Exhibit 4.2
CONFORMED VERSION
GUARANTY OF PAYMENT (DOMESTIC CREDIT PARTIES)
This GUARANTY OF PAYMENT (DOMESTIC
CREDIT PARTIES) dated as of April 15, 2008 (this “
Agreement ”), among ABERCROMBIE & FITCH CO., a
Delaware corporation (“ Parent ”), each direct
and indirect Domestic Subsidiary of Parent other than Abercrombie
& Fitch Management Co. (each a “ Domestic
Subsidiary ” and, together with Parent and any other
Domestic Subsidiaries that become parties hereto as contemplated by
Section 26 hereof, referred to herein individually as a
“ Guarantor ” and collectively as the “
Guarantors ”), and NATIONAL CITY BANK, as global
administrative agent (the “ Global Agent ”) for
the lenders (the “ Lenders ”) party to the
Credit Agreement, dated as of the date hereof (as amended,
supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “
Credit Agreement ”), among Abercrombie & Fitch
Management Co. (the “ Company ”), the Foreign
Subsidiary Borrowers from time to time party thereto, the Global
Agent, the Lenders party thereto and the other parties party
thereto.
The Lenders have agreed to make loans
to Borrowers in accordance with the terms of the Credit Agreement.
The obligations of the Lenders to lend under the Credit Agreement
are conditioned on, among other things, the execution and delivery
by the Guarantors of a guarantee agreement in the form hereof. The
Guarantors acknowledge that they will derive substantial benefits
from the extension of credit to Borrowers under the Credit
Agreement. As consideration therefor and in order to induce the
Lenders to make the Loans (such term and the other capitalized
terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein having the
meanings assigned to them in the Credit Agreement), the Guarantors
are willing to execute and deliver this Agreement. Accordingly, the
parties hereto agree as follows:
SECTION 1. The following
terms shall have the meanings specified herein:
“ Creditor ” means
the Global Agent, each LC Issuer, the Lenders (specifically
including any Canadian Lending Installation of any Lender) and the
Designated Hedge Creditors, and the respective successors and
assigns of each of the foregoing.
“ Designated Hedge
Document ” means (i) each Designated Hedge Agreement
to which the Parent or any of its Subsidiaries is now or may
hereafter become a party, and (ii) each confirmation,
transaction statement or other document executed and delivered in
connection therewith to which the Parent or any of its Subsidiaries
is now or may hereafter become a party.
“ Designated Hedge Document
Obligations ” means all amounts, indemnities and
reimbursement obligations, direct or indirect, contingent or
absolute, of every type or description, and at any time existing
owing by any Designated Hedge Obligor to any Designated Hedge
Creditor pursuant to any of the Designated Hedge Documents
(including, but not limited to, interest and fees that accrue after
the commencement by or against any Designated Hedge Obligor of any
insolvency proceeding under Section 362(a) of the Bankruptcy Code,
regardless of whether such interest and fees are allowed claims in
such proceeding).
“ Designated Hedge
Obligor ” means any Borrower and any Domestic Subsidiary
of the Parent that is now or may hereafter become a party to any
Designated Hedge Agreement.
“ Guaranteed Documents
” means (i) the Credit Agreement, the Notes, any Letter
of Credit and all other Loan Documents to which any Credit Party or
any of its Subsidiaries is now or may hereafter become a party, and
(ii) each Designated Hedge Agreement and other Designated
Hedge Document to which any Designated Hedge Obligor is now or may
hereafter become a party.
“ Guaranteed Obligations
” means the Obligations and the Designated Hedge Document
Obligations.
“ Guaranteed Party
” means each Borrower, each other Domestic Credit Party and
each Designated Hedge Obligor.
“ Original Currency
” has the meaning provided in Section 19 hereof.
“ Other Currency ”
has the meaning provided in Section 19 hereof.
SECTION 2. Each of the
Guarantors unconditionally guarantees, jointly with the other
Guarantors and severally, as a primary obligor and not merely as a
surety: (i) to the Global Agent, each LC Issuer and the
Lenders (specifically including any Canadian Lending Installation
of any Lender) the full and prompt payment when due (whether at the
stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise) of all of the
Obligations; and (ii) to each Designated Hedge Creditor the
full and prompt payment when due (whether at the stated maturity,
by acceleration or otherwise) of all of the Designated Hedge
Document Obligations. Each of the Guarantors further agrees that
the Guaranteed Obligations may be extended or renewed, in whole or
in part, without notice to or further assent from it, and that it
will remain bound upon its guarantee notwithstanding any extension
or renewal of any Guaranteed Obligation.
SECTION 3. Each of the
Guarantors irrevocably waives acceptance hereof, presentment,
demand, protest and any notice not provided for herein, as well as
any requirement that at any time any action be taken by any person
against any other Credit Party or any other Person, or against any
guaranty of any other Person. The obligations of each of the
Guarantors shall be unconditional and absolute and, without
limiting the generality of the foregoing, shall not be released,
discharged or otherwise affected by the occurrence, one or more
times, of any of the following: (a) any extension, renewal,
settlement, compromise, waiver or release in respect to any
Guaranteed Obligation under any agreement or instrument, by
operation of law or otherwise; (b) any modification or
amendment of or supplement to the Credit Agreement, any Note, any
other Loan Document, or any agreement or instrument evidencing or
relating to any Guaranteed Obligation; (c) any release,
non-perfection or invalidity of any direct or indirect security for
any Guaranteed Obligation under any agreement or instrument
evidencing or relating to any Guaranteed Obligation; (d) any
change in the corporate existence, structure or ownership of any
Credit Party or other Subsidiary or any insolvency, bankruptcy,
reorganization or other similar proceeding affecting any Credit
Party or other Subsidiary or its assets or any resulting release or
discharge of any obligation of any Credit Party or other Subsidiary
contained in any agreement or instrument evidencing or relating to
any Guaranteed Obligation; (e) the existence of any claim,
set-off or other rights which such Guarantor may have at any time
against any other Credit Party, the Global Agent, any Lender, any
Affiliate of any Lender or any other person, whether in connection
herewith or any unrelated transactions; (f) any invalidity or
unenforceability relating to or against any other Credit Party for
any reason of any agreement or instrument evidencing or relating to
any Guaranteed Obligation, or any provision of applicable law or
regulation purporting to prohibit the payment by any Credit Party
of any of the Guaranteed Obligations; or (g) any other act or
omission of any kind by any other Credit Party, the Global Agent,
any Lender or any other Person or any other circumstance whatsoever
which might, but for the provisions of this Section 3,
constitute a legal or equitable discharge of such Guarantor’s
obligations under this Section 3 other than the irrevocable
payment in full of all Guaranteed Obligations.
SECTION 4. Each of the
Guarantors further agrees that its guarantee hereunder is an
absolute, unconditional, present and continuing guarantee of
payment when due and not of collection and is in no way conditioned
or contingent upon any attempt to collect from any Guaranteed Party
or any Subsidiary or Affiliate of any Guaranteed Party, or any
other action, occurrence or circumstance whatsoever, and waives any
right to require that resort be had by the Global Agent or any
Lender to any security held for payment of the Guaranteed
Obligations or to any balance of any deposit account or credit on
the books of the Global Agent or any Lender in favor of the
Borrowers or any other person. In addition to the foregoing, each
Guarantor, jointly and severally, unconditionally and irrevocably,
guarantees to the Creditors the payment
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of any
and all Guaranteed Obligations of the Borrowers and each other
Guaranteed Party, whether or not due or payable by the obligor
thereon, upon the occurrence in respect of such Guaranteed Party or
other applicable obligor of any Insolvency Event, and
unconditionally and irrevocably, jointly and severally, promises to
pay such Guaranteed Obligations to the Global Agent, for the
benefit of the Creditors, on demand, in such currency and otherwise
in such manner as is provided in the Guaranteed Documents governing
such Guaranteed Obligations. As a separate, additional and
continuing obligation, each Guarantor unconditionally and
irrevocably undertakes and agrees, for the benefit of the
Creditors, that, should any amounts constituting Guaranteed
Obligations not be recoverable from any Borrower or any other
Guaranteed Party for any reason whatsoever (including, without
limitation, by reason of any provision of any Guaranteed Document
or any other agreement or instrument executed in connection
therewith being or becoming, at any time, voidable, void,
unenforceable, or otherwise invalid under any applicable law), then
notwithstanding any notice or knowledge thereof by the Global
Agent, any other Creditor, any of their respective Affiliates, or
any other Person, each Guarantor, jointly and severally, as sole,
original and independent obligor, upon demand by the Global Agent,
will make payment to the Global Agent, for the account of the
Creditors, of all such obligations not so recoverable by way of
full indemnity, in such currency and otherwise in such manner as is
provided in the Guaranteed Documents. Each Guarantor understands,
agrees and confirms that the Global Agent, on behalf of the
Creditors, may enforce this Agreement up to the full amount of the
Guaranteed Obligations against any Guarantor without proceeding
against any other Guarantor, any Guaranteed Party or any other
Person.
SECTION 5. The obligations of
each Guarantor hereunder shall not be subject to any reduction,
limitation, impairment or termination for any reason, including,
without limitation, any claim of waiver, release, surrender,
alteration or compromise, and shall not be subject to any defense
or setoff, counterclaim, recoupment or termination whatsoever by
reason of the invalidity, illegality or unenforceability of the
Guaranteed Obligations or otherwise. Without limiting the
generality of the foregoing, the obligations of each Guarantor
hereunder shall not be discharged or impaired or otherwise affected
by the failure of the Global Agent or any Lender to assert any
claim or demand or to enforce any remedy under any Loan Document,
any guarantee or any other agreement, by any waiver or modification
of any thereof, by any default, failure or delay, willful or
otherwise, in the performance of the Guaranteed Obligations, or by
any other act or omission which may or might in any manner or to
any extent vary the risk of any Guarantor or otherwise operate as a
discharge of the Borrowers or any Guarantor as a matter of law or
equity (other than the indefeasible payment in full of all the
Guaranteed Obligations).
SECTION 6. Each of the
Guarantors further agrees that its guarantee shall continue to be
effective or be reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time
payment, or any part thereof, of any Guaranteed Obligation is
rescinded or must otherwise be restored by the Global Agent or any
Lender upon the bankruptcy or reorganization of the Borrowers, any
other Guarantor or otherwise.
SECTION 7. In furtherance of
the foregoing and not in limitation of any other right which the
Global Agent or any Lender has at law or in equity against any
Guarantor by virtue hereof, upon the failure of the Borrowers to
pay any Guaranteed Obligation when and as the same shall become
due, whether at maturity, by acceleration, after notice of
prepayment or otherwise, each of the Guarantors hereby promises to
and will, upon receipt of written demand by the Global Agent,
forthwith pay, or cause to be paid, to the Global Agent for
distribution to the Lenders, if and as appropriate, in cash the
amount of such unpaid Guaranteed Obligation. Notwithstanding any
payment or payments made by a Guarantor hereunder or any setoff or
application of funds of a Guarantor by the Global Agent or any
Lender, no Guarantor shall be entitled to be subrogated to any of
the rights of the Global Agent or any Lender against the Borrowers
or any guarantee or right of offset held for the payment of the
Guaranteed Obligations (whether contractual, under Section 509
of the Bankruptcy Code, or otherwise), nor shall any Guarantor seek
or be entitled to seek any contribution or reimbursement from the
Borrowers in respect of payments made by such Guarantor hereunder,
until all amounts owing to the Global Agent or any Lender by the
Borrowers on
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account
of the Guaranteed Obligations are paid in full and the Commitments
are terminated. If any amount shall erroneously be paid to any
Guarantor on account of such subrogation, contribution,
reimbursement, indemnity and similar rights, such amount shall be
held in trust for the benefit of the Lenders and shall forthwith be
paid to the Global Agent to be credited and applied to the payment
of the Guaranteed Obligations. Any term or provision of this
Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, the maximum aggregate
amount of the Guaranteed Obligations guaranteed hereunder by any
Guarantor shall not exceed the maximum amount that can be hereby
guaranteed by that Guarantor without rendering this Agreement, as
it relates to such Guarantor, voidable under applicable law
relating to fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfer or similar
laws affecting the rights of creditors generally.
SECTION 8. Each of the
Guarantors represents and warrants that: (a) it is duly
organized, validly existing and in good standing under the
law
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