Exhibit 10.7
EXECUTION COPY
PLEDGE AND SECURITY AND
INTERCREDITOR AGREEMENT
THIS PLEDGE AND SECURITY AND
INTERCREDITOR AGREEMENT (as it may be amended or modified from time
to time, this “ Agreement ”) is entered into as
of October 6, 2005 by and among Newton Acquisition, Inc.,
a Delaware corporation (“ Holdings ”), Newton
Acquisition Merger Sub., Inc., a Delaware corporation (“
Merger Sub ” and, prior to the Merger, the “
Borrower ”), The Neiman Marcus Group, Inc., a
Delaware corporation (“ Neiman Marcus ”, and
after the Merger, the “ Borrower ”), the
Subsidiary Parties (as defined below) from time to time party
hereto and Credit Suisse, in its capacity as administrative agent
and collateral agent for the Secured Parties (as defined below) (in
such capacity, the “ Agent ”).
PRELIMINARY
STATEMENT
Reference is hereby made to
(a) the Credit Agreement dated as of the date hereof providing
for a term loan facility in an aggregate principal amount
of $1,975,000,000 (as amended, restated, supplemented or
otherwise modified from time to time, the “ Term Loan
Credit Agreement ”), among Holdings, Merger Sub, the
Subsidiaries of Neiman Marcus from time to time party thereto and
Credit Suisse, as administrative agent, and (b) the Indenture
dated as of May 27, 1998 (as amended, restated, supplemented
or otherwise modified from time to time, the “ Existing
Notes Indenture ”), between Neiman Marcus and The Bank of
New York, as trustee (in such capacity, the “ Existing
Notes Trustee ”), pursuant to which the Borrower’s
7.125% Debentures due 2028 in an initial aggregate principal amount
of $125,000,000 (the “ 2028 Debentures ”) and
the Borrower’s 6.65% Senior Notes due 2008 in an initial
aggregate principal amount of $125,000,000 (the “ 2008
Notes ”) were issued.
Pursuant to the Term Loan Credit
Agreement, the Grantors are entering into this Agreement in order
to induce the Term Loan Lenders to enter into and extend credit to
the Borrower under the Term Loan Credit Agreement and to secure the
Term Loan Obligations.
Pursuant to the Existing Notes
Indenture, the Borrower may not secure the Term Loan Obligations
with any Existing Notes Designated Collateral unless the Borrower
shall have made effective provision to secure the 2028 Debentures
and the 2008 Notes equally and ratably with the Term Loan
Obligations for as long as such obligations are secured by any
Existing Notes Designated Collateral.
ACCORDINGLY, the parties hereto
agree as follows:
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
Section 1.1.
Terms Defined
in Term Loan Credit Agreement. All capitalized terms
used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings
assigned to such terms in the Term Loan Credit
Agreement.
Section 1.2.
Terms Defined
in UCC. Terms defined in the
UCC that are not otherwise defined in this Agreement are used
herein as defined in the UCC.
Section 1.3.
Definitions of
Certain Terms Used Herein. As used in this
Agreement, in addition to the terms defined in the preamble and
Preliminary Statement above, the following terms shall have the
following meanings:
“ Account ” shall
have the meaning set forth in Article 9 of the UCC.
“ Aggregate Term Loan
Credit Exposure ” means, at any time, the aggregate
principal amount of loans outstanding under the Term Loan Credit
Agreement at such time.
“ Article ” means
a numbered article of this Agreement, unless another document
is specifically referenced.
“ Bankruptcy Proceeding
” means, with respect to any Person, a general assignment by
such Person for the benefit of its creditors, or the institution by
or against such Person of any proceeding seeking relief as debtor,
or seeking to adjudicate such Person as bankrupt or insolvent, or
seeking reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition of
such Person or its debts, under any law relating to bankruptcy,
insolvency, reorganization or relief of debtors, or seeking
appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian or other similar
official for such Person or for any substantial part of its
property.
“ Chattel Paper ”
shall have the meaning set forth in Article 9 of the
UCC.
“ Collateral ”
shall have the meaning set forth in Article II.
“ Commercial Tort Claim
” shall have the meaning set forth in Article 9 of the
UCC.
“ Consignment Inventory
” means any Inventory held by a Grantor on a consignment
basis, which Inventory is not owned by a Grantor (and would not be
reflected on a consolidated balance sheet of Borrower and its
Subsidiaries prepared in accordance with GAAP).
“ Consignment Proceeds
” means any proceeds from the sale of any Consignment
Inventory, solely to the extent that such proceeds are identifiable
proceeds from the sale of Consignment Inventory and that the
Borrower identifies such proceeds as such through a method of
tracing reasonably satisfactory to the Agent.
“ Control ”
shall have the meaning set forth in Article 8 or, if
applicable, in Section 9-104, 9-105, 9-106 or 9-107 of
Article 9 of the UCC.
“ Copyrights ”
means, with respect to any Person, all of such Person’s
right, title, and interest in and to the following:
(a) all copyrights, rights and interests in copyrights, works
protectable by copyright, copyright registrations, and copyright
applications; (b) all renewals of any of the foregoing;
(c) all income, royalties, damages, and payments now or
hereafter due and/or payable under any of the foregoing, including,
without limitation, damages or payments for past or future
infringements for any of the foregoing; (d) the right to sue
for past, present, and future infringements of any of the
foregoing; and (e) all rights corresponding to any of the
foregoing throughout the world.
“ Credit Agreement Event of
Default ” means any “Event of Default”, as
defined in the Term Loan Credit Agreement.
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“ Deposit Account
” shall have the meaning set forth in Article 9 of the
UCC.
“ Document ”
shall have the meaning set forth in Article 9 of the
UCC.
“ Equipment ”
shall have the meaning set forth in Article 9 of the
UCC.
“ Event of Default
” means a Credit Agreement Event of Default or an Existing
Notes Event of Default.
“ Excluded Assets
” means
(a)
the Specified Credit Card
Receivables, any Specified Credit Card Payments and any Specified
In-Store Credit Card Payments;
(b)
the HSBC Credit Card Receivables
Accounts;
(c)
more than 65% of the issued and
outstanding voting Equity Interests of any Foreign
Subsidiary;
(d)
any Domestic Subsidiary that is
taxed as a partnership for federal income tax purposes that holds
Equity Interests of a Foreign Subsidiary whose Equity Interests are
pledged pursuant to this Security Agreement;
(e)
any Margin Stock;
(f)
Equity Interests in Kate Spade LLC,
Gurwitch Products, L.L.C. and Willow Bend Beverage
Corporation;
(g)
any intercompany Indebtedness of
(i) the Borrower or any Subsidiary that is a Loan Party owing
to a Subsidiary that is a Loan Party, (ii) a Subsidiary that
is a Loan Party owing to the Borrower or (iii) any Subsidiary
that is not a Loan Party owing to the Borrower or owing to a
Subsidiary that is a Loan Party (in the case of (iii), other than
such Indebtedness that is Indebtedness for borrowed money and has a
principal amount of $5,000,000 or more);
(h)
subject to
Section 11.16(d) , any Equity Interests to the extent
that a pledge of such Equity Interests would give rise to
additional subsidiary reporting requirements under Rule 3-10
or Rule 3-16 of Regulation S-X promulgated under the Exchange
Act of 1934;
(i)
any Consignment Inventory and any
Consignment Proceeds;
(j)
any Leased-Department Inventory and
any Leased-Department Proceeds;
(k)
any leases, licenses, rights or
other agreements contained within the Collateral to which any
Grantor is a party or any of its rights or interests are subject
thereto to the extent and solely to the extent that the proximate
result of the grant of such security interest shall be to
(1) constitute or result in the abandonment, invalidation or
unenforceability of any right, title or interest in such Grantor
therein, or (2) create a situation under which such Grantor
shall be deemed to have breached or terminated pursuant to the
terms of, or defaulted under, any such Collateral; and in each case
under
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clauses (1) and (2) above such
abandonment, invalidation, unenforceability, breach, termination or
default would not be rendered ineffective pursuant to Sections
9-406, 9-407, 9-408 or 9-409 of the Uniform Commercial Code (or any
successor provision or provisions) of any relevant jurisdiction or
any other applicable law or principles or equity; provided,
however, that the Excluded Assets shall not include, and such
security interest shall attach immediately at such time as the
condition causing such abandonment, invalidation, unenforceability,
breach, termination or default shall be remedied and to the extent
severable, shall attach immediately to, any portion of such lease,
license, right or agreement that does not result in any of the
consequences specified in (1) or (2) above;
and
(l)
assets that are acquired by any
Grantor with the proceeds of Indebtedness incurred pursuant to
Section 6.01(b)(vi) of the Term Loan Credit
Agreement and that are subject to a purchase money Lien in favor of
the lenders under such Indebtedness; provided ,
however , that the aggregate purchase price paid for the
acquisition of such assets shall not exceed $75,000,000 in the
aggregate.
“ Exhibit ”
refers to a specific exhibit to this Agreement, unless another
document is specifically referenced.
“ Existing Notes
Designated Collateral ” means (a) any
“Principal Property” (as such term is defined in the
Existing Notes Indenture) of the Borrower or any Restricted
Subsidiary (as defined in the Existing Notes Indenture) and
(b) any Equity Interests or indebtedness of any Subsidiary of
the Borrower. For the avoidance of doubt, Existing Notes
Designated Collateral does not include (i) any Equity
Interests of the Borrower or (ii) any Excluded
Assets.
“ Existing Notes Event of
Default ” means any “Event of Default”, as
defined in the Existing Notes Indenture.
“ Existing Notes
Indenture ” has the meaning set forth in the Preliminary
Statement.
“ Existing Notes
Obligations ” means the 2008 Notes Obligations and the
2028 Debenture Obligations.
“ Existing Notes
Trustee ” means The Bank of New York, in its capacity as
trustee under the Existing Notes Indenture.
“ Existing Notes Secured
Parties ” means the 2008 Notes Secured Parties and the
2028 Debentures Secured Parties.
“ Fixture ” shall
have the meaning set forth in Article 9 of the UCC.
“ General Intangible
” shall have the meaning set forth in Article 9 of the
UCC.
“ Goods ” shall
have the meaning set forth in Article 9 of the UCC.
“ Grantors ”
means Holdings, the Borrower and the Subsidiary Parties.
“ HSBC Credit Card
Receivables Accounts ” means the deposit accounts #
001846205 held at HSBC Bank USA, N.A. and # 08806372312 held at
JPMorgan Chase Bank, containing proceeds of Specified Credit Card
Receivables, which account is owned by the Borrower but
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controlled by HSBC and the ownership of which is
anticipated to be transferred to HSBC in the first or second
calendar quarter of 2006.
“ Instrument
” shall have the meaning set forth in Article 9 of the
UCC.
“ Intercreditor
Agreement ” means the Lien Subordination and
Intercreditor Agreement dated as of the date hereof, among
Holdings, the Borrower, the Subsidiaries from time to time party
thereto, the Revolving Facility Agent and the Agent, as amended,
modified or supplemented from time to time.
“ Inventory ”
shall have the meaning set forth in Article 9 of the
UCC.
“ Investment Property
” shall have the meaning set forth in Article 9 of the
UCC.
“ Leased-Department
Inventory ” means any Inventory relating to a leased
department within one of the Grantors’ retail stores, which
Inventory is not owned by a Grantor (and would not be reflected on
a consolidated balance sheet of Borrower and its Subsidiaries
prepared in accordance with GAAP).
“ Leased-Department
Proceeds ” means any proceeds from the sale of any
Leased-Department Inventory, solely to the extent that such
proceeds are identifiable proceeds from the sale of
Leased-Department Inventory and that the Borrower identifies such
proceeds as such through a method of tracing reasonably
satisfactory to the Agent.
“ Letter-of-Credit
Right ” shall have the meaning set forth in
Article 9 of the UCC.
“ Licenses ”
means, with respect to any Grantor, all of such Grantor’s
right, title, and interest in and to (a) any and all licensing
agreements or similar arrangements in and to its owned
(1) Patents, (2) Copyrights, or (3) Trademarks,
(b) all income, royalties, damages, claims, and payments now
or hereafter due or payable under and with respect thereto,
including, without limitation, damages and payments for past and
future breaches thereof, and (c) all rights to sue for past,
present, and future breaches thereof.
“ Obligations ”
means the Term Loan Obligations and the Existing Notes
Obligations.
“ Patents ”
means, with respect to any Person, all of such Person’s
right, title, and interest in and to: (a) any and all
patents and patent applications; (b) all inventions and
improvements described and claimed therein; (c) all reissues,
divisions, continuations, renewals, extensions, and
continuations-in-part thereof; (d) all income, royalties,
damages, claims, and payments now or hereafter due or payable under
and with respect thereto, including, without limitation, damages
and payments for past and future infringements thereof;
(e) all rights to sue for past, present, and future
infringements thereof; and (f) all rights corresponding to any
of the foregoing throughout the world.
“ Perfection
Certificate ” means a certificate substantially in
the form of Exhibit I completed and supplemented with
the schedules and attachments contemplated thereby, and duly
executed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower.
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“ Permitted Liens
” means the “Permitted Liens” as defined in the
Term Loan Credit Agreement.
“ Pledged Collateral
” means all Instruments, Securities and other Investment
Property owned by any Grantor, other than any Instruments,
Securities or Investment Property that is an Excluded Asset (for so
long and to the extent such exclusion is applicable), whether or
not physically delivered to the Agent pursuant to this
Agreement.
“ Receivables ”
means the Accounts, Chattel Paper, Documents, Investment Property,
Instruments and any other rights or claims to receive money (other
than the Specified Credit Card Receivables) that are General
Intangibles or that are otherwise included as
Collateral.
“ Required Secured
Parties ” means (a) prior to an acceleration of the
Term Loan Obligations under the Term Loan Credit Agreement, the
“Required Lenders” as defined in the Term Loan Credit
Agreement (with any loans under the Term Loan Credit Agreement and
unused commitments thereunder held by the Borrower or any of its
Affiliates being excluded for such purpose), (b) after an
acceleration of the Term Loan Obligations under the Term Loan
Credit Agreement but prior to the date upon which the Term Loan
Credit Agreement has terminated by its terms and all of the
obligations thereunder have been paid in full, Term Loan Lenders
holding in the aggregate loans under the Term Loan Credit Agreement
representing more than 50% of the Aggregate Term Loan Credit
Exposure (with any such loans held by the Borrower or any of its
Affiliates being excluded for this purpose), and (c) after the
Term Loan Credit Agreement has terminated by its terms and all of
the Term Loan Obligations thereunder have been paid in full
(whether or not the Term Loan Obligations under the Term Loan
Credit Agreement were ever accelerated), Term Loan Lenders holding
in the aggregate at least a majority of the aggregate net Secured
Hedging Obligations then due and unpaid from the Grantors to the
Term Loan Lenders under Hedge Agreements, as determined by the Term
Loan Agent in its reasonable discretion.
“ Revolving Facility
Agent ” means Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, in
its capacity as administrative agent and collateral agent under the
Revolving Facility Credit Agreement.
“ Revolving Facility Credit
Agreement ” means the Credit Agreement dated the date
hereof among Holdings, the Borrower, the Subsidiary Parties and the
Revolving Facility Agent, as amended, restated supplemented or
otherwise modified from time to time.
“ Revolving Facility First
Lien Collateral Transition Date ” has the meaning set
forth in the Intercreditor Agreement.
“ Section ” means
a numbered section of this Agreement, unless another document
is specifically referenced.
“ Secured Parties
” means the Term Loan Secured Parties and the Existing Notes
Secured Parties.
“ Security ”
shall have the meaning set forth in Article 8 of the
UCC.
“ Specified Credit Card
Receivables ” means the Accounts, Documents and other
rights or claims to receive money which are General Intangibles and
that have been or from time to time are
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sold or otherwise transferred to (i) HSBC
pursuant to the HSBC Arrangements or (ii) any third party
pursuant to any Permitted Replacement Credit Card
Program.
“ Specified Credit Card
Payments ” means any payments by the holder of a private
label credit card subject to the HSBC Arrangements or any Permitted
Replacement Credit Card Program to the issuer of such credit card
that are (i) in the case of the HSBC Arrangements, made to a
HSBC Credit Card Receivables Accounts or (ii) in the case of
any Permitted Replacement Credit Card Program, made to any account
of a Grantor prior to the transition of ownership of such account
to the applicable third party in connection with the establishment
of the applicable Permitted Replacement Credit Card
Program.
“ Specified In-Store Credit
Card Payments ” means any payments made in-person by
customers in respect of private label credit cards subject to the
HSBC Arrangements or any Permitted Replacement Credit Card Program
in one of the Grantors’ retail stores, solely to the extent
that such payments are identifiable payments from the holders of
such private label credit cards and that the Borrower identifies
such payments as such through a method of tracing reasonably
satisfactory to the Agent.
“ Stock Rights
” means all dividends, instruments or other distributions and
any other right or property which any Grantor shall receive or
shall become entitled to receive for any reason whatsoever with
respect to, in substitution for or in exchange for any Equity
Interest constituting Collateral, any right to receive an Equity
Interest constituting Collateral and any right to receive earnings,
in which such Grantor now has or hereafter acquires any right,
issued by an issuer of such Equity Interest.
“ Subsidiary Parties
” means (a) the Subsidiaries identified on
Exhibit J hereto, (b) NM Nevada Trust, a
Massachusetts business trust, and (c) each other Domestic
Subsidiary that becomes a party to this Agreement as a Subsidiary
Party after the date hereof, in accordance with Section 11.14
herein and Section 5.11 of the Term Loan Credit
Agreement.
“ Supporting Obligation
” shall have the meaning set forth in Article 9 of the
UCC.
“ Term Loan Credit
Agreement ” has the meaning set forth in the Preliminary
Statement.
“ Term Loan/Notes
Documents ” has the meaning set forth in the
Intercreditor Agreement.
“ Term Loan Lenders
” means the “Lenders” under and as defined in the
Term Loan Credit Agreement.
“ Term Loan Obligations
” means (a) the due and punctual payment by the Borrower
of (i) the principal of and interest (including interest
accruing during the pendency of any bankruptcy, insolvency,
receivership or other similar proceeding, regardless of whether
allowed or allowable in such proceeding) when and as due, whether
at maturity, by acceleration, upon one or more dates set for
prepayment or otherwise, on the loans under the Term Loan Credit
Agreement and (ii) all other monetary obligations of the
Borrower or any other Grantor to any of the Term Loan Secured
Parties under the Term Loan Credit Agreement and each of the Term
Loan Security Documents, including fees, costs, expenses and
indemnities, whether primary, secondary, direct, contingent, fixed
or
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otherwise (including monetary obligations
incurred during the pendency of any bankruptcy, insolvency,
receivership or other similar proceeding, regardless of whether
allowed or allowable in such proceeding), (b) the due and
punctual performance of all other obligations of the Borrower or
any other Grantor to any of the Term Loan Secured Parties under or
pursuant to the Term Loan Credit Agreement and each of the Term
Loan Security Documents and (c) the due and punctual payment
and performance of all the obligations of the Borrower and each
other Grantor to any of the Term Loan Secured Parties under this
Agreement and each of the Term Loan Security Documents.
“ Term Loan Secured
Parties ” means (a) the Term Loan Lenders,
(b) the Agent, (c) each counterparty to any Hedge
Agreement with a Loan Party the obligations under which constitute
Secured Hedge Obligations, (d) each beneficiary of any
indemnification obligation undertaken by the Borrower or any other
Grantor under any Term Loan/Notes Document and (e) the
successors and assigns of each of the foregoing.
“ Term Loan Security
Documents ” shall have the meaning set forth in the
Intercreditor Agreement.
“ Trademarks ”
means, with respect to any Person, all of such Person’s
right, title, and interest in and to the following:
(a) all trademarks (including service marks), trade names,
trade dress, and trade styles and the registrations and
applications for registration thereof and the goodwill of the
business symbolized by the foregoing; (b) all licenses of the
foregoing, whether as licensee or licensor; (c) all renewals
of the foregoing; (d) all income, royalties, damages, and
payments now or hereafter due or payable with respect thereto,
including, without limitation, damages, claims, and payments for
past and future infringements thereof; (e) all rights to sue
for past, present, and future infringements of the foregoing,
including the right to settle suits involving claims and demands
for royalties owing; and (f) all rights corresponding to any
of the foregoing throughout the world.
“ 2008 Notes
Obligations ” means (a) the due and punctual payment
by the Borrower of (i) the principal of and interest
(including interest accruing during the pendency of any bankruptcy,
insolvency, receivership or other similar proceeding, regardless of
whether allowed or allowable in such proceeding) when and as due,
whether at maturity, by acceleration, upon one or more dates set
for prepayment or otherwise, on the 2008 Notes
(ii) and all other monetary obligations of the Borrower
or any other Grantor to any of the 2008 Notes Secured Parties under
the Existing Notes Indenture and each of the Term Loan Security
Documents related thereto, including fees, costs, expenses and
indemnities, whether primary, secondary, direct, contingent, fixed
or otherwise (including monetary obligations incurred during the
pendency of any bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or other
similar proceeding, regardless of whether allowed or allowable in
such proceeding), (b) the due and punctual performance of all
other obligations of the Borrower or any other Grantor to any of
the 2008 Notes Secured Parties under or pursuant to the Existing
Notes Indenture and each of the Term Loan Security Documents
related thereto and (c) the due and punctual payment and
performance of all the obligations of each other Grantor to any of
the 2008 Notes Secured Parties under this Agreement and each of the
Term Loan Security Documents related thereto.
“ 2008 Notes Secured
Parties ” means (a) the holders of the 2008 Notes,
(b) each beneficiary of any indemnification obligation
undertaken by the Borrower or any other Grantor under any Existing
Notes Indenture and (c) the successors and assigns of each of
the foregoing.
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“ 2028 Debentures
Obligations ” means (a) the due and punctual payment
by the Borrower of (i) the principal of and interest
(including interest accruing during the pendency of any bankruptcy,
insolvency, receivership or other similar proceeding, regardless of
whether allowed or allowable in such proceeding) when and as due,
whether at maturity, by acceleration, upon one or more dates set
for prepayment or otherwise, on the 2028 Debentures
and (ii) all other monetary obligations of the Borrower
or any other Grantor to any of the 2028 Debentures Secured Parties
under the Existing Notes Indenture and each of the Term Loan
Security Documents related thereto, including fees, costs, expenses
and indemnities, whether primary, secondary, direct, contingent,
fixed or otherwise (including monetary obligations incurred during
the pendency of any bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or other
similar proceeding, regardless of whether allowed or allowable in
such proceeding), (b) the due and punctual performance of all
other obligations of the Borrower or any other Grantor to any of
the 2028 Debentures Secured Parties under or pursuant to the
Existing Notes Indenture and each of the Term Loan Security
Documents related thereto and (c) the due and punctual payment
and performance of all the obligations of each other Grantor to any
of the 2028 Debentures Secured Parties under this Agreement and
each of the Term Loan Security Documents related
thereto.
“ 2028 Debentures Secured
Parties ” means (a) the holders of the 2028
Debentures, (b) each beneficiary of any indemnification
obligation undertaken by the Borrower or any other Grantor under
any Existing Notes Indenture and (c) the successors and
assigns of each of the foregoing.
“ UCC ” means the
Uniform Commercial Code as in effect from time to time in the State
of New York.
The foregoing definitions shall be
equally applicable to both the singular and plural forms of the
defined terms.
ARTICLE II
GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST
Each Grantor hereby pledges, assigns
and grants to the Agent, on behalf of and for the ratable benefit
of the Secured Parties, a security interest in all of its right,
title and interest in, to and under all personal property and other
assets, whether now owned by or owing to, or hereafter acquired by
or arising in favor of such Grantor (including under any trade name
or derivations thereof), and regardless of where located (all of
which are collectively referred to as the “ Collateral
”), including:
(i)
all
Accounts;
(ii)
all Chattel
Paper;
(iii)
all Copyrights,
Patents and Trademarks;
(iv)
all
Documents;
(v)
all
Equipment;
(vi)
all
Fixtures;
(vii)
all General
Intangibles;
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(viii)
all
Goods;
(ix)
all
Instruments;
(x)
all
Inventory;
(xi)
all Investment
Property;
(xii)
all cash or cash
equivalents;
(xiii)
all letters of
credit, Letter-of-Credit Rights and Supporting
Obligations;
(xiv)
all Deposit
Accounts with any bank or other financial institution;
(xv)
all Commercial
Tort Claims as specified from time to time in Exhibit E
; and
(xvi)
all accessions
to, substitutions for and replacements, proceeds (including Stock
Rights), insurance proceeds and products of the foregoing, together
with all books and records, customer lists, credit files, computer
files, programs, printouts and other computer materials and records
related thereto and any General Intangibles at any time evidencing
or relating to any of the foregoing;
to secure the prompt and complete payment and
performance of the Obligations.
Notwithstanding the foregoing or
anything herein to the contrary, in no event shall the
“Collateral” include or the security interest attach to
any Excluded Asset.
ARTICLE III
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
The Grantors, jointly and severally,
represent and warrant to the Agent, for the benefit of the Secured
Parties, that:
Section 3.1.
Title,
Perfection and Priority. Each Grantor has good
and valid rights in, or the power to transfer the Collateral and
title to, the Collateral with respect to which it has purported to
grant a security interest hereunder, free and clear of all Liens
except Permitted Liens, and has full power and authority to grant
to the Agent the security interest in such Collateral pursuant
hereto. When financing statements have been filed in the
appropriate offices against such Grantor in the locations listed on
Exhibit G , the Agent will have a fully perfected first
priority security interest in that Collateral in which a security
interest may be perfected by filing under the Uniform Commercial
Code in effect in the applicable jurisdiction, subject only to
Permitted Liens and to the terms of the Intercreditor
Agreement.
Section 3.2.
Type and
Jurisdiction of Organization, Organizational and Identification
Numbers. The type of entity of
each Grantor, its jurisdiction of organization, the organizational
number issued to it by its jurisdiction of organization and its
federal employer identification number are set forth on
Exhibit A .
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Section 3.3.
Principal
Location. Each Grantor’s
mailing address and the location of its place of business (if it
has only one) or its chief executive office (if it has more than
one place of business), is disclosed on Exhibit A
.
Section 3.4.
Collateral
Locations. Each location where
Collateral is located as of the date hereof (except for Inventory
in transit) is listed on Exhibit A . All of said
locations are owned by a Grantor except for locations (i) that
are leased by a Grantor as lessee and designated in
Part III(b) of Exhibit A and
(ii) at which Inventory is held in a public warehouse or is
otherwise held by a bailee or on consignment as designated in
Part III(c) of Exhibit A.
Section 3.5.
Bailees,
Warehousemen, Etc. Exhibit B
hereto sets forth a list, as of the date hereof, of each bailee,
warehouseman and other third party in possession or control of any
Inventory of any Grantor (except for Inventory in transit) and
specifies as to each bailee, warehouseman or other third party
whether the value of the Inventory, at cost, possessed or
controlled by such bailee, warehouseman or other third party
exceeds $2,500,000.
Section 3.6.
Exact
Names. The name in which each
Grantor has executed this Agreement is the exact name as it appears
in such Grantor’s organizational documents, as amended, as
filed with such Grantor’s jurisdiction of organization.
No Grantor has, during the past five years, been known by or used
any other corporate or fictitious name, or been a party to any
merger or consolidation (other than, in the case of the Borrower,
the Merger) except as disclosed in the Perfection
Certificate.
Section 3.7.
Letter-of-Credit Rights and
Chattel Paper. Exhibit C
lists all Letter-of-Credit Rights and Chattel Paper of each
Grantor. All actions necessary or desirable to protect and
perfect the Agent’s Lien under the laws of the United States,
on each item listed on Exhibit C (including the
delivery of all originals as required hereunder) has been duly
taken by each Grantor. The Agent will have a fully perfected first
priority security interest in the Collateral listed on
Exhibit C , subject only to Permitted Liens and to the
terms of the Intercreditor Agreement.
Section 3.8.
Accounts and
Chattel Paper. The names of the
obligors, amounts owing, due dates and other information with
respect to each Grantor’s Accounts and Chattel Paper that are
Collateral are and will be correctly stated, at the time furnished,
in all records of such Grantor relating thereto and in all invoices
furnished to the Agent by such Grantor from time to
time.
Section 3.9.
Intellectual
Property. No Grantor has any
interest in, or title to, any Patent, Trademark or Copyright except
as set forth on Exhibit D . This Agreement is
effective to create a valid and continuing Lien under the UCC and
the laws of the United States and, upon filing of appropriate
financing statements in the offices listed on Exhibit G
and this Agreement with the United States Copyright Office and the
United States Patent and Trademark Office, fully perfected first
priority security interests under the UCC and the laws of the
United States (subject to the terms of the Intercreditor Agreement)
in favor of the Agent for the ratable benefit of the Secured
Parties on the Patents, Trademarks and Copyrights of the Grantors,
such perfected security interests are enforceable as such as
against any and all creditors of and purchasers from the Grantors;
and all action necessary or desirable under the UCC and the laws of
the United States to protect and perfect the Agent’s Lien on
the Patents, Trademarks or Copyrights of the Grantors shall have
been duly taken.
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Section 3.10.
No Financing
Statements, Security Agreements. No financing
statement or security agreement describing all or any portion of
the Collateral that has not lapsed or been terminated naming a
Grantor as debtor has been filed or is of record in any
jurisdiction except (a) for financing statements or security
agreements naming the Agent on behalf of the Secured Parties as the
secured party and (b) Permitted Liens.
Section 3.11.
Pledged
Collateral.
(a)
Exhibit F
sets forth a
complete and accurate list of all of the Pledged Collateral and the
percentage of the total issued and outstanding Equity Interests of
the issuer represented thereby (except any Equity Interests in
respect of which a Grantor owns less than 10% of the Equity
Interests of the issuer of such Equity Interests). Each
Grantor is the direct, sole beneficial owner and sole holder of
record of the Pledged Collateral listed on Exhibit F as
being owned by it, free and clear of any Liens, except for the
security interest granted to the Agent for the ratable benefit of
the Secured Parties hereunder and Permitted Liens. Each
Grantor further represents and warrants that (i) all Pledged
Collateral constituting an Equity Interest has been (to the extent
such concepts are relevant with respect to such Pledged Collateral)
duly authorized and validly issued by the issuer thereof and are
fully paid and non-assessable, (ii) with respect to any
certificates delivered to the Agent representing an Equity
Interest, either such certificates are Securities as defined in
Article 8 of the UCC as a result of actions by the issuer or
otherwise, or, if such certificates are not Securities, such
Grantor has so informed the Agent so that the Agent may take steps
to perfect its security interest therein as a General Intangible,
(iii) it shall have used commercially reasonable efforts to
ensure that all Pledged Collateral held by a securities
intermediary is covered by a control agreement among the applicable
Grantor, the securities intermediary and the Agent pursuant to
which the Agent has Control and (iv) all Pledged Collateral
that represents Indebtedness owed to any Grantor has been duly
authorized, authenticated or issued and delivered by the issuer of
such Indebtedness, is the legal, valid and binding obligation of
such issuer and such issuer is not in default
thereunder.
(b)
(i) None of
the Pledged Collateral has been issued or transferred in violation
of the securities registration, securities disclosure or similar
laws of any jurisdiction to which such issuance or transfer may be
subject, (ii) none of the Pledged Collateral is or will be
subject to any option, right of first refusal, shareholders
agreement, charter or by-law provisions or contractual restriction
of any nature that might prohibit, impair, delay or otherwise
affect the pledge of such Pledged Collateral hereunder, the sale or
disposition thereof pursuant hereto or the exercise by the Agent of
rights and remedies hereunder, and (iii) no consent, approval,
authorization, or other action by, and no giving of notice, filing
with, any governmental authority or any other Person is required
for the pledge by the Grantors of the Pledged Collateral pursuant
to this Agreement or for the execution, delivery and performance of
this Agreement by the Grantors, or for the exercise by the Agent of
the voting or other rights provided for in this Agreement or for
the remedies in respect of the Pledged Collateral pursuant to this
Agreement, except as may be required in connection with such
disposition by laws affecting the offering and sale of securities
generally.
(c)
Except as set
forth on Exhibit F , none of the Pledged Collateral
which represents Indebtedness owed to a Grantor is subordinated in
right of payment to other Indebtedness or subject to the terms of
an indenture.
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Section 3.12.
Commercial
Tort Claims. As of the date hereof,
no Grantor holds any Commercial Tort Claims having a value in
excess of $1,000,000 for which such Grantor has filed a complaint
in a court of competent jurisdiction, except as indicated on
Exhibit E hereto.
Section 3.13.
Perfection
Certificate. The Perfection
Certificate has been duly prepared, completed and executed and the
information set forth therein is correct and complete in all
material respects as of the date hereof.
ARTICLE IV
COVENANTS
From the date hereof, and thereafter
until this Agreement is terminated, each Grantor agrees
that:
Section 4.1.
General.
(a)
Collateral
Records. Each Grantor will
maintain complete and accurate books and records as is consistent
with its practices as of the date hereof in all material respects
with respect to the Collateral, and furnish to the Agent such
reports relating to the Collateral as the Agent shall from time to
time reasonably request.
(b)
Authorization
to File Financing Statements; Ratification. Each Grantor hereby
authorizes the Agent to file, and if requested will deliver to the
Agent, all financing statements and other documents and take such
other actions as may from time to time be requested by the Agent in
order to maintain a first priority (subject to the terms of the
Intercreditor Agreement) perfected security interest in and, if
applicable, Control of, the Collateral. Any financing
statement filed by the Agent may be filed in any filing office in
any applicable Uniform Commercial Code jurisdiction and may
(i) indicate the Collateral (1) as all assets of the
applicable Grantor or words of similar effect, regardless of
whether any particular asset comprised in the Collateral falls
within the scope of Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code
of such jurisdiction, or (2) by any other description which
reasonably approximates the description contained in this
Agreement, and (ii) contain any other information required by
part 5 of Article 9 of the UCC for the sufficiency or filing
office acceptance of any financing statement or amendment,
including (A) whether the Grantor is an organization, the type
of organization and any organization identification number issued
to the Grantor and (B) in the case of a financing statement
filed as a fixture filing, a sufficient description of real
property to which the Collateral relates. Each Grantor also
agrees to furnish any such information to the Agent promptly upon
request. Each Grantor also ratifies its authorization for the
Agent to have filed in any Uniform Commercial Code jurisdiction any
initial financing statements or amendments thereto if filed prior
to the date hereof.
(c)
Further
Assurances. Each Grantor will, if
reasonably requested by the Agent, but not more frequently than
once per quarter, furnish to the Agent statements and schedules
further identifying and describing the Collateral and such other
reports and information in connection with the Collateral as the
Agent may reasonably request, all in such detail as the Agent may
reasonably specify. Each Grantor also agrees to take any and
all actions necessary to defend title to the Collateral against all
persons and to defend the security interest of the Agent in the
Collateral and the priority thereof against any Lien other than
Permitted Liens.
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(d)
Disposition of
Collateral. No Grantor will sell,
lease, transfer or otherwise dispose of the Collateral except for
sales, leases, transfers and other dispositions specifically
permitted pursuant to the terms of the Term Loan Credit
Agreement.
(e)
Liens.
No Grantor
will create, incur, or suffer to exist any Lien on the Collateral
except (i) the security interest created by this Agreement and
(ii) Permitted Liens.
(f)
Other
Financing Statements. No Grantor will
authorize the filing of any financing statement naming it as debtor
covering all or any portion of the Collateral, except to cover
security interests that are Permitted Liens. Each Grantor
acknowledges that it is not authorized to file any financing
statement or amendment or termination statement with respect to any
financing statement without the prior written consent of the Agent,
subject to such Grantor’s rights under
Section 9-509(d)(2) of the UCC. Without limiting
the foregoing, each Grantor shall use its commercially reasonable
efforts to ensure that any financing statement filed by any Person
with respect to Consignment Inventory shall clearly indicate that
such financing statement relates to a consignment transaction with
respect to such Consignment Inventory between the applicable
Grantor and such Person.
(g)
Change of
Name, Etc. Each Grantor agrees to
furnish to the Agent prompt written notice of any change in:
(i) such Grantor’s name; (ii) the location of such
Grantor’s chief executive office or its principal place of
business; (iii) such Grantor’s organizational legal
entity designation or jurisdiction of incorporation or formation;
(iv) such Grantor’s Federal Taxpayer Identification
Number or organizational identification number assigned to it by
its jurisdiction of incorporation or formation; or (v) the
acquisition by such Grantor of any material property for which
additional filings or recordings are necessary to perfect and
maintain the Agent’s security interest therein (to the extent
perfection of the security interest in such property is required by
the terms hereof). Each Grantor agrees not to effect or
permit any change referred to in the preceding sentence unless all
filings have been made under the Uniform Commercial Code or other
applicable law that are required in order for the Agent to continue
at all times following such change to have a valid, legal and
perfected, first priority security interest (subject to the terms
of the Intercreditor Agreement and to Permitted Liens that have
priority by operation of applicable law) in the Collateral for its
benefit and the benefit of the other Secured Parties.
(h)
Compliance
with Terms. Each Grantor will
perform and comply in all material respects with all obligations in
respect of the Collateral and all material agreements relating to
the Collateral to which it is a party or by which it is
bound.
Section 4.2.
Receivables.
(a)
Certain
Agreements on Receivables. No Grantor will make
or agree to make any discount, credit, rebate or other reduction in
the original amount owing on a Receivable or accept in satisfaction
of a Receivable less than the original amount thereof, except that,
prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default, any Grantor may
reduce the amount of Accounts, whether from the sale of Inventory
or otherwise, in accordance with its present policies and in the
ordinary course of business.
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(b)
Collection of
Receivables. Except as otherwise
provided in this Agreement, each Grantor will collect and enforce,
in accordance with its present policies and in the ordinary course
of business, all amounts due or hereafter due to such Grantor under
the Receivables.
(c)
Electronic
Chattel Paper. If any Grantor at any
time holds or acquires an interest in any Electronic Chattel Paper
or any “transferable record”, as that term is defined
in Section 201 of the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global
and National Commerce Act, or in Section 16 of the Uniform
Electronic Transactions Act as in effect in any relevant
jurisdiction, such Grantor shall promptly notify the Agent thereof
and, at the request of the Agent, shall take such action as the
Agent may reasonably request to vest in the Agent Control under UCC
Section 9-105 of such Electronic Chattel Paper or control (to
the extent the meaning of “control” has not been
clearly established under such provisions, “control” in
this paragraph (c) to have such meaning as the Agent shall in
good faith specify in writing after consultation with the Borrower)
under Section 201 of the Federal Electronic Signatures in
Global and National Commerce Act or, as the case may be,
Section 16 of the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, as so
in effect in such jurisdiction, of such transferable record.
The Agent agrees with such Grantor that the Agent will arrange,
pursuant to procedures reasonably satisfactory to the Agent and so
long as such procedures will not result in the Agent’s loss
of Control or control, as applicable, for the Grantor to make
alterations to the Electronic Chattel Paper or transferable record
permitted under UCC Section 9-105 or, as the case may be,
Section 201 of the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and
National Commerce Act or Section 16 of the Uniform Electronic
Transactions Act for a party in Control to allow without loss of
Control or control, as applicable, unless an Event of Default has
occurred and is continuing or would occur after taking into account
any action by such Grantor with respect to such Electronic Chattel
Paper or transferable record.
Section 4.3.
Delivery of
Instruments, Securities, Chattel Paper and Documents.
Each Grantor
will (a) deliver to the Agent immediately upon execution of
this Agreement the originals of all Chattel Paper, Securities and
Instruments constituting Collateral (if any then exist),
(b) hold in trust for the Agent upon receipt and promptly
thereafter deliver to the Agent any Chattel Paper, Securities and
Instruments constituting Collateral received after the date hereof,
(c) upon the Agent’s request, deliver to the Agent, and
thereafter hold in trust for the Agent upon receipt and promptly
deliver to the Agent any Document evidencing or constituting
Collateral and (d) upon the Agent’s request, deliver to
the Agent a duly executed amendment to this Agreement, in the form
of Exhibit H hereto (each, an “ Amendment
”), pursuant to which such Grantor will pledge any additional
Collateral. Each Grantor hereby authorizes the Agent to
attach each Amendment to this Agreement and agrees that all
additional collateral set forth in such Amendments shall be
considered to be part of the Collateral.
Section 4.4.
Uncertificated
Pledged Collateral. The Grantors will
permit the Agent from time to time to cause the appropriate issuers
(and, if held with a securities intermediary, such securities
intermediary) of uncertificated securities or other types of
Pledged Collateral with respect to which a Grantor owns 50% or more
of the Equity Interests of the issuer of such Pledged Collateral
not represented by certificates to mark their books and records
with the numbers and face amounts of all such uncertificated
securities or other types of Pledged Collateral not represented by
certificates and all rollovers and replacements therefor to reflect
the Lien of the Agent granted pursuant to this Agreement. The
Grantors will take any actions reasonably necessary to cause
(a) the issuers of uncertificated securities which are Pledged
Collateral with respect to which a Grantor owns 50% or more of the
Equity Interests of the issuer of such Pledged Collateral, and
(b) any securities intermediary which is the holder of any
Pledged Collateral, to cause the Agent to have and
retain
15
Control over such Pledged
Collateral. Without limiting the foregoing, each applicable
Grantor will use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause, with
respect to Pledged Collateral held with a securities intermediary
in an account with an aggregate asset value of $5,000,000 or more,
such securities intermediary to enter into a control agreement with
the Agent, in form and substance satisfactory to the Agent, giving
the Agent Control.
Section 4.5.
Pledged
Collateral.
(a)
Registration
in Nominee Name; Denominations. The Agent, on behalf
of the Secured Parties, shall hold certificated Pledged Collateral
in the name of the applicable Grantor, endorsed or assigned in
blank or in favor of the Agent, but following the occurrence and
during the continuance of an Event of Default shall have the right
(in its sole and absolute discretion) to hold the Pledged
Collateral in its own name as pledgee, or in the name of its
nominee (as pledgee or as sub-agent).&nbs