Exhibit 10.4
SUBSIDIARIES GUARANTY
among
CERTAIN SUBSIDIARIES OF RCN CORPORATION
and
DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS,
as COLLATERAL AGENT
SUBSIDIARIES GUARANTY
SUBSIDIARIES
GUARANTY (as amended, modified, restated and/or supplemented from
time to time, this “ Guaranty ”), dated as of
May 25, 2007, made by and among each of the undersigned
guarantors (each, a “ Guarantor ” and, together
with any other entity that becomes a guarantor hereunder pursuant
to Section 22 hereof, collectively, the “
Guarantors ”) in favor of Deutsche Bank Trust Company
Americas, as Administrative Agent (together with any successor
administrative agent, the “ Administrative Agent
”), for the benefit of the Secured Creditors (as defined
below). Except as otherwise defined herein, all capitalized terms
used herein and defined in the Credit Agreement (as defined below)
shall be used herein as therein defined.
W I T N E S S
E T H :
WHEREAS,
RCN Corporation (the “ Borrower ”), the lenders
from time to time party thereto (the “ Lenders
”), and the Administrative Agent, have entered into a Credit
Agreement, dated as of May 25, 2007 (as amended, modified,
restated and/or supplemented from time to time, the “
Credit Agreement ”), providing for the making of Loans
to, and the issuance of, and participation in, Letters of Credit
for the account of the Borrower, all as contemplated therein (the
Lenders, each Issuing Lender, the Administrative Agent, the
Collateral Agent, each other Agent and the Pledgee are herein
called the “ Lender Creditors ”);
WHEREAS,
the Borrower and/or one or more of its Subsidiaries may at any time
and from time to time enter into one or more Interest Rate
Protection Agreements and/or Other Hedging Agreements with one or
more Lenders or any affiliate thereof (each such Lender or
affiliate, even if the respective Lender subsequently ceases to be
a Lender under the Credit Agreement for any reason, together with
such Lender’s or affiliate’s successors and assigns, if
any, collectively, the “ Other Creditors ” and,
together with the Lender Creditors, the “ Secured
Creditors ”);
WHEREAS,
each Guarantor is a direct or indirect Subsidiary of the
Borrower;
WHEREAS,
it is a condition precedent to the making of Loans to the Borrower
and the issuance of, and participation in, Letters of Credit for
the account of the Borrower under the Credit Agreement and to the
Other Creditors entering into Interest Rate Protection Agreements
and Other Hedging Agreements that each Guarantor shall have
executed and delivered to the Administrative Agent this
Guaranty;
WHEREAS,
each Guarantor will obtain benefits from the incurrence of Loans by
the Borrower and the issuance of, and participation in, Letters of
Credit for the account of the Borrower under the Credit Agreement
and the entering into by the Borrower and/or one or more of its
Subsidiaries of Interest Rate Protection Agreements or Other
Hedging Agreements and, accordingly, desires to execute this
Guaranty in order to satisfy the condition described in the
preceding paragraph and to induce the Lenders to make Loans to the
Borrower and issue, and/or
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participate in, Letters of Credit for the account of the Borrower
and the Other Creditors to enter into Interest Rate Protection
Agreements or Other Hedging Agreements with the Borrower and/or one
or more of its Subsidiaries; and
WHEREAS,
each Guarantor has determined that the guaranties provided in this
Guaranty are necessary or convenient to the conduct, promotion or
attainment of the business of the Borrower, such Guarantor and the
other Guarantors, may reasonably be expected to benefit, directly
or indirectly, such Guarantor, and are in the best interests of
such Guarantor;
NOW,
THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and other benefits
accruing to each Guarantor, the receipt and sufficiency of which
are hereby acknowledged, each Guarantor hereby makes the following
representations and warranties to the Administrative Agent for the
benefit of the Secured Creditors and hereby covenants and agrees
with each other Guarantor and the Administrative Agent for the
benefit of the Secured Creditors as follows:
1.
GUARANTY . (a) Each Guarantor, jointly and severally,
irrevocably, absolutely and unconditionally guarantees:
(i) to the Lender Creditors the full
and prompt payment when due (whether at the stated maturity, by
required prepayment, declaration, acceleration, demand or
otherwise) of (x) the principal of, premium, if any, and
interest on the Notes issued by, and the Loans made to, the
Borrower under the Credit Agreement, and all reimbursement
obligations and Unpaid Drawings with respect to Letters of Credit
and (y) all other obligations (including, without limitation,
obligations which, but for the automatic stay under Section 362(a)
of the Bankruptcy Code, would become due), liabilities and
indebtedness owing by the Borrower to the Lender Creditors under
the Credit Agreement and each other Credit Document to which the
Borrower is a party (including, without limitation, indemnities,
Fees and interest thereon (including, without limitation, any
interest accruing after the commencement of any bankruptcy,
insolvency, receivership or similar proceeding at the rate provided
for in the Credit Agreement, whether or not such interest is an
allowed claim in any such proceeding)), whether now existing or
hereafter incurred under, arising out of or in connection with the
Credit Agreement and any such other Credit Document and the due
performance and compliance by the Borrower with all of the terms,
conditions, covenants and agreements contained in all such Credit
Documents (all such principal, premium, interest, liabilities,
indebtedness and obligations under this clause (i), except to the
extent consisting of obligations or liabilities with respect to
Interest Rate Protection Agreements or Other Hedging Agreements,
being herein collectively called the “ Credit Document
Obligations ”); and
(ii) to each Other Creditor the full
and prompt payment when due (whether at the stated maturity, by
required prepayment, declaration, acceleration, demand or
otherwise) of all obligations (including, without limitation,
obligations which, but for the automatic stay under Section 362(a)
of the Bankruptcy Code, would become due), liabilities and
indebtedness (including, without limitation, any interest accruing
after the commencement of any bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership
or similar proceeding at the rate provided for in the respective
Interest Rate Protection Agreements or Other Hedging
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Agreements,
whether or not such interest is an allowed claim in any such
proceeding) owing by the Borrower and/or any other Guaranteed Party
(as defined below) under any Interest Rate Protection Agreement and
any Other Hedging Agreement to which it is a party, whether now in
existence or hereafter arising, and the due performance and
compliance by the Borrower and each such other Guaranteed Party
with all of the terms, conditions, covenants and agreements
contained therein (all such obligations, liabilities and
indebtedness being herein collectively called the “ Other
Obligations ”, and together with the Credit Document
Obligations are herein collectively called the “
Guaranteed Obligations ”);
As used
herein, the term “ Guaranteed Party ” shall mean
the Borrower and each Subsidiary of the Borrower party to any
Interest Rate Protection Agreement or Other Hedging Agreement with
an Other Creditor. Each Guarantor understands, agrees and confirms
that the Secured Creditors may enforce this Guaranty up to the full
amount of the Guaranteed Obligations against such Guarantor without
proceeding against any other Guarantor, the Borrower or any other
Guaranteed Party, or against any security for the Guaranteed
Obligations, or under any other guaranty covering all or a portion
of the Guaranteed Obligations. This Guaranty is a guaranty of
prompt payment and performance and not of collection.
(b) Additionally,
each Guarantor, jointly and severally, unconditionally, absolutely
and irrevocably, guarantees the payment of any and all Guaranteed
Obligations whether or not due or payable by the Borrower or any
other Guaranteed Party upon the occurrence in respect of the
Borrower or any other Guaranteed Party of any of the events
specified in Section 10.05 of the Credit Agreement, and
unconditionally, absolutely and irrevocably, jointly and severally,
promises to pay such Guaranteed Obligations to the Secured
Creditors, or order, on demand.
2.
LIABILITY OF GUARANTORS ABSOLUTE . The liability of each
Guarantor hereunder is absolute, joint and several, and
unconditional and is exclusive and independent of any security for
or other guaranty of the indebtedness of the Borrower or any other
Guaranteed Party whether executed by such Guarantor, any other
Guarantor, any other guarantor or by any other party, and the
liability of each Guarantor hereunder shall not be affected or
impaired by any circumstance or occurrence whatsoever, including,
without limitation: (a) any direction as to application of
payment by the Borrower, any other Guaranteed Party or any other
party, (b) any other continuing or other guaranty, undertaking
or maximum liability of a Guarantor or of any other party as to the
Guaranteed Obligations, (c) any payment on or in reduction of
any such other guaranty or undertaking, (d) any dissolution,
termination or increase, decrease or change in personnel by the
Borrower or any other Guaranteed Party, (e) the failure of the
Guarantor to receive any benefit from or as a result of its
execution, delivery and performance of this Guaranty, (f) any
payment made to any Secured Creditor on the indebtedness which any
Secured Creditor repays the Borrower or any other Guaranteed Party
pursuant to court order in any bankruptcy, reorganization,
arrangement, moratorium or other debtor relief proceeding, and each
Guarantor waives any right to the deferral or modification of its
obligations hereunder by reason of any such proceeding,
(g) any action or inaction by the Secured Creditors as
contemplated in Section 5 hereof or (h) any invalidity,
rescission,
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irregularity or unenforceability of all or any part of the
Guaranteed Obligations or of any security therefor.
3.
OBLIGATIONS OF GUARANTORS INDEPENDENT . The obligations of
each Guarantor hereunder are independent of the obligations of any
other Guarantor, any other guarantor, the Borrower or any other
Guaranteed Party, and a separate action or actions may be brought
and prosecuted against each Guarantor whether or not action is
brought against any other Guarantor, any other guarantor, the
Borrower or any other Guaranteed Party and whether or not any other
Guarantor, any other guarantor, the Borrower or any other
Guaranteed Party be joined in any such action or actions. Each
Guarantor waives (to the fullest extent permitted by applicable
law) the benefits of any statute of limitations affecting its
liability hereunder or the enforcement thereof. Any payment by the
Borrower or any other Guaranteed Party or other circumstance which
operates to toll any statute of limitations as to the Borrower or
such other Guaranteed Party shall operate to toll the statute of
limitations as to each Guarantor.
4.
WAIVERS BY GUARANTORS . (a) Each Guarantor hereby
waives (to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law) notice
of acceptance of this Guaranty and notice of the existence,
creation or incurrence of any new or additional liability to which
it may apply, and waives promptness, diligence, presentment, demand
of payment, demand for performance, protest, notice of dishonor or
nonpayment of any such liabilities, suit or taking of other action
by the Administrative Agent or any other Secured Creditor against,
and any other notice to, any party liable thereon (including such
Guarantor, any other Guarantor, any other guarantor, the Borrower
or any other Guaranteed Party) and each Guarantor further hereby
waives any and all notice of the creation, renewal, extension or
accrual of any of the Guaranteed Obligations and notice or proof of
reliance by any Secured Creditor upon this Guaranty, and the
Guaranteed Obligations shall conclusively be deemed to have been
created, contracted or incurred, or renewed, extended, amended,
modified, supplemented or waived, in reliance upon this
Guaranty.
(b) Each
Guarantor waives any right to require the Secured Creditors to:
(i) proceed against the Borrower, any other Guaranteed Party,
any other Guarantor, any other guarantor of the Guaranteed
Obligations or any other party; (ii) proceed against or
exhaust any security held from the Borrower, any other Guaranteed
Party, any other Guarantor, any other guarantor of the Guaranteed
Obligations or any other party; or (iii) pursue any other
remedy in the Secured Creditors’ power whatsoever. Each
Guarantor waives any defense based on or arising out of any defense
of the Borrower, any other Guaranteed Party, any other Guarantor,
any other guarantor of the Guaranteed Obligations or any other
party other than payment in full in cash of the Guaranteed
Obligations, including, without limitation, any defense based on or
arising out of the disability of the Borrower, any other Guaranteed
Party, any other Guarantor, any other guarantor of the Guaranteed
Obligations or any other party, or the unenforceability of the
Guaranteed Obligations or any part thereof from any cause, or the
cessation from any cause of the liability of the Borrower or any
other Guaranteed Party other than payment in full in cash of the
Guaranteed Obligations. The Secured Creditors may, at their
election, foreclose on any collateral serving as security held by
the Administrative Agent, the Collateral Agent or the other Secured
Creditors by one or more judicial or nonjudicial sales, whether or
not every aspect of any such sale is commercially reasonable (to
the extent such sale is permitted by applicable law), or exercise
any other right or remedy the Secured Creditors may have against
the Borrower, any
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other
Guaranteed Party or any other party, or any security, without
affecting or impairing in any way the liability of any Guarantor
hereunder except to the extent the Guaranteed Obligations have been
paid in full in cash. Each Guarantor waives any defense arising out
of any such election by the Secured Creditors, even though such
election operates to impair or extinguish any right of
reimbursement, contribution, indemnification or subrogation or
other right or remedy of such Guarantor against the Borrower, any
other Guaranteed Party, any other guarantor of the Guaranteed
Obligations or any other party or any security.
(c) Each
Guarantor has knowledge and assumes all responsibility for being
and keeping itself informed of the Borrower’s, each other
Guaranteed Party’s and each other Guarantor’s financial
condition, affairs and assets, and of all other circumstances
bearing upon the risk of nonpayment of the Guaranteed Obligations
and the nature, scope and extent of the risks which such Guarantor
assumes and incurs hereunder, and has adequate means to obtain from
the Borrower, each other Guaranteed Party and each other Guarantor
on an ongoing basis information relating thereto and the
Borrower’s, each other Guaranteed Party’s and each
other Guarantor’s ability to pay and perform its respective
Guaranteed Obligations, and agrees to assume the responsibility for
keeping, and to keep, so informed for so long as this Guaranty is
in effect. Each Guarantor acknowledges and agrees that (x) the
Secured Creditors shall have no obligation to investigate the
financial condition or affairs of the Borrower, any other
Guaranteed Party or any other Guarantor for the benefit of such
Guarantor nor to advise such Guarantor of any fact respecting, or
any change in, the financial condition, assets or affairs of the
Borrower, any other Guaranteed Party or any other Guarantor that
might become known to any Secured Creditor at any time, whether or
not such Secured Creditor knows or believes or has reason to know
or believe that any such fact or change is unknown to such
Guarantor, or might (or does) increase the risk of such Guarantor
as guarantor hereunder, or might (or would) affect the willingness
of such Guarantor to continue as a guarantor of the Guaranteed
Obligations hereunder and (y) the Secured Creditors shall have
no duty to advise any Guarantor of information known to them
regarding any of the aforementioned circumstances or risks.
(d) Each
Guarantor hereby acknowledges and agrees that no Secured Creditor
nor any other Person shall be under any obligation (a) to
marshal any assets in favor of the Guarantor or in payment of any
or all of the liabilities of any Guaranteed Party under the
Documents or the obligation of the Guarantor hereunder or
(b) to pursue any other remedy that the Guarantor may or may
not be able to pursue itself, any right to which the Guarantor
hereby waives.
(e) Each
Guarantor warrants and agrees that each of the waivers set forth in
Section 3 and in this Section 4 is made with full
knowledge of its significance and consequences and that if any of
such waivers are determined to be contrary to any applicable law or
public policy, such waivers shall be effective only to the maximum
extent permitted by applicable law.
5.
RIGHTS OF SECURED CREDITORS . Subject to Sections 4 and
13, any Secured Creditor may (except as shall be required by
applicable statute that cannot be waived) at any time and from time
to time without the consent of, or notice to, any Guarantor,
without incurring responsibility to such Guarantor, without
impairing or releasing the obligations or
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liabilities of such Guarantor hereunder, upon or without any terms
or conditions and in whole or in part:
(a) change the manner, place or terms
of payment of, and/or change, increase or extend the time of
payment of, renew, increase, accelerate or alter, any of the
Guaranteed Obligations (including, without limitation, any increase
or decrease in the rate of interest thereon or the principal amount
thereof), any security therefor, or any liability incurred directly
or indirectly in respect thereof, and the guaranty herein made
shall apply to the Guaranteed Obligations as so changed, extended,
increased, accelerated, renewed or altered;
(b) take and hold security for the
payment of the Guaranteed Obligations and sell, exchange, release,
surrender, impair, realize upon or otherwise deal with in any
manner and in any order any property or other collateral by
whomsoever at any time pledged or mortgaged to secure, or howsoever
securing, the Guaranteed Obligations or any liabilities (including
any of those hereunder) incurred directly or indirectly in respect
thereof or hereof, and/or any offset thereagainst;
(c) exercise or refrain from
exercising any rights against the Borrower, any other Guaranteed
Party, any other Credit Party, any Subsidiary thereof, any other
guarantor of the Borrower or others or otherwise act or refrain
from acting;
(d) release or substitute any one or
more endorsers, Guarantors, other guarantors, the Borrower, any
other Guaranteed Party or other obligors;
(e) settle or compromise any of the
Guaranteed Obligations, any security therefor or any liability
(including any of those hereunder) incurred directly or indirectly
in respect thereof or hereof, and may subordinate the payment of
all or any part thereof to the payment of any liability (whether
due or not) of the Borrower or any other Guaranteed Party to
creditors of the Borrower or such other Guaranteed Party other than
the Secured Creditors;
(f) apply any sums by whomsoever paid
or howsoever realized to any liability or liabilities of the
Borrower or any other Guaranteed Party to the Secured Creditors
regardless of what liabilities of the Borrower or such other
Guaranteed Party remain unpaid;
(g) consent to or waive any breach
of, or any act, omission or default under, any of the Interest Rate
Protection Agreements or Other Hedging Agreements, the Credit
Documents or any of the instruments or agreements referred to
therein, or otherwise amend, modify or supplement any of the
Interest Rate Protection Agreements or Other Hedging Agreements,
the Credit Documents or any of such other instruments or
agreements;
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(h) act or fail to act in any manner
which may deprive such Guarantor of its right to subrogation
against the Borrower or any other Guaranteed Party to recover full
indemnity for any payments made pursuant to this Guaranty;
and/or
(i) take any other action or omit to
take any other action which would, under otherwise applicable
principles of common law, give rise to a legal or equitable
discharge of such Guarantor from its liabilities under this
Guaranty (including, without limitation, any action or omission
whatsoever that might otherwise vary the risk of the Guarantor or
constitute a legal or equitable defense to or discharge of the
liabilities of a guarantor or surety or that might otherwise limit
recourse against the Guarantor).
No
invalidity, illegality, irregularity or unenforceability of all or
any part of the Guaranteed Obligations, the Credit Documents or any
other agreement or instrument relating to the Guaranteed
Obligations or of any security or guarantee therefor shall affect,
impair or be a defense to this Guaranty, and this Guaranty shall be
absolute and unconditional notwithstanding the occurrence of any
event or the existence of any other circumstances which might
constitute a legal or equitable discharge of a surety or guarantor
except payment in full in cash of the Guaranteed Obligations.
6.
CONTINUING GUARANTY . This Guaranty is a continuing one and
all liabilities to which it applies or may apply under the terms
hereof shall be conclusively presumed to have been created in
reliance hereon. No failure or delay on the part of any Secured
Creditor in exercising any right, power or privilege hereunder
shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial
exercise of any right, power or privilege hereunder preclude any
other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other
right, power or privilege. The rights and remedies herein expressly
specified are cumulative and not exclusive of any rights or
remedies which any Secured Creditor would otherwise have. No notice
to or demand on any Guarantor in any case shall entitle such
Guarantor to any other further notice or demand in similar or other
circumstances or constitute a waiver of the rights of any Secured
Creditor to any other or further action in any circumstances
without notice or demand. It is not necessary for any Secured
Creditor to inquire into the capacity or powers of the Borrower or
any other Guaranteed Party or the officers, directors, partners or
agents acting or purporting to act on its or their behalf, and any
indebtedness made or created in reliance upon the professed
exercise of such powers shall be guaranteed hereunder.
7.
SUBORDINATION OF INDEBTEDNESS HELD BY GUARANTORS . Any
indebtedness of the Borrower or any other Guaranteed Party now or
hereafter held by any Guarantor is hereby subordinated to the
indebtedness of the Borr
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