Exhibit 10.3
AMENDED AND RESTATED GUARANTY
THIS AMENDED AND RESTATED GENERAL
CONTINUING GUARANTY (“ Guaranty ”), dated as of
September 26, 2008, is executed and delivered by each Subsidiary
that is a signatory hereto and any future Subsidiary that is not a
Non-Guarantor Subsidiary (as defined in the Credit Agreement
referenced below) that executes and delivers a Joinder hereto (each
a “ Guarantor ” and, collectively, the “
Guarantors ”), in favor of the commercial lending
institutions (the “ Lenders ”) from time to time
party to the Credit Agreement (as hereinafter defined) and Bank of
America, N.A. (“ Bank of America ”), as
Administrative Agent (in such capacity, together with any successor
appointed pursuant to Section 9.06 of the Credit Agreement,
the “ Administrative Agent ”) for the
Lenders.
WHEREAS, the Lenders,
the Administrative Agent, the Swing Line Lender and the L/C Issuer
are parties to a Credit Agreement dated as of June 27, 2006
(said Agreement, as amended by that certain Amendment No. 1 to
Credit Agreement dated as of March 28, 2007, that certain Amendment
No. 2 to Credit Agreement dated as of July 19, 2007, that certain
Amendment No. 3 to Credit Agreement dated as of March 28, 2008, and
that certain Amendment No. 4 to Credit Agreement dated as of
September 26, 2008, and as it may hereafter be amended,
supplemented, modified or restated from time to time, being the
“ Credit Agreement ”; the terms defined therein
and not otherwise defined herein being used herein as therein
defined) with The McClatchy Company, a Delaware corporation (the
“ Borrower ”);
WHEREAS, certain of
the Guarantors have previously executed a general continuing
guaranty in favor of the Lenders and Bank of America pursuant to
the Credit Agreement, and each of them now wishes to amend and
restate such guaranty in its entirety to conform to the guaranty
the new Guarantors are hereby executing;
WHEREAS, each of the
Guarantors will derive substantial direct and indirect benefit from
the transactions contemplated by the Credit Agreement;
NOW, THEREFORE, in
consideration of the foregoing and in order to induce the Lenders
to make the credit extensions contemplated under the Credit
Agreement, the Guarantors hereby agree, jointly and severally, as
follows:
1.
Definitions and Construction .
(a)
Definitions . The following terms, as used in
this Guaranty, shall have the following meanings:
“ Bankruptcy
Code ” shall mean The Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978 (11
U.S.C. §§101-1330), as amended or supplemented from time
to time, and any successor statute, and any and all rules issued or
promulgated in connection therewith.
“
Beneficiaries ” shall mean Administrative Agent and
Lenders.
“ Guarantied
Obligations ” shall mean the due and punctual payment of
all Indebtedness owing by Borrower.
“
Indebtedness ” shall mean any and all obligations,
indebtedness, or liabilities of any kind or character owed to
Beneficiaries by Borrower and arising directly or indirectly out of
or in connection with the Credit Agreement, the Notes, or the other
Loan Documents (in each case as amended, supplemented, modified or
restated from time to time) plus all of the obligations of the
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries under any and all Swap
Contracts between the Borrower and any Lender or Affiliate of a
Lender (or any Person that was a Lender or Affiliate of a Lender at
the time such Swap Contract was executed) that hedge interest rate
exposure for Indebtedness plus all of the obligations of the
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries under any and all treasury or
cash management services (including, without limitation, purchase
cards) between the Borrower and any Lender or an Affiliate of a
Lender (or any Person that was a Lender or Affiliate of a Lender at
the time such services agreement was executed), including all such
obligations, indebtedness, or liabilities, whether for principal,
interest (including any and all interest which, but for the
application of the provisions of the Bankruptcy Code, would have
accrued on such amounts), premium, reimbursement obligations, fees,
costs, expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees), or
indemnity obligations, whether heretofore, now, or hereafter made,
incurred, or created, whether voluntarily or involuntarily made,
incurred, or created, whether secured or unsecured (and if secured,
regardless of the nature or extent of the security), whether
absolute or contingent, liquidated or unliquidated, or determined
or indeterminate, whether Borrower is liable individually or
jointly with others, and whether recovery is or hereafter becomes
barred by any statute of limitations or otherwise becomes
unenforceable for any reason whatsoever, including any act or
failure to act by Beneficiaries.
(b)
Construction . Unless the context of this
Guaranty clearly requires otherwise, references to the plural
include the singular, references to the singular include the
plural, the part includes the whole, the term
“including” is not limiting, and the term
“or” has the inclusive meaning represented by the
phrase “and/or.” The words “hereof,”
“herein,” “hereby,”
“hereunder,” and other similar terms refer to this
Guaranty as a whole and not to any particular provision of this
Guaranty. Any reference in this Guaranty to any of the
following documents includes any and all alterations, amendments,
extensions, modifications, renewals, supplements or restatements
thereto or thereof, as applicable: the Loan Documents; the Credit
Agreement; this Guaranty; and the Notes. Neither this
Guaranty nor any uncertainty or ambiguity herein shall be construed
or resolved against Beneficiaries or any Guarantor, whether under
any rule of construction or otherwise. On the contrary,
this Guaranty has been reviewed by Guarantors, Beneficiaries, and
their respective counsel, and shall be construed and interpreted
according to the ordinary meaning of the words used so as to fairly
accomplish the purposes and intentions of Beneficiaries and
Guarantors.
2.
Guarantied Obligations . Each Guarantor, jointly
and severally, hereby irrevocably and unconditionally guaranties to
Beneficiaries, as and for its own debt, until final and
indefeasible payment thereof has been made, the due and punctual
payment of the Guarantied Obligations, in each case when and as the
same shall become due and payable, whether at maturity, by
acceleration, or otherwise; it being the intent of each Guarantor
that the guaranty set forth herein shall be a guaranty of payment
and not a guaranty of collection; provided , however
, that each Guarantor shall be liable under this Guaranty for the
maximum amount of such liability that can be incurred without
rendering this Guaranty, as it relates to such Guarantor, voidable
under applicable law relating to fraudulent conveyance or
fraudulent transfer, and not for any greater amount.
Each Guarantor
represents and warrants to Beneficiaries that (i) neither this
Guaranty nor any collateral security therefor has been given with
an intent to hinder, delay or defraud any creditor of such
Guarantor; (ii) such Guarantor is not engaged, or about to engage,
in any business or transaction for which its assets (other than
those necessary to satisfy its obligations under this Guaranty or
those given as collateral security for such obligations) are
unreasonably small in relation to the business or transaction, nor
does such Guarantor intend to incur, or believe or reasonably
should believe that it will incur, debts beyond its ability to pay
as they become due; and (iii) such Guarantor is not insolvent at
the time it gives this Guaranty, and the giving of this Guaranty
and any collateral security provided in connection herewith will
not result in such Guarantor’s becoming
insolvent. Each Guarantor hereby covenants and agrees
that, as long as this Guaranty remains in effect, such Guarantor
(i) shall incur no indebtedness beyond its ability to repay the
same in full in accordance with the terms thereof; and (ii) shall
not take any action, or suffer to occur any omission, which could
give rise to a claim by any third party to set aside this Guaranty
or any collateral given in connection herewith, or in any manner
impair Beneficiaries’ rights and privileges hereunder or
thereunder.
3.
Continuing Guaranty . This Guaranty includes
Guarantied Obligations arising under successive transactions
continuing, compromising, extending, increasing, modifying,
releasing, or renewing the Guarantied Obligations, changing the
interest rate, payment terms, or other terms and conditions
thereof, or creating new or additional Guarantied Obligations after
prior Guarantied Obligations have been satisfied in whole or in
part. To the maximum extent permitted by law, each
Guarantor hereby waives any right to revoke this Guaranty as to
future Indebtedness. If such a revocation is effective
notwithstanding the foregoing waiver, each Guarantor acknowledges
and agrees that (a) no such revocation shall be effective
until written notice thereof has been received by Beneficiaries,
(b) no such revocation shall apply to any Guarantied
Obligations in existence on such date (including any subsequent
continuation, extension, or renewal thereof, or change in the
interest rate, payment terms, or other terms and conditions
thereof), (c) no such revocation shall apply to any Guarantied
Obligations made or created after such date to the extent made or
created pursuant to a legally binding commitment of Beneficiaries
in existence on the date of such revocation, (d) no payment by
any Guarantor, Borrower, or from any other source, prior to the
date of such revocation, shall reduce the maximum obligation of
such Guarantor hereunder, and (e) any payment by Borrower or
from any source other than such Guarantor subsequent to the date of
such revocation shall first be applied to that portion of the
Guarantied Obligations as to which the revocation is effective and
which are not, therefore, guarantied hereunder, and to the extent
so applied shall not reduce the maximum obligations of such
Guarantor hereunder.
4.
Performance under this Guaranty . In the event
that Borrower fails to make any payment of any Guarantied
Obligations on or before the due date thereof, each Guarantor
immediately shall cause such payment to be made.
5.
Primary Obligations . This Guaranty is a primary
and original obligation of each Guarantor, is not merely the
creation of a surety relationship, and is an absolute,
unconditional, and continuing guaranty of payment and performance
which shall remain in full force and effect without respect to
future changes in conditions, including any change of law or any
invalidity or irregularity with respect to the issuance of the
Notes. Each Guarantor agrees that it is directly,
jointly and severally with each other Guarantor, liable to
Beneficiaries, that the obligations of such Guarantor hereunder are
independent of the obligations of Borrower or any other Guarantor,
and that a separate action may be brought against such Guarantor,
whether such action is brought against Borrower or another
Guarantor or whether Borrower or any such other Guarantor is joined
in such action. Guarantor agrees that its liability
hereunder shall be immediate and shall not be contingent upon the
exercise or enforcement by Beneficiaries of whatever remedies they
may have against Borrower or any other Guarantor, or the
enforcement of any lien or realization upon any security
Beneficiaries may at any time possess. Each Guarantor
agrees that any release which may be given by Beneficiaries to
Borrower or any other Guarantor shall not release such
Guarantor. Each Guarantor consents and agrees that
Beneficiaries shall be under no obligation to marshal any property
or assets of Borrower or any other Guarantor in favor of such
Guarantor, or against or in payment of any or all of the Guarantied
Obligations.
(a) Each
Guarantor hereby waives: (i) notice of acceptance hereof;
(ii) notice of any loans or other financial accommodations
made or extended under the Credit Agreement, or the creation or
existence of any Guarantied Obligations; (iii) notice of the
amount of the Guarantied Obligations, subject, however, to such
Guarantor’s right to make inquiry of Administrative Agent to
ascertain the amount of the Guarantied Obligations at any
reasonable time; (iv) notice of any adverse change in the
financial condition of Borrower or of any other fact that might
increase such Guarantor’s risk hereunder; (v) notice of
presentment for payment, demand, protest, and notice thereof as to
the Notes or any other instrument; (vi) notice of any Default
or Event of Default under the Credit Agreement; and (vii) all
other notices (except if such notice is specifically required to be
given to a Guarantor under this Guaranty or any other Loan Document
to which such Guarantor is party) and demands to which such
Guarantor might otherwise be entitled.
(b) To
the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, each Guarantor
waives the right by statute or otherwise to require Beneficiaries
to institute suit against Borrower or to exhaust any rights and
remedies which Beneficiaries have or may have against
Borrower. In this regard, each Guarantor agrees that it
is bound to the payment of each and all Guarantied Obligations,
whether now existing or hereafter accruing, as fully as if such
Guarantied Obligations were directly owing to Beneficiaries by such
Guarantor. Each Guarantor further waives any defense
arising by reason of any disability or other defense (other than
the defense that the Guarantied Obligations shall have been fully
and finally performed and indefeasibly paid) of Borrower or by
reason of the cessation from any cause whatsoever of the liability
of Borrower in respect thereof.
(c) To
the maximum extent permitted by law, each Guarantor hereby waives:
(i) any rights to assert against Beneficiaries any defense
(legal o
|