MENTOR GRAPHICS CORPORATION, BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as Agent, KEY CORPORATE CAPITAL, INC., as Documentation Agent,

EX-10.A 3 dex10a.htm CREDIT AGREEMENT Credit Agreement

Exhibit 10.A


CREDIT AGREEMENT

 

Dated as of July 14, 2003

 

among

 

MENTOR GRAPHICS CORPORATION,

 

BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,

 

as Agent,

 

KEY CORPORATE CAPITAL, INC.,

 

as Documentation Agent,

 

FLEET NATIONAL BANK,

 

as Syndication Agent,

 

and

 

THE OTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS PARTY HERETO

 

Arranged by

 

BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC

 



TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

          Page

ARTICLE I

  

        DEFINITIONS

   1

1.01

  

Certain Defined Terms

   1

1.02

  

Other Interpretive Provisions

   18

1.03

  

Accounting Principles

   19

1.04

  

Designation of Unrestricted Subsidiaries

   19

ARTICLE II

  

        THE CREDITS

   20

2.01

  

Amounts and Terms of Commitments

   20

2.02

  

Loan Accounts

   20

2.03

  

Procedure for Borrowing

   20

2.04

  

Conversion and Continuation Elections

   21

2.05

  

Voluntary Termination or Reduction of Commitments

   22

2.06

  

Optional Prepayments

   23

2.07

  

Repayment

   23

2.08

  

Interest

   23

2.09

  

Fees

   24

2.10

  

Computation of Fees and Interest

   24

2.11

  

Payments Generally

   24

2.12

  

Sharing of Payments, Etc.

   26

ARTICLE III

  

        TAXES, YIELD PROTECTION AND ILLEGALITY

   26

3.01

  

Taxes

   26

3.02

  

Illegality

   27

3.03

  

Increased Costs and Reduction of Return

   28

3.04

  

Funding Losses

   29

3.05

  

Inability to Determine Rates

   29

3.06

  

Reserves on Offshore Rate Loans

   30

3.07

  

Certificates of Banks

   30

3.08

  

Delay

   30

3.09

  

Substitution of Banks

   30

3.10

  

Survival

   30

ARTICLE IV

  

        CONDITIONS PRECEDENT

   31

4.01

  

Conditions of Initial Loans

   31

4.02

  

Conditions to All Borrowings

   32

 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

(continued)

 

          Page

4.03

  

Additional Condition Precedent of Initial Loans

   32

ARTICLE V

  

        REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

   33

5.01

  

Corporate Existence and Power

   33

5.02

  

Corporate Authorization; No Contravention

   33

5.03

  

Governmental Authorization

   33

5.04

  

Binding Effect

   34

5.05

  

Litigation

   34

5.06

  

No Default

   34

5.07

  

ERISA Compliance

   34

5.08

  

Use of Proceeds; Margin Regulations

   35

5.09

  

Title to Properties

   35

5.10

  

Taxes

   35

5.11

  

Financial Condition

   35

5.12

  

Environmental Matters

   36

5.13

  

Regulated Entities

   36

5.14

  

No Burdensome Restrictions

   36

5.15

  

Copyrights, Patents, Trademarks and Licenses, Etc.

   36

5.16

  

Subsidiaries

   36

5.17

  

Insurance

   36

5.18

  

Swap Obligations

   37

5.19

  

Full Disclosure

   37

5.20

  

Tax Shelter Regulations

   37

ARTICLE VI

  

        AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS

   37

6.01

  

Financial Statements

   37

6.02

  

Certificates; Other Information

   38

6.03

  

Notices

   39

6.04

  

Preservation of Corporate Existence, Etc.

   40

6.05

  

Maintenance of Property

   41

6.06

  

Insurance

   41

6.07

  

Payment of Obligations

   41

6.08

  

Compliance with Laws

   41

 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

(continued)

 

          Page

6.09

  

Compliance with ERISA

   41

6.10

  

Inspection of Property and Books and Records

   42

6.11

  

Environmental Laws

   42

6.12

  

Use of Proceeds

   42

ARTICLE VII

  

        NEGATIVE COVENANTS

   42

7.01

  

Limitation on Liens

   42

7.02

  

Disposition of Assets

   44

7.03

  

Consolidations and Mergers

   46

7.04

  

Loans and Investments

   46

7.05

  

Limitation on Indebtedness

   48

7.06

  

Transactions with Affiliates

   49

7.07

  

Use of Proceeds

   49

7.08

  

Contingent Obligations

   50

7.09

  

Lease Obligations

   50

7.10

  

Restricted Payments

   51

7.11

  

ERISA

   52

7.12

  

Change in Business

   52

7.13

  

Accounting Changes

   52

7.14

  

Financial Covenants

   52

7.15

  

Assets of Special Purpose Subsidiary

   54

7.16

  

Unrestricted Subsidiaries

   54

ARTICLE VIII

  

        EVENTS OF DEFAULT

   55

8.01

  

Event of Default

   55

8.02

  

Remedies

   57

8.03

  

Rights Not Exclusive

   57

8.04

  

Application of Funds

   57

ARTICLE IX

  

        THE AGENT

   58

9.01

  

Appointment and Authorization of Agent

   58

9.02

  

Delegation of Duties

   58

9.03

  

Liability of Agent

   58

9.04

  

Reliance by Agent

   59

 

iii


TABLE OF CONTENTS

(continued)

 

          Page

9.05

  

Notice of Default

   59

9.06

  

Credit Decision; Disclosure of Information by Agent

   60

9.07

  

Indemnification of Agent

   60

9.08

  

Agent in its Individual Capacity

   61

9.09

  

Successor Agent

   61

9.10

  

Agent May File Proofs of Claim

   61

9.11

  

Other Agents; Arrangers and Managers

   62

ARTICLE X

  

        MISCELLANEOUS

   62

10.01

  

Amendments and Waivers

   62

10.02

  

Notices and Other Communications; Facsimile Copies

   63

10.03

  

No Waiver; Cumulative Remedies

   64

10.04

  

Attorney Costs, Expenses and Taxes

   64

10.05

  

Company Indemnification

   65

10.06

  

Payments Set Aside

   65

10.07

  

Successors and Assigns

   66

10.08

  

Withholding Tax

   68

10.09

  

Confidentiality

   69

10.10

  

Set-off

   70

10.11

  

Automatic Debits of Fees

   70

10.12

  

Notification of Addresses, Lending Offices, Etc.

   70

10.13

  

Counterparts

   71

10.14

  

Severability

   71

10.15

  

No Third Parties Benefited

   71

10.16

  

Governing Law and Jurisdiction

   71

10.17

  

Waiver of Jury Trial

   71

10.18

  

Survival of Representations and Warranties

   72

10.19

  

Entire Agreement

   72

 

iv


TABLE OF CONTENTS

(continued)

 

          Page

ANNEX

         

Annex I

  

Pricing Grid

    

SCHEDULES

         

Schedule 2.01

  

Commitments and Pro Rata Shares

    

Schedule 5.05

  

Litigation

    

Schedule 5.07

  

ERISA

    

Schedule 5.12

  

Environmental Matters

    

Schedule 5.15

  

Intellectual Property Matters

    

Schedule 5.16

  

Subsidiaries and Equity Investments

    

Schedule 5.17

  

Insurance Matters

    

Schedule 7.01

  

Permitted Liens

    

Schedule 7.02

  

Permitted Asset Dispositions

    

Schedule 7.04

  

Permitted Investments

    

Schedule 7.05

  

Permitted Indebtedness

    

Schedule 7.08

  

Contingent Obligations

    

Schedule 10.02

  

Offshore and Domestic Lending Offices, Addresses for Notices

    

EXHIBITS

         

Exhibit A

  

Form of Notice of Borrowing

    

Exhibit B

  

Form of Notice of Conversion/Continuation

    

Exhibit C

  

Form of Compliance Certificate

    

Exhibit D

  

Form of Assignment and Assumption Agreement

    

Exhibit E

  

Form of Promissory Note

    

Exhibit F

  

Form of Notice of Designation of Unrestricted Subsidiary

    

 

v


CREDIT AGREEMENT

 

This CREDIT AGREEMENT is entered into as of July 14, 2003, among Mentor Graphics Corporation, an Oregon corporation (the “Company”), the several financial institutions from time to time party to this Agreement (collectively, the “Banks”; individually, a “Bank”), Key Corporate Capital, Inc., as documentation agent, Fleet National Bank, as syndication agent, and Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent for the Banks.

 

WHEREAS, the Banks have agreed to make available to the Company a revolving credit facility upon the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual agreements, provisions and covenants contained herein, the parties agree as follows:

 

ARTICLE I

 

DEFINITIONS

 

1.01 Certain Defined Terms. The following terms have the following meanings:

 

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 line of business or division of a Person, (b) the acquisition of in excess of 50% of the capital stock, partnership interests, membership interests or equity of any Person, or otherwise causing any Person to become a Subsidiary, or (c) a merger or consolidation or any other combination with another Person (other than a Person that is a Subsidiary) provided that the Company or the Subsidiary is the surviving entity.

 

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

 

Affected Bank” has the meaning specified in Section 3.09.

 

Affiliate” means, as to any Person, any other Person which, directly or indirectly, is in control of, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such Person. A Person shall be deemed to control another Person if the controlling Person possesses, directly or indirectly, the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of the other Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, membership interests, by contract, or otherwise.

 

Agent” means Bank of America in its capacity as administrative agent for the Banks hereunder, and any successor administrative agent arising under Section 9.09.

 

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


Agent’s Payment Office” means the address for payments set forth on Schedule 10.02 or such other address as the Agent may from time to time specify.

 

Agreement” means this Credit Agreement.

 

Applicable Margin” means, for any day, with respect to any Base Rate Loan or Offshore Rate Loan, the applicable margin (on a per annum basis) set forth on the pricing grid attached as Annex I in accordance with the parameters for calculation and adjustment of such applicable margin also set forth on Annex I.

 

Arranger” means Banc of America Securities LLC.

 

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

 

Attorney Costs” means and includes all fees and disbursements of any law firm or other external counsel, the allocated cost of internal legal services and all disbursements of internal counsel.

 

Bank” has the meaning specified in the introductory clause hereto.

 

Bank of America” means Bank of America, N.A., a national banking association.

 

Bankruptcy Code” means the Federal Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978 (11 U.S.C. § 101, et seq.).

 

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.

 

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

 

Borrowing” means a borrowing hereunder consisting of Loans of the same Type made to the Company on the same day by the Banks under Article II, and, other than in the case of Base Rate Loans, having the same Interest Period.

 

Borrowing Date” means any date on which a Borrowing occurs under Section 2.03.

 

Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in New York City, San Francisco, California, or Portland, Oregon, are authorized or required by law to close and, if the applicable Business Day

 

2


relates to any Offshore Rate Loan, means such a day on which dealings are carried on in the applicable offshore dollar interbank market.

 

Capital Adequacy Regulation” means any guideline, request or directive of any central bank or other Governmental Authority, or any other law, rule or regulation, whether or not having the force of law, in each case, regarding capital adequacy of any bank or of any corporation controlling a bank.

 

“Cash Acquisition Basket” has the meaning specified in Section 7.04(d).

 

Cash Equivalents” means:

 

(a) securities issued or fully guaranteed or insured by the United States Government or any agency thereof having maturities of not more than 12 months from the date of acquisition by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries;

 

(b) certificates of deposit, time deposits, Eurodollar time deposits, repurchase agreements, reverse repurchase agreements, or bankers’ acceptances, having in each case maturities of not more than 12 months from the date of acquisition by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, issued by (i) any U.S. commercial bank or any commercial bank organized under the laws of any other country which is a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (but including, in any event, China, Egypt, India, Israel, Pakistan, Singapore and Taiwan), or a political subdivision of any such country, in each case having combined capital and surplus of not less than $100,000,000 and whose short-term securities are rated at least A-1 by Standard & Poor’s Corporation (“S&P”) or at least P-1 by Moody’s Investor Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”), or (ii) any Bank;

 

(c) taxable and tax-exempt commercial paper of an issuer rated at least A-l by S&P or at least P-l by Moody’s and in either case having maturities of not more than 270 days from the date of acquisition by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries;

 

(d) medium term notes of an issuer rated at least AA by S&P or at least Aa2 by Moody’s and having maturities of not more than 12 months from the date of acquisition by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries;

 

(e) municipal notes and bonds which are rated at least SP-2 or AA by S&P or at least MIG-2 or Aa by Moody’s and having maturities of not more than 12 months from the date of acquisition by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries;

 

(f) investments in taxable or tax-exempt money market funds with assets greater than $500,000,000 and whose assets have average maturities less than or equal to 180 days and are rated at least A-l by S&P or at least P-l by Moody’s;

 

(g) money market preferred instruments of an issuer rated at least A-1 by S&P or at least P-1 by Moody’s and having maturities of not more than 12 months from the date of acquisition by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; or

 

3


(h) other similar investments, subject to the Majority Banks’ prior written approval.

 

Change of Control” means (a) any “person” (as such term is used in subsections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act) or group of persons on or after the Closing Date is or becomes the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under said Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing 35% or more of the combined voting power of the Company’s then-outstanding voting securities, or (b) the existing directors for any reason cease to constitute a majority of the Company’s board of directors. “Existing directors” means (x) individuals constituting the Company’s board of directors on the Closing Date, and (y) any subsequent director whose election by the board of directors or nomination for election by the Company’s shareholders was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the directors then in office, which directors either were directors on the Closing Date or whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved.

 

Closing Date” means the date on which all conditions precedent set forth in Section 4.01 are satisfied or waived by all Banks (or, in the case of Section 4.01(e), waived by the Person entitled to receive such payment).

 

Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

Commitment”, as to each Bank, has the meaning specified in Section 2.01.

 

Commitment Fee” has the meaning specified in Section 2.09(b).

 

Compensation Period” has the meaning specified in Section 2.11(c)(ii).

 

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

 

Consolidated Current Liabilities” means, at any time of determination, all amounts which would, in accordance with GAAP, be included under current liabilities on a consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its Subsidiaries, but in any event including all outstanding Loans, at such time.

 

Consolidated EBITDA” means, with respect to the Company and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis for any rolling four-quarter period, Consolidated Net Income for such period plus, to the extent deducted in computing such net income, the sum of (a) income tax expense, (b) interest expense, and (c) depreciation and amortization expense, all as determined in accordance with GAAP.

 

Consolidated Funded Indebtedness” means, as of any time of determination, in respect of the Company and its Subsidiaries, determined on a consolidated basis, the sum of (a) the outstanding principal amount of all obligations, whether current or long-term, for borrowed money (including Obligations hereunder) and all obligations evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes, loan agreements or other similar instruments, (b) Indebtedness

 

4


in respect of capital leases recorded on the consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its Subsidiaries in accordance with GAAP, and (c) without duplication, all Guaranty Obligations with respect to Indebtedness of the types specified in subsections (a) and (b) above of Persons other than the Company or any Subsidiary, except with respect to automobile leasing programs for employees in Europe; provided that, solely for purposes of this clause (c) with respect to any such Guaranty Obligations that are in the aggregate not material and are not reflected on the consolidated financial statements of the Company and its Subsidiaries in accordance with GAAP, the Company may in lieu of reporting actual amounts of such Guaranty Obligations substitute therefor a conservative good faith estimate of such Guaranty Obligations.

 

Consolidated Net Income” means, for any period, in respect of the Company and its Subsidiaries, determined on a consolidated basis, the net income of the Company and its Subsidiaries for that period, all as determined in accordance with GAAP.

 

Consolidated Tangible Net Worth” means, at any time of determination, in respect of the Company and its Subsidiaries, determined on a consolidated basis, total assets (exclusive of goodwill, trademarks, trade names, organization expense, treasury stock, unamortized debt discount and premium and other like intangibles) minus total liabilities (including accrued and deferred income taxes), at such time, all as determined in accordance with GAAP.

 

Contingent Obligation” means, as to any Person, any direct or indirect liability of that Person, whether or not contingent, with or without recourse, (a) with respect to any Indebtedness, lease, dividend, letter of credit or other obligation (the “primary obligations”) of another Person (the “primary obligor”), including any obligation of that Person (i) to purchase, repurchase or otherwise acquire such primary obligations or any security therefor, (ii) to advance or provide funds for the payment or discharge of any such primary obligation, or to maintain working capital or equity capital of the primary obligor or otherwise to maintain the net worth or solvency or any balance sheet item, level of income or financial condition of the primary obligor, (iii) to purchase property, securities or services primarily for the purpose of assuring the owner of any such primary obligation of the ability of the primary obligor to make payment of such primary obligation, or (iv) otherwise to assure or hold harmless the holder of any such primary obligation against loss in respect thereof (each, a “Guaranty Obligation”); (b) with respect to any Surety Instrument issued for the account of that Person or as to which that Person is otherwise liable for reimbursement of drawings or payments; (c) to purchase any materials, supplies or other property from, or to obtain the services of, another Person if the relevant contract or other related document or obligation requires that payment for such materials, supplies or other property, or for such services, shall be made regardless of whether delivery of such materials, supplies or other property is ever made or tendered, or such services are ever performed or tendered, or (d) in respect of any Swap Contract. The amount of any Contingent Obligation shall, in the case of Guaranty Obligations, be deemed equal to the stated or determinable amount of the primary obligation at the time of such determination in respect of which such Guaranty Obligation is made or, if not stated or if indeterminable, the maximum reasonably anticipated liability in respect thereof at the time of such determination, and in the case of other

 

5


Contingent Obligations other than in respect of Swap Contracts, shall be equal to the maximum reasonably anticipated liability in respect thereof and, in the case of Contingent Obligations in respect of Swap Contracts, shall be equal to the Swap Termination Value at the time of such determination.

 

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

 

Conversion/Continuation Date” means any date on which, under Section 2.04, the Company (a) converts Loans of one Type to another Type, or (b) continues as Loans of the same Type, but with a new Interest Period, Loans having Interest Periods expiring on such date.

 

Debtor Relief Laws” means the Bankruptcy Code, 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 circumstance which, with the giving of notice, the lapse of time, or both, would (if not cured or otherwise remedied during such time) constitute an Event of Default.

 

Dollars”, “dollars” and “$” each mean lawful money of the United States.

 

Eligible Assignee” means (a) a Bank; (b) an Affiliate of a Bank that satisfies the criteria under any of clauses (c)(i), (c)(ii) or (c)(iii) below (without regard to any consent requirements of the Agent or the Company in the proviso to clause (c) below); and (c) (i) a commercial bank organized under the laws of the United States, or any state thereof, and having a combined capital and surplus of at least $100,000,000; (ii) a commercial bank organized under the laws of any other country which is a member of the OECD, or a political subdivision of any such country, and having a combined capital and surplus of at least $100,000,000, provided that such bank is acting through a branch or agency located in the United States; and (iii) a Person that is primarily engaged in the business of commercial banking (or any business unit of such Person) and that is (A) a Subsidiary of an Initial Bank or Eligible Assignee, (B) a Subsidiary of a Person of which an Initial Bank or Eligible Assignee is a Subsidiary, or (C) a Person of which an Initial Bank or Eligible Assignee is a Subsidiary, provided that in each case under this clause (c) such assignee is approved by the Agent, and, unless a Default or an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Company (each such approval not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed).

 

Environmental Claims” means all claims, however asserted, by any Governmental Authority or other Person alleging potential liability or responsibility for violation of any Environmental Law, including for release or injury to the environment.

 

6


Environmental Laws” means all federal, state or local laws, statutes, common law duties, rules, regulations, ordinances and codes, together with all administrative orders, directed duties, requests, licenses, authorizations and permits of, and agreements with, any Governmental Authorities, in each case relating to environmental, health, safety and land use matters.

 

Environmental Liability” means any liability, contingent or otherwise (including any liability for damages, costs of environmental remediation, fines, penalties or indemnities), of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries directly or indirectly resulting from or based upon (a) violation of any Environmental Law, (b) the generation, use, handling, transportation, storage, treatment or disposal of any Hazardous Materials, (c) exposure to any Hazardous Materials, (d) the release or threatened release of any Hazardous Materials into the environment or (e) any contract, agreement or other consensual arrangement pursuant to which liability is assumed or imposed with respect to any of the foregoing.

 

ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

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

 

ERISA Event” means (a) a Reportable Event with respect to a Pension Plan; (b) a withdrawal by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate from a Pension Plan subject to Section 4063 of ERISA during a plan year in which it was a substantial employer (as defined in Section 4001(a)(2) of ERISA) or a cessation of operations which is treated as such a withdrawal under Section 4062(e) of ERISA; (c) a complete or partial withdrawal by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate from a Multiemployer Plan or notification that a Multiemployer Plan is in reorganization; (d) the filing of a notice of intent to terminate, the treatment of a Plan amendment as a termination under Section 4041 or 4041A of ERISA, or the commencement of proceedings by the PBGC to terminate a Pension Plan or Multiemployer Plan; (e) an event or condition which is reasonably expected to constitute grounds under Section 4042 of ERISA for the termination of, or the appointment of a trustee to administer, any Pension Plan or Multiemployer Plan; or (f) the imposition of any liability under Title IV of ERISA in excess of $1,000,000, other than PBGC premiums due but not delinquent under Section 4007 of ERISA, upon the Company or any ERISA Affiliate.

 

Event of Default” means any of the events or circumstances specified in Section 8.01.

 

Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

7


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 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 weighted 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 Agent.

 

Fee Letter” has the meaning specified in Section 2.09(a).

 

FRB” means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and any Governmental Authority succeeding to any of its principal functions.

 

Further Taxes” means any and all present or future taxes, levies, assessments, imposts, duties, deductions, fees, withholdings or similar charges (including, without limitation, net income taxes and franchise taxes), and all liabilities with respect thereto, imposed by any jurisdiction on account of amounts payable or paid pursuant to Section 3.01.

 

GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles set forth from time to time in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and statements and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (or agencies with similar functions of comparable stature and authority within the U.S. accounting profession), which are applicable to the circumstances as of the date of determination.

 

Governmental Authority” means any nation or government, any state or other political subdivision thereof, any central bank (or similar monetary or regulatory authority) thereof, any entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, regulatory or administrative functions of or pertaining to government, and any corporation or other entity owned or controlled, through stock or capital ownership or otherwise, by any of the foregoing.

 

Guaranty Obligation” has the meaning specified in the definition of “Contingent Obligation.”

 

Hazardous Materials” means all explosive or radioactive substances or wastes and all hazardous or toxic substances, wastes or other pollutants, including petroleum or petroleum distillates, asbestos or asbestos-containing materials, polychlorinated biphenyls, radon gas, infectious or medical wastes and all other substances or wastes of any nature regulated as such pursuant to any Environmental Law.

 

Indebtedness” of any Person means, without duplication, (a) all indebtedness for borrowed money; (b) all obligations issued, undertaken or assumed as the deferred purchase price of property or services (other than trade payables entered into in the

 

8


ordinary course of business on ordinary terms); (c) all non-contingent reimbursement or payment obligations with respect to Surety Instruments; (d) all obligations evidenced by notes, bonds, debentures or similar instruments, including obligations so evidenced incurred in connection with the acquisition of property, assets or businesses; (e) all indebtedness created or arising under any conditional sale or other title retention agreement, or incurred as financing, in either case with respect to property acquired by the Person (even though the rights and remedies of the seller or bank under such agreement in the event of default are limited to repossession or sale of such property); (f) all obligations with respect to capital leases; (g) all indebtedness referred to in clauses (a) through (f) above secured by (or for which the holder of such Indebtedness has an existing right, contingent or otherwise, to be secured by) any Lien upon or in property (including accounts and contracts rights) owned by such Person, even though such Person has not assumed or become liable for the payment of such Indebtedness; and (h) all Guaranty Obligations in respect of indebtedness or obligations of others of the kinds referred to in clauses (a) through (g) above. Provided, Indebtedness shall not include sales of Permitted Receivables sold pursuant to Permitted Receivables Purchase Facilities and indemnification, recourse or repurchase obligations thereunder. For all purposes of this Agreement, the Indebtedness of any Person shall include all recourse Indebtedness of any partnership or joint venture in which such Person is a general partner or a joint venturer.

 

Indemnified Liabilities” has the meaning specified in Section 10.05.

 

Indemnitee” has the meaning specified in Section 10.05.

 

Independent Auditor” has the meaning specified in Section 6.01(a).

 

Ineligible Securities” has the meaning specified in Section 7.07(b).

 

Initial Bank” means a Bank party to this Agreement on the Closing Date.

 

Insolvency Proceeding” means, with respect to any Person, (a) any case, action or proceeding with respect to such Person before any court or other Governmental Authority relating to bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency, liquidation, receivership, dissolution, winding-up or relief of debtors, or (b) any general assignment for the benefit of creditors, composition, marshalling of assets for creditors, or other, similar arrangement in respect of its creditors generally or any substantial portion of its creditors; undertaken under U.S. Federal, state or foreign law, including the Bankruptcy Code.

 

Interest Payment Date” means, as to any Loan other than a Base Rate Loan, the last day of each Interest Period applicable to such Loan and, as to any Base Rate Loan, the last Business Day of each calendar quarter, provided, however, that if any Interest Period for an Offshore Rate Loan exceeds three months, the date that falls three months after the beginning of such Interest Period and after each Interest Payment Date thereafter is also an Interest Payment Date.

 

Interest Period” means, as to any Offshore Rate Loan, the period commencing on the Borrowing Date of such Loan or on the Conversion/Continuation Date on which the

 

9


Loan is converted into or continued as an Offshore Rate Loan, and ending on the date one, two, three or six months thereafter as selected by the Company in its Notice of Borrowing or Notice of Conversion/Continuation;

 

provided that:

 

(i) if any Interest Period would otherwise end on a day that is not a Business Day, that Interest Period shall be extended to the following Business Day unless, in the case of an Offshore Rate Loan, the result of such extension would be to carry such Interest Period into another calendar month, in which event such Interest Period shall end on the preceding Business Day;

 

(ii) any Interest Period pertaining to an Offshore Rate Loan 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 for any Loan shall extend beyond July 14, 2006.

 

Investments” has the meaning specified in Section 7.04.

 

IRS” means the Internal Revenue Service, and any Governmental Authority succeeding to any of its principal functions under the Code.

 

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

 

Leverage Ratio” means, as of any time of determination, the ratio of (a) total consolidated liabilities in respect of the Company and its Subsidiaries, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP, minus Subordinated Indebtedness, to (b) the sum of Consolidated Tangible Net Worth, plus Subordinated Indebtedness, in each case at such time.

 

Lien” means any security interest, mortgage, deed of trust, pledge, hypothecation, assignment, charge or deposit arrangement, encumbrance, lien (statutory or other) or preferential arrangement of any kind or nature whatsoever in respect of any property (including those created by, arising under or evidenced by any conditional sale or other title retention agreement, the interest of a lessor under a capital lease, any financing lease having substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing, or the filing of any financing statement naming the owner of the asset to which such lien relates as debtor, under the Uniform Commercial Code or any comparable law) and any contingent or other agreement to provide any of the foregoing, but not including the interest of a lessor under an operating lease or the interest of a purchaser of Permitted Receivables under any Permitted Receivables Purchase Facility.

 

Loan” means an extension of credit by a Bank to the Company under Article II, and may be a Base Rate Loan or an Offshore Rate Loan (each, a “Type” of Loan).

 

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Loan Documents” means this Agreement, any Notes, the Fee Letter and all other documents delivered to the Agent or any Bank in connection herewith.

 

Majority Banks” means at any time at least two Banks then holding not less than 51% of the then aggregate unpaid principal amount of the Loans, or, if no such principal amount is then outstanding, at least two Banks then holding not less than 51% of the Commitments.

 

Margin Stock” means “margin stock” as such term is defined in Regulation T, U or X of the FRB.

 

Material Adverse Effect” means (a) a material adverse change in, or a material adverse effect upon, the operations, business, properties or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole; (b) a material impairment of the ability of the Company to perform under any Loan Document and to avoid any Event of Default; or (c) a material impairment of the rights of or benefits available to the Banks or the Agent under any Loan Document.

 

Material Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary which, for any period, has revenues or assets equal to or greater than 5% of the consolidated revenues or assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, but in any event shall not include any Unrestricted Subsidiary.

 

Multiemployer Plan” means a “multiemployer plan”, within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA, to which the Company or any ERISA Affiliate makes, is making, or is obligated to make contributions or, during the preceding three calendar years, has made, or been obligated to make, contributions.

 

Net Cash Consideration” means, in respect of any Acquisition, the cash consideration paid, including holdbacks, escrows and accruals, by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in respect of such Acquisition less the unencumbered cash and Cash Equivalents of the target Person (including, without limitation, unencumbered cash and Cash Equivalents tendered by holders of options to purchase the target Person’s capital stock upon the exercise of such options), in each case, which are acquired by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries as a result of such Acquisition; provided that if the forgoing calculation in respect of any Acquisition results in a negative amount, the Net Cash Consideration in respect of such Acquisition shall be deemed to be zero.

 

Net Issuance Proceeds” means, as to any issuance of debt or equity by any Person, cash proceeds and non-cash proceeds received or receivable by such Person in connection therewith, net of commissions, underwriting fees and discounts and reasonable out-of-pocket costs and expenses paid or incurred in connection therewith in favor of any Person not an Affiliate of such Person.

 

Note” means a promissory note executed by the Company in favor of a Bank pursuant to Section 2.02(b), in substantially the form of Exhibit E.

 

Notice of Borrowing” means a notice in substantially the form of Exhibit A.

 

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Notice of Conversion/Continuation” means a notice in substantially the form of Exhibit B.

 

Notice of Designation” has the meaning specified in Section 1.04(b).

 

Obligations” means all advances, debts, liabilities, obligations, covenants and duties arising under any Loan Document owing by the Company to any Bank, the Agent, or any Indemnitee, whether direct or indirect (including those acquired by assignment), absolute or contingent, due or to become due, now existing or hereafter arising.

 

OECD” means the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

 

Offshore Rate” means, for any Interest Period, with respect to Offshore Rate Loans:

 

(a) the rate per annum equal to the rate determined by the 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 subsection (a) does not appear on such page or service or such page or service shall cease to be available, the rate per annum equal to the rate determined by the 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 subsections (a) and (b) are not available, the rate per annum determined by the 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 Offshore 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 offshore market at their request at approximately 4:00 p.m. (London time) two Business Days prior to the first day of such Interest Period.

 

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

 

Organization Documents” means, (a) for any corporation, the certificate or articles of incorporation, the bylaws, any certificate of determination or instrument relating to the rights of preferred shareholders of such corporation, any shareholder rights agreement, and all applicable resolutions of the board of directors (or any committee thereof) of such corporation and (b) for any Person not a corporation, the partnership agreement, operating agreement and/or such other documents which govern such Person.

 

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Other Taxes” means any present or future stamp, court or documentary taxes or any other excise or property taxes, charges or similar levies which arise from any payment made hereunder or from the execution, delivery, performance, enforcement or registration of, or otherwise with respect to, this Agreement or any other Loan Documents.

 

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

 

PBGC” means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, or any Governmental Authority succeeding to any of its principal functions under ERISA.

 

Pension Plan” means a pension plan (as defined in Section 3(2) of ERISA) subject to Title IV of ERISA which the Company sponsors, maintains, or to which it makes, is making, or is obligated to make contributions, or in the case of a multiple employer plan (as described in Section 4064(a) of ERISA) has made contributions at any time during the immediately preceding five plan years.

 

Permitted Investments” means:

 

(a) securities issued or fully guaranteed or insured by the United States Government or any agency thereof having maturities of not more than three years from the date of acquisition by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries;

 

(b) certificates of deposit, time deposits, Eurodollar time deposits, repurchase agreements, reverse repurchase agreements, or bankers’ acceptances, having in each case maturities of not more than three years from the date of acquisition by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, issued by any U.S. commercial bank or any commercial bank organized under the laws of any other country which is a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (but including, in any event, China, Egypt, India, Israel, Pakistan, Singapore and Taiwan), or a political subdivision of any such country, in each case having combined capital and surplus of not less than $100,000,000 and whose short-term securities are rated at least A-2 by Standard & Poor’s Corporation (“S&P”) or at least P-2 by Moody’s Investor Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”);

 

(c) taxable and tax-exempt commercial paper of an issuer rated at least A-2 by S&P or at least P-2 by Moody’s and in either case having maturities of not more than 270 days from the date of acquisition by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries;

 

(d) medium term notes of an issuer rated at least AA by S&P or at least Aa2 by Moody’s and having maturities of not more than three years after the date of acquisition by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries;

 

(e) municipal notes and bonds which are rated at least SP-2 or AA by S&P or at least MIG-2 or Aa by Moody’s and having maturities of not more than three years after the date of acquisition by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries;

 

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(f) investments in taxable or tax-exempt money market funds with assets greater than $500,000,000 and whose assets have average maturities less than or equal to 180 days and are rated at least A-2 by S&P or at least P-2 by Moody’s;

 

(g) money market preferred instruments of an issuer rated at least A-2 by S&P or at least P-2 by Moody’s and having maturities of not more than three years after the date of acquisition by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; or

 

(h) other similar investments, subject to the Majority Banks’ prior written approval.

 

Permitted Liens” has the meaning specified in Section 7.01.

 

Permitted Receivables” shall mean all obligations of any obligor (whether now existing or hereafter arising) under a contract for sale of goods or services by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, including any obligation of such obligor (whether now existing or hereafter arising) to pay interest, finance charges or amounts with respect thereto, and, with respect to any of the foregoing receivables or obligations, (a) all of the interest of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in the goods (including returned goods) the sale of which gave rise to such receivable or obligation after the passage of title thereto to any obligor, (b) all other Liens and property subject thereto from time to time purporting to secure payment of such receivables or obligations, and (c) all guarantees, insurance, letters of credit and other agreements or arrangements of whatever character from time to time supporting or securing payment of any such receivables or obligations.

 

Permitted Receivables Purchase Facility” shall mean any agreement of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries providing for sales, transfers or conveyances of Permitted Receivables purporting to be sales (and considered sales under GAAP) that do not provide, directly or indirectly, for recourse against the seller of such Permitted Receivables (or against any of such seller’s Affiliates) by way of a guaranty or any other support arrangement, with respect to the amount of such Permitted Receivables (based on the financial condition or circumstances of the obligor thereunder), other than such limited recourse as is reasonable given market standards for transactions of a similar type, taking into account such factors as product performance and product acceptance.

 

Permitted Swap Obligations” means all obligations (contingent or otherwise) of the Company or any Subsidiary existing or arising under Swap Contracts, provided that each of the following criteria is satisfied: (a) such obligations are (or were) entered into by such Person in the ordinary course of business for the purpose of directly mitigating risks associated with liabilities, commitments or assets held by such Person, or changes in the value of securities issued by such Person in conjunction with a securities repurchase program not otherwise prohibited hereunder, and not for purposes of speculation or taking a “market view;” and (b) such Swap Contracts do not contain (i) any provision (“walk-away” provision) exonerating the non-defaulting party from its obligation to make payments on outstanding transactions to the defaulting party, or (ii) any provision creating or permitting the declaration of an event of default, termination event or similar

 

14


event upon the occurrence of an Event of Default hereunder (other than an Event of Default under Section 8.01(a)).

 

Person” means an individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, business trust, joint stock company, trust, unincorporated association, joint venture or Governmental Authority.

 

Plan” means an employee benefit plan (as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA) which the Company sponsors or maintains or to which the Company makes, is making, or is obligated to make contributions and includes any Pension Plan.

 

Pro Rata Share” means, as to any Bank at any time, the percentage equivalent (expressed as a decimal, rounded to the ninth decimal place) at such time of such Bank’s Commitment divided by the combined Commitments of all Banks (or, if all Commitments have been terminated, the aggregate principal amount of such Bank’s Loans divided by the aggregate principal amount of the Loans then held by all Banks).

 

Refinancing Indebtedness” has the meaning specified in Section 7.05(f).

 

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

 

Replacement Bank” has the meaning specified in Section 3.09.

 

Reportable Event” means, any of the events set forth in Section 4043(c) of ERISA or the regulations thereunder, other than any such event for which the 30-day notice requirement under ERISA has been waived in regulations issued by the PBGC.

 

Requirement of Law” means, as to any Person, any law (statutory or common), treaty, rule or regulation or determination of an arbitrator or of a Governmental Authority, in each case applicable to or binding upon the Person or any of its property or to which the Person or any of its property is subject.

 

Responsible Officer” means the chief financial officer, the chief operating officer or the treasurer of the Company, or any other officer having substantially the same authority and responsibility; or, with respect to compliance with financial covenants, any of the above officers or the chief accounting officer of the Company, or any other officer having substantially the same authority and responsibility.

 

Restricted Amounts” means, at any time of determination, cash, Cash Equivalents and current accounts receivable that are not available for general corporate purposes.

 

Returned Account” means an account receivable purchased under a Permitted Receivables Purchase Facility which is for any reason returned by the purchaser thereof for repurchase, refund or replacement by the seller thereof in accordance with the terms of the Permitted Receivables Purchase Facility.

 

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Revolving Termination Date” means the earlier to occur of:

 

(a) July 14, 2006; and

 

(b) the date on which the Commitments terminate in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.

 

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

 

Senior Indebtedness” means, as of any date of determination, Consolidated Funded Indebtedness minus Subordinated Indebtedness on such date.

 

Senior Leverage Ratio” means, as of any time of determination, the ratio of (a) Senior Indebtedness to (b) the sum of Consolidated Tangible Net Worth plus Subordinated Indebtedness at such time.

 

Short Term Trade Accounts Receivable” means all billed and due accounts receivable of the Company and its Subsidiaries.

 

Special Purpose Subsidiary” means that certain wholly owned Subsidiary created by the Company for the purposes of acquiring the Wilsonville Facility and obtaining a loan to be secured by a Lien on the Wilsonville Facility.

 

Subordinated Indebtedness” means Indebtedness of the Company incurred from time to time and subordinated in right of payment to the Obligations hereunder.

 

Subsidiary” of a Person means any corporation, association, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture or other business entity of which more than 50% of the voting stock, membership interests or other equity interests (in the case of Persons other than corporations), is owned or controlled directly or indirectly by the Person, or one or more of the Subsidiaries of the Person, or a combination thereof, but in any event shall not include any Unrestricted Subsidiary other than for purposes of Sections 6.01, 7.03, 7.07 and 7.14(b). Unless the context otherwise clearly requires, references herein to a “Subsidiary” refer to a Subsidiary of the Company.

 

Surety Instruments” means all letters of credit (including standby and commercial), banker’s acceptances, bank guaranties, shipside bonds, surety bonds and similar instruments.

 

Swap Contract” means any agreement, whether or not in writing, relating to any transaction that is a rate swap, basis swap, forward rate transaction, commodity swap, commodity option, equity or equity index swap or option, bond, note or bill option, interest rate option, forward foreign exchange transaction, cap, collar or floor transaction, currency swap, cross-currency rate swap, swaption, currency option or any other, similar transaction (including any option to enter into any of the foregoing) or any combination of the foregoing, and, unless the context otherwise clearly requires, any master agreement relating to or governing any or all of the foregoing.

 

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

 

Taxes” means any and all present or future taxes, levies, assessments, imposts, duties, deductions, fees, withholdings or similar charges, and all liabilities with respect thereto, excluding, in the case of each Bank and the Agent, (i) taxes imposed on or measured by its net income by the jurisdiction (or any political subdivision thereof) under the laws of which such Bank or the Agent, as the case may be, is organized or maintains a lending office, (ii) any withholding tax that is in effect and would apply to a payment to such Bank or the Agent at the time such Person becomes a party to this Agreement, and (iii) any tax that would not have been imposed but for the failure of a Bank to comply with the certification requirements described in Section 10.08 (unless such failure results from a change in applicable law after the date on which such Bank becomes a party to this Agreement, which precludes such Bank from satisfying any such requirements or otherwise from qualifying for a reduction in or exemption from such withholding Tax).

 

TNW Buffer” means, as of the last day of any calendar quarter, the difference between (a) the actual Consolidated Tangible Net Worth of the Company and its Subsidiaries on such date, minus (b) the minimum Consolidated Tangible Net Worth of the Company and its Subsidiaries required on such date under Section 7.14(b).

 

Trade Date” has the meaning specified in Section 10.07(b).

 

Type” has the meaning specified in the definition of “Loan.”

 

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

 

United States” and “U.S.” each means the United States of America.

 

Unrestricted Subsidiary” shall mean any Subsidiary designated as such by the Company in accordance with Section 1.04.

 

Wholly-Owned Subsidiary” means any corporation in which (other than directors’ qualifying shares required by law or other de minimis shares owned by third parties as required by law) 100% of the capital stock of each class having ordinary voting power, and 100% of the capital stock of every other class, in each case, at the time as of which any determination is being made, is owned, beneficially and of record, by the Company, or by one or more of the other Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries, or both.

 

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Wilsonville Facility” means the Company’s principal facility and headquarters, consisting of approximately 130.01 acres, located at 8005 S.W. Boeckman Road, Wilsonville, Oregon, including related vacant land owned by the Company.

 

1.02 Other Interpretive Provisions.

 

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

 

(b) The words “hereof,” “herein,” “hereunder” and similar words refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Agreement; and subsection, Section, Schedule and Exhibit references are to this Agreement unless otherwise specified.

 

(i) The term “documents” includes any and all instruments, documents, agreements, certificates, indentures, notices and other writings, however evidenced.

 

(ii) The term “including” is not limiting and means “including without limitation.”

 

(iii) 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) Unless otherwise expressly provided herein, (i) references to agreements (including this Agreement) and other contractual instruments shall be deemed to include all subsequent amendments and other modifications thereto, but only to the extent such amendments and other modifications are not prohibited by the terms of any Loan Document, and (ii) references to any statute or regulation are to be construed as including all statutory and regulatory provisions consolidating, amending, replacing, supplementing or interpreting the statute or regulation.

 

(d) The captions and headings of this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not affect the interpretation of this Agreement.

 

(e) This Agreement and other Loan Documents may use several different limitations, tests or measurements to regulate the same or similar matters. All such limitations, tests and measurements are cumulative and shall each be performed in accordance with their terms. Unless otherwise expressly provided, any reference to any action of the Agent or the Banks by way of consent, approval or waiver shall be deemed modified by the phrase “in its/their sole discretion.”

 

(f) This Agreement and the other Loan Documents are the result of negotiations among and have been reviewed by counsel to the Agent, the Company and the other parties, and are the products of all parties. Accordingly, they shall not be construed against the Banks or the Agent merely because of the Agent’s or Banks’ involvement in their preparation.

 

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1.03 Accounting Principles.

 

(a) Unless the context otherwise clearly requires, all accounting terms not expressly defined herein shall be construed, and all financial computations required under this Agreement shall be made, in accordance with GAAP, consistently applied.

 

(b) If the Company or the Majority Banks notify the Agent that the Company or the Majority Banks, as the case may be, desire to amend any covenant in Article VII or any definition relating thereto to eliminate the effect of any change in GAAP occurring after the Closing Date on the operation of any such covenant, then the Company’s compliance with such covenant shall be determined in accordance with GAAP as in effect immediately prior to such change in GAAP until either such notice is withdrawn or such covenant or related definition is amended in a manner reasonably satisfactory to the Company and the Majority Banks.

 

1.04   Designation of Unrestricted Subsidiaries.

 

(a) The Company, at its option, may from time to time designate any Subsidiary as an “Unrestricted Subsidiary” for purposes hereof in accordance with the following: (i) any Subsidiary that is not a Material Subsidiary may be designated by the Company as an Unrestricted Subsidiary in its sole discretion; (ii) any Material Subsidiary may be designated by the Company as an Unrestricted Subsidiary only with the prior written consent of the Majority Banks; provided, however, no Subsidiary may be designated as an Unrestricted Subsidiary if (A) immediately after giving effect to any such designation, the aggregate revenues for the most recently ended calendar quarter of all Unrestricted Subsidiaries (including any Subsidiary being newly designated as an Unrestricted Subsidiary), taken as a whole, shall exceed 15% of the aggregate revenues for such calendar quarter of the Company, its Subsidiaries and its Unrestricted Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, (B) immediately after giving effect to any such designation, the aggregate assets of all Unrestricted Subsidiaries (including any Subsidiary being newly designated as an Unrestricted Subsidiary), taken as a whole, shall exceed 15% of the aggregate assets of the Company, its Subsidiaries and its Unrestricted Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (C) any Default or Event of Default then exists (unless such designation would cure such Default or Event of Default) or would result from any such designation.

 

(b) Whenever the Company desires to designate a Subsidiary as an Unrestricted Subsidiary, the Company shall provide to the Agent a Notice of Designation of Unrestricted Subsidiary (a “Notice of Designation”) in substantially the form of Exhibit F signed by a Responsible Officer. Subject to the preceding subsection (a), any designation by the Company of an Unrestricted Subsidiary shall become effective (i) in the case of any Subsidiary that is not a Material Subsidiary, three Business Days after the Agent’s receipt of a completed Notice of Designation in respect of such Subsidiary, and (ii) in the case of any Material Subsidiary, upon the written consent of the Majority Banks. In the case of the preceding clause (ii), the Majority Banks shall use good-faith efforts to consent to or deny the Company’s request to designate a Material Subsidiary as an Unrestricted Subsidiary within 30 days of the Agent’s receipt of a completed Notice of Designation in respect of such Material Subsidiary.

 

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(c) The Company may from time to time redesignate any Unrestricted Subsidiary as a “Subsidiary” for purposes hereof by delivering to the Agent prior written notice of such redesignation signed by a Responsible Officer.

 

ARTICLE II

 

THE CREDITS

 

2.01 Amounts and Terms of Commitments. Each Bank severally agrees, on the terms and conditions set forth herein, to make loans to the Company from time to time on any Business Day during the period from the Closing Date to the Revolving Termination Date, in an aggregate amount not to exceed at any time outstanding the amount set forth opposite the name of such Bank on Schedule 2.01 (such amount as the same may be reduced under Section 2.05 or as a result of one or more assignments under Section 10.07, the Bank’s “Commitment”); provided, however, that, after giving effect to any Borrowing, the aggregate principal amount of all outstanding Loans shall not at any time exceed the combined Commitments. Within the limits of each Bank’s Commitment, and subject to the other terms and conditions hereof, the Company may borrow under this Section 2.01, prepay under Section 2.06 and reborrow under this Section 2.01.

 

2.02 Loan Accounts.

 

(a) The Loans made by each Bank shall be evidenced by one or more loan accounts or records maintained by such Bank in the ordinary course of business. The loan accounts or records maintained by the Agent and each Bank shall be conclusive absent manifest error of the amount of the Loans made by the Banks to the Company and the interest and payments thereon. Any failure so to record or any error in doing so shall not, however, limit or otherwise affect the obligation of the Company hereunder to pay any amount owing with respect to the Loans.

 

(b) Upon the request of any Bank made through the Agent, the Loans made by such Bank may be evidenced by one or more Notes, instead of or in addition to loan accounts. Each such Bank shall endorse on the schedules annexed to its Note(s) the date, amount and maturity of each Loan made by it and the amount of each payment of principal made by the Company with respect thereto. Each such Bank is irrevocably authorized by the Company to endorse its Note(s) and each Bank’s record shall be conclusive absent manifest error; provided, however, that the failure of a Bank to make, or an error in making, a notation thereon with respect to any Loan shall not limit or otherwise affect the obligations of the Company hereunder or under any such Note to such Bank.

 

2.03 Procedure for Borrowing.

 

(a) Each Borrowing shall be made upon the Company’s irrevocable written notice delivered to the Agent in the form of a Notice of Borrowing to be received by the Agent not later than 9:00 a.m. (San Francisco time) (i) three Business Days prior to the requested Borrowing Date, in the case of Offshore Rate Loans, and (ii) on the requested Borrowing Date, in the case of Base Rate Loans, specifying:

 

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(A) the amount of the Borrowing, which shall be in an aggregate minimum amount of $10,000,000, in the case of Offshore Rate Loans, or $5,000,000, in the case of Base Rate Loans, or in each case any multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof;

 

(B) the requested Borrowing Date, which shall be a Business Day;

 

(C) the Type of Loans comprising the Borrowing; and

 

(D) in the case of Offshore Rate Loans, the duration of the Interest Period applicable to such Loans included in such notice. If the Notice of Borrowing fails to specify the duration of the Interest Period for any Borrowing comprised of Offshore Rate Loans, such Interest Period shall be three months.

 

(b) The Agent will promptly notify each Bank of its receipt of any Notice of Borrowing and of the amount of such Bank’s Pro Rata Share of that Borrowing.

 

(c) Each Bank will make the amount of its Pro Rata Share of each Borrowing available to the Agent for the account of the Company at the Agent’s Payment Office by 12:00 noon (San Francisco time) on the Borrowing Date requested by the Company in funds immediately available to the Agent. The proceeds of all such Loans will then be made available to the Company by the Agent at such office by crediting the account of the Company on the books of Bank of America with the aggregate of the amounts made available to the Agent by the Banks and in like funds as received by the Agent.

 

(d) After giving effect to any Borrowing, unless the Agent shall otherwise consent, there may not be more than six different Interest Periods in effect.

 

2.04 Conversion and Continuation Elections.

 

(a) The Company may, upon irrevocable written notice to the Agent in accordance with Section 2.04(b):

 

(i) elect, as of any Business Day, in the case of Base Rate Loans, or as of the last day of the applicable Interest Period, in the case of any other Type of Loans, to convert any such Loans (or any part thereof in an amount not less than $10,000,000, or that is in an integral multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof) into Loans of any other Type; or

 

(ii) elect, as of the last day of the applicable Interest Period, to continue any Loans having Interest Periods expiring on such day (or any part thereof in an amount not less than $10,000,000, or that is in an integral multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof);

 

provided, that if at any time the aggregate amount of Offshore Rate Loans in respect of any Borrowing is reduced, by payment, prepayment, or conversion of part thereof to be less than $10,000,000, such Offshore Rate Loans shall automatically convert into Base Rate Loans, and on

 

21


and after such date the right of the Company to continue such Loans as, and convert such Loans into, Offshore Rate Loans shall terminate.

 

(b) The Company shall deliver a Notice of Conversion/Continuation to be received by the Agent not later than 9:00 a.m. (San Francisco time) (i) three Business Days in advance of the Conversion/Continuation Date, if the Loans are to be converted into or continued as Offshore Rate Loans, and (ii) on the Conversion/Continuation Date, if the Loans are to be converted into Base Rate Loans, specifying:

 

(A) the proposed Conversion/Continuation Date;

 

(B) the aggregate amount of Loans to be converted or continued;

 

(C) the Type of Loans resulting from the proposed conversion or continuation; and

 

(D) other than in the case of conversions into Base Rate Loans, the duration of the requested Interest Period.

 

(c) If upon the expiration of any Interest Period applicable to Offshore Rate Loans, (i) the Company has failed to select timely a new Interest Period to be applicable to such Offshore Rate Loans, or (ii) any Default or Event of Default then exists, the Company shall be deemed to have elected to convert such Offshore Rate Loans into Base Rate Loans effective as of the expiration date of such Interest Period.

 

(d) The Agent will promptly notify each Bank of its receipt of a Notice of Conversion/Continuation, or, if no timely notice is provided by the Company, the Agent will promptly notify each Bank of the details of any automatic conversion. All conversions and continuations shall be made ratably according to the respective outstanding principal amounts of the Loans with respect to which the notice was given held by each Bank.

 

(e) Unless the Majority Banks otherwise consent, during the existence of a Default or Event of Default, the Company may not elect to have a Loan converted into or continued as an Offshore Rate Loan.

 

(f) After giving effect to any conversion or continuation of Loans, unless the Agent shall otherwise consent, there may not be more than six different Interest Periods in effect.

 

2.05 Voluntary Termination or Reduction of Commitments. The Company may, upon not less than five Business Days’ prior notice to the Agent, terminate the Commitments, or permanently reduce the Commitments by an aggregate minimum amount of $10,000,000 or any multiple of $5,000,000 in excess thereof; unless, after giving effect thereto and to any prepayments of Loans made on the effective date thereof, the then-outstanding principal amount of the Loans would exceed the amount of the combined Commitments then in effect. Once reduced in accordance with this Section, the Commitments may not be increased. Any reduction of the Commitments shall be applied to each Bank according to its Pro Rata Share. All accrued

 

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commitment fees to, but not including the effective date of any reduction or termination of Commitments, shall be paid on the effective date of such reduction or termination.

 

2.06 Optional Prepayments. Subject to Section 3.04, the Company may, at any time or from time to time, (a) in the case of Offshore Rate Loans, upon not less than three Business Days’ irrevocable notice to the Agent, ratably prepay Loans in whole or in part, in minimum amounts of $10,000,000 or any multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof, or (b) in the case of Base Rate Loans, upon irrevocable notice to the Agent given no later than 9:00 a.m. (San Francisco time) on the date of prepayment, ratably prepay Loans in whole or in part, in minimum amounts of $5,000,000 or any multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof. Such notice of prepayment shall specify the date and amount of such prepayment and the Type(s) of Loans to be prepaid. The Agent will promptly notify each Bank of its receipt of any such notice, and of such Bank’s Pro Rata Share of such prepayment. If such notice is given by the Company, the Company shall make such prepayment and the payment amount specified in such notice shall be due and payable on the date specified therein, together with accrued interest to each such date on the amount prepaid and any amounts required pursuant to Section 3.04.

 

2.07 Repayment. The Company shall repay to the Banks on the Revolving Termination Date the aggregate principal amount of Loans outstanding on such date.

 

2.08 Interest.

 

(a) Each Loan shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof from the applicable Borrowing Date at a rate per annum equal to the Offshore Rate or the Base Rate, as the case may be (and subject to the Company’s right to convert to other Types of Loans under Section 2.04), plus the Applicable Margin.

 

(b) Interest on each Loan shall be paid in arrears on each Interest Payment Date. Interest shall also be paid on the date of any prepayment of Offshore Rate Loans under Section 2.06 for the portion of the Offshore Rate Loans so prepaid and upon payment (including prepayment) in full thereof and, during the existence of any Event of Default, interest shall be paid on demand of the Agent at the request or with the consent of the Majority Banks.

 

(c) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this Section, if any amount of principal of or interest on any Loan, or any other amount payable hereunder or under any other Loan Document is not paid in full when due (whether at stated maturity, by acceleration, demand or otherwise), the Company agrees to pay interest on such unpaid principal or other amount, from the date such amount becomes due until the date such amount is paid in full, and after as well as before any entry of judgment thereon to the extent permitted by law, payable on demand, at a fluctuating rate per annum equal to the Base Rate plus the Applicable Margin, plus 2%.

 

(d) Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the obligations of the Company to any Bank hereunder shall be subject to the limitation that payments of interest shall not be required for any period for which interest is computed hereunder, to the extent (but only to the extent) that contracting for or receiving such payment by such Bank would be contrary to the provisions of any law applicable to such Bank limiting the highest rate of interest that may be

 

23


lawfully contracted for, charged or received by such Bank, and in such event the Company shall pay such Bank interest at the highest rate permitted by applicable law.

 

2.09 Fees.

 

(a) Arrangement, Agency Fees. The Company shall (i) pay an arrangement, structuring and syndication fee to the Arranger for the Arranger’s own account, (ii) pay an administrative fee to the Agent for the Agent’s own account, and (iii) pay a participation fee to the Agent for the account of each Bank, in each case, as required by the letter agreement (“Fee Letter”) among the Company, the Arranger and Agent dated May 22, 2003.

 

(b) Commitment Fees. The Company shall pay to the Agent for the account of each Bank a commitment fee on the actual daily unused portion of such Bank’s Commitment, computed on a quarterly basis in arrears on the last Business Day of each calendar quarter based upon the daily utilization for that quarter as calculated by the Agent, equal to the applicable “Commitment Fee” set forth on the pricing grid attached as Annex I in accordance with the parameters for calculation and adjustment of such Commitment Fee also set forth on Annex I. Such commitment fee shall accrue from the Closing Date to the Revolving Termination Date and shall be due and payable quarterly in arrears on the last Business Day of each calendar quarter commencing on September 30, 2003 through the Revolving Termination Date, with the final payment to be made on the Revolving Termination Date; provided that, in connection with any reduction or termination of Commitments under Section 2.05, the accrued commitment fee calculated for the period ending on such date shall also be paid on the date of such reduction or termination, with the following quarterly payment being calculated on the basis of the period from such reduction or termination date to such quarterly payment date. The commitment fees provided in this subsection shall accrue at all times after the above-mentioned commencement date, including at any time during which one or more conditions in Article IV are not met.

 

2.10 Computation of Fees and Interest.

 

(a) 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 interest being paid than if computed on the basis of a 365-day year). Interest and fees shall accrue during each period during which interest or such fees are computed from the first day thereof to the last day thereof.

 

(b) Each determination of an interest rate by the Agent shall be conclusive and binding on the Company and the Banks in the absence of manifest error. The Agent will, at the request of the Company or any Bank, deliver to the Company or the Bank, as the case may be, a statement showing the quotations used by the Agent in determining any interest rate and the resulting interest rate.

 

2.11 Payments Generally.

 

(a) All payments to be made by the Company shall be made without condition or deduction for any counterclaim, defense, recoupment or setoff. Except as otherwise expressly

 

24


provided herein, all payments by the Company hereunder shall be made to the Agent, for the account of the respective Banks to which such payment is owed, at the Agent’s Payment Office in dollars and in immediately available funds not later than 11:00 a.m. (San Francisco time) on the date specified herein. The Agent will promptly distribute to each Bank its Pro Rata Share (or other applicable share as provided herein) of such payment in like funds as received. All payments received by the Agent after 11:00 a.m. (San Francisco time) shall be deemed received on the next succeeding Business Day and any applicable interest or fee shall continue to accrue.

 

(b) Subject to the provisions set forth in the definition of “Interest Period” herein, if any payment to be made by the Company shall come due on a day other than a Business Day, payment shall be made on the next following Business Day, and such extension of time shall be reflected in computing interest or fees, as the case may be.

 

(c) Unless the Company or any Bank has notified the Agent, prior to the date any payment is required to be made by it to the Agent hereunder, that the Company or such Bank, as the case may be, will not make such payment, the Agent may assume that the Company or such Bank, as the case may be, has timely made such payment and may (but shall not be so required to), in reliance thereon, make available a corresponding amount to the Person entitled thereto. If and to the extent that such payment was not in fact made to the Agent in immediately available funds, then:

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

(e) The obligations of the Banks hereunder to make Loans are several and not joint. The failure of any Bank to make any Loan on any date required hereunder shall not relieve any other Bank of its corresponding obligation to do so on such date, and no Bank shall be responsible for the failure of any other Bank to so make its Loan.

 

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

 

2.12 Sharing of Payments, Etc. If, other than as expressly provided elsewhere herein, any Bank shall obtain on account of the Loans made by it any payment (whether voluntary, involuntary, through the exercise of any right of set-off, or otherwise) in excess of its ratable share (or other share contemplated hereunder), such Bank shall immediately (a) notify the Agent of such fact, and (b) purchase from the other Banks such participations in the Loans made by them as shall be necessary to cause such purchasing Bank to share the excess payment pro rata with each of them; provided, however, that if all or any portion of such excess payment is thereafter recovered from the purchasing Bank, such purchase shall to that extent be rescinded and each other Bank shall repay to the purchasing Bank the purchase price paid therefor, together with an amount equal to such paying Bank’s ratable share (according to the proportion of (i) the amount of such paying Bank’s required repayment to (ii) the total amount so recovered from the purchasing Bank) of any interest or other amount paid or payable by the purchasing Bank in respect of the total amount so recovered. The Company agrees that any Bank so purchasing a participation from another Bank may, to the fullest extent permitted by law, exercise all its rights of payment (including the right of set-off, but subject to Section 10.10) with respect to such participation as fully as if such Bank were the direct creditor of the Company in the amount of such participation. The Agent will keep records (which shall be conclusive and binding in the absence of manifest error) of participations purchased under this Section and will in each case notify the Banks following any such purchases or repayments.

 

ARTICLE III

 

TAXES, YIELD PROTECTION AND ILLEGALITY

 

3.01 Taxes.

 

(a) Any and all payments by the Company to each Bank or the Agent under this Agreement and any other Loan Document shall be made free and clear of, and without deduction or withholding for, any Taxes. In addition, the Company shall pay all Other Taxes.

 

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(b) If the Company shall be required by law to deduct or withhold any Taxes, Other Taxes or Further Taxes from or in respect of any sum payable hereunder to any Bank or the Agent, then:

 

(i) the sum payable shall be increased as necessary so that, after making all such deductions and withholdings (including deductions and withholdings applicable to additional sums payable under this Section), such Bank or the Agent, as the case may be, receives and retains an amount equal to the sum it would have received and retained had no such deductions or withholdings been made;

 

(ii) the Company shall make all required deductions and withholdings;

 

(iii) the Company shall pay the full amount deducted or withheld to the relevant taxing authority or other authority in accordance with applicable law; and

 

(iv) the Company shall also pay to each Bank or the Agent for the account of such Bank, at the time interest is paid, Further Taxes in the amount that the respective Bank specifies as necessary to preserve the after-tax yield the Bank would have received if such Taxes, Other Taxes or Further Taxes had not been imposed.

 

(c) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Bank and the Agent for the full amount of i) Taxes, ii) Other Taxes, and iii) Further Taxes in the amount that the respective Bank specifies as necessary to preserve the after-tax yield the Bank would have received if such Taxes, Other Taxes or Further Taxes had not been imposed, and any liability (including penalties, interest, additions to tax and expenses) arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such Taxes, Other Taxes or Further Taxes were correctly or legally asserted. Payment under this indemnification shall be made within 30 days after the date the Bank or the Agent makes written demand therefor.

 

(d) Within 30 days after the date of any payment by the Company of Taxes, Other Taxes or Further Taxes, the Company shall furnish to each Bank or the Agent the original or a certified copy of a receipt evidencing payment thereof, or other evidence of payment satisfactory to such Bank or the Agent.

 

(e) If the Company is required to pay any amount to any Bank or the Agent pursuant to subsection (b) or (c) of this Section, then such Bank shall use reasonable efforts (consistent with legal and regulatory restrictions) to change the jurisdiction of its Lending Office so as to eliminate any such additional payment by the Company which may thereafter accrue, if such change in the sole judgment of such Bank is not otherwise disadvantageous to such Bank.

 

3.02 Illegality.

 

(a) If any Bank determines that the introduction of any Requirement of Law, or any change in any Requirement of Law, or in the interpretation or administration of any Requirement of Law, has made it unlawful, or that any central bank or other Governmental Authority has asserted that it is unlawful, for any Bank or its applicable Lending Office to make Offshore Rate Loans, then, on notice thereof by the Bank to the Company through the Agent, any obligation of that Bank to make Offshore Rate Loans shall be suspended until the Bank

 

27


notifies the Agent and the Company that the circumstances giving rise to such determination no longer exist.

 

(b) If a Bank determines that it is unlawful to maintain any Offshore Rate Loan, the Company shall, upon its receipt of notice of such fact and demand from such Bank (with a copy to the Agent), prepay in full such Offshore Rate Loans of that Bank then outstanding, together with interest accrued thereon and amounts required under Section 3.04, either on the last day of the Interest Period thereof, if the Bank may lawfully continue to maintain such Offshore Rate Loans to such day, or immediately, if the Bank may not lawfully continue to maintain such Offshore Rate Loan. If the Company is required to so prepay any Offshore Rate Loan, then concurrently with such prepayment, the Company shall borrow from the affected Bank, in the amount of such repayment, a Base Rate Loan.

 

(c) If the obligation of any Bank to make or maintain Offshore Rate Loans has been so terminated or suspended, the Company may elect, by giving notice to the Bank through the Agent that all Loans which would otherwise be made by the Bank as Offshore Rate Loans shall be instead Base Rate Loans.

 

(d) Before giving any notice to the Agent under this Section, the affected Bank shall designate a different Lending Office with respect to its Offshore Rate Loans if such designation will avoid the need for giving such notice or making such demand and will not, in the judgment of the Bank, be illegal or otherwise disadvantageous to the Bank.

 

3.03   Increased Costs and Reduction of Return.

 

(a) If any Bank determines that, due to either (i) the introduction of or any change (other than any change by way of imposition of or increase in reserve requirements included in the calculation of the Offshore Rate) in or in the interpretation of any law or regulation or (ii) the compliance by that Bank with any guideline or request from any central bank or other Governmental Authority (whether or not having the force of law), there shall be any increase in the cost to such Bank of agreeing to make or making, funding or maintaining any Offshore Rate Loans, then the Company shall be liable for, and shall from time to time, upon demand (with a copy of such demand to be sent to the Agent), pay to the Agent for the account of such Bank, additional amounts as are sufficient to compensate such Bank for such increased costs.

 

(b) If any Bank shall have determined that (i) the introduction of any Capital Adequacy Regulation, (ii) any change in any Capital Adequacy Regulation, (iii) any change in the interpretation or administration of any Capital Adequacy Regulation by any central bank or other Governmental Authority charged with the interpretation or administration thereof, or (iv) compliance by the Bank (or its Lending Office) or any corporation controlling the Bank with any Capital Adequacy Regulation, affects or would affect the amount of capital required or expected to be maintained by the Bank or any corporation controlling the Bank and (taking into consideration such Bank’s or such corporation’s policies with respect to capital adequacy and such Bank’s desired return on capital) determines that the amount of such capital is increased as a consequence of its Commitment, loans, credits or obligations under this Agreement, then, upon demand of such Bank to the Company through the Agent, the Company shall pay to the Bank,

 

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from time to time as specified by the Bank, additional amounts sufficient to compensate the Bank for such increase.

 

3.04 Funding Losses. The Company shall reimburse each Bank and hold each Bank harmless from any loss or expense which the Bank may sustain or incur as a consequence of:

 

(a) the failure of the Company to make on a timely basis any payment of principal of any Offshore Rate Loan;

 

(b) the failure of the Company to borrow, continue or convert a Loan after the Company has given (or is deemed to have given) a Notice of Borrowing or a Notice of Conversion/Continuation;

 

(c) the failure of the Company to make any prepayment in accordance with any notice delivered under Section 2.06;

 

(d) the prepayment (including pursuant to Section 2.06) or other payment (including after acceleration thereof) of an Offshore Rate Loan on a day that is not the last day of the relevant Interest Period; or

 

(e) the automatic conversion under the proviso of Section 2.04(a) of any Offshore Rate Loan to a Base Rate Loan on a day that is not the last day of the relevant Interest Period;

 

including any such loss or expense arising from the liquidation or reemployment of funds obtained by it to maintain its Offshore Rate Loans or from fees payable to terminate the deposits from which such funds were obtained. For purposes of calculating amounts payable by the Company to the Banks under this Section and under Section 3.03(a), each Offshore Rate Loan made by a Bank (and each related reserve, special deposit or similar requirement) shall be conclusively deemed to have been funded at the Offshore Rate for such Offshore Rate Loan by a matching deposit or other borrowing in the interbank eurodollar market for a comparable amount and for a comparable period, whether or not such Offshore Rate Loan is in fact so funded.

 

3.05 Inability to Determine Rates. If the Agent determines that for any reason adequate and reasonable means do not exist for determining the Offshore Rate for any requested Interest Period with respect to a proposed Offshore Rate Loan, or that the Offshore Rate applicable pursuant to Section 2.08(a) for any requested Interest Period with respect to a proposed Offshore Rate Loan does not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to the Banks of funding such Loan, the Agent will promptly so notify the Company and each Bank. Thereafter, the obligation of the Banks to make or maintain Offshore Rate Loans, as the case may be, hereunder shall be suspended until the Agent revokes such notice in writing. Upon receipt of such notice, the Company may revoke any Notice of Borrowing or Notice of Conversion/Continuation then submitted by it. If the Company does not revoke such Notice, the Banks shall make, convert or continue the Loans, as proposed by the Company, in the amount specified in the applicable notice submitted by the Company, but such Loans shall be made, converted or continued as Base Rate Loans instead of Offshore Rate Loans.

 

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3.06 Reserves on Offshore Rate Loans. The Company shall pay to each Bank, as long as such Bank shall be required under regulations of the FRB to maintain reserves with respect to liabilities or assets consisting of or including Eurocurrency funds or deposits (currently known as “Eurocurrency liabilities”), additional costs on the unpaid principal amount of each Offshore Rate Loan equal to the actual costs of such reserves allocated to such Loan by the Bank (as determined by the Bank in good faith, which determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error), payable on each date on which interest is payable on such Loan, provided the Company shall have received at least 15 days’ prior written notice (with a copy to the Agent) of such additional interest from the Bank. If a Bank fails to give notice 15 days prior to the relevant Interest Payment Date, such additional interest shall be payable 15 days from receipt of such notice.

 

3.07 Certificates of Banks. Any Bank claiming reimbursement or compensation under this Article III shall deliver to the Company (with a copy to the Agent) a certificate setting forth in reasonable detail the amount payable to the Bank hereunder and such certificate shall be conclusive and binding on the Company in the absence of manifest error.

 

3.08 Delay. Failure or delay on the part of any Bank to demand compensation under this Article III shall not constitute a waiver of such Bank’s right to demand such compensation; provided, that no Bank shall be entitled to compensation under this Article III for any increased costs or reductions incurred or suffered with respect to any date unless such Bank shall have notified the Company not more than 90 days after the later of (a) such date and (b) the date on which such Bank shall have become aware of such costs or reductions.

 

3.09 Substitution of Banks. Upon the receipt by the Company from any Bank (an “Affected Bank”) of a claim for compensation under Section 3.03 or if the Company is required to pay any amount to any Affected Bank or the Agent for the account of an Affected Bank pursuant to Section 3.01(b) or 3.01(c) and such Affected Bank has not changed the jurisdiction of its Lending Office so as to eliminate such additional payment by the Company within 30 days after a request by the Company to effect such change, the Company may: (i) request the Affected Bank to use its best efforts to obtain a replacement bank or financial institution satisfactory to the Company (which shall, in any event, be an Eligible Assignee) to acquire and assume all or a ratable part of all of such Affected Bank’s Loans and Commitment (a “Replacement Bank”); (ii) request one or more of the other Banks to acquire and assume all or part of such Affected Bank’s Loans and Commitment; or (iii) designate a Replacement Bank. Any such designation of a Replacement Bank under clause (i) or (iii) or of an existing Bank under clause (ii) shall be subject to the prior written consent of the Agent (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed), and shall be effected in accordance with all requirements for an assignment set forth in Section 10.07. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company agrees to pay to each Affected Bank any amounts arising under Section 3.04 by virtue of such Affected Bank’s replacement on a date other than the last day of an Interest Period, with respect to any Offshore Rate Loans then outstanding.

 

3.10 Survival. The agreements and obligations of the Company in this Article III shall survive the payment of all other Obligations.

 

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ARTICLE IV

 

CONDITIONS PRECEDENT

 

4.01 Conditions of Initial Loans. The obligation of each Bank to make its initial Loan hereunder is subject to the condition that the Agent shall have received on or before the Closing Date all of the following, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agent and each Bank, and in sufficient copies for each Bank:

 

(a) Credit Agreement and Notes. This Agreement and the Notes, if any, executed by each party thereto;

 

(b) Resolutions; Incumbency.

 

(i) Copies of the resolutions of the board of directors of the Company authorizing the transactions contemplated hereby, certified as of the Closing Date by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company; and

 

(ii) A certificate of the Secretary or Assistant Secretary of the Company certifying the names and true signatures of the officers of the Company authorized to execute and deliver this Agreement, and all other Loan Documents to be delivered by it hereunder;

 

(c) Organization Documents; Good Standing. Each of the following documents:

 

(i) the articles of incorporation and the bylaws of the Company as in effect on the Closing Date, certified by the Secretary or Assistant Secretary of the Company as of the Closing Date; and

 

(ii) a status certificate for the Company from the Secretary of State of Oregon and certificates of foreign qualification and good standing of the Company in California, Alabama, Texas and Colorado, in each case, as of a recent date, together with a bring-down certificate by facsimile, dated on or about the Closing Date;

 

(d) Legal Opinions. Opinions of Dean Freed, Vice President and General Counsel of the Company and of Latham & Watkins LLP, each in form and substance satisfactory to the Agent and its legal counsel and addressed to the Agent and the Banks;

 

(e) Payment of Fees. Evidence of payment by the Company of all accrued and unpaid fees, costs and expenses to the extent then due and payable on the Closing Date, together with Attorney Costs of Bank of America to the extent invoiced prior to or on the Closing Date; including any such costs, fees and expenses arising under or referenced in Sections 2.09 and 10.04;

 

(f) Certificate. A certificate signed by a Responsible Officer, dated as of the Closing Date, stating that:

 

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(i) the representations and warranties contained in Article V are true and correct on and as of such date, as though made on and as of such date; and

 

(ii) there has occurred since December 31, 2002, no event or circumstance that has resulted or is reasonably expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;

 

(g) Evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Agent that all amounts owing under the Credit Agreement dated as of January 10, 2001, among the Company, the lenders party thereto and Bank of America, as administrative agent, have been paid in full and all commitments to lend thereunder terminated; and

 

(h) Other Documents. Such other approvals, opinions, documents or materials as the Agent or any Bank may reasonably request.

 

4.02 Conditions to All Borrowings. The obligation of each Bank to make any Loan to be made by it (including its initial Loan) or to continue or convert any Loan under Section 2.04 is subject to the satisfaction of the following conditions precedent on the relevant Borrowing Date or Conversion/Continuation Date:

 

(a) Notice of Borrowing or Conversion/Continuation. The Agent shall have received (with, in the case of any Loan on the Closing Date, a copy for each Bank) a Notice of Borrowing or a Notice of Conversion/Continuation, as applicable;

 

(b) Continuation of Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties in Article V shall be true and correct in all material respects on and as of such Borrowing Date or Conversion/Continuation Date with the same effect as if made on and as of such Borrowing Date or Conversion/Continuation Date (except to the extent such representations and warranties expressly refer to an earlier date, in which case they shall be true and correct in all material respects as of such earlier date); provided that, if a representation and warranty is generally qualified as to materiality, with respect to such representation and warranty the applicable materiality qualifier set forth above shall be disregarded for purposes of this condition; and

 

(c) No Existing Default. No Default or Event of Default shall exist or shall result from such Borrowing or continuation or conversion.

 

Each Notice of Borrowing and Notice of Conversion/Continuation submitted by the Company hereunder shall constitute a representation and warranty by the Company hereunder, as of the date of each such notice and as of each Borrowing Date or Conversion/Continuation Date, as applicable, that the conditions in this Section 4.02 are satisfied.

 

4.03 Additional Condition Precedent of Initial Loans. Without limiting the operation of the preceding Sections 4.01 and 4.02, the obligation of each Bank to make its initial Loan hereunder is subject to the additional condition precedent that the Agent shall have received prior to the initial Borrowing Date a completed certificate of a Responsible Officer of the Company which complies with the requirements of the second proviso of Section 6.02(c).

 

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ARTICLE V

 

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

 

The Company represents and warrants to the Agent and each Bank that:

 

5.01 Corporate Existence and Power. The Company and each of its Material Subsidiaries:

 

(a) is an entity duly organized, validly existing and, if applicable in such jurisdiction, in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or other establishment;

 

(b) has (i) the power and authority and (ii) all governmental licenses, authorizations, consents and approvals, in each case, to own its assets, carry on its business and to execute, deliver, and perform its obligations under the Loan Documents to which it is a party;

 

(c) is duly qualified as a foreign corporation or other entity and is licensed 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 or license; and

 

(d) is in compliance with all Requirements of Law;

 

except, in each case referred to in clause (b)(ii), clause (c) or clause (d), to the extent that the failure to do so is not reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

5.02 Corporate Authorization; No Contravention. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and each other Loan Document to which the Company is party, have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action, and do not and will not:

 

(a) contravene the terms of any of the Company’s Organization Documents;

 

(b) conflict with or result in any breach or contravention of, or the creation of any Lien under, any document evidencing any Contractual Obligation to which the Company is a party or any order, injunction, writ or decree of any Governmental Authority to which the Company or its property is subject; or

 

(c) violate any Requirement of Law;

 

except, in each case referred to in the foregoing clauses (b) and (c), where the conflict, breach, contravention, creation or violation is not reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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

 

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5.04 Binding Effect. This Agreement and each other Loan Document to which the Company is a party constitute the legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their respective terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally or by equitable principles relating to enforceability.

 

5.05 Litigation. Except as specifically disclosed in Schedule 5.05, there are no actions, suits, proceedings, claims or disputes pending, or to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened or contemplated, at law, in equity, in arbitration or before any Governmental Authority, against the Company, or its Subsidiaries or any of their respective properties which:

 

(a) purport to affect or pertain to this Agreement or any other Loan Document, or any of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby; or

 

(b) is reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

No injunction, writ, temporary restraining order or any order of any nature has been issued by any court or other Governmental Authority purporting to enjoin or restrain the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, or directing that the transactions provided for herein or therein not be consummated as herein or therein provided.

 

5.06 No Default. No Default or Event of Default exists or would result from the incurring of any Obligations by the Company. As of the Closing Date, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in default under or with respect to any Contractual Obligation in any respect which, individually or together with all such defaults, is reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, or that would, if such default had occurred after the Closing Date, create an Event of Default under Section 8.01(e).

 

5.07 ERISA Compliance. Except as specifically disclosed in Schedule 5.07:

 

(a) Each Plan is in compliance in all respects with the applicable provisions of ERISA, the Code and other applicable federal or state law, except to the extent that the failure to comply is not reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Each Plan which is intended to qualify under Section 401(a) of the Code has received or has applied for when due and not been denied a favorable determination letter from the IRS and to the best knowledge of the Company, nothing has occurred which would cause the loss of such qualification. The Company and each ERISA Affiliate has made or duly provided for all required contributions to any Plan subject to Section 412 of the Code, and no application for a funding waiver or an extension of any amortization period pursuant to Section 412 of the Code has been made with respect to any Plan.

 

(b) There are no pending or, to the best knowledge of Company, threatened claims, actions or lawsuits, or action by any Governmental Authority, with respect to any Plan which has resulted or is reasonably expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. There has been no prohibited transaction or violation of the fiduciary responsibility rules with respect to any Plan which has resulted or is reasonably expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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(c) (i) No ERISA Event has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur; (ii) no Pension Plan has any Unfunded Pension Liability; (iii) neither the Company nor any ERISA Affiliate has incurred, or reasonably expects to incur, any liability under Title IV of ERISA with respect to any Pension Plan (other than premiums due and not delinquent under Section 4007 of ERISA); (iv) neither the Company nor any ERISA Affiliate has incurred, or reasonably expects to incur, any liability (and no event has occurred which, with the giving of notice under Section 4219 of ERISA, would result in such liability) under Section 4201 or 4243 of ERISA with respect to a Multiemployer Plan; and (v) neither the Company nor any ERISA Affiliate has engaged in a transaction that could be subject to Section 4069 or 4212(c) of ERISA.

 

5.08 Use of Proceeds; Margin Regulations. The proceeds of the Loans are to be used solely for the purposes set forth in and permitted by Section 6.12 and Section 7.07. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is generally engaged in the business of purchasing or selling Margin Stock or extending credit for the purpose of purchasing or carrying Margin Stock. To the extent that the Company uses Loan proceeds to acquire shares of its own stock which is Margin Stock, the Company will cause such acquired shares to be immediately retired.

 

5.09 Title to Properties. The Company and each Subsidiary have good record and marketable title in fee simple to, or valid leasehold interests in, all real property necessary or used in the ordinary conduct of their respective businesses, except for such defects in title as is not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. As of the Closing Date, the real and personal property of the Company and its Material Subsidiaries is subject to no Liens, other than Permitted Liens.

 

5.10 Taxes. The Company and its Subsidiaries have filed all Federal and other material tax returns and reports required to be filed, and have paid all Federal and other material taxes, assessments, fees and other governmental charges levied or imposed upon them or their properties, income or assets otherwise due and payable, except those which are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which adequate reserves have been provided in accordance with GAAP. To the best knowledge of the Company, there is no proposed tax assessment against the Company or any Subsidiary that would, if made, have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

5.11 Financial Condition.

 

(a) The unaudited consolidated balance sheets of the Company and its Subsidiaries as of March 31, 2003, and the related consolidated statements of operations and cash flows for the calendar quarter ended on that date:

 

(i) were prepared in accordance with GAAP consistently applied throughout the period covered thereby, except for the absence of footnotes and as otherwise expressly noted therein and subject to ordinary, good faith year end audit adjustments; and

 

(ii) fairly present the financial condition of the Company and its Subsidiaries as of the date thereof and results of operations for the period covered thereby.

 

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(b) The audited financial statements of the Company at December 31, 2002, reflect or disclose all material Indebtedness and other liabilities of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of the date thereof, including liabilities for taxes, material commitments and Contingent Obligations.

 

(c) Since December 31, 2002, there has been no Material Adverse Effect.

 

5.12 Environmental Matters. The Company conducts in the ordinary course of business a review of the effect of existing Environmental Laws and existing Environmental Claims on its business, operations and properties, and as a result thereof the Company has reasonably concluded that, except as specifically disclosed in Schedule 5.12, such Environmental Laws and Environmental Claims are not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

5.13 Regulated Entities. None of the Company, any Person controlling the Company, or any Subsidiary, is an “Investment Company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940. The Company is not subject to regulation under the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, the Federal Power Act, the Interstate Commerce Act, any state public utilities code, or any other Federal or state statute or regulation limiting its ability to incur Indebtedness.

 

5.14 No Burdensome Restrictions. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is a party to or bound by any Contractual Obligation, or subject to any restriction in any Organization Document, or any Requirement of Law, which is reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

5.15 Copyrights, Patents, Trademarks and Licenses, Etc. Except as disclosed on Schedule 5.15, the Company or its Subsidiaries own or are licensed or otherwise have the right to use all of the patents, trademarks, service marks, trade names, copyrights, contractual franchises, authorizations and other rights that are reasonably necessary for the operation of their respective businesses, without conflict with the rights of any other Person. To the best knowledge of the Company, no slogan or other advertising device, product, process, method, substance, part or other material now employed, or now contemplated to be employed, by the Company or any Subsidiary infringes upon any rights held by any other Person. Except as specifically disclosed in Schedule 5.05, no claim or litigation regarding any of the foregoing is pending or threatened, and no patent, invention, device, application, principle or any statute, law, rule, regulation, standard or code is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, proposed, which, in either case, is reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

5.16 Subsidiaries. As of the Closing Date, the Company has no Subsidiaries other than those specifically disclosed in part (a) of Schedule 5.16 and has no material equity investments in any other corporation or entity other than those specifically disclosed in part (b) of Schedule 5.16.

 

5.17 Insurance. Except as specifically disclosed in Schedule 5.17, the properties of the Company and its Subsidiaries are insured with financially sound and reputable insurance companies not Affiliates of the Company, in such amounts, with such deductibles and covering

 

36


such risks as are customarily carried by companies engaged in similar businesses and owning similar properties in localities where the Company or such Subsidiary operates.

 

5.18 Swap Obligations. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has incurred any outstanding obligations under any Swap Contracts, other than Permitted Swap Obligations. The Company has undertaken its own independent assessment of its consolidated assets, liabilities and commitments and has considered appropriate means of mitigating and managing risks associated with such matters and has not relied on any swap counterparty or any Affiliate of any swap counterparty in determining whether to enter into any Swap Contract.

 

5.19 Full Disclosure. None of the representations or warranties made by the Company or any Subsidiary in the Loan Documents as of the date such representations and warranties are made or deemed made, and none of the statements contained in any exhibit, report, statement or certificate furnished by or on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary in connection with the Loan Documents (including the offering and disclosure materials delivered by or on behalf of the Company to the Banks prior to the Closing Date), contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omits any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements made therein, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading as of the time when made or delivered.

 

5.20 Tax Shelter Regulations. The Company does not intend to treat the Loans and related transactions as being a “reportable transaction” (within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.6011-4). In the event the Company determines to take any action inconsistent with such intention, it will promptly notify the Agent thereof. If the Company so notifies the Agent, the Company acknowledges that one or more of the Banks may treat its Loans as part of a transaction that is subject to Treasury Regulation Section ###-###-####-1, and such Bank or Banks, as applicable, will maintain the lists and other records required by such Treasury Regulation.

 

ARTICLE VI

 

AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS

 

So long as any Bank shall have any Commitment hereunder, or any Loan or other Obligation shall remain unpaid or unsatisfied, unless the Majority Banks waive compliance in writing:

 

6.01 Financial Statements. The Company shall deliver to the Agent and each Bank, in form and detail reasonably satisfactory to the Agent and the Majority Banks:

 

(a) as soon as available, but not later than 100 days after the end of each calendar year, a copy of the audited consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its Subsidiaries as of the end of such year and the related audited consolidated statements of operations and cash flows for such year, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the previous calendar year, and accompanied by the opinion of a nationally-recognized independent public accounting firm (“Independent Auditor”) which report shall state that such consolidated financial statements present fairly the financial position of the Company

 

37


and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis for the periods indicated in conformity with GAAP consistently applied. Such opinion shall not be qualified or limited because of a restricted or limited examination by the Independent Auditor of any material portion of the Company’s or any Material Subsidiary’s records; and

 

(b) as soon as available, but not later than 50 days after the end of each of the first three calendar quarters of each calendar year, a copy of the unaudited consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its Subsidiaries as of the end of such quarter and the related unaudited consolidated statements of operations and cash flows for the period commencing on the first day and ending on the last day of such quarter, certified by a Responsible Officer as fairly presenting, in accordance with GAAP (subject to the absence of footnotes and ordinary, good faith year-end audit adjustments), the financial position and the results of operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis;

 

provided, that if the Company has one or more designated Unrestricted Subsidiaries during any period in respect of which the Company is required to deliver financial statements pursuant to Section 6.01(a) or (b), the Company shall concurrently deliver to the Agent and each Bank corresponding unaudited consolidating financial statements of each such Unrestricted Subsidiary as of the end of and for such period.

 

6.02 Certificates; Other Information. The Company shall furnish to the Agent and each Bank:

 

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

 

(b) promptly, but in no event later than 10 days of filing the same, copies of all financial statements and reports that the Company sends to its shareholders, and copies of all financial statements and regular, periodical or special reports (including Forms 10K, 10Q and 8K) that the Company or any Subsidiary may make to, or file with, the SEC;

 

(c) promptly upon request of the Agent, a certificate of a Responsible Officer of the Company certifying (i) the aggregate dollar amount of Returned Accounts for the Company and its Subsidiaries for the most recently-ended calendar month, measured on a consolidated basis, (ii) the aggregate dollar amount of all Short Term Trade Accounts Receivable of the Company and its Subsidiaries, measured on a consolidated basis, as of the last day of such calendar month, (iii) the aggregate dollar amount of Short Term Trade Accounts Receivable of the Company and its Subsidiaries that are more than 90 days past due, measured on a consolidated basis, as of the last day of such calendar month, (iv) the aggregate dollar amount of Short Term Trade Accounts Receivable of the Company and its Subsidiaries that are more than 90 days past due expressed as a percentage of the aggregate dollar amount of all Short Term Trade Accounts Receivable of the Company and its Subsidiaries, in each case, measured on a consolidated basis, as of the last day of such calendar month, and (v) with respect to each amount of Short Term Trade Accounts Receivable reported under the preceding clauses (ii) and (iii), the amount of reserves associated with such Short Term Trade Accounts Receivable as reported in the financial statements most recently delivered by the Company under Section 6.01; provided, however, that unless and until a Borrowing has occurred hereunder, the Company shall be under

 

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no obligation to deliver the monthly certificates required under this Section 6.02(c); provided further, however, that, upon request of the Agent, it shall be an additional condition precedent to the initial Borrowing hereunder that the Company deliver to the Agent a certificate of a Responsible Officer certifying retroactively the information required under the preceding clauses (i) through (v) for each calendar month ended from the Closing Date through the initial Borrowing Date;

 

(d) promptly after the Company has notified the Agent of any intention by the Company to treat the Loans and related transactions as being a “reportable transaction” (within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.6011-4), a duly completed copy of IRS Form 8886 or any successor form; and

 

(e) promptly, such additional information regarding the business, financial or corporate affairs of the Company or any Subsidiary as the Agent, at the request of any Bank, may from time to time reasonably request.

 

Reports required to be delivered pursuant to Sections 6.01(a) or (b) or 6.02(b) shall be deemed to have been delivered on the date on which the Company posts such reports on the Company’s website on the Internet at the website address listed on Schedule 10.02 or when such report is posted on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website at www.sec.gov.; provided that (x) the Company shall deliver paper copies of such reports to the Agent or any Bank who requests the Company to deliver such paper copies until written request to cease delivering paper copies is given by the Agent or such Bank, (y) the Company shall notify by facsimile or by electronic mail the Agent and each Bank of the posting of any such reports, and (z) in every instance the Company shall provide paper copies of the Compliance Certificates required by Section 6.02(a) to the Agent and each of the Banks. Except for such Compliance Certificates, the Agent shall have no obligation to request the delivery or to maintain copies of the reports referred to above, and in any event shall have no responsibility to monitor compliance by the Company with any such request for delivery, and each Bank shall be solely responsible for requesting delivery to it or maintaining its copies of such reports.

 

6.03 Notices. The Company shall promptly notify the Agent and each Bank:

 

(a) of the occurrence of any Default or Event of Default;

 

(b) as soon as a Responsible Officer becomes aware thereof, of any matter that is reasonably expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, including (i) breach or non-performance of, or any default under, a Contractual Obligation of the Company or any Subsidiary; (ii) any dispute, litigation, investigation, proceeding or suspension between the Company or any Subsidiary and any Governmental Authority; or (iii) the commencement of, or any material development in, any litigation or proceeding affecting the Company or any Material Subsidiary; including pursuant to any applicable Environmental Laws;

 

(c) promptly, but in no event more than 10 days after such event, of the occurrence of any of the following events affecting the Company or any ERISA Affiliate, and deliver to the Agent and each Bank a copy of any notice with respect to such event that is filed

 

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with a Governmental Authority and any notice delivered by a Governmental Authority to the Company or any ERISA Affiliate with respect to such event:

 

(i) an ERISA Event;

 

(ii) a material increase in the Unfunded Pension Liability of any Pension Plan;

 

(iii) the adoption of, or the commencement of contributions to, any Plan subject to Section 412 of the Code by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate; or

 

(iv) the adoption of any amendment to a Plan subject to Section 412 of the Code, if such amendment results in a material increase in contributions or Unfunded Pension Liability; and

 

(d) upon the request from time to time (but not more frequently than once each calendar quarter unless a Default or an Event of Default exists) of the Agent, the Swap Termination Values, together with a description of the method by which such values were determined, relating to any then-outstanding Swap Contracts to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is party.

 

Each notice under this Section shall be accompanied by a written statement by a Responsible Officer setting forth details of the occurrence referred to therein, and stating what action the Company or any affected Subsidiary proposes to take with respect thereto and at what time. Each notice under Section 6.03(a) shall describe with particularity any and all clauses or provisions of this Agreement or other Loan Document that have been breached or violated, but the reasonable failure to identify all such clauses or provisions shall not, of itself, constitute a failure to comply with Section 6.03(a).

 

6.04 Preservation of Corporate Existence, Etc. The Company shall, and shall cause each Material Subsidiary to:

 

(a) except as otherwise permitted by this Agreement, preserve and maintain in full force and effect its corporate existence and good standing under the laws of its state or jurisdiction of incorporation;

 

(b) preserve and maintain in full force and effect all governmental rights, privileges, qualifications, permits, licenses and franchises necessary or desirable in the normal conduct of its business except (i) in connection with transactions permitted by Section 7.03 and sales of assets permitted by Section 7.02 or (ii) where such failure to preserve or maintain is not reasonably expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;

 

(c) use reasonable efforts, in the ordinary course of business, to preserve its business organization and goodwill; and

 

(d) preserve or renew all of its registered patents, trademarks, trade names and service marks, the non-preservation of which is reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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6.05 Maintenance of Property. The Company shall, and shall cause each Subsidiary to, maintain and preserve all of its material property which is used or useful in its business in good working order and condition, ordinary wear and tear excepted, except as permitted by Section 7.02. The Company and each Subsidiary shall use the standard of care typical in the industry in the operation and maintenance of its facilities.

 

6.06 Insurance. The Company shall maintain, and shall cause each Material Subsidiary to maintain, with financially sound and reputable independent insurers, insurance with respect to its properties and business against loss or damage of the kinds customarily insured against by Persons engaged in the same or similar business, of such types and in such amounts as are customarily carried under similar circumstances by such other Persons.

 

6.07 Payment of Obligations. The Company shall, and shall cause each Material Subsidiary to, pay and discharge as the same shall become due and payable, all their respective obligations and liabilities, including:

 

(a) unless the same are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and adequate reserves in accordance with GAAP are being maintained by the Company or such Subsidiary, all tax liabilities, assessments and governmental charges or levies upon it or its properties or assets;

 

(b) unless the same are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and adequate reserves in accordance with GAAP are being maintained by the Company or such Subsidiary, all lawful claims which, if unpaid, would by law become a Lien upon its property not otherwise permitted hereunder;

 

(c) all Indebtedness where failure to pay or discharge such Indebtedness is reasonably expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; and

 

(d) all Subordinated Indebtedness in an aggregate principal amount (including undrawn committed or available amounts and including amounts owing to all creditors under any combined or syndicated credit arrangement), whether individually or collectively, of more than $10,000,000 when due (whether by scheduled maturity, required prepayment, acceleration, demand, or otherwise).

 

6.08 Compliance with Laws. The Company shall comply, and shall cause each Material Subsidiary to comply, in all material respects with all Requirements of Law of any Governmental Authority having jurisdiction over it or its business (including the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act), except such as may be contested in good faith or as to which a bona fide dispute may exist.

 

6.09 Compliance with ERISA. The Company shall, and shall cause each of its ERISA Affiliates to: (a) maintain each Plan in compliance in all material respects with the applicable provisions of ERISA, the Code and other federal or state law; (b) cause each Plan which is qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code to maintain such qualification; and (c) make all required contributions to any Plan subject to Section 412 of the Code, except in each case to the extent that any failure to maintain such compliance or qualification or to make such contributions is not reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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6.10 Inspection of Property and Books and Records. The Company shall maintain and shall cause each Material Subsidiary to maintain adequate books of record and account, in which full, true and correct entries in conformity with GAAP consistently applied shall be made of all financial transactions and matters involving the assets and business of the Company or such Material Subsidiary. The Company shall permit, and shall cause each Material Subsidiary to permit, representatives and independent contractors of the Agent or any Bank to visit and inspect any of their respective properties, to examine their respective corporate, financial and operating records, and make copies thereof or abstracts therefrom, and to discuss their respective affairs, finances and accounts with their respective directors, officers, and independent public accountants at such reasonable times during normal business hours and as often as may be reasonably necessary upon reasonable advance notice to the Company and, in the case of any discussion with independent public accountants of the Company or any Material Subsidiary, upon providing the Company’s representatives with a reasonable opportunity to participate in and/or be present at any such discussion; provided, however, when an Event of Default exists the Agent or any Bank may do any of the foregoing at the expense of the Company and at any time during normal business hours without advance notice (except that the Company’s representatives shall be given a reasonable opportunity to participate in and/or be present at any discussions with independent public accountants of the Company or any Material Subsidiary).

 

6.11 Environmental Laws. The Company shall, and shall cause each Subsidiary to, conduct its operations and keep and maintain its property in compliance, in all material respects, with all Environmental Laws.

 

6.12 Use of Proceeds. The Company shall use the proceeds of the Loans for working capital, acquisitions, share repurchases and other general corporate purposes not in contravention of any Requirement of Law or of any Loan Document.

 

ARTICLE VII

 

NEGATIVE COVENANTS

 

So long as any Bank shall have any Commitment hereunder, or any Loan or other Obligation shall remain unpaid or unsatisfied, unless the Majority Banks waive compliance in writing:

 

7.01 Limitation on Liens. The Company shall not, and shall not suffer or permit any Material Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, make, create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Lien upon or with respect to any part of its property, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, other than the following (“Permitted Liens”):

 

(a) any Lien existing on property of the Company or any Subsidiary on the Closing Date and set forth in Schedule 7.01;

 

(b) any Lien created under any Loan Document;

 

(c) Liens for taxes, fees, levies, imposts, assessments or other governmental charges which are not delinquent or remain payable without penalty, or to the extent that non-

 

42


payment thereof is permitted by Section 6.07, provided that no notice of lien has been filed or recorded under the Code;

 

(d) carriers’, warehousemen’s, mechanics’, landlords’, materialmen’s, repairmen’s or other similar Liens arising in the ordinary course of business which are not delinquent or remain payable without penalty or which are being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings, which proceedings have the effect of preventing the forfeiture or sale of the property subject thereto;

 

(e) Liens (other than any Lien imposed by ERISA) consisting of pledges or deposits required in the ordinary course of business in connection with workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance and other social security legislation;

 

(f) Liens on the property of the Company or any Subsidiary securing (i) the non-delinquent performance of bids, trade contracts (other than for borrowed money), leases, statutory obligations, (ii) contingent obligations on surety and appeal bonds, and (iii) other non-delinquent obligations of a like nature; in each case, incurred in the ordinary course of business, provided all such Liens in the aggregate would not (even if enforced) cause a Material Adverse Effect;

 

(g) Liens consisting of judgment or judicial attachment liens, provided that the enforcement of such Liens is effectively stayed and all such liens in the aggregate at any time outstanding for the Company and its Subsidiaries do not exceed $20,000,000;

 

(h) easements, rights-of-way, zoning or use 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 businesses of the Company and its Subsidiaries;

 

(i) Liens on assets acquired by the Company or any Subsidiary or on any assets of Persons which become Subsidiaries, in each case, which assets or Persons are acquired after the date of this Agreement, provided, however, that such Liens existed at the time such assets were acquired by the Company or any Subsidiary or such Persons became Subsidiaries and were not created in anticipation thereof;

 

(j) purchase money security interests on any property acquired, constructed or held by the Company or its Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business, securing Indebtedness incurred or assumed for the purpose of financing all or any part of the cost of acquiring such property; provided that (i) any such Lien attaches to such property concurrently with or within 30 days after the acquisition or construction thereof, (ii) such Lien attaches solely to the property so acquired or constructed in such transaction, (iii) the principal amount of the debt secured thereby does not exceed 100% of the cost of such property, and (iv) the principal amount of the Indebtedness secured by any and all such purchase money security interests shall not at any time exceed $10,000,000;

 

(k) Liens securing obligations in respect of capital leases on assets subject to such leases, provided that such capital leases are otherwise permitted under Section 7.09;

 

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(l) Liens arising solely by virtue of any statutory or common law provision relating to banker’s liens, rights of set-off or similar rights and remedies as to deposit accounts or other funds maintained with a creditor depository institution; provided that (i) such deposit account is not a dedicated cash collateral account and is not subject to restrictions against access by the Company in excess of those set forth by regulations promulgated by the FRB, and (ii) such deposit account is not intended by the Company or any Subsidiary to provide collateral to the depository institution;

 

(m) Liens consisting of pledges of cash collateral or government securities to secure on a mark-to-market basis Permitted Swap Obligations only, provided that (i) the counterparty to any Swap Contract relating to any such Permitted Swap Obligation is under a similar requirement to deliver similar collateral from time to time to the Company or the Subsidiary party thereto on a mark-to-market basis; and (ii) the aggregate value of such collateral so pledged by the Company and its Subsidiaries together in favor of any counterparty does not at any time exceed $10,000,000.

 

(n) Liens securing Refinancing Indebtedness permitted under Section 7.05(f), provided that such Lien does not apply to any other property or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary other than the proceeds of the property or assets subject to the respective original Lien;

 

(o) Liens pursuant to Permitted Receivables Purchase Facilities permitted hereunder;

 

(p) other non-consensual Liens arising in the ordinary course of business the existence or enforcement of which would not result in a Material Adverse Effect;

 

(q) other Liens securing Indebtedness and obligations in an aggregate principal amount at any time outstanding not exceeding $5,000,000, provided that any such Lien shall not encumber cash (other than to the extent such cash constitutes proceeds of the property subject to any such Lien), inventory or accounts receivable; and

 

(r) a Lien on all or any part of the Wilsonville Facility securing Indebtedness of the Company and/or the Special Purpose Subsidiary in an aggregate principal amount not exceeding $50,000,000 at any time.

 

7.02 Disposition of Assets. The Company shall not, and shall not suffer or permit any Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, sell, assign, lease, convey, transfer or otherwise dispose of (whether in one or a series of transactions) any property (including accounts and notes receivable, with or without recourse) or enter into any agreement to do any of the foregoing, except:

 

(a) dispositions of (i) inventory, or (ii) used, worn-out or surplus equipment or other operating assets, in each case in the ordinary course of business;

 

(b) the sale of equipment to the extent that such equipment is exchanged for credit against the purchase price of similar replacement equipment, or the proceeds of such sale are reasonably promptly applied to the purchase price of such replacement equipment;

 

44


(c) dispositions of inventory or equipment by the Company or any Subsidiary to the Company or any Subsidiary pursuant to reasonable business requirements;

 

(d) dispositions of Permitted Receivables pursuant to Permitted Receivables Purchase Facilities; provided that (i) for those Permitted Receivables having a final maturity date which is less than 12 months after the date such obligations arise, the value of such accounts receivable so sold by the Company and its Subsidiaries shall not exceed $50,000,000 at any time outstanding, and (ii) the value of all Permitted Receivables (whether or not having a final maturity date which is less than 12 months after the date such obligations arise) so sold by the Company and its Subsidiaries shall not exceed $100,000,000 at any time outstanding; and provided, further, however, that no dispositions of any Permitted Receivables shall be permitted at any time that any of the following circumstances exist: (A) Returned Accounts for the Company and its Subsidiaries for any calendar month shall have exceeded $10,000,000 in the aggregate, measured on a consolidated basis, (B) Short Term Trade Accounts Receivable (after deducting the amount of reserves associated with such Short Term Trade Accounts Receivable as reported in the financial statements most recently delivered by the Company under Section 6.01) of the Company and its Subsidiaries that are more than 90 days past due shall be greater than 10% of all Short Term Trade Accounts Receivable (after deducting the amount of reserves associated with such Short Term Trade Accounts Receivable as reported in the financial statements most recently delivered by the Company under Section 6.01) of the Company and its Subsidiaries, in each case, measured on a consolidated basis, (C) the TNW Buffer measured as of the last day of any calendar quarter (as adjusted to exclude the effect of any Acquisitions by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries consummated during such calendar quarter) shall be less than 50% of the TNW Buffer measured as of the last day of the calendar quarter immediately preceding such calendar quarter, (D) if after giving effect to such disposition, the Company would not be in pro forma compliance with the financial covenants set forth in Sections 7.14(a) through (d), measured as of the last day of the calendar quarter then most recently ended for which a Compliance Certificate has been delivered to the Agent and the Banks pursuant to Section 6.02(a), or (E) any Event of Default then exists or would result from such disposition;

 

(e) (i) subject to Section 7.06 (without regard to the exception in the first clause of the first sentence of Section 7.06), the sale or other transfer of all or any part of the Wilsonville Facility to the Special Purpose Subsidiary, or (ii) any other sale of all or any part of the Wilsonville Facility for fair market value (as determined in good faith at the time of such sale by the board of directors of the Company); provided in each case that no Default or Event of Default then exists or would result from such sale;

 

(f) the sale or lease of any property set forth on Schedule 7.02, in each case for fair market value (as determined in good faith at the time of such sale by the board of directors of the Company or the applicable Subsidiary, as the case may be); provided that no Default or Event of Default then exists or would result from such sale;

 

(g) dispositions not otherwise permitted hereunder which are made for fair market value; provided, that (i) at the time of any disposition, no Event of Default shall exist or shall result from such disposition, (ii) the aggregate net book value of all assets so sold by the Company and its Subsidiaries, together, shall not exceed in any calendar year $10,000,000, and

 

45


(iii) any such disposition made pursuant to this subsection (g) shall not be of accounts receivable of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries;

 

(h) dispositions to the extent permitted under Section 7.03;

 

(i) any Subsidiary may sell all or substantially all of its assets (upon voluntary liquidation or otherwise), to the Company or a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary; and

 

(j) sales by Mentor Graphics (Japan) Co. Ltd. of bills of exchange and promissory notes to third party financial institutions in Japan in the ordinary course of business and in transactions consistent with such Subsidiary’s past practice.

 

7.03 Consolidations and Mergers. The Company shall not, and shall not suffer or permit any Subsidiary to, merge or consolidate with or into any Person, except:

 

(a) any Subsidiary may merge with the Company (provided that the Company shall be the continuing or surviving corporation) or with any one or more Subsidiaries (provided that, if any transaction shall be between a Subsidiary and a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary, the continuing or surviving corporation shall be a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary);

 

(b) the Company or any Subsidiary may merge with any Person in an Acquisition so long as (i) either (A) the surviving entity is the Company or such Subsidiary; provided that in any such merger involving the Company, the Company shall be the surviving entity or (B) if the merger involves a Subsidiary being absorbed into the target Person, such target Person shall become a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of the Company upon the consummation of the Acquisition, (ii) such Acquisition is otherwise permitted under this Agreement and (iii) immediately before and after giving effect to such merger no Default or Event of Default shall exist; and

 

(c) any Subsidiary may merge with any Person pursuant to a disposition of such Subsidiary or the assets of such Subsidiary, in each case, permitted under Section 7.02.

 

7.04 Loans and Investments. The Company shall not purchase or acquire, or suffer or permit any Subsidiary to purchase or acquire, for cash or property, or make any commitment therefor for cash or property, any capital stock, equity interest, or any obligations or other securities of, or any interest in, any Person, or make or commit to make any Acquisitions, or make or commit to make any advance, loan, extension of credit or capital contribution to or any other investment in, any Person including any Affiliate of the Company (together, “Investments”), except for:

 

(a) Investments held by the Company or any Subsidiary in the form of Cash Equivalents or short term marketable securities or Permitted Investments;

 

(b) extensions of credit in the nature of accounts receivable or notes receivable arising from the sale or lease of goods or services in the ordinary course of business;

 

(c) Investments by the Company in any of its Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries or by any of its Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries in the Company or another of its Wholly-Owned

 

46


Subsidiaries; provided, however, that (i) Investments by the Company in the Special Purpose Subsidiary shall be limited to a contribution of all or any part of the Wilsonville Facility and other Investments incidental or necessary to the capitalization and operation of the Special Purpose Subsidiary, the Special Purpose Subsidiary’s ownership of all or any part of the Wilsonville Facility and its lease of all or any part of the Wilsonville Facility to the Company and (ii) Investments by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in any Unrestricted Subsidiary shall only be made if the Company reasonably believes that, calculated on a pro forma basis based on the most recent financial statements delivered by the Company pursuant to Section 6.01, such Investment would not have resulted in a breach of the requirements of Section 7.16 in relation to the most recently completed calendar quarter included in such financial statements;

 

(d) Investments incurred in order to consummate Acquisitions otherwise permitted hereunder, provided that (i) the Net Cash Consideration (if any) given for any such Acquisition, together with the Net Cash Consideration given for all prior Acquisitions consummated by the Company and its Subsidiaries after the Closing Date shall not exceed $50,000,000 in any calendar year (the “Cash Acquisition Basket”), provided that unused portions of the Cash Acquisition Basket in respect of any calendar year may be carried over to future years, but (A) in no case shall the aggregate amount of the Cash Acquisition Basket exceed $100,000,000 in any calendar year and (B) in no case shall the aggregate amount of all Net Cash Consideration given in respect of Acquisitions permitted under this Section 7.04(d) exceed $165,000,000 prior to the Revolving Termination Date; (ii) such Acquisitions are undertaken in accordance with all applicable Requirements of Law; and (iii) the prior, effective written consent or approval to such Acquisition of the board of directors or equivalent governing body of the acquiree is obtained, provided that notwithstanding this clause (iii), if all of the consideration given for any such Acquisition is common stock of the Company or any Subsidiary, then the prior, effective written consent or approval to such Acquisition of the board of directors or equivalent governing body of the acquiree shall not be required hereby;

 

(e) Investments incurred in order to consummate Acquisitions not otherwise permitted herein subject to the prior written consent of the Majority Banks;

 

(f) Investments constituting Permitted Swap Obligations or payments or advances under Swap Contracts relating to Permitted Swap Obligations;

 

(g) Investments permitted under Sections 7.10(b) and (c);

 

(h) loans made by the Company or any Subsidiary in the ordinary course of business to a person not an Affiliate of the Company in an aggregate principal amount not exceeding $15,000,000 at any time outstanding for all such loans;

 

(i) unsecured loans and advances made by the Company or any Subsidiary to employees in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice in principal amounts not exceeding $2,500,000 in the aggregate at any time outstanding and not more than $500,000 to any individual employee; provided, however, that solely with respect to any such loans and advances initially made or extended by a Person other than the Company or any Subsidiary or Unrestricted Subsidiary and included on the consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its Subsidiaries solely as a result of an Acquisition of such Person (or assets of such Person)

 

47


consummated after the Closing Date, the amount of such loans and advances shall be calculated for purposes of this Section 7.04(i) net of reserves accounted for on the consolidated financial statements of the Company and its Subsidiaries in respect of such loans and advances;

 

(j) other Investments not exceeding $30,000,000 in any calendar year as to all such Investments in the aggregate; provided that if all such Investments permitted by this subsection (j) exceed $15,000,000 in the aggregate in any calendar year, then the $50,000,000 limitation set forth in the preceding subsection (d) shall be reduced for such calendar year by the amount of such excess; and

 

(k) Investments of the Company or its Subsidiaries existing on the Closing Date and identified on Schedule 7.04.

 

7.05 Limitation on Indebtedness. The Company shall not, and shall not suffer or permit any Subsidiary to, create, incur, assume, suffer to exist, or otherwise become or remain directly or indirectly liable with respect to, any Indebtedness, except:

 

(a) Indebtedness incurred pursuant to this Agreement;

 

(b) Indebtedness consisting of Contingent Obligations permitted pursuant to Section 7.08;

 

(c) Indebtedness existing on the Closing Date and set forth in Schedule 7.05;

 

(d) Indebtedness secured by Liens permitted by Sections 7.01(i) and (j);

 

(e) Indebtedness in the form of leases permitted pursuant to Section 7.09;

 

(f) extensions, renewals or refinancings of Indebtedness permitted under Sections 7.05(a), (c), (d), (f) and (j), so long as (i) such Indebtedness (the “Refinancing Indebtedness”) is in an aggregate principal amount not greater than the aggregate principal amount of the Indebtedness being extended, renewed or refinanced plus the amount of any premiums required to be paid therefor and fees and expenses associated therewith, (ii) such Refinancing Indebtedness has a later or equal final maturity and a longer or equal weighted average life as the Indebtedness being extended, refinanced or renewed, (iii) the interest rate applicable to such Refinancing Indebtedness shall not exceed a market rate (as determined in good faith by the Company or the relevant Subsidiary, as the case may be) as of the time of such extension, renewal or refinancing, (iv) if the Indebtedness being extended, renewed or refinanced is subordinated to the Obligations, such Refinancing Indebtedness is subordinated to the Obligations to the same extent as the Indebtedness being extended, renewed or refinanced and (v) at the time of and after giving effect to such extension, renewal or refinancing, no Default or Event of Default shall exist;

 

(g) Indebtedness incurred by the Company or any Subsidiary pursuant to Permitted Receivables Purchase Facilities permitted hereunder;

 

(h) other unsecured Indebtedness in an aggregate principal amount outstanding not exceeding $20,000,000 at any time;

 

48


(i) Indebtedness of the Company to the Special Purpose Subsidiary or of the Special Purpose Subsidiary to the Company, to the extent such Indebtedness results from an Investment permitted under Section 7.04(c); and

 

(j) Subordinated Indebtedness of the Company to the extent subordinated in right of payment to the Obligations hereunder on terms reasonably consented to by the Majority Banks.

 

7.06 Transactions with Affiliates. Except as otherwise expressly permitted hereunder, the Company shall not, and shall not suffer or permit any Subsidiary to, enter into any transaction with any Affiliate of the Company, except upon fair and reasonable terms no less favorable to the Company or such Subsidiary than would obtain in a comparable arm’s-length transaction with a Person not an Affiliate of the Company or such Subsidiary; provided, that the loans permitted by Section 7.04(i) and the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s employee relocation program as in effect on the Closing Date, as such programs may be amended or otherwise modified after the Closing Date in the ordinary course of business, shall not be subject to the application of this Section 7.06.

 

7.07 Use of Proceeds.

 

(a) The Company shall not, and shall not suffer or permit any Subsidiary to, use any portion of the Loan proceeds, directly or indirectly, otherwise than in connection with the purchase of shares of its own stock for immediate retirement, (i) to purchase or carry Margin Stock, (ii) to repay or otherwise refinance indebtedness of the Company or others incurred to purchase or carry Margin Stock, (iii) to extend credit for the purpose of purchasing or carrying any Margin Stock, in the case of each of the preceding clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) in violation of Regulation T, U or X of the FRB, or (iv) to acquire any security in any transaction that is subject to Section 13(d) or 14(d) of the Exchange Act unless such transaction has been duly approved in advance by the board of directors of the issuer of such security.

 

(b) The Company shall not, directly or indirectly, use any portion of the Loan proceeds (i) knowingly to purchase Ineligible Securities from the Arranger during any period in which the Arranger makes a market in such Ineligible Securities, (ii) knowingly to purchase during the underwriting or placement period Ineligible Securities being underwritten or privately placed by the Arranger, or (iii) to make payments of principal or interest on Ineligible Securities underwritten or privately placed by the Arranger and issued by or for the benefit of the Company or any Affiliate of the Company. The Arranger is a registered broker-dealer and permitted to underwrite and deal in certain Ineligible Securities; and “Ineligible Securities” means securities which may not be underwritten or dealt in by member banks of the Federal Reserve System under Section 16 of the Banking Act of 1933 (12 U.S.C. § 24, Seventh), as amended.

 

(c) The Company shall not, and shall not suffer or permit any Subsidiary to, use any portion of the Loan proceeds in excess of $10,000,000, directly or indirectly, to satisfy, in whole or in part, any limited recourse obligations arising under any Permitted Receivables Purchase Facility.

 

49


7.08 Contingent Obligations. The Company shall not, and shall not suffer or permit any Subsidiary to, create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Contingent Obligations except:

 

(a) endorsements for collection or deposit in the ordinary course of business;

 

(b) Permitted Swap Obligations;

 

(c) Contingent Obligations of the Company and its Subsidiaries existing as of the Closing Date and set forth on Schedule 7.08 and any replacements thereof; provided that the amount of any such replacement Contingent Obligation shall in no case exceed the amount of the Contingent Obligation replaced thereby;

 

(d) Contingent Obligations with respect to Surety Instruments incurred in the ordinary course of business;

 

(e) Guaranty Obligations by the Company of Indebtedness and other obligations of a Subsidiary (other than the Special Purpose Subsidiary), or by any Subsidiary of the Indebtedness and other obligations of the Company or any other Subsidiary (other than the Special Purpose Subsidiary), provided that, in each case, such Indebtedness and other obligations are otherwise permitted hereunder;

 

(f) Contingent Obligations under the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s employee relocation plan as in effect on the Closing Date, as such plans may be amended or otherwise modified after the Closing Date in the ordinary course of business;

 

(g) Contingent Obligations in respect of any bond or credit enhancement posted or otherwise provided by or on behalf of the Company in connection with the appeal by the Company of any judgment, order, decree or arbitration award entered against the Company relating to the ongoing patent litigation between the Company and Cadence Design Systems, Inc., provided that the aggregate principal amount of such bond(s) or credit enhancement(s) shall not at any time exceed $20,000,000; and

 

(h) Contingent Obligations relating to sales of bills of exchange and promissory notes permitted under Section 7.02(j).

 

7.09 Lease Obligations. The Company shall not, and shall not suffer or permit any Subsidiary to, create or suffer to exist any obligations for the payment of rent for any property under lease or agreement to lease, except for:

 

(a) operating leases existing on or entered into by the Company or any Subsidiary after the Closing Date in the ordinary course of business and reported in the Company’s consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP, provided that the aggregate annual rental payments in respect of all such operating leases, together with all payments in respect of capital leases permitted under clause (c) of this Section, shall not exceed $60,000,000 in the aggregate in any calendar year;

 

50


(b) leases entered into by the Company or any Subsidiary after the Closing Date (i) pursuant to sale-leaseback transactions relating to assets the disposition of which is permitted under Section 7.02(g) or (ii) with respect to all or any part of the Wilsonville Facility;

 

(c) capital leases, other than those permitted under clause (b) of this Section, entered into by the Company or any Subsidiary after the Closing Date to finance the acquisition of equipment; provided that the aggregate annual rental payments in respect of all such capital leases, together with all payments in respect of operating leases permitted under clause (a) of this Section, shall not exceed $60,000,000 in the aggregate in any calendar year; and

 

(d) leases entered into by Persons which become Subsidiaries after the date of this Agreement, provided that such leases existed at the time the respective Persons became Subsidiaries and were not created in anticipation thereof.

 

7.10 Restricted Payments. The Company shall not declare or make any dividend payment or other distribution of assets, properties, cash, rights, obligations or securities on account of any shares of any class of its capital stock, or purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire for value any shares of its capital stock or any warrants, rights or options to acquire such shares, now or hereafter outstanding; or make any payment or prepayment of principal of, premium, if any, or interest on, or redeem, purchase, retire, defease (including in-substance or legal defeasance), or make any sinking fund or similar payment with respect to, Subordinated Indebtedness, except that:

 

(a) the Company may declare and make dividend payments or other distributions payable solely in its common stock;

 

(b) so long as no Default or Event of Default exists or would result therefrom, the Company may purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire shares of its common stock or warrants or options to acquire any such shares pursuant to any employee stock option or purchase plan; provided that all such purchases, redemptions or other acquisitions otherwise permitted under this clause (b) do not exceed $15,000,000 in the aggregate in any calendar year;

 

(c) so long as no Default or Event of Default exists or would result therefrom, the Company may purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire shares of its common stock or warrants or options to acquire any such shares (including pursuant to any employee stock option or purchase plan) or Subordinated Indebtedness of the Company convertible into shares of its common stock; provided that all such purchases, redemptions or other acquisitions otherwise permitted under this clause (c) do not exceed $15,000,000 in the aggregate;

 

(d) the Company may make regularly scheduled payments of interest and principal in respect of Subordinated Indebtedness in accordance with the terms of, and only to the extent required by, and subject to the subordination provisions contained in, any agreement or instrument governing such Subordinated Indebtedness;

 

(e) the Company may prepay, redeem, purchase or otherwise retire Subordinated Indebtedness with the proceeds of Refinancing Indebtedness permitted under Section 7.05(f); provided that such prepayment, redemption, purchase or other retirement is consummated within 60 days after the closing relating to such Refinancing Indebtedness; and

 

51


(f) the Company may, in connection with any issuance of Subordinated Indebtedness convertible into common stock of the Company permitted under Section 7.05(j), purchase common stock of the Company with up to 50% of the Net Issuance Proceeds for anti-dilution purposes and as part of the structure of the offering of such Subordinated Indebtedness; provided that any such purchases of common stock must occur within 60 days of such issuance.

 

7.11 ERISA. The Company shall not, and shall not suffer or permit any of its ERISA Affiliates to engage in a prohibited transaction or violation of the fiduciary responsibility rules with respect to any Plan or engage in a transaction that could be subject to Section 4069 or 4212(c) of ERISA which has resulted or is reasonably expected to result in liability of the Company in an aggregate amount in excess of $5,000,000.

 

7.12 Change in Business. The Company shall not, and shall not suffer or permit any Material Subsidiary to, engage in any material line of business substantially different from design automation and reasonably related lines of business.

 

7.13 Accounting Changes. The Company shall not make any significant change in accounting treatment or reporting practices, except as required by GAAP, or change the fiscal year of the Company.

 

7.14 Financial Covenants.

 

(a) Adjusted Quick Ratio. The Company shall not as of the end of any calendar quarter suffer or permit its ratio (determined in respect of the Company and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis) of (i) cash plus the value (valued in accordance with GAAP) of all Cash Equivalents plus net current accounts receivable (valued in accordance with GAAP), less Restricted Amounts, to (ii) Consolidated Current Liabilities (other than liabilities arising from or relating to Restricted Amounts), to be less than the correlative ratio indicated.

 

Period


   Ratio

calendar quarter ending June 30, 2003 through
calendar quarter ending September 30, 2003
   0.75:1.00
calendar quarter ending December 31, 2003
through calendar quarter ending September 30, 2004
   0.80:1.00
calendar quarter ending December 31, 2004
through calendar quarter ending September 30, 2005
   0.85:1.00
calendar quarter ending December 31, 2005 and
each calendar quarter ending thereafter
   0.90:1.00

 

(b) Minimum Tangible Net Worth. The Company shall not as of the end of any calendar quarter permit Consolidated Tangible Net Worth to be less than the sum of (i) $18,234,000, plus (ii) for each calendar quarter commencing with the calendar quarter ending June 30, 2003 (to the extent Consolidated Net Income for any such calendar quarter is positive)

 

52


(A) with respect to any calendar quarter for which the Company’s Consolidated Tangible Net Worth is less than $60,000,000, 75% of Consolidated Net Income for such calendar quarter, and (B) with respect to any calendar quarter for which the Company’s Consolidated Tangible Net Worth is equal to or greater than $60,000,000, 65% of Consolidated Net Income for such calendar quarter, plus (iii) 100% of the amortization of intangible assets for each calendar quarter commencing with the calendar quarter ending June 30, 2003, plus (iv) 100% of the Net Issuance Proceeds of any new equity issued by the Company after March 31, 2003 (excluding (A) equity issued under employee stock option or purchase plans and (B) equity issued to finance an Acquisition, provided that such amount is in fact applied to transaction costs relating to such Acquisition and such Acquisition is consummated no later than 120 days after the date of such issuance), minus (v) goodwill and other intangibles arising during such calendar quarter from Acquisitions permitted pursuant to Section 7.04, provided that (A) the aggregate amount of such goodwill and other intangibles excluded under this clause (v) in connection with any Acquisition shall be the product of (1) the Net Cash Consideration given in respect of such Acquisition divided by the total fair market value of all cash and non-cash consideration given in respect of such Acquisition multiplied by (2) the aggregate amount of all goodwill and other intangibles acquired in such Acquisition, and (B) the aggregate amount of all such goodwill and other intangibles excluded under this clause (v) in any calendar year shall in no case exceed the amount of Net Cash Consideration permitted to be given in respect of Acquisitions in such calendar year under Section 7.04(d)(i), minus (vi) without duplication, the lesser of (A) the actual goodwill and other intangibles recorded during the calendar quarter ended June 30, 2003 with respect to Acquisitions and (B) $12,000,000.

 

(c) Leverage Ratio. The Company shall not as of the end of any calendar quarter suffer or permit the Leverage Ratio to be greater than the correlative ratio indicated.

 

Period


   Ratio

calendar quarter ending June 30, 2003 through
calendar quarter ending September 30, 2003
   2.50:1.00
calendar quarter ending December 31, 2003
through calendar quarter ending September 30, 2004
   2.25:1.00
calendar quarter ending December 31, 2004 and
each calendar quarter ending thereafter
   2.00:1.00

 

(d) Senior Leverage Ratio. The Company shall not as of the end of any calendar quarter suffer or permit the Senior Leverage Ratio to be greater than the correlative ratio indicated.

 

Period


   Ratio

calendar quarter ending June 30, 2003 through
calendar quarter ending September 30, 2003
   0.75:1.00
calendar quarter ending December 31, 2003 and
each calendar quarter ending thereafter
   0.65:1.00

 

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(e) Minimum Cash and Accounts Receivable. The Company shall not as of the end of any calendar quarter suffer or permit its ratio (determined on a consolidated basis) of (i) cash plus the value (valued in accordance with GAAP) of all Cash Equivalents plus 47.5% of current accounts receivable (valued in accordance with GAAP), less Restricted Amounts, to (ii) the then outstanding principal amount of the Loans, to be less than the correlative ratio indicated.

 

Period


   Ratio

calendar quarter ending June 30, 2003 through
calendar quarter ending September 30, 2004
   1.50:1.00
calendar quarter ending December 31, 2004 and
each calendar quarter ending thereafter
   1.75:1.00

 

For the avoidance of doubt, (i) Unrestricted Subsidiaries shall not be included in the calculation of any of the financial measures set forth in the preceding clauses (a), (c), (d) or (e), (ii) Permitted Receivables sold pursuant to any Permitted Receivables Purchase Facility permitted hereunder shall not be included in the calculation of any of the financial measures set forth in the preceding clauses (a) through (e), and (iii) in the calculation of any of the financial measures set forth in the preceding clauses (a) and (e), the Company may in lieu of reporting actual Restricted Amounts substitute therefor a conservative good faith estimate of such Restricted Amounts.

 

7.15 Assets of Special Purpose Subsidiary. The Special Purpose Subsidiary shall not hold, and the Company shall not permit the Special Purpose Subsidiary to hold, as of the end of any calendar quarter, assets other than the Special Purpose Subsidiary’s interest in all or any part of the Wilsonville Facility and other assets incidental or necessary to the capitalization and operation of the Special Purpose Subsidiary, the Special Purpose Subsidiary’s ownership of all or any part of the Wilsonville Facility and its lease of all or any part of the Wilsonville Facility to the Company.

 

7.16 Unrestricted Subsidiaries. The Company shall not permit (a) the aggregate revenues for any calendar quarter of all Unrestricted Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, to exceed 15% of the aggregate revenues for such calendar quarter of the Company, its Subsidiaries and its Unrestricted Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (b) the aggregate assets of all Unrestricted Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, as of the end of any calendar quarter to exceed 15% of the aggregate assets of the Company, its Subsidiaries and its Unrestricted Subsidiaries, taken as a whole; provided, however, that if for or as of the end of any calendar quarter any requirement of the foregoing clauses (a) and (b) is not satisfied, the Company may comply with this Section 7.16 by redesignating one or more Unrestricted Subsidiaries as Subsidiaries in accordance with Section 1.04(c) within 50 days after the end of such calendar quarter, or within 100 days of the end of such calendar quarter if such date corresponds to the end of a calendar year, such that after giving effect to such redesignations the foregoing clauses (a) and (b) would have been so satisfied.

 

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ARTICLE VIII

 

EVENTS OF DEFAULT

 

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

 

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

 

(b) Representation or Warranty. Any representation or warranty by the Company or any Subsidiary made or deemed made herein, in any other Loan Document, or which is contained in any certificate, document or financial or other statement by the Company, any Subsidiary, or any Responsible Officer, furnished at any time under this Agreement, or in or under any other Loan Document, is incorrect in any material respect on or as of the date made or deemed made; or

 

(c) Specific Defaults. The Company fails to perform or observe any term, covenant or agreement contained in any of Section 6.01, 6.03(a), 6.07(d) or 6.12 or in Article VII; or

 

(d) Other Defaults. The Company fails to perform or observe any other term or covenant contained in this Agreement or any other Loan Document, and such default shall continue unremedied for a period of 30 days after the earlier of (i) the date upon which a Responsible Officer knew of such failure or (ii) the date upon which written notice thereof is given to the Company by the Agent or any Bank; or

 

(e) Cross-Acceleration. (i) The Company or any Material Subsidiary (A) fails to make any payment in respect of any Indebtedness or Contingent Obligation (other than in respect of Swap Contracts), having an aggregate principal amount (including undrawn committed or available amounts and including amounts owing to all creditors under any combined or syndicated credit arrangement) of more than $10,000,000 when due (whether by scheduled maturity, required prepayment, acceleration, demand, or otherwise) and such failure continues after the applicable grace or notice period, if any, specified in the relevant document on the date of such failure, or (B) fails to perform or observe any other condition or covenant, or any other event shall occur or condition exist, under any agreement or instrument relating to any such Indebtedness or Contingent Obligation, and such failure continues after the applicable grace or notice period, if any, specified in the relevant document on the date of such failure, if the effect of such failure, event or condition under the preceding clauses (A) or (B) is to cause such Indebtedness to be declared or to become due or to be repurchased, prepaid, defeased or redeemed (automatically or otherwise), or an offer to repurchase, prepay, defease or redeem such Indebtedness to be required to be made, prior to its stated maturity, or such Contingent Obligation to become payable or cash collateral in respect thereof to be demanded; or (ii) there occurs under any Swap Contract an Early Termination Date (as defined in such Swap Contract) resulting from (1) any event of default under such Swap Contract as to which the Company or any Subsidiary is the Defaulting Party (as defined in such Swap Contract) or (2) any Termination

 

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Event (as defined in such Swap Contract) as to which the Company or any Subsidiary is an Affected Party (as defined in such Swap Contract), and, in either event, the Swap Termination Value owed by the Company or such Subsidiary as a result thereof is greater than $10,000,000; or

 

(f) Insolvency; Voluntary Proceedings. The Company or any Material Subsidiary (i) ceases or fails to be solvent, or generally fails to pay, or admits in writing its inability to pay, its debts as they become due, subject to applicable grace periods, if any, whether at stated maturity or otherwise; (ii) voluntarily ceases to conduct its business in the ordinary course; (iii) commences any Insolvency Proceeding with respect to itself; or (iv) takes any action to effectuate or authorize any of the foregoing; or

 

(g) Involuntary Proceedings. (i) Any involuntary Insolvency Proceeding is commenced or filed against the Company or any Material Subsidiary, or any writ, judgment, warrant of attachment, execution or similar process, is issued or levied against a substantial part of the Company’s or any Material Subsidiary’s properties, and any such proceeding or petition shall not be dismissed, or such writ, judgment, warrant of attachment, execution or similar process shall not be released, vacated or fully bonded within 60 days after commencement, filing or levy; (ii) the Company or any Material Subsidiary admits the material allegations of a petition against it in any Insolvency Proceeding, or an order for relief (or similar order under non-U.S. law) is ordered in any Insolvency Proceeding; or (iii) the Company or any Material Subsidiary acquiesces in the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian, conservator, liquidator, mortgagee in possession (or agent therefor), or other similar Person for itself or a substantial portion of its property or business; or

 

(h) ERISA. (i) An ERISA Event shall occur with respect to a Pension Plan or Multiemployer Plan which has resulted or is reasonably expected to result in liability of the Company under Title IV of ERISA to the Pension Plan, Multiemployer Plan or the PBGC in an aggregate amount in excess of $10,000,000; (ii) the aggregate amount of Unfunded Pension Liability among all Pension Plans at any time exceeds $10,000,000; or (iii) the Company or any ERISA Affiliate shall fail to pay when due, after the expiration of any applicable grace period, any installment payment with respect to its withdrawal liability under Section 4201 of ERISA under a Multiemployer Plan in an aggregate amount in excess of $10,000,000; or

 

(i) Monetary Judgments. One or more non-interlocutory judgments, non-interlocutory orders, decrees or arbitration awards is entered against the Company or any Subsidiary involving in the aggregate a liability (to the extent not covered by independent third-party insurance as to which the insurer does not dispute coverage) as to any single or related series of transactions, incidents or conditions, of $20,000,000 or more, and the same shall remain unsatisfied, unvacated and unstayed pending appeal for a period of 10 days after the entry thereof; or

 

(j) Non-Monetary Judgments. Any non-monetary judgment, order or decree is entered against the Company or any Subsidiary which has a Material Adverse Effect, and there shall be any period of 30 consecutive days during which a stay of enforcement of such judgment or order, by reason of a pending appeal or otherwise, shall not be in effect; or

 

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(k) Change of Control. There occurs any Change of Control; or

 

(l) Adverse Change. There occurs a Material Adverse Effect; or

 

(m) Invalidity of Subordination Provisions. The subordination provisions of any agreement or instrument governing any Subordinated Indebtedness and subordinating such Subordinated Indebtedness to the Obligations hereunder is for any reason revoked, invalidated or otherwise breached by the Company or any Subsidiary, or otherwise ceases to be in full force and effect as a result of any act or omission of the Company or any Subsidiary, or the Company or any Subsidiary otherwise contests in any manner the validity or enforceability thereof or denies that it has any further liability or obligation thereunder, in each case unless the Company can satisfy the Agent, in its reasonable discretion, that such Indebtedness would be permitted under Section 7.05(h) absent such subordination provisions; or

 

(n) Invalidity of Loan Documents. The Company declares that it intends not to comply with any material provision of this Agreement or any Note; or the Company denies that it has any further liability or obligation under this Agreement or any Note, or purports to revoke, terminate or rescind this Agreement or any Note.

 

8.02 Remedies. If any Event of Default occurs, the Agent shall, at the request of, or may, with the consent of, the Majority Banks,

 

(a) declare the commitment of each Bank to make Loans to be terminated, whereupon such commitments 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 Company; and

 

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

 

provided, however, that upon the occurrence of any event specified in Section 8.01(f) or (g) (in the case of clause (i) of Section 8.01(g) upon the expiration of the 60-day period mentioned therein), the obligation of each Bank to make Loans shall automatically terminate and the unpaid principal amount of all outstanding Loans and all interest and other amounts as aforesaid shall automatically become due and payable without further act of the Agent or any Bank.

 

8.03 Rights Not Exclusive. The rights provided for in this Agreement and the other Loan Documents are cumulative and are not exclusive of any other rights, powers, privileges or remedies provided by law or in equity, or under any other instrument, document or agreement now existing or hereafter arising.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

(c) Third, to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting unpaid principal of the Loans, ratably among the Banks in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause (c) held by them; and

 

(d) Last, the balance, if any, after all of the Obligations have been paid in full, to the Company or as otherwise required by law.

 

ARTICLE IX

 

THE AGENT

 

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

 

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

 

9.03 Liability of Agent. No Agent-Related Person shall (a) be liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken by any of them under or in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document or the transactions contemplated hereby (except for its own gross

 

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negligence or willful misconduct in connection with its duties expressly set forth herein), or (b) be responsible in any manner to any Bank or participant for any recital, statement, representation or warranty made by the Company or any officer thereof, contained herein or in any other Loan Document, or in any certificate, report, statement or other document referred to or provided for in, or received by the Agent under or in connection with, this Agreement or any other Loan Document, or the validity, effectiveness, genuineness, enforceability or sufficiency of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, or for any failure of the Company or any other party to any Loan Document to perform its obligations hereunder or thereunder. No Agent-Related Person shall be under any obligation to any Bank or participant to ascertain or to inquire as to the observance or performance of any of the agreements contained in, or conditions of, this Agreement or any other Loan Document, or to inspect the properties, books or records of the Company or any Affiliate thereof.

 

9.04 Reliance by Agent.

 

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

 

(b) For purposes of determining compliance with the conditions specified in Section 4.01, each Bank 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 Bank unless the Agent shall have received notice from such Bank prior to the proposed Closing Date specifying its objection thereto.

 

9.05 Notice of Default. The Agent shall not be deemed to have knowledge or notice of the occurrence of any Default, except with respect to defaults in the payment of principal, interest and fees required to be paid to the Agent for the account of the Banks, unless the Agent shall have received written notice from a Bank or the Company referring to this Agreement, describing such Default and stating that such notice is a “notice of default.” The Agent will notify the Banks of its receipt of any such notice. The Agent shall take such action with respect to such Default as may be directed by the Majority Banks in accordance with Article VIII; provided, however, that unless and until the Agent has received any such direction, the Agent

 

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may (but shall not be obligated to) take such action, or refrain from taking such action, with respect to such Default as it shall deem advisable or in the best interest of the Banks.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

9.09 Successor Agent. The Agent may resign as Agent upon 30 days’ notice to the Banks. If the Agent resigns under this Agreement, the Majority Banks shall appoint from among the Banks a successor agent for the Banks, which successor administrative agent shall be consented to by the Company at all times other than during the existence of an Event of Default (which consent of the Company shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed). If no successor administrative agent is appointed prior to the effective date of the resignation of the Agent, the Agent may appoint, after consulting with the Banks and the Company, a successor administrative agent from among the Banks. Upon the acceptance of its appointment as successor administrative agent hereunder, the Person acting as such successor administrative agent shall succeed to all the rights, powers and duties of the retiring Agent and the term “Agent” shall mean such successor administrative agent and the retiring Agent’s appointment, powers and duties as Agent shall be terminated. After any retiring Agent’s resignation hereunder as Agent, the provisions of this Article IX and Sections 10.04 and 10.05 shall inure to its benefit as to any actions taken or omitted to be taken by it while it was Agent under this Agreement. If no successor administrative agent has accepted appointment as Agent by the date which is 30 days following a retiring Agent’s notice of resignation, the retiring Agent’s resignation shall nevertheless thereupon become effective and the Banks shall perform all of the duties of the Agent hereunder until such time, if any, as the Majority Banks appoint a successor agent as provided for above.

 

9.10 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 Company, the Agent (irrespective of whether the principal of any Loan shall then be due and payable as herein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Agent shall have made any demand on the Company) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise

 

(a) to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of the principal and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Loans 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 Banks and the Agent (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Banks and the Agent and their respective agents and counsel and all other amounts due the Banks and the Agent under Sections 2.09 and 10.04) allowed in such judicial proceeding; and

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

ARTICLE X

 

MISCELLANEOUS

 

10.01 Amendments and Waivers. No amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, and no consent with respect to any departure by the Company therefrom, shall be effective unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the Majority Banks (or by the Agent at the written request of the Majority Banks) and the Company and acknowledged by the Agent, and then any 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 waiver, amendment, or consent shall, unless in writing and signed by each of the Banks affected thereby and the Company and acknowledged by the Agent, do any of the following:

 

(a) waive any condition set forth in Section 4.01;

 

(b) extend or increase the Commitment of any Bank (or reinstate any Commitment terminated pursuant to Section 8.02);

 

(c) postpone any date fixed by this Agreement or any other Loan Document for any payment of principal, interest, fees or other amounts due to the Banks (or any of them) hereunder or under any other Loan Document;

 

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(d) reduce the principal of, or the rate of interest specified herein on, any Loan, or (subject to clause (ii) of the proviso below) any fees or other amounts payable hereunder or under any other Loan Document;

 

(e) change any provision of this Section or the definition of “Majority Banks” or any other provision hereof specifying the number or percentage of Banks 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 Bank;

 

(f) amend this Section, Section 2.12 or Section 8.04, or any provision herein providing for consent or other action by all Banks;

 

and, provided further, that (i) no amendment, waiver or consent shall, unless in writing and signed by the Agent in addition to the Majority Banks or each of the Banks affected thereby, as the case may be, affect the rights or duties of the Agent under this Agreement or any other Loan Document, and (ii) the Fee Letter may be amended, or rights or privileges thereunder waived, in a writing executed only by the parties thereto.

 

10.02 Notices and Other Communications; Facsimile Copies.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

All such notices and other communications shall be deemed to be given or made upon the earlier to occur of (i) actual receipt by the relevant party hereto and (ii) (A) if delivered by hand or by courier, when signed for by or on behalf of the relevant party hereto; (B) if delivered by mail, three Business Days after deposit in the U.S. mails, postage prepaid; (C) if delivered by facsimile, when sent and receipt has been confirmed; and (D) if delivered by electronic mail (which form of delivery is subject to the provisions of subsection (c) below), when delivered; provided, however, that notices and other communications to the Agent pursuant to Article II shall not be effective until actually received by such Person. In no event shall a voicemail message be effective as a notice, communication or confirmation hereunder.

 

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

 

(c) Limited Use of Electronic Mail. Electronic mail and Internet and intranet websites may be used only to distribute routine communications, such as financial statements and other information as provided in Section 6.02, and to distribute Loan Documents for execution by the parties thereto, and may not be used for any other purpose.

 

(d) Reliance by Agent and Banks. The Agent and the Banks shall be entitled to rely and act upon any notices (including telephonic Notices of Borrowing) that the Agent or the Banks believe in good faith was given by a Responsible Officer, or any other Person authorized for such purpose in a written notice to the Agent signed by a Responsible Officer, on behalf of the Company 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 Company shall indemnify each Agent-Related Person and each Bank from all losses, costs, expenses and liabilities resulting from the reliance by such Person on each notice believed in good faith to have been so given on behalf of the Company. All telephonic notices to and other communications with the Agent may be recorded by the Agent, and each of the parties hereto hereby consents to such recording.

 

10.03 No Waiver; Cumulative Remedies. No failure to exercise and no delay in exercising, on the part of the Agent or any Bank, 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.

 

10.04 Attorney Costs, Expenses and Taxes. The Company agrees (a) to pay or reimburse the Agent for all reasonable costs and expenses incurred in connection with the development, preparation, negotiation and execution of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents and any amendment, waiver, consent or other modification of the provisions hereof and thereof (whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby are consummated), and the consummation and administration of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, including all Attorney Costs, (b) following such time as the Agent receives a request from the Company for a refinancing or restructuring in respect of the Obligations, to pay or reimburse the Agent and each Bank for all costs and expenses incurred in connection with any such refinancing or restructuring, including all Attorney Costs, and (c) following an Event of Default or acceleration of the Loans, to pay or reimburse the Agent and each Bank for all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the enforcement, attempted enforcement, or preservation of any rights or remedies under this Agreement or the other Loan Documents (including all such costs and expenses incurred during any “workout” or restructuring in respect of the Obligations and during any legal proceeding, including any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law),

 

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including all Attorney Costs. The foregoing costs and expenses shall include all search, filing, recording, title insurance and appraisal charges and fees and taxes related thereto, and other out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Agent and the cost of independent public accountants and other outside experts retained by the Agent on behalf of the Banks. All amounts due under this Section 10.04 shall be payable within ten Business Days after demand therefor. The agreements in this Section shall survive the termination of the Commitments and repayment of all other Obligations.

 

10.05 Company Indemnification. Whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby are consummated, the Company shall indemnify and hold harmless each Agent-Related Person, each Bank and their respective Affiliates, directors, officers, employees, counsel, agents and attorneys-in-fact (collectively the “Indemnitees”) from and against any and all liabilities, obligations, losses, damages, penalties, claims, demands, actions, judgments, suits, costs, expenses and disbursements (including Attorney Costs) of any kind or nature whatsoever which may at any time be imposed on, incurred by or asserted against any such Indemnitee in any way relating to or arising out of or in connection with (a) the execution, delivery, enforcement, performance or administration of any Loan Document or any other agreement, letter or instrument delivered in connection with the transactions contemplated thereby or the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby, (b) any Commitment or Loan or the use or proposed use of the proceeds therefrom, or (c) any actual or alleged presence or release of Hazardous Materials on or from any property currently or formerly owned or operated by the Company or any Subsidiary, or any Environmental Liability related in any way to the Company or any Subsidiary, or (d) any actual or prospective claim, litigation, investigation or proceeding relating to any of the foregoing, whether based on contract, tort or any other theory (including any investigation of, preparation for, or defense of any pending or threatened claim, investigation, litigation or proceeding) and regardless of whether any Indemnitee is a party thereto (all the foregoing, collectively, the “Indemnified Liabilities”), in all cases, whether or not caused by or arising, in whole or in part, out of the negligence of the Indemnitee; provided that such indemnity shall not, as to any Indemnitee, be available to the extent that such otherwise Indemnified Liabilities are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Indemnitee. No Indemnitee shall be liable for any damages arising from the use by others of any information or other materials obtained through IntraLinks or other similar information transmission systems in connection with this Agreement, nor shall any Indemnitee have any liability for any indirect or consequential damages relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document or arising out of its activities in connection herewith or therewith (whether before or after the Closing Date). All amounts due under this Section 10.05 shall be payable within ten Business Days after demand therefor. The agreements in this Section shall survive the resignation of the Agent, the replacement of any Bank, the termination of the Commitments and the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all the other Obligations.

 

10.06 Payments Set Aside. To the extent that the Company makes a payment to the Agent or the Banks, or the Agent or the Banks exercise their right of set-off, and such payment or the proceeds of such set-off or any part thereof are subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside or required (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by the Agent or such Bank in its discretion) to be repaid to a trustee, receiver or any other party, in connection with any Insolvency Proceeding or otherwise, then (a) to the extent of such

 

65


recovery the obligation or part thereof originally intended to be satisfied shall be revived and continued in full force and effect as if such payment had not been made or such set-off had not occurred, and (b) each Bank severally agrees to pay to the Agent upon demand its pro rata share of any amount so recovered from or repaid by the Agent.

 

10.07 Successors and Assigns.

 

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

 

(b) Any Bank 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 at the time owing to it); provided that (i) except in the case of an assignment of the entire remaining amount of the assigning Bank’s Commitment and the Loans at the time owing to it or in the case of an assignment to a Bank or an Affiliate of a Bank, the aggregate amount of the Commitment (which for this purpose includes Loans outstanding thereunder) subject to each such assignment, determined as of the date the Assignment and Assumption with respect to such assignment is delivered to the Agent or, if “Trade Date” is specified in the Assignment and Assumption, as of the Trade Date, shall not be less than $5,000,000 unless each of the Agent and, so long as no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Company 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 Bank’s rights and obligations under this Agreement with respect to the Loans or the Commitment assigned; (iii) any assignment of a Commitment must be approved by the Agent, unless the Person that is the proposed assignee is itself a Bank (whether or not the proposed assignee would otherwise qualify as an Eligible Assignee); and (iv) the parties to each assignment shall execute and deliver to the Agent an Assignment and Assumption, together with a processing and recordation fee of $3,500. Subject to acceptance and recording thereof by the Agent pursuant to subsection (c) of this Section, from and after the effective date specified in each Assignment and Assumption, the Eligible Assignee thereunder shall be a party to this Agreement and, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, have the rights and obligations of a Bank under this Agreement, and the assigning Bank 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 Bank’s rights and obligations under this Agreement, such Bank shall cease to be a party hereto but shall continue to be entitled to the benefits of Sections 3.01,

 

66


3.03, 3.04, 10.04 and 10.05 with respect to facts and circumstances occurring prior to the effective date of such assignment). Upon request, the Company (at its expense) shall execute and deliver a Note to the assignee Bank. Any assignment or transfer by a Bank 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 Bank of a participation in such rights and obligations in accordance with subsection (d) of this Section.

 

(c) The Agent, acting solely for this purpose as an agent of the Company, shall maintain at the 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 Banks, and the Commitments of, and principal amounts of the Loans owing to, each Bank pursuant to the terms hereof from time to time (the “Register”). The entries in the Register shall be conclusive (absent manifest error), and the Company, the Agent and the Banks may treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Register pursuant to the terms hereof as a Bank hereunder for all purposes of this Agreement, notwithstanding notice to the contrary. The Register shall be available for inspection by the Company and any Bank, at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice.

 

(d) Any Bank may at any time, without the consent of, or notice to, the Company or the Agent, sell participations to any Person (other than a natural person or the Company or any of the Company’s Affiliates or Subsidiaries) (each, a “Participant”) in all or a portion of such Bank’s rights and/or obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and/or the Loans owing to it); provided that (i) such Bank’s obligations under this Agreement shall remain unchanged, (ii) such Bank shall remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto for the performance of such obligations and (iii) the Company, the Agent and the other Banks shall continue to deal solely and directly with such Bank in connection with such Bank’s rights and obligations under this Agreement. Any agreement or instrument pursuant to which a Bank sells such a participation shall provide that such Bank 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 Bank will not, without the consent of the Participant, agree to any amendment, waiver or other modification described in the first proviso to Section 10.01 that directly affects such Participant. Subject to subsection (e) of this Section, the Company agrees that each Participant shall be entitled to the benefits of Sections 3.01, 3.03 and 3.04 to the same extent as if it were a Bank and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section.

 

(e) A Participant shall not be entitled to receive any greater payment under Section 3.01, 3.03 or 3.04 than the applicable Bank would have been entitled to receive with respect to the participation sold to such Participant. A Participant that would claim an exemption from, or reduction of, withholding tax as contemplated under Section 10.08(a) as if it were a Bank shall not be entitled to the benefits of Section 3.01 unless the Company is notified of the participation sold to such Participant and such Participant complies with Section 10.08 as though it were a Bank.

 

(f) Any Bank 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 Bank, including any pledge or assignment to secure obligations to a Federal Reserve

 

67


Bank; provided that no such pledge or assignment shall release such Bank from any of its obligations hereunder or substitute any such pledgee or assignee for such Bank as a party hereto.

 

10.08 Withholding Tax.

 

(a) If any Bank is a “foreign corporation, partnership or trust” within the meaning of the Code and such Bank claims exemption from, or a reduction of, U.S. withholding tax under Sections 1441 or 1442 of the Code, such Bank agrees with and in favor of the Agent, to deliver to the Agent:

 

(i) if such Bank claims an exemption from, or a reduction of, withholding tax under a United States tax treaty, two properly completed and executed copies of IRS Form W-8BEN before the payment of any interest in the first calendar year and before the payment of any interest in each third succeeding calendar year during which interest may be paid under this Agreement;

 

(ii) if such Bank claims that interest paid under this Agreement is exempt from United States withholding tax because it is effectively connected with a United States trade or business of such Bank, two properly completed and executed copies of IRS Form W-8ECI before the payment of any interest is due in the first taxable year of such Bank and in each succeeding taxable year of such Bank during which interest may be paid under this Agreement; and

 

(iii) such other form or forms as may be required under the Code or other laws of the United States as a condition to exemption from, or reduction of, United States withholding tax.

 

Such Bank agrees to promptly notify the Agent of any change in circumstances which would modify or render invalid any claimed exemption or reduction.

 

(b) If any Bank claims exemption from, or reduction of, withholding tax under a United States tax treaty by providing IRS Form W-8BEN and such Bank sells, assigns, grants a participation in, or otherwise transfers all or part of the Obligations of the Company to such Bank, such Bank agrees to notify the Agent of the percentage amount in which it is no longer the beneficial owner of Obligations of the Company to such Bank. To the extent of such percentage amount, the Agent will treat such Bank’s IRS Form W-8BEN as no longer valid.

 

(c) If any Bank claiming exemption from United States withholding tax by filing IRS Form W-8ECI with the Agent sells, assigns, grants a participation in, or otherwise transfers all or part of the Obligations of the Company to such Bank, such Bank agrees to undertake sole responsibility for complying with the withholding tax requirements imposed by Sections 1441 and 1442 of the Code.

 

(d) If any Bank is entitled to a reduction in the applicable withholding tax, the Agent may withhold from any interest payment to such Bank an amount equivalent to the applicable withholding tax after taking into account such reduction. However, if the forms or other documentation required by subsection (a) of this Section are not delivered to the Agent, then the Agent may withhold from any interest payment to such Bank not providing such forms

 

68


or other documentation an amount equivalent to the applicable withholding tax imposed by Sections 1441 and 1442 of the Code, without reduction.

 

(e) If the IRS or any other Governmental Authority of the United States or other jurisdiction asserts a claim that the Agent did not properly withhold tax from amounts paid to or for the account of any Bank (because the appropriate form was not delivered or was not properly executed, or because such Bank failed to notify the Agent of a change in circumstances which rendered the exemption from, or reduction of, withholding tax ineffective, or for any other reason) such Bank shall indemnify the Agent fully for all amounts paid, directly or indirectly, by the Agent as tax or otherwise, including penalties and interest, and including any taxes imposed by any jurisdiction on the amounts payable to the Agent under this Section, together with all costs and expenses (including Attorney Costs). The obligation of the Banks under this subsection shall survive the payment of all Obligations and the resignation or replacement of the Agent.

 

10.09 Confidentiality. Each Bank agrees to take and to cause its Affiliates to take normal and reasonable precautions and exercise due care to maintain the confidentiality of all information identified as “confidential” or “secret” by the Company and provided to it by the Company or any Subsidiary, or by the Agent on the Company’s or such Subsidiary’s behalf, under this Agreement or any other Loan Document, and neither it nor any of its Affiliates shall use any such information other than in connection with or in enforcement of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents or in connection with other business now or hereafter existing or contemplated with the Company or any Subsidiary; except to the extent such information (i) was or becomes generally available to the public other than as a result of disclosure by the Bank, or (ii) was or becomes available on a non-confidential basis from a source other than the Company, provided that such source is not bound by a confidentiality agreement with the Company known to the Bank; provided, however, that any Bank may disclose such information (A) at the request or pursuant to any requirement of any Governmental Authority to which the Bank is subject or in connection with an examination of such Bank by any such authority; (B) pursuant to subpoena or other court process (provided that such Bank shall use its good faith efforts to give the Company notice of such subpoena or other court process); (C) when required to do so in accordance with the provisions of any applicable Requirement of Law; (D) to the extent reasonably required in connection with any litigation or proceeding to which the Agent, any Bank or their respective Affiliates may be party (provided that the Agent or such Bank shall use its good faith efforts to provide notice to the Company of such litigation or proceeding); (E) to the extent reasonably required in connection with the exercise of any remedy hereunder or under any other Loan Document; (F) to such Bank’s independent auditors and other professional advisors; (G) subject to an agreement containing provisions substantially the same as those of this Section 10.09, to (i) any Eligible Assignee of or Participant in, or any prospective Eligible Assignee of or Participant in, any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement or (ii) any direct or indirect contractual counterparty or prospective counterparty (or such contractual counterparty’s or prospective counterparty’s professional advisor) to any credit derivative transaction relating to obligations of the Borrower; (H) as to any Bank or its Affiliate, as expressly permitted under the terms of any other document or agreement regarding confidentiality to which the Company or any Subsidiary is party or is deemed party with such Bank or such Affiliate; and (I) to its Affiliates.

 

69


Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth herein or in any other written or oral understanding or agreement to which the parties hereto are parties or by which they are bound, the parties acknowledge and agree that (i) any obligations of confidentiality contained herein and therein do not apply and have not applied from the commencement of discussions between the parties to the tax treatment and tax structure of the transaction contemplated hereby (and any related transactions or arrangements), and (ii) each party hereto, including the Agent, each Bank, the Company and each of their respective Affiliates (and each of their respective employees, representatives, or other agents), are hereby authorized to disclose to any and all Persons, without limitation of any kind, the “tax treatment” and “tax structure” (in each case, within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.6011-4) of the transactions contemplated hereby and all materials of any kind (including opinions or other tax analyses) that are provided to any such Person relating to such tax treatment and tax structure; provided, however, that each party recognizes that the privilege each has to maintain, in its sole discretion, the confidentiality of a communication relating to the transaction contemplated hereby, including a confidential communication with its attorney or a confidential communication with a federally authorized tax practitioner under section 7525 of the Code, is not intended to be affected by the foregoing; provided further that, with respect to any document or similar item that in either case contains information concerning the tax treatment or tax structure of the transactions contemplated hereby as well as other information, this authorization shall only apply to such portions of the document or similar item that relate to the tax treatment or tax structure of the Loans and transactions contemplated hereby.

 

10.10 Set-off. In addition to any rights and remedies of the Banks provided by law, if an Event of Default exists or the Loans have been accelerated, each Bank is authorized at any time and from time to time, without prior notice to the Company, any such notice being waived by the Company to the fullest extent permitted by law, to set off and apply any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final) at any time held by, and other indebtedness at any time owing by, such Bank to or for the credit or the account of the Company against any and all Obligations owing to such Bank, now or hereafter existing, irrespective of whether or not the Agent or such Bank shall have made demand under this Agreement or any Loan Document and although such Obligations may be contingent or unmatured. Each Bank agrees promptly to notify the Company and the Agent after any such set-off and application made by such Bank; provided, however, that the failure to give such notice shall not affect the validity of such set-off and application.

 

10.11 Automatic Debits of Fees. With respect to any commitment fee, arrangement fee, or other fee, or any other cost or expense (including Attorney Costs) due and payable to the Agent, Bank of America or the Arranger under the Loan Documents, the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes Bank of America to debit any deposit account of the Company with Bank of America in an amount such that the aggregate amount debited from all such deposit accounts does not exceed such fee or other cost or expense. If there are insufficient funds in such deposit accounts to cover the amount of the fee or other cost or expense then due, such debits will be reversed (in whole or in part, in Bank of America’s sole discretion) and such amount not debited shall be deemed to be unpaid. No such debit under this Section shall be deemed a set-off.

 

10.12 Notification of Addresses, Lending Offices, Etc. Each Bank shall notify the Agent in writing of any changes in the address to which notices to the Bank should be directed,

 

70


of addresses of any Lending Office, of payment instructions in respect of all payments to be made to it hereunder and of such other administrative information as the Agent shall reasonably request.

 

10.13 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of separate counterparts, each of which, when so executed, shall be deemed an original, and all of said counterparts taken together shall be deemed to constitute but one and the same instrument.

 

10.14 Severability. The illegality or unenforceability of any provision of this Agreement or any instrument or agreement required hereunder shall not in any way affect or impair the legality or enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement or any instrument or agreement required hereunder.

 

10.15 No Third Parties Benefited. This Agreement is made and entered into for the sole protection and legal benefit of the Company, the Banks, the Agent and the Agent-Related Persons and the Indemnitees, and their permitted successors and assigns, and no other Person shall be a direct or indirect legal beneficiary of, or have any direct or indirect cause of action or claim in connection with, this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents.

 

10.16 Governing Law and Jurisdiction.

 

(a) THIS AGREEMENT AND THE NOTES SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAW OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, WITHOUT REGARD TO CONFLICT OF LAW PRINCIPLES THAT WOULD REQUIRE APPLICATION OF ANOTHER LAW; PROVIDED THAT THE AGENT AND THE BANKS SHALL RETAIN ALL RIGHTS ARISING UNDER FEDERAL LAW.

 

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

 

10.17 Waiver of Jury Trial. EACH PARTY TO THIS AGREEMENT HEREBY EXPRESSLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY OF ANY CLAIM, DEMAND, ACTION OR CAUSE OF ACTION ARISING UNDER ANY LOAN DOCUMENT OR IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH OR RELATED OR INCIDENTAL TO THE DEALINGS OF

 

71


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

 

10.18 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 Agent and each Bank, regardless of any investigation made by the Agent or any Bank or on their behalf and notwithstanding that the Agent or any Bank may have had notice or knowledge of any Default at the time of any Borrowing, and shall continue in full force and effect as of each date made as long as any Loan or any other Obligation hereunder shall remain unpaid or unsatisfied.

 

10.19 Entire Agreement. This Agreement, together with the other Loan Documents, embodies the entire agreement and understanding among the Company, the Banks and the Agent, and supersedes all prior or contemporaneous agreements and understandings of such Persons, verbal or written, relating to the subject matter hereof and thereof.

 

[Signature pages follow.]

 

72


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed and delivered in San Francisco, California, by their proper and duly authorized officers as of the day and year first above written.

 

MENTOR GRAPHICS CORPORATION

By:

 

/s/ Dean Freed


Name:

 

Dean Freed

Title:

 

Vice President

and

By:

 

/s/ Dennis Weldon


Name:

 

Dennis Weldon

Title:

 

Treasurer

 

S-1


BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,

as Agent and as a Bank

By:

 

Kevin McMahon


Name:

 

Kevin McMahon

Title:

 

Managing Director

 

S-2


FLEET NATIONAL BANK, as Syndication Agent and as a Bank

By:

 

/s/ Joan Kiekhaefer


Name:

 

Joan Kiekhaefer

Title:

 

Managing Director

 

S-3


KEY CORPORATE CAPITAL, INC., as
Documentation Agent and as a Bank

By:

 

/s/ Robert W. Boswell


Name:

 

Robert W. Boswell

Title:

 

Vice President

 

S-4


MIZUHO CORPORATE BANK, LIMITED, as a
Bank

By:

 

/s/ Bertram Tang


Name:

 

Bertram Tang

Title:

 

VP and Team Leader

 

S-5


ANNEX I

 

PRICING GRID

 

(in basis points)

 

     Senior Indebtedness/Consolidated EBITDA (x)

     x<0.25

   0.25£ x <0.50

   0.50£ x <0.75

   x³0.75

Commitment Fee

   35.0    35.0    45.0    50.0

Applicable Margin with respect to Offshore Rate Loans

   125.0    150.0    175.0    200.0

Applicable Margin with respect to Base Rate Loans

   0.0    25.0    50.0    75.0

 

The Senior Indebtedness and Consolidated EBITDA used to compute the Commitment Fee and the Applicable Margin shall be the Senior Indebtedness and Consolidated EBITDA set forth in the Compliance Certificate most recently delivered by the Company to the Agent pursuant to Section 6.02(a) of the Credit Agreement; changes in the Commitment Fee and the Applicable Margin resulting from a change in the Senior Indebtedness or Consolidated EBITDA shall become effective on the date of delivery by the Company to the Agent of a new Compliance Certificate and accompanying financial statements pursuant to Section 6.02(a). If the Company shall fail to deliver a Compliance Certificate within the number of days after the end of any calendar quarter or calendar year as required pursuant to Section 6.02(a) (without giving effect to any grace period), the Commitment Fee and the Applicable Margin from the first day after the date on which such Compliance Certificate was required to be delivered to the Agent until the day on which the Company delivers to the Agent a Compliance Certificate and accompanying financial statements shall conclusively equal the highest Commitment Fee and Applicable Margin set forth above. Notwithstanding the foregoing, during the period from the Closing Date until the earlier of (i) the date of the Agent’s receipt of a Compliance Certificate and accompanying financial statements for the calendar quarter ending September 30, 2003, and (ii) 50 calendar days after the end of such calendar quarter, the Commitment Fee shall be 35.0 basis points and the Applicable Margin shall be 150.0 basis points with respect to Offshore Rate Loans and 25.0 basis points with respect to Base Rate Loans.

 

ANNEX I-1

 


SCHEDULE 2.01

 

COMMITMENTS AND PRO RATA SHARES

 

Bank


   Commitment

   Pro Rata Share

 

Bank of America, N.A.

   $ 30,000,000.00    30.000000000 %

Fleet National Bank

   $ 27,500,000.00    27.500000000 %

Key Corporate Capital, Inc.

   $ 27,500,000.00    27.500000000 %

Mizuho Corporate Bank, Limited

   $ 15,000,000.00    15.000000000 %
    

  

TOTAL

   $ 100,000,000.00    100.000000000 %

 

SCHEDULE 2.01

 


SCHEDULE 10.02

 

OFFSHORE AND DOMESTIC LENDING OFFICES, ADDRESSES FOR NOTICES

 

MENTOR GRAPHICS CORPORATION

Address for Notices:

Mentor Graphics Corporation

8005 S.W. Boeckman Road

Wilsonville, OR 97070-7777

Attention:

 

Dennis Weldon

Telephone:

 

(503) 685-7830

Facsimile:

 

(503) 685-7707

Website:

 

www.mentorg.com

BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as Agent

Borrowing Notices:

Bank of America, N.A.

Agency Services West

Mail Code: CA4-706-05-09

1850 Gateway Boulevard

Concord, California ###-###-####

Attention:

 

Brian Graybill

Telephone:

 

(925) 675-8414

Facsimile:

 

(888) 969-9147

Email:   ***@***

Agent’s Payment Office:

Bank of America, N.A.

ABA No.: 111000012

Account No.:  3570836479

Reference:  Mentor Graphics Corp.

Attention:  Brian Graybill, Agency Services West

Mail Code:  CA4-706-05-09

1850 Gateway Boulevard

Concord, California ###-###-####

 

SCHEDULE 10.02 - 1

 


All Other Notices:

Bank of America, N.A.,

Mail Code CA5-701-05-19

1455 Market Street, 5th Floor

San Francisco, California 94103

Attention:

 

Robert J. Rittelmeyer, Vice President

Telephone:

 

(415) 436-2616

Facsimile:

 

(415) 503-5099

Email:   ***@***

BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,
as Bank

Domestic and Offshore Lending Office:

Bank of America, N.A.

Agency Services West

Mail Code: CA4-706-05-09

1850 Gateway Boulevard

Concord, California ###-###-####

Attention:

 

Brian Graybill

Telephone:

 

(925) 675-8414

Facsimile:

 

(888) 969-9147

Email:   ***@***

Notices (other than Borrowing
Notices and Notices of Conversion/Continuation):

Bank of America, N.A.,

Mail Code CA5-705-12-08

555 California Street - 12th Floor

San Francisco, California 94104

Attention:

 

Kevin McMahon, Managing Director

Telephone:

 

(415) 622-8088

Facsimile:

 

(415) 622-4057

Email:   ***@***

 

SCHEDULE 10.02 - 2