STANDBY LETTER OF CREDIT AGREEMENT
To : WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION
Applicant
hereby requests that you, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association
("Wells Fargo"), issue in your name one or more standby letters of
credit pursuant to Applications for the issuance of such Credits
and the terms and conditions of this Agreement. Each
Credit will be issued at Applicant's request and for its account,
and, unless otherwise specifically provided in any Loan Document,
at your option. Applicant agrees that the terms and
conditions in this Agreement shall apply to each Application and
the Credit issued pursuant to each Application, and to transactions
under each Application, each Credit and this Agreement.
SECTION 1.
DEFINITIONS. As used in this Agreement, the
following terms shall have the meanings set forth after each term:
" Agreement " means this Standby Letter of Credit
Agreement as it may be revised or amended from time to
time. " Applicant " means collectively
each person and/or entity signing this Agreement as
Applicant. " Application " means your
printed form titled "Application For Standby Letter of Credit" or
any other form acceptable to you on which Applicant applies for the
issuance by you of a Credit and/or an application for amendment of
a Credit or any combination of such applications, as the context
may require. " Beneficiary " means the
person or entity named on an Application as the beneficiary or any
transferee of such beneficiary. " Collateral
" means the Property, together with the proceeds of such
Property, securing any or all of Applicant's obligations and
liabilities at any time existing under or in connection with any
L/C Document and/or any Loan Document. " Commission Fee
" means the per annum fee applicable to a Credit, computed at
the per annum fee rate specified by you or specified in any Loan
Document, charged by you at the time or times specified by you on
the amount of each Credit and on the amount of each increase in a
Credit for the time period each Credit is outstanding.
" Credit " means an instrument or document titled
"Irrevocable Standby Letter of Credit" or "Standby Letter of
Credit", or any instrument or document whatever it is titled or
whether or not it is titled functioning as a standby letter of
credit, issued under or pursuant to an Application, and all
renewals, extensions and amendments of such instrument or
document. " Demand " means any sight
draft, electronic or telegraphic transmission or other written
demand drawn or made, or purported to be drawn or made, under or in
connection with any Credit. " Document "
means any instrument, statement, certificate or other document
referred to in or related to any Credit or required by any Credit
to be presented with any Demand. " Dollars
" means the lawful currency at any time for the payment of
public or private debts in the United States of
America. " Event of Default " means any
of the events set forth in Section 13 of this
Agreement. " Expiration Date " means the
date any Credit expires. " Guarantor "
means any person or entity guaranteeing the payment and/or
performance of any or all of Applicant's obligations under or in
connection with any L/C Document and/or any Loan
Document. " Holding
Company " means any company or other entity
directly or indirectly controlling you. " L/C
Document " means this Agreement, each Application, each
Credit, and each Demand. " Loan Document
" means each and any promissory note, loan agreement, security
agreement, pledge agreement, guarantee or other agreement or
document executed in connection with, or relating to, any extension
of credit under which any Credit is issued. "
Maximum Rate " means the maximum amount of interest (as
defined by applicable laws), if any, permitted to be paid, taken,
reserved, received, collected or charged under applicable laws, as
the same may be amended or modified from time to time.
" Negotiation Fee " means the fee, computed at the
negotiation fee rate specified by you or specified in any Loan
Document, charged by you on the amount of each Demand paid by you
or any other bank specified by you when each Demand is
paid. " Payment Office " means the office
specified by you or specified in any Loan Document as the office
where reimbursements and other payments under or in connection with
any L/C Document are to be made by Applicant. "
Prime Rate " means the rate of interest most recently
announced within Wells Fargo at its principal office as its Prime
Rate, with the understanding that the Prime Rate is one of Wells
Fargo's base rates and serves as the basis upon which effective
rates of interest are calculated for those loans making reference
thereto, and is evidenced by the recording thereof after its
announcement in such internal publication or publications as Wells
Fargo may designate. " Property " means
all forms of property, whether tangible or intangible, real,
personal or mixed. " Rate of Exchange "
means Wells Fargo's then current selling rate of exchange in San
Francisco, California for sales of the currency of payment of any
Demand, or of any fees or expenses or other amounts payable under
this Agreement, for cable transfer to the country of which such
currency is the legal tender. " UCP "
means the Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits, an
International Chamber of Commerce publication, or any substitution
therefor or replacement thereof. " Unpaid and
Undrawn Balance " means at any time the entire amount which
has not been paid by you under all the Credits issued for
Applicant's account, including, without limitation, the amount of
each Demand on which you have not yet effected payment as well as
the amount undrawn under all such Credits. " Wells
Fargo & Company " means Wells Fargo & Company, a
Delaware corporation.
SECTION
2. HONORING DEMANDS AND DOCUMENTS.
You may receive, accept and honor, as complying with the terms of
any Credit, any Demand and any Documents accompanying such Demand;
provided, however, that such Demand and accompanying Documents
appear on their face to comply substantially with the provisions of
such Credit and are, or appear on their face to be, signed or
issued by (a) a person or entity authorized under such Credit to
draw, sign or issue such Demand and accompanying Documents, or (b)
an administrator, executor, trustee in bankruptcy, debtor in
possession, assignee for the benefit of creditors, liquidator,
receiver or other legal representative or successor in interest by
operation of law of any such person or entity.
SECTION 3.
REIMBURSEMENT FOR PAYMENT OF DEMANDS. Applicant
shall reimburse you for all amounts paid by you on each Demand,
including, without limitation, all such amounts paid by you to any
paying, negotiating or other bank. If in connection with
the issuance of any Credit, you agree to pay any other bank the
amount of any payment or negotiation made by such other bank under
such Credit upon your receipt of a cable, telex or other written
telecommunication advising you of such payment or negotiation, or
authorize any other bank to debit your account for the amount of
such payment or negotiation, Applicant agrees to reimburse you for
all such amounts paid by you, or debited to your account with such
other bank, even if any Demand or Document specified in such Credit
fails to arrive in whole or in part or if, upon the arrival of any
such Demand or Document, the terms of such Credit have not been
complied with or such Demand or Document does not conform to the
requirements of such Credit or is not otherwise in
order.
SECTION 4.
FEES AND EXPENSES. Applicant agrees to pay to
you (a) all Commission Fees, Negotiation Fees, cable fees,
amendment fees, non-usance fees, and cancellation fees of, and all
out-of-pocket expenses incurred by, you under or in connection with
any L/C Document, and (b) all fees and charges of banks or other
entities other than you under or in connection with any L/C
Document if any Application (i) does not indicate who will pay such
fees and charges, (ii) indicates that such fees and charges are to
be paid by Applicant, or (iii) indicates that such fees and charges
are to be paid by the Beneficiary and the Beneficiary does not, for
any reason whatsoever, pay such fees or charges. There
shall be no refund of any portion of any Commission Fee in the
event any Credit is used, reduced, amended, modified or terminated
before its Expiration Date.
SECTION 5.
DEFAULT INTEREST. Unless otherwise specified in
any Loan Document , or on an Application and agreed to by
you, all amounts to be reimbursed by Applicant to you, and all fees
and expenses to be paid by Applicant to you, and all other amounts
due from Applicant to you under or in connection with any L/C
Documents, will bear interest (to the extent permitted by law),
payable on demand, from the date you paid the amounts to be
reimbursed or the date such fees, expenses and other amounts were
due until such amounts are paid in full, at a rate per annum
(computed on the basis of a 360-day year, actual days elapsed)
which is the lesser of (a) four percent (4%) above the Prime Rate
in effect from time to time, or (b) the Maximum Rate.
SECTION 6.
TIME AND METHOD OF REIMBURSEMENT AND PAYMENT.
Unless otherwise specified in this Section, in any Loan Document,
or on an Application and agreed to by you, all amounts to be
reimbursed by Applicant to you, all fees and expenses to be paid by
Applicant to you, and all interest and other amounts due to you
from Applicant under or in connection with any L/C Documents will
be reimbursed or paid at the Payment Office in Dollars in
immediately available funds without setoff or counterclaim (i) on
demand or, (ii) at your option by your debiting any of Applicant's
accounts with you, with each such debit being made without
presentment, protest, demand for reimbursement or payment, notice
of dishonor or any other notice whatsoever, all of which are hereby
expressly waived by Applicant. Each such debit will be
made at the time each Demand is paid by you or, if earlier, at the
time each amount is paid by you to any paying, negotiating or other
bank, or at the time each fee and expense is to be paid or any
interest or other amount is due under or in connection with any L/C
Documents. If any Demand or any fee, expense, interest
or other amount payable under or in connection with any L/C
Documents is payable in a currency other than Dollars, Applicant
agrees to reimburse you for all amounts paid by you on such Demand,
and/or to pay you all such fees, expenses, interest and other
amounts, in one of the three following ways, as determined by you
in your sole discretion in each case: (a) at such place as you
shall direct, in such other currency; or (b) at the Payment Office
in the Dollar equivalent of the amount of such other currency
calculated at the Rate of Exchange on the date determined by you in
your sole discretion; or (c) at the Payment Office in the Dollar
equivalent, as determined by you (which determination shall be
deemed correct absent manifest error), of such fees, expenses,
interest or other amounts or of the actual cost to you of paying
such Demand. Applicant assumes all political, economic
and other risks of disruptions or interruptions in any currency
exchange.
SECTION 7.
AGREEMENTS OF APPLICANT. Applicant agrees that
(a) unless otherwise specifically provided in any Loan Document,
you shall not be obligated at any time to issue any Credit for
Applicant's account; (b) unless otherwise specifically provided in
any Loan Document, if any Credit is issued by you for Applicant's
account, you shall not be obligated to issue any further Credit for
Applicant's account or to make other extensions of credit to
Applicant or in any other manner to extend any financial
consideration to Applicant; (c) you have not given Applicant any
legal or other advice with regard to any L/C Document or Loan
Document; (d) if you at any time discuss with Applicant the wording
for any Credit, any such discussion will not constitute legal or
other advice by you or any representation or warranty by you that
any wording or Credit will satisfy Applicant's needs; (e) Applicant
is responsible for the wording of each Credit, including, without
limitation, any drawing conditions, and will not rely on you in any
way in connection with the wording of any Credit or the structuring
of any transaction related to any Credit; (f) Applicant, and not
you, is responsible for entering into the contracts relating to the
Credits between Applicant and the Beneficiaries and for causing
Credits to be issued; (g) you may, as you deem appropriate, modify
or alter and use in any Credit the terminology contained on the
Application for such Credit; (h) unless the Application for a
Credit specifies whether the Documents to be presented with a
Demand under such Credit must be sent to you in one parcel or in
two parcels or may be sent to you in any number of parcels, you
may, if you so desire, make such determination and specify in the
Credit whether such Documents must be sent in one parcel or two
parcels or may be sent in any number of parcels; (i) you shall not
be deemed Applicant's agent or the agent of any Beneficiary or any
other user of any Credit, and neither Applicant, nor any
Beneficiary nor any other user of any Credit shall be deemed your
agent; (j) Applicant will promptly examine all Documents and each
Credit if and when they are delivered to Applicant and, in the
event of any claim of noncompliance of any Documents or any Credit
with Applicant's instructions or any Application, or in the event
of any other irregularity, Applicant will promptly notify you in
writing of such noncompliance or irregularity, Applicant being
conclusively deemed to have waived any such claim of noncompliance
or irregularity unless such notice is promptly given; (k) all
directions and correspondence relating to any L/C Document are to
be sent at Applicant's risk; (l) if any Credit has a provision
concerning the automatic extension of its Expiration Date, you may,
at your sole option, give notice of nonrenewal of such Credit and
if Applicant does not at any time want such Credit to be renewed
Applicant will so notify you at least fifteen (15) calendar days
before you are to notify the Beneficiary of such Credit or any
advising bank of such nonrenewal pursuant to the terms of such
Credit; (m) Applicant will not seek to obtain, apply for, or
acquiesce in any temporary or permanent restraining order,
preliminary or permanent injunction, permanent injunction or any
other pretrial or permanent injunctive or similar relief,
restraining, prohibiting or enjoining you, any of your
correspondents or any advising, confirming, negotiating, paying or
other bank from paying or negotiating any Demand or honoring any
other obligation under or in connection with any Credit; and (n)
except for Applicant's obligations specifically affected by those
actions or failures to act referred to in subsections (ii) and
(vii) of this Section 7(n) which you have performed or approved or
accepted, Applicant's obligations under or in connection with each
L/C Document and Loan Document shall be absolute, unconditional and
irrevocable, and shall be performed strictly in accordance with the
terms of each such L/C Document and Loan Document under all
circumstances whatsoever, including, without limitation, the
following circumstances, the circumstances listed in Section 12(b)
through (u) of this Agreement, and any other event or circumstance
similar to such circumstances: (i) any lack of validity or
enforceability of any L/C Document, any Loan Document, any Document
or any agreement relating to any of the foregoing; (ii) any
amendment of or waiver relating to, or any consent to or departure
from, any L/C Document, any Loan Document or any Document; (iii)
any release or substitution at any time of any Property held as
Collateral; (iv) your failure to deliver to Applicant any Document
you have received with a drawing under a Credit because doing so
would, or is likely to, violate any law, rule or regulation of any
government authority; (v) the existence of any claim, set-off,
defense or other right which Applicant may have at any time against
you or any Beneficiary (or any person or entity for whom any
Beneficiary may be acting) or any other person or entity, whether
under or in connection with any L/C Document, any Loan Document,
any Document or any Property referred to in or related to any of
the foregoing or under or in connection with any unrelated
transaction; (vi) any breach of contract or other dispute between
or among any two or more of you, Applicant, any Beneficiary, any
transferee of any Beneficiary, any person or entity for whom any
Beneficiary or any transferee of any Beneficiary may be acting, or
any other person or entity; or (vii) any delay, extension of time,
renewal, compromise or other indulgence granted or agreed to by you
with or without notice to Applicant, or Applicant's approval, in
respect of any of Applicant's indebtedness or other obligations to
you under or in connection with any L/C Document or any Loan
Document.
SECTION
8. COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS AND REGULATIONS.
Applicant represents and warrants to you that no
Application, Credit or transaction under any Application and/or
Credit will contravene any law or regulation of the government of
the United States or any state thereof. Applicant agrees
(a) to comply with all federal, state and foreign exchange
regulations and other government laws and regulations now or
hereafter applicable to any L/C Document, to any payments under or
in connection with any L/C Document, to each transaction under or
in connection with any L/C Document, or to the import, export,
shipping or financing of the Property referred to in or shipped
under or in connection with any Credit, and (b) to reimburse you
for such amounts as you may be required to expend as a result of
such laws or regulations, or any change therein or in
the interpretation thereof by any court or administrative or
government authority charged with the administration of such laws
or regulations.
SECTION 9.
TAXES, RESERVES AND CAPITAL ADEQUACY
REQUIREMENTS. In addition to, and notwithstanding
any other provision of any L/C Document or any Loan Document, in
the event that any law, treaty, rule, regulation, guideline,
request, order, directive or determination (whether or not having
the force of law) of or from any government authority, including,
without limitation, any court, central bank or government
regulatory authority, or any change therein or in the
interpretation or application thereof, (a) does or shall subject
you to any tax of any kind whatsoever with respect to the L/C
Documents, or change the basis of taxation of payments to you of
any amount payable thereunder (except for changes in the rate of
tax on your net income); (b) does or shall impose, modify or hold
applicable any reserve, special deposit, assessment, compulsory
loan, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insurance or similar
requirement against assets held by, deposits or other liabilities
in or for the account of, advances or loans by, other credit
extended by or any other acquisition of funds by, any of your
offices; (c) does or shall impose, modify or hold applicable any
capital adequacy requirements (whether or not having the force of
law); or (d) does or shall impose on you any other condition; and
the result of any of the foregoing is (i) to increase the cost to
you of issuing or maintaining any Credit or of performing any
transaction under any L/C Document, (ii) to reduce any amount
receivable by you under any L/C Document, or (iii) to reduce the
rate of return on your capital or the capital of the Holding
Company to a level below that which you or the Holding Company
could have achieved but for any imposition, modification or
application of any capital adequacy requirement (taking into
consideration your policy and the policy of the Holding Company, as
the case may be, with respect to capital adequacy), and any such
increase or reduction is material (as determined by you or the
Holding Company, as the case may be, in your or the Holding
Company's sole discretion); then, in any such case, Applicant
agrees to pay to you or the Holding Company, as the case may be,
such amount or amounts as may be necessary to compensate you or the
Holding Company for (A) any such additional cost, (B) any reduction
in the amount received by you under any L/C Document, or (C) to the
extent allocable (as determined by you or the Holding Company, as
the case may be, in your or the Holding Company's sole discretion)
to any L/C Document, any reduction in the rate of return on your
capital or the capital of the Holding Company.
SECTION
10. COLLATERAL. In addition to, and
not in substitution for, any Property delivered, conveyed,
transferred or assigned to you under any Loan Document as security
for any or all of Applicant's obligations and liabilities to you at
any time existing under or in connection with any L/C Document or
any Loan Document, Applicant grants to you a security interest in
and to the following Collateral, whether or not any such Collateral
is in your possession or control or the possession or control of
your agents or correspondents or in transit to, or set apart for,
you or your agents or correspondents, until such time as all
Applicant's obligations and liabilities to you at any time existing
under or in connection with each L/C Document and each Loan
Document have been fully paid and discharged, all as security for
such obligations and liabilities, (a) all
Applicant's property, claims, demands, right, title and
interest in and to the balance of each of Applicant's deposit
accounts with you now or at any time hereafter existing, and all
evidences of such deposit accounts, (b) all Property belonging to
Applicant or in which it may have an interest, now or at any time
hereafter delivered, conveyed, transferred, assigned, pledged or
paid to you or your agents or correspondents in any manner
whatsoever, whether as security or for safekeeping or otherwise,
including, without limitation, any items received for collection or
transmission, and the proceeds of such items, whether or not such
Property is in whole or in part released to Applicant on trust or
bailee receipt or otherwise, and (c) where Applicant is more than
one person or entity, all right, title and interest of each of
Applicants in and to all the Property which any of Applicants may
now or hereafter obtain as security for the obligations of any one
or more of Applicants to one or more of the others of Applicants
arising under or in connection with the transaction to which any
Credit relates. Further, in addition to, and not in
substitution for, any Property delivered, conveyed, transferred or
assigned to you under any Loan Document as security for any or all
of Applicant's obligations and liabilities to you at any time
existing under or in connection with any L/C Document or any Loan
Document, Applicant agrees to deliver, convey, transfer and assign
to you on demand, as security, Property of a value and character
satisfactory to you, (i) if you at any time feel insecure about
Applicant's ability or willingness to repay any amounts which you
have paid or may pay in the future on any Demand or in honoring any
other of your obligations under or in connection with any Credit,
or (ii) without limiting the generality of the foregoing, if any
temporary or permanent restraining order, preliminary or permanent
injunction, or any other pretrial or permanent injunctive or
similar relief is obtained restraining, prohibiting or enjoining
you, any of your correspondents, or any advising, confirming,
negotiating, paying or other bank from paying or negotiating any
Demand or honoring any other obligation under or in connection with
any Credit. Applicant agrees that the receipt by you or
any of your agents or correspondents at any time of any kind of
security, including, without limitation, cash, shall not be deemed
a waiver of any of your rights or powers under this
Agreement. Applicant agrees to sign and deliver to you
on demand, all such deeds of trust, security agreements, financing
statements and other documents as you shall at any time request
which are necessary or desirable (in your sole opinion) to grant to
you an effective and perfected security interest in and to any or
all of the Collateral. Applicant agrees to pay all
filing and recording fees related to the perfection of any security
interest granted to you in accordance with this
Section. Applicant hereby agrees that any or all of the
Collateral may be held and disposed of as provided in this
Agreement by you. Upon any transfer, sale, delivery,
surrender or endorsement of any Document or Property which is or
was part of the Collateral, Applicant will indemni
|