CREDIT AGREEMENT Dated as of July 16, 2004 among KNIGHT-RIDDER, INC.,

EX-10.11 2 dex1011.htm CREDIT AGREEMENT Credit Agreement

Exhibit 10.11

 

Execution Version

 


Published CUSIP Number:                         

 

$1,000,000,000

 

CREDIT AGREEMENT

 

Dated as of July 16, 2004

 

among

 

KNIGHT-RIDDER, INC.,

as the Borrower,

 

BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,

as Administrative Agent, Swing Line Lender

and

L/C Issuer

 

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK,

as Syndication Agent

 

WACHOVIA BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION and SUNTRUST BANK

as Co-Documentation Agents

 

and

 

The Other Lenders Party Hereto

 

BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC and J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES, INC.

as

Joint Lead Arrangers and Joint Book Managers

 



TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

         Page

ARTICLE I.

  DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING TERMS    1

1.01

  Defined Terms    1

1.02

  Other Interpretive Provisions    16

1.03

  Accounting Terms    16

1.04

  Rounding    16

1.05

  Times of Day    17

1.06

  Letter of Credit Amounts    17

ARTICLE II.

  THE COMMITMENTS AND CREDIT EXTENSIONS    17

2.01

  Committed Loans    17

2.02

  Borrowings, Conversions and Continuations of Committed Loans    17

2.03

  Letters of Credit    19

2.04

  Swing Line Loans    26

2.05

  Prepayments    29

2.06

  Termination or Reduction of Commitments    30

2.07

  Repayment of Loans    30

2.08

  Interest    30

2.09

  Fees    31

2.10

  Computation of Interest and Fees    32

2.11

  Evidence of Debt    32

2.12

  Payments Generally; Administrative Agent’s Clawback    33

2.13

  Sharing of Payments by Lenders    34

2.14

  Increase in Commitments    35

ARTICLE III.

  TAXES, YIELD PROTECTION AND ILLEGALITY    36

3.01

  Taxes    36

3.02

  Illegality    38

3.03

  Inability to Determine Rates    39

3.04

  Increased Costs; Reserves on Eurodollar Rate Loans    39

3.05

  Compensation for Losses    41

3.06

  Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders    41

3.07

  Survival    42

ARTICLE IV.

  CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO CREDIT EXTENSIONS    42

4.01

  Conditions of Initial Credit Extension    42

4.02

  Conditions to all Credit Extensions    43

ARTICLE V.

  REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES    44

5.01

  Financial Condition    44

5.02

  No Change    44

5.03

  Corporate Existence: Compliance with Law    45

5.04

  Corporate Power: Authorization: Enforceable Obligations    45

 

-i-


TABLE OF CONTENTS

(continued)

 

         Page

5.05

  No Legal Bar    45

5.06

  No Material Litigation    45

5.07

  No Default    45

5.08

  Ownership of Property; Liens    45

5.09

  No Burdensome Restrictions    46

5.10

  Taxes    46

5.11

  Federal Regulations    46

5.12

  ERISA    46

5.13

  Investment Company Act    47

5.14

  Subsidiaries    47

5.15

  Environmental Matters    47

5.16

  Purpose of Facility    47

5.17

  Disclosure    47

ARTICLE VI.

  COVENANTS    48

6.01

  Financial Statements    48

6.02

  Certificates; Other Information    48

6.03

  Payment of Obligations    50

6.04

  Conduct of Business and Maintenance of Existence    50

6.05

  Maintenance of Property, Insurance    50

6.06

  Inspection of Property: Books and Records, Discussions    51

6.07

  Notices    51

6.08

  Preservation and Protection of Rights    52

6.09

  Environmental Laws    52

ARTICLE VII.

  NEGATIVE COVENANTS    52

7.01

  Limitation on Liens    52

7.02

  Prohibition of Fundamental Changes    54

7.03

  Prohibition on Sale of Assets    54

7.04

  Compliance with ERISA    55

7.05

  Assignment    55

7.06

  Financial Covenant - Consolidated Total Debt to Consolidated EBITDA    55

7.07

  Transactions with Affiliates    55

ARTICLE VIII.

  DEFAULT    56

8.01

  Events of Default    56

8.02

  Remedies Upon Event of Default    57

8.03

  Application of Funds    58

ARTICLE IX.

  ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT    59

9.01

  Appointment and Authority    59

9.02

  Rights as a Lender    59

9.03

  Exculpatory Provisions    59

 

-ii-


TABLE OF CONTENTS

(continued)

 

         Page

9.04

  Reliance by Administrative Agent    60

9.05

  Delegation of Duties    60

9.06

  Resignation of Administrative Agent    61

9.07

  Non-Reliance on Administrative Agent and Other Lenders    61

9.08

  No Other Duties, Etc    62

9.09

  Administrative Agent May File Proofs of Claim    62

ARTICLE X.

  MISCELLANEOUS    63

10.01

  Amendments, Etc    63

10.02

  Notices; Effectiveness; Electronic Communication    64

10.03

  No Waiver; Cumulative Remedies    65

10.04

  Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver    65

10.05

  Payments Set Aside    67

10.06

  Successors and Assigns    67

10.07

  Treatment of Certain Information; Confidentiality    71

10.08

  Right of Setoff    71

10.09

  Interest Rate Limitation    72

10.10

  Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness    72

10.11

  Survival of Representations and Warranties    72

10.12

  Severability    72

10.13

  Replacement of Lenders    73

10.14

  Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Etc    73

10.15

  Waiver of Jury Trial    74

10.16

  USA PATRIOT Act Notice    75

10.17

  Amendment and Restatement    75

SIGNATURES

   S-1

 

-iii-


SCHEDULES

 

1.01

  Existing Letters of Credit

2.01

  Commitments and Applicable Percentages

5.02

  Material Adverse Changes

7.07

  Transactions with Affiliates

10.02

  Administrative Agent’s Office; Certain Addresses for Notices

 

EXHIBITS

 

    Form of

A

  Committed Loan Notice

B

  Swing Line Loan Notice

C

  Note

D

  Compliance Certificate

E

  Assignment and Assumption

F

  Opinion Matters

 

i


CREDIT AGREEMENT

 

This CREDIT AGREEMENT (“Agreement”) is entered into as of July 16, 2004, among KNIGHT-RIDDER, INC., a Florida corporation (the “Borrower”), each lender from time to time party hereto (collectively, the “Lenders” and individually, a “Lender”), and BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as Administrative Agent, Swing Line Lender and L/C Issuer.

 

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

 

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

 

ARTICLE I.

DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING TERMS

 

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

 

Acquisition” means any transaction or series of related transactions for the purpose of or resulting, directly or indirectly, in (a) the acquisition of all or substantially all of the assets of a Person or of any business or division of a Person, or (b) the acquisition of more than 50% of any class of voting stock (or similar ownership interests) of any Person.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Affiliate” of any Person means any other individual or entity who directly or indirectly controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, such Person, and, for purposes of this definition only, “control,” “controlled by,” and “under common control with” mean possession, directly or indirectly, of power to direct or cause the direction of management or policies (whether through ownership of voting securities, by contract, or otherwise).

 

Aggregate Commitments” means the Commitments of all the Lenders.

 

Agreement” means this Credit Agreement.

 

Applicable Percentage” means with respect to any Lender at any time, the percentage (carried out to the ninth decimal place) of the Aggregate Commitments represented by such Lender’s Commitment at such time. If the commitment of each Lender to make Loans and the obligation of the L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions have been terminated pursuant to Section 8.02 or if the Aggregate Commitments have expired, then the Applicable Percentage of

 

1


each Lender shall be determined based on the Applicable Percentage of such Lender most recently in effect, giving effect to any subsequent assignments. The initial Applicable Percentage of each Lender is set forth opposite the name of such Lender on Schedule 2.01 or in the Assignment and Assumption pursuant to which such Lender becomes a party hereto, as applicable.

 

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

 

     Applicable Rate

 

Debt Ratings and

Pricing Levels


   Facility Fee

    Eurodollar Rate
Loans and Letter
of Credit Fee


    Base Rate Loans

    Utilization Fee
(if Utilization
exceeds 50%)


 

Level 1:

Greater than or equal to AA - by S&P

Greater than or equal to Aa3 by Moody’s

   0.070 %   0.130 %   0 %   0.075 %

Level 2:

A-, A, or A+ by S&P

A1, A2, or A3 by Moody’s

   0.080 %   0.220 %   0 %   0.075 %

Level 3:

BBB+ by S&P

Baa1 by Moody’s

   0.125 %   0.425 %   0 %   0.125 %

Level 4:

BBB by S&P

Baa2 by Moody’s

   0.150 %   0.600 %   0 %   0.125 %

Level 5:

Less than or equal to BBB - by S&P

Less than or equal to Baa3 by Moody’s

   0.200 %   1.050 %   0 %   0.125 %

 

Debt Rating” means, as of any date of determination, the rating as determined by either S&P or Moody’s (collectively, the “Debt Ratings”) of the Borrower’s non-credit-enhanced, senior unsecured long-term debt; provided that if a Debt Rating is issued by each of the foregoing rating agencies, then the higher of such Debt Ratings shall apply (with the Debt Rating for Pricing Level 1 being the highest and the Debt Rating for Pricing Level 5 being the lowest), unless there is a split in Debt Ratings of more than one level, in which case the Pricing Level that is one level lower than the Pricing Level of the higher Debt Rating shall apply.

 

Initially, the Applicable Rate shall be determined based upon the Debt Rating specified in the certificate delivered pursuant to Section 4.01(a)(vii). Thereafter, each change in the Applicable

 

2


Rate resulting from a publicly announced change in the Debt Rating (other than as a result of a change in the rating system of either Moody’s or S&P) shall be effective during the period commencing on the date of the public announcement thereof and ending on the date immediately preceding the effective date of the next such change. If neither Moody’s nor S&P shall have in effect a Debt Rating (other than by reason of the circumstances referred to in the last sentence of this paragraph), then both such rating agencies will be deemed to have established ratings for the Pricing Level 5. If only one of Moody’s or S&P shall have in effect a Debt Rating, the Borrower and the Lenders will negotiate in good faith to agree upon another rating agency to be substituted by an agreement for the rating agency which shall not have a rating in effect, and in the absence of such agreement the Applicable Rate will be determined by reference to the available rating. If the rating system of either Moody’s or S&P shall change prior to the payment in full of the Obligations and the termination of all Commitments hereunder, the Borrower and the Lenders shall negotiate in good faith to amend the references to specific ratings in this definition to reflect such changed rating system. If both Moody’s and S&P shall cease to be in the business of rating corporate debt obligations, the Borrower and the Lenders shall negotiate in good faith to agree upon a substitute rating agency and to amend the references to specific ratings in this definition to reflect the ratings used by such substitute rating agency.

 

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

 

Arranger Fee Letter” means the letter agreement, dated June 18, 2004, among the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, JPMorgan Chase Bank and the Joint Lead Arrangers.

 

Assignment and Assumption” means an assignment and assumption entered into by a Lender and an Eligible Assignee (with the consent of any party whose consent is required by Section 10.06(b), and accepted by the Administrative Agent, in substantially the form of Exhibit E or any other form approved by the Administrative Agent.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

3


Base Rate Committed Loan” means a Committed Loan that is a Base Rate Loan.

 

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

 

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

 

Borrowing” means a Committed Borrowing or a Swing Line Borrowing, as the context may require.

 

Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks are authorized to close under the Laws of, or are in fact closed in, the state where the Administrative Agent’s Office is located and, if such day relates to any Eurodollar Rate Loan, means any such day on which dealings in Dollar deposits are conducted by and between banks in the London interbank eurodollar market.

 

Capital Lease” means any capital lease or sublease which should be capitalized on a balance sheet in accordance with GAAP.

 

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

 

Change in Law” means the occurrence, after the date of this Agreement, of any of the following: (a) the adoption or taking effect of any law, rule, regulation or treaty, (b) any change in any law, rule, regulation or treaty or in the administration, interpretation or application thereof by any Governmental Authority or (c) the making or issuance of any request, guideline or directive (whether or not having the force of law) by any Governmental Authority.

 

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

 

Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

 

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

 

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

 

Committed Loan” has the meaning specified in Section 2.01.

 

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

 

4


Companies” means, at any date of determination thereof, the Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries, and “Company” means any of the Companies.

 

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

 

Consolidated EBITDA” means, for any period, operating income for such period for the Companies on a consolidated basis, plus, without duplication and to the extent included in determining operating income for the Companies on a consolidated basis for such period, (a) depreciation, depletion and amortization expense of the Companies on a consolidated basis, and (b) amortization of intangibles (including goodwill) of the Companies on a consolidated basis. For purposes of Section 7.06, if the Borrower or any of the Companies consummates an Acquisition of any other Person, during any period in respect of which Consolidated EBITDA is to be determined, such Consolidated EBITDA shall be determined on a pro forma basis in accordance with GAAP and, if applicable, the rules of the SEC, as if such Acquisition occurred as of the first day of the relevant period; provided, however, that either (i) the financial statements of such Person have been audited for the then most recent fiscal year of such Person and have been reported on without a qualification as to scope of audit or a “going concern” or like qualification, or (ii) the Administrative Agent shall have received supporting financial statements and other financial information relating to any such pro forma adjustment and reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.

 

Consolidated Net Worth” means, on any date of determination, all amounts that would be included under shareholders’ equity on a consolidated balance sheet of the Companies, as determined in accordance with GAAP.

 

Consolidated Total Debt means, on any date of determination, the sum (without duplication) of (i) all Debt of the Companies, and (ii) all Contingent Obligations of the Companies in respect of Debt.

 

Contingent Obligation” means, as to any Person, any obligation, contingent or otherwise, of such Person guaranteeing or having the economic effect of guaranteeing any Debt or other obligation of any other Person (the “primary obligor”), whether directly or indirectly, and including any obligation of such Person (a) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for the purchase or payment of) such Debt 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 Debt 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 Debt or other obligation, or (d) as an account party in respect of any letter of credit or letter of guaranty issued to support such Debt or obligation; provided that, the term “Contingent Obligation” shall not include endorsements for collection or deposit in the ordinary course of business. The amount of any Contingent Obligation shall be deemed to be an amount equal to the stated or determinable amount of the related primary obligation, or portion thereof, in respect of which such guarantee is made or, if not stated or determinable, the maximum reasonably anticipated liability in respect thereof as determined by the guaranteeing Person in good faith.

 

5


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

 

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

 

Current Financials” means, at the time of any determination thereof, the more recently delivered to the Lenders of either (a) the Financial Statements of the Borrower for the fiscal year ended December 28, 2003, and the three-month period ended March 28, 2004, calculated on a consolidated basis for the Companies; or (b) the Financial Statements required to be delivered under Sections 6.01(a) or 6.01(b), as the case may be, calculated on a consolidated basis for the Companies.

 

Debt” means (without duplication), for any Person, the sum of the following: (a) all liabilities, obligations, and indebtedness of such Person which in accordance with GAAP should be classified upon such Person’s balance sheet as liabilities in respect of (i) money borrowed, including the Principal Debt, (ii) obligations of such Person under Capital Leases, and (iii) obligations of such Person issued or assumed as the deferred purchase price of property, all conditional sale obligations, and obligations under any title retention agreement (but excluding trade accounts payable arising in the ordinary course of business and deferred federal and state income taxes); (b) all obligations of the type referred to in clauses (a)(i) through (a)(iii) preceding of other Persons for the payment of which such Person is responsible or liable as obligor, guarantor, or otherwise; (c) all obligations of the type referred to in clauses (a)(i) through clause (a)(iii) and clause (b) preceding of other Persons secured by any Lien on any property or asset of such Person (whether or not such obligation is assumed by such Person), the amount of such obligation being deemed to be the lesser of the value of such property or assets or the amount of the obligation so secured; and (d) the face amount of all letters of credit and banker’s acceptances issued for the account of such Person, and without duplication, all drafts drawn and unpaid thereunder.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Default Rate” means (a) when used with respect to Obligations other than Letter of Credit Fees, an interest rate equal to (i) the Base Rate plus (ii) the Applicable Rate, if any, applicable to Base Rate Loans plus (iii) 2% per annum; provided, however, that with respect to a Eurodollar Rate Loan, the Default Rate shall be an interest rate equal to the interest rate (including any Applicable Rate) otherwise applicable to such Loan plus 2% per annum;

 

6


provided, further that with respect to a Swing Line Loan, the Default Rate shall be an interest rate equal to the Money Market Rate plus 2% per annum, and (b) when used with respect to Letter of Credit Fees, a rate equal to the Applicable Rate plus 2% per annum.

 

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

 

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

 

Eligible Assignee” means (a) a Lender; (b) an Affiliate of a Lender; (c) an Approved Fund; and (d) any other Person (other than a natural person) approved by (i) the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Swing Line Lender, and (ii) unless an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Borrower (each such approval not to be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned; it being understood that the Borrower’s consent shall not be considered to be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned if the Borrower withholds, delays or conditions its consent because, among other factors, it is concerned about a potential assignee’s capital adequacy, liquidity or ability to perform its obligations under this Agreement); provided that notwithstanding the foregoing, “Eligible Assignee” shall not include the Borrower or any of the Borrower’s Affiliates or Subsidiaries.

 

Employee Plan” means an employee pension benefit plan covered by Title IV of ERISA and established or maintained by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate, but not including any Multiemployer Plan.

 

Environmental Claim” means any written or oral notice, claim, demand, action, suit, complaint, proceeding or other communication by any person alleging liability or potential liability arising out of, relating to, based on or resulting from (i) the presence, discharge, emission, release or threatened release of any Hazardous Substances at any location, or (ii) circumstances forming the basis of any violation or alleged violation of any Environmental Law or Environmental Permit.

 

Environmental Law” means any applicable Law that relates to (a) the condition or protection of air, groundwater, surface water, soil or other environmental media; (b) the environment, including natural resources or any activity which affects the environment; (c) the regulation of any pollutants, contaminants, wastes, substances and Hazardous Substances, including the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (42 U.S.C. § 9601 et seq.) (“CERCLA”), the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act (49 U.S.C. § 1801 et seq.), the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (42 U.S.C. § 6901 et seq.) (“RCRA”), the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. § 1251 et seq.),the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. § 7401 et seq.), the Toxic Substances Control Act (15 U.S.C. § 2601 et seq.), the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. § 136 et seq.), the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. § 201 and § 300f et sec.) and the Rivers and Harbors Act (33 U.S.C. § 401 et seq.), the Oil Pollution Act (33 U.S.C. § 2701 et seq.) and analogous state and local Laws, as any of the

 

7


foregoing may have been and may be amended or supplemented from time to time, and any analogous future enacted or adopted Law, or (d) the Release or threatened Release of Hazardous Substances.

 

Environmental Permits” means all permits, licenses, registrations, and other governmental authorizations required for any of the Companies to conduct its business and operations under Environmental Laws.

 

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

 

ERISA Affiliate” means, with respect to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, any company or trade or business (whether or not incorporated) which, for purposes of Title IV of ERISA, is a member of the Borrower’s controlled group or which is under common control with Borrower within the meaning of Section 414(b), (c) or (m) of the Code.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Excluded Taxes” means, with respect to the Administrative Agent, any Lender, the L/C Issuer or any other recipient of any payment to be made by or on account of any obligation of the

 

8


Borrower hereunder, (a) taxes imposed on or measured by its overall net income (however denominated), and franchise taxes imposed on it, by the jurisdiction (or any political subdivision thereof) 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 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 10.13 approved or selected by the Borrower), any withholding tax that is imposed on amounts payable to such Foreign Lender at the time such Foreign Lender becomes a party hereto (or designates a new Lending Office) or is attributable to such Foreign Lender’s failure or inability (other than as a result of a Change in Law) to comply with Section 3.01(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 3.01(a).

 

Existing Credit Agreement” means that certain Revolving Credit Agreement, dated as of June 15, 2001 among the Borrower, Bank of America, as administrative agent, and a syndicate of lenders.

 

Existing Letters of Credit” means the letters of credit issued under the Existing Credit Agreement and listed on Schedule 1.01.

 

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

 

Financial Statements” means balance sheets, statements of operations, statements of shareholders’ investments, and statements of cash flows prepared in accordance with GAAP, which statements of operations and statements of cash flows shall be in comparative form to the corresponding period of the preceding fiscal year, and which balance sheets and statements of shareholders’ investments shall be in comparative form to the prior fiscal year-end figures.

 

Foreign Lender” means any Lender that is organized under the laws of a jurisdiction other than that in which the Borrower is resident for tax purposes. For purposes of this definition, the United States, each State thereof and the District of Columbia shall be deemed to constitute a single jurisdiction.

 

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

 

9


Fronting Fee Letter” means the letter agreement, dated June 18, 2004, among the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer.

 

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

 

GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles of the Accounting Principles Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Financial Accounting Standards Board which are applicable from time to time.

 

Governmental Authority” means the government of the United States or any other nation, or of 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 (including any supra-national bodies such as the European Union or the European Central Bank).

 

Hazardous Substance” means (a) any substance that is designated, defined or classified as a hazardous waste, hazardous material, pollutant, contaminant or toxic or hazardous substance under any Environmental Law, including any hazardous substance within the meaning of Section 101(14) of CERCLA, (b) petroleum, oil, gasoline, natural gas, fuel oil, motor oil, waste oil, diesel fuel, jet fuel, and other petroleum hydrocarbons, (c) regulated asbestos and asbestos-containing materials in any form, (d) polychlorinated biphenyls, or (e) urea formaldehyde foam.

 

Indemnified Taxes” means Taxes other than Excluded Taxes.

 

Indemnitees” has the meaning specified in Section 10.04(b).

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

10


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

 

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

 

IRS” means the United States Internal Revenue Service.

 

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

 

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

 

Joint Lead Arrangers” means Banc of America Securities LLC and J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., in their capacities as joint lead arrangers and joint book managers.

 

Laws” means all applicable statutes, laws, treaties, ordinances, tariff requirements, rules, regulations, orders, writs, injunctions, decrees, judgments, opinions, or interpretations of any Governmental Authority.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

L/C Obligations” means, as at any date of determination, the aggregate amount available to be drawn under all outstanding Letters of Credit plus the aggregate of all Unreimbursed Amounts, including all L/C Borrowings. For purposes of computing the amount available to be drawn under any Letter of Credit, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be determined in accordance with Section 1.06. For all purposes of this Agreement, if on any date of determination a Letter of Credit has expired by its terms but any amount may still be drawn thereunder by reason of the operation of Rule 3.14 of the ISP, such Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be “outstanding” in the amount so remaining available to be drawn.

 

11


Lender” has the meaning specified in the introductory paragraph hereto and, as the context requires, includes the Swing Line Lender.

 

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

 

Letter of Credit” means any standby letter of credit issued hereunder and shall include the Existing Letters of Credit.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Letter of Credit Sublimit” means an amount equal to $100,000,000. The Letter of Credit Sublimit is part of, and not in addition to, the Aggregate Commitments.

 

Lien” means any lien, mortgage, security interest, pledge, assignment, charge, title retention agreement, or encumbrance of any kind, and any other Right of or arrangement with any creditor (other than under or relating to subordination or other intercreditor arrangements) to have its claim satisfied out of any property or assets, or the proceeds therefrom, prior to the general creditors of the owner thereof.

 

Litigation” means any action by or before any Governmental Authority.

 

Loan” means an extension of credit by a Lender to the Borrower under Article II in the form of a Committed Loan or a Swing Line Loan.

 

Loan Documents” means this Agreement, each Note, each Issuer Document, the Arranger Fee Letter and the Fronting Fee Letter.

 

Material Adverse Event” means any set of one or more circumstances or events which, individually or collectively, result in any (a) material impairment of the ability to perform any of its payment or other material obligations under the Loan Documents or the ability of the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer, or any Lender to enforce any such obligations or any of their respective Rights under the Loan Documents, or (b) material and adverse effect on the business, properties, condition (financial or otherwise) or results of operations of the Companies, in each case considered as a whole.

 

Material Environmental Amount” means an amount payable by any Company in excess of $75,000,000 for remedial costs, compliance costs, compensatory damages, punitive damages, fines, penalties, or any combination thereof.

 

Maturity Date” means July 16, 2009.

 

12


Money Market Rate” means a rate per annum equal to the sum of (a) the Applicable Rate for Eurodollar Rate Loans in effect on any date of determination, and (b) the rate per annum equal to the Swing Line Lender’s cost of funds.

 

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

 

Multiemployer Plan” means a multiemployer plan as defined in Sections 3(37) or 4001(a)(3) of ERISA or Section 414(f) of the Code to which any Company or any ERISA Affiliate is making, or has made, or is accruing, or has accrued, an obligation to make contributions.

 

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

 

Obligations” mean all present and future indebtedness, liabilities, and obligations, and all renewals and extensions thereof, or any part thereof, now or hereafter owed to Administrative Agent, any other agent, L/C Issuer, or any Lender arising from, by virtue of, or pursuant to any Loan Document, together with all interest accruing thereon, fees, costs, and reimbursement expenses (including all reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred in the enforcement or the collection thereof) payable under the Loan Documents.

 

Other Taxes” means all present or future stamp or documentary taxes or any other excise or property taxes arising from any payment made hereunder or under any other Loan Document or from the execution or delivery of, or otherwise with respect to, this Agreement or any other Loan Document.

 

Outstanding Amount” means (i) with respect to Committed Loans and Swing Line Loans on any date, the aggregate outstanding principal amount thereof after giving effect to any borrowings and prepayments or repayments of Committed Loans and Swing Line Loans, as the case may be, occurring on such date; and (ii) with respect to any L/C Obligations on any date, the amount of such L/C Obligations on such date after giving effect to any L/C Credit Extension occurring on such date and any other changes in the aggregate amount of the L/C Obligations as of such date, including as a result of any reimbursements by the Borrower of Unreimbursed Amounts.

 

Participant” has the meaning specified in Section 10.06(d).

 

PBGC” means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.

 

Permitted Liens” means Liens permitted under Section 7.01, as described in such Section.

 

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

 

Principal Debt” means, on any date of determination, the aggregate unpaid principal balance of all Borrowings under this Agreement.

 

13


Register” has the meaning specified in Section 10.06(c).

 

Regulation U” means Regulation U of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

 

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

 

Release” means any spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, discharging, injecting, escaping, leaching, dumping, disposal, deposit, dispersal, migrating, or other movement into the air, ground, or surface water, or soil.

 

Reportable Event” shall have the meaning specified in Section 4043 of ERISA or the regulations issued thereunder in connection with an Employee Plan, excluding events for which the notice requirement is waived under applicable PBGC regulations (other than those events described in Sections 4043.21, 4043.24, and 4043.28 of such regulations, including each such provision as it may subsequently be renumbered, if any such event is reasonably likely to be a Material Adverse Event).

 

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

 

Required Lenders” means, as of any date of determination, Lenders having at least 51% of the Aggregate Commitments or, if the commitment of each Lender to make Loans and the obligation of the L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions have been terminated pursuant to Section 8.02, Lenders holding in the aggregate at least 51% of the Total Outstandings (with the aggregate amount of each Lender’s risk participation and funded participation in L/C Obligations and Swing Line Loans being deemed “held” by such Lender for purposes of this definition); provided that the Commitment of, and the portion of the Total Outstandings held or deemed held by, any Defaulting Lender shall be excluded for purposes of making a determination of Required Lenders.

 

Responsible Officer” means the chairman, chief executive officer, president, chief financial officer, senior vice president or treasurer of the Borrower, or any other officer designated from time to time by the Board of Directors of the Borrower as evidenced from time to time by a certificate delivered to the Administrative Agent (in form and substance satisfactory to it), which designated officer is acceptable to the Administrative Agent. Any document delivered hereunder that is signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower shall be conclusively presumed to have been authorized by all necessary corporate, partnership and/or other action on the part of the Borrower and such Responsible Officer shall be conclusively presumed to have acted on behalf of the Borrower.

 

Rights” means rights, remedies, powers, privileges, and benefits.

 

14


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

 

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

 

Subsidiary” of any Person means any entity of which an aggregate of more than 50% (in number of votes) of the stock (or equivalent interests) is owned of record or beneficially, directly or indirectly, by such Person.

 

Swing Line” means the revolving credit facility made available by the Swing Line Lender pursuant to Section 2.04.

 

Swing Line Borrowing” means a borrowing of a Swing Line Loan pursuant to Section 2.04.

 

Swing Line Lender” means Bank of America in its capacity as provider of Swing Line Loans, or any successor swing line lender hereunder.

 

Swing Line Loan” has the meaning specified in Section 2.04(a).

 

Swing Line Loan Notice” means a notice of a Swing Line Borrowing pursuant to Section 2.04(b), which, if in writing, shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit B.

 

Swing Line Sublimit” means an amount equal to the lesser of (a) $50,000,000 and (b) the Aggregate Commitments. The Swing Line Sublimit is part of, and not in addition to, the Aggregate Commitments.

 

Taxes” means, for any Person, taxes, assessments, or other governmental charges or levies imposed upon such Person, its income, or any of its properties, franchises, or assets.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Wholly-owned” when used in connection with any Subsidiary shall mean a Subsidiary of which all of the issued and outstanding shares of securities or other equity interests (except shares required as directors’ qualifying shares) issued by such Subsidiary shall be owned by the Borrower or one or more of its Wholly-owned Subsidiaries.

 

15


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

 

(a) The 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, (i) any definition of or reference to any agreement, instrument or other document (including any Organization Document) 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 or in any other Loan Document), (ii) any reference herein to any Person shall be construed to include such Person’s successors and assigns, (iii) the words “herein,” “hereof” and “hereunder,” and words of similar import when used in any Loan Document, shall be construed to refer to such Loan Document in its entirety and not to any particular provision thereof, (iv) all references in a Loan Document to Articles, Sections, Exhibits and Schedules shall be construed to refer to Articles and Sections of, and Exhibits and Schedules to, the Loan Document in which such references appear, (v) any reference to any law shall include all statutory and regulatory provisions consolidating, amending replacing or interpreting such law and any reference to any law or regulation shall, unless otherwise specified, refer to such law or regulation as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time, and (vi) 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.

 

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

 

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

 

1.03 Accounting Terms. All accounting and financial terms used in the Loan Documents and the compliance with each financial covenant therein shall be determined in accordance with GAAP, and, all accounting principles shall be applied on a consistent basis so that the accounting principles in a current period are comparable in all material respects to those applied during the preceding comparable period.

 

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

 

16


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

 

1.06 Letter of Credit Amounts. Unless otherwise specified herein, the amount of a Letter of Credit at any time shall be deemed to be the stated amount of such Letter of Credit in effect at such time; provided, however, that with respect to any Letter of Credit that, by its terms or the terms of any Issuer Document related thereto, provides for one or more automatic increases in the stated amount thereof, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be the maximum stated amount of such Letter of Credit after giving effect to all such increases, whether or not such maximum stated amount is in effect at such time.

 

ARTICLE II.

THE COMMITMENTS AND CREDIT EXTENSIONS

 

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

 

2.02 Borrowings, Conversions and Continuations of Committed Loans.

 

(a) Each Committed Borrowing, each conversion of Committed Loans from one Type to the other, and each continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be made upon the Borrower’s irrevocable notice to the Administrative Agent, which may be given by telephone. Each such notice must be received by the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m. (i) three Business Days prior to the requested date of any Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans or of any conversion of Eurodollar Rate Loans to Base Rate Committed Loans, and (ii) on the requested date of any Borrowing of Base Rate Committed Loans. Each telephonic notice by the Borrower pursuant to this Section 2.02(a) must be confirmed promptly by delivery to the Administrative Agent of a written Committed Loan Notice, appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower. Each Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be in a principal amount of $5,000,000 or a whole multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof. Except as provided in Sections 2.03(c) and 2.04(c), each Borrowing of or conversion to Base Rate Committed Loans shall be in a principal amount of $5,000,000 or a whole multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof. Each Committed Loan Notice (whether telephonic or written) shall specify (i) whether the Borrower is requesting a Committed Borrowing, a conversion of Committed Loans from one Type to the other, or a continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans, (ii) the requested date of the Borrowing, conversion or

 

17


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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

18


2.03 Letters of Credit.

 

(a) The Letter of Credit Commitment.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

19


respect to such Letter of Credit any restriction, reserve or capital requirement (for which the L/C Issuer is not otherwise compensated hereunder) not in effect on the Closing Date, or shall impose upon the L/C Issuer any unreimbursed loss, cost or expense which was not applicable on the Closing Date and which the L/C Issuer in good faith deems material to it;

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

(vi) The L/C Issuer shall act on behalf of the Lenders with respect to any Letters of Credit issued by it and the documents associated therewith, and the L/C Issuer shall have all of the benefits and immunities (A) provided to the Administrative Agent in Article IX with respect to any acts taken or omissions suffered by the L/C Issuer in connection with Letters of Credit issued by it or proposed to be issued by it and Issuer Documents pertaining to such Letters of Credit as fully as if the term “Administrative Agent” as used in Article IX included the L/C Issuer with respect to such acts or omissions, and (B) as additionally provided herein with respect to the L/C Issuer.

 

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

 

(i) Each Letter of Credit shall be issued or amended, as the case may be, upon the request of the Borrower delivered to the L/C Issuer (with a copy to the Administrative Agent) in the form of a Letter of Credit Application, appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower. Such Letter of Credit Application must be received by the L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m. at least two Business Days (or such later date and time as the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer may agree in a particular instance in their sole discretion) prior to the proposed issuance date or date of amendment, as the case may be. In the case of a request for an initial issuance of a Letter of Credit, such Letter of Credit Application shall specify in form and detail satisfactory to the L/C Issuer: (A) the

 

20


proposed issuance date of the requested Letter of Credit (which shall be a Business Day); (B) the amount thereof; (C) the expiry date thereof; (D) the name and address of the beneficiary thereof; (E) the documents to be presented by such beneficiary in case of any drawing thereunder; (F) the full text of any certificate to be presented by such beneficiary in case of any drawing thereunder; and (G) such other matters as the L/C Issuer may require. In the case of a request for an amendment of any outstanding Letter of Credit, such Letter of Credit Application shall specify in form and detail satisfactory to the L/C Issuer (A) the Letter of Credit to be amended; (B) the proposed date of amendment thereof (which shall be a Business Day); (C) the nature of the proposed amendment; and (D) such other matters as the L/C Issuer may require. Additionally, the Borrower shall furnish to the L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent such other documents and information pertaining to such requested Letter of Credit issuance or amendment, including any Issuer Documents, as the L/C Issuer or the Administrative Agent may require.

 

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

 

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

 

(c) Drawings and Reimbursements; Funding of Participations.

 

(i) Upon receipt from the beneficiary of any Letter of Credit of any notice of a drawing under such Letter of Credit, the L/C Issuer shall notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent thereof. Not later than 11:00 a.m. on the date of any payment by the L/C Issuer under a Letter of Credit (each such date, an “Honor Date”), the Borrower shall reimburse the L/C Issuer through the Administrative Agent in an amount equal to the amount of such drawing. If the Borrower fails to so reimburse the L/C Issuer by such time, the Administrative Agent shall promptly notify each Lender of the Honor Date, the amount of the unreimbursed drawing (the “Unreimbursed Amount”),

 

21


and the amount of such Lender’s Applicable Percentage thereof. In such event, the Borrower shall be deemed to have requested a Committed Borrowing of Base Rate Loans to be disbursed on the Honor Date in an amount equal to the Unreimbursed Amount, without regard to the minimum and multiples specified in Section 2.02 for the principal amount of Base Rate Loans, but subject to the amount of the unutilized portion of the Aggregate Commitments and the conditions set forth in Section 4.02 (other than the delivery of a Committed Loan Notice). Any notice given by the L/C Issuer or the Administrative Agent pursuant to this Section 2.03(c)(i) may be given by telephone if immediately confirmed in writing; provided that the lack of such an immediate confirmation shall not affect the conclusiveness or binding effect of such notice.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

22


(vi) If any Lender fails to make available to the Administrative Agent for the account of the L/C Issuer any amount required to be paid by such Lender pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.03(c) by the time specified in Section 2.03(c)(ii), the L/C Issuer shall be entitled to recover from such Lender (acting through the Administrative Agent), on demand, such amount with interest thereon for the period from the date such payment is required to the date on which such payment is immediately available to the L/C Issuer at a rate per annum equal to the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by the L/C Issuer in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation. A certificate of the L/C Issuer submitted to any Lender (through the Administrative Agent) with respect to any amounts owing under this clause (vi) shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

 

(d) Repayment of Participations.

 

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

 

(ii) If any payment received by the Administrative Agent for the account of the L/C Issuer pursuant to Section 2.03(c)(i) is required to be returned under any of the circumstances described in Section 10.05 (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by the L/C Issuer in its discretion), each Lender shall pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of the L/C Issuer its Applicable Percentage thereof on demand of the Administrative Agent, plus interest thereon from the date of such demand to the date such amount is returned by such Lender, at a rate per annum equal to the Federal Funds Rate from time to time in effect. The obligations of the Lenders under this clause shall survive the payment in full of the Obligations and the termination of this Agreement.

 

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

 

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

 

23


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

 

(iii) any draft, demand, certificate or other document presented under such Letter of Credit proving to be forged, fraudulent, invalid or insufficient in any respect or any statement therein being untrue or inaccurate in any respect; or any loss or delay in the transmission or otherwise of any document required in order to make a drawing under such Letter of Credit, except as a result of the gross negligence or willful misconduct of the L/C Issuer;

 

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

 

(v) any other circumstance or happening whatsoever, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing, including any other circumstance that might otherwise constitute a defense available to, or a discharge of, the Borrower or any Subsidiary, other than the gross negligence or willful misconduct of the L/C Issuer.

 

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

 

(f) Role of L/C Issuer. Each Lender and the Borrower agree that, in paying any drawing under a Letter of Credit, the L/C Issuer shall not have any responsibility to obtain any document (other than any sight draft, certificates and documents expressly required by the Letter of Credit) or to ascertain or inquire as to the validity or accuracy of any such document or the authority of the Person executing or delivering any such document, except as required under such Letter of Credit. None of the L/C Issuer, the Administrative Agent, any of their respective Related Parties nor any correspondent, participant or assignee of the L/C Issuer shall be liable to any Lender for (i) any action taken or omitted in connection herewith at the request or with the approval of the Lenders or the Required Lenders, as applicable; (ii) any action taken or omitted in the absence of gross negligence or willful misconduct; or (iii) the due execution, effectiveness, validity or enforceability of any document or instrument related to any Letter of Credit or Issuer Document. As between the Borrower, the L/C Issuer and the Lenders, the Borrower hereby

 

24


assumes all risks of the acts or omissions of any beneficiary or transferee with respect to its use of any Letter of Credit; provided, however, that this assumption is not intended to, and shall not, preclude the Borrower’s pursuing such rights and remedies as it may have against the beneficiary or transferee at law or under any other agreement. None of the L/C Issuer, the Administrative Agent, any of their respective Related Parties nor any correspondent, participant or assignee of the L/C Issuer shall be liable or responsible for any of the matters described in clauses (i) through (v) of Section 2.03(e); provided, however, that anything in such clauses to the contrary notwithstanding, the Borrower may have a claim against the L/C Issuer, and the L/C Issuer may be liable to the Borrower, to the extent, but only to the extent, of any direct, as opposed to consequential or exemplary, damages suffered by the Borrower which the Borrower proves were caused by the L/C Issuer’s willful misconduct or gross negligence or the L/C Issuer’s willful failure to pay under any Letter of Credit after the presentation to it by the beneficiary of a sight draft and certificate(s) strictly complying with the terms and conditions of a Letter of Credit. In furtherance and not in limitation of the foregoing, the L/C Issuer may accept documents that appear on their face to be in order, without responsibility for further investigation, regardless of any notice or information to the contrary, and the L/C Issuer shall not be responsible for the validity or sufficiency of any instrument transferring or assigning or purporting to transfer or assign a Letter of Credit or the rights or benefits thereunder or proceeds thereof, in whole or in part, which may prove to be invalid or ineffective for any reason.

 

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

 

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

 

(i) Letter of Credit Fees. The Borrower shall pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender in accordance with its Applicable Percentage a Letter of Credit fee (the “Letter of Credit Fee”) for each Letter of Credit equal to the Applicable Rate times the daily amount available to be drawn under such Letter of Credit. For purposes of computing the daily amount available to be drawn under any Letter of Credit, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be determined in accordance with Section 1.06. Letter of Credit Fees shall be (i) computed on a quarterly basis in arrears and (ii) due and payable on the first Business Day after

 

25


the end of each March, June, September and December, commencing with the first such date to occur after the issuance of such Letter of Credit, on the Letter of Credit Expiration Date and thereafter on demand. If there is any change in the Applicable Rate during any quarter, the daily amount available to be drawn under each Letter of Credit shall be computed and multiplied by the Applicable Rate separately for each period during such quarter that such Applicable Rate was in effect. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, upon the request of the Required Lenders, while any Event of Default exists, all Letter of Credit Fees shall accrue at the Default Rate.

 

(j) Fronting Fee and Documentary and Processing Charges Payable to L/C Issuer. The Borrower shall pay directly to the L/C Issuer for its own account a fronting fee with respect to each Letter of Credit as specified in the Fronting Fee Letter. In addition, the Borrower shall pay directly to the L/C Issuer for its own account the customary issuance, presentation, amendment and other processing fees, and other standard costs and charges, of the L/C Issuer relating to letters of credit as from time to time in effect. Such customary fees and standard costs and charges are due and payable on demand and are nonrefundable. Each demand for payment of processing fees and other standard costs and charges by the L/C Issuer pursuant to this Section 2.03(j) shall be accompanied by an itemized statement detailing the amounts payable to the L/C Issuer.

 

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

 

2.04 Swing Line Loans.

 

(a) The Swing Line. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Swing Line Lender agrees, in reliance upon the agreements of the other Lenders set forth in this Section 2.04, to make loans (each such loan, a “Swing Line Loan”) to the Borrower from time to time on any Business Day during the Availability Period in an aggregate amount not to exceed at any time outstanding the amount of the Swing Line Sublimit, notwithstanding the fact that such Swing Line Loans, when aggregated with the Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of Committed Loans and L/C Obligations of the Lender acting as Swing Line Lender, may exceed the amount of such Lender’s Commitment; provided, however, that after giving effect to any Swing Line Loan, (i) the Total Outstandings shall not exceed the Aggregate Commitments, and (ii) the aggregate Outstanding Amount of the Committed Loans of any Lender, plus such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations, plus such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of all Swing Line Loans shall not exceed such Lender’s Commitment, and provided, further, that the Borrower shall not use the proceeds of any Swing Line Loan to refinance any outstanding Swing Line Loan. Within the foregoing limits, and subject to the other terms and conditions hereof, the Borrower may borrow under this Section 2.04, prepay under Section 2.05, and reborrow under this Section 2.04. Each Swing Line Loan shall bear interest at the Money Market Rate. Immediately upon the making of a Swing Line Loan, each Lender shall be deemed to, and hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees to, purchase from the Swing Line Lender a risk participation in such Swing Line Loan in an amount equal to the product of such Lender’s Applicable Percentage times the amount of such Swing Line Loan.

 

26


(b) Borrowing Procedures. Each Swing Line Borrowing shall be made upon the Borrower’s irrevocable notice to the Swing Line Lender and the Administrative Agent, which may be given by telephone. Each such notice must be received by the Swing Line Lender and the Administrative Agent not later than 1:00 p.m. on the requested borrowing date, and shall specify (i) the amount to be borrowed, which shall be a minimum of $250,000, and (ii) the requested borrowing date, which shall be a Business Day. Each such telephonic notice must be confirmed promptly by delivery to the Swing Line Lender and the Administrative Agent of a written Swing Line Loan Notice, appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower. Promptly after receipt by the Swing Line Lender of any telephonic Swing Line Loan Notice, the Swing Line Lender will confirm with the Administrative Agent (by telephone or in writing) that the Administrative Agent has also received such Swing Line Loan Notice and, if not, the Swing Line Lender will notify the Administrative Agent (by telephone or in writing) of the contents thereof. Unless the Swing Line Lender has received notice (by telephone or in writing) from the Administrative Agent (including at the request of any Lender) prior to 2:00 p.m. on the date of the proposed Swing Line Borrowing (A) directing the Swing Line Lender not to make such Swing Line Loan as a result of the limitations set forth in the proviso to the first sentence of Section 2.04(a), or (B) that one or more of the applicable conditions specified in Article IV is not then satisfied, then, subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the Swing Line Lender will, not later than 3:00 p.m. on the borrowing date specified in such Swing Line Loan Notice, make the amount of its Swing Line Loan available to the Borrower.

 

(c) Refinancing of Swing Line Loans.

 

(i) The Swing Line Lender at any time in its sole and absolute discretion may request, on behalf of the Borrower (which hereby irrevocably authorizes the Swing Line Lender to so request on its behalf), that each Lender make a Base Rate Committed Loan in an amount equal to such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the amount of Swing Line Loans then outstanding. Such request shall be made in writing (which written request shall be deemed to be a Committed Loan Notice for purposes hereof) and in accordance with the requirements of Section 2.02, without regard to the minimum and multiples specified therein for the principal amount of Base Rate Loans, but subject to the unutilized portion of the Aggregate Commitments and the conditions set forth in Section 4.02. The Swing Line Lender shall furnish the Borrower with a copy of the applicable Committed Loan Notice promptly after delivering such notice to the Administrative Agent. Each Lender shall make an amount equal to its Applicable Percentage of the amount specified in such Committed Loan Notice available to the Administrative Agent in immediately available funds for the account of the Swing Line Lender at the Administrative Agent’s Office not later than 1:00 p.m. on the day specified in such Committed Loan Notice, whereupon, subject to Section 2.04(c)(ii), each Lender that so makes funds available shall be deemed to have made a Base Rate Committed Loan to the Borrower in such amount. The Administrative Agent shall remit the funds so received to the Swing Line Lender.

 

(ii) If for any reason any Swing Line Loan cannot be refinanced by such a Committed Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.04(c)(i), the request for Base Rate Committed Loans submitted by the Swing Line Lender as set forth herein shall be deemed to be a request by the Swing Line Lender that each of the Lenders fund its risk

 

27


participation in the relevant Swing Line Loan and each Lender’s payment to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Swing Line Lender pursuant to Section 2.04(c)(i) shall be deemed payment in respect of such participation.

 

(iii) If any Lender fails to make available to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Swing Line Lender any amount required to be paid by such Lender pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.04(c) by the time specified in Section 2.04(c)(i), the Swing Line Lender shall be entitled to recover from such Lender (acting through the Administrative Agent), on demand, such amount with interest thereon for the period from the date such payment is required to the date on which such payment is immediately available to the Swing Line Lender at a rate per annum equal to the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by the Swing Line Lender in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation. A certificate of the Swing Line Lender submitted to any Lender (through the Administrative Agent) with respect to any amounts owing under this clause (iii) shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

 

(iv) Each Lender’s obligation to make Committed Loans or to purchase and fund risk participations in Swing Line Loans pursuant to this Section 2.04(c) shall be absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance, including (A) any setoff, counterclaim, recoupment, defense or other right which such Lender may have against the Swing Line Lender, the Borrower or any other Person for any reason whatsoever, (B) the occurrence or continuance of a Default, or (C) any other occurrence, event or condition, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing; provided, however, that each Lender’s obligation to make Committed Loans pursuant to this Section 2.04(c) is subject to the conditions set forth in Section 4.02. No such funding of risk participations shall relieve or otherwise impair the obligation of the Borrower to repay Swing Line Loans, together with interest as provided herein.

 

(d) Repayment of Participations.

 

(i) At any time after any Lender has purchased and funded a risk participation in a Swing Line Loan, if the Swing Line Lender receives any payment on account of such Swing Line Loan, the Swing Line Lender will distribute to such Lender its Applicable Percentage of such payment (appropriately adjusted, in the case of interest payments, to reflect the period of time during which such Lender’s risk participation was funded) in the same funds as those received by the Swing Line Lender.

 

(ii) If any payment received by the Swing Line Lender in respect of principal or interest on any Swing Line Loan is required to be returned by the Swing Line Lender under any of the circumstances described in Section 10.05 (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by the Swing Line Lender in its discretion), each Lender shall pay to the Swing Line Lender its Applicable Percentage thereof on demand of the Administrative Agent, plus interest thereon from the date of such demand to the date such amount is returned, at a rate per annum equal to the Federal Funds Rate. The Administrative Agent will make such demand upon the request of the Swing Line Lender. The obligations of the Lenders under this clause shall survive the payment in full of the Obligations and the termination of this Agreement.

 

28


(e) Interest for Account of Swing Line Lender. The Swing Line Lender shall be responsible for invoicing the Borrower for interest on the Swing Line Loans. Until each Lender funds its Base Rate Committed Loan or risk participation pursuant to this Section 2.04 to refinance such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of any Swing Line Loan, interest in respect of such Applicable Percentage shall be solely for the account of the Swing Line Lender.

 

(f) Payments Directly to Swing Line Lender. The Borrower shall make all payments of principal and interest in respect of the Swing Line Loans directly to the Swing Line Lender.

 

2.05 Prepayments.

 

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

 

(b) The Borrower may, upon notice to the Swing Line Lender (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), at any time or from time to time, voluntarily prepay Swing Line Loans in whole or in part without premium or penalty; provided that (i) such notice must be received by the Swing Line Lender and the Administrative Agent not later than 1:00 p.m. on the date of the prepayment, and (ii) any such prepayment shall be in a minimum principal amount of $250,000. Each such notice shall specify the date and amount of such prepayment. If such notice is given by the Borrower, the Borrower shall make such prepayment and the payment amount specified in such notice shall be due and payable on the date specified therein.

 

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

 

29


2.06 Termination or Reduction of Commitments. The Borrower may, upon notice to the Administrative Agent, terminate the Aggregate Commitments, or from time to time permanently reduce the Aggregate Commitments; provided that (i) any such notice shall be received by the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m. five Business Days prior to the date of termination or reduction, (ii) any such partial reduction shall be in an aggregate amount of $10,000,000 or any whole multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof, (iii) the Borrower shall not terminate or reduce the Aggregate Commitments if, after giving effect thereto and to any concurrent prepayments hereunder, the Total Outstandings would exceed the Aggregate Commitments, and (iv) if, after giving effect to any reduction of the Aggregate Commitments, the Letter of Credit Sublimit or the Swing Line Sublimit exceeds the amount of the Aggregate Commitments, such Sublimit shall be automatically reduced by the amount of such excess. The Administrative Agent will promptly notify the Lenders of any such notice of termination or reduction of the Aggregate Commitments. Any reduction of the Aggregate Commitments shall be applied to the Commitment of each Lender according to its Applicable Percentage. All fees accrued until the effective date of any termination of the Aggregate Commitments shall be paid on the effective date of such termination.

 

2.07 Repayment of Loans.

 

(a) The Borrower shall repay to the Lenders on the Maturity Date the aggregate principal amount of Committed Loans outstanding on such date.

 

(b) The Borrower shall repay each Swing Line Loan on the earlier to occur of (i) the date ten Business Days after such Loan is made and (ii) the Maturity Date.

 

2.08 Interest.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

30


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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

(b) Utilization Fee. The Borrower shall pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender in accordance with its Applicable Percentage, a utilization fee equal to the Applicable Rate times the Total Outstandings on each day that the Total Outstandings exceed 50% of the actual daily amount of the Aggregate Commitments then in effect (or, if terminated, in effect immediately prior to such termination). The utilization fee shall be due and payable quarterly in arrears on the last Business Day of each March, June, September and December, commencing with the first such date to occur after the Closing Date, and on the Maturity Date. The utilization fee shall be calculated quarterly in arrears and if there is any change in the Applicable Rate during any quarter, the daily amount shall be computed and multiplied by the Applicable Rate for each period during which such Applicable Rate was in effect. The utilization fee shall accrue at all times, including at any time during which one or more of the conditions in Article IV is not met.

 

31


(b) Other Fees. (i) The Borrower shall pay to the Joint Lead Arrangers and the Administrative Agent for their own respective accounts fees in the amounts and at the times specified in the Arranger Fee Letter and the Fronting Fee Letter. Such fees shall be fully earned when paid and shall not be refundable for any reason whatsoever.

 

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

 

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

 

2.11 Evidence of Debt.

 

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

 

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

 

32


2.12 Payments Generally; Administrative Agent’s Clawback.

 

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

 

(b) (i) Funding by Lenders; Presumption by Administrative Agent. Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from a Lender prior to the proposed date of any Committed Borrowing that such Lender will not make available to the Administrative Agent such Lender’s share of such Committed Borrowing, the Administrative Agent may assume that such Lender has made such share available on such date in accordance with Section 2.02 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 Committed 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 in immediately available funds 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 (A) in the case of a payment to be made by such Lender, the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation and (B) in the case of a payment to be made by the Borrower, the interest rate applicable to Base Rate Loans. If the Borrower and such Lender shall pay such interest to the Administrative Agent for the same or an overlapping period, the Administrative Agent shall promptly remit to the Borrower the amount of such interest paid by the Borrower for such period. If such Lender pays its share of the applicable Committed Borrowing to the Administrative Agent, then the amount so paid shall constitute such Lender’s Committed Loan included in such Committed Borrowing. Any payment by the Borrower shall be without prejudice to any claim the Borrower may have against a Lender that shall have failed to make such payment to the Administrative Agent.

 

(ii) Payments by Borrower; Presumptions by Administrative Agent. 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 L/C Issuer 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 L/C Issuer, 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 L/C Issuer, as the case may be, severally agrees to repay to the

 

33


Administrative Agent forthwith on demand the amount so distributed to such Lender or the L/C Issuer, in immediately available funds 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 Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation.

 

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

 

(c) Failure to Satisfy Conditions Precedent. If any Lender makes available to the Administrative Agent funds for any Loan to be made by such Lender as provided in the foregoing provisions of this Article II, and such funds are not made available to the Borrower by the Administrative Agent because the conditions to the applicable Credit Extension set forth in Article IV are not satisfied or waived in accordance with the terms hereof, the Administrative Agent shall return such funds (in like funds as received from such Lender) to such Lender, without interest; provided that if such funds are not returned within one Business Day, such funds shall bear interest at the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation.

 

(d) Obligations of Lenders Several. The obligations of the Lenders hereunder to make Committed Loans, to fund participations in Letters of Credit and Swing Line Loans and to make payments pursuant to Section 10.04(c) are several and not joint. The failure of any Lender to make any Committed Loan, to fund any such participation or to make any payment under Section 10.04(c) on any date required hereunder shall not relieve any other Lender of its corresponding obligation to do so on such date, and no Lender shall be responsible for the failure of any other Lender to so make its Committed Loan, to purchase its participation or to make its payment under Section 10.04(c).

 

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

 

2.13 Sharing of Payments by Lenders. If any Lender shall, by exercising any right of setoff or counterclaim or otherwise, obtain payment in respect of any principal of or interest on any of the Committed Loans made by it, or the participations in L/C Obligations or in Swing Line Loans held by it resulting in such Lender’s receiving payment of a proportion of the aggregate amount of such Committed Loans or participations and accrued interest thereon greater than its pro rata share thereof as provided herein, then the Lender receiving such greater proportion shall (a) notify the Administrative Agent of such fact, and (b) purchase (for cash at face value) participations in the Committed Loans and subparticipations in L/C Obligations and Swing Line Loans of the other Lenders, or make such other adjustments as shall be equitable, 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 Committed Loans and other amounts owing them, provided that:

 

(i) if any such participations or subparticipations are purchased and all or any portion of the payment giving rise thereto is recovered, such participations or subparticipations shall be rescinded and the purchase price restored to the extent of such recovery, without interest; and

 

34


(ii) the provisions of this Section 2.13 shall not be construed to apply to (x) any payment made by the Borrower pursuant to and in accordance with the express terms of this Agreement or (y) any payment obtained by a Lender as consideration for the assignment of or sale of a participation in any of its Committed Loans or subparticipations in L/C Obligations or Swing Line Loans to any assignee or participant, other than to the Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof (as to which the provisions of this Section 2.13 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 setoff 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.

 

2.14 Increase in Commitments.

 

(a) Request for Increase. Provided there exists no Default, upon notice to the Administrative Agent (which shall promptly notify the Lenders), the Borrower may from time to time, request an increase in the Aggregate Commitments by an amount (for all such requests) not exceeding $250,000,000; provided that (i) any such request for an increase shall be in a minimum amount of $5,000,000, and (ii) the Borrower may make a maximum of three such requests. At the time of sending such notice, the Borrower (in consultation with the Administrative Agent) shall specify the time period within which each Lender is requested to respond (which shall in no event be less than ten Business Days from the date of delivery of such notice to the Lenders).

 

(b) Lender Elections to Increase. Each Lender shall notify the Administrative Agent within such time period whether or not it agrees to increase its Commitment and, if so, whether by an amount equal to, greater than, or less than its Applicable Percentage of such requested increase. Any Lender not responding within such time period shall be deemed to have declined to increase its Commitment.

 

(c) Notification by Administrative Agent; Additional Lenders. The Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and each Lender of the Lenders’ responses to each request made hereunder. To achieve the full amount of a requested increase and subject to the approval of the Administrative Agent, the Swing Line Lender and the L/C Issuer (which approvals shall not be unreasonably withheld), the Borrower may also invite additional Eligible Assignees to become Lenders pursuant to a joinder agreement in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and its counsel.

 

(d) Effective Date and Allocations. If the Aggregate Commitments are increased in accordance with this Section 2.14, the Administrative Agent and the Borrower shall

 

35


determine the effective date (the “Increase Effective Date”) and the final allocation of such increase. The Administrative Agent shall promptly notify the Borrower and the Lenders of the final allocation of such increase and the Increase Effective Date.

 

(e) Conditions to Effectiveness of Increase. As a condition precedent to such increase, the Borrower shall deliver to the Administrative Agent a certificate of the Borrower dated as of the Increase Effective Date (in sufficient copies for each Lender) signed by a Responsible Officer (i) certifying and attaching the resolutions adopted by the Borrower approving or consenting to such increase, and (ii) in the case of the Borrower, certifying that, before and after giving effect to such increase, (A) the representations and warranties contained in Article V and the other Loan Documents are true and correct in all material respects on and as of the Extension Effective Date, except to the extent that such representations and warranties specifically refer to an earlier date, in which case they are true and correct in all material respects as of such earlier date, and except that for purposes of this Section 2.15, the representations and warranties contained in subsections (a) and (b) of Section 5.05 shall be deemed to refer to the most recent statements furnished pursuant to clauses (a) and (b), respectively, of Section 6.01, and (B) no Default exists. The Borrower shall prepay any Committed Loans outstanding on the Increase Effective Date (and pay any additional amounts required pursuant to Section 3.05) to the extent necessary to keep the outstanding Committed Loans ratable with any revised Applicable Percentages arising from any nonratable increase in the Commitments under this Section 2.14.

 

(f) Conflicting Provisions. This Section 2.14 shall supersede any provisions in Sections 2.13 or 10.01 to the contrary.

 

ARTICLE III.

TAXES, YIELD PROTECTION AND ILLEGALITY

 

3.01 Taxes.

 

(a) Payments Free of Taxes. Any and all payments by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower hereunder or under any other Loan Document shall be made free and clear of and without reduction or withholding for any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes, provided that if the Borrower shall be required by applicable law to deduct any Indemnified Taxes (including any 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 3.01) the Administrative Agent, Lender or L/C Issuer, 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 timely pay the full amount deducted to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable law.

 

(b) Payment of Other Taxes by the Borrower. Without limiting the provisions of subsection (a) above, the Borrower shall timely pay any Other Taxes to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable law.

 

36


(c) Indemnification by the Borrower. The Borrower shall indemnify the Administrative Agent, each Lender and the L/C Issuer, within 10 days after demand therefor, for the full amount of any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes (including Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes imposed or asserted on or attributable to amounts payable under this Section 3.01) paid by the Administrative Agent, such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, and any penalties, interest and reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto (other than those incurred as a result of the gross negligence or willful misconduct of the Administrative Agent, such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be), 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 L/C Issuer (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), or by the Administrative Agent on its own behalf or on behalf of a Lender or the L/C Issuer, shall be presumptively correct absent manifest error.

 

(d) Evidence of Payments. 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) Status of Lenders. 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 resident for tax purposes, or any treaty to which such jurisdiction is a party, with respect to payments hereunder or under any other Loan Document shall deliver to the Borrower (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), at the time or times prescribed by applicable law or reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, such properly completed and executed documentation prescribed by applicable law as will permit such payments to be made without withholding or at a reduced rate of withholding. In addition, any Lender, if requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, shall deliver such other documentation prescribed by applicable law or reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent as will enable the Borrower or the Administrative Agent to determine whether or not such Lender is subject to backup withholding or information reporting requirements.

 

Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, in the event that the Borrower is resident for tax purposes in the United States, any Foreign Lender shall deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent (in such number of copies as shall be requested by the recipient) on or prior to the date on which such Foreign Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the request of the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, but only if such Foreign Lender is legally entitled to do so), whichever of the following is applicable:

 

(i) duly completed copies of Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN claiming eligibility for benefits of an income tax treaty to which the United States is a party,

 

(ii) duly completed copies of Internal Revenue Service Form W-8ECI,

 

37


(iii) in the case of a Foreign Lender claiming the benefits of the exemption for portfolio interest under section 881(c) of the Code, (x) a certificate to the effect that such Foreign Lender is not (A) a “bank” within the meaning of section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, (B) a “10 percent shareholder” of the Borrower within the meaning of section 881(c)(3)(B) of the Code, or (C) a “controlled foreign corporation” described in section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code and (y) duly completed copies of Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN, or

 

(iv) any other form prescribed by applicable law as a basis for claiming exemption from or a reduction in United States Federal withholding tax duly completed together with such supplementary documentation as may be prescribed by applicable law to permit the Borrower to determine the withholding or deduction required to be made.

 

(f) Treatment of Certain Refunds. If the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the L/C Issuer 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 3.01, it shall pay to the Borrower an amount equal to such refund (but only to the extent of indemnity payments made, or additional amounts paid, by the Borrower under this Section 3.01 with respect to the Taxes or Other Taxes giving rise to such refund), net of all out-of-pocket expenses of the Administrative Agent, such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, 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, such Lender or the L/C Issuer, 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, such Lender or the L/C Issuer in the event the Administrative Agent, such Lender or the L/C Issuer is required to repay such refund to such Governmental Authority. This subsection shall not be construed to require the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the L/C Issuer to make available its tax returns (or any other information relating to its taxes that it deems confidential) to the Borrower or any other Person.

 

3.02 Illegality. If any Lender determines that any Law has made it unlawful, or that any Governmental Authority has asserted that it is unlawful, for any Lender or its applicable Lending Office to make, maintain or fund Eurodollar Rate Loans, or to determine or charge interest rates based upon the Eurodollar Rate, or any Governmental Authority has imposed material restrictions on the authority of such Lender to purchase or sell, or to take deposits of, Dollars in the London interbank market, then, on notice thereof by such Lender to the Borrower through the Administrative Agent, any obligation of such Lender to make or continue Eurodollar Rate Loans or to convert Base Rate Committed Loans to Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be suspended until such Lender notifies the Administrative Agent and the Borrower that the circumstances giving rise to such determination no longer exist. Upon receipt of such notice, the Borrower shall, upon demand from such Lender (along with supporting evidence and with a copy to the Administrative Agent), prepay or, if applicable, convert all Eurodollar Rate Loans of such Lender to Base Rate Loans, either on the last day of the Interest Period therefor, if such Lender may lawfully continue to maintain such Eurodollar Rate Loans to such day, or immediately, if such Lender may not lawfully continue to maintain such Eurodollar Rate Loans (provided, however, that if the Borrower is required to repay such Loans immediately it shall not

 

38


be required to compensate such Lender for any amounts otherwise required pursuant to Section 3.05). Upon any such prepayment or conversion, the Borrower shall also pay accrued interest on the amount so prepaid or converted.

 

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

 

3.04 Increased Costs; Reserves on Eurodollar Rate Loans.

 

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

 

(i) impose, modify or deem applicable any reserve, special deposit, compulsory loan, insurance charge or similar requirement against assets of, deposits with or for the account of, or credit extended or participated in by, any Lender (except any reserve requirement contemplated by Section 3.04(e)) or the L/C Issuer;

 

(ii) subject any Lender or the L/C Issuer to any tax of any kind whatsoever with respect to this Agreement, any Letter of Credit, any participation in a Letter of Credit or any Eurodollar Loan made by it, or change the basis of taxation of payments to such Lender or the L/C Issuer in respect thereof (except for Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes covered by Section 3.01 and the imposition of, or any change in the rate of, any Excluded Tax payable by such Lender or the L/C Issuer); or

 

(iii) impose on any Lender or the L/C Issuer or the London interbank market any other condition, cost or expense affecting this Agreement or Eurodollar Loans made by such Lender or any Letter of Credit or participation therein;

 

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 L/C Issuer of participating in, issuing or maintaining any Letter of Credit (or of maintaining its obligation to participate in or to issue any Letter of Credit), or to reduce the amount of any sum received or receivable by such Lender or the L/C Issuer hereunder (whether of principal, interest or any other amount) then, upon request of such Lender or the L/C Issuer, the Borrower will pay to such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, for such additional costs incurred or reduction suffered.

 

39


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

 

(c) Certificates for Reimbursement. A certificate of a Lender or the L/C Issuer setting forth the amount or amounts necessary to compensate such Lender or the L/C Issuer or its holding company, as the case may be, as specified in subsection (a) or (b) of this Section 3.04 and delivered to the Borrower shall be presumptively correct absent manifest error. The Borrower shall pay such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, the amount shown as due on any such certificate within 10 days after receipt thereof.

 

(d) Delay in Requests. Failure or delay on the part of any Lender or the L/C Issuer to demand compensation pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 3.04 shall not constitute a waiver of such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’s right to demand such compensation, provided that the Borrower shall not be required to compensate a Lender or the L/C Issuer pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 3.04 for any increased costs incurred or reductions suffered more than 90 days prior to the date that such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, notifies the Borrower of the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions and of such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’s intention to claim compensation therefor (except that, if the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions is retroactive, then the 90 day period referred to above shall be extended to include the period of retroactive effect thereof).

 

(e) Reserves on Eurodollar Rate Loans. The Borrower shall pay to each Lender, as long as such Lender shall be required to maintain reserves with respect to liabilities or assets consisting of or including Eurocurrency funds or deposits (currently known as “Eurocurrency liabilities”), additional interest on the unpaid principal amount of each Eurodollar Rate Loan equal to the actual costs of such reserves allocated to such Loan by such Lender (as determined by such Lender in good faith, which determination shall be conclusive), which shall be due and payable on each date on which interest is payable on such Loan, provided the Borrower shall have received at least 10 days’ prior notice (with a copy to the Administrative Agent) of such additional interest from such Lender. If a Lender fails to give notice 10 days prior to the relevant Interest Payment Date, such additional interest shall be due and payable 10 days from receipt of such notice.

 

40


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

 

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

 

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

 

(c) any assignment of a Eurodollar Rate Loan on a day other than the last day of the Interest Period therefor as a result of a request by the Borrower pursuant to Section 10.13;

 

including any loss or expense arising from the liquidation or reemployment of funds obtained by it to maintain its Eurodollar Rate Loan or from fees payable to terminate the deposits from which such funds were obtained. The Borrower shall also pay any customary administrative fees charged by such Lender in connection with the foregoing (provided that the demand for such customary administrative fees is accompanied by an itemized statement detailing the amounts payable by the Borrower hereunder).

 

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

 

3.06 Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders.

 

(a) Designation of a Different Lending Office. If any Lender requests compensation under Section 3.04, or the Borrower is required to pay any additional amount to any Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to Section 3.01, or if any Lender gives a notice pursuant to Section 3.02, 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 3.01 or 3.04, as the case may be, in the future, or eliminate the need for the notice pursuant to Section 3.02, as applicable, and (ii) in each case, 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.

 

41


(b) Replacement of Lenders. If any Lender requests compensation under Section 3.04, 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 3.01, the Borrower may replace such Lender in accordance with Section 10.13.

 

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

 

ARTICLE IV.

CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO CREDIT EXTENSIONS

 

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

 

(a) The Administrative Agent’s receipt of the following, each of which shall be originals or telecopies (followed promptly by originals) unless otherwise specified, each properly executed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower each dated the Closing Date (or, in the case of certificates of governmental officials, a recent date before the Closing Date) and each in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and each of the Lenders:

 

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

 

(ii) a Note executed by the Borrower in favor of each Lender requesting a Note;

 

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

 

(iv) such documents and certifications as the Administrative Agent may reasonably require to evidence that the Borrower is duly organized or formed, and that the Borrower is validly existing, in good standing and qualified to engage in business in the States of Florida and California;

 

(v) favorable opinions of counsel to the Borrower, addressed to the Administrative Agent and each Lender, as to the matters set forth in Exhibit F and such other matters concerning the Borrower and the Loan Documents as the Required Lenders may reasonably request, which opinion with respect to matters of Florida law may be an in-house counsel opinion in whole or in part;

 

(vi) a certificate of a Responsible Officer of the Borrower either (A) attaching copies of all consents, licenses and approvals required in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by the Borrower and the validity against the

 

42


Borrower of the Loan Documents, and such consents, licenses and approvals shall be in full force and effect, or (B) stating that no such consents, licenses or approvals are so required;

 

(vii) a certificate signed by a Responsible Officer on behalf of the Borrower certifying (A) that the conditions specified in Sections 4.02(a) and (b) have been satisfied, and (B) since December 28, 2003 there has been no Material Adverse Event; and (C) the current Debt Ratings;

 

(viii) a duly completed Compliance Certificate as of the last day of the fiscal quarter of the Borrower ended on March 28, 2004, signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower;

 

(ix) evidence that all amounts owing under the Existing Credit Agreement have been paid on or prior to the Closing Date; and

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

(d) The Closing Date shall have occurred on or before July 19, 2004.

 

Without limiting the generality of the provisions of Section 9.04, for purposes of determining compliance with the conditions specified in this Section 4.01, each Lender that has signed this Agreement shall be deemed to have consented to, approved or accepted or to be satisfied with, each document or other matter required thereunder to be consented to or approved by or acceptable or satisfactory to a Lender unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from such Lender prior to the proposed Closing Date specifying its objection thereto.

 

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

 

(a) The representations and warranties of the Borrower contained in Article V (other than the representation and warranty contained in Section 5.02 for all Borrowings other than the initial Credit Extension) or any other Loan Document, or which are contained in any

 

43


document furnished at any time under or in connection herewith or therewith, shall be true and correct in all material respects on and as of the date of such Credit Extension, except to the extent that such representations and warranties specifically refer to an earlier date, in which case they shall be true and correct in all material respects as of such earlier date, and except that for purposes of this Section 4.02, the representations and warranties contained in subsections (a) and (b) of Section 5.05 shall be deemed to refer to the most recent statements furnished pursuant to clauses (a) and (b), respectively, of Section 6.01.

 

(b) No Default shall exist, or would result from such proposed Credit Extension or from the application of the proceeds thereof.

 

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

 

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

 

ARTICLE V.

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

 

To induce Lenders to enter into this Agreement and to make the loans herein provided for, the Borrower hereby covenants, represents and warrants to the Administrative Agent and to each Lenders that:

 

5.01 Financial Condition. The Current Financials are complete and correct in all respects material to the Borrower and its consolidated Subsidiaries taken as a whole and present fairly in all material respects the consolidated financial condition of the Borrower and its consolidated Subsidiaries, and the consolidated results of their operations and cash flows, as of and for the portion of the fiscal year ending on the date or dates thereof (subject only to normal year-end audit adjustments). All such Financial Statements including the related schedules and notes thereto, have been prepared in accordance with GAAP applied consistently throughout the periods involved (except as approved by such accountants or Responsible Officer, as the case may be, and as disclosed therein). Neither the Borrower nor any of its consolidated Subsidiaries had, as of the dates of the consolidated balance sheets referred to above, any Contingent Obligation, contingent liabilities, or liability for Taxes, long-term leases, or unusual forward or long-term commitments, which are material to the Borrower and its consolidated Subsidiaries taken as a whole and are not reflected in the foregoing statements or in the notes thereto and are required by GAAP to be so reflected.

 

5.02 No Change. Except as described in Schedule 5.02, since December 28, 2003, there has been no material adverse change in the business, operations, assets, or financial or other condition of the Companies taken as a whole.

 

44


5.03 Corporate Existence: Compliance with Law. Each of the Companies (a) is duly organized, validly existing, and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or the jurisdiction of its reincorporation, (b) has the corporate power and authority and the legal right to own and operate its property, to lease the property it operates, and to conduct the business in which it is currently engaged, (c) is duly qualified as a foreign corporation and in good standing under the Laws of each jurisdiction where its ownership, lease, or operation of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except to the extent that failure to be so qualified is not reasonably likely, in the aggregate, to be a Material Adverse Event, and (d) is in compliance with all Laws except to the extent that the failure to comply therewith is not reasonably likely, in the aggregate, to be a Material Adverse Event.

 

5.04 Corporate Power: Authorization: Enforceable Obligations. The Borrower has the corporate power and authority and the legal right to make, deliver, and perform the Loan Documents and to borrow hereunder and has taken all necessary corporate action to authorize the Borrowings on the terms and conditions of the Loan Documents and to authorize the execution, delivery, and performance of the Loan Documents. The execution, delivery, and performance of the Loan Documents will not violate any provision of the charter or bylaws of the Borrower. No consent or authorization of, filing with, or other act by, or in respect of, any Governmental Authority, is required in connection with the Borrowings hereunder or with the execution, delivery, performance, validity, or enforceability of the Loan Documents. The Loan Documents have been duly executed and delivered on behalf of the Borrower and constitute legal, valid, and binding obligations of the Borrower enforceable against the Borrower in accordance with their respective terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable Debtor Relief Laws and by equitable principles regardless of whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law.

 

5.05 No Legal Bar. The execution, delivery, and performance of the Loan Documents, the Borrowings hereunder, and the use of the proceeds thereof, will not violate any Laws (including Regulation U, the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934), or any Contractual Obligation of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, and will not result in or require the creation or imposition of any Lien on any of its or their respective properties or revenues pursuant to any Laws or Contractual Obligation.

 

5.06 No Material Litigation. No Litigation, investigation, or proceeding of or before any arbitrator or Governmental Authority is pending or, to the knowledge of the Borrower, threatened by or against the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or against any of its or their respective properties or revenues (a) with respect to the Loan Documents or any of the transactions contemplated hereby or (b) which is reasonably likely to constitute a Material Adverse Event, except as described in the Financial Statements of the Companies or in the notes thereto, delivered by the Borrower on the Closing Date.

 

5.07 No Default. No Company is in default under or with respect to any Contractual Obligation in any respect which could be a Material Adverse Event. No Default has occurred and is continuing.

 

5.08 Ownership of Property; Liens. Each of the Companies has title to all its assets reflected in the Current Financials, free of any Lien, except as permitted under Section 7.01.

 

45


5.09 No Burdensome Restrictions. No Laws affecting any Company materially adversely affects, or insofar as the Borrower may reasonably foresee may so affect, the business, operations, property, or financial or other condition of the Companies taken as a whole.

 

5.10 Taxes. Each of the Companies has filed or caused to be filed all Tax returns which to the knowledge of the Borrower are required to be filed (except for state Tax returns required to be filed as a result of any Company’s doing business in jurisdictions where it has failed to qualify to do business and such failure to qualify and such failure to file is not reasonably likely, in the aggregate for all such jurisdictions, to be a Material Adverse Event), and has paid all Taxes shown to be due and payable on said returns or on any assessments made against it or any of its property and all other Taxes, fees or other charges imposed on it or any of its property by any Governmental Authority (other than those the amount or validity of which is currently being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and with respect to which reserves in conformity with GAAP have been provided on the books of the appropriate Companies, as the case may be); and no Tax liens have been filed and, to the knowledge of the Borrower, no claims are being asserted with respect to any such Taxes, fees or other charges, if such Tax liens or claims are reasonably likely to be a Material Adverse Event.

 

5.11 Federal Regulations. No Company is engaged or will engage, principally or as one of its important activities, in the business of extending credit for the purpose of “purchasing” or “carrying” any “margin stock” within the respective meanings of each of the quoted terms under Regulation U as now and from time to time hereafter in effect. No part of the proceeds of any Borrowings hereunder will be used for any purpose which violates, or which would be inconsistent with, the provisions of the Regulations of such Board of Governors. “Margin Stock” (as defined in Regulation U) constitutes less than 25% of those assets of the Companies which are subject to any limitation on sale, pledge, or other restriction hereunder. If requested by any Lender or the Administrative Agent, the Borrower will furnish to the Administrative Agent and each Lender a statement to the foregoing effect in conformity with the requirements of Federal Reserve Form U-1 referred to in said Regulation U.

 

5.12 ERISA. No Reportable Event for which there is any outstanding liability has occurred during the five-year period prior to the date on which this representation is made or deemed made with respect to any Employee Plan, and each Employee Plan has complied in all material respects with the applicable provisions of ERISA and the Code. The present value of all benefits vested under all Employee Plans maintained by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate (based on those assumptions used to fund the Employee Plans) did not, in the aggregate as of the last annual valuation date, exceed the value of the assets of all such Employee Plans allocable to such vested benefits. Neither the Borrower nor any ERISA Affiliate has had a complete or partial withdrawal from any Multiemployer Plan for which there is any material liability, and the liability to which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate would become subject under ERISA if the Borrower or any such ERISA Affiliate were to withdraw completely from all Multiemployer Plans as of the valuation date most closely preceding the date hereof is not, in the aggregate, material to the business, operations, property, or financial or other condition of the Companies taken as a whole. To the knowledge of the Borrower, no such Multiemployer Plan is in reorganization or insolvent.

 

46


5.13 Investment Company Act. The Borrower is not an “investment Company” or a Company “controlled” by an “investment Company,” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

5.14 Subsidiaries. The Subsidiaries listed in the Borrower’s Annual Report on Form 10-K most recently delivered to the Lenders, constitute all the Subsidiaries of the Borrower except for such Companies that are not, in the aggregate, material to the business, operations, property, financial, or other condition of the Companies taken as a whole.

 

5.15 Environmental Matters. Except as to matters which, individually, or in the aggregate, are not reasonably likely to result in the payment of a Material Environmental Amount,

 

(a) The Companies have obtained all Environmental Permits with respect to the business in which they are engaged (the “Business”) and with respect to the facilities and properties owned, leased, or operated by the Companies (the “Properties”), and the Business and all operations at the Properties are in compliance with all Environmental Permits and are otherwise in compliance with all Environmental Laws;

 

(b) No Company has received any Environmental Claim with respect to any of the Properties or the Business or otherwise, nor does the Borrower have knowledge or reason to believe that any such Environmental Claim will be received or is threatened; and

 

(c) There are no past or present actions, activities, events, conditions, or circumstances, including the Release, threatened Release, emission, discharge, generation, treatment, storage, or disposal of Hazardous Substances at any location, that could reasonably be expected to give rise to liability of any Company under any Environmental Law or any contract or agreement.

 

5.16 Purpose of Facility. The Borrower will use all proceeds of Borrowings for one or more of the following purposes: (i) for general corporate purposes, including liquidity support for commercial paper or (ii) to finance Acquisitions, so long as (a) immediately prior to such Acquisition and (b) after giving effect to such Acquisition (1) no Default exists or arises and (2) the Borrower has provided the Lenders with notice of such Acquisition pursuant to Section 6.02(e).

 

5.17 Disclosure. The Borrower has disclosed to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders all agreements, instruments and corporate or other restrictions to which it or any of the Companies is subject, and all other matters known to it, that, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to be a Material Adverse Event. No report, financial statement, certificate or other information furnished (whether in writing or orally) by or on behalf of the Borrower to the Administrative Agent or any Lender in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby and the negotiation of this Agreement or delivered hereunder or under any other Loan Document (in each case, 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.

 

47


ARTICLE VI.

COVENANTS

 

The Borrower covenants and agrees (and agrees to cause each other Company to the extent any covenant is applicable to such Company) to perform, observe, and comply with each of the following covenants, from the Closing Date and so long thereafter as the Lenders are committed to fund Borrowings and the L/C Issuer is committed to issue Letters of Credit under this Agreement and thereafter until the payment in full of the Principal Debt (and termination of outstanding Letters of Credit, if any) and payment in full of all other interest, fees, and other amounts of the Obligation then due and owing, unless the Borrower receives a prior written consent to the contrary by the Administrative Agent, as authorized by the Required Lenders:

 

6.01 Financial Statements. The Borrower shall furnish to the Administrative Agent in sufficient quantity for each Lender:

 

(a) As soon as available, but in any event within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Borrower, Financial Statements, showing the consolidated financial condition and results of operation calculated for the Borrower and its consolidated Subsidiaries as at the end of such year, certified without a “going concern” or like qualification or exception, or qualification arising out of the scope of the audit, by Ernst & Young or other independent certified public accountants of a nationally recognized standing; and

 

(b) As soon as available, but in any event not later than 60 days after the end of each of the first three quarterly-periods of each fiscal year of the Borrower, the unaudited Financial Statements showing the consolidated financial condition and results of operation calculated for the Borrower and its consolidated Subsidiaries as at the end of each such quarter and the portion of the fiscal year through such date, certified by a Responsible Officer (subject to normal year-end audit adjustments);

 

all such Financial Statements to be complete and correct in all material respects and to be prepared in reasonable detail and in accordance with GAAP applied consistently throughout the periods reflected therein (except as approved by such accountants or Responsible Officer, as the case may be, and disclosed therein).

 

6.02 Certificates; Other Information. The Borrower shall furnish to the Administrative Agent in sufficient quantity for each Lender:

 

(a) Concurrently with the delivery of the Financial Statements referred to in Section 6.0l(a) above, a certificate of the independent certified public accountants reporting on such Financial Statements stating that in making the examination necessary therefor no knowledge was obtained of any Default, except as specified in such certificate;

 

(b) Concurrently with the delivery of the Financial Statements referred to in Section 6.0l(a) and 6.01(b), a Compliance Certificate of a Responsible Officer (i) stating that, to

 

48


the best of such officer’s knowledge, the Companies during such period have observed or performed all of the covenants and other agreements applicable to such Companies, and that such officer has obtained no knowledge of any Default, except as specified in such certificate, and (ii) showing in reasonable detail the calculations supporting such statement in respect of Section 7.06;

 

(c) Within five Business Days after the same are sent, copies of all Financial Statements and reports which the Borrower sends to its stockholders, and within five days after the same are filed, copies of all Financial Statements and reports which the Borrower may make to, or file with, the SEC or any successor;

 

(d) Promptly, such additional financial and other information as any Lender may from time to time reasonably request; and

 

(e) With respect to any Acquisition, notice of such Acquisition (together with such other information concerning such Acquisition as the Administrative Agent may reasonably request) (i) delivered no later than five Business Days prior to the closing of such Acquisition if all or any portion of the purchase price or related costs of such Acquisition is to be funded by a Borrowing under the Loan Documents; or (ii) no later than five Business Days after the closing of any other Acquisition; provided that, no such notice under clause (ii) preceding shall be required with respect to any Acquisition if the purchase price or other consideration for such Acquisition is less than $50,000,000.

 

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

 

49


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

 

6.03 Payment of Obligations. Each Company shall pay, discharge, or otherwise satisfy at or before maturity or before they become delinquent, as the case may be, all its Debt or other obligations of whatever nature, which individually or in the aggregate equals or exceeds a principal amount of $50,000,000 except, in the case of Debt (other than that described in Section 8.01(d)), with respect to which the amount or validity thereof is currently being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and reserves in conformity with GAAP with respect thereto have been provided on the books of the applicable Companies, as the case may be.

 

6.04 Conduct of Business and Maintenance of Existence. Each Company shall continue to engage in business of the same general type as now conducted by it, and preserve, renew and keep in full force and effect its corporate existence and take all reasonable action to maintain all rights, privileges, and franchises necessary or desirable in the normal conduct of its business. Each Company shall comply with all Contractual Obligations and Laws, except to the extent that the failure to comply therewith would not, in the aggregate, be a Material Adverse Event. The Borrower shall not violate the provisions of its charter or bylaws, or modify, repeal, replace, or amend any provision of its charter or bylaws, if such action would be reasonably likely to materially adversely affect the Rights of Lenders.

 

6.05 Maintenance of Property, Insurance. Each Company shall (i) keep all property useful and necessary in its business in good working order and condition; (ii) maintain with financially sound and reputable insurance companies insurance on all its property in at least such amounts and against at least such risks as are usually insured against in the same general area by companies engaged in the same or a similar business; and (iii) furnish to each Lender, upon written request, full information as to the insurance carried.

 

50


6.06 Inspection of Property: Books and Records, Discussions. Each Company shall (i) keep proper books of record and account in which full, true, and correct entries in conformity with GAAP and all Laws shall be made of all dealings and transactions in relation to its business and activities; and (ii) permit, with reasonable notice, representatives of any Lender to visit and inspect any of its properties at any reasonable time and as often as may reasonably be desired, and to discuss the business, operations, properties, and financial and other condition of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries with officers and employees of the Companies and with its independent certified public accountants. The Administrative Agent and each Lender agrees to use its best efforts to ensure that any such information concerning the Borrower obtained by the Administrative Agent or such Lender pursuant to this Section 6.06 which is not available to the public generally will be handled in accordance with Section 10.07.

 

6.07 Notices. The Borrower shall promptly give notice to the Administrative Agent and each Lender of:

 

(a) The occurrence of any Default;

 

(b) Any (i) default or event of default under any Contractual Obligation of any Company or (ii) Litigation, investigation, or proceeding which may exist at any time between any Company and any Governmental Authority, which in either case, is reasonably likely to be a Material Adverse Event;

 

(c) Any Litigation or proceeding affecting any Company (i) in which the exposure not covered by insurance is $50,000,000 or more or (ii) in which injunctive or similar relief is sought which is reasonably likely to be a Material Adverse Event; provided, however, that no notice need be given of any such Litigation or proceedings which, in the opinion of counsel to the Borrower, is frivolous;

 

(d) The following events, as soon as possible and in any event within 30 days after the Borrower knows or has reason to know thereof (provided, however, that with respect to any Multiemployer Plan, the Borrower shall only be deemed to have knowledge of facts concerning which it has actual knowledge): (i) the occurrence or expected occurrence of any Reportable Event with respect to any Employee Plan, or any withdrawal from, or the termination, reorganization, or insolvency of any Multiemployer Plan; or (ii) the institution of proceedings or the taking or expected taking of any other action by the PBGC or the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate with respect to the withdrawal from, or the terminating, reorganization, or insolvency of, any Employee Plan, other than a “standard termination” under Section 4041(b) of ERISA where the assets of the Plan exceed the liabilities (excluding any agreement of the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate to contribute any money to the Plan) and are sufficient to permit a “standard termination;” and in addition to such notice, deliver to the Administrative Agent and each Lender whichever of the following may be applicable: (A) a certificate of the chief financial officer of the Borrower setting forth details as to such Reportable Event and the action that the Borrower or the ERISA Affiliate proposes to take with respect thereto, together with a copy of any notice of such Reportable Event that may be required to be filed with the PBGC, or (B) any notice delivered by the PBGC evidencing its intent to institute such proceedings or any notice to the PBGC that such Employee Plan is to be terminated, as the case may be; and

 

(e) The occurrence of a Material Adverse Event.

 

51


Each notice pursuant to this Section 6.07 shall be accompanied by a statement of the chief executive officer or chief financial officer of the Borrower setting forth details of the occurrence referred to therein and stating what action the Borrower proposes to take with respect thereto. For all purposes of Section 6.07(d), the Borrower shall be deemed to have all knowledge or knowledge of all facts attributable to the administrator of such Employee Plan (except as limited by Section 6.07(d)).

 

6.08 Preservation and Protection of Rights. Each Company shall perform such acts and duly authorize, execute, acknowledge, deliver, file, and record any additional agreements, documents, instruments, and certificates as the Administrative Agent or Required Lenders may reasonably deem necessary or appropriate in order to preserve and protect the Rights of the Administrative Agent and Lenders under any Loan Document.

 

6.09 Environmental Laws. Each Company shall (a) conduct its business so as to comply with all applicable Environmental Laws and shall promptly take corrective action to remedy any non-compliance with any Environmental Law, (b) shall promptly investigate and remediate any known Release or threatened Release of any Hazardous Substance on any property owned by any Company or at any facility operated by any Company to the extent and degree necessary to comply with Law and to assure that any Release or threatened Release does not result in a substantial endangerment to human health or the environment, and (c) take reasonable efforts to ensure compliance with applicable Environmental Laws and minimize financial and other risks to each Company arising under applicable Environmental Laws or as a result of environmentally-related injuries to Persons or property.

 

ARTICLE VII.

NEGATIVE COVENANTS

 

The Borrower covenants and agrees (and agrees to cause each other Company to the extent any covenant is applicable to such Company) to perform, observe, and comply with each of the following covenants, from the Closing Date and so long thereafter as the Lenders are committed to fund Borrowings and the L/C Issuer is committed to issue Letters of Credit under this Agreement and thereafter until the payment in full of the Principal Debt (and termination of outstanding Letters of Credit, if any) and payment in full of all other interest, fees, and other amounts of the Obligation then due and owing, unless the Borrower receives a prior written consent to the contrary by the Administrative Agent, as authorized by the Required Lenders:

 

7.01 Limitation on Liens. The Companies shall not, directly or indirectly, create, incur, assume, or suffer to exist any Lien upon any of its property, assets, or revenues, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, except:

 

(a) Liens for Taxes not yet due or which are being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings if adequate reserves with respect thereto are maintained on the books of the appropriate Companies in accordance with GAAP;

 

52


(b) Carriers’, warehousemen’s, mechanics’, materialmen’s, repairmen’s, or other like Liens arising in the ordinary course of business which are not overdue for a period of more than 30 days or which are being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings;

 

(c) Pledges or deposits in connection with workmen’s compensation, unemployment insurance, and other social security legislation;

 

(d) Deposits to secure the performance of bids, trade contracts (other than for borrowed money), leases, statutory obligations, surety and appeal bonds, performance bonds, and other obligations of a like nature incurred in the ordinary course of business;

 

(e) Easements, rights-of-way, restrictions, and other similar encumbrances incurred in the ordinary course of business which, in the aggregate, are not substantial in amount, and which do not in any case materially detract from the value of the property subject thereto or interfere with the ordinary conduct of the business of the Companies;

 

(f) Liens which were in existence on December 28, 2003, and which secured obligations reflected in the Financial Statements delivered on the Closing Date; provided that no such Lien is spread to cover any additional property after the date of this Agreement and that the amount of Debt secured thereby is not increased;

 

(g) Liens on assets of corporations which become Subsidiaries after the date of this Agreement; provided that (i) such Liens existed at the time the respective corporations became Subsidiaries and were not created in anticipation thereof; (ii) no such Lien is spread to cover any property or assets of any other Company; and (iii) the amount of Debt secured thereby (other than accrued interest) is not increased;

 

(h) Liens upon real and/or tangible personal property, which property was acquired after December 28, 2003 (by purchase, construction or otherwise) by any Company, each of which Liens either (A) existed on such property before the time of its acquisition and was not created in anticipation thereof, or (B) was created solely for the purpose of securing long-term Debt (or construction loans not constituting long-term Debt) representing, or incurred to finance, refinance or refund, the cost (including the cost of construction) of the respective property; provided that no such Lien shall extend to or cover any property of any Company, other than the respective property so acquired and improvements thereon; and

 

(i) Liens created by or resulting from any Litigation or legal proceeding not reportable under Section 6.07(c) which is currently being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which adequate reserves have been taken on the books of the Companies and Liens arising out of judgments or awards against any Company which is not a Event of Default under Section 8.01(h) with respect to which any Company shall in good faith be prosecuting an appeal or proceeding for review;

 

(j) Liens in connection with the renewal, replacement, refunding, or extending of the maturity in whole or in part, of any Lien permitted by Section 7.01(h), or of the obligations secured thereby, for amounts not exceeding the principal amount of the obligation so renewed, refinanced, replaced, refunded, or extended at the time of the renewal, replacement, refunding or extension thereof, and covering only the same property or assets theretofore securing the same;

 

53


(k) Leases or subleases not otherwise prohibited by this Agreement on any property of any Company; and

 

(1) Liens (in addition to those otherwise specified in this Section 7.01), which in the aggregate do not secure obligations in excess of an amount equal to the difference between 10% of Consolidated Net Worth minus the fair market value of all assets subject to a sale/leaseback transaction.

 

7.02 Prohibition of Fundamental Changes. No Company shall, directly or indirectly, enter into any transaction of merger or consolidation or amalgamation, or liquidate, wind up, or dissolve itself (or suffer any liquidation or dissolution), or acquire by purchase or otherwise all or substantially all the business or assets of, or any going concern business unit of, or stock or other evidences of beneficial ownership of, any Person, except that:

 

(a) Any corporation (including any Subsidiary of the Borrower) may be merged or consolidated with or into the Borrower (provided that the Borrower shall be the continuing or surviving corporation) or with any one or more Subsidiaries of the Borrower (provided that (i) if any such transaction shall be between a corporation (including any Subsidiary of the Borrower) and a Wholly-owned Subsidiary of the Borrower, the continuing or surviving corporation shall be a Wholly-owned Subsidiary of the Borrower and (ii) immediately after each such transaction and after giving effect thereto, the Borrower is in compliance with this Agreement);

 

(b) Any Company may acquire all or substantially all of the assets or business of, or any going concern business unit of, or stock or other evidence of beneficial ownership, of any Person which immediately upon the acquisition thereof becomes a Subsidiary of the Borrower; provided that immediately after each such transaction and after giving effect thereto, the Borrower is in compliance with this Agreement;

 

(c) The Borrower may liquidate, dissolve, or wind up any Subsidiary, so long as the assets, if any, are transferred to another Company and so long as no Default would exist or result from such liquidation, dissolution, wind up, or asset transfer; and

 

(d) The Borrower may reincorporate in any other jurisdiction in the United States, but must promptly notify the Administrative Agent of such reincorporation.

 

7.03 Prohibition on Sale of Assets. No Company shall, directly or indirectly, sell, lease, assign, transfer, or otherwise dispose of (in one or a series of related transactions) any of its assets (including receivables and leasehold interests, but excluding obsolete or worn-out property or property (including inventory) disposed of in the ordinary course of business), whether now owned or hereafter acquired, except that:

 

(a) Any Subsidiary may sell, lease, transfer, or otherwise dispose of any or all of its assets (upon voluntary liquidation or otherwise) to the Borrower or a Wholly-owned Subsidiary of the Borrower;

 

54


(b) Nothing in this Section 7.03 shall be deemed to prohibit any sale, lease, assignment, transfer, or other disposition of any Company’s assets, as long as (i) the consideration received therefor is at least equal to the fair market value thereof as determined in good faith by such Company, and (ii) such assets are not material or strategic to the Companies taken as a whole, as determined by the Borrower in good faith; and

 

(c) Nothing in this Section 7.03 shall be deemed to prohibit any sale/leaseback transaction so long as, after giving effect to the sale/leaseback transaction, the Companies remain in compliance with Section 7.01(l).

 

7.04 Compliance with ERISA. No Company or ERISA Affiliate shall, directly or indirectly, (a) terminate any Employee Plan so as to result in any liability to the PBGC; (b) engage in any “prohibited transaction” (as defined in Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code) involving any Employee Plan which would result in a liability for an excise tax or civil penalty in connection therewith; (c) incur or suffer to exist any “accumulated funding deficiency” (as defined in Section 302 of ERISA), whether or not waived, involving any Employee Plan; or (d) allow or suffer to exist any event or condition, which presents a risk of incurring a material liability to the PBGC by reason of termination of any such Employee Plan; and, in each of clauses (a) through (d) hereof, such liability, deficiency or risk, as the case may be, when taken together with all other contingencies and facts relating to the Companies, is a Material Adverse Event.

 

7.05 Assignment. The Borrower shall not assign or transfer any of its Rights, duties, or obligations under any of the Loan Documents, except as permitted pursuant to Section 7.02(a).

 

7.06 Financial Covenant - Consolidated Total Debt to Consolidated EBITDA. As calculated on a consolidated basis for the Companies, the Borrower shall not permit the ratio of Consolidated Total Debt as of the last day of any fiscal quarter to Consolidated EBITDA for the period of four consecutive fiscal quarters most recently ended to exceed 4.50 to 1.00 as of the last day of such fiscal quarter.

 

7.07 Transactions with Affiliates. Except for those transactions listed on Schedule 7.07, no Company shall enter into any material transaction with any of its Affiliates (other than transactions between or among Companies), other than transactions in the ordinary course of business and upon fair and reasonable terms not materially less favorable than such Company could obtain or could become entitled to in an arm’s-length transaction with a Person that was not its Affiliate. For purposes of this Section 7.07, a transaction is “material” if it requires any Company to pay more than $50,000,000 during the term of the agreement governing such transaction.

 

55


ARTICLE VIII.

DEFAULT

 

8.01 Events of Default. The term “Event of Default” means the occurrence of any one or more of the following events:

 

(a) Payment of Obligation. The Borrower shall fail to pay all or any part of the principal of the Obligation when the same becomes due (whether by its terms, by acceleration, or as otherwise provided in the Loan Documents) or shall fail to pay any other part of the Obligation (including interest and fees) within three Business Days of when the same becomes due (whether by its terms, by acceleration, or as otherwise provided in the Loan Documents).

 

(b) Misrepresentation. Any representation or warranty made or deemed made by the Borrower in any Loan Document shall prove to have been incorrect in any respect material to the Companies taken as a whole on or as of the date made or deemed made.

 

(c) Covenants. The failure or refusal of the Borrower (and, if applicable, any other Company) to punctually and properly perform, observe, and comply with:

 

(i) Any covenant, agreement, or condition contained in Sections 7.01 through 7.07; and

 

(ii) Any other covenant, agreement, or condition contained in any Loan Document (other than the covenant to pay the Obligations addressed in Section 8.01(a) or the covenants addressed in Section 8.01(c)(i)) and such failure or refusal shall continue unremedied for a period of 30 days after the Borrower has, or with reasonable investigation, should have, knowledge of such failure or refusal.

 

(d) Default Under Other Debt. The Companies shall (i) default in any payment of principal of or interest on any Debt (other than the Obligations) or in the payment of any Contingent Obligation, beyond the period of grace (not to exceed 30 days), if any, provided in the instrument or agreement under which such Debt or Contingent Obligation was created; provided that such Debt or Contingent Obligation shall be in the amount of $50,000,000 or more; or (ii) default in the observance or performance of any other agreement or condition relating to any such Debt or Contingent Obligation or contained in any instrument or agreement evidencing, securing, or relating thereto, or any other event shall occur or condition exist, the effect of which default or other event or condition is to cause, or to permit the holder or holders of such Debt or beneficiary or beneficiaries of such Contingent Obligation (or a trustee or agent on behalf of such holder or holders or beneficiary or beneficiaries) to cause any Debt or any Contingent Obligation having an aggregate principal amount of $50,000,000 or more to be demanded or become due (automatically or otherwise) or to become subject to mandatory redemption prior to its stated maturity, with the giving of notice if required, such Debt or other indebtedness to become due prior to its stated maturity (provided that, to the extent that any default referred to in the preceding provisions of this Section 8.01(d) is cured by the Borrower or the respective obligor and such cure is acceptable by the required holders of the applicable Debt, such default shall cease to be a Event of Default hereunder, unless and except to the extent that the Administrative Agent or Required Lenders have theretofore exercised remedies hereunder pursuant to Section 8.02).

 

(e) Debtor Relief. Any Company (a) voluntarily seeks, consents to, or acquiesces in the benefit of any Debtor Relief Law, other than as a creditor or claimant, (b) becomes a party to or is made the subject of any proceeding provided for by any Debtor

 

56


Relief Law, other than as a creditor or claimant, that could suspend or otherwise adversely affect the Rights of the Administrative Agent or any Lender granted in the Loan Documents (unless, in the event such proceeding is involuntary, such proceeding remains undismissed, undischarged, or unbonded for a period of 60 days); and (c) any Company shall generally not, or shall be unable to, or shall admit in writing its inability to, pay its debts as they become due.

 

(f) Attachment. There shall be commenced against any Company any case, proceeding, or other action seeking issuance of a warrant of attachment, execution, distraint, or similar process against all or any substantial part of its assets which results in the entry of an order for any such relief which shall not have been vacated, discharged, stayed, or bonded pending appeal within 60 days from the entry thereof; or any Company shall take any action in furtherance of, or indicating its consent to, approval of, or acquiescence in, any such proceedings.

 

(g) Employee Benefit Plans. (i) Any Person shall engage in any “prohibited transaction” (as defined in Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code) involving any Employee Plan, (ii) any “accumulated funding deficiency” (as defined in Section 302 of ERISA), whether or not waived, shall exist with respect to any Employee Plan, (iii) a Reportable Event shall occur with respect to, or proceedings shall commence to have a trustee appointed, or a trustee shall be appointed, to administer or to terminate, any Employee Plan, which Reportable Event or institution of proceedings is, in the reasonable opinion of the Required Lenders, likely to result in the termination of such Employee Plan for purposes of Title IV of ERISA, (iv) any Employee Plan shall terminate for purposes of Title IV of ERISA, (v) the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate shall, or in the reasonable opinion of the Required Lenders is likely to, incur any liability in connection with any withdrawal from, or the insolvency or reorganization of, a Multiemployer Plan, or (vi) any other event or condition shall occur or exist with respect to a Employee Plan; and in each of clauses (i) through (vi) hereof, such liability, deficiency, or risk, as the case may be, is when taken together with all other contingencies and facts relating to the Company, a Material Adverse Event.

 

(h) Judgments. One or more judgments or decrees shall be entered against any of the Companies involving in the aggregate a liability (not paid or fully covered by insurance) of $50,000,000 or more and all such judgments or decrees shall not have been vacated, discharged, or stayed within 60 days from the entry thereof.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

57


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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Second, to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting reasonable fees, indemnities and other amounts (other than principal and interest) payable to the Lenders and the L/C Issuer (including reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of counsel to the respective Lenders and the L/C Issuer and amounts payable under Article III), ratably among them in proportion to the amounts described in this clause Second payable to them;

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

58


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

 

ARTICLE IX.

ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT

 

9.01 Appointment and Authority. Each of the Lenders and the L/C Issuer hereby irrevocably appoints Bank of America to act on its behalf as the Administrative Agent hereunder and under the other Loan Documents 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 or thereof, together with such actions and powers as are reasonably incidental thereto. The provisions of this Article are solely for the benefit of the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the L/C Issuer, and the Borrower shall not have rights as a third party beneficiary of any of such provisions.

 

9.02 Rights as a Lender. The Person 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 the term “Lender” or “Lenders” shall, unless otherwise expressly indicated or unless the context otherwise requires, include the Person serving as the Administrative Agent hereunder in its individual capacity. Such Person and its Affiliates may accept deposits from, lend money to, act as the financial advisor or in any other advisory capacity for and generally engage in any kind of business with the Borrower or any Subsidiary or other Affiliate thereof as if such Person were not the Administrative Agent hereunder and without any duty to account therefor to the Lenders.

 

9.03 Exculpatory Provisions. The Administrative Agent shall not have any duties or obligations except those expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Administrative Agent:

 

(a) shall not be subject to any fiduciary or other implied duties, regardless of whether a Default has occurred and is continuing;

 

(b) shall not have any duty to take any discretionary action or exercise any discretionary powers, except discretionary rights and powers expressly contemplated hereby or by the other Loan Documents that the Administrative Agent is required to exercise as directed in writing by the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be expressly provided for herein or in the other Loan Documents), provided that the Administrative Agent shall not be required to take any action that, in its opinion or the opinion of its counsel, may expose the Administrative Agent to liability or that is contrary to any Loan Document or applicable law; and

 

(c) shall not, except as expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents, 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 Affiliates that is communicated to or obtained by the Person serving as the Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates in any capacity.

 

59


The Administrative Agent shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it (i) with the consent or at the request of the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary, or as the Administrative Agent shall believe in good faith shall be necessary, under the circumstances as provided in Sections 10.01 and 8.02) or (ii) in the absence of its own gross negligence or willful misconduct. The Administrative Agent shall be deemed not to have knowledge of any Default unless and until notice describing such Default is given to the Administrative Agent by the Borrower, a Lender or the L/C Issuer.

 

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 or any other Loan Document, (ii) the contents of any certificate, report or other document delivered hereunder or thereunder or in connection herewith or therewith, (iii) the performance or observance of any of the covenants, agreements or other terms or conditions set forth herein or therein or the occurrence of any Default, (iv) the validity, enforceability, effectiveness or genuineness of this Agreement, any other Loan Document 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.

 

9.04 Reliance by 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 (including any electronic message, Internet or intranet website posting or other distribution) believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed, sent or otherwise authenticated 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 have been made by the proper Person, and shall not incur any liability for relying thereon. In determining compliance with any condition hereunder to the making of a Loan, or the issuance of a Letter of Credit, that by its terms must be fulfilled to the satisfaction of a Lender or the L/C Issuer, the Administrative Agent may presume that such condition is satisfactory to such Lender or the L/C Issuer unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice to the contrary from such Lender or the L/C Issuer prior to the making of such Loan or the issuance of such Letter of Credit. 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.

 

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

 

60


9.06 Resignation of Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent may at any time give notice of its resignation to the Lenders, the L/C Issuer and the Borrower. Upon receipt of any such notice of resignation, the Required Lenders shall have the right, in consultation with the Borrower, to appoint a successor, which shall be a bank with an office in the United States, or an Affiliate of any such bank with an office in the United States. If no such 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 L/C Issuer, appoint a successor Administrative Agent meeting the qualifications set forth above; provided that if the Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and the Lenders that no qualifying Person has accepted such appointment, then such resignation shall nonetheless become effective in accordance with such notice and (1) the retiring Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations hereunder and under the other Loan Documents and (2) all payments, communications and determinations provided to be made by, to or through the Administrative Agent shall instead be made by or to each Lender and the L/C Issuer directly, until such time as the Required Lenders appoint a successor Administrative Agent as provided for above in this Section 9.06. Upon the acceptance of a successor’s appointment as Administrative Agent hereunder, such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all of the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring (or retired) Administrative Agent, and the retiring Administrative Agent shall be discharged from all of its duties and obligations hereunder or under the other Loan Documents (if not already discharged therefrom as provided above in this Section 9.06). 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 retiring Administrative Agent’s resignation hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, the provisions of this Article and Section 10.04 shall continue in effect for the benefit of such retiring Administrative Agent, its sub-agents and their respective Related Parties in respect of any actions taken or omitted to be taken by any of them while the retiring Administrative Agent was acting as Administrative Agent.

 

Any resignation by Bank of America as Administrative Agent pursuant to this Section 9.06 shall also constitute its resignation as L/C Issuer and Swing Line Lender. Upon the acceptance of a successor’s appointment as Administrative Agent hereunder, (a) such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all of the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring L/C Issuer and Swing Line Lender, (b) the retiring L/C Issuer and Swing Line Lender shall be discharged from all of their respective duties and obligations hereunder or under the other Loan Documents, and (c) the successor L/C Issuer shall issue letters of credit in substitution for the Letters of Credit, if any, outstanding at the time of such succession or make other arrangement satisfactory to the retiring L/C Issuer to effectively assume the obligations of the retiring L/C Issuer with respect to such Letters of Credit.

 

9.07 Non-Reliance on Administrative Agent and Other Lenders. Each Lender and the L/C Issuer acknowledges that it has, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender or any of their Related Parties 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 and the L/C Issuer also acknowledges that it will, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender or any of their Related Parties and based on such documents and information as it shall from time to

 

61


time deem appropriate, continue to make its own decisions in taking or not taking action under or based upon this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any related agreement or any document furnished hereunder or thereunder.

 

9.08 No Other Duties, Etc. Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, none of the Syndication Agent, Co-Documentation Agents, Joint Book Managers or Joint Lead Arrangers listed on the cover page hereof shall have any powers, duties or responsibilities under this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents, except in its capacity, as applicable, as the Administrative Agent, a Lender or the L/C Issuer hereunder.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Lender and the L/C Issuer to make such payments to the Administrative Agent and, in the event that the Administrative Agent shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Lenders and the L/C Issuer, to pay to the Administrative Agent any amount due for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Administrative Agent and its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Administrative Agent under Sections 2.09 and 10.04.

 

Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to authorize the Administrative Agent to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Lender or the L/C Issuer any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Obligations or the rights of any Lender or to authorize the Administrative Agent to vote in respect of the claim of any Lender in any such proceeding.

 

62


ARTICLE X.

MISCELLANEOUS

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

(f) change any provision of this Section 10.02 or the definition of “Required Lenders” or any other provision hereof specifying the number or percentage of Lenders required to amend, waive or otherwise modify any rights hereunder or make any determination or grant any consent hereunder, without the written consent of each Lender;

 

and, provided further, that (i) no amendment, waiver or consent shall, unless in writing and signed by the L/C Issuer in addition to the Lenders required above, affect the rights or duties of the L/C Issuer under this Agreement or any Issuer Document relating to any Letter of Credit issued or to be issued by it; (ii) no amendment, waiver or consent shall, unless in writing and signed by the Swing Line Lender in addition to the Lenders required above, affect the rights or duties of the Swing Line Lender under this Agreement; (iii) no amendment, waiver or consent shall, unless in writing and signed by the Administrative Agent in addition to the Lenders required above, affect the rights or duties of the Administrative Agent under this Agreement or any other Loan Document; and (iv) neither the Arranger Fee Letter nor the Fronting Fee Letter may be amended, or rights or privileges thereunder waived, in a writing executed only by the parties thereto. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, no Defaulting Lender shall have any right to approve or disapprove any amendment, waiver or consent hereunder, except that the Commitment of such Lender may not be increased or extended without the consent of such Lender.

 

63


10.02 Notices; Effectiveness; Electronic Communication.

 

(a) Notices Generally. Except in the case of notices and other communications expressly permitted to be given by telephone (and except as provided in subsection (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 telecopier as follows, and all notices and other communications expressly permitted hereunder to be given by telephone shall be made to the applicable telephone number, as follows:

 

(i) if to the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender, to the address, telecopier number, electronic mail address or telephone number specified for such Person on Schedule 10.02; and

 

(ii) if to any other Lender, to the address, telecopier number, electronic mail address or telephone number specified in its Administrative Questionnaire.

 

Notices sent by hand or overnight courier service, or mailed by certified or registered mail, shall be deemed to have been given when received; notices sent by telecopier shall be deemed to have been given when sent (except that, if not given during normal business hours for the recipient, shall be deemed to have been given at the opening of business on the next business day for the recipient). Notices delivered through electronic communications to the extent provided in subsection (b) below, shall be effective as provided in such subsection (b).

 

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

 

Unless the Administrative Agent otherwise prescribes, (i) notices and other communications sent to an e-mail address shall be deemed received upon the sender’s receipt of an acknowledgement from the intended recipient (such as by the “return receipt requested” function, as available, return e-mail or other written acknowledgement), provided that if such notice or other communication is not sent during the normal business hours of the recipient, such notice or communication shall be deemed to have been sent at the opening of business on the next business day for the recipient, and (ii) notices or communications posted to an Internet or intranet website shall be deemed received upon the deemed receipt by the intended recipient at its e-mail address as described in the foregoing clause (i) of notification that such notice or communication is available and identifying the website address therefor.

 

64


(c) Change of Address, Etc. Each of the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Swing Line Lender may change its address, telecopier or telephone number for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to the other parties hereto. Each other Lender may change its address, telecopier or telephone number for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Swing Line Lender.

 

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

 

10.03 No Waiver; Cumulative Remedies. No failure by any Lender, the L/C Issuer or the Administrative Agent to exercise, and no delay by any such Person in exercising, any right, remedy, power or privilege hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof; nor shall any single or partial exercise of any right, remedy, power or privilege hereunder preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, remedy, power or privilege. The rights, remedies, powers and privileges herein provided are cumulative and not exclusive of any rights, remedies, powers and privileges provided by law.

 

10.04 Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver.

 

(a) Costs and Expenses. The Borrower shall pay (i) all reasonable, documented out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent and its Affiliates (including the reasonable, documented fees, charges and disbursements of counsel for the Administrative Agent), in connection with the syndication of the credit facilities provided for herein, the preparation, negotiation, execution, delivery and administration of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents or any amendments, modifications or waivers of the provisions hereof or thereof (whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby shall be consummated), (ii) all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the L/C Issuer in connection with the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit or any demand for payment thereunder and (iii) after the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, all reasonable, documented out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the L/C Issuer (including the reasonable, documented fees,

 

65


charges and disbursements of any counsel for the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the L/C Issuer), in connection with the enforcement or protection of its rights (A) in connection with this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, including its rights under this Section, or (B) in connection with the Loans made or Letters of Credit issued hereunder, including all such out-of-pocket expenses incurred during any workout, restructuring or negotiations in respect of such Loans or Letters of Credit.

 

(b) Indemnification by the Borrower. The Borrower shall indemnify the Administrative Agent (and any sub-agent thereof), each Lender and the L/C Issuer, 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 reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for any Indemnitee, but specifically excluding Excluded Taxes), incurred by any Indemnitee or asserted against any Indemnitee by any third party or by the Borrower arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of (i) the execution or delivery of this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby or thereby, the performance by the parties hereto of their respective obligations hereunder or thereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, (ii) any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use or proposed use of the proceeds therefrom (including any refusal by the L/C Issuer to honor a demand for payment under a Letter of Credit if the documents presented in connection with such demand do not strictly comply with the terms of such Letter of Credit), or (iii) any actual or prospective claim, litigation, investigation or proceeding relating to any of the foregoing, whether based on contract, tort or any other theory, whether brought by a third party or by the Borrower and regardless of whether any Indemnitee is a party thereto, in all cases, whether or not caused by or arising, in whole or in part, out of the comparative, contributory or sole negligence of the Indemnitee; provided, that the Borrower shall have no obligation hereunder to any Indemnitee with respect to indemnified liabilities arising from (A) the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Indemnitee or (B) legal proceedings commenced against such Indemnitee by any security holder or creditor thereof solely in its capacity as such or (C) legal proceedings commenced against such Indemnitee by any other Lender or any other Participant.

 

(c) Reimbursement by Lenders. To the extent that the Borrower for any reason fails to indefeasibly pay any amount required under subsection (a) or (b) of this Section to be paid by it to the Administrative Agent (or any sub-agent thereof), the L/C Issuer or any Related Party of any of the foregoing, each Lender severally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent (or any such sub-agent), the L/C Issuer or such Related Party, as the case may be, such Lender’s Applicable Percentage (determined as of the time that the applicable unreimbursed expense or indemnity payment is sought) of such unpaid amount, 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 (or any such sub-agent) or the L/C Issuer in its capacity as such, or against any Related Party of any of the foregoing acting for the Administrative Agent (or any such sub-agent) or L/C Issuer in connection with such capacity. The obligations of the Lenders under this subsection (c) are subject to the provisions of Section 2.12(d).

 

(d) Waiver of Consequential Damages, Etc. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Borrower shall not assert, and hereby waives, any claim against any

 

66


Indemnitee, on any theory of liability, for special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages (as opposed to direct or actual damages) arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of, this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby, the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use of the proceeds thereof. No Indemnitee referred to in subsection (b) above shall be liable for any damages arising from the use by unintended recipients of any information or other materials distributed by it through telecommunications, electronic or other information transmission systems in connection with this Agreement or the other Loan Documents or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby.

 

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

 

(f) Survival. The agreements in this Section shall survive the resignation of the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer, the replacement of any Lender, the termination of the Aggregate Commitments and the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all the other Obligations.

 

10.05 Payments Set Aside. To the extent that any payment by or on behalf of the Borrower is made to the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or any Lender, or the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or any Lender exercises its right of setoff, and such payment or the proceeds of such setoff or any part thereof is subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside or required (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or such Lender in its discretion) to be repaid to a trustee, receiver or any other party, in connection with any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law or otherwise, then (a) to the extent of such recovery, the obligation or part thereof originally intended to be satisfied shall be revived and continued in full force and effect as if such payment had not been made or such setoff had not occurred, and (b) each Lender and the L/C Issuer severally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent upon demand its applicable share (without duplication) of any amount so recovered from or repaid by the Administrative Agent, plus interest thereon from the date of such demand to the date such payment is made at a rate per annum equal to the Federal Funds Rate from time to time in effect. The obligations of the Lenders and the L/C Issuer under clause (b) of the preceding sentence shall survive the payment in full of the Obligations and the termination of this Agreement.

 

10.06 Successors and Assigns.

 

(a) Successors and Assigns Generally. The provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby, except that the Borrower may not assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent and each Lender and no Lender may assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder except (i) to an Eligible Assignee in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of this Section 10.06, (ii) by way of participation in accordance with the provisions of subsection (d) of this Section 10.06, or (iii) by way of pledge or assignment of a security interest subject to the restrictions of subsection (f) of this Section 10.06 (and any other attempted assignment or transfer by any party hereto shall be null and void). Nothing in this

 

67


Agreement, expressed or implied, shall be construed to confer upon any Person (other than the parties hereto, their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby, Participants to the extent provided in subsection (d) of this Section 10.06 and, to the extent expressly contemplated hereby, the Related Parties of each of the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Lenders) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this Agreement.

 

(b) Assignments by Lenders. Any Lender may at any time assign to one or more Eligible Assignees all or a portion of its rights and obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and the Loans (including for purposes of this subsection (b), participations in L/C Obligations and in Swing Line Loans) at the time owing to it); provided that

 

(i) except in the case of an assignment of the entire remaining amount of the assigning Lender’s Commitment and the Loans at the time owing to it or in the case of an assignment to a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender or an Approved Fund with respect to a Lender, the aggregate amount of the Commitment (which for this purpose includes Loans outstanding thereunder) or, if the Commitment is not then in effect, the principal outstanding balance of the 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 or, if “Trade Date” is specified in the Assignment and Assumption, as of the Trade Date, shall not be less than $10,000,000 unless each of the Administrative Agent and, so long as no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Borrower otherwise consents (each such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed);

 

(ii) each partial assignment shall be made as an assignment of a proportionate part of all the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement with respect to the Loans or the Commitment assigned, except that this clause (ii) shall not apply to rights in respect of Swing Line Loans;

 

(iii) the Administrative Agent and any Lender effecting an assignment shall notify the Borrower as promptly as possible of any request for assignment, and the Borrower shall promptly consider such request for assignment;

 

(iv) any assignment of a Commitment must be approved by the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Swing Line Lender unless the Person that is the proposed assignee is itself a Lender (whether or not the proposed assignee would otherwise qualify as an Eligible Assignee); and

 

(v) 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 the Eligible Assignee, if it shall not be a Lender, shall deliver to the Administrative Agent an Administrative Questionnaire.

 

Subject to acceptance and recording thereof by the Administrative Agent pursuant to subsection (c) of this Section 10.06, from and after the effective date specified in each Assignment and Assumption, the Eligible Assignee thereunder shall be a party to this Agreement and, to the

 

68


extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, have the rights and obligations of a Lender under this Agreement, and the assigning Lender thereunder shall, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, be released from its obligations under this Agreement (and, in the case of an Assignment and Assumption covering all of the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement, such Lender shall cease to be a party hereto) but shall continue to be entitled to the benefits of Sections 3.01, 3.04, 3.05, and 10.04 with respect to facts and circumstances occurring prior to the effective date of such assignment. Upon request, the Borrower (at its expense) shall execute and deliver a Note to the assignee Lender. Any assignment or transfer by a Lender of rights or obligations under this Agreement that does not comply with this subsection shall be treated for purposes of this Agreement as a sale by such Lender of a participation in such rights and obligations in accordance with subsection (d) of this Section 10.06.

 

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

 

(d) Participations. Any Lender may at any time, without the consent of, or notice to, the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, sell participations to any Person (other than a natural person or the Borrower or any of the Borrower’s Affiliates or Subsidiaries) (each, a “Participant”) in all or a portion of such Lender’s rights and/or obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and/or the Loans (including such Lender’s participations in L/C Obligations and/or Swing Line Loans) owing to it); provided that (i) such Lender’s obligations under this Agreement shall remain unchanged, (ii) such Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto for the performance of such obligations and (iii) the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the L/C Issuer shall continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in connection with such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement.

 

Any agreement or instrument pursuant to which a Lender sells such a participation shall provide that such Lender shall retain the sole right to enforce this Agreement and to approve any amendment, modification or waiver of any provision of this Agreement; provided that such agreement or instrument may provide that such Lender will not, without the consent of the Participant, agree to any amendment, waiver or other modification described in the first proviso to Section 10.01 that affects such Participant. Subject to subsection (e) of this Section, the Borrower agrees that each Participant shall be entitled to the benefits of Sections 3.01, 3.04 and

 

69


3.05 to the same extent as if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section. To the extent permitted by law, each Participant also shall be entitled to the benefits of Section 10.08 as though it were a Lender, provided such Participant agrees to be subject to Section 2.13 as though it were a Lender.

 

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

 

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

 

(g) Electronic Execution of Assignments. The words “execution,” “signed,” “signature,” and words of like import in any Assignment and Assumption shall be deemed to include electronic signatures or the keeping of records in electronic form, each of which shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case may be, to the extent and as provided for in any applicable law, including the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, the New York State Electronic Signatures and Records Act, or any other similar state laws based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act.

 

(h) Resignation as L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender after Assignment. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, if at any time Bank of America assigns all of its Commitment and Loans pursuant to subsection (b) above, Bank of America may, (i) upon 30 days’ notice to the Borrower and the Lenders, resign as L/C Issuer and/or (ii) upon 30 days’ notice to the Borrower, resign as Swing Line Lender. In the event of any such resignation as L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender, the Borrower shall be entitled to appoint from among the Lenders a successor L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender hereunder; provided, however, that no Lender shall be obligated to accept such appointment; provided further, however, that no failure by the Borrower to appoint any such successor shall affect the resignation of Bank of America as L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender, as the case may be. If Bank of America resigns as L/C Issuer, it shall retain all the rights and obligations of the L/C Issuer hereunder with respect to all Letters of Credit outstanding as of the effective date of its resignation as L/C Issuer and all L/C Obligations with respect thereto (including the right to require the Lenders to make Base Rate Committed Loans or fund risk participations in Unreimbursed Amounts pursuant to Section 2.03(c)). If Bank of America resigns as Swing Line Lender, it shall retain all the rights of the Swing Line Lender provided for hereunder with respect to Swing Line Loans made by it and outstanding as of the effective date of such resignation, including the right to require the Lenders to make Base Rate Committed Loans or fund risk participations in outstanding Swing Line Loans pursuant to Section 2.04(c).

 

70


10.07 Treatment of Certain Information; Confidentiality. Each of the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the L/C Issuer agrees to maintain the confidentiality of the Information (as defined below), except that Information may be disclosed (a) to its Affiliates and to its and its Affiliates’ respective partners, directors, officers, employees, agents, advisors and representatives (it being understood that the Persons to whom such disclosure is made will be informed of the confidential nature of such Information and instructed to keep such Information confidential), (b) to the extent requested by any regulatory authority purporting to have jurisdiction over it (including any self-regulatory authority, such as the National Association of Insurance Commissioners), (c) to the extent required by applicable laws or regulations or by any subpoena or similar legal process, (d) to any other party hereto, (e) in connection with the exercise of any remedies hereunder or under any other Loan Document or any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document or the enforcement of rights hereunder or thereunder, (f) subject to an agreement containing provisions substantially the same as those of this Section 10.07, to (i) any assignee of or Participant in, or any prospective assignee of or Participant in, any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement or (ii) any actual or prospective counterparty (or its advisors) to any swap or derivative transaction relating to the Borrower and its obligations, (g) with the prior written consent of the Borrower or (h) to the extent such Information (x) becomes publicly available other than as a result of a breach of this Section 10.07 or (y) becomes available to the Administrative Agent, any Lender, the L/C Issuer or any of their respective Affiliates on a nonconfidential basis from a source other than the Borrower.

 

For purposes of this Section 10.07, “Information” means all information received from the Borrower or any Subsidiary relating to the Borrower or any Subsidiary or any of their respective businesses, other than any such information that is available to the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the L/C Issuer on a nonconfidential basis prior to disclosure by the Borrower or any Subsidiary, provided that, in the case of information received from the Borrower or any Subsidiary after the date hereof, such information is clearly identified at the time of delivery as confidential. Any Person required to maintain the confidentiality of Information as provided in this Section 10.07 shall be considered to have complied with its obligation to do so if such Person has exercised the same degree of care to maintain the confidentiality of such Information as such Person would accord to its own confidential information.

 

10.08 Right of Setoff. If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, each Lender, the L/C Issuer and each of their respective Affiliates is hereby authorized at any time and from time to time, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, to set off and apply any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final, in whatever currency) at any time held and other obligations (in whatever currency) at any time owing by such Lender, the L/C Issuer or any such Affiliate to or for the credit or the account of the Borrower against any and all of the obligations of the Borrower now or hereafter existing under this Agreement or any other Loan Document to such Lender or the L/C Issuer, irrespective of whether or not such Lender or the L/C Issuer shall have made any demand under this Agreement or any other Loan Document and although such obligations of the Borrower may be contingent

 

71


or unmatured or are owed to a branch or office of such Lender or the L/C Issuer different from the branch or office holding such deposit or obligated on such indebtedness. The rights of each Lender, the L/C Issuer and their respective Affiliates under this Section 10.08 are in addition to other rights and remedies (including other rights of setoff) that such Lender, the L/C Issuer or their respective Affiliates may have. Each Lender and the L/C Issuer agrees to notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent promptly after any such setoff and application, provided that the failure to give such notice shall not affect the validity of such setoff and application.

 

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

 

10.10 Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts (and by different parties hereto in different counterparts), each of which shall constitute an original, but all of which when taken together shall constitute a single contract. This Agreement and the other Loan Documents 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 that, when taken together, bear the signatures of each of the other parties hereto. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Agreement by telecopy shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Agreement.

 

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

 

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

 

72


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

 

10.13 Replacement of Lenders. If any Lender requests compensation under Section 3.04, 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 3.01, or if any Lender is 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, and consents required by, Section 10.06), all of its interests, rights and obligations under this Agreement and the related Loan Documents to an assignee that shall assume such obligations (which assignee may be another Lender, if a Lender accepts such assignment), provided that:

 

(a) the Borrower shall have paid to the Administrative Agent the assignment fee specified in Section 10.06(b);

 

(b) such Lender shall have received payment of an amount equal to the outstanding principal of its Loans and L/C Advances, accrued interest thereon, accrued fees and all other amounts payable to it hereunder and under the other Loan Documents (including any amounts under Section 3.05) 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);

 

(c) in the case of any such assignment resulting from a claim for compensation under Section 3.04 or payments required to be made pursuant to Section 3.01, such assignment will result in a reduction in such compensation or payments thereafter; and

 

(d) such assignment does not conflict with applicable Laws.

 

A Lender shall not be required to make any such assignment or 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.

 

10.14 Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Etc.

 

(a) GOVERNING LAW. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

 

(b) SUBMISSION TO JURISDICTION. THE BORROWER IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY SUBMITS, FOR ITSELF AND ITS PROPERTY, TO THE NONEXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF THE COURTS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK SITTING IN THE BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN AND OF THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT OF THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK, AND ANY APPELLATE COURT FROM ANY THEREOF, IN ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY

 

73


OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT, OR FOR RECOGNITION OR ENFORCEMENT OF ANY JUDGMENT, AND EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY AGREES THAT ALL CLAIMS IN RESPECT OF ANY SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING MAY BE HEARD AND DETERMINED IN SUCH NEW YORK STATE COURT OR, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN SUCH FEDERAL COURT. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO AGREES THAT A FINAL JUDGMENT IN ANY SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING SHALL BE CONCLUSIVE AND MAY BE ENFORCED IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS BY SUIT ON THE JUDGMENT OR IN ANY OTHER MANNER PROVIDED BY LAW. NOTHING IN THIS AGREEMENT OR IN ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT SHALL AFFECT ANY RIGHT THAT THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, ANY LENDER OR THE L/C ISSUER MAY OTHERWISE HAVE TO BRING ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT AGAINST THE BORROWER OR ITS PROPERTIES IN THE COURTS OF ANY JURISDICTION.

 

(c) WAIVER OF VENUE. THE BORROWER IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY OBJECTION THAT IT MAY NOW OR HEREAFTER HAVE TO THE LAYING OF VENUE OF ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT IN ANY COURT REFERRED TO IN PARAGRAPH (B) OF THIS SECTION 10.14. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THE DEFENSE OF AN INCONVENIENT FORUM TO THE MAINTENANCE OF SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING IN ANY SUCH COURT.

 

(d) SERVICE OF PROCESS. EACH PARTY HERETO IRREVOCABLY CONSENTS TO SERVICE OF PROCESS IN THE MANNER PROVIDED FOR NOTICES IN SECTION 10.02. NOTHING IN THIS AGREEMENT WILL AFFECT THE RIGHT OF ANY PARTY HERETO TO SERVE PROCESS IN ANY OTHER MANNER PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW.

 

10.15 Waiver of Jury Trial. EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY IRREVOCABLY 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 ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER THEORY). EACH PARTY HERETO (A) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PERSON HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PERSON 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 AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION 10.15.

 

74


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

 

10.17 Amendment and Restatement. This Agreement is intended to amend and restate the Existing Credit Agreement without novation, with the Commitments set forth herein and the Lenders party hereto. All letters of credit outstanding under the Existing Credit Agreement shall be Letters of Credit outstanding hereunder. The Borrower ratifies, affirms and acknowledges all of its Obligations in respect of the Existing Credit Agreement and the related documents and agreements delivered by it thereunder, including all Existing Letters of Credit and related Issuer Documents. Additionally, those Lenders party hereto which are also party to the Existing Credit Agreement hereby waive any prior notice requirement under the Existing Credit Agreement with respect to the termination of commitments thereunder and the making of any prepayments thereunder.

 

75


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

 

KNIGHT-RIDDER, INC.

By:

 

 


Name:

 

 


Title:

 

 


 

S-1.01-1

Existing Letters of Credit


BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as

Administrative Agent

By:

 

 


Name:

 

 


Title:

 

 


 

S-1.01-2

Existing Letters of Credit


BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as a Lender, L/C

Issuer and Swing Line Lender

By:

 

 


Name:

 

 


Title:

 

 


 

S-1.01-3

Existing Letters of Credit


JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, as a Lender

 

S-1.01-4

Existing Letters of Credit