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EXHIBIT
10.1
INTERCREDITOR
AGREEMENT
INTERCREDITOR AGREEMENT dated
as of November 3, 2006, among JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A. (
“JPMCB” ), as Intercreditor Agent,
WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY, as Trustee and as Collateral Agent,
HEXION LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (
“Holdings” ), HEXION SPECIALTY CHEMICALS,
INC., a New Jersey corporation (the
“Company” ), and each Subsidiary of the
Company listed on Schedule I hereto.
A. The Company is party to
the Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated as of
November 3, 2006 (as amended, restated, supplemented, waived
or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit
Agreement” ), among Holdings, the Company, Hexion
Specialty Chemicals Canada, Inc., a Canadian corporation, Hexion
Specialty Chemicals B.V., a company organized under the laws of The
Netherlands, Hexion Specialty Chemicals UK Limited, a corporation
organized under the laws of England and Wales, and Borden Chemical
UK Limited, a corporation organized under the laws of England and
Wales, the lenders party thereto from time to time, JPMCB, as
administrative agent, Credit Suisse, as syndication agent and J.P.
Morgan Securities Inc. and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, as
joint lead arrangers and joint bookrunners. The Credit Agreement is
included in the definition of “Credit Agreement” under
the Second Secured Notes Indenture (as defined below), and the
Obligations of the Company and certain of the Company’s
Subsidiaries under the Credit Agreement and the Senior Lender
Documents executed or delivered pursuant thereto constitute
First-Lien Indebtedness and Senior Lender Claims
hereunder.
B. The Company is party to
the Indenture dated as of November 3, 2006 (as amended,
supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the
“Second Secured Notes Indenture” ), among
the Issuers, the Company, certain of the Company’s
Subsidiaries, and the Trustee, pursuant to which the Notes are
governed. The Obligations of the Issuers, the Company, and certain
of the Company’s Subsidiaries under the Second Secured Notes
Indenture, the Notes, and the other Noteholder Documents constitute
Noteholder Claims and Second-Priority Claims hereunder.
Accordingly, in consideration
of the foregoing, the mutual covenants and obligations herein set
forth and for other good and valuable consideration, the
sufficiency and receipt of which are hereby acknowledged, the
parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as
follows:
Section 1.
Definitions.
1.1. Defined
Terms. As used in this Agreement, the following terms have
the meanings specified below:
“Agreement” shall mean this
Agreement, as amended, renewed, extended, supplemented or otherwise
modified from time to time in accordance with the terms
hereof.
“Bankruptcy
Law” shall mean Title 11 of the United States
Code and any similar Federal, state or foreign law for the relief
of debtors.
“Business
Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a
Sunday or a day that is a legal holiday under the laws of the State
of New York or on which banking institutions in the State of New
York are required or authorized by law or other governmental action
to close.
“Cash Management
Obligations” shall mean, with respect to any Person,
all obligations, whether now owing or hereafter arising, of such
Person in respect of overdrafts and related liabilities owed to any
other Person that arise from treasury, depositary or cash
management services, including any automated clearing house
transfers of funds or any similar transactions.
“Collateral
Agent” shall mean Wilmington Trust Company in its
capacity as collateral agent for the holders under the Second
Secured Notes Indenture.
“Common
Collateral” shall mean all of the assets of any
Grantor, whether real, personal or mixed, constituting both Senior
Lender Collateral and Second-Priority Collateral.
“Company” shall have the meaning set
forth in the preamble.
“Comparable
Second-Priority Collateral Document” shall mean, in
relation to any Common Collateral subject to any Lien created under
any Senior Collateral Document, those Second-Priority Collateral
Documents that create a Lien on the same Common Collateral, granted
by the same Grantor.
“Credit
Agreement” shall have the meaning set forth in the
recitals.
“Deposit
Account” shall have the meaning set forth in the
Uniform Commercial Code.
“Deposit Account
Collateral” shall mean that part of the Common
Collateral comprised of or contained in Deposit Accounts or
Securities Accounts.
“DIP
Financing” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 6.1.
“Discharge of
Senior Lender Claims” shall mean, except to the
extent otherwise provided in Section 5.7, payment in full in
cash (except for contingent indemnities and cost and reimbursement
obligations to the extent no claim has been made) of (a) all
Obligations in respect of all outstanding First-Lien Indebtedness
and, with respect to letters of credit or letter of credit
guaranties outstanding thereunder, delivery of cash collateral or
backstop letters of credit in respect thereof in compliance with
the Senior Credit Agreement, in each case after or concurrently
with the termination of all commitments to extend credit thereunder
and (b) any other Senior Lender Claims that are due and
payable or otherwise accrued and owing at or prior to the time such
principal and interest are paid.
“First-Lien
Indebtedness” shall mean (a) any Bank
Indebtedness (as defined in the Second Secured Notes Indenture on
the date hereof), including all Indebtedness incurred by the
Company and its Subsidiaries pursuant to the Credit Agreement and
the other Senior Lender Documents, that is secured by a Permitted
Lien (as defined in the Second Secured Notes Indenture on the date
hereof and incurred or deemed incurred pursuant to clause (8)
of the
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definition thereof), (b) all other
Obligations (not constituting Indebtedness) of the Company and its
Subsidiaries under the agreements governing such Bank Indebtedness
and (c) all other Obligations of the Company and its
Subsidiaries in respect of Hedging Obligations or Cash Management
Obligations in connection with Indebtedness described in
clause (a) or Obligations described in
clause (b).
“Future
First-Lien Indebtedness” shall mean any First-Lien
Indebtedness other than First-Lien Indebtedness referred to in
clauses (a) and (b) of the definition of First-Lien
Indebtedness incurred pursuant to the Credit Agreement and the
Senior Lender Documents entered into in connection
therewith.
“Future Second
Lien Indebtedness” shall mean Indebtedness or
Obligations (other than Noteholder Claims) of the Company and its
Subsidiaries that is to be equally and ratably secured with the
Noteholder Claims and is so designated by the Company as Future
Second Lien Indebtedness; provided, however, that such
Future Second Lien Indebtedness is permitted to be so incurred in
accordance with any Senior Lender Documents and any Second-Priority
Documents, as applicable.
“Grantors” shall mean the Company and
each of the Subsidiaries that has executed and delivered a
Second-Priority Collateral Document or a Senior Collateral
Document.
“Hedging
Obligations” shall mean, with respect to any Person,
all obligations and liabilities, whether now owing or hereafter
arising, of such Person in respect of (a) currency exchange,
interest rate or commodity swap agreements, currency exchange,
interest rate or commodity cap agreements, and currency exchange,
interest rate or commodity collar agreements and (b) other
agreements or arrangements designed to protect such Person against
fluctuations in currency exchange, interest rates or commodity
prices.
“Indebtedness” shall mean and include
all obligations that constitute “Indebtedness” within
the meaning of the Second Secured Notes Indenture or the Senior
Credit Agreement.
“Indenture
Secured Parties” shall mean the Persons holding
Noteholder Claims, including the Trustee.
“Insolvency or
Liquidation Proceeding” shall mean (a) any
voluntary or involuntary case or proceeding under any Bankruptcy
Law with respect to any Grantor, (b) any other voluntary or
involuntary insolvency, reorganization or bankruptcy case or
proceeding, or any receivership, liquidation, reorganization or
other similar case or proceeding with respect to any Grantor or
with respect to any of its assets, (c) any liquidation,
dissolution, reorganization or winding up of any Grantor whether
voluntary or involuntary and whether or not involving insolvency or
bankruptcy or (d) any assignment for the benefit of creditors
or any other marshalling of assets and liabilities of any
Grantor.
“Intercreditor
Agent” shall mean JPMCB, in its capacity as
administrative agent for the Senior Lenders under the Credit
Agreement and the other Senior Lender Documents entered into
pursuant to the Credit Agreement, together with its successors (or
if there is more than one Senior Credit Agreement, such agent or
trustee as is designated “Intercreditor
Agent”
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by Senior Lenders holding a majority of
the Senior Lender Claims then outstanding) and permitted assigns
under the Senior Credit Agreement exercising substantially the same
rights and powers.
“Issuers” shall mean (i) Hexion
U.S. Finance Corp., a Delaware corporation, and (ii) Hexion
Nova Scotia Finance, ULC, a Nova Scotia unlimited liability
company.
“JPMCB” shall have the meaning set
forth in the preamble.
“Lien” shall mean, with respect to
any asset, any mortgage, deed of trust, lien, pledge,
hypothecation, encumbrance, charge or security interest in, on or
of such asset.
“Noteholder
Claims” shall mean all Obligations in respect of the
Notes or arising under the Noteholder Documents or any of them,
including all fees and expenses of the Trustee
thereunder.
“Noteholder
Collateral” shall mean all of the assets of any
Grantor, whether real, personal or mixed, with respect to which a
Lien is granted as security for any Noteholder Claim.
“Noteholder
Collateral Agreement” shall mean the Collateral
Agreement dated as of November 3, 2006, among the Company,
certain other domestic Grantors and the Collateral Agent in respect
of the Second Secured Notes Indenture.
“Noteholder
Collateral Documents” shall mean the Noteholder
Collateral Agreement and any other document or instrument pursuant
to which a Lien is granted by any Grantor to secure any Noteholder
Claims or under which rights or remedies with respect to any such
Lien are governed.
“Noteholder
Documents” shall mean (a) the Second Secured
Notes Indenture, the Notes, the Noteholder Collateral Documents and
(b) any other related document or instrument executed and
delivered pursuant to any Noteholder Document described in
clause (a) above evidencing or governing any Obligations
thereunder.
“Notes” shall mean (a)(i) the
initial $200,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of
second-priority senior secured floating rate notes due 2014 and
(ii) the initial $625,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of
9 3 /
4 % second-priority senior secured notes due 2014,
each co-issued by the Issuers pursuant to the Second Secured Notes
Indenture, (b) the exchange notes issued in exchange therefor
as contemplated by the Registration Rights Agreement dated as of
November 3, 2006, among the Issuers, the Company, certain of
the Company’s Subsidiaries and the initial purchasers party
thereto, and (c) any additional notes issued under the Second
Secured Notes Indenture by the Issuers, to the extent permitted by
the Second Secured Notes Indenture, the Credit Agreement, any other
Senior Lender Documents and any Second-Priority Document, as
applicable.
“Obligations” shall mean, with
respect to any Indebtedness, any and all obligations, whether now
owing or hereafter arising, with respect to the payment of
(a) any principal of or interest (including interest accrued
on or accruing after the commencement of any Insolvency or
Liquidation Proceeding, whether or not a claim for post-filing
interest is allowed
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in such proceeding) or premium on any
Indebtedness, including any reimbursement obligation in respect of
any letter of credit or letter of credit guaranty, (b) any
fees, indemnification obligations, expense reimbursement
obligations or other liabilities payable under the documentation
governing such Indebtedness, (c) any obligation to post cash
collateral in respect of letters of credit or letter of credit
guaranties and any other obligations and (d) with respect to
any Indebtedness constituting Senior Lender Claims, any Cash
Management Obligations or Hedging Obligations owing to any of the
Senior Lenders holding such Senior Lender Claims or any affiliates
thereof.
“Officers’
Certificate” shall have the meaning set forth in the
Second Secured Notes Indenture.
“Person” shall mean any natural
person, corporation, limited liability company, trust, joint
venture, association, company, partnership, entity or other party,
including any government and any political subdivision, agency or
instrumentality thereof.
“Pledged
Collateral” shall mean the Common Collateral in the
possession of the Intercreditor Agent (or its agents or bailees),
to the extent that possession thereof is necessary to perfect a
Lien thereon under the Uniform Commercial Code.
“Recovery” shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 6.4.
“Required
Lenders” shall mean, with respect to any Senior
Credit Agreement, those Senior Lenders the approval of which is
required to approve an amendment or modification of, termination or
waiver of any provision of or consent to any departure from such
Senior Credit Agreement (or would be required to effect such
consent under this Agreement if such consent were treated as an
amendment of the Senior Credit Agreement).
“Second-Priority
Agents” shall mean (a) the Trustee as agent for
the Indenture Secured Parties and (b) the collateral agent for
any Future Second-Lien Indebtedness.
“Second-Priority
Claims” shall mean the Noteholder Claims and all
other Obligations in respect of, or arising under, the
Second-Priority Documents, including all fees and expenses of the
collateral agent for any Future Second-Lien
Indebtedness.
“Second-Priority
Collateral” shall mean the Noteholder Collateral and
all of the assets of any Grantor, whether real, personal or mixed,
with respect to which a Lien is granted as security for any Future
Second-Lien Indebtedness.
“Second-Priority
Collateral Agreements” shall mean the Noteholder
Collateral Agreement and any comparable agreement with respect to
any Future Second-Lien Indebtedness.
“Second-Priority
Collateral Documents” shall mean the Noteholder
Collateral Documents and any other agreement, document or
instrument pursuant to which a Lien is now or hereafter granted
securing any Second-Priority Claims or under which rights or
remedies with respect to such Liens are at any time
governed.
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“Second-Priority
Documents” shall mean the Noteholder Documents and
any other document or instrument evidencing or governing any Future
Second-Lien Indebtedness.
“Second-Priority
Designated Agent” shall mean such agent or trustee as
is designated “Second-Priority Designated Agent” by
Second-Priority Secured Parties holding a majority in principal
amount of the Second-Priority Claims then outstanding; it being
understood that as of the date of this agreement, the Trustee shall
be so designated Second-Priority Designated Agent.
“Second-Priority
Lien” shall mean any Lien on any assets of the
Company or any other Grantor securing any Second-Priority
Claims.
“Second-Priority
Secured Parties” shall mean the Indenture Secured
Parties and all other Persons holding any Second-Priority Claims,
including the collateral agent for any Future Second-Lien
Indebtedness.
“Second Secured
Notes Indenture” shall have the meaning set forth in
the recitals.
“Securities
Account” shall have the meaning set forth in the
Uniform Commercial Code.
“Senior
Collateral Documents” shall mean any agreement,
document or instrument pursuant to which a Lien is now or hereafter
granted securing any Senior Lender Claims or under which rights or
remedies with respect to such Liens are at any time
governed.
“Senior Credit
Agreement” shall mean the Credit Agreement and any
other agreement governing any Future First-Lien
Indebtedness.
“Senior Lender
Cash Management Obligations” shall mean any Cash
Management Obligations secured by any Common Collateral under the
Senior Collateral Documents.
“Senior Lender
Claims” shall mean (a) all First-Lien
Indebtedness outstanding, including any Future First-Lien
Indebtedness, and (b) all other Obligations (not constituting
Indebtedness under any such First-Lien Indebtedness) with respect
to First-Lien Indebtedness, including all Senior Lender Hedging
Obligations and Senior Lender Cash Management Obligations. Senior
Lender Claims shall include all interest and expenses accrued or
accruing (or that would, absent the commencement of an Insolvency
or Liquidation Proceeding, accrue) after the commencement of an
Insolvency or Liquidation Proceeding in accordance with and at the
rate specified in the relevant Senior Lender Document whether or
not the claim for such interest or expenses is allowed or allowable
as a claim in such Insolvency or Liquidation Proceeding.
“Senior Lender
Collateral” shall mean all of the assets of any
Grantor, whether real, personal or mixed, with respect to which a
Lien is granted as security for any Senior Lender Claim.
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“Senior Lender
Documents” shall mean the Senior Credit Agreement,
the Senior Collateral Documents and each of the other agreements,
documents and instruments (including each agreement, document or
instrument providing for or evidencing a Senior Lender Hedging
Obligation or Senior Lender Cash Management Obligation) providing
for, evidencing or securing any Obligation under the Credit
Agreement or any Future First-Lien Indebtedness and any other
related document or instrument executed or delivered pursuant to
any Senior Lender Document at any time or otherwise evidencing or
securing any Indebtedness arising under any Senior Lender
Document.
“Senior Lender
Hedging Obligations” shall mean any Hedging
Obligations secured by any Common Collateral under the Senior
Collateral Documents.
“Senior
Lenders” shall mean the Persons holding Senior Lender
Claims, including the Senior-Priority Agents.
“Senior-Priority
Agents” shall mean (a) the administrative agent
under the Credit Agreement and (b) the collateral agent for
any other First-Lien Indebtedness.
“Subsidiary” shall mean any
“Subsidiary” of the Company as defined in the Second
Secured Notes Indenture.
“Trustee” shall mean Wilmington Trust
Company, in its capacity as trustee under the Second Secured Notes
Indenture and collateral agent under the Noteholder Collateral
Documents, and its permitted successors.
“Uniform
Commercial Code” or “UCC”
shall mean the Uniform Commercial Code as from time to time in
effect in the State of New York.
1.2. Terms
Generally. The definitions of terms herein shall apply
equally to the singular and plural forms of the terms defined.
Whenever the context may require, any pronoun shall include the
corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter forms. The words
“include,” “includes” and
“including” shall be deemed to be followed by the
phrase “without limitation”. The word
“will” shall be construed to have the same meaning and
effect as the word “shall”. Unless the context requires
otherwise (a) any definition of or reference to any agreement,
instrument or other document herein shall be construed as referring
to such agreement, instrument or other document as from time to
time amended, supplemented or otherwise modified in accordance with
this Agreement, (b) any reference herein to any Person shall
be construed to include such Person’s successors and assigns,
(c) the words “herein,” “hereof” and
“hereunder,” and words of similar import, shall be
construed to refer to this Agreement in its entirety and not to any
particular provision hereof, (d) all references herein to
Sections shall be construed to refer to Sections of this Agreement
and (e) the words “asset” and
“property” shall be construed to have the same meaning
and effect and to refer to any and all tangible and intangible
assets and properties, including cash, securities, accounts and
contract rights.
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Section 2. Lien
Priorities.
2.1. Subordination of
Liens. Notwithstanding the date, time, manner or order of
filing or recordation of any document or instrument or grant,
attachment or perfection of any Liens granted to the
Second-Priority Secured Parties on the Common Collateral or of any
Liens granted to the Intercreditor Agent or the Senior Lenders on
the Common Collateral and notwithstanding any provision of the UCC,
or any applicable law or the Second-Priority Documents or the
Senior Lender Documents or any other circumstance whatsoever, each
Second-Priority Agent, on behalf of itself and each applicable
Second-Priority Secured Party, hereby agrees that: (a) any
Lien on the Common Collateral securing any Senior Lender Claims now
or hereafter held by or on behalf of the Intercreditor Agent or any
Senior Lenders or any agent or trustee therefor regardless of how
acquired, whether by grant, statute, operation of law, subrogation
or otherwise, shall have priority over and be senior in all
respects and prior to any Lien on the Common Collateral securing
any Second-Priority Claims, (b) any Lien on the Common
Collateral securing any Second-Priority Claims now or hereafter
held by or on behalf of the Trustee, the Collateral Agent or any
Second-Priority Secured Parties or any agent or trustee therefor
regardless of how acquired, whether by grant, statute, operation of
law, subrogation or otherwise, shall be junior and subordinate in
all respects to all Liens on the Common Collateral securing any
Senior Lender Claims and (c) with respect to any
Second-Priority Claims (and as between the Second-Priority Agents
and the Second-Priority Secured Parties), the Liens on the Common
Collateral securing any Second-Priority Claims now or hereafter
held by or on behalf of the Trustee, the Collateral Agent or any
Second-Priority Secured Party or any agent or trustee therefor
regardless of how acquired, whether by grant, statute, operation of
law, subrogation or otherwise, shall rank equally and ratably in
all respects. All Liens on the Common Collateral securing any
Senior Lender Claims shall be and remain senior in all respects and
prior to all Liens on the Common Collateral securing any
Second-Priority Claims for all purposes, whether or not such Liens
securing any Senior Lender Claims are subordinated to any Lien
securing any other obligation of the Company, any other Grantor or
any other Person.
2.2. Prohibition on
Contesting Liens. Each Second-Priority Agent, for itself
and on behalf of each applicable Second-Priority Secured Party, and
the Senior-Priority Agents, for itself and on behalf of each
applicable Senior Lender, agrees that it shall not (and hereby
waives any right to) contest or support any other Person in
contesting, in any proceeding (including any Insolvency or
Liquidation Proceeding), the validity, perfection, priority,
validity or enforceability of (a) a Lien securing any Senior
Lender Claims held (or purported to be held) by or on behalf of the
Intercreditor Agent or any of the Senior Lenders or any agent or
trustee therefor in any Senior Lender Collateral or (b) a Lien
securing any Second-Priority Claims held (or purported to be held)
by or on behalf of any Second-Priority Secured Party in the Common
Collateral, as the case may be; provided, however, that nothing in
this Agreement shall be construed to prevent or impair the rights
of the Intercreditor Agent or any Senior
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Lender to enforce this
Agreement (including the priority of the Liens securing the Senior
Lender Claims as provided in Section 2.1) or any of the Senior
Lender Documents.
2.3. No New
Liens. Subject to Section 11.03 of the Second Secured
Notes Indenture and the corresponding provision of any
Second-Priority Document relating to Future Second-Lien
Indebtedness, so long as the Discharge of Senior Lender Claims has
not occurred, the parties hereto agree that, after the date hereof,
if any Second-Priority Agent shall hold any Lien on any assets of
the Company or any other Grantor securing any Second-Priority
Claims that are not also subject to the first-priority Lien in
respect of the Senior Lender Claims under the Senior Lender
Documents, such Second-Priority Agent shall notify the
Intercreditor Agent promptly upon becoming aware thereof and, upon
demand by the Intercreditor Agent or the Company, will assign or
release such Lien to the Intercreditor Agent (and/or its designee)
as security for the applicable Senior Lender Claims (in the case of
an assignment, each Second-Priority Agent may retain a junior lien
on such assets subject to the terms hereof). Subject to
Section 11.03 of the Second Secured Notes Indenture and the
corresponding provision of any Second-Priority Document relating to
Future Second-Lien Indebtedness, each Second-Priority Agent agrees
that, after the date hereof, if it shall hold any Lien on any
assets of the Company or any other Grantor securing any
Second-Priority Claims that are not also subject to the Lien in
favor of the other Second-Priority Agent such Second-Priority Agent
shall notify any other Second-Priority Agent promptly upon becoming
aware thereof.
2.4. Perfection of
Liens. Neither the Intercreditor Agent nor the Senior
Lenders shall be responsible for perfecting and maintaining the
perfection of Liens with respect to the Common Collateral for the
benefit of the Second-Priority Agents and the Second-Priority
Secured Parties. The provisions of this Intercreditor Agreement are
intended solely to govern the respective Lien priorities as between
the Senior Lenders and the Second-Priority Secured Parties and
shall not impose on the Intercreditor Agent, the Second-Priority
Agents, the Second-Priority Secured Parties or the Senior Lenders
or any agent or trustee therefor any obligations in respect of the
disposition of proceeds of any Common Collateral which would
conflict with prior perfected claims therein in favor of any other
Person or any order or decree of any court or governmental
authority or any applicable law.
Section 3.
Enforcement.
3.1. Exercise of
Remedies.
(a) So long as the Discharge
of Senior Lender Claims has not occurred, whether or not any
Insolvency or Liquidation Proceeding has been commenced by or
against the Company or any other Grantor, (i) no
Second-Priority Agent or any Second-Priority Secured Party will
(x) exercise or seek to exercise any rights or remedies
(including setoff) with respect to any Common Collateral in respect
of any applicable Second-Priority Claims, institute any
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action or proceeding with respect to
such rights or remedies (including any action of foreclosure),
(y) contest, protest or object to any foreclosure proceeding
or action brought with respect to the Common Collateral by the
Intercreditor Agent or any Senior Lender in respect of the Senior
Lender Claims, the exercise of any right by the Intercreditor Agent
or any Senior Lender (or any agent or sub-agent on their behalf) in
respect of the Senior Lender Claims under any lockbox agreement,
control agreement, landlord waiver or bailee’s letter or
similar agreement or arrangement to which any Second-Priority Agent
or any Second-Priority Secured Party either is a party or may have
rights as a third party beneficiary, or any other exercise by any
such party, of any rights and remedies relating to the Common
Collateral under the Senior Lender Documents or otherwise in
respect of Senior Lender Claims, or (z) object to the
forbearance by the Senior Lenders from bringing or pursuing any
foreclosure proceeding or action or any other exercise of any
rights or remedies relating to the Common Collateral in respect of
Senior Lender Claims and (ii) except as otherwise provided
herein, the Intercreditor Agent and the Senior Lenders shall have
the exclusive right to enforce rights, exercise remedies (including
setoff and the right to credit bid their debt) and make
determinations regarding the release, disposition or restrictions
with respect to the Common Collateral without any consultation with
or the consent of any Second-Priority Agent or any Second-Priority
Secured Party; provided, however, that (A) in any Insolvency
or Liquidation Proceeding commenced by or against the Company or
any other Grantor, each Second-Priority Agent may file a claim or
statement of interest with respect to the applicable
Second-Priority Claims and (B) each Second-Priority Agent may
take any action (not adverse to the prior Liens on the Common
Collateral securing the Senior Lender Claims, or the rights of the
Intercreditor Agent or the Senior Lenders to exercise remedies in
respect thereof) in order to create, prove, perfect, preserve or
protect (but not enforce) its rights in, and perfection and
priority of its Lien on, the Common Collateral. In exercising
rights and remedies with respect to the Senior Lender Collateral,
the Intercreditor Agent and the Senior Lenders may enforce the
provisions of the Senior Lender Documents and exercise remedies
thereunder, all in such order and in such manner as they may
determine in the exercise of their sole discretion. Such exercise
and enforcement shall include the rights of an agent appointed by
them to sell or otherwise dispose of Common Collateral upon
foreclosure, to incur expenses in connection with such sale or
disposition, and to exercise all the rights and remedies of a
secured lender under the Uniform Commercial Code of any applicable
jurisdiction and of a secured creditor under Bankruptcy Laws of any
applicable jurisdiction.
(b) So long as the Discharge
of Senior Lender Claims has not occurred, each Second-Priority
Agent, on behalf of itself and each applicable Second-Priority
Secured Party, agrees that it will not, in the context of its role
as secured creditor, take or receive any Common Collateral or any
proceeds of Common Collateral in connection with the exercise of
any right or remedy (including setoff) with respect to any Common
Collateral in respect of the applicable Second-Priority Claims.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, unless and until
the Discharge of Senior Lender Claims has occurred, except as
expressly provided in the proviso in clause (ii) of
Section 3.1(a), the sole right of the Second-Priority Agents
and the Second-Priority Secured Parties with respect to the Common
Collateral is to hold a Lien on the Common Collateral in respect of
the applicable Second-Priority Claims pursuant to the
Second-Priority Documents, as applicable, for the period and to the
extent granted therein and to receive a share of the proceeds
thereof, if any, after the Discharge of Senior Lender Claims has
occurred.
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(c) Subject to the proviso in
clause (ii) of Section 3.1(a), (i) each
Second-Priority Agent, for itself and on behalf of each applicable
Second-Priority Secured Party, agrees that no Second-Priority Agent
or any Second-Priority Secured Party will take any action that
would hinder any exercise of remedies undertaken by the
Intercreditor Agent or the Senior Lenders with respect to the
Common Collateral under the Senior Loan Documents, including any
sale, lease, exchange, transfer or other disposition of the Common
Collateral, whether by foreclosure or otherwise, and (ii) each
Second-Priority Agent, for itself and on behalf of each applicable
Second-Priority Secured Party, hereby waives any and all rights it
or any Second-Priority Secured Party may have as a junior lien
creditor or otherwise to object to the manner in which the
Intercreditor Agent or the Senior Lenders seek to enforce or
collect the Senior Lender Claims or the Liens granted in any of the
Senior Lender Collateral, regardless of whether any action or
failure to act by or on behalf of the Intercreditor Agent or Senior
Lenders is adverse to the interests of the Second-Priority Secured
Parties.
(d) Each Second-Priority
Agent hereby acknowledges and agrees that no covenant, agreement or
restriction contained in any applicable Second-Priority Document
shall be deemed to restrict in any way the rights and remedies of
the Intercreditor Agent or the Senior Lenders with respect to the
Senior Lender Collateral as set forth in this Agreement and the
Senior Lender Documents.
3.2.
Cooperation. Subject to the proviso in
clause (ii) of Section 3.1(a), each Second-Priority
Agent, on behalf of itself and each applicable Second-Priority
Secured Party, agrees that, unless and until the Discharge of
Senior Lender Claims has occurred, it will not commence, or join
with any Person (other than the Senior Lenders and the
Intercreditor Agent upon the request thereof) in commencing, any
enforcement, collection, execution, levy or foreclosure action or
proceeding with respect to any Lien held by it in the Common
Collateral under any of the applicable Second-Priority Documents or
otherwise in respect of the applicable Second-Priority
Claims.
Section 4.
Payments.
4.1. Application of
Proceeds. After an event of default under any First-Lien
Indebtedness has occurred with respect to which the Intercreditor
Agent has provided written notice to each Second-Priority Agent,
and until such event of default is cured or waived, so long as the
Discharge of Senior Lender Claims has not occurred, the Common
Collateral or proceeds thereof received in connection with the sale
or other disposition of, or collection on, such Common Collateral
upon the exercise of remedies, shall be applied by the
Intercreditor Agent to the Senior Lender Claims in such order as
specified in the relevant Senior Lender Documents until the
Discharge of Senior Lender Claims has occurred. Upon the Discharge
of Senior Lender Claims, the Intercreditor Agent shall deliver
promptly to the Second-Priority Designated Agent any Common
Collateral or proceeds thereof held by it in the same form as
received, with any necessary endorsements or as a court of
competent jurisdiction may otherwise direct to be applied by the
Second-Priority Designated Agent ratably to the
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Second-Priority Claims and,
with respect to each class of Second-Priority Claims, in such order
as specified in the relevant Second-Priority Documents.
4.2. Payments
Over. Any Common Collateral or proceeds thereof received by
any Second-Priority Agent or any Second-Priority Secured Party in
connection with the exercise of any right or remedy (including
setoff) relating to the Common Collateral in contravention of this
Agreement shall be segregated and held in trust for the benefit of
and forthwith paid over to the Intercreditor Agent (and/or its
designees) for the benefit of the applicable Senior Lenders in the
same form as received, with any necessary endorsements or as a
court of competent jurisdiction may otherwise direct. The
Intercreditor Agent is hereby authorized to make any such
endorsements as agent for any Second-Priority Agent or any such
Second-Priority Secured Party. This authorization is coupled with
an interest and is irrevocable.
Section 5. Other
Agreements.
5.1.
Releases.
(a) If, at any time any
Grantor or the holder of any Senior Lender Claim delivers notice to
each Second-Priority Agent that any specified Common Collateral
(including all or substantially all of the equity interests of a
Grantor or any of its Subsidiaries) is sold, transferred or
otherwise disposed of:
(i) by the owner of such
Common Collateral in a transaction permitted under the Senior
Credit Agreement, the Second Secured Notes Indenture and each other
Second-Priority Document (if any); or
(ii) during the existence of
any Event of Default under (and as defined in) the Senior Credit
Agreement to the extent the Intercreditor Agent has consented to
such sale, transfer or disposition:
then (whether or not any
Insol
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