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Exhibit
10.1
EXECUTION COPY
$400,000,000
CREDIT AGREEMENT
among
CHENIERE SUBSIDIARY HOLDINGS,
LLC,
As Borrower,
The Several
Lenders
from Time to Time Parties
Hereto,
and
THE BANK OF NEW
YORK,
as Administrative
Agent
Dated as of May 31,
2007
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| PERRY PRINCIPALS INVESTMENTS LLC |
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CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) LLC |
Joint Lead Arrangers and
Joint Bookrunners
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Page |
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Section
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1. |
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DEFINITIONS |
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1 |
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1.1. |
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Defined
Terms |
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1 |
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1.2. |
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Other
Definitional Provisions |
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11 |
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Section
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2. |
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AMOUNT
AND TERMS OF COMMITMENTS |
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12 |
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2.1. |
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Commitments |
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12 |
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2.2. |
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Procedure
for Borrowing |
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12 |
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2.3. |
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Repayment
of Loans |
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12 |
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Section
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3. |
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GENERAL
PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO LOANS |
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12 |
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3.1. |
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Optional
Prepayments |
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12 |
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3.2. |
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Mandatory
Prepayments and Commitment Reductions |
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13 |
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3.3. |
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Interest
Rates and Payment Dates |
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14 |
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3.4. |
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Fees;
Computation of Interest and Fees |
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14 |
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3.5. |
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Pro Rata
Treatment and Payments |
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15 |
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3.6. |
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Taxes |
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16 |
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3.7. |
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Change of
Lending Office |
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18 |
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3.8. |
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Replacement of Lenders |
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18 |
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3.9. |
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Evidence
of Debt |
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18 |
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Section
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4. |
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REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES |
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19 |
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4.1. |
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Corporate
Existence; Compliance with Law |
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19 |
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4.2. |
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Power;
Authorization; Enforceable Obligations |
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19 |
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4.3. |
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No Legal
Bar |
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19 |
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4.4. |
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Litigation |
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20 |
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4.5. |
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No
Default |
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20 |
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4.6. |
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Ownership
of Property; Liens |
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20 |
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4.7. |
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Intellectual Property |
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20 |
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4.8. |
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Taxes |
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20 |
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4.9. |
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Federal
Regulations |
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20 |
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4.10. |
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ERISA |
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21 |
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4.11. |
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Investment Company Act; Other Regulations |
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21 |
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4.12. |
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Subsidiaries |
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21 |
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4.13. |
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Use of
Proceeds |
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21 |
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4.14. |
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Accuracy
of Information, etc. |
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21 |
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4.15. |
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Solvency;
Indebtedness |
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22 |
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4.16. |
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Security
Documents |
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22 |
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4.17. |
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No
Material Adverse Change |
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22 |
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4.18. |
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Approvals |
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22 |
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4.19. |
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Rating |
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22 |
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Section
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5. |
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CONDITIONS PRECEDENT |
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22 |
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5.1 |
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Conditions Precedent |
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22 |
i
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| Section |
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6. |
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AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS |
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25 |
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6.1. |
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Certificates; Other Information |
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25 |
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6.2. |
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[Reserved]. |
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25 |
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6.3. |
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Maintenance of Existence; Compliance |
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25 |
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6.4. |
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Inspection of Property; Books and Records;
Discussions |
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25 |
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6.5. |
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Notices |
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25 |
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6.6. |
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Further
Assurances |
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27 |
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6.7. |
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Security
Interests |
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27 |
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| Section |
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7. |
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NEGATIVE
COVENANTS |
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27 |
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| Section |
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8. |
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EVENTS OF
DEFAULT |
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27 |
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| Section |
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9. |
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THE
AGENTs |
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30 |
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9.1. |
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Appointment |
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30 |
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9.2. |
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Delegation of Duties |
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31 |
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9.3. |
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Exculpatory Provisions |
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31 |
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9.4. |
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Reliance
by Administrative Agent |
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31 |
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9.5. |
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Notice of
Default |
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32 |
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9.6. |
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Non-Reliance on Agents and Other Lenders |
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32 |
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9.7. |
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Indemnification |
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32 |
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9.8. |
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The
Agents in Their Individual Capacity |
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33 |
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9.9. |
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Successor
Administrative Agent |
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33 |
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9.10. |
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Cure of
Crest Remedy Instruction |
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33 |
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9.11. |
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Conflicts |
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34 |
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9.12. |
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Agents
Generally |
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34 |
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| Section |
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10. |
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MISCELLANEOUS |
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34 |
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10.1. |
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Amendments and Waivers |
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34 |
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10.2. |
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Notices |
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35 |
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10.3. |
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No
Waiver; Cumulative Remedies |
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36 |
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10.4. |
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Survival
of Representations and Warranties |
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36 |
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10.5. |
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Payment
of Expenses and Taxes |
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37 |
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10.6. |
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Successors and Assigns; Participations and
Assignments |
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38 |
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10.7. |
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Adjustments; Set-off |
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41 |
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10.8. |
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Counterparts |
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41 |
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10.9. |
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Severability |
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41 |
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10.10. |
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Integration |
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41 |
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10.11. |
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GOVERNING LAW |
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42 |
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10.12. |
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Submission To Jurisdiction; Waivers |
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42 |
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10.13. |
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Acknowledgments |
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42 |
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10.14. |
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Releases
of Guarantees and Liens |
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43 |
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10.15. |
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WAIVERS OF JURY TRIAL |
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43 |
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10.16. |
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Delivery
of Addenda |
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43 |
ii
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| SCHEDULES |
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1
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Existing
Indebtedness |
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2
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CLH
Subsidiaries |
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3
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Recordings
and Filings |
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| EXHIBITS: |
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A
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Form of
Addendum |
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B
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Form of
Assignment and Assumption |
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C
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Form of
Compliance Certificate |
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D
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Form of
Guarantee and Pledge Agreement |
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E
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Form of
Exemption Certificate |
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F
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Form of
Closing Certificate |
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G
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Form of
Legal Opinion of Andrews Kurth LLP, counsel to the
Borrower |
-iii-
CREDIT AGREEMENT, dated as of
May 31, 2007, among CHENIERE SUBSIDIARY HOLDINGS, LLC, a
limited liability company organized under the laws of Delaware (the
“ Borrower ”), and PERRY PRINCIPALS INVESTMENTS
LLC (“ Perry ”) as Joint Lead Arranger and Joint
Bookrunner (in such capacity, a “ Lead Arranger
”), the several Lenders from time to time party to this
Agreement (the “ Lenders ”), including, and THE
BANK OF NEW YORK, as administrative agent (in such capacity, the
“ Administrative Agent ”).
W I T
N E S S E T H
:
WHEREAS, the Lenders are
willing to extend credit to the Borrower on the terms and subject
to the conditions set forth herein;
NOW, THEREFORE the parties
hereto hereby agree as follows:
SECTION 1.
DEFINITIONS
1.1. Defined Terms .
As used in this Agreement, the terms listed in this
Section 1.1 shall have the respective meanings set forth in
this Section 1.1.
“ Addendum
”: an instrument, substantially in the form of
Exhibit A, by which a Lender becomes a party to this Agreement
as of the Closing Date.
“ Administrative
Agent ”: as defined in the recitals to this
Agreement.
“ Affiliate
”: as to any Person, any other Person that, directly or
indirectly, is in control of, is controlled by, or is under common
control with, such Person. For purposes of this definition,
“control” of a Person means the power, directly or
indirectly, either to (a) vote 20% or more of the securities
having ordinary voting power for the election of directors (or
persons performing similar functions) of such Person or
(b) direct or cause the direction of the management and
policies of such Person, whether by contract or otherwise,
excluding in the case of Parent and its Subsidiaries the
Administrative Agent, the Lenders and their Affiliates other than
Parent and its Subsidiaries.
“ Agents
”: the collective reference to the Lead Arrangers and the
Administrative Agent.
“ Agreement
”: this Credit Agreement.
“ Approved Fund
”: as defined in Section 10.6.
“ Assignee
”: as defined in Section 10.6(b).
“ Assignment and
Assumption ”: an Assignment and Assumption, substantially
in the form of Exhibit B.
“ Assumption
Agreement ”: means one or more agreements for the
assumption and adoption by the Loan Parties of certain obligations
under the Settlement Agreement.
“ Benefited
Lender ”: as defined in Section 10.7(a).
“ Board ”:
the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of the United
States (or any successor).
“ Borrower
”: as defined in the preamble to this Agreement.
“ Business Day
”: a day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which
commercial banks in New York City or Houston, Texas are authorized
or required by law to close.
“ Capital Lease
Obligations ”: as to any Person, the obligations of such
Person to pay rent or other amounts under any lease of (or other
arrangement conveying the right to use) real or personal property,
or a combination thereof, which obligations are required to be
classified and accounted for as capital leases on a balance sheet
of such Person under GAAP and, for the purposes of this Agreement,
the amount of such obligations at any time shall be the capitalized
amount thereof at such time determined in accordance with
GAAP.
“ Capital Stock
”: any and all shares, interests, participations or other
equivalents (however designated) of capital stock of a corporation,
any and all equivalent ownership interests in a Person (other than
a corporation) and any and all warrants, rights or options to
purchase any of the foregoing.
“ Cash
Equivalents ”: (a) marketable direct obligations
issued by, or unconditionally guaranteed by, the United States
Government or issued by any agency thereof and backed by the full
faith and credit of the United States, in each case maturing within
one year from the date of acquisition; (b) certificates of
deposit, time deposits, eurodollar time deposits or overnight bank
deposits having maturities of six months or less from the date of
acquisition issued by any Lender or by any commercial bank
organized under the laws of the United States or any state thereof
having combined capital and surplus of not less than $500,000,000;
(c) commercial paper of an issuer rated at least A-1 by
Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (“
S&P ”) or P-1 by Moody’s Investors Service,
Inc. (“ Moody’s ”), or carrying an
equivalent rating by a nationally recognized rating agency, if both
of the two named rating agencies cease publishing ratings of
commercial paper issuers generally, and maturing within six months
from the date of acquisition; (d) repurchase obligations of
any Lender or of any commercial bank satisfying the requirements of
clause (b) of this definition, having a term of not more than
30 days, with respect to securities issued or fully guaranteed
or insured by the United States government;
(e) securities with maturities of one year or less from the
date of acquisition issued or fully guaranteed by any state,
commonwealth or territory of the United States, by any
political subdivision or taxing authority of any such state,
commonwealth or territory or by any foreign government, the
securities of which state, commonwealth, territory, political
subdivision, taxing authority or foreign government (as the case
may be) are rated at least A by S&P or A by Moody’s;
(f) securities with maturities of six months or less from the
date of acquisition backed by standby letters of credit issued by
any Lender or any commercial bank satisfying the requirements of
clause (b) of this definition; or (g) shares of money
market mutual or similar funds which invest exclusively in assets
satisfying the requirements of clauses (a) through (f) of
this definition or money market funds that (i) comply with the
criteria
2
set forth in Securities and Exchange
Commission Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940,
as amended, (ii) are rated AAA by S&P and Aaa by
Moody’s and (iii) have portfolio assets of at least
$5,000,000,000.
“ CFG ”
means Cheniere FLNG-GP, LLC, a Delaware limited liability
company.
“ Change of
Control ”: the occurrence of any of the following:
(i) the direct or indirect Disposition, in one transaction or
a series of related transactions, of all or substantially all of
the properties or assets of the Borrower or the Parent to any
“person” (as that term is used in Section 13(d) of
the Exchange Act); (ii) the adoption of a plan relating to the
liquidation or dissolution of the Borrower or the Parent;
(iii) the consummation of any transaction (including, without
limitation, any merger or consolidation), the result of which is
that any “person” (as defined above), becomes the
Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of the
Voting Stock of the Parent, measured by voting power rather than
number of shares or (iv) the Parent shall cease to hold
directly or indirectly more than 100% of the Capital Stock of the
Borrower.
“ CLH ”:
Cheniere LNG Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability
company.
“ Closing Date
”: the date on which the conditions precedent set forth in
Section 5.1 shall have been satisfied.
“ Code ”:
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to
time.
“ Collateral
”: all property of the Loan Parties, now owned or hereafter
acquired, upon which a Lien is purported to be created by any
Security Document.
“ Commitment
”: as to any Lender, the obligation of such Lender, if any,
to make a Loan to the Borrower hereunder in a principal amount not
to exceed the amount set forth under the heading
“Commitment” under such Lender’s name on such
Lender’s Addendum. The original aggregate amount of the
Commitments is $400,000,000.
“ Commonly
Controlled Entity ”: an entity, whether or not
incorporated, that is under common control with the Borrower within
the meaning of Section 4001 of ERISA or is part of a group
that includes the Borrower and that is treated as a single employer
under Section 414 of the Code.
“ Compliance
Certificate ”: a certificate duly executed by a
Responsible Officer substantially in the form of
Exhibit C.
“ Conduit Lender
”: any special purpose entity organized and administered by
any Lender for the purpose of making Loans otherwise required to be
made by such Lender and designated by such Lender in a written
instrument, subject to the consent of the Administrative Agent and
the Borrower (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld);
provided , that the designation by any Lender of a Conduit
Lender shall not relieve the designating Lender of any of its
obligations to fund a Loan under this Agreement if, for any reason,
its Conduit Lender fails to fund any such Loan, and the designating
Lender (and not the Conduit Lender) shall have the sole right and
responsibility to deliver all consents and waivers required or
requested under this
3
Agreement with respect to its Conduit
Lender, and provided , further , that no Conduit
Lender shall (a) be entitled to receive any greater amount
pursuant to Section Section 6 or 10.5 than the
designating Lender would have been entitled to receive in respect
of the extensions of credit made by such Conduit Lender or
(b) be deemed to have any Commitment.
“ Contractual
Obligation ”: as to any Person, any provision of any
security issued by such Person or of any agreement, instrument or
other undertaking to which such Person is a party or by which it or
any of its property is bound.
“ CQP ”:
Cheniere Energy Partners, L.P., a Delaware limited
partnership.
“ CQP-GP
”: Cheniere Energy Partners GP, LLC.
“ Crest ”:
Crest Investment Company, a Texas corporation.
“ Crest Cheniere
Indemnity ”: that certain Indemnification Agreement,
dated May 9, 2005, executed by Parent relating to the
Settlement Agreement.
“ Crest
Obligations ”: all obligations of the Loan Parties in
favor of Crest under the Crest Settlement Documents.
“ Crest Remedy
Instruction ”: any instruction by Crest to the
Administrative Agent in writing to exercise remedies under the
Guarantee and Pledge Agreement as a result of a Grantor’s
failure to make a specified payment due and payable and unpaid in
accordance with the express terms of the Crest Obligations after
written demand by Crest. Any such Crest Remedy Instruction
delivered to the Administrative Agent must state that it is a
“Crest Remedy Instruction” as defined in this Agreement
or otherwise clearly indicate to the satisfaction of the
Administrative Agent that it is to be treated as a Crest Remedy
Instruction.
“ Crest Settlement
Documents ”: (a) the Settlement Agreement,
(b) the Assumption Agreement, (c) the Crest Cheniere
Indemnity and (d) any and all other agreements and documents
heretofore or hereafter entered into by any subsidiary of Cheniere
pursuant to Section 1.07 of the Settlement
Agreement.
“ Default
”: any of the events specified in Section 8, whether or
not any requirement for the giving of notice, the lapse of time, or
both, has been satisfied.
“ Disposition
”: with respect to any Property, any sale, lease, sale and
leaseback, assignment, conveyance, transfer or other disposition
thereof. The terms “ Dispose ” and “
Disposed of ” shall have correlative
meanings.
“ Dollars
” and “ $ ”: dollars in lawful currency of
the United States.
“ Environmental
Laws ”: any and all foreign, Federal, state, local or
municipal laws, rules, orders, regulations, statutes, ordinances,
codes, decrees, requirements of any Governmental Authority or other
Requirements of Law (including common law) regulating, relating to
or imposing liability or standards of conduct concerning protection
of human health or safety, the environment or natural
resources.
4
“ ERISA ”:
the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended
from time to time.
“ Event of
Default ”: any of the events specified in Section 8,
provided that any requirement for the giving of notice, the
lapse of time, or both, has been satisfied.
“ Federal Funds
Effective Rate ”: for any day, the weighted average of
the rates on overnight federal funds transactions with members of
the Federal Reserve System arranged by federal funds brokers, as
published on the next succeeding Business Day by the Federal
Reserve Bank of New York, or, if such rate is not so published
for any day that is a Business Day, the average of the quotations
for the day of such transactions received by the Reference Lender
from three federal funds brokers of recognized standing selected by
it.
“ Funding Office
”: the office of the Administrative Agent specified in
Section 10.2 or such other office as may be specified from
time to time by the Administrative Agent as its funding office by
written notice to the Borrower and the Lenders.
“ GAAP ”:
generally accepted accounting principles in the United States
as in effect from time to time.
“ Governmental
Authority ”: any nation or government, any state or other
political subdivision thereof, any agency, authority,
instrumentality, regulatory body, court, central bank or other
entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, taxing,
regulatory or administrative functions of or pertaining to
government, any securities exchange and any self-regulatory
organization (including the National Association of Insurance
Commissioners).
“ Group Members
”: the collective reference to CLH and its
Subsidiaries.
“ Guarantee and
Pledge Agreement ”: the Guarantee and Pledge Agreement to
be executed and delivered by Borrower, the Parent, CLH and the
Grantors (as defined therein), substantially in the form of
Exhibit D.
“ Guarantee
Obligation ”: as to any Person (the “
guaranteeing person ”), any obligation of (a) the
guaranteeing person or (b) another Person (including any bank
under any letter of credit) to induce the creation of which the
guaranteeing person has issued a reimbursement, counterindemnity or
similar obligation, in either case guaranteeing or in effect
guaranteeing any Indebtedness, leases, dividends or other
obligations (the “ primary obligations ”) of any
other third Person (the “ primary obligor ”) in
any manner, whether directly or indirectly, including any
obligation of the guaranteeing person, whether or not contingent,
(i) to purchase any such primary obligation or any property
constituting direct or indirect security therefor, (ii) to
advance or supply funds (1) for the purchase or payment of any
such primary obligation or (2) to maintain working capital or
equity capital of the primary obligor or otherwise to maintain the
net worth or solvency of the primary obligor, (iii) to
purchase property, securities or services primarily for the purpose
of assuring the owner of any such primary obligation of the ability
of the primary obligor to make payment of such primary obligation
or (iv) otherwise to assure or hold harmless the owner of any
such primary obligation against loss in respect thereof;
provided , however , that the term Guarantee
Obligation shall not include endorsements of instruments for
deposit or collection in the ordinary course of business. The
amount of any Guarantee
5
Obligation of any guaranteeing person
shall be deemed to be the lower of (a) an amount equal to the
stated or determinable amount of the primary obligation in respect
of which such Guarantee Obligation is made and (b) the maximum
amount for which such guaranteeing person may be liable pursuant to
the terms of the instrument embodying such Guarantee Obligation,
unless such primary obligation and the maximum amount for which
such guaranteeing person may be liable are not stated or
determinable, in which case the amount of such Guarantee Obligation
shall be such guaranteeing person’s maximum reasonably
anticipated liability in respect thereof as determined by the
Borrower in good faith.
“ Guarantors
”: the collective reference to the Parent and CLH.
“ Hedge
Agreements ”: any agreement with respect to any swap,
forward, future or derivative transaction or option or similar
agreement involving, or settled by reference to, one or more rates,
currencies, commodities, equity or debt instruments or securities,
or economic, financial or pricing indices or measures of economic,
financial or pricing risk or value or any similar transaction or
any combination of these transactions; provided that no
phantom stock or similar plan providing for payments only on
account of services provided by current or former directors,
officers, employees or consultants of the Borrower or the
Subsidiaries shall be a Swap Agreement.
“ Indebtedness
”: of any Person at any date, without duplication,
(a) all indebtedness of such Person for borrowed money,
(b) all obligations of such Person for the deferred purchase
price of property or services (other than current trade payables
incurred in the ordinary course of such Person’s business),
(c) all obligations of such Person evidenced by notes, bonds,
debentures or other similar instruments, (d) all indebtedness
created or arising under any conditional sale or other title
retention agreement with respect to property acquired by such
Person (even though the rights and remedies of the seller or lender
under such agreement in the event of default are limited to
repossession or sale of such property), (e) all Capital Lease
Obligations of such Person, (f) all obligations of such
Person, contingent or otherwise, as an account party or applicant
under or in respect of acceptances, letters of credit, surety bonds
or similar arrangements, (g) the liquidation value of all
redeemable preferred Capital Stock of such Person, (h) all
Guarantee Obligations of such Person in respect of obligations of
the kind referred to in clauses (a) through (g) above,
(i) all obligations of the kind referred to in
clauses (a) through (h) above secured by (or for which
the holder of such obligation has an existing right, contingent or
otherwise, to be secured by) any Lien on property (including
accounts and contract rights) owned by such Person, whether or not
such Person has assumed or become liable for the payment of such
obligation, and (j) for the purposes of Section 6.5 of
the Guarantee and Pledge Agreement and Section 8(e) only, all
obligations of such Person in respect of Hedge Agreements. The
Indebtedness of any Person shall include the Indebtedness of any
other entity (including any partnership in which such Person is a
general partner) to the extent such Person is liable therefor as a
result of such Person’s ownership interest in or other
relationship with such entity, except to the extent the terms of
such Indebtedness expressly provide that such Person is not liable
therefor.
“ Insolvency
”: with respect to any Multiemployer Plan, the condition that
such Plan is insolvent within the meaning of Section 4245 of
ERISA.
6
“ Insolvent
”: pertaining to a condition of Insolvency.
“ Intellectual
Property ”: the collective reference to all rights,
priorities and privileges relating to intellectual property,
whether arising under United States, multinational or foreign
laws or otherwise, including copyrights, copyright licenses,
patents, patent licenses, trademarks, trademark licenses,
technology, know-how and processes, and all rights to sue at law or
in equity for any infringement or other impairment thereof,
including the right to receive all proceeds and damages
therefrom.
“ Interest Payment
Date ”: (a) the last day of each March, June,
September and December to occur while such Loan is outstanding and
the final maturity date of such Loan and (b) as to any Loan,
the date of any repayment or prepayment made in respect
thereof.
“ Lead Arranger
”: each of Perry and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, in
its capacity as Joint Lead Arranger and Joint
Bookrunner.
“ Lenders
”: as defined in the preamble hereto; provided , that
unless the context otherwise requires, each reference herein to the
Lenders shall be deemed to include any Conduit Lender.
“ Lien ”:
any mortgage, pledge, hypothecation, assignment, deposit
arrangement, encumbrance, lien (statutory or other), charge or
other security interest or any preference, priority or other
security agreement or preferential arrangement of any kind or
nature whatsoever (including any conditional sale or other title
retention agreement and any capital lease having substantially the
same economic effect as any of the foregoing).
“ Loan ”:
any loan made by any Lender pursuant to this Agreement.
“ Loan Documents
”: this Agreement and the Security Documents.
“ Loan Parties
”: Borrower, Parent, CLH and CFG.
“ Loan
Percentage ”: as to any Lender at any time, the
percentage which such Lender’s Commitment then constitutes of
the aggregate Commitments (or, at any time after the Closing Date,
the percentage which the aggregate principal amount of such
Lender’s Loans then outstanding constitutes of the aggregate
principal amount of the Loans then outstanding).
“ Material Adverse
Effect ”: a material adverse effect, on (a) the
business, operations, property, condition (financial or otherwise),
or prospects of either of Parent or CLH, in each case together with
its Subsidiaries taken as a whole, or (b) the validity or
enforceability of this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents
or the rights or remedies of the Administrative Agent or the
Lenders hereunder or thereunder.
“ Multiemployer
Plan ”: a Plan that is a multiemployer plan as defined in
Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA.
“ Net Cash
Proceeds ”: in connection with any Disposition of any
portion of the Collateral, the proceeds thereof in the form of cash
and Cash Equivalents (including any such
7
proceeds received by way of deferred
payment of principal pursuant to a note or installment receivable
or purchase price adjustment receivable or by the Disposition of
any non-cash consideration received in connection therewith or
otherwise, but only as and when received) of such Disposition of
Collateral, net of attorneys’ fees, accountants’ fees,
investment banking fees, amounts required to be applied to the
repayment of Indebtedness secured by a Lien expressly permitted
hereunder on any asset that is the subject of such Disposition of
Collateral (other than any Lien pursuant to a Security Document)
and other customary fees and expenses actually incurred in
connection therewith and net of the reasonably estimated tax
obligation of any direct or indirect holder of such Collateral for
income, gains, franchise or similar taxes imposed on or measured by
overall net income or gross receipts or in lieu of net income taxes
as a result of any income or gain in connection with such
Disposition of Collateral.
“ Non-Excluded
Taxes ”: as defined in Section 3.6(a).
“ Non-Recurring
Distribution ”: Any cash distribution paid by CQP or
Freeport LNG Development, L.P. to unitholders of record other than
a Regular Distribution (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any
such distribution that is in excess of or in addition
to the then applicable Regular Distribution), but in any
event not including any Tax Distribution Amount.
“ Non-U.S.
Lender ”: as defined in Section 3.6(e).
“ Obligations
”: the unpaid principal of and interest on (including
interest accruing after the maturity of the Loans and interest
accruing after the filing of any petition in bankruptcy, or the
commencement of any insolvency, reorganization or like proceeding,
relating to the Borrower, whether or not a claim for post-filing or
post-petition interest is allowed in such proceeding) the Loans and
all other obligations and liabilities of the Borrower to any Agent
or to any Lender, whether direct or indirect, absolute or
contingent, due or to become due, or now existing or hereafter
incurred, which may arise under, out of, or in connection with,
this Agreement, any other Loan Document, or any other document
made, delivered or given in connection herewith or therewith,
whether on account of principal, interest, reimbursement
obligations, fees, indemnities, costs, expenses (including all
fees, charges and disbursements of counsel to the Administrative
Agent or to any Lender that are required to be paid by the Borrower
pursuant hereto) or otherwise.
“ Other Taxes
”: any and all present or future stamp or documentary taxes
or any other excise or property taxes, charges or similar levies
arising from any payment made hereunder or from the execution,
delivery or enforcement of, or otherwise with respect to, this
Agreement or any other Loan Document.
“ Parent
”: Cheniere Energy, Inc., a Delaware corporation.
“ Participant
”: as defined in Section 10.6(c).
“ PBGC ”:
the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation established pursuant to
Subtitle A of Title IV of ERISA (or any
successor).
“Pension Act
”: the Pension Protection Act of 2006, as it presently exists
or as it may be amended from time to time.
8
“ Permit
”: any permit, approval, authorization, license, variance or
permission required from a Governmental Authority under an
applicable Requirement of Law.
“ Perry ”:
as defined in the preamble to this Agreement.
“ Person
”: an individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability
company, business trust, joint stock company, trust, unincorporated
association, joint venture, Governmental Authority or other entity
of whatever nature.
“ Plan ”:
at a particular time, any employee benefit plan that is covered by
ERISA and in respect of which the Borrower or a Commonly Controlled
Entity is (or, if such plan were terminated at such time, would
under Section 4069 of ERISA be deemed to be) an
“employer” as defined in Section 3(5) of
ERISA.
“ Property
”: any right or interest in or to property of any kind
whatsoever, whether real, personal or mixed and whether tangible or
intangible, including, without limitation, Capital
Stock.
“ Register
”: as defined in Section 10.6(b).
“ Regular
Distribution ”: at any time (a) with respect to
distributions from CQP, the then regular quarterly per unit cash
distribution from CQP’s Available Cash (as
defined in CQP’s agreement of limited partnership as in
effect on the date hereof) declared by the board of directors
of CQP-GP and paid by CQP to unitholders of record or
(b) with respect to distributions from Freeport LNG
Development, L.P., the amount determined by the Board of Managers
of the Borrower to represent a regular cash
distribution.
“ Regulation U
”: Regulation U of the Board as in effect from time to
time.
“ Reorganization
”: with respect to any Multiemployer Plan, the condition that
such plan is in reorganization within the meaning of
Section 4241 of ERISA.
“ Reportable
Event ”: any of the events set forth in
Section 4043(b) of ERISA, other than those events as to which
the thirty day notice period is waived under subsections .27,
.28, .29, .30, .31, .32, .34 or .35 of PBGC
Reg. § 4043.
“ Required
Lenders ”: at any time, the holders (other than Parent
and its Subsidiaries) of more than 50% of (a) until the
Closing Date, the Commitments then in effect and
(b) thereafter, the aggregate unpaid principal amount of the
Loans then outstanding.
“ Requirement of
Law ”: as to any Person, the Certificate of Incorporation
and By-Laws or other organizational or governing documents of such
Person, and any law, treaty, rule or regulation or determination of
an arbitrator or a court or other Governmental Authority, in each
case applicable to or binding upon such Person or any of its
property or to which such Person or any of its property is
subject.
9
“ Responsible
Officer ”: the chief executive officer, president, chief
financial officer or treasurer of the Borrower, but in any event,
with respect to financial matters, the chief financial officer or
treasurer of the Borrower.
“ SEC ”:
the Securities and Exchange Commission, any successor thereto and
any analogous Governmental Authority.
“ Security
Documents ”: the collective reference to the Guarantee
and Pledge Agreement and all other security documents hereafter
delivered to the Administrative Agent granting a Lien on any
property of any Person to secure the obligations and liabilities of
any Loan Party under any Loan Document.
“ Settlement
Agreement ”: that certain Settlement and Purchase
Agreement, dated as of June 14, 2001, by and among Parent,
Cheniere FLNG, L.P., Crest, Crest Energy, L.L.C., and Freeport LNG
Terminal, LLC.
“ Single Employer
Plan ”: any Plan that is covered by Title IV of
ERISA, but that is not a Multiemployer Plan.
“ Solvent
”: when used with respect to any Person, means that, as of
any date of determination, (a) the amount of the
“present fair saleable value” of the assets of such
Person will, as of such date, exceed the amount of all
“liabilities of such Person, contingent or otherwise”,
as of such date, as such quoted terms are determined in accordance
with applicable federal and state laws governing determinations of
the insolvency of debtors, (b) the present fair saleable value
of the assets of such Person will, as of such date, be greater than
the amount that will be required to pay the liability of such
Person on its debts as such debts become absolute and matured,
(c) such Person will not have, as of such date, an
unreasonably small amount of capital with which to conduct its
business, and (d) such Person will be able to pay its debts as
they mature. For purposes of this definition,
(i) “debt” means liability on a
“claim”, and (ii) “claim” means any
(x) right to payment, whether or not such a right is reduced
to judgment, liquidated, unliquidated, fixed, contingent, matured,
unmatured, disputed, undisputed, legal, equitable, secured or
unsecured or (y) right to an equitable remedy for breach of
performance if such breach gives rise to a right to payment,
whether or not such right to an equitable remedy is reduced to
judgment, fixed, contingent, matured or unmatured, disputed,
undisputed, secured or unsecured.
“ Subsidiary
”: means, with respect to any Person (the “
parent ”) at any date, any corporation, limited
liability company, partnership, association or other entity the
accounts of which would be consolidated with those of the parent in
the parent’s consolidated financial statements if such
financial statements were prepared in accordance with GAAP as of
such date, as well as any other corporation, partnership, limited
liability company or other entity of which shares of stock or other
ownership interests having ordinary voting power (other than stock
or such other ownership interests having such power only by reason
of the happening of a contingency) to elect a majority of the board
of directors or other managers of such corporation, partnership or
other entity are at the time owned, or the management of which is
otherwise controlled, directly or indirectly through one or more
intermediaries, or both, by such Person. Unless otherwise
qualified, all references to a “Subsidiary” or to
“Subsidiaries” in this Agreement shall refer to a
Subsidiary or Subsidiaries of the Borrower.
10
“ Tax Distribution
Amount ”: means for any applicable annual tax reporting
period, the reasonably estimated any tax obligation of any direct
or indirect holder of Capital Stock of CQP or Freeport LNG
Development, L.P. for income, gains, franchise or similar taxes
imposed on or measured by overall net income or gross receipts or
in lieu of net income taxes as a result of any income or gain, in
each case of CQP and its Subsidiaries or Freeport LNG Development,
L.P. and its Subsidiaries, as applicable. The tax obligation shall
be determined on a separate company basis computed using the
maximum applicable federal and state tax rates (currently a total
rate of 40% consisting of the maximum corporate federal income tax
rate of 35% and a state income and gross receipts tax rate of 5%).
However, in no case may the aggregate Tax Distribution Amounts for
any annual tax reporting period exceed Parent’s consolidated
federal and state tax liability for such annual tax reporting
period.
“ Transferee
”: any Assignee or Participant.
“ United States
”: the United States of America.
“ Voting Stock
”: of any specified Person as of any date means the Capital
Stock of such Person that is at the time entitled to vote in the
election of the Board of Directors (or governing body) of such
Person.
1.2. Other Definitional
Provisions . (a) Unless otherwise specified therein, all
terms defined in this Agreement shall have the defined meanings
when used in the other Loan Documents or any certificate or other
document made or delivered pursuant hereto or thereto.
(b) As used herein and in the
other Loan Documents, and any certificate or other document made or
delivered pursuant hereto or thereto, (i) accounting terms
relating to any Group Member not defined in Section 1.1 and
accounting terms partly defined in Section 1.1, to the extent
not defined, shall have the respective meanings given to them under
GAAP, (ii) the words “include”,
“includes” and “including” shall be deemed
to be followed by the phrase “without limitation”,
(iii) the word “incur” shall be construed to mean
incur, create, issue, assume, become liable in respect of or suffer
to exist (and the words “incurred” and
“incurrence” shall have correlative meanings),
(iv) 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, Capital Stock, securities, revenues, accounts,
leasehold interests and contract rights, and (v) references to
agreements or other Contractual Obligations (other than the Crest
Settlement Documents and the Crest Obligations) shall, unless
otherwise specified, be deemed to refer to such agreements or
Contractual Obligations as amended, supplemented, restated or
otherwise modified from time to time (subject to any applicable
restrictions hereunder).
(c) The words
“hereof”, “herein” and
“hereunder” and words of similar import when used in
this Agreement shall refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to
any particular provision of this Agreement, and Section, Schedule
and Exhibit references are to this Agreement unless otherwise
specified.
11
(d) The meanings given to
terms defined herein shall be equally applicable to both the
singular and plural forms of such terms.
(e) Except as otherwise
expressly provided herein, all terms of an accounting or financial
nature shall be construed in accordance with GAAP; provided
that, if the Borrower notifies the Administrative Agent that such
Borrower requests an amendment to any provision hereof to eliminate
the effect of any change occurring after the date hereof in GAAP or
in the application thereof on the operation of such provision (or
if the Administrative Agent notifies the Borrower that the Required
Lenders request an amendment to any provision hereof for such
purpose), regardless of whether any such notice is given before or
after such change in GAAP or in the application thereof, then such
provision shall be interpreted on the basis of GAAP as in effect
and applied immediately before such change shall have become
effective until such notice shall have been withdrawn or such
provision amended in accordance herewith.
SECTION 2. AMOUNT AND
TERMS OF COMMITMENTS
2.1. Commitments .
Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, each Lender severally
agrees to make a term loan (a “ Loan ”) to the
Borrower on the Closing Date in an amount not to exceed the amount
of the Commitment of such Lender.
2.2. Procedure for
Borrowing . The Borrower shall give the Administrative Agent
irrevocable notice requesting that the Lenders make the Loans on
the Closing Date and specifying the amount to be borrowed. Upon
receipt of such notice the Administrative Agent shall promptly
notify each Lender thereof. Not later than 12:00 Noon,
New York City time, on the Closing Date each Lender shall
make available to the Administrative Agent at the Funding Office an
amount in immediately available funds equal to the Loan to be made
by such Lender. The Administrative Agent shall credit the account
of the Borrower on the books of such office of the Administrative
Agent with the aggregate of the amounts made available to the
Administrative Agent by the Lenders in immediately available
funds.
2.3. Repayment of
Loans . The Loan of each Lender shall mature on May 31,
2012.
SECTION 3. GENERAL
PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO LOANS
3.1. Optional
Prepayments . The Borrower may at any time and from time to
time prepay the Loans, in whole or in part, upon one Business
Day’s irrevocable notice delivered to the Administrative
Agent, which notice shall specify the date and amount of
prepayment. Upon receipt of any such notice the Administrative
Agent shall promptly notify each relevant Lender thereof. If any
such notice is given (i) at any time on or prior to the first
anniversary of the Closing Date, an amount equal to 103% of the
principal amount specified in the notice shall be payable on the
date specified therein, (ii) at any time after the first
anniversary of the Closing Date but on or prior to the second
anniversary of the Closing Date, an amount equal to 102% of the
principal amount specified in the notice shall be payable on the
date specified therein; (iii) at any time after the second
anniversary of the Closing Date and on or prior to the third
anniversary of the Closing Date, an amount equal to 101% of the
principal amount specified in the notice shall be payable on the
date specified therein and (iv) at any time thereafter, an
amount equal to
12
100% of the principal amount specified
in the notice shall be payable on the date specified therein, in
each case together with accrued interest to such date on the amount
prepaid. Partial prepayments shall be in a minimum aggregate
principal amount of $5,000,000 and increments of $1,000,000.
Amounts to be applied in connection with prepayments made pursuant
to this Section 3.1 shall be applied pro rata
among the Loans.
3.2. Mandatory Prepayments
and Commitment Reductions . (a) If on any date prior to
such date as the Loans and the other obligations under the Loan
Documents then due and payable shall have been paid in
full:
(i) any Group Member shall
receive Net Cash Proceeds from Disposition of any portion of the
Collateral,
(ii) the Borrower shall
receive as the direct or indirect holder of any portion of the
Collateral, any Non-Recurring Distribution, or
(iii) the Borrower or any of
its Affiliates (other than CQP, Subsidiaries of CQP, Freeport LNG
Development, L.P. and Subsidiaries of Freeport LNG Development,
L.P.) shall receive any amounts lent or otherwise distributed
outside the ordinary course of business from CQP, a Subsidiary of
CQP, Freeport LNG Development, L.P. or a Subsidiary of Freeport LNG
Development, L.P. (any such amount received as described in clause
(i), (ii) or (iii) of this Section 3.2(a), a “
Prepayment Offer Amount ”),
the Borrower shall notify the
Administrative Agent of the receipt of the applicable Prepayment
Offer Amount within one Business Day after each date on which all
such Prepayment Offer Amounts received exceed $20,000,000 in the
aggregate and offer in such notice to prepay the Loans having an
aggregate principal amount equal to the aggregate amount of the
Prepayment Offer Amounts as set forth in Section 3.2(b);
provided that the Borrower shall deposit such Prepayment
Offer Amounts in a collateral account (subject to documentation in
form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent) one
Business Day after the date on which such amounts are received
until such amounts shall aggregate in excess of $20,000,000 and so
be required to be offered. The Administrative Agent shall forthwith
transmit any such offer of prepayment to the Lenders. Each Lender
deciding to receive its pro rata share of any amount
so offered shall so notify the Administrative Agent within five
(5) Business Days of its receipt of notice thereof. If any
Lender declines to accept such offer of prepayment, then the amount
of the Loans of each accepting Lender to be prepaid shall be
increased to a portion of the Prepayment Offer Amount in proportion
to its pro rata share of the Loans of all Lenders
accepting such offer. The Administrative Agent shall forthwith
transmit any such acceptances to the Borrower, and the Borrower
shall make any such prepayments within one (1) Business Day of
its receipt of notice thereof from the Administrative Agent. For
avoidance of doubt, the $20,000,000 threshold shall apply anew
after each making of prepayment offers. The Borrower shall be free
to retain, use or apply, for any purpose not otherwise prohibited
hereunder, any funds not so required to be deposited in a
collateral account or to make prepayments.
(b) Amounts to be applied in
connection with prepayments made pursuant to paragraph (a) of
this Section 3.2 shall be applied, pro rata such
that if any mandatory prepayment notice is given (i) at any
time on or prior to the first anniversary of the Closing Date, an
amount
13
equal to 103% of the principal amount
specified in the notice shall be payable on the date specified
therein, (ii) at any time after the first anniversary of the
Closing Date but on or prior to the second anniversary of the
Closing Date, an amount equal to 102% of the principal amount
specified in the notice shall be payable on the date specified
therein; (iii) at any time after the second anniversary of the
Closing Date and on or prior to the third anniversary of the
Closing Date, an amount equal to 101% of the principal amount
specified in the notice shall be payable on the date specified
therein; and (iv) at any time thereafter, an amount equal to
100% of the principal amount specified in the notice shall be
payable on the date specified therein, in each case together with
accrued interest to such date on the amount prepaid.
(c) (i) No later than three
Business Days after the occurrence of a Change of Control, the
Borrower shall offer to each Lender (by delivery of a prepayment
offer to the Administrative Agent) to prepay all (but not part) of
its outstanding Loans in accordance with this paragraph. The
prepayment offer shall be irrevocable and shall state: (i) the
proposed date of such prepayment (which date shall be no earlier
than five Business Days and no later than 30 Business Days from the
date of the applicable Change of Control); (ii) the prepayment
price (which, with respect to each Lender, shall be calculated as
the sum of 101% of the aggregate principal amount of the
outstanding Loans made by such Lender, and all accrued interest on
the principal amount being prepaid); (iii) that each Lender
that accepts such prepayment offer must accept such offer with
respect to all (but not part) of its Loans; (iv) that each
Lender must accept such offer by delivering notice of such
acceptance to the Administrative Agent within 30 days after the
date the Borrower makes its offer to such Lender (the “
Offer Period ”); and (v) in reasonable detail,
the nature of the applicable Change of Control and the projected
impact of such Change of Control on the operations of Parent and
its Subsidiaries or the Borrower, as the case may be.
(ii) The Borrower shall
comply with the terms of each such prepayment offer. Each Lender
shall have the right to accept such offer prior to the expiration
of the applicable Offer Period.
3.3. Interest Rates and
Payment Dates . (a) Each Loan shall bear interest at
9.75% per annum.
(b) If an Event of Default
shall have occurred and be continuing, each Loan (and any overdue
interest or any other overdue amount payable hereunder) shall bear
interest at 11.75% per annum.
(c) Interest shall be payable
in arrears on each Interest Payment Date, provided that
interest accruing pursuant to paragraph (b) of this Section on
any overdue amounts shall be payable from time to time on
demand.
3.4. Fees; Computation of
Interest and Fees . (a) The Borrower agrees to pay to
Perry and the Administrative Agent the fees in the amounts and on
the dates as set forth in any fee agreements with Perry or the
Administrative Agent and to perform any other obligations contained
therein.
14
(b) Interest and fees payable
pursuant hereto shall be calculated on the basis of a 365/366 day
year.
3.5. Pro Rata Treatment
and Payments . (a) Each borrowing by the Borrower from the
Lenders hereunder and any reduction of the Commitments of the
Lenders shall be made pro rata according to the
respective Loan Percentages of the relevant Lenders.
(b) Each payment (including,
subject to 3.2(a), each prepayment) by the Borrower on account of
principal of and interest on the Loans shall be made pro
rata according to the respective outstanding principal
amounts of the Loans then held by the Lenders.
(c) Any amounts prepaid on
account of the Loans may not be reborrowed.
(d) All payments (including
prepayments) to be made by the Borrower hereunder, whether on
account of principal, interest, fees or otherwise, shall be made
without setoff or counterclaim and shall be made prior to
12:00 Noon, New York City time, on the due date
thereof to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the
Lenders, at the Funding Office, in Dollars and in immediately
available funds. The Administrative Agent shall distribute such
payments to the Lenders promptly upon receipt in like funds as
received. If any payment hereunder becomes due and payable on a day
other than a Business Day, such payment shall be extended to the
next succeeding Business Day. In the case of any extension of any
payment of principal pursuant to the two preceding sentences,
interest thereon shall be payable at the then applicable rate
during such extension.
(e) Unless the Administrative
Agent shall have been notified in writing by any Lender prior to a
borrowing that such Lender will not make the amount that would
constitute its share of such borrowing available to the
Administrative Agent, the Administrative Agent may assume that such
Lender is making such amount available to the Administrative Agent,
and the Administrative Agent may, but shall not be required to, in
reliance upon such assumption, make available to the Borrower a
corresponding amount. If such amount is not made available to the
Administrative Agent by the required time on the Closing Date, such
Lender shall pay to the Administrative Agent, on demand, such
amount with interest thereon at a rate equal to the greater of
(i) the Federal Funds Effective Rate and (ii) a rate
determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking
industry rules on interbank compensation for the period until such
Lender makes such amount immediately available to the
Administrative Agent. A certificate of the Administrative Agent
submitted to any Lender with respect to any amounts owing under
this paragraph shall be conclusive in the absence of manifest
error. If such Lender’s share of such borrowing is not made
available to the Administrative Agent by such Lender within three
Business Days of the Closing Date, the Administrative Agent shall
also be entitled to recover such amount with interest thereon at
the rate per annum applicable to the Loans, on demand, from the
Borrower.
(f) Unless the Administrative
Agent shall have been notified in writing by the Borrower prior to
the date of any payment due to be made by the Borrower hereunder
that the Borrower will not make such payment to the Administrative
Agent, the Administrative Agent may assume that the Borrower is
making such payment, and the Administrative Agent may, but shall
not be required to, in reliance upon such assumption, make
available to the Lenders their
15
respective pro rata shares
of a corresponding amount. If such payment is not made to the
Administrative Agent by the Borrower within three Business Days
after such due date, the Administrative Agent shall be entitled to
recover, on demand, from each Lender to which any amount which was
made available pursuant to the preceding sentence, such amount with
interest thereon at the rate per annum equal to the daily average
Federal Funds Effective Rate. Nothing herein shall be deemed to
limit the rights of the Administrative Agent or any Lender against
the Borrower.
3.6. Taxes .
(a) All payments made by the Borrower under this Agreement
shall be made free and clear of, and without deduction or
withholding for or on account of, any present or future income,
stamp or other taxes, levies, imposts, duties, charges, fees,
deductions or withholdings, now or hereafter imposed, levied,
collected, withheld or assessed by any Governmental Authority,
excluding (i) net income taxes and franchise taxes (imposed in
lieu of net income taxes) imposed on the Administrative Agent or
any Lender as a result of a present or former connection between
the Administrative Agent or such Lender and the jurisdiction of the
Governmental Authority imposing such tax or any political
subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein (other than any
such connection arising solely from the Administrative Agent or
such Lender having executed, delivered or performed its obligations
or received a payment under, or enforced, this Agreement or any
other Loan Document) and (ii) any branch profit taxes imposed
by the United States of America or any similar tax imposed by any
other jurisdiction described in clause (i) above. If any such
non-excluded taxes, levies, imposts, duties, charges, fees,
deductions or withholdings (“ Non-Excluded Taxes
”) or Other Taxes are required to be withheld from any
amounts payable to the Administrative Agent or any Lender
hereunder, the amounts so payable to the Administrative Agent or
such Lender shall be increased to the extent necessary to yield to
the Administrative Agent or such Lender (after payment of all
Non-Excluded Taxes and Other Taxes) interest or any such other
amounts payable hereunder at the rates or in the amounts specified
in this Agreement, provided , however , that the
Borrower shall not be required to increase any such amounts payable
to any Lender with respect to any Non-Excluded Taxes (i) that
are attributable to such Lender’s failure to comply with the
requirements of paragraph (d) or (f) of this Section or
(ii) that are United States withholding taxes imposed on
amounts payable to such Lender at the time such Lender becomes a
party to this Agreement, except to the extent that such
Lender’s assignor (if any) was entitled, at the time of
assignment, to receive additional amounts from the Borrower with
respect to such Non-Excluded Taxes pursuant to this
paragraph.
(b) In addition, the Borrower
shall pay any Other Taxes to the relevant Governmental Authority in
accordance with applicable law.
(c) Whenever any Non-Excluded
Taxes or Other Taxes are payable by the Borrower, as promptly as
possible thereafter the Borrower shall send to the Administrative
Agent for its own account or for the account of the Administrative
Agent or Lender, as the case may be, a certified copy of an
original official receipt received by the Borrower showing payment
thereof. If the Borrower fails to pay any Non-Excluded Taxes or
Other Taxes when due to the appropriate taxing authority or fails
to remit to the Administrative Agent the required receipts or other
required documentary evidence, the Borrower shall indemnify the
Administrative Agent and the Lenders for any incremental taxes,
interest or penalties that may become payable by the Administrative
Agent or any Lender as a result of any such failure.
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(d) If, in its sole
discretion and without any obligation to disclose its tax records,
a Lender or the Administrative Agent determines that it has
received a refund from a Governmental Authority in respect of
Non-Excluded Taxes or Other Taxes as to which it has been
indemnified by the Borrower pursuant to Section 3.6(a) or with
respect to which the Borrower has paid additional amounts pursuant
to Sections 3.6(a) or (b), it shall pay over such refund to the
Borrower (but only to the extent of indemnity payments made, or
additional amounts paid, by the Borrower under this
Section 3.6 with respect to the Non-Excluded Taxes or Other
Taxes giving rise to such refund), net of all reasonable
out-of-pocket expenses of such Lender or the Administrative Agent
and without interest (other than interest paid by the relevant
Governmental Authority with respect to such refund);
provided that, the Borrower, upon the request of such Lender
or the Administrative Agent, agrees to repay the amount paid over
to the Borrower (plus penalties, interest or other reasonable
charges) to such Lender or the Administrative Agent in the event
such Lender or the Administrative Agent is required to repay such
refund to such Governmental Authority.
(e) Each Lender (or
Transferee) that is not a “U.S. Person” as defined in
Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code (a “ Non-U.S.
Lender ”) shall deliver to the Borrower and the
Administrative Agent (or, in the case of a Participant, to the
Lender from which the related participation shall have been
purchased) two copies of either U.S. Internal Revenue Service Form
W-8BEN or Form W-8ECI, or, in the case of a Non-U.S. Lender
claiming exemption from U.S. federal withholding tax under
Section 871(h) or 881(c) of the Code with respect to payments
of “portfolio interest”, a statement substantially in
the form of Exhibit E and a Form W-8BEN, or any
subsequent versions thereof or successors thereto, properly
completed and duly executed by such Non-U.S. Lender claiming
complete exemption from, or a reduced rate of, U.S. federal
withholding tax on all payments by the Borrower under this
Agreement and the other Loan Documents. Such forms shall be
delivered by each Non-U.S. Lender on or before the date it becomes
a party to this Agreement (or, in the case of any Participant, on
or before the date such Participant purchases the related
participation). In addition, each Non-U.S. Lender shall deliver
such forms promptly upon the obsolescence or invalidity of any form
previously delivered by such Non-U.S. Lender. Each Non-U.S. Lender
shall promptly notify the Borrower at any time it determines that
it is no longer in a position to provide any previously delivered
certificate to the Borrower (or any other form of certification
adopted by the U.S. taxing authorities for such purpose).
Notwithstanding any other provision of this paragraph, a Non-U.S.
Lender shall not be required to deliver any form pursuant to this
paragraph that such Non-U.S. Lender is not legally able to
deliver.
(f) A Lender that is entitled
to an exemption from or reduction of non-U.S. withholding tax under
the law of the jurisdiction in which the Borrower is located, or
any treaty to which such jurisdiction is a party, with respect to
payments under this Agreement shall deliver to the Borrower (with a
copy to the Administrative Agent), at the time or times prescribed
by applicable law or reasonably requested by the Borrower, such
properly completed and executed documentation prescribed by
applicable law as will permit such payments to be made without
withholding or at a reduced rate, provided that such Lender
is legally entitled to complete, execute and deliver such
documentation and in such Lender’s judgment such completion,
execution or submission would not materially prejudice the legal
position of such Lender.
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(g) The agreements in this
Section shall survive the termination of this Agreement and the
payment of the Loans and all other amounts payable
hereunder.
3.7. Change of Lending
Office . Each Lender agrees that, upon the occurrence of any
event giving rise to the operation of Section 3.6(a) with
respect to such Lender, it will, if requested by the Borrower, use
reasonable efforts (subject to overall policy considerations of
such Lender) to designate another lending office for any Loans
affected by such event with the object of avoiding the consequences
of such event; provided , that such designation is made on
terms that, in the sole judgment of such Lender, cause such Lender
and its lending office(s) to suffer no economic, legal or
regulatory disadvantage, and provided , further ,
that nothing in this Section shall affect or postpone any of the
obligations of the Borrower or the rights of any Lender pursuant to
Section 3.6(a).
3.8. Replacement of
Lenders . The Borrower shall be permitted to replace any Lender
that requests reimbursement for amounts owing pursuant to
Section 3.6(a) or (b), with a replacement financial
institution; provided that (i) such replacement does
not conflict with any Requirement of Law, (ii) no Event of
Default shall have occurred and be continuing at the time of such
replacement, (iii) prior to any such replacement, such Lender
shall have taken no action under Section 3.7 so as to
eliminate the continued need for payment of amounts owing pursuant
to Section 3.6(a), (iv) the replacement financial
institution shall purchase, at par, all Loans and other amounts
owing to such replaced Lender on or prior to the date of
replacement, (v) the replacement financial institution, if not
already a Lender, shall be reasonably satisfactory to the
Administrative Agent, (vi) the replaced Lender shall be
obligated to make such replacement in accordance with the
provisions of Section 10.6 ( provided that the Borrower
shall be obligated to pay the registration and processing fee
referred to therein), (vii) until such time as such
replacement shall be consummated, the Borrower shall pay all
additional amounts (if any) required pursuant to
Section 3.6(a), as the case may be, and (viii) any such
replacement shall not be deemed to be a waiver of any rights that
the Borrower, the Administrative Agent or any other Lender shall
have against the replaced Lender.
3.9. Evidence of Debt
. (a) Each Lender shall maintain in accordance with its usual
practice an account or accounts evidencing indebtedness of the
Borrower to such Lender resulting from each Loan of such Lender
from time to time, including the amounts of principal and interest
payable and paid to such Lender from time to time under this
Agreement.
(b) The Administrative Agent,
on behalf of the Borrower, shall maintain the Register pursuant to
Section 10.6(d), and a subaccount therein for each Lender, in
which shall be recorded (i) the amount of each Loan made
hereunder, (ii) the amount of any principal or interest due
and payable or to become due and payable from the Borrower to each
Lender hereunder and (iii) both the amount of any sum received
by the Administrative Agent hereunder from the Borrower and each
Lender’s share thereof.
(c) The entries made in the
Register and the accounts of each Lender maintained pursuant to
Section 3.11(a) shall, to the extent permitted by applicable
law, be prima facie evidence of the existence and amounts of
the obligations of the Borrower therein recorded; provided ,
however , that the failure of any Lender or the
Administrative Agent to maintain the Register or any such account,
or any error therein, shall not in any manner affect the obligation
of the Borrower to repay (with applicable interest) the Loans made
to the Borrower by such Lender in accordance with the terms of this
Agreement.
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SECTION 4.
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
To induce the Administrative
Agent and the Lenders to enter into this Agreement and to make the
Loans, the Borrower hereby represents and warrants to the
Administrative Agent and each Lender that:
4.1. Corporate Existence;
Compliance with Law . Each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries
(a) is duly organized and validly existing under the laws of
the jurisdiction of its organization or incorporation, as
applicable, (b) has the power and authority, and the legal
right, to own and operate its property, to lease the property it
operates as lessee and to conduct the business in which it is
currently engaged, (c) is duly authorized and licensed under
the laws of each jurisdiction where its ownership, lease or
operation of property or the conduct of its business requires such
authorization or license, (d) is in compliance with all
Requirements of Law except to the extent that the failure to comply
therewith would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to
have a Material Adverse Effect and (e) has all necessary
licenses, permits, consents or approvals from or by, has made all
necessary filings with, and has given all necessary notices to,
each Governmental Authority having jurisdiction, to the extent
required for such ownership, operation and conduct, except for
licenses, permits, consents, approvals or filings which can be
obtained or made by taking of ministerial action to secure the
grant or transfer thereof or the failure to obtain or make would
not have a Material Adverse Effect.
4.2. Power; Authorization;
Enforceable Obligations . Each Loan Party has the power and
authority, and the legal right, to make, deliver and perform the
Loan Documents to which it is a party and, in the case of the
Borrower, to obtain extensions of credit hereunder. Each Loan Party
has taken all necessary organizational action to authorize the
execution, delivery and performance of the Loan Documents to which
it is a party and, in the case of the Borrower, to authorize the
extensions of credit on the terms and conditions of this Agreement.
No consent or authorization of, filing with, notice to or other act
by or in respect of, any Governmental Authority or any other Person
is required in connection with the extensions of credit hereunder
or with the execution, delivery, performance, validity or
enforceability of this Agreement or any of the Loan Documents,
except the filings referred to in Section 4.7 of the Guarantee
and Pledge Agreement. Ea
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