EXHIBIT 99.2
REGIS CORPORATION
MASTER NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT
Dated as of March 15, 2005
$400,000,000 Aggregate Principal Amount
Senior Notes Issuable in Series
Initial Issuance of
$30,000,000 4.97% Senior Notes, Series 2005-A, Tranche 1, due
March 31, 2013
$70,000,000 5.20% Senior Notes, Series 2005-A, Tranche 2, due
March 31, 2015
$70,000,000 Floating Rate Senior Notes, Series 2005-B, Tranche
1, due March 31, 2013
$30,000,000 Floating Rate Senior Notes, Series 2005-B, Tranche
2, due March 31, 2015
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Series A, Tranche 1, PPN:
758932 F# 9
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Series A, Tranche 2, PPN:
758932 G* 2
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Series B, Tranche 1, PPN:
758932 G@ 0
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Series B, Tranche 2, PPN:
758932 G# 8
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Section
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Page
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1.
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AUTHORIZATION
OF NOTES
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1
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1.1.
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Description of
Notes
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1
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1.2.
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Additional
Series of Notes
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2
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1.3.
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Subsidiary
Guaranty; Release
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2
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1.4.
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Floating
Interest Rate Provisions for Floating Rate Notes
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3
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2.
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SALE AND
PURCHASE OF NOTES
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4
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3.
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CLOSING
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4
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4.
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CONDITIONS TO
CLOSING
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5
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4.1.
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Representations
and Warranties
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5
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4.2.
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Performance; No
Default
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5
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4.3.
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Compliance
Certificates
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5
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4.4.
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Opinions of
Counsel
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6
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4.5.
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Purchase
Permitted By Applicable Law, etc.
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6
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4.6.
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Sale of Other
Notes
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6
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4.7.
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Payment of
Special Counsel Fees
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6
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4.8.
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Private
Placement Numbers
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6
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4.9.
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Changes in
Corporate Structure
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7
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4.10.
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Subsidiary
Guaranty
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7
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4.11.
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Intercreditor
Agreement
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7
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4.12.
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Funding
Instructions
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7
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4.13.
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Proceedings and
Documents
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7
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5.
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REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY
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7
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5.1.
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Organization;
Power and Authority
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7
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5.2.
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Authorization,
etc.
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8
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5.3.
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Disclosure
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8
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5.4.
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Organization
and Ownership of Shares of Subsidiaries; Affiliates
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9
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5.5.
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Financial
Statements
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9
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5.6.
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Compliance with
Laws, Other Instruments, etc.
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10
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5.7.
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Governmental
Authorizations, etc.
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10
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5.8.
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Litigation;
Observance of Statutes and Orders
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10
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5.9.
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Taxes
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11
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5.10.
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Title to
Property; Leases
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11
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5.11.
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Licenses,
Permits, etc.
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11
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5.12.
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Compliance with
ERISA
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12
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5.13.
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Private
Offering by the Company
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13
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5.14.
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Use of
Proceeds; Margin Regulations
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13
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5.15.
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Existing
Debt
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13
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5.16.
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Foreign Assets
Control Regulations, etc.
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14
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Section
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Page
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5.17.
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Status under
Certain Statutes
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14
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5.18.
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Environmental
Matters
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14
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5.19.
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Solvency of
Subsidiary Guarantors
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15
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5.20.
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Pari Passu
Ranking
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15
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6.
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REPRESENTATIONS OF THE
PURCHASERS
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6.1.
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Purchase for
Investment
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15
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6.2.
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Source of
Funds
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15
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7.
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INFORMATION AS TO COMPANY
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7.1.
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Financial and
Business Information
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17
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7.2.
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Officer’s
Certificate
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20
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7.3.
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Visitation
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20
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8.
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PREPAYMENT OF THE NOTES
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21
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8.1.
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No Scheduled
Prepayments
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21
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8.2.
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Optional
Prepayments
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21
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8.3.
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Allocation of
Partial Prepayments
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22
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8.4.
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Maturity;
Surrender, etc.
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22
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8.5.
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Purchase of
Notes
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22
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8.6.
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Make-Whole
Amount
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23
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8.7.
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LIBOR Breakage
Amount
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24
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9.
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AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS
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24
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9.1.
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Compliance with
Law
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9.2.
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Insurance
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25
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9.3.
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Maintenance of
Properties
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25
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9.4.
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Payment of
Taxes and Claims
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25
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9.5.
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Corporate
Existence, etc.
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25
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9.6.
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Additional
Subsidiary Guarantors
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26
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9.7.
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Ranking
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26
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9.8.
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Books and
Records
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26
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10.
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NEGATIVE
COVENANTS
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26
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10.1.
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Consolidated
Net Worth
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27
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10.2.
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Consolidated
Net Debt
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27
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10.3.
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Fixed Charge
Coverage
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27
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10.4.
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Priority
Debt
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27
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10.5.
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Liens
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27
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10.6.
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Sale of
Assets
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29
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10.7.
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Mergers,
Consolidations, etc.
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29
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10.8.
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Disposition of
Stock of Restricted Subsidiaries
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30
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10.9.
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Designation of
Restricted and Unrestricted Subsidiaries
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31
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10.10.
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Transactions
with Affiliates
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31
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11.
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EVENTS OF
DEFAULT
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31
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12.
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REMEDIES
ON DEFAULT, ETC.
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34
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ii
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Section
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Page
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12.1.
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Acceleration
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34
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12.2.
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Other
Remedies
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34
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12.3.
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Rescission
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35
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12.4.
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No Waivers or
Election of Remedies, Expenses, etc.
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35
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13.
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REGISTRATION; EXCHANGE; SUBSTITUTION OF
NOTES
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35
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13.1.
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Registration of
Notes
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35
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13.2.
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Transfer and
Exchange of Notes
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36
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13.3.
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Replacement of
Notes
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36
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14.
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PAYMENTS
ON NOTES
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36
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14.1.
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Place of
Payment
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36
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14.2.
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Home Office
Payment
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37
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15.
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EXPENSES,
ETC.
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37
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15.1.
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Transaction
Expenses
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37
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15.2.
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Survival
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38
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16.
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SURVIVAL
OF REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES; ENTIRE AGREEMENT
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38
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17.
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AMENDMENT
AND WAIVER
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38
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17.1.
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Requirements
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38
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17.2.
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Solicitation of
Holders of Notes
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38
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17.3.
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Binding Effect,
etc.
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39
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17.4.
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Notes held by
Company, etc.
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39
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18.
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NOTICES
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39
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19.
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REPRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS
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40
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20.
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CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION
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40
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21.
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SUBSTITUTION OF PURCHASER
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41
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22.
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MISCELLANEOUS
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42
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22.1.
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Successors and
Assigns
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42
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22.2.
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Payments Due on
Non-Business Days
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42
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22.3.
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Accounting
Terms
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42
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22.4.
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Severability
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42
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22.5.
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Construction
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42
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22.6.
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Counterparts
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43
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22.7.
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Governing
Law
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43
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22.8.
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Jurisdiction
and Process; Waiver of Jury Trial
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43
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iii
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—
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Information
Relating to Purchasers
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—
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Defined
Terms
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—
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Changes in
Corporate Structure
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—
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Disclosure
Materials
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—
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Subsidiaries;
Affiliates
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—
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Financial
Statements
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—
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Use of
Proceeds
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—
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Existing
Debt
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—
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Liens
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—
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Form of
Series 2005-A, Tranche 1, Senior Note
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—
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Form of
Series 2005-A, Tranche 2, Senior Note
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—
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Form of
Series 2005-B, Tranche 1, Senior Note
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—
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Form of
Series 2005-B, Tranche 2, Senior Note
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—
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Form of
Supplement
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—
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Form of
Subsidiary Guaranty
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—
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Form of Opinion
of Counsel for the Company
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—
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Form of Opinion
of Special Counsel for the Purchasers
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iv
REGIS CORPORATION
7201 Metro Boulevard
Edina, MN 55439
(952) 947-7777
Fax: (952) 947-7700
$400,000,000 Aggregate Principal Amount
Senior Notes Issuable in Series
$30,000,000 4.97% Senior Notes,
Series 2005-A, Tranche 1, due March 31, 2013
$70,000,000 5.20% Senior Notes, Series 2005-A, Tranche 2, due
March 31, 2015
$70,000,000 Floating Rate Senior Notes, Series 2005-B, Tranche
1, due March 31, 2013
$30,000,000 Floating Rate Senior Notes, Series 2005-B, Tranche
2, due March 31, 2015
Dated as of March 15, 2005
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TO EACH OF THE PURCHASERS LISTED IN
THE ATTACHED SCHEDULE A:
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Ladies and Gentlemen:
REGIS
CORPORATION, a Minnesota corporation (the “Company”),
agrees with you as follows:
1. AUTHORIZATION OF
NOTES.
1.1. Description of
Notes.
The
Company has authorized the issue and sale of: $30,000,000 aggregate
principal amount of its 4.97% Senior Notes, Series 2005-A,
Tranche 1, due March 31, 2013 (the “Series 2005-A,
Tranche 1, Notes”); $70,000,000 aggregate principal amount of
its 5.20% Senior Notes, Series 2005-A, Tranche 2, due
March 31, 2015 (the “Series 2005-A, Tranche 2,
Notes” and together with the Series 2005-A, Tranche 1, Notes,
the “Series 2005-A Notes”); $70,000,000 aggregate
principal amount of its Floating Rate Senior Notes,
Series 2005-B, Tranche 1, due March 31, 2013 (the
“Series 2005-B, Tranche 1, Notes”); and
$30,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its Floating Rate Senior
Notes, Series 2005-B, Tranche 2, due March 31, 2015 (the
“Series 2005-B, Tranche 2, Notes” and together
with the Series 2005-B, Tranche 1, Notes, the
“Series 2005-B Notes”). The Series 2005-A
Notes and the Series 2005-B, Notes are referred to
collectively as the “Series 2005 Notes”. The
Series 2005 Notes shall be substantially in the forms set out
in Exhibits 1.1(a), (b), (c) and (d), with such changes
therefrom, if any, as may be approved by the Purchasers and the
Company. Certain capitalized terms used in this Agreement are
defined in Schedule B; references to a “Schedule”
or an “Exhibit” are, unless otherwise specified, to a
Schedule or an Exhibit attached to this Agreement.
1.2. Additional Series of
Notes.
In
addition to the issuance and sale of the Series 2005 Notes,
the Company may from time to time issue and sell one or more
additional series of notes (the “Additional Notes” and
together with the Series 2005 Notes, the “Notes,”
such term to include any such Notes issued in substitution therefor
pursuant to Section 13 of this Agreement) pursuant to this
Agreement, provided that the aggregate principal amount of all
Notes issued pursuant to this Agreement shall not exceed
$400,000,000. Each series of Additional Notes will be issued
pursuant to a supplement to this Agreement (a
“Supplement”) in substantially the form of
Exhibit 1.2, and will be subject to the following terms and
conditions:
(a) the
designation of each series of Additional Notes shall distinguish
such series from the Notes of all other series;
(b) each series of
Additional Notes may consist of different and separate tranches and
may differ as to outstanding principal amounts, maturity dates,
interest rates and premiums or make-whole amounts, if any, and
price and terms of redemption or payment prior to
maturity;
(c) all Notes
issued under this Agreement, including pursuant to any Supplement,
shall rank pari passu with each other and shall constitute
Senior Debt;
(d) each series of
Additional Notes shall be dated the date of issue, bear interest at
such rate or rates, mature on such date or dates, be subject to
such mandatory or optional prepayments, if any, on the dates and
with the make-whole amounts, premiums or breakage amounts, if any,
as are provided in the Supplement under which such Additional Notes
are issued, and shall have such additional or different conditions
precedent to closing and such additional or different
representations and warranties or, subject to Section 1.2(e),
other terms and provisions as shall be specified in such
Supplement;
(e) any additional
or more restrictive covenants, Defaults, Events of Default, rights
or similar provisions that are added by a Supplement for the
benefit of the series of Notes to be issued pursuant to such
Supplement shall apply to all outstanding Notes, whether or not the
Supplement so provides; and
(f) except to the
extent provided in foregoing clause (d), all of the provisions of
this Agreement shall apply to all Additional Notes.
1.3. Subsidiary Guaranty;
Release.
(a) Subsidiary
Guaranty . The payment by the Company of all amounts due on or
in respect to the Notes and the performance by the Company of its
obligations under this Agreement will be guaranteed by each
Subsidiary that is or in the future becomes a signatory to the Bank
Guaranty, a borrower under the Credit Agreement or a guarantor of
any Debt outstanding under the Private Shelf Agreement
(individually, a “Subsidiary Guarantor” and
collectively, the “Subsidiary Guarantors”) pursuant to
the
2
Subsidiary Guaranty in substantially the form of
the attached Exhibit 1.3 (as it may be amended or supplemented
from time to time the “Subsidiary
Guaranty”).
(b) Release of
Subsidiary Guaranty . Each holder of a Note acknowledges and
agrees that each Subsidiary Guarantor shall be fully released and
discharged from the Subsidiary Guaranty, and each holder of a Note
fully releases and discharges such Subsidiary Guarantor from the
Subsidiary Guaranty, immediately and without any further act, upon
such Subsidiary being released and discharged as guarantor under
and in respect of the Credit Agreement; provided that (i) no
Default or Event of Default exists or will exist immediately
following such release and discharge; (ii) if any fee or other
consideration is paid or given to any holder of Indebtedness under
the Credit Agreement expressly for the purpose of such release,
other than consideration of $5,000 or less per holder or the
repayment of all or a portion of such Debt under the Credit
Agreement, each holder of a Note receives equivalent consideration
on a pro rata basis; and (iii) at the time of such release and
discharge, the Company delivers to each holder of Notes a
certificate of a Responsible Officer certifying that such
Subsidiary Guarantor has been or is being released and discharged
as a guarantor under and in respect of the Credit Agreement and the
matters set forth in clauses (i) and (ii).
|
1.4.
|
Floating Interest Rate Provisions
for Floating Rate Notes.
|
(a) Adjusted
LIBOR Rate . “Adjusted LIBOR Rate” means,
for each Interest Period, the rate per annum equal to LIBOR for
such Interest Period plus the percentage applicable to a series or
tranche of floating rate Notes. The percentage applicable to each
tranche of Series 2005-B Notes is set forth below:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Series 2005-B Notes
|
|
|
Applicable
Percentage
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0.52
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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0.55
|
%
|
|
|
|
For
purposes of determining Adjusted LIBOR Rate, the following terms
have the following meanings:
“LIBOR” means, for any Interest Period, the rate
per annum (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next higher one
hundred-thousandth of a percentage point) for deposits in U.S.
Dollars for a 3-month period (or such other period as is specified
in the applicable Supplement) that appears on the Bloomberg
Financial Markets Service Page BBAM-1 (or if such page is not
available, the Reuters Screen LIBO Page) as of 11:00 a.m.
(London, England time) on the date two Business Days before the
commencement of such Interest Period (or three Business Days before
the commencement of the first Interest Period).
“Reuters
Screen LIBO Page” means the display designated as the
“LIBO” page on the Reuters Monitory Money Rates Service
(or such other page as may replace the LIBO page on that service)
or such other service as may be nominated by the British
Bankers’ Association as the information vendor for
the
3
purpose of displaying British Bankers’
Association Interest Settlement Rates for U.S. Dollar
deposits.
(b)
Determination of the Adjusted LIBOR Rate . The Adjusted
LIBOR Rate shall be determined by the Company, and notice thereof
shall be given to the holders of the applicable series or tranche
of floating rate Notes, within two Business Days after the
beginning of each Interest Period, together with (i) a copy of
the relevant screen used for the determination of LIBOR,
(ii) a calculation of the Adjusted LIBOR Rate for such
Interest Period, (iii) the number of days in such Interest
Period, (iv) the date on which interest for such Interest
Period will be paid and (v) the amount of interest to be paid
to each holder of Notes of such series or tranche on such date. If
the holders of a majority in principal amount of the Notes of such
series or tranche outstanding do not concur with such determination
by the Company, as evidenced by a single written notice delivered
to the Company within 10 Business Days after receipt by such
holders of the notice delivered by the Company pursuant to the
immediately preceding sentence, the determination of the Adjusted
LIBOR Rate shall be made by such holders of the Notes, and any such
determination made in accordance with the provisions of this
Agreement shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest
error.
(c) Interest
Period . “Interest Period” means for any
series or tranche of floating rate Notes and for any period for
which interest is to be calculated or paid, the period commencing
on an interest payment date for such series or tranche of floating
rate Notes, or on the date of Closing in the case of the first such
period, and continuing up to, but not including, the next interest
payment date. The interest payment dates for the Series 2005-B
Notes are March 31, June 30, September 30 and
December 31.
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2.
|
SALE AND PURCHASE OF
NOTES.
|
Subject
to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Company will
issue and sell to you and each of the other purchasers named in
Schedule A (the “Other Purchasers”), and you and
the Other Purchasers will purchase from the Company, at the Closing
provided for in Section 3, Notes in the principal amount
specified opposite your names in Schedule A at the purchase
price of 100% of the principal amount thereof. Your obligation
hereunder and the obligations of the Other Purchasers are several
and not joint obligations and you shall have no liability to any
Person for the performance or non-performance by any Other
Purchaser hereunder.
The
sale and purchase of the Series 2005 Notes to be purchased by
you and the Other Purchasers shall occur at the offices of Gardner
Carton & Douglas LLP, 191 N. Wacker Drive, Suite 3700,
Chicago, Illinois 60606 at 9:00 a.m., Chicago time, at a closing
(the “Closing”) on March 31, 2005 or on such other
Business Day thereafter on or prior to April 15, 2005 as may
be agreed upon by the Company and you and the Other Purchasers. At
the Closing the Company will deliver to you the Notes to be
purchased by you in the form of a single Series 2005 Note (or
such greater number of Notes in denominations of at least $100,000
as you may request) dated the date of the Closing and registered in
your name (or in the name of your
4
nominee), against delivery by you
to the Company or its order of immediately available funds in the
amount of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer of
immediately available funds for the account of the Company to
account number 2347093, at LaSalle National Bank, 135 South LaSalle
Street, Chicago, IL 60603, ABA #071000505. If at the Closing the
Company fails to tender such Notes to you as provided above in this
Section 3, or any of the conditions specified in
Section 4 shall not have been fulfilled to your satisfaction,
you shall, at your election, be relieved of all further obligations
under this Agreement, without thereby waiving any rights you may
have by reason of such failure or such nonfulfillment.
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4.
|
CONDITIONS TO
CLOSING.
|
Your
obligation to purchase and pay for the Notes to be sold to you at
the Closing is subject to the fulfillment to your satisfaction,
prior to or at the Closing, of the following conditions:
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4.1.
|
Representations and
Warranties.
|
(a)
Representations and Warranties of the Company . The
representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement
shall be correct when made and at the time of the
Closing.
(b)
Representations and Warranties of the Subsidiary Guarantors
. The representations and warranties of each Subsidiary Guarantor
in the Subsidiary Guaranty shall be correct when made and at the
time of the Closing.
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4.2.
|
Performance; No
Default.
|
The
Company shall have performed and complied with all agreements and
conditions contained in this Agreement required to be performed or
complied with by it prior to or at the Closing and after giving
effect to the issue and sale of the Series 2005 Notes (and the
application of the proceeds thereof as contemplated by
Schedule 5.14) no Default or Event of Default shall have
occurred and be continuing. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary
shall have entered into any transaction since the date of the
Memorandum that would have been prohibited by Section 10
hereof had such Section applied since such date.
|
4.3.
|
Compliance
Certificates.
|
(a) Certificate
of Officer of the Company . The Company shall have delivered to
you an Officer’s Certificate, dated the date of the Closing,
certifying that the conditions specified in Sections 4.1, 4.2
and 4.9 have been fulfilled.
(b) Certificate
of Secretary of the Company . The Company shall have delivered
to you a certificate certifying as to the resolutions attached
thereto and other corporate proceedings relating to the
authorization, execution and delivery of the Notes and the
Agreement.
(c) Certificate
of Secretary of Each Subsidiary . Each Subsidiary shall have
delivered to you a certificate certifying as to the resolutions
attached thereto and other
5
corporate proceedings relating to the
authorization, execution and delivery of the Subsidiary
Guaranty.
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4.4.
|
Opinions of Counsel.
|
You
shall have received opinions in form and substance satisfactory to
you, dated the date of the Closing (a) from Eric Bakken, Vice
President and General Counsel for the Company, covering the matters
set forth in Exhibit 4.4(a) and covering such other matters
incident to the transactions contemplated hereby as you or your
counsel may reasonably request (and the Company instructs its
counsel to deliver such opinion to you) and (b) from Gardner
Carton & Douglas LLP, your special counsel in connection with
such transactions, substantially in the form set forth in
Exhibit 4.4(b) and covering such other matters incident to
such transactions as you may reasonably request.
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4.5.
|
Purchase Permitted By Applicable
Law, etc.
|
On
the date of the Closing your purchase of Notes shall (i) be
permitted by the laws and regulations of each jurisdiction to which
you are subject, without recourse to provisions (such as
Section 1405(a)(8) of the New York Insurance Law) permitting
limited investments by insurance companies without restriction as
to the character of the particular investment, (ii) not
violate any applicable law or regulation (including, without
limitation, Regulation U, T or X of the Board of Governors of
the Federal Reserve System) and (iii) not subject you to any
tax, penalty or liability under or pursuant to any applicable law
or regulation, which law or regulation was not in effect on the
date hereof. If requested by you, you shall have received an
Officer’s Certificate certifying as to such matters of fact
as you may reasonably specify to enable you to determine whether
such purchase is so permitted.
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4.6.
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Sale of Other Notes.
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Contemporaneously
with the Closing the Company shall sell to the Other Purchasers and
the Other Purchasers shall purchase the Notes to be purchased by
them at the Closing as specified in Schedule A.
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4.7.
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Payment of Special Counsel
Fees.
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Without
limiting the provisions of Section 15.1, the Company shall
have paid on or before the Closing the reasonable fees, charges and
disbursements of your special counsel referred to in
Section 4.4, to the extent reflected in a statement of such
counsel rendered to the Company at least one Business Day prior to
the Closing (such statement to include reasonable detail as to the
basis for such fees, charges and disbursements).
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4.8.
|
Private Placement
Numbers.
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A
Private Placement Number issued by Standard & Poor’s
CUSIP Service Bureau (in cooperation with the Securities Valuation
Office of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners)
shall have been obtained by Gardner Carton & Douglas LLP for
each series or tranche of the Notes.
6
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4.9.
|
Changes in Corporate
Structure.
|
Neither
the Company nor any Subsidiary Guarantor shall have changed its
jurisdiction of organization or, except as reflected in
Schedule 4.9, been a party to any merger or consolidation, or
shall have succeeded to all or any substantial part of the
liabilities of any other entity, at any time following the date of
the most recent financial statements referred to in
Schedule 5.5.
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4.10.
|
Subsidiary Guaranty.
|
Each
Subsidiary Guarantor shall have executed and delivered the
Subsidiary Guaranty in favor of you and the Other Purchasers and
you shall have received a copy of the executed Subsidiary
Guaranty.
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4.11.
|
Intercreditor
Agreement.
|
You
and each of the Other Purchasers shall have become parties to the
Intercreditor Agreement.
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4.12.
|
Funding Instructions.
|
At
least three Business Days prior to the date of the Closing, each
Purchaser shall have received written instructions signed by a
Responsible Officer on letterhead of the Company confirming the
information specified in Section 3 including (i) the name
and address of the transferee bank, (ii) such transferee
bank’s ABA number and (iii) the account name and number
into which the purchase price for the Notes is to be
deposited.
|
4.13.
|
Proceedings and
Documents.
|
All
corporate and other proceedings in connection with the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement and all documents and instruments
incident to such transactions shall be satisfactory to you and your
special counsel, and you and your special counsel shall have
received all such counterpart originals or certified or other
copies of such documents as you or they may reasonably
request.
|
5.
|
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF
THE COMPANY.
|
The
Company represents and warrants to you that:
|
5.1.
|
Organization; Power and
Authority.
|
The
Company is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in
good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation,
and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation and is in good
standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is
required by law, other than those jurisdictions as to which the
failure to be so qualified or in good standing could not,
individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect. The Company has the corporate power and
authority to own or hold under lease the
7
properties it purports to own or
hold under lease, to transact the business it transacts and
proposes to transact, to execute and deliver this Agreement and the
Notes and to perform the provisions hereof and thereof.
This
Agreement and the Notes have been duly authorized by all necessary
corporate action on the part of the Company, and this Agreement
constitutes, and upon execution and delivery thereof each Note will
constitute, a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company
enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms,
except as such enforceability may be limited by (i) applicable
bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar
laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally
and (ii) general principles of equity (regardless of whether
such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at
law).
The
Subsidiary Guaranty has been duly authorized by all necessary
corporate action on the part of each Subsidiary Guarantor and upon
execution and delivery thereof will constitute the legal, valid and
binding obligation of each Subsidiary Guarantor, enforceable
against each Subsidiary Guarantor in accordance with its terms,
except as such enforceability may be limited by (i) applicable
bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar
laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally
and (ii) general principles of equity (regardless of whether
such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at
law).
The
Company, through its agent, Banc of America Securities LLC, has
delivered to you and each Other Purchaser a copy of a Private
Placement Memorandum, dated February 2005 (the
“Memorandum”), relating to the transactions
contemplated hereby. The Memorandum fairly describes, in all
material respects, the general nature of the business and principal
properties of the Company and its Subsidiaries. This Agreement, the
Memorandum, the documents, certificates or other writings
identified in Schedule 5.3 delivered to the Purchasers by or
on behalf of the Company in connection with the transactions
contemplated hereby and the financial statements listed in
Schedule 5.5, in each case, delivered to the Purchasers prior
to March 7, 2005 (this Agreement, the Memorandum and such
documents, certificates or other writings and such financial
statements being referred to, collectively, as the
“Disclosure Documents”), taken as a whole, do not
contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state
any material fact necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading in light of the circumstances under which they were
made. Except as disclosed in the Disclosure Documents, since
June 30, 2004, there has been no change in the financial
condition, operations, business or properties of the Company or any
Subsidiary except changes that individually or in the aggregate
could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
There is no fact known to the Company that could reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect that has not been set
forth Disclosure Documents.
8
|
5.4.
|
Organization and Ownership of Shares
of Subsidiaries; Affiliates.
|
(a)
Schedule 5.4 contains (except as noted therein) complete and
correct lists of: (i) the Company’s Subsidiaries, showing, as
to each Subsidiary, the correct name thereof, the jurisdiction of
its organization, the percentage of shares of each class of its
capital stock or similar equity interests outstanding owned by the
Company and each other Subsidiary, (ii) the Company’s
Affiliates, other than Subsidiaries, and (iii) the
Company’s directors and senior officers. Each Subsidiary
listed in Schedule 5.4 is designated a Restricted Subsidiary
by the Company.
(b) All of the
outstanding shares of capital stock or similar equity interests of
each Subsidiary shown in Schedule 5.4 as being owned by the
Company and its Subsidiaries have been validly issued, are fully
paid and nonassessable and are owned by the Company or another
Subsidiary free and clear of any Lien (except as otherwise
disclosed in Schedule 5.4).
(c) Each
Subsidiary identified in Schedule 5.4 is a corporation or
other legal entity duly organized, validly existing and in good
standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization, and is
duly qualified as a foreign corporation or other legal entity and
is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such
qualification is required by law, other than those jurisdictions as
to which the failure to be so qualified or in good standing could
not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to
have a Material Adverse Effect. Each such Subsidiary has the
corporate or other power and authority to own or hold under lease
the properties it purports to own or hold under lease and to
transact the business it transacts and proposes to
transact.
(d) No Subsidiary
is a party to, or otherwise subject to, any legal restriction or
any agreement (other than this Agreement, the agreements listed on
Schedule 5.4 and customary limitations imposed by corporate
law statutes) restricting the ability of such Subsidiary to pay
dividends out of profits or make any other similar distributions of
profits to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that owns
outstanding shares of capital stock or similar equity interests of
such Subsidiary.
|
5.5.
|
Financial Statements.
|
The
Company has delivered to you and each Other Purchaser copies of the
financial statements of the Company and its Subsidiaries listed on
Schedule 5.5. All of said financial statements (including in
each case the related schedules and notes) fairly present in all
material respects the consolidated financial position of the
Company and its Subsidiaries as of the respective dates specified
in such Schedule and the consolidated results of their operations
and cash flows for the respective periods so specified and have
been prepared in accordance with GAAP consistently applied
throughout the periods involved except as set forth in the notes
thereto (subject, in the case of any interim financial statements,
to normal year-end adjustments). The Company and its Subsidiaries
do not have any Material liabilities that are not disclosed on such
financial statements or otherwise disclosed in the Disclosure
Documents.
9
|
5.6.
|
Compliance with Laws, Other
Instruments, etc.
|
The
execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this
Agreement, the Intercreditor Agreement and the Notes will not
(i) contravene, result in any breach of, or constitute a
default under, or result in the creation of any Lien in respect of
any property of the Company or any Subsidiary under, any indenture,
mortgage, deed of trust, loan, purchase or credit agreement, lease,
corporate charter or by-laws, or any other agreement or instrument
to which the Company or any Subsidiary is bound or by which the
Company or any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties may
be bound or affected, (ii) conflict with or result in a breach
of any of the terms, conditions or provisions of any order,
judgment, decree, or ruling of any court, arbitrator or
Governmental Authority applicable to the Company or any Subsidiary
or (iii) violate any provision of any statute or other rule or
regulation of any Governmental Authority, including the USA Patriot
Act, applicable to the Company or any Subsidiary.
The
execution, delivery and performance by each Subsidiary Guarantor of
the Subsidiary Guaranty will not (i) contravene, result in any
breach of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation
of any Lien in respect of any property of such Subsidiary Guarantor
under any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan, purchase or
credit agreement, lease, corporate charter or by-laws, or any other
agreement or instrument to which such Subsidiary Guarantor is bound
or by which such Subsidiary Guarantor or any of its properties may
be bound or affected, (ii) conflict with or result in a breach
of any of the terms, conditions or provisions of any order,
judgment, decree, or ruling of any court, arbitrator or
Governmental Authority applicable to such Subsidiary Guarantor or
(iii) violate any provision of any statute or other rule or
regulation of any Governmental Authority, including the USA Patriot
Act, applicable to such Subsidiary Guarantor.
|
5.7.
|
Governmental Authorizations,
etc.
|
No
consent, approval or authorization of, or registration, filing or
declaration with, any Governmental Authority is required in
connection with the execution, delivery or performance by the
Company of this Agreement, the Intercreditor Agreement or the Notes
or the execution, delivery or performance by each Subsidiary
Guarantor of the Subsidiary Guaranty.
|
5.8.
|
Litigation; Observance of Statutes
and Orders.
|
(a) There are no
actions, suits or proceedings pending or, to the knowledge of the
Company, threatened against or affecting the Company or any
Subsidiary or any property of the Company or any Subsidiary in any
court or before any arbitrator of any kind or before or by any
Governmental Authority that, individually or in the aggregate,
could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect.
(b) Neither the
Company nor any Subsidiary is in default under any term of any
agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it is
bound, or any order, judgment, decree or ruling of any court,
arbitrator or Governmental Authority or is in violation of any
applicable law, ordinance, rule or regulation (including
Environmental Laws or the USA Patriot Act) of any Governmental
Authority, which default or violation,
10
individually or in the aggregate, could
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect.
The
Company and its Subsidiaries have filed all tax returns that are
required to have been filed in any jurisdiction, and have paid all
taxes shown to be due and payable on such returns and all other
taxes and assessments levied upon them or their properties, assets,
income or franchises, to the extent such taxes and assessments have
become due and payable and before they have become delinquent,
except for any taxes and assessments (i) the amount of which
is not individually or in the aggregate Material or (ii) the
amount, applicability or validity of which is currently being
contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and with respect
to which the Company or a Subsidiary, as the case may be, has
established adequate reserves in accordance with GAAP. The Company
knows of no basis for any other tax or assessment that could
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The
charges, accruals and reserves on the books of the Company and its
Subsidiaries in respect of Federal, state or other taxes for all
fiscal periods are adequate. The Federal income tax liabilities of
the Company and its Subsidiaries have been determined (whether by
reason of completed audits or the statute of limitations having
run) for all fiscal years up to and including the fiscal year ended
June 30, 2001.
|
5.10.
|
Title to Property;
Leases.
|
The
Company and its Subsidiaries have good and sufficient title to
their respective properties that individually or in the aggregate
are Material, including all such properties reflected in the most
recent audited balance sheet referred to in Section 5.5 or
purported to have been acquired by the Company or any Subsidiary
after said date (except as sold or otherwise disposed of in the
ordinary course of business), in each case free and clear of Liens
prohibited by this Agreement. All leases that individually or in
the aggregate are Material are valid and subsisting and are in full
force and effect in all material respects.
|
5.11.
|
Licenses, Permits,
etc.
|
(a) The Company
and its Subsidiaries own or possess all licenses, permits,
franchises, authorizations, patents, copyrights, proprietary
software, service marks, trademarks and trade names, or rights
thereto, that individually or in the aggregate are Material,
without known conflict with the rights of others;
(b) To the best
knowledge of the Company, no product of the Company or any
Subsidiary infringes in any material respect any license, permit,
franchise, authorization, patent, copyright, proprietary software,
service mark, trademark, trade name or other right owned by any
other Person; and
(c) To the best
knowledge of the Company, there is no Material violation by any
Person of any right of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries with
respect to any patent, copyright, proprietary software, service
mark, trademark, trade name or other right owned or used by the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
11
|
5.12.
|
Compliance with
ERISA.
|
(a) The Company
and each ERISA Affiliate have operated and administered each Plan
(other than Multiemployer Plans) in compliance with all applicable
laws except for such instances of noncompliance as have not
resulted in and could not reasonably be expected to result in a
Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any ERISA
Affiliate has incurred any liability pursuant to Title I or IV of
ERISA or the penalty or excise tax provisions of the Code relating
to employee benefit plans (as defined in Section 3 of ERISA),
and no event, transaction or condition has occurred or exists that
could reasonably be expected to result in the incurrence of any
such liability by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate, or in the
imposition of any Lien on any of the rights, properties or assets
of the Company or any ERISA Affiliate, in either case pursuant to
Title I or IV of ERISA or to such penalty or excise tax provisions
or to Section 401(a)(29) or 412 of the Code or section 4068 of
ERISA, other than such liabilities or Liens as would not be
individually or in the aggregate Material.
(b) The present
value of the aggregate benefit liabilities under each of the Plans
(other than Multiemployer Plans), determined as of the end of such
Plan’s most recently ended plan year on the basis of the
actuarial assumptions specified for funding purposes in such
Plan’s most recent actuarial valuation report, did not exceed
the aggregate current value of the assets of such Plan allocable to
such benefit liabilities by more than $5,000,000 in the aggregate
for all Plans. The term “benefit liabilities” has the
meaning specified in section 4001 of ERISA and the terms
“current value” and “present value” have
the meaning specified in section 3 of ERISA.
(c) The Company
and its ERISA Affiliates have not incurred withdrawal liabilities
(and are not subject to contingent withdrawal liabilities) under
section 4201 or 4204 of ERISA in respect of Multiemployer Plans
that individually or in the aggregate are Material.
(d) The
accumulated postretirement benefit obligation (determined as of the
last day of the Company’s most recently ended fiscal year in
accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board Statement
No. 106, without regard to liabilities attributable to
continuation coverage mandated by section 4980B of the Code) of the
Company and its Subsidiaries is not Material.
(e) The execution
and delivery of this Agreement and the issuance and sale of the
Series 2005-A Notes hereunder will not involve any transaction
that is subject to the prohibitions of section 406 of ERISA or in
connection with which a tax could be imposed pursuant to section
4975(c)(1)(A)-(D) of the Code. The representation by the Company in
the first sentence of this Section 5.12(e) is made in reliance
upon and subject to the accuracy of your representation in
Section 6.2 as to the sources of the funds used to pay the
purchase price of the Notes to be purchased by you.
12
|
5.13.
|
Private Offering by the
Company.
|
Neither
the Company nor anyone acting on its behalf has offered the Notes
or any similar securities for sale to, or solicited any offer to
buy any of the same from, or otherwise approached or negotiated in
respect thereof with, any person other than you, the Other
Purchasers and not more than 50 other Institutional Investors, each
of which has been offered the Notes at a private sale for
investment. Neither the Company nor anyone acting on its behalf has
taken, or will take, any action that would subject the issuance or
sale of the Notes to the registration requirements of
Section 5 of the Securities Act or to the registration
requirements of any securities or blue sky laws of any applicable
jurisdiction.
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5.14.
|
Use of Proceeds; Margin
Regulations.
|
The
Company will apply the proceeds of the sale of the Notes for
general corporate purposes and to refinance Debt as set forth in
Schedule 5.14. No part of the proceeds from the sale of the
Notes will be used, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of
buying or carrying any margin stock within the meaning of
Regulation U of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System (12 CFR 221), or for the purpose of buying or carrying or
trading in any securities under such circumstances as to involve
the Company in a violation of Regulation X of said Board (12
CFR 224) or to involve any broker or dealer in a violation of
Regulation T of said Board (12 CFR 220). Margin stock does not
constitute more than 1% of the value of the consolidated assets of
the Company and its Subsidiaries and the Company does not have any
present intention that margin stock will constitute more than 1% of
the value of such assets. As used in this Section, the terms
“margin stock” and “purpose of buying or
carrying” shall have the meanings assigned to them in said
Regulation U.
(a) Except as
described therein, Schedule 5.15 sets forth a complete and
correct list of all outstanding Debt of the Company and its
Subsidiaries as of December 31, 2004 (including a description
of the obligors and obligees, principal amount outstanding and
collateral therefor, if any, and Guaranty thereof, if any), since
which date there has been no Material change in the amounts,
interest rates, sinking funds, installment payments or maturities
of the Debt of the Company or its Subsidiaries. Neither the Company
nor any Subsidiary is in default and no waiver of default is
currently in effect, in the payment of any principal or interest on
any Debt of the Company or such Subsidiary and no event or
condition exists with respect to any Debt of the Company or any
Subsidiary that would permit (or that with notice or the lapse of
time, or both, would permit) one or more Persons to cause such Debt
to become due and payable before its stated maturity or before its
regularly scheduled dates of payment.
(b) Except as
disclosed in Schedule 5.15, neither the Company nor any
Subsidiary has agreed or consented to cause or permit in the future
(upon the happening of a contingency or otherwise) any of its
property, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, to be subject to
a Lien not permitted by Section 10.5.
13
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5.16.
|
Foreign Assets Control Regulations,
etc.
|
(a) Neither the
sale of the Notes by the Company hereunder nor its use of the
proceeds thereof will violate the Trading with the Enemy Act, as
amended, or any of the foreign assets control regulations of the
United States Treasury Department (31 CFR, Subtitle B,
Chapter V, as amended) or any enabling legislation or
executive order relating thereto.
(b) Neither the
Company nor any Subsidiary (i) is a Person described or
designated in the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked
Persons List of the Office of Foreign Assets Control or in
Section 1 of the Anti-Terrorism Order or (ii) to the
Company’s knowledge, engages in any dealings or transactions
with any such Person. The Company and its Subsidiaries are in
compliance, in all material respects, with the USA Patriot
Act.
(c) No part of the
proceeds from the sale of the Notes hereunder will be used,
directly or indirectly, in violation of the United States Foreign
Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, assuming in all cases
that such Act applies to the Company.
|
5.17.
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Status under Certain
Statutes.
|
Neither
the Company nor any Subsidiary is subject to regulation under the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Public Utility
Holding Company Act of 1935, as amended, the ICC Termination Act,
as amended, or the Federal Power Act, as amended.
|
5.18.
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Environmental
Matters.
|
(a) Neither the
Company nor any Subsidiary has knowledge of any claim or has
received any notice of any claim, and no proceeding has been
instituted raising any claim against the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries or any of their respective real properties now or
formerly owned, leased or operated by any of them or other assets,
alleging any damage to the environment or violation of any
Environmental Laws, except, in each case, such as could not
reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect.
(b) Neither the
Company nor any Subsidiary has knowledge of any facts which would
give rise to any claim, public or private, of violation of
Environmental Laws or damage to the environment emanating from,
occurring on or in any way related to real properties now or
formerly owned, leased or operated by any of them or to other
assets or their use, except, in each case, such as could not
reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect;
(c) Neither the
Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has stored any Hazardous
Materials on real properties now or formerly owned, leased or
operated by any of them and has not disposed of any Hazardous
Materials in a manner contrary to any Environmental Laws in each
case in any manner that could reasonably be expected to result in a
Material Adverse Effect; and
14
(d) All buildings
on all real properties now owned, leased or operated by the Company
or any of its Subsidiaries are in compliance with applicable
Environmental Laws, except where failure to comply could not
reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect.
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5.19.
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Solvency of Subsidiary
Guarantors.
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After
giving effect to the transactions contemplated herein and after
giving due consideration to any rights of contribution
(i) each Subsidiary Guarantor has received fair consideration
and reasonably equivalent value for the incurrence of its
obligations under the Subsidiary Guaranty, (ii) the fair value
of the assets of each Subsidiary Guarantor (both at fair valuation
and at present fair saleable value) exceeds its liabilities,
(iii) each Subsidiary Guarantor is able to and expects to be
able to pay its debts as they mature, and (iv) each Subsidiary
Guarantor has capital sufficient to carry on its business as
conducted and as proposed to be conducted.
|
5.20.
|
Pari Passu Ranking.
|
The
obligations of the Company under the Notes rank pari passu
in right of payment with all other unsecured Senior Debt (actual or
contingent) of the Company, including the unsecured Senior Debt
listed in Schedule 5.15.
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6.
|
REPRESENTATIONS OF THE
PURCHASERS.
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|
6.1.
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Purchase for
Investment.
|
You
represent that you are purchasing the Notes for your own account or
for one or more separate accounts maintained by you or for the
account of one or more pension or trust funds and not with a view
to the distribution thereof, provided that the disposition of your
or their property shall at all times be within your or their
control. You understand that the Notes have not been registered
under the Securities Act and may be resold only if registered
pursuant to the provisions of the Securities Act or if an exemption
from registration is available, except under circumstances where
neither such registration nor such an exemption is required by law,
and that the Company is not required to register the Notes. You
represent that you are a Qualified Institutional Buyer or an
“accredited investor” within the meaning of
subparagraph (a)(1), (2), (3) or (7) of Rule 501 of
Regulation D under the Securities Act.
You
represent that at least one of the following statements is an
accurate representation as to each source of funds (a
“Source”) to be used by you to pay the purchase price
of the Notes to be purchased by you hereunder:
(a) the Source is
an “insurance company general account” (as the term is
defined in the United States Department of Labor’s Prohibited
Transaction Exemption (“PTE”) 95-60) in respect of
which the reserves and liabilities (as defined by the annual
statement for life insurance companies approved by the National
Association of
15
Insurance Commissioners (the “NAIC Annual
Statement”) for the general account contract(s) held by or on
behalf of any employee benefit plan together with the amount of the
reserves and liabilities for the general account contract(s) held
by or on behalf of any other employee benefit plans maintained by
the same employer (or affiliate thereof as defined in PTE 95-60) or
by the same employee organization in the general account do not
exceed 10% of the total reserves and liabilities of the general
account (exclusive of separate account liabilities) plus surplus as
set forth in the NAIC Annual Statement filed with such
Purchaser’s state of domicile and the other applicable
conditions of such exemption are otherwise satisfied as of the date
of acquisition of the Notes; or
(b) the Source is
a separate account that is maintained solely in connection with
such Purchaser’s fixed contractual obligations under which
the amounts payable, or credited, to any employee benefit plan (or
its related trust) that has any interest in such separate account
(or to any participant or beneficiary of such plan (including any
annuitant)) are not affected in any manner by the investment
performance of the separate account; or
(c) the Source is
either (i) an insurance company pooled separate account,
within the meaning of PTE 90-1, or (ii) a bank collective
investment fund, within the meaning of PTE 91-38 and, except as you
have disclosed to the Company in writing pursuant to this paragraph
(c), no employee benefit plan or group of plans maintained by the
same employer or employee organization beneficially owns more than
10% of all assets allocated to such pooled separate account or
collective investment fund and the other applicable conditions of
such exemption are otherwise satisfied as of the date of
acquisition of the Notes; or
(d) the Source
constitutes assets of an “investment fund” (within the
meaning of Part V of PTE 84-14 (the “QPAM
Exemption”) managed by a “qualified professional asset
manager” or “QPAM” (within the meaning of
Part V of the QPAM Exemption), no employee benefit
plan’s assets that are included in such investment fund, when
combined with the assets of all other employee benefit plans
established or maintained by the same employer or by an affiliate
(within the meaning of Part V(c)(1) of the QPAM Exemption) of
such employer or by the same employee organization and managed by
such QPAM, exceed 20% of the total client assets managed by such
QPAM, the conditions of Part I(c) and (g) of the QPAM
Exemption are satisfied, neither the QPAM nor a person controlling
or controlled by the QPAM (applying the definition of
“control” in Part V(e) of the QPAM Exemption) owns
a 5% or more interest in the Company and (i) the identity of
such QPAM and (ii) the names of all employee benefit plans
whose assets are included in such investment fund have been
disclosed to the Company in writing pursuant to this clause
(d) and the other applicable conditions of such exemption are
otherwise satisfied as of the date of acquisition of the Notes;
or
(e) the Source
constitutes assets of a “plan(s)” (within the meaning
of Part IV of PTE 96-23 (the “INHAM Exemption”)
managed by an “in-house asset manager” or
“INHAM” (within the meaning of Part IV of the
INHAM exemption), the conditions of Part I(a), (g) and
(h) of the INHAM Exemption are satisfied, neither the INHAM
nor a person controlling or controlled by the INHAM (applying the
definition of “control” in
16
Part IV(d) of the INHAM Exemption) owns a
5% or more interest in the Company and (i) the identity of such
INHAM and (ii) the name(s) of the employee benefit plan(s)
whose assets constitute the Source have been disclosed to the
Company in writing pursuant to this clause (e) and the other
applicable conditions of such exemption are otherwise satisfied as
of the date of acquisition of the Notes; or
(f) the Source is
a governmental plan; or
(g) the Source is
one or more employee benefit plans, or a separate account or trust
fund comprised of one or more employee benefit plans, each of which
has been identified to the Company in writing pursuant to this
paragraph (g); or
(h) the Source
does not include assets of any employee benefit plan, other than a
plan exempt from the coverage of ERISA and from application of
Section 4975 of the Code.
As used in this Section 6.2,
the terms “employee benefit plan”, “governmental
plan” and “separate account” shall have the
respective meanings assigned to such terms in Section 3 of
ERISA.
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7.
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INFORMATION AS TO
COMPANY.
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|
7.1.
|
Financial and Business
Information
|
The
Company will deliver to each holder of Notes that is an
Institutional Investor:
(a) Quarterly
Statements — within 60 days after the end of each
quarterly fiscal period in each fiscal year of the Company (other
than the last quarterly fiscal period of each such fiscal year),
duplicate copies of,
(i) consolidated
balance sheet of the Company and its Subsidiaries as at the end of
such quarter,
(ii) consolidated
statements of income of the Company and its Subsidiaries for such
quarter and (in the case of the second and third quarters) for the
portion of the fiscal year ending with such quarter, and
(iii) consolidated
statements of cash flows of the Company and its Subsidiaries for
such quarter or (in the case of the second and third quarters) for
the portion of the fiscal year ending with such quarter,
setting forth in each case in comparative form
the figures for the corresponding periods in the previous fiscal
year, all in reasonable detail, prepared in accordance with GAAP
applicable to quarterly financial statements generally, and
certified by a Senior Financial Officer as fairly presenting, in
all material respects, the financial position of the companies
being reported on and their results of operations and cash flows,
subject to changes resulting from year-end adjustments, provided
that delivery within the time period specified above of copies of
the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q
17
prepared in compliance with the requirements
therefor and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
shall be deemed to satisfy the requirements of this
Section 7.1(a);
(b) Annual
Statements — within 105 days after the end of each
fiscal year of the Company, duplicate copies of,
(i) consolidated
balance sheet of the Company and its Subsidiaries, as at the end of
such year, and
(ii) consolidated
statements of income, changes in shareholders’ equity and
cash flows of the Company and its Subsidiaries, for such
year,
setting forth in each case in comparative form
the figures for the previous fiscal year, all in reasonable detail,
prepared in accordance with GAAP, and accompanied by an opinion of
independent certified public accountants of recognized national
standing, which opinion shall state that such financial statements
present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of
the companies being reported upon and their results of operations
and cash flows and have been prepared in conformity with GAAP, and
that the examination of such accountants in connection with such
financial statements has been made in accordance with generally
accepted auditing standards, and that such audit provides a
reasonable basis for such opinion in the circumstances, provided
that the delivery within the time period specified above of the
Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for such fiscal year
(together with the Company’s annual report to shareholders,
if any, prepared pursuant to Rule 14a-3 under the Exchange
Act) prepared in accordance with the requirements therefor and
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission shall be deemed
to satisfy the requirements of this Section 7.1(b);
(c)
Unrestricted Subsidiaries — if, at the time of
delivery of any financial statements pursuant to
Section 7.1(a) or (b), Unrestricted Subsidiaries account for
more than 10% of (i) the consolidated total assets of the
Company and its Subsidiaries reflected in the balance sheet
included in such financial statements or (ii) the consolidated
revenues of the Company and its Subsidiaries reflected in the
consolidated statement of income included in such financial
statements, an unaudited balance sheet for all Unrestricted
Subsidiaries taken as whole as at the end of the fiscal period
included in such financial statements and the related unaudited
statements of income, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for
such Unrestricted Subsidiaries for such period, together with
consolidating statements reflecting all eliminations or adjustments
necessary to reconcile such group financial statements to the
consolidated financial statements of the Company and its
Subsidiaries shall be delivered together with the financial
statements required pursuant to Sections 7.1(a) and
(b);
(d) SEC and
Other Reports — promptly upon their becoming available,
one copy of (i) each financial statement, report, notice or
proxy statement sent by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary to
public securities holders generally, and (ii) each regular or
periodic report, each registration statement other than
registration statements on Form S-8 (without exhibits except as
expressly requested by such holder), and each prospectus and all
amendments thereto filed by the Company or any
Restricted
18
Subsidiary with the Securities and Exchange
Commission and of all press releases and other statements made
available generally by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary to
the public concerning developments that are Material;
(e) Notice of
Default or Event of Default — promptly, and in any event
within five Business Days after a Responsible Officer becoming
aware of the existence of any Default or Event of Default or that
any Person has given any notice or taken any action with respect to
a claimed default hereunder or that any Person has given notice or
taken any action with respect to a claimed default of the type
referred to in Section 11(f), a written notice specifying the
nature and period of existence thereof and what action the Company
is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto;
(f) ERISA
Matters — promptly, and in any event within five Business
Days after a Responsible Officer becoming aware of any of the
following, a written notice setting forth the nature thereof and
the action, if any, that the Company or an ERISA Affiliate proposes
to take with respect thereto:
(i) with respect
to any Plan, any reportable event, as defined in section 4043(b) of
ERISA and the regulations thereunder, for which notice thereof has
not been waived pursuant to such regulations as in effect on the
date hereof; or
(ii) the taking by
the PBGC of steps to institute, or the threatening by the PBGC of
the institution of, proceedings under section 4042 of ERISA for the
termination of, or the appointment of a trustee to administer, any
Plan, or the receipt by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate of a
notice from a Multiemployer Plan that such action has been taken by
the PBGC with respect to such Multiemployer Plan; or
(iii) any event,
transaction or condition that could result in the incurrence of any
liability by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate pursuant to Title I
or IV of ERISA or the penalty or excise tax provisions of the Code
relating to employee benefit plans, or in the imposition of any
Lien on any of the rights, properties or assets of the Company or
any ERISA Affiliate pursuant to Title I or IV of ERISA or such
penalty or excise tax provisions, if such liability or Lien, taken
together with any other such liabilities or Liens then existing,
could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect;
(g) Notices
from Governmental Authority — promptly, and in any event
within 30 days of receipt thereof, copies of any notice to the
Company or any Subsidiary from any Federal or state Governmental
Authority relating to any order, ruling, statute or other law or
regulation that could reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect;
(h)
Supplements — promptly and in any event within 10
Business Days after the execution and delivery of any Supplement, a
copy thereof; and
19
(i) Requested
Information — with reasonable promptness, such other data
and information relating to the business, operations, affairs,
financial condition, assets or properties of the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries or relating to the ability of the Company to
perform its obligations hereunder and under the Notes as from time
to time may be reasonably requested by any such holder of
Notes.
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7.2.
|
Officer’s
Certificate.
|
Each
set of financial statements delivered to a holder of Notes pursuant
to Section 7.1(a) or (b) shall be accompanied by a
certificate of a Senior Financial Officer setting forth:
(a) Covenant
Compliance — the information (including detailed
calculations) required in order to establish whether the Company
was in compliance with the requirements of Section 10.1
through Section 10.10, inclusive, during the quarterly or
annual period covered by the statements then being furnished
(including with respect to each such Section, where applicable, the
calculations of the maximum or minimum amount, ratio or percentage,
as the case may be, permissible under the terms of such Sections,
and the calculation of the amount, ratio or percentage then in
existence); and
(b) Event of
Default — a statement that such officer has reviewed the
relevant terms hereof and has made, or caused to be made, under his
or her supervision, a review of the transactions and conditions of
the Company and its Subsidiaries from the beginning of the
quarterly or annual period covered by the statements then being
furnished to the date of the certificate and that such review shall
not have disclosed the existence during such period of any
condition or event that constitutes a Default or an Event of
Default or, if any such condition or event existed or exists
(including any such event or condition resulting from the failure
of the Company or any Subsidiary to comply with any Environmental
Law), specifying the nature and period of existence thereof and
what action the Company shall have taken or proposes to take with
respect thereto.
The
Company will permit the representatives of each holder of Notes
that is an Institutional Investor:
(a) No
Default — if no Default or Event of Default then exists,
at the expense of such holder and upon reasonable prior notice to
the Company, to visit the principal executive office of the
Company, to discuss the affairs, finances and accounts of the
Company and its Subsidiaries with the Company’s officers, and
(with the consent of the Company, which consent will not be
unreasonably withheld) its independent public accountants, and
(with the consent of the Company, which consent will not be
unreasonably withheld) to visit the other offices and properties of
the Company and each Subsidiary, all at such reasonable times and
as often as may be reasonably requested in writing; and
20
(b) Default
— if a Default or Event of Default then exists, at the
expense of the Company, to visit and inspect any of the offices or
properties of the Company or any Subsidiary, to examine all their
respective books of account, records, reports and other papers, to
make copies and extracts therefrom, and to discuss their respective
affairs, finances, and accounts with their respective officers and
independent public accountants (and by this provision the Company
authorizes said accountants to discuss the affairs, finances and
accounts of the Company and its Subsidiaries), all at such times
and as often as may be requested.
|
8.
|
PREPAYMENT OF THE
NOTES.
|
|
8.1.
|
No Scheduled
Prepayments.
|
No
regularly scheduled prepayments are due on the Series 2005
Notes prior to their stated maturity.
8.2. Optional Prepayments.
(a) Fixed Rate
Notes . The Company may, at its option, upon notice as provided
below, prepay at any time all, or from time to time any part of,
one or more series or tranches of fixed rate Notes, including the
Series 2005-A Notes, in an amount not less than $2,000,000 in
the aggregate in the case of a partial prepayment, at 100% of the
principal amount so prepaid, plus the Make-Whole Amount determined
for the prepayment date with respect to such principal amount. The
Company will give each holder of each series or tranche of fixed
rate Notes to be prepaid written notice of each optional prepayment
under this Section 8.2(a) not less than 30 days and not
more than 60 days prior to the date fixed for such prepayment.
Each such notice shall specify such date, the aggregate principal
amount of each series or tranche of fixed rate Notes to be prepaid
on such date, the principal amount of each Note held by such holder
to be prepaid (determined in accordance with Section 8.3), and
the interest to be paid on the prepayment date with respect to such
principal amount being prepaid, and shall be accompanied by a
certificate of a Senior Financial Officer as to the estimated
Make-Whole Amount due in connection with such prepayment
(calculated as if the date of such notice were the date of the
prepayment), setting forth the details of such computation. Two
Business Days prior to such prepayment, the Company shall deliver
to each holder of the series or tranche of fixed rate Notes being
prepaid a certificate of a Senior Financial Officer specifying the
calculation of such Make-Whole Amount as of the specified
prepayment date.
(b) Floating
Rate Notes . The Company may, at its option, upon notice as
provided below, prepay at any time all, or from time to time any
part of, either tranche of the Series 2005-B Notes, in an
amount not less than $2,000,000 in the aggregate in the case of a
partial prepayment, at 100% of the principal amount so prepaid,
plus the prepayment premium set forth below, and if such prepayment
is to occur on any date other than an interest payment date, the
LIBOR Breakage Amount, if any.
21
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
If Prepaid During the
Period
|
|
|
Prepayment Premium
|
|
|
|
April 7, 2005 through March 31,
2006
|
|
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2.0%
|
|
|
|
April 1, 2006 through March 31,
2007
|
|
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1.0%
|
|
|
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April 1, 2007 and thereafter
|
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0.0%
|
|
|
|
The
Company will give each holder of each series or tranche of floating
rate Notes to be prepaid, including the Series 2005-B Notes,
written notice of each optional prepayment under this
Section 8.2(b) not less than 30 days and not more than
60 days prior to the date fixed for such prepayment. Each such
notice shall specify such date, the aggregate principal amount of
each series or tranche of floating rate Notes to be prepaid on such
date, the principal amount of each floating rate Note held by such
holder to be prepaid (determined in accordance with
Section 8.3), the interest to be paid on the prepayment date
with respect to such principal amount being prepaid and the amount
of any prepayment premium and LIBOR Breakage Amount to be paid. The
terms on which floating rate Additional Notes may be prepaid at the
option of the Company will be set forth in the Supplement pursuant
to which such Notes are issued.
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8.3.
|
Allocation of Partial
Prepayments.
|
In
the case of each partial prepayment of Notes of a series or tranche
pursuant to Section 8.2(a) or (b), the principal amount of the
Notes of the series or tranche to be prepaid shall be allocated
among all of the Notes of such series or tranche at the time
outstanding in proportion, as nearly as practicable, to the
respective unpaid principal amounts thereof not theretofore called
for prepayment.
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8.4.
|
Maturity; Surrender,
etc.
|
In
the case of each prepayment of Notes pursuant to this
Section 8, the principal amount of each Note to be prepaid
shall mature and become due and payable on the date fixed for such
prepayment, together with interest on such principal amount accrued
to such date and the applicable Make-Whole Amount, if any,
prepayment premium, if any, and LIBOR Breakage Amount, if any. From
and after such date, unless the Company shall fail to pay such
principal amount when so due and payable, together with the
interest and Make-Whole Amount, if any, prepayment premium, if any,
or LIBOR Breakage Amount, if any, as aforesaid, interest on such
principal amount shall cease to accrue. Any Note paid or prepaid in
full, after such payment and upon the written request of the
Company, shall be surrendered to the Company and canceled and shall
not be reissued, and no Note shall be issued in lieu of any prepaid
principal amount of any Note.
The
Company will not and will not permit any Affiliate to purchase,
redeem, prepay or otherwise acquire, directly or indirectly, any of
the outstanding Notes of any series except upon the payment or
prepayment of such series of Notes in accordance with the terms of
this Agreement. The Company will promptly cancel all Notes acquired
by it or any Affiliate
22
pursuant to any payment,
prepayment or purchase of Notes pursuant to any provision of this
Agreement and no Notes may be issued in substitution or exchange
for any such Notes.
The
term “Make-Whole Amount” means, with respect to
any fixed rate Note, an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the
Discounted Value of the Remaining Scheduled Payments with respect
to the Called Principal of such Note over the amount of such Called
Principal, provided that the Make-Whole Amount may in no event be
less than zero. For the purposes of determining the Make-Whole
Amount, the following terms have the following meanings:
“Called
Principal” means, with respect to any fixed rate Note,
the principal of such Note that is to be prepaid pursuant to
Section 8.2 or has become or is declared to be immediately due
and payable pursuant to Section 12.1, as the context
requires.
“Discounted Value” means, with respect to the
Called Principal of any fixed rate Note, the amount obtained by
discounting all Remaining Scheduled Payments with respect to such
Called Principal from their respective scheduled due dates to the
Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal, in
accordance with accepted financial practice and at a discount
factor (applied on the same periodic basis as that on which
interest on the Notes is payable) equal to the Reinvestment Yield
with respect to such Called Principal.
“Reinvestment Yield” means, with respect to the
Called Principal of any fixed rate Note, .50% over the yield to
maturity implied by (i) the yields reported, as of
10:00 A.M. (New York City time) on the second Business Day
preceding the Settlement Date with respect to such Called
Principal, on the display designated as the “PX Screen”
on the Bloomberg Financial Market Service (or such other display as
may replace the PX Screen on Bloomberg Financial Market Service)
for actively traded U.S. Treasury securities having a maturity
equal to the Remaining Average Life of such Called Principal as of
such Settlement Date, or (ii) if such yields are not reported
as of such time or the yields reported as of such time are not
ascertainable, the Treasury Constant Maturity Series Yields
reported, for the latest day for which such yields have been so
reported as of the second Business Day preceding the Settlement
Date with respect to such Called Principal, in Federal Reserve
Statistical Release H.15 (519) (or any comparable successor
publication) for actively traded U.S. Treasury securities having a
constant maturity equal to the Remaining Average Life of such
Called Principal as of such Settlement Date. Such implied yield
will be determined, if necessary, by (a) converting U.S.
Treasury bill quotations to bond-equivalent yields in accordance
with accepted financial practice and (b) interpolating
linearly between (1) the actively traded U.S. Treasury
security with the maturity closest to and greater than the
Remaining Average Life and (2) the actively traded U.S.
Treasury security with the maturity closest to and less than the
Remaining Average Life.
“Remaining Average Life” means, with respect to
any Called Principal, the number of years (calculated to the
nearest one-twelfth year) obtained by dividing
(i) such
23
Called Principal into (ii) the sum of the
products obtained by multiplying (a) the principal component
of each Remaining Scheduled Payment with respect to such Called
Principal by (b) the number of years (calculated to the nearest
one-twelfth year) that will elapse between the Settlement Date with
respect to such Called Principal and the scheduled due date of such
Remaining Scheduled Payment.
“Remaining Scheduled Payments” means, with
respect to the Called Principal of any fixed rate Note, all
payments of such Called Principal and interest thereon that would
be due after the Settlement Date with respect to such Called
Principal if no payment of such Called Principal were made prior to
its scheduled due date, provided that if such Settlement Date is
not a date on which interest payments are due to be made under the
terms of the Notes, then the amount of the next succeeding
scheduled interest payment will be reduced by the amount of
interest accrued to such Settlement Date and required to be paid on
such Settlement Date pursuant to Section 8.2 or
12.1.
“Settlement Date” means, with respect to the
Called Principal of any fixed rate Note, the date on which such
Called Principal is to be prepaid pursuant to Section 8.2 or
has become or is declared to be immediately due and payable
pursuant to Section 12.1, as the context requires.
|
8.7.
|
LIBOR Breakage
Amount.
|
The
term “LIBOR Breakage Amount” means any loss,
cost or expense reasonably incurred by any holder of a floating
rate Note as a result of any payment or prepayment of such Note
(whether voluntary, mandatory, automatic, by reason of acceleration
or otherwise) on a day other than an interest payment date or at
scheduled maturity thereof, and any loss or expense arising from
the liquidation or reemployment of funds obtained by such holder or
from fees payable to terminate the deposits from which such funds
were obtained. Any such loss, cost or expense shall be limited to
the time period from the date of such prepayment through the
earlier of the next interest payment date or the maturity of such
floating rate Note. Each holder of a floating rate Note shall
determine the LIBOR Breakage Amount with respect to the principal
amount of its floating rate Notes then being paid or prepaid (or
required to be paid or prepaid) by written notice to the Company
setting forth such determination in reasonable detail not less than
two Business Days prior to the date of prepayment. Each such
determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error.
|
9.
|
AFFIRMATIVE
COVENANTS.
|
The
Company covenants that so long as any of the Notes are
outstanding:
|
9.1.
|
Compliance with Law.
|
The
Company will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, comply with all
laws, ordinances or governmental rules or regulations to which each
of them is subject, including ERISA, the USA Patriot Act and
Environmental Laws, and will obtain and maintain in effect all
licenses, certificates, permits, franchises and other governmental
authorizations necessary to the ownership of their respective
properties or to the conduct of their respective businesses, in
each
24
case to the extent necessary to
ensure that non-compliance with such laws, ordinances or
governmental rules or regulations or failures to obtain or maintain
in effect such licenses, certificates, permits, franchises and
other governmental authorizations could not, individually or in the
aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect.
The
Company will, and will cause each Restricted Subsidiary to,
maintain, with financially sound and reputable insurers, insurance
with respect to their respective properties and businesses against
such casualties and contingencies, of such types, on such terms and
in such amounts (including deductibles, co-insurance and
self-insurance, if adequate reserves are maintained with respect
thereto) as is customary in the case of entities of established
reputations engaged in the same or a similar business and similarly
situated, except for any non-maintenance that could not,
individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect.
|
9.3.
|
Maintenance of
Properties.
|
The
Company will and will cause each Restricted Subsidiary to maintain
and keep, or cause to be maintained and kept, their respective
properties in good repair, working order and condition (other than
ordinary wear and tear), so that the business carried on in
connection therewith may be properly conducted at all times,
provided that this Section shall not prevent the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary from discontinuing the operation and the
maintenance of any of its properties if such discontinuance is
desirable in the conduct of its business and the Company has
concluded that such discontinuance could not, individually or in
the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect.
|
9.4.
|
Payment of Taxes and
Claims.
|
The
Company will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, file all income
tax or similar tax returns required to be filed in any jurisdiction
and to pay and discharge all taxes shown to be due and payable on
such returns and all other taxes, assessments, governmental
charges, or levies imposed on them or any of their properties,
assets, income or franchises, to the extent such taxes and
assessments have become due and payable and before they have become
delinquent and all claims for which sums have become due and
payable that have or might become a Lien on properties or assets of
the Company or any Subsidiary, provided that neither the Company
nor any Subsidiary need pay any such tax or assessment or claims if
(i) the amount, applicability or validity thereof is contested
by the Company or such Subsidiary on a timely basis in good faith
and in appropriate proceedings, and the Company or a Subsidiary has
established adequate reserves therefor in accordance with GAAP on
the books of the Company or such Subsidiary or (ii) the
nonpayment of all such taxes and assessments in the aggregate could
not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect.
|
9.5.
|
Corporate Existence,
etc.
|
Subject
to Section 10.7, the Company will at all times preserve and
keep in full force and effect its corporate existence. Subject to
Sections 10.6 and 10.7, inclusive, the
25
Company will at all times
preserve and keep in full force and effect the corporate existence
of each of its Restricted Subsidiaries (unless merged into the
Company or a Restricted Subsidiary) and all rights and franchises
of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries unless, in the good
faith judgment of the Company, the termination of or failure to
preserve and keep in full force and effect such corporate
existence, right or franchise could not, individually or in the
aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
|
9.6.
|
Additional Subsidiary
Guarantors.
|
The
Company will cause any Subsidiary that (whether or not required by
the terms of the Credit Agreement) is to become a party to, or
guarantee, Debt in respect of the Credit Agreement, to enter into
the Subsidiary Guaranty concurrently therewith and as a part
thereof to deliver to each of the holders:
(a) a copy of an
executed joinder to the Subsidiary Guaranty;
(b) a certificate
signed by a Responsible Officer of the Company confirming the
accuracy of the representations and warranties in
Sections 5.2, 5.6, 5.7 and 5.19, with respect to such
Subsidiary and the Subsidiary Guaranty, as applicable;
and
(c) if a
comparable opinion is required by the Banks, an opinion of counsel
(who may be counsel for the Company) reasonably satisfactory to the
Required Holders addressed to each holder of the Notes to the
effect that the Subsidiary Guaranty of such Person has been duly
authorized, executed and delivered and that the Subsidiary Guaranty
constitutes the legal, valid and binding contract and agreement of
such Person enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as an
enforcement of such terms may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency,
fraudulent conveyance and similar laws affecting the enforcement of
creditors’ rights generally and by general equitable
principles.
The
Debt evidenced by the Notes will at all times rank at least pari
passu with all of the Company’s outstanding unsecured
Senior Debt.
The
Company will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, maintain
proper books of record and account in conformity with GAAP (or, in
the case of foreign Subsidiaries, other applicable accounting
principles) and all applicable requirements of any Governmental
Authority having legal or regulatory jurisdiction over the Company
or such Subsidiary, as the case may be.
The
Company covenants that so long as any of the Notes are
outstanding:
26
|
10.1.
|
Consolidated Net
Worth.
|
The
Company will not permit Consolidated Net Worth to be less than
$600,000,000 at any time.
|
10.2.
|
Consolidated Net
Debt.
|
The
Company will not permit the ratio of Consolidated Net Debt (as of
the last day of the most recently completed fiscal quarter) to
Consolidated EBITDA (for the Company’s then most recently
completed four fiscal quarters) to be greater than 3.00 to 1.00 at
any time. If, during the period for which Consolidated EBITDA is
being calculated, the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary has (i)
acquired one or more Persons (or the assets thereof) or
(ii) disposed of one or more Restricted Subsidiaries (or
substantially all of the assets thereof), Consolidated EBITDA shall
be calculated on a pro forma basis as if all of such acquisitions
(other than acquisitions by or resulting in Unrestricted
Subsidiaries) and all such dispositions had occurred on the first
day of such period.
|
10.3.
|
Fixed Charge
Coverage.
|
The
Company will not permit the ratio (calculated as of the end of each
fiscal quarter) of Consolidated EBITDAR to Consolidated Fixed
Charges for the period of four quarters ending as of each fiscal
quarter to be less than 1.50 to 1.00.
The
Company will not permit Priority Debt at any time to exceed 20% of
Consolidated Net Worth (as of the end of the most recently
completed fiscal quarter).
The
Company will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to,
permit to exist, create, assume or incur, directly or indirectly,
any Lien on its properties or assets, whether now owned or
hereafter acquired, except:
(a) Liens for
taxes, assessments or governmental charges not then due and
delinquent or the nonpayment of which is permitted by
Section 9.4;
(b) Liens
incidental to the conduct of business or the ownership of
properties and assets (including landlords’, lessors’,
carriers’, warehousemen’s, mechanics’,
materialmen’s and other similar Liens) and Liens to secure
the performance of bids, tenders, leases or trade contracts, or to
secure statutory obligations (including obligations under workers
compensation, unemployment insurance and other social security
legislation), surety or appeal bonds or other Liens of like general
nature incurred in the ordinary course of business and not in
connection with the borrowing of money;
(c) any attachment
or judgment Lien, unless the judgment it secures has not, within 60
days after the entry thereof, been discharged or execution thereof
stayed
27
pending appeal, or has not been discharged
within 60 days after the expiration of any such
stay;
(d) Liens securing
Debt of a Restricted Subsidiary to the Company or to a Wholly Owned
Restricted Subsidiary;
(e) Liens securing
Debt existing on property or assets of the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary as of the date of this Agreement that are
described in Schedule 10.4;
(f) encumbrances
in the nature of leases, subleases, zoning restrictions, easements,
rights of way, minor survey exceptions and other rights and
restrictions of record on the use of real property and defects in
title arising or incurred in the ordinary course of business,
which, individually and in the aggregate, do not materially impair
the use or value of the property or assets subject thereto or which
relate only to assets that in the aggregate are not
material;
(g) Liens
(i) existing on property at the time of its acquisition by the
Company or a Restricted Subsidiary and not created in contemplation
thereof, whether or not the Debt secured by such Lien is assumed by
the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary; or (ii) on property
created contemporaneously with its acquisition or within
365 days of the acquisition or completion of construction
thereof to secure or provide for all or a portion of the purchase
price or cost of construction of such property after the date of
Closing; or (iii) existing on property of a Person at the time
such Person is merged or consolidated with, or becomes a Restricted
Subsidiary of, or substantially all of its assets are acquired by,
the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary and not created in
contemplation thereof; provided that in the case of clauses (i),
(ii) and (iii) such Liens do not extend to additional
property of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary (other than
property that is an improvement to or is acquired for specific use
in connection with the subject property) and, in the case of clause
(ii) only, that the aggregate principal amount of Debt secured
by each such Lien does not exceed the lesser of cost of acquisition
or construction or the fair market value (determined in good faith
by one or more officers of the Company to whom authority to enter
into the transaction has been delegated by the board of directors
of the Company) of the property subject thereto;
(h) Liens
resulting from extensions, renewals or replacements of Liens
permitted by paragraphs (e) and (g), provided that
(i) there is no increase in the principal amount or decrease
in maturity of the Debt secured thereby at the time of such
extension, renewal or replacement, (ii) any new Lien attaches
only to the same property theretofore subject to such earlier Lien
and (iii) immediately after such extension, renewal or
replacement no Default or Event of Default would exist;
and
(i) Liens securing
Debt not otherwise permitted by paragraphs (a) through
(h) above, provided that Priority Debt does not at any time
exceed 20% of Consolidated Net Worth (as of the end of the most
recently ended fiscal quarter).
28
Except
as permitted by Section 10.7, the Company will not, and will
not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, sell, lease, transfer or
otherwise dispose of, including by way of merger (collectively a
“Disposition”), any assets, including capital stock of
Restricted Subsidiaries, in one or a series of transactions, to any
Person, other than:
(a) Dispositions
in the ordinary course of business;
(b) Dispositions
by the Company to a Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary or by a
Restricted Subsidiary to the Company or a Wholly Owned Restricted
Subsidiary; or
(c) Dispositions
not otherwise permitted by Section 10.6(a) or (b), provided
that:
(i) each such
Disposition is made in an arm’s length transaction for a
consideration at least equal to the fair market value of the
property subject thereto;
(ii) the aggregate
net book value of all assets disposed of in any period of 365
consecutive days pursuant to this Section 10.6(c) does not
exceed 10% of Consolidated Total Assets as of the end of the
immediately preceding fiscal quarter; and
(iii) at the time
of such Disposition and after giving effect thereto no Default or
Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may,
or may permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, make a Disposition and
the assets subject to such Disposition shall not be subject to or
included in the foregoing limitation and computation contained in
Section 10.6(c)(ii) of the preceding sentence to the extent
that (i) each such Disposition is for a consideration at least
equal to the fair market value of the property subject thereto, and
(ii) the net proceeds from such Disposition are within
365 days of such Disposition (A) reinvested in productive
assets used or useful in carrying on the business of the Company
and its Restricted Subsidiaries or (B) applied to the payment
or prepayment of any outstanding Debt of the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary that is pari passu with or senior to
the Notes, including the Notes. Any prepayment of Notes pursuant to
this Section 10.6 shall be in accordance with
Sections 8.2 and 8.3, without regard to the minimum prepayment
requirements of Section 8.2.
|
10.7.
|
Mergers, Consolidations,
etc.
|
The
Company will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to,
consolidate with or merge with any other Person or convey,
transfer, sell or lease all or substantially all of its assets in a
single transaction or series of transactions to any Person except
that:
29
(a) the Company
may consolidate or merge with any other Person or convey, transfer,
sell or lease all or substantially all of its assets in a single
transaction or series of transactions to any Person, provided
that:
(i) the successor
formed by such consolidation or the survivor of such merger or the
Person that acquires by conveyance, transfer, sale or lease all or
substantially all of the assets of the Company as an entirety, as
the case may be, is a solvent corporation organized and existing
under the laws of the United States or any state thereof (including
the District of Columbia), and, if the Company is not such
corporation, such corporation (y) shall have executed and
delivered to each holder of any Notes its assumption of the due and
punctual performance and observance of each covenant and condition
of this Agreement and the Notes and (z) shall have caused to be
delivered to each holder of any Notes an opinion of independent
counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Required Holders, to the
effect that all agreements or instruments effecting such assumption
are enforceable in accordance with their terms and comply with the
terms hereof; and
(ii) immediately
before and after giving effect to such transaction, no Default or
Event of Default shall exist; and
(b) Any Restricted
Subsidiary may (x) merge into the Company (provided that the
Company is the surviving corporation) or a Wholly Owned Restricted
Subsidiary or (y) sell, transfer or lease all or any part of
its assets to the Company or a Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary,
or (z) merge or consolidate with, or sell, transfer or lease
all or substantially all of its assets to, any Person in a
transaction that is permitted by Section 10.6 or, as a result of
which, such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary; provided in
each instance set forth in clauses (x) through (z) that,
immediately before and after giving effect thereto, there shall
exist no Default or Event of Default;
No such conveyance, transfer,
sale or lease of all or substantially all of the assets of the
Company shall have the effect of releasing the Company or any
successor corporation that shall theretofore have become such in
the manner prescribed in this Section 10.7 from its liability
under this Agreement or the Notes.
|
10.8.
|
Disposition of Stock of Restricted
Subsidiaries.
|
(a) The Company
will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to issue its capital
stock, or any warrants, rights or options to purchase, or
securities convertible into or exchangeable for, such capital
stock, to any Person other than the Company or a Wholly Owned
Restricted Subsidiary, except (i) for directors’
qualifying shares or (ii) to satisfy local ownership
requirements.
(b) The Company
will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, sell,
transfer or otherwise dispose of any shares of capital stock of a
Restricted Subsidiary if such sale would be prohibited by
Section 10.6, except (i) for directors’ qualifying
shares or (ii) to satisfy local ownership
requirements.
30
(c) If a
Restricted Subsidiary at any time ceases to be such as a result of
a sale or issuance of its capital stock, any Liens on property of
the Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary securing Debt owed
to such Restricted Subsidiary, which is not contemporaneously
repaid, together with such Debt, shall be deemed to have been
incurred by the Company or such other Restricted Subsidiary, as the
case may be, at the time such Restricted Subsidiary ceases to be a
Restricted Subsidiary.
|
10.9.
|
Designation of Restricted and
Unrestricted Subsidiaries.
|
The
Company may designate any Restricted Subsidiary as an Unrestricted
Subsidiary and any Unrestricted Subsidiary as a Restricted
Subsidiary; provided that,
(a) if such
Subsidiary initially is designated a Restricted Subsidiary, then
such Restricted Subsidiary may be subsequently designated as an
Unrestricted Subsidiary and such Unrestricted Subsidiary may be
subsequently designated as a Restricted Subsidiary, but no further
changes in designation may be made;
(b) if such
Subsidiary initially is designated an Unrestricted Subsidiary, then
such Unrestricted Subsidiary may be subsequently designated as a
Restricted Subsidiary and such Restricted Subsidiary may be
subsequently designated as an Unrestricted Subsidiary, but no
further changes in designation may be made;
(c) the Company
may not designate a Restricted Subsidiary as an Unrestricted
Subsidiary unless: (i) such Restricted Subsidiary does not
own, directly or indirectly, any Debt or capital stock of the
Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary, (ii) such
designation, considered as a sale of assets, is permitted pursuant
to Sections 10.6 and 10.7, (iii) immediately before and after
such designation there exists no Default or Event of Default;
and
(d) a Subsidiary
Guarantor may not be designated an Unrestricted
Subsidiary.
|
10.10.
|
Transactions with
Affiliates.
|
The
Company will not and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to
enter into directly or indirectly any Material transaction or
Material group of related transactions (including without
limitation the purchase, lease, sale or exchange of properties of
any kind or the rendering of any service) with any Affiliate (other
than the Company or another Restricted Subsidiary), except in the
ordinary course of the Company’s or such Restricted
Subsidiary’s business and upon fair and reasonable terms no
less favorable to the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary than
would be obtainable in a comparable arm’s-length transaction
with a Person not an Affiliate.
An
“Event of Default” shall exist if any of the following
conditions or events shall occur and be continuing:
31
(a) the Company
defaults in the payment of any principal, Make-Whole Amount, if
any, prepayment premium, if any, or LBOR Breakage amount, if any,
on any Note when the same becomes due and payable, whether at
maturity or at a date fixed for prepayment or by declaration or
otherwise; or
(b) the Company
defaults in the payment of any interest on any Note for more than
five Business Days after the same becomes due and payable;
or
(c) the Company
defaults in the performance of or compliance with any term
contained in Section 7.1(e) or Sections 10.1 through
10.10; or
(d) the Company
defaults in the performance of or compliance with any term
contained herein (other than those referred to in paragraphs (a),
(b) and (c) of this Section 11) and such default is
not remedied within 30 days after the earlier of (i) a
Responsible Officer obtaining actual knowledge of such default and
(ii) the Company receiving written notice of such default from
any holder of a Note; or
(e) any
representation or warranty made in writing by or on behalf of the
Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor or by any officer of the
Company or a Subsidiary Guarantor in this Agreement, the Subsidiary
Guaranty or in any writing furnished in connection with the
transactions contemplated hereby or thereby proves to have been
false or incorrect in any material respect on the date as of which
made; or
(f) (i) the
Company or any Restricted Subsidiary is in default (as principal or
as guarantor or other surety) in the payment of any principal of or
premium or make-whole amount or interest (in an amount of at least
$100,000) on any Debt that is outstanding in an aggregate principal
amount of at least $10,000,000 beyond any period of grace provided
with respect thereto, or (ii) the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary is in default in the performance of or compliance with
any term of any evidence of any Debt that is outstanding in an
aggregate principal amount of at least $10,000,000 or of any
mortgage, indenture or other agreement relating thereto or any
other condition exists, and as a consequence of such default or
condition such Debt has become, or has been declared, due and
payable before its stated maturity or before its regularly
scheduled dates of payment, or (iii) as a consequence of the
occurrence or continuation of any event or condition (other than
the passage of time or the right of the holder of Debt to convert
such Debt into equity interests), the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary has become obligated to purchase or repay Debt before
its regular maturity or before its regularly scheduled dates of
payment in an aggregate outstanding principal amount of at least
$10,000,000; or
(g) the Company or
any Material Subsidiary (i) is generally not paying, or admits
in writing its inability to pay, its debts as they become due,
(ii) files, or consents by answer or otherwise to the filing
against it of, a petition for relief or reorganization or
arrangement or any other petition in bankruptcy, for liquidation or
to take advantage of any bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization,
moratorium or other similar law of any jurisdiction,
(iii) makes an assignment for the benefit of its creditors,
(iv) consents to the appointment of a custodian, receiver,
trustee or other officer with similar powers with
32
respect to it or with respect to any substantial
part of its property, (v) is adjudicated as insolvent or to be
liquidated, or (vi) takes corporate action for the purpose of
any of the foregoing; or
(h) a court or
governmental authority of competent jurisdiction enters an order
appointing, without consent by the Company or any Material
Subsidiary, a custodian, receiver, trustee or other officer with
similar powers with respect to it or with respect to any
substantial part of its property, or constituting an order for
relief or approving a petition for relief or reorganization or any
other petition in bankruptcy or for liquidation or to take
advantage of any bankruptcy or insolvency law of any jurisdiction,
or ordering the dissolution, winding-up or liquidation of the
Company or any Material Subsidiary, or any such petition shall be
filed against the Company or any Material Subsidiary and such
petition shall not be dismissed within 60 days; or
(i) a final
judgment or judgments for the payment of money aggregating at least
$10,000,000 are rendered against one or more of the Company and its
Restricted Subsidiaries, which judgments are not, within
60 days after entry thereof, bonded, discharged, dismissed or
stayed pending appeal, or are not discharged within 60 days
after the expiration of such stay; or
(j) if
(i) any Plan shall fail to satisfy the minimum funding
standards of ERISA or the Code for any plan year or part thereof or
a waiver of such standards or extension of any amortization period
is sought or granted under section 412 of the Code, (ii) a
notice of intent to terminate any Plan shall have been or is
reasonably expected to be filed with the PBGC or the PBGC shall
have instituted proceedings under ERISA section 4042 to terminate
or appoint a trustee to administer any Plan or the PBGC shall have
notified the Company or any ERISA Affiliate that a Plan may become
a subject of any such proceedings, (iii) the aggregate
“amount of unfunded benefit liabilities” (within the
meaning of section 4001(a)(18) of ERISA) under all Plans determined
in accordance with Title IV of ERISA, shall be at least $5,000,000,
(iv) the Company or any ERISA Affiliate shall have incurred or
is reasonably expected to incur any liability pursuant to Title I
or IV of ERISA or the penalty or excise tax provisions of the Code
relating to employee benefit plans, (v) the Company or any
ERISA Affiliate withdraws from any Multiemployer Plan, or
(vi) the Company or any Subsidiary establishes or amends any
employee welfare benefit plan that provides post-employment welfare
benefits in a manner that would increase the liability of the
Company or any Subsidiary thereunder; and any such event or events
described in clauses (i) through (vi) above, either
individually or together with any other such event or events, could
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;
or
(k) the Subsidiary
Guaranty ceases to be in full force and effect as a result of acts
taken by the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor (except as
provided in Section 1.3(b)) or is declared to be null and void
in whole or in material part by a court or other governmental or
regulatory authority having jurisdiction or the validity or
enforceability thereof shall be contested by any of the Company or
any Subsidiary Guarantor or any of them renounces any of the same
or denies that it has any or further liability
thereunder.
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As used in Section 11(j),
the terms “employee benefit plan” and “employee
welfare benefit plan” shall have the respective meanings
assigned to such terms in Section 3 of ERISA.
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12.
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REMEDIES ON DEFAULT,
ETC.
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(a) If an Event of
Default with respect to the Company described in paragraph
(g) or (h) of Section 11 (other than an Event of
Default described in clause (i) of paragraph (g) or described
in clause (vi) of paragraph (g) by virtue of the fact
that such clause encompasses clause (i) of paragraph (g)) has
occurred, all the Notes then outstanding shall automatically become
immediately due and payable.
(b) If any other
Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, holders of a
majority or more in principal amount of the Notes at the time
outstanding may at any time at its or their option, by notice or
notices to the Company, declare all the Notes then outstanding to
be immediately due and payable.
(c) If any Event
of Default described in paragraph (a) or (b) of
Section 11 has occurred and is continuing, any holder or
holders of Notes at the time outstanding affected by such Event of
Default may at any time, at its or their option, by notice or
notices to the Company, declare all the Notes held by it or them to
be immediately due and payable.
Upon
any Notes becoming due and payable under this Section 12.1,
whether automatically or by declaration, such Notes will forthwith
mature and the entire unpaid principal amount of such Notes, plus
(w) all accrued and unpaid interest thereon, (x) any
applicable Make-Whole Amount determined in respect of such
principal amount (to the full extent permitted by applicable law),
(y) any applicable prepayment premium (to the full extent
permitted by applicable law), and (z) any LIBOR Breakage
Amount determined in respect of such principal amount, shall all be
immediately due and payable, in each and every case without
presentment, demand, protest or further notice, all of which are
hereby waived. The Company acknowledges, and the parties hereto
agree, that each holder of a Note has the right to maintain its
investment in the Notes free from repayment by the Company (except
as herein specifically provided for) and that the provision for
payment of a Make-Whole Amount, prepayment premium or LIBOR
Breakage Amount by the Company, if any, in the event that the Notes
are prepaid or are accelerated as a result of an Event of Default,
is intended to provide compensation for the deprivation of such
right under such circumstances.
If
any Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, and
irrespective of whether any Notes have become or have been declared
immediately due and payable under Section 12.1, the holder of
any Note at the time outstanding may proceed to protect and enforce
the rights of such holder by an action at law, suit in equity or
other appropriate proceeding, whether for the specific performance
of any agreement contained herein or in any Note, or for
an
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injunction against a violation of
any of the terms hereof or thereof, or in aid of the exercise of
any power granted hereby or thereby or by law or
otherwise.
12.3.
Rescission.
At
any time after any Notes have been declared due and payable
pursuant to clause (b) or (c) of Section 12.1, the
holders of more than 50% in principal amount of the Notes then
outstanding, by written notice to the Company, may rescind and
annul any such declaration and its consequences if (a) the
Company has paid all overdue interest on the Notes, all principal
of and any applicable Make-Whole Amount, prepayment premium and
LIBOR Breakage Amount on any Notes that are due and payable and are
unpaid other than by reason of such declaration, and all interest
on such overdue principal and any Make-Whole Amount, prepayment
premium and LIBOR Breakage Amount and (to the extent permitted by
applicable law) any overdue interest in respect of the Notes, at
the Default Rate, (b) all Events of Default and Defaults,
other than non-payment of amounts that have become due solely by
reason of such declaration, have been cured or have been waived
pursuant to Section 17, and (c) no judgment or decree has been
entered for the payment of any monies due pursuant hereto or to the
Notes. No rescission and annulment under this Section 12.3
will extend to or affect any subsequent Event of Default or Default
or impair any right consequent thereon.
12.4. No Waivers or Election
of Remedies, Expenses, etc.
No
course of dealing and no delay on the part of any holder of any
Note in exercising any right, power or remedy shall operate as a
waiver thereof or otherwise prejudice such holder’s rights,
powers or remedies. No right, power or remedy conferred by this
Agreement or by any Note upon any holder thereof shall be exclusive
of any other right, power or remedy referred to herein or therein
or now or hereafter available at law, in equity, by statute or
otherwise. Without limiting the obligations of the Company under
Section 15, the Company will pay to the holder of each Note on
demand such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover all
costs and expenses of such holder incurred in any enforcement or
collection under this Section 12, including reasonable
attorneys’ fees, expenses and disbursements.
13. REGISTRATION; EXCHANGE;
SUBSTITUTION OF NOTES.
13.1. Registration of
Notes.
The
Company shall keep at its principal executive office a register for
the registration and registration of transfers of Notes. The name
and address of each holder of one or more Notes, each transfer
thereof and the name and address of each transferee of one or more
Notes shall be registered in such register. Prior to due
presentment for registration of transfer, the Person in whose name
any Note shall be registered shall be deemed and treated as the
owner and holder thereof for all purposes hereof, and the Company
shall not be affected by any notice or knowledge to the contrary.
The Company shall give to any holder of a Note that is an
Institutional Investor, promptly upon request therefor, a complete
and correct copy of the names and addresses of all registered
holders of Notes.
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13.2. Transfer and Exchange of
Notes.
Upon
surrender of any Note at the principal executive office of the
Company for registration of transfer or exchange (and in the case
of a surrender for registration of transfer, duly endorsed or
accompanied by a written instrument of transfer duly executed by
the registered holder of such Note or his attorney duly authorized
in writing and accompanied by the address for notices of each
transferee of such Note or part thereof), the Company shall execute
and deliver, at the Company’s expense (except as provided
below), one or more new Notes (as requested by the holder thereof)
of the same series and tranche in exchange therefor, in an
aggregate principal amount equal to the unpaid principal amount of
the surrendered Note. Each such new Note shall be payable to such
Person as such holder may request and shall be substantially in the
form of Exhibit 1.1(a) or 1(b), as appropriate. Each such new
Note shall be dated and bear interest from the date to which
interest shall have been paid on the surrendered Note or dated the
date of the surrendered Note if no interest shall have been paid
thereon. The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to
cover any stamp tax or governmental charge imposed in respect of
any such transfer of Notes. Notes shall not be transferred in
denominations of less than $500,000, provided that if necessary to
enable the registration of transfer by a holder of its entire
holding of Notes, one Note may be in a denomination of less than
$500,000. Any transferee, by its acceptance of a Note registered in
its name (or the name of its nominee), shall be deemed to have made
the representation set forth in Section 6.2.
13.3. Replacement of
Notes.
Upon
receipt by the Company of evidence reasonably satisfactory to it of
the ownership of and the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of
any Note (which evidence shall be, in the case of an Institutional
Investor, notice from such Institutional Investor of such ownership
and such loss, theft, destruction or mutilation), and
(a) in the case of
loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity reasonably satisfactory to
it (provided that if the holder of such Note is, or is a nominee
for, an original Purchaser or another Institutional Investor holder
of a Note with a minimum net worth of at least $50,000,000 or a
Qualified Institutional Buyer, such Person’s own unsecured
agreement of indemnity shall be deemed to be satisfactory),
or
(b) in the case of
mutilation, upon surrender and cancellation thereof,
the Company at its own expense
shall execute and deliver, in lieu thereof, a new Note of the same
series and tranche, dated and bearing interest from the date to
which interest shall have been paid on such lost, stolen, destroyed
or mutilated Note or dated the date of such lost, stolen, destroyed
or mutilated Note if no interest shall have been paid
thereon.
14. PAYMENTS ON
NOTES.
14.1. Place of
Payment.
Subject
to Section 14.2, payments of principal, Make-Whole Amount, if
any, prepayment premium, if any, LIBOR Breakage Amount, if any, and
interest becoming due and
36
payable on the Notes shall be
made in Chicago, Illinois at the principal office of Bank of
America in such jurisdiction. The Company may at any time, by
notice to each holder of a Note, change the place of payment of the
Notes so long as such place of payment shall be either the
principal office of the Company in such jurisdiction or the
principal office of a bank or trust company in such
jurisdiction.
14.2. Home Office
Payment.
So
long as you or your nominee shall be the holder of any Note, and
notwithstanding anything contained in Section 14.1 or in such
Note to the contrary, the Company will pay all sums becoming due on
such Note for principal, Make-Whole Amount, if any, prepayment
premium, if any, LIBOR Breakage Amount, if any, and interest by the
method and at the address specified for such purpose below your
name in Schedule A, or by such other method or at such other
address as you shall have from time to time specified to the
Company in writing for such purpose, without the presentation or
surrender of such Note or the making of any notation thereon,
except that upon written request of the Company made concurrently
with or reasonably promptly after payment or prepayment in full of
any Note, you shall surrender such Note for cancellation,
reasonably promptly after any such request, to the Company at its
principal executive office or at
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