CREDIT AGREEMENT dated as of July 27, 2011 among IRIS INTERNATIONAL, INC., as Borrower, The Lenders Party Hereto, as the Lenders, and JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., as Administrative Agent J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES INC., as Sole Bookrunner and Sole Lead Arranger
EX-10.1 2 c20545exv10w1.htm EXHIBIT 10.1 Exhibit 10.1
Exhibit 10.1
CREDIT AGREEMENT
dated as of
July 27, 2011
among
IRIS INTERNATIONAL, INC.,
as Borrower,
as Borrower,
The Lenders Party Hereto,
as the Lenders,
as the Lenders,
and
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.,
as Administrative Agent
as Administrative Agent
J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES INC.,
as Sole Bookrunner and Sole Lead Arranger
as Sole Bookrunner and Sole Lead Arranger
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page | ||||
ARTICLE I Definitions | 1 | |||
SECTION 1.01 Defined Terms | 1 | |||
SECTION 1.02 Classification of Loans and Borrowings | 14 | |||
SECTION 1.03 Terms Generally | 15 | |||
SECTION 1.04 Accounting Terms; GAAP | 15 | |||
ARTICLE II The Credits | 15 | |||
SECTION 2.01 Commitments | 15 | |||
SECTION 2.02 Loans and Borrowings | 15 | |||
SECTION 2.03 Requests for Revolving Borrowings | 16 | |||
SECTION 2.04 [Intentionally Omitted] | 16 | |||
SECTION 2.05 Swingline Loans | 16 | |||
SECTION 2.06 Letters of Credit | 17 | |||
SECTION 2.07 Funding of Borrowings | 21 | |||
SECTION 2.08 Interest Elections | 21 | |||
SECTION 2.09 Termination and Reduction of Commitments | 22 | |||
SECTION 2.10 Repayment of Loans; Evidence of Debt | 23 | |||
SECTION 2.11 Prepayment of Loans | 23 | |||
SECTION 2.12 Fees | 24 | |||
SECTION 2.13 Interest | 24 | |||
SECTION 2.14 Alternate Rate of Interest | 25 | |||
SECTION 2.15 Increased Costs | 25 | |||
SECTION 2.16 Break Funding Payments | 26 | |||
SECTION 2.17 Taxes | 27 | |||
SECTION 2.18 Payments Generally; Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of Set-offs; Authorization to Debit Bank Account | 28 | |||
SECTION 2.19 Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders | 29 | |||
SECTION 2.20 Defaulting Lenders | 30 | |||
ARTICLE III Representations and Warranties | 31 | |||
SECTION 3.01 Organization; Powers | 31 | |||
SECTION 3.02 Authorization; Enforceability | 32 | |||
SECTION 3.03 Governmental Approvals; No Conflicts | 32 | |||
SECTION 3.04 Financial Condition; No Material Adverse Change | 32 | |||
SECTION 3.05 Properties | 32 | |||
SECTION 3.06 Litigation and Environmental Matters | 32 | |||
SECTION 3.07 Compliance with Laws and Agreements | 33 | |||
SECTION 3.08 Investment Company Status | 33 | |||
SECTION 3.09 Taxes | 33 | |||
SECTION 3.10 ERISA | 33 | |||
SECTION 3.11 Disclosure | 33 | |||
ARTICLE IV Conditions | 34 | |||
SECTION 4.01 Effective Date | 34 | |||
SECTION 4.02 Each Credit Event | 36 |
-i-
TABLE OF CONTENTS
(continued)
(continued)
Page | ||||
ARTICLE V Affirmative Covenants | 36 | |||
SECTION 5.01 Financial Statements; Ratings Change and Other Information | 36 | |||
SECTION 5.02 Notices of Material Events | 37 | |||
SECTION 5.03 Existence; Conduct of Business | 37 | |||
SECTION 5.04 Payment of Obligations | 38 | |||
SECTION 5.05 Maintenance of Properties; Insurance | 38 | |||
SECTION 5.06 Books and Records; Inspection Rights | 38 | |||
SECTION 5.07 Compliance with Laws | 38 | |||
SECTION 5.08 Use of Proceeds and Letters of Credit | 38 | |||
SECTION 5.09 Casualty and Condemnation | 38 | |||
SECTION 5.10 Depository Banks | 38 | |||
SECTION 5.11 Additional Collateral; Further Assurances | 39 | |||
SECTION 5.12 Post-Closing Covenants | 40 | |||
ARTICLE VI Negative Covenants | 40 | |||
SECTION 6.01 Indebtedness | 40 | |||
SECTION 6.02 Liens | 41 | |||
SECTION 6.03 Fundamental Changes | 41 | |||
SECTION 6.04 Investments, Loans, Advances, Guarantees and Acquisitions | 42 | |||
SECTION 6.05 Swap Agreements | 42 | |||
SECTION 6.06 Restricted Payments | 42 | |||
SECTION 6.07 Transactions with Affiliates | 43 | |||
SECTION 6.08 Restrictive Agreements | 43 | |||
SECTION 6.09 Government Regulation | 43 | |||
SECTION 6.10 Asset Sales | 43 | |||
SECTION 6.11 Sale and Leaseback Transactions | 44 | |||
SECTION 6.12 Amendment of Material Documents | 44 | |||
SECTION 6.13 Change of Auditors | 44 | |||
SECTION 6.14 Capital Expenditures | 44 | |||
SECTION 6.15 Financial Covenant Minimum EBITDA | 44 | |||
ARTICLE VII Events of Default | 45 | |||
ARTICLE VIII The Administrative Agent | 47 | |||
ARTICLE IX Miscellaneous | 49 | |||
SECTION 9.01 Notices | 49 | |||
SECTION 9.02 Waivers; Amendments | 50 | |||
SECTION 9.03 Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver | 50 | |||
SECTION 9.04 Successors and Assigns | 51 | |||
SECTION 9.05 Survival | 54 | |||
SECTION 9.06 Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness | 54 | |||
SECTION 9.07 Severability | 55 | |||
SECTION 9.08 Right of Setoff | 55 | |||
SECTION 9.09 Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Consent to Service of Process | 55 | |||
SECTION 9.10 WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL | 56 | |||
SECTION 9.11 Headings | 56 | |||
SECTION 9.12 Disclosure | 56 | |||
SECTION 9.13 Interest Rate Limitation | 56 | |||
SECTION 9.14 USA PATRIOT Act | 56 | |||
SECTION 9.15 JUDICIAL REFERENCE | 57 |
-ii-
SCHEDULES:
Schedule 2.01 Commitments | ||||
Schedule 3.06 Disclosed Matters | ||||
Schedule 6.01 Existing Indebtedness | ||||
Schedule 6.02 Existing Liens | ||||
Schedule 6.08 Existing Restrictions |
EXHIBITS:
Exhibit A Form of Assignment and Assumption | ||||
Exhibit B-1 Form of Opinion of Borrowers Counsel | ||||
Exhibit B-2 Form of Opinion of In-House Counsel of Borrower | ||||
Exhibit C Form of Joinder Agreement |
CREDIT AGREEMENT
CREDIT AGREEMENT, dated as of July 27, 2011, among IRIS INTERNATIONAL, INC., a Delaware corporation, the LENDERS party hereto, and JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., as Administrative Agent.
The parties hereto agree as follows:
ARTICLE I
Definitions
SECTION 1.01 Defined Terms. As used in this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings specified below:
ABR, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the Loans comprising such Borrowing, are bearing interest at a rate determined by reference to the Alternate Base Rate.
Acquisition means (a) the purchase or other acquisition by a Person or its subsidiaries of all or substantially all of the assets of (or any division or business line of) any other Person, or (b) the purchase or other acquisition (whether by means of a merger, consolidation, or otherwise) by a Person or its subsidiaries of all or substantially all of the Equity Interests of any other Person.
Adjusted LIBO Rate means, with respect to any Eurodollar Borrowing for any Interest Period, an interest rate per annum (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/16 of 1%) equal to (a) the LIBO Rate for such Interest Period multiplied by (b) the Statutory Reserve Rate.
Administrative Agent means JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., in its capacity as administrative agent for the Lenders hereunder and together with its successors and assigns in such capacity.
Administrative Questionnaire means an Administrative Questionnaire in a form supplied by the Administrative Agent.
Affiliate means, with respect to a specified Person, another Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, Controls or is Controlled by or is under common Control with the Person specified.
Alternate Base Rate means, for any day, a rate per annum equal to the greatest of (a) the Prime Rate in effect on such day, (b) the Federal Funds Effective Rate in effect on such day plus 1/2 of 1%, and (c) the Adjusted LIBO Rate for a one month Interest Period on such day (or if such day is not a Business Day, the immediately preceding Business Day) plus 2.50%. Any change in the Alternate Base Rate due to a change in the Prime Rate or the Federal Funds Effective Rate shall be effective from and including the effective date of such change in the Prime Rate or the Federal Funds Effective Rate, respectively.
Applicable Percentage means, with respect to any Lender, the percentage of the total Commitments represented by such Lenders Commitment; provided that in the case of Section 2.20 when a Defaulting Lender shall exist, Applicable Percentage shall mean the percentage of the total Commitments (disregarding any Defaulting Lenders Commitment) represented by such Lenders Commitment. If the Commitments have terminated or expired, the Applicable Percentages shall be determined based upon the Commitments most recently in effect, giving effect to any assignments and to any Lenders status as a Defaulting Lender at the time of determination.
Applicable Rate means, with respect to (a) any ABR Loan, negative one and a half (-1.50) percentage points, or (b) any Eurodollar Revolving Loan, one and a quarter (1.25) percentage points.
Applicable Swingline Cap means (a) if the Lenders Commitments are less than $20,000,000, an amount equal to the aggregate amount of such Commitments, and (b) if the Lenders Commitments are greater than or equal to $20,000,000, an amount equal to $20,000,000.
Approved Fund has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.04.
Assessment Rate means, for any day, the annual assessment rate in effect on such day that is payable by a member of the Bank Insurance Fund classified as well-capitalized and within supervisory subgroup B (or a comparable successor risk classification) within the meaning of 12 C.F.R. Part 327 (or any successor provision) to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation for insurance by such Corporation of time deposits made in dollars at the offices of such member in the United States; provided that if, as a result of any change in any law, rule or regulation, it is no longer possible to determine the Assessment Rate as aforesaid, then the Assessment Rate shall be such annual rate as shall be determined by the Administrative Agent to be representative of the cost of such insurance to the Lenders.
Assignment and Assumption means an assignment and assumption entered into by a Lender and an assignee (with the consent of any party whose consent is required by Section 9.04), and accepted by the Administrative Agent, in the form of Exhibit A or any other form approved by the Administrative Agent.
Availability means, at any time, an amount equal to (a) the Commitments minus (b) the Revolving Exposure of all Revolving Lenders, all as determined by the Administrative Agent in its Permitted Discretion.
Availability Period means the period from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the earlier of the Maturity Date and the date of termination of the Commitments.
Board means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of the United States of America.
Borrower means IRIS INTERNATIONAL, INC., a Delaware corporation.
Borrowing means portions of the Loans of the same Type, made, converted or continued on the same date and, in the case of Eurodollar Loans, as to which a single Interest Period is in effect.
Borrowing Request means a request by the Borrower for a Revolving Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.03.
Business Day means any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in New York City are authorized or required by law to remain closed; provided that, when used in connection with a Eurodollar Loan, the term Business Day shall also exclude any day on which banks are not open for dealings in dollar deposits in the London interbank market.
2
Capital Expenditures means, with respect to any Person for any period, the aggregate of all expenditures by such Person and its subsidiaries during such period that are capital expenditures as determined in accordance with GAAP, whether such expenditures are paid in cash or financed.
Capital Lease Obligations of any Person means the obligations of such Person to pay rent or other amounts under any lease of (or other arrangement conveying the right to use) real or personal property, or a combination thereof, which obligations are required to be classified and accounted for as capital leases on a balance sheet of such Person under GAAP, and the amount of such obligations shall be the capitalized amount thereof determined in accordance with GAAP.
Change in Control means (a) the acquisition of ownership, directly or indirectly, beneficially or of record, by any one Person or group (within the meaning of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder as in effect on the date hereof) other than Permitted Holders, of Equity Interests representing more than 35% of the aggregate ordinary voting power represented by the issued and outstanding Equity Interests of the Borrower; (b) occupation of a majority of the seats (other than vacant seats) on the board of directors of the Borrower by Persons who were neither (i) nominated by the board of directors of the Borrower nor (ii) appointed by directors so nominated; or (c) the acquisition of direct or indirect Control of the Borrower by any Person or group other than Permitted Holders.
Change in Law means (a) the adoption of any law, rule or regulation after the date of this Agreement, (b) any change in any law, rule or regulation or in the interpretation or application thereof by any Governmental Authority after the date of this Agreement or (c) compliance by any Lender or the Issuing Bank (or by any applicable lending office of such Lender or by such Lenders or the Issuing Banks holding company, if any) with any request, guideline or directive (whether or not having the force of law) of any Governmental Authority made or issued after the date of this Agreement.
Class, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the Loans comprising such Borrowing, are Revolving Loans or Swingline Loans.
Code means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.
Collateral means all assets and interests in assets and proceeds thereof now owned or hereafter acquired by Borrower or its Subsidiaries in or upon which a Lien is granted by such Person in favor of Administrative Agent or the Lenders under any of the Loan Documents.
Commitment means, with respect to each Lender, the commitment of such Lender to make Revolving Loans and to acquire participations in Letters of Credit and Swingline Loans hereunder, expressed as an amount representing the maximum aggregate amount of such Lenders Revolving Credit Exposure hereunder, as such commitment may be (a) reduced from time to time pursuant to Section 2.09 and (b) reduced or increased from time to time pursuant to assignments by or to such Lender pursuant to Section 9.04. The initial amount of each Lenders Commitment is set forth on Schedule 2.01, or in the Assignment and Assumption pursuant to which such Lender shall have assumed its Commitment, as applicable. The initial aggregate amount of the Lenders Commitments is $15,000,000.
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.
3
Default means any event or condition which constitutes an Event of Default or which upon notice, lapse of time or both would, unless cured or waived, become an Event of Default.
Defaulting Lender means any Lender, as determined by the Administrative Agent, that has (a) failed to fund any portion of its Loans or participations in Letters of Credit or Swingline Loans within three Business Days of the date required to be funded by it hereunder, (b) notified the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank, the Swingline Lender or any Lender in writing that it does not intend to comply with any of its funding obligations under this Agreement or has made a public statement to the effect that it does not intend to comply with its funding obligations under this Agreement or under other agreements in which it commits to extend credit, (c) failed, within three Business Days after request by the Administrative Agent, to confirm that it will comply with the terms of this Agreement relating to its obligations to fund prospective Loans and participations in then outstanding Letters of Credit and Swingline Loans, (d) otherwise failed to pay over to the Administrative Agent or any other Lender any other amount required to be paid by it hereunder within three Business Days of the date when due, unless the subject of a good faith dispute, or (e) (i) become or is insolvent or has a parent company that has become or is insolvent or (ii) become the subject of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding, or has had a receiver, conservator, trustee, administrator, assignee for the benefit of creditors or similar Person charged with reorganization or liquidation of its business or custodian, appointed for it, or has taken any action in furtherance of, or indicating its consent to, approval of or acquiescence in any such proceeding or appointment or has a parent company that has become the subject of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding, or has had a receiver, conservator, trustee, administrator, assignee for the benefit of creditors or similar Person charged with reorganization or liquidation of its business or custodian appointed for it, or has taken any action in furtherance of, or indicating its consent to, approval of or acquiescence in any such proceeding or appointment.
Disclosed Matters means the actions, suits and proceedings and the environmental matters disclosed in Schedule 3.06.
dollars or $ refers to lawful money of the United States of America.
EBITDA means, for any period, Net Income for such period plus (a) without duplication and to the extent deducted in determining Net Income for such period, the sum of (i) Interest Expense for such period, (ii) income tax expense for such period, (iii) all amounts attributable to depreciation and amortization expense for such period, (iv) any extraordinary and non-recurring charges for such period (to the extent that such charges are in an amount that is satisfactory to Administrative Agent in its discretion), (v) non-cash compensation expense resulting from payment of compensation to directors, officers, and employees for such period in the form of Equity Interests of Borrower, and (vi) any other non-cash charges for such period (but excluding any non-cash charge in respect of an item that was included in Net Income in a prior period), minus (b) without duplication and to the extent included in Net Income, (i) any cash payments made during such period in respect of non-cash charges described in clause (a)(v) taken in a prior period and (ii) any extraordinary gains (to the extent that such gains are in an amount that is satisfactory to Administrative Agent in its discretion) and any non-cash items of income for such period, all calculated for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.
Effective Date means the date on which the conditions specified in Section 4.01 are satisfied (or waived in accordance with Section 9.02).
Environmental Laws means all laws, rules, regulations, codes, ordinances, orders, decrees, judgments, injunctions, notices or binding agreements issued, promulgated or entered into by any Governmental Authority, relating in any way to the environment, preservation or reclamation of natural resources, the management, release or threatened release of any Hazardous Material or to health and safety matters.
4
Environmental Liability means any liability, contingent or otherwise (including any liability for damages, costs of environmental remediation, fines, penalties or indemnities), of the Borrower or any Subsidiary directly or indirectly resulting from or based upon (a) violation of any Environmental Law, (b) the generation, use, handling, transportation, storage, treatment or disposal of any Hazardous Materials, (c) exposure to any Hazardous Materials, (d) the release or threatened release of any Hazardous Materials into the environment or (e) any contract, agreement or other consensual arrangement pursuant to which liability is assumed or imposed with respect to any of the foregoing.
Equity Interests means shares of capital stock, partnership interests, membership interests in a limited liability company, beneficial interests in a trust or other equity ownership interests in a Person, and any warrants, options or other rights entitling the holder thereof to purchase or acquire any such equity interest.
ERISA means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to time.
ERISA Affiliate means any trade or business (whether or not incorporated) that, together with the Borrower, is treated as a single employer under Section 414(b) or (c) of the Code or, solely for purposes of Section 302 of ERISA and Section 412 of the Code, is treated as a single employer under Section 414 of the Code.
ERISA Event means (a) any reportable event, as defined in Section 4043 of ERISA or the regulations issued thereunder with respect to a Plan (other than an event for which the 30-day notice period is waived); (b) the existence with respect to any Plan of an accumulated funding deficiency (as defined in Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA), whether or not waived; (c) the filing pursuant to Section 412(d) of the Code or Section 303(d) of ERISA of an application for a waiver of the minimum funding standard with respect to any Plan; (d) the incurrence by the Borrower or any of its ERISA Affiliates of any liability under Title IV of ERISA with respect to the termination of any Plan; (e) the receipt by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from the PBGC or a plan administrator of any notice relating to an intention to terminate any Plan or Plans or to appoint a trustee to administer any Plan; (f) the incurrence by the Borrower or any of its ERISA Affiliates of any liability with respect to the withdrawal or partial withdrawal from any Plan or Multiemployer Plan; or (g) the receipt by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate of any notice, or the receipt by any Multiemployer Plan from the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate of any notice, concerning the imposition of Withdrawal Liability or a determination that a Multiemployer Plan is, or is expected to be, insolvent or in reorganization, within the meaning of Title IV of ERISA.
Eurodollar, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the Loans comprising such Borrowing, are bearing interest determined by reference to the Adjusted LIBO Rate.
Event of Default has the meaning assigned to such term in Article VII.
5
Excluded Taxes means, with respect to the Administrative Agent, any Lender, the Issuing Bank or any other recipient of any payment to be made by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower hereunder, (a) income or franchise taxes imposed on (or measured by) its net income by the United States of America, or by the jurisdiction under the laws of which such recipient is organized or in which its principal office is located or, in the case of any Lender, in which its applicable lending office is located, (b) any branch profits taxes imposed by the United States of America or any similar tax imposed by any other jurisdiction in which the Borrower is located and (c) in the case of a Foreign Lender (other than an assignee pursuant to a request by the Borrower under Section 2.19(b)), any withholding tax that is imposed on amounts payable to such Foreign Lender at the time such Foreign Lender becomes a party to this Agreement (or designates a new lending office) or is attributable to such Foreign Lenders failure to comply with Section 2.17(e), except to the extent that such Foreign Lender (or its assignor, if any) was entitled, at the time of designation of a new lending office (or assignment), to receive additional amounts from the Borrower with respect to such withholding tax pursuant to Section 2.17(a).
Excluded Subsidiaries means Advanced Digital Imaging Research, LLC and Poly U/A Systems, Inc.
Federal Funds Effective Rate means, for any day, the weighted average (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/100 of 1%) of the rates on overnight Federal funds transactions with members of the Federal Reserve System arranged by Federal funds brokers, as published on the next succeeding Business Day by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, or, if such rate is not so published for any day that is a Business Day, the average (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/100 of 1%) of the quotations for such day for such transactions received by the Administrative Agent from three Federal funds brokers of recognized standing selected by it.
Financial Officer means the chief financial officer, principal accounting officer, treasurer or controller of the Borrower.
Foreign Lender means any Lender that is organized under the laws of a jurisdiction other than that in which the Borrower is located. For purposes of this definition, the United States of America, each State thereof and the District of Columbia shall be deemed to constitute a single jurisdiction.
GAAP means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America.
Governmental Authority means the government of the United States of America, any other nation or any political subdivision thereof, whether state or local, and any agency, authority, instrumentality, regulatory body, court, central bank or other entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory or administrative powers or functions of or pertaining to government.
Guarantee of or by any Person (the guarantor) means any obligation, contingent or otherwise, of the guarantor guaranteeing or having the economic effect of guaranteeing any Indebtedness or other obligation of any other Person (the primary obligor) in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, and including any obligation of the guarantor, direct or indirect, (a) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for the purchase or payment of) such Indebtedness or other obligation or to purchase (or to advance or supply funds for the purchase of) any security for the payment thereof, (b) to purchase or lease property, securities or services for the purpose of assuring the owner of such Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment thereof, (c) to maintain working capital, equity capital or any other financial statement condition or liquidity of the primary obligor so as to enable the primary obligor to pay such Indebtedness or other obligation or (d) as an account party in respect of any letter of credit or letter of guaranty issued to support such Indebtedness or obligation; provided, that the term Guarantee shall not include endorsements for collection or deposit in the ordinary course of business.
Guarantors means each domestic Subsidiary of Borrower, and Guarantor means any one of them.
6
Guaranties means those certain guaranties executed and delivered by each Guarantor in favor of Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Lenders, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Administrative Agent.
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.
Indebtedness of any Person means, without duplication, (a) all obligations of such Person for borrowed money or with respect to deposits or advances of any kind, (b) all obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or similar instruments, (c) all obligations of such Person upon which interest charges are customarily paid, (d) all obligations of such Person under conditional sale or other title retention agreements relating to property acquired by such Person, (e) all obligations of such Person in respect of the deferred purchase price of property or services (excluding current accounts payable incurred in the ordinary course of business), (f) all Indebtedness of others secured by (or for which the holder of such Indebtedness has an existing right, contingent or otherwise, to be secured by) any Lien on property owned or acquired by such Person, whether or not the Indebtedness secured thereby has been assumed, (g) all Guarantees by such Person of Indebtedness of others, (h) all Capital Lease Obligations of such Person, (i) all obligations, contingent or otherwise, of such Person as an account party in respect of letters of credit and letters of guaranty and (j) all obligations, contingent or otherwise, of such Person in respect of bankers acceptances. The Indebtedness of any Person shall include the Indebtedness of any other entity (including any partnership in which such Person is a general partner) to the extent such Person is liable therefor as a result of such Persons ownership interest in or other relationship with such entity, except to the extent the terms of such Indebtedness provide that such Person is not liable therefor.
Indemnified Taxes means Taxes other than Excluded Taxes.
Interest Election Request means a request by the Borrower to convert or continue a Revolving Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.08.
Interest Expense means, with reference to any period, total interest expense (including that attributable to Capital Lease Obligations) of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for such period with respect to all outstanding Indebtedness of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries (including all commissions, discounts and other fees and charges owed with respect to letters of credit and bankers acceptance financing and net costs under Swap Agreements in respect of interest rates to the extent such net costs are allocable to such period in accordance with GAAP), calculated on a consolidated basis for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for such period in accordance with GAAP.
Interest Payment Date means (a) with respect to any Loan on which interest is accruing based on the Prime Rate, the 5th day of each month and the Maturity Date, (b) with respect to any Eurodollar Loan, the last day of the Interest Period applicable to the Borrowing of which such Loan is a part and, in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing with an Interest Period of more than three months duration, each day prior to the last day of such Interest Period that occurs at intervals of three months duration after the first day of such Interest Period, and (c) the Maturity Date.
7
Interest Period means with respect to any Eurodollar Borrowing, the period commencing on the date of such Borrowing and ending on the numerically corresponding day in the calendar month that is one, two, three or four months thereafter, as the Borrower may elect, provided, that (i) if any Interest Period would end on a day other than a Business Day, such Interest Period shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day unless such next succeeding Business Day would fall in the next calendar month, in which case such Interest Period shall end on the next preceding Business Day and (ii) any Interest Period that commences on the last Business Day of a calendar month (or on a day for which there is no numerically corresponding day in the last calendar month of such Interest Period) shall end on the last Business Day of the last calendar month of such Interest Period. For purposes hereof, the date of a Borrowing initially shall be the date on which such Borrowing is made and, thereafter shall be the effective date of the most recent conversion or continuation of such Borrowing.
Issuing Bank means JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., in its capacity as the issuer of Letters of Credit hereunder, and its successors in such capacity as provided in Section 2.06(i). The Issuing Bank may, in its discretion, arrange for one or more Letters of Credit to be issued by Affiliates of the Issuing Bank, in which case the term Issuing Bank shall include any such Affiliate with respect to Letters of Credit issued by such Affiliate.
JPM means JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., together with its successors and assigns.
LC Disbursement means a payment made by the Issuing Bank pursuant to a Letter of Credit.
LC Exposure means, at any time, the sum of (a) the aggregate undrawn amount of all outstanding Letters of Credit at such time plus (b) the aggregate amount of all LC Disbursements that have not yet been reimbursed by or on behalf of the Borrower at such time. The LC Exposure of any Lender at any time shall be its Applicable Percentage of the total LC Exposure at such time.
Lenders means the Persons listed on Schedule 2.01 and any other Person that shall have become a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption, other than any such Person that ceases to be a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption, and together with their respective successors and permitted assigns. Unless the context otherwise requires, the term Lenders includes the Swingline Lender.
Letter of Credit means any letter of credit issued pursuant to this Agreement.
LIBO Rate means, with respect to any Eurodollar Borrowing for any Interest Period, the rate appearing on Reuters Screen LIBOR01 (or on any successor or substitute page of such Service, or any successor to or substitute for such service, providing rate quotations comparable to those currently provided on such page of such Service, as determined by the Administrative Agent from time to time for purposes of providing quotations of interest rates applicable to dollar deposits in the London interbank market) at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, two Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period, as the rate for dollar deposits with a maturity comparable to such Interest Period. In the event that such rate is not available at such time for any reason, then the LIBO Rate with respect to such Eurodollar Borrowing for such Interest Period shall be the rate at which dollar deposits in the approximate amount of principal outstanding on such date and for a maturity comparable to such Interest Period are offered by the principal London office of the Administrative Agent in immediately available funds in the London interbank market at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, two Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period.
Lien means, with respect to any asset, (a) any mortgage, deed of trust, lien, pledge, hypothecation, encumbrance, charge or security interest in, on or of such asset, (b) the interest of a vendor or a lessor under any conditional sale agreement, capital lease or title retention agreement (or any financing lease having substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing) relating to such asset and (c) in the case of securities, any purchase option, call or similar right of a third party with respect to such securities.
8
Loan Documents means this Agreement, any control agreements, any fee letters, the Guaranties, the Letters of Credit, any mortgages, the Security Agreements, the Guaranties, any note or notes executed by Borrower in connection with this Agreement and payable to Administrative Agent or any Lender, any letter of credit application entered into by Borrower in connection with this Agreement, any agreement or other document evidencing any Rate Management Transactions, and any other agreement entered into, now or in the future, by Borrower, any Guarantor, or any of their respective Subsidiaries and Administrative Agent and/or any Lender or any of their respective Affiliates, whether in connection with this Agreement or otherwise.
Loan Parties means the Borrower, the Borrowers domestic Subsidiaries and any other Person who becomes a party to this Agreement pursuant to a Joinder Agreement and their successors and assigns.
Loans means the loans made by the Lenders to the Borrower pursuant to this Agreement.
Material Adverse Effect means a material adverse effect on (a) the business, assets, operations or condition, financial or otherwise, of the Borrower and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (b) the ability of the Borrower to perform any of its obligations under any of the Loan Documents or (c) the rights of or benefits available to the Lenders under any of the Loan Documents.
Material Indebtedness means Indebtedness (other than the Loans and Letters of Credit), or obligations in respect of one or more Swap Agreements, of any one or more of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in an aggregate principal amount exceeding $1,000,000. For purposes of determining Material Indebtedness, the principal amount of the obligations of the Borrower or any Subsidiary in respect of any Swap Agreement at any time shall be the maximum aggregate amount (giving effect to any netting agreements) that the Borrower or such Subsidiary would be required to pay if such Swap Agreement were terminated at such time.
Maturity Date means July 31, 2013.
Moodys means Moodys Investors Service, Inc.
Multiemployer Plan means a multiemployer plan as defined in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA.
Net Income means, for any period, the consolidated net income (or loss) of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP; provided that there shall be excluded (a) the income (or deficit) of any Person accrued prior to the date it becomes a Subsidiary or is merged into or consolidated with the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, (b) the income (or deficit) of any Person (other than a Subsidiary) in which the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries has an ownership interest, except to the extent that any such income is actually received by the Borrower or such Subsidiary in the form of dividends or similar distributions and (c) the undistributed earnings of any Subsidiary to the extent that the declaration or payment of dividends or similar distributions by such Subsidiary is not at the time permitted by the terms of any contractual obligation (other than under any Loan Document) or Requirement of Law applicable to such Subsidiary.
9
Net Proceeds means, with respect to any event, (a) the cash proceeds received in respect of such event including (i) any cash received in respect of any non-cash proceeds (including any cash payments received by way of deferred payment of principal pursuant to a note or installment receivable or purchase price adjustment receivable or otherwise, but excluding any interest payments), but only as and when received, (ii) in the case of a casualty, insurance proceeds and (iii) in the case of a condemnation or similar event, condemnation awards and similar payments, net of (b) the sum of (i) all reasonable fees and out-of-pocket expenses paid to third parties (other than Affiliates) in connection with such event, (ii) in the case of a sale, transfer or other disposition of an asset (including pursuant to a sale and leaseback transaction or a casualty or a condemnation or similar proceeding), the amount of all payments required to be made as a result of such event to repay Indebtedness (other than Loans) secured by such asset or otherwise subject to mandatory prepayment as a result of such event and (iii) the amount of all taxes paid (or reasonably estimated to be payable) and the amount of any reserves established to fund contingent liabilities reasonably estimated to be payable, in each case during the year that such event occurred or the next succeeding year and that are directly attributable to such event (as determined reasonably and in good faith by a Financial Officer).
Other Taxes means any and all present or future stamp or documentary taxes or any other excise or property taxes, charges or similar levies arising from any payment made hereunder or from the execution, delivery or enforcement of, or otherwise with respect to, this Agreement.
Participant has the meaning set forth in Section 9.04.
PBGC means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation referred to and defined in ERISA and any successor entity performing similar functions.
Permitted Acquisition means any Acquisition so long as:
(a) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing or would result from the consummation of the proposed Acquisition and the proposed Acquisition is consensual,
(b) no Indebtedness will be incurred, assumed, or would exist with respect to Borrower or its Subsidiaries as a result of such Acquisition, other than Indebtedness permitted under clause (f) of Section 6.01 and no Liens will be incurred, assumed, or would exist with respect to the assets of Borrower or its Subsidiaries as a result or such Acquisition other than Permitted Liens,
(c) Borrower has provided Administrative Agent with written confirmation, supported by reasonably detailed calculations, that on a pro forma basis (including pro forma adjustments arising out of events which are directly attributable to such proposed Acquisition, are factually supportable, and are expected to have a continuing impact, in each case, determined as if the combination had been accomplished at the beginning of the relevant period, to the extent that such eliminations and inclusions are mutually and reasonably agreed upon by Borrower and Administrative Agent) created by adding the historical combined financial statements of Borrower (including the combined financial statements of any other Person or assets that were the subject of a prior Permitted Acquisition during the relevant period) to the historical consolidated financial statements of the Person to be acquired (or the historical financial statements related to the assets to be acquired) pursuant to the proposed Acquisition, Borrower and its Subsidiaries would have been in compliance with the financial covenant in Section 6.15 of this Agreement for the 4 fiscal quarter period ended immediately prior to the proposed date of consummation of such proposed Acquisition,
(d) Borrower has provided Administrative Agent with written notice of the proposed Acquisition at least 15 Business Days prior to the anticipated closing date of the proposed Acquisition and, not later than 5 Business Days prior to the anticipated closing date of the proposed Acquisition, copies of the acquisition agreement and other material documents relative to the proposed Acquisition, which agreement and documents must be reasonably acceptable to Administrative Agent,
10
(e) the assets being acquired (other than a de minimis amount of assets in relation to Borrowers and its Subsidiaries total assets), or the Person whose stock is being acquired, are useful in or engaged in, as applicable, the business of Borrower and its Subsidiaries or a business reasonably related thereto,
(f) the subject assets or Equity Interests, as applicable, are being acquired directly by a Borrower or one of its Subsidiaries that is a Loan Party, and, in connection therewith, Borrower or the applicable Loan Party shall have complied with Section 5.11 of this Agreement and, in the case of an acquisition of Equity Interests, Borrower or the applicable Loan Party shall have demonstrated to Administrative Agent that the new Loan Parties have received consideration sufficient to make the joinder documents binding and enforceable against such new Loan Parties, and
(g) the purchase consideration payable in cash or Permitted Investments in respect of all Permitted Acquisitions (including the proposed Acquisition and including deferred payment obligations) shall not exceed $10,000,000 in the aggregate in any twelve month period.
Permitted Encumbrances means:
(a) Liens imposed by law for taxes that are not yet due or are being contested in compliance with Section 5.04;
(b) carriers, warehousemens, mechanics, materialmens, repairmens and other like Liens imposed by law, arising in the ordinary course of business and securing obligations that are not overdue by more than 30 days or are being contested in compliance with Section 5.04;
(c) pledges and deposits made in the ordinary course of business in compliance with workers compensation, unemployment insurance and other social security laws or regulations;
(d) deposits to secure the performance of bids, trade contracts, leases, statutory obligations, surety and appeal bonds, performance bonds and other obligations of a like nature, in each case in the ordinary course of business;
(e) judgment liens in respect of judgments that do not constitute an Event of Default under clause (k) of Article VII; and
(f) easements, zoning restrictions, rights-of-way and similar encumbrances on real property imposed by law or arising in the ordinary course of business that do not secure any monetary obligations and do not materially detract from the value of the affected property or interfere with the ordinary conduct of business of the Borrower or any Subsidiary;
provided that the term Permitted Encumbrances shall not include any Lien securing Indebtedness.
Permitted Holders means Brown Capital Management, Gamco Investors, Inc., and Blackrock, Inc.
Permitted Investments means:
(a) direct obligations of, or obligations the principal of and interest on which are unconditionally guaranteed by, the United States of America (or by any agency thereof to the extent such obligations are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States of America), in each case maturing within one year from the date of acquisition thereof;
11
(b) investments in commercial paper maturing within 270 days from the date of acquisition thereof and having, at such date of acquisition, the highest credit rating obtainable from S&P or from Moodys;
(c) investments in certificates of deposit, bankers acceptances and time deposits maturing within 180 days from the date of acquisition thereof issued or guaranteed by or placed with, and money market deposit accounts issued or offered by, any domestic office of any commercial bank organized under the laws of the United States of America or any State thereof which has a combined capital and surplus and undivided profits of not less than $500,000,000;
(d) fully collateralized repurchase agreements with a term of not more than 30 days for securities described in clause (a) above and entered into with a financial institution satisfying the criteria described in clause (c) above; and
(e) money market funds that (i) comply with the criteria set forth in Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, (ii) are rated AAA by S&P and Aaa by Moodys and (iii) have portfolio assets of at least $5,000,000,000.
Person means any natural person, corporation, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, association, company, partnership, Governmental Authority or other entity.
Plan means any employee pension benefit plan (other than a Multiemployer Plan) subject to the provisions of Title IV of ERISA or Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, and in respect of which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate is (or, if such plan were terminated, would under Section 4069 of ERISA be deemed to be) an employer as defined in Section 3(5) of ERISA.
Prime Rate means the rate of interest per annum publicly announced from time to time by JPM as its prime rate. The Prime Rate is a variable rate and each change in the Prime Rate is effective from and including the date the change is announced as being effective. The Prime Rate is a reference rate and may not be JPMs lowest rate.
Rate Management Transaction means (a) any transaction (including an agreement with respect thereto) now existing or hereafter entered into between the Borrower and JPM and/or its Affiliates which relate to a Swap Agreement, or (b) any type of transaction that is similar to a transaction referred to in clause (a) above that is currently, or in the future becomes, recurrently entered into in the financial markets and which is a forward, swap, future, option or other derivative on one or more rates, currencies, commodities, equity securities or other equity instruments, debt securities or other debt instruments, economic indices or measures of economic risk or value, or other benchmarks against which payments or deliveries are to be made, or any combination of the foregoing transactions.
Register has the meaning set forth in Section 9.04.
Related Parties means, with respect to any specified Person, such Persons Affiliates and the respective directors, officers, employees, agents and advisors of such Person and such Persons Affiliates.
Required Lenders means, at any time, Lenders having Revolving Credit Exposures and unused Commitments representing at least 50.1% of the sum of the total Revolving Credit Exposures and unused Commitments at such time.
12
Requirement of Law means, as to any Person, the certificate of incorporation and by-laws or other organizational or governing documents of such Person, and any law, treaty, rule or regulation or determination of an arbitrator or a court or other Governmental Authority, in each case applicable to or binding upon such Person or any of its property or to which such Person or any of its property is subject.
Restricted Payment means any dividend or other distribution (whether in cash, securities or other property) with respect to any Equity Interests in the Borrower or any Subsidiary, or any payment (whether in cash, securities or other property), including any sinking fund or similar deposit, on account of the purchase, repurchase, redemption, retirement, acquisition, cancellation or termination of any such Equity Interests in the Borrower or any option, warrant or other right to acquire any such Equity Interests in the Borrower.
Revolving Credit Exposure means, with respect to any Lender at any time, the sum of the outstanding principal amount of such Lenders Revolving Loans and its LC Exposure and Swingline Exposure at such time.
Revolving Loan means a Loan made pursuant to Section 2.03.
S&P means Standard & Poors.
Security Agreements means those certain security agreements in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Administrative Agent, executed and delivered by Borrower and the Guarantors to Administrative Agent.
Statutory Reserve Rate means a fraction (expressed as a decimal), the numerator of which is the number one and the denominator of which is the number one minus the aggregate of the maximum reserve percentages (including any marginal, special, emergency or supplemental reserves) expressed as a decimal established by the Board to which the Administrative Agent is subject, with respect to the Adjusted LIBO Rate, for eurocurrency funding (currently referred to as Eurocurrency Liabilities in Regulation D of the Board). Such reserve percentages shall include those imposed pursuant to such Regulation D. Eurodollar Loans shall be deemed to constitute eurocurrency funding and to be subject to such reserve requirements without benefit of or credit for proration, exemptions or offsets that may be available from time to time to any Lender under such Regulation D or any comparable regulation. The Statutory Reserve Rate shall be adjusted automatically on and as of the effective date of any change in any reserve percentage.
Subordinated Indebtedness of a Person means any Indebtedness of such Person the payment of which is subordinated to payment of any and all obligations of the Borrower under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents to the written satisfaction of the Administrative Agent.
subsidiary means, with respect to any Person (the parent) at any date, any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or other entity the accounts of which would be consolidated with those of the parent in the parents consolidated financial statements if such financial statements were prepared in accordance with GAAP as of such date, as well as any other corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or other entity (a) of which securities or other ownership interests representing more than 50% of the equity or more than 50% of the ordinary voting power or, in the case of a partnership, more than 50% of the general partnership interests are, as of such date, owned, controlled or held, or (b) that is, as of such date, otherwise Controlled, by the parent or one or more subsidiaries of the parent or by the parent and one or more subsidiaries of the parent; provided, however, in no event shall an Excluded Subsidiary constitute a subsidiary of Borrower.
13
Subsidiary means any subsidiary of the Borrower; provided, however, in no event shall an Excluded Subsidiary constitute a Subsidiary of Borrower.
Swap Agreement means any agreement with respect to any rate swap, swap option, basis swap, commodity swap, commodity option, equity or equity index swap, equity or equity index option, bond option, interest rate option, currency swap, cross-currency rate swap, currency option, credit swap, credit default swap, credit default option, total return swap, other swap, forward rate transaction, forward, future, foreign exchange transaction, cap, floor, collar, credit protection transaction, credit spread, repurchase transaction, reverse repurchase transaction, buy/sell-back transaction, securities lending transaction, weather index transaction or forward purchase or sale of a security, commodity or other financial instrument or interest (including an option with respect to any of these transactions), or derivative transaction or option or similar agreement involving, or settled by reference to, one or more rates, currencies, commodities, equity or debt instruments or securities, or economic, financial or pricing indices or measures of economic, financial or pricing risk or value or any similar transaction or any combination of these transactions; provided that no phantom stock or similar plan providing for payments only on account of services provided by current or former directors, officers, employees or consultants of the Borrower or the Subsidiaries shall be a Swap Agreement.
Swingline Exposure means, at any time, the aggregate principal amount of all Swingline Loans outstanding at such time. The Swingline Exposure of any Lender at any time shall be its Applicable Percentage of the total Swingline Exposure at such time.
Swingline Lender means JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., in its capacity as lender of Swingline Loans hereunder.
Swingline Loan means a Loan made pursuant to Section 2.05.
Taxes means any and all present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties, deductions, charges or withholdings imposed by any Governmental Authority.
Total Indebtedness means, at any date, the aggregate principal amount of all Indebtedness of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries at such date, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.
Transactions means the execution, delivery and performance by the Borrower of this Agreement, the borrowing of Loans, the use of the proceeds thereof and the issuance of Letters of Credit hereunder.
Type, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether the rate of interest on such Loan, or on the Loans comprising such Borrowing, is determined by reference to the Adjusted LIBO Rate or the Alternate Base Rate.
Withdrawal Liability means liability to a Multiemployer Plan as a result of a complete or partial withdrawal from such Multiemployer Plan, as such terms are defined in Part I of Subtitle E of Title IV of ERISA.
SECTION 1.02 Classification of Loans and Borrowings. For purposes of this Agreement, Loans may be classified and referred to by Class (e.g., a Revolving Loan) or by Type (e.g., a Eurodollar Loan) or by Class and Type (e.g., a Eurodollar Revolving Loan). Borrowings also may be classified and referred to by Class (e.g., a Revolving Borrowing) or by Type (e.g., a Eurodollar Borrowing) or by Class and Type (e.g., a Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing).
14
SECTION 1.03 Terms Generally. The definitions of terms herein shall apply equally to the singular and plural forms of the terms defined. Whenever the context may require, any pronoun shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter forms. The words include, includes and including shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase without limitation. The word will shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect as the word shall. Unless the context requires otherwise (a) any definition of or reference to any agreement, instrument or other document herein shall be construed as referring to such agreement, instrument or other document as from time to time amended, supplemented or otherwise modified (subject to any restrictions on such amendments, supplements or modifications set forth herein), (b) any reference herein to any Person shall be construed to include such Persons successors and assigns, (c) the words herein, hereof and hereunder, and words of similar import, shall be construed to refer to this Agreement in its entirety and not to any particular provision hereof, (d) all references herein to Articles, Sections, Exhibits and Schedules shall be construed to refer to Articles and Sections of, and Exhibits and Schedules to, this Agreement and (e) the words asset and property shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect and to refer to any and all tangible and intangible assets and properties, including cash, securities, accounts and contract rights.
SECTION 1.04 Accounting Terms; GAAP. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all terms of an accounting or financial nature shall be construed in accordance with GAAP, as in effect from time to time; provided that, if the Borrower notifies the Administrative Agent that the Borrower requests an amendment to any provision hereof to eliminate the effect of any change occurring after the date hereof in GAAP or in the application thereof on the operation of such provision (or if the Administrative Agent notifies the Borrower that the Required Lenders request an amendment to any provision hereof for such purpose), regardless of whether any such notice is given before or after such change in GAAP or in the application thereof, then such provision shall be interpreted on the basis of GAAP as in effect and applied immediately before such change shall have become effective until such notice shall have been withdrawn or such provision amended in accordance herewith.
ARTICLE II
The Credits
SECTION 2.01 Commitments. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, each Lender agrees to make Revolving Loans to the Borrower from time to time during the Availability Period in an aggregate principal amount that will not result in (a) such Lenders Revolving Credit Exposure exceeding such Lenders Commitment or (b) the total Revolving Credit Exposures exceeding the total Commitments. Within the foregoing limits and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Borrower may borrow, prepay and reborrow Revolving Loans.
SECTION 2.02 Loans and Borrowings. (a) Each Revolving Loan shall be made as part of a Borrowing consisting of Revolving Loans made by the Lenders ratably in accordance with their respective Commitments. The failure of any Lender to make any Loan required to be made by it shall not relieve any other Lender of its obligations hereunder; provided that the Commitments of the Lenders are several and no Lender shall be responsible for any other Lenders failure to make Loans as required.
(b) Subject to Section 2.14, each Revolving Borrowing shall be comprised entirely of ABR Loans or Eurodollar Loans as the Borrower may request in accordance herewith. Each Swingline Loan shall be an ABR Loan. Each Lender at its option may make any Eurodollar Loan by causing any domestic or foreign branch or Affiliate of such Lender to make such Loan; provided that any exercise of such option shall not affect the obligation of the Borrower to repay such Loan in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.
15
(c) At the commencement of each Interest Period for any Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing, such Borrowing shall be in an aggregate amount that is an integral multiple of $500,000 and not less than $500,000. Borrowings of more than one Type and Class may be outstanding at the same time; provided that there shall not at any time be more than a total of 3 Eurodollar Revolving Borrowings outstanding at any given time.
(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Borrower shall not be entitled to request, or to elect to convert or continue, any Borrowing if the Interest Period requested with respect thereto would end after the Maturity Date.
SECTION 2.03 Requests for Revolving Borrowings. To request a Revolving Borrowing, the Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of such request by telephone (a) in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing, not later than 11:00 a.m., Los Angeles time, three Business Days before the date of the proposed Borrowing or (b) in the case of an ABR Borrowing, not later than 11:00 a.m., Los Angeles time, one Business Day before the date of the proposed Borrowing; provided that any such notice of an ABR Revolving Borrowing to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as contemplated by Section 2.06(e) may be given not later than 10:00 a.m., Los Angeles time, on the date of the proposed Borrowing. Each such telephonic Borrowing Request shall be irrevocable and shall be confirmed promptly by hand delivery or facsimile to the Administrative Agent of a written Borrowing Request in a form approved by the Administrative Agent and signed by the Borrower. Each such telephonic and written Borrowing Request shall specify the following information in compliance with Section 2.02:
(i) the aggregate amount of the requested Borrowing;
(ii) the date of such Borrowing, which shall be a Business Day;
(iii) whether such Borrowing is to be an ABR Borrowing or a Eurodollar Borrowing;
(iv) in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing, the initial Interest Period to be applicable thereto, which shall be a period contemplated by the definition of the term Interest Period; and
(v) the location and number of the Borrowers account to which funds are to be disbursed, which shall comply with the requirements of Section 2.07.
If no election as to the Type of Revolving Borrowing is specified, then the requested Revolving Borrowing shall be an ABR Borrowing. If no Interest Period is specified with respect to any requested Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing, then the Borrower shall be deemed to have selected an Interest Period of one months duration. Promptly following receipt of a Borrowing Request in accordance with this Section, the Administrative Agent shall advise each Lender of the details thereof and of the amount of such Lenders Loan to be made as part of the requested Borrowing.
SECTION 2.04 [Intentionally Omitted].
SECTION 2.05 Swingline Loans. (a) Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Swingline Lender agrees to make Swingline Loans to the Borrower from time to time during the Availability Period, in an aggregate principal amount at any time outstanding that will not result in (i) the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Swingline Loans exceeding the Applicable Swingline Cap or (ii) the total Revolving Credit Exposures exceeding the total Commitments; provided that the Swingline Lender shall not be required to make a Swingline Loan to refinance an outstanding Swingline Loan. Within the foregoing limits and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Borrower may borrow, prepay and reborrow Swingline Loans.
16
(b) To request a Swingline Loan, the Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of such request by telephone (confirmed by facsimile), not later than 9:00 a.m., Los Angeles time, on the day of a proposed Swingline Loan. Each such notice shall be irrevocable and shall specify the requested date (which shall be a Business Day) and amount of the requested Swingline Loan. The Administrative Agent will promptly advise the Swingline Lender of any such notice received from the Borrower. The Swingline Lender shall make each Swingline Loan available to the Borrower by means of a credit to the general deposit account of the Borrower with the Swingline Lender (or, in the case of a Swingline Loan made to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as provided in Section 2.06(e), by remittance to the Issuing Bank) by 12:00 noon, Los Angeles time, on the requested date of such Swingline Loan.
(c) The Swingline Lender may by written notice given to the Administrative Agent not later than 10:00 a.m., Los Angeles time, on any Business Day require the Lenders to acquire participations on such Business Day in all or a portion of the Swingline Loans outstanding. Such notice shall specify the aggregate amount of Swingline Loans in which Lenders will participate. Promptly upon receipt of such notice, the Administrative Agent will give notice thereof to each Lender, specifying in such notice such Lenders Applicable Percentage of such Swingline Loan or Loans. Each Lender hereby absolutely and unconditionally agrees, upon receipt of notice as provided above, to pay to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the Swingline Lender, such Lenders Applicable Percentage of such Swingline Loan or Loans. Each Lender acknowledges and agrees that its obligation to acquire participations in Swingline Loans pursuant to this paragraph is absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance whatsoever, including the occurrence and continuance of a Default or reduction or termination of the Commitments, and that each such payment shall be made by the Borrower without any setoff, deduction, counterclaim, abatement, or withholding whatsoever. Each Lender shall comply with its obligation under this paragraph by wire transfer of immediately available funds, in the same manner as provided in Section 2.07 with respect to Loans made by such Lender (and Section 2.07 shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to the payment obligations of the Lenders), and the Administrative Agent shall promptly pay to the Swingline Lender the amounts so received by it from the Lenders. The Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower of any participations in any Swingline Loan acquired pursuant to this paragraph, and thereafter payments in respect of such Swingline Loan shall be made to the Administrative Agent and not to the Swingline Lender. Any amounts received by the Swingline Lender from the Borrower (or other party on behalf of the Borrower) in respect of a Swingline Loan after receipt by the Swingline Lender of the proceeds of a sale of participations therein shall be promptly remitted to the Administrative Agent; any such amounts received by the Administrative Agent shall be promptly remitted by the Administrative Agent to the Lenders that shall have made their payments pursuant to this paragraph and to the Swingline Lender, as their interests may appear; provided that any such payment so remitted shall be repaid to the Swingline Lender or to the Administrative Agent, as applicable, if and to the extent such payment is required to be refunded to the Borrower for any reason. The purchase of participations in a Swingline Loan pursuant to this paragraph shall not relieve the Borrower of any default in the payment thereof.
SECTION 2.06 Letters of Credit. (a) General. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Borrower may request the issuance of Letters of Credit for its own account, in a form reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent and the Issuing Bank, at any time and from time to time during the Availability Period. In the event of any inconsistency between the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the terms and conditions of any form of letter of credit application or other agreement submitted by the Borrower to, or entered into by the Borrower with, the Issuing Bank relating to any Letter of Credit, the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall control.
17
(b) Notice of Issuance, Amendment, Renewal, Extension; Certain Conditions. To request the issuance of a Letter of Credit (or the amendment, renewal or extension of an outstanding Letter of Credit), the Borrower shall hand deliver or facsimile (or transmit by electronic communication, if arrangements for doing so have been approved by the Issuing Bank) to the Issuing Bank and the Administrative Agent (reasonably in advance of the requested date of issuance, amendment, renewal or extension) a notice requesting the issuance of a Letter of Credit, or identifying the Letter of Credit to be amended, renewed or extended, and specifying the date of issuance, amendment, renewal or extension (which shall be a Business Day), the date on which such Letter of Credit is to expire (which shall comply with paragraph (c) of this Section), the amount of such Letter of Credit, the name and address of the beneficiary thereof and such other information as shall be necessary to prepare, amend, renew or extend such Letter of Credit. The Borrower shall have executed the Issuing Banks master agreement for the issuance of commercial Letters of Credit, and if requested by the Issuing Bank, shall also submit a letter of credit application on the Issuing Banks standard form in connection with any request for a Letter of Credit. A Letter of Credit shall be issued, amended, renewed or extended only if (and upon issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of each Letter of Credit the Borrower shall be deemed to represent and warrant that), after giving effect to such issuance, amendment, renewal or extension (i) the LC Exposure shall not exceed $5,000,000 and (ii) the Revolving Credit Exposures shall not exceed the total Commitments.
(c) Expiration Date. Each Letter of Credit shall expire at or prior to the close of business on the earlier of (i) the date one year after the date of the issuance of such Letter of Credit (or, in the case of any renewal or extension thereof, one year after such renewal or extension) and (ii) the date that is five Business Days prior to the Maturity Date.
(d) Participations. By the issuance of a Letter of Credit (or an amendment to a Letter of Credit increasing the amount thereof) and without any further action on the part of the Issuing Bank or the Lenders, the Issuing Bank hereby grants to each Lender, and each Lender hereby acquires from the Issuing Bank, a participation in such Letter of Credit equal to such Lenders Applicable Percentage of the aggregate amount available to be drawn under such Letter of Credit. In consideration and in furtherance of the foregoing, each Lender hereby absolutely and unconditionally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the Issuing Bank, such Lenders Applicable Percentage of each LC Disbursement made by the Issuing Bank and not reimbursed by the Borrower on the date due as provided in paragraph (e) of this Section, or of any reimbursement payment required to be refunded to the Borrower for any reason. Each Lender acknowledges and agrees that its obligation to acquire participations pursuant to this paragraph in respect of Letters of Credit is absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance whatsoever, including any amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit or the occurrence and continuance of a Default or reduction or termination of the Commitments, and that each such payment shall be made by the Borrower without any setoff, deduction, counterclaim, abatement, or withholding whatsoever.
(e) Reimbursement. If the Issuing Bank shall make any LC Disbursement in respect of a Letter of Credit, the Borrower shall reimburse such LC Disbursement by paying to the Administrative Agent an amount equal to such LC Disbursement not later than 12:00 noon, Los Angeles time, on the date that such LC Disbursement is made, if the Borrower shall have received notice of such LC Disbursement prior to 10:00 a.m., Los Angeles time, on such date, or, if such notice has not been received by the Borrower prior to such time on such date, then not later than 12:00 noon, Los Angeles time, on (i) the Business Day that the Borrower receives such notice, if such notice is received prior to 10:00 a.m., Los Angeles time, on the day of receipt, or (ii) the Business Day immediately following the day that the Borrower receives such notice, if such notice is not received prior to such time on the day of receipt; provided that the Borrower may, subject to the conditions to borrowing set forth herein, request in accordance with Section 2.03 or
18
2.05 that such payment be financed with an ABR Revolving Borrowing or Swingline Loan in an equivalent amount and, to the extent so financed, the Borrowers obligation to make such payment shall be discharged and replaced by the resulting ABR Revolving Borrowing or Swingline Loan. If the Borrower fails to make such payment when due, the Administrative Agent shall notify each Lender of the applicable LC Disbursement, the payment then due from the Borrower in respect thereof and such Lenders Applicable Percentage thereof. Promptly following receipt of such notice, each Lender shall pay to the Administrative Agent its Applicable Percentage of the payment then due from the Borrower, in the same manner as provided in Section 2.07 with respect to Loans made by such Lender (and Section 2.07 shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to the payment obligations of the Lenders), and the Administrative Agent shall promptly pay to the Issuing Bank the amounts so received by it from the Lenders. Promptly following receipt by the Administrative Agent of any payment from the Borrower pursuant to this paragraph, the Administrative Agent shall distribute such payment to the Issuing Bank or, to the extent that Lenders have made payments pursuant to this paragraph to reimburse the Issuing Bank, then to such Lenders and the Issuing Bank as their interests may appear. Any payment made by a Lender pursuant to this paragraph to reimburse the Issuing Bank for any LC Disbursement (other than the funding of ABR Revolving Loans or a Swingline Loan as contemplated above) shall not constitute a Loan and shall not relieve the Borrower of its obligation to reimburse such LC Disbursement.
(f) Obligations Absolute. The Borrowers obligation to reimburse LC Disbursements as provided in paragraph (e) of this Section shall be absolute, unconditional and irrevocable, and shall be performed strictly in accordance with the terms of this Agreement under any and all circumstances whatsoever and irrespective of (i) any lack of validity or enforceability of any Letter of Credit or this Agreement, or any term or provision therein, (ii) any draft or other document presented under a Letter of Credit proving to be forged, fraudulent or invalid in any respect or any statement therein being untrue or inaccurate in any respect, (iii) payment by the Issuing Bank under a Letter of Credit against presentation of a draft or other document that does not comply with the terms of such Letter of Credit, or (iv) any other event or circumstance whatsoever, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing, that might, but for the provisions of this Section, constitute a legal or equitable discharge of, or provide a right of setoff against, the Borrowers obligations hereunder. Neither the Administrative Agent, the Lenders nor the Issuing Bank, nor any of their Related Parties, shall have any liability or responsibility by reason of or in connection with the issuance or transfer of any Letter of Credit or any payment or failure to make any payment thereunder (irrespective of any of the circumstances referred to in the preceding sentence), or any error, omission, interruption, loss or delay in transmission or delivery of any draft, notice or other communication under or relating to any Letter of Credit (including any document required to make a drawing thereunder), any error in interpretation of technical terms or any consequence arising from causes beyond the control of the Issuing Bank; provided that the foregoing shall not be construed to excuse the Issuing Bank from liability to the Borrower to the extent of any direct damages (as opposed to consequential damages, claims in respect of which are hereby waived by the Borrower to the extent permitted by applicable law) suffered by the Borrower that are caused by the Issuing Banks failure to exercise care when determining whether drafts and other documents presented under a Letter of Credit comply with the terms thereof. The parties hereto expressly agree that, in the absence of gross negligence or wilful misconduct on the part of the Issuing Bank (as finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction), the Issuing Bank shall be deemed to have exercised care in each such determination. In furtherance of the foregoing and without limiting the generality thereof, the parties agree that, with respect to documents presented which appear on their face to be in substantial compliance with the terms of a Letter of Credit, the Issuing Bank may, in its sole discretion, either accept and make payment upon such documents without responsibility for further investigation, regardless of any notice or information to the contrary, or refuse to accept and make payment upon such documents if such documents are not in strict compliance with the terms of such Letter of Credit.
19
(g) Disbursement Procedures. The Issuing Bank shall, promptly following its receipt thereof, examine all documents purporting to represent a demand for payment under a Letter of Credit. The Issuing Bank shall promptly notify the Administrative Agent and the Borrower by telephone (confirmed by facsimile) of such demand for payment and whether the Issuing Bank has made or will make an LC Disbursement thereunder; provided that any failure to give or delay in giving such notice shall not relieve the Borrower of its obligation to reimburse the Issuing Bank and the Lenders with respect to any such LC Disbursement.
(h) Interim Interest. If the Issuing Bank shall make any LC Disbursement, then, unless the Borrower shall reimburse such LC Disbursement in full on the date such LC Disbursement is made, the unpaid amount thereof shall bear interest, for each day from and including the date such LC Disbursement is made to but excluding the date that the Borrower reimburses such LC Disbursement, at the rate per annum then applicable to ABR Revolving Loans; provided that, if the Borrower fails to reimburse such LC Disbursement when due pursuant to paragraph (e) of this Section, then Section 2.13(d) shall apply. Interest accrued pursuant to this paragraph shall be for the account of the Issuing Bank, except that interest accrued on and after the date of payment by any Lender pursuant to paragraph (e) of this Section to reimburse the Issuing Bank shall be for the account of such Lender to the extent of such payment.
(i) Replacement of the Issuing Bank. The Issuing Bank may be replaced at any time by written agreement among the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the replaced Issuing Bank and the successor Issuing Bank. The Administrative Agent shall notify the Lenders of any such replacement of the Issuing Bank. At the time any such replacement shall become effective, the Borrower shall pay all unpaid fees accrued for the account of the replaced Issuing Bank pursuant to Section 2.12(b). From and after the effective date of any such replacement, (i) the successor Issuing Bank shall have all the rights and obligations of the Issuing Bank under this Agreement with respect to Letters of Credit to be issued thereafter and (ii) references herein to the term Issuing Bank shall be deemed to refer to such successor or to any previous Issuing Bank, or to such successor and all previous Issuing Banks, as the context shall require. After the replacement of an Issuing Bank hereunder, the replaced Issuing Bank shall remain a party hereto and shall continue to have all the rights and obligations of an Issuing Bank under this Agreement with respect to Letters of Credit issued by it prior to such replacement, but shall not be required to issue additional Letters of Credit.
(j) Cash Collateralization. If any Event of Default shall occur and be continuing, on the Business Day that the Borrower receives notice from the Administrative Agent or the Required Lenders (or, if the maturity of the Loans has been accelerated, Lenders with LC Exposure representing greater than 50.1% of the total LC Exposure) demanding the deposit of cash collateral pursuant to this paragraph, the Borrower shall deposit in an account with the Administrative Agent, in the name of the Administrative Agent and for the benefit of the Lenders, an amount in cash equal to the LC Exposure as of such date plus any accrued and unpaid interest thereon; provided that the obligation to deposit such cash collateral shall become effective immediately, and such deposit shall become immediately due and payable, without demand or other notice of any kind, upon the occurrence of any Event of Default with respect to the Borrower described in clause (h) or (i) of Article VII. Such deposit shall be held by the Administrative Agent as collateral for the payment and performance of the obligations of the Borrower under this Agreement. The Administrative Agent shall have exclusive dominion and control, including the exclusive right of withdrawal, over such account. Other than any interest earned on the investment of such deposits, which investments shall be made at the option and sole discretion of the Administrative Agent and at the Borrowers risk and expense, such deposits shall not bear interest. Interest or profits, if any, on such investments shall accumulate in such account. Moneys in such account shall be applied by the Administrative Agent to reimburse the Issuing Bank for LC Disbursements for which it has not been reimbursed and, to the extent not so applied, shall be held for the satisfaction of the reimbursement obligations of the Borrower for the LC Exposure at such time or, if the maturity of the Loans has been accelerated (but subject to the consent of Lenders with LC Exposure representing greater than 50.1% of the total LC Exposure), be applied to satisfy other obligations of the Borrower under this Agreement. If the Borrower is required to provide an amount of cash collateral hereunder as a result of the occurrence of an Event of Default, such amount (to the extent not applied as aforesaid) shall be returned to the Borrower within three Business Days after all Events of Default have been cured or waived.
20
SECTION 2.07 Funding of Borrowings. (a) Each Lender shall make each Loan to be made by it hereunder on the proposed date thereof by wire transfer of immediately available funds by 9:00 a.m., Los Angeles time, to the account of the Administrative Agent most recently designated by it for such purpose by notice to the Lenders; provided that Swingline Loans shall be made as provided in Section 2.05. The Administrative Agent will make such Loans available to the Borrower by promptly crediting the amounts so received, in like funds, to an account of the Borrower maintained with the Administrative Agent in New York City and designated by the Borrower in the applicable Borrowing Request; provided that ABR Revolving Loans made to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as provided in Section 2.06(e) shall be remitted by the Administrative Agent to the Issuing Bank.
(b) Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from a Lender prior to the proposed date of any Borrowing that such Lender will not make available to the Administrative Agent such Lenders share of such Borrowing, the Administrative Agent may assume that such Lender has made such share available on such date in accordance with paragraph (a) of this Section and may, in reliance upon such assumption, make available to the Borrower a corresponding amount. In such event, if a Lender has not in fact made its share of the applicable Borrowing available to the Administrative Agent, then the applicable Lender and the Borrower severally agree to pay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand such corresponding amount with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is made available to the Borrower to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at (i) in the case of such Lender, the greater of the Federal Funds Effective Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation or (ii) in the case of the Borrower, the interest rate applicable to ABR Loans. If such Lender pays such amount to the Administrative Agent, then such amount shall constitute such Lenders Loan included in such Borrowing.
SECTION 2.08 Interest Elections. (a) Each Revolving Borrowing initially shall be of the Type specified in the applicable Borrowing Request and, in the case of a Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing, shall have an initial Interest Period as specified in such Borrowing Request. Thereafter, the Borrower may elect to convert such Borrowing to a different Type or to continue such Borrowing and, in the case of a Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing, may elect Interest Periods therefor, all as provided in this Section. The Borrower may elect different options with respect to different portions of the affected Borrowing, in which case each such portion shall be allocated ratably among the Lenders holding the Loans comprising such Borrowing, and the Loans comprising each such portion shall be considered a separate Borrowing. This Section shall not apply to Swingline Borrowings, which may not be converted or continued.
(b) To make an election pursuant to this Section, the Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of such election by telephone by the time that a Borrowing Request would be required under Section 2.03 if the Borrower were requesting a Revolving Borrowing of the Type resulting from such election to be made on the effective date of such election. Each such telephonic Interest Election Request shall be irrevocable and shall be confirmed promptly by hand delivery or facsimile to the Administrative Agent of a written Interest Election Request in a form approved by the Administrative Agent and signed by the Borrower.
21
(c) Each telephonic and written Interest Election Request shall specify the following information in compliance with Section 2.02:
(i) the Borrowing to which such Interest Election Request applies and, if different options are being elected with respect to different portions thereof, the portions thereof to be allocated to each resulting Borrowing (in which case the information to be specified pursuant to clauses (iii) and (iv) below shall be specified for each resulting Borrowing);
(ii) the effective date of the election made pursuant to such Interest Election Request, which shall be a Business Day;
(iii) whether the resulting Borrowing is to be an ABR Borrowing or a Eurodollar Borrowing; and
(iv) if the resulting Borrowing is a Eurodollar Borrowing, the Interest Period to be applicable thereto after giving effect to such election, which shall be a period contemplated by the definition of the term Interest Period.
If any such Interest Election Request requests a Eurodollar Borrowing but does not specify an Interest Period, then the Borrower shall be deemed to have selected an Interest Period of one months duration.
(d) Promptly following receipt of an Interest Election Request, the Administrative Agent shall advise each Lender of the details thereof and of such Lenders portion of each resulting Borrowing.
(e) If the Borrower fails to deliver a timely Interest Election Request with respect to a Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing prior to the end of the Interest Period applicable thereto, then, unless such Borrowing is repaid as provided herein, at the end of such Interest Period such Borrowing shall be converted to an ABR Borrowing. Notwithstanding any contrary provision hereof, if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing and the Administrative Agent, at the request of the Required Lenders, so notifies the Borrower, then, so long as an Event of Default is continuing (i) no outstanding Revolving Borrowing may be converted to or continued as a Eurodollar Borrowing and (ii) unless repaid, each Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing shall be converted to an ABR Borrowing at the end of the Interest Period applicable thereto.
SECTION 2.09 Termination and Reduction of Commitments. (a) Unless previously terminated, the Commitments shall terminate on the Maturity Date.
(b) The Borrower may at any time terminate, or from time to time reduce, the Commitments; provided that (i) each reduction of the Commitments shall be in an amount that is an integral multiple of $500,000 and not less than $500,000 and (ii) the Borrower shall not terminate or reduce the Commitments if, after giving effect to any concurrent prepayment of the Loans in accordance with Section 2.11, the Revolving Credit Exposures would exceed the total Commitments.
(c) The Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of any election to terminate or reduce the Commitments under paragraph (b) of this Section at least three Business Days prior to the effective date of such termination or reduction, specifying such election and the effective date thereof. Promptly following receipt of any notice, the Administrative Agent shall advise the Lenders of the contents thereof. Each notice delivered by the Borrower pursuant to this Section shall be irrevocable; provided that a notice of termination of the Commitments delivered by the Borrower may state that such notice is conditioned upon the effectiveness of other credit facilities, in which case such notice may be revoked by the Borrower (by notice to the Administrative Agent on or prior to the specified effective date) if such condition is not satisfied. Any termination or reduction of the Commitments shall be permanent. Each reduction of the Commitments shall be made ratably among the Lenders in accordance with their respective Commitments.
22
SECTION 2.10 Repayment of Loans; Evidence of Debt. (a) The Borrower hereby unconditionally promises to pay (i) to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender the then unpaid principal amount of each Revolving Loan on the Maturity Date, and (ii) to the Swingline Lender the then unpaid principal amount of each Swingline Loan on the earlier of the Maturity Date and the first date after such Swingline Loan is made that is the 15th or last day of a calendar month and is at least two Business Days after such Swingline Loan is made; provided that on each date that a Revolving Borrowing is made, the Borrower shall repay all Swingline Loans then outstanding.
(b) Each Lender shall maintain in accordance with its usual practice an account or accounts evidencing the indebtedness of the Borrower to such Lender resulting from each Loan made by such Lender, including the amounts of principal and interest payable and paid to such Lender from time to time hereunder.
(c) The Administrative Agent shall maintain accounts in which it shall record (i) the amount of each Loan made hereunder, the Class and Type thereof and the Interest Period applicable thereto, (ii) the amount of any principal or interest due and payable or to become due and payable from the Borrower to each Lender hereunder and (iii) the amount of any sum received by the Administrative Agent hereunder for the account of the Lenders and each Lenders share thereof.
(d) The entries made in the accounts maintained pursuant to paragraph (b) or (c) of this Section shall be prima facie evidence of the existence and amounts of the obligations recorded therein; provided that the failure of any Lender or the Administrative Agent to maintain such accounts or any error therein shall not in any manner affect the obligation of the Borrower to repay the Loans in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.
(e) Any Lender may request that Loans made by it be evidenced by a promissory note. In such event, the Borrower shall prepare, execute and deliver to such Lender a promissory note payable to the order of such Lender (or, if requested by such Lender, to such Lender and its registered assigns) and in a form approved by the Administrative Agent. Thereafter, the Loans evidenced by such promissory note and interest thereon shall at all times (including after assignment pursuant to Section 9.04) be represented by one or more promissory notes in such form payable to the order of the payee named therein (or, if such promissory note is a registered note, to such payee and its registered assigns).
SECTION 2.11 Prepayment of Loans. (a) The Borrower shall have the right at any time and from time to time to prepay any Borrowing in whole or in part, subject to prior notice in accordance with paragraph (b) of this Section.
(b) The Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent (and, in the case of prepayment of a Swingline Loan, the Swingline Lender) by telephone (confirmed by facsimile) of any prepayment hereunder (i) in the case of prepayment of a Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing, not later than 11:00 a.m., Los Angeles time, three Business Days before the date of prepayment, (ii) in the case of prepayment of an ABR Revolving Borrowing, not later than 11:00 a.m., Los Angeles time, one Business Day before the date of prepayment or (iii) in the case of prepayment of a Swingline Loan, not later than 12:00 noon, Los Angeles time, on the date of prepayment. Each such notice shall be irrevocable and shall specify the prepayment date and the principal amount of each Borrowing or portion thereof to be prepaid; provided that, if a notice of prepayment is given in connection with a conditional notice of termination of the Commitments as contemplated by Section 2.09, then such notice of prepayment may be revoked if such notice of termination is revoked in accordance with Section 2.09. Promptly following receipt of any such notice relating to a Revolving Borrowing, the Administrative Agent shall advise the Lenders of the contents thereof. Each partial prepayment of any Revolving Borrowing shall be in an amount that would be permitted in the case of an advance of a Revolving Borrowing of the same Type as provided in Section 2.02. Each prepayment of a Revolving Borrowing shall be applied ratably to the Loans included in the prepaid Borrowing. Prepayments shall be accompanied by accrued interest to the extent required by Section 2.13.
23
SECTION 2.12 Fees.
(a) [Intentionally Omitted].
(b) The Borrower agrees to pay (i) to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender, in advance on the date when each Letter of Credit is issued and thereafter on the first day of each fiscal quarter, a participation fee with respect to its participations in Letters of Credit, which shall accrue at the same Applicable Rate used to determine the interest rate applicable to Eurodollar Revolving Loans on the average daily amount of such Lenders LC Exposure (excluding any portion thereof attributable to unreimbursed LC Disbursements) during the period from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the later of the date on which such Lenders Commitment terminates and the date on which such Lender ceases to have any LC Exposure, and (ii) to the Issuing Bank, concurrently with each issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit, a fronting fee, equal to (A) $500 for each issuance of a new Letter of Credit and (B) $250 for each amendment, renewal, or extension of any Letter of Credit. Any other fees payable to the Issuing Bank pursuant to this paragraph shall be payable within 10 days after demand. All participation fees and fronting fees shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days and shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day).
(c) The Borrower agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, for its own account, fees payable in the amounts and at the times separately agreed upon between the Borrower and the Administrative Agent.
(d) All fees payable hereunder shall be paid on the dates due, in immediately available funds, to the Administrative Agent (or to the Issuing Bank, in the case of fees payable to it) for distribution, in the case of facility fees and participation fees, to the Lenders. Fees paid shall not be refundable under any circumstances.
SECTION 2.13 Interest. (a) The Loans comprising each ABR Borrowing (including each Swingline Loan) shall bear interest at the Alternate Base Rate plus the Applicable Rate.
(b) The Loans comprising each Eurodollar Borrowing shall bear interest in the case of a Eurodollar Revolving Loan, at the Adjusted LIBO Rate for the Interest Period in effect for such Borrowing plus the Applicable Rate.
(c) [Intentionally Omitted].
(d) Notwithstanding the foregoing, during the occurrence and continuance of an Event of Default, the Administrative Agent or the Required Lenders may, at their option, by notice to the Borrower (which notice may be revoked at the option of the Required Lenders notwithstanding any provision of Section 9.02 requiring the consent of each Lender affected thereby for reductions in interest rates), declare that (i) all Loans shall bear interest at 3% plus the rate otherwise applicable to such Loans as provided in the preceding paragraphs of this Section or (ii) in the case of any other amount outstanding hereunder, such amount shall accrue at 3% plus the rate applicable to such fee or other obligation as provided hereunder.
24
(e) Accrued interest on each Loan shall be payable in arrears on each Interest Payment Date for such Loan and, in the case of Revolving Loans, upon termination of the Commitments; provided that (i) interest accrued pursuant to paragraph (d) of this Section shall be payable on demand, (ii) in the event of any repayment or prepayment of any Loan (other than a prepayment of an ABR Revolving Loan prior to the end of the Availability Period), accrued interest on the principal amount repaid or prepaid shall be payable on the date of such repayment or prepayment and (iii) in the event of any conversion of any Eurodollar Revolving Loan prior to the end of the current Interest Period therefor, accrued interest on such Loan shall be payable on the effective date of such conversion.
(f) Any principal or interest which is not paid within 10 days after its due date (whether as stated, by acceleration or otherwise) shall be subject to a late payment charge of five percent (5.00%) of the total payment due, in addition to the payment of interest, up to the maximum amount of One Thousand Five Hundred and 00/100 Dollars ($1,500.00) per late charge. Borrower agrees to pay and stipulates that five percent (5.00%) of the total payment due is a reasonable amount for a late payment charge. Borrower shall pay the late payment charge upon demand by the Administrative Agent or, if billed, within the time specified.
(g) All interest hereunder shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days, except that interest computed by reference to the Alternate Base Rate at times when the Alternate Base Rate is based on the Prime Rate shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days, and in each case shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day). The applicable Alternate Base Rate, Adjusted LIBO Rate or LIBO Rate shall be determined by the Administrative Agent, and such determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error.
SECTION 2.14 Alternate Rate of Interest. If prior to the commencement of any Interest Period for a Eurodollar Borrowing:
(a) the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error) that adequate and reasonable means do not exist for ascertaining the Adjusted LIBO Rate for such Interest Period; or
(b) the Adjusted LIBO Rate for such Interest Period will not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to such Lenders (or Lender) of making or maintaining their Loans (or its Loan) included in such Borrowing for such Interest Period;
then the Administrative Agent shall give notice thereof to the Borrower and the Lenders by telephone or facsimile as promptly as practicable thereafter and, until the Administrative Agent notifies the Borrower and the Lenders that the circumstances giving rise to such notice no longer exist, (i) any Interest Election Request that requests the conversion of any Borrowing to, or continuation of any Borrowing as, a Eurodollar Borrowing shall be ineffective, and (ii) any request for a new Eurodollar Borrowing shall be made as a Borrowing based on the Prime Rate.
SECTION 2.15 Increased Costs.
(a) If any Change in Law shall:
(i) impose, modify or deem applicable any reserve, special deposit or similar requirement against assets of, deposits with or for the account of, or credit extended by, any Lender (except any such reserve requirement reflected in the Adjusted LIBO Rate) or the Issuing Bank; or
25
(ii) impose on any Lender or the Issuing Bank or the London interbank market any other condition affecting this Agreement or Eurodollar Loans made by such Lender or any Letter of Credit or participation therein;
and the result of any of the foregoing shall be to increase the cost to such Lender of making or maintaining any Eurodollar Loan (or of maintaining its obligation to make any such Loan) or to increase the cost to such Lender or the Issuing Bank of participating in, issuing or maintaining any Letter of Credit or to reduce the amount of any sum received or receivable by such Lender or the Issuing Bank hereunder (whether of principal, interest or otherwise), then the Borrower will pay to such Lender or the Issuing Bank, as the case may be, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or the Issuing Bank, as the case may be, for such additional costs incurred or reduction suffered.
(b) If any Lender or the Issuing Bank determines that any Change in Law regarding capital requirements has or would have the effect of reducing the rate of return on such Lenders or the Issuing Banks capital or on the capital of such Lenders or the Issuing Banks holding company, if any, as a consequence of this Agreement or the Loans made by, or participations in Letters of Credit held by, such Lender, or the Letters of Credit issued by the Issuing Bank, to a level below that which such Lender or the Issuing Bank or such Lenders or the Issuing Banks holding company could have achieved but for such Change in Law (taking into consideration such Lenders or the Issuing Banks policies and the policies of such Lenders or the Issuing Banks holding company with respect to capital adequacy), then from time to time the Borrower will pay to such Lender or the Issuing Bank, as the case may be, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or the Issuing Bank or such Lenders or the Issuing Banks holding company for any such reduction suffered.
(c) A certificate of a Lender or the Issuing Bank setting forth the amount or amounts necessary to compensate such Lender or the Issuing Bank or its holding company, as the case may be, as specified in paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section shall be delivered to the Borrower and shall be conclusive absent manifest error. The Borrower shall pay such Lender or the Issuing Bank, as the case may be, the amount shown as due on any such certificate within 10 days after receipt thereof.
(d) Failure or delay on the part of any Lender or the Issuing Bank to demand compensation pursuant to this Section shall not constitute a waiver of such Lenders or the Issuing Banks right to demand such compensation; provided that the Borrower shall not be required to compensate a Lender or the Issuing Bank pursuant to this Section for any increased costs or reductions incurred more than 270 days prior to the date that such Lender or the Issuing Bank, as the case may be, notifies the Borrower of the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions and of such Lenders or the Issuing Banks intention to claim compensation therefor; provided further that, if the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions is retroactive, then the 270-day period referred to above shall be extended to include the period of retroactive effect thereof.
SECTION 2.16 Break Funding Payments. In the event of (a) the payment of any principal of any Eurodollar Loan other than on the last day of an Interest Period applicable thereto (including as a result of an Event of Default), (b) the conversion of any Eurodollar Loan other than on the last day of the Interest Period applicable thereto, (c) the failure to borrow, convert, continue or prepay any Eurodollar Loan on the date specified in any notice delivered pursuant hereto (regardless of whether such notice may be revoked under Section 2.11(b) and is revoked in accordance therewith), or (d) the assignment of any Eurodollar Loan other than on the last day of the Interest Period applicable thereto as a result of a request by the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.19, then, in any such event, the Borrower shall compensate each Lender for the loss, cost and expense attributable to such event. In the case of a Eurodollar Loan, such loss, cost or expense to any Lender shall be deemed to include an amount determined by such Lender to be the excess, if
26
any, of (i) the amount of interest which would have accrued on the principal amount of such Loan had such event not occurred, at the Adjusted LIBO Rate that would have been applicable to such Loan, for the period from the date of such event to the last day of the then current Interest Period therefor (or, in the case of a failure to borrow, convert or continue, for the period that would have been the Interest Period for such Loan), over (ii) the amount of interest which would accrue on such principal amount for such period at the interest rate which such Lender would bid were it to bid, at the commencement of such period, for dollar deposits of a comparable amount and period from other banks in the eurodollar market. A certificate of any Lender setting forth any amount or amounts that such Lender is entitled to receive pursuant to this Section shall be delivered to the Borrower and shall be conclusive absent manifest error. The Borrower shall pay such Lender the amount shown as due on any such certificate within 10 days after receipt thereof.
SECTION 2.17 Taxes. (a) Any and all payments by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower hereunder shall be made free and clear of and without deduction for any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes; provided that if the Borrower shall be required to deduct any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes from such payments, then (i) the sum payable shall be increased as necessary so that after making all required deductions (including deductions applicable to additional sums payable under this Section) the Administrative Agent, Lender or Issuing Bank (as the case may be) receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such deductions been made, (ii) the Borrower shall make such deductions and (iii) the Borrower shall pay the full amount deducted to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable law.
(b) In addition, the Borrower shall pay any Other Taxes to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable law.
(c) The Borrower shall indemnify the Administrative Agent, each Lender and the Issuing Bank, within 10 days after written demand therefor, for the full amount of any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes paid by the Administrative Agent, such Lender or the Issuing Bank, as the case may be, on or with respect to any payment by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower hereunder (including Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes imposed or asserted on or attributable to amounts payable under this Section) and any penalties, interest and reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority. A certificate as to the amount of such payment or liability delivered to the Borrower by a Lender or the Issuing Bank, or by the Administrative Agent on its own behalf or on behalf of a Lender or the Issuing Bank, shall be conclusive absent manifest error.
(d) As soon as practicable after any payment of Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes by the Borrower to a Governmental Authority, the Borrower shall deliver to the Administrative Agent the original or a certified copy of a receipt issued by such Governmental Authority evidencing such payment, a copy of the return reporting such payment or other evidence of such payment reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.
(e) Any Foreign Lender that is entitled to an exemption from or reduction of withholding tax under the law of the jurisdiction in which the Borrower is located, or any treaty to which such jurisdiction is a party, with respect to payments under this Agreement shall deliver to the Borrower (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), at the time or times prescribed by applicable law, such properly completed and executed documentation prescribed by applicable law or reasonably requested by the Borrower as will permit such payments to be made without withholding or at a reduced rate.
27
(f) If the Administrative Agent or a Lender determines, in its sole discretion, that it has received a refund of any Taxes or Other Taxes as to which it has been indemnified by the Borrower or with respect to which the Borrower has paid additional amounts pursuant to this Section 2.17, it shall pay over such refund to the Borrower (but only to the extent of indemnity payments made, or additional amounts paid, by the Borrower under this Section 2.17 with respect to the Taxes or Other Taxes giving rise to such refund), net of all out-of-pocket expenses of the Administrative Agent or such Lender and without interest (other than any interest paid by the relevant Governmental Authority with respect to such refund); provided, that the Borrower, upon the request of the Administrative Agent or such Lender, agrees to repay the amount paid over to the Borrower (plus any penalties, interest or other charges imposed by the relevant Governmental Authority) to the Administrative Agent or such Lender in the event the Administrative Agent or such Lender is required to repay such refund to such Governmental Authority. This Section shall not be construed to require the Administrative Agent or any Lender to make available its tax returns (or any other information relating to its taxes which it deems confidential) to the Borrower or any other Person.
SECTION 2.18 Payments Generally; Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of Set-offs; Authorization to Debit Bank Account. (a) The Borrower shall make each payment required to be made by it hereunder (whether of principal, interest, fees or reimbursement of LC Disbursements, or of amounts payable under Section 2.15, 2.16 or 2.17, or otherwise) prior to 12:00 noon, Los Angeles time, on the date when due, in immediately available funds, without set-off or counterclaim. Any amounts received after such time on any date may, in the discretion of the Administrative Agent, be deemed to have been received on the next succeeding Business Day for purposes of calculating interest thereon. All such payments shall be made to the Administrative Agent at its offices at 300 South Grand Avenue, Floor 4, Los Angeles, CA 90071, except payments to be made directly to the Issuing Bank or Swingline Lender as expressly provided herein and except that payments pursuant to Sections 2.15, 2.16, 2.17 and 9.03 shall be made directly to the Persons entitled thereto. The Administrative Agent shall distribute any such payments received by it for the account of any other Person to the appropriate recipient promptly following receipt thereof. If any payment hereunder shall be due on a day that is not a Business Day, the date for payment shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day, and, in the case of any payment accruing interest, interest thereon shall be payable for the period of such extension. All payments hereunder shall be made in dollars.
(b) If at any time insufficient funds are received by and available to the Administrative Agent to pay fully all amounts of principal, unreimbursed LC Disbursements, interest and fees then due hereunder, such funds shall be applied (i) first, towards payment of interest and fees then due hereunder, ratably among the parties entitled thereto in accordance with the amounts of interest and fees then due to such parties, and (ii) second, towards payment of principal and unreimbursed LC Disbursements then due hereunder, ratably among the parties entitled thereto in accordance with the amounts of principal and unreimbursed LC Disbursements then due to such parties.
(c) If any Lender shall, by exercising any right of set-off or counterclaim or otherwise, obtain payment in respect of any principal of or interest on any of its Revolving Loans or participations in LC Disbursements or Swingline Loans resulting in such Lender receiving payment of a greater proportion of the aggregate amount of its Revolving Loans and participations in LC Disbursements and Swingline Loans and accrued interest thereon than the proportion received by any other Lender, then the Lender receiving such greater proportion shall purchase (for cash at face value) participations in the Revolving Loans and participations in LC Disbursements and Swingline Loans of other Lenders to the extent necessary so that the benefit of all such payments shall be shared by the Lenders ratably in accordance with the aggregate amount of principal of and accrued interest on their respective Revolving Loans and participations in LC Disbursements and Swingline Loans; provided that (i) if any such participations are purchased and all or any portion of the payment giving rise thereto is recovered, such participations shall be rescinded and the purchase price restored to the extent of such recovery, without interest, and (ii) the provisions of this paragraph shall not be construed to apply to any payment made by the Borrower pursuant to and in accordance with the express terms of this Agreement or any payment obtained by a
28
Lender as consideration for the assignment of or sale of a participation in any of its Loans or participations in LC Disbursements to any assignee or participant, other than to the Borrower or any Subsidiary or Affiliate thereof (as to which the provisions of this paragraph shall apply). The Borrower consents to the foregoing and agrees, to the extent it may effectively do so under applicable law, that any Lender acquiring a participation pursuant to the foregoing arrangements may exercise against the Borrower rights of set-off and counterclaim with respect to such participation as fully as if such Lender were a direct creditor of the Borrower in the amount of such participation.
(d) Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from the Borrower prior to the date on which any payment is due to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Lenders or the Issuing Bank hereunder that the Borrower will not make such payment, the Administrative Agent may assume that the Borrower has made such payment on such date in accordance herewith and may, in reliance upon such assumption, distribute to the Lenders or the Issuing Bank, as the case may be, the amount due. In such event, if the Borrower has not in fact made such payment, then each of the Lenders or the Issuing Bank, as the case may be, severally agrees to repay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand the amount so distributed to such Lender or Issuing Bank with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is distributed to it to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at the greater of the Federal Funds Effective Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation.
(e) If any Lender shall fail to make any payment required to be made by it pursuant to Section 2.05(c), 2.06(d) or (e), 2.07(b), 2.18(d) or 9.03(c), then the Administrative Agent may, in its discretion and notwithstanding any contrary provision hereof, (i) apply any amounts thereafter received by the Administrative Agent for the account of such Lender and for the benefit of the Administrative Agent, the Swingline Lender or the Issuing Bank to satisfy such Lenders obligations under such Sections until all such unsatisfied obligations are fully paid, and/or (ii) hold any such amounts in a segregated account as cash collateral for, and application to, any future funding obligations of such Lender under such Sections; in the case of each of (i) and (ii) above, in any order as determined by the Administrative Agent in its discretion.
(f) To effectuate any payment due under this Agreement or under any other Loan Document, the Borrower hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent to initiate debit entries to Account Number ###-###-#### at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and to debit the same to such account. This authorization to initiate debit entries shall remain in full force and effect until the Administrative Agent has received written notification of its termination in such time and in such manner as to afford the Administrative Agent a reasonable opportunity to act on it. The Borrower represents that the Borrower is and will be the owner of all funds in such account. The Borrower acknowledges: (i) that such debit entries may cause an overdraft of such account which may result in the Administrative Agents refusal to honor items drawn on such account until adequate deposits are made to such account; (ii) that the Administrative Agent is under no duty or obligation to initiate any debit entry for any purpose; and (iii) that if a debit is not made because the above-referenced account does not have a sufficient available balance, or otherwise, the payment may be late or past due.
SECTION 2.19 Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders.
(a) If any Lender requests compensation under Section 2.15, or if the Borrower is required to pay any additional amount to any Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to Section 2.17, then such Lender shall use reasonable efforts to designate a different lending office for funding or booking its Loans hereunder or to assign its rights and obligations hereunder to another of its offices, branches or affiliates, if, in the judgment of such Lender, such designation or assignment (i) would eliminate or reduce amounts payable pursuant to Section 2.15 or 2.17, as the case may be, in the future and (ii) would not subject such Lender to any unreimbursed cost or expense and would not otherwise be disadvantageous to such Lender. The Borrower hereby agrees to pay all reasonable costs and expenses incurred by any Lender in connection with any such designation or assignment.
29
(b) If any Lender requests compensation under Section 2.15, or if the Borrower is required to pay any additional amount to any Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to Section 2.17, or if any Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender, then the Borrower may, at its sole expense and effort, upon notice to such Lender and the Administrative Agent, require such Lender to assign and delegate, without recourse (in accordance with and subject to the restrictions contained in Section 9.04), all its interests, rights and obligations under this Agreement to an assignee that shall assume such obligations (which assignee may be another Lender, if a Lender accepts such assignment); provided that (i) the Borrower shall have received the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent (and if a Commitment is being assigned, the Issuing Bank), which consent shall not unreasonably be withheld, (ii) such Lender shall have received payment of an amount equal to the outstanding principal of its Loans and participations in LC Disbursements and Swingline Loans, accrued interest thereon, accrued fees and all other amounts payable to it hereunder, from the assignee (to the extent of such outstanding principal and accrued interest and fees) or the Borrower (in the case of all other amounts) and (iii) in the case of any such assignment resulting from a claim for compensation under Section 2.15 or payments required to be made pursuant to Section 2.17, such assignment will result in a reduction in such compensation or payments. A Lender shall not be required to make any such assignment and delegation if, prior thereto, as a result of a waiver by such Lender or otherwise, the circumstances entitling the Borrower to require such assignment and delegation cease to apply.
SECTION 2.20 Defaulting Lenders. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, if any Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender, then the following provisions shall apply for so long as such Lender is a Defaulting Lender:
(a) fees shall cease to accrue on the unfunded portion of the Commitment of such Defaulting Lender pursuant to Section 2.12(a);
(b) the Commitment and Revolving Credit Exposure of such Defaulting Lender shall not be included in determining whether all Lenders or the Required Lenders have taken or may take any action hereunder (including any consent to any amendment or waiver pursuant to Section 9.02), provided that any waiver, amendment or modification requiring the consent of all Lenders or each affected Lender which affects such Defaulting Lender differently than other affected Lenders shall require the consent of such Defaulting Lender;
(c) if any Swingline Exposure or LC Exposure exists at the time a Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender then:
(i) all or any part of such Swingline Exposure and LC Exposure shall be reallocated among the non-Defaulting Lenders in accordance with their respective Applicable Percentages but only to the extent (x) the sum of all non-Defaulting Lenders Revolving Credit Exposures plus such Defaulting Lenders Swingline Exposure and LC Exposure does not exceed the total of all non-Defaulting Lenders Commitments and (y) the conditions set forth in Section 4.02 are satisfied at such time; and
(ii) if the reallocation described in clause (i) above cannot, or can only partially, be effected, the Borrower shall within one Business Day following notice by the Administrative Agent (x) first, prepay such Swingline Exposure and (y) second, cash collateralize such Defaulting Lenders LC Exposure (after giving effect to any partial reallocation pursuant to clause (i) above) in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 2.06(j) for so long as such LC Exposure is outstanding;
30
(iii) if the Borrower cash collateralizes any portion of such Defaulting Lenders LC Exposure pursuant to Section 2.20(c), the Borrower shall not be required to pay any fees to such Defaulting Lender pursuant to Section 2.12(b) with respect to such Defaulting Lenders LC Exposure during the period such Defaulting Lenders LC Exposure is cash collateralized;
(iv) if the LC Exposure of the non-Defaulting Lenders is reallocated pursuant to Section 2.20(c), then the fees payable to the Lenders pursuant to Section 2.12(a) and Section 2.12(b) shall be adjusted in accordance with such non-Defaulting Lenders Applicable Percentages; or
(v) if any Defaulting Lenders LC Exposure is neither cash collateralized nor reallocated pursuant to Section 2.20(c), then, without prejudice to any rights or remedies of the Issuing Bank or any Lender hereunder, all facility fees that otherwise would have been payable to such Defaulting Lender (solely with respect to the portion of such Defaulting Lenders Commitment that was utilized by such LC Exposure) and letter of credit fees payable under Section 2.12(b) with respect to such Defaulting Lenders LC Exposure shall be payable to the Issuing Bank until such LC Exposure is cash collateralized and/or reallocated; and
(d) so long as any Lender is a Defaulting Lender, the Swingline Lender shall not be required to fund any Swingline Loan and the Issuing Bank shall not be required to issue, amend or increase any Letter of Credit, unless it is satisfied that the related exposure will be 100% covered by the Commitments of the non-Defaulting Lenders and/or cash collateral will be provided by the Borrower in accordance with Section 2.20(c), and participating interests in any such newly issued or increased Letter of Credit or newly made Swingline Loan shall be allocated among non-Defaulting Lenders in a manner consistent with Section 2.20(c)(i) (and Defaulting Lenders shall not participate therein).
In the event that the Administrative Agent, the Borrower, the Issuing Bank and the Swingline Lender each agrees that a Defaulting Lender has adequately remedied all matters that caused such Lender to be a Defaulting Lender, then the Swingline Exposure and LC Exposure of the Lenders shall be readjusted to reflect the inclusion of such Lenders Commitment and on such date such Lender shall purchase at par such of the Loans of the other Lenders (other than Swingline Loans) as the Administrative shall determine may be necessary in order for such Lender to hold such Loans in accordance with its Applicable Percentage.
ARTICLE III
Representations and Warranties
The Borrower represents and warrants to the Lenders that:
SECTION 3.01 Organization; Powers. Each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, has all requisite power and authority to carry on its business as now conducted and, except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, is qualified to do business in, and is in good standing in, every jurisdiction where such qualification is required.
31
SECTION 3.02 Authorization; Enforceability. The Transactions are within the Borrowers corporate powers and have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate and, if required, stockholder action. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Borrower and constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Borrower, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other laws affecting creditors rights generally and subject to general principles of equity, regardless of whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law.
SECTION 3.03 Governmental Approvals; No Conflicts. The Transactions (a) do not require any consent or approval of, registration or filing with, or any other action by, any Governmental Authority, except such as have been obtained or made and are in full force and effect, (b) will not violate any applicable law or regulation or the charter, by-laws or other organizational documents of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or any order of any Governmental Authority, except to the extent that any such violation could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (c) will not violate or result in a default under any indenture, agreement or other instrument binding upon the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or its assets, or give rise to a right thereunder to require any payment to be made by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, and (d) will not result in the creation or imposition of any Lien on any asset of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (other than the Liens granted by Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to Administrative Agent under the Loan Documents).
SECTION 3.04 Financial Condition; No Material Adverse Change. (a) The Borrower has heretofore furnished to the Lenders its consolidated balance sheet and statements of income, stockholders equity and cash flows (i) as of and for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010, reported on by BDO Seidman, LLP, independent public accountants, and (ii) as of and for the fiscal quarter and the portion of the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011, certified by its chief financial officer. Such financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position and results of operations and cash flows of the Borrower and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of such dates and for such periods in accordance with GAAP, subject to year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes in the case of the statements referred to in clause (ii) above.
(b) Since September 30, 2010, there has been no material adverse change in the business, assets, operations or condition, financial or otherwise, of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole.
SECTION 3.05 Properties. (a) Each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries has good title to, or valid leasehold interests in, all its real and personal property material to its business, except for minor defects in title that do not interfere with its ability to conduct its business as currently conducted or to utilize such properties for their intended purposes.
(b) Each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries owns, or is licensed to use, all trademarks, tradenames, copyrights, patents and other intellectual property material to its business, and the use thereof by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries does not infringe upon the rights of any other Person, except for any such infringements that, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION 3.06 Litigation and Environmental Matters. (a) There are no actions, suits or proceedings by or before any arbitrator or Governmental Authority pending against or, to the knowledge of the Borrower, threatened against or affecting the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (i) as to which there is a reasonable possibility of an adverse determination and that, if adversely determined, could reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect (other than the Disclosed Matters) or (ii) that involve this Agreement or the Transactions.
32
(b) Except for the Disclosed Matters and except with respect to any other matters that, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, neither the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries (i) has failed to comply with any Environmental Law or to obtain, maintain or comply with any permit, license or other approval required under any Environmental Law, (ii) has become subject to any Environmental Liability, (iii) has received notice of any claim with respect to any Environmental Liability or (iv) knows of any basis for any Environmental Liability.
(c) Since the date of this Agreement, there has been no change in the status of the Disclosed Matters that, individually or in the aggregate, has resulted in, or materially increased the likelihood of, a Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION 3.07 Compliance with Laws and Agreements. Each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries is in compliance with all laws, regulations and orders of any Governmental Authority applicable to it or its property and all indentures, agreements and other instruments binding upon it or its property, except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. No Default has occurred and is continuing.
SECTION 3.08 Investment Company Status. Neither the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries is an investment company as defined in, or subject to regulation under, the Investment Company Act of 1940.
SECTION 3.09 Taxes. Each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries has timely filed or caused to be filed all Tax returns and reports required to have been filed and has paid or caused to be paid all Taxes required to have been paid by it, except Taxes that are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which the Borrower or such Subsidiary, as applicable, has set aside on its books adequate reserves.
SECTION 3.10 ERISA. No ERISA Event has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur. The present value of all accumulated benefit obligations under each Plan (based on the assumptions used for purposes of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 87) did not, as of the date of the most recent financial statements reflecting such amounts, exceed by more than $250,000 the fair market value of the assets of such Plan, and the present value of all accumulated benefit obligations of all underfunded Plans (based on the assumptions used for purposes of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 87) did not, as of the date of the most recent financial statements reflecting such amounts, exceed by more than $250,000 the fair market value of the assets of all such underfunded Plans.
SECTION 3.11 Disclosure. The Borrower has disclosed to the Lenders all agreements, instruments and corporate or other restrictions to which it or any of its Subsidiaries is subject, and all other matters known to it, that, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. None of the reports, financial statements, certificates or other information furnished by or on behalf of the Borrower to the Administrative Agent or any Lender in connection with the negotiation of this Agreement or delivered hereunder (as modified or supplemented by other information so furnished) contains any material misstatement of fact or omits to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that, with respect to projected financial information, the Borrower represents only that such information was prepared in good faith based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable at the time.
33
ARTICLE IV
Conditions
SECTION 4.01 Effective Date. The obligations of the Lenders to make Loans and of the Issuing Bank to issue Letters of Credit hereunder shall not become effective until the date on which each of the following conditions is satisfied (or waived in accordance with Section 9.02):
(a) Credit Agreement and Loan Documents. The Administrative Agent (or its counsel) shall have received (i) from each party hereto either (A) a counterpart of this Agreement signed on behalf of such party or (B) written evidence satisfactory to the Administrative Agent (which may include facsimile or electronic transmission of a signed signature page of this Agreement) that such party has signed a counterpart of this Agreement. and (ii) duly executed copies of the Loan Documents and such other certificates, documents, instruments and agreements as the Administrative Agent shall reasonably request in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the other Loan Documents.
(b) Legal Opinion. The Administrative Agent shall have received favorable written opinion (addressed to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders and dated the Effective Date) of (i) Stubbs, Alderton & Markiles, LLP, counsel for the Borrower, substantially in the form of Exhibit B-1, and (ii) Borrowers in-house counsel, substantially in the form of Exhibit B-2, and covering such other matters relating to the Borrower, this Agreement or the Transactions as the Required Lenders shall reasonably request. The Borrower hereby requests such counsel to deliver such opinion.
(c) Financial Statements and Projections. The Lenders shall have received (i) audited consolidated financial statements of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for the 2008 and 2009 fiscal years, and (ii) unaudited interim consolidated financial statements of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for each fiscal month and quarter ended after the date of the latest applicable financial statements delivered pursuant to clause (i) of this paragraph as to which such financial statements are available, and such financial statements shall not, in the reasonable judgment of the Administrative Agent, reflect any material adverse change in the consolidated financial condition of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, as reflected in the financial statements or projections delivered to the Administrative Agent.
(d) Closing Certificates; Certified Certificate of Incorporation; Good Standing Certificates. The Administrative Agent shall have received (i) a certificate of each Loan Party, dated the Effective Date and executed by its Secretary or Assistant Secretary, which shall (A) certify the resolutions of its Board of Directors, members or other body authorizing the execution, delivery and performance of the Loan Documents to which it is a party, (B) identify by name and title and bear the signatures of the Financial Officers and any other officers of such Loan Party authorized to sign the Loan Documents to which it is a party, and (C) contain appropriate attachments, including the certificate or articles of incorporation or organization of each Loan Party certified by the relevant authority of the jurisdiction of organization of such Loan Party and a true and correct copy of its by-laws or operating, management or partnership agreement, and (ii) a good standing certificate for each Loan Party from its jurisdiction of organization.
(e) Other Documents and Certificates. The Administrative Agent shall have received such documents and certificates as the Administrative Agent or its counsel may reasonably request relating to the organization, existence and good standing of the Borrower, the authorization of the Transactions and any other legal matters relating to the Borrower, this Agreement or the Transactions, all in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and its counsel.
34
(f) No Default Certificate. The Administrative Agent shall have received a certificate, dated the Effective Date and signed by the President, a Vice President or a Financial Officer of the Borrower, confirming compliance with the conditions set forth in paragraphs (a) and (b) of Section 4.02.
(g) Lien Searches. The Administrative Agent shall have received the results of a recent lien search in each of the jurisdictions where assets of the Loan Parties are located, and such search shall reveal no liens on any of the assets of the Loan Parties except for liens permitted by Section 6.02 or discharged on or prior to the Effective Date pursuant to a pay-off letter or other documentation satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.
(h) Pay-Off Letter. The Administrative Agent shall have received satisfactory pay-off letters executed and delivered by California Bank & Trust confirming that all Liens upon any of the property of the Loan Parties constituting Collateral will be terminated on the Effective Date.
(i) Funding Account. The Administrative Agent shall have received a notice setting forth the deposit account of the Borrower (the Funding Account) to which the Administrative Agent is authorized by the Borrower to transfer the proceeds of any Borrowings requested or authorized pursuant to this Agreement.
(j) Solvency. The Administrative Agent shall have received a solvency certificate from a Financial Officer of the Borrower certifying as to the solvency of the Loan Parties, taken as a whole, on a consolidated basis immediately after giving effect to the initial extensions of credit under this Agreement and the payment of all fees and expenses required to be paid by the Borrower on the Effective Date under this Agreement or the other Loan Documents.
(k) Pledged Stock; Stock Powers; Pledged Notes. The Administrative Agent shall have received (i) the certificates representing the shares of capital stock pledged pursuant to the Security Agreement, together with an undated stock power for each such certificate executed in blank by a duly authorized officer of the pledgor thereof and (ii) each promissory note (if any) pledged to the Administrative Agent pursuant to the Security Agreement endorsed (without recourse) in blank (or accompanied by an executed transfer form in blank) by the pledgor thereof.
(l) Filings, Registrations and Recordings. Each document (including any Uniform Commercial Code financing statement) required by the Loan Documents or under law or reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent to be filed, registered or recorded in order to create in favor of the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Lenders, a perfected Lien on the Collateral described therein, prior and superior in right to any other Person (other than with respect to Liens expressly permitted by Section 6.02), shall be in proper form for filing, registration or recordation.
(m) Insurance. The Administrative Agent shall have received evidence of insurance coverage in form, scope, and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and otherwise in compliance with the terms of the Security Agreement.
(n) Tax Withholding. The Administrative Agent shall have received a properly completed and signed IRS Form W-8 or W-9, as applicable, for each Loan Party.
(o) Fees. The Administrative Agent shall have received all fees and other amounts due and payable on or prior to the Effective Date, including, to the extent invoiced, reimbursement or payment of all out-of-pocket expenses required to be reimbursed or paid by the Borrower hereunder.
35
(p) Other Documents. The Administrative Agent shall have received such other documents as the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank, any Lender or their respective counsel may have reasonably requested.
The Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and the Lenders of the Effective Date, and such notice shall be conclusive and binding. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the obligations of the Lenders to make Loans and of the Issuing Bank to issue Letters of Credit hereunder shall not become effective unless each of the foregoing conditions is satisfied (or waived pursuant to Section 9.02) at or prior to 3:00 p.m., Los Angeles time, on July 27, 2011 (and, in the event such conditions are not so satisfied or waived, the Commitments shall terminate at such time).
SECTION 4.02 Each Credit Event. The obligation of each Lender to make a Loan on the occasion of any Borrowing, and of the Issuing Bank to issue, amend, renew or extend any Letter of Credit, is subject to the satisfaction of the following conditions:
(a) The representations and warranties of the Borrower set forth in this Agreement shall be true and correct on and as of the date of such Borrowing or the date of issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of such Letter of Credit, as applicable.
(b) At the time of and immediately after giving effect to such Borrowing or the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of such Letter of Credit, as applicable, no Default shall have occurred and be continuing.
Each Borrowing and each issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of a Letter of Credit shall be deemed to constitute a representation and warranty by the Borrower on the date thereof as to the matters specified in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section.
ARTICLE V
Affirmative Covenants
Until the Commitments have expired or been terminated and the principal of and interest on each Loan and all fees payable hereunder shall have been paid in full and all Letters of Credit shall have expired or terminated and all LC Disbursements shall have been reimbursed, the Borrower covenants and agrees with the Lenders that:
SECTION 5.01 Financial Statements; Ratings Change and Other Information. The Borrower will furnish to the Administrative Agent and each Lender:
(a) within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Borrower, its audited consolidated balance sheet and related statements of operations, stockholders equity and cash flows as of the end of and for such year, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the previous fiscal year, all reported on by BDO Seidman, LLP or other independent public accountants of recognized national standing (without a going concern or like qualification or exception and without any qualification or exception as to the scope of such audit) to the effect that such consolidated financial statements present fairly in all material respects the financial condition and results of operations of the Borrower and its consolidated Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP consistently applied;
36
(b) within 60 days after the end of each of the first three fiscal quarters of each fiscal year of the Borrower, its consolidated balance sheet and related statements of operations, stockholders equity and cash flows as of the end of and for such fiscal quarter and the then elapsed portion of the fiscal year, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the corresponding period or periods of (or, in the case of the balance sheet, as of the end of) the previous fiscal year, all certified by one of its Financial Officers as presenting fairly in all material respects the financial condition and results of operations of the Borrower and its consolidated Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP consistently applied, subject to normal year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes;
(c) concurrently with any delivery of financial statements under clause (a) or (b) above, a certificate of a Financial Officer of the Borrower (i) certifying as to whether a Default has occurred and, if a Default has occurred, specifying the details thereof and any action taken or proposed to be taken with respect thereto, (ii) setting forth reasonably detailed calculations demonstrating compliance with Sections 6.15 and 6.16, and (iii) stating whether any change in GAAP or in the application thereof has occurred since the date of the audited financial statements referred to in Section 3.04 and, if any such change has occurred, specifying the effect of such change on the financial statements accompanying such certificate;
(d) promptly after the same become publicly available, copies of all periodic and other reports, proxy statements and other materials filed by the Borrower or any Subsidiary with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or any Governmental Authority succeeding to any or all of the functions of said Commission, or with any national securities exchange, or distributed by the Borrower to its shareholders generally, as the case may be; and
(e) promptly following any request therefor, such other information regarding the operations, business affairs and financial condition of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, or compliance with the terms of this Agreement, as the Administrative Agent or any Lender may reasonably request.
SECTION 5.02 Notices of Material Events. The Borrower will furnish to the Administrative Agent and each Lender prompt written notice of the following:
(a) the occurrence of any Default;
(b) the filing or commencement of any action, suit or proceeding by or before any arbitrator or Governmental Authority against or affecting the Borrower or any Affiliate thereof that, if adversely determined, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;
(c) the occurrence of any ERISA Event that, alone or together with any other ERISA Events that have occurred, could reasonably be expected to result in liability of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in an aggregate amount exceeding $250,000; and
(d) any other development that results in, or could reasonably be expected to result in, a Material Adverse Effect.
Each notice delivered under this Section shall be accompanied by a statement of a Financial Officer or other executive officer of the Borrower setting forth the details of the event or development requiring such notice and any action taken or proposed to be taken with respect thereto.
SECTION 5.03 Existence; Conduct of Business. The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve, renew and keep in full force and effect its legal existence and the rights, licenses, permits, privileges and franchises material to the conduct of its business; provided that the foregoing shall not prohibit any merger, consolidation, liquidation or dissolution permitted under Section 6.03.
37
SECTION 5.04 Payment of Obligations. The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, pay its obligations, including Tax liabilities, before the same shall become delinquent or in default, except where (a) (i) the validity or amount thereof is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings, and (ii) the Borrower or such Subsidiary has set aside on its books adequate reserves with respect thereto in accordance with GAAP or (b) (i) the amount thereof does not exceed $50,000 in the aggregate, and (ii) such obligations, including Tax liabilities, are paid within 30 days after the date when Borrower obtains notice or knowledge that such obligations, including Tax liabilities, were not paid when due.
SECTION 5.05 Maintenance of Properties; Insurance. The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, (a) keep and maintain all property material to the conduct of its business in good working order and condition, ordinary wear and tear excepted, and (b) maintain, with financially sound and reputable insurance companies, insurance in such amounts and against such risks as are customarily maintained by companies engaged in the same or similar businesses operating in the same or similar locations.
SECTION 5.06 Books and Records; Inspection Rights. The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, keep proper books of record and account in which full, true and correct entries are made of all dealings and transactions in relation to its business and activities. The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, permit any representatives designated by the Administrative Agent or any Lender, upon reasonable prior notice, to visit and inspect its properties, to examine and make extracts from its books and records, and to discuss its affairs, finances and condition with its officers and independent accountants, all at such reasonable times and as often as reasonably requested.
SECTION 5.07 Compliance with Laws. The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, comply with all laws, rules, regulations and orders of any Governmental Authority applicable to it or its property, except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
SECTION 5.08 Use of Proceeds and Letters of Credit. The proceeds of the Loans will be used only to finance the working capital and general corporate purposes of the Borrower and to pay fees and expenses associated with the Transactions. No part of the proceeds of any Loan will be used, whether directly or indirectly, for any purpose that entails a violation of any of the Regulations of the Board, including Regulations T, U and X. Letters of Credit will be issued only to support the working capital and general corporate purposes of the Borrower.
SECTION 5.09 Casualty and Condemnation. The Borrower (a) will furnish to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders prompt written notice of any casualty or other insured damage to any material portion of the Collateral or the commencement of any action or proceeding for the taking of any material portion of the Collateral or interest therein under power of eminent domain or by condemnation or similar proceeding and (b) will ensure that the Net Proceeds of any such event (whether in the form of insurance proceeds, condemnation awards or otherwise) are collected and applied in accordance with the applicable provisions of this Agreement and the Loan Documents.
SECTION 5.10 Depository Banks. The Borrower and each Subsidiary will maintain JPM as its principal depository bank with respect to locations of the Borrower and any Subsidiary in either (a) a state within the United States of America, or the District of Columbia, and (b) other locations, to the extent that JPM has offices or branches located within a reasonable distance of such location, in each case, including for the maintenance of operating, administrative, cash management, collection activity, and other deposit accounts for the conduct of its business.
38
SECTION 5.11 Additional Collateral; Further Assurances.
(a) Subject to applicable law, the Borrower and each Subsidiary that is a Loan Party shall cause each of its domestic Subsidiaries formed or acquired after the date of this Agreement in accordance with the terms of this Agreement to become a Loan Party by executing the Joinder Agreement set forth as Exhibit C hereto (the Joinder Agreement) within thirty (30) days after that date when any such domestic Subsidiary is acquired or formed. Upon execution and delivery thereof, each such Person (i) shall automatically become a Guarantor hereunder and thereupon shall have all of the rights, benefits, duties, and obligations in such capacity under the Loan Documents and (ii) will grant Liens to the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders, in any property of such Loan Party which constitutes Collateral, including any parcel of real property located in the U.S. owned by any Loan Party.
(b) The Borrower and each Subsidiary that is a Loan Party will cause (i) 100% of the issued and outstanding Equity Interests of each of its domestic Subsidiaries and (ii) 65% of the issued and outstanding Equity Interests entitled to vote (within the meaning of Treas. Reg. Section 1.956-2(c)(2)) and 100% of the issued and outstanding Equity Interests not entitled to vote (within the meaning of Treas. Reg. Section 1.956-2(c)(2) in each foreign Subsidiary directly owned by the Borrower or any domestic Subsidiary to be subject at all times (or in the case of Equity Interests that are acquired after the date hereof, within thirty (30) days after the date of such acquisition and at all times thereafter) to a first priority, perfected Lien in favor of the Administrative Agent pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Loan Documents or other security documents as the Administrative Agent shall reasonably request.
(c) Without limiting the foregoing, each Loan Party will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, execute and deliver, or cause to be executed and delivered, to the Administrative Agent such documents, agreements and instruments, and will take or cause to be taken such further actions (including the filing and recording of financing statements, fixture filings, mortgages, deeds of trust and other documents and such other actions or deliveries of the type required by Section 4.01, as applicable), which may be required by law or which the Administrative Agent may, from time to time, reasonably request to carry out the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents and to ensure perfection and priority of the Liens created or intended to be created by the Loan Documents, all at the expense of the Loan Parties.
(d) If any material assets (including any real property or improvements thereto or any interest therein) are acquired by the Borrower or any Subsidiary that is a Loan Party after the Effective Date (other than assets constituting Collateral under the Security Agreements that become subject to the Lien in favor of the Administrative Agent upon acquisition thereof), the Borrower will notify the Administrative Agent and the Lenders thereof, and, if requested by the Administrative Agent or the Required Lenders, the Borrower will cause such assets to be subjected to a Lien securing the Indebtedness evidenced by this Agreement and the other Loan Documents and will take, and cause the Subsidiary Loan Parties to take, such actions as shall be necessary or reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent to grant and perfect such Liens, including actions described in paragraph (c) of this Section, all at the expense of the Loan Parties.
(e) Upon request by Administrative Agent, the Borrower will deliver to the Administrative Agent control agreements with respect to all deposit accounts and securities accounts of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries (other than any deposit accounts and securities accounts that Administrative Agent may exclude in its sole discretion), in each case, in form, scope, and substance reasonably satisfactory the Administrative Agent, which have been duly executed and delivered by each party thereto.
39
SECTION 5.12 Post-Closing Covenants.
(a) Within 30 days after the Effective Date, the Borrower will furnish to the Administrative Agent certificates of insurance, together with the endorsements thereto, as are required by Section 5.05 of this Agreement and paragraph 5 in the section titled Representations, Warranties and Covenants of each Security Agreement, in form, scope, and substance reasonably satisfactory the Administrative Agent.
(b) Within 180 days after the Effective Date, the Borrower shall have caused each of the Excluded Subsidiaries to have been dissolved and provided Administrative Agent with such evidence thereof as Administrative Agent may reasonably require.
(c) Within 60 days after the Effective Date, the Borrower will furnish to the Administrative Agent the certificates representing the shares of capital stock of each foreign Subsidiary pledged pursuant to the Security Agreement, together with an undated stock power for each such certificate executed in blank by a duly authorized officer of the pledge thereof, in form satisfactory to Administrative Agent.
ARTICLE VI
Negative Covenants
Until the Commitments have expired or terminated and the principal of and interest on each Loan and all fees payable hereunder have been paid in full and all Letters of Credit have expired or terminated and all LC Disbursements shall have been reimbursed, the Borrower covenants and agrees with the Lenders that:
SECTION 6.01 Indebtedness. The Borrower will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, create, incur, assume or permit to exist any Indebtedness, except:
(a) Indebtedness created hereunder;
(b) Indebtedness existing on the date hereof and set forth in Schedule 6.01, but not any extensions, renewals or replacements of any such Indebtedness;
(c) Indebtedness of the Borrower to any Subsidiary and of any Subsidiary to the Borrower or any other Subsidiary;
(d) Guarantees by the Borrower of Indebtedness of any Subsidiary and by any Subsidiary of Indebtedness of the Borrower or any other Subsidiary;
(e) Indebtedness of the Borrower or any Subsidiary incurred to finance the acquisition, construction or improvement of any fixed or capital assets, including Capital Lease Obligations and any Indebtedness assumed in connection with the acquisition of any such assets or secured by a Lien on any such assets prior to the acquisition thereof, and extensions, renewals and replacements of any such Indebtedness that do not increase the outstanding principal amount thereof; provided that (i) such Indebtedness is incurred prior to or within 90 days after such acquisition or the completion of such construction or improvement and (ii) the aggregate principal amount of Indebtedness permitted by this clause (e) shall not exceed $1,000,000 at any time outstanding;
40
(f) Indebtedness of any Person that becomes a Subsidiary after the date hereof; provided that (i) such Indebtedness exists at the time such Person becomes a Subsidiary and is not created in contemplation of or in connection with such Person becoming a Subsidiary and (ii) the aggregate principal amount of Indebtedness permitted by this clause (h) shall not exceed $250,000 at any time outstanding; and
(g) other unsecured Indebtedness in an aggregate principal amount not exceeding $1,000,000 at any time outstanding.
SECTION 6.02 Liens. The Borrower will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, create, incur, assume or permit to exist any Lien on any property or asset now owned or hereafter acquired by it, or assign or sell any income or revenues (including accounts receivable) or rights in respect of any thereof, except:
(a) Permitted Encumbrances;
(b) any Lien on any property or asset of the Borrower or any Subsidiary existing on the date hereof and set forth in Schedule 6.02; provided that (i) such Lien shall not apply to any other property or asset of the Borrower or any Subsidiary and (ii) such Lien shall secure only those obligations which it secures on the date hereof;
(c) any Lien existing on any property or asset prior to the acquisition thereof by the Borrower or any Subsidiary or existing on any property or asset of any Person that becomes a Subsidiary after the date hereof prior to the time such Person becomes a Subsidiary; provided that (i) such Lien is not created in contemplation of or in connection with such acquisition or such Person becoming a Subsidiary , as the case may be, (ii) such Lien shall not apply to any other property or assets of the Borrower or any Subsidiary and (iii) such Lien shall secure only those obligations which it secures on the date of such acquisition or the date such Person becomes a Subsidiary, as the case may be; and
(d) Liens on fixed or capital assets acquired, constructed or improved by the Borrower or any Subsidiary; provided that (i) such security interests secure Indebtedness permitted by clause (e) of Section 6.01, (ii) such security interests and the Indebtedness secured thereby are incurred prior to or within 90 days after such acquisition or the completion of such construction or improvement, (iii) the Indebtedness secured thereby does not exceed 100% of the cost of acquiring, constructing or improving such fixed or capital assets and (iv) such security interests shall not apply to any other property or assets of the Borrower or any Subsidiary.
SECTION 6.03 Fundamental Changes. (a) The Borrower will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, merge into or consolidate with any other Person, or permit any other Person to merge into or consolidate with it, or sell, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of (in one transaction or in a series of transactions) all or any substantial part of its assets, or all or substantially all of the stock of any of its Subsidiaries (in each case, whether now owned or hereafter acquired), or liquidate or dissolve, except that, if at the time thereof and immediately after giving effect thereto no Default shall have occurred and be continuing (i) any Subsidiary may merge into the Borrower in a transaction in which the Borrower is the surviving corporation, (ii) any Subsidiary may merge into any Subsidiary in a transaction in which the surviving entity is a Subsidiary, (iii) any Subsidiary may sell, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of its assets to the Borrower or to another Subsidiary and (iv) any Subsidiary may liquidate or dissolve if the Borrower determines in good faith that such liquidation or dissolution is in the best interests of the Borrower and is not materially disadvantageous to the Lenders; provided that any such merger involving a Person that is not a wholly owned Subsidiary immediately prior to such merger shall not be permitted unless also permitted by Section 6.04.
41
(b) The Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, engage to any material extent in any business other than businesses of the type conducted by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on the date of execution of this Agreement and businesses reasonably related thereto.
SECTION 6.04 Investments, Loans, Advances, Guarantees and Acquisitions. The Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, purchase, hold or acquire (including pursuant to any merger with any Person that was not a wholly owned Subsidiary prior to such merger) any capital stock, evidences of indebtedness or other securities (including any option, warrant or other right to acquire any of the foregoing) of, make or permit to exist any loans or advances to, Guarantee any obligations of, or make or permit to exist any investment or any other interest in, any other Person, or purchase or otherwise acquire (in one transaction or a series of transactions) any assets of any other Person constituting a business unit, except:
(a) Permitted Investments;
(b) Permitted Acquisitions;
(c) investments by the Borrower existing on the date hereof in the capital stock of its Subsidiaries;
(d) loans or advances made by the Borrower to any Subsidiary and made by any Subsidiary to the Borrower or any other Subsidiary;
(e) Guarantees constituting Indebtedness permitted by Section 6.01;
(f) investments of any Person existing at the time such Person becomes a Subsidiary of the Borrower or consolidates or merges with the Borrower or any of the Subsidiaries (including in connection with a permitted acquisition) so long as such investments were not made in contemplation of such Person becoming a Subsidiary or of such merger; and
(g) investments constituting deposits described in clauses (c) and (d) of the definition of the term Permitted Encumbrances;
SECTION 6.05 Swap Agreements. The Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, enter into any Swap Agreement, except (a) Swap Agreements entered into to hedge or mitigate risks to which the Borrower or any Subsidiary has actual exposure (other than those in respect of Equity Interests of the Borrower or any Subsidiary), and (b) Swap Agreements entered into in order to effectively cap, collar or exchange interest rates (from fixed to floating rates, from one floating rate to another floating rate or otherwise) with respect to any interest-bearing liability or investment of the Borrower or any Subsidiary.
SECTION 6.06 Restricted Payments. The Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, declare or make, or agree to pay or make, directly or indirectly, any Restricted Payment, except (a) the Borrower may declare and pay dividends with respect to its Equity Interests payable solely in additional shares of its common stock, (b) Subsidiaries may declare and pay dividends ratably with respect to their Equity Interests, (c) the Borrower may make Restricted Payments pursuant to and in accordance with stock option plans or other benefit plans for management or employees of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries and (d) the Borrower may repurchase its outstanding common Equity Interests in an amount not to exceed $5,000,000 in the aggregate in any fiscal year.
42
SECTION 6.07 Transactions with Affiliates. The Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, sell, lease or otherwise transfer any property or assets to, or purchase, lease or otherwise acquire any property or assets from, or otherwise engage in any other transactions with, any of its Affiliates, except (a) in the ordinary course of business at prices and on terms and conditions not less favorable to the Borrower or such Subsidiary than could be obtained on an arms-length basis from unrelated third parties, (b) transactions between or among the Borrower and its wholly owned Subsidiaries not involving any other Affiliate and (c) any Restricted Payment permitted by Section 6.06.
SECTION 6.08 Restrictive Agreements. The Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly, enter into, incur or permit to exist any agreement or other arrangement that prohibits, restricts or imposes any condition upon (a) the ability of the Borrower or any Subsidiary to create, incur or permit to exist any Lien upon any of its property or assets, or (b) the ability of any Subsidiary to pay dividends or other distributions with respect to any shares of its capital stock or to make or repay loans or advances to the Borrower or any other Subsidiary or to Guarantee Indebtedness of the Borrower or any other Subsidiary; provided that (i) the foregoing shall not apply to restrictions and conditions imposed by law or by this Agreement, (ii) the foregoing shall not apply to restrictions and conditions existing on the date hereof identified on Schedule 6.08 (but shall apply to any extension or renewal of, or any amendment or modification expanding the scope of, any such restriction or condition), (iii) the foregoing shall not apply to customary restrictions and conditions contained in agreements relating to the sale of a Subsidiary pending such sale, provided such restrictions and conditions apply only to the Subsidiary that is to be sold and such sale is permitted hereunder, (iv) clause (a) of the foregoing shall not apply to restrictions or conditions imposed by any agreement relating to secured Indebtedness permitted by this Agreement if such restrictions or conditions apply only to the property or assets securing such Indebtedness and (v) clause (a) of the foregoing shall not apply to customary provisions in leases and other contracts restricting the assignment thereof.
SECTION 6.09 Government Regulation. Borrower shall not (a) be or become subject at any time to any law, regulation, or list of any government agency (including, without limitation, the U.S. Office of Foreign Asset Control list) that prohibits or limits any Lender from making any advance or extension of credit to Borrower or from otherwise conducting business with Borrower, or (b) fail to provide documentary and other evidence of Borrowers identity as may be requested by any Lender at any time to enable such Lender to verify Borrowers identity or to comply with any applicable law or regulation, including, without limitation, Section 326 of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)) (the Act), 31 U.S.C. Section 5318.
SECTION 6.10 Asset Sales. The Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, sell, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of any asset, including any Equity Interest owned by it, nor will the Borrower permit any Subsidiary to issue any additional Equity Interest in such Subsidiary (other than to the Borrower or another Subsidiary in compliance with Section 6.04), except:
(a) sales, transfers and dispositions of (i) inventory in the ordinary course of business and (ii) used, obsolete, worn out or surplus equipment or property in the ordinary course of business;
(b) sales, transfers and dispositions to the Borrower or any Subsidiary, provided that any such sales, transfers or dispositions involving a Subsidiary that is not a Loan Party shall be made in compliance with Section 6.07;
43
(c) sales, transfers and dispositions of accounts receivable in connection with the compromise, settlement or collection thereof;
(d) sales, transfers and dispositions of Permitted Investments and other investments permitted by clauses (i) and (k) of Section 6.04;
(e) sale and leaseback transactions permitted by Section 6.11;
(f) dispositions resulting from any casualty or other insured damage to, or any taking under power of eminent domain or by condemnation or similar proceeding of, any property or asset of the Borrower or any Subsidiary; and
(g) sales, transfers and other dispositions of assets (other than Equity Interests in a Subsidiary unless all Equity Interests in such Subsidiary are sold) that are not permitted by any other paragraph of this Section, provided that the aggregate fair market value of all assets sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of in reliance upon this paragraph (g) shall not exceed $500,000 during any fiscal year of the Borrower;
provided that all sales, transfers, leases and other dispositions permitted hereby (other than those permitted by paragraphs (b) and (f) above) shall be made for fair value and for at least 75% cash consideration.
SECTION 6.11 Sale and Leaseback Transactions. The Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, enter into any arrangement, directly or indirectly, whereby it shall sell or transfer any property, real or personal, used or useful in its business, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, and thereafter rent or lease such property or other property that it intends to use for substantially the same purpose or purposes as the property sold or transferred, except for any such sale of any fixed or capital assets by the Borrower or any Subsidiary that is made for cash consideration in an amount not less than the fair value of such fixed or capital asset and is consummated within 90 days after the Borrower or such Subsidiary acquires or completes the construction of such fixed or capital asset.
SECTION 6.12 Amendment of Material Documents. Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, amend, modify or waive any of its rights under (a) agreement relating to any Subordinated Indebtedness, or (b) its certificate of incorporation, by-laws, operating, management or partnership agreement or other organizational documents, unless Administrative Agent has consented to such amendment, modification or waiver with respect to its certificate of incorporation, by-laws, operating, management or partnership agreement or other organizational documents.
SECTION 6.13 Change of Auditors. Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, without the consent of Administrative Agent, change their independent auditor from the independent auditor maintained by Borrower and its Subsidiaries on the Effective Date.
SECTION 6.14 Capital Expenditures. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any Subsidiary to, incur or make any Capital Expenditures during any fiscal year in an amount exceeding $10,000,000.
SECTION 6.15 Financial Covenant Minimum EBITDA. The Borrower shall have, at the end of each fiscal quarter for each of Borrowers fiscal years, (i) EBITDA for the 12-month period then ended less (ii) any Restricted Payments declared or made by Borrower during such 12-month period of not less than (x) with respect to the fiscal quarter ending September 30, 2011, $8,000,000, and (y) with respect to the fiscal quarter ending December 31, 2011 and each fiscal quarter ending thereafter, $10,000,000.
44
ARTICLE VII
Events of Default
If any of the following events (Events of Default) shall occur:
(a) the Borrower shall fail to pay any principal of any Loan or any reimbursement obligation in respect of any LC Disbursement when and as the same shall become due and payable, whether at the due date thereof or at a date fixed for prepayment thereof or otherwise;
(b) the Borrower shall fail to pay any interest on any Loan or any fee or any other amount (other than an amount referred to in clause (a) of this Article) payable under this Agreement, when and as the same shall become due and payable and such failure continues for a period of 3 Business Days;
(c) any representation or warranty made or deemed made by or on behalf of the Borrower or any Subsidiary in or in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document or any amendment or modification hereof or thereof or waiver hereunder or thereunder, or in any report, certificate, financial statement or other document furnished pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document or any amendment or modification hereof or thereof or waiver hereunder or thereunder, shall prove to have been incorrect in any material respect when made or deemed made;
(d) the Borrower shall fail to observe or perform any covenant, condition or agreement contained in this Agreement or in any other Loan Document;
(e) the Borrower or any Subsidiary shall fail to make any payment (whether of principal or interest and regardless of amount) in respect of any Indebtedness, (i) in the case of Material Indebtedness, when and as the same shall become due and payable, after giving effect to any applicable cure period, or (ii) in the case of other Indebtedness, within 90 days after the date when and as the same shall become due and payable, after giving effect to any applicable cure period;
(f) any event or condition occurs that results in any Indebtedness becoming due prior to its scheduled maturity or that enables or permits (with or without the giving of notice, the lapse of time or both) the holder or holders of any Indebtedness or any trustee or agent on its or their behalf to cause any Indebtedness to become due, or to require the prepayment, repurchase, redemption or defeasance thereof, prior to its scheduled maturity; provided that if such event or condition relates to any Indebtedness that does not constitute Material Indebtedness, the occurrence of such event or condition shall not constitute an Event of Default pursuant to this clause (f) unless such event or condition is not waived or cured within 90 days after the occurrence thereof; provided, further, that this clause (f) shall not apply to secured Indebtedness that becomes due as a result of the voluntary sale or transfer of the property or assets securing such Indebtedness;
(g) the occurrence or existence of any default, event of default or other similar event or condition occurs with respect to any Rate Management Transactions;
45
(h) an involuntary proceeding shall be commenced or an involuntary petition shall be filed seeking (i) liquidation, reorganization or other relief in respect of the Borrower or any Subsidiary or its debts, or of a substantial part of its assets, under any Federal, state or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or similar law now or hereafter in effect or (ii) the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian, sequestrator, conservator or similar official for the Borrower or any Subsidiary or for a substantial part of its assets, and, in any such case, such proceeding or petition shall continue undismissed for 60 days or an order or decree approving or ordering any of the foregoing shall be entered;
(i) the Borrower or any Subsidiary shall (i) voluntarily commence any proceeding or file any petition seeking liquidation, reorganization or other relief under any Federal, state or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or similar law now or hereafter in effect, (ii) consent to the institution of, or fail to contest in a timely and appropriate manner, any proceeding or petition described in clause (h) of this Article, (iii) apply for or consent to the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian, sequestrator, conservator or similar official for the Borrower or any Subsidiary or for a substantial part of its assets, (iv) file an answer admitting the material allegations of a petition filed against it in any such proceeding, (v) make a general assignment for the benefit of creditors or (vi) take any action for the purpose of effecting any of the foregoing;
(j) the Borrower or any Subsidiary shall become unable, admit in writing its inability or fail generally to pay its debts as they become due;
(k) the Borrower or any Subsidiary shall, without the Administrative Agents written consent: (i) liquidate or become dissolved, (ii) other than with respect to a Permitted Acquisition, merge or consolidate with any other Person; (iii) lease, sell or otherwise convey a material part of its assets of business outside the ordinary course of its business, (iv) lease, purchase, or otherwise acquire a material part of the assets of any other Person, except in the ordinary course of its business, or (v) agree to do any of the foregoing; provided however that any Subsidiary of Borrower may merge or consolidate with any other Subsidiary of Borrower, or with Borrower so long as Borrower is the surviving corporation.
(l) a change shall have occurred relating to: (i) the Property, financial condition, business, assets, affairs, liabilities, or operations of Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, (ii) Borrower or any Guarantors ability to perform its obligations under the Loan Documents, or (iii) the Collateral, that could reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect;
(m) one or more judgments for the payment of money in excess of (i) $250,000 with respect to any individual event or (ii) $500,000 in the aggregate shall be rendered against the Borrower, any Subsidiary or any combination thereof and the same shall remain undischarged for a period of 15 consecutive days during which execution shall not be effectively stayed, or any action shall be legally taken by a judgment creditor to attach or levy upon any assets of the Borrower or any Subsidiary to enforce any such judgment;
(n) an ERISA Event shall have occurred that, in the opinion of the Required Lenders, when taken together with all other ERISA Events that have occurred, could reasonably be expected to result in liability of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in an aggregate amount exceeding (i) $250,000 in any year or (ii) $250,000 for all periods;
(o) a Change in Control shall occur;
(p) any Guaranty shall fail to remain in full force or effect or any action shall be taken to discontinue or to assert the invalidity or unenforceability of such Guaranty, or any Guarantor shall fail to comply with any of the terms or provisions of the Guaranty to which it is a party, or any Guarantor shall deny that it has any further liability under the Guaranty to which it is a party, or shall give notice to such effect;
46
(q) any Loan Document shall for any reason fail to create a valid and perfected first priority security interest in any Collateral purported to be covered thereby, except as permitted by the terms of any Loan Document, or any Loan Document shall fail to remain in full force or effect or any action shall be taken to discontinue or to assert the invalidity or unenforceability of any Loan Document, or any Loan Party shall fail to comply with any of the terms or provisions of any Loan Document;
(r) any material provision of any Loan Document for any reason ceases to be valid, binding and enforceable in accordance with its terms (or any Loan Party shall challenge the enforceability of any Loan Document or shall assert in writing, or engage in any action or inaction based on any such assertion, that any provision of any of the Loan Documents has ceased to be or otherwise is not valid, binding and enforceable in accordance with its terms); or
(s) any Loan Party is criminally indicted or convicted under any law that may reasonably be expected to lead to a forfeiture of any property of such Loan Party having a fair market value in excess of $250,000;
then, and in every such event (other than an event with respect to the Borrower described in clause (h) or (i) of this Article), and at any time thereafter during the continuance of such event, the Administrative Agent may, and at the request of the Required Lenders shall, by notice to the Borrower, take either or both of the following actions, at the same or different times: (i) terminate the Commitments, and thereupon the Commitments shall terminate immediately, and (ii) declare the Loans then outstanding to be due and payable in whole (or in part, in which case any principal not so declared to be due and payable may thereafter be declared to be due and payable), and thereupon the principal of the Loans so declared to be due and payable, together with accrued interest thereon and all fees and other obligations of the Borrower accrued hereunder, shall become due and payable immediately, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by the Borrower; and in case of any event with respect to the Borrower described in clause (g) or (h) of this Article, the Commitments shall automatically terminate and the principal of the Loans then outstanding, together with accrued interest thereon and all fees and other obligations of the Borrower accrued hereunder, shall automatically become due and payable, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by the Borrower.
ARTICLE VIII
The Administrative Agent
Each of the Lenders and the Issuing Bank hereby irrevocably appoints the Administrative Agent as its agent and authorizes the Administrative Agent to take such actions on its behalf and to exercise such powers as are delegated to the Administrative Agent by the terms hereof, together with such actions and powers as are reasonably incidental thereto.
The bank serving as the Administrative Agent hereunder shall have the same rights and powers in its capacity as a Lender as any other Lender and may exercise the same as though it were not the Administrative Agent, and such bank and its Affiliates may accept deposits from, lend money to and generally engage in any kind of business with the Borrower or any Subsidiary or other Affiliate thereof as if it were not the Administrative Agent hereunder.
47
The Administrative Agent shall not have any duties or obligations except those expressly set forth herein. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, (a) the Administrative Agent shall not be subject to any fiduciary or other implied duties, regardless of whether a Default has occurred and is continuing, (b) the Administrative Agent shall not have any duty to take any discretionary action or exercise any discretionary powers, except discretionary rights and powers expressly contemplated hereby that the Administrative Agent is required to exercise in writing as directed by the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary under the circumstances as provided in Section 9.02), and (c) except as expressly set forth herein, the Administrative Agent shall not have any duty to disclose, and shall not be liable for the failure to disclose, any information relating to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries that is communicated to or obtained by the bank serving as Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates in any capacity. The Administrative Agent shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it with the consent or at the request of the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary under the circumstances as provided in Section 9.02) or in the absence of its own gross negligence or wilful misconduct. The Administrative Agent shall be deemed not to have knowledge of any Default unless and until written notice thereof is given to the Administrative Agent by the Borrower or a Lender, and the Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for or have any duty to ascertain or inquire into (i) any statement, warranty or representation made in or in connection with this Agreement, (ii) the contents of any certificate, report or other document delivered hereunder or in connection herewith, (iii) the performance or observance of any of the covenants, agreements or other terms or conditions set forth herein, (iv) the validity, enforceability, effectiveness or genuineness of this Agreement or any other agreement, instrument or document, or (v) the satisfaction of any condition set forth in Article IV or elsewhere herein, other than to confirm receipt of items expressly required to be delivered to the Administrative Agent.
The Administrative Agent shall be entitled to rely upon, and shall not incur any liability for relying upon, any notice, request, certificate, consent, statement, instrument, document or other writing believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or sent by the proper Person. The Administrative Agent also may rely upon any statement made to it orally or by telephone and believed by it to be made by the proper Person, and shall not incur any liability for relying thereon. The Administrative Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be counsel for the Borrower), independent accountants and other experts selected by it, and shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it in accordance with the advice of any such counsel, accountants or experts.
The Administrative Agent may perform any and all its duties and exercise its rights and powers by or through any one or more sub-agents appointed by the Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent may perform any and all its duties and exercise its rights and powers through their respective Related Parties. The exculpatory provisions of the preceding paragraphs shall apply to any such sub-agent and to the Related Parties of the Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent, and shall apply to their respective activities in connection with the syndication of the credit facilities provided for herein as well as activities as Administrative Agent.
Subject to the appointment and acceptance of a successor Administrative Agent as provided in this paragraph, the Administrative Agent may resign at any time by notifying the Lenders, the Issuing Bank and the Borrower. Upon any such resignation, the Required Lenders shall have the right, in consultation with the Borrower, to appoint a successor. If no successor shall have been so appointed by the Required Lenders and shall have accepted such appointment within 30 days after the retiring Administrative Agent gives notice of its resignation, then the retiring Administrative Agent may, on behalf of the Lenders and the Issuing Bank, appoint a successor Administrative Agent which shall be a bank with an office in New York, New York, or an Affiliate of any such bank. Upon the acceptance of its appointment as Administrative Agent hereunder by a successor, such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring Administrative Agent, and the retiring Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations hereunder. The fees payable by the Borrower to a successor Administrative Agent shall be the same as those payable to its predecessor unless otherwise agreed between the Borrower and such successor. After the Administrative Agents resignation hereunder, the provisions of this Article and Section 9.03 shall continue in effect for the benefit of such retiring Administrative Agent, its sub-agents and their respective Related Parties in respect of any actions taken or omitted to be taken by any of them while it was acting as Administrative Agent.
48
Each Lender acknowledges that it has, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender and based on such documents and information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Agreement. Each Lender also acknowledges that it will, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender and based on such documents and information as it shall from time to time deem appropriate, continue to make its own decisions in taking or not taking action under or based upon this Agreement, any related agreement or any document furnished hereunder or thereunder.
ARTICLE IX
Miscellaneous
SECTION 9.01 Notices. (a) Except in the case of notices and other communications expressly permitted to be given by telephone (and subject to paragraph (b) below), all notices and other communications provided for herein shall be in writing and shall be delivered by hand or overnight courier service, mailed by certified or registered mail or sent by facsimile, as follows:
(i) if to the Borrower, to it at IRIS International, Inc., 9158 Eton Ave., Chatsworth, California, Attention of Chief Financial Officer, (Facsimile No. (818) 349-0622);
(ii) if to the Administrative Agent, to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., 300 South Grand Avenue, Floor 4, Los Angeles, CA 90071, Attention of David Scott (Facsimile No. (213)  ###-###-####), with a copy to Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP, 515 South Flower Street, 25th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90071, Attention of Peter S. Burke, Esq. (Facsimile No. (213)  ###-###-####);
(iii) if to the Issuing Bank, to it at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., 300 South Grand Avenue, Floor 4, Los Angeles, CA 90071, Attention of David Scott (Facsimile No. (213)  ###-###-####);
(iv) if to the Swingline Lender, to it at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., 300 South Grand Avenue, Floor 4, Los Angeles, CA 90071, Attention of David Scott (Facsimile No. (213)  ###-###-####); and
(v) if to any other Lender, to it at its address (or facsimile number) set forth in its Administrative Questionnaire.
(b) Notices and other communications to the Lenders hereunder may be delivered or furnished by electronic communications pursuant to procedures approved by the Administrative Agent; provided that the foregoing shall not apply to notices pursuant to Article II unless otherwise agreed by the Administrative Agent and the applicable Lender. The Administrative Agent or the Borrower may, in its discretion, agree to accept notices and other communications to it hereunder by electronic communications pursuant to procedures approved by it; provided that approval of such procedures may be limited to particular notices or communications.
(c) Any party hereto may change its address or facsimile number for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to the other parties hereto. All notices and other communications given to any party hereto in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed to have been given on the date of receipt.
49
SECTION 9.02 Waivers; Amendments. (a) No failure or delay by the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender in exercising any right or power hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such right or power, or any abandonment or discontinuance of steps to enforce such a right or power, preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right or power. The rights and remedies of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank and the Lenders hereunder are cumulative and are not exclusive of any rights or remedies that they would otherwise have. No waiver of any provision of this Agreement or consent to any departure by the Borrower therefrom shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be permitted by paragraph (b) of this Section, and then such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the purpose for which given. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the making of a Loan or issuance of a Letter of Credit shall not be construed as a waiver of any Default, regardless of whether the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the Issuing Bank may have had notice or knowledge of such Default at the time.
(b) Neither this Agreement nor any provision hereof may be waived, amended or modified except pursuant to an agreement or agreements in writing entered into by the Borrower and the Required Lenders or by the Borrower and the Administrative Agent with the consent of the Required Lenders; provided that no such agreement shall (i) increase the Commitment of any Lender without the written consent of such Lender, (ii) reduce the principal amount of any Loan or LC Disbursement or reduce the rate of interest thereon, or reduce any fees payable hereunder, without the written consent of each Lender affected thereby, (iii) postpone the scheduled date of payment of the principal amount of any Loan or LC Disbursement, or any interest thereon, or any fees payable hereunder, or reduce the amount of, waive or excuse any such payment, or postpone the scheduled date of expiration of any Commitment, without the written consent of each Lender affected thereby, (iv) change Section 2.18(b) or (c) in a manner that would alter the pro rata sharing of payments required thereby, without the written consent of each Lender, or (v) change any of the provisions of this Section or the definition of Required Lenders or any other provision hereof specifying the number or percentage of Lenders required to waive, amend or modify any rights hereunder or make any determination or grant any consent hereunder, without the written consent of each Lender; provided further that no such agreement shall amend, modify or otherwise affect the rights or duties of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or the Swingline Lender hereunder without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or the Swingline Lender, as the case may be; provided further that no such agreement shall amend, modify, or eliminate Section 2.20 without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent, the Swing Line Lender, the Issuing Bank, and the Required Lenders.
SECTION 9.03 Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver. (a) The Borrower shall pay (i) all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent and its Affiliates, including the reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of counsel for the Administrative Agent, in connection with the syndication of the credit facilities provided for herein, the preparation and administration of this Agreement or any amendments, modifications or waivers of the provisions hereof (whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby shall be consummated) to the extent that such expenses exceed $10,000 (it being understood and agreed that (y) the Administrative Agent shall be responsible for the first $10,000 of such expenses and (z) the Borrower shall be responsible for any and all expenses that exceed $10,000), (ii) all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Issuing Bank in connection with the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit or any demand for payment thereunder and (iii) all out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender, including the fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender, in connection with the enforcement or protection of its rights in connection with this Agreement, including its rights under this Section, or in connection with the Loans made or Letters of Credit issued hereunder, including all such out-of-pocket expenses incurred during any workout, restructuring or negotiations in respect of such Loans or Letters of Credit.
50
(b) The Borrower shall indemnify the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank and each Lender, and each Related Party of any of the foregoing Persons (each such Person being called an Indemnitee) against, and hold each Indemnitee harmless from, any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and related expenses, including the fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for any Indemnitee, incurred by or asserted against any Indemnitee arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of (i) the execution or delivery of this Agreement or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby, the performance by the parties hereto of their respective obligations hereunder or the consummation of the Transactions or any other transactions contemplated hereby, (ii) any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use of the proceeds therefrom (including any refusal by the Issuing Bank to honor a demand for payment under a Letter of Credit if the documents presented in connection with such demand do not strictly comply with the terms of such Letter of Credit), (iii) any actual or alleged presence or release of Hazardous Materials on or from any property owned or operated by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or any Environmental Liability related in any way to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or (iv) any actual or prospective claim, litigation, investigation or proceeding relating to any of the foregoing, whether based on contract, tort or any other theory and regardless of whether any Indemnitee is a party thereto; provided that such indemnity shall not, as to any Indemnitee, be available to the extent that such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or related expenses are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence or wilful misconduct of such Indemnitee.
(c) To the extent that the Borrower fails to pay any amount required to be paid by it to the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or the Swingline Lender under paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section, each Lender severally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or the Swingline Lender, as the case may be, such Lenders Applicable Percentage (determined as of the time that the applicable unreimbursed expense or indemnity payment is sought) of such unpaid amount; provided that the unreimbursed expense or indemnified loss, claim, damage, liability or related expense, as the case may be, was incurred by or asserted against the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or the Swingline Lender in its capacity as such.
(d) To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Borrower shall not assert, and hereby waives, any claim against any Indemnitee, on any theory of liability, for special, exemplary, indirect, consequential or punitive damages (as opposed to direct or actual damages) arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of, this Agreement or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby, the Transactions, any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use of the proceeds thereof.
(e) All amounts due under this Section shall be payable promptly/not later than 30 days after written demand therefor.
SECTION 9.04 Successors and Assigns. (a) The provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby (including any Affiliate of the Issuing Bank that issues any Letter of Credit), except that (i) the Borrower may not assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of each Lender (and any attempted assignment or transfer by the Borrower without such consent shall be null and void) and (ii) no Lender may assign or otherwise transfer its rights or obligations hereunder except in accordance with this Section. Nothing in this Agreement, expressed or implied, shall be construed to confer upon any Person (other than the parties hereto, their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby (including any Affiliate of the Issuing Bank that issues any Letter of Credit), Participants (to the extent provided in paragraph (c) of this Section) and, to the extent expressly contemplated hereby, the Related Parties of each of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank and the Lenders) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this Agreement.
51
(b) (i) Subject to the conditions set forth in paragraph (b)(ii) below, any Lender may assign to one or more assignees all or a portion of its rights and obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and the Loans at the time owing to it) with the prior written consent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld) of:
(A) the Borrower, provided that no consent of the Borrower shall be required for an assignment to a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender, an Approved Fund or, if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, any other assignee; and
(B) the Administrative Agent, provided that no consent of the Administrative Agent shall be required for an assignment of any Commitment to an assignee that is a Lender with a Commitment immediately prior to giving effect to such assignment to a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender or an Approved Fund; and
(C) the Issuing Bank.
(ii) Assignments shall be subject to the following additional conditions:
(A) except in the case of an assignment to a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender or an assignment of the entire remaining amount of the assigning Lenders Commitment or Loans of any Class, the amount of the Commitment or Loans of the assigning Lender subject to each such assignment (determined as of the date the Assignment and Assumption with respect to such assignment is delivered to the Administrative Agent) shall not be less than $5,000,000 unless each of the Borrower and the Administrative Agent otherwise consent, provided that no such consent of the Borrower shall be required if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing;
(B) each partial assignment shall be made as an assignment of a proportionate part of all the assigning Lenders rights and obligations under this Agreement, provided that this clause shall not be construed to prohibit the assignment of a proportionate part of all the assigning Lenders rights and obligations in respect of one Class of Commitments or Loans;
(C) the parties to each assignment shall execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent an Assignment and Assumption, together with a processing and recordation fee of $3,500; and
(D) the assignee, if it shall not be a Lender, shall deliver to the Administrative Agent an Administrative Questionnaire in which the assignee designates one or more Credit Contacts to whom all syndicate-level information (which may contain material non-public information about the Borrower, the Loan Parties and their related parties or their respective securities) will be made available and who may receive such information in accordance with the assignees compliance procedures and applicable laws, including Federal and state securities laws.
52
For the purposes of this Section 9.04(b), the term Approved Fund has the following meaning:
Approved Fund means any Person (other than a natural person) that is engaged in making, purchasing, holding or investing in bank loans and similar extensions of credit in the ordinary course of its business and that is administered or managed by (a) a Lender, (b) an Affiliate of a Lender or (c) an entity or an Affiliate of an entity that administers or manages a Lender.
(iii) Subject to acceptance and recording thereof pursuant to paragraph (b)(iv) of this Section, from and after the effective date specified in each Assignment and Assumption the assignee thereunder shall be a party hereto and, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, have the rights and obligations of a Lender under this Agreement, and the assigning Lender thereunder shall, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, be released from its obligations under this Agreement (and, in the case of an Assignment and Assumption covering all of the assigning Lenders rights and obligations under this Agreement, such Lender shall cease to be a party hereto but shall continue to be entitled to the benefits of Sections 2.15, 2.16, 2.17 and 9.03). Any assignment or transfer by a Lender of rights or obligations under this Agreement that does not comply with this Section 9.04 shall be treated for purposes of this Agreement as a sale by such Lender of a participation in such rights and obligations in accordance with paragraph (c) of this Section.
(iv) The Administrative Agent, acting for this purpose as an agent of the Borrower, shall maintain at one of its offices a copy of each Assignment and Assumption delivered to it and a register for the recordation of the names and addresses of the Lenders, and the Commitment of, and principal amount of the Loans and LC Disbursements owing to, each Lender pursuant to the terms hereof from time to time (the Register). The entries in the Register shall be conclusive, and the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank and the Lenders 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, the Issuing Bank and any Lender, at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice.
(v) Upon its receipt of a duly completed Assignment and Assumption executed by an assigning Lender and an assignee, the assignees completed Administrative Questionnaire (unless the assignee shall already be a Lender hereunder), the processing and recordation fee referred to in paragraph (b) of this Section and any written consent to such assignment required by paragraph (b) of this Section, the Administrative Agent shall accept such Assignment and Assumption and record the information contained therein in the Register; provided that if either the assigning Lender or the assignee shall have failed to make any payment required to be made by it pursuant to Section 2.05(c), 2.06(d) or (e), 2.07(b), 2.18(d) or 9.03(c), the Administrative Agent shall have no obligation to accept such Assignment and Assumption and record the information therein in the Register unless and until such payment shall have been made in full, together with all accrued interest thereon. No assignment shall be effective for purposes of this Agreement unless it has been recorded in the Register as provided in this paragraph.
53
(c) (i) Any Lender may, without the consent of the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or the Swingline Lender, sell participations to one or more banks or other entities (a Participant) in all or a portion of such Lenders rights and obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and the Loans owing to it); provided that (A) such Lenders obligations under this Agreement shall remain unchanged, (B) such Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto for the performance of such obligations and (C) the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank and the other Lenders shall continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in connection with such Lenders rights and obligations under this Agreement. Any agreement or instrument pursuant to which a Lender sells such a participation shall provide that such Lender shall retain the sole right to enforce this Agreement and to approve any amendment, modification or waiver of any provision of this Agreement; provided that such agreement or instrument may provide that such Lender will not, without the consent of the Participant, agree to any amendment, modification or waiver described in the first proviso to Section 9.02(b) that affects such Participant. Subject to paragraph (c)(ii) of this Section, the Borrower agrees that each Participant shall be entitled to the benefits of Sections 2.15, 2.16 and 2.17 to the same extent as if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to paragraph (b) of this Section. To the extent permitted by law, each Participant also shall be entitled to the benefits of Section 9.08 as though it were a Lender, provided such Participant agrees to be subject to Section 2.18(c) as though it were a Lender.
(ii) A Participant shall not be entitled to receive any greater payment under Section 2.15 or 2.17 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 Borrowers 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 2.17 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 2.17(e) as though it were a Lender.
(d) Any Lender may at any time pledge or assign a security interest in all or any portion of its rights under this Agreement to secure obligations of such Lender, including without limitation any pledge or assignment to secure obligations to a Federal Reserve Bank, and this Section shall not apply to any such pledge or assignment of a security interest; provided that no such pledge or assignment of a security interest shall release a Lender from any of its obligations hereunder or substitute any such pledgee or assignee for such Lender as a party hereto.
SECTION 9.05 Survival. All covenants, agreements, representations and warranties made by the Borrower herein and in the certificates or other instruments delivered in connection with or pursuant to this Agreement shall be considered to have been relied upon by the other parties hereto and shall survive the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the making of any Loans and issuance of any Letters of Credit, regardless of any investigation made by any such other party or on its behalf and notwithstanding that the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender may have had notice or knowledge of any Default or incorrect representation or warranty at the time any credit is extended hereunder, and shall continue in full force and effect as long as the principal of or any accrued interest on any Loan or any fee or any other amount payable under this Agreement is outstanding and unpaid or any Letter of Credit is outstanding and so long as the Commitments have not expired or terminated. The provisions of Sections 2.15, 2.16, 2.17 and 9.03 and Article VIII shall survive and remain in full force and effect regardless of the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, the repayment of the Loans, the expiration or termination of the Letters of Credit and the Commitments or the termination of this Agreement or any provision hereof.
SECTION 9.06 Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts (and by different parties hereto on different counterparts), each of which shall constitute an original, but all of which when taken together shall constitute a single contract. This Agreement and any separate letter agreements with respect to fees payable to the Administrative Agent constitute the entire contract among the parties relating to the subject matter hereof and supersede any and all previous agreements and understandings, oral or written, relating to the subject matter hereof. Except as provided in Section 4.01, this Agreement shall become effective when it shall have been executed by the Administrative Agent and when the Administrative Agent shall have received counterparts hereof which, when taken together, bear the signatures of each of the other parties hereto, and thereafter shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Agreement by facsimile shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Agreement.
54
SECTION 9.07 Severability. Any provision of this Agreement held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability without affecting the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions hereof; and the invalidity of a particular provision in a particular jurisdiction shall not invalidate such provision in any other jurisdiction.
SECTION 9.08 Right of Setoff. If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, each Lender and each of its Affiliates is hereby authorized at any time and from time to time, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to set off and apply any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final) at any time held and other obligations at any time owing by such Lender or Affiliate to or for the credit or the account of the Borrower against any of and all the obligations of the Borrower now or hereafter existing under this Agreement held by such Lender, irrespective of whether or not such Lender shall have made any demand under this Agreement and although such obligations may be unmatured. The rights of each Lender under this Section are in addition to other rights and remedies (including other rights of setoff) which such Lender may have.
SECTION 9.09 Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Consent to Service of Process. (a) This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the law of the State of California.
(b) The Borrower hereby irrevocably and unconditionally submits, for itself and its property, to the nonexclusive jurisdiction of the Superior Court of the State of California sitting in Los Angeles County and of the United States District Court of the Central District of California, and any appellate court from any thereof, in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement, or for recognition or enforcement of any judgment, and each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees that all claims in respect of any such action or proceeding may be heard and determined in such California State or, to the extent permitted by law, in such Federal court. Each of the parties hereto agrees that a final judgment in any such action or proceeding shall be conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by law. Nothing in this Agreement shall affect any right that the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender may otherwise have to bring any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement against the Borrower or its properties in the courts of any jurisdiction.
(c) The Borrower hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waives, to the fullest extent it may legally and effectively do so, any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement in any court referred to in paragraph (b) of this Section. Each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the defense of an inconvenient forum to the maintenance of such action or proceeding in any such court.
(d) Each party to this Agreement irrevocably consents to service of process in the manner provided for notices in Section 9.01. Nothing in this Agreement will affect the right of any party to this Agreement to serve process in any other manner permitted by law.
55
SECTION 9.10 WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER THEORY). EACH PARTY HERETO (A) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER AND (B) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT AND THE OTHER PARTIES HERETO HAVE BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION.
SECTION 9.11 Headings. Article and Section headings and the Table of Contents used herein are for convenience of reference only, are not part of this Agreement and shall not affect the construction of, or be taken into consideration in interpreting, this Agreement.
SECTION 9.12 Disclosure. The Borrower agrees that the Administrative Agent may provide any information or knowledge the Administrative Agent may have about the Borrower or about any matter relating to this Agreement or the other Loan Documents to JPMorgan Chase & Co., or any of its subsidiaries or Affiliates or their respective successors and assigns, or to any one or more assignees all or a portion of its rights and obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and the Loans at the time owing to it).
SECTION 9.13 Interest Rate Limitation. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if at any time the interest rate applicable to any Loan, together with all fees, charges and other amounts which are treated as interest on such Loan under applicable law (collectively the Charges), shall exceed the maximum lawful rate (the Maximum Rate) which may be contracted for, charged, taken, received or reserved by the Lender holding such Loan in accordance with applicable law, the rate of interest payable in respect of such Loan hereunder, together with all Charges payable in respect thereof, shall be limited to the Maximum Rate and, to the extent lawful, the interest and Charges that would have been payable in respect of such Loan but were not payable as a result of the operation of this Section shall be cumulated and the interest and Charges payable to such Lender in respect of other Loans or periods shall be increased (but not above the Maximum Rate therefor) until such cumulated amount, together with interest thereon at the Federal Funds Effective Rate to the date of repayment, shall have been received by such Lender.
SECTION 9.14 USA PATRIOT Act.
(a) Each Lender that is subject to the requirements of the Act hereby notifies the Borrower that pursuant to the requirements of the Act, it is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies the Borrower, which information includes the name and address of the Borrower and other information that will allow such Lender to identify the Borrower in accordance with the Act.
(b) The following notification is provided to Borrower pursuant to Section 326 of the Act, 31 U.S.C. Section 5318:
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT PROCEDURES FOR OPENING A NEW ACCOUNT. To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person or entity that opens an account, including any deposit account, treasury management account, loan, other extension of credit, or other financial services product. What this means for Borrower: When Borrower opens an account, if Borrower is an individual, each Lender will ask for Borrowers name, taxpayer identification number, residential address, date of birth, and other information that will allow such Lender to identify Borrower, and if Borrower is not an individual, such Lender will ask for Borrowers name, taxpayer identification number, business address, and other information that will allow such Lender to identify Borrower. Each Lender may also ask, if Borrower is an individual, to see Borrowers drivers license or other identifying documents, and if Borrower is not an individual, to see Borrowers legal organizational documents or other identifying documents.
56
SECTION 9.15 JUDICIAL REFERENCE. IN THE EVENT ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING IS FILED IN A COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA (THE COURT) BY OR AGAINST THE BORROWER, THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, OR ANY OF THE LENDERS IN CONNECTION WITH ANY CONTROVERSY, DISPUTE OR CLAIM DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER THEORY) (EACH, A CLAIM) AND THE WAIVER SET FORTH IN SECTION 9.10 IS NOT ENFORCEABLE IN SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING, THE BORROWER, THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, AND EACH LENDER (BY THEIR ACCEPTANCE HEREOF) AGREE AS FOLLOWS:
(a) WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE MATTERS SPECIFIED IN CLAUSE (B) BELOW, ANY CLAIM WILL BE DETERMINED BY A GENERAL REFERENCE PROCEEDING IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF CALIFORNIA CODE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE SECTIONS 638 THROUGH 645.2. THE BORROWER, THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, AND EACH LENDER INTEND THIS GENERAL REFERENCE AGREEMENT TO BE SPECIFICALLY ENFORCEABLE IN ACCORDANCE WITH CALIFORNIA CODE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE SECTION 638. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED IN THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS, VENUE FOR THE REFERENCE PROCEEDING WILL BE IN THE STATE OR FEDERAL COURT IN THE COUNTY OR DISTRICT WHERE VENUE IS OTHERWISE APPROPRIATE UNDER APPLICABLE LAW.
(b) THE FOLLOWING MATTERS SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO A GENERAL REFERENCE PROCEEDING: (A) NON-JUDICIAL FORECLOSURE OF ANY SECURITY INTERESTS IN REAL OR PERSONAL PROPERTY; (B) EXERCISE OF SELF-HELP REMEDIES (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, SET-OFF); (C) APPOINTMENT OF A RECEIVER; AND (D) TEMPORARY, PROVISIONAL OR ANCILLARY REMEDIES (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, WRITS OF ATTACHMENT, WRITS OF POSSESSION, TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDERS OR PRELIMINARY INJUNCTIONS). THIS AGREEMENT DOES NOT LIMIT THE RIGHT OF THE BORROWER, THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, OR ANY LENDER TO EXERCISE OR OPPOSE ANY OF THE RIGHTS AND REMEDIES DESCRIBED IN CLAUSES (A) (D) AND ANY SUCH EXERCISE OR OPPOSITION DOES NOT WAIVE THE RIGHT OF THE BORROWER, THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, OR SUCH LENDER TO A REFERENCE PROCEEDING PURSUANT TO THIS AGREEMENT.
(c) UPON THE WRITTEN REQUEST OF THE BORROWER, THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, OR ANY LENDER, THE BORROWER, THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, AND THE LENDERS SHALL SELECT A SINGLE REFEREE, WHO SHALL BE A RETIRED JUDGE OR JUSTICE. IF THE BORROWER, THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, AND THE LENDERS DO NOT AGREE UPON A REFEREE WITHIN TEN (10) DAYS OF SUCH WRITTEN REQUEST, THEN, THE BORROWER, THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, OR ANY LENDER, MAY REQUEST THE COURT TO APPOINT A REFEREE PURSUANT TO CALIFORNIA CODE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE SECTION 640(B).
57
(d) ALL PROCEEDINGS AND HEARINGS CONDUCTED BEFORE THE REFEREE, EXCEPT FOR TRIAL, SHALL BE CONDUCTED WITHOUT A COURT REPORTER, EXCEPT WHEN THE BORROWER, THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, OR ANY LENDER SO REQUESTS, A COURT REPORTER WILL BE USED AND THE REFEREE WILL BE PROVIDED A COURTESY COPY OF THE TRANSCRIPT. THE PARTY MAKING SUCH REQUEST SHALL HAVE THE OBLIGATION TO ARRANGE FOR AND PAY COSTS OF THE COURT REPORTER, PROVIDED THAT SUCH COSTS, ALONG WITH THE REFEREES FEES, SHALL ULTIMATELY BE BORNE BY THE PARTY WHO DOES NOT PREVAIL, AS DETERMINED BY THE REFEREE.
(e) THE REFEREE MAY REQUIRE ONE OR MORE PREHEARING CONFERENCES. THE BORROWER, THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, AND THE LENDERS SHALL BE ENTITLED TO DISCOVERY, AND THE REFEREE SHALL OVERSEE DISCOVERY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RULES OF DISCOVERY, AND MAY ENFORCE ALL DISCOVERY ORDERS IN THE SAME MANNER AS ANY TRIAL COURT JUDGE IN PROCEEDINGS AT LAW IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. THE REFEREE SHALL APPLY THE RULES OF EVIDENCE APPLICABLE TO PROCEEDINGS AT LAW IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND SHALL DETERMINE ALL ISSUES IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE STATE AND FEDERAL LAW. THE REFEREE SHALL BE EMPOWERED TO ENTER EQUITABLE AS WELL AS LEGAL RELIEF AND RULE ON ANY MOTION WHICH WOULD BE AUTHORIZED IN A TRIAL, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, MOTIONS FOR DEFAULT JUDGMENT OR SUMMARY JUDGMENT. THE REFEREE SHALL REPORT THE REFEREES DECISION, WHICH REPORT SHALL ALSO INCLUDE FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW.
(f) THE BORROWER, THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, AND THE LENDERS RECOGNIZE AND AGREE THAT ALL CLAIMS RESOLVED IN A GENERAL REFERENCE PROCEEDING PURSUANT HERETO WILL BE DECIDED BY A REFEREE AND NOT BY A JURY.
58
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized officers as of the day and year first above written.
IRIS INTERNATIONAL, INC., a Delaware corporation | ||||
By: | ||||
Name: | ||||
Title: | ||||
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., individually and as Administrative Agent, | ||||
By: | ||||
Name: | ||||
Title: | ||||
[SIGNATURE PAGE TO CREDIT AGREEMENT]
EXHIBIT A
ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION
This Assignment and Assumption (the Assignment and Assumption) is dated as of the Effective Date set forth below and is entered into by and between [Insert name of Assignor] (the Assignor) and [Insert name of Assignee] (the Assignee). Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement identified below (as amended, the Credit Agreement), receipt of a copy of which is hereby acknowledged by the Assignee. The Standard Terms and Conditions set forth in Annex 1 attached hereto are hereby agreed to and incorporated herein by reference and made a part of this Assignment and Assumption as if set forth herein in full.
For an agreed consideration, the Assignor hereby irrevocably sells and assigns to the Assignee, and the Assignee hereby irrevocably purchases and assumes from the Assignor, subject to and in accordance with the Standard Terms and Conditions and the Credit Agreement, as of the Effective Date inserted by the Administrative Agent as contemplated below (i) all of the Assignors rights and obligations in its capacity as a Lender under the Credit Agreement and any other documents or instruments delivered pursuant thereto to the extent related to the amount and percentage interest identified below of all of such outstanding rights and obligations of the Assignor under the respective facilities identified below (including any letters of credit, guarantees, and swingline loans included in such facilities) and (ii) to the extent permitted to be assigned under applicable law, all claims, suits, causes of action and any other right of the Assignor (in its capacity as a Lender) against any Person, whether known or unknown, arising under or in connection with the Credit Agreement, any other documents or instruments delivered pursuant thereto or the loan transactions governed thereby or in any way based on or related to any of the foregoing, including contract claims, tort claims, malpractice claims, statutory claims and all other claims at law or in equity related to the rights and obligations sold and assigned pursuant to clause (i) above (the rights and obligations sold and assigned pursuant to clauses (i) and (ii) above being referred to herein collectively as the Assigned Interest). Such sale and assignment is without recourse to the Assignor and, except as expressly provided in this Assignment and Assumption, without representation or warranty by the Assignor.
1. | Assignor: | ||||
2. | Assignee: | ||||
[and is an Affiliate/Approved Fund of [identify Lender]2] | |||||
3. | Borrower(s): | IRIS INTERNATIONAL, INC., a Delaware corporation | |||
4. | Administrative Agent: | JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as the administrative agent under the Credit Agreement | |||
5. | Credit Agreement: | The $15,000,000 Credit Agreement, dated as of July 27, 2011, among IRIS INTERNATIONAL, INC., a Delaware corporation, the Lenders parties thereto, and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent |
2 | Select as applicable. |
6. | Assigned Interest: |
Aggregate Amount of | Amount of | |||||||||||
Commitment/Loans for | Commitment/Loans | Percentage Assigned of | ||||||||||
Facility Assigned3 | all Lenders | Assigned | Commitment/Loans4 | |||||||||
$ | $ | % | ||||||||||
$ | $ | % | ||||||||||
$ | $ | % |
Effective Date: _______ __, 20 _____ [TO BE INSERTED BY ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT AND WHICH SHALL BE THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF RECORDATION OF TRANSFER IN THE REGISTER THEREFOR.]
The Assignee agrees to deliver to the Administrative Agent a completed Administrative Questionnaire in which the Assignee designates one or more Credit Contacts to whom all syndicate-level information (which may contain material non-public information about the Borrower, the Loan Parties and their Related Parties or their respective securities) will be made available and who may receive such information in accordance with the Assignees compliance procedures and applicable laws, including Federal and state securities laws.
The terms set forth in this Assignment and Assumption are hereby agreed to:
ASSIGNOR [NAME OF ASSIGNOR] | ||||
By: | ||||
Title: | ||||
ASSIGNEE [NAME OF ASSIGNEE] | ||||
By: | ||||
Title: | ||||
3 | Fill in the appropriate terminology for the types of facilities under the Credit Agreement that are being assigned under this Assignment (e.g. Revolving Commitment, Tranche A Commitment, Tranche B Commitment, etc.) | |
4 | Set forth, to at least 9 decimals, as a percentage of the Commitment/Loans of all Lenders thereunder. |
2
[Consented to and]5 Accepted: | ||||||
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., as Administrative Agent | ||||||
By: | ||||||
Name: | ||||||
Title: | ||||||
[Consented to:]6 | ||||||
[NAME OF RELEVANT PARTY] | ||||||
By: | ||||||
Name: | ||||||
Title: | ||||||
5 | To be added only if the consent of the Administrative Agent is required by the terms of the Credit Agreement. | |
6 | To be added only if the consent of the Borrower and/or other parties (e.g. Swingline Lender, Issuing Bank) is required by the terms of the Credit Agreement. |
3
ANNEX 1
The $15,000,000 Credit Agreement, dated as of July 27, 2011, by and
among IRIS INTERNATIONAL, INC., a Delaware corporation, the Lenders parties thereto,
and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent
among IRIS INTERNATIONAL, INC., a Delaware corporation, the Lenders parties thereto,
and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent
STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR
ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION
ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION
1. Representations and Warranties
1.1 Assignor. The Assignor (a) represents and warrants that (i) it is the legal and beneficial owner of the Assigned Interest, (ii) the Assigned Interest is free and clear of any lien, encumbrance or other adverse claim and (iii) it has full power and authority, and has taken all action necessary, to execute and deliver this Assignment and Assumption and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby; and (b) assumes no responsibility with respect to (i) any statements, warranties or representations made in or in connection with the Credit Agreement or any other Loan Document, (ii) the execution, legality, validity, enforceability, genuineness, sufficiency or value of the Loan Documents or any collateral thereunder, (iii) the financial condition of the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates or any other Person obligated in respect of any Loan Document or (iv) the performance or observance by the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates or any other Person of any of their respective obligations under any Loan Document.
1.2 Assignee. The Assignee (a) represents and warrants that (i) it has full power and authority, and has taken all action necessary, to execute and deliver this Assignment and Assumption and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and to become a Lender under the Credit Agreement, (ii) it satisfies the requirements, if any, specified in the Credit Agreement that are required to be satisfied by it in order to acquire the Assigned Interest and become a Lender, (iii) from and after the Effective Date, it shall be bound by the provisions of the Credit Agreement as a Lender thereunder and, to the extent of the Assigned Interest, shall have the obligations of a Lender thereunder, (iv) it has received a copy of the Credit Agreement, together with copies of the most recent financial statements delivered pursuant to Section 5.01 thereof, as applicable, and such other documents and information as it has deemed appropriate to make its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Assignment and Assumption and to purchase the Assigned Interest on the basis of which it has made such analysis and decision independently and without reliance on the Administrative Agent or any other Lender, and (v) if it is a Foreign Lender, attached to the Assignment and Assumption is any documentation required to be delivered by it pursuant to the terms of the Credit Agreement, duly completed and executed by the Assignee; and (b) agrees that (i) it will, independently and without reliance on the Administrative Agent, the Assignor or any other Lender, and based on such documents and information as it shall deem appropriate at the time, continue to make its own credit decisions in taking or not taking action under the Loan Documents, and (ii) it will perform in accordance with their terms all of the obligations which by the terms of the Loan Documents are required to be performed by it as a Lender.
2. Payments. From and after the Effective Date, the Administrative Agent shall make all payments in respect of the Assigned Interest (including payments of principal, interest, fees and other amounts) to the Assignor for amounts which have accrued to but excluding the Effective Date and to the Assignee for amounts which have accrued from and after the Effective Date.
3. General Provisions. This Assignment and Assumption shall be binding upon, and inure to the benefit of, the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns. This Assignment and Assumption may be executed in any number of counterparts, which together shall constitute one instrument. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Assignment and Assumption by facsimile shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Assignment and Assumption. This Assignment and Assumption shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the law of the State of California.
2
EXHIBIT B-1
OPINION OF COUNSEL FOR THE BORROWER
[Effective Date]
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.
300 South Grand Avenue, Floor 4
Los Angeles, California 90071
Attn: David Scott
300 South Grand Avenue, Floor 4
Los Angeles, California 90071
Attn: David Scott
Re: Iris International, Inc., a Delaware corporation
Gentlemen:
We have acted as special counsel to Iris International, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Company), Arista Molecular, Inc., a Delaware corporation (Arista), Iris Global Network, Inc., a Delaware corporation (Iris Global), Iris Molecular Diagnostics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (Iris Molecular), and StatSpin, Inc., a Massachusetts corporation (Statspin; Statspin, together with Arista, Iris Global, and Iris Molecular, each a Guarantor and collectively, the Guarantors; the Company, together with the Guarantors, each a Loan Party and collectively, the Loan Parties) in connection with the delivery of that certain Credit Agreement, dated as of the date hereof (the Agreement), by and among the Company, the lenders from time to time a party thereto (each a Lender and collectively, the Lenders), and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent for the Lenders (in such capacity, together with its successors and assigns in such capacity, the Administrative Agent), and certain related documents. This opinion letter is delivered pursuant to Section 5.01(b) of the Agreement.
Capitalized terms are used herein as defined in the Agreement, unless otherwise defined herein, and other terms that are defined in the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in the State of California (the California UCC) have the same meanings when used herein, unless otherwise indicated in the context in which such terms are so used.
In connection with this letter, we have examined executed originals or copies of executed originals of each of the following documents, each of which is dated as of the date hereof unless otherwise noted (collectively, the Loan Documents): (a) the Agreement, (b) those certain Continuing Security Agreements between the relevant Loan Parties and the Administrative Agent (each, a Security Agreement and collectively, the Security Agreements); and (c) those certain Guarantees from the Guarantors. We have also examined originals or copies of executed originals of the Uniform Commercial Code financing statements listed hereto on Schedule 2 (the UCC Financing Statements).
In addition, we have examined the following documents (collectively, the Due Diligence Documents): (i) the articles of incorporation and bylaws submitted with the Secretaries Certificates delivered pursuant to Section 4.01(d) of the Agreement (the Formation Documents), (ii) certificates of the State agencies or officials set forth on Schedule 1 hereto (the Good Standing Certificates), and (iii) certain Officers and Secretarys Certificates of the Loan Parties dated as of even date herewith certifying certain other factual matters (the Officers Reliance Certificates).
We have examined originals or certified copies of such corporate records of the Loan Parties and other certificates and documents of officials of the Loan Parties, public officials and others and have made such investigation of Included Laws (as defined below) as we have deemed appropriate for purposes of this letter, except where a statement is qualified as to knowledge or awareness, which is as specified below. As to various questions of fact relevant to this letter, we have relied, without independent investigation, upon the Due Diligence Documents and certificates of public officials, certificates of officers of the Loan Parties and the representations and warranties of the Loan Parties in the Loan Documents, all of which we assume to be true, correct and complete. We have made no investigation or review of any matters or agreements relating to the Loan Parties or any other Person other than as expressly described herein. We wish to inform you that our knowledge is necessarily limited due to the limited scope of our review. In addition, we have made no inquiry of the Loan Parties or any other Person (including Governmental Authorities) regarding, and no review of, any court dockets, judgments, orders, decrees, franchises, licenses, certificates, permits or other public records other than the Good Standing Certificates and the Officers Reliance Certificates, and our knowledge of any such matters is accordingly limited.
We have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, other than signatures to the Loan Documents made on behalf of the Loan Parties, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals and the conformity to authentic original documents of all copies submitted to us as conformed, certified or reproduced copies. We have also assumed the legal capacity of natural persons, the corporate or other power and due authorization of each Person not a natural person, other than the Loan Parties, to execute and deliver the Loan Documents and to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents, the due execution and delivery of each Loan Document by all parties thereto, other than the Loan Parties, and that each Loan Document constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligation of each party thereto, other than the Loan Parties, enforceable against such party in accordance with its terms.
Based upon the foregoing and subject to the assumptions, exceptions, qualifications and limitations set forth hereinafter, we are of the opinion that:
1. | Each Loan Party (i) is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, and (ii) has the requisite corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as presently conducted. |
2. | The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to execute, deliver and perform its obligations under the Loan Documents to which it is a party in accordance with the terms thereof. Each Guarantor has the requisite corporate power and authority to execute, deliver and perform its obligations under the Loan Documents to which it is a party in accordance with the terms thereof. The execution and delivery of the Loan Documents by the Company and each Guarantor, and the consummation by the Company and each Guarantor of the transactions contemplated thereby have been duly authorized by all necessary action and no further consent or authorization of the Company or any Guarantor or their respective boards of directors or stockholders, or authorization, approval, consent, or other order of, or filing with, or notice to or registration with, any federal or state governmental authority or regulatory body (including, without limitation, any self-regulatory organization) (each, a Filing), is required to be obtained by the Company or any Guarantor to enter into and perform its obligations under the Loan Documents except such Filings as have been obtained or made. The Loan Documents to which the Company is a party have been duly executed and delivered by the Company and constitute the legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their respective terms. Each of the Loan Documents to which any Guarantor is a party have been duly executed and delivered by each such Guarantor and constitute the legal, valid and binding obligations of such Guarantor, enforceable against such Guarantor in accordance with their respective terms. |
3. | The execution, delivery and performance of the Loan Documents by the Company and each Guarantor and the consummation by the Company and each Guarantor of the transactions contemplated thereby does not and will not result in a violation of (i) the certificate of incorporation or bylaws of the Company or the certificate of incorporation or bylaws of such Guarantor or (ii) any Included Law applicable to the Company or such Guarantor, and will not result in the creation or imposition of any Lien on any asset of such Loan Party or such Guarantor except as contemplated under the Loan Documents. |
4. | No Loan Party is, and after giving effect to the application of proceeds of the Loans on the date hereof for purposes permitted by the Credit Agreement, no Loan Party will be an investment company as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. |
5. | The making of all loans, advances and extensions of credit pursuant to the Credit Agreement and the Loan Documents and the application of proceeds of the advances thereunder do not violate Regulations T, U or X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. |
6. | Each Security Agreement creates valid security interests in the Collateral (as defined in such Security Agreement) in favor of the Administrative Agent for the benefit of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders (as defined in the Security Agreement) to the extent that any Loan Party has rights therein. |
7. | The Financing Statements are in appropriate form for filing in the jurisdictions listed on Schedule 3 attached hereto (assuming the uniform commercial code in such jurisdictions is the same as the California UCC). The offices in the jurisdictions indicated on Schedule 3 (the Filing Offices) are the only offices in the relevant jurisdictions in which financing statements are required to be filed in order to perfect by filing the security interests granted to the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders, in the Collateral consisting of personal property or fixtures located in such jurisdictions to the extent that such security interests may be perfected under Article 9 of the California UCC by filing a UCC financing statement, naming the Secured Party as secured party. Accordingly, to the extent that a security interest in the Collateral consisting of personal property or fixtures may be perfected by the filing of a financing statement in such jurisdictions, the security interest of the Administrative Agent in such Collateral is perfected upon the filing of the Financing Statements in the Filing Offices. No opinion is expressed herein regarding any financing statement filed against Statspin. |
8. | Upon delivery to (and retention by) the Administrative Agent of the certificates of capital stock along with stock powers executed in blank issued by each Subsidiary of the Company referred to in the Security Agreements and pledged pursuant to the Security Agreements (the Pledged Interests), the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders, will have valid and perfected security interests in such Pledged Interests. Assuming the Administrative Agent and the Lenders acquire their interests in the Pledged Interests as protected purchasers under Section 8-303 of the California UCC, the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Lenders, will acquire such security interests free of adverse claims (as such term is defined in Section 8-102(a)(1) of the California UCC) of any other Person. |
The opinions and other matters in this letter are qualified in their entirety and subject to the following:
A. | We express no opinion as to the laws of any jurisdiction other than the Included Laws. We have made no special investigation or review of any published constitutions, treaties, laws, rules or regulations or judicial or administrative decisions (Laws), other than (i) the Federal statutory law of the United States, (ii) the Delaware General Corporation Law and (iii) the Laws of the State of California. For purposes of this opinion, the term Included Laws means the items described in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of the preceding sentence that California lawyers exercising customary diligence would reasonably recognize as normally applicable to transactions of the type contemplated in the Loan Documents. The term Included Laws specifically excludes (i) Laws of any counties, cities, towns, municipalities and special political subdivisions and any agencies thereof, (ii) intellectual property Law, antitrust Law and environmental Law and (iii) Laws relating to land use, mining and mining operations, zoning and building code issues, subdivision issues, taxes, except with respect to the opinion contained in paragraph 5, Federal Reserve Board margin regulation issues, customs and import and export issues and, except with respect to the opinion contained in paragraph 4, the Investment Company Act of 1940. |
B. | This letter and the matters addressed herein are as of the date hereof and we undertake no, and hereby disclaim any, obligation to advise you of any change in any matter set forth herein, whether based on a change in the law, a change in any fact relating to the Company or any other Person, or any other circumstance. This opinion letter is limited to the matters expressly stated herein and no opinions are to be inferred or may be implied beyond the opinions expressly set forth herein. |
C. | The opinions expressed in paragraph 1 herein solely with respect to the good standing of the Company and each Guarantor are given solely on the basis of the Good Standing Certificates and speak only as of the date indicated therein rather than the date hereof, and are limited to the meaning ascribed to such certificates by the applicable State agency and applicable Law. |
D. | We express no opinion with respect to (i) the power or authority of the Lenders to make the loans pursuant to the Agreement, (ii) compliance by the Lenders with any federal or state banking Law, rule, regulation or restriction, or (iii) compliance by the Lenders with any federal or state Law, rule, regulation or restriction which is or was required to be complied with by the Lenders (as opposed to compliance therewith by the Company and the Guarantors) in order to perfect the rights of the Lenders under the Loan Documents. |
E. | We express no opinion as to (i) the compliance of the transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents with any regulations or governmental requirements applicable to any party other than the Company and the Guarantors, (ii) the financial condition or solvency of the Company or the Guarantors, (iii) the ability (financial or otherwise) of the Company or the Guarantors or any other party to meet their respective obligations under the Loan Documents, (iv) the compliance of the Loan Documents or the transactions contemplated thereby with, or the effect of any of the foregoing with respect to, the antifraud provisions of the federal and state securities Laws, rules and regulations, (v) the value of any security provided to secure the payment of obligations contemplated by the Loan Documents, (vi) the existence of, the legal and beneficial ownership of, title to, the accuracy of any legal description of, the physical condition of, or the actual use of, any properties or assets purportedly owned by the Company or the Guarantors or any other Person, (vii) whether any such properties or assets are in compliance with any Laws relating to the construction, occupancy or use thereof (including, without limitation, zoning Laws, building codes and environmental Laws) and (viii) the conformity of the Loan Documents to any term sheet or commitment letter. |
F. | The matters expressed in this opinion letter are subject to and qualified and limited by (i) applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer and conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and similar Laws affecting creditors rights and remedies generally, (ii) general principles of equity, including principles of commercial reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing (regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding at law or in equity), (iii) commercial reasonableness and unconscionability and an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, (iv) the power of the courts to award damages in lieu of equitable remedies and (v) securities Laws and public policy underlying such Laws with respect to rights to indemnification and contribution. |
G. | Based on the 2007 Update to the Report of the Committee of Corporations of the Business Law Section of the State Bar of California Regarding Legal Opinions in Business Transactions, the term enforceable as used in paragraph 2 hereof means that (i) a contract has been formed, (ii) a remedy will be available in the event of a breach of the undertakings in the contract (or the undertakings will otherwise be given effect) and (iii) remedies in the contract will be given effect, unless, in the case of (ii) or (iii) expressly or implicitly excluded. The opinions expressed in the last two sentences of paragraph 2 herein are subject to the qualification that certain provisions of the Loan Documents covered by this opinion letter may be unenforceable, but such unenforceability will not, subject to the other exceptions, qualifications and limitations in this opinion letter, render the Loan Documents invalid as a whole or substantially interfere with realization of the principal benefits contemplated by the Loan Documents. |
H. | We also advise you of California statutory provisions to the effect that, in certain circumstances, a surety, guarantor, indemnitor, co-guarantor or co-borrower of security for a debt or other obligation of a borrower (collectively herein, surety or guarantor) may be exonerated if the suretys obligation under a surety, guaranty, indemnity or co-borrowing or security arrangement is not supported by consideration distinct from the consideration for the principals obligation (or another partys obligation, including without limitation, other co-borrowers) (collectively herein, obligor or principal) or if there is any fraud, concealment, non-disclosure, misrepresentation of facts or undue advantage taken of the surety by the creditor or if the creditor materially alters the original obligation of the principal without the consent of the surety, or the creditor elects remedies for default which impair the subrogation or other rights of the surety against the principal or the creditor otherwise takes any action which materially prejudices the surety against the principal or the creditor otherwise takes any action which materially prejudices the surety, and that the suretys obligation may be unenforceable to the extent that it exceeds or is more burdensome than the underlying principal obligation or the underlying principal obligation is unenforceable. See, e.g., without limitation, Cal.Civ.Code Sections 2809, 2810 and 2819-2856. These outcomes may result notwithstanding the presence of any waivers of such provisions. There is also authority, however, to the effect that a surety may validly waive those rights if the waivers are expressly set forth in the guaranty or other document or arrangement. See, e.g., without limitation, Cal.Civ.Code Sections 2787 through 2855. Further, in certain circumstances a surety may require a creditor to first proceed and exhaust its remedies against the principal. See, without limitation, Cal.Civ.Code Section 2845. We express no opinion as to whether a court presented with the issue would hold in favor of the effectiveness, under California law, of any waivers set forth in any guaranty or other document or arrangement executed by any surety, nor do we express any opinion as to the effect on any such guaranty or other document or arrangement of (i) any modification to or amendment of any of the Companys or the Guarantors obligations that materially increases those obligations, (ii) any other action by the Company that materially prejudices the surety, if, in any such instance, such modification, amendment or action occurs without prior notice to and the consent of the surety or (iii) any security arrangement not supported by consideration. |
I. | With respect to our opinions expressed in the last two sentences of paragraph 2, we advise you that a California court may not strictly enforce certain covenants contained in the Loan Documents or allow acceleration of the indebtedness secured by the Loan Documents if it concludes that such enforcement or acceleration would be unreasonable under the then existing circumstances or that the holder of such indebtedness has not demonstrated that the security would be impaired. |
J. | The matters expressed in this letter are subject to and qualified and limited by the invalidity or unenforceability of: (i) under certain circumstances under California Law or court decisions, provisions indemnifying a party against liability for its own wrongful or negligent acts or where such indemnification is contrary to public policy; (ii) under certain circumstances, provisions imposing penalties, forfeitures, late payment charges or increasing an interest rate upon delinquency in payment or upon the occurrence of a default; (iii) under certain circumstances, contractual provisions respecting various self-help or summary remedies without notice or opportunity for hearing or correction; (iv) any provision in the Loan Documents which expressly or implicitly appoints Administrative Agent or other persons or entities as the attorney-in-fact of any of the Company, the Guarantors or any other party; (v) under certain circumstances, provisions in the Loan Documents to the effect that rights or remedies are not exclusive, that every right or remedy is cumulative and may be exercised in addition to, or with, any other right or remedy or that the election of some particular remedy or remedies does not preclude recourse to one or another remedy; (vi) under certain circumstances, provisions in the Loan Documents regarding the procedure and effect of a private sale of the personal property collateral or whether, under the factual circumstances existing at the time of the sale of the personal property collateral, the sale would be commercially reasonable; (vii) provisions in the Loan Documents which purport to restrain or invalidate the free alienability of property; and (viii) financial covenants in the Loan Documents to the extent that they are not merely a trigger for a default. |
K. | We express no opinion as to the validity or enforceability of the provisions of the Loan Documents to the extent any provision thereof (i) may be limited or otherwise affected by compliance with procedural requirements of California Law relating to the exercise of remedies by a lender; (ii) are vague or ambiguous on their face; (iii) relate to confidentiality; or (iv) purport to specify remedies regarding injunctive relief. |
L. | With respect to the opinions set forth in paragraphs 2 and 6, we wish to advise you that the provisions of the Loan Documents which purport to create a security interest in real or personal property are enforceable (except as otherwise limited in this opinion letter) only to the extent of the grantors rights and interests in such property. |
M. | We express no opinion as to the validity, binding effect, or enforceability of any provision of the Loan Documents which (i) permits the Lenders to increase the rate of interest or to collect a late charge or prepayment penalty in the event of delinquency or default; (ii) waive, directly or indirectly, expressly or impliedly, defenses to obligations or rights granted by Law, where such waivers are prohibited by Law or are against public policy; (iii) purport to relieve a party or to indemnify a party against any liability for the negligence or misconduct of such party; (iv) are vague and/or ambiguous on their face; or (v) are liquidated damages. |
N. | We express no opinion as to the validity, binding effect, or enforceability of any provision of the Loan Documents with respect to (i) the enforceability of any dispute, forum selection or consent to jurisdiction clauses; (ii) a waiver of a right to jury trial; or (iii) choice of law. |
O. | In rendering our opinions expressed in paragraph 6 herein, we have assumed, with your consent and without any independent investigation, that the UCC Financing Statements will be filed with the appropriate Filing Office in the exact form attached hereto as Schedule 2. |
P. | With respect to the opinions expressed in paragraph 6 herein, we express no opinion as to (i) priority of security interests created by the presentation of the UCC Financing Statements to the Filing Office in connection with the Loan Documents or (ii) the title to or ownership of the property or assets constituting the collateral described in such UCC Financing Statements. In addition, we wish to advise you that a security interest attaches only to the extent the Company or the Guarantors, as applicable, has rights and interests in the property and assets constituting the Collateral. In rendering our opinion, we have assumed that the Company and the Guarantors have rights and interests in the property and assets constituting the Collateral. |
Q. | With respect to the opinions expressed in paragraph 6 herein, we express no opinion with respect to collateral described in the Security Agreement that consists of or will consist of (i) goods covered by certificates of title, (ii) fixtures, (iii) consumer goods, (iv) farm products, (v) commercial tort claims, (vi) timber to be cut, (vii) as-extracted collateral, (viii) deposit accounts, (ix) investment securities or (x) letter-of-credit rights. |
R. | The opinion expressed in the second sentence of paragraph 8 does not address the Lenders priority with respect to claims in the collateral that are not governed by Article 9 of the California UCC. |
S. | We advise you that certain provisions of the Loan Documents are or may be unenforceable in whole or in part as a result of the Laws of the State of California that cannot be waived governing restricting liability for attorneys fees. |
T. | In rendering any opinion herein with respect to Statspin, we are relying, without independent investigation, and with your consent, on that certain opinion of even date herewith from Todd Graham, counsel to Borrower, as to matters covered in such opinion. |
U. | This opinion letter is solely for your benefit, and no other Persons shall be entitled to rely upon this letter other than you, your successors and assigns as Lenders, and Persons that acquire participations in your Loans (collectively, the Reliance Parties). Without our prior written consent, this opinion letter may not be quoted in whole or in part or otherwise referred to in any document and may not be furnished or otherwise disclosed to or used by any Person other than the Reliance Parties, except for (i) delivery of copies hereof to counsel for the Reliance Parties and (ii) inclusion of copies hereof in a closing file. |
V. | This law firm is a registered limited liability partnership organized under the Laws of the State of California. |
Very truly yours,
EXHIBIT B-2
OPINION OF IN-HOUSE COUNSEL OF BORROWER
[Effective Date]
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.
300 South Grand Avenue, Floor 4
Los Angeles, California 90071
Attn. David Scott
300 South Grand Avenue, Floor 4
Los Angeles, California 90071
Attn. David Scott
Re: Iris International, Inc., a Delaware corporation
Gentlemen:
I am the corporate counsel to Iris International, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Company), Arista Molecular, Inc., a Delaware corporation (Arista), Iris Global Network, Inc., a Delaware corporation (Iris Global), Iris Molecular Diagnostics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (Iris Molecular), and StatSpin, Inc., a Massachusetts corporation (Statspin; Statspin, together with Arista, Iris Global, and Iris Molecular, each a Guarantor and collectively, the Guarantors; the Company, together with the Guarantors, each a Loan Party and collectively, the Loan Parties) in connection with the delivery of that certain Credit Agreement, dated as of the date hereof (the Agreement), by and among the Company, the lenders from time to time a party thereto (each a Lender and collectively, the Lenders) and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent for the Lenders (in such capacity, together with its successors and assigns in such capacity, the Administrative Agent), and certain related documents. This opinion letter is delivered pursuant to Section 5.01(b) of the Agreement.
Capitalized terms are used herein as defined in the Agreement, unless otherwise defined herein.
In connection with this letter, I have examined executed originals or copies of executed originals of each of the following documents, each of which is dated as of the date hereof unless otherwise noted (collectively, the Loan Documents): (a) the Agreement, (b) those certain Continuing Security Agreements between the relevant Loan Parties and the Administrative Agent (each, a Security Agreement), collectively the Security Agreements); and(c) those certain Guarantees from the Guarantors .
In addition, I have examined the following documents (collectively, the Due Diligence Documents): (i) the articles of incorporation and bylaws described on Schedule 1 hereto (the Formation Documents and (ii) certificates of the State agencies or officials set forth in Schedule 2 hereto (the Good Standing Certificates).
I have examined originals or certified copies of such corporate records of the Loan Parties and other certificates and documents of officials of the Loan Parties, public officials and others and have made such investigation of law as I have deemed appropriate for purposes of this letter, except where a statement is qualified as to knowledge or awareness, which is as specified below.
Based upon the foregoing and subject to the qualifications and limitations set forth hereinafter, I am of the opinion that:
1. | the Company and each Guarantor is qualified to do business in, and is in good standing in, every jurisdiction where such qualification is required, except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. |
2. | Statspin, Inc. is a corporation duly organized and validly existing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and has the requisite corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as presently conducted. |
3. | Statspin has the requisite corporate power and authority to execute, deliver and perform its obligations under the Loan Documents to which it is a party in accordance with the terms thereof. The execution and delivery of the Loan Documents by Statspin, and the consummation by Statspin of the transactions contemplated thereby, have been duly authorized by all necessary action and no further consent or authorization of Statspin, its board of directors, stockholders or any authorization, approval, consent, or other order of, or filing with, or notice to or registration with, any federal or state governmental authority or regulatory body (including, without limitation, any self-regulatory organization) (each, a Filing) is required to be obtained by Statspin to enter into and perform its obligations under the Loan Documents except such Filings as have been obtained or made. The Loan Documents to which Statspin is a party have been duly executed and delivered by Statspin. |
4. | There are no actions, suits or proceedings by or before any arbitrator or Governmental Authority pending against or, to my knowledge, threatened against or affecting the Company or any Guarantor (a) as to which there is a reasonable possibility of an adverse determination and that, if adversely determined, could reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect (other than the Disclosed Matters) or (b) that involve the Loan Documents or the Transactions. |
5. | The execution, delivery and performance of the Loan Documents by the Company and each Guarantor and the consummation by the Company and each Guarantor of the transactions contemplated thereby do not and will not violate or result in a default under any indenture, agreement or other instrument binding upon the Company or any Guarantor or its assets, or give rise to a right thereunder to require any payment to be made by the Company or such Guarantor. |
6. | The Massachusetts Financing Statement is in appropriate form for filing in Office of the Secretary of State of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (the Massachusetts Filing Office). The Massachusetts Filing Office is the only office in Massachusetts in which a financing statement is required to be filed in order to perfect by filing the security interest granted to the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders, in the Collateral consisting of personal property or fixtures located in such jurisdiction to the extent that such security interests may be perfected under Article 9 of the Massachusetts UCC by filing a UCC financing statement, naming the Secured Party as secured party. Accordingly, to the extent that a security interest in the Collateral consisting of personal property or fixtures may be perfected by the filing of a financing statement in such jurisdiction, the security interest of the Administrative Agent in such Collateral is perfected upon the filing of the Financing Statement in the Massachusetts Filing Office. |
The opinions and other matters in this letter are qualified in their entirety and subject to the following:
W. | I have made no special investigation or review of any published constitutions, treaties, laws, rules or regulations or judicial or administrative decisions, other than (i) the Federal statutory law of the United States, (ii) the Delaware General Corporation Law, (iii) the Laws of the State of California, and (iv) Article 9 of the Massachusetts UCC as set forth on the Massachusetts website |
(http://www.malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXV/Chapter106)
on the date hereof (solely with respect to the opinions expressed in paragraph 6 herein).
X. | This letter and the matters addressed herein are as of the date hereof and I undertake no, and hereby disclaim any, obligation to advise you of any change in any matter set forth herein, whether based on a change in the law, a change in any fact relating to the Company or any other Person, or any other circumstance. This opinion letter is limited to the matters expressly stated herein and no opinions are to be inferred or may be implied beyond the opinions expressly set forth herein. |
Y. | The opinions expressed in paragraph 1 herein solely with respect to the good standing of the Company and each Guarantor are given solely on the basis of the Good Standing Certificates and speak only as of the date indicated therein rather than the date hereof and are limited to the meaning ascribed to such certificates by the applicable State agency and applicable law of the State of organization of each such entity. |
Z. | The opinions expressed in paragraph 5 are limited to any indenture, agreement or other instrument that has been filed as an exhibit to an SEC filing of the Borrower as a material contract. |
AA. | This opinion letter is solely for your benefit, and no other Persons shall be entitled to rely upon this letter other than you, your successors and assigns as Lenders, and Persons that acquire participations in your Loans (collectively, the Reliance Parties). Without our prior written consent, this opinion letter may not be quoted in whole or in part or otherwise referred to in any document and may not be furnished or otherwise disclosed to or used by any Person other than the Reliance Parties, except for (i) delivery of copies hereof to counsel for the Reliance Parties and (ii) inclusion of copies hereof in a closing file. |
Very truly yours,
EXHIBIT C
JOINDER AGREEMENT
THIS JOINDER AGREEMENT (this Agreement), dated as of _____, 20____, is entered into between , a (the New Subsidiary) and JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., in its capacity as administrative agent (the Administrative Agent) under that certain Credit Agreement, dated as of July 27, 2011 among IRIS INTERNATIONAL, INC., a Delaware corporation (the Borrower), the Loan Parties party thereto, the Lenders party thereto and the Administrative Agent (as the same may be amended, modified, extended or restated from time to time, the Credit Agreement). All capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings set forth in the Credit Agreement.
The New Subsidiary and the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Lenders, hereby agree as follows:
1. The New Subsidiary hereby acknowledges, agrees and confirms that, by its execution of this Agreement, the New Subsidiary will be deemed to be a Loan Party under the Credit Agreement and a Guarantor for all purposes of the Credit Agreement and shall have all of the obligations of a Loan Party and a Guarantor thereunder as if it had executed the Credit Agreement. The New Subsidiary hereby ratifies, as of the date hereof, and agrees to be bound by, all of the terms, provisions and conditions contained in the Credit Agreement, including without limitation (a) all of the representations and warranties of the Loan Parties set forth in Article III of the Credit Agreement, and (b) all of the covenants set forth in Articles V and VI of the Credit Agreement. The New Subsidiary has delivered to the Administrative Agent an executed Guaranty.
2. If required, the New Subsidiary is, simultaneously with the execution of this Agreement, executing and delivering such Loan Documents (and such other documents and instruments) as requested by the Administrative Agent in accordance with the Credit Agreement.
3. The address of the New Subsidiary for purposes of Section 9.01 of the Credit Agreement is as follows:
4. The New Subsidiary hereby waives acceptance by the Administrative Agent and the Lenders of the guaranty by the New Subsidiary upon the execution of this Agreement by the New Subsidiary.
5. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which when so executed and delivered shall be an original, but all of which shall constitute one and the same instrument.
6. THIS AGREEMENT AND THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE PARTIES HEREUNDER SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED AND INTERPRETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the New Subsidiary has caused this Agreement to be duly executed by its authorized officer, and the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Lenders, has caused the same to be accepted by its authorized officer, as of the day and year first above written.
[NEW SUBSIDIARY] | ||||||||
By: | ||||||||
Name: | ||||||||
Title: | ||||||||
Acknowledged and accepted: | ||||||||
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., as Administrative Agent | ||||||||
By: | ||||||||
Name: | ||||||||
Title: | ||||||||