Credit Agreement, dated April 23, 2021, between San Jose Water Company and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A

Contract Categories: Business Finance - Credit Agreements
EX-10.1 2 d175813dex101.htm EX-10.1 EX-10.1

Exhibit 10.1

 

 

 

 

CREDIT AGREEMENT

dated as of

April 23, 2021

between

SAN JOSE WATER COMPANY

and

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.

 

 

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

ARTICLE I

  DEFINITIONS      1  

SECTION 1.01.

  Defined Terms      1  

SECTION 1.02.

  Classification of Loans and Borrowings      21  

SECTION 1.03.

  Terms Generally      21  

SECTION 1.04.

  Accounting Terms; GAAP      21  

SECTION 1.05.

  Interest Rates; LIBOR Notification      22  

SECTION 1.06.

  Divisions      22  

ARTICLE II

  THE CREDITS      23  

SECTION 2.01.

  Commitments      23  

SECTION 2.02.

  Loans and Borrowings      23  

SECTION 2.03.

  Borrowing Procedures; Requests for Borrowings      23  

SECTION 2.04.

  Letters of Credit      24  

SECTION 2.05.

  Funding of Borrowings      27  

SECTION 2.06.

  Interest Elections      28  

SECTION 2.07.

  Termination and Reduction of Commitment      29  

SECTION 2.08.

  Repayment and Amortization of Loans; Evidence of Debt      29  

SECTION 2.09.

  Prepayment of Loans      30  

SECTION 2.10.

  Fees      31  

SECTION 2.11.

  Interest      31  

SECTION 2.12.

  Alternate Rate of Interest; Illegality      32  

SECTION 2.13.

  Increased Costs      34  

SECTION 2.14.

  Break Funding Payments      35  

SECTION 2.15.

  Taxes      35  

SECTION 2.16.

  Payments Generally; Allocation of Proceeds      39  

SECTION 2.17.

  Indemnity for Returned Payments      40  

ARTICLE III

  REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES      40  

SECTION 3.01.

  Organization; Powers      40  

SECTION 3.02.

  Authorization; Enforceability      40  

SECTION 3.03.

  Governmental Approvals; No Conflicts      40  

SECTION 3.04.

  Financial Condition; No Material Adverse Change      41  

SECTION 3.05.

  Properties      41  

SECTION 3.06.

  Litigation and Environmental Matters      41  

SECTION 3.07.

  Compliance with Laws and Agreements; No Default      42  

 

i


SECTION 3.08.

  Investment Company Status      42  

SECTION 3.09.

  Taxes      42  

SECTION 3.10.

  ERISA      42  

SECTION 3.11.

  Disclosure      42  

SECTION 3.12.

  Material Agreements      43  

SECTION 3.13.

  Solvency      43  

SECTION 3.14.

  Insurance      43  

SECTION 3.15.

  Capitalization and Subsidiaries      43  

SECTION 3.16.

  Employment Matters      43  

SECTION 3.17.

  Federal Reserve Regulations      44  

SECTION 3.18.

  Use of Proceeds      44  

SECTION 3.19.

  No Burdensome Restrictions      44  

SECTION 3.20.

  Anti-Corruption Laws and Sanctions      44  

SECTION 3.21.

  Plan Assets; Prohibited Transactions      44  

ARTICLE IV

  CONDITIONS      44  

SECTION 4.01.

  Effective Date      44  

SECTION 4.02.

  Each Credit Event      46  

ARTICLE V

  AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS      47  

SECTION 5.01.

  Financial Statements; Other Information      47  

SECTION 5.02.

  Notices of Material Events      49  

SECTION 5.03.

  Existence; Conduct of Business      49  

SECTION 5.04.

  Payment of Obligations      50  

SECTION 5.05.

  Maintenance of Properties      50  

SECTION 5.06.

  Books and Records; Inspection Rights      50  

SECTION 5.07.

  Compliance with Laws and Material Contractual Obligations      50  

SECTION 5.08.

  Use of Proceeds      51  

SECTION 5.09.

  Accuracy of Information      51  

SECTION 5.10.

  Insurance      51  

SECTION 5.11.

  Material Licenses and Permits      52  

SECTION 5.12.

  Depository Banks      52  

SECTION 5.13.

  Further Assurances      52  

 

ii


ARTICLE VI

  NEGATIVE COVENANTS      52  

SECTION 6.01.

  Indebtedness      52  

SECTION 6.02.

  Liens      54  

SECTION 6.03.

  Fundamental Changes      56  

SECTION 6.04.

  Investments, Loans, Advances, Guarantees and Acquisitions      56  

SECTION 6.05.

  Asset Sales      57  

SECTION 6.06.

  Sale and Leaseback Transactions      59  

SECTION 6.07.

  Swap Agreements      59  

SECTION 6.08.

  Restricted Payments      60  

SECTION 6.09.

  Transactions with Affiliates      60  

SECTION 6.10.

  Restrictive Agreements      60  

SECTION 6.11.

  Amendment of Material Documents      61  

SECTION 6.12.

  Financial Covenants      61  

ARTICLE VII

  EVENTS OF DEFAULT      61  

ARTICLE VIII

  MISCELLANEOUS      64  

SECTION 8.01.

  Notices      64  

SECTION 8.02.

  Waivers; Amendments      66  

SECTION 8.03.

  Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver      66  

SECTION 8.04.

  Successors and Assigns      67  

SECTION 8.05.

  Survival      68  

SECTION 8.06.

  Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness      69  

SECTION 8.07.

  Severability      70  

SECTION 8.08.

  Right of Setoff      70  

SECTION 8.09.

  Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Consent to Service of Process      70  

SECTION 8.10.

  WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL      71  

SECTION 8.11.

  Headings      73  

SECTION 8.12.

  Confidentiality      73  

SECTION 8.13.

  Nonreliance; Violation of Law      73  

SECTION 8.14.

  USA PATRIOT Act      74  

SECTION 8.15.

  Disclosure      74  

SECTION 8.16.

  Interest Rate Limitation      74  

SECTION 8.17.

  No Fiduciary Duty, etc      74  

SECTION 8.18.

  Marketing Consent      75  

SECTION 8.19.

  Acknowledgment Regarding Any Supported QFCs      75  

 

iii


SCHEDULES:

Schedule 3.06 – Disclosed Matters

Schedule 3.12 – Material Agreements

Schedule 3.15 – Capitalization and Subsidiaries

Schedule 6.01 – Existing Indebtedness

Schedule 6.02 – Existing Liens

Schedule 6.04 – Existing Investments

Schedule 6.10 – Existing Restrictions

EXHIBITS:

Exhibit A - Borrowing Request

Exhibit B - Compliance Certificate

 

iv


CREDIT AGREEMENT dated as of April 23, 2021 (as it may be amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, this “Agreement”) between SAN JOSE WATER COMPANY, as Borrower, and JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., as Lender.

The parties hereto agree as follows:

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS

SECTION 1.01. Defined Terms. As used in this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings specified below:

ABR”, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the Loans comprising such Borrowing, is bearing interest at a rate determined by reference to the Alternate Base Rate.

Acquired Indebtedness” means Indebtedness of a Person whose assets or Equity Interests are acquired by Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in a Permitted Acquisition; provided, however, that such Indebtedness (a) is either purchase money Indebtedness or a Capital Lease Obligation with respect to equipment or mortgage financing with respect to real property and any Lien related thereto does not secure any other assets, (b) was in existence prior to the date of such Permitted Acquisition, and (c) was not incurred in connection with, or in contemplation of, such Permitted Acquisition.

Acquisition” means any transaction, or any series of related transactions, consummated on or after the Effective Date, by which the Borrower (a) acquires any ongoing business or all or substantially all of the assets of any Person, whether through purchase of assets, merger or otherwise or (b) directly or indirectly acquires (in one transaction or as the most recent transaction in a series of transactions) at least a majority (in number of votes) of the Equity Interests of a Person which has ordinary voting power for the election of directors or other similar management personnel of a Person (other than Equity Interests having such power only by reason of the happening of a contingency) or a majority of the outstanding Equity Interests of a Person.

Adjusted LIBO Rate” means, with respect to any Eurodollar Borrowing for any Interest Period or for any ABR Borrowing, an interest rate per annum (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/16 of 1%) equal to (a) the LIBO Rate for such Interest Period multiplied by (b) the Statutory Reserve Rate.

Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.12(c).

Adjusted Term SOFR” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.12(c).

Affiliate” means, with respect to a specified Person, another Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, Controls or is Controlled by or is under common Control with the specified Person.

 

1


Alternate Base Rate” means, for any day, a rate per annum equal to the greatest of (a) the Prime Rate in effect on such day, (b) the NYFRB Rate in effect on such day plus 12 of 1%, and (c) the Adjusted LIBO Rate for a one-month Interest Period on such day (or if such day is not a Business Day, the immediately preceding Business Day) plus 1%, provided that, the Adjusted LIBO Rate for any day shall be based on the LIBO Rate at approximately 11:00 a.m. London time on such day, subject to the interest rate floors set forth therein. Any change in the Alternate Base Rate due to a change in the Prime Rate, the NYFRB Rate or the Adjusted LIBO Rate shall be effective from and including the effective date of such change in the Prime Rate, the NYFRB Rate or the Adjusted LIBO Rate, respectively. If the Alternate Base Rate is being used as an alternate rate of interest pursuant to Section 2.12 hereof, then the Alternate Base Rate shall be the greater of clause (a) and (b) above and shall be determined without reference to clause (c) above. For the avoidance of doubt, if the Alternate Base Rate as determined pursuant to the foregoing would be less than 1.00%, such rate shall be deemed to be 1.00% for purposes of this Agreement.

Anti-Corruption Laws” means all laws, rules, and regulations of any jurisdiction applicable to the Borrower or its Affiliates from time to time concerning or relating to bribery or corruption.

Applicable Rate” means, for any day, with respect to any Loan, or with respect to the commitment fees payable hereunder, as the case may be, the applicable rate per annum set forth below under the caption “Eurodollar Rate Spread”, “ABR Rate Spread” or “Commitment Fee Rate,” as the case may be, based upon the Credit Rating as set forth below:

 

Pricing Level

   Credit Rating      Eurodollar
Rate Spread
    ABR Rate
Spread
    Commitment
Fee Rate
 

I

     A1/A+        0.750     -0.250     0.075

II

     A2/A        0.875     -0.125     0.100

III

     A3/A-        1.000     0.000     0.125

IV

     Baa1/BBB+        1.125     0.125     0.175

V

    
Baa2/BBB
or lower
 
 
     1.375     0.375     0.225

Credit Rating” means, as of any date of determination, the Borrower’s issuer rating as determined by either S&P or Moody’s (collectively, the “Credit Ratings”); provided that (a) if the respective Credit Ratings issued by the foregoing rating agencies differ by one level, then the Pricing Level for the higher of such Credit Ratings shall apply; (b) if there is a split in Credit Ratings of more than one level, then the Pricing Level that is one level lower than the Pricing Level of the higher Credit Rating shall apply; and (c) if the Borrower does not have any Credit Rating, the highest Pricing Level shall apply.

 

2


Initially, the Applicable Rate shall be determined based upon the Credit Rating specified in the certificate delivered pursuant to Section 4.01(d). Thereafter, each change in the Applicable Rate resulting from a publicly announced change in the Credit Rating shall be effective, in the case of an upgrade, during the period commencing on the date of delivery by the Borrower to the Lender of notice thereof and ending on the date immediately preceding the effective date of the next such change and, in the case of a downgrade, during the period commencing on the date of the public announcement thereof and ending on the date immediately preceding the effective date of the next such change.

Availability Period” means the period from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the earlier of the Maturity Date and the date of termination of the Commitment.

Bank Products” means any one or more of the following financial products or accommodations extended to Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries by a Bank Product Provider: (a) commercial credit cards, (b) commercial credit card processing services, (c) debit cards, (d) stored value cards, (e) purchase cards (including so-called “procurement cards” or “P-cards”), (f) cash management services, or (g) transactions under Swap Agreements.

Bank Product Provider” means Lender or any of its Affiliates that provide Bank Products to Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries.

Benchmark Replacement Adjustment means, with respect to any replacement pursuant to Section 2.12(c) of the LIBO Rate with Term SOFR or Daily Simple SOFR (such rate, an “Unadjusted SOFR Based Rate”), as applicable, for any applicable Interest Period and available tenor, the first of the following alternatives that can be determined by the Lender: (1) the spread adjustment, or method for calculating or determining such spread adjustment (which may be a positive or negative value or zero) when such Unadjusted SOFR Based Rate is first set for such Interest Period that has been selected or recommended by the Relevant Governmental Body for the replacement of the LIBO Rate with the applicable Unadjusted SOFR Based Rate for the applicable corresponding tenor; provided that such spread adjustment is displayed on a screen or other information service that publishes such Benchmark Replacement Adjustment from time to time as selected by the Lender in its reasonable discretion; and (2) the spread adjustment (which may be a positive or negative value or zero) when such rate replacement is first set for such Interest Period that would apply to the fallback rate for a derivative transaction referencing the ISDA Definitions to be effective upon an index cessation event with respect to the LIBO Rate for the applicable corresponding tenor.

Beneficial Ownership Certification” means a certification regarding beneficial ownership or control as required by the Beneficial Ownership Regulation, which certification shall be substantially similar in form and substance to the form of Certification Regarding Beneficial Owners of Legal Entity Customers published jointly, in May 2018, by the Loan Syndications and Trading Association and Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association.

Beneficial Ownership Regulation” means 31 C.F.R. § 1010.230.

 

3


BHC Act Affiliate” of a party means an “affiliate” (as such term is defined under, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. 1841(k)) of such party.

Borrower” means San Jose Water Company, a California corporation.

Borrowing” means Loans of the same Type, made, converted or continued on the same date and, in the case of Eurodollar Loans, as to which a single Interest Period is in effect.

Borrowing Request” means a request by the Borrower for a Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.03.

Burdensome Restrictions” means any restriction of the type described in Section 6.10.

Business Day” means any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in San Francisco, California or New York City, New York are authorized or required by law to remain closed; provided that, when used in connection with a Eurodollar Loan, the term “Business Day” shall also exclude any day on which banks are not open for general business in London.

Capital Lease Obligations” of any Person means the obligations of such Person to pay rent or other amounts under any lease of (or other arrangement conveying the right to use) real or personal property, or a combination thereof, which obligations are required to be classified and accounted for as capital leases or financing leases on a balance sheet of such Person under GAAP, and the amount of such obligations shall be the capitalized amount thereof determined in accordance with GAAP.

Change in Control” means (a) the acquisition of ownership, directly or indirectly, beneficially or of record, by any Person or group (within the meaning of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules of the SEC thereunder as in effect on the date hereof), of Equity Interests representing more than 25% of the aggregate ordinary voting power represented by the issued and outstanding Equity Interests of Holdco; (b) occupation of a majority of the seats (other than vacant seats) on the board of directors of Holdco by Persons who were neither (i) nominated by the board of directors of Holdco nor (ii) appointed by directors so nominated; or (c) Holdco ceases to own 100% of the voting and non-voting Equity Interests of the Borrower.

Change in Law” means the occurrence after the date of this Agreement of any of the following: (a) the adoption or taking effect of any law, rule, regulation or treaty, (b) any change in any law, rule, regulation or treaty or in the administration, interpretation, implementation or application thereof by any Governmental Authority or (c) compliance by the Lender (or, for purposes of Section 2.13(b), by any lending office of the Lender or by the Lender’s holding company, if any) with any request, guideline, rule, requirement or directive (whether or not having the force of law) of any Governmental Authority made or issued after the date of this Agreement; provided that, notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, (x) the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and all requests, rules, guidelines, requirements or directives thereunder or issued in connection therewith or in the implementation thereof, and (y) all requests, rules, guidelines, requirements or directives promulgated by the Bank for International Settlements, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (or any successor or similar authority) or the U.S. or foreign regulatory authorities, in each case pursuant to Basel III, shall in each case be deemed to be a “Change in Law”, regardless of the date enacted, adopted, issued or implemented.

 

4


Charges” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 8.16.

Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.

Commitment” means the commitment of the Lender to make revolving Loans and issue Letters of Credit hereunder, as such commitment may be reduced from time to time pursuant to Section 2.07. The initial amount of the Lender’s Commitment is $140,000,000.

Connection Income Taxes” means Other Connection Taxes that are imposed on or measured by net income (however denominated) or that are franchise Taxes or branch profits Taxes.

Consolidated Funded Debt” means, as of any date of measurement, all Indebtedness as of the date of measurement (other than Indebtedness of the type described in clauses (h) through (l) of the definition of Indebtedness (other than with respect to clause (j), guarantees of Indebtedness of others of the type not described in clauses (h) through (l) of the definition of Indebtedness)), determined for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis at such date, in accordance with GAAP.

Consolidated Net Worth” means, as of any date of determination, for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, consolidated total assets minus total liabilities.

Control” means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a Person, whether through the ability to exercise voting power, by contract or otherwise. “Controlling” and “Controlled” have meanings correlative thereto.

Covered Entity” means any of the following:

(i) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b);

(ii) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or

(iii) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b).

Covered Party” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 8.18.

Credit Rating” has the meaning set forth in the definition of “Applicable Rate”.

 

5


Daily Simple SOFR” means, for any day, SOFR, with the conventions for this rate (which may include a lookback) being established by the Lender in accordance with the conventions for this rate selected or recommended by the Relevant Governmental Body for determining “Daily Simple SOFR” for business loans; provided that if the Lender decides that any such convention is not administratively feasible for the Lender, then the Lender may establish another convention in its reasonable discretion.

Default” means any event or condition which constitutes an Event of Default or which upon notice, lapse of time or both would, unless cured or waived, become an Event of Default.

Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable.

Disclosed Matters” means the actions, suits, proceedings and environmental matters disclosed in Schedule 3.06.

dollars” or “$” refers to lawful money of the U.S.

Effective Date” means the date on which the conditions specified in Section 4.01 are satisfied (or waived in accordance with Section 8.02).

Electronic Signature” means an electronic sound, symbol, or process attached to, or associated with, a contract or other record and adopted by a Person with the intent to sign, authenticate or accept such contract or record.

Electronic System” means any electronic system, including e-mail, e-fax, web portal access for the Borrower, and any other Internet or extranet-based site, whether such electronic system is owned, operated or hosted by the Lender and any of its respective Related Parties or any other Person, providing for access to data protected by passcodes or other security system.

Environmental Laws” means all laws, rules, regulations, codes, ordinances, orders, decrees, judgments, injunctions, notices or binding agreements issued, promulgated or entered into by any Governmental Authority, relating in any way to the environment, preservation or reclamation of natural resources, the management, Release or threatened Release of any Hazardous Material or to health and safety matters.

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

Equity Interests” means shares of capital stock, partnership interests, membership interests in a limited liability company, beneficial interests in a trust or other equity ownership interests in a Person, and any warrants, options or other rights entitling the holder thereof to purchase or acquire any of the foregoing.

 

6


ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to time.

ERISA Affiliate” means any trade or business (whether or not incorporated) that, together with the Borrower, is treated as a single employer under Section 414(b) or (c) of the Code or Section 4001 of ERISA or, solely for purposes of Section 302 of ERISA and Section 412 of the Code, is treated as a single employer under Section 414(m) or (o) of the Code.

ERISA Event” means (a) any “reportable event”, as defined in Section 4043 of ERISA or the regulations issued thereunder, with respect to a Plan (other than an event for which the 30-day notice period is waived); (b) the failure to satisfy the “minimum funding standard” (as defined in Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA), whether or not waived; (c) the filing pursuant to Section 412(c) of the Code or Section 302(c) of ERISA of an application for a waiver of the minimum funding standard with respect to any Plan; (d) the incurrence by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate of any liability under Title IV of ERISA with respect to the termination of any Plan; (e) the receipt by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from the PBGC or a plan administrator of any notice relating to an intention to terminate any Plan or Plans or to appoint a trustee to administer any Plan; (f) the incurrence by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate of any liability with respect to the withdrawal or partial withdrawal of the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from any Plan or Multiemployer Plan; or (g) the receipt by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate of any notice, or the receipt by any Multiemployer Plan from the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate of any notice, concerning the imposition upon the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate of Withdrawal Liability or a determination that a Multiemployer Plan is, or is expected to be, insolvent, within the meaning of Title IV of ERISA.

Eurodollar”, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the Loans comprising such Borrowing, bear interest at a rate determined by reference to the Adjusted LIBO Rate.

Event of Default” has the meaning assigned to such term in Article VII.

Excluded Taxes” means any of the following Taxes imposed on or with respect to the Lender or required to be withheld or deducted from a payment to the Lender: (a) Taxes imposed on or measured by net income (however denominated), franchise Taxes, and branch profits Taxes, in each case, (i) imposed as a result of the Lender being organized under the laws of, or having its principal office or its applicable lending office located in, the jurisdiction imposing such Tax (or any political subdivision thereof) or (ii) that are Other Connection Taxes, (b) U.S. federal withholding Taxes imposed on amounts payable to or for the account of the Lender with respect to an applicable interest in a Loan, Letter of Credit or Commitment pursuant to a law in effect on the date on which (i) the Lender acquires such interest in the Loan, Letter of Credit or Commitment or (ii) the Lender changes its lending office, except in each case to the extent that, pursuant to Section 2.15, amounts with respect to such Taxes were payable either to the Lender’s assignor immediately before the Lender acquired the applicable interest in such Loan, Letter of Credit or Commitment or to the Lender immediately before it changed its lending office and (c) Taxes attributable to a Lender’s failure to comply with Section 2.15(g) and (d) any U.S. federal withholding Taxes imposed under FATCA.

 

7


Exposure” means, at any time, the sum of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Lender’s Loans and its LC Exposure at such time.

FATCA” means Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code as of the date of this Agreement (or any amended or successor version that is substantively comparable and not materially more onerous to comply with), any current or future regulations or official interpretations thereof and any agreement entered into pursuant to Section 1471(b)(1) of the Code and any fiscal or regulatory legislation, rules or practices adopted pursuant to any intergovernmental agreement, treaty or convention among Governmental Authorities and implementing such Sections of the Code.

Federal Funds Effective Rate” means, for any day, the rate calculated by the NYFRB based on such day’s federal funds transactions by depositary institutions (as determined in such manner as shall be set forth on the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Website from time to time) and published on the next succeeding Business Day by the NYFRB as the federal funds effective rate; provided that if the Federal Funds Effective Rate as so determined would be less than zero, such rate shall be deemed to be zero for the purposes of this Agreement.

Federal Reserve Bank of New Yorks Website” means the website of the NYFRB at http://www.newyorkfed.org, or any successor source.

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

Financial Officer” means the chief financial officer, principal accounting officer, treasurer or controller of the Borrower.

Financial Statements” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 5.01.

Foreign Lender” means a Lender that is not a U.S. Person.

Funded Debt to Capitalization Ratio” means, at any date, the ratio of (a) Consolidated Funded Debt for such date to (b) the sum of Consolidated Net Worth plus Consolidated Funded Debt as of such date.

Funding Account” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 4.01(g).

GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S.

Governmental Authority” means the government of the U.S., any other nation or any political subdivision thereof, whether state or local, and any agency, authority, instrumentality, regulatory body, court, central bank or other entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory or administrative powers or functions of or pertaining to government (including any supra-national bodies such as the European Union or the European Central Bank).

 

8


Guarantee” of or by any Person (the “guarantor”) means any obligation, contingent or otherwise, of the guarantor guaranteeing or having the economic effect of guaranteeing any Indebtedness or other obligation of any other Person (the “primary obligor”) in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, and including any obligation of the guarantor, direct or indirect, (a) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for the purchase or payment of) such Indebtedness or other obligation or to purchase (or to advance or supply funds for the purchase of) any security for the payment thereof, (b) to purchase or lease property, securities or services for the purpose of assuring the owner of such Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment thereof, (c) to maintain working capital, equity capital or any other financial statement condition or liquidity of the primary obligor so as to enable the primary obligor to pay such Indebtedness or other obligation or (d) as an account party in respect of any letter of credit or letter of guaranty issued to support such Indebtedness or obligation; provided that the term Guarantee shall not include endorsements for collection or deposit in the ordinary course of business.

Hazardous Materials” means: (a) any substance, material, or waste that is included within the definitions of “hazardous substances,” “hazardous materials,” “hazardous waste,” “toxic substances,” “toxic materials,” “toxic waste,” or words of similar import in any Environmental Law; (b) those substances listed as hazardous substances by the United States Department of Transportation (or any successor agency) (49 C.F.R. 172.101 and amendments thereto) or by the Environmental Protection Agency (or any successor agency) (40 C.F.R. Part 302 and amendments thereto); and (c) any substance, material, or waste that is petroleum, petroleum-related, or a petroleum by-product, asbestos or asbestos-containing material, polychlorinated biphenyls, flammable, explosive, radioactive, freon gas, radon, or a pesticide, herbicide, or any other agricultural chemical.

Holdco” means SJW Group, a Delaware corporation, and successor in interest to SJW Corp., a California corporation (“SJW Corp.”) pursuant to the consummation of the reincorporation of SJW Corp. from California by means of a merger with and into SJW Group as described in the proxy statement of SJW Corp. on Schedule 14A that was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 17, 2015.

Impacted Interest Period” has the meaning assigned to such term in the definition of “LIBO Rate”.

Impairment” shall mean, with respect to any Loan Document or governmental approval or Regulatory Approval, (a) the rescission, early termination, cancellation, repeal or invalidity thereof, (b) the suspension or injunction thereof, (c) the inability to satisfy in a timely manner stated conditions to effectiveness of such Loan Document, governmental approval or Regulatory Approval in whole or in part or (d) in the case of any governmental approval or Regulatory Approval only, the amendment, modification or supplementation thereof. The verb “Impair” shall have a correlative meaning.

Indebtedness” of any Person means, without duplication, (a) all obligations of such Person for borrowed money or with respect to deposits or advances of any kind, (b) all obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or similar instruments, (c) all obligations of such Person upon which interest charges are customarily paid, (d) all obligations of such Person in respect of the deferred purchase price of property or services (excluding accounts payable not more than 90 days past due incurred in the ordinary course of business), (e) all Capital Lease Obligations of such Person, (f) all obligations, contingent or otherwise, of such Person as an account party in respect of letters of credit and letters of guaranty, (g) all

 

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obligations, contingent or otherwise, of such Person in respect of bankers’ acceptances, (h) all obligations of such Person under conditional sale or other title retention agreements relating to property acquired by such Person, (i) all Indebtedness of others secured by (or for which the holder of such Indebtedness has an existing right, contingent or otherwise, to be secured by) any Lien on property owned or acquired by such Person, whether or not the Indebtedness secured thereby has been assumed, (j) all Guarantees by such Person of Indebtedness of others, (k) obligations under any liquidated earn-out and (l) obligations, whether absolute or contingent and howsoever and whensoever created, arising, evidenced or acquired (including all renewals, extensions and modifications thereof and substitutions therefor), under (i) any and all Swap Agreements, and (ii) any and all cancellations, buy backs, reversals, terminations or assignments of any Swap Agreement transaction. The Indebtedness of any Person shall include the Indebtedness of any other entity (including any partnership in which such Person is a general partner) to the extent such Person is liable therefor as a result of such Person’s ownership interest in or other relationship with such entity, except to the extent the terms of such Indebtedness provide that such Person is not liable therefor.

Indemnified Taxes” means (a) Taxes, other than Excluded Taxes, imposed on or with respect to any payment made by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower under any Loan Document and (b) to the extent not otherwise described in the foregoing clause (a), Other Taxes.

Indemnitee” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 8.03(b).

Information” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 8.12.

Interest Election Request” means a request by the Borrower to convert or continue a Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.06.

Interest Payment Date” means (a) with respect to any ABR Loan, the first Business Day of each calendar quarter and the Maturity Date and (b) with respect to any Eurodollar Loan, the last day of the Interest Period applicable to the Borrowing of which such Loan is a part and, in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing with an Interest Period of more than three months’ duration, each day prior to the last day of such Interest Period that occurs at intervals of three months’ duration after the first day of such Interest Period and the Maturity Date.

Interest Period” means with respect to any Eurodollar Borrowing, the period commencing on the date of such Eurodollar Borrowing and ending on the numerically corresponding day in the calendar month that is one, three or six months thereafter, as the Borrower may elect; provided that (i) if any Interest Period would end on a day other than a Business Day, such Interest Period shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day unless such next succeeding Business Day would fall in the next calendar month, in which case such Interest Period shall end on the next preceding Business Day and (ii) any Interest Period that commences on the last Business Day of a calendar month (or on a day for which there is no numerically corresponding day in the last calendar month of such Interest Period) shall end on the last Business Day of the last calendar month of such Interest Period. For purposes hereof, the date of a Borrowing initially shall be the date on which such Borrowing is made and thereafter shall be the effective date of the most recent conversion or continuation of such Borrowing.

 

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Interpolated Rate” means, at any time, for any Interest Period, the rate per annum (rounded upward to four decimal places) determined by the Lender (which determination shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest error) to be equal to the rate that results from interpolating on a linear basis between: (a) the LIBO Screen Rate for the longest period (for which the LIBO Screen Rate is available) that is shorter than the Impacted Interest Period and (b) the LIBO Screen Rate for the shortest period (for which the LIBO Screen Rate is available) that exceeds the Impacted Interest Period, in each case, at such time.

IRS” means the United States Internal Revenue Service.

ISDA Definitions means the 2006 ISDA Definitions published by the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. or any successor thereto, as amended or supplemented from time to time, or any successor definitional booklet for interest rate derivatives published from time to time by the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. or such successor thereto.

LC Disbursement” means any payment made by the Lender pursuant to a Letter of Credit.

LC Exposure” means, at any time, the sum of (a) the aggregate undrawn amount of all Letters of Credit outstanding at such time plus (b) the aggregate amount of all LC Disbursements relating to Letters of Credit that have not yet been reimbursed by or on behalf of the Borrower at such time.

Lender” means JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., its successors and assigns.

Letters of Credit” means the standby letters of credit issued pursuant to this Agreement, and the term “Letter of Credit” means any one of them or each of them singularly, as the context may require.

Letter of Credit Fee Rate” means the Applicable Rate with respect to Eurodollar Loans.

LIBO Rate” means, with respect to any Eurodollar Borrowing for any applicable Interest Period or for any ABR Borrowing, the London interbank offered rate as administered by ICE Benchmark Administration (or any other Person that takes over the administration of such rate for Dollars) for a period equal in length to such Interest Period as displayed on pages LIBOR01 or LIBOR02 of the Reuters screen that displays such rate or, in the event such rate does not appear on a Reuters page or screen, on any successor or substitute page on such screen that displays such rate, or on the appropriate page of such other information service that publishes such rate from time to time as shall be selected by the Lender in its reasonable discretion (in each case, the “LIBO Screen Rate”) at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, two (2) Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period; provided that, (x) if the LIBO Screen Rate shall be less than zero, such rate shall be deemed to be zero for the purposes of this Agreement and (y) if the LIBO Screen Rate shall not be available at such time for a period equal in length to such Interest Period (an “Impacted Interest Period”), then the LIBO Rate shall be the Interpolated Rate at such time, subject to Section 2.12 in the event that the Lender shall conclude that it shall not be possible to determine such Interpolated Rate (which conclusion shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest error); provided further, that, if any Interpolated Rate shall be less than zero, such rate shall be deemed to be zero for purposes of this Agreement. Notwithstanding the above, to the extent that “LIBO Rate” or “Adjusted LIBO Rate” is used in connection with an ABR Borrowing, such rate shall be determined as modified by the definition of Alternate Base Rate.

 

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LIBO Screen Rate” has the meaning assigned to such term in the definition of “LIBO Rate”.

LIBOR Cessation Event” means the occurrence of one or more of the following events with respect to the LIBO Rate:

(1) a public statement or publication of information by or on behalf of the administrator of the LIBO Rate announcing that such administrator has ceased or will cease to provide the LIBO Rate for all available interest periods, permanently or indefinitely, with no successor administrator having been appointed to provide such LIBO Rate at such time;

(2) a public statement or publication of information by the regulatory supervisor for the administrator of the LIBO Rate, the Federal Reserve Board, the NYFRB, an insolvency official with jurisdiction over the administrator for the LIBO Rate, a resolution authority with jurisdiction over the administrator for the LIBO Rate or a court or an entity with similar insolvency or resolution authority over the administrator for the LIBO Rate, in each case which states that the administrator of the LIBO Rate has ceased or will cease to provide the LIBO Rate for all available interest periods permanently or indefinitely, with no successor administrator having been appointed to provide such LIBO Rate at such time; and/or

(3) a public statement or publication of information by the regulatory supervisor for the administrator of the LIBO Screen Rate announcing that the LIBO Screen Rate for all available interest periods is no longer representative.

Lien” means, with respect to any asset, (a) any mortgage, deed of trust, lien, pledge, hypothecation, encumbrance, charge or security interest in, on or of such asset, (b) the interest of a vendor or a lessor under any conditional sale agreement, capital lease or title retention agreement (or any financing lease having substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing) relating to such asset and (c) in the case of securities, any purchase option, call or similar right of a third party with respect to such securities.

Loan Documents” means, collectively, this Agreement, each promissory note issued pursuant to this Agreement, any Letter of Credit application, the fee letter described in Section 2.10(c), and each other agreement, instrument, document and certificate identified in Section 4.01 executed and delivered to, or in favor of, the Lender and including each other consent, assignment, contract, notice, letter of credit agreement and each other written matter whether heretofore, now or hereafter executed by or on behalf of the Borrower, or any employee of the Borrower, and delivered to the Lender in connection with this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby. Any reference in this Agreement or any other Loan Document to a Loan Document shall include all appendices, exhibits or schedules thereto, and all amendments, restatements, supplements or other modifications thereto, and shall refer to this Agreement or such Loan Document as the same may be in effect at any and all times such reference becomes operative.

 

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Loans” means the Loans made pursuant to Section 2.01.

Material Adverse Effect” means a material adverse effect on (a) the business, assets, operations, or condition, financial or otherwise, of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (b) the ability of the Borrower to perform any of its obligations under the Loan Documents to which it is a party, or (c) the rights of or benefits available to the Lender under any of the Loan Documents.

Material Agreement” means, with respect to any Person, (i) all Material Indebtedness, (ii) each contract, agreement or other instrument to which such Person or any of its Subsidiaries is a party involving aggregate consideration payable by or to such Person or by or to such Subsidiary of $20,000,000 or more during any consecutive twelve-month period (other than purchase orders in the ordinary course of the business of such Person or such Subsidiary), and (iii) all other contracts or agreements, the loss of which would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

Material Indebtedness” means Indebtedness (other than the Loans and Letters of Credit), or obligations in respect of one or more Swap Agreements, of any one or more of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in an aggregate principal amount exceeding $20,000,000. For purposes of determining Material Indebtedness, the “principal amount” of the obligations of the Borrower or any Subsidiary in respect of any Swap Agreement at any time shall be the maximum aggregate amount (giving effect to any netting agreements) that the Borrower or such Subsidiary would be required to pay if such Swap Agreement were terminated at such time.

Maturity Date” means the earlier of (a) December 31, 2023 (if the same is a Business Day, or if not, then the immediately next succeeding Business Day) or (b) any earlier date on which the Commitment is reduced to zero or otherwise terminated pursuant to the terms hereof.

Maximum Rate” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 8.16.

Moody’s” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.

Multiemployer Plan” means a multiemployer plan as defined in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA.

NYFRB” means the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

NYFRB Rate” means, for any day, the greater of (a) the Federal Funds Effective Rate in effect on such day and (b) the Overnight Bank Funding Rate in effect on such day (or for any day that is not a Business Day, for the immediately preceding Business Day); provided that if none of such rates are published for any day that is a Business Day, the term “NYFRB Rate” means the rate for a federal funds transaction quoted at 11:00 a.m. on such day received to the Lender from a Federal funds broker of recognized standing selected by it; provided, further, that if any of the aforesaid rates shall be less than zero, such rate shall be deemed to be zero for purposes of this Agreement.

 

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Obligations” means all unpaid principal of and accrued and unpaid interest on the Loans, all LC Exposure, all accrued and unpaid fees and all expenses, reimbursements, indemnities and other obligations and indebtedness (including interest and fees accruing during the pendency of any bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or other similar proceeding, regardless of whether allowed or allowable in such proceeding), obligations and liabilities of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries to the Lender or any indemnified party under the Loan Documents, individually or collectively, existing on the Effective Date or arising thereafter, direct or indirect, joint or several, absolute or contingent, matured or unmatured, liquidated or unliquidated, secured or unsecured, arising by contract, operation of law or otherwise, arising or incurred under this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents or in respect of any of the Loans made or reimbursement or other obligations incurred or any of the Letters of Credit or other instruments at any time evidencing any thereof.

Other Connection Taxes” means, with respect to the Lender, Taxes imposed as a result of a present or former connection between the Lender and the jurisdiction imposing such Taxes (other than a connection arising from the Lender having executed, delivered, become a party to, performed its obligations under, received payments under, received or perfected a security interest under, engaged in any other transaction pursuant to, or enforced, any Loan Document, or sold or assigned an interest in any Loan, Letter of Credit, or any Loan Document).

Other Taxes” means all present or future stamp, court or documentary, intangible, recording, filing or similar Taxes that arise from any payment made under, from the execution, delivery, performance, enforcement or registration of, from the receipt or perfection of a security interest under, or otherwise with respect to, any Loan Document, except any such Taxes that are Other Connection Taxes imposed with respect to an assignment.

Overnight Bank Funding Rate” means, for any day, the rate comprised of both overnight federal funds and overnight Eurodollar borrowings by U.S.-managed banking offices of depository institutions (as such composite rate shall be determined by the NYFRB as set forth on the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Website from time to time) and published on the next succeeding Business Day by the NYFRB as an overnight bank funding rate (from and after such date as the NYFRB shall commence to publish such composite rate).

Participant” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 8.04(c).

Participant Register” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 8.04(c).

PBGC” means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation referred to and defined in ERISA and any successor entity performing similar functions.

Permitted Acquisition” means any Acquisition by the Borrower in a transaction that satisfies each of the following requirements:

(a) such Acquisition is not a hostile or contested acquisition;

(b) the business acquired in connection with such Acquisition is (i) located in the U.S., (ii) organized under applicable U.S. and state laws, and (iii) not engaged, directly or indirectly, in any line of business other than the businesses in which the Borrower is engaged on the Effective Date and any business activities that are substantially similar, related, or incidental thereto;

 

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(c) both before and after giving effect to such Acquisition, no Default exists, will exist, or would result therefrom;

(d) for any Acquisition that involves aggregate consideration of $15,000,000 or more, as soon as available, but not less than ten days (or such shorter time as agreed to by the Lender) prior to such Acquisition, the Borrower has provided the Lender (i) notice of such Acquisition and (ii) upon the reasonable request of the Lender, a copy of the material business and financial information related to such Acquisition including pro forma financial statements and statements of cash flow;

(e) (i) the total consideration of any Acquisition (including all Indebtedness and liabilities incurred or assumed in connection therewith) does not exceed $30,000,000, (ii) the aggregate total consideration of Acquisitions (including all Indebtedness and liabilities incurred or assumed in connection therewith) (together with any Acquisitions consummated by Holdco and its other Subsidiaries) in any year does not exceed $30,000,000, and (iii) the aggregate total consideration for all Acquisitions (including all Indebtedness and liabilities incurred or assumed in connection therewith) (together with any Acquisitions consummated by Holdco and its other Subsidiaries) made during the term of this Agreement shall not exceed $60,000,000;

(f) if such Acquisition is an acquisition of the Equity Interests of a Person, such Acquisition is structured so that the acquired Person shall become a wholly-owned Subsidiary of the Borrower pursuant to the terms of this Agreement;

(g) if such Acquisition is an acquisition of assets, such Acquisition is structured so that the Borrower shall acquire such assets;

(h) if such Acquisition is an acquisition of Equity Interests, such Acquisition will not result in any violation of Regulation U;

(i) if such Acquisition involves a merger or a consolidation involving the Borrower, the Borrower shall be the surviving entity; and

(j) the Borrower shall not, as a result of or in connection with any such Acquisition, assume or incur any direct or contingent liabilities (whether relating to environmental, tax, litigation, or other matters) that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

Permitted Encumbrances” means:

(a) Liens imposed by law for Taxes that are not yet due or are being contested in compliance with Section 5.04;

(b) carriers’, warehousemen’s, mechanics’, materialmen’s, repairmen’s and other like Liens imposed by law, arising in the ordinary course of business and securing obligations that are not overdue by more than thirty (30) days or are being contested in compliance with Section 5.04;

 

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(c) pledges and deposits made in the ordinary course of business in compliance with workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance and other social security laws or regulations;

(d) deposits to secure the performance of bids, trade contracts, leases, statutory obligations, surety and appeal bonds, performance bonds and other obligations of a like nature, in each case in the ordinary course of business;

(e) judgment Liens in respect of judgments that do not constitute an Event of Default under clause (k) of Article VII;

(f) easements, zoning restrictions, rights-of-way and similar encumbrances on real property imposed by law or arising in the ordinary course of business that do not secure any monetary obligations and do not materially detract from the value of the affected property or interfere with the ordinary conduct of business of the Borrower or any Subsidiary; and

(g) the interests of lessors and sublessors under operating leases and licensors or sub-licensors under license agreements;

provided that the term “Permitted Encumbrances” shall not include any Lien securing Indebtedness, except with respect to clause (e) above.

Permitted Intercompany Advances” means loans made by (a) Borrower to Holdco or to any Subsidiary of Holdco, (b) Holdco to any Subsidiary of Holdco, or (c) a Subsidiary of Holdco to Holdco or to any other Subsidiary of Holdco (including Borrower).

Permitted Investments” means:

(a) direct obligations of, or obligations the principal of and interest on which are unconditionally guaranteed by, the U.S. (or by any agency thereof to the extent such obligations are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S.), in each case maturing within one year from the date of acquisition thereof;

(b) investments in commercial paper maturing within 270 days from the date of acquisition thereof and having, at such date of acquisition, the highest credit rating obtainable from S&P or from Moody’s;

(c) investments in certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances and time deposits maturing within 180 days from the date of acquisition thereof issued or guaranteed by or placed with, and money market deposit accounts issued or offered by, any domestic office of any commercial bank organized under the laws of the U.S. or any state thereof which has a combined capital and surplus and undivided profits of not less than $500,000,000;

 

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(d) fully collateralized repurchase agreements with a term of not more than 30 days for securities described in clause (a) above and entered into with a financial institution satisfying the criteria described in clause (c) above; and

(e) money market funds that (i) comply with the criteria set forth in Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, (ii) are rated AAA by S&P and Aaa by Moody’s and (iii) have portfolio assets of at least $5,000,000,000.

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

Plan” means any employee pension benefit plan (other than a Multiemployer Plan) subject to the provisions of Title IV of ERISA or Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, and in respect of which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate is an “employer” as defined in Section 3(5) of ERISA (or, if such plan were terminated, would be deemed to an “employer” under Section 4069 of ERISA or could have liability under Section 4064 of ERISA).

Plan Asset Regulations” means 29 CFR § 2510.3-101 et seq., as modified by Section 3(42) of ERISA, as amended from time to time.

Prime Rate” means the rate of interest last quoted by The Wall Street Journal as the “Prime Rate” in the U.S. or, if The Wall Street Journal ceases to quote such rate, the highest per annum interest rate published by the Federal Reserve Board in Federal Reserve Statistical Release H.15 (519) (Selected Interest Rates) as the “bank prime loan” rate or, if such rate is no longer quoted therein, any similar rate quoted therein (as determined by the Lender) or any similar release by the Federal Reserve Board (as determined by the Lender). Each change in the Prime Rate shall be effective from and including the date such change is publicly announced or quoted as being effective.

Projections” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 5.01(d).

Refinance Indebtedness” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 6.01(f).

Regulatory Approval” means (a) any authorization, consent, approval, license, lease, ruling, permit, tariff, rate, certification, waiver, exemption, filing, variance, claim, order, judgment or decree of, by or with, (b) any required notice to, (c) any declaration of or with or (d) any registration by or with, any Governmental Authority.

Related Parties” means, with respect to any specified Person, such Person’s Affiliates and the respective directors, officers, partners, members, trustees, employees, agents, administrators, managers, representatives and advisors of such Person and such Person’s Affiliates.

Release” means any releasing, spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, discharging, injecting, escaping, leaching, migrating, disposing, or dumping of any substance into the environment.

 

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Relevant Governmental Body means the Federal Reserve Board or the NYFRB, or a committee officially endorsed or convened by the Federal Reserve Board or the NYFRB, or any successor thereto.

Responsible Officer” means the president, Financial Officer or other executive officer of the Borrower.

Requirement of Law” means, with respect to any Person, (a) the charter, articles or certificate of organization or incorporation and bylaws or operating, management or partnership agreement, or other organizational or governing documents of such Person and (b) any statute, law (including common law), treaty, rule, regulation, code, ordinance, order, decree, writ, judgment, injunction or determination of any arbitrator or court or other Governmental Authority (including Environmental Laws), in each case applicable to or binding upon such Person or any of its property or to which such Person or any of its property is subject.

Restricted Payment” means any dividend or other distribution (whether in cash, securities or other property) with respect to any Equity Interests in the Borrower or any Subsidiary, or any payment (whether in cash, securities or other property), including any sinking fund or similar deposit, on account of the purchase, redemption, retirement, acquisition, cancellation or termination of any such Equity Interests or any option, warrant or other right to acquire any such Equity Interests.

QFC” has the meaning assigned to the term “qualified financial contract” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. 5390(c)(8)(D).

QFC Credit Support” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 8.18.

S&P” means Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, a Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC business.

Sale and Leaseback Transaction” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 6.06.

Sanctioned Country” means, at any time, a country, region or territory which is itself the subject or target of any Sanctions (at the time of this Agreement, Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria).

Sanctioned Person” means, at any time, (a) any Person listed in any Sanctions-related list of designated Persons maintained by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the U.S. Department of State, the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, any European Union member state, Her Majesty’s Treasury of the United Kingdom or other relevant sanctions authority; (b) any Person operating, organized or resident in a Sanctioned Country; (c) any Person owned or controlled by any such Person or Persons described in the foregoing clauses (a) or (b); or (d) any Person otherwise the subject of any Sanctions.

 

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Sanctions” means all economic or financial sanctions or trade embargoes imposed, administered or enforced from time to time by (a) the U.S. government, including those administered by Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury or the U.S. Department of State, or (b) the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, any European Union member state, Her Majesty’s Treasury of the United Kingdom or other relevant sanctions authority.

SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission of the U.S.

SJWTX Credit Agreement” means that certain Credit Agreement dated as of the date hereof by and between SJWTX, Inc. and Lender.

SOFR” means, with respect to any Business Day, a rate per annum equal to the secured overnight financing rate for such Business Day published by the NYFRB (or a successor administrator of the secured overnight financing rate) on its website on the immediately succeeding Business Day.

Statement” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.16(c).

Statutory Reserve Rate” means a fraction (expressed as a decimal), the numerator of which is the number one and the denominator of which is the number one minus the aggregate of the maximum reserve percentage (including any marginal, special, emergency or supplemental reserves) established by the Federal Reserve Board to which the Lender is subject with respect to the Adjusted LIBO Rate, for eurocurrency funding (currently referred to as “Eurocurrency Liabilities” in Regulation D of the Federal Reserve Board). Such reserve percentages shall include those imposed pursuant to such Regulation D of the Federal Reserve Board. Eurodollar Loans shall be deemed to constitute eurocurrency funding and to be subject to such reserve requirements without benefit of or credit for proration, exemptions or offsets that may be available from time to time to the Lender under such Regulation D of the Federal Reserve Board or any comparable regulation. The Statutory Reserve Rate shall be adjusted automatically on and as of the effective date of any change in any reserve percentage.

subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person (the “parent”) at any date, any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or other entity the accounts of which would be consolidated with those of the parent in the parent’s consolidated financial statements if such financial statements were prepared in accordance with GAAP as of such date, as well as any other corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or other entity (a) of which securities or other ownership interests representing more than 50% of the equity or more than 50% of the ordinary voting power or, in the case of a partnership, more than 50% of the general partnership interests are, as of such date, owned, controlled or held, or (b) that is, as of such date, otherwise Controlled, by the parent or one or more subsidiaries of the parent or by the parent and one or more subsidiaries of the parent.

Subsidiary” means any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Borrower or Holdco, as the context requires.

Supported QFC” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 8.18.

 

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Swap Agreement” means any agreement with respect to any swap, forward, spot, future, credit default or derivative transaction or any option or similar agreement involving, or settled by reference to, one or more rates, currencies, commodities, equity or debt instruments or securities, or economic, financial or pricing indices or measures of economic, financial or pricing risk or value or any similar transaction or any combination of these transactions; provided that no phantom stock or similar plan providing for payments only on account of services provided by current or former directors, officers, employees or consultants of the Borrower or the Subsidiaries shall be a Swap Agreement.

Taxes” means any and all present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties, deductions, withholdings (including backup withholding), assessments, fees or other charges imposed by any Governmental Authority, including any interest, additions to tax or penalties applicable thereto.

Term SOFR” means, for the applicable corresponding tenor, the forward-looking term rate based on SOFR that has been selected or recommended by the Relevant Governmental Body, as displayed on a screen or other information service that publishes such rate from time to time as selected by and as of the time determined by the Lender in its reasonable discretion.

Term SOFR Transition Conditions” means the occurrence of all of the following events (as determined by the Lender in its sole discretion): (i) a LIBOR Cessation Event has occurred, (ii) Term SOFR has been recommended for use by the Relevant Governmental Body, and (iii) the administration of Term SOFR is administratively feasible for the Lender.

Transactions” means the execution, delivery and performance by the Borrower of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, the borrowing of Loans and other credit extensions, the use of the proceeds thereof and the issuance of Letters of Credit hereunder.

Type”, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether the rate of interest on such Loan, or on the Loans comprising such Borrowing, is determined by reference to the Adjusted LIBO Rate or the Alternate Base Rate.

Unadjusted SOFR Based Rate” has the meaning given to such term in the definition of “Benchmark Replacement Adjustment”.

U.S.” means the United States of America.

U.S. Person” means any Person that is a “United States person” as defined in Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code.

U.S. Special Resolution Regime” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 8.18.

U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section in Section 2.15(g).

USA PATRIOT Act” means the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001.

Withdrawal Liability” means liability to a Multiemployer Plan as a result of a complete or partial withdrawal from such Multiemployer Plan, as such terms are defined in Part I of Subtitle E of Title IV of ERISA.

 

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SECTION 1.02. Classification of Loans and Borrowings. For purposes of this Agreement, Loans may be classified and referred to by Type (e.g., a “Eurodollar Loan”). Borrowings also may be classified and referred to by Type (e.g., a “Eurodollar Borrowing”).

SECTION 1.03. Terms Generally. The definitions of terms herein shall apply equally to the singular and plural forms of the terms defined. Whenever the context may require, any pronoun shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter forms. The words “include”, “includes” and “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase “without limitation”. The word “law” shall be construed as referring to all statutes, rules, regulations, codes and other laws (including official rulings and interpretations thereunder having the force of law or with which affected Persons customarily comply) and all judgments, orders and decrees of all Governmental Authorities. The word “will” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect as the word “shall”. Unless the context requires otherwise (a) any definition of or reference to any agreement, instrument or other document herein shall be construed as referring to such agreement, instrument or other document as from time to time amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified (subject to any restrictions on such amendments, restatements, supplements or modifications set forth herein), (b) any definition of or reference to any statute, rule or regulation shall be construed as referring thereto as from time to time amended, supplemented or otherwise modified (including by succession of comparable successor laws), (c) any reference herein to any Person shall be construed to include such Person’s successors and assigns (subject to any restrictions on assignments set forth herein) and, in the case of any Governmental Authority, any other Governmental Authority that shall have succeeded to any or all functions thereof, (d) the words “herein”, “hereof” and “hereunder”, and words of similar import, shall be construed to refer to this Agreement in its entirety and not to any particular provision hereof, (e) all references herein to Articles, Sections, Exhibits and Schedules shall be construed to refer to Articles and Sections of, and Exhibits and Schedules to, this Agreement, (f) any reference in any definition to the phrase “at any time” or “for any period” shall refer to the same time or period for all calculations or determinations within such definition, and (g) the words “asset” and “property” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect and to refer to any and all tangible and intangible assets and properties, including cash, securities, accounts and contract rights.

SECTION 1.04. Accounting Terms; GAAP. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all terms of an accounting or financial nature shall be construed in accordance with GAAP, as in effect from time to time; provided that, if after the date hereof there occurs any change in GAAP or in the application thereof on the operation of any provision hereof and the Borrower notifies the Lender that the Borrower requests an amendment to any provision hereof to eliminate the effect of change in GAAP or in the application thereof (or if the Lender notifies the Borrower that the Lender requests an amendment to any provision hereof for such purpose), regardless of whether any such notice is given before or after such change in GAAP or in the application thereof, then such provision shall be interpreted on the basis of GAAP as in effect and applied immediately before such migration or change shall have become effective until such notice shall have been withdrawn or such provision amended in accordance herewith. Notwithstanding any other provision contained herein, all terms of an accounting or financial nature used herein shall be construed, and all computations of amounts and ratios referred to herein shall be made (i) without giving effect to any election under Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification 825-10-25 (or any other Accounting

 

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Standards Codification or Financial Accounting Standard having a similar result or effect) to value any Indebtedness or other liabilities of the Borrower, Holdco or any Subsidiary of Holdco at “fair value”, as defined therein and (ii) without giving effect to any treatment of Indebtedness in respect of convertible debt instruments under Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification 470-20 (or any other Accounting Standards Codification or Financial Accounting Standard having a similar result or effect) to value any such Indebtedness in a reduced or bifurcated manner as described therein, and such Indebtedness shall at all times be valued at the full stated principal amount thereof.

SECTION 1.05. Interest Rates; LIBOR Notification. The interest rate on Eurodollar Loans is determined by reference to the LIBO Rate, which is derived from the London interbank offered rate (“LIBOR”). LIBOR is intended to represent the rate at which contributing banks may obtain short-term borrowings from each other in the London interbank market. LIBOR is currently the subject of regulatory reform and regulators have signaled the need to use alternative benchmark reference rates for LIBOR. On March 5, 2021, the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) publicly announced that: (a) immediately after December 31, 2021, publication of the 1-week and 2-month U.S. Dollar LIBOR settings will permanently cease; (b) immediately after June 30, 2023, publication of the overnight and 12-month U.S. Dollar LIBOR settings will permanently cease; and (c) immediately after June 30, 2023, the 1-month, 3-month and 6-month U.S. Dollar LIBOR settings will cease to be provided or, subject to the FCA’s consideration of the case, be provided on a synthetic basis and no longer be representative of the underlying market and economic reality they are intended to measure and that representativeness will not be restored. There is no assurance that dates announced by the FCA will not change or that the administrator of LIBOR and/or regulators will not take further action that could impact the availability, composition, or characteristics of LIBOR or the currencies and/or tenors for which LIBOR is published, and each party to this Agreement should consult its own advisors to stay informed of any such developments. Public and private sector industry initiatives are currently underway to identify new or alternative reference rates to be used in place of LIBOR. In the event a LIBOR Cessation Event occurs, Section 2.12(c) of this Agreement provides a mechanism for determining an alternative rate of interest. The Lender will notify the Borrower, pursuant to Section 2.12(c), in advance of any change to the reference rate upon which the interest rate of Eurodollar Loans is based. However, the Lender does not warrant or accept any responsibility for, and shall not have any liability with respect to, the administration, submission or any other matter related to LIBOR or other rates in the definition of “LIBO Rate” or with respect to any alternative, successor rate thereto, or replacement rate thereof, including without limitation, whether the composition or characteristics of any such alternative, successor or replacement reference rate will be similar to, or produce the same value or economic equivalence of the LIBO Rate or have the same volume or liquidity as did LIBOR prior to its discontinuance or unavailability.

SECTION 1.06. Divisions. For all purposes under the Loan Documents, in connection with any division or plan of division under Delaware law (or any comparable event under a different jurisdiction’s laws): (a) if any asset, right, obligation or liability of any Person becomes the asset, right, obligation or liability of a different Person, then it shall be deemed to have been transferred from the original Person to the subsequent Person, and (b) if any new Person comes into existence, such new Person shall be deemed to have been organized and acquired on the first date of its existence by the holders of its Equity Interests at such time.

 

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ARTICLE II

THE CREDITS

SECTION 2.01. Commitments. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Lender agrees to make Loans in dollars to the Borrower from time to time during the Availability Period in an aggregate principal amount that will not result in the Exposure exceeding the Commitment. Within the foregoing limits and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Borrower may borrow, prepay and reborrow Loans.

SECTION 2.02. Loans and Borrowings.

(a) Each Loan shall be made as part of a Borrowing consisting of Loans of the same Type.

(b) Subject to Section 2.12, each Borrowing shall be comprised entirely of ABR Loans or Eurodollar Loans as the Borrower may request in accordance herewith, provided that all Borrowings made on the Effective Date must be made as ABR Borrowings but may be converted into Eurodollar Borrowings in accordance with Section 2.06. The Lender at its option may make any Eurodollar Loan by causing any domestic or foreign branch or Affiliate of the Lender to make such Loan (and in the case of an Affiliate, the provisions of Sections 2.12, 2.13, 2.14 and 2.15 shall apply to such Affiliate to the same extent as to the Lender); provided that any exercise of such option shall not affect the obligation of the Borrower to repay such Loan in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.

(c) At the commencement of each Interest Period for any Eurodollar Borrowing, such Borrowing shall be in an aggregate amount that is an integral multiple of $1,000,000 and not less than $5,000,000. ABR Borrowings may be in any amount. Borrowings of more than one Type may be outstanding at the same time; provided that there shall not at any time be more than a total of ten Eurodollar Borrowings outstanding.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Borrower shall not be entitled to request, or to elect to convert or continue, any Borrowing if the Interest Period requested with respect thereto would end after the Maturity Date.

SECTION 2.03. Borrowing Procedures; Requests for Borrowings. To request a Borrowing, the Borrower shall notify the Lender of such request either in writing (delivered by hand, fax or through an Electronic System) in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A and signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower or by telephone (a) in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing, not later than 10:00 a.m., Pacific time, three (3) Business Days before the date of the proposed Borrowing or (b) in the case of an ABR Borrowing, not later than noon, Pacific time, on the date of the proposed Borrowing; provided that any such notice of an ABR Borrowing to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as contemplated by Section 2.04(d) may be given not later than 10:00 a.m., Pacific time, on the date of the proposed Borrowing. Each such telephonic Borrowing Request shall be irrevocable and shall be confirmed promptly by hand delivery, fax or through an Electronic System to the Lender of a written Borrowing Request in a form approved by the Lender and signed by the Borrower. Each such telephonic and written Borrowing Request shall specify the following information in compliance with Section 2.01:

 

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(i) the aggregate amount of the requested Borrowing, and a breakdown of the separate wires comprising such Borrowing;

(ii) the date of such Borrowing, which shall be a Business Day;

(iii) whether such Borrowing is to be an ABR Borrowing or a Eurodollar Borrowing; and

(iv) in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing, the initial Interest Period to be applicable thereto, which shall be a period contemplated by the definition of the term “Interest Period.”

If no election as to the Type of Borrowing is specified, then the requested Borrowing shall be an ABR Borrowing. If no Interest Period is specified with respect to any requested Eurodollar Borrowing, then the Borrower shall be deemed to have selected an Interest Period of one month’s duration.

SECTION 2.04. Letters of Credit.

(a) General. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Borrower may request the issuance of Letters of Credit denominated in dollars as the applicant thereof for the support of its or its Subsidiaries’ obligations, in a form reasonably acceptable to the Lender, at any time and from time to time during the Availability Period. In the event of any inconsistency between the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the terms and conditions of any form of letter of credit application or other agreement submitted by the Borrower to, or entered into by the Borrower with, the Lender relating to any Letter of Credit, the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall control. The Borrower unconditionally and irrevocably agrees that, in connection with any Letter of Credit issued for the support of any Subsidiary’s obligations as provided in the first sentence of this paragraph, the Borrower will be fully responsible for the reimbursement of LC Disbursements in accordance with the terms hereof, the payment of interest thereon and the payment of fees due under Section 2.10(b) to the same extent as if it were the sole account party in respect of such Letter of Credit (the Borrower hereby irrevocably waiving any defenses that might otherwise be available to it as a guarantor or surety of the obligations of such Subsidiary that is an account party in respect of any such Letter of Credit).

(b) Notice of Issuance, Amendment, Renewal, Extension; Certain Conditions. To request the issuance of a Letter of Credit (or the amendment, renewal or extension of an outstanding Letter of Credit), the Borrower shall hand deliver or fax (or transmit through an Electronic System, if arrangements for doing so have been approved by the Lender) to the Lender (reasonably in advance of the requested date of issuance, amendment, renewal or extension, but in any event no less than three (3) Business Days) a notice requesting the issuance of a Letter of Credit, or identifying the Letter of Credit to be amended, renewed or extended, and specifying the date of issuance, amendment, renewal or extension (which shall be a Business Day), the date on which such Letter of Credit is to expire (which shall comply with paragraph (c)

 

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of this Section), the amount of such Letter of Credit, the name and address of the beneficiary thereof, and such other information as shall be necessary to prepare, amend, renew or extend such Letter of Credit. If requested by the Lender, the Borrower also shall submit a letter of credit application on the Lender’s standard form in connection with any request for a Letter of Credit. A Letter of Credit shall be issued, amended, renewed or extended only if (and upon issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of each Letter of Credit the Borrower shall be deemed to represent and warrant that), after giving effect to such issuance, amendment, renewal or extension (i) the LC Exposure shall not exceed $15,000,000 and (ii) the Exposure shall not exceed the Commitment.

The Lender shall not be under any obligation to issue any Letter of Credit if:

(i) any order, judgment or decree of any Governmental Authority or arbitrator shall by its terms purport to enjoin or restrain the Lender from issuing such Letter of Credit, or any Requirement of Law relating to the Lender or any request or directive (whether or not having the force of law) from any Governmental Authority with jurisdiction over the Lender shall prohibit, or request that the Lender refrain from, the issuance of letters of credit generally or such Letter of Credit in particular or shall impose upon the Lender with respect to such Letter of Credit any restriction, reserve or capital requirement (for which the Lender is not otherwise compensated hereunder) not in effect on the Effective Date, or shall impose upon the Lender any unreimbursed loss, cost or expense which was not applicable on the Effective Date and which the Lender in good faith deems material to it, or

(ii) the issuance of such Letter of Credit would violate one or more policies of the Lender applicable to letters of credit generally.

(c) Expiration Date. Each Letter of Credit shall expire (or be subject to termination or non-renewal by notice from the Lender to the beneficiary thereof) at or prior to the close of business on the earlier of (i) the date one year after the date of the issuance of such Letter of Credit (or, in the case of any renewal or extension thereof, including, without limitation, any automatic renewal provision, one year after such renewal or extension) and (ii) the date that is five Business Days prior to the Maturity Date.

(d) Reimbursement. If the Lender shall make any LC Disbursement in respect of a Letter of Credit, the Borrower shall reimburse such LC Disbursement by paying to the Lender an amount equal to such LC Disbursement not later than 11:00 a.m., Pacific time, on (i) the Business Day that the Borrower receives notice of such LC Disbursement, if such notice is received prior to 9:00 a.m., Pacific time, on the day of receipt, or (ii) the Business Day immediately following the day that the Borrower receives such notice, if such notice is received after 9:00 a.m., Pacific time, on the day of receipt; provided that, if such LC Disbursement is greater than or equal to $3,000,000, the Borrower may, subject to the conditions to borrowing set forth herein, request in accordance with Section 2.03 or 2.05 that such payment be financed initially with an ABR Borrowing in an equivalent amount and, to the extent so financed, the Borrower’s obligation to make such payment shall be discharged and replaced by the resulting ABR Borrowing.

 

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(e) Obligations Absolute. The Borrower’s obligation to reimburse LC Disbursements as provided in paragraph (d) of this Section shall be absolute, unconditional and irrevocable, and shall be performed strictly in accordance with the terms of this Agreement under any and all circumstances whatsoever and irrespective of any (i) lack of validity or enforceability of any Letter of Credit or this Agreement, or any term or provision therein or herein, (ii) draft or other document presented under a Letter of Credit proving to be forged, fraudulent or invalid in any respect or any statement therein being untrue or inaccurate in any respect, (iii) payment by the Lender under a Letter of Credit against presentation of a draft or other document that does not comply with the terms of such Letter of Credit, or (iv) other event or circumstance whatsoever, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing, that might, but for the provisions of this Section, constitute a legal or equitable discharge of, or provide a right of setoff against, the Borrower’s obligations hereunder. Neither the Lender nor any of its Related Parties, shall have any liability or responsibility by reason of or in connection with the issuance or transfer of any Letter of Credit, any payment or failure to make any payment thereunder (irrespective of any of the circumstances referred to in the preceding sentence), or any error, omission, interruption, loss or delay in transmission or delivery of any draft, notice or other communication under or relating to any Letter of Credit (including any document required to make a drawing thereunder), any error in interpretation of technical terms or any consequence arising from causes beyond the control of the Lender; provided that the foregoing shall not be construed to excuse the Lender from liability to the Borrower to the extent of any direct damages (as opposed to special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages, claims in respect of which are hereby waived by the Borrower to the extent permitted by applicable law) suffered by the Borrower that are caused by the Lender’s failure to exercise care when determining whether drafts and other documents presented under a Letter of Credit comply with the terms thereof. The parties hereto expressly agree that, in the absence of gross negligence or willful misconduct on the part of the Lender (as finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction), the Lender shall be deemed to have exercised care in each such determination. In furtherance of the foregoing and without limiting the generality thereof, the parties agree that, with respect to documents presented which appear on their face to be in substantial compliance with the terms of a Letter of Credit, the Lender may, in its sole discretion, either accept and make payment upon such documents without responsibility for further investigation, regardless of any notice or information to the contrary, or refuse to accept and make payment upon such documents if such documents are not in strict compliance with the terms of such Letter of Credit.

(f) Disbursement Procedures. The Lender shall, within the time allowed by applicable law or the specific terms of the Letter of Credit following its receipt thereof, examine all documents purporting to represent a demand for payment under such Letter of Credit. The Lender shall promptly after such examination notify the Borrower by telephone (confirmed by fax or through Electronic Systems) of such demand for payment if the Lender has made or will make an LC Disbursement thereunder; provided that any failure to give or delay in giving such notice shall not relieve the Borrower of its obligation to reimburse the Lender with respect to any such LC Disbursement.

(g) Interim Interest. If the Lender shall make any LC Disbursement, then, unless the Borrower shall reimburse such LC Disbursement in full on the date such LC Disbursement is made, the unpaid amount thereof shall bear interest, for each day from and including the date such LC Disbursement is made to but excluding the date that the Borrower

 

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reimburses such LC Disbursement, at the rate per annum then applicable to ABR Loans and such interest shall be due and payable on the date when such reimbursement is due; provided that, if the Borrower fails to reimburse such LC Disbursement when due pursuant to paragraph (d) of this Section, then Section 2.11(c) shall apply. Interest accrued pursuant to this paragraph shall be for the account of the Lender.

(h) Cash Collateralization.    If any Default shall occur and be continuing, on the Business Day that the Borrower receives notice from the Lender demanding the deposit of cash collateral pursuant to this paragraph, the Borrower shall deposit in an account with the Lender, in the name and for the benefit of the Lender (the “LC Collateral Account”), an amount in cash equal to 105% of the amount of the LC Exposure as of such date plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon; provided that the obligation to deposit such cash collateral shall become effective immediately, and such deposit shall become immediately due and payable, without demand or other notice of any kind, upon the occurrence of any Event of Default with respect to the Borrower described in clause (h), (i) or (j) of Article VII. The Borrower also shall deposit cash collateral in accordance with this paragraph as and to the extent required by Section 2.09(b). Each such deposit shall be held by the Lender as collateral for the payment and performance of the Obligations. In addition, and without limiting the foregoing or paragraph (c) of this Section, if any LC Exposure remains outstanding after the expiration date specified in said paragraph (c), the Borrower shall immediately deposit in the LC Collateral Account an amount in cash equal to 105% of such LC Exposure as of such date plus any accrued and unpaid interest thereon. The Lender shall have exclusive dominion and control, including the exclusive right of withdrawal, over the LC Collateral Account and the Borrower hereby grants the Lender a security interest in the LC Collateral Account and all moneys or other assets on deposit therein or credited thereto. Other than any interest earned on the investment of such deposits, which investments shall be made at the option and sole discretion of the Lender and at the Borrower’s risk and expense, such deposits shall not bear interest. Interest or profits, if any, on such investments shall accumulate in such account. Moneys in such account shall be applied by the Lender for LC Disbursements for which it has not been reimbursed and, to the extent not so applied, shall be held for the satisfaction of the reimbursement obligations of the Borrower for the LC Exposure at such time or, if the maturity of the Loans has been accelerated, be applied to satisfy other Obligations. If the Borrower is required to provide an amount of cash collateral hereunder as a result of the occurrence of a Default, such amount (to the extent not applied as aforesaid) shall be returned to the Borrower within three (3) Business Days after all such Defaults have been cured or waived as confirmed in writing by the Lender.

(i) LC Exposure Determination. For all purposes of this Agreement, the amount of a Letter of Credit that, by its terms or the terms of any document related thereto, provides for one or more automatic increases in the stated amount thereof shall be deemed to be the maximum stated amount of such Letter of Credit after giving effect to all such increases, whether or not such maximum stated amount is in effect at the time of determination.

SECTION 2.05. Funding of Borrowings. The Lender shall make each Loan to be made by it hereunder on the proposed date thereof available to the Borrower by promptly crediting the amounts in immediately available funds, to the Funding Account; provided that ABR Loans made to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as provided in Section 2.04(d) shall be remitted to the Lender.

 

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SECTION 2.06. Interest Elections.

(a) Each Borrowing initially shall be of the Type specified in the applicable Borrowing Request and, in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing, shall have an initial Interest Period as specified in such Borrowing Request. Thereafter, the Borrower may elect to convert such Borrowing to a different Type or to continue such Borrowing and, in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing, may elect Interest Periods therefor, all as provided in this Section. The Borrower may elect different options with respect to different portions of the affected Borrowing, and the Loans comprising each such portion shall be considered a separate Borrowing.

(b) To make an election pursuant to this Section, the Borrower shall notify the Lender of such election either in writing (delivered by hand or fax) by delivering an Interest Election Request signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower or through an Electronic System, if arrangements for doing so have been approved by the Lender, by the time that a Borrowing Request would be required under Section 2.03 if the Borrower were requesting a Borrowing of the Type resulting from such election to be made on the effective date of such election. Each such Interest Election Request shall be irrevocable.

(c) Each telephonic and written Interest Election Request (including requests submitted through Electronic Systems) shall specify the following information in compliance with Section 2.02:

(i) the Borrowing to which such Interest Election Request applies and, if different options are being elected with respect to different portions thereof, the portions thereof to be allocated to each resulting Borrowing (in which case the information to be specified pursuant to clauses (ii) and (iii) below shall be specified for each resulting Borrowing);

(ii) the effective date of the election made pursuant to such Interest Election Request, which shall be a Business Day;

(iii) whether the resulting Borrowing is to be an ABR Borrowing or a Eurodollar Borrowing; and

(iv) if the resulting Borrowing is a Eurodollar Borrowing, the Interest Period to be applicable thereto after giving effect to such election, which shall be a period contemplated by the definition of the term “Interest Period”.

If any such Interest Election Request requests a Eurodollar Borrowing but does not specify an Interest Period, then the Borrower shall be deemed to have selected an Interest Period of one month’s duration.

(d) If the Borrower fails to deliver a timely Interest Election Request with respect to a Eurodollar Borrowing prior to the end of the Interest Period applicable thereto, then, unless such Borrowing is repaid as provided herein, at the end of such Interest Period such Borrowing shall be converted to an ABR Borrowing. Notwithstanding any contrary provision hereof, if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing and the Lender so notifies the Borrower, then, so long as an Event of Default is continuing (i) no outstanding Borrowing may be converted to or continued as a Eurodollar Borrowing and (ii) unless repaid, each Eurodollar Borrowing shall be converted to an ABR Borrowing at the end of the Interest Period applicable thereto.

 

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SECTION 2.07. Termination and Reduction of Commitment.

(a) Unless previously terminated, the Commitment shall terminate on the Maturity Date.

(b) The Borrower may at any time terminate the Commitment upon (i) the payment in full of all outstanding Loans and LC Disbursements, together with accrued and unpaid interest thereon, (ii) the cancellation and return of all outstanding Letters of Credit (or alternatively, with respect to each such Letter of Credit, the furnishing to the Lender of a cash deposit (or at the discretion of the Lender a backup standby letter of credit satisfactory to the Lender) in an amount equal to 105% of the LC Exposure as of such date), (iii) the payment in full of the accrued and unpaid fees, and (iv) the payment in full of all reimbursable expenses and other Obligations together with accrued and unpaid interest thereon.

(c) The Borrower may from time to time reduce the Commitment; provided that (i) each reduction of the Commitment shall be in an amount that is an integral multiple of $1,000,000 and not less than $5,000,000 and (ii) the Borrower shall not terminate or reduce the Commitment if, after giving effect to any concurrent prepayment of the Loans in accordance with Section 2.09, the Exposure would exceed the Commitment.

(d) The Borrower shall notify the Lender of any election to terminate or reduce the Commitment under paragraphs (b) or (c) of this Section at least three (3) Business Days prior to the effective date of such termination, specifying such election and the effective date thereof. Each notice delivered by the Borrower pursuant to this Section shall be irrevocable; provided that a notice of termination or reduction of the Commitment delivered by the Borrower may state that such notice is conditioned upon the effectiveness of other credit facilities, in which case such notice may be revoked by the Borrower (by notice to the Lender on or prior to the specified effective date) if such condition is not satisfied. Any termination or reduction of the Commitment shall be permanent.

SECTION 2.08. Repayment and Amortization of Loans; Evidence of Debt.

(a) The Borrower hereby unconditionally promises to pay the Lender the then unpaid principal amount of each Loan on the Maturity Date.

(b) The Lender shall maintain in accordance with its usual practice an account or accounts evidencing the Indebtedness of the Borrower to the Lender resulting from each Loan made by the Lender, including the amounts of principal and interest payable and paid to the Lender from time to time hereunder.

(c) The Lender shall maintain accounts in which it shall record (i) the amount of each Loan made hereunder, the Type thereof and the Interest Period applicable thereto, if any, (ii) the amount of any principal or interest due and payable or to become due and payable from the Borrower to the Lender hereunder and (iii) the amount of any sum received by the Lender hereunder.

 

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(d) The entries made in the accounts maintained pursuant to paragraph (b) or (c) of this Section shall be prima facie evidence of the existence and amounts of the obligations recorded therein; provided that the failure of the Lender to maintain such accounts or any error therein shall not in any manner affect the obligation of the Borrower to repay the Loans in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.

(e) The Lender may request that Loans made by it be evidenced by a promissory note. In such event, the Borrower shall prepare, execute and deliver to the Lender a promissory note payable to the Lender (or, if requested by the Lender, to the Lender and its registered assigns) and in a form approved by the Lender. Thereafter, the Loans evidenced by such promissory note and interest thereon shall at all times (including after assignment pursuant to Section 8.04) be represented by one or more promissory notes in such form.

SECTION 2.09. Prepayment of Loans.

(a) The Borrower shall have the right at any time and from time to time to prepay any Borrowing in whole or in part, subject to prior notice in accordance with paragraph (e) of this Section and, if applicable, payment of any break funding expenses under Section 2.14.

(b) In the event and on such occasion that the Exposure exceeds the Commitment, the Borrower shall prepay the Loans and LC Exposure.

(c) The Borrower shall notify the Lender by telephone (confirmed by fax) or through an Electronic System of any prepayment under this Section: (i) in the case of prepayment of a Eurodollar Borrowing, not later than 10:00 a.m., Pacific time, three (3) Business Days before the date of prepayment, or (ii) in the case of prepayment of an ABR Borrowing, not later than 10:00 a.m., Pacific time, on the date of prepayment. Each such notice shall be irrevocable and shall specify the prepayment date and the principal amount of each Borrowing or portion thereof to be prepaid; provided that if a notice of prepayment is given in connection with a conditional notice of termination of the Commitment as contemplated by Section 2.07, then such notice of prepayment may be revoked if such notice of termination is revoked in accordance with Section 2.07. Each partial prepayment of any Borrowing shall be in an amount that would be permitted in the case of an advance of a Borrowing of the same Type as provided in Section 2.02, except as necessary to apply fully the required amount of a mandatory prepayment. Each prepayment of a Borrowing shall be applied ratably to the Loans included in the prepaid Borrowing. Prepayments shall be accompanied by (i) accrued interest to the extent required by Section 2.11 and (ii) break funding payments pursuant to Section 2.14.

(d) At least one time during each two-year period of this Agreement, the Loans outstanding shall be reduced to zero for a period of at least 30 consecutive days.

 

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SECTION 2.10. Fees.

(a) The Borrower agrees to pay to the Lender a commitment fee, which shall accrue at the Applicable Rate on the daily amount of the undrawn portion of the Commitment of the Lender during the period from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the date on which the Lender’s Commitment terminates; it being understood that the LC Exposure shall be included in the drawn portion of the Commitment for purposes of calculating the commitment fee. Accrued commitment fees shall be payable in arrears on the last day of March, June, September and December of each year and on the date on which the Commitment terminates, commencing on the first such date to occur after the date hereof. All commitment fees shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days and shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day).

(b) The Borrower agrees to pay (i) to the Lender a letter of credit fee with respect to Letters of Credit, which shall accrue at the Letter of Credit Fee Rate on the daily amount of the Lender’s LC Exposure during the period from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the later of the date on which the Lender’s Commitment terminates and the date on which the Lender ceases to have any LC Exposure, and (ii) the Lender’s standard fees and commissions with respect to the issuance, amendment, cancellation, negotiation, transfer, presentment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit and other processing fees, and other standard costs and charges, of the Lender relating to Letters of Credit as from time to time in effect. Letter of credit fees accrued through and including the last day of March, June, September and December of each year shall be payable on the third Business Day following such last day, commencing on the first such date to occur after the Effective Date; provided that all such fees shall be payable on the date on which the Commitment terminates and any such fees accruing after the date on which the Commitment terminates shall be payable on demand. Any other fees payable to the Lender pursuant to this paragraph shall be payable within ten (10) days after demand. All letter of credit fees shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days and shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day).

(c) The Borrower agrees to pay to the Lender the fees in the amounts set forth in the fee letter dated as of April 23, 2021 between the Borrower and the Lender on the terms set forth in such fee letter.

(d) All fees payable hereunder shall be paid on the dates due, in immediately available funds, to the Lender. Fees paid shall not be refundable under any circumstances.

SECTION 2.11. Interest.

(a) The Loans comprising each ABR Borrowing shall bear interest at the Alternate Base Rate plus the Applicable Rate.

(b) The Loans comprising each Eurodollar Borrowing shall bear interest at the Adjusted LIBO Rate for the Interest Period in effect for such Borrowing plus the Applicable Rate.

(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, during the occurrence and continuance of an Event of Default, the Lender may, at its option, by notice to the Borrower, declare that (i) all Loans shall bear interest at 2% plus the rate otherwise applicable to such Loans as provided in the preceding paragraphs of this Section or (ii) in the case of any other amount outstanding hereunder, such amount shall accrue at 2% plus the rate applicable to such fee or other obligation as provided hereunder.

 

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(d) Accrued interest on each Loan (for ABR Loans, accrued through the last day of the prior calendar month) shall be payable in arrears on each Interest Payment Date for such Loan and, in the case of Loans, upon termination of the Commitment; provided that (i) interest accrued pursuant to paragraph (c) of this Section shall be payable on demand, (ii) in the event of any repayment or prepayment of any Loan (other than a prepayment of an ABR Loan prior to the end of the Availability Period), accrued interest on the principal amount repaid or prepaid shall be payable on the date of such repayment or prepayment and (iii) in the event of any conversion of any Eurodollar Loan prior to the end of the current Interest Period therefor, accrued interest on such Loan shall be payable on the effective date of such conversion.

(e) All interest hereunder shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days, except that interest computed by reference to the Alternate Base Rate at times when the Alternate Base Rate is based on the Prime Rate shall be computed on the basis of a year of 365 days (or 366 days in a leap year), and in each case shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day). The applicable Alternate Base Rate, Adjusted LIBO Rate or LIBO Rate shall be determined by the Lender, and such determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

SECTION 2.12. Alternate Rate of Interest; Illegality.

(a) Subject to clause (c) of this Section 2.12, if prior to the commencement of any Interest Period for a Eurodollar Borrowing:

(i) the Lender determines (which determination shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest error) that adequate and reasonable means do not exist for ascertaining the Adjusted LIBO Rate or the LIBO Rate, as applicable (including, without limitation, by means of an Interpolated Rate or because the LIBO Screen Rate is not available or published on a current basis) for such Interest Period; provided that no LIBOR Cessation Event shall have occurred at such time; or

(ii) the Lender determines the Adjusted LIBO Rate or the LIBO Rate, as applicable, for such Interest Period will not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to the Lender of making or maintaining its Loans (or Loan) included in such Borrowing for such Interest Period; provided that no LIBOR Cessation Event shall have occurred at such time;

then the Lender shall give notice thereof to the Borrower by telephone, fax or through an Electronic System as provided in Section 8.01 as promptly as practicable thereafter and, until the Lender notifies the Borrower that the circumstances giving rise to such notice no longer exist, (A) any Interest Election Request that requests the conversion of any Borrowing to, or continuation of any Borrowing as, a Eurodollar Borrowing shall be ineffective and any such Eurodollar Borrowing shall be repaid or converted into an ABR Borrowing on the last day of the then current Interest Period applicable thereto, and (B) if any Borrowing Request requests a Eurodollar Borrowing, such Borrowing shall be made as an ABR Borrowing.

 

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(b) If the Lender determines that any Requirement of Law has made it unlawful, or if any Governmental Authority has asserted that it is unlawful, for the Lender or its applicable lending office to make, maintain, fund or continue any Eurodollar Borrowing, or any Governmental Authority has imposed material restrictions on the authority of the Lender to purchase or sell, or to take deposits of, dollars in the London interbank market, then, on notice thereof by the Lender to the Borrower, any obligations of the Lender to make, maintain, fund or continue Eurodollar Loans or to convert ABR Borrowings to Eurodollar Borrowings will be suspended until the Lender notifies the Borrower that the circumstances giving rise to such determination no longer exist. Upon receipt of such notice, the Borrower will upon demand from the Lender, either prepay or convert all Eurodollar Borrowings of the Lender to ABR Borrowings, either on the last day of the Interest Period therefor, if the Lender may lawfully continue to maintain such Eurodollar Borrowings to such day, or immediately, if the Lender may not lawfully continue to maintain such Loans. Upon any such prepayment or conversion, the Borrower will also pay accrued interest on the amount so prepaid or converted.

(c) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein or in any other Loan Document, if a LIBOR Cessation Event has occurred, then, upon written notice by the Lender to Borrower, at such time selected by the Lender, but not later than the actual date of permanent cessation of the LIBO Rate, (i) the LIBO Rate shall be replaced, for all purposes hereunder and under any other Loan Document, without any amendment to, or further action or consent of, any other party to this Agreement or any other Loan Document, by the (a) sum of Term SOFR and the related Benchmark Replacement Adjustment (such sum, the “Adjusted Term SOFR”) if the Term SOFR Transition Conditions are satisfied at such time, or (b) the sum of Daily Simple SOFR and the related Benchmark Replacement Adjustment (such sum, the “Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR”) if the Term SOFR Transition Conditions are not satisfied at such time; provided that if the Term SOFR Transition Conditions are satisfied after the LIBO Rate is replaced by the Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR, the Lender may by at least ten (10) Business Days’ prior written notice to Borrower, replace such rate with the Adjusted Term SOFR. In the event that either the Adjusted Term SOFR or the Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR shall be less than zero, such rate will be deemed to be zero for the purposes of this Agreement. If a LIBOR Cessation Event shall have occurred and neither Term SOFR nor Daily Simple SOFR is available, then, upon written notice by the Lender to Borrower, until such rates are available, (x) the then outstanding Eurodollar Borrowings shall accrue interest at the Alternate Base Rate (without regard to clause (c) thereof) plus the Applicable Rate with respect to the appropriate “ABR Rate Spread” specified within such Applicable Rate definition, unless the Lender and Borrower agree on a different rate and (y) if any request for a Loan under Section 2.03 requests a Eurodollar Loan, such Loan shall be made, instead, as an ABR Loan or a rate offered by the Lender in its sole discretion and accepted by Borrower. For avoidance of doubt, if some Interest Periods for the LIBO Rate become unavailable prior to a LIBOR Cessation Event, those Interest Periods will no longer be available for selection by Borrower.

(d) In connection with the implementation of a rate replacement described in clause (c) above, the Lender may from time to time, upon written notice to Borrower, make any technical, administrative or operational changes to this Agreement or any other Loan Documents (including changes to the definition of “Alternate Base Rate,” the definition of “Business Day”, the timing and frequency of determining rates and making payments of interest, the timing of prepayment or conversion notices, the length of lookback periods, the applicability of breakage provisions and other technical, administrative or operational matters) that the Lender decides in its reasonable discretion may be appropriate to reflect the adoption and implementation of such rate replacement and to permit the administration thereof by the Lender.

 

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SECTION 2.13. Increased Costs. (a) If any Change in Law shall:

(i) impose, modify or deem applicable any reserve, special deposit, liquidity or similar requirement (including any compulsory loan requirement, insurance charge or other assessment) against assets of, deposits with or for the account of, or credit extended by, the Lender (except any such reserve requirement reflected in the Adjusted LIBO Rate); or

(ii) impose on the Lender or the London interbank market any other condition, cost or expense (other than Taxes) affecting this Agreement or Loans made by the Lender or any Letter of Credit; or

(iii) subject the Lender to any Taxes (other than (A) Indemnified Taxes, (B) Taxes described in clauses (b) through (d) of the definition of Excluded Taxes and (C) Connection Income Taxes) on its loans, loan principal, letters of credit, commitments, or other obligations, or its deposits, reserves, other liabilities or capital attributable thereto;

and the result of any of the foregoing shall be to increase the cost to the Lender of making, continuing, converting into or maintaining any Loan (or of maintaining its obligation to make any such Loan) or to increase the cost to the Lender of issuing or maintaining any Letter of Credit or to reduce the amount of any sum received or receivable by the Lender hereunder (whether of principal, interest or otherwise), then the Borrower will pay to the Lender such additional amount or amounts as will compensate the Lender for such additional costs incurred or reduction suffered.

(b) If the Lender determines that any Change in Law regarding capital or liquidity requirements has or would have the effect of reducing the rate of return on the Lender’s capital or on the capital of the Lender’s holding company as a consequence of this Agreement, the Commitment of or the Loans made by Letters of Credit issued by the Lender to a level below that which the Lender or the Lender’s holding company could have achieved but for such Change in Law (taking into consideration the Lender’s policies and the policies of the Lender’s holding company with respect to capital adequacy and liquidity), then from time to time the Borrower will pay to the Lender such additional amount or amounts as will compensate the Lender or the Lender’s holding company for any such reduction suffered.

(c) A certificate of the Lender setting forth the amount or amounts necessary to compensate the Lender or its holding company, as the case may be, as specified in paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section shall be delivered to the Borrower and shall be conclusive absent manifest error. The Borrower shall pay the Lender the amount shown as due on any such certificate within ten (10) days after receipt thereof.

 

 

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(d) Failure or delay on the part of the Lender to demand compensation pursuant to this Section shall not constitute a waiver of the Lender’s right to demand such compensation; provided that the Borrower shall not be required to compensate the Lender pursuant to this Section for any increased costs or reductions incurred more than 270 days prior to the date that the Lender notifies the Borrower of the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions and of the Lender’s intention to claim compensation therefor; provided further that, if the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions is retroactive, then the 270-day period referred to above shall be extended to include the period of retroactive effect thereof.

SECTION 2.14. Break Funding Payments. In the event of (a) the payment of any principal of any Eurodollar Loan other than on the last day of an Interest Period applicable thereto (including as a result of an Event of Default or as a result of any prepayment pursuant to Section 2.09), (b) the conversion of any Eurodollar Loan other than on the last day of the Interest Period applicable thereto, or (c) the failure to borrow, convert, continue or prepay any Eurodollar Loan on the date specified in any notice delivered pursuant hereto (regardless of whether such notice may be revoked under Section 2.07(c) and is revoked in accordance therewith), then, in any such event, the Borrower shall compensate the Lender for the loss, cost and expense attributable to such event. In the case of a Eurodollar Loan, such loss, cost or expense to the Lender shall be deemed to include an amount determined by the Lender to be the excess, if any, of (i) the amount of interest which would have accrued on the principal amount of such Eurodollar Loan had such event not occurred, at the Adjusted LIBO Rate that would have been applicable to such Eurodollar Loan, for the period from the date of such event to the last day of the then current Interest Period therefor (or, in the case of a failure to borrow, convert or continue, for the period that would have been the Interest Period for such Eurodollar Loan), over (ii) the amount of interest which would accrue on such principal amount for such period at the interest rate which the Lender would bid were it to bid, at the commencement of such period, for dollar deposits of a comparable amount and period from other banks in the eurodollar market. A certificate of the Lender setting forth any amount or amounts that the Lender is entitled to receive pursuant to this Section shall be delivered to the Borrower and shall be conclusive absent manifest error. The Borrower shall pay the Lender the amount shown as due on any such certificate within ten (10) days after receipt thereof.

SECTION 2.15. Taxes.

(a) Withholding Taxes; Gross-Up; Payments Free of Taxes. Any and all payments by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower under any Loan Document shall be made without deduction or withholding for any Taxes, except as required by applicable law. If any applicable law (as determined in the good faith discretion of an applicable withholding agent) requires the deduction or withholding of any Tax from any such payment by a withholding agent, then the applicable withholding agent shall be entitled to make such deduction or withholding and shall timely pay the full amount deducted or withheld to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable law and, if such Tax is an Indemnified Tax, then the sum payable by the Borrower shall be increased as necessary so that after such deduction or withholding has been made (including such deductions and withholdings applicable to additional sums payable under this Section 2.15), the Lender receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such deduction or withholding been made.

 

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(b) Payment of Other Taxes by the Borrower. The Borrower shall timely pay to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable law, or at the option of the Lender, timely reimburse it for, Other Taxes.

(c) Evidence of Payment. As soon as practicable after any payment of Taxes by the Borrower to a Governmental Authority pursuant to this Section 2.15, the Borrower shall deliver to the Lender the original or a certified copy of a receipt issued by such Governmental Authority evidencing such payment, a copy of the return reporting such payment, or other evidence of such payment reasonably satisfactory to the Lender.

(d) Indemnification by the Borrower. The Borrower shall indemnify the Lender, within ten (10) days after demand therefor, for the full amount of any Indemnified Taxes (including Indemnified Taxes imposed or asserted on or attributable to amounts payable under this Section) payable or paid by the Lender or required to be withheld or deducted from a payment to the Lender and any reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such Indemnified Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority. A certificate as to the amount of such payment or liability delivered to the Borrower by the Lender shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

(e) Treatment of Certain Refunds. If the Lender determines, in its sole discretion exercised in good faith, that it has received a refund of any Taxes as to which it has been indemnified pursuant to this Section 2.15 (including by the payment of additional amounts pursuant to this Section 2.15), it shall pay to the indemnifying party an amount equal to such refund (but only to the extent of indemnity payments made under this Section 2.15 with respect to the Taxes giving rise to such refund), net of all out-of-pocket expenses (including Taxes) of the Lender and without interest (other than any interest paid by the relevant Governmental Authority with respect to such refund). Such indemnifying party, upon the request of the Lender, shall repay to the Lender the amount paid to the Lender (plus any penalties, interest or other charges imposed by the relevant Governmental Authority) in the event the Lender is required to repay such refund to such Governmental Authority. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this paragraph (e), in no event will the Lender be required to pay any amount to any indemnifying party pursuant to this paragraph (e), the payment of which would place the Lender in a less favorable net after-Tax position than the Lender would have been in if the Tax subject to indemnification and giving rise to such refund had not been deducted, withheld or otherwise imposed and the indemnification payments or additional amounts giving rise to such refund had never been paid. This paragraph (e) shall not be construed to require the Lender to make available its Tax returns (or any other information relating to its Taxes that it deems confidential) to the indemnifying party or any other Person.

(f) Survival. Each party’s obligations under this Section 2.15 shall survive the resignation or replacement of the Lender or any assignment of rights by, or the replacement of, the Lender, the termination of the Commitment and the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all obligations under any Loan Document.

(g) Status of Lenders.

 

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(i) Any Lender that is entitled to an exemption from or reduction of U.S. federal withholding Tax with respect to payments made under any Loan Document shall deliver to the Borrower, at the time or times reasonably requested by the Borrower, such properly completed and executed documentation reasonably requested by the Borrower as will permit such payments to be made without withholding or at a reduced rate of withholding. In addition, any Lender, if reasonably requested by the Borrower, shall deliver such other documentation prescribed by applicable law or reasonably requested by the Borrower as will enable the Borrower to determine whether or not such Lender is subject to backup withholding or information reporting requirements. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the preceding two sentences, the completion, execution and submission of such documentation (other than such documentation set forth in Section 2.15(g)(ii)(A), (ii)(B) and (ii)(D) below) shall not be required if in the Lender’s reasonable judgment such completion, execution or submission would subject such Lender to any material unreimbursed cost or expense or would materially prejudice the legal or commercial position of such Lender.

(ii) Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, in the event that the Borrower is a U.S. Borrower,

(A) any Lender that is a U.S. Person shall deliver to the Borrower on or prior to the date on which such Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of the Borrower), executed copies of IRS Form W-9 certifying that such Lender is exempt from U.S. federal backup withholding tax;

(B) any Foreign Lender shall, to the extent it is legally entitled to do so, deliver to the Borrower (in such number of copies as shall be requested by the Borrower) on or prior to the date on which such Foreign Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of the Borrower), whichever of the following is applicable:

(1) in the case of a Foreign Lender claiming the benefits of an income tax treaty to which the United States is a party (x) with respect to payments of interest under any Loan Document, executed copies of IRS Form W-8BEN, or IRS Form W-8BEN-E, or applicable successor form, establishing an exemption from, or reduction of, U.S. federal withholding Tax pursuant to the “interest” article of such tax treaty and (y) with respect to any other applicable payments under any Loan Document, IRS Form W-8BEN, or IRS Form W-8BEN-E, or applicable successor form, establishing an exemption from, or reduction of, U.S. federal withholding Tax pursuant to the “business profits” or “other income” article of such tax treaty;

(2) executed copies of IRS Form W-8ECI;

 

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(3) in the case of a Foreign Lender claiming the benefits of the exemption for portfolio interest under Section 881(c) of the Code, (x) a certificate in the form as reasonably determined by the Borrower to the effect that such Foreign Lender is not a “bank” within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, a “10 percent shareholder” of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(B) of the Code, or a “controlled foreign corporation” described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code (a “U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate”) and (y) executed copies of IRS Form W-8BEN, or IRS Form W-8BEN-E, or applicable successor form; or

(4) to the extent a Foreign Lender is not the beneficial owner, executed copies of IRS Form W-8IMY, accompanied by IRS Form W-8ECI, IRS Form W-8BEN, or IRS Form W-8BEN-E, or applicable successor form, a U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate in the form as reasonably determined by the Borrower, IRS Form W-9, and/or other certification documents from each beneficial owner, as applicable; provided that if the Foreign Lender is a partnership and one or more direct or indirect partners of such Foreign Lender are claiming the portfolio interest exemption, such Foreign Lender may provide a U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate in the form as reasonably determined by the Borrower, on behalf of each such direct and indirect partner;

(C) any Foreign Lender shall, to the extent it is legally entitled to do so, deliver to the Borrower (in such number of copies as shall be requested by the recipient) on or prior to the date on which such Foreign Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of the Borrower), executed copies of any other form prescribed by applicable law as a basis for claiming exemption from or a reduction in U.S. federal withholding Tax, duly completed, together with such supplementary documentation as may be prescribed by applicable law to permit the Borrower to determine the withholding or deduction required to be made; and

(D) if a payment made to a Lender under any Loan Document would be subject to U.S. federal withholding Tax imposed by FATCA if such Lender were to fail to comply with the applicable reporting requirements of FATCA (including those contained in Section 1471(b) or 1472(b) of the Code, as applicable), such Lender shall deliver to the Borrower at the time or times prescribed by law and at such time or times reasonably requested by the Borrower such documentation prescribed by applicable law (including as prescribed by Section 1471(b)(3)(C)(i) of the Code) and such additional documentation reasonably requested by the Borrower as may be necessary for the Borrower to comply with its obligations under FATCA and to determine that such Lender has complied with such Lender’s obligations under FATCA or to determine the amount to deduct and withhold from such payment. Solely for purposes of this clause (D), “FATCA” shall include any amendments made to FATCA after the date of this Agreement.

 

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The Lender agrees that if any form or certification it previously delivered expires or becomes obsolete or inaccurate in any respect, it shall update such form or certification or promptly notify the Borrower in writing of its legal inability to do so.

(h) Defined Terms. For purposes of this Section 2.15, the term “applicable law” includes FATCA.

SECTION 2.16. Payments Generally; Allocation of Proceeds.

(a) The Borrower shall make each payment required to be made by it hereunder (whether of principal, interest, fees or reimbursement of LC Disbursements, or of amounts payable under Sections 2.13, 2.14 or 2.15, or otherwise) prior to 2:00 p.m., Pacific time, on the date when due, in immediately available funds, without set-off, recoupment or counterclaim. Any amounts received after such time on any date may, in the discretion of the Lender, be deemed to have been received on the next succeeding Business Day for purposes of calculating interest thereon. All such payments shall be made to the Lender at its offices at 10 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL 60603. If any payment hereunder shall be due on a day that is not a Business Day, the date for payment shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day, and, in the case of any payment accruing interest, interest thereon shall be payable for the period of such extension. All payments hereunder shall be made in dollars.

(b) At the election of the Lender, all payments of principal, interest, LC Disbursements, fees, premiums, reimbursable expenses (including, without limitation, all reimbursement for fees, costs and expenses pursuant to Section 8.03), and other sums payable under the Loan Documents, may be paid from the proceeds of Borrowings made hereunder, whether made following a request by the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.03 or a deemed request as provided in this Section or may be deducted from any deposit account of the Borrower maintained with the Lender. The Borrower hereby irrevocably authorizes the Lender to make a Borrowing for the purpose of paying each payment of principal, interest and fees as it becomes due hereunder or any other amount due under the Loan Documents and agrees that all such amounts charged shall constitute Loans, and that all such Borrowings shall be deemed to have been requested pursuant to Section 2.03.

(c) The Lender may from time to time provide the Borrower with account statements or invoices with respect to any of the Obligations (the “Statements”). The Lender is under no duty or obligation to provide Statements, which, if provided, will be solely for the Borrower’s convenience. Statements may contain estimates of the amounts owed during the relevant billing period, whether of principal, interest, fees or other Obligations. If the Borrower pays the full amount indicated on a Statement on or before the due date indicated on such Statement, the Borrower shall not be in default of payment with respect to the billing period indicated on such Statement; provided, that acceptance by the Lender of any payment that is less than the total amount actually due at that time (including but not limited to any past due amounts) shall not constitute a waiver of the Lender’s right to receive payment in full at another time.

 

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SECTION 2.17. Indemnity for Returned Payments. If after receipt of any payment which is applied to the payment of all or any part of the Obligations (including a payment effected through exercise of a right of setoff), the Lender is for any reason compelled to surrender such payment or proceeds to any Person because such payment or application of proceeds is invalidated, declared fraudulent, set aside, determined to be void or voidable as a preference, impermissible setoff, or a diversion of trust funds, or for any other reason (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by the Lender in its discretion), then the Obligations or part thereof intended to be satisfied shall be revived and continued and this Agreement shall continue in full force as if such payment or proceeds had not been received by the Lender. The provisions of this Section 2.17 shall be and remain effective notwithstanding any contrary action which may have been taken by the Lender in reliance upon such payment or application of proceeds. The provisions of this Section 2.17 shall survive the termination of this Agreement.

ARTICLE III

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

The Borrower represents and warrants to the Lender that (and where applicable, agrees):

SECTION 3.01. Organization; Powers. The Borrower and each Subsidiary is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, has all requisite power and authority to carry on its business as now conducted and, except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, is qualified to do business in, and is in good standing in, every jurisdiction where such qualification is required.

SECTION 3.02. Authorization; Enforceability. The Transactions are within the Borrower’s organizational powers and have been duly authorized by all necessary organizational actions and, if required, actions by equity holders. Each Loan Document has been duly executed and delivered by the Borrower and constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Borrower, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and subject to general principles of equity, regardless of whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law.

SECTION 3.03. Governmental Approvals; No Conflicts. The Transactions (a) do not require Regulatory Approval or any consent or approval of, registration or filing with, or any other action by, any Governmental Authority, except such as have been obtained or made and are in full force and effect, (b) will not violate any Requirement of Law applicable to the Borrower or any Subsidiary, (c) will not violate or result in a default under any Material Agreement binding upon the Borrower or any Subsidiary or the assets of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, or give rise to a right thereunder to require any payment to be made by the Borrower or any Subsidiary, and (d) will not result in the creation or imposition of any Lien on any asset of the Borrower or any Subsidiary.

 

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SECTION 3.04. Financial Condition; No Material Adverse Change.

(a) The Borrower has heretofore furnished to the Lender the consolidated balance sheet and statements of income, stockholders equity and cash flows of Holdco as of and for the fiscal year ended 2020, reported on by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, independent public accountants. The Borrower has heretofore furnished to the Lender the consolidating balance sheet and statements of income and cash flows of Holdco as of and for the fiscal year ended 2020, certified by a Financial Officer. Such financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position and results of operations and cash flows of Holdco and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of such dates and for such periods in accordance with GAAP.

(b) No event, change or condition has occurred that has had, or could reasonably be expected to have, a Material Adverse Effect, since December 31, 2020.

SECTION 3.05. Properties.

(a) Each material lease and sublease of Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries is valid and enforceable in accordance with its terms and is in full force and effect, and no default by any party to any such lease or sublease exists. The Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries have good and indefeasible title to, or valid leasehold interests in, all of their real and personal property that is necessary to conduct their business, and such property is free of all Liens other than those permitted by Section 6.02.

(b) The Borrower and each Subsidiary owns, or is licensed to use, all trademarks, tradenames, copyrights, patents and other intellectual property necessary to its business as currently conducted, and the use thereof by the Borrower and each Subsidiary does not infringe in any material respect upon the rights of any other Person, and, other than with respect to software licenses, the Borrower’s and each Subsidiary’s rights thereto are not subject to any licensing agreement or similar arrangement.

SECTION 3.06. Litigation and Environmental Matters.

(a) There are no actions, suits or proceedings by or before any arbitrator or Governmental Authority pending against or, to the knowledge of the Borrower, threatened against or affecting the Borrower or any Subsidiary (i) as to which there is a reasonable possibility of an adverse determination and that, if adversely determined, could reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect (other than the Disclosed Matters set forth on Schedule 3.06) or (ii) that involve any Loan Document or the Transactions.

(b) Except for the Disclosed Matters, (i) neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary has received notice of any claim with respect to any Environmental Liability or knows of any basis for any Environmental Liability that, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect and (ii) and except with respect to any other matters that, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary (A) has failed to comply with any Environmental Law or to obtain, maintain or comply with any permit, license or other approval required under any Environmental Law (B) has become subject to any Environmental Liability, (C) has received notice of any claim with respect to any Environmental Liability or (D) knows of any basis for any Environmental Liability.

 

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(c) Since the date of this Agreement, there has been no change in the status of the Disclosed Matters that, individually or in the aggregate, has resulted in, or materially increased the likelihood of, a Material Adverse Effect.

SECTION 3.07. Compliance with Laws and Agreements; No Default. Except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, the Borrower and each Subsidiary is in compliance with (i) all Requirements of Law applicable to it or its property and (ii) all indentures, agreements and other instruments binding upon it or its property. No Default has occurred and is continuing.

SECTION 3.08. Investment Company Status. Neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary is an “investment company” as defined in, or subject to regulation under, the Investment Company Act of 1940.

SECTION 3.09. Taxes. The Borrower and each Subsidiary has timely filed or caused to be filed all Tax returns and reports required to have been filed and has paid or caused to be paid all Taxes required to have been paid by it, except (a) Taxes that are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which the Borrower or such Subsidiary, as applicable, has set aside on its books adequate reserves or (b) to the extent that the failure to do so could not be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. No tax liens have been filed and no claims are being asserted with respect to any such taxes.

SECTION 3.10. ERISA. No ERISA Event has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur that, when taken together with all other such ERISA Events for which liability is reasonably expected to occur, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. No Plan is, or is reasonably expected to become, an “at-risk” plan within the meaning of Section 430 of the Code or Section 303 of ERISA.

SECTION 3.11. Disclosure. (a) The Borrower has disclosed to the Lender all agreements, instruments and corporate or other restrictions to which the Borrower or any Subsidiary is subject, and all other matters known to it, that, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. None of the reports, financial statements, certificates or other information furnished by or on behalf of the Borrower or any Subsidiary to the Lender in connection with the negotiation of this Agreement or any other Loan Document (as modified or supplemented by other information so furnished) contains any material misstatement of fact or omits to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that, with respect to projected financial information, the Borrower represents only that such information was prepared in good faith based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable at the time delivered and, if such projected financial information was delivered prior to the Effective Date, as of the Effective Date.

(b) To the knowledge of the Borrower, the information included in the Beneficial Ownership Certification provided on or prior to April 23, 2021 to any Lender in connection with this Agreement is true and correct in all respects.

 

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SECTION 3.12. Material Agreements. All Material Agreements to which the Borrower or any Subsidiary is a party or is bound as of the date of this Agreement are listed on Schedule 3.12. Neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary is in default in the performance, observance or fulfillment of any of the obligations, covenants or conditions contained in any Material Agreement to which it is a party.

SECTION 3.13. Solvency. (a) Immediately after the consummation of the Transactions to occur on the Effective Date, (i) the fair value of the assets of the Borrower, at a fair valuation, will exceed its debts and liabilities, subordinated, contingent or otherwise; (ii) the present fair saleable value of the property of the Borrower will be greater than the amount that will be required to pay the probable liability of its debts and other liabilities, subordinated, contingent or otherwise, as such debts and other liabilities become absolute and matured; (iii) the Borrower will be able to pay its debts and liabilities, subordinated, contingent or otherwise, as such debts and liabilities become absolute and matured; and (iv) Borrower will not have unreasonably small capital with which to conduct the business in which it is engaged as such business is now conducted and is proposed to be conducted after the Effective Date.

(b) The Borrower does not intend to, nor will it permit any Subsidiary to, and the Borrower does not believe that it or any Subsidiary will, incur debts beyond its ability to pay such debts as they mature, taking into account the timing of and amounts of cash to be received by it or any such Subsidiary and the timing of the amounts of cash to be payable on or in respect of its Indebtedness or the Indebtedness of any such Subsidiary.

SECTION 3.14. Insurance. As of the Effective Date, all premiums in respect of the Borrower’s and its Subsidiaries’ insurance have been paid. The Borrower believes that the insurance maintained by or on behalf of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries is adequate and is customary for companies engaged in the same or similar businesses operating in the same or similar locations.

SECTION 3.15. Capitalization and Subsidiaries. As of the Effective Date, Schedule 3.15 sets forth (a) a correct and complete list of the name and relationship to the Borrower of each Subsidiary, (b) a true and complete listing of each class of each of the Borrower’s authorized Equity Interests, of which all of such issued Equity Interests are validly issued, outstanding, fully paid and non-assessable, and owned beneficially and of record by the Persons identified on Schedule 3.15, and (c) the type of entity of the Borrower and each Subsidiary. All of the issued and outstanding Equity Interests owned by the Borrower in its Subsidiaries have been (to the extent such concepts are relevant with respect to such ownership interests) duly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable.

SECTION 3.16. Employment Matters. As of the Effective Date, there are no strikes, lockouts or slowdowns against the Borrower or any Subsidiary pending or, to the knowledge of the Borrower, threatened. The hours worked by and payments made to employees of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries have not been in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act or any other applicable federal, state, local or foreign law dealing with such matters. All payments due from the Borrower or any Subsidiary, or for which any claim may be made against the Borrower or any Subsidiary, on account of wages and employee health and welfare insurance and other benefits, have been paid or accrued as a liability on the books of the Borrower or such Subsidiary.

 

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SECTION 3.17. Federal Reserve Regulations. No part of the proceeds of any Loan or Letter of Credit has been used or will be used, whether directly or indirectly, for any purpose that entails a violation of any of the Regulations of the Federal Reserve Board, including Regulations T, U and X.

SECTION 3.18. Use of Proceeds. The proceeds of the Loans have been used and will be used, whether directly or indirectly as set forth in Section 5.08.

SECTION 3.19. No Burdensome Restrictions. The Borrower is not subject to any Burdensome Restrictions except Burdensome Restrictions permitted under Section 6.10.

SECTION 3.20. Anti-Corruption Laws and Sanctions. The Borrower has implemented and maintains in effect policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance by the Borrower, its Subsidiaries and their respective directors, officers, employees and agents with Anti-Corruption Laws and applicable Sanctions, and the Borrower, its Subsidiaries and their respective officers and employees and to the knowledge of the Borrower its directors and agents, are in compliance with Anti-Corruption Laws and applicable Sanctions in all material respects. None of (a) the Borrower, any Subsidiary or any of their respective directors, officers or employees, or (b) to the knowledge of any the Borrower or Subsidiary, any agent of the Borrower or any Subsidiary that will act in any capacity in connection with or benefit from the credit facility established hereby, is a Sanctioned Person. No Borrowing or Letter of Credit, use of proceeds, Transaction or other transaction contemplated by this Agreement or the other Loan Documents will violate Anti-Corruption Laws or applicable Sanctions.

SECTION 3.21. Plan Assets; Prohibited Transactions. None of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries is an entity deemed to hold “plan assets” (within the meaning of the Plan Asset Regulations), and neither the execution, delivery nor performance of the Transactions, including the making of any Loan and the issuance of any Letter of Credit hereunder, will give rise to a non-exempt prohibited transaction under Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code.

ARTICLE IV

CONDITIONS

SECTION 4.01. Effective Date. The obligations of the Lender to make the initial Loans and to issue the initial Letters of Credit hereunder shall not become effective until the date on which each of the following conditions is satisfied (or waived in accordance with Section 8.02):

(a) Credit Agreement and Loan Documents. The Lender (or its counsel) shall have received (i) from each party hereto either (A) a counterpart of this Agreement signed on behalf of such party or (B) written evidence satisfactory to the Lender (which may include fax or other electronic transmission of a signed signature page of this Agreement) that such party has signed a counterpart of this Agreement and (ii) duly executed copies of the Loan Documents and such other certificates, documents, instruments and agreements as the Lender shall reasonably request in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the other Loan Documents.

 

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(b) Financial Statements and Projections. The Lender shall have received (i) audited consolidated financial statements of Holdco for the 2020 fiscal year, and (ii) unaudited interim consolidated financial statements of Holdco for each fiscal quarter ended after the date of the latest applicable financial statements delivered pursuant to clause (i) of this paragraph as to which such financial statements are available, and such financial statements shall not, in the reasonable judgment of the Lender, reflect any material adverse change in the consolidated financial condition of Holdco, as reflected in the audited, consolidated financial statements described in clause (i) of this paragraph.

(c) Closing Certificates; Certified Certificate of Incorporation; Good Standing Certificates. The Lender shall have received (i) a certificate of the Borrower, dated the Effective Date and executed by its Secretary or Assistant Secretary, which shall (A) certify the resolutions of its Board of Directors, members or other body authorizing the execution, delivery and performance of the Loan Documents to which it is a party, (B) identify by name and title and bear the signatures of the officers of the Borrower authorized to sign the Loan Documents to which it is a party and its Financial Officers, and (C) contain appropriate attachments, including the charter, articles or certificate of organization or incorporation of the Borrower certified by the relevant authority of the jurisdiction of organization of the Borrower and a true and correct copy of its bylaws or operating, management or partnership agreement, or other organizational or governing documents, and (ii) a long form good standing certificate for the Borrower from its jurisdiction of organization.

(d) No Default Certificate. The Lender shall have received a certificate, signed by a Financial Officer of the Borrower, dated as of the Effective Date (i) stating that no Default has occurred and is continuing, (ii) stating that the representations and warranties contained in the Loan Documents are true and correct as of such date, (iii) certifying as to the Borrower’s current Credit Rating, and (iv) certifying as to any other factual matters as may be reasonably requested by the Lender.

(e) Fees. The Lender shall have received all fees required to be paid, and all expenses required to be reimbursed for which invoices have been presented (including the reasonable fees and expenses of legal counsel), on or before the Effective Date. All such amounts will be paid with proceeds of Loans made on the Effective Date and will be reflected in the funding instructions given by the Borrower to the Lender on or before the Effective Date.

(f) Lien Searches. The Lender shall have received the results of a recent lien search in the jurisdiction of organization of the Borrower and each jurisdiction where assets of the Borrower are located, and such search shall reveal no Liens on any of the assets of the Borrower except for liens permitted by Section 6.02 or discharged on or prior to the Effective Date pursuant to a pay-off letter or other documentation satisfactory to the Lender.

(g) Funding Account. The Lender shall have received a notice setting forth the deposit account of the Borrower (the “Funding Account”) to which the Lender is authorized by the Borrower to transfer the proceeds of any Borrowings requested or authorized pursuant to this Agreement.

 

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(h) Solvency. The Lender shall have received a solvency certificate signed by a Financial Officer dated the Effective Date in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Lender.

(i) Insurance. The Lender shall have received evidence of insurance coverage in form, scope, and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Lender and otherwise in compliance with the terms of Section 5.10 of this Agreement.

(j) Letter of Credit Application. The Lender shall have received a properly completed letter of credit application (whether standalone or pursuant to a master agreement, as applicable) if the issuance of a Letter of Credit will be required on the Effective Date.

(k) Legal Due Diligence. The Lender and its counsel shall have completed all legal due diligence, the results of which shall be satisfactory to Lender in its sole discretion.

(l)    USA PATRIOT Act, Etc. The Lender shall have received all documentation and other information required by bank regulatory authorities under applicable “know your customer” and anti-money laundering rules and regulations, including USA PATRIOT Act, and a properly completed and signed IRS Form W-8 or W-9, as applicable, for the Borrower.

(m) Payoff. The Lender shall have received evidence satisfactory to it that any credit facility currently in effect for the Borrower shall have been terminated and cancelled and all indebtedness thereunder shall have been fully repaid (except to the extent being so repaid with the initial Loans) and any and all liens thereunder shall have been terminated.

(n) Other Documents. The Lender shall have received such other documents as the Lender or its counsel may have reasonably requested.

The Lender shall notify the Borrower of the Effective Date, and such notice shall be conclusive and binding.

SECTION 4.02. Each Credit Event. The obligation of the Lender to make a Loan on the occasion of any Borrowing, and to issue, amend, renew or extend any Letter of Credit, is subject to the satisfaction of the following conditions:

(a) The representations and warranties of the Borrower set forth in the Loan Documents shall be true and correct in all material respects with the same effect as though made on and as of the date of such Borrowing or the date of issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of such Letter of Credit, as applicable (it being understood and agreed that any representation or warranty which by its terms is made as of a specified date shall be required to be true and correct in all material respects only as of such specified date, and that any representation or warranty which is subject to any materiality qualifier shall be required to be true and correct in all respects).

 

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(b) At the time of and immediately after giving effect to such Borrowing or the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of such Letter of Credit, as applicable, no Default shall have occurred and be continuing.

(c) No event shall have occurred and no condition shall exist which has or could be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

Each Borrowing and each issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of a Letter of Credit shall be deemed to constitute a representation and warranty by the Borrower on the date thereof as to the matters specified in paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of this Section.

ARTICLE V

AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS

Until the Commitment shall have expired or been terminated and the principal of and interest on each Loan and all fees payable hereunder shall have been paid in full and all Letters of Credit shall have expired or terminated, in each case without any pending draw, and all LC Disbursements shall have been reimbursed, the Borrower covenants and agrees with the Lender that:

SECTION 5.01. Financial Statements; Other Information. The Borrower will furnish to the Lender:

(a) within 100 days after the end of each fiscal year of Borrower (commencing with the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021), its audited consolidated balance sheet and related income statement, stockholders’ equity and cash flows, as of the end of and for such year, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the previous fiscal year, all reported on by independent public accountants of recognized national standing (without a “going concern” or like qualification, commentary or exception, and without any qualification or exception as to the scope of such audit) to the effect that such consolidated financial statements present fairly in all material respects the financial condition and results of operations of Borrower and its consolidated Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP consistently applied, accompanied by any management letter prepared by said accountants;

(b) within 60 days after the end of each of the first three fiscal quarters of Holdco (commencing with the fiscal quarter ending March 31, 2021), (i) its consolidated balance sheet and related income statement and stockholders’ equity as of the end of and for such fiscal quarter and the then elapsed portion of such fiscal year, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the corresponding period or periods of (or, in the case of the balance sheet, as of the end of) the previous fiscal year and in the case of the cash flows, the then elapsed portion of such fiscal year and the comparative form for the corresponding previous fiscal year, (ii) the consolidating balance sheet and related income statement for the time elapsed for the current fiscal year and previous fiscal year and (iii) the statement of cash flows of the Borrower as of the then elapsed portion of such fiscal year, setting forth in comparative form the figures for the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year, all certified by a Financial Officer as presenting fairly in all material respects the financial condition and results of operations of Holdco and its consolidated Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis (or, in the case of clause (iii), the Borrower) in accordance with GAAP consistently applied, subject to normal year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes;

 

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(c) concurrently with any delivery of financial statements under clause (a) or (b) above (collectively or individually, as the context requires, the “Financial Statements”), a certificate of a Financial Officer in substantially the form of Exhibit B (i) certifying, in the case of the Financial Statements delivered under clause (b) above, as presenting fairly in all material respects the financial condition and results of operations of Holdco and its consolidated Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP, or the Borrower, as applicable, consistently applied, subject to normal year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes, (ii) certifying as to whether a Default has occurred and, if a Default has occurred, specifying the details thereof and any action taken or proposed to be taken with respect thereto, (iii) setting forth reasonably detailed calculations demonstrating compliance with Section 6.12 and (iv) stating whether any change in GAAP or in the application thereof has occurred since the date of the audited financial statements referred to in Section 3.04 and, if any such change has occurred, specifying the effect of such change on the Financial Statements accompanying such certificate;

(d) as soon as available, but in any event no later than 100 days after the end of each fiscal year of Holdco, a copy of the plan and forecast (including a projected consolidated and consolidating balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement) of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for each month of the upcoming fiscal year (the “Projections”) in form reasonably satisfactory to the Lender;

(e) promptly after the same become publicly available, copies of all periodic and other material reports, proxy statements and other materials filed by Holdco, the Borrower or any Subsidiary with the SEC, or any Governmental Authority succeeding to any or all of the functions of the SEC, or with any national securities exchange, or distributed by the Borrower to its shareholders generally, as the case may be;

(f) promptly following any request therefor, such other information regarding the operations, business affairs and financial condition of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, or compliance with the terms of this Agreement, as the Lender may reasonably request;

(g) promptly thereafter, any announcement by S&P of any change or possible change in a Credit Rating or any announcement by Moody’s or S&P of a new Credit Rating;

(h) promptly after any request therefor by the Lender, copies of (i) any documents described in Section 101(k)(1) of ERISA that the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate may request with respect to any Multiemployer Plan and (ii) any notices described in Section 101(l)(1) of ERISA that the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate may request with respect to any Multiemployer Plan; provided that if the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate has not requested such documents or notices from the administrator or sponsor of the applicable Multiemployer Plan, the Borrower or the applicable ERISA Affiliate shall promptly make a request for such documents and notices from such administrator or sponsor and shall provide copies of such documents and notices promptly after receipt thereof; and

 

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(i) promptly following any request therefor, information and documentation reasonably requested by the Lender for purposes of compliance with applicable “know your customer” and anti-money laundering rules and regulations, including the USA Patriot Act and the Beneficial Ownership Regulation.

Documents required to be delivered pursuant to Section 5.01 may be delivered by an Electronic System and documents required to be delivered pursuant to Sections 5.01(e) and (h) shall be deemed to have been delivered if Borrower has timely filed such items with the SEC and such materials are publicly available as posted on the SEC’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System or any successor SEC publicly-accessible electronic filing system for such purposes.

SECTION 5.02. Notices of Material Events. The Borrower will furnish to the Lender prompt (but in any event within any time period that may be specified below) written notice of the following:

(a) the occurrence of any Default;

(b) receipt of any notice of any investigation by a Governmental Authority or any litigation or proceeding commenced or threatened against the Borrower or any Subsidiary that (i) seeks damages in excess of $15,000,000, (ii) seeks injunctive relief, (iii) is asserted or instituted against any Plan, its fiduciaries or its assets, (iv) alleges criminal misconduct by the Borrower or any Subsidiary, (v) alleges the violation of, or seeks to impose remedies under any Environmental Law or related Requirement of Law, or seeks to impose Environmental Liability, in each case where such violation, remedy or liability could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, or (vi) asserts liability on the part of the Borrower or any Subsidiary in excess of $15,000,000 in respect of any tax, fee, assessment, or other governmental charge;

(c) the occurrence of any ERISA Event that, alone or together with any other ERISA Events that have occurred, could reasonably be expected to result in liability of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in an aggregate amount exceeding $15,000,000;

(d) any other development that results in, or could reasonably be expected to result in, a Material Adverse Effect; and

(e) any change in the information provided in the Beneficial Ownership Certification delivered to the Lender that would result in a change to the list of beneficial owners identified in such certification.

Each notice delivered under this Section shall be accompanied by a statement of a Financial Officer or other executive officer of the Borrower setting forth the details of the event or development requiring such notice and any action taken or proposed to be taken with respect thereto.

SECTION 5.03. Existence; Conduct of Business. The Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, (a) do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve, renew and keep in full force and effect its legal existence and the rights, qualifications, licenses, permits, franchises, governmental authorizations, intellectual property rights, licenses and permits material to the conduct of its business, and maintain all requisite authority to conduct its business in each jurisdiction in which its business is conducted; provided that the foregoing shall not prohibit any merger, consolidation, liquidation or dissolution permitted under Section 6.03 and (b) carry on and conduct its business in substantially the same manner and in substantially the same fields of enterprise as it is presently conducted.

 

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SECTION 5.04. Payment of Obligations. The Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, pay or discharge all Material Indebtedness and all other material liabilities and obligations, including Taxes, before the same shall become delinquent or in default, except where (a) the validity or amount thereof is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings, (b) the Borrower has set aside on its books adequate reserves with respect thereto in accordance with GAAP and (c) the failure to make payment pending such contest could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; provided, however, that the Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, remit all Taxes to appropriate Governmental Authorities as and when claimed to be due, notwithstanding the foregoing exceptions.

SECTION 5.05. Maintenance of Properties. The Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, keep and maintain all property material to the conduct of its business in good working order and condition, ordinary wear and tear excepted.

SECTION 5.06. Books and Records; Inspection Rights. The Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, (a) keep proper books of record and account in which full, true and correct entries are made of all dealings and transactions in relation to its business and activities and (b) permit any representatives designated by the Lender (including employees of the Lender or any consultants, accountants, lawyers, and agents retained by the Lender), upon reasonable prior notice, to visit and inspect its properties, conduct at the Borrower’s premises inspections of the Borrower’s and its Subsidiaries’ books and records, including examining and making extracts from its books and records, and to discuss its affairs, finances and condition with its officers and independent accountants, all at such reasonable times and as often as reasonably requested.

SECTION 5.07. Compliance with Laws and Material Contractual Obligations.

(a) The Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, (i) comply with each Requirement of Law applicable to it or its property (including, without limitation, Environmental Laws) and (ii) perform in all material respects its obligations under the Material Agreements to which it is a party. The Borrower will maintain in effect and enforce policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance by the Borrower, its Subsidiaries and their respective directors, officers, employees and agents with Anti-Corruption Laws and applicable Sanctions.

(b) Except as provided in clause (c) below, the Borrower and each Subsidiary shall not petition, request or take any legal or administrative action that seeks to amend, supplement or modify any Regulatory Approval in any material respect unless such amendment, supplement or modification could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Borrower shall promptly upon receipt by it or any Subsidiary or upon publication furnish to the Lender a copy (certified by an Authorized Officer of the Borrower) of each amendment, supplement or modification to any such Regulatory Approval.

 

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(c) If any Impairment shall occur of any Regulatory Approval which could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, then the Borrower shall or shall cause such Subsidiary to either (i) promptly and diligently apply for and use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain a replacement Regulatory Approval on terms and conditions that are in all material respects the same as those of such Impaired Regulatory Approval or (ii) take such lawful action as shall be necessary to prevent such Impairment from becoming final and non-appealable or otherwise irrevocable, to postpone the effectiveness of such Impairment and to cause such Impairment to be revoked or amended or modified so as to eliminate the reasonable possibility of such Material Adverse Effect.

SECTION 5.08. Use of Proceeds.

(a) The proceeds of the Loans and the Letters of Credit will be used only for refinancing existing debt, working capital and general corporate purposes. No part of the proceeds of any Loan and no Letter of Credit will be used, whether directly or indirectly, for any purpose that entails a violation of any of the Regulations of the Federal Reserve Board, including Regulations T, U and X.

(b) The Borrower will not request any Borrowing or Letter of Credit, and the Borrower shall not use, and shall procure that its Subsidiaries and its or their respective directors, officers, employees and agents shall not use, the proceeds of any Borrowing or Letter of Credit (a) in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization of the payment or giving of money, or anything else of value, to any Person in violation of any Anti-Corruption Laws, (b) for the purpose of funding, financing or facilitating any activities, business or transaction of or with any Sanctioned Person, or in any Sanctioned Country, or (c) in any manner that would result in the violation of any Sanctions applicable to any party hereto.

SECTION 5.09. Accuracy of Information. The Borrower will ensure that any information, including financial statements or other documents, furnished to the Lender in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document or any amendment or modification hereof or thereof or waiver hereunder or thereunder contains no material misstatement of fact or omits to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, and the furnishing of such information shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Borrower on the date thereof as to the matters specified in this Section 5.09; provided that, with respect to the Projections, the Borrower will cause the Projections to be prepared in good faith based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable at the time.

SECTION 5.10. Insurance. The Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, maintain with financially sound and reputable carriers having a financial strength rating of at least A- by A.M. Best Company insurance in such amounts (with no greater risk retention) and against such risks (including, without limitation, loss or damage by fire; theft, burglary, pilferage, larceny, embezzlement, and other criminal activities; business interruption; and general liability) and such other hazards, as is customarily maintained by companies of established repute engaged in the same or similar businesses operating in the same or similar locations. The Borrower will furnish to the Lender information in reasonable detail as to the insurance so maintained.

 

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SECTION 5.11. Material Licenses and Permits. The Borrower and its Subsidiaries shall maintain each license, permit or franchise issued by a Governmental Authority necessary for the conduct of its business except where the failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

SECTION 5.12. Depository Banks. The Borrower and each Subsidiary will maintain the Lender as its principal depository bank, including for the maintenance of operating, administrative, cash management, collection activity, and other deposit accounts for the conduct of its business.

SECTION 5.13. Further Assurances. Without limiting the foregoing, the Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, execute and deliver, or cause to be executed and delivered, to the Lender such documents, agreements and instruments, and will take or cause to be taken such further actions, which may be required by any Requirement of Law or which the Lender may, from time to time, reasonably request to carry out the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, all at the expense of the Borrower.

ARTICLE VI

NEGATIVE COVENANTS

Until the Commitment shall have expired or been terminated and the principal of and interest on each Loan and all fees, expenses and other amounts payable under any Loan Document shall have been paid in full and all Letters of Credit shall have expired or terminated, in each case without any pending draw, and all LC Disbursements shall have been reimbursed, the Borrower covenants and agrees with the Lender that:

SECTION 6.01. Indebtedness. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any Subsidiary to, create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Indebtedness, except:

(a) the Obligations hereunder and any other Indebtedness incurred by the Borrower or any Subsidiary that is owing to the Lender;

(b) Indebtedness existing on the date hereof and set forth in Schedule 6.01 and any extensions, renewals, refinancings and replacements of any such Indebtedness in accordance with clause (f) hereof;

(c) unsecured Indebtedness consisting of Permitted Intercompany Advances;

(d) Guarantees by the Borrower of Indebtedness of any Subsidiary and by any Subsidiary of Indebtedness of the Borrower or any other Subsidiary, provided that the Indebtedness so Guaranteed is permitted by this Section 6.01;

 

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(e) Indebtedness of the Borrower or any Subsidiary incurred to finance the acquisition, construction or improvement of any fixed or capital assets (whether or not constituting purchase money Indebtedness), including Capital Lease Obligations and any Indebtedness assumed in connection with the acquisition of any such assets or secured by a Lien on any such assets prior to the acquisition thereof, and extensions, renewals and replacements of any such Indebtedness in accordance with clause (f) below; provided that (i) such Indebtedness is incurred prior to or within 90 days after such acquisition or the completion of such construction or improvement and (ii) the aggregate principal amount of Indebtedness permitted by this clause (e) together with any Refinance Indebtedness in respect thereof permitted by clause (f) below, shall not exceed $15,000,000 at any time outstanding;

(f) Indebtedness which represents extensions, renewals, refinancing or replacements (such Indebtedness being so extended, renewed, refinanced or replaced being referred to herein as the “Refinance Indebtedness”) of any of the Indebtedness described in clauses (b) and (e), (i) and (q) hereof (such Indebtedness being referred to herein as the “Original Indebtedness”); provided that (i) such Refinance Indebtedness does not increase the principal amount or interest rate of the Original Indebtedness, (ii) any Liens securing such Refinance Indebtedness are not extended to any additional property of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, (iii) neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary that is not originally obligated with respect to repayment of such Original Indebtedness is required to become obligated with respect to such Refinance Indebtedness, (iv) such Refinance Indebtedness does not result in a shortening of the average weighted maturity of such Original Indebtedness, (v) the terms of such Refinance Indebtedness are not less favorable to the obligor thereunder than the original terms of such Original Indebtedness and (vi) if such Original Indebtedness was subordinated in right of payment to the Obligations, then the terms and conditions of such Refinance Indebtedness must include subordination terms and conditions that are at least as favorable to the Lender as those that were applicable to such Original Indebtedness;

(g) Indebtedness owed to any Person providing workers’ compensation, health, disability or other employee benefits or property, casualty or liability insurance, pursuant to reimbursement or indemnification obligations to such Person, in each case incurred in the ordinary course of business;

(h) Indebtedness of the Borrower in respect of performance bonds, bid bonds, appeal bonds, surety bonds and similar obligations, in each case provided in the ordinary course of business;

(i) issuances of unsecured Indebtedness (or, as to any loan obtained from a lender that requires the Borrower to obtain an equity interest in such lender, secured only with the equity of such lender acquired by Borrower); provided that (i) the maturity of such Indebtedness must be at least six months after the Maturity Date; (ii) no Default shall have occurred both before and after giving effect to such Indebtedness; and (iii) the Borrower and its Subsidiaries are in pro forma compliance with each covenant set forth in Section 6.12 for the fiscal quarter then last ended for which financial statements have been delivered to Lender (as though such new issuance of Indebtedness was incurred as of the last day of such fiscal quarter);

(j) endorsement of instruments or other payment items for deposit;

 

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(k) the incurrence by Borrower or its Subsidiaries of Indebtedness under Swap Agreements that are incurred for the bona fide purpose of hedging the interest rate, commodity, or foreign currency risks associated with Borrower’s and its Subsidiaries’ operations and not for speculative purposes;

(l) Indebtedness incurred in respect of Bank Products other than pursuant to Swap Agreements;

(m) Indebtedness owed to any Person providing property, casualty, liability, or other insurance to Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, so long as the amount of such Indebtedness is not in excess of the amount of the unpaid cost of, and shall be incurred only to defer the cost of, such insurance for the year in which such Indebtedness is incurred and such Indebtedness is outstanding only during such year;

(n) unsecured Indebtedness of Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries that is incurred on the date of the consummation of a Permitted Acquisition solely for the purpose of consummating such Permitted Acquisition so long as (i) no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing or would immediately thereafter result therefrom, and (ii) such unsecured Indebtedness is not incurred for working capital purposes (in each case of the foregoing, solely to the extent that, together with all other Indebtedness and liabilities incurred or assumed in connection with such Permitted Acquisition, the amount of such Indebtedness would not violate clause (e) of the definition of Permitted Acquisition);

(o) contingent liabilities in respect of any indemnification obligation, adjustment of purchase price, non-compete, or similar obligations of Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries incurred in connection with the consummation of one or more Permitted Acquisitions (in each case of the foregoing, solely to the extent that, together with all other Indebtedness and liabilities incurred or assumed in connection with such Permitted Acquisition, the amount of such Indebtedness would not violate clause (e) of the definition of Permitted Acquisition);

(p) Acquired Indebtedness (solely to the extent that, together with all other Indebtedness and liabilities incurred or assumed in connection with such Permitted Acquisition, the amount of such Indebtedness would not violate clause (e) of the definition of Permitted Acquisition);

(q) Indebtedness secured by real property of the Borrower in an aggregate amount not to exceed $50,000,000 at any time outstanding; and

(r) other unsecured Indebtedness in an aggregate principal amount not exceeding $15,000,000 at any time outstanding.

SECTION 6.02. Liens. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any Subsidiary to, create, incur, assume or permit to exist any Lien on any property or asset now owned or hereafter acquired by it, or assign or sell any income or revenues or rights in respect of any thereof, except:

(a) Permitted Encumbrances;

 

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(b) any Lien on any property or asset of the Borrower or any Subsidiary existing on the date hereof and set forth in Schedule 6.02; provided that (i) such Lien shall not apply to any other property or asset of the Borrower or any Subsidiary and (ii) such Lien shall secure only those obligations which it secures on the date hereof and extensions, renewals and replacements thereof that do not increase the outstanding principal amount thereof;

(c) Liens on fixed or capital assets acquired, constructed or improved by the Borrower or any Subsidiary; provided that (i) such Liens secure Indebtedness permitted by clause (e) of Section 6.01, (ii) such Liens and the Indebtedness secured thereby are incurred prior to or within 90 days after such acquisition or the completion of such construction or improvement, (iii) the Indebtedness secured thereby does not exceed 100% of the cost of acquiring, constructing or improving such fixed or capital assets and (iv) such Liens shall not apply to any other property or assets of the Borrower or any Subsidiary;

(d) any Lien existing on any property or asset prior to the acquisition thereof by the Borrower or any Subsidiary or existing on any property or asset of any Person that becomes a Subsidiary after the date hereof prior to the time such Person became a Subsidiary; provided that (i) such Lien is not created in contemplation of or in connection with such acquisition or such Person becoming party to this Agreement, as the case may be, (ii) such Lien shall not apply to any other property or assets of the Borrower and (iii) such Lien shall secure only those obligations which it secures on the date of such acquisition or the date such Person becomes party to this Agreement, as the case may be, and extensions, renewals and replacements thereof that do not increase the outstanding principal amount thereof;

(e) Liens of a collecting bank arising in the ordinary course of business under Section 4-208 of the Uniform Commercial Code in effect in the relevant jurisdiction covering only the items being collected upon and rights of setoff or bankers’ liens upon deposits of cash in favor of banks or other depository institutions, solely to the extent incurred in connection with the maintenance of such deposit accounts or securities accounts in the ordinary course of business;

(f) Liens granted in the ordinary course of business on the unearned portion of insurance premiums securing the financing of insurance premiums;

(g) Liens solely on any cash earnest money deposits made by Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in connection with any letter of intent or purchase agreement with respect to a Permitted Acquisition;

(h) Liens (i) assumed by Borrower or its Subsidiaries in connection with a Permitted Acquisition that secures Acquired Indebtedness permitted under Section 6.01(e) or (p) and (ii) Liens securing Indebtedness permitted under Section 6.01(q);

(i) Liens granted by a Subsidiary in favor of the Borrower in respect of Indebtedness owed by such Subsidiary;

(j) Liens that are replacements of any of the Liens otherwise permitted under this Section 6.02 to the extent that the original Indebtedness is replaced with Refinance Indebtedness and so long as the replacement Liens only encumber those assets that secured the original Indebtedness;

 

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(k) Liens on interests the Borrower holds in a lender providing Indebtedness under Section 6.01(i) and securing such Indebtedness; and

(l) additional Liens so long as the principal amount of Indebtedness and other obligations and liabilities secured thereby does not exceed $15,000,000 in the aggregate at any time outstanding.

SECTION 6.03. Fundamental Changes.

(a) The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any Subsidiary to, merge into or consolidate with any other Person, or permit any other Person to merge into or consolidate with it, or liquidate, divide or dissolve, except that, if at the time thereof and immediately after giving effect thereto no Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, (i) any Subsidiary of the Borrower may merge into the Borrower in a transaction in which the Borrower is the surviving entity, (ii) any Subsidiary may merge into another Subsidiary and (iii) any Subsidiary may liquidate, divide or dissolve if the Borrower determines in good faith that such liquidation, division or dissolution is in the best interests of the Borrower and is not materially disadvantageous to the Lender; provided that any such merger involving a Person that is not a wholly owned Subsidiary immediately prior to such merger shall not be permitted unless also permitted by Section 6.04.

(b) The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any Subsidiary to, engage in any business other than businesses of the type conducted by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on the date hereof and businesses reasonably related thereto.

(c) The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any Subsidiary to change its fiscal year or any fiscal quarter from the basis in effect on the Effective Date.

(d) The Borrower will not change the accounting basis upon which its financial statements are prepared.

SECTION 6.04. Investments, Loans, Advances, Guarantees and Acquisitions. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any Subsidiary to, purchase, hold or acquire (including pursuant to any merger with any Person that was not a wholly owned Subsidiary prior to such merger) any Equity Interests, evidences of indebtedness or other securities (including any option, warrant or other right to acquire any of the foregoing) of, make or permit to exist any loans or advances to, Guarantee any obligations of, or make or permit to exist any investment or any other interest in, any other Person, or purchase or otherwise acquire (in one transaction or a series of transactions) any assets of any other Person constituting a business unit (whether through purchase of assets, merger or otherwise), except:

(a) Permitted Investments;

(b) investments in existence on the date hereof and described in Schedule 6.04;

 

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(c) loans or advances made by the Borrower to its employees on an arms-length basis in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practices for travel and entertainment expenses, relocation costs and similar purposes up to a maximum of $500,000 to any employee and up to a maximum of $2,000,000 in the aggregate at any one time outstanding;

(d) investments in the form of Swap Agreements permitted by Section 6.07;

(e) investments of any Person existing at the time such Person becomes a Subsidiary of the Borrower or consolidates or merges with the Borrower or any Subsidiary (including in connection with a Permitted Acquisition), so long as such investments were not made in contemplation of such Person becoming a Subsidiary or of such merger;

(f) investments received in connection with the disposition of assets permitted by Section 6.05;

(g) investments constituting deposits described in clauses (c) and (d) of the definition of the term “Permitted Encumbrances”;

(h) Permitted Intercompany Advances;

(i) advances made in connection with purchases of goods or services in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practices;

(j) investments, Equity Interests and other securities received in settlement of amounts due to Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries effected in the ordinary course of business or owing to Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries as a result of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings involving an account debtor or upon the foreclosure or enforcement of any Lien in favor of Borrower or its Subsidiaries;

(k) deposits of cash made in the ordinary course of business to secure performance of operating leases;

(l) investments in the form of capital contributions and the acquisition of Equity Interests made by Borrower in any wholly-owned Subsidiary;

(m) any other loans, advances and investments not otherwise permitted hereunder, provided that such loans, advances and investments made pursuant to this clause shall not exceed an aggregate amount of $15,000,000 at any time outstanding;

(n) the acquisition or issuance of Equity Interests for purposes of funding or contributing to retirement, pension and other benefit plans maintained by the Borrower (including the Borrower’s Executive Supplemental Retirement Plan, Cash Balance Executive Supplemental Retirement Plan and Special Deferral Election Plan); and

(o) Permitted Acquisitions.

SECTION 6.05. Asset Sales. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any Subsidiary to, sell, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of any asset, including any Equity Interest owned by it, nor will the Borrower permit any Subsidiary to issue any additional Equity Interest in such Subsidiary (other than to the Borrower or another Subsidiary in compliance with Section 6.04), except:

 

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(a) sales, transfers and dispositions of (i) inventory in the ordinary course of business, (ii) used, obsolete, worn out or surplus equipment or property in the ordinary course of business or (iii) equipment or other property no longer used or useful to Borrower or any Subsidiary;

(b) sales, transfers and dispositions of assets to the Borrower or any Subsidiary, provided that any such sales, transfers or dispositions involving a Subsidiary shall be made in compliance with Section 6.09;

(c) sales, transfers and dispositions of accounts (excluding sales or dispositions in a factoring arrangement) in connection with the compromise, settlement or collection thereof;

(d) sales, transfers and dispositions of Permitted Investments;

(e) any sale, lease or transfer constituting an easement, license, zoning restriction, rights-of-way or similar encumbrance on real property imposed by law or arising in the ordinary course of business that does not materially detract from the value of the affected property or interfere with the ordinary conduct of the business of the Borrower or any Subsidiary;

(f) the use or transfer of money or cash equivalents in a manner that is not prohibited by the terms of the Agreement or the other Loan Documents;

(g) the granting of Liens as permitted under Section 6.02;

(h) the sale or issuance of Equity Interests of Borrower to Holdco or any Subsidiary to Borrower;

(i) dispositions of assets acquired by Borrower and its Subsidiaries pursuant to a Permitted Acquisition consummated within 12 months of the date of the proposed disposition (the “Subject Permitted Acquisition”) so long as (i) the consideration received for the assets to be so disposed is at least equal to the fair market value thereof, (ii) the assets to be so disposed are not necessary or economically desirable in connection with the business of Borrower and its Subsidiaries, and (iii) the assets to be so disposed are readily identifiable as assets acquired pursuant to the Subject Permitted Acquisition;

(j) the dispositions of Equity Interests held in or for the benefit of retirement, pension and other benefit plans maintained by Borrower (including the Borrower’s Executive Supplemental Retirement Plan, Cash Balance Executive Supplemental Retirement Plan and Special Deferral Election Plan);

 

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(k) sales or other transfers of assets between the Borrower and SJW Land Company at prices and on terms and conditions not less favorable to the Borrower than could be obtained on an arm’s-length basis from unrelated third parties;

(l) sales, transfers and dispositions permitted under Section 6.04 and Section 6.08;

(m) dispositions resulting from any casualty or other insured damage to, or any taking under power of eminent domain or by condemnation or similar proceeding of, any property or asset of the Borrower or any Subsidiary;

(n) leases and subleases of real property in the ordinary course of business; and

(o) sales, transfers and other dispositions of assets (other than Equity Interests in a Subsidiary unless all Equity Interests in such Subsidiary are sold) that are not permitted by any other clause of this Section, provided that the aggregate book value of all assets sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of in reliance upon this paragraph (o) (together with (i) the aggregate book value of all assets sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of by HoldCo that are not of the type that would be permitted to be sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of pursuant to any other clause of this Section and (ii) the aggregate book value of all assets sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of in reliance on similar exceptions in SJWTX Credit Agreement) shall not exceed 10% of the book value of the total assets of Holdco and its Subsidiaries during any fiscal quarter of the Borrower or 25% of the book value of Holdco’s and its Subsidiaries’ total assets from and after the Effective Date (measured, in each case, as of the end of the fiscal quarter then last ended);

provided that all sales, transfers, leases and other dispositions permitted under this Section 6.05 (other than those permitted by paragraphs (b), (d) and (f) above) shall be made for fair value and for at least 75% cash consideration.

SECTION 6.06. Sale and Leaseback Transactions. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any Subsidiary to, enter into any arrangement, directly or indirectly, whereby it shall sell or transfer any property, real or personal, used or useful in its business, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, and thereafter rent or lease such property or other property that it intends to use for substantially the same purpose or purposes as the property sold or transferred (a “Sale and Leaseback Transaction”).

SECTION 6.07. Swap Agreements. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any Subsidiary to, enter into any Swap Agreement, except (a) Swap Agreements entered into to hedge or mitigate risks to which the Borrower or any Subsidiary has actual exposure (other than those in respect of Equity Interests of the Borrower or any Subsidiary), and (b) Swap Agreements entered into in order to effectively cap, collar or exchange interest rates (from floating to fixed rates, from one floating rate to another floating rate or otherwise) with respect to any interest-bearing liability or investment of the Borrower or any Subsidiary.

 

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SECTION 6.08. Restricted Payments. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any Subsidiary to, declare or make, or agree to declare or make, directly or indirectly, any Restricted Payment, or incur any obligation (contingent or otherwise) to do so, except (i) the Borrower may declare and pay dividends with respect to its common stock payable solely in additional shares of its common stock, and, with respect to its preferred stock, payable solely in additional shares of such preferred stock or in shares of its common stock, (ii) Subsidiaries may declare and pay dividends ratably with respect to their Equity Interests, and (iii) the Borrower may (A) declare or pay cash dividends to Holdco in amounts sufficient to allow Holdco (x) to discharge any Federal, state and local income tax liability arising from the operations of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, and (y) to pay corporate overhead and administrative expenses reasonably allocable to the operations of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, and (B) so long as no Event of Default exists before or immediately after giving effect thereto, (x) declare or pay cash dividends to Holdco, and (y) purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire Equity Interests issued by Holdco.

SECTION 6.09. Transactions with Affiliates. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any Subsidiary to, sell, lease or otherwise transfer any property or assets to, or purchase, lease or otherwise acquire any property or assets from, or otherwise engage in any other transactions with, any of its Affiliates, except (a) transactions that (i) are in the ordinary course of business and (ii) are at prices and on terms and conditions not less favorable to the Borrower or such Subsidiary than could be obtained on an arm’s-length basis from unrelated third parties, (b) any Indebtedness permitted under Section 6.01(c), (c) any Restricted Payment permitted by Section 6.08, (d) loans or advances to employees permitted under Section 6.04(c), (e) asset sales or other transfers permitted under Section 6.05(k), (f) investments permitted under Section 6.04(h), (g) investments permitted under Section 6.04(l), (h) the payment of reasonable fees to directors of the Borrower or any Subsidiary who are not employees of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, and compensation and employee benefit arrangements paid to, and indemnities provided for the benefit of, directors, officers or employees of the Borrower or its Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business, (i) any issuances of securities or other payments, awards or grants in cash, securities or otherwise pursuant to, or the funding of, employment agreements, stock options and stock ownership plans approved by the Borrower’s board of directors and (j) any contribution to the capital of Holdco or any purchase of Equity Interests of Holdco.

SECTION 6.10. Restrictive Agreements. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly enter into, incur or permit to exist any agreement or other arrangement that prohibits, restricts or imposes any condition upon the ability of any Subsidiary to pay dividends or other distributions with respect to any Equity Interests or to make or repay loans or advances to the Borrower or any other Subsidiary or to Guarantee Indebtedness of the Borrower or any other Subsidiary; provided that (i) the foregoing shall not apply to restrictions and conditions imposed by any Requirement of Law or by any Loan Document, (ii) the foregoing shall not apply to restrictions and conditions existing on the date hereof identified on Schedule 6.10 (but shall apply to any extension or renewal of, or any amendment or modification expanding the scope of, any such restriction or condition), (iii) the foregoing shall not apply to customary restrictions and conditions contained in agreements relating to the sale of a Subsidiary pending such sale, provided such restrictions and conditions apply only to the Subsidiary that is to be sold and such sale is permitted hereunder, and (iv) restrictions or conditions on the ability of any Subsidiary to create, incur or permit to pay dividends or distributions that exist under the Note Agreement for Borrower’s Series J Notes (the “Senior Note Restriction”) or any other agreement now existing or hereafter entered into under which Borrower has issued, or may hereafter issue, debt securities that includes any such restriction that are not more restrictive than the Senior Note Restriction.

 

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SECTION 6.11. Amendment of Material Documents. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any Subsidiary to, amend, modify or waive any of its rights under its charter, articles or certificate of organization or incorporation and bylaws or operating, management or partnership agreement, or other organizational or governing documents, to the extent any such amendment, modification or waiver would be adverse to the Lender.

SECTION 6.12. Financial Covenants.

(a) Funded Debt to Capitalization Ratio. The Borrower will not permit the Funded Debt to Capitalization Ratio, at any time, to be greater than 6623%.

ARTICLE VII

EVENTS OF DEFAULT

If any of the following events (“Events of Default”) shall occur:

(a) the Borrower shall fail to pay any principal of any Loan or any reimbursement obligation in respect of any LC Disbursement when and as the same shall become due and payable, whether at the due date thereof or at a date fixed for prepayment thereof or otherwise;

(b) the Borrower shall fail to pay any interest on any Loan or any fee or any other amount (other than an amount referred to in clause (a) of this Article) payable under this Agreement or any other Loan Document, when and as the same shall become due and payable, and such failure shall continue unremedied for a period of three (3) Business Days;

(c) any representation or warranty made or deemed made by or on behalf of the Borrower or any Subsidiary in or in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document or any amendment or modification hereof or thereof or waiver hereunder or thereunder, or in any report, certificate, financial statement or other document furnished pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document or any amendment or modification hereof or thereof or waiver hereunder or thereunder, shall prove to have been materially incorrect when made or deemed made;

(d) the Borrower shall fail to observe or perform any covenant, condition or agreement contained in Section 5.02(a), 5.03 (with respect to the Borrower’s existence), 5.08 or 5.11 or in Article VI;

(e) the Borrower shall fail to observe or perform any covenant, condition or agreement contained in this Agreement or any other Loan Document (other than those specified in clause (a), (b) or (d) of this Article VII), and such failure shall continue unremedied for a period of (i) fifteen (15) days after the earlier of the Borrower’s knowledge of such breach or notice thereof from the Lender if such breach relates to terms or provisions of Section 5.01, 5.02 (other than Section 5.02(a)), 5.03 through 5.07, or 5.10 of this Agreement or (ii) thirty (30) days after the earlier of the Borrower’s knowledge of such breach or notice thereof from the Lender if such breach relates to terms or provisions of any other Section of this Agreement or of any other Loan Document;

 

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(f) the Borrower or any Subsidiary shall fail to make any payment (whether of principal or interest and regardless of amount) in respect of any Material Indebtedness, when and as the same shall become due and payable;

(g) any event or condition occurs that results in any Material Indebtedness becoming due prior to its scheduled maturity or that enables or permits (with or without the giving of notice, the lapse of time or both) the holder or holders of any Material Indebtedness or any trustee or agent on its or their behalf to cause any Material Indebtedness to become due, or to require the prepayment, repurchase, redemption or defeasance thereof, prior to its scheduled maturity; provided that this clause (g) shall not apply to secured Indebtedness that becomes due as a result of the voluntary sale or transfer of the property or assets securing such Indebtedness to the extent such sale or transfer is permitted by the terms of Section 6.05;

(h) an involuntary proceeding shall be commenced or an involuntary petition shall be filed seeking (i) liquidation, reorganization or other relief in respect of the Borrower or any Subsidiary or its debts, or of a substantial part of its assets, under any federal, state or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or similar law now or hereafter in effect or (ii) the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian, sequestrator, conservator or similar official for the Borrower or any Subsidiary or for a substantial part of its assets, and, in any such case, such proceeding or petition shall continue undismissed for sixty (60) days or an order or decree approving or ordering any of the foregoing shall be entered;

(i) the Borrower or any Subsidiary shall (i) voluntarily commence any proceeding or file any petition seeking liquidation, reorganization or other relief under any federal, state or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or similar law now or hereafter in effect, (ii) consent to the institution of, or fail to contest in a timely and appropriate manner, any proceeding or petition described in clause (h) of this Article, (iii) apply for or consent to the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian, sequestrator, conservator or similar official for the Borrower or Subsidiary or for a substantial part of its assets, (iv) file an answer admitting the material allegations of a petition filed against it in any such proceeding, (v) make a general assignment for the benefit of creditors or (vi) take any action for the purpose of effecting any of the foregoing;

(j) the Borrower or any Subsidiary shall become unable, admit in writing its inability, or publicly declare its intention not to, or fail generally, to pay its debts as they become due;

(k) one or more judgments for the payment of money in an aggregate amount in excess of $20,000,000 shall be rendered against the Borrower, any Subsidiary or any combination thereof and the same shall remain undischarged for a period of thirty (30) consecutive days during which execution shall not be effectively stayed, or any action shall be legally taken by a judgment creditor to attach or levy upon any assets of the Borrower or any Subsidiary to enforce any such judgment or the Borrower or any Subsidiary shall fail within thirty (30) days to discharge one or more non-monetary judgments or orders which, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, which judgments or orders, in any such case, are not stayed on appeal and being appropriately contested in good faith by proper proceedings diligently pursued;

 

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(l) an ERISA Event shall have occurred that, in the opinion of the Lender, when taken together with all other ERISA Events that have occurred, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;

(m) a Change in Control shall occur;

(n) any material provision of any Loan Document for any reason ceases to be valid, binding and enforceable in accordance with its terms (or the Borrower shall challenge the enforceability of any Loan Document or shall assert in writing, or engage in any action or inaction that evidences its assertion, that any provision of any of the Loan Documents has ceased to be or otherwise is not valid, binding and enforceable in accordance with its terms);

(o) the Borrower, Holdco or any Subsidiary of Holdco shall fail to make any payment (whether of principal or interest and regardless of amount) in respect of any Indebtedness owed to the Lender that exceeds $25,000, when and as the same shall become due and payable;

(p) any event or condition occurs that results in any Indebtedness of the Borrower, Holdco, or any Subsidiary of Holdco owed to the Lender becoming due prior to its scheduled maturity or that enables or permits (with or without the giving of notice, the lapse of time or both) the Lender to cause such Indebtedness to become due, or to require the prepayment, repurchase, redemption or defeasance thereof, prior to its scheduled maturity;

then, and in every such event (other than an event with respect to the Borrower described in clause (h), (i) or (j) of this Article), and at any time thereafter during the continuance of such event, the Lender may, by notice to the Borrower, take either or both of the following actions, at the same or different times: (i) terminate the Commitment, whereupon the Commitment shall terminate immediately, (ii) declare the Loans then outstanding to be due and payable in whole (or in part, in which case any principal not so declared to be due and payable may thereafter be declared to be due and payable), whereupon the principal of the Loans so declared to be due and payable, together with accrued interest thereon and all fees and other obligations of the Borrower accrued hereunder, shall become due and payable immediately, in each case without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by the Borrower, and (iii) require cash collateral for the LC Exposure in accordance with Section 2.04(h) hereof; and in the case of any event with respect to the Borrower described in clause (h), (i) or (j) of this Article, the Commitment shall automatically terminate and the principal of the Loans then outstanding, together with accrued interest thereon and all fees and other obligations of the Borrower accrued hereunder, shall automatically become due and payable, in each case without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by the Borrower. Upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, the Lender may increase the rate of interest applicable to the Loans and other Obligations as set forth in this Agreement and exercise any rights and remedies provided to the Lender under the Loan Documents or at law or equity.

 

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ARTICLE VIII

MISCELLANEOUS

SECTION 8.01. Notices.

(a) Except in the case of notices and other communications expressly permitted to be given by telephone (and subject to paragraph (b) below), all notices and other communications provided for herein shall be in writing and shall be delivered by hand or overnight courier service, mailed by certified or registered mail or sent by fax, as follows:

(i) if to the Borrower at:

San Jose Water Company

110 West Taylor St.

San Jose, CA 95110

Attention: Chief Financial Officer

Fax No: (408) 279-7934

With a copy to:

San Jose Water Company

110 West Taylor St.

San Jose, CA 95110

Attention: Suzy Papazian, General Counsel

(ii) if to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., in the case of Borrowings, repayments or prepayments of Loans, to:

Eileen Nguyen, Account Manager, Wholesale Lending Services

JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.

10 S Dearborn, Floor L2

Chicago, IL 60603

T: 312 ###-###-####

Email: ***@***

(iii) if to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., in the case of all other notices, to:

JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.

10 South Dearborn Street, 9th Floor

Chicago, Illinois 60603

Attention: Justin E. Campbell

T: 312 ###-###-####

Email: ***@***

 

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With a copy to:

JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.

8181 Communications Pkwy

Plano, TX 75024

Attention: Nancy R. Barwig

T: 972 ###-###-####

Email: ***@***

All such notices and other communications (i) sent by hand or overnight courier service, or mailed by certified or registered mail, shall be deemed to have been given when received, (ii) sent by fax shall be deemed to have been given when sent, provided that if not given during normal business hours for the recipient, such notice or communication shall be deemed to have been given at the opening of business on the next Business Day of the recipient, or (iii) delivered through Electronic Systems to the extent provided in paragraph (b) below shall be effective as provided in such paragraph.

(b) Notices and other communications to the Lender hereunder may be delivered or furnished by using Electronic Systems pursuant to procedures approved by the Lender; provided that the foregoing shall not apply to notices pursuant to Article II unless otherwise agreed by the Lender. Each of the Lender or the Borrower may, in its discretion, agree to accept notices and other communications to it hereunder by using Electronic Systems pursuant to procedures approved by it; provided that approval of such procedures may be limited to particular notices or communications. All such notices and other communications (i) sent to an e-mail address shall be deemed received upon the sender’s receipt of an acknowledgment from the intended recipient (such as by the “return receipt requested” function, as available, return e-mail or other written acknowledgment), provided that if not given during the normal business hours of the recipient, such notice or communication shall be deemed to have been given at the opening of business on the next Business Day for the recipient, and (ii) posted to an Internet or intranet website shall be deemed received upon the deemed receipt by the intended recipient, at its e-mail address as described in the foregoing clause (i), of notification that such notice or communication is available and identifying the website address therefor; provided that, for both clauses (i) and (ii) above, if such notice, e-mail or other communication is not sent during the normal business hours of the recipient, such notice or communication shall be deemed to have been sent at the opening of business on the next Business Day of the recipient.

(c) Any party hereto may change its address, facsimile number or e-mail address for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to the other parties hereto. All notices and other communications given to any party hereto in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed to have been given on the date of receipt.

 

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SECTION 8.02. Waivers; Amendments.

(a) No failure or delay by the Lender in exercising any right or power hereunder or under any other Loan Document shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such right or power, or any abandonment or discontinuance of steps to enforce such a right or power, preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right or power. The rights and remedies of the Lender hereunder and under any other Loan Document are cumulative and are not exclusive of any rights or remedies that they would otherwise have. No waiver of any provision of any Loan Document or consent to any departure by the Borrower therefrom shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be permitted by paragraph (b) of this Section, and then such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the purpose for which given. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the making of a Loan or issuance of a Letter of Credit shall not be construed as a waiver of any Default, regardless of whether the Lender may have had notice or knowledge of such Default at the time.

(b) Neither this Agreement nor any other Loan Document nor any provision hereof or thereof may be waived, amended or modified except (i) in the case of this Agreement, pursuant to an agreement or agreements in writing entered into by the Borrower and the Lender or (ii) in the case of any other Loan Document, pursuant to an agreement or agreements in writing entered into by the Lender and the Borrower.

SECTION 8.03. Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver.

(a) The Borrower shall pay all (i) reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Lender and its Affiliates, including the reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of counsel for the Lender (whether outside counsel or the allocated costs of its internal legal department), in connection with the credit facilities provided for herein, the preparation and administration of the Loan Documents and any amendments, modifications or waivers of the provisions of the Loan Documents (whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby shall be consummated), (ii) reasonable and documented out-of-pocket and documented expenses incurred by the Lender in connection with the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit or any demand for payment thereunder and (iii) out-of-pocket and documented expenses incurred by the Lender, including the fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for the Lender (whether outside counsel or the allocated costs of its internal legal department), in connection with the enforcement, collection or protection of its rights in connection with the Loan Documents, including its rights under this Section, or in connection with the Loans made or Letters of Credit issued hereunder, including all such out-of-pocket expenses incurred during any workout, restructuring or negotiations in respect of such Loans or Letters of Credit. The foregoing fees, costs and expenses may be charged to the Borrower as Loans or to another deposit account, all as described in Section 2.16(c).

(b) The Borrower shall indemnify the Lender, and each Related Party of the Lender (each such Person being called an “Indemnitee”) against, and hold each Indemnitee harmless from, any and all losses, claims, damages, penalties, incremental taxes, liabilities and related expenses, including the fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for any Indemnitee, incurred by or asserted against any Indemnitee arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of (i) the execution or delivery of the Loan Documents or any agreement or instrument contemplated thereby, the performance by the parties hereto of their respective obligations thereunder or the consummation of the Transactions or any other transactions contemplated hereby, (ii) any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use of the proceeds therefrom (including any refusal by the Lender to honor a demand for payment under a Letter of Credit if the documents

 

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presented in connection with such demand do not strictly comply with the terms of such Letter of Credit), (iii) any actual or alleged presence or Release of Hazardous Materials on or from any property owned or operated by the Borrower or a Subsidiary, or any Environmental Liability related in any way to the Borrower or Subsidiary, (iv) the failure of the Borrower to deliver to the Lender the required receipts or other required documentary evidence with respect to a payment made by the Borrower for Taxes pursuant to Section 2.15, or (v) any actual or prospective claim, litigation, investigation or proceeding relating to any of the foregoing, whether based on contract, tort or any other theory and regardless of whether any Indemnitee is a party thereto; provided that such indemnity shall not, as to any Indemnitee, be available to the extent that such losses, claims, damages, penalties, liabilities or related expenses are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Indemnitee. This Section 8.03(b) shall not apply with respect to Taxes other than any Taxes that represent losses, claims or damages arising from any non-Tax claim.

(c) To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Borrower shall not assert, and the Borrower hereby waives, any claim against any Indemnitee, (i) for any damages arising from the use by others of information or other materials obtained through telecommunications, electronic or other information transmission systems (including the Internet), or (ii) on any theory of liability, for special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages (as opposed to direct or actual damages) arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of, this Agreement, any other Loan Document, or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby or thereby, the Transactions, any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use of the proceeds thereof; provided that, nothing in this paragraph (c) shall relieve the Borrower of any obligation it may have to indemnify an Indemnitee against special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages asserted against such Indemnitee by a third party.

(d) All amounts due under this Section shall be payable not later than 30 days after written demand therefor.

SECTION 8.04. Successors and Assigns.

(a) The provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby (including any Affiliate of the Lender that issues any Letter of Credit), except that the Borrower may not assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the Lender (and any attempted assignment or transfer by the Borrower without such consent 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 (including any Affiliate of the Lender that issues any Letter of Credit), Participants (to the extent provided in paragraph (c) of this Section) and, to the extent expressly contemplated hereby, the Related Parties of the Lender) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this Agreement.

(b) The Lender may assign to one or more assignees all or a portion of its rights and obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and the Loans at the time owing to it) without the consent of the Borrower.

 

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(c) The Lender may, without the consent of the Borrower, sell participations to one or more banks or other entities (a “Participant”) in all or a portion of the Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and Letters of Credit and the Loans owing to it); provided that (i) the Lender’s obligations under this Agreement shall remain unchanged; (ii) the Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto for the performance of such obligations; and (iii) the Borrower shall continue to deal solely and directly with the Lender in connection with the Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement. The Borrower agrees that each Participant shall be entitled to the benefits of Sections 2.13, 2.14 and 2.15 (subject to the requirements and limitations therein) to the same extent as if it were the Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to paragraph (b) of this Section; provided that such Participant shall not be entitled to receive any greater payment under Section 2.13 or 2.15, with respect to any participation, than its participating Lender would have been entitled to receive, except to the extent such entitlement to receive a greater payment results from a Change in Law that occurs after the Participant acquired the applicable participation.

To the extent permitted by law, each Participant also shall be entitled to the benefits of Section 8.08 as though it were the Lender. If the Lender shall sell a participation, it shall, acting solely for this purpose as a non-fiduciary agent of the Borrower, maintain a register on which it enters the name and address of each Participant and the principal amounts (and stated interest) of each Participant’s interest in the Loans or other obligations under this Agreement or any other Loan Document (the “Participant Register”); provided that the Lender shall have no obligation to disclose all or any portion of the Participant Register (including the identity of any Participant or any information relating to a Participant’s interest in any Commitment, Loans, Letters of Credit or its other obligations under any Loan Document) to any Person except to the extent that such disclosure is necessary to establish that such Commitment, Loan, Letter of Credit or other obligation is in registered form under Section 5f.103-1(c) of the U.S. Treasury Regulations. The entries in the Participant Register shall be conclusive absent manifest error, and the Lender shall treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Participant Register as the owner of such participation for all purposes of this Agreement notwithstanding any notice to the contrary.

(d) The Lender may at any time pledge or assign a security interest in all or any portion of its rights under this Agreement to secure obligations of the Lender without the consent of the Borrower, including without limitation any pledge or assignment to secure obligations to a Federal Reserve Bank, and this Section shall not apply to any such pledge or assignment of a security interest; provided that no such pledge or assignment of a security interest shall release the Lender from any of its obligations hereunder or substitute any such pledgee or assignee for the Lender as a party hereto.

SECTION 8.05. Survival. All covenants, agreements, representations and warranties made by the Borrower in the Loan Documents and in the certificates or other instruments delivered in connection with or pursuant to this Agreement or any other Loan Document shall be considered to have been relied upon by the other parties hereto and shall survive the execution and delivery of the Loan Documents and the making of any Loans and issuance of any Letters of Credit, regardless of any investigation made by any such other party or on its behalf and notwithstanding that the Lender may have had notice or knowledge of any Default or incorrect representation or warranty at the time any credit is extended hereunder, and

 

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shall continue in full force and effect as long as the principal of or any accrued interest on any Loan or any fee or any other amount payable under this Agreement is outstanding and unpaid or any Letter of Credit is outstanding and so long as the Commitment has not expired or terminated. The provisions of Sections 2.13, 2.14, 2.15 and Section 8.03 shall survive and remain in full force and effect regardless of the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, the repayment of the Loans, the expiration or termination of the Letters of Credit and the Commitment or the termination of this Agreement or any other Loan Document or any provision hereof or thereof.

SECTION 8.06. Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness.

(a) This Agreement may be executed in counterparts (and by different parties hereto on different counterparts), each of which shall constitute an original, but all of which when taken together shall constitute a single contract. This Agreement, the other Loan Documents and any separate letter agreements with respect to fees payable to the Lender constitute the entire contract among the parties relating to the subject matter hereof and supersede any and all previous agreements and understandings, oral or written, relating to the subject matter hereof. Except as provided in Section 4.01, this Agreement shall become effective when it shall have been executed by the Lender and when the Lender shall have received counterparts hereof which, when taken together, bear the signatures of each of the other parties hereto, and thereafter shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns.

(b) Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Agreement by fax, emailed pdf. or any other electronic means that reproduces an image of the actual executed signature page shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Agreement. The words “execution,” “signed,” “signature,” “delivery,” and words of like import in or relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document shall be deemed to include Electronic Signatures, deliveries or the keeping of records in any electronic form (including deliveries by telecopy, emailed pdf. or any other electronic means that reproduces an image of an actual executed signature page), each of which shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature, physical delivery thereof or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case may be; provided that nothing herein shall require the Lender to accept Electronic Signatures in any form or format without its prior written consent and pursuant to procedures approved by it; provided, further, without limiting the foregoing, (i) to the extent the Lender has agreed to accept any Electronic Signature, the Lender shall be entitled to rely on such Electronic Signature purportedly given by or on behalf of the Borrower without further verification thereof and without any obligation to review the appearance or form of any such Electronic Signature and (ii) upon the request of the Lender, any Electronic Signature shall be promptly followed by a manually executed counterpart. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Borrower hereby (i) agrees that, for all purposes, including without limitation, in connection with any workout, restructuring, enforcement of remedies, bankruptcy proceedings or litigation between the Lender and the Borrower, Electronic Signatures transmitted by telecopy, emailed pdf. or any other electronic means that reproduces an image of an actual executed signature page and/or any electronic images of this Agreement or any other Loan Document shall have the same legal effect, validity and enforceability as any paper original, (ii) the Lender may, at its option, create one or more copies of this Agreement or any

 

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other Loan Document in the form of an imaged electronic record in any format, which shall be deemed created in the ordinary course of such Person’s business, and destroy the original paper document (and all such electronic records shall be considered an original for all purposes and shall have the same legal effect, validity and enforceability as a paper record), (iii) waives any argument, defense or right to contest the legal effect, validity or enforceability of this Agreement or any other Loan Document based solely on the lack of paper original copies of this Agreement or such other Loan Document, respectively, including with respect to any signature pages thereto and (iv) waives any claim against any Lender for any liabilities arising solely from the Lender’s reliance on or use of Electronic Signatures and/or transmissions by telecopy, emailed pdf. or any other electronic means that reproduces an image of an actual executed signature page, including any liabilities arising as a result of the failure of the Borrower to use any available security measures in connection with the execution, delivery or transmission of any Electronic Signature.

SECTION 8.07. Severability. Any provision of any Loan Document held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability without affecting the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions thereof; and the invalidity of a particular provision in a particular jurisdiction shall not invalidate such provision in any other jurisdiction.

SECTION 8.08. Right of Setoff. If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, the Lender and each of its Affiliates is hereby authorized at any time and from time to time, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to set off and apply any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final) at any time held and other obligations at any time owing by the Lender or any Affiliate to or for the credit or the account of the Borrower against any of and all the Obligations, irrespective of whether or not the Lender shall have made any demand under the Loan Documents and although such obligations may be unmatured. The rights of the Lender under this Section are in addition to other rights and remedies (including other rights of setoff) which the Lender may have.

SECTION 8.09. Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Consent to Service of Process.

(a) The Loan Documents (other than those containing a contrary express choice of law provision) shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws (and not the law of conflicts) of the State of California, but giving effect to federal laws applicable to national banks.

(b) The Borrower hereby irrevocably and unconditionally submits, for itself and its property, to the nonexclusive jurisdiction of any U.S. federal or California State court sitting in the State of California in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to any Loan Documents, or for recognition or enforcement of any judgment, and each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees that all claims in respect of any such action or proceeding may be heard and determined in such state court or, to the extent permitted by law, in such federal court. Each of the parties hereto agrees that a final judgment in any such action or proceeding shall be conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by law. Nothing in this Agreement or any other Loan Document shall affect any right that the Lender may otherwise have to bring any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document against the Borrower or its properties in the courts of any jurisdiction.

 

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(c) The Borrower hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waives, to the fullest extent it may legally and effectively do so, any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document in any court referred to in paragraph (b) of this Section. Each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the defense of an inconvenient forum to the maintenance of such action or proceeding in any such court.

(d) Each party to this Agreement irrevocably consents to service of process in the manner provided for notices in Section 8.01. Nothing in this Agreement or any other Loan Document will affect the right of any party to this Agreement to serve process in any other manner permitted by law.

SECTION 8.10. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT, ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER THEORY). EACH PARTY HERETO (A) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE OR OTHER AGENT (INCLUDING ANY ATTORNEY) OF ANY OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER AND (B) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT AND THE OTHER PARTIES HERETO HAVE BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION.

IN THE EVENT ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING IS FILED IN A COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA (THE “COURT”) BY OR AGAINST THE BORROWER OR THE LENDER IN CONNECTION WITH ANY CONTROVERSY, DISPUTE OR CLAIM DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS DOCUMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER THEORY) (EACH, A “CLAIM”) AND THE WAIVER SET FORTH IN THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPH IS NOT ENFORCEABLE IN SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING, THE BORROWER AND THE LENDERS (BY ITS ACCEPTANCE HEREOF) AGREE AS FOLLOWS:

(1) WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE MATTERS SPECIFIED IN PARAGRAPH (2) BELOW, ANY CLAIM WILL BE DETERMINED BY A GENERAL REFERENCE PROCEEDING IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF CALIFORNIA CODE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE SECTIONS 638 THROUGH 645.2, INCLUDING ANY REVISION OR REPLACEMENT OF SUCH STATUTES OR RULES HEREAFTER ENACTED. THE BORROWER AND THE LENDERS INTEND THIS GENERAL REFERENCE AGREEMENT TO BE SPECIFICALLY ENFORCEABLE IN ACCORDANCE WITH CALIFORNIA CODE

 

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OF CIVIL PROCEDURE SECTION 638, INCLUDING ANY REVISION OR REPLACEMENT OF SUCH STATUTE OR RULE HEREAFTER ENACTED. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED IN THIS AND THE OTHER RELATED DOCUMENTS, VENUE FOR THE REFERENCE PROCEEDING WILL BE IN THE STATE OR FEDERAL COURT IN THE COUNTY OR DISTRICT WHERE VENUE IS OTHERWISE APPROPRIATE UNDER APPLICABLE LAW.

(2) THE FOLLOWING MATTERS SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO A GENERAL REFERENCE PROCEEDING: (A) NON-JUDICIAL FORECLOSURE OF ANY SECURITY INTERESTS IN REAL OR PERSONAL PROPERTY; (B) EXERCISE OF SELF-HELP REMEDIES (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, SET-OFF); (C) APPOINTMENT OF A RECEIVER; AND (D) TEMPORARY, PROVISIONAL OR ANCILLARY REMEDIES (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, WRITS OF ATTACHMENT, WRITS OF POSSESSION, TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDERS OR PRELIMINARY INJUNCTIONS). THIS DOCUMENT DOES NOT LIMIT THE RIGHT OF THE BORROWER OR THE LENDER TO EXERCISE OR OPPOSE ANY OF THE RIGHTS AND REMEDIES DESCRIBED IN CLAUSES (A) - (D) AND ANY SUCH EXERCISE OR OPPOSITION DOES NOT WAIVE THE RIGHT OF THE BORROWER OR THE LENDER TO A REFERENCE PROCEEDING PURSUANT TO THIS DOCUMENT.

(3) UPON THE WRITTEN REQUEST OF THE BORROWER OR THE LENDER, THE BORROWER AND THE LENDER SHALL SELECT A SINGLE REFEREE, WHO SHALL BE A RETIRED JUDGE OR JUSTICE. IF THE BORROWER AND THE LENDER DO NOT AGREE UPON A REFEREE WITHIN TEN DAYS OF SUCH WRITTEN REQUEST THEN THE BORROWER OR THE LENDER MAY REQUEST THE COURT TO APPOINT A REFEREE PURSUANT TO CALIFORNIA CODE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE SECTION 640(B), INCLUDING ANY REVISION OR REPLACEMENT OF SUCH STATUTE OR RULE HEREAFTER ENACTED.

(4) ALL PROCEEDINGS AND HEARINGS CONDUCTED BEFORE THE REFEREE, EXCEPT FOR TRIAL, SHALL BE CONDUCTED WITHOUT A COURT REPORTER, EXCEPT WHEN THE BORROWER OR THE LENDER SO REQUESTS, A COURT REPORTER WILL BE USED AND THE REFEREE WILL BE PROVIDED A COURTESY COPY OF THE TRANSCRIPT. THE PARTY MAKING SUCH REQUEST SHALL HAVE THE OBLIGATION TO ARRANGE FOR AND PAY COSTS OF THE COURT REPORTER, PROVIDED THAT SUCH COSTS, ALONG WITH THE REFEREE’S FEES, SHALL ULTIMATELY BE BORNE BY THE PARTY WHO DOES NOT PREVAIL, AS DETERMINED BY THE REFEREE.

(5) THE REFEREE MAY REQUIRE ONE OR MORE PREHEARING CONFERENCES. THE BORROWER AND THE LENDER SHALL BE ENTITLED TO DISCOVERY, AND THE REFEREE SHALL OVERSEE DISCOVERY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RULES OF DISCOVERY, AND MAY ENFORCE ALL DISCOVERY ORDERS IN THE SAME MANNER AS ANY TRIAL COURT JUDGE IN PROCEEDINGS AT LAW IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. THE REFEREE SHALL APPLY THE RULES OF EVIDENCE APPLICABLE TO PROCEEDINGS AT LAW IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND SHALL DETERMINE ALL ISSUES IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE STATE

 

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AND FEDERAL LAW. THE REFEREE SHALL BE EMPOWERED TO ENTER EQUITABLE AS WELL AS LEGAL RELIEF AND RULE ON ANY MOTION WHICH WOULD BE AUTHORIZED IN A TRIAL, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, MOTIONS FOR DEFAULT JUDGMENT OR SUMMARY JUDGMENT. THE REFEREE SHALL REPORT THE REFEREE’S DECISION, WHICH REPORT SHALL ALSO INCLUDE FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW.

(6) THE BORROWER AND THE LENDER RECOGNIZE AND AGREE THAT ALL CLAIMS RESOLVED IN A GENERAL REFERENCE PROCEEDING PURSUANT HERETO WILL BE DECIDED BY A REFEREE AND NOT BY A JURY.

SECTION 8.11. Headings. Article and Section headings and the Table of Contents used herein are for convenience of reference only, are not part of this Agreement and shall not affect the construction of, or be taken into consideration in interpreting, this Agreement.

SECTION 8.12. Confidentiality. The Lender agrees to maintain the confidentiality of the Information (as defined below), except that Information may be disclosed (a) to its and its Affiliates’ directors, officers, employees and agents, including accountants, legal counsel and other advisors (it being understood that the Persons to whom such disclosure is made will be informed of the confidential nature of such Information and instructed to keep such Information confidential), (b) to the extent requested by any regulatory authority (including any self-regulatory authority, such as the National Association of Insurance Commissioners), (c) to the extent required by any Requirement of Law or by any subpoena or similar legal process, (d) to any other party to this Agreement, (e) in connection with the exercise of any remedies hereunder or under any other Loan Document or any suit, action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document or the enforcement of rights hereunder or thereunder, (f) subject to an agreement containing provisions substantially the same as those of this Section, to (x) any assignee of or Participant in, or any prospective assignee of or Participant in, any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement or (y) any actual or prospective counterparty (or its advisors) to any swap or derivative transaction relating to the Borrower and its obligations, (g) with the consent of the Borrower or (h) to the extent such Information (x) becomes publicly available other than as a result of a breach of this Section or (y) becomes available to the Lender on a non-confidential basis from a source other than the Borrower. For the purposes of this Section, “Information” means all information received from the Borrower relating to the Borrower or its business, other than any such information that is available to the Lender on a non-confidential basis prior to disclosure by the Borrower; provided that, in the case of information received from the Borrower after the date hereof, such information is clearly identified at the time of delivery as confidential. Any Person required to maintain the confidentiality of Information as provided in this Section shall be considered to have complied with its obligation to do so if such Person has exercised the same degree of care to maintain the confidentiality of such Information as such Person would accord to its own confidential information.

SECTION 8.13. Nonreliance; Violation of Law. The Lender hereby represents that it is not relying on or looking to any margin stock (as defined in Regulation U of the Federal Reserve Board) for the repayment of the Borrowings provided for herein. Anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, the Lender shall not be obligated to extend credit to the Borrower in violation of any Requirement of Law.

 

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SECTION 8.14. USA PATRIOT Act. The Lender is subject to the requirements of the USA PATRIOT Act and hereby notifies the Borrower that pursuant to the requirements of the USA PATRIOT Act, it is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies the Borrower, which information includes the name and address of the Borrower and other information that will allow the Lender to identify the Borrower in accordance with the USA PATRIOT Act.

SECTION 8.15. Disclosure. The Borrower hereby acknowledges and agrees that the Lender and/or its Affiliates from time to time may hold investments in, make other loans to or have other relationships with, the Borrower and its Affiliates.

SECTION 8.16. Interest Rate Limitation. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if at any time the interest rate applicable to any Loan, together with all fees, charges and other amounts which are treated as interest on such Loan under applicable law (collectively the “Charges”), shall exceed the maximum lawful rate (the “Maximum Rate”) which may be contracted for, charged, taken, received or reserved by the Lender holding such Loan in accordance with applicable law, the rate of interest payable in respect of such Loan hereunder, together with all Charges payable in respect thereof, shall be limited to the Maximum Rate and, to the extent lawful, the interest and Charges that would have been payable in respect of such Loan but were not payable as a result of the operation of this Section shall be cumulated and the interest and Charges payable to the Lender in respect of other Loans or periods shall be increased (but not above the Maximum Rate therefor) until such cumulated amount, together with interest thereon at the NYFRB Rate to the date of repayment, shall have been received by the Lender.

SECTION 8.17. No Fiduciary Duty, etc. (a) The Borrower acknowledges and agrees, and acknowledges its Subsidiaries’ understanding, that the Lender will not have any obligations except those obligations expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents and the Lender is acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length contractual counterparty to the Borrower with respect to the Loan Documents and the transactions contemplated herein and therein and not as a financial advisor or a fiduciary to, or an agent of, the Borrower or any other person. The Borrower agrees that it will not assert any claim against the Lender based on an alleged breach of fiduciary duty by the Lender in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby. Additionally, the Borrower acknowledges and agrees that the Lender is not advising the Borrower as to any legal, tax, investment, accounting, regulatory or any other matters in any jurisdiction. The Borrower shall consult with its own advisors concerning such matters and shall be responsible for making its own independent investigation and appraisal of the transactions contemplated herein or in the other Loan Documents, and the Lender shall have no responsibility or liability to the Borrower with respect thereto.

(b) The Borrower further acknowledges and agrees, and acknowledges its Subsidiaries’ understanding, that the Lender, together with its Affiliates, is a full service securities or banking firm engaged in securities trading and brokerage activities as well as providing investment banking and other financial services. In the ordinary course of business,

 

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the Lender may provide investment banking and other financial services to, and/or acquire, hold or sell, for its own accounts and the accounts of customers, equity, debt and other securities and financial instruments (including bank loans and other obligations) of, the Borrower and other companies with which the Borrower may have commercial or other relationships. With respect to any securities and/or financial instruments so held by the Lender or any of its customers, all rights in respect of such securities and financial instruments, including any voting rights, will be exercised by the holder of the rights, in its sole discretion.

(c) In addition, the Borrower acknowledges and agrees, and acknowledges its Subsidiaries’ understanding, that the Lender and its Affiliates may be providing debt financing, equity capital or other services (including financial advisory services) to other companies in respect of which the Borrower may have conflicting interests regarding the transactions described herein and otherwise. The Lender will not use confidential information obtained from the Borrower by virtue of the transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents or its other relationships with the Borrower in connection with the performance by the Lender of services for other companies, and the Lender will not furnish any such information to other companies. The Borrower also acknowledges that the Lender has no obligation to use in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents, or to furnish to the Borrower, confidential information obtained from other companies.

SECTION 8.18. Marketing Consent. The Borrower hereby authorizes the Lender, at Lender’s sole expense, and without any prior approval by or compensation to the Borrower, to include the Borrower’s name and logo in advertising, marketing, tombstones, case studies and training materials, posted on the Internet (including social media), on the Lender’s Intranet, in pitchbooks and materials sent to prospective and existing customers, in newspapers or journals and to give such other publicity to this agreement and any related products and services, as Lender may from time to time determine in its sole discretion.

SECTION 8.19. Acknowledgment Regarding Any Supported QFCs. To the extent that the Loan Documents provide support, through a guarantee or otherwise, for Swap Agreements or any other agreement or instrument that is a QFC (such support “QFC Credit Support” and each such QFC a “Supported QFC”), the parties acknowledge and agree as follows with respect to the resolution power of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation under the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (together with the regulations promulgated thereunder, the “U.S. Special Resolution Regimes”) in respect of such Supported QFC and QFC Credit Support (with the provisions below applicable notwithstanding that the Loan Documents and any Supported QFC may in fact be stated to be governed by the laws of the State of New York and/or of the United States or any other state of the United States):

In the event a Covered Entity that is party to a Supported QFC (each, a “Covered Party”) becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer of such Supported QFC and the benefit of such QFC Credit Support (and any interest and obligation in or under such Supported QFC and such QFC Credit Support, and any rights in property securing such Supported QFC or such QFC Credit Support) from such Covered Party will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if the Supported QFC and such QFC Credit Support (and any such interest, obligation and rights in

 

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property) were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States. In the event a Covered Party or a BHC Act Affiliate of a Covered Party becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under the Loan Documents that might otherwise apply to such Supported QFC or any QFC Credit Support that may be exercised against such Covered Party are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if the Supported QFC and the Loan Documents were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.

[Signature Page Follows]

 

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

 

SAN JOSE WATER COMPANY
By: /s/ James P. Lynch                                                 
Name: James P. Lynch
By: Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
By: /s/ Peter S. Predun                                                 
Name: Peter S. Predun
By: Executive Director

Signature Page to San Jose Water Company Credit Agreement