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CREDIT AGREEMENT

Loan Agreement

CREDIT AGREEMENT | Document Parties: VERSO PAPER HOLDINGS LLC | BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC | BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. | CITICORP NORTH AMERICA, INC | CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC | CMP Investments LP | CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) LLC | DZ BANK AG | Fifth Third Bank | First Tennessee Bank | International Paper Company | ISRAEL DISCOUNT BANK OF NEW YORK | LaSalle Bank National Association | LEHMAN COMMERCIAL PAPER INC | Lenders, LEHMAN BROTHERS INC | Mizuho Corporate Bank, Ltd | NATIONAL CITY BANK | North Fork Business Capital Corporation | RZB Finance LLC | Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation | VERSO PAPER FINANCE HOLDINGS LLC You are currently viewing:
This Loan Agreement involves

VERSO PAPER HOLDINGS LLC | BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC | BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. | CITICORP NORTH AMERICA, INC | CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC | CMP Investments LP | CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) LLC | DZ BANK AG | Fifth Third Bank | First Tennessee Bank | International Paper Company | ISRAEL DISCOUNT BANK OF NEW YORK | LaSalle Bank National Association | LEHMAN COMMERCIAL PAPER INC | Lenders, LEHMAN BROTHERS INC | Mizuho Corporate Bank, Ltd | NATIONAL CITY BANK | North Fork Business Capital Corporation | RZB Finance LLC | Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation | VERSO PAPER FINANCE HOLDINGS LLC

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Title: CREDIT AGREEMENT
Governing Law: New York     Date: 8/14/2009
Law Firm: Honigman Miller;Davis Polk;Quarles Brady;O'Melveny Myers    

CREDIT AGREEMENT, Parties: verso paper holdings llc , banc of america securities llc , bank of america  n.a. , citicorp north america  inc , citigroup global markets inc , cmp investments lp , credit suisse securities (usa) llc , dz bank ag , fifth third bank , first tennessee bank , international paper company , israel discount bank of new york , lasalle bank national association , lehman commercial paper inc , lenders  lehman brothers inc , mizuho corporate bank  ltd , national city bank , north fork business capital corporation , rzb finance llc , sumitomo mitsui banking corporation , verso paper finance holdings llc
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EXECUTION VERSION

Exhibit 10.1

 

 

 

$485,000,000

CREDIT AGREEMENT

Dated as of August 1, 2006,

Among

VERSO PAPER FINANCE HOLDINGS LLC,

VERSO PAPER HOLDINGS LLC,

as Borrower,

THE LENDERS PARTY HERETO,

CREDIT SUISSE, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH,

as Administrative Agent,

LEHMAN BROTHERS INC.,

as Syndication Agent,

CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC.

and

BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC,

as Co-Documentation Agents

CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) LLC,

and

LEHMAN BROTHERS INC.,

as Joint Bookrunners

 

 

CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) LLC

and

LEHMAN BROTHERS INC.

as Co-Lead Arrangers

 

 

 


 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

ARTICLE I

 

 

 

Definitions

 

 

SECTION 1.01.

 

Defined Terms

 

1

SECTION 1.02.

 

Terms Generally

 

48

SECTION 1.03.

 

Effectuation of Transfers

 

48

SECTION 1.04.

 

Exchange Rates; Currency Equivalents

 

48

 

 

ARTICLE II

 

 

 

The Credits

 

 

SECTION 2.01.

 

Commitments

 

49

SECTION 2.02.

 

Loans and Borrowings

 

49

SECTION 2.03.

 

Requests for Borrowings

 

50

SECTION 2.04.

 

Swingline Loans

 

51

SECTION 2.05.

 

Letters of Credit

 

52

SECTION 2.06.

 

Funding of Borrowings

 

58

SECTION 2.07.

 

Interest Elections

 

58

SECTION 2.08.

 

Termination and Reduction of Commitments

 

59

SECTION 2.09.

 

Repayment of Loans; Evidence of Debt

 

60

SECTION 2.10.

 

Repayment of Term Loans and Revolving Facility Loans

 

61

SECTION 2.11.

 

Prepayment of Loans

 

63

SECTION 2.12.

 

Fees

 

64

SECTION 2.13.

 

Interest

 

65

SECTION 2.14.

 

Alternate Rate of Interest

 

66

SECTION 2.15.

 

Increased Costs

 

66

SECTION 2.16.

 

Break Funding Payments

 

67

SECTION 2.17.

 

Taxes

 

68

SECTION 2.18.

 

Payments Generally; Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of Set-offs

 

70

SECTION 2.19.

 

Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders

 

72

SECTION 2.20.

 

Illegality

 

73

SECTION 2.21.

 

Incremental Commitments

 

73

 

 

ARTICLE III

 

 

 

Representations and Warranties

 

 

SECTION 3.01.

 

Organization; Powers

 

75

SECTION 3.02.

 

Authorization

 

76

SECTION 3.03.

 

Enforceability

 

76

 

i


SECTION 3.04.

 

Governmental Approvals

 

76

SECTION 3.05.

 

Financial Statements

 

76

SECTION 3.06.

 

No Material Adverse Effect

 

77

SECTION 3.07.

 

Title to Properties; Possession Under Leases

 

77

SECTION 3.08.

 

Subsidiaries

 

78

SECTION 3.09.

 

Litigation; Compliance with Laws

 

78

SECTION 3.10.

 

Federal Reserve Regulations

 

79

SECTION 3.11.

 

Investment Company Act

 

79

SECTION 3.12.

 

Use of Proceeds

 

79

SECTION 3.13.

 

Tax Returns

 

79

SECTION 3.14.

 

No Material Misstatements

 

80

SECTION 3.15.

 

Employee Benefit Plans

 

80

SECTION 3.16.

 

Environmental Matters

 

81

SECTION 3.17.

 

Security Documents

 

81

SECTION 3.18.

 

Location of Real Property and Leased Premises

 

82

SECTION 3.19.

 

Solvency

 

83

SECTION 3.20.

 

Labor Matters

 

83

SECTION 3.21.

 

Insurance

 

84

SECTION 3.22.

 

No Default

 

84

SECTION 3.23.

 

Intellectual Property; Licenses, Etc.

 

84

SECTION 3.24.

 

Senior Debt

 

84

 

 

ARTICLE IV

 

 

 

Conditions of Lending

 

 

SECTION 4.01.

 

All Credit Events

 

84

SECTION 4.02.

 

First Credit Event

 

85

 

 

ARTICLE V

 

 

 

Affirmative Covenants

 

 

SECTION 5.01.

 

Existence; Businesses and Properties

 

88

SECTION 5.02.

 

Insurance

 

89

SECTION 5.03.

 

Taxes

 

90

SECTION 5.04.

 

Financial Statements, Reports, etc.

 

90

SECTION 5.05.

 

Litigation and Other Notices

 

92

SECTION 5.06.

 

Compliance with Laws

 

93

SECTION 5.07.

 

Maintaining Records; Access to Properties and Inspections

 

93

SECTION 5.08.

 

Use of Proceeds

 

93

SECTION 5.09.

 

Compliance with Environmental Laws

 

93

SECTION 5.10.

 

Further Assurances; Additional Security

 

93

SECTION 5.11.

 

Rating

 

95

 

ii


 

ARTICLE VI

 

 

 

Negative Covenants

 

 

SECTION 6.01.

 

Indebtedness

 

96

SECTION 6.02.

 

Liens

 

99

SECTION 6.03.

 

Sale and Lease-Back Transactions

 

103

SECTION 6.04.

 

Investments, Loans and Advances

 

104

SECTION 6.05.

 

Mergers, Consolidations, Sales of Assets and Acquisitions

 

107

SECTION 6.06.

 

Dividends and Distributions

 

110

SECTION 6.07.

 

Transactions with Affiliates

 

112

SECTION 6.08.

 

Business of the Borrower and the Subsidiaries

 

115

SECTION 6.09.

 

Limitation on Payments and Modifications of Indebtedness; Modifications of Certificate of Incorporation, By-Laws and Certain Other Agreements; etc.

 

115

SECTION 6.10.

 

Capital Expenditures

 

117

SECTION 6.11.

 

Total Net First Lien Leverage Ratio

 

118

SECTION 6.12.

 

Swap Agreements

 

118

SECTION 6.13.

 

No Other “Designated Senior Debt”

 

118

SECTION 6.14.

 

Fiscal Year; Accounting

 

118

 

 

ARTICLE VIA

 

Holdings Covenants

 

 

 

ARTICLE VII

 

 

 

Events of Default

 

 

SECTION 7.01.

 

Events of Default

 

119

SECTION 7.02.

 

Exclusion of Immaterial Subsidiaries

 

122

SECTION 7.03.

 

Right to Cure

 

122

 

 

ARTICLE VIII

 

 

 

The Agents

 

 

SECTION 8.01.

 

Appointment

 

123

SECTION 8.02.

 

Delegation of Duties

 

125

SECTION 8.03.

 

Exculpatory Provisions

 

125

SECTION 8.04.

 

Reliance by Administrative Agent

 

126

SECTION 8.05.

 

Notice of Default

 

127

SECTION 8.06.

 

Non-Reliance on Agents and Other Lenders

 

127

SECTION 8.07.

 

Indemnification

 

127

SECTION 8.08.

 

Agent in Its Individual Capacity

 

128

 

iii


SECTION 8.09.

 

Successor Administrative Agent

 

128

SECTION 8.10.

 

Agents and Arrangers

 

129

 

 

ARTICLE IX

 

 

 

Miscellaneous

 

 

SECTION 9.01.

 

Notices; Communications

 

129

SECTION 9.02.

 

Survival of Agreement

 

130

SECTION 9.03.

 

Binding Effect

 

131

SECTION 9.04.

 

Successors and Assigns

 

131

SECTION 9.05.

 

Expenses; Indemnity

 

135

SECTION 9.06.

 

Right of Set-off

 

137

SECTION 9.07.

 

Applicable Law

 

137

SECTION 9.08.

 

Waivers; Amendment

 

137

SECTION 9.09.

 

Interest Rate Limitation

 

140

SECTION 9.10.

 

Entire Agreement

 

140

SECTION 9.11.

 

WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL

 

140

SECTION 9.12.

 

Severability

 

140

SECTION 9.13.

 

Counterparts

 

140

SECTION 9.14.

 

Headings

 

141

SECTION 9.15.

 

Jurisdiction; Consent to Service of Process

 

141

SECTION 9.16.

 

Confidentiality

 

141

SECTION 9.17.

 

Platform; Borrower Materials

 

142

SECTION 9.18.

 

Release of Liens and Guarantees

 

142

SECTION 9.19.

 

Judgment Currency

 

143

SECTION 9.20.

 

USA PATRIOT Act Notice

 

143

SECTION 9.21.

 

No Liability of the Issuing Banks

 

143

 

iv


Exhibits and Schedules

 

Exhibit A

 

Form of Assignment and Acceptance

Exhibit B

 

Form of Solvency Certificate

Exhibit C-1

 

Form of Borrowing Request

Exhibit C-2

 

Form of Swingline Borrowing Request

Exhibit D

 

Form of Interest Election Request

Exhibit E

 

Form of Mortgage

Exhibit F

 

Form of Collateral Agreement

 

Schedule 1.01A

 

Certain U.S. Subsidiaries

Schedule 1.01B

 

Mortgaged Properties

Schedule 1.01C

 

Immaterial Subsidiaries

Schedule 1.01D

 

Refinanced Indebtedness

Schedule 2.01

 

Commitments

Schedule 3.01

 

Organization and Good Standing

Schedule 3.04

 

Governmental Approvals

Schedule 3.07(b)

 

Possession under Leases

Schedule 3.07(c)

 

Intellectual Property

Schedule 3.08(a)

 

Subsidiaries

Schedule 3.08(b)

 

Subscriptions

Schedule 3.13

 

Taxes

Schedule 3.16

 

Environmental Matters

Schedule 3.18

 

Material Real Estate

Schedule 3.21

 

Insurance

Schedule 3.23

 

Intellectual Property

Schedule 4.02(b)

 

Local Counsel

Schedule 4.02(d)

 

Certain Collateral Matters

Schedule 6.01

 

Indebtedness

Schedule 6.02(a)

 

Liens

Schedule 6.04

 

Investments

Schedule 6.07

 

Transactions with Affiliates

Schedule 9.01

 

Notice Information

 

v


CREDIT AGREEMENT dated as of August 1, 2006 (this “ Agreement ”), among VERSO PAPER FINANCE HOLDINGS LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“ Holdings ”), VERSO PAPER HOLDINGS LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “ Borrower ”), the LENDERS party hereto from time to time, CREDIT SUISSE, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, as administrative agent (in such capacity, the “ Administrative Agent ”) for the Lenders, LEHMAN BROTHERS INC., as syndication agent (in such capacity, the “ Syndication Agent ”), and CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC. and BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC, as co-documentation agents (in such capacities, the “ Documentation Agents ”).

WHEREAS, Apollo Management VI, L.P. and other affiliated co-investment partnerships (collectively, the “ Fund ”) have indirectly formed Holdings and the Borrower for the purpose of entering into that certain Agreement of Purchase and Sale by and among International Paper Company, a New York corporation (the “ Seller ”), CMP Investments LP, a Delaware limited partnership, and the Borrower, dated as of June 4, 2006 (as amended or supplemented as of the date hereof, the “ Purchase Agreement ”), pursuant to which the Borrower will acquire (the “ Acquisition ”), directly or indirectly, the catalog and magazine paper business of the Seller upon the terms and conditions set forth therein (the business so purchased, the “ Acquired Business ”); and

WHEREAS, in connection with the consummation of the Acquisition, the Borrower has requested the Lenders to extend credit in the form of (a) Term B Loans on the Closing Date, in an aggregate principal amount not in excess of $285.0 million, and (b) Revolving Facility Loans and Letters of Credit at any time and from time to time prior to the Revolving Facility Maturity Date, in an aggregate principal amount at any time outstanding not in excess of $200.0 million;

NOW, THEREFORE, the Lenders are willing to extend such credit to the Borrower on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein. Accordingly, the parties hereto agree as follows:

ARTICLE I

Definitions

SECTION 1.01. Defined Terms . As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings specified below:

ABR ” shall mean, for any day, a fluctuating rate per annum equal to the higher of (a) the Federal Funds Rate plus 1/2 of 1% and (b) the rate of interest in effect for such day as announced from time to time by Credit Suisse as its “prime rate” at its principal office in New York, New York. Any change in such rate announced by Credit Suisse shall take effect at the opening of business on the day specified in the announcement of such change. The prime rate is a reference rate and does not necessarily represent the lowest or best rate actually charged to any customer. The Administrative Agent or any other Lender may make commercial loans or other loans at rates of interest at, above or below the prime rate.


ABR Borrowing ” shall mean a Borrowing comprised of ABR Loans.

ABR Loan ” shall mean any ABR Term Loan, ABR Revolving Loan or Swingline Loan.

ABR Revolving Facility Borrowing ” shall mean a Borrowing comprised of ABR Revolving Loans.

ABR Revolving Loan ” shall mean any Revolving Facility Loan bearing interest at a rate determined by reference to the ABR in accordance with the provisions of Article II.

ABR Term Loan ” shall mean any Term Loan bearing interest at a rate determined by reference to the ABR in accordance with the provisions of Article II.

Acquired Assets ” shall mean, for any fiscal year, the aggregate purchase price of assets acquired pursuant to Permitted Business Acquisitions after the Closing Date through the end of such fiscal year determined in accordance with GAAP; provided that if a Permitted Business Acquisition is not consummated during the first quarter of a fiscal year, Acquired Assets for such fiscal year in respect of such Permitted Business Acquisition shall be determined by multiplying the amount attributable to such Permitted Business Acquisition by (i) 0.75 if such Permitted Business Acquisition is consummated during the second quarter of such fiscal year, (ii) 0.50 if such Permitted Business Acquisition is consummated during the third quarter of such fiscal year and (iii) 0.25 if such Permitted Business Acquisition is consummated during the fourth quarter of such fiscal year.

Acquired Business ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in the first recital hereto.

Acquisition ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in the first recital hereto.

Additional Mortgage ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 5.10(c).

Adjusted LIBO Rate ” shall mean, with respect to any Eurocurrency Borrowing for any Interest Period, an interest rate per annum equal (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/16 of 1%) to (a) the LIBO Rate in effect for such Interest Period divided by (b) one minus the Statutory Reserves applicable to such Eurocurrency Borrowing, if any.

Adjustment Date ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in the definition of “Pricing Grid.”

Administrative Agent ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in the introductory paragraph of this Agreement.

Administrative Agent Fees ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.12(c).

 

2


Administrative Questionnaire ” shall mean an Administrative Questionnaire in a form supplied by the Administrative Agent.

Affiliate ” shall mean, when used with respect to a specified person, another person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, Controls or is Controlled by or is under common Control with the person specified.

Agents ” shall mean the Administrative Agent, the Collateral Agent, the Syndication Agent and the Documentation Agents.

Agreement ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in the introductory paragraph of this Agreement.

Alternate Currency ” shall mean, with respect to any Letter of Credit, Canadian Dollars and Euros and any other currency other than Dollars as may be acceptable to the Administrative Agent and the Letter of Credit Issuer with respect thereto in their sole discretion.

Alternate Currency Letter of Credit ” shall mean any Letter of Credit denominated in an Alternate Currency.

Applicable Commitment Fee ” shall mean for any day 0.50% per annum; provided , that on and after the first Adjustment Date occurring after delivery of the financial statements and certificates required by Section 5.04 upon the completion of one full fiscal quarter of the Borrower after the Closing Date, the Applicable Commitment Fee will be determined pursuant to the Pricing Grid.

Applicable Margin ” shall mean for any day (i) with respect to any Term B Loan, 1.75% per annum in the case of any Eurocurrency Loan and 0.75% per annum in the case of any ABR Loan and (ii) with respect to any Revolving Facility Loan, 2.00% per annum in the case of any Eurocurrency Loan and 1.00% per annum in the case of any ABR Loan; provided , that on and after the first Adjustment Date occurring after delivery of the financial statements and certificates required by Section 5.04 upon the completion of one full fiscal quarter of the Borrower after the Closing Date, the Applicable Margin with respect to Revolving Facility Loans and Swingline Loans will be determined pursuant to the Pricing Grid.

Applicable Period ” means an Excess Cash Flow Period or an Excess Cash Flow Interim Period, as the case may be.

Approved Fund ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.04(b).

Asset Sale ” shall mean any loss, damage, destruction or condemnation of, or any sale, transfer or other disposition (including any sale and leaseback of assets and any mortgage or lease of Real Property) to any person of any asset or assets of Holdings, the Borrower or any Subsidiary.

Assignee ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.04(b).

 

3


Assignment and Acceptance ” shall mean an assignment and acceptance entered into by a Lender and an Assignee, and accepted by the Administrative Agent and the Borrower (if required by Section 9.04), in the form of Exhibit A or such other form as shall be approved by the Administrative Agent, which form may include the form published by the Loan Syndications and Trading Association.

Availability Period ” shall mean the period from and including the Closing Date to but excluding the earlier of the Revolving Facility Maturity Date and in the case of each of the Revolving Facility Loans, Revolving Facility Borrowings, Swingline Loans, Swingline Borrowings and Letters of Credit, the date of termination of the Revolving Facility Commitments.

Available Unused Commitment ” shall mean, with respect to a Revolving Facility Lender at any time, an amount equal to the amount by which (a) the Revolving Facility Commitment of such Revolving Facility Lender at such time exceeds (b) the Revolving Facility Credit Exposure of such Revolving Facility Lender at such time; provided , that with respect to any Swingline Lender, the Available Unused Commitment at any time shall be reduced by the principal amount of any Swingline Loans made by such Lender outstanding at such time.

Board ” shall mean the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of the United States of America.

Board of Directors ” shall mean, as to any person, the board of directors or other governing body of such person, or if such person is owned or managed by a single entity, the board of directors or other governing body of such entity.

Borrower ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in the introductory paragraph of this Agreement.

Borrowing ” shall mean a group of Loans of a single Type under a single Facility and made on a single date and, in the case of Eurocurrency Loans, as to which a single Interest Period is in effect.

Borrowing Minimum ” shall mean $5.0 million, except in the case of Swingline Loans, $1.0 million.

Borrowing Multiple ” shall mean $1.0 million, except in the case of Swingline Loans, $500,000.

Borrowing Request ” shall mean a request by a Borrower in accordance with the terms of Section 2.03 and substantially in the form of Exhibit C-1 .

Budget ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 5.04(e).

Business Day ” shall mean any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in New York City are authorized or required by law to remain closed; provided , that when used in connection with a Eurocurrency Loan, the term “Business Day” shall

 

4


also exclude any day on which banks are not open for dealings in deposits in the applicable currency in the London interbank market.

Capital Expenditures ” shall mean, for any person in respect of any period, the aggregate of all expenditures incurred by such person during such period that, in accordance with GAAP, are or should be included in “additions to property, plant or equipment” or similar items reflected in the statement of cash flows of such person, provided , however , that Capital Expenditures for the Borrower and the Subsidiaries shall not include:

(a) expenditures to the extent they are made with proceeds of the issuance of Equity Interests of Holdings after the Closing Date or funds that would have constituted any Net Proceeds under clause (a) of the definition of the term “Net Proceeds” (but for the application of the first proviso to such clause (a)),

(b) expenditures with proceeds of insurance settlements, condemnation awards and other settlements in respect of lost, destroyed, damaged or condemned assets, equipment or other property to the extent such expenditures are made to replace or repair such lost, destroyed, damaged or condemned assets, equipment or other property or otherwise to acquire, maintain, develop, construct, improve, upgrade or repair assets or properties useful in the business of the Borrower and the Subsidiaries within 15 months of receipt of such proceeds (or, if not made within such period of 15 months, are committed to be made during such period),

(c) interest capitalized during such period,

(d) expenditures that are accounted for as capital expenditures of such person and that actually are paid for by a third party (excluding Holdings, the Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof) and for which neither Holdings, the Borrower nor any Subsidiary has provided or is required to provide or incur, directly or indirectly, any consideration or obligation to such third party or any other person (whether before, during or after such period),

(e) the book value of any asset owned by such person prior to or during such period to the extent that such book value is included as a capital expenditure during such period as a result of such person reusing or beginning to reuse such asset during such period without a corresponding expenditure actually having been made in such period; provided , that (i) any expenditure necessary in order to permit such asset to be reused shall be included as a Capital Expenditure during the period that such expenditure actually is made and (ii) such book value shall have been included in Capital Expenditures when such asset was originally acquired,

(f) the purchase price of equipment purchased during such period to the extent the consideration therefor consists of any combination of (i) used or surplus equipment traded in at the time of such purchase and (ii) the proceeds of a concurrent sale of used or surplus equipment, in each case, in the ordinary course of business,

(g) Investments in respect of a Permitted Business Acquisition,

 

5


(h) the Acquisition, or

(i) the purchase of property, plant or equipment made within 15 months of the sale of any asset to the extent purchased with the proceeds of such sale (or, if not made within such period of 15 months, to the extent committed to be made during such period).

Capital Lease Obligations ” of any person shall mean 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 purposes hereof, the amount of such obligations at any time shall be the capitalized amount thereof at such time determined in accordance with GAAP.

Cash Interest Expense ” shall mean, with respect to the Borrower and the Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis for any period, Interest Expense for such period, less the sum of, without duplication, (a) pay in kind Interest Expense or other noncash Interest Expense (including as a result of the effects of purchase accounting), (b) to the extent included in Interest Expense, the amortization of any financing fees paid by, or on behalf of, the Borrower or any Subsidiary, including such fees paid in connection with the Transactions or upon entering into a Permitted Receivables Financing, (c) the amortization of debt discounts, if any, or fees in respect of Swap Agreements and (d) cash interest income of Borrower and its Subsidiaries for such period; provided , that Cash Interest Expense shall exclude any one time financing fees, including those paid in connection with the Transactions, or upon entering into a Permitted Receivables Financing or any amendment of this Agreement.

A “ Change in Control ” shall be deemed to occur if:

(a) at any time, (i) Holdings shall fail to own, directly or indirectly, beneficially and of record, 100% of the issued and outstanding Equity Interests of the Borrower, (ii) a majority of the seats (other than vacant seats) on the Board of Directors of Holdings shall at any time be occupied by persons who were neither (A) nominated by the Board of Directors of Holdings or a Permitted Holder, (B) appointed by managers so nominated nor (C) appointed by a Permitted Holder or (iii) a “change of control” (or similar event) shall occur under any Second Lien Notes Indenture, the Senior Subordinated Notes Indenture, any Permitted Additional Debt constituting Material Indebtedness or any Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness in respect of any of the foregoing or any Disqualified Stock;

(b) at any time prior to a Qualified IPO, any combination of Permitted Holders shall fail to own beneficially (within the meaning of Rule 13d 5 of the Exchange Act as in effect on the Closing Date), directly or indirectly, in the aggregate Equity Interests representing at least a majority of the aggregate ordinary voting power represented by the issued and outstanding Equity Interests of Holdings; or

(c) at any time after a Qualified IPO, any person or “group” (within the meaning of Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as in effect

 

6


on the Closing Date), other than any combination of the Permitted Holders or any “group” including any Permitted Holders, shall have acquired beneficial ownership of 35% or more on a fully diluted basis of the voting interest in Holdings’ Equity Interests and the Permitted Holders shall own, directly or indirectly, less than such person or “group” on a fully diluted basis of the voting interest in Holdings’ Equity Interests.

Change in Law ” shall mean (a) the adoption of any law, rule or regulation after the Closing Date, (b) any change in law, rule or regulation or in the interpretation or application thereof by any Governmental Authority after the Closing Date or (c) compliance by any Lender or Issuing Bank (or, for purposes of Section 2.15(b), by any lending office of such Lender or by such Lender’s or Issuing Bank’s holding company, if any) with any written request, guideline or directive (whether or not having the force of law) of any Governmental Authority made or issued after the Closing Date.

Charges ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.09.

Closing Date ” shall mean August 1, 2006.

Code ” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time and the regulations promulgated and rulings issued thereunder.

Co-Lead Arrangers ” shall mean Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and Lehman Brothers Inc., in their capacities as co-lead arrangers and joint bookrunners.

Collateral ” shall mean all the “Collateral” as defined in any Security Document and shall also include the Mortgaged Properties and all other property that is subject to any Lien in favor of the Administrative Agent or any Subagent for the benefit of the Lenders pursuant to any Security Documents.

Collateral Agent ” shall mean the Administrative Agent acting as collateral agent for the Lenders.

Collateral Agreement ” shall mean the Guarantee and Collateral Agreement, as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, in the form of Exhibit F , among Holdings, the Borrower, each Subsidiary Loan Party and the Administrative Agent.

Collateral and Guarantee Requirement ” shall mean the requirement that:

(a) on the Closing Date, the Collateral Agent shall have received (i) from Holdings, the Borrower and each Subsidiary Loan Party, a counterpart of the Collateral Agreement duly executed and delivered on behalf of such person and (ii) an Acknowledgment and Consent in the form attached to the Collateral Agreement, executed and delivered by each issuer of Pledged Collateral (as defined in the Collateral Agreement), if any, that is not a Loan Party;

(b) on the Closing Date, (i) the Collateral Agent shall have received (A) a pledge of all the issued and outstanding Equity Interests of (x) the Borrower and (y) each Domestic Subsidiary (other than Subsidiaries listed on Schedule 1.01A ) owned on the

 

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Closing Date directly by or on behalf of the Borrower or any Subsidiary Loan Party and (B) a pledge of 65% of the outstanding Equity Interests of each “first tier” Foreign Subsidiary directly owned by any Loan Party and (ii) the Collateral Agent shall have received all certificates or other instruments (if any) representing such Equity Interests, together with stock powers or other instruments of transfer with respect thereto endorsed in blank;

(c)(i) all Indebtedness of Holdings, the Borrower and each Subsidiary having, in the case of each instance of Indebtedness, an aggregate principal amount in excess of $5.0 million (other than (A) intercompany current liabilities incurred in the ordinary course of business in connection with the cash management operations of Holdings and its Subsidiaries or (B) to the extent that a pledge of such promissory note or instrument would violate applicable law) that is owing to any Loan Party shall be evidenced by a promissory note or an instrument and shall have been pledged pursuant to the Collateral Agreement (or other applicable Security Document as reasonably required by the Collateral Agent), and (ii) the Collateral Agent shall have received all such promissory notes or instruments, together with note powers or other instruments of transfer with respect thereto endorsed in blank;

(d) in the case of any person that becomes a Subsidiary Loan Party after the Closing Date, the Collateral Agent shall have received a supplement to the Collateral Agreement, in the form specified therein, duly executed and delivered on behalf of such Subsidiary Loan Party;

(e) in the case of any person that becomes a “first tier” Foreign Subsidiary directly owned by Holdings, the Borrower or a Subsidiary Loan Party after the Closing Date, the Collateral Agent shall have received, as promptly as practicable following a request by the Collateral Agent, a Foreign Pledge Agreement, duly executed and delivered on behalf of such Foreign Subsidiary and the direct parent company of such Foreign Subsidiary;

(f) after the Closing Date, (i) all the outstanding Equity Interests of (A) any person that becomes a Subsidiary Loan Party after the Closing Date and (B) subject to Section 5.10(g), all the Equity Interests that are acquired by a Loan Party after the Closing Date (including, without limitation, the Equity Interests of any Special Purpose Receivables Subsidiary established after the Closing Date), shall have been pledged pursuant to the Collateral Agreement; provided , that in no event shall more than 65% of the issued and outstanding Equity Interests of any “first tier” Foreign Subsidiary directly owned by such Loan Party be pledged to secure Obligations of the Borrower, and in no event shall any of the issued and outstanding Equity Interests of any Foreign Subsidiary that is not a “first tier” Foreign Subsidiary of a Loan Party be pledged to secure Obligations of the Borrower, and (ii) the Collateral Agent shall have received all certificates or other instruments (if any) representing such Equity Interests, together with stock powers or other instruments of transfer with respect thereto endorsed in blank;

(g) except as otherwise contemplated by any Security Document, all documents and instruments, including Uniform Commercial Code financing statements,

 

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and filings with the United States Copyright Office and the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and all other actions required by law or reasonably requested by the Collateral Agent to be filed, registered or recorded to create the Liens intended to be created by the Security Documents (in each case, including any supplements thereto) and perfect such Liens to the extent required by, and with the priority required by, the Security Documents, shall have been filed, registered or recorded or delivered to the Collateral Agent for filing, registration or the recording concurrently with, or promptly following, the execution and delivery of each such Security Document;

(h) on the Closing Date, the Collateral Agent shall have received (i) counterparts of each Mortgage to be entered into with respect to each Mortgaged Property set forth on Schedule 1.01B duly executed and delivered by the record owner of such Mortgaged Property and suitable for recording or filing and (ii) such other documents including, but not limited to, any consents, agreements and confirmations of third parties, as the Collateral Agent may reasonably request with respect to any such Mortgage or Mortgaged Property;

(i) on the Closing Date the Collateral Agent shall have received (i) a policy or policies or marked-up unconditional binder of title insurance, as applicable, paid for by the Borrower, issued by First American Title Insurance Company insuring the Lien of each Mortgage to be entered into on the Closing Date as a valid first Lien on the Mortgaged Property described therein, free of any other Liens except Permitted Liens, together with such customary endorsements (including zoning endorsements where reasonably appropriate and available), coinsurance and reinsurance as the Collateral Agent may reasonably request, and with respect to any such property located in a state in which a zoning endorsement is not available, a zoning compliance letter from the applicable municipality in a form reasonably acceptable to the Collateral Agent, and (ii) a survey for each of the Mortgaged Properties on which any of the mills is located (collectively, the “ Mill Sites ” and, such surveys, collectively, the “ Surveys ”). Such Surveys shall be certified to Borrower, Collateral Agent and the title company, and shall (x) meet minimum standard detail requirements for ALTA/ACSM Land Title Surveys for the land at each Mill Site where an actual mill is located and (ii) for the remainder of the property at each Mill Site and for any property that does not constitute a Mill Site, shall be sufficient and satisfactory to the title company so as to enable the title company to issue coverage over all general survey exceptions and to issue all endorsements requested by Collateral Agent. All such Surveys shall be dated (or redated) not earlier than six months prior to the date of delivery thereof;

(j) evidence of the insurance required by the terms of this Agreement and the Mortgages;

(k) except as otherwise contemplated by any Security Document, each Loan Party shall have obtained all consents and approvals required to be obtained by it in connection with (i) the execution and delivery of all Security Documents (or supplements thereto) to which it is a party and the granting by it of the Liens thereunder and (ii) the performance of its obligations thereunder, and such consents and approvals shall be in full force and effect; and

 

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(l) after the Closing Date, the Collateral Agent shall have received (i) such other Security Documents as may be required to be delivered pursuant to Section 5.10, and (ii) upon reasonable request by the Collateral Agent, evidence of compliance with any other requirements of Section 5.10.

Commitment Fee ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.12(a).

Commitments ” shall mean (a) with respect to any Lender, such Lender’s Revolving Facility Commitment (including any Incremental Revolving Facility Commitment), Term B Loan Commitment and Incremental Term Loan Commitment and (b) with respect to any Swingline Lender, its Swingline Commitment.

Conduit Lender ” shall mean any special purpose corporation 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; 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 Agreement with respect to its Conduit Lender; provided , further , that no Conduit Lender shall (a) be entitled to receive any greater amount pursuant to Section 2.15, 2.16, 2.17 or 9.05 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.

Consolidated Debt ” at any date shall mean the sum of (without duplication) all Indebtedness (other than letters of credit, to the extent undrawn) consisting of Capital Lease Obligations, Indebtedness for borrowed money, Disqualified Stock and Indebtedness in respect of the deferred purchase price of property or services of the Borrower and the Subsidiaries determined on a consolidated basis on such date.

Consolidated Net Income ” shall mean, with respect to any person for any period, the aggregate of the Net Income of such person and its subsidiaries for such period, on a consolidated basis; provided , however , that, without duplication,

(i) any net after tax extraordinary, nonrecurring or unusual gains or losses or income or expense or charge (less all fees and expenses relating thereto) including, without limitation, any severance, relocation or other restructuring expenses, any expenses related to any reconstruction, recommissioning or reconfiguration of fixed assets for alternative uses and fees, expenses or charges related to any offering of Equity Interests of Holdings, any Investment, acquisition or Indebtedness permitted to be incurred hereunder (in each case, whether or not successful), including any such fees, expenses, charges or change in control payments related to the Transactions (including any transition-related expenses incurred before, on or after the Closing Date), in each case, shall be excluded,

 

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(ii) any net after-tax income or loss from discontinued operations and any net after-tax gain or loss on disposal of discontinued operations shall be excluded,

(iii) any net after-tax gain or loss (less all fees and expenses or charges relating thereto) attributable to business dispositions or asset dispositions other than in the ordinary course of business (as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Borrower) shall be excluded,

(iv) any net after-tax income or loss (less all fees and expenses or charges relating thereto) attributable to the early extinguishment of indebtedness shall be excluded,

(v)(A) the Net Income for such period of any person that is not a subsidiary of such person, or is an Unrestricted Subsidiary, or that is accounted for by the equity method of accounting, shall be included only to the extent of the amount of dividends or distributions or other payments paid in cash (or to the extent converted into cash) to the referent person or a subsidiary thereof in respect of such period and (B) the Net Income for such period shall include any ordinary course dividend distribution or other payment in cash received from any person in excess of the amounts included in clause (A),

(vi) Consolidated Net Income for such period shall not include the cumulative effect of a change in accounting principles during such period,

(vii) any increase in amortization or depreciation or any non-cash charges resulting from purchase accounting in connection with the Transactions or any acquisition that is consummated after the Closing Date shall be excluded,

(viii) any non-cash impairment charges resulting from the application of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 142 and 144, and the amortization of intangibles arising pursuant to No. 141, shall be excluded,

(ix) any non-cash expenses realized or resulting from employee benefit plans or post-employment benefit plans, grants of stock appreciation or similar rights, stock options, restricted stock grants or other rights to officers, directors and employees of such person or any of its subsidiaries shall be excluded,

(x) accruals and reserves that are established within twelve months after the Closing Date and that are so required to be established in accordance with GAAP shall be excluded,

(xi) non-cash gains, losses, income and expenses resulting from fair value accounting required by Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 133 shall be excluded,

(xii) any expenses constituting transition expenses attributable to the Borrower becoming an independent operating company in connection with the Transactions shall be excluded, and

 

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(xiii) non-cash charges for deferred tax asset valuation allowances shall be excluded.

Consolidated Total Assets ” shall mean, as of any date, the total assets of Holdings and the consolidated Subsidiaries, determined in accordance with GAAP, as set forth on the consolidated balance sheet of Holdings as of such date.

Control ” shall mean the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise, and “ Controlling ” and “ Controlled ” shall have meanings correlative thereto.

Credit Event ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Article IV.

Cumulative Credit ” shall mean, at any date, an amount, not less than zero in the aggregate, determined on a cumulative basis equal to, without duplication:

(a) $50.0 million, plus :

(b) the Cumulative Retained Excess Cash Flow Amount at such time, plus

(c) the aggregate amount of proceeds received after the Closing Date and prior to such time that would have constituted Net Proceeds pursuant to clause (a) of the definition thereof except for the operation of clause (x), (y) or (z) of the second proviso thereof (the “ Below Threshold Asset Sale Proceeds ”), plus

(d) the cumulative amount of proceeds (including cash and the fair market value of property other than cash) from the sale of Equity Interests of Holdings or any Parent Entity after the Closing Date and on or prior to such time (including upon exercise of warrants or options) which proceeds have been contributed as common equity to the capital of the Borrower and common Equity Interests of the Borrower issued upon conversion of Indebtedness (other than Indebtedness that is contractually subordinated to the Obligations) of the Borrower or any Subsidiary owed to a person other than the Borrower or a Subsidiary not previously applied for a purpose other than use in the Cumulative Credit; provided , that this clause (d) shall exclude Permitted Cure Securities and the proceeds thereof, sales of Equity Interests financed as contemplated by Section 6.04(e) and any amounts used to finance the payments or distributions in respect of any Junior Financing pursuant to Section 6.09(b), plus

(e) 100% of the aggregate amount of contributions to the common capital of the Borrower received in cash (and the fair market value of property other than cash) after the Closing Date (subject to the same exclusions as are applicable to clause (d) above); provided , that the Borrower and its Subsidiaries shall be in Pro Forma Compliance, plus

(f) the principal amount of any Indebtedness (including the liquidation preference or maximum fixed repurchase price, as the case may be, of any Disqualified Stock) of Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof issued after the Closing Date (other than Indebtedness issued to a Subsidiary), which has been converted into or exchanged for Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Stock) in Holdings or any Parent Entity, plus

 

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(g) 100% of the aggregate amount received by Borrower or any Subsidiary in cash (and the fair market value of property other than cash received by Borrower or any Subsidiary) after the Closing Date from:

(A) the sale (other than to Borrower or any Subsidiary) of the Equity Interests of an Unrestricted Subsidiary, or

(B) any dividend or other distribution by an Unrestricted Subsidiary, plus

(h) in the event any Unrestricted Subsidiary has been redesignated as a Subsidiary or has been merged, consolidated or amalgamated with or into, or transfers or conveys its assets to, or is liquidated into, Holdings, Borrower or any Subsidiary, the fair market value of the Investments of Holdings, Borrower or any Subsidiary in such Unrestricted Subsidiary at the time of such redesignation, combination or transfer (or of the assets transferred or conveyed, as applicable), plus

(i) an amount equal to any returns (including dividends, interest, distributions, returns of principal, profits on sale, repayments, income and similar amounts) actually received by the Borrower or any Subsidiary in respect of any Investments made pursuant to Section 6.04(j), minus

(j) any amounts thereof used to make Investments pursuant to Section 6.04(b)(y) after the Closing Date prior to such time, minus

(k) any amounts thereof used to make Investments pursuant to Section 6.04(j)(ii) after the Closing Date prior to such time, minus

(l) the cumulative amount of dividends paid and distributions made pursuant to Section 6.06(e) prior to such time, minus

(l) the cumulative amount of Capital Expenditures made pursuant to Section 6.10(c) prior to such time, minus

(m) payments or distributions in respect of Junior Financings pursuant to Section 6.09(b)(i) (other than payments made with proceeds from the issuance of Equity Interests that were excluded from the calculation of the Cumulative Credit pursuant to clause (d) above);

provided , however , for purposes of Section 6.06(e), the calculation of the Cumulative Credit shall not include any Below Threshold Asset Sale Proceeds except to the extent they are used as contemplated in clauses (j) and (k) above.

Cumulative Retained Excess Cash Flow Amount ” shall mean, at any date, an amount, not less than zero in the aggregate, determined on a cumulative basis equal to:

(a) the aggregate cumulative sum of the Retained Percentage of Excess Cash Flow for all Excess Cash Flow Periods ending after the Closing Date and prior to such date, plus

 

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(b) for each Excess Cash Flow Interim Period ended prior to such date but as to which the corresponding Excess Cash Flow Period has not ended, an amount equal to the Retained Percentage of Excess Cash Flow for such Excess Cash Flow Interim Period, minus

(c) the cumulative amount of all Retained Excess Cash Flow Overfundings as of such date.

Cure Amount ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 7.03(a).

Cure Right ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 7.03(a).

Current Assets ” shall mean, with respect to the Borrower and the Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis at any date of determination, the sum of (a) all assets (other than cash and Permitted Investments or other cash equivalents that would, in accordance with GAAP, be classified on a consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and the Subsidiaries as current assets at such date of determination, other than amounts related to current or deferred Taxes based on income or profits, and (b) in the event that a Permitted Receivables Financing is accounted for off balance sheet, (x) gross accounts receivable comprising part of the Receivables Assets subject to such Permitted Receivables Financing less (y) collections against the amounts sold pursuant to clause (x).

Current Liabilities ” shall mean, with respect to the Borrower and the Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis at any date of determination, all liabilities that would, in accordance with GAAP, be classified on a consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and the Subsidiaries as current liabilities at such date of determination, other than (a) the current portion of any Indebtedness, (b) accruals of Interest Expense (excluding Interest Expense that is due and unpaid), (c) accruals for current or deferred Taxes based on income or profits, (d) accruals of any costs or expenses related to (i) severance or termination of employees prior to the Closing Date or (ii) bonuses, pension and other post-retirement benefit obligations, and (e) accruals for add-backs to EBITDA included in clauses (a)(iv) through (a)(vi) of the definition of such term.

Debt Service ” shall mean, with respect to the Borrower and the Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis for any period, Cash Interest Expense for such period plus scheduled principal amortization of Consolidated Debt for such period.

Default ” shall mean any event or condition that upon notice, lapse of time or both would constitute an Event of Default.

Defaulting Lender ” shall mean any Lender with respect to which a Lender Default is in effect.

Disqualified Stock ” shall mean, with respect to any person, any Equity Interests of such person that, by its terms (or by the terms of any security or other Equity Interests into which it is convertible or for which it is exchangeable), or upon the happening of any event or condition (a) matures or is mandatorily redeemable (other than solely for Qualified Equity Interests), pursuant to a sinking fund obligation or otherwise (except as a result of a change of control or asset sale so long as any rights of the holders thereof upon the occurrence of a change of control or asset sale event shall be subject to the prior repayment in full of the Loans and all

 

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other Obligations that are accrued and payable and the termination of the Commitments), (b) is redeemable at the option of the holder thereof (other than solely for Qualified Equity Interests), in whole or in part, (c) provides for the scheduled payments of dividends in cash, or (d) is or becomes convertible into or exchangeable for Indebtedness or any other Equity Interests that would constitute Disqualified Stock, in each case, prior to the date that is ninety-one (91) days after the Term B Facility Maturity Date; provided , however , that only the portion of the Equity Interests that so mature or are mandatorily redeemable, are so convertible or exchangeable or are so redeemable at the option of the holder thereof prior to such date shall be deemed to be Disqualified Stock; provided further , however , that if such Equity Interests are issued to any employee or to any plan for the benefit of employees of the Borrower or the Subsidiaries or by any such plan to such employees, such Equity Interests shall not constitute Disqualified Stock solely because they may be required to be repurchased by the Borrower in order to satisfy applicable statutory or regulatory obligations or as a result of such employee’s termination, death or disability; provided further , however , that any class of Equity Interests of such person that by its terms authorizes such person to satisfy its obligations thereunder by delivery of Equity Interests that are not Disqualified Stock shall not be deemed to be Disqualified Stock.

Documentation Agents ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in the introductory paragraph of this Agreement.

Dollar Equivalent ” means, at any time, (a) with respect to any amount denominated in Dollars, such amount, and (b) with respect to any amount denominated in any currency other than Dollars, the equivalent amount thereof in Dollars as determined by the Administrative Agent at such time on the basis of the Spot Rate (determined in respect of the most recent Revaluation Date or other applicable date of determination) for the purchase of Dollars with such currency.

Dollars ” or “ $ ” shall mean lawful money of the United States of America.

Domestic Subsidiary ” shall mean any Subsidiary that is not a Foreign Subsidiary.

EBITDA ” shall mean, with respect to the Borrower and the Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis for any period, the Consolidated Net Income of the Borrower and the Subsidiaries for such period plus (a) the sum of (in each case without duplication and to the extent the respective amounts described in subclauses (i) through (vii) of this clause (a) reduced such Consolidated Net Income (and were not excluded therefrom) for the respective period for which EBITDA is being determined):

(i) provision for Taxes based on income, profits or capital of the Borrower and the Subsidiaries for such period, including, without limitation, state, franchise and similar taxes, and Tax Distributions made by the Borrower during such period,

(ii) Interest Expense of the Borrower and the Subsidiaries for such period (net of interest income of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for such period),

(iii) depreciation and amortization expenses of the Borrower and the Subsidiaries for such period,

 

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(iv) business optimization expenses and other restructuring charges (which, for the avoidance of doubt, shall include, without limitation, the effect of inventory optimization programs, plant closure, retention, severance, systems establishment costs and excess pension charges); provided , that with respect to each business optimization expense or other restructuring charge, the Borrower shall have delivered to the Administrative Agent an officers’ certificate specifying and quantifying such expense or charge,

(v) any other non-cash charges; provided , that, for purposes of this subclause (v) of this clause (a), any non-cash charges or losses shall be treated as cash charges or losses in any subsequent period during which cash disbursements attributable thereto are made,

(vi) the amount of management, consulting, monitoring, transaction and advisory fees and related expenses paid to the Fund or any Fund Affiliate (or any accruals related to such fees and related expenses) during such period; provided , that such amount shall not exceed in any four quarter period the sum of (i) the greater of $2.5 million and 2.0% of EBITDA, plus (ii) the amount of deferred fees (to the extent such fees would otherwise have been permitted to be included in clause (i) if paid, but were not included in such clause (i)), plus (iii) 2.0% of the value of transactions permitted hereunder and entered into by the Borrower or any of the Subsidiaries with respect to which the Fund or any Fund Affiliate provides any of the aforementioned types of services,

(vii) non-operating expenses,

(viii) $5.1 million for any period that includes the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2006, and

(ix) the amount of net cost savings projected by the Borrower in good faith to be realized as a result of specified actions taken during such period (calculated on a Pro Forma Basis as though such cost savings had been realized on the first day of such period), net of the amount of actual benefits realized during such period from such actions, provided that (A) such cost savings are reasonably expected to result from such actions, (B) such actions are taken or committed to be taken within 36 months after the Closing Date and (C) no cost savings shall be added pursuant to this clause (viii) to the extent duplicative of any expenses or charges relating to such cost savings that are included in clause (iv) above with respect to such period,

minus (b) the sum of (without duplication and to the extent the amounts described in this clause (b) increased such Consolidated Net Income for the respective period for which EBITDA is being determined) non-cash items increasing Consolidated Net Income of the Borrower and the Subsidiaries for such period (but excluding any such items (A) in respect of which cash was received in a prior period or will be received in a future period or (B) which represent the reversal of any accrual of, or cash reserve for, anticipated cash charges in any prior period).

For purposes of determining EBITDA under this Agreement, EBITDA for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2005 shall be deemed to be $70.4 million, EBITDA for the

 

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fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2005 shall be deemed to be $52.3 million, EBITDA for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2006 shall be deemed to be $42.7 million, and EBITDA for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2006, EBITDA shall be deemed to be $55.0 million.

environment ” shall mean ambient and indoor air, surface water and groundwater (including potable water, navigable water and wetlands), the land surface or subsurface strata, natural resources such as flora and fauna, the workplace or as otherwise defined in any Environmental Law.

Environmental Laws ” shall mean all applicable laws (including common law), rules, regulations, codes, ordinances, orders, decrees or judgments, promulgated or entered into by any Governmental Authority, relating in any way to the environment, preservation or reclamation of natural resources, the generation, management, Release or threatened Release of, or exposure to, any Hazardous Material or to occupational health and safety matters (to the extent relating to the environment or Hazardous Materials).

Equity Financing ” shall mean, in connection with the consummation of the Acquisition, the purchase or contribution by the Permitted Holders, directly or indirectly, of cash equity to or of Holdings in an aggregate amount of not less than $260 million, which amount shall be contributed by Holdings to the Borrower as cash common equity.

Equity Interests ” of any person shall mean any and all shares, interests, rights to purchase or otherwise acquire, warrants, options, participations or other equivalents of or interests in (however designated) equity or ownership of such person, including any preferred stock, any limited or general partnership interest and any limited liability company membership interest, and any securities or other rights or interests convertible into or exchangeable for any of the foregoing.

ERISA ” shall mean the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as the same may be amended from time to time and any final regulations promulgated and the rulings issued thereunder.

ERISA Affiliate ” shall mean any trade or business (whether or not incorporated) that, together with Holdings, the Borrower or a Subsidiary, is treated as a single employer under Section 414(b) or (c) of the Code, or, solely for purposes of Section 302 of ERISA and Section 412 of the Code, is treated as a single employer under Section 414 of the Code.

ERISA Event ” shall mean (a) any Reportable Event or the requirements of Section 4043(b) of ERISA apply with respect to a Plan; (b) the existence with respect to any Plan of an “accumulated funding deficiency” (as defined in Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA), whether or not waived; (c) the filing pursuant to Section 412(d) of the Code or Section 303(d) of ERISA of an application for a waiver of the minimum funding standard with respect to any Plan, the failure to make by its due date a required installment under Section 412(m) of the Code with respect to any Plan or the failure to make any required contribution to a Multiemployer Plan; (d) the incurrence by Holdings, the Borrower, a Subsidiary or any ERISA Affiliate of any liability under Title IV of ERISA with respect to the termination of any Plan or Multiemployer Plan; (e) the receipt by Holdings, the Borrower, a Subsidiary or

 

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any ERISA Affiliate from the PBGC or a plan administrator of any notice relating to an intention to terminate any Plan or to appoint a trustee to administer any Plan under Section 4042 of ERISA; (f) the incurrence by Holdings, the Borrower, a Subsidiary or any ERISA Affiliate of any liability with respect to the withdrawal or partial withdrawal from any Plan or Multiemployer Plan; (g) the receipt by Holdings, the Borrower, a Subsidiary or any ERISA Affiliate of any notice, or the receipt by any Multiemployer Plan from Holdings, the Borrower, a Subsidiary or any ERISA Affiliate of any notice, concerning the impending imposition of Withdrawal Liability or a determination that a Multiemployer Plan is, or is expected to be, insolvent or in reorganization, within the meaning of Title IV of ERISA; (h) the conditions for imposition of a lien under Section 302(f) of ERISA shall have been met with respect to any Plan; or (i) the adoption of an amendment to a Plan requiring the provision of security to such Plan pursuant to Section 307 of ERISA.

Eurocurrency Borrowing ” shall mean a Borrowing comprised of Eurocurrency Loans.

Eurocurrency Loan ” shall mean any Eurocurrency Term Loan or Eurocurrency Revolving Loan.

Eurocurrency Revolving Facility Borrowing ” shall mean a Borrowing comprised of Eurocurrency Revolving Loans.

Eurocurrency Revolving Loan ” shall mean any Revolving Facility Loan bearing interest at a rate determined by reference to the Adjusted LIBO Rate in accordance with the provisions of Article II.

Eurocurrency Term Loan ” shall mean any Term Loan bearing interest at a rate determined by reference to the Adjusted LIBO Rate in accordance with the provisions of Article II.

Event of Default ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 7.01.

Excess Cash Flow ” shall mean, with respect to the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis for any Applicable Period, EBITDA of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis for such Applicable Period, minus , without duplication,

(a) Debt Service for such Applicable Period,

(b) the amount of any voluntary prepayment permitted hereunder of term Indebtedness during such Applicable Period (other than any voluntary prepayment of the Loans, which shall be the subject of Section 2.11(c)), so long as the amount of such prepayment is not already reflected in Debt Service,

(c)(i) Capital Expenditures by the Borrower and the Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis during such Applicable Period that are paid in cash (to the extent permitted under this Agreement) and (ii) the aggregate consideration paid in cash during the Applicable Period in respect of Permitted Business Acquisitions and other

 

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Investments permitted hereunder less any amounts received in respect thereof as a return of capital,

(d) Capital Expenditures that the Borrower or any Subsidiary shall, during such Applicable Period, become obligated to make but that are not made during such Applicable Period (to the extent permitted under this Agreement); provided , that (i) Holdings shall deliver a certificate to the Administrative Agent not later than 90 days after the end of such Applicable Period, signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower and certifying that such Capital Expenditures and the delivery of the related equipment will be made in the following Applicable Period, and (ii) any amount so deducted shall not be deducted again in a subsequent Applicable Period,

(e) Taxes and Tax Distributions paid in cash by Holdings and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis during such Applicable Period or that will be paid within six months after the close of such Applicable Period; provided , that with respect to any such amounts to be paid after the close of such Applicable Period, (i) any amount so deducted shall not be deducted again in a subsequent Applicable Period, and (ii) appropriate reserves shall have been established in accordance with GAAP,

(f) an amount equal to any increase in Working Capital of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for such Applicable Period,

(g) cash expenditures made in respect of Swap Agreements during such Applicable Period, to the extent not reflected in the computation of EBITDA or Interest Expense,

(h) permitted dividends or distributions or repurchases of its Equity Interests paid in cash by the Borrower during such Applicable Period and permitted dividends paid by any Subsidiary to any person other than Holdings, the Borrower or any of the Subsidiaries during such Applicable Period, in each case in accordance with Section 6.06 (other than Section 6.06(e)),

(i) amounts paid in cash during such Applicable Period on account of (A) items that were accounted for as noncash reductions of Net Income in determining Consolidated Net Income or as noncash reductions of Consolidated Net Income in determining EBITDA of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in a prior Applicable Period and (B) reserves or accruals established in purchase accounting,

(j) to the extent not deducted in the computation of Net Proceeds in respect of any asset disposition or condemnation giving rise thereto, the amount of any mandatory prepayment of Indebtedness (other than Indebtedness created hereunder or under any other Loan Document), together with any interest, premium or penalties required to be paid (and actually paid) in connection therewith, and

(k) the amount related to items that were added to or not deducted from Net Income in calculating Consolidated Net Income or were added to or not deducted from Consolidated Net Income in calculating EBITDA to the extent such items represented a cash payment (which had not reduced Excess Cash Flow upon the accrual thereof in a

 

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prior Applicable Period), or an accrual for a cash payment, by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries or did not represent cash received by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, in each case on a consolidated basis during such Applicable Period,

plus , without duplication,

(a) an amount equal to any decrease in Working Capital for such Applicable Period,

(b) all amounts referred to in clauses (b), (c) and (d) above to the extent funded with the proceeds of the issuance or the incurrence of Indebtedness (including Capital Lease Obligations and purchase money Indebtedness, but excluding, solely as relating to Capital Expenditures, proceeds of Revolving Facility Loans), the sale or issuance of any Equity Interests (including any capital contributions) and any loss, damage, destruction or condemnation of, or any sale, transfer or other disposition (including any sale and leaseback of assets and any mortgage or lease of Real Property) to any person of any asset or assets, in each case to the extent there is a corresponding deduction from Excess Cash Flow above,

(c) to the extent any permitted Capital Expenditures referred to in clause (d) above and the delivery of the related equipment do not occur in the following Applicable Period of the Borrower specified in the certificate of the Borrower provided pursuant to clause (d) above, the amount of such Capital Expenditures that were not so made in such following Applicable Period,

(d) cash payments received in respect of Swap Agreements during such Applicable Period to the extent (i) not included in the computation of EBITDA or (ii) such payments do not reduce Cash Interest Expense,

(e) any extraordinary or nonrecurring gain realized in cash during such Applicable Period (except to the extent such gain consists of Net Proceeds subject to Section 2.11(b)),

(f) to the extent deducted in the computation of EBITDA, cash interest income, and

(g) the amount related to items that were deducted from or not added to Net Income in connection with calculating Consolidated Net Income or were deducted from or not added to Consolidated Net Income in calculating EBITDA to the extent either (i) such items represented cash received by the Borrower or any Subsidiary or (ii) such items do not represent cash paid by the Borrower or any Subsidiary, in each case on a consolidated basis during such Applicable Period.

Excess Cash Flow Interim Period ” shall mean, (x) during any Excess Cash Flow Period, any one-, two-, or three-quarter period (a) commencing on the later of (i) the end of the immediately preceding Excess Cash Flow Period and (ii) if applicable, the end of any prior Excess Cash Flow Interim Period occurring during the same Excess Cash Flow Period and (b) ending on the last day of the most recently ended fiscal quarter (other than the last day of the

 

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Fiscal Year) during such Excess Cash Flow Period for which financial statements are available and (y) during the period from the Closing Date until the beginning of the first Excess Cash Flow Period, any period commencing on the Closing Date and ending on the last day of the most recently ended fiscal quarter for which financial statements are available.

Excess Cash Flow Period ” shall mean each fiscal year of the Borrower, commencing with the fiscal year of the Borrower ending on December 31, 2007.

Exchange Act ” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

Excluded Indebtedness ” shall mean all Indebtedness permitted to be incurred under Section 6.01 (other than Section 6.01(v)).

Excluded Taxes ” shall mean, with respect to the Administrative Agent, any Lender, any Issuing Bank or any other recipient of any payment to be made by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower hereunder, (a) income taxes imposed on (or measured by) its net income (or franchise taxes imposed in lieu of net income taxes) by the United States of America (or any state or locality thereof) or the jurisdiction under the laws of which such recipient is organized or in which its principal office is located or, in the case of any Lender, in which its applicable lending office is located or any other jurisdiction as a result of such recipient engaging in a trade or business in such jurisdiction for tax purposes, (b) any branch profits tax or any similar tax that is imposed by any jurisdiction described in clause (a) above, (c) in the case of a Lender making a Loan to the Borrower, any withholding tax (including any backup withholding tax) imposed by the United States (or the jurisdiction under the laws of which such Lender is organized or in which its principal office is located or in which its applicable lending office is located or any other jurisdiction as a result of such Lender engaging in a trade or business in such jurisdiction for tax purposes) that (x) is in effect and would apply to amounts payable hereunder to such Lender at the time such Lender becomes a party to such Loan to the Borrower (or designates a new lending office) except to the extent that such Lender (or its assignor, if any) was entitled, at the time of designation of a new lending office (or assignment), to receive additional amounts from a Loan Party with respect to any withholding tax pursuant to Section 2.17(a) or Section 2.17(c) or (y) is attributable to such Lender’s failure to comply with Section 2.17(f) with respect to such Loan and (d) any taxes that are imposed as a result of any event occurring after the Lender becomes a Lender (other than a Change in Law).

Facility ” shall mean the respective facility and commitments utilized in making Loans and credit extensions hereunder, it being understood that as of the date of this Agreement there are two Facilities, i.e. , the Term B Facility and the Revolving Facility (and no Incremental Revolving Facility Commitments), and thereafter, may include the Incremental Term Facility and Incremental Revolving Facility Commitments.

Federal Funds Rate ” shall mean, for any day, the rate per annum equal to the weighted average of the rates on overnight Federal funds transactions with members of the Federal Reserve System arranged by Federal funds brokers on such day, as published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on the Business Day next succeeding such day; provided , that (a) if such day is not a Business Day, the Federal Funds Rate for such day shall be such rate on such transactions on the next preceding Business Day as so published on the next succeeding Business Day, and (b) if no such rate is so published on such next succeeding Business Day, the

 

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Federal Funds Rate for such day shall be the average rate (rounded upward, if necessary, to a whole multiple of 1/100 of 1%) charged to Credit Suisse on such day on such transactions as determined by the Administrative Agent.

Fee Letter ” shall mean that certain Amended and Restated Fee Letter dated June 28, 2006 by and among the Borrower, Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Credit Suisse, Cayman Islands Branch, Lehman Commercial Paper Inc., Lehman Brothers Inc., Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Bank of America, N.A., Banc of America Bridge LLC and Banc of America Securities LLC.

Fees ” shall mean the Commitment Fees, the L/C Participation Fees, the Issuing Bank Fees and the Administrative Agent Fees.

Financial Officer ” of any person shall mean the Chief Financial Officer, principal accounting officer, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer or Controller of such person.

Financial Performance Covenant ” shall mean the covenant of the Borrower set forth in Section 6.11.

First Lien Debt ” at any date shall mean (i) the aggregate principal amount of Consolidated Debt of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries outstanding at such date that consists of, without duplication, Term Loans or Revolving Facility Credit Exposure (other than letters of credit to the extent undrawn and not supporting Indebtedness of the type included in Consolidated Debt), less (ii) without duplication, the Unrestricted Cash and Permitted Investments of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on such date.

Flow Through Entity ” shall mean an entity that is treated as a partnership not taxable as a corporation, a grantor trust or a disregarded entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes or subject to treatment on a comparable basis for purposes of state, local or foreign tax law.

Foreign Lender ” shall mean any Lender that is organized under the laws of a jurisdiction other than the United States of America. For purposes of this definition, the United States of America, each State thereof and the District of Columbia shall be deemed to constitute a single jurisdiction.

Foreign Pledge Agreement ” shall mean a pledge agreement with respect to the Pledged Collateral that constitutes Equity Interests of a “first tier” Foreign Subsidiary, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent; provided , that in no event shall more than 65% of the issued and outstanding Equity Interests of such Foreign Subsidiary be pledged to secure Obligations of the Borrower.

Foreign Subsidiary ” shall mean any Subsidiary that is incorporated or organized under the laws of any jurisdiction other than the United States of America, any State thereof or the District of Columbia.

Fund ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in the first recital hereto.

 

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Fund Affiliate ” shall mean (i) each Affiliate of the Fund that is neither a “portfolio company” (which means a company actively engaged in providing goods or services to unaffiliated customers), whether or not controlled, nor a company controlled by a “portfolio company” and (ii) any individual who is a partner or employee of Apollo Management, L.P., Apollo Management IV, L.P. or Apollo Management V, L.P.

Fund Termination Fee ” shall have the meaning specified in Section 6.07(b)(xiv).

GAAP ” shall mean generally accepted accounting principles in effect from time to time in the United States, applied on a consistent basis, subject to the provisions of Section 1.02; provided that any reference to the application of GAAP in Sections 3.13(a), 3.13(b), 3.20, 5.03, 5.07 and 6.02(e) to a Foreign Subsidiary (and not as a consolidated Subsidiary of the Borrower) shall mean generally accepted accounting principles in effect from time to time in the jurisdiction of organization of such Foreign Subsidiary.

Governmental Authority ” shall mean any federal, state, local or foreign court or governmental agency, authority, instrumentality or regulatory or legislative body.

Guarantee ” of or by any person (the “ guarantor ”) shall mean (a) any obligation, contingent or otherwise, of the guarantor guaranteeing or having the economic effect of guaranteeing any Indebtedness or other obligation of any other person (the “ primary obligor ”) in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, and including any obligation of the guarantor, direct or indirect, (i) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for the purchase or payment of) such Indebtedness or other obligation (whether arising by virtue of partnership arrangements, by agreement to keep well, to purchase assets, goods, securities or services, to take-or-pay or otherwise) or to purchase (or to advance or supply funds for the purchase of) any security for the payment of such Indebtedness or other obligation, (ii) to purchase or lease property, securities or services for the purpose of assuring the owner of such Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment thereof, (iii) to maintain working capital, equity capital or any other financial statement condition or liquidity of the primary obligor so as to enable the primary obligor to pay such Indebtedness or other obligation, (iv) entered into for the purpose of assuring in any other manner the holders of such Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment thereof or to protect such holders against loss in respect thereof (in whole or in part) or (v) as an account party in respect of any letter of credit or letter of guaranty issued to support such Indebtedness or other obligation, or (b) any Lien on any assets of the guarantor securing any Indebtedness (or any existing right, contingent or otherwise, of the holder of Indebtedness to be secured by such a Lien) of any other person, whether or not such Indebtedness or other obligation is assumed by the guarantor; provided , however , the term “Guarantee” shall not include endorsements of instruments for deposit or collection in the ordinary course of business or customary and reasonable indemnity obligations in effect on the Closing Date or entered into in connection with any acquisition or disposition of assets permitted by this Agreement (other than such obligations with respect to Indebtedness). The amount of any Guarantee shall be deemed to be an amount equal to the stated or determinable amount of the Indebtedness in respect of which such Guarantee is made or, if not stated or determinable, the maximum reasonably anticipated liability in respect thereof (assuming such person is required to perform thereunder) as determined by such person in good faith.

 

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guarantor ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in the definition of the term “Guarantee.”

Hazardous Materials ” shall mean all pollutants, contaminants, wastes, chemicals, materials, substances and constituents, including, without limitation, explosive or radioactive substances or petroleum or petroleum distillates, asbestos or asbestos containing materials, polychlorinated biphenyls or radon gas, of any nature subject to regulation or which can give rise to liability under any Environmental Law.

Holdings ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in the introductory paragraph of this Agreement.

Immaterial Subsidiary ” shall mean any Subsidiary that (a) did not, as of the last day of the fiscal quarter of the Borrower most recently ended, have assets with a value in excess of 5.0% of the Consolidated Total Assets or revenues representing in excess of 5.0% of total revenues of the Borrower and the Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis as of such date, and (b) taken together with all Immaterial Subsidiaries as of the last day of the fiscal quarter of the Borrower most recently ended, did not have assets with a value in excess of 10% of Consolidated Total Assets or revenues representing in excess of 10% of total revenues of the Borrower and the Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis as of such date. Each Immaterial Subsidiary shall be set forth in Schedule 1.01C , and the Borrower shall update such Schedule from time to time after the Closing Date as necessary to reflect all Immaterial Subsidiaries at such time (the selection of Subsidiaries to be added to or removed from such Schedule to be made as the Borrower may determine).

Increased Amount Date ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.21.

Incremental Amount ” shall mean, at any time, the excess, if any, of (a) $285.0 million over (b) the aggregate amount of all Incremental Term Loan Commitments and Incremental Revolving Facility Commitments established prior to such time pursuant to Section 2.21.

Incremental Assumption Agreement ” shall mean an Incremental Assumption Agreement in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, among the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and one or more Incremental Term Lenders and/or Incremental Revolving Facility Lenders.

Incremental Revolving Facility Commitment ” shall mean any increased or incremental Revolving Facility Commitment provided pursuant to Section 2.21.

Incremental Revolving Facility Lender ” shall mean a Lender with a Revolving Facility Commitment or an outstanding Revolving Facility Loan as a result of an Incremental Revolving Facility Commitment.

Incremental Term Borrowing ” shall mean a Borrowing comprised of Incremental Term Loans.

 

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Incremental Term Facility ” shall mean the Incremental Term Loan Commitments and the Incremental Term Loans made hereunder.

Incremental Term Facility Maturity Date ” shall mean, with respect to any series or tranche of Incremental Term Loans established pursuant to an Incremental Assumption Agreement, the maturity date for as set forth in such Incremental Assumption Agreement.

Incremental Term Lender ” shall mean a Lender with an Incremental Term Loan Commitment or an outstanding Incremental Term Loan.

Incremental Term Loan Commitment ” shall mean the commitment of any Lender, established pursuant to Section 2.21, to make Incremental Term Loans to the Borrower.

Incremental Term Loan Installment Date ” shall have, with respect to any series or tranche of Incremental Term Loans established pursuant to an Incremental Assumption Agreement, the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.10(a)(ii).

Incremental Term Loans ” shall mean Term Loans made by one or more Lenders to the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.01(c). Incremental Term Loans may be made in the form of additional Term B Loans or, to the extent permitted by Section 2.21 and provided for in the relevant Incremental Assumption Agreement, Other Term Loans.

Indebtedness ” of any person shall mean, without duplication, (a) all obligations of such person for borrowed money, (b) all obligations of such person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or similar instruments, (c) all obligations of such person under conditional sale or other title retention agreements relating to property or assets purchased by such person, (d) all obligations of such person issued or assumed as the deferred purchase price of property or services, to the extent that the same would be required to be shown as a long term liability on a balance sheet prepared in accordance with GAAP, (e) all Capital Lease Obligations of such person, (f) all net payments that such person would have to make in the event of an early termination, on the date Indebtedness of such person is being determined, in respect of outstanding Swap Agreements, (g) the principal component of all obligations, contingent or otherwise, of such person as an account party in respect of letters of credit, (h) the principal component of all obligations of such person in respect of bankers’ acceptances, (i) all Guarantees by such person of Indebtedness described in clauses (a) to (h) above) and (j) the amount of all obligations of such person with respect to the redemption, repayment or other repurchase of any Disqualified Stock (excluding accrued dividends that have not increased the liquidation preference of such Disqualified Stock); provided , that Indebtedness shall not include (A) trade payables, accrued expenses and intercompany liabilities arising in the ordinary course of business, (B) prepaid or deferred revenue arising in the ordinary course of business, (C) purchase price holdbacks arising in the ordinary course of business in respect of a portion of the purchase prices of an asset to satisfy unperformed obligations of the seller of such asset or (D) earn-out obligations until such obligations become a liability on the balance sheet of such person in accordance with GAAP. The Indebtedness of any person shall include the Indebtedness of any partnership in which such person is a general partner, other than to the extent that the instrument or agreement evidencing such Indebtedness expressly limits the liability of such person in

 

25


respect thereof. To the extent not otherwise included, Indebtedness shall include the amount of any Receivables Net Investment.

Indemnified Taxes ” shall mean all Taxes other than Excluded Taxes.

Indemnitee ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.05(b).

Information ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 3.14(a).

Information Memorandum ” shall mean the Confidential Information Memorandum dated July 2006, as modified or supplemented prior to the Closing Date.

Intercreditor Agreement ” shall mean the Intercreditor Agreement, dated as of August 1, 2006, by and among Credit Suisse, Cayman Island Branch as Intercreditor Agent, Wilmington Trust Company, as Trustee, Holdings, the Borrower, and the Subsidiary Loan Parties, as in effect on the Closing Date and as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time in accordance with the requirements thereof and of this Agreement.

Interest Election Request ” shall mean a request by the Borrower to convert or continue a Term Borrowing or Revolving Facility Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.07.

Interest Expense ” shall mean, with respect to any person for any period, the sum of (a) gross interest expense of such person for such period on a consolidated basis, including (i) the amortization of debt discounts, (ii) the amortization of all fees (including fees with respect to Swap Agreements) payable in connection with the incurrence of Indebtedness to the extent included in interest expense and (iii) the portion of any payments or accruals with respect to Capital Lease Obligations allocable to interest expense, (b) capitalized interest of such person, and (c) commissions, discounts, yield and other fees and charges incurred in connection with any Permitted Receivables Financing which are payable to any person other than the Borrower or a Subsidiary Loan Party. For purposes of the foregoing, gross interest expense shall be determined after giving effect to any net payments made or received and costs incurred by the Borrower and the Subsidiaries with respect to Swap Agreements.

Interest Payment Date ” shall mean, (a) with respect to any Eurocurrency Loan, the last day of the Interest Period applicable to the Borrowing of which such Loan is a part and, in the case of a Eurocurrency Borrowing with an Interest Period of more than three months’ duration, each day that would have been an Interest Payment Date had successive Interest Periods of three months’ duration been applicable to such Borrowing and, in addition, the date of any refinancing or conversion of such Borrowing with or to a Borrowing of a different Type, (b) with respect to any ABR Loan, the last Business Day of each March, June, September and December.

Interest Period ” shall mean, as to any Eurocurrency Borrowing, the period commencing on the date of such Borrowing or on the last day of the immediately preceding Interest Period applicable to such Borrowing, as applicable, and ending on the numerically corresponding day (or, if there is no numerically corresponding day, on the last day) in the calendar month that is 1, 2, 3 or 6 months thereafter (or 9 or 12 months, if at the time of the relevant Borrowing, all Lenders consent to such interest periods), as the Borrower may elect, or

 

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the date any Eurocurrency Borrowing is converted to an ABR Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.07 or repaid or prepaid in accordance with Section 2.09, 2.10 or 2.11; provided , however , that if any Interest Period would end on a day other than a Business Day, such Interest Period shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day unless such next succeeding Business Day would fall in the next calendar month, in which case such Interest Period shall end on the next preceding Business Day. Interest shall accrue from and including the first day of an Interest Period to but excluding the last day of such Interest Period.

Investment ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 6.04.

Issuing Bank ” shall mean Credit Suisse and each other Issuing Bank designated pursuant to Section 2.05(k), in each case in its capacity as an issuer of Letters of Credit hereunder, and its successors in such capacity as provided in Section 2.05(i). An Issuing Bank may, in its discretion, arrange for one or more Letters of Credit to be issued by Affiliates of such Issuing Bank, in which case the term “Issuing Bank” shall include any such Affiliate with respect to Letters of Credit issued by such Affiliate.

Issuing Bank Fees ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.12(b).

Junior Financing ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 6.09(b).

L/C Disbursement ” shall mean (i) a payment or disbursement made by an Issuing Bank pursuant to a Letter of Credit.

L/C Participation Fee ” shall have the meaning assigned such term in Section 2.12(b).

Lender ” shall mean each financial institution listed on Schedule 2.01 (other than any such person that has ceased to be a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and Acceptance in accordance with Section 9.04), as well as any person that becomes a “Lender” hereunder pursuant to Section 9.04 or Section 2.21.

Lender Default ” shall mean (i) the refusal (which has not been retracted) of a Lender to make available its portion of any Borrowing, to acquire participations in a Swingline Loan pursuant to Section 2.04 or to fund its portion of any unreimbursed payment under Section 2.05(e), or (ii) a Lender having notified in writing the Borrower and/or the Administrative Agent that it does not intend to comply with its obligations under Section 2.04, 2.05 or 2.06.

lending office ” shall mean, as to any Lender, the applicable branch, office or Affiliate of such Lender designated by such Lender to make Loans.

Letter of Credit ” shall mean any letter of credit issued pursuant to Section 2.05, including any Alternate Currency Letter of Credit.

 

27


Letter of Credit Commitment ” shall mean, with respect to each Issuing Bank, the commitment of such Issuing Bank to issue Letters of Credit pursuant to Section 2.05.

Letter of Credit Sublimit ” shall mean the aggregate Letter of Credit Commitments of the Issuing Banks, in an amount not to exceed $60.0 million (or the equivalent thereof in an Alternate Currency).

LIBO Rate ” shall mean, with respect to any Eurocurrency Borrowing for any Interest Period, the rate per annum equal to the British Bankers Association LIBOR Rate (“ BBA LIBOR ”), as published by Bloomberg (or other commercially available source providing quotations of BBA LIBOR as designated by the Administrative Agent from time to time) at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, two Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period, for Dollar deposits (for delivery on the first day of such Interest Period) with a term equivalent to such Interest Period; provided , that if such rate is not available at such time for any reason, then the “LIBO Rate” for such Interest Period shall be the rate per annum determined by the Administrative Agent to be the rate at which deposits in Dollars for delivery on the first day of such Interest Period in same day funds in the approximate amount of the Eurocurrency Rate Loan being made, continued or converted by Credit Suisse and with a term equivalent to such Interest Period would be offered by Credit Suisse’s London Branch to major banks in the London interbank Eurocurrency market at their request at approximately 11:00 a.m. (London time) two Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period.

Lien ” shall mean, with respect to any asset, (a) any mortgage, deed of trust, lien, hypothecation, pledge, charge, security interest or similar encumbrance in or on such asset and (b) the interest of a vendor or a lessor under any conditional sale agreement, capital lease or title retention agreement (or any financing lease having substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing) relating to such asset.

Loan Documents ” shall mean this Agreement, the Letters of Credit, the Security Documents, the Intercreditor Agreement and any Note issued under Section 2.09(e), and solely for the purposes of Sections 4.02 and 7.01 hereof, the Fee Letter.

Loan Parties ” shall mean Holdings, the Borrower and the Subsidiary Loan Parties.

Loans ” shall mean the Term B Loans, the Incremental Term Loans (if any), the Revolving Facility Loans and the Swingline Loans.

Local Time ” shall mean New York City time.

Majority Lenders ” of any Facility shall mean, at any time, Lenders under such Facility having Loans and unused Commitments representing more than 50% of the sum of all Loans outstanding under such Facility and unused Commitments under such Facility at such time.

Management Group ” means the group consisting of the directors, executive officers and other management personnel of the Borrower and Holdings, as the case may be, on the Closing Date together with (a) any new directors whose election by such boards of directors

 

28


or whose nomination for election by the shareholders of the Borrower or Holdings, as the case may be, was approved by a vote of a majority of the directors of the Borrower or Holdings, as the case may be, then still in office who were either directors on the Closing Date or whose election or nomination was previously so approved and (b) executive officers and other management personnel of the Borrower or Holdings, as the case may be, hired at a time when the directors on the Closing Date together with the directors so approved constituted a majority of the directors of the Borrower or Holdings, as the case may be.

Margin Stock ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Regulation U.

Material Adverse Effect ” shall mean a material adverse effect on the business, property, operations or condition of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or the validity or enforceability of any of the Loan Documents or the rights and remedies of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders thereunder; provided , however , that solely for purposes of determining whether the condition in Section 4.01(b) has been satisfied in connection with the first Credit Event on the Closing Date, any reference to “Material Adverse Effect” in any of the representations and warranties referred to in Section 4.01(b) shall mean “Material Adverse Effect” as defined in the Purchase Agreement.

Material Indebtedness ” shall mean Indebtedness (other than Loans and Letters of Credit) of any one or more of Holdings, the Borrower or any Subsidiary in an aggregate principal amount exceeding $20.0 million.

Material Subsidiary ” shall mean any Subsidiary other than Immaterial Subsidiaries.

Maximum Rate ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.09.

Moody’s ” shall mean Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.

Mortgaged Properties ” shall mean the Real Properties owned in fee by the Loan Parties that are set forth on Schedule 1.01B and each additional Real Property encumbered by a Mortgage pursuant to Section 5.10.

Mortgages ” shall mean, collectively, the mortgages, trust deeds, deeds of trust, deeds to secure debt, assignments of leases and rents, and other security documents delivered with respect to Mortgaged Properties, each substantially in the form of Exhibit E , (with such changes as are reasonably consented to by the Administrative Agent to account for local law matters), as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time.

Multiemployer Plan ” shall mean a multiemployer plan as defined in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA to which the Borrower, Holdings or any Subsidiary or any ERISA Affiliate (other than one considered an ERISA Affiliate only pursuant to subsection (m) or (o) of Code Section 414) is making or accruing an obligation to make contributions, or has within any of the preceding six plan years made or accrued an obligation to make contributions.

 

29


Net Income ” shall mean, with respect to any person, the net income (loss) of such person, determined in accordance with GAAP and before any reduction in respect of preferred stock dividends.

Net Proceeds ” shall mean:

(a) 100% of the cash proceeds actually received by the Borrower or any Subsidiary Loan Party (including any cash payments received by way of deferred payment of principal pursuant to a note or installment receivable or purchase price adjustment receivable or otherwise and including casualty insurance settlements and condemnation awards, but only as and when received) from any Asset Sale (other than those pursuant to Section 6.05(a), (b), (c), (d) (except as contemplated by Section 6.03(b)(ii)), (e), (f), (h), (i) or (j)), net of (i) attorneys’ fees, accountants’ fees, investment banking fees, survey costs, title insurance premiums, and related search and recording charges, transfer taxes, deed or mortgage recording taxes, required debt payments and required payments of other obligations relating to the applicable asset to the extent such debt or obligations are secured by a Lien permitted hereunder (other than pursuant to the Loan Documents) on such asset, other customary expenses and brokerage, consultant and other customary fees actually incurred in connection therewith, (ii) Taxes paid or payable as a result thereof or any Tax Distributions resulting therefrom, and (iii) the amount of any reasonable reserve established in accordance with GAAP against any adjustment to the sale price or any liabilities (other than any taxes deducted pursuant to clause (i) above) (x) related to any of the applicable assets and (y) retained by the Borrower or any of the Subsidiaries including, without limitation, pension and other post-employment benefit liabilities and liabilities related to environmental matters or against any indemnification obligations (however, the amount of any subsequent reduction of such reserve (other than in connection with a payment in respect of any such liability) shall be deemed to be Net Cash Proceeds of such Asset Sale occurring on the date of such reduction); provided , that, if no Event of Default exists and Holdings or the Borrower shall deliver a certificate of a Responsible Officer of Holdings or the Borrower to the Administrative Agent promptly following receipt of any such proceeds setting forth Holdings’ or the Borrower’s intention to use any portion of such proceeds, to acquire, maintain, develop, construct, improve, upgrade or repair assets useful in the business of the Borrower and the Subsidiaries or to make investments in Permitted Business Acquisitions, in each case within 15 months of such receipt, such portion of such proceeds shall not constitute Net Proceeds except to the extent not, within 15 months of such receipt, so used or contractually committed to be so used (it being understood that if any portion of such proceeds are not so used within such 15-month period but within such 15-month period are contractually committed to be used, then upon the termination of such contract, such remaining portion shall constitute Net Proceeds as of the date of such termination or expiry without giving effect to this proviso); provided , further , that (x) no proceeds realized in a single transaction or series of related transactions shall constitute Net Proceeds unless such proceeds shall exceed $5.0 million and (y) no proceeds shall constitute Net Proceeds in any fiscal year until the aggregate amount of all such proceeds in such fiscal year shall exceed $10.0 million, and (z) at any time during the 15-month reinvestment period contemplated by the immediately preceding proviso above, if, on a Pro Forma Basis after giving effect to the Asset Sale and the application of

 

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the proceeds thereof, the Total Net First Lien Leverage Ratio is less than or equal to 2.00 to 1.00, up to $75.0 million of such proceeds shall not constitute Net Proceeds; and

(b) 100% of the cash proceeds from the incurrence, issuance or sale by the Borrower or any Subsidiary Loan Party of any Indebtedness (other than Excluded Indebtedness), net of all taxes and fees (including investment banking fees), commissions, costs and other expenses, in each case incurred in connection with such issuance or sale.

For purposes of calculating the amount of Net Proceeds, fees, commissions and other costs and expenses payable to Holdings or the Borrower or any Affiliate of either of them shall be disregarded, except for financial advisory fees customary in type and amount paid to Affiliates of the Fund and otherwise not prohibited from being paid hereunder.

Non-Consenting Lender ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.19(c).

Note ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.09(e).

Obligations ” shall mean all amounts owing to the Administrative Agent, the Collateral Agent or any Lender pursuant to the terms of this Agreement or any other Loan Document.

Other Revolving Loans ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.21.

Other Taxes ” shall mean any and all present or future stamp or documentary taxes or any other excise, transfer, sales, property, intangible, mortgage recording, or similar taxes, charges or levies arising from any payment made hereunder or from the execution, delivery or enforcement of, or otherwise with respect to, the Loan Documents, and any and all interest and penalties related thereto (but not Excluded Taxes).

Other Term Loans ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.21.

Overdraft Line ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 6.01(w).

Parent Entity ” means any direct or indirect parent of Holdings.

Participant ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.04(c).

PBGC ” shall mean the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation referred to and defined in ERISA.

Perfection Certificate ” shall mean the Perfection Certificate with respect to Borrower and the other Loan Parties in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.

 

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Permitted Additional Debt ” shall mean any Indebtedness for borrowed money (a) for which the average life to maturity of such Permitted Additional Debt is greater than or equal to the remaining weighted average life to maturity of the Term B Loans and (b) that does not have a stated maturity prior to the date that is 91 days after the Term B Facility Maturity Date.

Permitted Business Acquisition ” shall mean any acquisition of all or substantially all the assets of, or all the Equity Interests (other than directors’ qualifying shares) in, a person or division or line of business of a person (or any subsequent investment made in a person, division or line of business previously acquired in a Permitted Business Acquisition), if immediately after giving effect thereto: (i) no Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing or would result therefrom; (ii) all transactions related thereto shall be consummated in accordance with applicable laws; (iii) with respect to any such acquisition or investment with a fair market value in excess of $20.0 million, the Borrower and its Subsidiaries shall be in Pro Forma Compliance after giving effect to such acquisition or investment and any related transactions; (iv) any acquired or newly formed Subsidiary shall not be liable for any Indebtedness except for Indebtedness permitted by Section 6.01; (v) to the extent required by Section 5.10, any person acquired in such acquisition, if acquired by the Borrower or a Domestic Subsidiary, shall be merged into the Borrower or a Subsidiary Loan Party or become upon consummation of such acquisition a Subsidiary Loan Party, and (vi) the aggregate amount of such acquisitions and investments in assets that are not owned by the Borrower or Subsidiary Loan Parties or in Equity Interests in Subsidiary Loan Parties or persons that become Subsidiary Loan Parties upon consummation of such acquisition shall not exceed the greater of (x) 5.0% of Consolidated Total Assets and (y) $75.0 million.

Permitted Cure Securities ” shall mean any equity securities of Holdings other than Disqualified Stock, and upon which all dividends or distributions (if any) shall, prior to 91 days after the Term B Facility Maturity Date, be payable solely in additional shares of such equity security.

Permitted Holder ” shall mean each of (i) the Fund and the Fund Affiliates, and (ii) the Management Group.

Permitted Investments ” shall mean:

(a) direct obligations of the United States of America or any member of the European Union or any agency thereof or obligations guaranteed by the United States of America or any member of the European Union or any agency thereof, in each case with maturities not exceeding two years;

(b) time deposit accounts, certificates of deposit and money market deposits maturing within 180 days of the date of acquisition thereof issued by a bank or trust company that is organized under the laws of the United States of America, any state thereof or any foreign country recognized by the United States of America having capital, surplus and undivided profits in excess of $250 million and whose long-term debt, or whose parent holding company’s long-term debt, is rated A (or such similar equivalent

 

32


rating or higher by at least one nationally recognized statistical rating organization (as defined in Rule 436 under the Securities Act);

(c) repurchase obligations with a term of not more than 180 days for underlying securities of the types described in clause (a) above entered into with a bank meeting the qualifications described in clause (b) above;

(d) commercial paper, maturing not more than one year after the date of acquisition, issued by a corporation (other than an Affiliate of any Borrower) organized and in existence under the laws of the United States of America or any foreign country recognized by the United States of America with a rating at the time as of which any investment therein is made of P-1 (or higher) according to Moody’s, or A-1 (or higher) according to S&P;

(e) securities with maturities of two years or less from the date of acquisition issued or fully guaranteed by any State, commonwealth or territory of the United States of America, or by any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof, and rated at least A by S&P or A by Moody’s;

(f) shares of mutual funds whose investment guidelines restrict 95% of such funds’ investments to those satisfying the provisions of clauses (a) through (e) above;

(g) money market funds that (i) comply with the criteria set forth in Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, (ii) are rated AAA by S&P and Aaa by Moody’s and (iii) have portfolio assets of at least $5,000.0 million; and

(h) time deposit accounts, certificates of deposit and money market deposits in an aggregate face amount not in excess of 0.5% of the total assets of the Borrower and the Subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, as of the end of the Borrower’s most recently completed fiscal year; and

(i) instruments equivalent to those referred to in clauses (a) through (h) above denominated in any foreign currency comparable in credit quality and tenor to those referred to above and commonly used by corporations for cash management purposes in any jurisdiction outside the United States to the extent reasonably required in connection with any business conducted by any Subsidiary organized in such jurisdiction.

Permitted Liens ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 6.02.

Permitted Receivables Documents ” shall mean all documents and agreements evidencing, relating to or otherwise governing a Permitted Receivables Financing.

Permitted Receivables Financing ” shall mean one or more transactions pursuant to which (i) Receivables Assets or interests therein are sold to or financed by one or more Special Purpose Receivables Subsidiaries, and (ii) such Special Purpose Receivables Subsidiaries finance their acquisition of such Receivables Assets or interests therein, or the financing thereof, by selling or borrowing against Receivables Assets; provided , that (A) recourse to the Borrower or any Subsidiary (other than the Special Purpose Receivables

 

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Subsidiaries) in connection with such transactions shall be limited to the extent customary for similar transactions in the applicable jurisdictions (including, to the extent applicable, in a manner consistent with the delivery of a “true sale”/“absolute transfer” opinion with respect to any transfer by the Borrower or any Subsidiary (other than a Special Purpose Receivables Subsidiary) and (B) the aggregate Receivables Net Investment since the Closing Date shall not exceed $100.0 million.

Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness ” shall mean any Indebtedness issued in exchange for, or the net proceeds of which are used to extend, refinance, renew, replace, defease or refund (collectively, to “ Refinance ”), the Indebtedness being Refinanced (or previous refinancings thereof constituting Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness); provided , that (a) the principal amount (or accreted value, if applicable) of such Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness does not exceed the principal amount (or accreted value, if applicable) of the Indebtedness so Refinanced (plus unpaid accrued interest and premium thereon and underwriting discounts, fees, commissions and expenses), (b) except with respect to Section 6.01(i), the average life to maturity of such Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness is greater than or equal to the earlier of (i) the weighted average life to maturity of the Indebtedness being Refinanced and (ii) 90 days after the Term B Facility Maturity Date, (c) if the Indebtedness being Refinanced is subordinated in right of payment to the Obligations under this Agreement, such Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness shall be subordinated in right of payment to such Obligations on terms at least as favorable to the Lenders as those contained in the documentation governing the Indebtedness being Refinanced, (d) no Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness shall have different obligors, or greater guarantees or security, than the Indebtedness being Refinanced and (e) if the Indebtedness being Refinanced is secured by any collateral (whether equally and ratably with, or junior to, the Secured Parties or otherwise), such Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness may be secured by such collateral (including in respect of working capital facilities of Foreign Subsidiaries otherwise permitted under this Agreement only, any collateral pursuant to after-acquired property clauses to the extent any such collateral secured the Indebtedness being Refinanced) on terms no less favorable to the Secured Parties than those contained in the documentation governing the Indebtedness being Refinanced; provided further , that with respect to a Refinancing of (x) the Senior Subordinated Notes or Permitted Additional Debt that are subordinated, such Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness shall (i) be subordinated to the guarantee by Holdings and the Subsidiary Loan Parties of the Facilities, and (ii) be otherwise on terms not materially less favorable to the Lenders than those contained in the documentation governing the Indebtedness being Refinanced, (y) the Senior Subordinated Notes or Permitted Additional Debt, such Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness shall meet the requirements of the definition of “Permitted Additional Debt” and (z) the Second Lien Notes, (i) the Liens, if any securing such Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness shall be subject to the Intercreditor Agreement and (ii) such Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness shall be otherwise on terms not materially less favorable to the Lenders than those contained in the documentation governing the Indebtedness being Refinanced.

person ” shall mean any natural person, corporation, business trust, joint venture, association, company, partnership, limited liability company or government, individual or family trusts, or any agency or political subdivision thereof.

 

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Plan ” shall mean any employee pension benefit plan (other than a Multiemployer Plan) that is, (i) subject to the provisions of Title IV of ERISA or Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, (ii) sponsored or maintained (at the time of determination or at any time within the five years prior thereto) by Holdings, the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate, or (iii) in respect of which Holdings, the Borrower, any Subsidiary or any ERISA Affiliate is (or, if such plan were terminated, would under Section 4069 of ERISA be deemed to be) an “employer” as defined in Section 3(5) of ERISA.

Platform ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.17(b).

Pledged Collateral ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in the Collateral Agreement.

Pricing Grid ” shall mean, with respect to the Revolving Facility Loans, the table set forth below:

 

Total Net First Lien
Leverage Ratio

  

Applicable Margin for
ABR Loans

 

 

Applicable Margin for
Eurocurrency Loans

 

 

Applicable
Commitment Fee

 

Greater than 1.25 to 1.0

  

1.00

 

2.00

 

0.50

Less than or equal to 1.25 to 1.0 but greater than or equal to 1.0 to 1.0

  

0.75

 

1.75

 

0.375

Less than 1.0 to 1.0

  

0.50

 

1.50

 

0.375

For the purposes of the Pricing Grid, changes in the Applicable Margin and Applicable Commitment Fee resulting from changes in the Total Net First Lien Leverage Ratio shall become effective on the date (the “ Adjustment Date ”) that is three Business Days after the date on which financial statements are delivered to the Lenders pursuant to Section 5.04 and shall remain in effect until the next change to be effected pursuant to this paragraph. If any financial statements referred to above are not delivered within the time periods specified in Section 5.04, then, at the option of the Administrative Agent or the Required Lenders, until the date that is three Business Days after the date on which such financial statements are delivered, the pricing level that is one pricing level higher than the pricing level theretofore in effect shall apply as of the first Business Day after the date on which such financial statements were to have been delivered but were not delivered. Each determination of the Total Net First Lien Leverage Ratio pursuant to the Pricing Grid shall be made in a manner consistent with the determination thereof pursuant to Section 6.11.

primary obligor ” shall have the meaning given such term in the definition of the term “Guarantee.”

 

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Pro Forma Adjusted EBITDA ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 3.05(a).

Pro Forma Basis ” shall mean, as to any person, for any events as described below that occur subsequent to the commencement of a period for which the financial effect of such events is being calculated, and giving effect to the events for which such calculation is being made, such calculation as will give pro forma effect to such events as if such events occurred on the first day of the four consecutive fiscal quarter period ended on or before the occurrence of such event (the “ Reference Period ”): (i) in making any determination of EBITDA, effect shall be given to any Asset Sale, any acquisition (or any similar transaction or transactions not otherwise permitted under Section 6.04 or 6.05 that require a waiver or consent of the Required Lenders and such waiver or consent has been obtained), any dividend, distribution or other similar payment, any designation of any Subsidiary as an Unrestricted Subsidiary and any Subsidiary Redesignation, and any restructurings of the business of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries that are expected to have a continuing impact and are factually supportable, which would include cost savings resulting from head count reduction, closure of facilities and similar operational and other cost savings, which adjustments the Borrower determines are reasonable as set forth in a certificate of a Financial Officer of the Borrower (the foregoing, together with any transactions related thereto or in connection therewith, the “relevant transactions”), in each case that occurred during the Reference Period (or, in the case of determinations made pursuant to the definition of the term “Permitted Business Acquisition” or pursuant to Sections 2.11(b), 6.01(r), 6.02(dd) or 6.06(e), occurring during the Reference Period or thereafter and through and including the date upon which the respective Permitted Business Acquisition or incurrence of Indebtedness or Liens or dividend is consummated), (ii) in making any determination on a Pro Forma Basis, (x) all Indebtedness (including Indebtedness issued, incurred or assumed as a result of, or to finance, any relevant transactions and for which the financial effect is being calculated, whether incurred under this Agreement or otherwise, but excluding normal fluctuations in revolving Indebtedness incurred for working capital purposes and amounts outstanding under any Permitted Receivables Financing, in each case not to finance any acquisition) issued, incurred, assumed or permanently repaid during the Reference Period (or, in the case of determinations made pursuant to the definition of the term “Permitted Business Acquisition” or pursuant to Sections 2.11(b), 6.01(r), 6.02(dd) or 6.06(e), occurring during the Reference Period or thereafter and through and including the date upon which the respective Permitted Business Acquisition or incurrence of Indebtedness or Liens or dividend is consummated) shall be deemed to have been issued, incurred, assumed or permanently repaid at the beginning of such period and (y) Interest Expense of such person attributable to interest on any Indebtedness, for which pro forma effect is being given as provided in preceding clause (x), bearing floating interest rates shall be computed on a pro forma basis as if the rates that would have been in effect during the period for which pro forma effect is being given had been actually in effect during such periods and (iii) (A) any Subsidiary Redesignation then being designated, effect shall be given to such Subsidiary Redesignation and all other Subsidiary Redesignations after the first day of the relevant Reference Period and on or prior to the date of the respective Subsidiary Redesignation then being designated, collectively, and (B) any designation of a Subsidiary as an Unrestricted Subsidiary, effect shall be given to such designation and all other designations of Subsidiaries as Unrestricted Subsidiaries after the first day of the relevant Reference Period and on or prior to the date of the then applicable designation of a Subsidiary as an Unrestricted Subsidiary, collectively.

 

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Pro forma calculations made pursuant to the definition of the term “Pro Forma Basis” shall be determined in good faith by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower and, for any fiscal period ending on or prior to the second anniversary of any relevant pro forma event, may include adjustments to reflect (1) operating expense reductions and other operating improvements or synergies reasonably expected to result from such relevant pro forma event and (2) all adjustments of the type used in connection with the calculation of Adjusted EBITDA as set forth in footnote 4 to the “Summary Historical and Pro Forma Combined Financial Data” under “Summary” in the Second Lien Notes Offering Memorandum and the Senior Subordinated Notes Offering Memorandum to the extent such adjustments, without duplication, continue to be applicable. The Borrower shall deliver to the Administrative Agent a certificate of a Financial Officer of the Borrower setting forth such demonstrable or additional operating expense reductions and other operating improvements or synergies and information and calculations supporting them in reasonable detail.

Pro Forma Compliance ” shall mean, at any date of determination, that the Borrower and its Subsidiaries shall be in compliance, on a Pro Forma Basis after giving effect on a Pro Forma Basis to the relevant transactions (including the assumption, the issuance, incurrence and permanent repayment of Indebtedness), with the Financial Performance Covenant recomputed as at the last day of the most recently ended fiscal quarter of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for which the financial statements and certificates required pursuant to Section 5.04 have been delivered, and the Borrower shall have delivered to the Administrative Agent a certificate of a Responsible Officer of the Borrower to such effect, together with all relevant financial information.

Pro Forma Financial Statements ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 3.05(a).

Projections ” shall mean the projections of Holdings, the Borrower and the Subsidiaries included in the Information Memorandum and any other projections and any forward-looking statements (including statements with respect to booked business) of such entities furnished to the Lenders or the Administrative Agent by or on behalf of Holdings, the Borrower or any of the Subsidiaries prior to the Closing Date.

Purchase Agreement ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in the first recital hereto.

Purchase Documents ” shall mean the collective reference to the Purchase Agreement, all material exhibits and schedules thereto and all agreements expressly contemplated thereby.

Qualified Equity Interests ” means any Equity Interests other than Disqualified Stock.

Qualified IPO ” shall mean an underwritten public offering of the Equity Interests of Holdings (or any direct or indirect parent of Holdings) which generates cash proceeds of at least $75.0 million.

 

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Real Property ” means, collectively, all right, title and interest (including any leasehold estate) in and to any and all parcels of or interests in real property owned in fee or leased by any Loan Party, together with, in each case, all easements, hereditaments and appurtenances relating thereto, all improvements and appurtenant fixtures incidental to the ownership or lease thereof.

Receivables Assets ” shall mean accounts receivable (including any bills of exchange) and related assets and property from time to time originated, acquired or otherwise owned by the Borrower or any Subsidiary.

Receivables Net Investment ” shall mean the aggregate cash amount paid by the lenders or purchasers under any Permitted Receivables Financing in connection with their purchase of, or the making of loans secured by, Receivables Assets or interests therein, as the same may be reduced from time to time by collections with respect to such Receivables Assets or otherwise in accordance with the terms of the Permitted Receivables Documents (but excluding any such collections used to make payments of items included in clause (c) of the definition of Interest Expense); provided , however, that if all or any part of such Receivables Net Investment shall have been reduced by application of any distribution and thereafter such distribution is rescinded or must otherwise be returned for any reason, such Receivables Net Investment shall be increased by the amount of such distribution, all as though such distribution had not been made.

Reference Period ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in the definition of the term “Pro Forma Basis.”

Refinance ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in the definition of the term “Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness,” and “ Refinanced ” shall have a meaning correlative thereto.

Refinanced Indebtedness ” shall mean the Indebtedness described on Schedule 1.01D .

Register ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.04(b).

Regulation U ” shall mean Regulation U of the Board as from time to time in effect and all official rulings and interpretations thereunder or thereof.

Regulation X ” shall mean Regulation X of the Board as from time to time in effect and all official rulings and interpretations thereunder or thereof.

Related Fund ” shall mean, with respect to any Lender that is a fund that invests in bank or commercial loans and similar extensions of credit, any other fund that invests in bank or commercial loans and similar extensions of credit and is advised or managed by (a) such Lender, (b) an Affiliate of such Lender or (c) an entity (or an Affiliate of such entity) that administers, advises or manages such Lender.

 

38


Related Parties ” shall mean, with respect to any specified person, such person’s Affiliates and the respective directors, trustees, officers, employees, agents and advisors of such person and such person’s Affiliates.

Release ” shall mean any spilling, leaking, seepage, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, discharging, injecting, escaping, leaching, dumping, disposing, depositing, emanating or migrating in, into, onto or through the environment.

Remaining Present Value ” shall mean, as of any date with respect to any lease, the present value as of such date of the scheduled future lease payments with respect to such lease, determined with a discount rate equal to a market rate of interest for such lease reasonably determined at the time such lease was entered into.

Reportable Event ” shall mean any reportable event as defined in Section 4043(c) of ERISA or the regulations issued thereunder, other than those events as to which the 30-day notice period referred to in Section 4043(c) of ERISA has been waived, with respect to a Plan (other than a Plan maintained by an ERISA Affiliate that is considered an ERISA Affiliate only pursuant to subsection (m) or (o) of Section 414 of the Code).

Required Lenders ” shall mean, at any time, Lenders having (a) Loans (other than Swingline Loans) outstanding, (b) Revolving L/C Exposures, (c) Swingline Exposures, and (d) Available Unused Commitments, that taken together, represent more than 50% of the sum of (w) all Loans (other than Swingline Loans) outstanding, (x) Revolving L/C Exposures, (y) Swingline Exposures, and (z) the total Available Unused Commitments at such time. The Loans, Revolving L/C Exposures, Swingline Exposures and Available Unused Commitment of any Defaulting Lender shall be disregarded in determining Required Lenders at any time.

Required Percentage ” shall mean, with respect to an Excess Cash Flow Period (or Excess Cash Flow Interim Period), 50%; provided , that (a) if the Total Net First Lien Leverage Ratio at the end of the Applicable Period (or Excess Cash Flow Interim Period) is greater than 2.00:1.00 but less than or equal to 2.25:1.00, such percentage shall be 25%, and (b) if the Total Net First Lien Leverage Ratio at the end of the Applicable Period (or Excess Cash Flow Interim Period) is less than or equal to 2.00:1.00, such percentage shall be 0%.

Responsible Officer ” of any person shall mean any executive officer or Financial Officer of such person and any other officer or similar official thereof responsible for the administration of the obligations of such person in respect of this Agreement.

Retained Excess Cash Flow Overfunding ” shall mean, at any time, in respect of any Excess Cash Flow Period, the amount, if any, by which the portion of the Cumulative Credit attributable to the Retained Percentage of Excess Cash Flow for all Excess Cash Flow Interim Periods used in such Excess Cash Flow Period exceeds the actual Retained Percentage of Excess Cash Flow for such Excess Cash Flow Period.

Retained Percentage ” shall mean, with respect to any Excess Cash Flow Period (or Excess Cash Flow Interim Period), (a) 100% minus (b) the Required Percentage with respect to such Excess Cash Flow Period (or Excess Cash Flow Interim Period).

 

39


Revaluation Date ” means, with respect to any Alternate Currency Letter of Credit, each of the following: (i) each date of issuance of an Alternate Currency Letter of Credit, (ii) each date of an amendment of any Alternate Currency Letter of Credit having the effect of increasing the amount thereof (solely with respect to the increased amount), (iii) each date of any payment by the Issuing Bank under any Alternate Currency Letter of Credit, and (iv) such additional dates as the Administrative Agent or the Issuing Bank shall determine or the Required Lenders shall require.

Revolving Facility ” shall mean the Revolving Facility Commitments (including any Incremental Revolving Facility Commitments) and the extensions of credit made hereunder by the Revolving Facility Lenders.

Revolving Facility Borrowing ” shall mean a Borrowing comprised of Revolving Facility Loans.

Revolving Facility Commitment ” shall mean, with respect to each Revolving Facility Lender, the commitment of such Revolving Facility Lender to make Revolving Facility Loans pursuant to Section 2.01, expressed as an amount representing the maximum aggregate permitted amount of such Revolving Facility Lender’s Revolving Facility Credit Exposure hereunder, as such commitment may be (a) reduced from time to time pursuant to Section 2.08, (b) reduced or increased from time to time pursuant to assignments by or to such Lender under Section 9.04, and (c) increased or provided under Section 2.21. The initial amount of each Lender’s Revolving Facility Commitment is set forth on Schedule 2.01 , or in the Assignment and Acceptance or Incremental Assumption Agreement pursuant to which such Lender shall have assumed its Revolving Facility Commitment (or Incremental Revolving Facility Commitment), as applicable. The initial aggregate amount of the Lenders’ Revolving Facility Commitments prior to any Incremental Revolving Facility Commitments) is $200.0 million.

Revolving Facility Credit Exposure ” shall mean, at any time, the sum of (a) the aggregate principal amount of the Revolving Facility Loans outstanding at such time, (b) the Swingline Exposure at such time and (c) the Revolving L/C Exposure at such time. The Revolving Facility Credit Exposure of any Revolving Facility Lender at any time shall be the product of (x) such Revolving Facility Lender’s Revolving Facility Percentage and (y) the aggregate Revolving Facility Credit Exposure of all Revolving Facility Lenders, collectively, at such time.

Revolving Facility Lender ” shall mean a Lender (including an Incremental Revolving Facility Lender) with a Revolving Facility Commitment or with outstanding Revolving Facility Loans.

Revolving Facility Loan ” shall mean a Loan made by a Revolving Facility Lender pursuant to Section 2.01.

Revolving Facility Maturity Date ” shall mean August 1, 2012.

Revolving Facility Percentage ” shall mean, with respect to any Revolving Facility Lender, the percentage of the total Revolving Facility Commitments represented by such Lender’s Revolving Facility Commitment. If the Revolving Facility Commitments have

 

40


terminated or expired, the Revolving Facility Percentages shall be determined based upon the Revolving Facility Commitments most recently in effect, giving effect to any assignments pursuant to Section 9.04.

Revolving L/C Exposure ” shall mean at any time the sum of (a) the aggregate undrawn amount of all Letters of Credit outstanding at such time (calculated, in the case of Alternate Currency Letters of Credit, based on the Dollar Equivalent thereof), (b) the aggregate principal amount of all L/C Disbursements that have not yet been reimbursed at such time (calculated, in the case of Alternate Currency Letters of Credit, based on the Dollar Equivalent thereof). The Revolving L/C Exposure of any Revolving Facility Lender at any time shall mean its Revolving Facility Percentage of the aggregate Revolving L/C Exposure at such time. For all purposes of this Agreement, if on any date of determination a Letter of Credit has expired by its terms but any amount may still be drawn thereunder by reason of the operation of Rule 3.14 of the International Standard Practices, International Chamber of Commerce No. 590, such Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be “outstanding” in the amount so remaining available to be drawn. Unless otherwise specified herein, the amount of a Letter of Credit at any time shall be deemed to be the stated amount of such Letter of Credit in effect at such time; provided , that with respect to any Letter of Credit that, by its terms or the terms of any document related thereto, provides for one or more automatic increases in the stated amount thereof, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be the maximum stated amount of such Letter of Credit after giving effect to all such increases, whether or not such maximum stated amount is in effect at such time.

S&P ” shall mean Standard & Poor’s Ratings Group, Inc.

Sale and Lease-Back Transaction ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 6.03.

SEC ” shall mean the Securities and Exchange Commission or any successor thereto.

Second Lien Fixed Rate Notes ” shall mean the Borrower’s 9  1 / 8 % Second Priority Senior Secured Notes due 2014, issued pursuant to the Second Lien Notes Indenture and any notes issued by the Borrower in exchange for, and as contemplated by, the Second Lien Fixed Rate Notes and the related registration rights agreement with substantially identical terms as the Second Lien Fixed Rate Notes.

Second Lien Floating Rate Notes ” shall mean the Borrower’s floating rate Second Priority Senior Secured Notes due 2014, issued pursuant to the Second Lien Notes Indenture and any notes issued by the Borrower in exchange for, and as contemplated by, the Second Lien Floating Rate Notes and the related registration rights agreement with substantially identical terms as the Second Lien Floating Rate Notes.

Second Lien Note Documents ” shall mean the Second Lien Notes, the Second Lien Notes Indenture and the Second Lien Security Documents.

Second Lien Notes ” shall mean the collective reference to the Second Lien Fixed Rate Notes and the Second Lien Floating Rate Notes.

 

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Second Lien Notes Indenture ” shall mean the Indenture dated as of August 1, 2006 under which the Second Lien Fixed Rate Notes and Second Lien Floating Rate Notes were issued, among the Borrower and certain of the Subsidiaries party thereto and the trustee named therein from time to time, as in effect on the Closing Date and as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time in accordance with the requirements thereof and of this Agreement.

Second Lien Notes Offering Memorandum ” shall mean the Offering Memorandum, dated July 26, 2006, in respect of the Second Lien Notes.

Second Lien Security Documents ” shall mean the “Security Documents” as defined in the Second Lien Notes Indenture.

Secured Parties ” shall mean the “Secured Parties” as defined in the Collateral Agreement.

Securities Act ” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Security Documents ” shall mean the Mortgages, the Collateral Agreement, the Foreign Pledge Agreements and each of the security agreements and other instruments and documents executed and delivered pursuant to any of the foregoing or pursuant to Section 5.10.

Seller ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in the first recital hereto.

Senior Secured Debt ” at any date shall mean (i) the aggregate principal amount of Consolidated Debt of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries outstanding at such date that consists of, without duplication, Indebtedness that in each case is then secured by Liens on property or assets of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries (other than property or assets held in a defeasance or similar trust or arrangement for the benefit of the Indebtedness secured thereby), less (ii) without duplication, the Unrestricted Cash and Permitted Investments of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on such date.

Senior Subordinated Note Documents ” shall mean the Senior Subordinated Notes and the Senior Subordinated Notes Indenture.

Senior Subordinated Notes ” shall mean the Borrower’s 11  3 / 8 % Senior Subordinated Notes due 2016, issued pursuant to the Senior Subordinated Notes Indenture and any notes issued by the Borrower in exchange for, and as contemplated by, the Senior Subordinated Notes and the related registration rights agreement with substantially identical terms as the Senior Subordinated Notes.

Senior Subordinated Notes Indenture ” shall mean the Indenture dated as of August 1, 2006 under which the Senior Subordinated Notes were issued, among the Borrower and certain of the Subsidiaries party thereto and the trustee named therein from time to time, as in effect on the Closing Date and as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time in accordance with the requirements thereof and of this Agreement.

 

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Senior Subordinated Notes Offering Memorandum ” shall mean the Offering Memorandum, dated July 26, 2006, in respect of the Senior Subordinated Notes.

Special Purpose Receivables Subsidiary ” shall mean a direct or indirect Subsidiary of the Borrower established in connection with a Permitted Receivables Financing for the acquisition of Receivables Assets or interests therein, and which is organized in a manner intended to reduce the likelihood that it would be substantively consolidated with Holdings, the Borrower or any of the Subsidiaries (other than Special Purpose Receivables Subsidiaries) in the event Holdings, the Borrower or any such Subsidiary becomes subject to a proceeding under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code (or other insolvency law).

Spot Rate ” for a currency means the rate determined by the Administrative Agent or the Issuing Bank, as applicable, to be the rate quoted by the person acting in such capacity as the spot rate for the purchase by such person of such currency with another currency through its principal foreign exchange trading office at approximately 11:00 a.m. on the date three Business Days prior to the date as of which the foreign exchange computation is made; provided , that the Administrative Agent or the Issuing Bank may obtain such spot rate from another financial institution designated by the Administrative Agent or the Issuing Bank if the person acting in such capacity does not have as of the date of determination a spot buying rate for any such currency.

Standby Letter of Credit ” shall have the meaning provided in Section 2.05(a).

Statutory Reserves ” shall mean, with respect to any currency, any reserve, liquid asset or similar requirements established by any Governmental Authority of the United States of America or of the jurisdiction of such currency or any jurisdiction in which Loans in such currency are made to which banks in such jurisdiction are subject for any category of deposits or liabilities customarily used to fund loans in such currency or by reference to which interest rates applicable to Loans in such currency are determined.

Subagent ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 8.02.

Subordinated Intercompany Debt ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 6.01(e).

subsidiary ” shall mean, with respect to any person (herein referred to as the “parent”), any corporation, partnership, association or other business entity (a) of which securities or other ownership interests representing more than 50% of the equity or more than 50% of the ordinary voting power or more than 50% of the general partnership interests are, at the time any determination is being made, directly or indirectly, owned, Controlled or held, or (b) that is, at the time any determination is made, otherwise Controlled, by the parent or one or more subsidiaries of the parent or by the parent and one or more subsidiaries of the parent.

Subsidiary ” shall mean, unless the context otherwise requires, a subsidiary of the Borrower. Notwithstanding the foregoing (and except for purposes of Sections 3.09, 3.13, 3.15, 3.16, 5.03, 5.09 and 7.01(k), and the definition of Unrestricted Subsidiary contained herein), an Unrestricted Subsidiary shall be deemed not to be a Subsidiary of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries for purposes of this Agreement.

 

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Subsidiary Loan Party ” shall mean (a) each Domestic Subsidiary of the Borrower on the Closing Date (other than Bucksport Leasing Company) and (b) each Domestic Subsidiary of the Borrower that becomes, or is required to become, a party to the Collateral Agreement after the Closing Date.

Subsidiary Redesignation ” shall have the meaning provided in the definition of “Unrestricted Subsidiary” contained in this Section 1.01.

Swap Agreement ” shall mean 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 Holdings, the Borrower or any of the Subsidiaries shall be a Swap Agreement.

Swingline Borrowing ” shall mean a Borrowing comprised of Swingline Loans.

Swingline Borrowing Request ” shall mean a request by a Borrower substantially in the form of Exhibit C-2 .

Swingline Commitment ” shall mean, with respect to each Swingline Lender, the commitment of such Swingline Lender to make Swingline Loans pursuant to Section 2.04. The aggregate amount of the Swingline Commitments on the Closing Date is $20.0 million.

Swingline Exposure ” shall mean at any time the aggregate principal amount of all outstanding Swingline Borrowings at such time. The Swingline Exposure of any Revolving Facility Lender at any time shall mean its Revolving Facility Percentage of the aggregate Swingline Exposure at such time.

Swingline Lender ” shall mean Credit Suisse, Cayman Islands Branch, in its capacity as a lender of Swingline Loans.

Swingline Loans ” shall mean the swingline loans made to the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.04.

Syndication Agent ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in the introductory paragraph of this Agreement.

Taxes ” shall mean any and all present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties (including stamp duties), deductions, withholdings or similar charges (including ad valorem charges) imposed by any Governmental Authority and any and all interest and penalties related thereto.

Tax Distributions ” shall mean any distributions described in Section 6.06(b)(v).

Term B Borrowing ” shall mean a Borrowing comprised of Term B Loans.

 

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Term B Facility ” shall mean the Term B Loan Commitments and the Term B Loans made hereunder.

Term B Facility Maturity Date ” shall mean August 1, 2013.

Term B Loan Commitment ” shall mean with respect to each Lender, the commitment of such Lender to make Term B Loans as set forth in Section 2.01(a) or Incremental Term Loans in the form of Term B Loans as set forth in Section 2.01(c). The initial amount of each Lender’s Term B Loan Commitment is set forth on Schedule 2.01 , or in the Assignment and Assumption or Incremental Assumption Agreement pursuant to which such Lender shall have assumed its Term B Loan Commitment (or its Incremental Term Commitment), as applicable. The aggregate amount of the Term B Loan Commitments on the Closing Date is $285.0 million.

Term B Loan Installment Date ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.10(a)(i).

Term B Loans ” shall mean the term loans made by the Lenders to the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.01(a) and any Incremental Term Loans in the form of Term B Loans made by the Incremental Term Lenders to the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.01(c).

Term Borrowing ” shall mean any Term B Borrowing or any Incremental Term Borrowing.

Term Facility ” shall mean the Term Facility and/or any or all of the Incremental Term Facilities.

Term Facility Maturity Date ” shall mean the latest of the Term B Facility Maturity Date and any Incremental Term Facility Maturity Date.

Term Loan Commitment ” shall mean any Term B Loan Commitment or any Incremental Term Commitment.

Term Loan Installment Date ” shall mean any Term B Loan Installment Date or any Incremental Term Loan Installment Date.

Term Loans ” shall mean the Term B Loans and/or the Incremental Term Loans.

Test Period ” shall mean, on any date of determination, the period of four consecutive fiscal quarters of the Borrower then most recently ended (taken as one accounting period).

Total Net First Lien Leverage Ratio ” means, on any date, the ratio of (a) First Lien Debt as of such date to (b) EBITDA for the period of four consecutive fiscal quarters of the Borrower most recently ended as of such date, all determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP; provided , that EBITDA shall be determined for the relevant Test Period on a Pro Forma Basis.

 

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Total Net Senior Secured Leverage Ratio ” means, on any date the ratio of (a) Senior Secured Debt as of such date to (b) EBITDA for the period of four consecutive fiscal quarters of the Borrower most recently ended as of such date, all determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP; provided , that EBITDA shall be determined for the relevant Test Period on a Pro Forma Basis.

Trade Letter of Credit ” shall have the meaning provided in Section 2.05(a).

Transaction Documents ” shall mean the Purchase Documents, the Second Lien Note Documents, the Senior Subordinated Note Documents and the Loan Documents.

Transaction Expenses ” means any fees or expenses incurred or paid by the Fund, Holdings, the Borrower (or any direct or indirect parent of the Borrower) or any of its Subsidiaries in connection with the Transactions, this Agreement and the other Loan Documents (including expenses in connection with Swap Agreements) and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby.

Transactions ” shall mean, collectively, the transactions to occur pursuant to the Transaction Documents, including (a) the consummation of the Acquisition; (b) the execution and delivery of the Loan Documents, the creation of the Liens pursuant to the Security Documents, and the initial borrowings hereunder; (c) the Equity Financing; (d) the sale and issuance of the Second Lien Notes and the Senior Subordinated Notes and the creation of the Liens pursuant to the Second Lien Security Documents; (e) the refinancing of the Refinanced Indebtedness; and (f) the payment of all fees and expenses to be paid on or prior to the Closing Date and owing in connection with the foregoing.

Type ” shall mean, when used in respect of any Loan or Borrowing, the Rate by reference to which interest on such Loan or on the Loans comprising such Borrowing is determined. For purposes hereof, the term “ Rate ” shall include the Adjusted LIBO Rate and the ABR.

Unfunded Pension Liability ” means the excess of a Plan’s benefit liabilities under Section 4001(a)(16) of ERISA, over the current value of that Plan’s assets, determined in accordance with the assumptions used for funding the Plan pursuant to Section 412 of the Code for the applicable plan year.

Uniform Commercial Code ” means the Uniform Commercial Code as the same may from time to time be in effect in the State of New York or the Uniform Commercial Code (or similar code or statute) of another jurisdiction, to the extent it may be required to apply to any item or items of Collateral.

Unrestricted Cash ” shall mean cash or cash equivalents of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries that would not appear as “restricted” on a consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries.

Unrestricted Subsidiary ” shall mean (1) Bucksport Leasing Company and (2) any Subsidiary of the Borrower that is acquired or created after the Closing Date and designated by the Borrower as an Unrestricted Subsidiary hereunder by written notice to the Administrative

 

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Agent; provided , that the Borrower shall only be permitted to so designate a new Unrestricted Subsidiary after the Closing Date and so long as (a) no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing or would result therefrom, (b) immediately after giving effect to such designation (as well as all other such designations theretofore consummated after the first day of such Reference Period), the Borrower shall be in Pro Forma Compliance, (c) such Unrestricted Subsidiary shall be capitalized (to the extent capitalized by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries) through Investments as permitted by, and in compliance with, Section 6.04(j), and any prior or concurrent Investments in such Subsidiary by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries shall be deemed to have been made under Section 6.04(j), (d) without duplication of clause (c), any assets owned by such Unrestricted Subsidiary at the time of the initial designation thereof shall be treated as Investments pursuant to Section 6.04(j), and (e) such Subsidiary shall have been designated an “unrestricted subsidiary” (or otherwise not be subject to the covenants and defaults) under the Second Lien Notes Indenture, the Senior Subordinated Notes Indenture, all Permitted Additional Debt and all Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness in respect of any of the foregoing and all Disqualified Stock; provided , further , that at the time of the initial Investment by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in such Subsidiary, the Borrower shall designate such entity as an Unrestricted Subsidiary in a written notice to the Administrative Agent. The Borrower may designate any Unrestricted Subsidiary to be a Subsidiary for purposes of this Agreement (each, a “ Subsidiary Redesignation ”); provided , that (i) such Unrestricted Subsidiary, both before and after giving effect to such designation, shall be a Wholly Owned Subsidiary of the Borrower, (ii) no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing or would result therefrom, (iii) immediately after giving effect to such Subsidiary Redesignation (as well as all other Subsidiary Redesignations theretofore consummated after the first day of such Reference Period), the Borrower shall be in Pro Forma Compliance, (iv) all representations and warranties contained herein and in the other Loan Documents shall be true and correct in all material respects with the same effect as though such representations and warranties had been made on and as of the date of such Subsidiary Redesignation (both before and after giving effect thereto), unless stated to relate to a specific earlier date, in which case such representations and warranties shall be true and correct in all material respects as of such earlier date, (v) the Borrower shall have delivered to the Administrative Agent an officer’s certificate executed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower, certifying to the best of such officer’s knowledge, compliance with the requirements of preceding clauses (i) through (iii), inclusive, and containing the calculations and information required by the preceding clause (ii) and (vi) if such Subsidiary is a Domestic Subsidiary, it shall have complied with the terms of Section 5.10.

U.S. Bankruptcy Code ” shall mean Title 11 of the United States Code, as amended, or any similar federal or state law for the relief of debtors.

USA PATRIOT Act ” shall mean the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (Title III of Pub. L. No. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)).

Wholly Owned Subsidiary ” of any person shall mean a subsidiary of such person, all of the Equity Interests of which (other than directors’ qualifying shares or nominee or other similar shares required pursuant to applicable law) are owned by such person or another Wholly Owned Subsidiary of such person.

 

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Withdrawal Liability ” shall mean liability to a Multiemployer Plan as a result of a complete or partial withdrawal from such Multiemployer Plan, as such terms are defined in Part I of Subtitle E of Title IV of ERISA.

Working Capital ” shall mean, with respect to the Borrower and the Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis at any date of determination, Current Assets at such date of determination minus Current Liabilities at such date of determination; provided , that, for purposes of calculating Excess Cash Flow, increases or decreases in Working Capital shall be calculated without regard to any changes in Current Assets or Current Liabilities as a result of (a) any reclassification in accordance with GAAP of assets or liabilities, as applicable, between current and noncurrent or (b) the effects of purchase accounting.

SECTION 1.02. Terms Generally . The definitions set forth or referred to in Section 1.01 shall apply equally to both the singular and plural forms of the terms defined. Whenever the context may require, any pronoun shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter forms. The words “include,” “includes” and “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase “without limitation.” All references herein to Articles, Sections, Exhibits and Schedules shall be deemed references to Articles and Sections of, and Exhibits and Schedules to, this Agreement unless the context shall otherwise require. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, any reference in this Agreement to any Loan Document shall mean such document as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all terms of an accounting or financial nature shall be construed in accordance with GAAP, as in effect from time to time; provided, that, if the Borrower notifies the Administrative Agent that the Borrower requests an amendment to any provision hereof to eliminate the effect of any change occurring after the Closing Date 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 1.03. Effectuation of Transfers . Each of the representations and warranties of Holdings and the Borrower contained in this Agreement (and all corresponding definitions) are made after giving effect to the Transactions, unless the context otherwise requires.

SECTION 1.04. Exchange Rates; Currency Equivalents . (a) The Administrative Agent shall determine the Spot Rate as of each Revaluation Date to be used for calculating Dollar Equivalent amounts of Alternate Currency Letters of Credit. Such Spot Rate shall become effective as of such Revaluation Date and shall be the Spot Rate employed in converting any amounts between the Dollars and each Alternate Currency until the next Revaluation Date to occur. Except for purposes of financial statements delivered by Loan Parties hereunder or calculating financial covenants hereunder or except as otherwise provided herein, the applicable amount of any currency (other than Dollars) for purposes of the Loan Documents shall be such Dollar Equivalent amount as so determined by the Administrative Agent. No Default or Event of Default shall arise as a result of any limitation or threshold set forth in U.S. Dollars in Article VI

 

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or paragraph (f) or (j) of Section 7.01 being exceeded solely as a result of changes in currency exchange rates from those rates applicable on the first day of the fiscal quarter in which such determination occurs or in respect of which such determination is being made.

(b) Wherever in this Agreement in connection with an Alternate Currency Letter of Credit, an amount, such as a required minimum or multiple amount, is expressed in Dollars, such amount shall be the Dollar Equivalent of such Dollar amount (in the Administrative Agent’s discretion, rounded to the nearest unit of such Alternate Currency, with 0.5 of a unit being rounded upward), as determined by the Administrative Agent.

ARTICLE II

The Credits

SECTION 2.01. Commitments . Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein:

(a) each Lender agrees to make Term B Loans to the Borrower on the Closing Date in a principal amount not to exceed its Term B Loan Commitment;

(b) each Lender agrees to make Revolving Facility Loans to the Borrower from time to time during the Availability Period in an aggregate principal amount that will not result in (i) such Lender’s Revolving Facility Credit Exposure exceeding such Lender’s Revolving Facility Commitment or (ii) the Revolving Facility Credit Exposure exceeding the total Revolving Facility Commitments; provided , that the aggregate principal amount of Revolving Facility Loans made on the Closing Date shall not exceed $10.0 million, plus any amount necessary to fund any working capital adjustment pursuant to the Purchase Agreement. Within the foregoing limits and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Borrower may borrow, prepay and reborrow Revolving Facility Loans; and

(c) each Lender having an Incremental Term Loan Commitment agrees, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the applicable Incremental Assumption Agreement, to make Incremental Term Loans to the Borrower, in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed its Incremental Term Loan Commitment.

Amounts borrowed under Section 2.01(a) or Section 2.01(c) and repaid or prepaid may not be reborrowed.

SECTION 2.02. Loans and Borrowings . (a) Each Loan shall be made as part of a Borrowing consisting of Loans under the same Facility and of the same Type made by the Lenders ratably in accordance with their respective Commitments under the applicable Facility (or, in the case of Swingline Loans, in accordance with their respective Swingline Commitments); provided, however, that Revolving Facility Loans shall be made by the Revolving Facility Lenders ratably in accordance with their respective Revolving Facility Percentages on the date such Loans are made hereunder. The failure of any Lender to make any Loan required to be made by it shall not relieve any other Lender of its obligations hereunder;

 

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provided, that the Commitments of the Lenders are several and no Lender shall be responsible for any other Lender’s failure to make Loans as required.

(b) Subject to Section 2.14, each Borrowing (other than a Swingline Borrowing) shall be comprised entirely of ABR Loans or Eurocurrency Loans as the Borrower may request in accordance herewith. Each Swingline Borrowing shall be an ABR Borrowing. Each Lender at its option may make any ABR Loan or Eurocurrency Loan by causing any domestic or foreign branch or Affiliate of such Lender to make such Loan; provided , that any exercise of such option shall not affect the obligation of the Borrower to repay such Loan in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and such Lender shall not be entitled to any amounts payable under Section 2.15 or 2.17 solely in respect of increased costs resulting from such exercise and existing at the time of such exercise.

(c) At the commencement of each Interest Period for any Eurocurrency Revolving Facility Borrowing, such Borrowing shall be in an aggregate amount that is an integral multiple of the Borrowing Multiple and not less than the Borrowing Minimum. At the time that each ABR Revolving Facility Borrowing is made, such Borrowing shall be in an aggregate amount that is an integral multiple of the Borrowing Multiple and not less than the Borrowing Minimum; provided , that an ABR Revolving Facility Borrowing may be in an aggregate amount that is equal to the entire unused balance of the Revolving Facility Commitments or that is required to finance the reimbursement of an L/C Disbursement as contemplated by Section 2.05(e). Each Swingline Borrowing shall be in an amount that is an integral multiple of the Borrowing Multiple and not less than the Borrowing Minimum. Borrowings of more than one Type and under more than one Facility may be outstanding at the same time; provided , that there shall not at any time be more than 10 Eurocurrency Borrowings outstanding.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Borrower shall not be entitled to request, or to elect to convert or continue, any Borrowing if the Interest Period requested with respect thereto would end after the Revolving Facility Maturity Date or the Term Facility Maturity Date, as applicable.

SECTION 2.03. Requests for Borrowings . To request a Revolving Facility Borrowing and/or a Term Borrowing, the Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of such request by telephone (a) in the case of a Eurocurrency Borrowing, not later than 12:00 p.m., Local Time, three Business Days before the date of the proposed Borrowing or (b) in the case of an ABR Borrowing, not later than 12:00 noon, Local Time, one Business Day before the date of the proposed Borrowing; provided, that any such notice of an ABR Revolving Facility Borrowing to finance the reimbursement of an L/C Disbursement as contemplated by Section 2.05(e) may be given not later than 10:00 a.m., Local Time, on the date of the proposed Borrowing. Each such telephonic Borrowing Request shall be irrevocable and shall be confirmed promptly by hand delivery or telecopy to the Administrative Agent of a written Borrowing Request in a form approved by the Administrative Agent and signed by the Borrower. Each such telephonic and written Borrowing Request shall specify the following information in compliance with Section 2.02:

 

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(i) whether such Borrowing is to be a Borrowing of Revolving Facility Loans, Other Revolving Loans, Term B Loans or Other Term Loans;

(ii) the aggregate amount of the requested Borrowing;

(iii) the date of such Borrowing, which shall be a Business Day;

(iv) whether such Borrowing is to be an ABR Borrowing or a Eurocurrency Borrowing;

(v) in the case of a Eurocurrency Borrowing, the initial Interest Period to be applicable thereto, which shall be a period contemplated by the definition of the term “Interest Period”; and

(vi) the location and number of the Borrower’s account to which funds are to be disbursed.

If no election as to the Type of Revolving Facility Borrowing is specified, then the requested Revolving Facility Borrowing shall be an ABR Borrowing. If no Interest Period is specified with respect to any requested Eurocurrency Borrowing, then the Borrower shall be deemed to have selected an Interest Period of one month’s duration. Promptly following receipt of a Borrowing Request in accordance with this Section, the Administrative Agent shall advise each Lender of the details thereof and of the amount of such Lender’s Loan to be made as part of the requested Borrowing.

SECTION 2.04. Swingline Loans . (a) Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Swingline Lender agrees to make Swingline Loans to the Borrower from time to time during the Availability Period, in an aggregate principal amount at any time outstanding that will not result in (i) the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Swingline Loans exceeding the Swingline Commitment or (ii) the Revolving Facility Credit Exposure exceeding the total Revolving Facility Commitments; provided, that the Swingline Lender shall not be required to make a Swingline Loan to refinance an outstanding Swingline Borrowing. Within the foregoing limits and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Borrower may borrow, prepay and reborrow Swingline Loans.

(b) To request a Swingline Borrowing, the Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent and the Swingline Lender of such request by telephone (confirmed by a Swingline Borrowing Request by telecopy), not later than 1:00 p.m., Local Time, on the day of a proposed Swingline Borrowing. Each such notice and Swingline Borrowing Request shall be irrevocable and shall specify (i) the requested date (which shall be a Business Day) and (ii) the amount of the requested Swingline Borrowing. The Swingline Lender shall consult with the Administrative Agent as to whether the making of the Swingline Loan is in accordance with the terms of this Agreement prior to the Swingline Lender funding such Swingline Loan. The Swingline Lender shall make each Swingline Loan in accordance with Section 2.02(a) on the proposed date thereof by wire transfer of immediately available funds by 4:00 p.m., Local Time, to the account of the Borrower (or, in the case of a Swingline Borrowing made to finance the reimbursement of an L/C Disbursement as provided in Section 2.05(e), by remittance to the applicable Issuing Bank).

 

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(c) The Swingline Lender may by written notice given to the Administrative Agent not later than 10:00 a.m., Local Time, on any Business Day require the Revolving Facility Lenders to acquire participations on such Business Day in all or a portion of the outstanding Swingline Loans made by it. Such notice shall specify the aggregate amount of such Swingline Loans in which the Revolving Facility Lenders will participate. Promptly upon receipt of such notice, the Administrative Agent will give notice thereof to each such Lender, specifying in such notice such Lender’s Revolving Facility Lender’s Revolving Facility Percentage of such Swingline Loan or Loans. Each Revolving Facility Lender hereby absolutely and unconditionally agrees, upon receipt of notice as provided above, to pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Swingline Lender, such Revolving Facility Lender’s Revolving Facility Percentage of such Swingline Loan or Loans. Each Revolving Facility Lender acknowledges and agrees that its respective obligation to acquire participations in Swingline Loans pursuant to this paragraph is absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance whatsoever, including the occurrence and continuance of a Default or reduction or termination of the Commitments, and that each such payment shall be made without any offset, abatement, withholding or reduction whatsoever. Each Revolving Facility Lender shall comply with its obligation under this paragraph by wire transfer of immediately available funds, in the same manner as provided in Section 2.06 with respect to Loans made by such Revolving Facility Lender (and Section 2.06 shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to the payment obligations of the Lenders), and the Administrative Agent shall promptly pay to the Swingline Lender the amounts so received by it from the Revolving Facility Lenders. The Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower of any participations in any Swingline Loan acquired pursuant to this paragraph (c), and thereafter payments in respect of such Swingline Loan shall be made to the Administrative Agent and not to the Swingline Lender. Any amounts received by the Swingline Lender from the Borrower (or other party on behalf of such Borrower) in respect of a Swingline Loan after receipt by the Swingline Lender of the proceeds of a sale of participations therein shall be promptly remitted to the Administrative Agent; any such amounts received by the Administrative Agent shall be promptly remitted by the Administrative Agent to the Revolving Facility Lenders that shall have made their payments pursuant to this paragraph and to the Swingline Lender, as their interests may appear; provided , that any such payment so remitted shall be repaid to the Swingline Lender or to the Administrative Agent, as applicable, if and to the extent such payment is required to be refunded to the Borrower for any reason. The purchase of participations in a Swingline Loan pursuant to this paragraph shall not relieve the Borrower of any default in the payment thereof.

SECTION 2.05. Letters of Credit . (a) General. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Borrower may request the issuance of (x) trade letters of credit in support of trade obligations of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries incurred in the ordinary course of business (such letters of credit issued for such purposes, “ Trade Letters of Credit ”) and (y) standby letters of credit issued for any other lawful purposes of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries (such letters of credit issued for such purposes, “ Standby Letters of Credit ”) for its own account or for the account of any Subsidiary in a form reasonably acceptable to the applicable Issuing Bank, at any time and from time to time during the Availability Period and prior to the date that is five Business Days prior to the Revolving Facility Maturity Date. In the event of any inconsistency between the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the terms and conditions of any form of letter of credit application or other agreement submitted by the Borrower to, or entered into by the Borrower with, an Issuing Bank relating to any Letter of Credit, the terms and

 

52


conditions of this Agreement shall control. “Letters of Credit” shall include Trade Letters of Credit and Standby Letters of Credit.

(b) Notice of Issuance , Amendment , Renewal , Extension: Certain Conditions . To request the issuance of a Letter of Credit (or the amendment, renewal (other than an automatic extension in accordance with paragraph (c) of this Section) or extension of an outstanding Letter of Credit), the Borrower shall hand deliver or telecopy (or transmit by electronic communication, if arrangements for doing so have been approved by the applicable Issuing Bank) to the applicable Issuing Bank and the Administrative Agent (three Business Days in advance of the requested date of issuance, amendment or extension or such shorter period as the Administrative Agent and the Issuing Bank in their sole discretion may agree) a notice requesting the issuance of a Letter of Credit, or identifying the Letter of Credit to be amended or extended, and specifying the date of issuance, amendment or extension (which shall be a Business Day), the date on which such Letter of Credit is to expire (which shall comply with paragraph (c) of this Section), the amount and currency (which may be Dollars or an Alternate Currency) of such Letter of Credit, the name and address of the beneficiary thereof, whether such letter of credit constitutes a Standby Letter of Credit or a Trade Letter of Credit, and such other information as shall be necessary to issue, amend or extend such Letter of Credit. If requested by the applicable Issuing Bank, the Borrower also shall submit a letter of credit application on such Issuing Bank’s standard form in connection with any request for a Letter of Credit. A Letter of Credit shall be issued, amended or extended only if (and upon issuance, amendment or extension of each Letter of Credit the Borrower shall be deemed to represent and warrant that), after giving effect to such issuance, amendment or extension (i) the Revolving L/C Exposure shall not exceed the Letter of Credit Sublimit, (ii) the Revolving Facility Credit Exposure shall not exceed the total Revolving Facility Commitments and (iii) no Alternate Currency Letter of Credit shall be issued if, after giving effect thereto, the aggregate amount of L/C Exposure with respect to all Alternate Currency Letters of Credit would exceed $20.0 million.

(c) Expiration Date . Each Standby Letter of Credit shall expire at or prior to the close of business on the earlier of (i) the date one year (unless otherwise agreed upon by the Administrative Agent and the Issuing Bank in their sole discretion) after the date of the issuance of such Standby Letter of Credit (or, in the case of any extension thereof, one year (unless otherwise agreed upon by the Administrative Agent and the Issuing Bank in their sole discretion) after such renewal or extension) and (ii) the date that is five Business Days prior to the Revolving Facility Maturity Date; provided , that any Standby Letter of Credit with one year tenor may provide for automatic extension thereof for additional one year periods (which, in no event, shall extend beyond the date referred to in clause (ii) of this paragraph (c)) so long as such Standby Letter of Credit permits the Issuing Bank to prevent any such extension at least once in each twelve-month period (commencing with the date of issuance of such Standby Letter of Credit) by giving prior notice to the beneficiary thereof within a time period during such twelve-month period to be agreed upon at the time such Standby Letter of Credit is issued; provided , further , that if the Issuing Bank and the Administrative Agent each consent in their sole discretion, the expiration date on any Standby Letter of Credit may extend beyond the date referred to in clause (ii) above, provided , that (x) if any such Standby Letter of Credit is outstanding or is issued after the date that is 30 days prior to the Revolving Facility Maturity Date the Borrower shall provide cash collateral pursuant to documentation reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the relevant Issuing Bank in an amount equal to

 

53


105% of the face amount of each such Standby Letter of Credit on or prior to the date that is 30 days prior to the Revolving Facility Maturity Date or, if later, such date of issuance and (y) each Revolving Lender’s participation in any undrawn Letter of Credit that is outstanding on the Revolving Facility Maturity Date shall terminate on the Revolving Facility Maturity Date. Each Trade Letter of Credit shall expire on the earlier of (x) 180 days after such Trade Letter of Credit’s date of issuance or (y) the date five Business Days prior to the Revolving Facility Maturity Date.

(d) Participations . By the issuance of a Letter of Credit (or an amendment to a Letter of Credit increasing the amount thereof) and without any further action on the part of the applicable Issuing Bank or the Revolving Facility Lenders, such Issuing Bank hereby grants to each Revolving Facility Lender, and each Revolving Facility Lender hereby acquires from such Issuing Bank, a participation in such Letter of Credit equal to such Revolving Facility Lender’s Revolving Facility Percentage of the aggregate amount available to be drawn under such Letter of Credit (calculated, in the case of Alternate Currency Letters of Credit, based on the Dollar Equivalent thereof). In consideration and in furtherance of the foregoing, each Revolving Facility Lender hereby absolutely and unconditionally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the applicable Issuing Bank, in Dollars, such Revolving Facility Lender’s Revolving Facility Percentage of each L/C Disbursement made by such Issuing Bank and not reimbursed by the Borrower on the date due as provided in paragraph (e) of this Section, or of any reimbursement payment required to be refunded to the Borrower for any reason (calculated, in the case of any Alternate Currency Letter of Credit, based on the Dollar Equivalent thereof). Each Revolving Facility Lender acknowledges and agrees that its obligation to acquire participations pursuant to this paragraph in respect of Letters of Credit is absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance whatsoever, including any amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit or the occurrence and continuance of a Default or Event of Default or reduction or termination of the Commitments or the fact that, as a result of changes in currency exchange rates, such Revolving Facility Lender’s Revolving Facility Credit Exposure at any time might exceed its Revolving Facility Commitment at such time (in which case Section 2.11(f) would apply), and that each such payment shall be made without any offset, abatement, withholding or reduction whatsoever.

(e) Reimbursement . If the applicable Issuing Bank shall make any L/C Disbursement in respect of a Letter of Credit, the Borrower shall reimburse such L/C Disbursement by paying to the Administrative Agent an amount in Dollars equal to such L/C Disbursement (or, in the case of a Alternate Currency Letter of Credit, the Dollar Equivalent thereof) not later than 2:00 p.m., Local Time, on the third Business Day after the Borrower receives notice under paragraph (g) of this Section of such L/C Disbursement, together with accrued interest thereon from the date of such L/C Disbursement at the rate applicable to ABR Loans; provided , that the Borrower may, subject to the conditions to borrowing set forth herein, request in accordance with Section 2.03 or 2.04 that such payment be financed with an ABR Revolving Facility Borrowing or a Swingline Borrowing, as applicable, in an equivalent amount and, to the extent so financed, the Borrower’s obligation to make such payment shall be discharged and replaced by the resulting ABR Revolving Facility Borrowing or Swingline Borrowing. If the Borrower fails to reimburse any L/C Disbursement when due, then the Administrative Agent shall promptly notify the applicable Issuing Bank and each other Revolving Facility Lender of the applicable L/C Disbursement, the payment then due from the

 

54


Borrower in respect thereof and, in the case of a Revolving Facility Lender, such Lender’s Revolving Facility Percentage thereof. Promptly following receipt of such notice, each Revolving Facility Lender shall pay to the Administrative Agent in Dollars its Revolving Facility Percentage of the payment then due from the Borrower in the same manner as provided in Section 2.06 with respect to Loans made by such Lender (and Section 2.06 shall apply, mutatis mutandis , to the payment obligations of the Revolving Facility Lenders), and the Administrative Agent shall promptly pay to the applicable Issuing Bank the amounts so received by it from the Revolving Facility Lenders. Promptly following receipt by the Administrative Agent of any payment from the Borrower pursuant to this paragraph, the Administrative Agent shall distribute such payment to the applicable Issuing Bank or, to the extent that Revolving Facility Lenders have made payments pursuant to this paragraph to reimburse such Issuing Bank, then to such Lenders and such Issuing Bank as their interests may appear. Any payment made by a Revolving Facility Lender pursuant to this paragraph to reimburse an Issuing Bank for any L/C Disbursement (other than the funding of an ABR Revolving Loan or a Swingline Borrowing as contemplated above) shall not constitute a Loan and shall not relieve the Borrower of its obligation to reimburse such L/C Disbursement.

(f) Obligations Absolute . The obligation of the Borrower to reimburse L/C Disbursements as provided in paragraph (e) of this Section shall be absolute, unconditional and irrevocable, and shall be performed strictly in accordance with the terms of this Agreement under any and all circumstances whatsoever and irrespective of (i) any lack of validity or enforceability of any Letter of Credit or this Agreement, or any term or provision therein, (ii) any draft or other document presented under a Letter of Credit proving to be forged, fraudulent or invalid in any respect or any statement therein being untrue or inaccurate in any respect, (iii) payment by the applicable Issuing Bank under a Letter of Credit against presentation of a draft or other document that does not comply with the terms of such Letter of Credit or (iv) any other event or circumstance whatsoever, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing, that might, but for the provisions of this Section, constitute a legal or equitable discharge of, or provide a right of setoff against, the Borrower’s obligations hereunder. Neither the Administrative Agent, the Lenders nor any Issuing Bank, nor any of their Related Parties, shall have any liability or responsibility by reason of or in connection with the issuance or transfer of any Letter of Credit or any payment or failure to make any payment thereunder (irrespective of any of the circumstances referred to in the preceding sentence), or any error, omission, interruption, loss or delay in transmission or delivery of any draft, notice or other communication under or relating to any Letter of Credit (including any document required to make a drawing thereunder), any error in interpretation of technical terms or any consequence arising from causes beyond the control of such Issuing Bank, or any of the circumstances referred to in clauses (i), (ii) or (iii) of the first sentence; provided , that the foregoing shall not be construed to excuse the applicable Issuing Bank from liability to the Borrower to the extent of any direct damages (as opposed to consequential damages, claims in respect of which are hereby waived by the Borrower to the extent permitted by applicable law) suffered by the Borrower that are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to have been caused by such Issuing Bank’s failure to exercise care when determining whether drafts and other documents presented under a Letter of Credit comply with the terms thereof. The parties hereto expressly agree that, in the absence of gross negligence or willful misconduct on the part of the applicable Issuing Bank, such Issuing Bank shall be deemed to have exercised care in each such determination. In furtherance of the foregoing and without limiting the generality thereof, the parties agree that, with respect to documents presented which appear on their face to be in

 

55


substantial compliance with the terms of a Letter of Credit, the applicable Issuing Bank may, in its sole discretion, either accept and make payment upon such documents without responsibility for further investigation, regardless of any notice or information to the contrary, or refuse to accept and make payment upon such documents if such documents are not in strict compliance with the terms of such Letter of Credit.

(g) Disbursement Procedures . The applicable Issuing Bank shall, promptly following its receipt thereof, examine all documents purporting to represent a demand for payment under a Letter of Credit. Such Issuing Bank shall promptly notify the Administrative Agent and the Borrower by telephone (confirmed by telecopy) of any such demand for payment under a Letter of Credit and whether such Issuing Bank has made or will make a L/C Disbursement thereunder; provided , that any failure to give or delay in giving such notice shall not relieve the Borrower of its obligation to reimburse such Issuing Bank and the Revolving Facility Lenders with respect to any such L/C Disbursement.

(h) Interim Interest . If an Issuing Bank shall make any L/C Disbursement, then, unless the Borrower shall reimburse such L/C Disbursement in full on the date such L/C Disbursement is made, the unpaid amount thereof shall bear interest, for each day from and including the date such L/C Disbursement is made to but excluding the date that the Borrower reimburses such L/C Disbursement, at the rate per annum then applicable to ABR Revolving Loans; provided , that, if such L/C Disbursement is not reimbursed by the Borrower when due pursuant to paragraph (e) of this Section, then Section 2.13(c) shall apply. Interest accrued pursuant to this paragraph shall be for the account of the applicable Issuing Bank, except that interest accrued on and after the date of payment by any Revolving Facility Lender pursuant to paragraph (e) of this Section to reimburse such Issuing Bank shall be for the account of such Revolving Facility Lender to the extent of such payment.

(i) Replacement of an Issuing Bank . An Issuing Bank may be replaced at any time by written agreement among the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the replaced Issuing Bank and the successor Issuing Bank. The Administrative Agent shall notify the Lenders of any such replacement of an Issuing Bank. At the time any such replacement shall become effective, the Borrower shall pay all unpaid fees accrued for the account of the replaced Issuing Bank pursuant to Section 2.12. From and after the effective date of any such replacement, (i) the successor Issuing Bank shall have all the rights and obligations of the replaced Issuing Bank under this Agreement with respect to Letters of Credit to be issued thereafter and (ii) references herein to the term “Issuing Bank” shall be deemed to refer to such successor or to any previous Issuing Bank, or to such successor and all previous Issuing Banks, as the context shall require. After the replacement of an Issuing Bank hereunder, the replaced Issuing Bank shall remain a party hereto and shall continue to have all the rights and obligations of such Issuing Bank under this Agreement with respect to Letters of Credit issued by it prior to such replacement but shall not be required to issue additional Letters of Credit.

(j) Cash Collateralization . If any Event of Default shall occur and be continuing, (i) in the case of an Event of Default described in Section 7.01(h) or (i), on the Business Day or (ii) in the case of any other Event of Default, on the third Business Day, in each case, following the date on which the Borrower receives notice from the Administrative Agent (or, if the maturity of the Loans has been accelerated, Revolving Facility Lenders with Revolving

 

56


L/C Exposure representing greater than 50% of the total Revolving L/C Exposure) demanding the deposit of cash collateral pursuant to this paragraph, the Borrower shall deposit in an account with or at the direction of the Administrative Agent, in the name of the Administrative Agent and for the benefit of the Lenders, an amount in cash in Dollars equal to the Revolving L/C Exposure as of such date plus any accrued and unpaid interest thereon; provided , that upon the occurrence of any Event of Default with respect to the Borrower described in clause (h) or (i) of Section 7.01, the obligation to deposit such cash collateral shall become effective immediately, and such deposit shall become immediately due and payable, without demand or other notice of any kind. Each such deposit pursuant to this paragraph shall be held by the Administrative Agent as collateral for the payment and performance of the obligations of the Borrower under this Agreement. The Administrative Agent shall have exclusive dominion and control, including the exclusive right of withdrawal, over such account. Other than any interest earned on the investment of such deposits, which investments shall be made at the option and sole discretion of (i) for so long as an Event of Default shall be continuing, the Administrative Agent and (ii) at any other time, the Borrower, in each case, in Permitted Investments and at the risk and expense of the Borrower, such deposits shall not bear interest. Interest or profits, if any, on such investments shall accumulate in such account. Moneys in such account shall be applied by the Administrative Agent to reimburse each Issuing Bank for L/C Disbursements for which such Issuing Bank has not been reimbursed and, to the extent not so applied, shall be held for the satisfaction of the reimbursement obligations of the Borrower for the Revolving L/C Exposure at such time or, if the maturity of the Loans has been accelerated (but subject to the consent of Revolving Facility Lenders with Revolving L/C Exposure representing greater than 50% of the total Revolving L/C Exposure), be applied to satisfy other obligations of the Borrower under this Agreement. If the Borrower is required to provide an amount of cash collateral hereunder as a result of the occurrence of an Event of Default, such amount (to the extent not applied as aforesaid) shall be returned to the Borrower within three Business Days after all Events of Default have been cured or waived.

(k) Additional Issuing Banks . From time to time, the Borrower may by notice to the Administrative Agent designate up to three Lenders (in addition to Credit Suisse) each of which agrees (in its sole discretion) to act in such capacity and is reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent as an Issuing Bank. Each such additional Issuing Bank shall execute a counterpart of this Agreement upon the approval of the Administrative Agent (which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld) and shall thereafter be an Issuing Bank hereunder for all purposes.

(l) Reporting . Unless otherwise requested by the Administrative Agent, each Issuing Bank shall (i) provide to the Administrative Agent copies of any notice received from the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.05(b) no later than the next Business Day after receipt thereof and (ii) report in writing to the Administrative Agent (A) on or prior to each Business Day on which such Issuing Bank expects to issue, amend or extend any Letter of Credit, the date of such issuance, amendment or extension, and the aggregate face amount of the Letters of Credit to be issued, amended or extended by it and outstanding after giving effect to such issuance, amendment or extension occurred (and whether the amount thereof changed), and the Issuing Bank shall be permitted to issue, amend or extend such Letter of Credit if the Administrative Agent shall not have advised the Issuing Bank that such issuance, amendment or extension would not be in conformity with the requirements of this Agreement, (B) on each Business Day

 

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on which such Issuing Bank makes any L/C Disbursement, the date of such L/C Disbursement and the amount of such L/C Disbursement and (C) on any other Business Day, such other information with respect to the outstanding Letters of Credit issued by such Issuing Bank as the Administrative Agent shall reasonably request, including but not limited to prompt verification of such information as may be requested by the Administrative Agent.

SECTION 2.06. Funding of Borrowings . (a) Each Lender shall make each Loan to be made by it hereunder on the proposed date thereof by wire transfer of immediately available funds by 12:00 noon, Local Time, to the account of the Administrative Agent most recently designated by it for such purpose by notice to the Lenders; provided, that Swingline Loans shall be made as provided in Section 2.04. The Administrative Agent will make such Loans available to the Borrower by promptly crediting the amounts so received, in like funds, to an account of the Borrower; provided, that ABR Revolving Loans and Swingline Borrowings made to finance the reimbursement of a L/C Disbursement and reimbursements as provided in Section 2.05(e) shall be remitted by the Administrative Agent to the applicable Issuing Bank.

(b) Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from a Lender prior to the proposed date of any Borrowing that such Lender will not make available to the Administrative Agent such Lender’s share of such Borrowing, the Administrative Agent may assume that such Lender has made such share available on such date in accordance with paragraph (a) of this Section and may, in reliance upon such assumption, make available to the Borrower a corresponding amount. In such event, if a Lender has not in fact made its share of the applicable Borrowing available to the Administrative Agent, then the applicable Lender and the Borrower severally agree to pay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand (without duplication) such corresponding amount with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is made available to the Borrower to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at (i) in the case of such Lender, the greater of (A) the Federal Funds Rate and (B) a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation or (ii) in the case of the Borrower, the interest rate applicable to ABR Loans at such time. If such Lender pays such amount to the Administrative Agent, then such amount shall constitute such Lender’s Loan included in such Borrowing.

SECTION 2.07. Interest Elections . (a) Each Borrowing initially shall be of the Type specified in the applicable Borrowing Request and, in the case of a Eurocurrency Borrowing, shall have an initial Interest Period as specified in such Borrowing Request. Thereafter, the Borrower may elect to convert such Borrowing to a different Type or to continue such Borrowing and, in the case of a Eurocurrency Borrowing, may elect Interest Periods therefor, all as provided in this Section. The Borrower may elect different options with respect to different portions of the affected Borrowing, in which case each such portion shall be allocated ratably among the Lenders holding the Loans comprising such Borrowing, and the Loans comprising each such portion shall be considered a separate Borrowing. This Section shall not apply to Swingline Borrowings, which may not be converted or continued.

(b) To make an election pursuant to this Section, the Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of such election by telephone by the time that a Borrowing Request would be required under Section 2.03 if such Borrower were requesting a Borrowing of the Type resulting from such election to be made on the effective date of such election. Each such

 

58


telephonic Interest Election Request shall be irrevocable and shall be confirmed promptly by hand delivery or telecopy to the Administrative Agent of a written Interest Election Request in the form of Exhibit D and signed by the Borrower.

(c) Each telephonic and written Interest Election Request shall be irrevocable and shall specify the following information in compliance with Section 2.02:

(i) the Borrowing to which such Interest Election Request applies and, if different options are being elected with respect to different portions thereof, the portions thereof to be allocated to each resulting Borrowing (in which case the information to be specified pursuant to clauses (iii) and (iv) below shall be specified for each resulting Borrowing);

(ii) the effective date of the election made pursuant to such Interest Election Request, which shall be a Business Day;

(iii) whether the resulting Borrowing is to be an ABR Borrowing or a Eurocurrency Borrowing; and

(iv) if the resulting Borrowing is a Eurocurrency Borrowing, the Interest Period to be applicable thereto after giving effect to such election, which shall be a period contemplated by clause (a) of the definition of the term “Interest Period.”

If any such Interest Election Request requests a Eurocurrency Borrowing but does not specify an Interest Period, then the Borrower shall be deemed to have selected an Interest Period of one month’s duration.

(d) Promptly following receipt of an Interest Election Request, the Administrative Agent shall advise each Lender to which such Interest Election Request relates of the details thereof and of such Lender’s portion of each resulting Borrowing.

(e) If the Borrower fails to deliver a timely Interest Election Request with respect to a Eurocurrency Borrowing prior to the end of the Interest Period applicable thereto, then, unless such Borrowing is repaid as provided herein, at the end of such Interest Period such Borrowing shall be converted to an ABR Borrowing. Notwithstanding any contrary provision hereof, if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing and the Administrative Agent, at the written request (including a request through electronic means) of the Required Lenders, so notifies the Borrower, then, so long as an Event of Default is continuing (i) no outstanding Borrowing may be converted to or continued as a Eurocurrency Borrowing and (ii) unless repaid, each Eurocurrency Borrowing shall be converted to an ABR Borrowing at the end of the Interest Period applicable thereto.

SECTION 2.08. Termination and Reduction of Commitments . (a) Unless previously terminated, the Revolving Facility Commitments shall terminate on the Revolving Facility Maturity Date.

(b) The Borrower may at any time terminate, or from time to time reduce, the Revolving Facility Commitments; provided , that (i) each reduction of the Revolving Facility

 

59


Commitments shall be in an amount that is an integral multiple of $1.0 million and not less than $5.0 million (or, if less, the remaining amount of the Revolving Facility Commitments) and (ii) the Borrower shall not terminate or reduce the Revolving Facility Commitments if, after giving effect to any concurrent prepayment of the Revolving Facility Loans in accordance with Section 2.11, the Revolving Facility Credit Exposure would exceed the total Revolving Facility Commitments.

(c) The Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of any election to terminate or reduce the Revolving Facility Commitments under paragraph (b) of this Section at least three Business Days prior to the effective date of such termination or reduction, specifying such election and the effective date thereof. Promptly following receipt of any notice, the Administrative Agent shall advise the applicable Lenders of the contents thereof. Each notice delivered by the Borrower pursuant to this Section shall be irrevocable; provided , that a notice of termination of the Revolving Facility Commitments delivered by the Borrower may state that such notice is conditioned upon the effectiveness of other credit facilities, in which case such notice may be revoked by the Borrower (by notice to the Administrative Agent on or prior to the specified effective date) if such condition is not satisfied. Any termination or reduction of the Commitments shall be permanent. Each reduction of the Commitments shall be made ratably among the Lenders in accordance with their respective Commitments.

SECTION 2.09. Repayment of Loans; Evidence of Debt . (a) The Borrower hereby unconditionally promises to pay (i) to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Revolving Facility Lender the then unpaid principal amount of each Revolving Facility Loan to the Borrower on the Revolving Facility Maturity Date, (ii) to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender the then unpaid principal amount of each Term Loan of such Lender as provided in Section 2.10 and (iii) to the Swingline Lender the then unpaid principal amount of each Swingline Loan on the Revolving Facility Maturity Date.

(b) Each Lender shall maintain in accordance with its usual practice an account or accounts evidencing the indebtedness of the Borrower to such Lender resulting from each Loan made by such Lender, including the amounts of principal and interest payable and paid to such Lender from time to time hereunder.

(c) The Administrative Agent shall maintain accounts in which it shall record (i) the amount of each Loan made hereunder, the Facility and Type thereof and the Interest Period (if any) applicable thereto, (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) any amount received by the Administrative Agent hereunder for the account of the Lenders and each Lender’s share thereof.

(d) The entries made in the accounts maintained pursuant to paragraph (b) or (c) of this Section shall be prima facie evidence of the existence and amounts of the obligations recorded therein; provided , that the failure of any Lender or the Administrative Agent to maintain such accounts or any error therein shall not in any manner affect the obligation of the Borrower to repay the Loans in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.

 

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(e) Any Lender may request that Loans made by it be evidenced by a promissory note (a “ Note ”). In such event, the Borrower shall prepare, execute and deliver to such Lender a promissory note payable to the order of such Lender (or, if requested by such Lender, to such Lender and its registered assigns) and in a form approved by the Administrative Agent and reasonably acceptable to the Borrower. Thereafter, the Loans evidenced by such promissory note and interest thereon shall at all times (including after assignment pursuant to Section 9.04) be represented by one or more promissory notes in such form payable to the order of the payee named therein (or, if such promissory note is a registered note, to such payee and its registered assigns).

SECTION 2.10. Repayment of Term Loans and Revolving Facility Loans . (a) Subject to the other paragraphs of this Section, (i) the Borrower shall repay Term B Borrowings on each date set forth below in the aggregate principal amount set forth opposite such date or, if such date is not a Business Day, the next preceding Business Day (each such date being referred to as a “Term B Loan Installment Date”):

 

Date

  

Amount of Term B
Borrowings to Be Repaid

December 31, 2006

  

$

712,500.00

March 31, 2007

  

$

712,500.00

June 30, 2007

  

$

712,500.00

September 30, 2007

  

$

712,500.00

December 31, 2007

  

$

712,500.00

March 31, 2008

  

$

712,500.00

June 30, 2008

  

$

712,500.00

September 30, 2008

  

$

712,500.00

December 31, 2008

  

$

712,500.00

March 31, 2009

  

$

712,500.00

June 30, 2009

  

$

712,500.00

September 30, 2009

  

$

712,500.00

December 31, 2009

  

$

712,500.00

March 31, 2010

  

$

712,500.00

June 30, 2010

  

$

712,500.00

September 30, 2010

  

$

712,500.00

December 31, 2010

  

$

712,500.00

March 31, 2011

  

$

712,500.00

June 30, 2011

  

$

712,500.00

September 30, 2011

  

$

712,500.00

December 31, 2011

  

$

712,500.00

March 31, 2012

  

$

712,500.00

June 30, 2012

  

$

712,500.00

September 30, 2012

  

$

712,500.00

December 31, 2012

  

$

712,500.00

March 31, 2013

  

$

712,500.00

June 30, 2013

  

$

712,500.00

Term B Facility Maturity Date

  

$

265,762,500.00

 

61


(ii) in the event that any Incremental Term Loans are made on an Increased Amount Date, the Borrower shall repay such Incremental Term Loans on the dates and in the amounts set forth in the Incremental Assumption Agreement (each such date being referred to as an “ Incremental Term Loan Installment Date ”); and

(iii) to the extent not previously paid, outstanding Term Loans shall be due and payable on the applicable Term Facility Maturity Date.

(b) To the extent not previously paid, outstanding Revolving Facility Loans shall be due and payable on the applicable Revolving Facility Maturity Date.

(c) Prepayment of the Loans from:

(i) all Net Proceeds pursuant to Section 2.11(b) and Excess Cash Flow pursuant to Section 2.11(c) shall be applied to the Term Loans pro rata among the Term Facilities, with the application thereof (A) to reduce in direct order amounts due on the next twelve succeeding Term Loan Installment Dates under the applicable Term Facilities, and (B) thereafter, to reduce on a pro rata basis (based on the amount of such amortization payments) the remaining scheduled amortization payments under the applicable Term Facilities; provided , that any Lender, at its option, may elect to decline any such prepayment of any Term Loan held by it if it shall give written notice to the Administrative Agent thereof by 11:00 A.M. Local Time at least three Business Days prior to the date of such prepayment (any such Lender, a “ Declining Lender ”) and on the date of any such prepayment, any amounts that would otherwise have been applied to prepay Term Loans owing to Declining Lenders shall instead be retained by the Borrower for application for any purpose not prohibited by this Agreement, and

(ii) any optional prepayments of the Term Loans pursuant to Section 2.11(a) shall be applied to the remaining installments of the Term Loans as the Borrowers may direct.

(d) Prior to any repayment of any Loan under any Facility hereunder, the Borrower shall select the Borrowing or Borrowings under the applicable Facility to be repaid; provided that if there are any Declining Lenders with respect to any given mandatory prepayment pursuant to clause (c) above, then the amount of such mandatory prepayment that has not been declined shall be made on a pro rata basis to the then outstanding Term Loans being repaid, irrespective of whether such outstanding Term Loans are ABR Loans or Eurocurrency Loans. The Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent by telephone (confirmed by telecopy) of such repayment not later than 2:00 p.m., Local Time, (i) in the case of any mandatory prepayment under Section 2.11(b) or Section 2.11(c), five Business Days before the scheduled date of such prepayment (it being understood that in the case of mandatory prepayments under Section 2.11(b), such notice need not be given prior to the receipt of the applicable Net Proceeds) and (ii) (x) in the case of an ABR Borrowing, one Business Day before the scheduled date of such repayment and (y) in the case of a Eurocurrency Borrowing, three Business Days before the scheduled date of such repayment. Any mandatory prepayment of Term Loans pursuant to Section 2.11(b) or (c) shall be applied so that the aggregate amount of such prepayment is allocated among the Term B Loans and Other Term Loans, if any, pro rata

 

62


based on the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Term B Loans and Other Term Loans, if any (unless, with respect to Other Term Loans, the Incremental Assumption Agreement relating thereto does not so require). In the case of prepayments under Section 2.11(a), the Borrowers may in their sole discretion select the Borrowing or Borrowings to be prepaid. Each repayment of a Borrowing (x) in the case of the Revolving Facility, shall be applied to the Revolving Facility Loans included in the repaid Borrowing such that each Revolving Facility Lender receives its ratable share of such repayment (based upon the respective Revolving Facility Credit Exposures of the Revolving Facility Lenders at the time of such repayment) and (y) in all other cases, shall be applied ratably to the Loans included in the repaid Borrowing. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the immediately preceding sentence, prior to any repayment of a Swingline Loan hereunder, the Borrower shall select the Borrowing or Borrowings to be repaid and shall notify the Administrative Agent by telephone (confirmed by telecopy) of such selection not later than 1:00 p.m., Local Time, on the scheduled date of such repayment. Repayments of Loans (other than Swingline Loans and ABR Loans) shall be accompanied by accrued interest on the amount repaid.

SECTION 2.11. Prepayment of Loans . (a) The Borrower shall have the right at any time and from time to time to prepay any Loan in whole or in part, without premium or penalty (but subject to Section 2.16), in an aggregate principal amount that is an integral multiple of the Borrowing Multiple and not less than the Borrowing Minimum or, if less, the amount outstanding, subject to prior notice in accordance with Section 2.10(d), which notice shall be irrevocable except to the extent conditioned on a refinancing of the Facilities.

(b) The Borrower shall apply all Net Proceeds promptly (taking into account any required notice period under Section 2.10(d)) upon receipt thereof to prepay Term Loans in accordance with paragraphs (c) and (d) of Section 2.10. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Borrower may retain Net Proceeds pursuant to clause (b) of the definition thereof, provided , that the Total Net First Lien Leverage Ratio on the last day of the Borrower’s then most recently completed fiscal quarter for which financial statements are available shall be less than or equal to 2.00 to 1.00.

(c) Not later than 90 days after the end of each Excess Cash Flow Period, the Borrower shall calculate Excess Cash Flow for such Excess Cash Flow Period and shall apply an amount equal to (i) the Required Percentage of such Excess Cash Flow, minus (ii) to the extent not financed, using the proceeds of, without duplication, the incurrence of Indebtedness and the sale or issuance of any Equity Interests (including any capital contributions), the sum of (A) the amount of any voluntary prepayments during such Excess Cash Flow Period of Term Loans (and with respect to the Excess Cash Flow Period ending December 31, 2007, plus the amount of any voluntary prepayments of Term Loans made prior to such Excess Cash Flow Period) and (B) the amount of any permanent voluntary reductions during such Excess Cash Flow Period of Revolving Facility Commitments to the extent that an equal amount of Revolving Facility Loans was simultaneously repaid, to prepay Term Loans in accordance with paragraphs (c) and (d) of Section 2.10. Not later than the date on which the Borrower is required to deliver financial statements with respect to the end of each Excess Cash Flow Period under Section 5.04(a), the Borrower will deliver to the Administrative Agent a certificate signed by a Financial Officer of the Borrower setting forth the amount, if any, of Excess Cash Flow for such fiscal year, the

 

63


amount of any required prepayment in respect thereof and the calculation thereof in reasonable detail.

(d) In the event and on such occasion that the total Revolving Facility Credit Exposure exceeds the total Revolving Facility Commitments, the Borrower shall prepay Revolving Facility Borrowings or Swingline Borrowings (or, if no such Borrowings are outstanding, deposit cash collateral in an account with the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 2.05(j)) in an aggregate amount equal to such excess.

(e) In the event and on such occasion as the Revolving L/C Exposure exceeds the Letter of Credit Sublimit, the Borrower shall deposit cash collateral in an account with the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 2.05(j) in an amount equal to such excess.

(f) If as a result of changes in currency exchange rates, on any Revaluation Date, (i) the total Revolving Facility Credit Exposure exceeds the total Revolving Facility Commitments, (ii) the Revolving L/C Exposure exceeds the Letter of Credit Sublimit or (iii) the Revolving L/C Exposure with respect to all Alternative Currency Letters of Credit exceeds $20,000,000, the Borrower shall within 5 days of such Revaluation Date (A) prepay Revolving Facility Borrowings or Swingline Borrowings or (B) deposit cash collateral in an account with the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 2.05(j), in an aggregate amount such that the applicable exposure does not exceed the applicable commitment, sublimit or amount set forth above.

SECTION 2.12. Fees . (a) The Borrower agrees to pay to each Lender (other than any Defaulting Lender), through the Administrative Agent, on the date that is 10 Business Days after the last Business Day of March, June, September and December in each year, and three Business Days after the date on which the Revolving Facility Commitments of all the Lenders shall be terminated as provided herein, a commitment fee (a “ Commitment Fee ”) on the daily amount of the Available Unused Commitment of such Lender during the preceding quarter (or other period commencing with the Closing Date or ending with the date on which the last of the Commitments of such Lender shall be terminated) at a rate equal to the Applicable Commitment Fee. All Commitment Fees shall be computed on the basis of the actual number of days elapsed in a year of 360 days. For the purpose of calculating any Lender’s Commitment Fee, the outstanding Swingline Loans during the period for which such Lender’s Commitment Fee is calculated shall be deemed to be zero. The Commitment Fee due to each Lender shall commence to accrue on the Closing Date and shall cease to accrue on the date on which the last of the Commitments of such Lender shall be terminated as provided herein.

(b) The Borrower from time to time agrees to pay (i) to each Revolving Facility Lender (other than any Defaulting Lender), through the Administrative Agent, on the last Business Day of March, June, September and December of each year and three Business Days after the date on which the Revolving Facility Commitments of all the Lenders shall be terminated as provided herein, a fee (an “ L/C Participation Fee ”) on such Lender’s Revolving Facility Percentage of the daily aggregate Revolving L/C Exposure (excluding the portion thereof attributable to unreimbursed L/C Disbursements), during the preceding quarter (or shorter period commencing with the Closing Date or ending with the Revolving Facility Maturity Date or the date on which the Revolving Facility Commitments shall be terminated) at

 

64


the rate per annum equal to the Applicable Margin for Eurocurrency Revolving Facility Borrowings three Business Days after the last Business Day of March, June, September and December of each year and three Business Days after the date on which the Revolving Facility Commitments of all the Lenders shall be terminated as provided herein, and (ii) to the Issuing Bank, annually in advance, (x) a fronting fee in respect of each Letter of Credit issued by such Issuing Bank for the period from and including the date of issuance of such Letter of Credit to and including the termination of such Letter of Credit, computed at a rate equal to 1/4 of 1% per annum of the daily stated amount of such Letter of Credit), plus (y) in connection with the issuance, amendment or transfer of any such Letter of Credit or any L/C Disbursement thereunder, such Issuing Bank’s customary documentary and processing fees and charges (collectively, “ Issuing Bank Fees ”). All L/C Participation Fees and Issuing Bank Fees that are payable in Dollars on a per annum basis shall be computed on the basis of the actual number of days elapsed in a year of 360 days.

(c) The Borrower agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the Administrative Agent, the agency fees set forth in the Fee Letter, as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, at the times specified therein (the “ Administrative Agent Fees ”).

(d) All Fees shall be paid on the dates due, in immediately available funds, to the Administrative Agent for distribution, if and as appropriate, among the Lenders, except that Issuing Bank Fees shall be paid directly to the applicable Issuing Banks. Once paid, none of the Fees shall be refundable under any circumstances.

SECTION 2.13. Interest . (a) The Loans comprising each ABR Borrowing (including each Swingline Loan) shall bear interest at the ABR plus the Applicable Margin.

(b) The Loans comprising each Eurocurrency Borrowing shall bear interest at the Adjusted LIBO Rate for the Interest Period in effect for such Borrowing plus the Applicable Margin.

(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any principal of or interest on any Loan or any Fees or other amount payable by the Borrower hereunder is not paid when due, whether at stated maturity, upon acceleration or otherwise, such overdue amount shall bear interest, after as well as before judgment, at a rate per annum equal to (i) in the case of overdue principal of any Loan, 2% plus the rate otherwise applicable to such Loan as provided in the preceding paragraphs of this Section or (ii) in the case of any other amount, 2% plus the rate applicable to ABR Loans as provided in paragraph (a) of this Section; provided , that this paragraph (c) shall not apply to any Event of Default that has been waived by the Lenders pursuant to Section 9.08.

(d) Accrued interest on each Loan shall be payable in arrears (i) on each Interest Payment Date for such Loan, (ii) in the case of Revolving Facility Loans, upon termination of the Revolving Facility Commitments and (iii) in the case of the Term Loans, on the Term Facility Maturity Date; provided , that (i) interest accrued pursuant to paragraph (c) of this Section shall be payable on demand, (ii) in the event of any repayment or prepayment of any Loan (other than a prepayment of an ABR Revolving Loan prior to the end of the Availability Period), accrued interest on the principal amount repaid or prepaid shall be payable on the date

 

65


of such repayment or prepayment and (iii) in the event of any conversion of any Eurocurrency Loan prior to the end of the current Interest Period therefor, accrued interest on such Loan shall be payable on the effective date of such conversion.

(e) All interest hereunder shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days, except that interest computed by reference to the ABR at times when the ABR is based on the prime rate shall be computed on the basis of a year of 365 days (or 366 days in a leap year), and in each case shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day). The applicable ABR, Adjusted LIBO Rate or LIBO Rate shall be determined by the Administrative Agent, and such determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

SECTION 2.14. Alternate Rate of Interest . If prior to the commencement of any Interest Period for a Eurocurrency Borrowing:

(a) the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error) that adequate and reasonable means do not exist for ascertaining the Adjusted LIBO Rate or the LIBO Rate, as applicable, for such Interest Period; or

(b) the Administrative Agent is advised by the Required Lenders or the Majority Lenders under the Revolving Facility that the Adjusted LIBO Rate or the LIBO Rate, as applicable, for such Interest Period will not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to such Lenders of making or maintaining their Loans included in such Borrowing for such Interest Period;

then the Administrative Agent shall give notice thereof to the Borrower and the Lenders by telephone or telecopy as promptly as practicable thereafter and, until the Administrative Agent notifies the Borrower and the Lenders that the circumstances giving rise to such notice no longer exist, (i) any Interest Election Request that requests the conversion of any Borrowing to, or continuation of any Borrowing as, a Eurocurrency Borrowing denominated in such currency shall be ineffective and such Borrowing shall be converted to or continued as on the last day of the Interest Period applicable thereto an ABR Borrowing, and (ii) if any Borrowing Request requests a Eurocurrency Borrowing, such Borrowing shall be made as an ABR Borrowing.

SECTION 2.15. Increased Costs . (a) If any Change in Law shall:

(i) impose, modify or deem applicable any reserve, special deposit or similar requirement against assets of, deposits with or for the account of, or credit extended by, any Lender (except any such reserve requirement reflected in the Adjusted LIBO Rate) or Issuing Bank; or

(ii) impose on any Lender or Issuing Bank or the London interbank market any other condition affecting this Agreement or Eurocurrency Loans made by such Lender or any Letter of Credit or participation therein;

and the result of any of the foregoing shall be to increase the cost to such Lender of making or maintaining any Eurocurrency Loan (or of maintaining its obligation to make any such Loan) or

 

66


to increase the cost to such Lender or Issuing Bank of participating in, issuing or maintaining any Letter of Credit or to reduce the amount of any sum received or receivable by such Lender or Issuing Bank hereunder (whether of principal, interest or otherwise), then the Borrower will pay to such Lender or Issuing Bank, as applicable, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or Issuing Bank, as applicable, for such additional costs incurred or reduction suffered.

(b) If any Lender or Issuing Bank determines that any Change in Law regarding capital requirements has or would have the effect of reducing the rate of return on such Lender’s or Issuing Bank’s capital or on the capital of such Lender’s or Issuing Bank’s holding company, if any, as a consequence of this Agreement or the Loans made by, or participations in Letters of Credit or Swingline Loans held by, such Lender, or the Letters of Credit issued by such Issuing Bank, to a level below that which such Lender or such Issuing Bank or such Lender’s or such Issuing Bank’s holding company could have achieved but for such Change in Law (taking into consideration such Lender’s or such Issuing Bank’s policies and the policies of such Lender’s or such Issuing Bank’s holding company with respect to capital adequacy), then from time to time the Borrower shall pay to such Lender or such Issuing Bank, as applicable, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or such Issuing Bank or such Lender’s or such Issuing Bank’s holding company for any such reduction suffered.

(c) A certificate of a Lender or an Issuing Bank setting forth the amount or amounts necessary to compensate such Lender or Issuing Bank or its holding company, as applicable, as specified in paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section shall be delivered to the Borrower and shall be conclusive absent manifest error. The Borrower shall pay such Lender or Issuing Bank, as applicable, the amount shown as due on any such certificate within 10 days after receipt thereof.

(d) Promptly after any Lender or any Issuing Bank has determined that it will make a request for increased compensation pursuant to this Section 2.15, such Lender or Issuing Bank shall notify the Borrower thereof. Failure or delay on the part of any Lender or Issuing Bank to demand compensation pursuant to this Section shall not constitute a waiver of such Lender’s or Issuing Bank’s right to demand such compensation; provided , that the Borrower shall not be required to compensate a Lender or an Issuing Bank pursuant to this Section for any increased costs or reductions incurred more than 180 days prior to the date that such Lender or Issuing Bank, as applicable, notifies the Borrower of the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions and of such Lender’s or Issuing Bank’s intention to claim compensation therefor; provided , further , that, if the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions is retroactive, then the 180-day period referred to above shall be extended to include the period of retroactive effect thereof.

(e) The foregoing provisions of this Section 2.15 shall not apply in the case of any Change in Law in respect of Taxes, which shall instead be governed by Section 2.17.

SECTION 2.16. Break Funding Payments . In the event of (a) the payment of any principal of any Eurocurrency Loan other than on the last day of an Interest Period applicable thereto (including as a result of an Event of Default), (b) the conversion of any Eurocurrency Loan other than on the last day of the Interest Period applicable thereto, (c) the failure to borrow,

 

67


convert, continue or prepay any Eurocurrency Loan on the date specified in any notice delivered pursuant hereto or (d) the assignment of any Eurocurrency Loan other than on the last day of the Interest Period applicable thereto as a result of a request by a Borrower pursuant to Section 2.19, then, in any such event, the Borrower shall compensate each Lender for the loss, cost and expense attributable to such event. In the case of a Eurocurrency Loan, such loss, cost or expense to any Lender shall be deemed to be the amount determined by such Lender to be the excess, if any, of (i) the amount of interest which would have accrued on the principal amount of such Loan had such event not occurred, at the Adjusted LIBO Rate that would have been applicable to such Loan, for the period from the date of such event to the last day of the then current Interest Period therefor (or, in the case of a failure to borrow, convert or continue a Eurocurrency Loan, for the period that would have been the Interest Period for such Loan), over (ii) the amount of interest which would accrue on such principal amount for such period at the interest rate which such Lender would bid were it to bid, at the commencement of such period, for deposits in dollars of a comparable amount and period from other banks in the Eurocurrency market. A certificate of any Lender setting forth any amount or amounts that such Lender is entitled to receive pursuant to this Section shall be delivered to such Borrower and shall be conclusive absent manifest error. Such Borrower shall pay such Lender the amount shown as due on any such certificate within 10 days after receipt thereof.

SECTION 2.17. Taxes . (a) Any and all payments by or on account of any obligation of any Loan Party hereunder shall be made free and clear of and without deduction for any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes; provided, that if a Loan Party shall be required to deduct any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes from such payments, then (i) the sum payable shall be increased as necessary so that after making all required deductions (including deductions applicable to additional sums payable under this Section) the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any Issuing Bank, as applicable, receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such deductions been made, (ii) such Loan Party shall make such deductions and (iii) such Loan Party shall timely pay the full amount deducted to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable law.

(b) In addition, the Loan Parties shall pay any Other Taxes to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable law.

(c) Each Loan Party shall indemnify the Administrative Agent, each Lender and each Issuing Bank, within 10 days after written demand therefor, for the full amount of any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes paid by the Administrative Agent, such Lender or such Issuing Bank, as applicable, on or with respect to any payment by or on account of any obligation of such Loan Party hereunder (including Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes imposed or asserted on or attributable to amounts payable under this Section) and any reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority. A certificate as to the amount of such payment or liability delivered to such Loan Party by a Lender or an Issuing Bank, or by the Administrative Agent on its own behalf, on behalf of another Agent or on behalf of a Lender or an Issuing Bank, shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

 

68


(d) As soon as practicable after any payment of Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes by a Loan Party to a Governmental Authority, such Loan Party shall deliver to the Administrative Agent the original or a certified copy of a receipt issued by such Governmental Authority evidencing such payment, a copy of the return reporting such payment or other evidence of such payment reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.

(e) Any Lender that is entitled to an exemption from or reduction of 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), to the extent such Lender is legally entitled to do so, at the time or times prescribed by applicable law, such properly completed and executed documentation prescribed by applicable law as may reasonably be requested by the Borrower to permit such payments to be made without such withholding tax or at a reduced rate; provided , that no Lender shall have any obligation under this paragraph (e) with respect to any withholding Tax imposed by any jurisdiction other than the United States if in the reasonable judgment of such Lender such compliance would subject such Lender to any material unreimbursed cost or expense or would otherwise be disadvantageous to such Lender in any material respect.

(f) Each Foreign Lender shall deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent on the date on which such Foreign Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of the Borrower or the Administrative Agent), two original copies of whichever of the following is applicable: (i) duly completed copies of Internal Revenue Service Form W 8BEN (or any subsequent versions thereof or successors thereto), claiming eligibility for benefits of an income tax treaty to which the United States of America is a party, (ii) duly completed copies of Internal Revenue Service Form W 8ECI (or any subsequent versions thereof or successors thereto), (iii) in the case of a Foreign Lender claiming the benefits of the exemption for portfolio interest under section 871(h) or 881(c) of the Code, (x) a certificate to the effect that such Foreign Lender is not (A) a “bank” within the meaning of section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, (B) a “10 percent shareholder” of the Borrower within the meaning of section 871(h)(3) or 881(c)(3)(B) of the Code, or (C) a “controlled foreign corporation” described in section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code and (y) duly completed copies of Internal Revenue Service Form W 8BEN (or any subsequent versions thereof or successors thereto), (iv) duly completed copies of Internal Revenue Service Form W-81MY, together with forms and certificates described in clauses (i) through (iii) above (and additional Form W-81MYs) as may be required or (v) any other form prescribed by applicable law as a basis for claiming exemption from or a reduction in United States federal withholding tax duly completed together with such supplementary documentation as may be prescribed by applicable law to permit the Borrower to determine the withholding or deduction required to be made. In addition, in each of the foregoing circumstances, each Foreign Lender shall deliver such forms, if legally entitled to deliver such forms, promptly upon the obsolescence, expiration or invalidity of any form previously delivered by such Foreign Lender. Each Foreign 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 United States of America or other taxing authorities for such purpose). In addition, each Lender that is not a Foreign Lender shall deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent two copies of Internal Revenue Service Form W-9 (or any subsequent

 

69


versions thereof or successors thereto) on or before the date such Lender becomes a party and upon the expiration of any form previously delivered by such Lender. Notwithstanding any other provision of this paragraph, a Lender shall not be required to deliver any form pursuant to this paragraph that such Lender is not legally able to deliver.

(g) If the Administrative Agent or a Lender determines in good faith and in its sole discretion, that is has received a refund of any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes as to which it has been indemnified by a Loan Party or with respect to which such Loan Party has paid additional amounts pursuant to this Section 2.17, it shall pay over such refund to such Loan Party (but only to the extent of indemnity payments made, or additional amounts paid, by such Loan Party under this Section 2.17 with respect to the Taxes or Other Taxes giving rise to such refund), net of all out-of-pocket expenses of the Administrative Agent or such Lender (including any Taxes imposed with respect to such refund) as is determined by the Administrative Agent or Lender in good faith and in its sole discretion, and without interest (other than any interest paid by the relevant Governmental Authority with respect to such refund); provided , that such Loan Party, upon the request of the Administrative Agent or such Lender, agrees to repay as soon as reasonably practicable the amount paid over to such Loan Party (plus any penalties, interest or other charges imposed by the relevant Governmental Authority) to the Administrative Agent or such Lender in the event the Administrative Agent or such Lender is required to repay such refund to such Governmental Authority. This Section 2.17(g) shall not be construed to require the Administrative Agent or any Lender to make available its Tax returns (or any other information relating to its Taxes which it deems, in good faith and in its sole discretion, to be confidential) to the Loan Parties or any other person.

SECTION 2.18. Payments Generally ; Pro Rata Treatment ; Sharing of Set-offs . (a) Unless otherwise specified, the Borrower shall make each payment required to be made by it hereunder (whether of principal, interest, fees or reimbursement of L/C Disbursements, or of amounts payable under Section 2.15, 2.16, or 2.17, or otherwise) prior to 2:00 p.m., Local Time, on the date when due, in immediately available funds, without condition or deduction for any defense, recoupment, set-off or counterclaim. Any amounts received after such time on any date may, in the discretion of the Administrative Agent, be deemed to have been received on the next succeeding Business Day for purposes of calculating interest thereon. All such payments shall be made to the Administrative Agent to the applicable account designated to the Borrower by the Administrative Agent, except payments to be made directly to the applicable Issuing Bank or the Swingline Lender as expressly provided herein and except that payments pursuant to Sections 2.15, 2.16, 2.17 and 9.05 shall be made directly to the persons entitled thereto. The Administrative Agent shall distribute any such payments received by it for the account of any other person to the appropriate recipient promptly following receipt thereof. If any payment hereunder shall be due on a day that is not a Business Day, the date for payment shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day, and, in the case of any payment accruing interest, interest thereon shall be payable for the period of such extension. All payments under the Loan Documents shall be made in Dollars. Any payment required to be made by the Administrative Agent hereunder shall be deemed to have been made by the time required if the Administrative Agent shall, at or before such time, have taken the necessary steps to make such payment in accordance with the regulations or operating procedures of the clearing or settlement system used by the Administrative Agent to make such payment.

 

70


(b) If at any time insufficient funds are received by and available to the Administrative Agent from the Borrower to pay fully all amounts of principal, unreimbursed L/C Disbursements, interest and fees then due from the Borrower hereunder, such funds shall be applied (i) first, towards payment of interest and fees then due from the Borrower hereunder, ratably among the parties entitled thereto in accordance with the amounts of interest and fees then due to such parties, and (ii) second, towards payment of principal of Swingline Loans and unreimbursed L/C Disbursements then due from the Borrower hereunder, ratably among the parties entitled thereto in accordance with the amounts of principal and unreimbursed L/C Disbursements then due to such parties, and (iii) third, towards payment of principal then due from the Borrower hereunder, ratably among the parties entitled thereto in accordance with the amounts of principal and unreimbursed L/C Disbursements then due to such parties.

(c) If any Lender shall, by exercising any right of set-off or counterclaim or otherwise, obtain payment in respect of any principal of or interest on any of its Term Loans, Revolving Facility Loans or participations in L/C Disbursements or Swingline Loans resulting in such Lender receiving payment of a great