using the face amount or the amount payable at maturity, whichever is greater) of any Indebtedness incurred, assumed or acquired by the Borrower or any Subsidiary in connection with such Acquisition, (d) all additional purchase price amounts in the form of earnouts and other contingent obligations that should be recorded on the financial statements of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in accordance with GAAP, (e) all amounts paid in respect of covenants not to compete, consulting agreements that should be recorded on financial statements of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in accordance with GAAP, and other affiliated contracts in connection with such Acquisition, (f) the aggregate fair market value of all other consideration given by the Borrower or any Subsidiary in connection with such Acquisition, and (g) out of pocket transaction costs for the services and expenses of attorneys, accountants and other consultants incurred in effecting such transaction, and other similar transaction costs so incurred. For purposes of determining the Cost of Acquisition for any transaction, (i) the Equity Interests of the Borrower shall be valued as the last price reported on the national securities exchange on which it is listed, (ii) the Equity Interests of any Subsidiary shall be valued as determined by the Board of Directors of such Subsidiary and, if requested by the Administrative Agent, determined to be a reasonable valuation by the independent public accountants referred to in Section 6.01(a), and (iii) with respect to any Acquisition accomplished pursuant to the exercise of options or warrants or the conversion of securities, the Cost of Acquisition shall include both the cost of acquiring such option, warrant or convertible security as well as the cost of exercise or conversion.

 

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

 

Debt Rating” has the meaning specified in the definition of Applicable Rate.

 

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

 

7


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

 

Default Rate” means (a) when used with respect to Obligations other than Letter of Credit Fees, an interest rate equal to the Base Rate plus (ii) 2% per annum; provided, however, that with respect to a Eurodollar Rate Loan, the Default Rate shall be an interest rate equal to the interest rate (including any Applicable Rate) otherwise applicable to such Loan plus 2% per annum, and (b) when used with respect to Letter of Credit Fees, a rate equal to the Applicable Rate plus 2% per annum, in all cases to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Laws.

 

Defaulting Lender” means any Lender that (a) has failed to fund any portion of the Loans or participations in L/C Obligations required to be funded by it hereunder within one Business Day of the date required to be funded by it hereunder, (b) has otherwise failed to pay over to the Administrative Agent or any other Lender any other amount required to be paid by it hereunder within one Business Day of the date when due, unless the subject of a good faith dispute, or (c) has been deemed insolvent or become the subject of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding.

 

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

 

Domestic Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary that is organized under the laws of any political subdivision of the United States.

 

Eligible Assignee” has the meaning specified in Section 10.07(g).

 

Eligible Securities” means the following obligations and any other obligations previously approved in writing by the Administrative Agent:

 

(a) Government Securities;

 

(b) obligations of any corporation organized under the laws of any state of the United States of America or under the laws of any other nation, payable in the United States of America, expressed to mature not later than 92 days following the date of issuance thereof and rated in an investment grade rating category by S&P and Moody’s;

 

(c) interest bearing demand or time deposits issued by any Lender or certificates of deposit maturing within one year from the date of issuance thereof and issued by a bank or trust company organized under the laws of the United States or of any state thereof having capital surplus and undivided profits aggregating at least $400,000,000 and being rated “A” or better by S&P or “A” or better by Moody’s;

 

(d) Repurchase Agreements;

 

(e) Municipal Obligations;

 

(f) Pre-Refunded Municipal Obligations;

 

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(g) shares of mutual funds which invest in obligations described in paragraphs (a) through (f) above, the shares of which mutual funds are at all times rated “AAA” by S&P;

 

(h) tax-exempt or taxable adjustable rate preferred stock issued by a Person having a rating of its long term unsecured debt of “A” or better by S&P or “A-2” or better by Moody’s; and

 

(i) asset-backed remarketed certificates of participation representing a fractional undivided interest in the assets of a trust, which certificates are rated at least “A-1” by S&P and “P-1” by Moody’s.

 

Employee Benefit Plan” means (i) any employee benefit plan, including any Pension Plan, within the meaning of Section 3(3) of ERISA which (A) is maintained for employees of the Borrower or any of its ERISA Affiliates, or any Subsidiary or is assumed by the Borrower or any of its ERISA Affiliates, or any Subsidiary in connection with any Acquisition or (B) has at any time been maintained for the employees of the Borrower, any current or former ERISA Affiliate, or any Subsidiary and (ii) any plan, arrangement, understanding or scheme maintained by the Borrower or any Subsidiary that provides retirement, deferred compensation, employee or retiree medical or life insurance, severance benefits or any other benefit covering any employee or former employee and which is administered under any Foreign Benefit Law or regulated by any Governmental Authority other than the United States of America.

 

Environmental Laws” means any foreign, federal, state or local statute, law, ordinance, code, rule, regulation, order or decree of any Governmental Authority, permit or license regulating, relating to, or imposing liability or standards of conduct concerning, any environmental matters or conditions, environmental protection or conservation, including without limitation, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and any other “Superfund” or “Superlien” law.

 

Environmental Liability” means any liability, contingent or otherwise (including any liability for damages, costs of environmental remediation, fines, penalties or indemnities), of the Borrower, any other Loan Party or any of their respective Subsidiaries 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, with respect to any Person, all of the shares of capital stock of (or other ownership or profit interests in) such Person, all of the warrants, options or other rights for the purchase or acquisition from such Person of shares of capital stock of (or other ownership or profit interests in) such Person, all of the securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of (or other ownership or profit interests in) such Person or warrants, rights or options for the purchase or acquisition from such Person of such shares (or such other interests),

 

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and all of the other ownership or profit interests in such Person (including partnership, member or trust interests therein), whether voting or nonvoting, and whether or not such shares, warrants, options, rights or other interests are outstanding on any date of determination.

 

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

 

ERISA Affiliate” means any trade or business (whether or not incorporated) under common control with the Borrower within the meaning of Section 414(b) or (c) of the Code (and Sections 414(m) and (o) of the Code for purposes of provisions relating to Section 412 of the Code).

 

ERISA Event” means (a) a Reportable Event with respect to a Pension Plan; (b) a withdrawal by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from a Pension Plan subject to Section 4063 of ERISA during a plan year in which it was a substantial employer (as defined in Section 4001(a)(2) of ERISA) or a cessation of operations that is treated as such a withdrawal under Section 4062(e) of ERISA; (c) a complete or partial withdrawal by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from a Multiemployer Plan or notification that a Multiemployer Plan is in reorganization; (d) the filing of a notice of intent to terminate, the treatment of a Plan amendment as a termination under Sections 4041 or 4041A of ERISA, or the commencement of proceedings by the PBGC to terminate a Pension Plan or Multiemployer Plan; (e) an event or condition which constitutes grounds under Section 4042 of ERISA for the termination of, or the appointment of a trustee to administer, any Pension Plan or Multiemployer Plan; (f) the imposition of any liability under Title IV of ERISA, other than for PBGC premiums due but not delinquent under Section 4007 of ERISA, upon the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate; or (g) any event or condition with respect to any Employee Benefit Plan which is regulated by any Foreign Benefit Law that results in the termination of such Employee Benefit Plan or the revocation of such Employee Benefit Plan’s authority to operate under the applicable Foreign Benefit Law.

 

Eurodollar Rate” means for any Interest Period with respect to a Eurodollar Rate Loan:

 

(a) the rate per annum equal to the rate determined by the Administrative Agent to be the offered rate that appears on the page of the Telerate screen (or any successor thereto) that displays an average British Bankers Association Interest Settlement Rate for deposits in Dollars (for delivery on the first day of such Interest Period) with a term equivalent to such Interest Period, determined as of approximately 11:00 a.m. (London time) two Business Days prior to the first day of such Interest Period, or

 

(b) if the rate referenced in the preceding clause (a) does not appear on such page or service or such page or service shall not be available, the rate per annum equal to the rate determined by the Administrative Agent to be the offered rate on such other page or other service that displays an average British Bankers Association Interest Settlement Rate for deposits in Dollars (for delivery on the first day of such Interest Period) with a term equivalent to such Interest Period, determined as of approximately 11:00 a.m. (London time) two Business Days prior to the first day of such Interest Period, or

 

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(c) if the rates referenced in the preceding clauses (a) and (b) are not available, the rate per annum determined by the Administrative Agent as the rate of interest at which deposits in Dollars for delivery on the first day of such Interest Period in same day funds in the approximate amount of the Eurodollar Rate Loan being made, continued or converted by Bank of America and with a term equivalent to such Interest Period would be offered by Bank of America’s London Branch to major banks in the London interbank eurodollar market at their request at approximately 4:00 p.m. (London time) two Business Days prior to the first day of such Interest Period.

 

Eurodollar Rate Loan” means a Loan that bears interest at a rate based on the Eurodollar Rate.

 

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

 

Existing Credit Agreement” means that certain Credit Agreement dated as of November 30, 1999, among the Borrower, Bank of America, as agent, and a syndicate of lenders.

 

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

 

Federal health care offense” has the same meaning as the definition at subsection (a) of 18 U.S.C. § 24, and any statutes succeeding thereto.

 

Federal health care program” has the same meaning as the definition at subsection (f) of 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b, and any statutes succeeding thereto.

 

Fee Letters” means the letter agreement, dated April 5, 2004, among the Borrower, Bank of America and BAS, and the letter agreement, dated April 4, 2004, among the Borrower, Wachovia and WCM, collectively.

 

Fiscal Year” means the twelve month fiscal period of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries commencing on October 1 of each calendar year and ending on September 30 of the next calendar year.

 

Foreign Benefit Law” means any applicable statute, law, ordinance, code, rule, regulation, order or decree of any foreign nation or any province, state, territory, protectorate or other political subdivision thereof regulating, relating to, or imposing liability or standards of conduct concerning, any Employee Benefit Plan.

 

Foreign Lender” has the meaning specified in Section 10.15(a)(i).

 

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Four-Quarter Period” means a period of four full consecutive fiscal quarters of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, taken together as one accounting period.

 

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

 

GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and statements and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board or such other principles as may be approved by a significant segment of the accounting profession in the United States, that are applicable to the circumstances as of the date of determination, consistently applied.

 

Government Securities” means direct obligations of, or obligations the timely payment of principal and interest on which are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by, the United States of America.

 

Governmental Authority” means any nation or government, any state or other political subdivision thereof, any agency, authority, instrumentality, regulatory body, court, administrative tribunal, central bank or other entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory or administrative powers or functions of or pertaining to government.

 

Granting Lender” has the meaning specified in Section 10.07(h).

 

Guarantors” means, at any date, the Subsidiaries who are required to be parties to the Guaranty at such date.

 

Guaranty” means the Guaranty made by the Guarantors in favor of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders, substantially in the form of Exhibit F.

 

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” means, without duplication, any and all obligations of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, whether absolute or contingent and howsoever and whensoever created, arising, evidenced or acquired (including all renewals, extensions and modifications thereof and substitutions therefor), under any Swap Contract. For all purposes hereof, the amount of Hedging Obligations on any date under a given Swap Contract shall be deemed to be the Swap Termination Value thereof as of such date.

 

HHS” means the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and any successor thereto.

 

Hospital Facility” means a general acute care or psychiatric hospital.

 

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Indebtedness” means as to any Person, without duplication, (a) all Indebtedness for Money Borrowed of such Person, (b) all Hedging Obligations of such Person, (c) all indebtedness secured by any Lien on any property or asset owned or held by such Person regardless or whether the indebtedness secured thereby shall have been assumed by such Person or is non-recourse to the credit of such Person, and (d) all Contingent Obligations of such Person.

 

Indebtedness for Money Borrowed” means with respect to any Person, without duplication, (a) the outstanding principal amount of all obligations, whether current or long-term, for money borrowed (including the Obligations hereunder) and all obligations evidenced by bonds, debentures, promissory notes, loan agreements or similar instruments or obligations for the payment of money (including reimbursement agreements and conditional sales or similar title retention agreements), (b) all Attributable Indebtedness in respect of Capital Leases and Synthetic Lease Obligations, (c) the deferred purchase price of any property or services, (d) the aggregate face amount of all surety bonds, letters of credit, bankers’ acceptances, bank guaranties and similar instruments, (e) without duplication, all Contingent Obligations with respect to Indebtedness of any of the foregoing types referred to in this definition, and (f) all Indebtedness of any of the foregoing types referred to in this definition of any partnership or joint venture (other than a joint venture that is itself a corporation or limited liability company) in which the Borrower or a Subsidiary is a general partner or joint venturer, unless such Indebtedness is expressly made non-recourse to the Borrower or such Subsidiary.

 

Indemnified Liabilities” has the meaning specified in Section 10.05.

 

Indemnitees” has the meaning specified in Section 10.05.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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IRS” means the United States Internal Revenue Service.

 

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

 

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

 

Knowledge of the Borrower” means, with respect to any matter, the actual knowledge of any one or more of the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, General Counsel or any Executive Vice President of the Borrower after due inquiry of those officers of the Borrower with direct responsibility for such matter.

 

Laws” means, collectively, all international, foreign, Federal, state and local statutes, treaties, rules, regulations, ordinances, codes and administrative or judicial precedents or authorities, including the interpretation or administration thereof by any Governmental Authority charged with the enforcement, interpretation or administration thereof, and all applicable administrative orders, directed duties, requests, licenses, authorizations and permits of, and agreements with, any Governmental Authority.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Lender” has the meaning specified in the introductory paragraph hereto and, as the context requires, includes the L/C Issuer.

 

Lending Office” means, as to any Lender, the office or offices of such Lender described as such in such Lender’s Administrative Questionnaire, or such other office or offices as a Lender may from time to time notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent.

 

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Letter of Credit” means any standby letter of credit issued hereunder.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Letter of Credit Sublimit” means an amount equal to $50,000,000. The Letter of Credit Sublimit is part of, and not in addition to, the Aggregate Commitments.

 

Lien” means any mortgage, pledge, hypothecation, assignment, deposit arrangement, encumbrance, lien (statutory or other), charge, or preference, priority or other security interest or preferential arrangement in the nature of a security interest of any kind or nature whatsoever (including any conditional sale or other title retention agreement, and any financing lease having substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing).

 

Loan” has the meaning specified in Section 2.01.

 

Loan Documents” means this Agreement, each Note, each Issuer Document, the Fee Letters, and the Guaranty.

 

Loan Notice” means a notice of (a) a Loan, (b) a conversion of Loans from one type to the other, or (c) a continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans, pursuant to Section 2.02(a), which, if in writing, shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit A.

 

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

 

Material Adverse Effect” means (a) a material adverse change in, or a material adverse effect upon, the business, properties, operations, prospects, liabilities (actual or contingent) or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Borrower or the Borrower and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole; (b) a material impairment of the ability of any Loan Party to perform its obligations under any Loan Document to which it is a party; or (c) a material adverse effect upon the legality, validity, binding effect or enforceability against any Loan Party of any Loan Document to which it is a party.

 

Material Subsidiary” means any direct or indirect Subsidiary of the Borrower which (i) has total assets equal to or greater than 5% of Consolidated Total Assets (calculated as of the most recent fiscal period with respect to which the Administrative Agent shall have received financial statements required to be delivered pursuant to Sections 6.01(a) or (b) (or if prior to delivery of any financial statements pursuant to such Sections, then calculated with respect to the Audited Financial Statements) (the “Required Financial Information”)) or (ii) has income equal to or greater than 5% of Consolidated Net Income (calculated for the most recent period for which the Administrative Agent has received the Required Financial Information); provided, however, that notwithstanding the foregoing, the term “Material Subsidiary” shall mean each of those Subsidiaries that together with the Borrower and each other Material Subsidiary have

 

15


assets equal to not less than 90% of Consolidated Total Assets (calculated as described above) and net income of not less than 90% of Consolidated Net Income (calculated as described above); provided further that if more than one combination of Subsidiaries satisfies such threshold, then those Subsidiaries that are not “Material Subsidiaries” shall be those Subsidiaries as may be specified by the Borrower to the Administrative Agent from time to time in writing as not being “Material Subsidiaries” to the extent such designation is consistent with the foregoing provisions of this definition.

 

Maturity Date” means May 14, 2009.

 

Medicaid Certification” means certification by CMS or a state agency or entity under contract with CMS that health care operations are in compliance with all the conditions of participation set forth in the Medicaid Regulations.

 

Medicaid Provider Agreement” means an agreement entered into between CMS or such other entity as may administer the Medicaid program and a health care operation under which agreement the health care operation agrees to provide services for Medicaid beneficiaries in accordance with the terms of such agreement and Medicaid Regulations.

 

Medicaid Regulations” means, collectively, (a) all federal statutes (whether set forth in Title XIX of the Social Security Act or elsewhere) affecting the medical assistance program established by Title XIX of the Social Security Act, (b) all applicable provisions of all federal rules, regulations, manuals and orders of all Governmental Authorities promulgated pursuant to or in connection with the statutes described in clause (a) above and all federal administrative, reimbursement and other guidelines of all Governmental Authorities having the force of law promulgated pursuant to or in connection with the statutes described in clause (a) above; (c) all state statutes and plans for medical assistance enacted in connection with the statutes and provisions described in clauses (a) and (b) above; and (d) all applicable provisions of all rules, regulations, manuals and orders of all Governmental Authorities promulgated pursuant to or in connection with the statutes described in clause (c) above and all state administrative, reimbursement and other guidelines of all Governmental Authorities having the force of law promulgated pursuant to or in connection with the statutes described in clause (c) above.

 

Medicare Certification” means certification by CMS or a state agency or entity under contract with CMS that the health care operation is in compliance with all the conditions of participation set forth in the Medicare Regulations.

 

Medicare Provider Agreement” means an agreement entered into between a state agency or other such entity administering the Medicare program and a health care operation under which the health care operation agrees to provide services for Medicare beneficiaries in accordance with the terms of the agreement and Medicare Regulations.

 

Medicare Regulations” means, collectively, all federal statutes (whether set forth in Title XVIII of the Social Security Act or elsewhere) affecting the health insurance program for the aged and disabled established by Title XVIII of the Social Security Act, together with all applicable provisions of all rules, regulations, manuals and orders and administrative, reimbursement and other guidelines having the force of law of all Governmental Authorities

 

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(including without limitation, HHS, CMS, the Office of the Inspector General for HHS, or any Person succeeding to the functions of any of the foregoing) promulgated pursuant to or in connection with any of the foregoing having the force of law.

 

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

 

Multiemployer Plan” means any employee benefit plan of the type described in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA, to which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate makes or is obligated to make contributions, or during the preceding five plan years, has made or been obligated to make contributions.

 

Municipal Obligations” means general obligations issued by, and supported by the full taxing authority of, any state of the United States of America or of any municipal corporation or other public body organized under the laws of any such state which are rated in the highest investment rating category by both S&P and Moody’s.

 

Note” means a promissory note made by the Borrower in favor of a Lender evidencing Loans made by such Lender, substantially in the form of Exhibit B.

 

Obligations” means all advances to, and debts, liabilities, obligations, covenants and duties of, any Loan Party (a) 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 any Loan Party or any Affiliate thereof of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Laws naming such Person as the debtor in such proceeding, regardless of whether such interest and fees are allowed claims in such proceeding, or (b) to any Lender (or any Affiliate of any Lender) which arise under a Swap Contract.

 

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

 

Outstanding Amount” means (i) with respect to Loans on any date, the aggregate outstanding principal amount thereof after giving effect to any borrowings and prepayments or repayments of Loans, as the case may be, occurring on such date; and (ii) with respect to any L/C Obligations on any date, the amount of such L/C Obligations on such date after giving effect to any L/C Credit Extension occurring on such date and any other changes in the aggregate amount of the L/C Obligations as of such date, including as a result of any reimbursements of outstanding unpaid drawings under any Letters of Credit or any reductions in the maximum amount available for drawing under Letters of Credit taking effect on such date.

 

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Participant” has the meaning specified in Section 10.07(d).

 

PBGC” means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.

 

Pension Plan” means any “employee pension benefit plan” (as such term is defined in Section 3(2) of ERISA), other than a Multiemployer Plan, that is subject to Title IV of ERISA and is sponsored or maintained by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate or to which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate contributes or has an obligation to contribute, or in the case of a multiple employer or other plan described in Section 4064(a) of ERISA, has made contributions at any time during the immediately preceding five plan years.

 

Permitted Swap Contract” means any Swap Contract with respect to Indebtedness evidenced by any or all of the Notes, on terms mutually acceptable to Borrower and such Person and approved by the Required Lenders; provided, however, that no such approval of the Lenders shall be required to the extent such Swap Contracts are entered into between the Borrower and any Lender or any Affiliate of any Lender.

 

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

 

Plan” means any “employee benefit plan” (as such term is defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA) established by the Borrower or, with respect to any such plan that is subject to Section 412 of the Code or Title IV of ERISA, any ERISA Affiliate.

 

Pre-Refunded Municipal Obligations” means obligations of any state of the United States of America or of any municipal corporation or other public body organized under the laws of any such state which are rated, based on the escrow, in the highest investment rating category by both S&P and Moody’s and which have been irrevocably called for redemption and advance refunded through the deposit in escrow of Government Securities or other debt securities which are (a) not callable at the option of the issuer thereof prior to maturity, (b) irrevocably pledged solely to the payment of all principal and interest on such obligations as the same becomes due and (c) in a principal amount and bear such rate or rates of interest as shall be sufficient to pay in full all principal of, interest, and premium, if any, on such obligations as the same becomes due as verified by a nationally recognized firm of certified public accountants.

 

Pro Rata Share” means, with respect to each Lender at any time, a fraction (expressed as a percentage, carried out to the ninth decimal place), the numerator of which is the amount of the Commitment of such Lender at such time and the denominator of which is the amount of the Aggregate Commitments at such time; provided that if the commitment of each Lender to make Loans and the obligation of the L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions have been terminated pursuant to Section 8.02, then the Pro Rata Share of each Lender shall be determined based on the Pro Rata Share of such Lender immediately prior to such termination and after giving effect to any subsequent assignments made pursuant to the terms hereof. The initial Pro Rata Share of each Lender is set forth opposite the name of such Lender on Schedule 2.01 or in the Assignment and Assumption pursuant to which such Lender becomes a party hereto, as applicable.

 

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Register” has the meaning specified in Section 10.07(c).

 

Reportable Event” means any of the events set forth in Section 4043(c) of ERISA, other than events for which the 30 day notice period has been waived.

 

Repurchase Agreement” means a repurchase agreement entered into with any financial institution whose debt obligations or commercial paper are rated “A” by either of S&P or Moody’s or “A-1” by S&P or “P-1” by Moody’s.

 

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

 

Required Lenders” means, as of any date of determination, Lenders having more than 50% of the Aggregate Commitments or, if the commitment of each Lender to make Loans and the obligation of the L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions have been terminated pursuant to Section 8.02, Lenders holding in the aggregate more than 50% of the Total Outstandings (with the aggregate amount of each Lender’s risk participation and funded participation in L/C Obligations being deemed “held” by such Lender for purposes of this definition); provided that the Commitment of, and the portion of the Total Outstandings held or deemed held by, any Defaulting Lender shall be excluded for purposes of making a determination of Required Lenders.

 

Responsible Officer” means any of the chief executive officer, president, chief financial officer, treasurer or (with respect to the Borrower only) the corporate controller of a Loan Party, and, with respect to Section 8.01(c) only, the General Counsel of the Borrower. Any document delivered hereunder that is signed by a Responsible Officer of a Loan Party shall be conclusively presumed to have been authorized by all necessary corporate, partnership and/or other action on the part of such Loan Party and such Responsible Officer shall be conclusively presumed to have acted on behalf of such Loan Party.

 

Restricted Payment” means (a) any dividend or other distribution, direct or indirect, on account of any shares of any class of stock or other Equity Interest of the Borrower or any Subsidiary (other than those payable or distributable solely to the Borrower or any Subsidiary) now or hereafter outstanding, except a dividend payable solely in shares of a class of stock or other Equity Interest to the holders of that class; (b) any redemption, conversion, exchange, retirement or similar payment, purchase or other acquisition for value, direct or indirect, of any shares of any class of stock or other Equity Interests of Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (other than those payable or distributable solely to the Borrower or any Subsidiary) now or hereafter outstanding; and (c) any issuance and sale of Equity Interests of any Subsidiary of the Borrower other than to the Borrower or any Subsidiary.

 

Restricted Subsidiary” means each of River Oaks Medical Office Building, Inc., River Oaks Hospital, Inc., ROH, Inc. and Paintsville Hospital Company, in each case so long as such Person is subject to a Contractual Obligation that prohibits such Person from guaranteeing the Obligations of the Borrower hereunder.

 

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S&P” means Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. and any successor thereto.

 

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

 

Solvent” means, when used with respect to any Person, that at the time of determination:

 

(a) the fair value of its assets (both at fair valuation and at present fair saleable value on an orderly basis) is in excess of the total amount of its liabilities, including Contingent Obligations; and

 

(b) it is then able and expects to be able to pay its debts as they mature; and

 

(c) it has capital sufficient to carry on its business as conducted and as proposed to be conducted.

 

SPC” has the meaning specified in Section 10.07(h).

 

Specified Plan” means the defined benefit pension plan covering eligible employees of Hernando HMA, Inc.

 

Subsidiary” of a Person means a corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company or other business entity of which a majority of the shares of securities or other interests having ordinary voting power for the election of directors or other governing body (other than securities or interests having such power only by reason of the happening of a contingency) are at the time beneficially owned, or the management of which is otherwise controlled, directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, or both, by such Person. Unless otherwise specified, all references herein to a “Subsidiary” or to “Subsidiaries” shall refer to a Subsidiary or Subsidiaries of the Borrower.

 

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

 

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Swap Termination Value” means, in respect of any one or more Swap Contracts, after taking into account the effect of any legally enforceable netting agreement relating to such Swap Contracts, (a) for any date on or after the date such Swap Contracts have been closed out and termination value(s) determined in accordance therewith, such termination value(s), and (b) for any date prior to the date referenced in clause (a), the amount(s) determined as the mark-to-market value(s) for such Swap Contracts, as determined based upon one or more mid-market or other readily available quotations provided by any recognized dealer in such Swap Contracts (which may include a Lender or any Affiliate of a Lender).

 

Synthetic Lease Obligation” means the monetary obligation of a Person under (a) a so-called synthetic, off-balance sheet or tax retention lease, or (b) an agreement for the use or possession of property creating obligations that do not appear on the balance sheet of such Person but which, upon the insolvency or bankruptcy of such Person, would be characterized as the indebtedness of such Person (without regard to accounting treatment).

 

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

 

Trigger Date” means any date upon which (a) either the Debt Rating issued by S&P is lower than BBB- or S&P has suspended or ceased to issue a Debt Rating, and (b) either the Debt Rating issued by Moody’s is lower than Baa3 or Moody’s has suspended or ceased to issue a Debt Rating.

 

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

 

Unfunded Pension Liability” means the excess of a Pension Plan’s benefit liabilities under Section 4001(a)(16) of ERISA, over the current value of that Pension Plan’s assets, determined in accordance with the assumptions used for funding the Pension Plan pursuant to Section 412 of the Code for the applicable plan year.

 

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

 

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

 

Wachovia” means Wachovia Bank, National Association.

 

WCM” means Wachovia Capital Markets, LLC.

 

1.02 Other Interpretive Provisions. With reference to this Agreement and each other Loan Document, unless otherwise specified herein or in such other Loan Document:

 

(a) The meanings of defined terms are equally applicable to the singular and plural forms of the defined terms.

 

(b) (i) The words “herein,” “hereto,” “hereof” and “hereunder” and words of similar import when used in any Loan Document shall refer to such Loan Document as a whole and not to any particular provision thereof.

 

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(ii) Article, Section, Exhibit and Schedule references are to the Loan Document in which such reference appears.

 

(iii) The term “including” is by way of example and not limitation.

 

(iv) The term “documents” includes any and all instruments, documents, agreements, certificates, notices, reports, financial statements and other writings, however evidenced, whether in physical or electronic form.

 

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

 

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

 

1.03 Accounting Terms. (a) All accounting terms not specifically or completely defined herein shall be construed in conformity with, and all financial data (including financial ratios and other financial calculations) required to be submitted pursuant to this Agreement shall be prepared in conformity with, GAAP applied on a consistent basis, as in effect from time to time, applied in a manner consistent with that used in preparing the Audited Financial Statements, except as otherwise specifically prescribed herein.

 

(b) If at any time any change in GAAP would affect the computation of any financial ratio or requirement set forth in any Loan Document, and either the Borrower or the Required Lenders shall so request, the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the Borrower shall negotiate in good faith to amend such ratio or requirement to preserve the original intent thereof in light of such change in GAAP (subject to the approval of the Required Lenders); provided that, until so amended, (i) such ratio or requirement shall continue to be computed in accordance with GAAP prior to such change therein and (ii) the Borrower shall provide to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders financial statements and other documents required under this Agreement or as reasonably requested hereunder setting forth a reconciliation between calculations of such ratio or requirement made before and after giving effect to such change in GAAP.

 

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

 

1.05 References to Agreements and Laws. Unless otherwise expressly provided herein, (a) references to Organization Documents, agreements (including the Loan Documents) and other contractual instruments shall be deemed to include all subsequent amendments, restatements, extensions, supplements and other modifications thereto, but only to the extent that such amendments, restatements, extensions, supplements and other modifications are not prohibited by any Loan Document; and (b) references to any Law shall include all statutory and regulatory provisions consolidating, amending, replacing, supplementing or interpreting such Law.

 

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

 

1.07 Letter of Credit Amounts. Unless otherwise specified, all references herein to the amount of a Letter of Credit at any time shall be deemed to mean the maximum face amount of such Letter of Credit after giving effect to all increases thereof contemplated by such Letter of Credit or the Issuer Documents related thereto, whether or not such maximum face amount is in effect at such time.

 

ARTICLE II.

THE COMMITMENTS AND CREDIT EXTENSIONS

 

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

 

2.02 Borrowings, Conversions and Continuations of Loans.

 

(a) Each Borrowing, each conversion of Loans from one Type to the other, and each continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be made upon the Borrower’s irrevocable notice to the Administrative Agent, which may be given by telephone. Each such notice must be received by the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m. (i) three Business Days prior to the requested date of any Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans or of any conversion of Eurodollar Rate Loans to Base Rate Loans, and (ii) on the requested date of any Borrowing of Base Rate Loans. Each telephonic notice by the Borrower pursuant to this Section 2.02(a) must be confirmed promptly by delivery to the Administrative Agent of a written Loan Notice, appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower. Each Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be in a principal amount of $10,000,000 or a whole multiple of $5,000,000 in excess thereof. Except as provided in Sections 2.03(c), each Borrowing of or conversion to Base Rate Loans shall be in a principal amount of $10,000,000 or a whole multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof. Each Loan Notice (whether telephonic or written) shall specify (i) whether the Borrower is requesting a Borrowing, a conversion of Loans from one Type to the other, or a continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans, (ii) the requested date of the Borrowing, conversion or continuation, as the case may be (which shall be a Business Day), (iii) the principal amount of Loans to be borrowed, converted or continued, (iv) the Type of Loans to be borrowed or to which existing Loans are to

 

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be converted, and (v) if applicable, the duration of the Interest Period with respect thereto. If the Borrower fails to specify a Type of Loan in a Loan Notice or if the Borrower fails to give a timely notice requesting a conversion or continuation, then the applicable Loans shall be made as, or converted to, Base Rate Loans. Any such automatic conversion to Base Rate Loans shall be effective as of the last day of the Interest Period then in effect with respect to the applicable Eurodollar Rate Loans. If the Borrower requests a Borrowing of, conversion to, or continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans in any such Loan Notice, but fails to specify an Interest Period, it will be deemed to have specified an Interest Period of one month.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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2.03 Letters of Credit.

 

(a) The Letter of Credit Commitment.

 

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

 

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

 

(A) the expiry date of such requested Letter of Credit would occur more than twelve months after the date of issuance, unless the Required Lenders have approved such expiry date; or

 

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

 

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

 

(A) any order, judgment or decree of any Governmental Authority or arbitrator shall by its terms purport to enjoin or restrain the L/C Issuer from issuing such Letter of Credit, or any Law applicable to the L/C Issuer or any request or directive (whether or not having the force of law) from any Governmental Authority with jurisdiction over the L/C Issuer shall prohibit, or request that the L/C Issuer refrain from, the issuance of letters of credit generally or such Letter of Credit in particular or shall impose upon the L/C Issuer with respect to such Letter of Credit any restriction, reserve or capital requirement (for

 

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which the L/C Issuer is not otherwise compensated hereunder) not in effect on the Closing Date, or shall impose upon the L/C Issuer any unreimbursed loss, cost or expense which was not applicable on the Closing Date and which the L/C Issuer in good faith deems material to it;

 

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

 

(C) except as otherwise agreed by the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer, such Letter of Credit is in an initial face amount less than $500,000;

 

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

 

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

 

(F) a default of any Lender’s obligations to fund under Section 2.03(c) exists or any Lender is at such time a Defaulting Lender hereunder, unless the L/C Issuer has entered into satisfactory arrangements with the Borrower or such Lender to eliminate the L/C Issuer’s risk with respect to such Lender.

 

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

 

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

 

(b) Procedures for Issuance and Amendment of Letters of Credit.

 

(i) Each Letter of Credit shall be issued or amended, as the case may be, upon the request of the Borrower delivered to the L/C Issuer (with a copy to the Administrative Agent) in the form of a Letter of Credit Application, appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower. Such Letter of Credit Application must be received by the L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m. at least two Business Days (or such later date and time as the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer may agree in a particular instance in their sole discretion) prior to the proposed issuance date or date of amendment, as the case may be. In the case of a request for an initial issuance of a Letter of Credit, such Letter of Credit Application shall specify in form and detail satisfactory to the L/C Issuer: (A) the proposed issuance date of the requested Letter of Credit (which shall be a Business Day); (B) the amount thereof; (C) the expiry date thereof; (D) the name and address of the beneficiary thereof; (E) the documents to be presented by such beneficiary in case of any drawing thereunder; (F) the full text of any certificate to be presented by such beneficiary in case of any drawing thereunder; and (G) such other matters as the L/C Issuer may require. In the case of a

 

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request for an amendment of any outstanding Letter of Credit, such Letter of Credit Application shall specify in form and detail satisfactory to the L/C Issuer (A) the Letter of Credit to be amended; (B) the proposed date of amendment thereof (which shall be a Business Day); (C) the nature of the proposed amendment; and (D) such other matters as the L/C Issuer may require. Additionally, the Borrower shall furnish to the L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent such other documents and information pertaining to such requested Letter of Credit issuance or amendment, including any Issuer Documents, as the L/C Issuer or the Administrative Agent may require.

 

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

 

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

 

(c) Drawings and Reimbursements; Funding of Participations.

 

(i) Upon receipt from the beneficiary of any Letter of Credit of any notice of a drawing under such Letter of Credit, the L/C Issuer shall notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent thereof. Not later than 11:00 a.m. on the date of any payment by the L/C Issuer under a Letter of Credit (each such date, an “Honor Date”), the Borrower shall reimburse the L/C Issuer through the Administrative Agent in an amount equal to the amount of such drawing. If the Borrower fails to so reimburse the L/C Issuer by such time, the Administrative Agent shall promptly notify each Lender of the Honor Date, the amount of the unreimbursed drawing (the “Unreimbursed Amount”), and the amount of such Lender’s Pro Rata Share thereof. In such event, the Borrower shall be deemed to have requested a Borrowing of Base Rate Loans to be disbursed on the Honor Date in an amount equal to the Unreimbursed Amount, without regard to the minimum and multiples specified in Section 2.02 for the principal amount of Base Rate Loans, but subject to the amount of the unutilized portion of the Aggregate Commitments and the conditions set forth in Section 4.02 (other than the delivery of a Loan Notice). Any

 

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notice given by the L/C Issuer or the Administrative Agent pursuant to this Section 2.03(c)(i) may be given by telephone if immediately confirmed in writing; provided that the lack of such an immediate confirmation shall not affect the conclusiveness or binding effect of such notice.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

(vi) If any Lender fails to make available to the Administrative Agent for the account of the L/C Issuer any amount required to be paid by such Lender pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.03(c) by the time specified in Section 2.03(c)(ii),

 

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the L/C Issuer shall be entitled to recover from such Lender (acting through the Administrative Agent), on demand, such amount with interest thereon for the period from the date such payment is required to the date on which such payment is immediately available to the L/C Issuer at a rate per annum equal to the Federal Funds Rate from time to time in effect. A certificate of the L/C Issuer submitted to any Lender (through the Administrative Agent) with respect to any amounts owing under this clause (vi) shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

 

(d) Repayment of Participations.

 

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

 

(ii) If any payment received by the Administrative Agent for the account of the L/C Issuer pursuant to Section 2.03(c)(i) is required to be returned under any of the circumstances described in Section 10.06 (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by the L/C Issuer in its discretion), each Lender shall pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of the L/C Issuer its Pro Rata Share thereof on demand of the Administrative Agent, plus interest thereon from the date of such demand to the date such amount is returned by such Lender, at a rate per annum equal to the Federal Funds Rate from time to time in effect.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

(iii) any draft, demand, certificate or other document presented under such Letter of Credit proving to be forged, fraudulent, invalid or insufficient in any respect or

 

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any statement therein being untrue or inaccurate in any respect; or any loss or delay in the transmission or otherwise of any document required in order to make a drawing under such Letter of Credit;

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

(f) Role of L/C Issuer. Each Lender and the Borrower agree that, in paying any drawing under a Letter of Credit, the L/C Issuer shall not have any responsibility to obtain any document (other than any sight draft, certificates and documents expressly required by the Letter of Credit) or to ascertain or inquire as to the validity or accuracy of any such document or the authority of the Person executing or delivering any such document. None of the L/C Issuer, any Agent-Related Person nor any of the respective correspondents, participants or assignees of the L/C Issuer shall be liable to any Lender for (i) any action taken or omitted in connection herewith at the request or with the approval of the Lenders or the Required Lenders, as applicable; (ii) any action taken or omitted in the absence of gross negligence or willful misconduct; or (iii) the due execution, effectiveness, validity or enforceability of any document or instrument related to any Letter of Credit or Letter of Credit Application. The Borrower hereby assumes all risks of the acts or omissions of any beneficiary or transferee with respect to its use of any Letter of Credit; provided, however, that this assumption is not intended to, and shall not, preclude the Borrower’s pursuing such rights and remedies as it may have against the beneficiary or transferee at law or under any other agreement. None of the L/C Issuer, any Agent-Related Person, nor any of the respective correspondents, participants or assignees of the L/C Issuer, shall be liable or responsible for any of the matters described in clauses (i) through (v) of Section 2.03(e); provided, however, that anything in such clauses to the contrary notwithstanding, the Borrower may have a claim against the L/C Issuer, and the L/C Issuer may be liable to the Borrower, to the extent, but only to the extent, of any direct, as opposed to consequential or exemplary, damages suffered by the Borrower which the Borrower proves were caused by the L/C Issuer’s willful misconduct or gross negligence or the L/C Issuer’s willful failure to pay under any Letter of Credit after the presentation to it by the beneficiary of a sight draft and certificate(s) strictly complying with the terms and conditions of a Letter of Credit. In furtherance and not in limitation of the foregoing, the L/C Issuer may accept documents that

 

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appear on their face to be in order, without responsibility for further investigation, regardless of any notice or information to the contrary, and the L/C Issuer shall not be responsible for the validity or sufficiency of any instrument transferring or assigning or purporting to transfer or assign a Letter of Credit or the rights or benefits thereunder or proceeds thereof, in whole or in part, which may prove to be invalid or ineffective for any reason.

 

(g) Cash Collateral. Upon the request of the Administrative Agent, if, as of the Letter of Credit Expiration Date, any Letter of Credit for any reason remains outstanding and partially or wholly undrawn, the Borrower shall immediately Cash Collateralize the then Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations (in an amount equal to such Outstanding Amount determined as of the date of such L/C Borrowing or the Letter of Credit Expiration Date, as the case may be). Sections 2.05 and 8.02(c) set forth certain additional requirements to deliver Cash Collateral hereunder. For purposes of this Section 2.03, Section 2.05 and Section 8.02(c), “Cash Collateralize” means to pledge and deposit with or deliver to the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the L/C Issuer and the Lenders, as collateral for the L/C Obligations, cash or deposit account balances pursuant to documentation in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer (which documents are hereby consented to by the Lenders). Derivatives of such term have corresponding meanings. The Borrower hereby grants to the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the L/C Issuer and the Lenders, a security interest in all such cash, deposit accounts and all balances therein and all proceeds of the foregoing. Cash Collateral shall be maintained in blocked, non-interest bearing deposit accounts at Bank of America.

 

(h) Applicability of ISP. Unless otherwise expressly agreed by the L/C Issuer and the Borrower when a Letter of Credit is issued, the rules of the ISP shall apply to such Letter of Credit.

 

(i) Letter of Credit Fees. The Borrower shall pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender in accordance with its Pro Rata Share a Letter of Credit fee (the “Letter of Credit Fee”) for each Letter of Credit equal to the Applicable Rate times the daily maximum amount available to be drawn under such Letter of Credit (whether or not such maximum amount is then in effect under such Letter of Credit). Letter of Credit Fees shall be (i) computed on a quarterly basis in arrears and (ii) due and payable on the first Business Day after the end of each March, June, September and December, commencing with the first such date to occur after the issuance of such Letter of Credit, on the Letter of Credit Expiration Date and thereafter on demand. If there is any change in the Applicable Rate during any quarter, the daily maximum amount of each Letter of Credit shall be computed and multiplied by the Applicable Rate separately for each period during such quarter that such Applicable Rate was in effect. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, while any Event of Default exists, all Letter of Credit Fees shall accrue at the Default Rate.

 

(j) Fronting Fee and Documentary and Processing Charges Payable to L/C Issuer. The Borrower shall pay directly to the L/C Issuer for its own account a fronting fee with respect to each Letter of Credit in the amount specified in the Fee Letter to which it is a party, payable on the actual daily maximum amount available to be drawn under such Letter of Credit (whether or not such maximum amount is then in effect under such Letter of Credit). Such fronting fee shall be computed on a quarterly basis in arrears. Such fronting fee shall be due and payable on

 

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the first Business Day after the end of each March, June, September and December, commencing with the first such date to occur after the issuance of such Letter of Credit, on the Letter of Credit Expiration Date and thereafter on demand. In addition, the Borrower shall pay directly to the L/C Issuer for its own account the customary issuance, presentation, amendment and other processing fees, and other standard costs and charges, of the L/C Issuer relating to letters of credit as from time to time in effect. Such customary fees and standard costs and charges are due and payable on demand and are nonrefundable.

 

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

 

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

 

2.04 [Intentionally Omitted].

 

2.05 Prepayments.

 

(a) The Borrower may, upon notice to the Administrative Agent, at any time or from time to time voluntarily prepay Loans in whole or in part without premium or penalty; provided that (i) such notice must be received by the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m. (A) three Business Days prior to any date of prepayment of Eurodollar Rate Loans and (B) on the date of prepayment of Base Rate Loans; (ii) any prepayment of Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be in a principal amount of $5,000,000 or a whole multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof; and (iii) any prepayment of Base Rate Loans shall be in a principal amount of $5,000,000 or a whole multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof or, in each case, if less, the entire principal amount thereof then outstanding. Each such notice shall specify the date and amount of such prepayment and the Type(s) of Loans to be prepaid. The Administrative Agent will promptly notify each Lender of its receipt of each such notice, and of the amount of such Lender’s Pro Rata Share of such prepayment. If such notice is given by the Borrower, the Borrower shall make such prepayment and the payment amount specified in such notice shall be due and payable on the date specified therein. Any prepayment of a Eurodollar Rate Loan shall be accompanied by all accrued interest thereon, together with any additional amounts required pursuant to Section 3.05. Each such prepayment shall be applied to the Loans of the Lenders in accordance with their respective Pro Rata Shares.

 

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

 

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2.06 Termination or Reduction of Commitments. The Borrower may, upon notice to the Administrative Agent, terminate the Aggregate Commitments, or from time to time permanently reduce the Aggregate Commitments; provided that (i) any such notice shall be received by the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m. five Business Days prior to the date of termination or reduction, (ii) any such partial reduction shall be in an aggregate amount of $5,000,000 or any whole multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof, (iii) the Borrower shall not terminate or reduce the Aggregate Commitments if, after giving effect thereto and to any concurrent prepayments hereunder, the Total Outstandings would exceed the Aggregate Commitments, and (iv) if, after giving effect to any reduction of the Aggregate Commitments, the Letter of Credit Sublimit exceeds the amount of the Aggregate Commitments, such Sublimit shall be automatically reduced by the amount of such excess. The Administrative Agent will promptly notify the Lenders of any such notice of termination or reduction of the Aggregate Commitments. Any reduction of the Aggregate Commitments shall be applied to the Commitment of each Lender according to its Pro Rata Share. All fees accrued until the effective date of any termination of the Aggregate Commitments shall be paid on the effective date of such termination.

 

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

 

2.08 Interest.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

(iii) Upon the request of the Required Lenders, while any Event of Default exists, the Borrower shall pay interest on the principal amount of all outstanding Obligations hereunder at a fluctuating interest rate per annum at all times equal to the Default Rate to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Laws.

 

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

 

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

 

2.09 Fees. In addition to certain fees described in subsections (i) and (j) of Section 2.03:

 

(a) Facility Fee. The Borrower shall pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender in accordance with its Pro Rata Share, a facility fee equal to the Applicable Rate times the actual daily amount of the Aggregate Commitments (or, if the Aggregate Commitments have terminated, on the Outstanding Amount of all Loans and L/C Obligations), regardless of usage. The facility fee shall accrue at all times during the Availability Period (and thereafter so long as any Loans or L/C Obligations remain outstanding), including at any time during which one or more of the conditions in Article IV is not met, and shall be due and payable quarterly in arrears on the last Business Day of each March, June, September and December, commencing with the first such date to occur after the Closing Date, and on the Maturity Date (and, if applicable, thereafter on demand). The facility fee shall be calculated quarterly in arrears, and if there is any change in the Applicable Rate during any quarter, the actual daily amount shall be computed and multiplied by the Applicable Rate separately for each period during such quarter that such Applicable Rate was in effect.

 

(b) Other Fees. (i) The Borrower shall pay to each Arranger and the Administrative Agent for their own respective accounts fees in the amounts and at the times specified in the Fee Letter to which such Person is a party. Such fees shall be fully earned when paid and shall not be refundable for any reason whatsoever.

 

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

 

2.10 Computation of Interest and Fees. All computations of interest for Base Rate Loans when the Base Rate is determined by Bank of America’s “prime rate” shall be made on the basis of a year of 365 or 366 days, as the case may be, and actual days elapsed. All other computations of fees and interest shall be made on the basis of a 360-day year and actual days elapsed (which results in more fees or interest, as applicable, being paid than if computed on the basis of a 365-day year). Interest shall accrue on each Loan for the day on which the Loan is made, and shall not accrue on a Loan, or any portion thereof, for the day on which the Loan or such portion is paid, provided that any Loan that is repaid on the same day on which it is made shall, subject to Section 2.12(a), bear interest for one day.

 

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2.11 Evidence of Debt.

 

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

 

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

 

2.12 Payments Generally.

 

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

 

(b) If any payment to be made by the Borrower shall come due on a day other than a Business Day, payment shall be made on the next following Business Day, and such extension of time shall be reflected in computing interest or fees, as the case may be.

 

(c) Unless the Borrower or any Lender has notified the Administrative Agent, prior to the date any payment is required to be made by it to the Administrative Agent hereunder, that the Borrower or such Lender, as the case may be, will not make such payment, the Administrative Agent may assume that the Borrower or such Lender, as the case may be, has timely made such payment and may (but shall not be so required to), in reliance thereon, make available a

 

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corresponding amount to the Person entitled thereto. If and to the extent that such payment was not in fact made to the Administrative Agent in immediately available funds, then:

 

(i) if the Borrower failed to make such payment, each Lender shall forthwith on demand repay to the Administrative Agent the portion of such assumed payment that was made available to such Lender in immediately available funds, together with interest thereon in respect of each day from and including the date such amount was made available by the Administrative Agent to such Lender to the date such amount is repaid to the Administrative Agent in immediately available funds at the Federal Funds Rate from time to time in effect; and

 

(ii) if any Lender failed to make such payment, such Lender shall forthwith on demand pay to the Administrative Agent the amount thereof in immediately available funds, together with interest thereon for the period from the date such amount was made available by the Administrative Agent to the Borrower to the date such amount is recovered by the Administrative Agent (the “Compensation Period”) at a rate per annum equal to the Federal Funds Rate from time to time in effect. If such Lender pays such amount to the Administrative Agent, then such amount shall constitute such Lender’s Loan included in the applicable Borrowing. If such Lender does not pay such amount forthwith upon the Administrative Agent’s demand therefor, the Administrative Agent may make a demand therefor upon the Borrower, and the Borrower shall pay such amount to the Administrative Agent, together with interest thereon for the Compensation Period at a rate per annum equal to the rate of interest applicable to the applicable Borrowing. Nothing herein shall be deemed to relieve any Lender from its obligation to fulfill its Commitment or to prejudice any rights which the Administrative Agent or the Borrower may have against any Lender as a result of any default by such Lender hereunder.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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2.13 Sharing of Payments. If, other than as expressly provided elsewhere herein, any Lender shall obtain on account of the Loans made by it, or the participations in L/C Obligations held by it, any payment (whether voluntary, involuntary, through the exercise of any right of set-off, or otherwise) in excess of its ratable share (or other share contemplated hereunder) thereof, such Lender shall immediately (a) notify the Administrative Agent of such fact, and (b) purchase from the other Lenders such participations in the Loans made by them and/or such subparticipations in the participations in L/C Obligations held by them, as the case may be, as shall be necessary to cause such purchasing Lender to share the excess payment in respect of such Loans or such participations, as the case may be, pro rata with each of them; provided, however, that if all or any portion of such excess payment is thereafter recovered from the purchasing Lender under any of the circumstances described in Section 10.06 (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by the purchasing Lender in its discretion), such purchase shall to that extent be rescinded and each other Lender shall repay to the purchasing Lender the purchase price paid therefor, together with an amount equal to such paying Lender’s ratable share (according to the proportion of (i) the amount of such paying Lender’s required repayment to (ii) the total amount so recovered from the purchasing Lender) of any interest or other amount paid or payable by the purchasing Lender in respect of the total amount so recovered, without further interest thereon. The Borrower agrees that any Lender so purchasing a participation from another Lender may, to the fullest extent permitted by law, exercise all its rights of payment (including the right of set-off, but subject to Section 10.09) with respect to such participation as fully as if such Lender were the direct creditor of the Borrower in the amount of such participation. The Administrative Agent will keep records (which shall be conclusive and binding in the absence of manifest error) of participations purchased under this Section and will in each case notify the Lenders following any such purchases or repayments. Each Lender that purchases a participation pursuant to this Section shall from and after such purchase have the right to give all notices, requests, demands, directions and other communications under this Agreement with respect to the portion of the Obligations purchased to the same extent as though the purchasing Lender were the original owner of the Obligations purchased.

 

2.14 Increase in Commitments.

 

(a) Provided there exists no Default and there has been no prior reduction of the Aggregate Commitments, upon notice to the Administrative Agent (which shall promptly notify the Lenders), the Borrower may from time to time request an increase in the Aggregate Commitments by an amount (for all such requests) not exceeding $150,000,000; provided that (i) any such request for an increase shall be in a minimum amount of $25,000,000, and (ii) the Borrower may make a maximum of three such requests. At the time of sending such notice, the Borrower (in consultation with the Administrative Agent) shall specify the time period within which each Lender is requested to respond (which shall in no event be less than ten Business Days from the date of delivery of such notice to the Lenders). Each Lender shall notify the Administrative Agent within such time period whether or not it agrees to increase its Commitment and, if so, whether by an amount equal to, greater than, or less than its Pro Rata Share of such requested increase. Any Lender not responding within such time period shall be deemed to have declined to increase its Commitment. The Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and each Lender of the Lenders’ responses to each request made hereunder. To the extent the Lenders have not agreed to increase their respective Commitments in an amount sufficient to provide the full amount of a requested increase, the Borrower may also invite

 

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additional Eligible Assignees to become Lenders in order to provide, together with the existing Lenders increasing their Commitments, the aggregate requested additional Commitments. In order to so become a Lender, each such additional Eligible Assignee shall execute and deliver a joinder agreement in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and its counsel.

 

(b) If the Aggregate Commitments are increased in accordance with this Section, the Administrative Agent and the Borrower shall determine the effective date (the “Increase Effective Date”) and the final allocation of such increase. The Administrative Agent shall promptly notify the Borrower and the Lenders of the final allocation of such increase and the Increase Effective Date. As a condition precedent to such increase, the Borrower shall deliver to the Administrative Agent a certificate of each Loan Party dated as of the Increase Effective Date (in sufficient copies for each Lender) signed by a Responsible Officer of such Loan Party (i) certifying and attaching the resolutions adopted by such Loan Party approving or consenting to such increase, and (ii) in the case of the Borrower, certifying that, before and after giving effect to such increase, (A) the representations and warranties contained in Article V and the other Loan Documents are true and correct on and as of the Increase Effective Date, except to the extent that such representations and warranties specifically refer to an earlier date, in which case they are true and correct as of such earlier date, and except that for purposes of this Section 2.14, the representations and warranties contained in subsections (a) and (b) of Section 5.07 shall be deemed to refer to the most recent statements furnished pursuant to subsections (a) and (b), respectively, of Section 6.01, and (B) no Default exists. The Borrower shall prepay any Loans outstanding on the Increase Effective Date (and pay any additional amounts required pursuant to Section 3.05) to the extent necessary to keep the outstanding Loans ratable with any revised Pro Rata Shares arising from any nonratable increase in the Commitments under this Section.

 

(c) This Section shall supersede any provisions in Sections 2.13 or 10.01 to the contrary.

 

ARTICLE III.

TAXES, YIELD PROTECTION AND ILLEGALITY

 

3.01 Taxes.

 

(a) Any and all payments by the Borrower to or for the account of the Administrative Agent or any Lender under any Loan Document shall be made free and clear of and without deduction for any and all present or future taxes, duties, levies, imposts, deductions, assessments, fees, withholdings or similar charges, and all liabilities with respect thereto, excluding, in the case of the Administrative Agent and each Lender, taxes imposed on or measured by its overall net income, and franchise taxes imposed on it (in lieu of net income taxes), by the jurisdiction (or any political subdivision thereof) under the Laws of which the Administrative Agent or such Lender, as the case may be, is organized or maintains a lending office (all such non-excluded taxes, duties, levies, imposts, deductions, assessments, fees, withholdings or similar charges, and liabilities being hereinafter referred to as “Taxes”). If the Borrower shall be required by any Laws to deduct any Taxes from or in respect of any sum payable under any Loan Document to the Administrative Agent or any Lender, (i) the sum payable shall be increased as necessary so that after making all required deductions (including deductions applicable to additional sums

 

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payable under this Section), each of the Administrative Agent and such Lender receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such deductions been made, (ii) the Borrower shall make such deductions, (iii) the Borrower shall pay the full amount deducted to the relevant taxation authority or other authority in accordance with applicable Laws, and (iv) within 30 days after the date of such payment, the Borrower shall furnish to the Administrative Agent (which shall forward the same to such Lender) the original or a certified copy of a receipt evidencing payment thereof.

 

(b) In addition, the Borrower agrees to pay any and all present or future stamp, court or documentary taxes and any other excise or property taxes or charges or similar levies which arise from any payment made under any Loan Document or from the execution, delivery, performance, enforcement or registration of, or otherwise with respect to, any Loan Document (hereinafter referred to as “Other Taxes”).

 

(c) If the Borrower shall be required to deduct or pay any Taxes or Other Taxes from or in respect of any sum payable under any Loan Document to the Administrative Agent or any Lender, the Borrower shall also pay to the Administrative Agent or to such Lender, as the case may be, at the time interest is paid, such additional amount that the Administrative Agent or such Lender specifies is necessary to preserve the after-tax yield (after factoring in all taxes, including taxes imposed on or measured by net income) that the Administrative Agent or such Lender would have received if such Taxes or Other Taxes had not been imposed.

 

(d) The Borrower agrees to indemnify the Administrative Agent and each Lender for (i) the full amount of Taxes and Other Taxes (including any Taxes or Other Taxes imposed or asserted by any jurisdiction on amounts payable under this Section) paid by the Administrative Agent and such Lender, (ii) amounts payable under Section 3.01(c) and (iii) any liability (including additions to tax, penalties, interest and expenses) arising therefrom or with respect thereto, in each case whether or not such Taxes or Other Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority. Payment under this subsection (d) shall be made within 30 days after the date the Lender or the Administrative Agent makes a demand therefor.

 

3.02 Illegality. If any Lender determines that any Law has made it unlawful, or that any Governmental Authority has asserted that it is unlawful, for any Lender or its applicable Lending Office to make, maintain or fund Eurodollar Rate Loans, or to determine or charge interest rates based upon the Eurodollar Rate, then, on notice thereof by such Lender to the Borrower through the Administrative Agent, any obligation of such Lender to make or continue Eurodollar Rate Loans or to convert Base Rate Loans to Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be suspended until such Lender notifies the Administrative Agent and the Borrower that the circumstances giving rise to such determination no longer exist. Upon receipt of such notice, the Borrower shall, upon demand from such Lender (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), prepay or, if applicable, convert all Eurodollar Rate Loans of such Lender to Base Rate Loans, either on the last day of the Interest Period therefor, if such Lender may lawfully continue to maintain such Eurodollar Rate Loans to such day, or immediately, if such Lender may not lawfully continue to maintain such Eurodollar Rate Loans. Upon any such prepayment or conversion, the Borrower shall also pay accrued interest on the amount so prepaid or converted. Each Lender agrees to designate a different Lending Office if such designation will avoid the

 

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need for such notice and will not, in the good faith judgment of such Lender, otherwise be materially disadvantageous to such Lender.

 

3.03 Inability to Determine Rates. If the Required Lenders determine that for any reason adequate and reasonable means do not exist for determining the Eurodollar Rate for any requested Interest Period with respect to a proposed Eurodollar Rate Loan, or that the Eurodollar Rate for any requested Interest Period with respect to a proposed Eurodollar Rate Loan does not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to such Lenders of funding such Loan, the Administrative Agent will promptly so notify the Borrower and each Lender. Thereafter, the obligation of the Lenders to make or maintain Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be suspended until the Administrative Agent (upon the instruction of the Required Lenders) revokes such notice. Upon receipt of such notice, the Borrower may revoke any pending request for a Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans or, failing that, will be deemed to have converted such request into a request for a Borrowing of Base Rate Loans in the amount specified therein.

 

3.04 Increased Cost and Reduced Return; Capital Adequacy; Reserves on Eurodollar Rate Loans.

 

(a) If any Lender determines that as a result of the introduction of or any change in or in the interpretation of any Law, or such Lender’s compliance therewith, there shall be any increase in the cost to such Lender of agreeing to make or making, funding or maintaining Eurodollar Rate Loans or (as the case may be) issuing or participating in Letters of Credit, or a reduction in the amount received or receivable by such Lender in connection with any of the foregoing (excluding for purposes of this subsection (a) any such increased costs or reduction in amount resulting from (i) Taxes or Other Taxes (as to which Section 3.01 shall govern), (ii) changes in the basis of taxation of overall net income or overall gross income by the United States or any foreign jurisdiction or any political subdivision of either thereof under the Laws of which such Lender is organized or has its Lending Office, and (iii) reserve requirements contemplated by Section 3.04(c)), then from time to time upon demand of such Lender (with a copy of such demand to the Administrative Agent), the Borrower shall pay to such Lender such additional amounts as will compensate such Lender for such increased cost or reduction.

 

(b) If any Lender determines that the introduction of any Law regarding capital adequacy or any change therein or in the interpretation thereof, or compliance by such Lender (or its Lending Office) therewith, has the effect of reducing the rate of return on the capital of such Lender or any corporation controlling such Lender as a consequence of such Lender’s obligations hereunder (taking into consideration its policies with respect to capital adequacy and such Lender’s desired return on capital), then from time to time upon demand of such Lender (with a copy of such demand to the Administrative Agent), the Borrower shall pay to such Lender such additional amounts as will compensate such Lender for such reduction.

 

(c) The Borrower shall pay to each Lender, as long as such Lender shall be required to maintain reserves with respect to liabilities or assets consisting of or including Eurocurrency funds or deposits (currently known as “Eurocurrency liabilities”), additional interest on the unpaid principal amount of each Eurodollar Rate Loan equal to the actual costs of such reserves allocated to such Loan by such Lender (as determined by such Lender in good faith, which determination shall be conclusive), which shall be due and payable on each date on which

 

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interest is payable on such Loan, provided the Borrower shall have received at least 15 days’ prior notice (with a copy to the Administrative Agent) of such additional interest from such Lender. If a Lender fails to give notice 15 days prior to the relevant Interest Payment Date, such additional interest shall be due and payable 15 days from receipt of such notice.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

3.06 Matters Applicable to all Requests for Compensation. A certificate of the Administrative Agent or any Lender claiming compensation under this Article III and setting forth the additional amount or amounts to be paid to it hereunder shall be conclusive in the absence of manifest error. In determining such amount, the Administrative Agent or such Lender may use any reasonable averaging and attribution methods.

 

3.07 Survival. All of the Borrower’s obligations under this Article III shall survive termination of the Aggregate Commitments and repayment of all other Obligations hereunder.

 

ARTICLE IV.

CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO CREDIT EXTENSIONS

 

4.01 Conditions of Initial Credit Extension. The obligation of each Lender to make its initial Credit Extension hereunder is subject to satisfaction of the following conditions precedent:

 

(a) The Administrative Agent’s receipt of the following, each of which shall be originals or facsimiles (followed promptly by originals) unless otherwise specified, each properly executed by a Responsible Officer of the signing Loan Party, each dated the Closing Date (or, in

 

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the case of certificates of governmental officials, a recent date before the Closing Date) and each in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and each of the Lenders:

 

(i) executed counterparts of this Agreement, sufficient in number for distribution to the Administrative Agent, each Lender and the Borrower;

 

(ii) a Note executed by the Borrower in favor of each Lender requesting a Note, with duplicate originals (if any) so marked;

 

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

 

(iv) such documents and certifications as the Administrative Agent may reasonably require to evidence that the Borrower is duly organized or formed, and that the Borrower is validly existing, in good standing and qualified to engage in business in each jurisdiction where its ownership, lease or operation of properties or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except to the extent that failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;

 

(v) a favorable opinion of Harter, Secrest & Emery LLP, counsel to the Borrower, addressed to the Administrative Agent and each Lender, as to the matters set forth in Exhibit E and such other matters concerning the Borrower and the Loan Documents as the Required Lenders may reasonably request;

 

(vi) a certificate of a Responsible Officer of the Borrower either (A) attaching copies of all consents, licenses and approvals required in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by the Borrower and the validity against the Borrower of the Loan Documents to which it is a party, and such consents, licenses and approvals shall be in full force and effect, or (B) stating that no such consents, licenses or approvals are so required;

 

(vii) a certificate signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower certifying (A) that the conditions specified in Sections 4.02(a) and (b) have been satisfied, (B) that there has been no event or circumstance since the date of the Audited Financial Statements that has had or could be reasonably expected to have, either individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect; and (C) the current Debt Ratings;

 

(viii) a duly completed Compliance Certificate as of the last day of the fiscal quarter of the Borrower most recently ended prior to the Closing Date, signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower;

 

(ix) evidence that the Existing Credit Agreement has been or concurrently with the Closing Date is being terminated and all obligations owing thereunder by the Borrower are, concurrently with the first Loan delivered hereunder, being paid in full; and

 

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(x) such other assurances, certificates, documents, consents or opinions as the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or the Required Lenders reasonably may require.

 

(b) Any fees required to be paid on or before the Closing Date shall have been paid.

 

(c) Unless waived by the Administrative Agent, the Borrower shall have paid all Attorney Costs of the Administrative Agent to the extent invoiced prior to or on the Closing Date, plus such additional amounts of Attorney Costs as shall constitute its reasonable estimate of Attorney Costs incurred or to be incurred by it through the closing proceedings (provided that such estimate shall not thereafter preclude a final settling of accounts between the Borrower and the Administrative Agent).

 

(d) The Closing Date shall have occurred on or before May 30, 2004.

 

4.02 Conditions to all Credit Extensions. The obligation of each Lender to honor any Request for Credit Extension (other than a Loan Notice requesting only a conversion of Loans to the other Type, or a continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans) is subject to the following conditions precedent:

 

(a) The representations and warranties of the Borrower and each other Loan Party, contained in Article V or any other Loan Document (other than, with respect to any Loan the proceeds of which are used solely to repay outstanding commercial paper at the maturity thereof, the representations and warranties set forth in Sections 5.07(c) and 5.12), or which are contained in any document furnished at any time under or in connection herewith or therewith, shall be true and correct on and as of the date of such Credit Extension, except to the extent that such representations and warranties specifically refer to an earlier date, in which case they shall be true and correct as of such earlier date, and except that for purposes of this Section 4.02, the representations and warranties contained in subsections (a) and (b) of Section 5.07 shall be deemed to refer to the most recent statements furnished pursuant to clauses (a) and (b), respectively, of Section 6.01.

 

(b) No Default shall exist, or would result from such proposed Credit Extension.

 

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

 

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

 

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ARTICLE V.

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

 

The Borrower represents and warrants to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders that:

 

5.01 Existence, Qualification and Power; Compliance with Laws. Each Loan Party (a) is duly organized or formed, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, (b) has all requisite power and authority and all requisite governmental licenses, authorizations, consents and approvals to (i) own its assets and carry on its business and (ii) execute, deliver and perform its obligations under the Loan Documents to which it is a party, (c) is duly qualified and is licensed and in good standing under the Laws of each jurisdiction where its ownership, lease or operation of properties or the conduct of its business requires such qualification or license, and (d) is in compliance with all Laws; except in each case referred to in clause (b)(i), (c) or (d), to the extent that failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

5.02 Authorization; No Contravention. The execution, delivery and performance by each Loan Party of each Loan Document to which such Person is party, have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate or other organizational action, and do not and will not (a) contravene the terms of any of such Person’s Organization Documents; (b) conflict with or result in any breach or contravention of, or the creation of any Lien under, (i) any Contractual Obligation to which such Person is a party or (ii) any order, injunction, writ or decree of any Governmental Authority or any arbitral award to which such Person or its property is subject; or (c) violate any Law.

 

5.03 Governmental Authorization; Other Consents. No approval, consent, exemption, authorization, or other action by, or notice to, or filing with, any Governmental Authority or any other Person is necessary or required in connection with the execution, delivery or performance by, or enforcement against, any Loan Party of this Agreement or any other Loan Document.

 

5.04 Binding Effect. This Agreement has been, and each other Loan Document, when delivered hereunder, will have been, duly executed and delivered by each Loan Party that is party thereto. This Agreement constitutes, and each other Loan Document when so delivered will constitute, a legal, valid and binding obligation of such Loan Party, enforceable against each Loan Party that is party thereto in accordance with its terms, subject to the effect of any applicable bankruptcy, moratorium, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law affecting the enforceability of creditors’ rights generally and to the effect of general principles of equity (whether considered in a proceeding at law or in equity).

 

5.05 Solvency. Each Loan Party is Solvent after giving effect to the transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents.

 

5.06 Subsidiaries and Other Equity Investments.

 

(a) The Borrower has no Subsidiaries other than those Persons listed as Subsidiaries in Part (a) of Schedule 5.06 and additional Subsidiaries created or acquired after the Closing Date in compliance with Section 6.17.

 

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(b) Part (a) of Schedule 5.06 states as of the date hereof (i) the organizational form of each entity, (ii) the authorized and issued capitalization of each Subsidiary listed thereon, (iii) the number of shares or other Equity Interests of each class issued and outstanding of each such Subsidiary and (iv) the number and/or percentage of outstanding shares or other Equity Interest of each such class of capital stock or other Equity Interest owned by Borrower or by any such Subsidiary.

 

(c) The outstanding shares or other Equity Interests of each such Subsidiary have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and nonassessable.

 

(d) The Borrower and each such Subsidiary owns beneficially and of record all the shares and other Equity Interests it is listed as owning in Part (a) of Schedule 5.06, free and clear of any Lien.

 

(e) On the Closing Date, the Borrower has no equity investments in any other corporation or entity other than those specifically disclosed in Part(b) of Schedule 5.06.

 

5.07 Financial Statements; No Material Adverse Effect.

 

(a) The Audited Financial Statements (i) were prepared in accordance with GAAP consistently applied throughout the period covered thereby, except as otherwise expressly noted therein; (ii) fairly present the financial condition of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of the date thereof and their results of operations for the period covered thereby in accordance with GAAP consistently applied throughout the period covered thereby, except as otherwise expressly noted therein; and (iii) show all material indebtedness and other liabilities, direct or contingent, of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of the date thereof, including liabilities for taxes, material commitments and Indebtedness.

 

(b) The unaudited consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries dated March 31, 2004, and the related consolidated statements of income or operations, shareholders’ equity and cash flows for the fiscal quarter ended on that date (i) were prepared in accordance with GAAP consistently applied throughout the period covered thereby, except as otherwise expressly noted therein, and (ii) fairly present the financial condition of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of the date thereof and their results of operations for the period covered thereby, subject, in the case of clauses (i) and (ii), to the absence of footnotes and to normal year-end audit adjustments. Schedule 5.07 sets forth all material indebtedness and other liabilities, direct or contingent, of the Borrower and its consolidated Subsidiaries on the Closing Date that are not reflected on such financial statements, including liabilities for taxes, material commitments and Indebtedness.

 

(c) Since the date of the Audited Financial Statements, there has been no event or circumstance, either individually or in the aggregate, that has had or could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

5.08 Ownership of Property; Liens. Each of the Borrower and each Subsidiary has (i) good and marketable title to all its owned real and personal properties, subject to no transfer restrictions or Liens of any kind, except for the transfer restrictions and Liens described in Schedule 5.08 and Liens permitted by Section 7.03, and (ii) valid leasehold interests in its leased real and personal properties.

 

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5.09 Taxes. Except as set forth in Schedule 5.09, the Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries has filed or caused to be filed all federal, state and local tax returns which are required to be filed by it and, except for taxes and assessments being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted and against which reserves reflected in the Audited Financial Statements or the financial statements most recently delivered pursuant to Section 6.01(a) or (b), as the case may be, and satisfactory to the Borrower’s independent certified public accountants have been established, have paid or caused to be paid all taxes as shown on said returns or on any assessment received by it, to the extent that such taxes have become due. There is no proposed tax assessment against the Borrower or any Subsidiary that would, if made, have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

5.10 Other Agreements. Neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary is

 

(a) a party to or subject to any judgment, order, decree, agreement, lease or instrument, or subject to other restrictions, which individually or in the aggregate could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;

 

(b) in default in the performance, observance or fulfillment of any of the obligations, covenants or conditions contained in any agreement or instrument to which such Person is a party, which default has, or if not remedied within any applicable grace period could reasonably be likely to have, a Material Adverse Effect;

 

(c) convicted of an offense or committed an act or omission which could reasonably form a basis under 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7 and any statutes succeeding thereto and any regulations promulgated thereunder for the Secretary of HHS to exclude the Borrower or any Subsidiary from participation in a Federal health care program, which exclusion from participation could reasonably be likely to have a Material Adverse Effect; or

 

(d) in default in the performance, observance or fulfillment of any of the obligations, covenants or conditions contained in (i) any Medicaid Provider Agreement, Medicare Provider Agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Borrower or any Subsidiary is a party, which default has resulted in, or if not remedied within any applicable grace period could result in, the revocation, termination, cancellation or suspension of Medicaid Certification or Medicare Certification of the Borrower or any Subsidiary which could have a Material Adverse Effect or (ii) any other agreement or instrument to which the Borrower or any Subsidiary is a party, which default has, or if not remedied within any applicable grace period could reasonably be likely to have, a Material Adverse Effect.

 

5.11 Contract Providers. To the Knowledge of the Borrower, no Contract Provider is:

 

(a) a party to any judgment, order, decree, agreement or instrument, or subject to restrictions, which could individually or in the aggregate reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;

 

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(b) in default in the performance, observance or fulfillment of any of the obligations, covenants or conditions contained in any Medicaid Provider Agreement, Medicare Provider Agreement or other agreement or instrument to which such Person is a party, which default has resulted in, or if not remedied within any applicable grace period could result in, the revocation, termination, cancellation or suspension of the Medicaid Certification or the Medicare Certification of such Person, which revocation, termination, cancellation or suspension could reasonably be likely to have a Material Adverse Effect; or

 

(c) has been convicted of an offense or has committed an act or omission which could reasonably form a basis under 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7 and any statutes succeeding thereto and regulations promulgated thereunder for the Secretary of HHS to exclude the Contract Provider from participation in a Federal health care program, which exclusion from participation could reasonably be likely to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

5.12 Litigation. There are no actions, suits, proceedings, claims or disputes pending or, to the Knowledge of the Borrower, threatened or contemplated, at law, in equity, in arbitration or before any Governmental Authority, by or against the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or, to the Knowledge of the Borrower, any Contract Provider, or affecting the Borrower or any Subsidiary or, to the Knowledge of the Borrower, any Contract Provider or any properties or rights of the Borrower or any Subsidiary or, to the Knowledge of the Borrower, any Contract Provider, that (a) purport to affect or pertain to this Agreement or any other Loan Document, or any of the transactions contemplated hereby, (b) could reasonably be expected to result in (i) the revocation, termination, cancellation or suspension of Medicaid Certification or Medicare Certification of such Person, which revocation, termination, cancellation or suspension could reasonably be likely to have a Material Adverse Effect, or (ii) the exclusion of such Person from participation in a Federal health care program, which exclusion could reasonably be likely to have a Material Adverse Effect, or (c) either individually or in the aggregate, if determined adversely, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

5.13 Margin Stock. The proceeds of the Credit Extensions will be used by the Borrower only for the purposes expressly authorized herein. None of such proceeds will be used, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of purchasing or carrying any margin stock or for the purpose of reducing or retiring any Indebtedness which was originally incurred to purchase or carry margin stock or for any other purpose which might cause any of the Credit Extensions to constitute a “purpose credit” within the meaning of said Regulation U or Regulation X (12 C.F.R. Part 221) of the Board; provided, however, the Borrower may purchase its own stock as permitted by Section 7.08(b) only so long as the Credit Extensions are not considered “indirectly secured” by such stock pursuant to Section 221.1(g)(2) of Regulation U. Neither the Borrower nor any agent acting in its behalf has taken or will take any action which might cause this Agreement or any of the documents or instruments delivered pursuant hereto to violate any regulation of the FRB or to violate the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Securities Act of 1933, or any state securities laws.

 

5.14 Investment Company Act; Public Utility Holding Company Act. None of the Borrower, any Person Controlling the Borrower, or any Subsidiary (i) is a “holding company,” or a “subsidiary company” of a “holding company,” or an “affiliate” of a “holding company” or of a “subsidiary company” of a “holding company,” within the meaning of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, or (ii) is or is required to be registered as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940.

 

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5.15 Intellectual Property. The Borrower and each other Loan Party and each Subsidiary owns or has the right to use, under valid license agreements or otherwise, all material patents, licenses, franchises, trademarks, trademark rights, trade names, trade name rights, trade secrets and copyrights necessary to or used in the conduct of its businesses as now conducted and as contemplated by the Loan Documents, without known conflict with any patent, license, franchise, trademark, trade secret, trade name, copyright, other proprietary right of any other Person.

 

5.16 Disclosure. The Borrower has disclosed to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders all agreements, instruments and corporate or other restrictions to which it or any of its Subsidiaries is subject, and all other matters known to it, that, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither this Agreement nor any Loan Document nor any certificate, document or financial information delivered by any Loan Party in connection herewith or therewith contains any material misstatement of fact or omits to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that, with respect to projected financial information, the Borrower represents only that such information was prepared in good faith based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable at the time.

 

5.17 ERISA Compliance.

 

(a) The Borrower and each ERISA Affiliate is in material compliance with all applicable provisions of ERISA and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder and in compliance with all Foreign Benefit Laws with respect to all Employee Benefit Plans except for any required amendments for which the remedial amendment period as defined in Section 401(b) of the Code has not yet expired. Each Employee Benefit Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code has been determined or the Borrower or its Subsidiaries is in the process of obtaining a determination by the Internal Revenue Service to be so qualified, and therefore each trust related to such plan is presumed to be exempt under Section 501(a) of the Code, and each Employee Benefit Plan subject to any Foreign Benefit Law has received the required approvals by any Governmental Authority regulating such Employee Benefit Plan. No material liability has been incurred by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate which remains unsatisfied for any taxes or penalties with respect to any Employee Benefit Plan or any Multiemployer Plan.

 

(b) To the Knowledge of the Borrower, neither the Borrower nor any ERISA Affiliate has (i) engaged in a nonexempt prohibited transaction described in Section 4975 of the Code or Section 406 of ERISA affecting any of the Employee Benefit Plans or the trusts created thereunder which could subject any such Employee Benefit Plan or trust to a material tax or penalty on prohibited transactions imposed under Code Section 4975 or ERISA, (ii) incurred any accumulated funding deficiency with respect to any Employee Benefit Plan, whether or not waived, or any other liability to the PBGC which remains outstanding other than the payment of premiums and there are no premium payments which are due and unpaid, (iii) failed to make a required contribution or payment to a Multiemployer Plan, (iv) failed to make a required

 

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installment or other required payment under Section 412 of the Code, Section 302 of ERISA or the terms of such Employee Benefit Plan, or (v) failed to make a required contribution or payment, or otherwise failed to operate in compliance with any Foreign Benefit Law regulating any Employee Benefit Plan.

 

(c) To the Knowledge of the Borrower, no ERISA Event has occurred with respect to any Pension Plan or Multiemployer Plan, and neither the Borrower nor any ERISA Affiliate has incurred any unpaid withdrawal liability with respect to any Multiemployer Plan.

 

(d) The present value of all vested accrued benefits under each Employee Benefit Plan which is subject to Title IV of ERISA (other than the Specified Plan), or the funding of which is regulated by any Foreign Benefit Law did not, as of the most recent valuation date for each such plan, exceed the then current value of the assets of such Employee Benefit Plan allocable to such benefits. The present value of all vested accrued benefits under the Specified Plan did not, as of the most recent valuation date for each such plan, exceed the then current value of the assets of such Employee Benefit Plan allocable to such benefits by more than $7,500,000.

 

(e) To the Knowledge of the Borrower, each Employee Benefit Plan which is subject to Title IV of ERISA or the funding of which is regulated by any Foreign Benefit Law, maintained by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate, has been administered in accordance with its terms in all material respects and is in compliance in all material respects with all applicable requirements of ERISA, applicable Foreign Benefit Law and other applicable laws, regulations and rules.

 

(f) The consummation of the Loans and the issuance of the Letters of Credit provided for herein will not involve any prohibited transaction under ERISA which is not subject to a statutory or administrative exemption.

 

(g) No material proceeding, claim, lawsuit and/or investigation exists or, to the Knowledge of the Borrower, is threatened concerning or involving any Employee Benefit Plan.

 

5.18 No Default. No Default has occurred and is continuing or would result from the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any other Loan Document.

 

5.19 Environmental Compliance. The Borrower and each Subsidiary is in compliance with all applicable Environmental Laws and has been issued and currently maintains all required foreign, federal, state and local permits, licenses, certificates and approvals, in each case except where the failure to do so, singly or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary has been notified of any pending or threatened action, suit, proceeding or investigation, and neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary is aware of any facts, which (a) call into question, or could reasonably be expected to call into question, compliance by the Borrower or any Subsidiary with any Environmental Laws, (b) seeks, or could reasonably be expected to form the basis of a meritorious proceeding, to suspend, revoke or terminate any license, permit or approval necessary for the operation of the Borrower’s or any Subsidiary’s business or facilities or for the generation, handling, storage, treatment or disposal of any Hazardous Materials, or (c) seeks to

 

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cause, or could reasonably be expected to form the basis of a meritorious proceeding to cause, any property of the Borrower or any Subsidiary or other Loan Party to be subject to any restrictions on ownership, use, occupancy or transferability under any Environmental Law, which in each of clauses (a), (b) and (c) could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

5.20 Employment Matters.

 

(a) Except as set forth on Schedule 5.20, none of the employees of the Borrower or any Subsidiary is subject to any collective bargaining agreement.

 

(b) There are no strikes, work stoppages, election or decertification petitions or proceedings, unfair labor charges, equal opportunity proceedings, or other material labor/employee related controversies or proceedings pending or, to the Knowledge of the Borrower, threatened against the Borrower or any Subsidiary or between the Borrower or any Subsidiary and any of its employees, other than employee grievances arising in the ordinary course of business which could not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(c) Except to the extent a failure to maintain compliance would not have a Material Adverse Effect, the Borrower and each Subsidiary is in compliance in all respects with all applicable laws, rules and regulations pertaining to labor or employment matters, including without limitation those pertaining to wages, hours, occupational safety and taxation and there is neither pending or threatened any litigation, administrative proceeding nor, to the Knowledge of the Borrower, any investigation, in respect of such matters which, if decided adversely, could reasonably be likely, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

5.21 RICO. Neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary is engaged in or has engaged in any course of conduct that could subject any of their respective properties to any Lien, seizure or other forfeiture under any criminal law, racketeer influenced and corrupt organizations law, civil or criminal, or other similar laws.

 

5.22 Insurance. The properties of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries are adequately insured with financially sound and reputable insurance companies, in such amounts (after giving effect to any self-insurance compatible with the following standards), with such deductibles and covering such risks as are customarily carried by companies engaged in similar businesses and owning similar properties in localities where the Borrower or the applicable Subsidiary operates.

 

5.23 Reimbursement from Third Party Payors. The accounts receivable of the Borrower and each Subsidiary and, to the Knowledge of the Borrower, each Contract Provider have been and will continue to be adjusted to reflect reimbursement policies of third party payors such as Medicare, Medicaid, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, private insurance companies, health maintenance organizations, preferred provider organizations, alternative delivery systems, managed care systems, government contracting agencies and other third party payors. In particular, to the Knowledge of the Borrower, accounts receivable relating to such third party payors do not and shall not exceed amounts any obligee is entitled to receive under any capitation arrangement, fee schedule, discount formula, cost-based reimbursement or other adjustment or limitation to its usual charges, except where the failure to comply could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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5.24 Fraud and Abuse. Neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary nor, to the Knowledge of the Borrower, any of its stockholders, officers or directors, or any Contract Provider, have engaged in any activities which are prohibited under federal Medicare and Medicaid statutes, 42 U.S.C. §1320a-7b, or the regulations promulgated pursuant to such statutes or related state or local statutes or regulations, or which are prohibited by binding rules of professional conduct, or which are prohibited under any statute which constitutes as a Federal health care offense, or the regulations promulgated pursuant to such statutes, including but not limited to the following: (a) knowingly and willfully making or causing to be made a false statement or representation of a material fact in any applications for any benefit or payment; (b) knowingly and willfully making or causing to be made any false statement or representation of a material fact for use in determining rights to any benefit or payment; (c) failing to disclose knowledge by a claimant of the occurrence of any event affecting the initial or continued right to any benefit or payment on its own behalf or on behalf of another, with intent to secure such benefit or payment fraudulently; (d) knowingly and willfully soliciting or receiving any remuneration (including any kickback, bribe or rebate), directly or indirectly, overtly or covertly, in cash or in kind or offering to pay such remuneration (i) in return for referring an individual to a Person for the furnishing or arranging for the furnishing of any item or service for which payment may be made in whole or in part by a Federal health care program or other applicable third party payors, or (ii) in return for purchasing, leasing or ordering or arranging for or recommending the purchasing, leasing or ordering of any good, facility, service, or item for which payment may be made in whole or in part by a Federal health care program or other applicable third party payors; or (e) knowingly or willfully offering or paying any remuneration (including any kickback, bribe, or rebate) directly or indirectly, overtly or covertly, in cash or in kind to any Person to induce such Person (i) to refer an individual to a person for the furnishing or arranging for the furnishing of any item or service for which payment may be made in whole or in part under a Federal health care program, or (ii) to purchase, lease, order, or arrange for or recommend purchasing, leasing, or ordering any good, facility, service, or item for which payment may be made in whole or in party under a Federal health care program.

 

5.25 Licensing and Accreditation. Each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries and, to the Knowledge of the Borrower, each Contract Provider, has, to the extent applicable: (a) obtained (or been duly assigned) and maintains all required certificates of need or determinations of need as required by the relevant state Governmental Authority for the acquisition, construction, expansion of, investment in or operation of its businesses as currently operated; (b) obtained and maintains in good standing all required licenses except to the extent that failure to do so could not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; (c) to the extent prudent and customary in the industry in which it is engaged, obtained and maintains accreditation from all generally recognized accrediting agencies; (d) obtained and maintains Medicaid Certification and Medicare Certification; and (e) entered into and maintains in good standing its Medicare Provider Agreement and its Medicaid Provider Agreement. To the Knowledge of the Borrower, each Contract Provider is duly licensed (where license is required) by each state or state agency or commission, or any other Governmental Authority having jurisdiction over the provisions of such services by such Person in the locations in which the Borrower or such Subsidiary conduct business, required to enable such Person to provide the

 

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professional services provided by such Person and otherwise as is necessary to enable the Borrower or such Subsidiary to operate as currently operated and as presently contemplated to be operated. To the Knowledge of the Borrower, all such required licenses are in full force and effect on the date hereof and have not been revoked or suspended or otherwise limited.

 

5.26 Compliance with Laws. Each of the Borrower and each Subsidiary is in compliance in all material respects with the requirements of all Laws and all orders, writs, injunctions and decrees applicable to it or to its properties, except in such instances in which (a) such requirement of Law or order, writ, injunction or decree is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted or (b) the failure to comply therewith, either individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

ARTICLE VI.

AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS

 

So long as any Lender shall have any Commitment hereunder, any Loan or other Obligation hereunder shall remain unpaid or unsatisfied, or any Letter of Credit shall remain outstanding, the Borrower shall, and shall (except in the case of the covenants set forth in Sections 6.01, 6.02, 6.03 and 6.18) cause each Subsidiary to:

 

6.01 Financial Statements. Deliver to the Administrative Agent (for further distribution to each Lender), in form and detail satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the Required Lenders:

 

(a) as soon as available, but in any event within 90 days (or such shorter time as required to be filed with the SEC) after the end of each Fiscal Year of the Borrower, consolidated balance sheets of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as at the end of such Fiscal Year, and the related consolidated statements of income, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for such Fiscal Year, and setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the previous fiscal year, all in reasonable detail and prepared in accordance with GAAP, and, with respect to the consolidated financial statements, audited and accompanied by a report and opinion of Ernst & Young, LLP or another independent certified public accountant of nationally recognized standing reasonably acceptable to the Required Lenders, which report and opinion shall be prepared in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards and shall not be subject to any “going concern” or like qualification or exception or any qualification or exception as to the scope of such audit; and

 

(b) as soon as available, but in any event within 45 days (or such shorter time as required to be filed with the SEC) after the end of each fiscal quarter (except the last fiscal quarter of the Fiscal Year), a consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as at the end of such fiscal quarter, and the related consolidated statements of income, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for such fiscal quarter and for the portion of the Borrower’s Fiscal Year then ended, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the corresponding fiscal quarter of the previous fiscal year and the corresponding portion of the previous fiscal year, all in reasonable detail and certified by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower as fairly presenting the financial condition, results of operations, shareholders’ equity and cash flows of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in accordance with GAAP, subject only to normal year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes.

 

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As to any information contained in materials furnished pursuant to Section 6.02(f), the Borrower shall not be separately required to furnish such information under clause (a) or (b) above, but the foregoing shall not be in derogation of the obligation of the Borrower to furnish the information and materials described in subsections (a) and (b) above at the times specified therein.

 

6.02 Certificates; Other Information. Deliver to the Administrative Agent (for further distribution to each Lender), in form and detail satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the Required Lenders:

 

(a) concurrently with the delivery of the financial statements referred to in Section 6.01(a), a certificate of its independent certified public accountants certifying such financial statements and stating that in making the examination necessary therefor no knowledge was obtained of any Default as they relate to financial matters or, if any such Default shall exist, stating the nature and status of such event;

 

(b) concurrently with the delivery of the financial statements referred to in Sections 6.01(a) and (b), a duly completed Compliance Certificate signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower;

 

(c) concurrently with the delivery of the financial statements referred to in Sections 6.01(a) and (b), a summary of operations for such quarterly period for (i) each Hospital Facility operated by the Borrower and (ii) each Subsidiary, each certified by a Responsible Officer to be true and correct;

 

(d) not later than the last business day of each Fiscal Year, deliver to the Administrative Agent and each Lender consolidated financial projections for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for the next Fiscal Year, consisting of a consolidated balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement and the key assumptions utilized in the preparation of such financial projections, and demonstrating compliance with Section 7.01 hereof;

 

(e) promptly after any request by the Administrative Agent or any Lender, copies of any detailed audit reports, management letters or recommendations submitted to the board of directors (or the audit committee of the board of directors) of the Borrower by independent accountants in connection with the accounts or books of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, or any audit of any of them;

 

(f) promptly after the same are available, copies of each annual report, proxy or financial statement or other report or communication sent to the stockholders of the Borrower, and copies of all annual, regular, periodic and special reports and registration statements which the Borrower may file or be required to file with the SEC under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and not otherwise required to be delivered to the Administrative Agent pursuant hereto; and

 

(g) promptly, such additional information regarding the business, financial or corporate affairs of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, or compliance with the terms of the Loan Documents, as the Administrative Agent or any Lender may from time to time reasonably request.

 

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Documents required to be delivered pursuant to Section 6.01(a) or (b) or Section 6.02(f) (to the extent any such documents are included in materials otherwise filed with the SEC) may be delivered electronically and if so delivered, shall be deemed to have been delivered on the date (i) on which the Borrower posts such documents, or provides a link thereto on the Borrower’s website on the Internet at the website address listed on Schedule 10.02; or (ii) on which such documents are posted on the Borrower’s behalf on an Internet or intranet website, if any, to which each Lender and the Administrative Agent have access (whether a commercial, third-party website or whether sponsored by the Administrative Agent); provided that: (i) the Borrower shall deliver paper copies of such documents to the Administrative Agent or any Lender that requests the Borrower to deliver such paper copies until a written request to cease delivering paper copies is given by the Administrative Agent or such Lender and (ii) the Borrower shall notify (which may be by facsimile or electronic mail) the Administrative Agent and each Lender 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. Notwithstanding anything contained herein, in every instance the Borrower shall be required to provide paper copies of the Compliance Certificates required by Section 6.02(b) to the Administrative Agent. Except for such Compliance Certificates, the Administrative Agent shall have no obligation to request the delivery or to maintain copies of the documents referred to above, and in any event shall have no responsibility to monitor compliance by the Borrower with any such request for delivery, and each Lender shall be solely responsible for requesting delivery to it or maintaining its copies of such documents.

 

The Borrower hereby acknowledges that (a) the Administrative Agent will make available to the Lenders materials and/or information provided by or on behalf of the Borrower hereunder (collectively, “Borrower Materials”) by posting the Borrower Materials on IntraLinks or another similar electronic system (the “Platform”) and (b) certain of the Lenders may be “public-side” Lenders (i.e., Lenders that do not wish to receive material non-public information with respect to the Borrower or its securities) (each, a “Public Lender”). The Borrower hereby agrees that (w) all Borrower Materials that are to be made available to Public Lenders shall be clearly and conspicuously marked “PUBLIC” which, at a minimum, shall mean that the word “PUBLIC” shall appear prominently on the first page thereof; (x) by marking Borrower Materials “PUBLIC,” the Borrower shall be deemed to have authorized the Administrative Agent and the Lenders to treat such Borrower Materials as either publicly available information or not material information (although it may be sensitive and proprietary) with respect to the Borrower or its securities for purposes of United States federal and state securities laws; (y) all Borrower Materials marked “PUBLIC” are permitted to be made available through a portion of the Platform designated as “Public;” and (z) the Administrative Agent shall be entitled to treat any Borrower Materials that are not marked “PUBLIC” as being suitable only for posting on a portion of the Platform not marked as “Public.”

 

6.03 Notices. Promptly notify the Administrative Agent and each Lender:

 

(a) of the occurrence of any Default;

 

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(b) of any litigation or other proceedings being instituted against the Borrower or any Subsidiary, or any attachment, levy, execution or other process being instituted against any assets of the Borrower or any Subsidiary or other Loan Party, in an aggregate amount greater than $20,000,000 not otherwise covered by insurance;

 

(c) of any matter that has resulted or could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, including any such matter arising from (i) a breach or non-performance of, or any default under, a Contractual Obligation of the Borrower or any Subsidiary; (ii) a dispute, litigation, investigation, proceeding or suspension between the Borrower or any Subsidiary or Contract Provider and any Governmental Authority; (iii) the commencement of, or any material development in, any litigation or proceeding affecting the Borrower or any Subsidiary, including pursuant to any applicable Environmental Laws; and (iv) a notice to or proceeding against the Borrower, any Subsidiary or any Contract Provider (x) to suspend, revoke or terminate any Medicaid Provider Agreement, Medicaid Certification, Medicare Provider Agreement or Medicare Certification, (y) to suspend or exclude such Person from participation in a Federal health care program or (z) to revoke or terminate any status of such Person as an entity exempt from taxation under Section 501(c) of the Code or as a non-private foundation under Section 509(a) of the Code;

 

(d) of the occurrence of any ERISA Event;

 

(e) of any material change in accounting policies or financial reporting practices by the Borrower or any Subsidiary; and

 

(f) of any announcement by Moody’s or S&P of any change or possible change in a Debt Rating.

 

Each notice pursuant to this Section shall be accompanied by a statement of a Responsible Officer of the Borrower setting forth details of the occurrence referred to therein and stating what action the Borrower has taken and proposes to take with respect thereto. Each notice pursuant to Section 6.03(a) shall describe with particularity any and all provisions of this Agreement and any other Loan Document that have been breached. Each notice pursuant to Section 6.03(b) or 6.03(c)(iv) shall describe with particularity the nature and status of such litigation, dispute, proceeding, levy, execution or other process.

 

6.04 Maintenance of Properties. Maintain all properties necessary to its operations in good working order and condition, make all needed repairs, replacements and renewals to such properties, and maintain, free from Liens, all trademarks, trade names, patents, copyrights, trade secrets, know-how, and other intellectual property and proprietary information (or adequate licenses thereto), in each case as are reasonably necessary to conduct its business as currently conducted or as contemplated hereby, all in accordance with customary and prudent business practices.

 

6.05 Existence, Qualification, Etc. Except as otherwise expressly permitted under Section 7.07, do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its existence and all rights and franchises (except where the failure to do so would not have a Material Adverse Effect), and maintain its license or qualification to do business as a foreign

 

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corporation and good standing in each jurisdiction in which its ownership or lease of property or the nature of its business makes such license or qualification necessary except where the failure to so qualify would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

6.06 Compliance with Regulations; Payment of Obligations. Comply in all material respects with or contest in good faith all statutes and governmental regulations and pay all taxes, assessments, governmental charges, claims for labor, supplies, rent and any other obligation which, if unpaid, would become a Lien against any of its properties except liabilities being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted and against which adequate reserves acceptable to the Borrower’s independent certified public accountants have been established unless and until any Lien resulting therefrom attaches to any of its property and becomes enforceable against its creditors.

 

6.07 Maintenance of Insurance. (a) Keep all of its insurable properties adequately insured at all times through adequate programs of self insurance or with responsible insurance carriers against loss or damage by fire and other hazards to the extent and in the manner as are customarily insured against by similar businesses owning such properties similarly situated, (b) maintain general public liability insurance at all times, through adequate programs of self insurance or with responsible insurance carriers, against liability on account of damage to persons and property and (c) maintain insurance under all applicable workers’ compensation laws (or in the alternative, maintain required reserves if self-insured for workers’ compensation purposes) and against loss by reason of business interruption such policies of insurance to have such limits, deductibles, exclusions, co-insurance and other provisions providing no less coverages than are maintained by similar businesses that are similarly situated, such insurance policies to be in form reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent. Each of the policies of insurance described in this Section 6.07 shall provide that the insurer shall undertake to give the Administrative Agent not less than thirty (30) days’ prior written notice before any such policy shall be terminated, lapse or be altered in any manner.

 

6.08 Books and Records. Keep true books of record and account in which full, true and correct entries will be made of all of its dealings and transactions, and set up on its books such reserves as may be required by GAAP with respect to doubtful accounts and all taxes, assessments, charges, levies and claims and with respect to its business in general, and include such reserves in interim as well as year-end financial statements to the extent required by GAAP.

 

6.09 Inspection Rights. Permit any Person designated by any Lender or the Administrative Agent to visit and inspect any of the properties, corporate books and financial reports of the Borrower or any Subsidiary and to discuss its affairs, finances and accounts with its principal officers and independent certified public accountants, all at reasonable times, at reasonable intervals and with reasonable prior notice; provided, however, that when an Event of Default exists the Administrative Agent or any Lender (or any of their respective representatives or independent contractors) may do any of the foregoing at the expense of the Borrower at any time during normal business hours and without advance notice.

 

6.10 Compliance with Laws. Conform to and duly observe in all material respects all applicable laws, rules and regulations and all other valid requirements of any regulatory authority having jurisdiction with respect to the conduct of its business, including without limitation Titles

 

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XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act, Medicare Regulations, Medicaid Regulations, and all laws, rules and regulations of Governmental Authorities pertaining to the licensing of professional and other health care providers.

 

6.11 Governmental Licenses. Obtain and maintain all material licenses, permits, certifications and approvals of all applicable Governmental Authorities as are required for the conduct of its business as currently conducted and herein contemplated, including without limitation professional licenses, Medicaid Certifications and Medicare Certifications.

 

6.12 Notice of Environmental Complaint or Condition. Promptly provide to the Administrative Agent (who shall promptly notify the Lenders) true, accurate and complete copies of any and all notices, complaints, orders, directives, claims or citations received by the Borrower or any Subsidiary relating to any material (a) violation or alleged violation by the Borrower or any Subsidiary of any applicable Environmental Law; (b) release or threatened release by the Borrower or any Subsidiary, or by any Person handling, transporting or disposing of any Hazardous Material on behalf of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, or at any facility or property owned or leased or operated by the Borrower or any Subsidiary, of any Hazardous Material, except where occurring legally pursuant to a permit or license; or (c) liability or alleged liability of the Borrower or any Subsidiary for the costs of cleaning up, removing, remediating or responding to a release of Hazardous Materials.

 

6.13 Environmental Compliance. If the Borrower or any Subsidiary shall receive any letter, notice, complaint, order, directive, claim or citation from a Governmental Authority alleging that the Borrower or any Subsidiary has violated any Environmental Law, has released any Hazardous Material, or is liable for the costs of cleaning up, removing, remediating or responding to a release of Hazardous Materials, the Borrower and any Subsidiary shall, within the time period permitted and to the extent required by the applicable Environmental Law or the Governmental Authority responsible for enforcing such Environmental Law, remove or remedy, or cause the applicable Subsidiary to remove or remedy, such violation or release or satisfy such liability, unless and only during the period that the applicability of the Environmental Law, the fact of such violation or liability or the action required to remove or remedy such violation is being contested by the Borrower or the applicable Subsidiary by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted and all reserves with respect thereto as may be required under GAAP, if any, have been made, and no Lien in connection therewith shall have attached to any property of the Borrower or the applicable Subsidiary which shall have become enforceable against creditors of such Person.

 

6.14 Further Assurances. At the Borrower’s cost and expense, upon request of the Administrative Agent, duly execute and deliver or cause to be duly executed and delivered, to the Administrative Agent such further instruments, documents and certificates, and do and cause to be done such further acts that may be reasonably necessary or advisable in the reasonable opinion of the Administrative Agent to carry out more effectively the provisions and purposes of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents.

 

6.15 Continued Operations. Continue at all times to conduct its business and engage principally in the same line or lines of business substantially as heretofore conducted.

 

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6.16 Guaranty. As soon as practicable but in any event no later than twenty (20) days following the Trigger Date, the Borrower shall cause each of its Domestic Subsidiaries (other than the Restricted Subsidiaries) to deliver each of the following to Administrative Agent, each of which shall be in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent:

 

(a) a counterpart of the Guaranty, duly executed by such Subsidiary;

 

(b) an opinion of counsel to the Subsidiary dated as of the date of delivery of the Guaranty and addressed to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders, which opinion shall address matters similar to (and may include assumptions and qualifications of similar effect to those contained in) the opinions of counsel delivered pursuant to Section 4.01(a)(v)), including, without limitation, that:

 

(i) such Subsidiary is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing in the jurisdiction of its formation, has the requisite power and authority to own its properties and conduct its business as then owned and then conducted and proposed to be conducted and to execute, deliver and perform the Guaranty, and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation, partnership or limited liability company, as the case may be, in each other jurisdiction in which the character of the properties owned or leased, or the business carried on by it, requires such qualification and the failure to be so qualified would reasonably be likely to result in a Material Adverse Effect; and

 

(ii) the execution, delivery and performance of the Guaranty have been duly authorized by all requisite corporate, partnership or limited liability company action (including any required shareholder, partner or member approval), as the case may be, such agreement has been duly executed and delivered and constitutes the valid and binding agreement of such Subsidiary, enforceable against such Subsidiary in accordance with its terms, subject to the effect of any applicable bankruptcy, moratorium, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law affecting the enforceability of creditors’ rights generally and to the effect of general principles of equity (whether considered in a proceeding at law or in equity); and

 

(c) current copies of the Organization Documents of such Subsidiary, minutes of duly called and conducted meetings (or duly effected consent actions) of the Board of Directors, partners, members or appropriate committees thereof (and, if required by such Organization Documents or applicable law, of the shareholders, members or partners) of such Subsidiary authorizing the execution, delivery and performance of the Guaranty.

 

6.17 New Subsidiaries. From and after the Trigger Date, simultaneously with the acquisition or creation of any Domestic Subsidiary (other than a Restricted Subsidiary), cause such Person to (a) become a Guarantor by executing and delivering to the Administrative Agent a joinder to the Guaranty in the form of attached thereto, and (b) deliver to the Administrative Agent a favorable opinion of counsel to such Person, which opinion shall address matters similar to (and may include assumptions and qualifications of similar effect to those contained in) the opinions of counsel delivered pursuant to Section 6.16) and the documents with respect to such Subsidiary described in clause (c) of Section 6.16 applicable to the execution, delivery and performance of the joinder to the Guaranty being executed and delivered by such Subsidiary.

 

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6.18 Use of Proceeds. Use the proceeds of the Credit Extensions (i) for working capital, Capital Expenditures, payments of rent (including prepaid rent) under long term leases of Hospital Facilities, commercial paper back-up and other general corporate purposes not in contravention of any Law or of any Loan Document; and (ii) to refinance indebtedness under the Existing Credit Agreement.

 

ARTICLE VII.

NEGATIVE COVENANTS

 

So long as any Lender shall have any Commitment hereunder, any Loan or other Obligation hereunder shall remain unpaid or unsatisfied, or any Letter of Credit shall remain outstanding, the Borrower shall not, nor shall it permit any Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly:

 

7.01 Financial Covenants.

 

(a) Consolidated Leverage Ratio. Permit at any fiscal quarter end the Consolidated Leverage Ratio to be greater than 3.00 to 1.00.

 

(b) Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio. Permit at any fiscal quarter end the Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio to be less than 3.00 to 1.00.

 

7.02 Acquisitions. Enter into any agreement, contract, binding commitment or other arrangement providing for any Acquisition, or take any action to solicit the tender of securities or proxies in respect thereof in order to effect any Acquisition, unless (i) the Person to be (or whose assets are to be) acquired does not oppose such Acquisition and the line or lines of business of the Person to be acquired are substantially the same as one or more line or lines of business conducted by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, (ii) no Default shall have occurred and be continuing either immediately prior to or immediately after giving effect to such Acquisition and, (iii) if the Cost of Acquisition is in excess of $150,000,000 or if after giving effect to such Acquisition, the aggregate Costs of Acquisition incurred in any Fiscal Year (on a non-cumulative basis, with the effect that amounts not incurred in any Fiscal Year may not be carried forward to a subsequent period and determined by the date of incurrence of any Cost of Acquisition and not by the date of the effectiveness of such Acquisition) shall exceed $250,000,000, the Borrower shall have furnished to the Administrative Agent a Compliance Certificate prepared on a historical pro forma basis as of the most recent date for which financial statements have been furnished pursuant to this Agreement giving effect to such Acquisition, which certificate shall demonstrate that no Default would exist immediately after giving effect thereto, and (iv) the Person acquired shall be a wholly-owned Subsidiary, or be merged into the Borrower or a wholly-owned Subsidiary (other than a Restricted Subsidiary), immediately upon consummation of the Acquisition (or if assets are being acquired, the acquiror shall be the Borrower or a wholly-owned Subsidiary (other than a Restricted Subsidiary)).

 

7.03 Liens. Incur, create or permit to exist any Lien, charge or other encumbrance of any nature whatsoever with respect to any property or assets now owned or hereafter acquired by the Borrower or any Subsidiary, other than:

 

(a) Liens existing as of the date hereof as set forth in Schedule 5.08;

 

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(b) Liens imposed by law for taxes, assessments or charges of any Governmental Authority for claims not yet due or which are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted and with respect to which adequate reserves or other appropriate provisions are being maintained in accordance with GAAP and which Liens are not yet enforceable against other creditors;

 

(c) statutory Liens of landlords and Liens of carriers, warehousemen, mechanics, materialmen and other Liens imposed by law or created in the ordinary course of business and in existence less than 90 days from the date of creation thereof for amounts not yet due or which are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted and with respect to which adequate reserves or other appropriate provisions are being maintained in accordance with GAAP and which Liens are not yet enforceable against other creditors;

 

(d) Liens incurred or deposits made in the ordinary course of business (including, without limitation, surety bonds and appeal bonds) in connection with workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance and other types of social security benefits or to secure the performance of tenders, bids, leases, contracts (other than for the repayment of Indebtedness), statutory obligations and other similar obligations or arising as a result of progress payments under government contracts;

 

(e) easements (including reciprocal easement agreements and utility agreements), rights-of-way, covenants, consents, reservations, encroachments, variations and zoning and other restrictions, charges or encumbrances (whether or not recorded), which do not interfere materially with the ordinary conduct of the business of the Borrower or any Subsidiary and which do not materially detract from the value of the property to which they attach or materially impair the use thereof to the Borrower or any Subsidiary;

 

(f) Liens securing Indebtedness owing to the seller of a Hospital Facility which Indebtedness is incurred to acquire such Hospital Facility; provided, such Lien extends only to the Hospital Facility acquired with the proceeds of such Indebtedness;

 

(g) Liens securing Indebtedness incurred to finance or refinance Indebtedness assumed in connection with the Acquisition of one or more Hospital Facilities provided (i) the effective rate of interest payable with respect to such Indebtedness does not exceed then prevailing interest rates for a similar financing, (ii) such Indebtedness is secured only by the Hospital Facilities so acquired, (iii) the Indebtedness and interest thereon is amortized and payable on a level basis over a term of 15 years with a maturity of not less than 7 years, and (iv) the Indebtedness represents not less than 70% of the Value of the Hospital Facilities so acquired; as used herein, the term “Value” means, with respect to any Hospital Facility or Facilities, the market value of such Hospital Facility or Facilities as determined by a then current appraisal thereof for general acute care or psychiatric hospital use, such appraiser to be selected by the financial institution providing such loan; provided, however, any such financing shall not prohibit the Borrower or its Subsidiary from granting the Lenders a second mortgage lien on such Hospital Facility or Facilities as security for the Obligations; and

 

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(h) Liens securing Indebtedness permitted by Section 7.04 or transactions permitted under Section 7.12.

 

7.04 Indebtedness of Subsidiaries. Permit the aggregate outstanding Indebtedness for Money Borrowed of the Subsidiaries of the Borrower to exceed $250,000,000 at any time (exclusive, after the Trigger Date, of the Guaranty).

 

7.05 Transfer of Assets. Sell, lease, transfer or otherwise dispose of any assets of Borrower or any Subsidiary other than (a) dispositions of inventory in the ordinary course of business, (b) dispositions of property that is substantially worn, damaged, obsolete or, in the judgment of the Borrower, no longer best used or useful in its business or that of any Subsidiary, (c) transfers of assets necessary to give effect to merger or consolidation transactions permitted by Section 7.07, (d) the disposition of Eligible Securities in the ordinary course of management of the investment portfolio of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, and (e) dispositions of assets in any Fiscal Year having, at the time of disposition, an aggregate book value, when taken together with the aggregate book value of all other assets disposed of pursuant to this clause (e) in such Fiscal Year, not exceeding 10% of Consolidated Total Assets as of the end of the most recently concluded Fiscal Year; provided, that, the aggregate book value of all assets disposed of pursuant to this clause (e) during the term of this Agreement shall in no event exceed 25% of the Consolidated Total Assets as of the Fiscal Year ended September 30, 2003.

 

7.06 Investments. Purchase, own, invest in or otherwise acquire, directly or indirectly, any Equity Interest, securities, or other debt or equity participation or other interest in, another Person, or permit to exist any loans, advances or capital contributions to, or Contingent Obligation with respect to or assumption of debt of, or purchase or other acquisition, including any partnership or joint venture interest in any Person, except that Borrower may maintain investments or invest in:

 

(a) securities of any Person acquired in an Acquisition permitted hereunder;

 

(b) Eligible Securities;

 

(c) investments existing as of the date hereof as set forth in Part (b) of Schedule 5.06;

 

(d) accounts receivable arising and trade credit granted in the ordinary course of business and any securities received in satisfaction or partial satisfaction thereof in connection with accounts of financially troubled Persons to the extent reasonably necessary in order to prevent or limit loss;

 

(e) investments in Subsidiaries other than Restricted Subsidiaries; and

 

(f) investments in Restricted Subsidiaries existing as of the date hereof.

 

7.07 Merger or Consolidation. (a) Consolidate with or merge into any other Person, or (b) permit any other Person to merge into it, or (c) sell, transfer or lease or otherwise dispose of all or a substantial part of its assets (other than sales permitted under Section 7.05); provided, that (i) any Subsidiary of the Borrower may merge or transfer all or substantially all of its assets into or consolidate with the Borrower or any wholly-owned Subsidiary (other than a Restricted

 

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Subsidiary) of the Borrower, (ii) any other Person may merge into or consolidate with the Borrower or any wholly-owned Subsidiary and any Subsidiary may merge into or consolidate with any other Person in order to consummate an Acquisition permitted by Section 7.02, so long as no Default exists hereunder after giving effect to such merger or consolidation, and (iii) any Subsidiary that is not a Material Subsidiary may merge into or consolidate with any other Person so long as no Default exists hereunder either before or after giving effect to such merger or consolidation; provided further, in the cases of the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii) that any resulting or surviving entity shall execute and deliver such agreements and other documents, including, in the case of Subsidiaries (other than Restricted Subsidiaries), a joinder to the Guaranty if the Trigger Date has occurred, and take such other action as the Administrative Agent may require to evidence or confirm its express assumption of the obligations and liabilities of its predecessor entities under the Loan Documents.

 

7.08 Restricted Payments. Make any Restricted Payment or apply or set apart any of their assets therefor or agree to do any of the foregoing; provided, that, so long as no Default exists immediately prior to and immediately after such payments, the Borrower may (a) pay cash dividends in the ordinary course of business and (b) purchase its own stock so long as (x) the aggregate purchase price of stock repurchased pursuant to this clause (b) does not exceed $250,000,000 in any Fiscal Year, and (y) the Borrower is in compliance with Section 7.15.

 

7.09 Transactions with Affiliates. Other than transactions permitted under Sections 7.06 and 7.07, enter into any transaction after the Closing Date, including, without limitation, the purchase, sale, lease or exchange of property, real or personal, or the rendering of any service, with any Affiliate of the Borrower, except (a) that such Persons may render services to the Borrower or its Subsidiaries for compensation at the same rates generally paid by Persons engaged in the same or similar businesses for the same or similar services, (b) that the Borrower or any Subsidiary may render services to such Persons for compensation at the same rates generally charged by the Borrower or such Subsidiary and (c) in either case in the ordinary course of business and pursuant to the reasonable requirements of the Borrower’s (or any Subsidiary’s) business consistent with past practice of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries and upon fair and reasonable terms no less favorable to the Borrower (or any Subsidiary) than would be obtained in a comparable arm’s-length transaction with a Person not an Affiliate.

 

7.10 Fiscal Year. Change its Fiscal Year.

 

7.11 Dissolution, etc. Wind up, liquidate or dissolve (voluntarily or involuntarily) or commence or suffer any proceedings seeking any such winding up, liquidation or dissolution, except (a) in connection with a merger or consolidation permitted pursuant to Section 7.07, or (b) if such Person is a Subsidiary other than a Material Subsidiary.

 

7.12 Limitations on Sales and Leasebacks. Enter into any arrangement or arrangements with any Person providing for the leasing by the Borrower or any Subsidiary of real or personal property, whether now owned or hereafter acquired in a single transaction or series of related transactions, which has been or is to be sold or transferred by the Borrower or any Subsidiary to such Person or to any other Person to whom funds have been or are to be advanced by such Person on the security of such property or rental obligations of the Borrower or any Subsidiary unless, in such transaction, (a) the net sales price to the Borrower or Subsidiary

 

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is equal to at least 95% of the appraised value of the property subject to such transaction, (b) the term of the lease is not less than 20 years, and (c) the monthly lease payment shall not be more than 1.2 times a Similar Loan Payment. “Similar Loan Payment” means the monthly payment with respect to a loan equal to the actual sales price of and secured by the property subject to such transaction, amortized over the period of the lease at the prevailing market rate for a 15 year loan at the date of such transaction. Should the Borrower or any Subsidiary enter into any lease-back transaction, the full amount of the sales price of the property subject to such transaction shall constitute Indebtedness under this Agreement so long as such lease remains in effect.

 

7.13 Rate Hedging Obligations. Incur any Hedging Obligations or enter into any Swap Contracts, except pursuant to Permitted Swap Contracts.

 

7.14 Burdensome Agreements. Enter into any Contractual Obligation (other than this Agreement or any other Loan Document) that (a) limits the ability (i) of any Subsidiary (other than a Restricted Subsidiary) to make Restricted Payments to the Borrower or any Guarantor or to otherwise transfer property to the Borrower or any Guarantor, (ii) of any Subsidiary (other than a Restricted Subsidiary) to Guarantee the Indebtedness of the Borrower or (iii) of the Borrower or any Subsidiary (other than a Restricted Subsidiary) to create, incur, assume or suffer to exist Liens on property of such Person; provided, however, that this clause (iii) shall not prohibit any negative pledge incurred or provided in favor of any holder of Indebtedness permitted hereunder solely to the extent any such negative pledge relates to the property financed by or the subject of such Indebtedness; or (b) requires the grant of a Lien to secure an obligation of such Person if a Lien is granted to secure another obligation of such Person.

 

7.15 Retirement of Treasury Stock. At no time shall the value of margin stock (as defined in Regulation U (12 C.F.R. Part 221) of the Board) owned by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis exceed twenty percent (20%) of Consolidated Total Assets. In the event there shall be any such excess, the Borrower will immediately retire treasury stock as shall be necessary to comply with this restriction.

 

7.16 Capital Expenditures of Restricted Subsidiaries. Permit any Restricted Subsidiary to make or become committed to make Capital Expenditures which exceed in any Four-Quarter Period the amount of Consolidated EBITDA attributable to such Restricted Subsidiary in such Four Quarter Period.

 

ARTICLE VIII.

EVENTS OF DEFAULT AND REMEDIES

 

8.01 Events of Default. Any of the following shall constitute an Event of Default:

 

(a) Non-Payment. The Borrower or any other Loan Party fails to pay (i) when and as required to be paid herein, any amount of principal of any Loan or any L/C Obligation, or (ii) within three days after the same becomes due, any interest on any Loan or on any L/C Obligation, or any fee due or other amount payable hereunder or under any other Loan Document; or

 

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(b) Specific Covenants. The Borrower fails to perform or observe any term, covenant or agreement contained in any of Section 6.03, 6.09, 6.16 or 6.17 or Article VII; or

 

(c) Other Defaults. The Borrower fails to perform or observe any other covenant or agreement (not specified in subsection (a) or (b) above) contained in this Agreement or the Notes on its part to be performed or observed and such failure continues for 30 or more days after the earlier of receipt of notice of such default by the Responsible Officer from the Administrative Agent or any Responsible Officer of the Borrower becomes aware of such default, or if a default shall be made in the performance or observance of, or shall occur under, any covenant, agreement or provision contained in any of the other Loan Documents (beyond any applicable grace period, if any, contained therein) or in any instrument or document evidencing or creating any obligation, guaranty, or Lien in favor of the Administrative Agent or any of the Lenders or delivered to the Administrative Agent or any of the Lenders in connection with or pursuant to this Agreement or any of the Obligations, or if any Loan Document ceases to be in full force and effect (other than as expressly provided for hereunder or thereunder), or if without the written consent of the Lenders, this Agreement or any other Loan Document shall be disaffirmed or shall terminate, be terminable or be terminated or become void or unenforceable for any reason whatsoever (other than as expressly provided for hereunder or thereunder); or

 

(d) Cross-Default. If there shall occur (i) a default, which is not waived, in the payment of any principal, interest, premium or other amount with respect to any Indebtedness or Rate Hedging Obligation (other than the Loans and other Obligations) of the Borrower or any Subsidiary in an amount not less than $10,000,000 in the aggregate outstanding, or (ii) a default, which is not waived, in the performance, observance or fulfillment of any term or covenant contained in any agreement or instrument under or pursuant to which any such Indebtedness or Rate Hedging Obligation may have been issued, created, assumed, guaranteed or secured by the Borrower or any Subsidiary, or (iii) any other event of default as specified in any agreement or instrument under or pursuant to which any such Indebtedness or Rate Hedging Obligation may have been issued, created, assumed, guaranteed or secured by the Borrower or any Subsidiary, and such default or event of default shall continue for more than the period of grace, if any, therein specified, or such default or event of default shall permit the holder of any such Indebtedness (or any agent or trustee acting on behalf of one or more holders) to accelerate the maturity thereof, or (iv) any “Termination Event” (as so defined) occurs under any Swap Contract as to which the Borrower or any Subsidiary is an Affected Party (as so defined) and the Swap Termination Value owed by such Borrower or such Subsidiary as a result thereof is greater than $10,000,000;or

 

(e) Representations and Warranties. Any representation, warranty, certification or statement of fact made or deemed made by or on behalf of the Borrower or any other Loan Party herein, in any other Loan Document, or in any document delivered in connection herewith or therewith shall be incorrect or misleading in any material respect when made or deemed made; or

 

(f) Insolvency Proceedings, Etc. Any Loan Party or any Material Subsidiary institutes or consents to the institution of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law, or makes an assignment for the benefit of creditors; or applies for or consents to the appointment of any receiver, trustee, custodian, conservator, liquidator, rehabilitator or similar officer for it or for all

 

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or any material part of its property; or any receiver, trustee, custodian, conservator, liquidator, rehabilitator or similar officer is appointed without the application or consent of such Person and the appointment continues undischarged or unstayed for 60 calendar days; or any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law relating to any such Person or to all or any material part of its property is instituted without the consent of such Person and continues undismissed or unstayed for 60 calendar days, or an order for relief is entered in any such proceeding; or

 

(g) Inability to Pay Debts; Attachment. (i) The Borrower or any Material Subsidiary becomes unable or admits in writing its inability or fails generally to pay its debts as they become due, or (ii) any writ or warrant of attachment or execution or similar process is issued or levied against all or any material part of the property of any such Person and is not released, vacated or fully bonded within 30 days after its issue or levy; or

 

(h) Judgments. If (i) one or more judgments or orders where the amount not covered by insurance (or the amount as to which the insurer denies liability) is in excess of $10,000,000 is rendered against the Borrower or any Subsidiary, or (ii) there is any attachment, levy or execution against any of the Borrower’s or Subsidiaries’ properties for any amount in excess of $10,000,000 in the aggregate; and such judgment, attachment, levy or execution remains unpaid, unstayed, undischarged, unbonded or undismissed for a period of thirty (30) days; or

 

(i) Cessation of Operations. If the Borrower or any Material Subsidiary shall, other than in the ordinary course of business (as determined by past practices), suspend all or any part of its operations material to the conduct of the business of the Borrower or such Subsidiary for a period of more than 60 days; or

 

(j) Certain Adverse Events. (i) Cancellation, revocation, suspension or termination of any Medicare Certification, Medicare Provider Agreement, Medicaid Certification or Medicaid Provider Agreement affecting the Borrower, any Subsidiary or any Contract Provider, or (ii) the loss of any other permits, licenses, authorizations, certifications or approvals from any federal, state or local Governmental Authority or termination of any contract with any such authority, in either case which cancellation, revocation, suspension, termination or loss (X) in the case of any suspension or temporary loss only, continues for a period greater than 60 days and (Y) results in the suspension or termination of operations of the Borrower or any Subsidiary or in the failure of the Borrower or any Subsidiary or any Contract Provider to be eligible to participate in Medicare or Medicaid programs or to accept assignments of rights to reimbursement under Medicaid Regulations or Medicare Regulations; provided that any such events described in this Section 8.01(j) shall result either singly or in the aggregate in the termination, cancellation, suspension or material impairment of operations or rights to reimbursement which produced 5% or more of the Borrower’s gross revenues in the Four-Quarter Period most recently ended; or

 

(k) ERISA. (i) An ERISA Event occurs with respect to a Pension Plan, Employee Benefit Plan or Multiemployer Plan which has resulted or could reasonably be expected to result in liability of the Borrower under Title IV of ERISA to the Pension Plan, Employee Benefit Plan, Multiemployer Plan or the PBGC or to any Governmental Authority in an aggregate amount in excess of $10,000,000, or (ii) the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate fails to pay when due, after the expiration of any applicable grace period, any installment payment with respect to its withdrawal liability under Section 4201 of ERISA under a Multiemployer Plan in an aggregate amount in excess of $10,000,000; or

 

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(l) Change of Control. There occurs any Change of Control with respect to the Borrower.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

(c) require that the Borrower Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations (in an amount equal to the then Outstanding Amount thereof); and

 

(d) exercise on behalf of itself and the Lenders all rights and remedies available to it and the Lenders under the Loan Documents or applicable law;

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Second, to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting fees, indemnities and other amounts (other than principal and interest) payable to the Lenders (including Attorney Costs and amounts payable under Article III), ratably among them in proportion to the amounts described in this clause Second payable to them;

 

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

 

Fourth, to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting unpaid principal of the Loans and L/C Borrowings, ratably among the Lenders in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause Fourth held by them;

 

Fifth, to payment of Swap Termination Values owing to any Lender or any Affiliate of any Lender arising under Permitted Swap Contracts that shall have been terminated and as to which the Administrative Agent shall have received notice of such termination and the Swap Termination Value thereof from the applicable Lender or Affiliate of a Lender;

 

Sixth, to the Administrative Agent for the account of the L/C Issuer, to Cash Collateralize that portion of L/C Obligations comprised of the aggregate undrawn amount of Letters of Credit; and

 

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

 

Subject to Section 2.03(c), amounts used to Cash Collateralize the aggregate undrawn amount of Letters of Credit pursuant to clause Sixth above shall be applied to satisfy drawings under such Letters of Credit as they occur. If any amount remains on deposit as Cash Collateral after all Letters of Credit have either been fully drawn or expired, such remaining amount shall be applied to the other Obligations, if any, in the order set forth above.

 

ARTICLE IX.

ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT

 

9.01 Appointment and Authorization of Administrative Agent.

 

(a) Each Lender hereby irrevocably appoints, designates and authorizes the Administrative Agent to take such action on its behalf under the provisions of this Agreement and each other Loan Document and to exercise such powers and perform such duties as are expressly delegated to it by the terms of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, together with such powers as are reasonably incidental thereto. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary contained elsewhere herein or in any other Loan Document, the Administrative Agent shall not have any duties or responsibilities, except those expressly set forth herein, nor shall the Administrative Agent have or be deemed to have any fiduciary relationship with any Lender or participant, and no implied covenants, functions, responsibilities, duties, obligations or liabilities shall be read into this Agreement or any other Loan Document or otherwise exist against the Administrative Agent. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing sentence, the use of the term “agent” herein and in the other Loan Documents with reference to the Administrative Agent is not intended to connote any fiduciary or other implied (or express) obligations arising under agency doctrine of any applicable Law. Instead, such term is used merely as a matter of market custom, and is intended to create or reflect only an administrative relationship between independent contracting parties.

 

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(b) The L/C Issuer shall act on behalf of the Lenders with respect to any Letters of Credit issued by it and the documents associated therewith, and the L/C Issuer shall have all of the benefits and immunities (i) provided to the Administrative Agent in this Article IX with respect to any acts taken or omissions suffered by the L/C Issuer in connection with Letters of Credit issued by it or proposed to be issued by it and the applications and agreements for letters of credit pertaining to such Letters of Credit as fully as if the term “Administrative Agent” as used in this Article IX and in the definition of “Agent-Related Person” included the L/C Issuer with respect to such acts or omissions, and (ii) as additionally provided herein with respect to the L/C Issuer.

 

9.02 Delegation of Duties. The Administrative Agent may execute any of its duties under this Agreement or any other Loan Document by or through agents, employees or attorneys-in-fact and shall be entitled to advice of counsel and other consultants or experts concerning all matters pertaining to such duties. The Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for the negligence or misconduct of any agent or attorney-in-fact that it selects in the absence of gross negligence or willful misconduct.

 

9.03 Liability of Administrative Agent. No Agent-Related Person shall (a) be liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken by any of them under or in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document or the transactions contemplated hereby (except for its own gross negligence or willful misconduct in connection with its duties expressly set forth herein), or (b) be responsible in any manner to any Lender or participant for any recital, statement, representation or warranty made by any Loan Party or any officer thereof, contained herein or in 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 the validity, effectiveness, genuineness, enforceability or sufficiency of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, or for any failure of any Loan Party or any other party to any Loan Document to perform its obligations hereunder or thereunder. No Agent-Related Person shall be under any obligation to any Lender or participant to ascertain or to inquire as to the observance or performance of any of the agreements contained in, or conditions of, this Agreement or any other Loan Document, or to inspect the properties, books or records of any Loan Party or any Affiliate thereof.

 

9.04 Reliance by Administrative Agent.

 

(a) The Administrative Agent shall be entitled to rely, and shall be fully protected in relying, upon any writing, communication, signature, resolution, representation, notice, consent, certificate, affidavit, letter, telegram, facsimile, telex or telephone message, electronic mail message, statement or other document or conversation believed by it to be genuine and correct and to have been signed, sent or made by the proper Person or Persons, and upon advice and statements of legal counsel (including counsel to any Loan Party), independent accountants and other experts selected by the Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent shall be fully justified in failing or refusing to take any action under any Loan Document unless it shall first receive such advice or concurrence of the Required Lenders as it deems appropriate and, if it so requests, it shall first be indemnified to its satisfaction by the Lenders against any and all liability and expense which may be incurred by it by reason of taking or continuing to take any such action. The Administrative Agent shall in all cases be fully protected in acting, or in refraining

 

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from acting, under this Agreement or any other Loan Document in accordance with a request or consent of the Required Lenders (or such greater number of Lenders as may be expressly required hereby in any instance) and such request and any action taken or failure to act pursuant thereto shall be binding upon all the Lenders.

 

(b) For purposes of determining compliance with the conditions specified in Section 4.01, each Lender that has signed this Agreement shall be deemed to have consented to, approved or accepted or to be satisfied with, each document or other matter required thereunder to be consented to or approved by or acceptable or satisfactory to a Lender unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from such Lender prior to the proposed Closing Date specifying its objection thereto.

 

9.05 Notice of Default. The Administrative Agent shall not be deemed to have knowledge or notice of the occurrence of any Default, except with respect to defaults in the payment of principal, interest and fees required to be paid to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Lenders, unless the Administrative Agent shall have received written notice from a Lender or the Borrower referring to this Agreement, describing such Default and stating that such notice is a “notice of default.” The Administrative Agent will notify the Lenders of its receipt of any such notice. The Administrative Agent shall take such action with respect to such Default as may be directed by the Required Lenders in accordance with Article VIII; provided, however, that unless and until the Administrative Agent has received any such direction, the Administrative Agent may (but shall not be obligated to) take such action, or refrain from taking such action, with respect to such Default as it shall deem advisable or in the best interest of the Lenders.

 

9.06 Credit Decision; Disclosure of Information by Administrative Agent. Each Lender acknowledges that no Agent-Related Person has made any representation or warranty to it, and that no act by the Administrative Agent hereafter taken, including any consent to and acceptance of any assignment or review of the affairs of any Loan Party or any Affiliate thereof, shall be deemed to constitute any representation or warranty by any Agent-Related Person to any Lender as to any matter, including whether Agent-Related Persons have disclosed material information in their possession. Each Lender represents to the Administrative Agent that it has, independently and without reliance upon any Agent-Related Person and based on such documents and information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own appraisal of and investigation into the business, prospects, operations, property, financial and other condition and creditworthiness of the Loan Parties and their respective Subsidiaries, and all applicable bank or other regulatory Laws relating to the transactions contemplated hereby, and made its own decision to enter into this Agreement and to extend credit to the Borrower and the other Loan Parties hereunder. Each Lender also represents that it will, independently and without reliance upon any Agent-Related Person and based on such documents and information as it shall deem appropriate at the time, continue to make its own credit analysis, appraisals and decisions in taking or not taking action under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, and to make such investigations as it deems necessary to inform itself as to the business, prospects, operations, property, financial and other condition and creditworthiness of the Borrower and the other Loan Parties. Except for notices, reports and other documents expressly required to be furnished to the Lenders by the Administrative Agent herein, the Administrative Agent shall not have any duty or responsibility to provide any Lender with any credit or other information

 

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concerning the business, prospects, operations, property, financial and other condition or creditworthiness of any of the Loan Parties or any of their respective Affiliates which may come into the possession of any Agent-Related Person.

 

9.07 Indemnification of Administrative Agent. Whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby are consummated, the Lenders shall indemnify upon demand each Agent-Related Person (to the extent not reimbursed by or on behalf of any Loan Party and without limiting the obligation of any Loan Party to do so), pro rata, and hold harmless each Agent-Related Person from and against any and all Indemnified Liabilities incurred by it; provided, however, that (a) no Lender shall be liable for the payment to any Agent-Related Person of any portion of such Indemnified Liabilities to the extent determined in a final, nonappealable judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction to have resulted from such Agent-Related Person’s own gross negligence or willful misconduct; provided, further, that no action taken in accordance with the directions of the Required Lenders shall be deemed to constitute gross negligence or willful misconduct for purposes of this Section, and (b) no Lender shall be liable for the payment of any portion of an Indemnified Liability pursuant to this Section unless such Indemnified Liability was incurred by the Administrative Agent in its capacity as such or by an Agent-Related Person acting for the Administrative Agent in such capacity. Without limitation of the foregoing, each Lender shall reimburse the Administrative Agent upon demand for its ratable share of any costs or out-of-pocket expenses (including Attorney Costs) incurred by the Administrative Agent in connection with the preparation, execution, delivery, administration, modification, amendment or enforcement (whether through negotiations, legal proceedings or otherwise) of, or legal advice in respect of rights or responsibilities under, this Agreement, any other Loan Document, or any document contemplated by or referred to herein, to the extent that the Administrative Agent is not reimbursed for such expenses by or on behalf of the Borrower. The undertaking in this Section shall survive termination of the Aggregate Commitments, the payment of all other Obligations and the resignation of the Administrative Agent.

 

9.08 Administrative Agent in its Individual Capacity. Bank of America and its Affiliates may make loans to, issue letters of credit for the account of, accept deposits from, acquire equity interests in and generally engage in any kind of banking, trust, financial advisory, underwriting or other business with each of the Loan Parties and their respective Affiliates as though Bank of America were not the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer hereunder and without notice to or consent of the Lenders. The Lenders acknowledge that, pursuant to such activities, Bank of America or its Affiliates may receive information regarding any Loan Party or its Affiliates (including information that may be subject to confidentiality obligations in favor of such Loan Party or such Affiliate) and acknowledge that the Administrative Agent shall be under no obligation to provide such information to them. With respect to its Loans, Bank of America shall have the same rights and powers under this Agreement as any other Lender and may exercise such rights and powers as though it were not the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer, and the terms “Lender” and “Lenders” include Bank of America in its individual capacity.

 

9.09 Successor Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent may resign as Administrative Agent upon 30 days’ notice to the Lenders and the Borrower; provided that any such resignation by Bank of America shall also constitute its resignation as L/C Issuer. If the Administrative Agent resigns under this Agreement, the Required Lenders shall appoint from among the Lenders a successor administrative agent for the Lenders, which successor

 

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administrative agent shall be consented to by the Borrower at all times other than during the existence of an Event of Default (which consent of the Borrower shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed). If no successor administrative agent is appointed prior to the effective date of the resignation of the Administrative Agent, the Administrative Agent may appoint, after consulting with the Lenders and the Borrower, a successor administrative agent from among the Lenders. Upon the acceptance of its appointment as successor administrative agent hereunder, the Person acting as such successor administrative agent shall succeed to all the rights, powers and duties of the retiring Administrative Agent and L/C Issuer and the respective terms “Administrative Agent” and “L/C Issuer” shall mean such successor administrative agent, and Letter of Credit issuer, and the retiring Administrative Agent’s appointment, powers and duties as Administrative Agent shall be terminated and the retiring L/C Issuer’s rights, powers and duties as such shall be terminated, without any other or further act or deed on the part of such retiring L/C Issuer or any other Lender, other than the obligation of the successor L/C Issuer to issue letters of credit in substitution for the Letters of Credit, if any, outstanding at the time of such succession or to make other arrangements satisfactory to the retiring L/C Issuer to effectively assume the obligations of the retiring L/C Issuer with respect to such Letters of Credit. After any retiring Administrative Agent’s resignation hereunder as Administrative Agent, the provisions of this Article IX and Sections 10.04 and 10.05 shall inure to its benefit as to any actions taken or omitted to be taken by it while it was Administrative Agent under this Agreement. If no successor administrative agent has accepted appointment as Administrative Agent by the date which is 30 days following a retiring Administrative Agent’s notice of resignation, the retiring Administrative Agent’s resignation shall nevertheless thereupon become effective and the Lenders shall perform all of the duties of the Administrative Agent hereunder until such time, if any, as the Required Lenders appoint a successor agent as provided for above.

 

9.10 Administrative Agent May File Proofs of Claim. In case of the pendency of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition or other judicial proceeding relative to any Loan Party, the Administrative Agent (irrespective of whether the principal of any Loan or L/C Obligation shall then be due and payable as herein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Administrative Agent shall have made any demand on the Borrower) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise

 

(a) to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of the principal and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Loans, L/C Obligations and all other Obligations that are owing and unpaid and to file such other documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Lenders and the Administrative Agent (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Lenders and the Administrative Agent and their respective agents and counsel and all other amounts due the Lenders and the Administrative Agent under Sections 2.03(i) and (j), 2.09 and 10.04) allowed in such judicial proceeding; and

 

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

 

and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Lender to make such payments to the

 

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Administrative Agent and, in the event that the Administrative Agent shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Lenders, to pay to the Administrative Agent any amount due for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Administrative Agent and its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Administrative Agent under Sections 2.09 and 10.04.

 

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 any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Obligations or the rights of any Lender or to authorize the Administrative Agent to vote in respect of the claim of any Lender in any such proceeding.

 

9.11 Guaranty Matters. The Lenders irrevocably authorize the Administrative Agent, at its option and in its discretion, to release any Guarantor from its obligations under the Guaranty if such Person ceases to be a Subsidiary as a result of a transaction permitted hereunder. Upon request by the Administrative Agent at any time, the Required Lenders will confirm in writing the Administrative Agent’s authority to release any Guarantor from its obligations under the Guaranty pursuant to this Section 9.11.

 

9.12 Other Agents; Arrangers and Managers. None of the Lenders or other Persons identified on the facing page or signature pages of this Agreement as a “syndication agent,” “documentation agent,” “co-agent,” “book manager,” “lead manager,” “arranger,” “lead arranger” or “co-arranger” shall have any right, power, obligation, liability, responsibility or duty under this Agreement other than, in the case of such Lenders, those applicable to all Lenders as such. Without limiting the foregoing, none of the Lenders or other Persons so identified shall have or be deemed to have any fiduciary relationship with any Lender. Each Lender acknowledges that it has not relied, and will not rely, on any of the Lenders or other Persons so identified in deciding to enter into this Agreement or in taking or not taking action hereunder.

 

ARTICLE X.

MISCELLANEOUS

 

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

 

(a) waive any condition set forth in Section 4.01(a)(i)-(ix) without the written consent of each Lender;

 

(b) extend or increase the Commitment of any Lender (or reinstate any Commitment terminated pursuant to Section 8.02) without the written consent of such Lender;

 

(c) postpone any date fixed by this Agreement or any other Loan Document for any payment of principal, interest, fees or other amounts due to the Lenders (or any of them) hereunder or under any other Loan Document without the written consent of each Lender directly affected thereby;

 

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(d) reduce the principal of, or the rate of interest specified herein on, any Loan or L/C Borrowing, or (subject to clause (v) of the second proviso to this Section 10.01) any fees or other amounts payable hereunder or under any other Loan Document without the written consent of each Lender directly affected thereby; provided, however, that only the consent of the Required Lenders shall be necessary to amend the definition of “Default Rate” or to waive any obligation of the Borrower to pay interest or Letter of Credit Fees at the Default Rate;

 

(e) change Section 2.13 or Section 8.03 in a manner that would alter the pro rata sharing of payments required thereby without the written consent of each Lender;

 

(f) change any provision of this Section or the definition of “Required Lenders” or any other provision hereof specifying the number or percentage of Lenders required to amend, waive or otherwise modify any rights hereunder or make any determination or grant any consent hereunder, without the written consent of each Lender; or

 

(g) release any Guarantor from the Guaranty without the written consent of each Lender;

 

and, provided further, that (i) no amendment, waiver or consent shall, unless in writing and signed by the L/C Issuer in addition to the Lenders required above, affect the rights or duties of the L/C Issuer under this Agreement or any Letter of Credit Application relating to any Letter of Credit issued or to be issued by it; (ii) no amendment, waiver or consent shall, unless in writing and signed by the Administrative Agent in addition to the Lenders required above, affect the rights or duties of the Administrative Agent under this Agreement or any other Loan Document; (iii) Section 10.07(h) may not be amended, waived or otherwise modified without the consent of each Granting Lender all or any part of whose Loans are being funded by an SPC at the time of such amendment, waiver or other modification; and (iv) each Fee Letter may be amended, or rights or privileges thereunder waived, in a writing executed only by the parties thereto. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, no Defaulting Lender shall have any right to approve or disapprove any amendment, waiver or consent hereunder, except that the Commitment of such Lender may not be increased or extended without the consent of such Lender.

 

10.02 Notices and Other Communications; Facsimile Copies.

 

(a) General. Unless otherwise expressly provided herein, all notices and other communications provided for hereunder shall be in writing (including by facsimile transmission). All such written notices shall be mailed certified or registered mail, faxed or delivered to the applicable address, facsimile number or (subject to subsection (c) below) electronic mail address, and all notices and other communications expressly permitted hereunder to be given by telephone shall be made to the applicable telephone number, as follows:

 

(i) if to the Borrower, the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer, to the address, facsimile number, electronic mail address or telephone number specified for such Person on Schedule 10.02 or to such other address, facsimile number, electronic mail address or telephone number as shall be designated by such party in a notice to the other parties; and

 

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(ii) if to any other Lender, to the address, facsimile number, electronic mail address or telephone number specified in its Administrative Questionnaire or to such other address, facsimile number, electronic mail address or telephone number as shall be designated by such party in a notice to the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer.

 

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 electronic communications to the extent provided in subsection (b) below shall be effective as provided in such subsection (b).

 

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

 

(c) Effectiveness of Facsimile Documents and Signatures. Loan Documents may be transmitted and/or signed by facsimile. The effectiveness of any such documents and signatures shall, subject to applicable Law, have the same force and effect as manually-signed originals and shall be binding on all Loan Parties, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders. The Administrative Agent may also require that any such documents and signatures be confirmed by a manually-signed original thereof; provided, however, that the failure to request or deliver the same shall not limit the effectiveness of any facsimile document or signature.

 

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

 

10.03 No Waiver; Cumulative Remedies. No failure by any Lender or the Administrative Agent to exercise, and no delay by any such Person in exercising, any right,

 

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remedy, power or privilege hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof; nor shall any single or partial exercise of any right, remedy, power or privilege hereunder preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, remedy, power or privilege. The rights, remedies, powers and privileges herein provided are cumulative and not exclusive of any rights, remedies, powers and privileges provided by law.

 

10.04 Attorney Costs, Expenses and Taxes. The Borrower agrees (a) to pay or reimburse the Administrative Agent for all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the development, preparation, negotiation and execution of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents and any amendment, waiver, consent or other modification of the provisions hereof and thereof (whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby are consummated), and the consummation and administration of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, including all Attorney Costs, and (b) to pay or reimburse the Administrative Agent and each Lender for all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the enforcement, attempted enforcement, or preservation of any rights or remedies under this Agreement or the other Loan Documents (including all such costs and expenses incurred during any “workout” or restructuring in respect of the Obligations and during any legal proceeding, including any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law), including all Attorney Costs. The foregoing costs and expenses shall include all search, filing, recording, title insurance and appraisal charges and fees and taxes related thereto, and other out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent and the cost of independent public accountants and other outside experts retained by the Administrative Agent or any Lender. All amounts due under this Section 10.04 shall be payable within ten Business Days after demand therefor. The agreements in this Section shall survive the termination of the Aggregate Commitments and repayment of all other Obligations.

 

10.05 Indemnification by the Borrower. Whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby are consummated, the Borrower shall indemnify and hold harmless each Agent-Related Person, each Lender and their respective Affiliates, directors, officers, employees, counsel, agents and attorneys-in-fact (collectively the “Indemnitees”) from and against any and all liabilities, obligations, losses, damages, penalties, claims, demands, actions, judgments, suits, costs, expenses and disbursements (including Attorney Costs) of any kind or nature whatsoever which may at any time be imposed on, incurred by or asserted against any such Indemnitee to the extent relating to or arising out of or in connection with (a) the execution, delivery, enforcement, performance or administration of any Loan Document or any other agreement, letter or instrument delivered in connection with the transactions contemplated thereby or the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby, (b) any Commitment, Loan or Letter of Credit or the use or proposed use of the proceeds therefrom (including any refusal by the L/C Issuer to honor a demand for payment under a Letter of Credit if the documents presented in connection with such demand do not strictly comply with the terms of such Letter of Credit), (c) any actual or alleged presence or release of Hazardous Materials on or from any property currently or formerly owned or operated by the Borrower, any Subsidiary or any other Loan Party, or any Environmental Liability related in any way to the Borrower, any Subsidiary or any other Loan Party, or (d) any actual or prospective claim, litigation, investigation or proceeding relating to any of the foregoing, whether based on contract, tort or any other theory (including any investigation of, preparation for, or defense of any pending or threatened claim, investigation, litigation or proceeding) and regardless of whether any Indemnitee is a party thereto (all the foregoing, collectively, the “Indemnified Liabilities”); provided that such

 

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indemnity shall not, as to any Indemnitee, be available to the extent that such liabilities, obligations, losses, damages, penalties, claims, demands, actions, judgments, suits, costs, expenses or disbursements are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Indemnitee. No Indemnitee shall be liable for any damages arising from the use by others of any information or other materials obtained through IntraLinks or other similar information transmission systems in connection with this Agreement, nor shall any Indemnitee have any liability for any indirect or consequential damages relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document or arising out of its activities in connection herewith or therewith (whether before or after the Closing Date). All amounts due under this Section 10.05 shall be payable within ten Business Days after demand therefor. The agreements in this Section shall survive the resignation of the Administrative Agent, the termination of the Aggregate Commitments and the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all the other Obligations.

 

10.06 Payments Set Aside. To the extent that any payment by or on behalf of the Borrower is made to the Administrative Agent or any Lender, or the Administrative Agent or any Lender exercises its right of set-off, and such payment or the proceeds of such set-off or any part thereof is subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside or required (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by the Administrative Agent or such Lender in its discretion) to be repaid to a trustee, receiver or any other party, in connection with any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law or otherwise, then (a) to the extent of such recovery, the obligation or part thereof originally intended to be satisfied shall be revived and continued in full force and effect as if such payment had not been made or such set-off had not occurred, and (b) each Lender severally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent upon demand its applicable share of any amount so recovered from or repaid by the Administrative Agent, plus interest thereon from the date of such demand to the date such payment is made at a rate per annum equal to the Federal Funds Rate from time to time in effect.

 

10.07 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, except that the Borrower may not assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of each Lender and no Lender may assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder except (i) to an Eligible Assignee in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of this Section, (ii) by way of participation in accordance with the provisions of subsection (d) of this Section, (iii) by way of pledge or assignment of a security interest subject to the restrictions of subsection (f) of this Section, or (iv) to an SPC in accordance with the provisions of subsection (h) of this Section (and any other attempted assignment or transfer by any party hereto shall be null and void). Nothing in this Agreement, expressed or implied, shall be construed to confer upon any Person (other than the parties hereto, their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby, Participants to the extent provided in subsection (d) of this Section and, to the extent expressly contemplated hereby, the Indemnitees) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this Agreement.

 

(b) Any Lender may at any time assign to one or more Eligible Assignees all or a portion of its rights and obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its

 

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Commitment and the Loans (including for purposes of this subsection (b), participations in L/C Obligations) at the time owing to it); provided that (i) except in the case of an assignment of the entire remaining amount of the assigning Lender’s Commitment and the Loans at the time owing to it or in the case of an assignment to a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender or an Approved Fund (as defined in subsection (g) of this Section) with respect to a Lender, the aggregate amount of the Commitment (which for this purpose includes Loans outstanding thereunder) subject to each such assignment, determined as of the date the Assignment and Assumption with respect to such assignment is delivered to the Administrative Agent or, if “Trade Date” is specified in the Assignment and Assumption, as of the Trade Date, shall not be less than $5,000,000 unless each of the Administrative Agent and, so long as no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Borrower otherwise consents (each such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed); (ii) 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 with respect to the Loans or the Commitment assigned; (iii) any assignment of a Commitment must be approved by the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer unless the Person that is the proposed assignee is itself a Lender (whether or not the proposed assignee would otherwise qualify as an Eligible Assignee); and (iv) the parties to each assignment shall execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent an Assignment and Assumption, together with a processing and recordation fee of $3,500. Subject to acceptance and recording thereof by the Administrative Agent pursuant to subsection (c) of this Section, from and after the effective date specified in each Assignment and Assumption, the Eligible Assignee thereunder shall be a party to this Agreement and, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, have the rights and obligations of a Lender under this Agreement, and the assigning Lender thereunder shall, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, be released from its obligations under this Agreement (and, in the case of an Assignment and Assumption covering all of the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement, such Lender shall cease to be a party hereto but shall continue to be entitled to the benefits of Sections 3.01, 3.04, 3.05, 10.04 and 10.05 with respect to facts and circumstances occurring prior to the effective date of such assignment). Upon request, the Borrower (at its expense) shall execute and deliver a Note to the assignee Lender. Any assignment or transfer by a Lender of rights or obligations under this Agreement that does not comply with this subsection shall be treated for purposes of this Agreement as a sale by such Lender of a participation in such rights and obligations in accordance with subsection (d) of this Section.

 

(c) The Administrative Agent, acting solely for this purpose as an agent of the Borrower, shall maintain at the Administrative Agent’s Office 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 Commitments of, and principal amounts of the Loans and L/C Obligations owing to, each Lender pursuant to the terms hereof from time to time (the “Register”). The entries in the Register shall be conclusive, and the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders may treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Register pursuant to the terms hereof as a Lender hereunder for all purposes of this Agreement, notwithstanding notice to the contrary. The Register shall be available for inspection by the Borrower, at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice. In addition, at any time that a request for a consent for a material or other substantive change to the Loan Documents is pending, any Lender wishing to consult with other Lenders in connection therewith may request and receive from the Administrative Agent a copy of the Register.

 

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(d) Any Lender may at any time, without the consent of, or notice to, the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, sell participations to any Person (other than a natural person or the Borrower or any of the Borrower’s Affiliates or Subsidiaries) (each, a “Participant”) in all or a portion of such Lender’s rights and/or obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and/or the Loans (including such Lender’s participations in L/C Obligations) owing to it); provided that (i) such Lender’s obligations under this Agreement shall remain unchanged, (ii) such Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto for the performance of such obligations and (iii) the Borrower, the Administrative Agent 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, waiver or other modification described in the first proviso to Section 10.01 that directly affects such Participant. Subject to subsection (e) of this Section, the Borrower agrees that each Participant shall be entitled to the benefits of Sections 3.01, 3.04 and 3.05 to the same extent as if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section. To the extent permitted by law, each Participant also shall be entitled to the benefits of Section 10.09 as though it were a Lender, provided such Participant agrees to be subject to Section 2.13 as though it were a Lender.

 

(e) A Participant shall not be entitled to receive any greater payment under Section 3.01 or 3.04 than the applicable Lender would have been entitled to receive with respect to the participation sold to such Participant, unless the sale of the participation to such Participant is made with the Borrower’s prior written consent. A Participant that would be a Foreign Lender if it were a Lender shall not be entitled to the benefits of Section 3.01 unless the Borrower is notified of the participation sold to such Participant and such Participant agrees, for the benefit of the Borrower, to comply with Section 10.15 as though it were a Lender.

 

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

 

(g) As used herein, the following terms have the following meanings:

 

Eligible Assignee” means (a) a Lender; (b) an Affiliate of a Lender; (c) an Approved Fund; and (d) any other Person (other than a natural person) approved by (i) the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer, and (ii) unless an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Borrower (each such approval not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed); provided that notwithstanding the foregoing, “Eligible Assignee” shall not include the Borrower or any of the Borrower’s Affiliates or Subsidiaries.

 

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

 

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

 

(h) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, any Lender (a “Granting Lender”) may grant to a special purpose funding vehicle identified as such in writing from time to time by the Granting Lender to the Administrative Agent and the Borrower (an “SPC”) the option to provide all or any part of any Loan that such Granting Lender would otherwise be obligated to make pursuant to this Agreement; provided that (i) nothing herein shall constitute a commitment by any SPC to fund any Loan, and (ii) if an SPC elects not to exercise such option or otherwise fails to make all or any part of such Loan, the Granting Lender shall be obligated to make such Loan pursuant to the terms hereof or, if it fails to do so, to make such payment to the Administrative Agent as is required under Section 2.13(c)(ii). Each party hereto hereby agrees that (i) neither the grant to any SPC nor the exercise by any SPC of such option shall increase the costs or expenses or otherwise increase or change the obligations of the Borrower under this Agreement (including its obligations under Section 3.04), (ii) no SPC shall be liable for any indemnity or similar payment obligation under this Agreement for which a Lender would be liable, and (iii) the Granting Lender shall for all purposes, including the approval of any amendment, waiver or other modification of any provision of any Loan Document, remain the lender of record hereunder. The making of a Loan by an SPC hereunder shall utilize the Commitment of the Granting Lender to the same extent, and as if, such Loan were made by such Granting Lender. In furtherance of the foregoing, each party hereto hereby agrees (which agreement shall survive the termination of this Agreement) that, prior to the date that is one year and one day after the payment in full of all outstanding commercial paper or other senior debt of any SPC, it will not institute against, or join any other Person in instituting against, such SPC any bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, insolvency, or liquidation proceeding under the laws of the United States or any State thereof. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, any SPC may (i) with notice to, but without prior consent of the Borrower and the Administrative Agent and with the payment of a processing fee of $3,500, assign all or any portion of its right to receive payment with respect to any Loan to the Granting Lender and (ii) disclose on a confidential basis any non-public information relating to its funding of Loans to any rating agency, commercial paper dealer or provider of any surety or Guarantee or credit or liquidity enhancement to such SPC.

 

(i) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, if at any time Bank of America assigns all of its Commitment and Loans pursuant to subsection (b) above, Bank of America may, upon 30 days’ notice to the Borrower and the Lenders, resign as L/C Issuer. In the event of any such resignation as L/C Issuer, the Borrower shall be entitled to appoint from among the Lenders a successor L/C Issuer hereunder; provided, however, that no failure by the Borrower to appoint any such successor shall affect the resignation of Bank of America as L/C Issuer. If Bank of America resigns as L/C Issuer, it shall retain all the rights and obligations of the L/C Issuer hereunder with respect to all Letters of Credit outstanding as of the effective date of its resignation as L/C Issuer and all L/C Obligations with respect thereto (including the right to require the Lenders to make Base Rate Loans or fund risk participations in Unreimbursed Amounts pursuant to Section 2.03(c)).

 

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10.08 Confidentiality. Each of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders agrees to maintain the confidentiality of the Information (as defined below), except that Information may be disclosed (a) to its and its Affiliates and to its Affiliates’ respective partners, directors, officers, employees, agents, advisors and representatives (it being understood that the Persons to whom such disclosure is made will be informed of the confidential nature of such Information and instructed to keep such Information confidential), (b) to the extent requested by any regulatory authority (including any self-regulatory authority purporting to have jurisdiction over it, such as the National Association of Insurance Commissioners); provided that any Person that is requested to disclose such Information shall, as soon as practicable prior to such intended disclosure, provide the Borrower notice of such request and intent to disclose such Information except to the extent any such notice is prohibited by applicable Law, (c) to the extent required by applicable laws or regulations or by any subpoena or similar legal process; provided that any Person that is so required to disclose such Information shall, as soon as practicable prior to such intended disclosure, provide the Borrower notice of such required disclosure and intent to disclose such Information except to the extent any such notice is prohibited by applicable Law, (d) to any other party hereto, (e) in connection with the exercise of any remedies hereunder or under or any other Loan Document or any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Documents or the enforcement of rights hereunder or thereunder, (f) subject to an agreement containing provisions substantially the same as those of this Section, to (i) any assignee of or Participant in, or any prospective assignee of or Participant in, any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement or (ii) any actual or prospective counterparty (or its advisors) to any swap or derivative transaction relating to the Borrower and its obligations, (g) with the consent of the Borrower, or (h) to the extent such Information (x) becomes publicly available other than as a result of a breach of this Section or (y) becomes available to the Administrative Agent or any Lender on a nonconfidential basis from a source other than the Borrower. For the purposes of this Section, “Information” means all information received from the Borrower or any Subsidiary relating to the Borrower or any Subsidiary or any of their respective businesses, other than any such information that is available to the Administrative Agent or any Lender on a nonconfidential basis prior to disclosure by the Borrower or any Subsidiary. Any Person required to maintain the confidentiality of Information as provided in this Section shall be considered to have complied with its obligation to do so if such Person has exercised the same degree of care to maintain the confidentiality of such Information as such Person would accord to its own confidential information.

 

10.09 Set-off. In addition to any rights and remedies of the Lenders provided by law, upon the occurrence and during the continuance of any Event of Default, each Lender is authorized at any time and from time to time, without prior notice to the Borrower or any other Loan Party, any such notice being waived by the Borrower (on its own behalf and on behalf of each Loan Party) to the fullest extent permitted by law, to set off and apply any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final) at any time held by, and other indebtedness at any time owing by, such Lender to or for the credit or the account of the respective Loan Parties against any and all Obligations owing to such Lender hereunder or under any other Loan Document, now or hereafter existing, irrespective of whether or not the Administrative Agent or such Lender shall have made demand under this Agreement or any

 

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other Loan Document and although such Obligations may be contingent or unmatured or denominated in a currency different from that of the applicable deposit or indebtedness. Each Lender agrees promptly to notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent after any such set-off and application made by such Lender; provided, however, that the failure to give such notice shall not affect the validity of such set-off and application.

 

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

 

10.11 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

 

10.12 Integration. This Agreement, together with the other Loan Documents, comprises the complete and integrated agreement of the parties on the subject matter hereof and thereof and supersedes all prior agreements, written or oral, on such subject matter. In the event of any conflict between the provisions of this Agreement and those of any other Loan Document, the provisions of this Agreement shall control; provided that the inclusion of supplemental rights or remedies in favor of the Administrative Agent or the Lenders in any other Loan Document shall not be deemed a conflict with this Agreement. Each Loan Document was drafted with the joint participation of the respective parties thereto and shall be construed neither against nor in favor of any party, but rather in accordance with the fair meaning thereof.

 

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

 

10.14 Severability. If any provision of this Agreement or the other Loan Documents is held to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable, (a) the legality, validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall not be affected or

 

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impaired thereby and (b) the parties shall endeavor in good faith negotiations to replace the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provisions with valid provisions the economic effect of which comes as close as possible to that of the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provisions. The invalidity of a provision in a particular jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction.

 

10.15 Tax Forms.

 

(a) (i) Each Lender that is not a “United States person” within the meaning of Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code (a “Foreign Lender”) shall deliver to the Administrative Agent, prior to receipt of any payment subject to withholding under the Code (or upon accepting an assignment of an interest herein), two duly signed completed copies of either IRS Form W-8BEN or any successor thereto (relating to such Foreign Lender and entitling it to an exemption from, or reduction of, withholding tax on all payments to be made to such Foreign Lender by the Borrower pursuant to this Agreement) or IRS Form W-8ECI or any successor thereto (relating to all payments to be made to such Foreign Lender by the Borrower pursuant to this Agreement) or such other evidence satisfactory to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent that such Foreign Lender is entitled to an exemption from, or reduction of, U.S. withholding tax, including any exemption pursuant to Section 881(c) of the Code. Thereafter and from time to time, each such Foreign Lender shall (A) promptly submit to the Administrative Agent such additional duly completed and signed copies of one of such forms (or such successor forms as shall be adopted from time to time by the relevant United States taxing authorities) as may then be available under then current United States laws and regulations to avoid, or such evidence as is satisfactory to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent of any available exemption from or reduction of, United States withholding taxes in respect of all payments to be made to such Foreign Lender by the Borrower pursuant to this Agreement, (B) promptly notify the Administrative Agent of any change in circumstances which would modify or render invalid any claimed exemption or reduction, and (C) take such steps as shall not be materially disadvantageous to it, in the reasonable judgment of such Lender, and as may be reasonably necessary (including the re-designation of its Lending Office) to avoid any requirement of applicable Laws that the Borrower make any deduction or withholding for taxes from amounts payable to such Foreign Lender.

 

(ii) Each Foreign Lender, to the extent it does not act or ceases to act for its own account with respect to any portion of any sums paid or payable to such Lender under any of the Loan Documents (for example, in the case of a typical participation by such Lender), shall deliver to the Administrative Agent on the date when such Foreign Lender ceases to act for its own account with respect to any portion of any such sums paid or payable, and at such other times as may be necessary in the determination of the Administrative Agent (in the reasonable exercise of its discretion), (A) two duly signed completed copies of the forms or statements required to be provided by such Lender as set forth above, to establish the portion of any such sums paid or payable with respect to which such Lender acts for its own account is entitled to an exemption from, or a reduction of, U.S. withholding tax, and (B) two duly signed completed copies of IRS Form W-8IMY (or any successor thereto), together with any information such Lender

 

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chooses to transmit with such form, and any other certificate or statement of exemption required under the Code, to establish that such Lender is not acting for its own account with respect to a portion of any such sums payable to such Lender.

 

(iii) The Borrower shall not be required to pay any additional amount to any Foreign Lender under Section 3.01 (A) with respect to any Taxes required to be deducted or withheld on the basis of the information, certificates or statements of exemption such Lender transmits with an IRS Form W-8IMY pursuant to this Section 10.15(a) or (B) if such Lender shall have failed to satisfy the foregoing provisions of this Section 10.15(a); provided that if such Lender shall have satisfied the requirement of this Section 10.15(a) on the date such Lender became a Lender or ceased to act for its own account with respect to any payment under any of the Loan Documents, nothing in this Section 10.15(a) shall relieve the Borrower of its obligation to pay any amounts pursuant to Section 3.01 in the event that, as a result of any change in any applicable law, treaty or governmental rule, regulation or order, or any change in the interpretation, administration or application thereof, such Lender is no longer properly entitled to deliver forms, certificates or other evidence at a subsequent date establishing the fact that such Lender or other Person for the account of which such Lender receives any sums payable under any of the Loan Documents is entitled to an exemption from, or a reduction of, U.S. withholding tax on the payments made or to be made to such Lender by the Borrower under any of the Loan Documents.

 

(iv) The Administrative Agent may, without reduction, withhold any Taxes required to be deducted and withheld from any payment under any of the Loan Documents with respect to which the Borrower is not required to pay additional amounts under this Section 10.15(a).

 

(b) Upon the request of the Administrative Agent, each Lender that is a “United States person” within the meaning of Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code shall deliver to the Administrative Agent two duly signed completed copies of IRS Form W-9. If such Lender fails to deliver such forms, then the Administrative Agent may withhold from any interest payment to such Lender an amount equivalent to the applicable back-up withholding tax imposed by the Code, without reduction.

 

(c) If any Governmental Authority asserts that the Administrative Agent did not properly withhold or backup withhold, as the case may be, any tax or other amount from payments made to or for the account of any Lender, such Lender shall indemnify the Administrative Agent therefor, including all penalties and interest, any taxes imposed by any jurisdiction on the amounts payable to the Administrative Agent under this Section, and costs and expenses (including Attorney Costs) of the Administrative Agent. The obligation of the Lenders under this Section shall survive the termination of the Aggregate Commitments, repayment of all other Obligations hereunder and the resignation of the Administrative Agent.

 

10.16 [Intentionally Omitted].

 

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10.17 Governing Law.

 

(a) THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK APPLICABLE TO AGREEMENTS MADE AND TO BE PERFORMED ENTIRELY WITHIN SUCH STATE; PROVIDED THAT THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT AND EACH LENDER SHALL RETAIN ALL RIGHTS ARISING UNDER FEDERAL LAW.

 

(b) ANY LEGAL ACTION OR PROCEEDING WITH RESPECT TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT MAY BE BROUGHT IN THE COURTS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK SITTING IN NEW YORK CITY OR OF THE UNITED STATES FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF SUCH STATE, AND BY EXECUTION AND DELIVERY OF THIS AGREEMENT, THE BORROWER, THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT AND EACH LENDER CONSENTS, FOR ITSELF AND IN RESPECT OF ITS PROPERTY, TO THE NON-EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF THOSE COURTS. THE BORROWER, THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT AND EACH LENDER IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY OBJECTION, INCLUDING ANY OBJECTION TO THE LAYING OF VENUE OR BASED ON THE GROUNDS OF FORUM NON CONVENIENS, WHICH IT MAY NOW OR HEREAFTER HAVE TO THE BRINGING OF ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING IN SUCH JURISDICTION IN RESPECT OF ANY LOAN DOCUMENT OR OTHER DOCUMENT RELATED THERETO. THE BORROWER, THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT AND EACH LENDER WAIVES PERSONAL SERVICE OF ANY SUMMONS, COMPLAINT OR OTHER PROCESS, WHICH MAY BE MADE BY ANY OTHER MEANS PERMITTED BY THE LAW OF SUCH STATE.

 

10.18 Waiver of Right to Trial by Jury. EACH PARTY TO THIS AGREEMENT HEREBY EXPRESSLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY OF ANY CLAIM, DEMAND, ACTION OR CAUSE OF ACTION ARISING UNDER ANY LOAN DOCUMENT OR IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH OR RELATED OR INCIDENTAL TO THE DEALINGS OF THE PARTIES HERETO OR ANY OF THEM WITH RESPECT TO ANY LOAN DOCUMENT, OR THE TRANSACTIONS RELATED THERETO, IN EACH CASE WHETHER NOW EXISTING OR HEREAFTER ARISING, AND WHETHER FOUNDED IN CONTRACT OR TORT OR OTHERWISE; AND EACH PARTY HEREBY AGREES AND CONSENTS THAT ANY SUCH CLAIM, DEMAND, ACTION OR CAUSE OF ACTION SHALL BE DECIDED BY COURT TRIAL WITHOUT A JURY, AND THAT ANY PARTY TO THIS AGREEMENT MAY FILE AN ORIGINAL COUNTERPART OR A COPY OF THIS SECTION WITH ANY COURT AS WRITTEN EVIDENCE OF THE CONSENT OF THE SIGNATORIES HERETO TO THE WAIVER OF THEIR RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY.

 

10.19 USA PATRIOT Act Notice. Each Lender and the Administrative Agent (for itself and not on behalf of any Lender) hereby notifies the Borrower that pursuant to the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)) (the “Act”), it is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies the Borrower, which information includes the name and address of the Borrower and other information that will allow such Lender or the Administrative Agent, as applicable, to identify the Borrower in accordance with the Act.

 

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

 

HEALTH MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATES, INC.
By:  

/s/ Robert E. Farnham


Name:   Robert E. Farnham
Title:   Senior Vice President-Finance and
    Chief Financial Officer
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as Administrative Agent
By:  

/s/ Kevin R. Wagley


Name:   Kevin R. Wagley
Title:   Principal
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as a Lender and L/C Issuer
By:  

/s/ Kevin R. Wagley


Name:   Kevin R. Wagley
Title:   Principal

WACHOVIA BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,

as Syndication Agent and as a Lender

By:  

/s/ Chris McCoy


Name:   Chris McCoy
Title:   Vice President

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, as Co-Documentation

Agent and as a Lender

By:  

/s/ Laura J. Cumming


Name:   Laura J. Cumming
Title:   Vice President


SUNTRUST BANK, as Co-Documentation Agent
and as a Lender
By:  

/s/ Mark D. Mattson


Name:   Mark D. Mattson
Title:   Managing Director
MIZUHO CORPORATE BANK, LTD., as a Lender
By:  

/s/ Greg Botshon


Name:   Greg Botshom
Title:   Senior Vice President
KEYBANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as a
Lender
By:  

/s/ James A. Taylor


Name:   James A. Taylor
Title:   Vice President

SUMITOMO MITSUI BANKING CORPORATION,

NEW YORK, as a Lender

By:  

/s/ Robert H. Riley III


Name:   Robert H. Riley III
Title:   Senior Vice President
U.S. BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as a
Lender
By:  

/s/ S. Walker Choppin


Name:   S. Walker Copiin
Title:   Senior Vice President


CALYON NEW YORK BRANCH, as a Lender
By:  

/s/ Charles Heidsieck


Name:   Charles Heidsieck
Title:   Managing Director
By:  

/s/ Attila Coach


Name:   Attila Coach
Title:   Managing Director
COMERICA BANK, as a Lender
By:  

/s/ John Bonifacio


Name:   John Bonafacio
Title:   Vice President
NATIONAL CITY BANK OF KENTUCKY, as a
Lender
By:  

/s/ Erica E. Dowd


Name:   Erica E. Dowd
Title:   Banking Officer
THE NORINCHUKIN BANK, NEW YORK
BRANCH,
as a Lender
By:  

/s/ Fumiaki Ono


Name:   Fumiaki Ono
Title:   General Manager
THE BANK OF NEW YORK, as a Lender
By:  

/s/ William M. Barnum, Jr.


Name:   William M. Barnum, Jr.
Title:   Vice President