|
Exhibit 10.2
EXECUTION COPY
GUARANTY
Dated as of May 15, 2006
From
SENSATA TECHNOLOGIES B.V.
as Guarantor
in favor of
THE SECURED PARTIES REFERRED TO IN
THE CREDIT AGREEMENT REFERRED TO HEREIN
T A B
L E O F C O N
T E N T S
| |
|
|
|
Section
|
|
Page
|
|
|
|
1
|
|
|
|
|
|
2
|
|
|
|
|
|
3
|
|
|
|
|
|
4
|
|
|
|
|
|
5
|
|
|
|
|
|
5
|
|
|
|
|
|
5
|
|
|
|
|
|
5
|
|
|
|
|
|
6
|
|
|
|
|
|
6
|
|
|
|
|
|
6
|
|
|
|
|
|
6
|
|
|
|
|
|
7
|
|
|
|
|
|
7
|
|
|
|
|
|
8
|
|
|
|
|
|
8
|
GUARANTY
GUARANTY dated as of May 15, 2006 made by SENSATA
TECHNOLOGIES B.V., a private limited liability company (
besloten vennootschap met beperkte aansprakelijkheid )
incorporated under the laws of the Netherlands (the "
Guarantor "), in favor of the Secured Parties (as defined in
the Credit Agreement referred to below).
PRELIMINARY STATEMENT.
The Guarantor, SENSATA TECHNOLOGIES FINANCE COMPANY, LLC, a
Delaware limited liability company (the " US Borrower ";
together with the Guarantor, the " Borrowers "), and SENSATA
TECHNOLOGIES INTERMEDIATE HOLDING B.V., a private limited liability
company ( besloten vennootschap met beperkte
aansprakelijkheid ) incorporated under the laws of the
Netherlands, are party to a Credit Agreement dated as of
April 27, 2006 (as amended, amended and restated, supplemented
or otherwise modified from time to time, the " Credit
Agreement "; the capitalized terms defined therein and not
otherwise defined herein being used herein as therein defined) with
certain Lenders party thereto, the Initial L/C Issuer, the Initial
Swing Line Lender and MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., as
Administrative Agent. The Borrowers have entered into or may from
time to time enter into lines of credit (committed or uncommitted)
and other similar arrangements (the " Bilateral Obligations
") with Lenders or their Affiliates and certain other financial
institutions as initially set forth on Schedule XII of the Domestic
Security Agreement and as such schedule may be amended from time to
time upon written notice by the Borrowers to the applicable Lenders
or Affiliates and certain other financial institutions (each, in
such capacity, a " Bilateral Provider ").
The Guarantor may receive, directly or indirectly, a portion of
the proceeds of the Loans under the Credit Agreement and will
derive substantial direct and indirect benefits from the
transactions contemplated by the Credit Agreement and from each
Bilateral Provider’s Bilateral Obligations.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and in order to
induce the Lenders to make Loans and to issue Letters of Credit
under the Credit Agreement, the Bilateral Providers to provide
Bilateral Obligations and the Hedge Banks to enter into Secured
Hedge Agreements from time to time, the Guarantor hereby agrees as
follows:
Section 1. Guaranty; Limitation of Liability .
(a) The Guarantor hereby absolutely, unconditionally and
irrevocably guarantees the punctual payment when due, whether at
scheduled maturity or on any date of a required prepayment or by
acceleration, demand or otherwise, of all Obligations of the US
Borrower, all Cash Management Obligations of the US Borrower now or
hereafter existing (including, without limitation, any extensions,
modifications, substitutions, amendments or renewals of any or all
of the foregoing Obligations), whether direct or indirect, absolute
or contingent, and whether for principal, interest, premiums, fees,
indemnities, contract causes of action, costs, expenses or
otherwise and the Bilateral Obligations of each Bilateral Provider
solely in respect of the US Borrower (such Obligations being the "
Guaranteed Obligations "), and agrees to pay any and all
reasonable expenses (including, without limitation, reasonable fees
and reasonable out-of-pocket expenses of counsel) incurred by the
Administrative Agent or any other Secured Party in enforcing any
rights under this Guaranty or any other Loan Document in accordance
with Section 10.04 of the Credit Agreement (including
Attorney Costs of any law firm or other external counsel to the
Administrative Agent); provided , however , that in
no event shall the Guaranteed Obligations of the Guarantor include
any of its obligations as a Borrower under the Credit Agreement.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the
Guarantor’s liability shall extend to all amounts that
constitute part of the Guaranteed Obligations and would be owed by
the US Borrower to any Secured Party under or in respect of the
Loan Documents but for the fact that they are unenforceable or not
allowable due to the existence of a bankruptcy,
reorganization or similar proceeding involving
the US Borrower. Notwithstanding anything herein or in the Credit
Agreement to the contrary, (i) the aggregate principal amount
of all Bilateral Obligations guaranteed hereby shall not exceed
$40,000,000 and (ii) to the extent that Bilateral Obligations
are cash collateralized or otherwise guaranteed (other than
pursuant hereunder), such Bilateral Obligations shall not be
guaranteed hereby.
(b) The Guarantor, and by its acceptance of this Guaranty, the
Administrative Agent and each other Secured Party, hereby confirm
that it is the intention of all such Persons that this Guaranty and
the Obligations of the Guarantor hereunder not constitute a
fraudulent transfer or conveyance for purposes of Bankruptcy Law
(as hereinafter defined), the Uniform Fraudulent Conveyance Act,
the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act or any similar foreign, federal
or state Law to the extent applicable to this Guaranty and the
Obligations of the Guarantor hereunder. To effectuate the foregoing
intention, the Administrative Agent, the other Secured Parties and
the Guarantor hereby irrevocably agree that the Obligations of the
Guarantor (other than in its capacity as a Borrower under the
Credit Agreement) under this Guaranty at any time shall be limited
to the maximum amount as will result in the Obligations of the
Guarantor under this Guaranty not constituting a fraudulent
transfer or conveyance. For purposes hereof, " Bankruptcy
Law " means any proceeding of the type referred to in
Section 8.01(f) of the Credit Agreement or Title 11,
U.S. Code, or any similar foreign, federal or state Law for the
relief of debtors.
(c) The Guarantor hereby unconditionally and irrevocably agrees
that in the event any payment shall be required to be made to any
Secured Party under this Guaranty or any other guaranty, the
Guarantor will contribute, to the maximum extent permitted by Law,
such amounts so as to maximize the aggregate amount paid to the
Secured Parties under or in respect of the Loan Documents.
(d) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any Loan
Document, the Guarantor shall not have any liability or obligation
under this Guaranty to the extent that such liability or obligation
would constitute unlawful financial assistance under the applicable
Laws of the jurisdiction of the Guarantor.
Section 2. Guaranty Absolute . The Guarantor guarantees
that the Guaranteed Obligations will be paid strictly in accordance
with the terms of the Loan Documents, regardless of any Law,
regulation or order now or hereafter in effect in any jurisdiction
affecting any of such terms or the rights of any Secured Party with
respect thereto. The Obligations of the Guarantor under or in
respect of this Guaranty are independent of the Guaranteed
Obligations or any other Obligations of any other Loan Party under
or in respect of the Loan Documents, and a separate action or
actions may be brought and prosecuted against the Guarantor to
enforce this Guaranty, irrespective of whether any action is
brought against the US Borrower (in its capacity as Borrower under
the Credit Agreement) or any other Loan Party or whether the US
Borrower or any other Loan Party is joined in any such action or
actions. The liability of the Guarantor under this Guaranty shall
be irrevocable, absolute and unconditional irrespective of, and the
Guarantor hereby irrevocably waives any defenses it may now have or
hereafter acquire in any way relating to, any or all of the
following:
-
(a) any lack of validity or enforceability of any Loan Document
or any agreement or instrument relating thereto;
(b) any change in the time, manner or place of payment of, or in
any other term of, all or any of the Guaranteed Obligations or any
other Obligations of any other Loan Party under or in respect of
the Loan Documents, or any other amendment or waiver of or any
consent to departure from any Loan Document, including, without
limitation, any increase in the Guaranteed Obligations resulting
from the extension of additional credit to the US Borrower;
provided that where such a waiver is unenforceable or where
such a change would discharge the Guarantor of its liability under
this Guaranty if made without its consent, the Guarantor hereby
gives its consent to such change;
2
-
(c) any taking, exchange, release or
non-perfection of any Collateral or any other collateral, or any
taking, release or amendment or waiver of, or consent to departure
from, any other guaranty, for all or any of the Guaranteed
Obligations;
(d) any manner of application of Collateral or any other
collateral, or proceeds thereof, to all or any of the Guaranteed
Obligations, or any manner of sale or other disposition of any
Collateral or any other collateral for all or any of the Guaranteed
Obligations or any other Obligations of any Loan Party under the
Loan Documents or any other assets of any Loan Party or any of its
Subsidiaries;
(e) any change, restructuring or termination of the corporate
structure or existence of any Loan Party or any of its
Subsidiaries;
(f) any failure of any Secured Party to disclose to any Loan
Party any information relating to the business, condition
(financial or otherwise), operations, performance, properties or
prospects of any other Loan Party now or hereafter known to such
Secured Party (the Guarantor waiving any duty on the part of the
Secured Parties to disclose such information);
(g) the failure of any other Person to execute or deliver this
Guaranty or any other guaranty or agreement or the release or
reduction of liability of the Guarantor or other guarantor or
surety with respect to the Guaranteed Obligations; or
(h) any other circumstance (including, without limitation, any
statute of limitations) or any existence of or reliance on any
representation by any Secured Party that might otherwise constitute
a defense available to, or a discharge of, any Loan Party or any
other guarantor or surety to the extent permitted.
This Guaranty shall continue to be effective or be reinstated,
as the case may be, if at any time any payment of any of the
Guaranteed Obligations is rescinded or must otherwise be returned
by any Secured Party or any other Person upon the insolvency,
bankruptcy or reorganization of the US Borrower (in its capacity as
a Borrower under the Credit Agreement) or any other Loan Party or
otherwise, all as though such payment had not been made.
Section 3. Waivers and Acknowledgments . (a) The
Guarantor hereby unconditionally and irrevocably waives promptness,
diligence, notice of acceptance, presentment, demand for
performance, notice of nonperformance, default, acceleration,
protest or dishonor and any other notice with respect to any of the
Guaranteed Obligations and this Guaranty and any requirement that
any Secured Party protect, secure, perfect or insure any Lien or
any property subject thereto or exhaust any right or take any
action against any Loan Party or any other Person or any
Collateral.
(b) The Guarantor hereby unconditionally and irrevocably waives
any right to revoke this Guaranty and, where it may not waive this
right, the Guarantor agrees that this Guaranty will not be revoked,
and acknowledges that this Guaranty is continuing in nature and
applies to all Guaranteed Obligations, whether existing now or in
the future.
(c) The Guarantor hereby unconditionally and irrevocably waives
(i) any defense arising by reason of any claim or defense
based upon an election of remedies by any Secured Party that in any
manner impairs, reduces, releases or otherwise adversely affects
the subrogation, reimbursement,
3
exoneration, contribution or indemnification
rights of the Guarantor or other rights of the Guarantor to proceed
against any of the other Loan Parties, any other guarantor or any
other Person or any Collateral and (ii) any defense based on
any right of set-off or counterclaim against or
|