SUBSIDIARY GUARANTY

Contract Categories: Business Finance - Guaranty Agreements
EX-10.2 3 dex102.htm SUBSIDIARY GUARANTY Subsidiary Guaranty

Exhibit 10.2

[Execution Copy]

SUBSIDIARY GUARANTY

THIS GUARANTY (this “Guaranty”), dated as of June 7, 2006, is made by each Guarantor named in the signature pages hereof (each a “Guarantor” and, collectively, the “Guarantors”), in favor of the Lenders party to the Credit Agreement referred to below, the L/C Issuer, the Swing Line Lender and Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent (in such capacity, the “Administrative Agent”).

VeriSign, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), certain Subsidiaries of the Company from time to time party thereto pursuant to Section 2.15 thereof as Designated Borrowers (each a “Designated Borrower” and, collectively, the “Designated Borrowers”), the Lenders from time to time party thereto (each a “Lender” and, collectively, the “Lenders”), the L/C Issuer, the Swing Line Lender and the Administrative Agent are parties to a Credit Agreement dated as of June 7, 2006 (as amended, modified, renewed or extended from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”).

It is a condition precedent to the Borrowings and issuances of Letters of Credit under the Credit Agreement that each Guarantor guarantee the indebtedness and other obligations of the Company and each Designated Borrower to the Guaranteed Parties under or in connection with the Credit Agreement and the obligations of the Company to the L/C Issuer under or in connection with the Issuer Documents . Each Guarantor, as a Subsidiary or Affiliate of the Company, will derive substantial direct and indirect benefits from the making of the Loans to, and issuances of Letters of Credit for the account or benefit of, the Company, the Designated Borrowers or other Subsidiaries, as the case may be, pursuant to the Credit Agreement (which benefits are hereby acknowledged by each Guarantor).

Accordingly, to induce the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer, the Swing Line Lender and the Lenders to enter into the Credit Agreement and to extend credit thereunder, and in consideration thereof, each Guarantor hereby agrees as follows:

SECTION 1 Definitions; Interpretation.

(a) Terms Defined in Credit Agreement. All capitalized terms used in this Guaranty (including in the recitals hereof) and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Credit Agreement.

(b) Certain Defined Terms. As used in this Guaranty (including in the recitals hereof), the following terms shall have the following meanings:

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

Collateral” means any Cash Collateral provided by the Guarantor pursuant to the Credit Agreement.

 

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Collateral Documents” means any agreement pursuant to which any Guarantor or any other Person provides a Lien on any Collateral and all filings, documents and agreements made or delivered pursuant thereto.

Excluded Taxes” means, with respect to any Guaranteed Party or any other recipient of any payment to be made by or on account of any Guaranteed Obligation hereunder, (a) taxes imposed on or measured by its overall net income (however denominated), and franchise taxes imposed on it (in lieu of net income taxes), by the jurisdiction (or any political subdivision thereof) under the laws of which such recipient is organized or in which its principal office is located or, in the case of any Lender, in which its applicable Lending Office is located, (b) any branch profits taxes imposed by the United States or any similar tax imposed by any other jurisdiction in which any Guarantor is located and any taxes imposed on net income by reason of any connection between the recipient of such payment and the jurisdiction of the Governmental Authority imposing such taxes (other than any such connection arising from the recipient of such payment having executed, delivered or performed its obligations or received a payment under, or enforced, this Guaranty or any other Guarantor Document), (c) any tax to the extent (and solely in the amount) that such tax (or a similar tax imposed by another jurisdiction) was an Excluded Tax on a payment made under the Guaranteed Obligation, or (d) any tax that is attributable to a Guaranteed Party’s failure or inability (other than as a result of a Change in Law) to comply with Section 9(f).

Guaranteed Obligations” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.

Guaranteed Parties” means the Administrative Agent, the Lenders, the L/C Issuer and the Swing Line Lender.

Guarantor Documents” means this Guaranty and all other certificates, documents, agreements and instruments delivered to any Guaranteed Party by a Guarantor under or in connection with this Guaranty.

Indemnified Taxes” means Taxes other than Excluded Taxes.

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

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

Subordinated Debt” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.

 

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

(c) Interpretation. The rules of interpretation set forth in Section 1.02 of the Credit Agreement shall be applicable to this Guaranty and are incorporated herein by this reference.

SECTION 2 Guaranty.

(a) Guaranty. Each Guarantor hereby unconditionally and irrevocably guarantees to the Guaranteed Parties, and their respective successors and permitted assigns, the full and prompt payment when due (whether at stated maturity, by required prepayment, declaration, acceleration, demand or otherwise) of the indebtedness, liabilities and other obligations of Company and each Designated Borrower to the Guaranteed Parties under or in connection with the Credit Agreement, the Notes, the Issuer Documents and the other Loan Documents, including all unpaid principal of the Loans, all amounts owing in respect of the L/C Obligations, all interest accrued thereon, all fees due under the Credit Agreement and all other amounts payable by the Company or any Designated Borrower to the Guaranteed Parties thereunder or in connection therewith. The terms “indebtedness,” “liabilities” and “obligations” are used herein in their most comprehensive sense and include any and all advances, debts, obligations and liabilities, now existing or hereafter arising, whether voluntary or involuntary and whether due or not due, absolute or contingent, liquidated or unliquidated, determined or undetermined, and whether recovery upon such indebtedness, liabilities and obligations may be or hereafter become unenforceable or shall be an allowed or disallowed claim under any Debtor Relief Law, and including interest that accrues after the commencement by or against the Company or any Designated Borrower of any Insolvency Proceeding naming such Person as the debtor in such proceeding. The foregoing indebtedness, liabilities and other obligations of the Company and each Designated Borrower, and all other indebtedness, liabilities and obligations to be paid or performed by the Guarantors in connection with this Guaranty (including any and all amounts due under Section 15), shall hereinafter be collectively referred to as the “Guaranteed Obligations.”

(b) Limitation of Guaranty. To the extent that any court of competent jurisdiction shall impose by final judgment under applicable law (including the California Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act and §§ 544 and 548 of the Bankruptcy Code) any limitations on the amount of any Guarantor’s liability with respect to the Guaranteed Obligations which any Guaranteed Party can enforce under this Guaranty, the Guaranteed Parties by their acceptance hereof accept such limitation on the amount of such Guarantor’s liability hereunder to the extent needed to make this Guaranty and the Guarantor Documents fully enforceable and nonavoidable.

(c) Allocation of Payments. The Guarantors together desire to allocate among themselves, in a fair and equitable manner, their obligations arising under Section 2(a) of this Guaranty. Accordingly, in the event any payment or distribution is made on any date by any Guarantor (a “Funding Guarantor”) under Section 2(a) that exceeds its Fair Share (as defined below) as of such date, such Funding Guarantor shall be entitled to a contribution from each of the other Guarantors in the amount of such other Guarantor’s Fair Share Shortfall (as defined

 

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below) as of such date, so that all such contributions will cause each Guarantor’s Aggregate Payments (as defined below) to equal its Fair Share as of such date. “Fair Share” means, with respect to any Guarantor as of any date of determination, an amount equal to (i) the ratio of (x) the Adjusted Maximum Amount (as defined below) with respect to such Guarantor to (y) the aggregate of the Adjusted Maximum Amounts with respect to all Guarantors, multiplied by (ii) the aggregate amount paid or distributed on or before such date by all Funding Guarantors under Section 2(a) in respect of the obligations guarantied. “Fair Share Shortfall” means, with respect to a Guarantor as of any date of determination, the excess, if any, of the Fair Share of such Guarantor over the Aggregate Payments of such Guarantor. “Adjusted Maximum Amount” means, with respect to any Guarantor as of any date of determination, the maximum aggregate amount of the obligations of such Guarantor under Section 2(a), subject to Section 2(b), if applicable, determined as of such date; provided that, solely for purposes of calculating the “Adjusted Maximum Amount” with respect to any Guarantor for purposes of this Section 2(c), any assets or liabilities of such Guarantor arising by virtue of any rights to subrogation, reimbursement or indemnification or any rights to or obligations of contribution hereunder shall not be considered as assets or liabilities of such Guarantor. “Aggregate Payments” means, with respect to a Guarantor as of any date of determination, an amount equal to (i) the aggregate amount of all payments and distributions made on or before such date by such Guarantor in respect of this Section 2 (including in respect of this Section 2(c)) minus (ii) the aggregate amount of all payments received on or before such date by such Guarantor from the other Guarantors as contributions under this Section 2(c). The amounts payable as contributions hereunder shall be determined as of the date on which the related payment or distribution is made by the applicable Funding Guarantor. The allocation among Guarantors of their obligations as set forth in this Section 2(c) shall not be construed in any way to limit the liability of any Guarantor hereunder.

SECTION 3 Liability of Guarantors. The liability of the Guarantors under this Guaranty shall be irrevocable, absolute, independent and unconditional, and shall not be affected by any circumstance which might constitute a discharge of a surety or guarantor other than the indefeasible payment and performance in full of all Guaranteed Obligations. In furtherance of the foregoing and without limiting the generality thereof, each Guarantor agrees as follows:

(i) such Guarantor’s liability hereunder shall be the immediate, direct, and primary obligation of such Guarantor and shall not be contingent upon any Guaranteed Party’s exercise or enforcement of any remedy it may have against the Company, any Designated Borrower or any other Person, or against any Collateral;

(ii) this Guaranty is a guaranty of payment when due and not merely of collectibility;

(iii) the Guaranteed Parties may enforce this Guaranty upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default to the extent any Guaranteed Obligations are then due and payable, notwithstanding the existence of any dispute between any of the Guaranteed Parties and the Company or any Designated Borrower with respect to the existence of such Event of Default;

 

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(iv) such Guarantor’s payment of a portion, but not all, of the Guaranteed Obligations shall in no way limit, affect, modify or abridge such Guarantor’s liability for any portion of the Guaranteed Obligations remaining unsatisfied; and

(v) such Guarantor’s liability with respect to the Guaranteed Obligations shall remain in full force and effect without regard to, and shall not be impaired or affected by, nor shall such Guarantor be exonerated or discharged by, any of the following events:

(A) any Insolvency Proceeding with respect to the Company, any Designated Borrower, such Guarantor, any other Loan Party or any other Person;

(B) any limitation, discharge, or cessation of the liability of the Company, any Designated Borrower, such Guarantor, any other Loan Party or any other Person for any Guaranteed Obligations due to any statute, regulation or rule of law, or any invalidity or unenforceability in whole or in part of any of the Guaranteed Obligations or the Loan Documents;

(C) any merger, acquisition, consolidation or change in structure of the Company, any Designated Borrower, such Guarantor or any other Loan Party or Person, or any sale, lease, transfer or other disposition of any or all of the assets or shares of the Company, any Designated Borrower, such Guarantor, any other Loan Party or other Person;

(D) any assignment or other transfer, in whole or in part, of any Guaranteed Party’s interests in and rights under this Guaranty or the other Loan Documents, including any Guaranteed Party’s right to receive payment of the Guaranteed Obligations, or any assignment or other transfer, in whole or in part, of any Guaranteed Party’s interests in and to any of the Collateral, in each of the foregoing cases to the extent such assignment or other transfer is made pursuant to Section 18(b) of this Guaranty;

(E) any claim, defense, counterclaim or setoff, other than that of prior performance, that the Company, any Designated Borrower, such Guarantor, any other Loan Party or other Person may have or assert, including any defense of incapacity or lack of corporate or other authority to execute any of the Loan Documents;

(F) any Guaranteed Party’s amendment, modification, renewal, extension, cancellation or surrender of any Loan Document, any Guaranteed Obligations, or any Collateral, or any Guaranteed Party’s exchange, release, or waiver of any Collateral;

(G) any Guaranteed Party’s exercise or nonexercise of any power, right or remedy with respect to any of the Collateral, including any Guaranteed Party’s compromise, release, settlement or waiver with or of any Designated Borrower, any other Loan Party or any other Person;

(H) any Guaranteed Party’s vote, claim, distribution, election, acceptance, action or inaction in any Insolvency Proceeding related to the Guaranteed Obligations;

 

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(I) any impairment or invalidity of any of the Collateral or any other collateral securing any of the Guaranteed Obligations or any failure to perfect any of the Liens of the Guaranteed Parties thereon or therein;

(J) any acts of any Governmental Authority of or in any jurisdiction affecting the Company, any Designated Borrower, such Guarantor, any other Loan Party or other Person, including any restrictions on the conversion or exchange of currency or repatriation or control of funds, a declaration of banking moratorium or any suspension of payments by banks in any jurisdiction or the imposition by any jurisdiction or any Governmental Authority thereof or therein of any moratorium on, the required rescheduling or restructuring of, or required approval of payments on, any indebtedness in such jurisdiction, or any total or partial expropriation, confiscation, nationalization or requisition of any such Person’s property; any war (whether or not declared), insurrection, revolution, hostile act, civil strife or similar events occurring in any jurisdiction; or any economic, political, regulatory or other events in any jurisdiction; and

(K) any other guaranty, whether by such Guarantor or any other Person, of all or any part of the Guaranteed Obligations or any other indebtedness, obligations or liabilities of the Company, any Designated Borrower to any Guaranteed Party.

SECTION 4 Consents of Guarantors. Each Guarantor hereby unconditionally consents and agrees that, without notice to or further assent from such Guarantor:

(i) the principal amount of the Guaranteed Obligations may be increased or decreased and additional Obligations of the Loan Parties under the Loan Documents may be incurred, by one or more amendments, modifications, renewals or extensions of any Loan Document or otherwise;

(ii) the time, manner, place or terms of any payment under any Loan Document may be extended or changed, including by an increase or decrease in the interest rate on any Guaranteed Obligation or any fee or other amount payable under such Loan Document, by an amendment, modification or renewal of any Loan Document or otherwise;

(iii) the time for the Company’s or any Designated Borrower’s (or any other Person’s) performance of or compliance with any term, covenant or agreement on its part to be performed or observed under any Loan Document may be extended, or such performance or compliance waived, or failure in or departure from such performance or compliance consented to, all in such manner and upon such terms as the Guaranteed Parties may deem proper;

(iv) any Guaranteed Party may discharge or release, in whole or in part, any other Loan Party or any other Person liable for the payment and performance of all or any part of the Guaranteed Obligations, and may permit or consent to any such action or any result of such action, and shall not be obligated to demand or enforce payment upon any of the Collateral or any other collateral, nor shall any Guaranteed Party be liable to the Guarantors for any failure to collect or enforce payment or performance of the Guaranteed Obligations from any Person or to realize on the Collateral or other collateral therefor;

(v) in addition to the Collateral, the Guaranteed Parties may take and hold other security (legal or equitable) of any kind, at any time, as collateral for the Guaranteed

 

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Obligations, and may, from time to time, in whole or in part, exchange, sell, surrender, release, subordinate, modify, waive, rescind, compromise or extend such security and may permit or consent to any such action or the result of any such action, and may apply such security and direct the order or manner of sale thereof;

(vi) the Guaranteed Parties may request and accept other guaranties of the Guaranteed Obligations and any other indebtedness, obligations or liabilities of the Company or any Designated Borrower to any Guaranteed Party and may, from time to time, in whole or in part, surrender, release, subordinate, modify, waive, rescind, compromise or extend any such guaranty and may permit or consent to any such action or the result of any such action; and

(vii) the Guaranteed Parties may exercise, or waive or otherwise refrain from exercising, any other right, remedy, power or privilege (including the right to accelerate the maturity of any Loan and any power of sale) granted by any Loan Document or other security document or agreement, or otherwise available to any Guaranteed Party, with respect to the Guaranteed Obligations or any of the Collateral, even if the exercise of such right, remedy, power or privilege affects or eliminates any right of subrogation or any other right of the Guarantors against the Company or any Designated Borrower;

all as the Guaranteed Parties may deem advisable, and all without impairing, abridging, releasing or affecting this Guaranty.

SECTION 5 Guarantor Waivers.

(a) Certain Waivers. Each Guarantor waives and agrees not to assert:

(i) any right to require any Guaranteed Party to marshal assets in favor of the Company or any Designated Borrower, such Guarantor, any other Loan Party or any other Person, to proceed against the Company, any Designated Borrower, any other Loan Party or any other Person, to proceed against or exhaust any of the Collateral, to give notice of the terms, time and place of any public or private sale of personal property security constituting the Collateral or other collateral for the Guaranteed Obligations or comply with any other provisions of §9611 of the New York UCC (or any equivalent provision of any other applicable law) or to pursue any other right, remedy, power or privilege of any Guaranteed Party whatsoever;

(ii) the defense of the statute of limitations in any action hereunder or for the collection or performance of the Guaranteed Obligations;

(iii) any defense arising by reason of any lack of corporate or other authority or any other defense of the Company, any Designated Borrower, such Guarantor or any other Person;

(iv) any defense based upon any Guaranteed Party’s errors or omissions in the administration of the Guaranteed Obligations;

(v) any rights to set-offs and counterclaims;

 

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(vi) any defense available as the result of any law or regulation of any jurisdiction affecting any term of a Guaranteed Obligation;

(vii) any defense based upon an election of remedies (including, if available, an election to proceed by nonjudicial foreclosure) which destroys or impairs the subrogation rights of such Guarantor or the right of such Guarantor to proceed against the Company, any Designated Borrower or any other obligor of the Guaranteed Obligations for reimbursement; and

(viii) without limiting the generality of the foregoing, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any defenses or benefits that may be derived from or afforded by applicable law limiting the liability of or exonerating guarantors or sureties, or which may conflict with the terms of this Guaranty, including any rights and defenses which are or may become available to any Guarantor by reason of California Civil Code §§2787 through 2855, 2899 and 3433. As provided below, this Guaranty shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the law of the State of New York. The foregoing is included solely out of an abundance of caution, and shall not be construed to mean that any of the above referenced provisions of California law are in any way applicable to this Guaranty or the Guaranteed Obligations.

(b) Additional Waivers. Each Guarantor waives any and all notice of the acceptance of this Guaranty, and any and all notice of the creation, renewal, modification, extension or accrual of the Guaranteed Obligations, or the reliance by the Guaranteed Parties upon this Guaranty, or the exercise of any right, power or privilege hereunder. The Guaranteed Obligations shall conclusively be deemed to have been created, contracted, incurred and permitted to exist in reliance upon this Guaranty. Each Guarantor waives promptness, diligence, presentment, protest, demand for payment, notice of default, dishonor or nonpayment and all other notices to or upon the Company, any Designated Borrower, such Guarantor or any other Person with respect to the Guaranteed Obligations.

(c) Independent Obligations. The obligations of each Guarantor hereunder are independent of and separate from the obligations of the Company, any Designated Borrower and any other Loan Party and upon the occurrence and during the continuance of any Event of Default to the extent any Guaranteed Obligations are then due and payable, a separate action or actions may be brought against such Guarantor, whether or not the Company, any Designated Borrower or any such other Loan Party is joined therein or a separate action or actions are brought against the Company, any Designated Borrower or any such other Loan Party.

(d) Financial Condition of the Company and the Designated Borrowers. No Guarantor shall have any right to require any Guaranteed Party to obtain or disclose any information with respect to: (i) the financial condition or character of the Company or any Designated Borrower or the ability of the Company or any Designated Borrower to pay and perform the Guaranteed Obligations; (ii) the Guaranteed Obligations; (iii) the Collateral; (iv) the existence or nonexistence of any other guarantees of all or any part of the Guaranteed Obligations; (v) any action or inaction on the part of any Guaranteed Party or any other Person; or (vi) any other matter, fact or occurrence whatsoever.

 

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SECTION 6 Subrogation. Until the Guaranteed Obligations shall be satisfied in full and the Commitments shall be terminated, no Guarantor shall have, and no Guarantor shall directly or indirectly exercise, (i) any rights that it may acquire by way of subrogation under this Guaranty, by any payment hereunder or otherwise, (ii) any rights of contribution, indemnification, reimbursement or similar suretyship claims arising out of this Guaranty or (iii) any other right which it might otherwise have or acquire (in any way whatsoever) which could entitle it at any time to share or participate in any right, remedy or security of any Guaranteed Party as against the Company, any Designated Borrower or other Loan Parties, whether in connection with this Guaranty, any of the other Loan Documents or otherwise. If any amount shall be paid to any Guarantor on account of the foregoing rights at any time when all the Guaranteed Obligations shall not have been paid in full, such amount shall be held in trust for the benefit of the Guaranteed Parties and shall forthwith be paid to the Administrative Agent to be credited and applied to the Guaranteed Obligations, whether matured or unmatured, in accordance with the terms of the Loan Documents.

SECTION 7 Subordination.

(a) Subordination to Payment of Guaranteed Obligations. All payments on account of all indebtedness, liabilities and other obligations of the Company or any Designated Borrower to each Guarantor, whether created under, arising out of or in connection with any documents or instruments evidencing any credit extensions to the Company or any Designated Borrower or otherwise, including all principal on any such credit extensions, all interest accrued thereon, all fees and all other amounts payable by the Company or any Designated Borrower to such Guarantor in connection therewith, whether now existing or hereafter arising, and whether due or to become due, absolute or contingent, liquidated or unliquidated, determined or undetermined (the “Subordinated Debt”) shall be subject, subordinate and junior in right of payment and exercise of remedies, to the extent and in the manner set forth herein, to the prior payment in full in cash or cash equivalents of the Guaranteed Obligations.

(b) No Payments. As long as any of the Guaranteed Obligations shall remain outstanding and unpaid, no Guarantor shall accept or receive any payment or distribution by or on behalf of the Company or any Designated Borrower, directly or indirectly, of assets of the Company or any Designated Borrower of any kind or character, whether in cash, property or securities, including on account of the purchase, redemption or other acquisition of Subordinated Debt, as a result of any collection, sale or other disposition of collateral, or by setoff, exchange or in any other manner, for or on account of the Subordinated Debt (“Subordinated Debt Payments”), except that if no Event of Default exists and no Guaranteed Obligations are then due and payable, a Guarantor shall be entitled to accept and receive regularly scheduled payments and other payments in the ordinary course or consistent with past practice of the relevant Guarantor on the Subordinated Debt, in accordance with the terms of the documents and instruments governing the Subordinated Debt and other Subordinated Debt Payments in respect of Subordinated Debt not evidenced by documents or instruments, in each case to the extent not in violation of Article VII of the Credit Agreement. During the existence of an Event of Default (or if any Event of Default would exist immediately after the making of a Subordinated Debt Payment), if the Guaranteed Obligations are then due and payable, and until such Event of Default is cured or waived, such Guarantor shall not make, accept or receive any Subordinated Debt Payment. In the event that, notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, any

 

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Subordinated Debt Payments shall be received in contravention of this Section 7 by any Guarantor before all Guaranteed Obligations are paid in full in cash or cash equivalents, such Subordinated Debt Payments shall be held in trust for the benefit of the Guaranteed Parties and shall be paid over or delivered to the Administrative Agent for application to the payment in full in cash or cash equivalents of all Guaranteed Obligations remaining unpaid to the extent necessary to give effect to this Section 7, after giving effect to any concurrent payments or distributions to any Guaranteed Party in respect of the Guaranteed Obligations.

(c) Subordination of Remedies. As long as any Guaranteed Obligations shall remain outstanding and unpaid, no Guarantor shall, without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent:

(i) accelerate, make demand or otherwise make due and payable prior to the original stated maturity thereof any Subordinated Debt or bring suit or institute any other actions or proceedings to enforce its rights or interests under or in respect of the Subordinated Debt;

(ii) exercise any rights under or with respect to (A) any guaranties of the Subordinated Debt, or (B) any collateral held by it, including causing or compelling the pledge or delivery of any collateral, any attachment of, levy upon, execution against, foreclosure upon or the taking of other action against or institution of other proceedings with respect to any collateral held by it, notifying any account debtors of the Company or any Designated Borrower or asserting any claim or interest in any insurance with respect to any collateral, or attempt to do any of the foregoing;

(iii) exercise any rights to set-offs and counterclaims in respect of any indebtedness, liabilities or obligations of such Guarantor to the Company or any Designated Borrower against any of the Subordinated Debt; or

(iv) commence, or cause to be commenced, or join with any creditor other than any Guaranteed Party in commencing, any Insolvency Proceeding.

(d) Subordination Upon Any Distribution of Assets of the Company or Designated Borrowers. In the event of any payment or distribution of assets of the Company or any Designated Borrower of any kind or character, whether in cash, property or securities, upon any Insolvency Proceeding with respect to or involving the Company or such Designated Borrower, (i) all amounts owing on account of the Guaranteed Obligations, including all interest accrued thereon at the contract rate both before and after the initiation of any such proceeding, whether or not an allowed claim in any such proceeding, shall first be paid in full in cash, or payment provided for in cash or in cash equivalents, before any Subordinated Debt Payment is made; and (ii) to the extent permitted by applicable law, any Subordinated Debt Payment to which such Guarantor would be entitled except for the provisions hereof, shall be paid or delivered by the trustee in bankruptcy, receiver, assignee for the benefit of creditors or other liquidating agent making such payment or distribution directly to the Administrative Agent (on behalf of the other Guaranteed Parties) for application to the payment of the Guaranteed Obligations in accordance with clause (i), after giving effect to any concurrent payment or

 

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distribution or provision therefor to any Guaranteed Party in respect of such Guaranteed Obligations.

(e) Authorization to Administrative Agent. If, while any Subordinated Debt is outstanding, any Insolvency Proceeding is commenced by or against the Company or its property or any Designated Borrower or its property:

(i) the Administrative Agent, when so instructed by the Required Lenders, is hereby irrevocably authorized and empowered (in the name of the Guaranteed Parties or in the name of any Guarantor or otherwise), but shall have no obligation, to demand, sue for, collect and receive every payment or distribution in respect of the Subordinated Debt and give acquittance therefor and to file claims and proofs of claim and take such other action (including voting the Subordinated Debt) as it may deem necessary or advisable for the exercise or enforcement of any of the rights or interests of the Guaranteed Parties; and

(ii) each Guarantor shall promptly take such action as the Administrative Agent (on instruction from the Required Lenders) may reasonably request (A) to collect the Subordinated Debt for the account of the Guaranteed Parties and to file appropriate claims or proofs of claim in respect of the Subordinated Debt, (B) to execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent, such powers of attorney, assignments and other instruments as it may request to enable it to enforce any and all claims with respect to the Subordinated Debt, and (C) to collect and receive any and all Subordinated Debt Payments.

SECTION 8 Continuing Guaranty. This Guaranty is a continuing guaranty and agreement of subordination relating to any Guaranteed Obligations, including Guaranteed Obligations which may exist continuously or which may arise from time to time under successive transactions, and the Guarantors expressly acknowledge that this Guaranty shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding that there may be periods in which no Guaranteed Obligations exist. This Guaranty shall continue in effect and be binding upon the Guarantors until termination of the Commitments and payment and performance in full of the Guaranteed Obligations.

SECTION 9 Payments. (a) Each Guarantor hereby agrees, in furtherance of the foregoing provisions of this Guaranty and not in limitation of any other right which any Guaranteed Party or any other Person may have against such Guarantor by virtue hereof, upon the failure of the Company or any Designated Borrower to pay any of the Guaranteed Obligations when and as the same shall become due, whether at stated maturity, by required prepayment, declaration, acceleration, demand or otherwise (including amounts that would become due but for the operation of the automatic stay under §362(a) of the Bankruptcy Code), such Guarantor shall forthwith pay, or cause to be paid, in cash, to the Administrative Agent an amount equal to the amount of the Guaranteed Obligations then due as aforesaid (including interest which, but for the filing of a petition in any Insolvency Proceeding with respect to the Company or any Designated Borrower, would have accrued on such Guaranteed Obligations, whether or not a claim is allowed against the Company or any Designated Borrower for such interest in any such Insolvency Proceeding). Each Guarantor shall make each payment hereunder, unconditionally in full without set-off, counterclaim or other defense, on the day when due in the currency in which such Guaranteed Obligations are denominated, in Same Day

 

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Funds, to the Administrative Agent at such office of the Administrative Agent and to such account as are specified in the Credit Agreement. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Administrative Agent may require that any payments due under this Guaranty shall be made in the United States.

(b) Any and all payments by or on account of any Guaranteed Obligation hereunder or under any other Guarantor Document shall be made free and clear of and without reduction or withholding for any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes, provided that if any Guarantor shall be required by applicable law to deduct any Indemnified Taxes (including any Other Taxes) from such payments, then (i) the sum payable shall be increased as necessary so that after making all required deductions (including deductions for Indemnified Taxes applicable to additional sums payable under this Section) the Guaranteed Party receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such deductions been made, (ii) such Guarantor shall make such deductions and (iii) such Guarantor shall timely pay the full amount deducted to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable law.

(c) Without limiting the provisions of subsection (b), each Guarantor shall timely pay any Other Taxes to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable law.

(d) Each Guarantor shall indemnify the Guaranteed Parties, within ten days after demand therefor, for the full amount of any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes (including Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes imposed or asserted on or attributable to amounts payable under this Section) paid by the Guaranteed Parties and any penalties, interest and reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority. A certificate as to the amount of such payment or liability delivered to such Guarantor by a Guaranteed Party (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), or by the Administrative Agent on its own behalf or on behalf of another Guaranteed Party, shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

(e) As soon as practicable after any payment of Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes by a Guarantor to a Governmental Authority, such Guarantor shall deliver to the Administrative Agent the original or a certified copy of a receipt issued by such Governmental Authority evidencing such payment, a copy of the return reporting such payment or other evidence of such payment reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.

(f) Each Guaranteed Party agrees to comply with any certification, identification, information, documentation or other reporting requirement if (i) such compliance is required by law, regulation, administrative practice or an applicable treaty as a precondition to exemption from, or reduction in the rate of, deduction or withholding of any Taxes for which any Guarantor is required to pay additional amounts pursuant to Section 9(b) and (ii) such Guarantor shall have notified the Administrative Agent that a Guaranteed Party will be required to comply with such requirement.

(g) Any payments by any Guarantor hereunder the application of which is not otherwise provided for herein, shall be applied in the order specified in Section 8.03 of the Credit Agreement.

 

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

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

(j) The agreements in this Section 9 shall survive the termination of the Aggregate Commitments and the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all the other Guaranteed Obligations.

SECTION 10 Representations and Warranties. Each Guarantor represents and warrants to each Guaranteed Party that:

(a) Organization and Powers. Each Guarantor is (i) duly organized or formed, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, (ii) has all requisite power and authority and all requisite governmental licenses, authorizations, consents and approvals to (A) own its assets and carry on its business and (B) to execute, deliver, and perform its obligations under this Guaranty and the other Guarantor Documents to which it is a party, (iii) is duly qualified and is licensed and in good standing under the Laws of each jurisdiction where its ownership, lease or operation of properties or the conduct of its business requires such qualification or license, and (iv) is in compliance with all Laws, except in each case referred to in clause (ii)(A), clause (iii) or clause (iv), to the extent that

 

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failure to do so individually or in the aggregate could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(b) Authorization; No Conflict. The execution, delivery and performance by each Guarantor of this Guaranty and any other Guarantor Documents have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate or other organizational action, and do not and will not (i) contravene the terms of any of such Guarantor’s Organization Documents; (ii) conflict with or result in any breach or contravention of, or the creation of any Lien under, or require any payment to be made under (A) any material Contractual Obligation to which such Guarantor is a party or affecting such Guarantor or the material properties of such Guarantor or any of its Subsidiaries or (B) any material order, injunction, writ or decree of any Governmental Authority or any arbitral award to which such Guarantor or its property is subject; or (iii) violate any Law applicable to each Guarantor. Each Guarantor is in compliance with all material Contractual Obligations referred to in clause (ii)(A), except to the extent that failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(c) Binding Obligation. This Guaranty has been, and the other Guarantor Documents, when executed and delivered by each Guarantor that is party thereto, will have been, duly executed and delivered by each such Guarantor that is party thereto. This Guaranty constitutes, and each other Guarantor Document when so executed and delivered will constitute, a legal, valid and binding obligation of such Guarantor, enforceable against each Guarantor that is party thereto in accordance with its terms, subject to the effect of applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, arrangement, moratorium and other similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and to the application of general principles of equity.

(d) Governmental Consents. No approval, consent, exemption, authorization, or other action by, or notice to, or filing with, any Governmental Authority or any other Person is necessary or required in connection with the execution, delivery or performance by, or enforcement against, any Guarantor of this Guaranty or any other Guarantor Documents.

(e) No Prior Assignment. No Guarantor has previously assigned any interest in the Subordinated Debt or any collateral relating thereto, no Person other than a Guarantor owns an interest in any of the Subordinated Debt or any such collateral (whether as joint holders of the Subordinated Debt, participants or otherwise), and the entire Subordinated Debt is owing only to the Guarantors.

(f) Solvency. Immediately prior to and after and giving effect to the incurrence of each Guarantor’s obligations under this Guaranty such Guarantor is and will be Solvent.

(g) Independent Investigation. Each Guarantor hereby acknowledges that it has undertaken its own independent investigation of the financial condition of the Company or any Designated Borrower and all other matters pertaining to this Guaranty and further acknowledges that it is not relying in any manner upon any representation or statement of any Guaranteed Party with respect thereto. Each Guarantor represents and warrants that it has received and reviewed copies of the Loan Documents and that it is in a position to obtain, and it hereby assumes full responsibility for obtaining, any additional information concerning the financial condition of the Company or any Designated Borrower and any other matters pertinent hereto that any Guarantor

 

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may desire. No Guarantor is relying upon or expecting any Guaranteed Party to furnish to such Guarantor any information now or hereafter in any Guaranteed Party’s possession concerning the financial condition of the Company or any Designated Borrower or any other matter.

SECTION 11 Reporting Covenant. So long as any Guaranteed Obligations shall remain unpaid or unsatisfied, any Letter of Credit shall remain outstanding or any Lender shall have any Commitment, each Guarantor agrees that it shall furnish to the Administrative Agent: (a) promptly after a Responsible Officer of such Guarantor obtains Actual Knowledge thereof, written notice of any condition or event which has resulted, or that could reasonably be expected to result, in a Material Adverse Effect; and (b) such other information respecting the operations, properties, business or financial condition of such Guarantor or its Subsidiaries as the Administrative Agent, at the request of any Guaranteed Party, may from time to time reasonably request.

SECTION 12 Additional Affirmative Covenants. So long as any Guaranteed Obligations shall remain unpaid or unsatisfied, any Letter of Credit shall remain outstanding or any Lender shall have any Commitment, each Guarantor agrees that:

(a) Preservation of Existence, Etc. Each Guarantor shall (a) preserve, renew and maintain in full force and effect its legal existence and good standing under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, except in a transaction permitted by Section 7.04 or 7.05 of the Credit Agreement; and (b) take all reasonable action to maintain all rights, privileges, permits, licenses and franchises necessary or desirable in the normal conduct of its business, except to the extent that failure to do so individually or in the aggregate could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(b) Further Assurances and Additional Acts. Each Guarantor shall execute, acknowledge, deliver, file, notarize and register at its own expense all such further agreements, instruments, certificates, documents and assurances and perform such acts as the Administrative Agent or the Required Lenders shall deem necessary or appropriate to effectuate the purposes of this Guaranty and the other Guarantor Documents, and promptly provide the Administrative Agent with evidence of the foregoing satisfactory in form and substance to the Administrative Agent and the Required Lenders.

(c) Credit Agreement Covenants. Each Guarantor shall observe, perform and comply with all covenants applicable to such Guarantor set forth in Articles VI and VII of the Credit Agreement, which by their terms the Company is required to cause such Guarantor to observe, perform and comply with, as if such covenants were set forth in full herein.

(d) Governmental Consents. Each Guarantor shall maintain all authorizations, consents, approvals, licenses, exemptions of, or filings or registrations with, any Governmental Authority, or approvals or consents of any other Person, required in connection with this Guaranty or any other Guarantor Documents.

SECTION 13 Notices. All notices and other communications provided for herein shall be in writing and shall be delivered by hand or overnight courier service, mailed by certified or registered mail or sent by telecopier, in the case of each Guarantor, to the address or

 

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telecopier number specified on the signature page hereof, and in the case of the Guaranteed Parties, to the addresses or telecopier numbers specified in the Credit Agreement. Notices sent by hand or overnight courier service, or mailed by certified or registered mail, shall be deemed to have been given when received; notices sent by telecopier shall be deemed to have been given when sent (except that, if not given during normal business hours for the recipient, shall be deemed to have been given at the opening of business on the next business day for the recipient). Each of the Guarantors and the Guaranteed Parties may change its address or telecopier number for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to the other parties.

SECTION 14 No Waiver; Cumulative Remedies. No failure by any Guaranteed Party to exercise, and no delay by any such Person in exercising, any right, remedy, power or privilege hereunder or under any other Guarantor Document shall operate as a waiver thereof; nor shall any single or partial exercise of any right, remedy, power or privilege hereunder preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, remedy, power or privilege. The rights, remedies, powers and privileges herein or therein provided are cumulative and not exclusive of any rights, remedies, powers and privileges provided by law.

SECTION 15 Costs and Expenses; Indemnification.

(a) Costs and Expenses. Each Guarantor shall pay (i) all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent and its Affiliates (including the reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of counsel for the Administrative Agent), in connection with the preparation, negotiation, execution and delivery of this Guaranty and the other Guarantor Documents or any amendments, modifications or waivers of the provisions hereof or thereof (whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby shall be consummated), and (ii) all out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party (including the fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for any Guaranteed Party), and shall pay all fees and time charges for attorneys who may be employees of a Guaranteed Party, in connection with the enforcement or protection of its rights in connection with this Guaranty and the other Guarantor Documents, including its rights under this Section, including all such out-of-pocket expenses incurred during any workout, restructuring or negotiations in respect of the Guaranteed Obligations.

(b) Indemnification. Each Guarantor shall indemnify the Administrative Agent (and any sub-agent thereof), each other Guaranteed Party, and each Related Party of any of the foregoing Persons (each such Person being called an “Indemnitee”) against, and hold each Indemnitee harmless from, any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and related expenses (including the fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for any Indemnitee), and shall indemnify and hold harmless each Indemnitee from all fees and time charges and disbursements for attorneys who may be employees of any Indemnitee, incurred by any Indemnitee or asserted against any Indemnitee by any third party or by any Guarantor or any other Loan Party arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of (i) the execution or delivery of this Guaranty or any other Guarantor Document or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby or thereby, the performance by the parties hereto or thereto of their respective obligations hereunder or thereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, or (ii) any actual or prospective claim, litigation, investigation or proceeding relating to any of the foregoing, whether based on contract, tort or any other theory, whether brought by a third party

 

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or by any Guarantor or any other Loan Party, and regardless of whether any Indemnitee is a party thereto; provided that such indemnity shall not, as to any Indemnitee, be available to the extent that such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or related expenses (x) 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, (y) result from a claim brought by any Guarantor or any other Loan Party against an Indemnitee for breach in bad faith of such Indemnitee’s obligations hereunder or under any other Loan Document, if such Guarantor or such other Loan Party has obtained a final and nonappealable judgment in its favor on such claim as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction or (z) result from a claim by an Indemnitee against any other Indemnitee that does not involve an act or omission of any Guarantor or any Loan Party for which an Indemnitee would otherwise be entitled to indemnification under this Section 15(b).

(c) Waiver of Consequential Damages, Etc. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, no Guarantor shall assert, and each Guarantor hereby waives, any claim against any Indemnitee, on any theory of liability, for special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages (as opposed to direct or actual damages) arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of, this Guaranty, any other Guarantor Document or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby, the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use of the proceeds thereof. No Indemnitee referred to in subsection (b) shall be liable for any damages arising from the use by unintended recipients of any information or other materials distributed by it through telecommunications, electronic or other information transmission systems in connection with this Guaranty or the other Guarantor Documents or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby.

(d) Interest. Any amounts payable by any Guarantor under this Section 15 or otherwise under this Guaranty if not paid upon demand shall bear interest from the date of such demand until paid in full, at a fluctuating interest rate per annum at all times equal to the Default Rate applicable to Base Rate Loans to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Law. Any such interest shall be due and payable upon demand and shall be calculated on the basis of a year of 365 or 366 days, as the case may be, and the actual number of days elapsed.

(e) Payment. All amounts due under this Section 15 shall be payable within ten Business Days after demand therefor.

(f) Survival. The agreements in this Section 15 shall survive the resignation of the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer, the replacement of any Lender, the termination of the Aggregate Commitments and the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all the other Guaranteed Obligations.

SECTION 16 Right of Set-Off. If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, to the extent any Guaranteed Obligations are then due and payable, each Guaranteed Party and each of their respective Affiliates is hereby authorized at any time and from time to time, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, to set off and apply any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final, in whatever currency) at any time held and other obligations (in whatever currency) at any time owing by such Guaranteed Party or any such Affiliate to or for the credit or the account of any Guarantor against any and all of the

 

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obligations of such Guarantor now or hereafter existing under this Guaranty or any other Guarantor Document to such Lender or the L/C Issuer, irrespective of whether or not such Guaranteed Party shall have made any demand under this Guaranty or any other Loan Document and although such obligations of such Guarantor may be owed to a branch or office of such Guaranteed Party different from the branch or office holding such deposit or obligated on such indebtedness. The rights of each Guaranteed Party and their respective Affiliates under this Section are in addition to other rights and remedies (including other rights of setoff) that such Guaranteed Party or their respective Affiliates may have. Each Guaranteed Party (by its acceptance hereof) agrees to notify the affected Guarantor and the Administrative Agent promptly after any such setoff and application, provided that the failure to give such notice shall not affect the validity of such setoff and application.

SECTION 17 Benefits of Guaranty. This Guaranty is entered into for the sole protection and benefit of the Administrative Agent and each other Guaranteed Party and their respective successors and permitted assigns, and no other Person (other than any Related Party or Participant specified herein) shall be a direct or indirect beneficiary of, or shall have any direct or indirect cause of action or claim in connection with, this Guaranty. The Guaranteed Parties, by their acceptance of this Guaranty, shall not have any obligations under this Guaranty to any Person other than (i) the Guarantors, and (ii) the Administrative Agent (or any such sub-agent thereof) or any Related Party thereof, and such obligations shall be limited to those expressly stated herein.

SECTION 18 Binding Effect; Assignment.

(a) Binding Effect. This Guaranty shall be binding upon each Guarantor and its successors and assigns, and inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the Administrative Agent and each other Guaranteed Party and their respective successors and permitted assigns under the Credit Agreement.

(b) Assignment. Except to the extent otherwise provided in the Credit Agreement, no Guarantor shall have the right to assign or transfer its rights and obligations hereunder or under any other Guarantor Documents without the prior written consent of the Required Lenders. Each Lender may, without notice to or consent by any Guarantor, sell, assign, transfer or grant participations in all or any portion of such Lender’s rights and obligations hereunder and under the other Guarantor Documents in connection with any sale, assignment, transfer or grant of a participation by such Lender in accordance with Section 10.06 of the Credit Agreement of or in its rights and obligations thereunder and under the other Loan Documents. In the event of any grant of a participation, the Participant to the extent permitted by law shall be deemed to have a right of setoff under Section 16 in respect of its participation to the same extent as if it were such “Guaranteed Party.

SECTION 19 Governing Law and Jurisdiction.

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

 

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(b) EACH GUARANTOR IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY SUBMITS, FOR ITSELF AND ITS PROPERTY, TO THE NONEXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF THE COURTS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK SITTING IN NEW YORK COUNTY AND OF THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK, AND ANY APPELLATE COURT FROM ANY THEREOF, IN ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS GUARANTY OR ANY OTHER GUARANTOR DOCUMENT, OR FOR RECOGNITION OR ENFORCEMENT OF ANY JUDGMENT, AND EACH GUARANTOR AND EACH GUARANTEED PARTY (BY ITS ACCEPTANCE HEREOF) IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY AGREES THAT ALL CLAIMS IN RESPECT OF ANY SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING MAY BE HEARD AND DETERMINED IN SUCH NEW YORK STATE COURT OR, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN SUCH FEDERAL COURT. EACH GUARANTOR AND EACH GUARANTEED PARTY (BY ITS ACCEPTANCE HEREOF) 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 GUARANTY OR IN ANY OTHER GUARANTOR DOCUMENT SHALL AFFECT ANY RIGHT THAT ANY GUARANTEED PARTY MAY OTHERWISE HAVE TO BRING ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING RELATING TO THIS GUARANTY OR ANY OTHER GUARANTOR DOCUMENT AGAINST SUCH GUARANTOR OR ITS PROPERTIES IN THE COURTS OF ANY JURISDICTION.

(c) EACH GUARANTOR IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY OBJECTION THAT IT MAY NOW OR HEREAFTER HAVE TO THE LAYING OF VENUE OF ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS GUARANTY OR ANY OTHER GUARANTOR DOCUMENT IN ANY COURT REFERRED TO IN SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION. EACH GUARANTOR AND EACH GUARANTEED PARTY (BY ITS ACCEPTANCE HEREOF) HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THE DEFENSE OF AN INCONVENIENT FORUM TO THE MAINTENANCE OF SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING IN ANY SUCH COURT.

(d) EACH GUARANTOR HERETO IRREVOCABLY CONSENTS TO SERVICE OF PROCESS IN THE MANNER PROVIDED FOR NOTICES IN SECTION 13. NOTHING IN THIS GUARANTY WILL AFFECT THE RIGHT OF ANY GUARANTEED PARTY TO SERVE PROCESS IN ANY OTHER MANNER PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW.

SECTION 20 Waiver of Jury Trial. EACH GUARANTOR AND EACH GUARANTEED PARTY (BY ITS ACCEPTANCE HEREOF) HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS GUARANTY OR ANY OTHER GUARANTOR DOCUMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER THEORY).

 

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EACH GUARANTOR AND EACH GUARANTEED PARTY (BY ITS ACCEPTANCE HEREOF) (A) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PERSON HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PERSON WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER AND (B) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT HAS BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO OR ACCEPT, AS THE CASE MAY BE, THIS GUARANTY AND THE OTHER GUARANTOR DOCUMENTS BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION.

SECTION 21 California Judicial Reference. If any action or proceeding is filed in a court of the State of California by or against the parties in connection with any of the transactions contemplated by this Guaranty or the other Guarantor Documents, (a) the court shall, and is hereby directed to, make a general reference pursuant to California Code of Civil Procedure §638 to a referee (who shall be a single active or retired judge) to hear and determine all of the issues in such action or proceeding (whether of fact or of law) and to report a statement of decision, provided that at the option of any party to such proceeding, any such issues pertaining to a “provisional remedy” as defined in California Code of Civil Procedure §1281.8 shall be heard and determined by the court, and (b) without limiting the generality of Section 15, each Guarantor shall be solely responsible to pay all fees and expenses of any referee appointed in such action or proceeding.

SECTION 22 No Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility. In connection with all aspects of each transaction contemplated by the Loan Documents, each Guarantor acknowledges and agrees that: (i) the credit facilities provided for under the Credit Agreement and any related arranging or other services in connection therewith (including in connection with any amendment, waiver or other modification of any Loan Document) are an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, any Designated Borrower, the Guarantors and their respective Affiliates, on the one hand, and the Administrative Agent the Arranger, on the other hand, and each Guarantor is capable of evaluating and understanding and understands and accepts the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents (including any amendment, waiver or other modification thereof); (ii) in connection with the process leading to such transaction, the Administrative Agent and the Arrangers each is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the financial advisor, agent or fiduciary, for the Company or any Designated Borrower, the Guarantors or any of the respective Affiliates, stockholders, creditors or employees or any other Person; (iii) neither the Administrative Agent nor the Arrangers has assumed or will assume an advisory, agency or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company or any Designated Borrower or the Guarantors with respect to any of the transactions contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto, including with respect to any amendment, waiver or other modification of any Loan Document (irrespective of whether the Administrative Agent or the Arrangers has advised or is currently advising the Company or any Designated Borrower, the Guarantors or any of their respective Affiliates on other matters) and neither the Administrative Agent nor the Arrangers has any obligation to the Company or any Designated Borrower, the Guarantors or any of their respective Affiliates with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby except those obligations expressly set forth in the Loan Documents; (iv) the Administrative Agent and the Arrangers and their respective Affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company or any Designated Borrower, the Guarantors and their respective Affiliates, and neither

 

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the Administrative Agent nor the Arrangers has any obligation to disclose any of such interests by virtue of any advisory, agency or fiduciary relationship; and (v) the Administrative Agent and the Arrangers have not provided and will not provide any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to any of the transactions contemplated hereby (including any amendment, waiver or other modification of any Loan Document) and each Guarantor has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it has deemed appropriate. Each Guarantor hereby waives and releases, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that it may have against the Administrative Agent and the Arrangers with respect to any breach or alleged breach of agency or fiduciary duty.

SECTION 23 Amendments and Waivers. This Guaranty shall not be amended except by written agreement of the Guarantors, the Administrative Agent and the Required Lenders. No waiver of any rights of the Guaranteed Parties under any provision of this Guaranty or consent to any departure by any Guarantor therefrom shall be effective unless in writing and signed by the Administrative Agent and the Required Lenders, or the Administrative Agent (with the written consent of the Required Lenders). Any such amendment, waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the specific purpose for which given.

SECTION 24 Severability. If any provision of this Guaranty or the other Guarantor Documents is held to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable, (a) to the fullest extent permitted by law, the legality, validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Guaranty and the other Guarantor Documents shall not be affected or impaired thereby and (b) the parties shall endeavor in good faith negotiations to replace the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provisions with valid provisions the economic effect of which comes as close as possible to that of the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provisions. The invalidity of a provision in a particular jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction.

SECTION 25 Confidentiality. By its acceptance hereof, each Guaranteed Party agrees to maintain the confidentiality of the Information (as defined below), except that Information may be disclosed (a) to its Affiliates and to its Affiliates’ respective partners, directors, officers, employees, agents, advisors and representatives (it being understood that the Persons to whom such disclosure is made will be informed of the confidential nature of such Information and instructed to keep such Information confidential), (b) to the extent requested by any regulatory authority purporting to have jurisdiction over it (including any self-regulatory authority, such as the National Association of Insurance Commissioners), (c) to the extent required by applicable laws or regulations or by any subpoena or similar legal process, (d) to any other Guaranteed Party, (e) in connection with the exercise of any remedies hereunder or under any other Loan Document or any action or proceeding relating to this Guaranty 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 (i) any assignee of or Participant in, or any prospective assignee of or Participant in, any of its rights or obligations under the Loan Documents or (ii) any actual or prospective counterparty (or its advisors) to any securitization, swap or derivative transaction relating to the Company or any Guarantor and its obligations, or any Subsidiary of the Company or any Guarantor and its obligations, (g) with the consent of the applicable Guarantor 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 a

 

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Guaranteed Party on a nonconfidential basis from a source other than the Company or any Guarantor. In the event any Guaranteed Party is required to disclose the Information pursuant to applicable law or regulation or by subpoena or similar legal process, such party shall give prompt written notice to the Company and the relevant Guarantor as soon as practicable in advance of such disclosure (unless such notification is prohibited by applicable law) so that the Company or such Guarantor may seek a protective order or other appropriate remedy and such party will use only that portion of the information that such party is advised by counsel is legally required or otherwise deemed necessary to disclose; provided, however, that such party shall not be required to notify the Company or such Guarantor regarding any disclosure of any Information to a regulatory authority having jurisdiction over such party in the course of such authority’s inspection or examination of such party.

For purposes of this Section, “Information” means all information received from the Company or any Guarantor relating to such the Company, such Guarantor, any of their respective Subsidiaries or any of their respective businesses, other than any such information that is available to a Guaranteed Party on a nonconfidential basis prior to disclosure by the Company, such Guarantor or their respective Subsidiaries, provided that, in the case of information received from the Company, any Guarantor or their respective Subsidiaries 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. By its acceptance hereof, each Guaranteed Party acknowledges that (a) the Information may include material non-public information concerning the Company, a Guarantor or a Subsidiary of either thereof, as the case may be, (b) such Guaranteed Party has developed compliance procedures regarding the use of material non-public information and (c) it will handle such material non-public information in accordance with applicable Law, including Federal and state securities Laws.

SECTION 26 Judgment Currency. If, for the purposes of obtaining judgment in any court, it is necessary to convert a sum due hereunder or any other Guarantor Document in one currency into another currency, the rate of exchange used shall be that at which in accordance with normal banking procedures the Administrative Agent could purchase the first currency with such other currency on the Business Day preceding that on which final judgment is given. The obligation of any Guarantor in respect of any such sum due from it to any Guaranteed Party hereunder or under the other Guarantor Documents shall, notwithstanding any judgment in a currency (the “Judgment Currency”) other than that in which such sum is denominated in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Credit Agreement (the “Agreement Currency”), be discharged only to the extent that on the Business Day following receipt by the Administrative Agent of any sum adjudged to be so due in the Judgment Currency, the Administrative Agent may in accordance with normal banking procedures purchase the Agreement Currency with the Judgment Currency. If the amount of the Agreement Currency so purchased is less than the sum originally due to the Administrative Agent from such Guarantor in the Agreement Currency, such Guarantor agrees, as a separate obligation and notwithstanding any such judgment, to indemnify the Administrative Agent or the Person to whom such obligation was owing against such loss. If the amount of the Agreement Currency so purchased is greater than the sum originally due to the Administrative Agent in such currency, the

 

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Administrative Agent (by its acceptance hereof) agrees to return the amount of any excess to such Guarantor (or to any other Person who may be entitled thereto under applicable law). The agreements in this Section 26 shall survive the termination of the Commitments and repayment of all Guaranteed Obligations.

SECTION 27 Future Guarantors. At such time following the date hereof as any Subsidiary of the Company (an “Acceding Subsidiary”) is required to accede hereto pursuant to the terms of Section 6.13 of the Credit Agreement, such Acceding Subsidiary shall execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent an accession agreement substantially in the form of Annex 1 (the “Accession Agreement”), signifying its agreement to be bound by the provisions of this Guaranty as a Guarantor to the same extent as if such Acceding Subsidiary had originally executed this Guaranty as of the date hereof.

SECTION 28 Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness. This Guaranty may be executed in counterparts (and by different parties hereto in different counterparts), each of which shall constitute an original, but all of which when taken together shall constitute a single contract. This Guaranty and the other Guarantor Documents constitute the entire contract among the parties relating to the subject matter hereof and supersede any and all previous agreements and understandings, oral or written, relating to the subject matter hereof. Except as provided in Section 4.01 of the Credit Agreement, this Guaranty shall become effective when the Administrative Agent shall have received counterparts hereof that, when taken together, bear the signatures of each of the Guarantors. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Guaranty by telecopy shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Guaranty.

SECTION 29 Survival of Representations and Warranties. All representations and warranties made hereunder and in any other Guarantor Document or other document delivered pursuant hereto or thereto or in connection herewith or therewith shall survive the execution and delivery hereof and thereof. Such representations and warranties have been or will be relied upon by the Administrative Agent and each other Guaranteed Party, regardless of any investigation made by the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party or on their behalf and notwithstanding that the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party may have had notice or knowledge of any Default at the time of any Credit Extension, and shall continue in full force and effect as long as any Loan or any other Obligation shall remain unpaid or unsatisfied or any Letter of Credit shall remain outstanding.

SECTION 30 USA PATRIOT Act Notice. Each Lender that is subject to the Act (as hereinafter defined) and the Administrative Agent (for itself and not on behalf of any Lender) hereby notifies each Guarantor that pursuant to the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)) (the “Act”), it is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies such Guarantor, which information includes the name and address of such Guarantor and other information that will allow such Lender or the Administrative Agent, as applicable, to identify such Guarantor in accordance with the Act.

SECTION 31 Time is of the Essence. Time is of the essence of this Guaranty and the other Guarantor Documents.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each Guarantor has executed this Guaranty, as of the date first above written.

 

 

VERISIGN INFORMATION SERVICES, INC.,

a Delaware corporation

By     
 

Name: James M. Ulam

Title: Secretary

EMBP 685, L.L.C.

a California limited liability company

By     
 

Name: James M. Ulam

Title: Managing Director

EMBP 455, L.L.C.

a California limited liability company

By     
 

Name: James M. Ulam

Title: President

Address:

 

c/o VeriSign, Inc.

487 East Middlefield Road

Mountain View, CA 94043

Attn.: General Counsel

Telecopier No. 650 ###-###-####

 

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VERISIGN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC.,

a Delaware corporation

By     
 

Name: Steven H. Galoff

Title: President

Address:

 

c/o VeriSign, Inc.

300 Delaware Avenue, 9th Floor-DE 5403

Wilmington, Delaware 19801

Attn.: General Counsel

Telecopier No. 650 ###-###-####

VERISIGN INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, INC.,

a Delaware corporation

By     
 

Name: Steven H. Galoff

Title: Vice President

Address:

 

c/o VeriSign, Inc.

487 East Middlefield Road

Mountain View, CA 94043

Attn.: General Counsel

Telecopier No. 650 ###-###-####

 

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Annex 1

to the Guaranty

FORM OF ACCESSION AGREEMENT

 

To: Bank of America, N.A. as Administrative Agent

 

Re: VeriSign, Inc.

 

Date: [                    ]

Ladies and Gentlemen:

This Accession Agreement is made and delivered pursuant to Section 27 of that certain Guaranty dated as of June 7, 2006 (as amended, modified, renewed or extended from time to time, the “Guaranty”), made by each Guarantor named in the signature pages thereof (each a “Guarantor”), in favor of the Lenders party to the Credit Agreement referred to below, the L/C Issuer, the Swing Line Lender and Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent (in such capacity, the “Administrative Agent”). All capitalized terms used in this Accession Agreement and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in either the Guaranty or the Credit Agreement.

VeriSign, Inc. (the “Company”) is party to that certain Credit Agreement dated as of June 7, 2006 (the “Credit Agreement”) by and among the Company, certain Subsidiaries of the Company from time to time party thereto as Designated Borrowers, the Lenders from time to time party thereto (the “Lenders”), the L/C Issuer, the Swing Line Lender and the Administrative Agent.

The undersigned,                                                   [insert name of acceding Guarantor], a                                                   [corporation, partnership, limited liability company, etc.], is a Subsidiary of the Company and hereby acknowledges for the benefit of the Guaranteed Parties that it shall be a “Guarantor” for all purposes of the Guaranty effective from the date hereof. The undersigned confirms that the representations and warranties set forth in Section 10 of the Guaranty are true and correct as to the undersigned as of the date hereof.

Without limiting the foregoing, the undersigned hereby agrees to perform all of the obligations of a Guarantor under, and to be bound in all respects by the terms of, the Guaranty, including Sections 11, 12, 15 and 16 thereof, to the same extent and with the same force and effect as if the undersigned were an original signatory thereto.

This Accession Agreement shall constitute a Loan Document under the Credit Agreement.

THIS ACCESSION AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

 

A-1


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Accession Agreement, as of the date first above written.

 

[GUARANTOR]

By     
Title     

 

Address:

c/o     
  
  
Attn.:     
Telecopier No.     

 

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