AMENDED AND RESTATED
REVOLVING CREDIT
AGREEMENT
dated as of February 28,
2007
among
RUBY TUESDAY, INC.,
as Borrower,
THE LENDERS FROM TIME TO TIME PARTY
HERETO
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,
as Administrative Agent, Issuing Bank and
Swingline Lender,
WACHOVIA BANK,
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
as Syndication Agent,
and
CITIBANK, N.A.,
as Documentation Agent
BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES
LLC
as Sole Lead Arranger and Sole
Book Manager
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Page
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ARTICLE I
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DEFINITIONS;
CONSTRUCTION.
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1
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Section 1.1
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Definitions.
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1
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Section 1.2
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Classifications
of Loans and Borrowings.
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22
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Section 1.3
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Accounting
Terms and Determination.
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22
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Section 1.4
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Terms
Generally.
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23
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Section 1.5
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Letter of
Credit Amounts.
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23
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Section 1.6
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Times of
Day.
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24
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ARTICLE II
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AMOUNT AND
TERMS OF THE COMMITMENTS.
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24
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Section 2.1
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General
Description of Facilities.
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24
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Section 2.2
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Revolving
Loans.
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24
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Section 2.3
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Procedure for
Revolving Borrowings.
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24
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Section 2.5
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Swingline
Commitment.
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26
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Section 2.6
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Procedure for
Swingline Borrowing; Etc.
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26
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Section 2.7
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Funding of
Borrowings.
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28
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Section 2.8
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Interest
Elections.
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28
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Section 2.9
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Optional
Reduction and Termination of Commitments.
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29
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Section 2.10
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Repayment of
Loans.
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30
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Section 2.11
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Evidence of
Indebtedness.
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30
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Section 2.12
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Prepayments.
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30
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Section 2.13
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Interest on
Loans.
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31
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Section 2.14
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Fees.
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32
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Section 2.15
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Computation of
Interest and Fees.
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33
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Section 2.16
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Inability to
Determine Interest Rates.
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33
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Section 2.17
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Illegality.
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33
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Section 2.18
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Increased
Costs.
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34
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Section 2.19
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Funding
Indemnity.
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35
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Section 2.20
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Taxes.
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35
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Section 2.21
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Payments
Generally; Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of Set-offs.
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37
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Section 2.22
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Mitigation of
Obligations; Replacement of Lenders.
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38
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Section 2.23
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Letters of
Credit.
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39
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ARTICLE III
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CONDITIONS
PRECEDENT TO LOANS AND LETTERS OF CREDIT.
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45
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Section 3.1
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Conditions To
Effectiveness.
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45
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Section 3.2
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Each Credit
Event.
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46
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Section 3.3
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Delivery of
Documents.
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47
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ARTICLE IV
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REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES.
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47
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Section 4.1
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Existence;
Power.
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47
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Section 4.2
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Organizational
Power; Authorization.
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47
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Section 4.3
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Governmental
Approvals; No Conflicts.
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48
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CHAR1\935816v6
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Section 4.4
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Financial
Statements.
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48
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Section 4.5
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Litigation and
Environmental Matters.
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48
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Section 4.6
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Compliance with
Laws and Agreements.
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49
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Section 4.7
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Investment
Company Act, Etc.
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49
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Section 4.8
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Taxes.
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49
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Section 4.9
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Margin
Regulations.
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49
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Section 4.10
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ERISA.
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49
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Section 4.11
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Ownership of
Property.
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50
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Section 4.12
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Disclosure.
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50
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Section 4.13
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Labor
Relations.
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50
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Section 4.14
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Subsidiaries.
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51
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Section 4.15
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Solvency.
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51
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ARTICLE V
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AFFIRMATIVE
COVENANTS.
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51
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Section 5.1
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Financial
Statements and Other Information.
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51
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Section 5.2
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Notices of
Material Events.
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53
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Section 5.3
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Existence;
Conduct of Business.
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53
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Section 5.4
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Compliance with
Laws, Etc.
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54
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Section 5.5
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Payment of
Obligations.
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54
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Section 5.6
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Books and
Records.
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54
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Section 5.7
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Visitation,
Inspection, Etc.
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54
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Section 5.8
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Maintenance of
Properties; Insurance.
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54
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Section 5.9
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Use of Proceeds
and Letters of Credit.
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55
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Section 5.10
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Additional
Subsidiaries.
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55
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Section 5.11
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Additional
Guaranties.
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55
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ARTICLE VI
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FINANCIAL
COVENANTS
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56
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Section 6.1
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Minimum Fixed
Charge Coverage Ratio.
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56
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Section 6.2
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Maximum
Adjusted Total Debt to EBITDAR Ratio.
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56
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Section 6.3
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Minimum
Consolidated Net Worth.
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56
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ARTICLE VII
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NEGATIVE
COVENANTS
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57
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Section 7.1
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Negative
Pledge.
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57
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Section 7.2
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Fundamental
Changes.
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57
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Section 7.3
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Investments,
Loans, Etc.
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58
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Section 7.4
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Restricted
Payments.
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59
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Section 7.5
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Sale of
Assets.
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60
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Section 7.6
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Transactions
with Affiliates.
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61
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Section 7.7
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Restrictive
Agreements.
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61
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Section 7.8
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Hedging
Agreements.
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61
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Section 7.9
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Amendment to
Material Documents.
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61
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Section 7.10
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Accounting
Changes.
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62
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Section 7.11
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ERISA.
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62
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ARTICLE VIII
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EVENTS OF
DEFAULT
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62
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Section 8.1
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Events of
Default.
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62
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ii
CHAR1\935816v6
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ARTICLE IX
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THE
ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
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65
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Section 9.1
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Appointment and
Authority.
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65
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Section 9.2
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Rights as a
Lender.
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65
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Section 9.3
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Exculpatory
Provisions.
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65
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Section 9.4
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Reliance by
Administrative Agent.
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66
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Section 9.5
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Delegation of
Duties.
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67
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Section 9.6
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Resignation of
Administrative Agent.
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67
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Section 9.7
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Non-Reliance on
Administrative Agent and Other Lenders.
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68
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Section 9.8
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Administrative
Agent May File Proofs of Claim.
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68
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Section 9.9
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Guaranty
Matters.
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69
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Section 9.10
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No Other
Duties, Etc.
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69
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ARTICLE X
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MISCELLANEOUS
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69
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Section 10.1
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Notices.
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69
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Section 10.2
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Waiver;
Amendments.
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71
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Section 10.3
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Expenses;
Indemnification.
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72
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Section 10.4
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Successors and
Assigns.
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73
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Section 10.5
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Governing Law;
Jurisdiction; Consent to Service of Process.
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77
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Section 10.6
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WAIVER OF JURY
TRIAL.
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78
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Section 10.7
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Right of
Setoff.
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78
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Section 10.8
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Counterparts;
Integration.
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79
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Section 10.9
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Survival.
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79
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Section 10.10
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Severability.
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80
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Section 10.11
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Confidentiality.
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80
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Section 10.12
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Interest Rate
Limitation.
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80
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Section 10.13
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Payments Set
Aside.
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81
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Section 10.14
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Patriot Act
Notice.
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81
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Section 10.15
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No Advisory or
Fiduciary Responsibility.
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81
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Section 10.16
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Waiver of
Notice of Termination.
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82
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iii
CHAR1\935816v6
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Schedules
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Schedule 1.1(a)
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-
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Applicable
Margin and Applicable Commitment Fee Percentage
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Schedule
1.1(b)
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Existing
Letters of Credit
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Schedule
1.2
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Revolving
Commitments
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Schedule
4.14
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Subsidiaries
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Schedule
7.1
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Existing
Liens
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Schedule
7.3
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Existing
Investments
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Schedule
7.7
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Restrictive
Agreements
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Exhibits
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Exhibit A
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Revolving
Credit Note
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Exhibit
B
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Swingline
Note
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Exhibit
C
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Form of
Assignment and Acceptance
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Exhibit
D
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Form of
Subsidiary Guaranty Agreement
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Exhibit 2.3
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Notice of
Revolving Borrowing
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Exhibit
2.6
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Notice of
Swingline Borrowing
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Exhibit
2.8
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Form of
Continuation/Conversion
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Exhibit
3.1(b)(iv)
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Form of
Secretary's Certificate of Ruby Tuesday, Inc.
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Exhibit
3.1(b)(vi)
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Form of General
Counsel Legal Opinion
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Exhibit
3.1(b)(vii)
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Form of
Officer's Certificate
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iv
CHAR1\935816v6
AMENDED AND RESTATED REVOLVING CREDIT
AGREEMENT
THIS AMENDED AND RESTATED REVOLVING
CREDIT AGREEMENT (this “ Agreement ”) is made
and entered into as of February 28, 2007, by and among RUBY
TUESDAY, INC., a Georgia corporation (the “ Borrower
”), the several banks and other financial institutions from
time to time party hereto (the “ Lenders ”) and
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., in its capacity as Administrative Agent for
the Lenders (the “ Administrative Agent ”), as
Issuing Bank (the “ Issuing Bank ”), and as
Swingline Lender (the “ Swingline Lender
”).
W I T N E S S E T H:
WHEREAS, the Borrower, the lenders
party thereto and Bank of America, N.A., as agent, are parties to
that certain Amended and Restated Revolving Credit Agreement dated
as of November 19, 2004 (as amended and modified, the “
Existing Credit Agreement ”);
WHEREAS, the Lenders have agreed to
amend and restate the Existing Credit Agreement on the terms and
conditions hereinafter set forth;
WHEREAS, in connection with the
refinancing of the Existing Credit Agreement in accordance with the
terms hereof, the Borrower has requested that the Lenders establish
a $500,000,000 revolving credit facility (which shall include a
$50,000,000 swingline subcommitment and a $50,000,000 letter of
credit subcommitment);
WHEREAS, subject to the terms and
conditions of this Agreement, the Lenders severally, to the extent
of their respective Commitments as defined herein, are willing to
severally establish the requested revolving credit
facility;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of
the premises and the mutual covenants herein contained, the
Borrower, the Lenders, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank
and the Swingline Lender agree as follows:
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS;
CONSTRUCTION
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Section 1.1
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Definitions
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In addition to the other terms
defined herein, the following terms used herein shall have the
meanings herein specified (to be equally applicable to both the
singular and plural forms of the terms defined):
“ Acquisition ”
means any transaction, or any series of related transactions,
consummated on or after the date of this Agreement, by which the
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (i) acquires any going business
or all or substantially all of the assets of any Person, or
division
1
CHAR1\935816v6
thereof, whether through purchase of
assets, merger or otherwise or (ii) directly or indirectly acquires
(in one transaction or as the most recent transaction in a series
of transactions) at least a majority (in number of votes) of the
securities of a corporation which have ordinary voting power for
the election of directors (other than securities having such power
only by reason of the happening of a contingency) or a majority (by
percentage of voting power) of the outstanding ownership interests
of a partnership or limited liability company.
“ Additional Loan
” shall have the meaning provided in Section 2.4
.
“ Adjusted LIBO Rate
” shall mean, with respect to each Interest Period for a
Eurodollar Borrowing, the rate per annum obtained by dividing
(i) LIBOR for such Interest Period by (ii) a percentage
equal to 1.00 minus the Eurodollar Reserve Percentage.
“ Adjusted Total Debt
” shall mean, as of any date of determination, (i) all
Indebtedness of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated
basis, including without limitation all Loans and LC Exposure, but
excluding all Indebtedness of the type described in
subsection (xi) of the definition of Indebtedness and
excluding any Synthetic Lease Obligations to the extent that such
Synthetic Lease Obligations are included in clause (ii) below,
plus (ii) to the extent not included in clause (i), the
present value of all lease obligations arising under operating
leases of Borrower and its Subsidiaries as determined in accordance
with GAAP, applying a discount rate of ten
percent (10%).
“ Adjusted Total Debt to
EBITDAR Ratio ” shall mean, as of any date of
determination, the ratio of (i) Adjusted Total Debt as of such date
to (ii) Consolidated EBITDAR as of such date, measured for the four
Fiscal Quarter period ending on such date.
“ Administrative Agent
” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in the opening
paragraph hereof.
“ Administrative
Agent’s Office ” means the Administrative
Agent’s address and, as appropriate, account as set forth in
Section 10.1 or such other address or account as the Administrative
Agent may from time to time notify the Borrower and the
Lenders.
“ Administrative
Questionnaire ” shall mean, with respect to each Lender,
an administrative questionnaire in the form prepared by the
Administrative Agent and submitted to the Administrative Agent duly
completed by such Lender.
“ Affiliate ”
shall mean, as to any Person, any other Person that directly, or
indirectly through one or more intermediaries, Controls, is
Controlled by, or is under common Control with, such
Person.
“ Aggregate Revolving
Commitment Amount ” shall mean the aggregate principal
amount of the Revolving Commitments, including any Incremental
Facility if and to the extent made pursuant to Section 2.4 of this
Agreement, of all Lenders from time to time. On the Closing Date,
the Aggregate Revolving Commitment Amount equals
$500,000,000.
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CHAR1\935816v6
“ Aggregate Revolving
Commitments ” shall mean, collectively, all Revolving
Commitments of all Lenders plus all Incremental Facility amounts of
any of the Lenders at any time outstanding.
“ Applicable Commitment Fee
Percentage ” shall mean, as of any date, the percentage
per annum determined by reference to the applicable Adjusted Total
Debt to EBITDAR Ratio in effect on such date as set forth on
Schedule 1.1(a) attached hereto; provided , that
a change in the Applicable Commitment Fee Percentage resulting from
a change in the Adjusted Total Debt to EBITDAR Ratio shall be
effective on the second Business Day after the date the Borrower is
required to deliver the financial statements required by
Section 5.1(a) or (b) and the compliance
certificate required by Section 5.1(c) ; provided,
further, that if at any time the Borrower shall have failed to
deliver such financial statements and such certificate, the
Applicable Commitment Fee Percentage shall be at Level IV until
such time as such financial statements and certificate are
delivered, at which time the Applicable Commitment Fee Percentage
shall be determined as provided above. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, the Applicable Commitment Fee Percentage from the
Closing Date until the first financial statements and compliance
certificate are required to be delivered shall be at Level
II.
“ Applicable Lending
Office ” shall mean, for each Lender and for each Type of
Loan, the “Lending Office” of such Lender (or an
Affiliate of such Lender) designated for such Type of Loan in the
Administrative Questionnaire submitted by such Lender or such other
office of such Lender (or an Affiliate of such Lender) as such
Lender may from time to time specify to the Administrative Agent
and the Borrower as the office by which its Loans of such Type are
to be made and maintained.
“ Applicable Margin
” shall mean, as of any date, the percentage per annum
determined by reference to the applicable Adjusted Total Debt to
EBITDAR Ratio in effect on such date as set forth on
Schedule 1.1(a) attached hereto; provided , that
a change in the Applicable Margin resulting from a change in such
ratio shall be effective on the second Business Day after which the
Borrower is required to deliver the financial statements required
by Section 5.1(a) or (b) and the compliance
certificate required by Section 5.1(c) ; provided,
further, that if at any time the Borrower shall have failed to
deliver such financial statements and such certificate, the
Applicable Margin shall be at Level IV until such time as such
financial statements and certificate are delivered, at which time
the Applicable Margin shall be determined as provided above.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Applicable Margin from the
Closing Date until the first financial statements and compliance
certificate are required to be delivered shall be at Level
II.
“ Approved Fund ”
means any Person (other than a natural Person) that is (or will be)
engaged in making, purchasing, holding or otherwise investing in
commercial loans and similar extensions of credit in the ordinary
course of its business and that is administered or managed by (a) a
Lender, (b) an Affiliate of a Lender or (c) an entity or an
Affiliate of an entity that administers or manages a
Lender.
“ Arranger ”
shall mean Banc of America Securities LLC.
3
CHAR1\935816v6
“ Assignee Group
” means two or more Eligible Assignees that are Affiliates of
one another or two or more Approved Funds managed by the same
investment advisor.
“ Assignment and
Acceptance ” shall mean an assignment and acceptance
entered into by a Lender and an Eligible Assignee (with the consent
of any party whose consent is required by
Section 10.4(b) ) and accepted by the Administrative
Agent, in the form of Exhibit C attached hereto or any
other form approved by the Administrative Agent.
“ Availability Period
” shall mean the period from the Closing Date to the
Revolving Commitment Termination Date.
“ Bank of America
” means Bank of America, N.A. and its successors.
“ BAS ” shall
mean Banc of America Securities LLC.
“ Base Rate ”
means for any day a fluctuating rate per annum equal to the higher
of (a) the Federal Funds Rate plus 1/2 of 1% and (b) the rate
of interest in effect for such day as publicly announced from time
to time by Bank of America as its “prime rate.” The
“prime rate” is a rate set by Bank of America based
upon various factors including Bank of America’s costs and
desired return, general economic conditions and other factors, and
is used as a reference point for pricing some loans, which may be
priced at, above, or below such announced rate. Any change in such
rate announced by Bank of America shall take effect at the opening
of business on the day specified in the public announcement of such
change.
“ Borrower ”
shall have the meaning in the introductory paragraph
hereof.
“ Borrowing ”
shall mean a borrowing consisting of (i) Loans of the same Class
and Type, made, converted or continued on the same date and in case
of Eurodollar Loans, as to which a single Interest Period is in
effect, or (ii) a Swingline Loan.
“ Business Day ”
shall mean (i) any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day
on which commercial banks in Charlotte, North Carolina are
authorized or required by law to close and (ii) if such day relates
to a Borrowing of, a payment or prepayment of principal or interest
on, a conversion of or into, or an Interest Period for, a
Eurodollar Loan or a notice with respect to any of the foregoing,
any day on which dealings in Dollars are carried on in the London
interbank market.
“ Capital Lease
Obligations ” of any Person shall mean all obligations of
such Person to pay rent or other amounts under any lease (or other
arrangement conveying the right to use) real or personal property,
or a combination thereof, which obligations are required to be
classified and accounted for as capital leases on a balance sheet
of such Person under GAAP, and the amount of such obligations shall
be the capitalized amount thereof determined in accordance with
GAAP.
“ Change in Control
” shall mean the occurrence of one or more of the following
events: (a) any sale, lease, exchange or other transfer (in a
single transaction or a series of related
4
CHAR1\935816v6
transactions) of all or
substantially all of the assets of the Borrower to any Person or
“group” (within the meaning of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 and the rules of the SEC thereunder in effect on the
date hereof), (b) the acquisition of ownership, directly or
indirectly, beneficially or of record, by any Person or
“group” (within the meaning of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 and the rules of the SEC thereunder as in effect on the
date hereof) of 30% or more of the outstanding shares of the voting
stock of the Borrower; or (c) occupation of a majority of the seats
(other than vacant seats) on the board of directors of the Borrower
by Persons who were neither (i) nominated by the current board of
directors nor (ii) appointed by directors so nominated.
“ Change in Law ”
shall mean (i) the adoption of any applicable law, rule or
regulation after the date of this Agreement, (ii) any change in any
applicable law, rule or regulation, or any change in the
interpretation or application thereof, by any Governmental
Authority after the date of this Agreement, or (iii) the making or
issuance by any Governmental Authority after the date of this
Agreement of any request, guideline or directive (whether or not
having the force of law) requiring compliance by any Lender (or its
Applicable Lending Office) or the Issuing Bank (or for purposes of
Section 2.18(b) , by such Lender’s or the Issuing
Bank’s holding company, if applicable).
“ Class ”, when
used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such
Loan, or the Loans comprising such Borrowing, are Revolving Loans
or Swingline Loans and when used in reference to any Commitment,
refers to whether such Commitment is a Revolving Commitment, a
Swingline Commitment or a LC Commitment.
“ Closing Date ”
shall mean February 28, 2007.
“ Code ” shall
mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended and in effect
from time to time.
“ Commitment ”
shall mean a Revolving Commitment, a Swingline Commitment or a LC
Commitment or any combination thereof (as the context shall permit
or require).
“ Consolidated Assets
” shall mean, as of any date, the total assets of the
Borrower and its Subsidiaries that would be reflected on the
Borrower’s consolidated balance sheet as of such date
prepared in accordance with GAAP.
“ Consolidated
Companies ” shall mean, collectively, the Borrower and
any of its Subsidiaries, and “Consolidated Company”
shall mean, individually, the Borrower or any of its
Subsidiaries.
“ Consolidated EBITDA
” shall mean, for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for any
period, an amount equal to the sum of (a) Consolidated Net Income
for such period plus (b) to the extent deducted in determining
Consolidated Net Income for such period, (i) Consolidated Interest
Expense, (ii) income tax expense determined on a consolidated basis
in accordance with GAAP, (iii) depreciation and amortization
determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with
5
CHAR1\935816v6
GAAP and (iv) all other non-cash
charges determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP,
in each case for such period.
“ Consolidated EBITDAR
” shall mean, for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for any
period, an amount equal to the sum of (a) Consolidated EBITDA plus
(b) Consolidated Lease Expense, in each case for such
period.
“ Consolidated EBITR
” shall mean, for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for any
period, an amount equal to the sum of (a) Consolidated Net Income
for such period plus (b) to the extent deducted in determining
Consolidated Net Income for such period, (i) Consolidated Interest
Expense, (ii) income tax expense determined on a consolidated basis
in accordance with GAAP, (iii) all other non-cash charges,
determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP, and
(iv) Consolidated Lease Expense, in each case for such
period.
“ Consolidated Fixed
Charges ” shall mean, for the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries for any period, the sum (without duplication) of (a)
Consolidated Interest Expense for such period and (b) Consolidated
Lease Expense for such period.
“ Consolidated Interest
Expense ” shall mean, for the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries for any period determined on a consolidated basis in
accordance with GAAP, the sum of (i) total interest expense,
including without limitation the interest component of any payments
in respect of Capital Leases Obligations capitalized or expensed
during such period (whether or not actually paid during such
period) plus (ii) the net amount payable (or minus the net amount
receivable) under Hedging Agreements during such period (whether or
not actually paid or received during such period).
“ Consolidated Lease
Expense ” shall mean, for any period, the aggregate
amount of fixed and contingent rental and operating lease expense
payable by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries with respect to leases
of real and personal property (excluding Capital Lease Obligations)
determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP for such
period.
“ Consolidated Net
Income ” shall mean, for any period, the net income (or
loss) of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for such period
determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP, but
excluding therefrom (to the extent otherwise included therein)
(i) any extraordinary gains or losses, (ii) any gains
attributable to write-ups of assets, (iii) any equity interest
of the Borrower or any Subsidiary of the Borrower in the unremitted
earnings of any Person that is not a Subsidiary and (iv) any income
(or loss) of any Person accrued prior to the date it becomes a
Subsidiary or is merged into or consolidated with the Borrower or
any Subsidiary on the date that such Person’s assets are
acquired by the Borrower or any Subsidiary.
“ Consolidated Net
Worth ” shall mean, as of any date, (i) the total assets
of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries that would be reflected on the
Borrower’s consolidated balance sheet as of such date
prepared in accordance with GAAP, after eliminating all amounts
properly attributable to minority interests, if any, in the stock
and surplus of Subsidiaries, minus the sum of (i) the total
liabilities of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries that would be
reflected on the Borrower’s consolidated balance sheet as of
such date prepared in accordance with GAAP and (ii) the
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CHAR1\935816v6
amount of any write-up in the book
value of any assets resulting from a revaluation thereof or any
write-up in excess of the cost of such assets acquired reflected on
the consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower as of such date
prepared in accordance with GAAP.
“ Consolidated Restaurant
Revenues ” shall mean, for the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries for any period, an amount equal to the restaurant
sales and operating revenue generated at the restaurant level
determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP, but
excluding therefrom (to the extent otherwise included therein) any
franchise royalty revenues or fees.
“ Contractual
Obligation ” of any Person shall mean any provision of
any security issued by such Person or of any agreement, instrument
or undertaking under which such Person is obligated or by which it
or any of the property in which it has an interest is
bound.
“ Control ” shall
mean the power, directly or indirectly, either to (i) vote 5% or
more of securities having ordinary voting power for the election of
directors (or persons performing similar functions) of a Person or
(ii) direct or cause the direction of the management and policies
of a Person, whether through the ability to exercise voting power,
by contract or otherwise. The terms “Controlling”,
“Controlled by”, and “under common Control
with” have meanings correlative thereto.
“ Debtor Relief Laws
” shall mean the Bankruptcy Code of the United States, and
all other liquidation, conservatorship, bankruptcy, assignment for
the benefit of creditors, moratorium, rearrangement, receivership,
insolvency, reorganization, or similar debtor relief Laws of the
United States or other applicable jurisdictions from time to time
in effect and affecting the rights of creditors
generally.
“ Default ” shall
mean any condition or event that, with the giving of notice or the
lapse of time or both, would constitute an Event of
Default.
“ Default Interest
” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 2.13(c) .
“ Disposition ”
shall mean the sale, transfer, license, lease or other disposition
of any property by the Borrower or any Subsidiary, but excluding
any sale, lease, license, transfer or other disposition permitted
by Section 7.5 (a), (b), (c), (d) or (e).
“ Dollar(s) ” and
the sign “$” shall mean lawful money of the United
States of America.
“ Eligible Assignee
” means any Person that meets the requirements to be an
assignee under Section 10.4(b)(ii) , (iv) and
(v) (subject to such consents, if any, as may be required
under Section 10.4(b)(ii) ).
“ Employee Benefit
Plans ” shall mean, collectively, Borrower’s
Employee Stock Purchase Plan, the Morrison Incorporated Long Term
Incentive Plan, the 1984 Morrison Incorporated Long Term Incentive
Plan, the 1987 Stock Bonus and Non-Qualified Stock Option Plan, the
1989 Non-Qualified Stock Incentive Plan, the Ruby Tuesday, Inc.
1996 Stock Incentive Plan, the Ruby Tuesday, Inc. 1996
Non-Executive Stock Incentive Plan, the Ruby Tuesday, Inc. Stock
Incentive and Deferred Compensation Plan for Directors, the
Ruby
7
CHAR1\935816v6
Tuesday, Inc. Salary Deferral Plan,
the Ruby Tuesday, Inc. Deferred Compensation Plan and any salary
deferral or deferred compensation plan of any Subsidiary or
franchisee of Borrower pursuant to which the equity securities of
Borrower or any Subsidiary are the subject of rights to acquire
such equity securities, an investment option under such plan or a
matching contribution under such plan; in each case as any such
plan may be amended, modified or replaced by successor plan
thereto.
“ Environmental Laws
” shall mean all laws, rules, regulations, codes, ordinances,
orders, decrees, judgments, injunctions, notices or binding
agreements issued, promulgated or entered into by or with any
Governmental Authority, relating in any way to the environment,
preservation or reclamation of natural resources, the management,
Release or threatened Release of any Hazardous Material.
“ Environmental
Liability ” shall mean any liability, contingent or
otherwise (including any liability for damages, costs of
environmental investigation and remediation, costs of
administrative oversight, fines, natural resource damages,
penalties or indemnities), of the Borrower or any Subsidiary
directly or indirectly resulting from or based upon (a) any actual
or alleged violation of any Environmental Law, (b) the generation,
use, handling, transportation, storage, treatment or disposal of
any Hazardous Materials, (c) any actual or alleged exposure to any
Hazardous Materials, (d) the Release or threatened Release of any
Hazardous Materials or (e) any contract, agreement or other
consensual arrangement pursuant to which liability is assumed or
imposed with respect to any of the foregoing.
“ ERISA ” shall
mean the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as
amended from time to time, and any successor statute.
“ ERISA Affiliate
” shall mean any trade or business (whether or not
incorporated), which, together with the Borrower, is treated as a
single employer under Section 414(b) or (c) of the Code or,
solely for the purposes of Section 302 of ERISA and
Section 412 of the Code, is treated as a single employer under
Section 414 of the Code.
“ ERISA Event ”
shall mean (a) any “reportable event”, as defined in
Section 4043 of ERISA or the regulations issued thereunder
with respect to a Plan (other than an event for which the 30-day
notice period is waived); (b) the existence with respect to any
Plan of an “accumulated funding deficiency” (as defined
in Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA),
whether or not waived; (c) the filing pursuant to
Section 412(d) of the Code or Section 303(d ) of
ERISA of an application for a waiver of the minimum funding
standard with respect to any Plan; (d) the incurrence by the
Borrower or any of its ERISA Affiliates of any liability under
Title IV of ERISA with respect to the termination of any Plan;
(e) the receipt by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from the
PBGC or a plan administrator appointed by the PBGC of any notice
relating to an intention to terminate any Plan or Plans or to
appoint a trustee to administer any Plan; (f) the incurrence by the
Borrower or any of its ERISA Affiliates of any liability with
respect to the withdrawal or partial withdrawal from any Plan or
Multiemployer Plan; or (g) the receipt by the Borrower or any ERISA
Affiliate of any notice, or the receipt by any Multiemployer Plan
from the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate of any notice, concerning
the
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CHAR1\935816v6
imposition of Withdrawal Liability
or a determination that a Multiemployer Plan is, or is expected to
be, insolvent or in reorganization, within the meaning of
Title IV of ERISA.
“ Eurodollar ”
when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether
such Loan, or the Loans comprising such Borrowing, bears interest
at a rate determined by reference to the Adjusted LIBO
Rate.
“ Eurodollar Reserve
Percentage ” shall mean the aggregate of the maximum
reserve percentages (including, without limitation, any emergency,
supplemental, special or other marginal reserves) expressed as a
decimal (rounded upwards to the next 1/100th of 1%) in effect on
any day to which the Administrative Agent is subject with respect
to the Adjusted LIBO Rate pursuant to regulations issued by the
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (or any
Governmental Authority succeeding to any of its principal
functions) with respect to eurocurrency funding (currently referred
to as “eurocurrency liabilities” under
Regulation D). Eurodollar Loans shall be deemed to constitute
eurocurrency funding and to be subject to such reserve requirements
without benefit of or credit for proration, exemptions or offsets
that may be available from time to time to any Lender under
Regulation D. The Eurodollar Reserve Percentage shall be
adjusted automatically on and as of the effective date of any
change in any reserve percentage.
“ Event of Default
” shall have the meaning provided in Article VIII
.
“ Excluded Taxes
” shall mean with respect to the Administrative Agent, any
Lender, the Issuing Bank or any other recipient of any payment to
be made by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower
hereunder, (a) income or franchise taxes imposed on (or measured
by) its net income by the United States of America, or by the
jurisdiction under the laws of which such recipient is organized or
in which its principal office is located or, in the case of any
Lender, in which its Applicable Lending Office is located, (b) any
branch profits taxes imposed by the United States of America or any
similar tax imposed by any other jurisdiction in which any Lender
is located and (c) in the case of a Foreign Lender, any withholding
tax that (i) is imposed on amounts payable to such Foreign Lender
at the time such Foreign Lender becomes a party to this Agreement,
(ii) is imposed on amounts payable to such Foreign Lender at any
time that such Foreign Lender designates a new Applicable Lending
Office, other than taxes that have accrued prior to the designation
of such lending office that are otherwise not Excluded Taxes, and
(iii) is attributable to such Foreign Lender’s failure to
comply with Section 2.20(e) .
“ Existing Credit
Agreement ” shall have the meaning given to such term in
the first WHEREAS paragraph.
“ Existing Letters of
Credit ” means the letters of credit described by date of
issuance, letter of credit number, undrawn amount, name of
beneficiary and date of expiry on Schedule 1.1(b) attached
hereto.
“ Federal Funds Rate
” shall mean, for any day, the rate per annum (rounded
upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/100th of 1%) equal to the
weighted average of the rates on overnight Federal funds
transactions with member banks of the Federal Reserve System
arranged by
9
CHAR1\935816v6
Federal funds brokers, as published
by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on the next succeeding
Business Day or if such rate is not so published for any Business
Day, the Federal Funds Rate for such day shall be the average
rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/100th of 1% of the
quotations for such day on such transactions received by the
Administrative Agent from three Federal funds brokers of recognized
standing selected by the Administrative Agent.
“ Fee Letter ”
shall mean that certain fee letter, dated January 22, 2007,
executed by Bank of America and Banc of America Securities LLC and
accepted by Borrower.
“ Fiscal Quarter
” shall mean any fiscal quarter of the Borrower or the
Consolidated Companies, as applicable.
“ Fixed Charge Coverage
Ratio ” shall mean, as of any date of determination, the
ratio of (a) Consolidated EBITR to (b) Consolidated Fixed Charges,
in each case measured for the four Fiscal Quarter period ending on
such date.
“ Foreign Lender
” shall mean any Lender that is not a United States person
under Section 7701(a)(3) of the Code.
“ Foreign Subsidiary
” shall mean any Subsidiary that is organized under the laws
of a jurisdiction other than one of the fifty states of the United
States or the District of Columbia.
" Franchise Facility Credit
Agreement " means that certain Amended and Restated Loan
Facility Agreement and Guaranty, dated as of November 19,
2004, among the Borrower, Bank of America, as servicer, and a
syndicate of lenders, as amended, extended, replaced or refinanced
from time to time.
" Franchise Facility " means
that certain credit facility in the amount of up to $48,000,000
extended by Bank of America, as servicer, to certain franchisees of
the Borrower, as guaranteed by the Borrower and certain of its
Subsidiaries, all pursuant to the Franchise Facility Credit
Agreement, with an option of the Borrower to increase such facility
by $25,000,000 up to a total amount of $73,000,000.
“ Franchise Partner
” means, collectively, a limited liability company or limited
partnership in which the Borrower owns an equity interest pursuant
to the Franchise Partner Program.
“ Franchise Partner
Program ” shall mean the optional financing and business
structuring program offered by the Borrower to a limited number of
qualified restaurant operators, such operators to be determined by
the Borrower in its sole discretion, which provides such restaurant
operators a business structure for organizing, owning and funding
the establishment and operation of restaurants doing business under
operating concepts owned by the Borrower.
“ GAAP ” shall
mean generally accepted accounting principles in the United States
applied on a consistent basis and subject to the terms of
Section 1.3 .
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CHAR1\935816v6
“ Governmental
Authority ” shall mean the government of the United
States of America, any other nation or any political subdivision
thereof, whether state or local, and any agency, authority,
instrumentality, regulatory body, court, central bank or other
entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, taxing,
regulatory or administrative powers or functions of or pertaining
to government.
“ Guarantor ”
shall mean each Subsidiary Loan Party now or hereafter a party to
the Subsidiary Guaranty Agreement or any Subsidiary that becomes a
party to the Subsidiary Guaranty Agreement pursuant to
Section 5.11 , and their respective successors and
permitted assigns.
“ Guaranty ” of
or by any Person (the “guarantor”) shall mean any
obligation, contingent or otherwise, of the guarantor guaranteeing
or having the economic effect of Guaranteeing any Indebtedness or
other obligation of any other Person (the “primary obligor
“) in any manner, whether directly or indirectly and
including any obligation, direct or indirect, of the guarantor
(a) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for the
purchase or payment of) such Indebtedness or other obligation or to
purchase (or to advance or supply funds for the purchase of) any
security for the payment thereof, (b) to purchase or lease
property, securities or services for the purpose of assuring the
owner of such Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment
thereof, (c) to maintain working capital, equity capital or
any other financial statement condition or liquidity of the primary
obligor so as to enable the primary obligor to pay such
Indebtedness or other obligation or (d) as an account party in
respect of any letter of credit or letter of guaranty issued in
support of such Indebtedness or obligation; provided, that the term
“Guaranty” shall not include endorsements for
collection or deposits in the ordinary course of business. The
amount of any Guaranty shall be deemed to be an amount equal to the
stated or determinable amount of the primary obligation in respect
of which Guaranty is made or, if not so stated or determinable, the
maximum reasonably anticipated liability in respect thereof
(assuming such Person is required to perform thereunder) as
determined by such Person in good faith. The term
“Guarantee” used as a verb has a corresponding
meaning.
“ Hazardous Materials
” means all explosive or radioactive substances or wastes and
all hazardous or toxic substances, wastes or other pollutants,
including petroleum or petroleum distillates, asbestos or asbestos
containing materials, polychlorinated biphenyls, radon gas,
infectious or medical wastes and all other substances or wastes of
any nature regulated pursuant to any Environmental Law.
“ Hedging Agreements
” shall mean interest rate swap, cap or collar agreements,
interest rate future or option contracts, currency swap agreements,
currency future or option contracts, commodity agreements and other
similar agreements or arrangements designed to protect against
fluctuations in interest rates, currency values or commodity
values, in each case to which any Borrower or any Subsidiary is a
party.
“ Hostile Acquisition
” shall mean any Investment resulting in control of a Person
involving a tender offer or proxy contest that has not been
recommended or approved by the board of directors of the Person
that is the subject of the Investment prior to the first public
announcement or disclosure relating to such Investment.
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CHAR1\935816v6
“ Incremental Facility
” shall have the meaning provided in Section 2.4
.
“ Indebtedness ”
of any Person shall mean, without duplication (i) all
obligations of such Person for borrowed money, (ii) all obligations
of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or other
similar instruments, (iii) all obligations of such Person in
respect of the deferred purchase price of property or services
(other than trade payables incurred in the ordinary course of
business; provided, that for purposes of Section 8.1(f)
, trade payables overdue by more than 120 days shall be included in
this definition except to the extent that any of such trade
payables are being disputed in good faith and by appropriate
measures), (iv) all obligations of such Person under any
conditional sale or other title retention agreement(s) relating to
property acquired by such Person, (v) all Capital Lease
Obligations of such Person, (vi) all obligations, contingent
or otherwise, of such Person in respect of letters of credit,
acceptances or similar extensions of credit, (vii) all
Guarantees of such Person of the type of Indebtedness described in
clauses (i) through (vi) above, (viii) all Indebtedness
of a third party secured by any Lien on property owned by such
Person, whether or not such Indebtedness has been assumed by such
Person, (ix) all obligations of such Person, contingent or
otherwise, to purchase, redeem, retire or otherwise acquire for
value any capital stock of such Person, (x) Off-Balance Sheet
Liabilities and (xi) all obligations under Hedging Agreements. The
Indebtedness of any Person shall include the Indebtedness of any
partnership or joint venture in which such Person is a general
partner or a joint venturer, except to the extent that the terms of
such Indebtedness provide that such Person is not liable
therefor.
“ Indemnified Taxes
” shall mean Taxes other than Excluded Taxes.
“ Information
Memorandum ” shall mean the Confidential Information
Memorandum dated February 2007 relating to the Borrower and the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the other Loan
Documents.
“ Interest Period
” shall mean (i) with respect to any Eurodollar
Borrowing, a period of one, two, three or six months, and
(ii) with respect to a Swingline Loan, a period of such
duration not to exceed 10 days, as the Borrower may request and the
Swingline Lender may agree in accordance with
Section 2.6 ; provided, that:
(i) the
initial Interest Period for such Borrowing shall commence on the
date of such Borrowing (including the date of any conversion from a
Borrowing of another Type), and each Interest Period occurring
thereafter in respect of such Borrowing shall commence on the day
on which the next preceding Interest Period expires;
(ii) if
any Interest Period would otherwise end on a day other than a
Business Day, such Interest Period shall be extended to the next
succeeding Business Day, unless such Business Day falls in another
calendar month, in which case such Interest Period would end on the
next preceding Business Day;
(iii) any
Interest Period which begins on the last Business Day of a calendar
month or on a day for which there is no numerically corresponding
day in the calendar
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CHAR1\935816v6
month at the end of such Interest
Period shall end on the last Business Day of the calendar month in
which such Interest Period ends; and
(iv) no
Interest Period may extend beyond the Revolving Commitment
Termination Date.
“ ISP ” shall
mean, with respect to any Letter of Credit, the
“International Standby Practices 1998” published by the
Institute of International Banking Laws Practice (or such later
version thereof as may be in effect at the time of
issuance).
“ Issuing Bank ”
shall mean SunTrust Bank with respect to the SunTrust Letter of
Credit, and Bank of America with respect to all other Letters of
Credit.
“ Laws ” means,
collectively, all international, foreign, Federal, state and local
statutes, treaties, rules, guidelines, regulations, ordinances,
codes and administrative or judicial precedents or authorities,
including the interpretation or administration thereof by any
Governmental Authority charged with the enforcement, interpretation
or administration thereof, and all applicable administrative
orders, directed duties, requests, licenses, authorizations and
permits of, and agreements with, any Governmental Authority, in
each case whether or not having the force of law.
“ LC Borrowing ”
means an extension of credit resulting from a drawing under any
Letter of Credit which has not been reimbursed or refinanced as a
Loan on the Business Day of such drawing.
“ LC Commitment ”
shall mean that portion of the Aggregate Revolving Commitment
Amount that may be used by the Borrower for the issuance of Letters
of Credit in an aggregate face amount not to exceed
$50,000,000.
“ LC Disbursement
” shall mean a payment made by the Issuing Bank pursuant to a
Letter of Credit.
“ LC Documents ”
shall mean the Letters of Credit and all applications, agreements
and instruments relating to the Letters of Credit.
“ LC Exposure ”
shall mean, as at any date of determination, the aggregate amount
available to be drawn under all outstanding Letters of Credit
plus the aggregate of all unreimbursed drawings under
Letters of Credit, including all L/C Borrowings. For purposes of
computing the amount available to be drawn under any Letter of
Credit, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be determined in
accordance with Section 1.5 . For all purposes of this
Agreement, if on any date of determination a Letter of Credit has
expired by its terms but any amount may still be drawn thereunder
by reason of the operation of Rule 3.14 of the ISP, such
Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be “outstanding” in
the amount so remaining available to be drawn. The LC Exposure of
any Lender shall be its Pro Rata Share of the total LC Exposure at
such time.
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CHAR1\935816v6
“ Lenders ” shall
have the meaning assigned to such term in the opening paragraph of
this Agreement and shall include, where appropriate, the Swingline
Lender.
“ Letter of Credit
” shall mean (a) the SunTrust Letter of Credit, (b) any
letter of credit issued pursuant to Section 2.23 by
Bank of America for the account of the Borrower pursuant to the LC
Commitment and (c) any Existing Letter of Credit.
“ LIBOR ” shall
mean, for any Interest Period (rounded upwards, as necessary, to
the nearest 1/100 of 1%) the rate per annum equal to the British
Bankers Association LIBOR Rate (“BBA LIBOR”), as
published by Reuters (or other commercially available source
providing quotations of BBA LIBOR as designated by the
Administrative Agent from time to time) at approximately 11:00
a.m., London time, two Business Days prior to the commencement of
such Interest Period, for Dollar deposits (for delivery on the
first day of such Interest Period) with a term equivalent to such
Interest Period. If such rate is not available at such time for any
reason, then the “Eurodollar Base Rate” for such
Interest Period shall be the rate per annum determined by the
Administrative Agent to be the rate at which deposits in Dollars
for delivery on the first day of such Interest Period in same day
funds in the approximate amount of the Eurodollar Rate Loan being
made, continued or converted by Bank of America and with a term
equivalent to such Interest Period would be offered by Bank of
America’s London Branch to major banks in the London
interbank eurodollar market at their request at approximately 11:00
a.m. (London time) two Business Days prior to the commencement of
such Interest Period.
“ Lien ” shall
mean any mortgage, pledge, security interest, lien (statutory or
otherwise), charge, encumbrance, hypothecation, assignment, deposit
arrangement, or other arrangement having the practical effect of
the foregoing or any preference, priority or other security
agreement or preferential arrangement of any kind or nature
whatsoever (including any conditional sale or other title retention
agreement and any capital lease having the same economic effect as
any of the foregoing).
“ Loan Documents
” shall mean, collectively, this Agreement, the Notes (if
any), the LC Documents, the Fee Letter, all Notices of Borrowing,
the Subsidiary Guaranty Agreement, all Notices of
Conversion/Continuation and any and all other instruments,
agreements, documents and writings executed in connection with any
of the foregoing.
“ Loan Parties ”
shall mean the Borrower and the Subsidiary Loan Parties.
“ Loans ” shall
mean all Revolving Loans and Swingline Loans in the aggregate or
any of them, as the context shall require.
“ Margin Regulations
” shall mean Regulation T, Regulation U and
Regulation X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System, as the same may be in effect from time to time.
“ Material Adverse
Effect ” shall mean, with respect to any event, act,
condition or occurrence of whatever nature (including any adverse
determination in any litigation, arbitration, or governmental
investigation or proceeding), whether singularly or in conjunction
with any
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CHAR1\935816v6
other event or events, act or acts,
condition or conditions, occurrence or occurrences whether or not
related, a material adverse change in, or a material adverse effect
on, (i) the business, results of operations, financial
condition, assets or liabilities of the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (ii) the ability of the Loan
Parties to perform any of their respective obligations under the
Loan Documents, (iii) the rights and remedies of the Administrative
Agent, the Issuing Bank, Swingline Lender, and the Lenders under
any of the Loan Documents or (iv) the legality, validity or
enforceability of any of the Loan Documents.
“ Material Indebtedness
” shall mean Indebtedness (other than the Loans and Letters
of Credit) or obligations in respect of one or more Hedging
Agreements, of any one or more of the Borrower and the Subsidiaries
in an aggregate principal amount exceeding $25,000,000. For
purposes of determining Material Indebtedness, the “principal
amount” of the obligations of the Borrower or any Subsidiary
in respect to any Hedging Agreement at any time shall be the
maximum aggregate amount (giving effect to any netting agreements)
that the Borrower or such Subsidiary would be required to pay if
such Hedging Agreement were terminated at such time.
“ Material Subsidiary
” shall mean (i) each Loan Party other than the Borrower, and
(ii) each other Subsidiary of the Borrower, now existing or
hereafter established or acquired, that at any time prior to the
Revolving Commitment Termination Date, has or acquires total assets
in excess of $5,000,000, or that accounted for or produced more
than 5% of the Consolidated Net Income (Loss) of the Borrower on a
consolidated basis during any of the three most recently completed
fiscal years of the Borrower, or that is otherwise material to the
operations or business of the Borrower or another Material
Subsidiary.
“ Moody’s ”
shall mean Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.
“ Multiemployer Plan
” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4001(a)(3)
of ERISA.
“ Notes ” shall
mean, collectively, the Revolving Credit Notes and the Swingline
Note.
“ Notices of Borrowing
” shall mean, collectively, the Notices of Revolving
Borrowing and the Notices of Swingline Borrowing.
“ Notice of
Conversion/Continuation ” shall mean the notice given by
the Borrower to the Administrative Agent in respect of the
conversion or continuation of an outstanding Borrowing as provided
in Section 2.8(b) hereof.
“ Notice of Revolving
Borrowing ” shall have the meaning as set forth in
Section 2.3(a) .
“ Notice of Swingline
Borrowing ” shall have the meaning as set forth in
Section 2.6(a) .
“ Obligations ”
shall mean all amounts owing by the Borrower to the Administrative
Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender (including the Swingline
Lender) pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement or any
other Loan Document, including without limitation, all principal,
interest (including any interest accruing after the filing of any
petition in bankruptcy or the commencement of any insolvency,
reorganization or like proceeding relating to the
15
CHAR1\935816v6
Borrower, whether or not a claim for
post-filing or post-petition interest is allowed in such
proceeding), all reimbursement obligations, fees, expenses,
indemnification and reimbursement payments, costs and expenses
(including all fees and expenses of counsel to the Administrative
Agent and any Lender (including the Swingline Lender) incurred
pursuant to this Agreement or any other Loan Document), whether
direct or indirect, absolute or contingent, liquidated or
unliquidated, now existing or hereafter arising hereunder or
thereunder, and all obligations arising under Hedging Agreements
relating to the foregoing to the extent permitted hereunder, and
all obligations and liabilities incurred in connection with
collecting and enforcing the foregoing, together with all renewals,
extensions, modifications or refinancings thereof.
“ Off-Balance Sheet
Liabilities ” of any Person shall mean (i) any repurchase
obligation or liability of such Person with respect to accounts or
notes receivable sold by such Person, (ii) any liability of such
Person under any sale and leaseback transactions which do not
create a liability on the balance sheet of such Person, (iii) any
Synthetic Lease Obligation or (iv) any obligation arising with
respect to any other transaction which is the functional equivalent
of or takes the place of borrowing but which does not constitute a
liability on the balance sheet of such Person in accordance with
GAAP.
“ OSHA ” shall
mean the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, as amended
from time to time, and any successor statute.
“ Other Taxes ”
shall mean any and all present or future stamp or documentary taxes
or any other excise or property taxes, charges or similar levies
arising from any payment made hereunder or from the execution,
delivery or enforcement of, or otherwise with respect to, this
Agreement or any other Loan Document.
“ Participant ”
shall have the meaning set forth in Section 10.4(d)
.
“ Payment Office
” shall mean the office of the Administrative Agent for
borrowings and paydowns as set forth in Section 10.1 , or
such other location as to which the Administrative Agent shall have
given written notice to the Borrower and the other
Lenders.
“ PBGC ” shall
mean the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation referred to and
defined in ERISA, and any successor entity performing similar
functions.
“ Permitted Acquisition
” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 7.3(j) .
“ Permitted
Encumbrances ” shall mean
(i) Liens
imposed by law for taxes not yet due or which are being contested
in good faith by appropriate proceedings and with respect to which
adequate reserves are being maintained in accordance with
GAAP;
(ii) statutory
Liens of landlords and Liens of carriers, warehousemen, mechanics,
materialmen and other Liens imposed by law created in the ordinary
course of business for amounts not yet due or which are being
contested in good faith by
16
CHAR1\935816v6
appropriate proceedings and with
respect to which adequate reserves are being maintained in
accordance with GAAP;
(iii) pledges
and deposits made in the ordinary course of business in compliance
with workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance and other
social security laws or regulations;
(iv) deposits
to secure the performance of bids, trade contracts, leases,
statutory obligations, surety and appeal bonds, performance bonds
and other obligations of a like nature, in each case in the
ordinary course of business;
(v) judgment
and attachment liens not giving rise to an Event of Default or
Liens created by or existing from any litigation or legal
proceeding that are currently being contested in good faith by
appropriate proceedings and with respect to which adequate reserves
are being maintained in accordance with GAAP; and
(vi) easements,
zoning restrictions, rights-of-way and similar encumbrances on real
property imposed by law or arising in the ordinary course of
business that do not secure any monetary obligations and do not
materially detract from the value of the affected property or
materially interfere with the ordinary conduct of business of the
Borrower and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole;
provided , that the term “Permitted
Encumbrances” shall not include any Lien securing
Indebtedness.
“ Permitted Investments
” shall mean:
(i) direct
obligations of, or obligations the principal of and interest on
which are unconditionally Guaranteed by, the United States (or by
any agency thereof to the extent such obligations are backed by the
full faith and credit of the United States), in each case maturing
within one year from the date of acquisition thereof;
(ii) commercial
paper having the highest rating, at the time of acquisition
thereof, of S&P or Moody’s and in either case maturing
within six months from the date of acquisition thereof;
(iii) certificates
of deposit, bankers’ acceptances and time deposits maturing
within 180 days of the date of acquisition thereof issued or
Guaranteed by or placed with, and money market deposit accounts
issued or offered by, any domestic office of any commercial bank
organized under the laws of the United States or any state thereof
which has a combined capital and surplus and undivided profits of
not less than $500,000,000;
(iv) fully
collateralized repurchase agreements with a term of not more than
30 days for securities described in clause (i) above and
entered into with a financial institution satisfying the criteria
described in clause (iii) above; and
17
CHAR1\935816v6
(v) mutual
funds investing solely in any one or more of the Permitted
Investments described in clauses (i) through (iv)
above.
“ Permitted Liens
” means all Liens permitted under Section 7.1
.
“ Person ” shall
mean any individual, partnership, firm, corporation, association,
joint venture, limited liability company, trust or other entity, or
any Governmental Authority.
“ Plan ” means
any employee pension benefit plan (other than a Multiemployer Plan)
subject to the provisions of Title IV of ERISA or
Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, and in
respect of which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate is (or, if
such plan were terminated, would under Section 4069 of ERISA
be deemed to be) an “employer” as defined in
Section 3(5) of ERISA.
“ Pro Forma Basis
” means, for purposes of calculating the financial covenants
set forth in Article VI (including for purposes of determining the
Applicable Margin), that any Disposition, Acquisition or Restricted
Payment shall be deemed to have occurred as of the first day of the
most recent four fiscal quarter period preceding the date of such
transaction for which the Borrower was required to deliver
financial statements pursuant to Section 5.1(a) or
(b) . In connection with the foregoing, (a) with respect to
any Disposition, income statement and cash flow statement items
(whether positive or negative) attributable to the property
disposed of shall be excluded to the extent relating to any period
occurring prior to the date of such transaction and (b) with
respect to any Acquisition, income statement items attributable to
the Person or property acquired shall be included to the extent
relating to any period applicable in such calculations to the
extent (A) such items are not otherwise included in such income
statement items for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in accordance
with GAAP or in accordance with any defined terms set forth in
Section 1.1 and (B) such items are supported by financial
statements or other information reasonably satisfactory to the
Administrative Agent and (ii) any Indebtedness incurred or assumed
by the Borrower or any Subsidiary (including the Person or property
acquired) in connection with such transaction (A) shall be deemed
to have been incurred as of the first day of the applicable period
and (B) if such Indebtedness has a floating or formula rate, shall
have an implied rate of interest for the applicable period for
purposes of this definition determined by utilizing the rate which
is or would be in effect with respect to such Indebtedness as at
the relevant date of determination.
“ Pro Rata Share
” shall mean (i) with respect to any Commitment of any Lender
at any time, a percentage, the numerator of which shall be such
Lender’s Commitment (or if such Commitments have been
terminated or expired or the Loans have been declared to be due and
payable, such Lender’s Loan funded under such Commitment),
and the denominator of which shall be the sum of such Commitments
of all Lenders (or if such Commitments have been terminated or
expired or the Loans have been declared to be due and payable, all
Loans of all Lenders funded under such Commitments) and (ii) with
respect to all Commitments of any Lender at any time, the numerator
of which shall be the sum of such Lender’s Revolving
Commitment (or if the Revolving Commitments have been terminated or
expired or the Loans have been declared to be due and payable, such
Lender’s Revolving Loan) and the denominator of which shall
be the sum of all Lenders’ Revolving Commitments (or if the
Revolving
18
CHAR1\935816v6
Commitments have been terminated or
expired or the Loans have been declared to be due and payable, all
Revolving Loans).
“ Register ” has
the meaning provided in Section 10.4(c) .
“ Regulation D
” shall mean Regulation D of the Board of Governors of
the Federal Reserve System, as the same may be in effect from time
to time, and any successor regulations.
“ Related Parties
” shall mean, with respect to any specified Person, such
Person’s Affiliates and the respective directors, officers,
employees, agents and advisors of such Person and such
Person’s Affiliates.
“ Release ” means
any release, spill, emission, leaking, dumping, injection, pouring,
deposit, disposal, discharge, dispersal, leaching or migration into
the environment (including ambient air, surface water, groundwater,
land surface or subsurface strata) or within any building,
structure, facility or fixture.
“ Required Lenders
” shall mean, at any time, Lenders holding at least 50.1% of
the aggregate outstanding Revolving Commitments at such time or, if
the Commitments are no longer in effect, Lenders holding at least
50.1% of the aggregate outstanding Loans.
“ Requirement of Law
” for any Person shall mean the articles or certificate of
incorporation and bylaws or other organizational or governing
documents of such Person, and any law, treaty, rule or regulation,
or determination of a Governmental Authority, in each case
applicable to or binding upon such Person or any of its property or
to which such Person or any of its property is subject.
“ Responsible Officer
” shall mean any of the president, the chief executive
officer, the chief operating officer, the chief financial officer,
the treasurer or a vice president of the Borrower or such other
representative of the Borrower as may be designated in writing by
any one of the foregoing with the consent of the Administrative
Agent; and, with respect to the financial covenants only, the chief
financial officer or the treasurer of the Borrower.
“ Restricted Payment
” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.4
.
“ Revolving Commitment
” shall mean, with respect to each Lender, the obligation of
such Lender to make Revolving Loans to the Borrower and to
participate in Letters of Credit (subject to the terms herein) and
Swingline Loans in an aggregate principal amount not exceeding the
amount set forth with respect to such Lender on Schedule 1.2
, or in the case of a Person becoming a Lender after the Closing
Date, the amount of the assigned “Revolving Commitment”
as provided in the Assignment and Acceptance Agreement executed by
such Person as an assignee, as the same may be changed pursuant to
terms hereof.
“ Revolving Commitment
Termination Date ” shall mean the earlier of (i) February
23, 2012, or (ii) the date on which all amounts outstanding under
this Agreement have been declared or have automatically become due
and payable (whether by acceleration or otherwise).
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CHAR1\935816v6
“ Revolving Credit
Exposure ” shall mean, with respect to any Lender at any
time, the sum of the outstanding principal amount of such
Lender’s Revolving Loans, such Lender’s LC Exposure and
such Lender’s Swingline Exposure.
“ Revolving Credit Note
” shall mean a promissory note of the Borrower payable to the
order of a requesting Lender in the principal amount of such
Lender’s Revolving Commitment, in substantially the form of
Exhibit A .
“ Revolving Lenders
” shall mean, at any time, Lenders holding outstanding
Revolving Loans and unused Revolving Commitments at such time or if
the Lenders have no Revolving Loans outstanding, then Lenders
holding the Revolving Commitments.
“ Revolving Loan
” shall mean a loan made by a Lender (other than the
Swingline Lender) to the Borrower under its Revolving Commitment,
which may either be a Base Rate Loan or a Eurodollar
Loan.
“ S&P ” shall
mean Standard & Poor’s.
“ SEC ” shall
mean the Securities and Exchange Commission, or any Governmental
Authority succeeding to its principal functions.
“ Securities Laws
” means the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, Sarbanes-Oxley and the applicable accounting and
auditing principles, rules, standards and practices promulgated,
approved or incorporated by the SEC or the Public Company
Accounting Oversight Board, as each of the foregoing may be amended
and in effect on any applicable date hereunder.
“ Senior Note Purchase
Agreement ” means that certain Note Purchase Agreement
dated as of April 1, 2003 among the Borrower and the purchasers
party thereto, as amended or modified from time to time.
“ Solvent ” or
“ Solvency ” means, with respect to any Person
as of a particular date, that on such date (a) such Person is able
to pay its debts and other liabilities, contingent obligations and
other commitments as they mature in the ordinary course of
business, (b) such Person does not intend to, and does not believe
that it will, incur debts or liabilities beyond such Person’s
ability to pay as such debts and liabilities mature in their
ordinary course, (c) such Person is not engaged in a business or a
transaction, and is not about to engage in a business or a
transaction, for which such Person’s property would
constitute unreasonably small capital after giving due
consideration to the prevailing practice in the industry in which
such Person is engaged or is to engage, (d) the fair value of the
property of such Person is greater than the total amount of
liabilities, including, without limitation, contingent liabilities,
of such Person and (e) the present fair salable value of the assets
of such Person is not less than the amount that will be required to
pay the probable liability of such Person on its debts as they
become absolute and matured. In computing the amount of contingent
liabilities at any time, it is intended that such liabilities will
be computed at the amount which, in
20
CHAR1\935816v6
light of all the facts and
circumstances existing at such time, represents the amount that can
reasonably be expected to become an actual or matured
liability.
“ Subsidiary ”
shall mean, with respect to any Person (the “parent”),
any corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability
company, association or other entity the accounts of which would be
consolidated with those of the parent in the parent’s
consolidated financial statements if such financial statements were
prepared in accordance with GAAP as of such date, as well as any
other corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability
company, association or other entity of which securities or other
ownership interests representing more than 50% of the equity or
more than 50% of the ordinary voting power, or in the case of a
partnership, more than 50% of the general partnership interests
are, as of such date, are directly or indirectly owned, controlled
(intentionally lowercase) or held by the parent. Unless otherwise
indicated, all references to “Subsidiary” hereunder
shall mean a Subsidiary of the Borrower.
“ Subsidiary Guaranty
Agreement ” shall mean the Subsidiary Guaranty Agreement
as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time
to time, substantially in the form of Exhibit D , made
by the Subsidiary Loan Parties in favor of the Administrative Agent
for the benefit of the Lenders.
“ Subordinated Debt
” shall mean all Indebtedness of Borrower subordinated to all
obligations of Borrower or any other Loan Party arising under this
Agreement, the Notes, and the Guaranty Agreement, created, incurred
or assumed on terms and conditions satisfactory in all respects to
the Administrative Agent and the Required Lenders, including
without limitation, with respect to interest rates, payment terms,
maturities, amortization schedules, covenants, defaults, remedies,
and subordination provisions, as evidenced by the written approval
of the Administrative Agent and Required Lenders.
“ Subsidiary Loan Party
” shall mean any Material Subsidiary that is not a Foreign
Subsidiary.
“ SunTrust Letter of
Credit ” shall mean the letter of credit issued by
SunTrust Bank on October 19, 1995, Letter of Credit No. F501115, in
favor of Director, Division of SELF, in the face amount of
$300,000.
“ Swingline Commitment
” shall mean the commitment of the Swingline Lender to make
Swingline Loans in an aggregate principal amount at any time
outstanding not to exceed $50,000,000.
“ Swingline Exposure
” shall mean, with respect to each Lender, the principal
amount of the Swingline Loans in which such Lender is legally
obligated either to make a Base Rate Loan or to purchase a
participation in accordance with Section 2.6 , which
shall equal such Lender’s Pro Rata Share of all outstanding
Swingline Loans.
“ Swingline Lender
” shall mean Bank of America and its successors.
21
CHAR1\935816v6
“ Swingline Loan
” shall mean a loan made to the Borrower by the Swingline
Lender under the Swingline Commitment.
“ Swingline Note
” shall mean the promissory note of the Borrower payable to
the order of the Swingline Lender in the principal amount of the
Swingline Commitment, substantially the form of
Exhibit B .
“ Swingline Rate
” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in
Section 2.6 .
“ Synthetic Lease
” means a lease transaction under which the parties intend
that (i) the lease will be treated as an “operating
lease” by the lessee pursuant to Statement of Financial
Accounting Standards No. 13, as amended and (ii) the lessee
will be entitled to various tax and other benefits ordinarily
available to owners (as opposed to lessees) of like
property.
“ Synthetic Lease
Obligations ” shall mean, with respect to any Person, the
sum of (i) all remaining rental obligations of such Person as
lessee under Synthetic Leases which are attributable to principal
and, without duplication, (ii) all rental and purchase price
payment obligations of such Person under such Synthetic Leases
assuming such Person exercises the option to purchase the lease
property at the end of the lease term.
“ Taxes ” shall
mean any and all present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties,
deductions, charges or withholdings imposed by any Governmental
Authority.
“ Traditional
Franchisee ” means, collectively, a franchisee of the
Borrower that (i) is not a Franchise Partner and (ii) is
not operating under the Franchise Partner Program.
“ Type ”, when
used in reference to a Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether the
rate of interest on such Loan, or on the Loans comprising such
Borrowing, is determined by reference to the Adjusted LIBO Rate or
the Base Rate.
“ Withdrawal Liability
” shall mean liability to a Multiemployer Plan as a result of
a complete or partial withdrawal from such Multiemployer Plan, as
such terms are defined in Part I of Subtitle E of
Title IV of ERISA.
|
|
Section 1.2
|
Classifications of Loans and
Borrowings .
|
For purposes of this Agreement,
Loans may be classified and referred to by Class (e.g. a
“Revolving Loan” or “Swingline Loan”) or by
Type (e.g. a “Eurodollar Loan” or “Base Rate
Loan”) or by Class and Type (e.g. “Revolving Eurodollar
Loan”). Borrowings also may be classified and referred to by
Class (e.g. “Revolving Borrowing”) or by Type (e.g.
“Eurodollar Borrowing”) or by Class and Type (e.g.
“ Revolving Eurodollar Borrowing”).
|
|
Section 1.3
|
Accounting Terms and
Determination .
|
(a) Unless
otherwise defined or specified herein, all accounting terms used
herein shall be interpreted, all accounting determinations
hereunder shall be made, and all financial
22
CHAR1\935816v6
statements required to be delivered
hereunder shall be prepared, in accordance with GAAP as in effect
from time to time, applied on a basis consistent (except for such
changes approved by the Borrower’s independent public
accountants) with the most recent audited consolidated financial
statement of the Borrower delivered pursuant to
Section 5.1(a) ; provided, that if the Borrower
notifies the Administrative Agent that the Borrower wishes to amend
any covenant in Article VI to eliminate the effect of any
change in GAAP on the operation of such covenant (or if the
Administrative Agent notifies the Borrower that the Required
Lenders wish to amend Article VI for such purpose), then the
Borrower’s compliance with such covenant shall be determined
on the basis of GAAP in effect immediately before the relevant
change in GAAP became effective, until either such notice is
withdrawn or such covenant is amended in a manner satisfactory to
the Borrower and the Required Lenders; provided, further, that if
the Borrower notifies the Administrative Agent that the Borrower
wishes to change its fiscal year end in accordance with
Section 7.10 and such change effects any covenant in
Article VI, then the Borrower’s compliance with such
covenant shall be determined on the basis of the fiscal year end in
effect immediately before such requested change in fiscal year end
became effective, until such covenant is amended in a manner
satisfactory to the Borrower and the Required Lenders.
(b) Notwithstanding
the above, the parties hereto acknowledge and agree that all
calculations of the financial covenants in Article VI (including
for purposes of determining the Applicable Margin) shall be made on
a Pro Forma Basis.
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|
Section 1.4
|
Terms Generally
.
|
The definitions of terms herein
shall apply equally to the singular and plural forms of the terms
defined. Whenever the context may require, any pronoun shall
include the corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter forms. The
words “include”, “includes” and
“including” shall be deemed to be followed by the
phrase “without limitation”. The word
“will” shall be construed to have the same meaning and
effect as the word “shall”. In the computation of
periods of time from a specified date to a later specified date,
the word “from” means “from and including”
and the word “to” means “to but excluding”.
Unless the context requires otherwise (i) any definition of or
reference to any agreement, instrument or other document herein
shall be construed as referring to such agreement, instrument or
other document as it was originally executed or as it may from time
to time be amended, supplemented or otherwise modified (subject to
any restrictions on such amendments, supplements or modifications
set forth herein), (ii) any reference herein to any Person shall be
construed to include such Person’s successors and permitted
assigns, (iii) the words “hereof”, “herein”
and “hereunder” and words of similar import shall be
construed to refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any
particular provision hereof, (iv) all references to Articles,
Sections, Exhibits and Schedules shall be construed to
refer to Articles, Sections, Exhibits and Schedules to
this Agreement and (v) all references to a specific time shall be
construed to refer to the time in the city and state of the
Administrative Agent’s principal office, unless otherwise
indicated.
|
|
Section 1.5
|
Letter of Credit
Amounts .
|
Unless otherwise specified herein,
the amount of a Letter of Credit at any time shall be deemed to be
the stated amount of such Letter of Credit in effect at such time;
provided ,
23
CHAR1\935816v6
however , that with respect to any Letter of Credit
that, by its terms or the terms of any LC Document related thereto,
provides for one or more automatic increases in the stated amount
thereof, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be
the maximum stated amount of such Letter of Credit after giving
effect to all such increases, whether or not such maximum stated
amount is in effect at such time.
|
|
Section 1.6
|
Times of Day
.
|
Unless otherwise specified, all
references herein to times of day shall be references to Eastern
time (daylight or standard, as applicable).
ARTICLE II
AMOUNT AND TERMS OF THE
COMMITMENTS
|
|
Section 2.1
|
General Description of
Facilities .
|
Subject to and upon the terms and
conditions herein set forth, (i) the Revolving Lenders hereby
establish in favor of the Borrower a revolving credit facility
pursuant to which the Revolving Lenders severally agree (to the
extent of such Lender’s Revolving Commitment) to make
Revolving Loans to the Borrower in accordance with
Section 2.2 , (ii) the Issuing Bank agrees to issue
Letters of Credit in accordance with Section 2.23 ,
(iii) the Swingline Lender agrees to make Swingline Loans in
accordance with Section 2.5 and (iv) each Revolving
Lender agrees to purchase a participation interest in the Letters
of Credit and the Swingline Loans pursuant to the terms and
conditions hereof; provided, that in no event shall the aggregate
principal amount of all outstanding Revolving Loans, Swingline
Loans and outstanding LC Exposure exceed at any time the Aggregate
Revolving Commitment Amount from time to time in effect.
|
|
Section 2.2
|
Revolving Loans
.
|
Subject to the terms and conditions
set forth herein, each Revolving Lender severally agrees to make
Revolving Loans to the Borrower, from time to time during the
Availability Period, in an aggregate principal amount outstanding
at any time that will not result in (i) such Revolving
Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure exceeding such Revolving
Lender’s Revolving Commitment or (ii) the aggregate Revolving
Credit Exposures of all Revolving Lenders exceeding the Aggregate
Revolving Commitment Amount. During the Availability Period, the
Borrower shall be entitled to borrow, prepay and reborrow Revolving
Loans in accordance with the terms and conditions of this
Agreement; provided, that the Borrower may not borrow or reborrow
should there exist a Default or Event of Default.
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|
Section 2.3
|
Procedure for Revolving
Borrowings .
|
The Borrower shall give the
Administrative Agent written notice (or telephonic notice promptly
confirmed in writing) of each Revolving Borrowing substantially in
the form of
24
CHAR1\935816v6
Exhibit 2.3
attached hereto (a “
Notice of Revolving Borrowing ”) (x) prior to noon on
the Business Day of the requested date of each Base Rate Borrowing
and (y) prior to 2:00 p.m. three (3) Business Days prior
to the requested date of each Eurodollar Borrowing. Each Notice of
Revolving Borrowing shall be irrevocable and shall specify:
(i) the aggregate principal amount of such Borrowing,
(ii) the date of such Borrowing (which shall be a Business
Day), (iii) the Type of such Revolving Loan comprising such
Borrowing and (iv) in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing, the
duration of the initial Interest Period applicable thereto (subject
to the provisions of the definition of Interest Period). Each
Revolving Borrowing shall consist entirely of Base Rate Loans or
Eurodollar Loans, as the Borrower may request. The aggregate
principal amount of each Eurodollar Borrowing shall be not less
than $5,000,000 or a larger multiple of $1,000,000, and the
aggregate principal amount of each Base Rate Borrowing shall not be
less than $1,000,000 or a larger multiple of $100,000;
provided , that Base Rate Loans made pursuant to
Section 2.6 or Section 2.23 may be made in
lesser amounts as provided therein. At no time shall the total
number of Eurodollar Borrowings outstanding at any time exceed
eight. Promptly following the receipt of a Notice of Revolving
Borrowing in accordance herewith, the Administrative Agent shall
advise each Revolving Lender of the details thereof and the amount
of such Lender’s Revolving Loan to be made as part of the
requested Revolving Borrowing.
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|
Section 2.4
|
Incremental
Facility .
|
Subject to the terms and conditions
set forth herein, the Borrower shall have the right, at any time
and from time to time (but not to exceed four (4) increases in the
aggregate) prior to the date that is ninety (90) days prior to the
Revolving Commitment Termination Date, to incur additional
Indebtedness under this Agreement in the form of an increase to the
Aggregate Revolving Committed Amount (each an “
Incremental Facility ”) by an aggregate amount of up
to $100,000,000. The following terms and conditions shall apply to
each Incremental Facility: (a) the loans made under any such
Incremental Facility (each an “ Additional Loan
”) shall constitute Obligations and will be guaranteed with
the other Obligations on a pari passu basis, (b) any such
Incremental Facility shall have the same terms (including interest
rate and maturity date) as the existing Revolving Loans, (c) any
such Incremental Facility shall be entitled to the same voting
rights as the existing Revolving Loans and shall be entitled to
receive proceeds of prepayments on the same basis as the existing
Revolving Loans, (d) any such Incremental Facility shall be
obtained from existing Lenders or from other banks, financial
institutions or investment funds, in each case in accordance with
the terms set forth below, (e) any such Incremental Facility shall
be in a minimum principal amount of $10,000,000 and integral
multiples of $10,000,000 in excess thereof, (f) the proceeds of any
Additional Loan will be used for the purposes set forth in Section
5.9, (g) the Borrower shall execute a Revolving Credit Note in
favor of any new Lender, if requested by such Lender, (h) the
conditions to Extensions of Credit in Section 3.2 shall have been
satisfied and (i) the Administrative Agent shall have received from
the Borrower updated financial projections and an officer’s
certificate, in each case in form and substance reasonably
satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, demonstrating that, after
giving effect to any such Incremental Facility on a Pro Forma
Basis, the Borrower will be in compliance with the financial
covenants set forth in Article VI. Participation in the Incremental
Facility shall be offered first to each of the existing Lenders,
but no Lender shall have any obligation to provide all or any
portion of the Incremental Facility. If the amount of the
Incremental Facility requested by the Borrower shall exceed the
commitments which the existing Lenders are willing to provide with
respect to such Incremental Facility, then the Borrower may invite
other banks, financial
25
CHAR1\935816v6
institutions and investment funds
reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent to join this
Agreement as Lenders hereunder for the portion of such Incremental
Facility not taken by existing Lenders, provided that such other
banks, financial institutions and investment funds shall enter into
such joinder agreements to give effect thereto as the
Administrative Agent and the Borrower may reasonably request. If
the commitments received for any Incremental Facility exceed the
amount of such Incremental Facility, the Borrower and the
Administrative Agent shall have the right to decide how such
commitments are allocated. If commitments for the total amount of
the Incremental Facility requested by the Borrower are not
obtained, the Borrower shall have the right to accept the
commitments which are obtained and accept an Incremental Facility
in an amount less than requested so long as such accepted
Incremental Facility exceeds the minimum amount set forth above.
The Borrower shall have the right to decline any Incremental
Facility if the Pro Rata Share of any existing Lender immediately
prior to the implementation of the Incremental Facility would be
different immediately thereafter. The Administrative Agent is
authorized to enter into, on behalf of the Lenders, any amendment
to this Agreement or any other Loan Document as may be necessary to
incorporate the terms of any new Incremental Facility
therein.
|
|
Section 2.5
|
Swingline
Commitment .
|
Subject to the terms and conditions
set forth herein, the Swingline Lender agrees to make Swingline
Loans to the Borrower during the Availability Period in an
aggregate principal amount outstanding at any time not to exceed
the lesser of (i) the Swingline Commitment then in effect and (ii)
the difference between the Aggregate Revolving Commitment Amount
and the aggregate Revolving Credit Exposures of all Lenders;
provided that the Swingline Lender shall not be required to
make a Swingline Loan to refinance an outstanding Swingline Loan.
The Borrower shall be entitled to borrow, repay and reborrow
Swingline Loans in accordance with the terms and conditions of this
Agreement.
|
|
Section 2.6
|
Procedure for Swingline
Borrowing; Etc .
|
(a) The
Borrower shall give the Administrative Agent written notice (or
telephonic notice promptly confirmed in writing) of each Swingline
Borrowing substantially in the form of Exhibit 2.6
attached hereto (“ Notice of Swingline Borrowing
”) prior to 2:00 p.m. on the requested date of each
Swingline Borrowing. Each Notice of Swingline Borrowing shall be
irrevocable and shall specify: (i) the principal amount of
such Swingline Loan, (ii) the date of such Swingline Loan
(which shall be a Business Day) and (iii) the account of the
Borrower to which the proceeds of such Swingline Loan should be
credited. The Administrative Agent will promptly advise the
Swingline Lender of each Notice of Swingline Borrowing. Each
Swingline Loan shall accrue interest at the Base Rate or any other
interest rate as agreed between the Borrower and the Swingline
Lender (the “ Swingline Rate ”) and shall have
an Interest Period (subject to the definition thereof) as agreed
between the Borrower and the Lender. The aggregate principal amount
of each Swingline Loan shall be not less than $100,000 or a larger
multiple of $50,000, or such other minimum amounts agreed to by the
Swingline Lender and the Borrower. The Swingline Lender will make
the proceeds of each Swingline Loan available to the Borrower in
Dollars in immediately available funds at the account specified by
the Borrower
26
CHAR1\935816v6
in the applicable Notice of
Swingline Borrowing not later than 3:00 p.m. on the requested
date of such Swingline Loan.
(b) The
Swingline Lender, at any time and from time to time in its sole
discretion, may, on behalf of the Borrower (which hereby
irrevocably authorizes and directs the Swingline Lender to act on
its behalf), give a Notice of Revolving Borrowing to the
Administrative Agent requesting the Revolving Lenders (including
the Swingline Lender) to make a Base Rate Loan in an amount equal
to the unpaid principal amount of any Swingline Loan. Each
Revolving Lender will make the proceeds of its Base Rate Loan
included in such Borrowing available to the Administrative Agent
for the account of the Swingline Lender in accordance with
Section 2.7 , which will be used solely for the
repayment of such Swingline Loan.
(c) If
for any reason a Base Rate Borrowing may not be (as determined in
the sole discretion of the Administrative Agent), or is not, made
in accordance with the foregoing provisions, then each Revolving
Lender (other than the Swingline Lender) shall purchase an
undivided participating interest in such Swingline Loan in an
amount equal to its Pro Rata Share thereof on the date that such
Base Rate Borrowing should have occurred. On the date of such
required purchase, each Revolving Lender shall promptly transfer,
in immediately available funds, the amount of its participating
interest to the Administrative Agent for the account of the
Swingline Lender. If such Swingline Loan bears interest at a rate
other than the Base Rate, such Swingline Loan shall automatically
become a Base Rate Loan on the effective date of any such
participation and interest shall become payable on
demand.
(d) Each
Revolving Lender’s obligation to make a Base Rate Loan
pursuant to Section 2.6(b) or to purchase the
participating interests pursuant to Section 2.6(c)
shall be absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by
any circumstance, including without limitation (i) any setoff,
counterclaim, recoupment, defense or other right that such Lender
or any other Person may have or claim against the Swingline Lender,
the Borrower or any other Person for any reason whatsoever, (ii)
the existence of a Default or an Event of Default or the
termination of any Lender’s Revolving Commitment, (iii) the
existence (or alleged existence) of any event or condition which
has had or could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect, (iv) any breach of this Agreement or any other Loan
Document by the Borrower, the Administrative Agent or any Lender or
(v) any other circumstance, happening or event whatsoever, whether
or not similar to any of the foregoing. If such amount is not in
fact made available to the Swingline Lender by any Revolving
Lender, the Swingline Lender shall be entitled to recover such
amount on demand from such Lender, together with accrued interest
thereon for each day from the date of demand thereof at the Federal
Funds Rate. Until such time as such Lender makes its required
payment, the Swingline Lender shall be deemed to continue to have
outstanding Swingline Loans in the amount of the unpaid
participation for all purposes of the Loan Documents. In addition,
such Lender shall be deemed to have assigned any and all payments
made of principal and interest on its Loans and any other amounts
due to it hereunder, to the Swingline Lender to fund the amount of
such Lender’s participation interest in such Swingline Loans
that such Lender failed to fund pursuant to this Section, until
such amount has been purchased in full.
27
CHAR1\935816v6
|
|
Section 2.7
|
Funding of
Borrowings .
|
(a) Each
Lender will make available each Loan to be made by it hereunder on
the proposed date thereof by wire transfer in immediately available
funds by 11:00 a.m. to the Administrative Agent at the Payment
Office (or 3:00 p.m. in the case of Base Rate Borrowings);
provided that the Swingline Loans will be made as set forth in
Section 2.6 . The Administrative Agent will make such
Loans available to the Borrower by promptly crediting the amounts
that it receives, in like funds by the close of business on such
proposed date, to an account maintained by the Borrower with the
Administrative Agent or at the Borrower’s option, by
effecting a wire transfer of such amounts to an account designated
by the Borrower to the Administrative Agent.
(b) Unless
the Administrative Agent shall have been notified by any Lender
prior to 5 p.m. one (1) Business Day prior to the date of
a Borrowing in which such Lender is participating that such Lender
will not make available to the Administrative Agent such
Lender’s share of such Borrowing, the Administrative Agent
may assume that such Lender has made such amount available to the
Administrative Agent on such date, and the Administrative Agent, in
reliance on such assumption, may make available to the Borrower on
such date a corresponding amount. If such corresponding amount is
not in fact made available to the Administrative Agent by such
Lender on the date of such Borrowing, the Administrative Agent
shall be entitled to recover such corresponding amount on demand
from such Lender together with interest at the Federal Funds Rate
for up to two (2) days and thereafter at the rate specified
for such Borrowing. If such Lender does not pay such corresponding
amount forthwith upon the Administrative Agent’s demand
therefor, the Administrative Agent shall promptly notify the
Borrower, and the Borrower shall immediately pay such corresponding
amount to the Administrative Agent together with interest at the
rate specified for such Borrowing. Nothing in this subsection shall
be deemed to relieve any Lender from its obligation to fund its Pro
Rata Share of any Borrowing hereunder or to prejudice any rights
which the Borrower may have against any Lender as a result of any
default by such Lender hereunder.
(c) All
Borrowings shall be made by the Lenders on the basis of their
respective Pro Rata Shares. No Lender shall be responsible for any
default by any other Lender in its obligations hereunder, and each
Lender shall be obligated to make its Loans provided to be made by
it hereunder, regardless of the failure of any other Lender to make
its Loans hereunder.
|
|
Section 2.8
|
Interest
Elections .
|
(a) Each
Borrowing initially shall be of the Type specified in the
applicable Notice of Borrowing, and in the case of a Eurodollar
Borrowing, shall have an initial Interest Period as specified in
such Notice of Borrowing. Thereafter, the Borrower may elect to
convert such Borrowing into a different Type or to continue such
Borrowing, and in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing, may elect
Interest Periods therefor, all as provided in this Section. The
Borrower may elect different options with respect to different
portions of the affected Borrowing, in which case each such portion
shall be allocated ratably among the Lenders holding Loans
comprising such Borrowing, and the Loans comprising each such
portion shall be considered a separate Borrowing. This
Section shall NOT apply to Swingline Borrowings, which may not
be converted or continued.
28
CHAR1\935816v6
(b) To
make an election pursuant to this Section, the Borrower shall give
the Administrative Agent prior written notice (or telephonic notice
promptly confirmed in writing) of each Borrowing substantially in
the form of Exhibit 2.8 hereto (a “ Notice of
Conversion/Continuation ”) that is to be converted or
continued, as the case may be, (x) prior to noon on the
Business of the requested date of a conversion into a Base Rate
Borrowing and (y) prior to 2:00 p.m. three (3)
Business Days prior to a continuation of or conversion into a
Eurodollar Borrowing. Each such Notice of Conversion/Continuation
shall be irrevocable and shall specify (i) the Borrowing to
which such Notice of Continuation/Conversion applies and if
different options are being elected with respect to different
portions thereof, the portions thereof that are to be allocated to
each resulting Borrowing (in which case the information to be
specified pursuant to clauses (iii) and (iv) shall be
specified for each resulting Borrowing); (ii) the effective
date of the election made pursuant to such Notice of
Continuation/Conversion, which shall be a Business Day,
(iii) whether the resulting Borrowing is to be a Base Rate
Borrowing or a Eurodollar Borrowing; and (iv) if the resulting
Borrowing is to be a Eurodollar Borrowing, the Interest Period
applicable thereto after giving effect to such election, which
shall be a period contemplated by the definition of “Interest
Period”. If any such Notice of Continuation/Conversion
requests a Eurodollar Borrowing but does not specify an Interest
Period, the Borrower shall be deemed to have selected an Interest
Period of one month. The principal amount of any resulting
Borrowing shall satisfy the minimum borrowing amount for Eurodollar
Borrowings and Base Rate Borrowings set forth in
Section 2.3 .
(c) If,
on the expiration of any Interest Period in respect of any
Eurodollar Borrowing, the Borrower shall have failed to deliver a
Notice of Conversion/ Continuation, then, unless such Borrowing is
repaid as provided herein, the Borrower shall be deemed to have
elected to convert such Borrowing to a Base Rate Borrowing. No
Borrowing may be converted into, or continued as, a Eurodollar
Borrowing if a Default or an Event of Default exists, unless the
Administrative Agent and each of the Lenders shall have otherwise
consented in writing. No conversion of any Eurodollar Loans shall
be permitted except on the last day of the Interest Period in
respect thereof.
(d) Upon
receipt of any Notice of Conversion/Continuation, the
Administrative Agent shall promptly notify each Lender of the
details thereof and of such Lender’s portion of each
resulting Borrowing.
|
|
Section 2.9
|
Optional Reduction and
Termination of Commitments.
|
(a) Unless
previously terminated, all Revolving Commitments shall terminate on
the Revolving Commitment Termination Date.
(b) Upon
at least three (3) Business Days’ prior written notice
(or telephonic notice promptly confirmed in writing) to the
Administrative Agent (which notice shall be irrevocable), the
Borrower may reduce the Aggregate Revolving Commitments in part or
terminate the Aggregate Revolving Commitments in whole;
provided , however , that (i) any partial reduction
shall apply to reduce proportionately and permanently the Revolving
Commitment of each Revolving Lender, (ii) any partial reduction
pursuant to this Section 2.9 shall be in an amount
of
29
CHAR1\935816v6
at least $5,000,000 and any larger
multiple of $1,000,000, and (iii) no such reduction shall be
permitted which would reduce the Aggregate Revolving Commitments to
an amount less than the outstanding Revolving Credit Exposures of
all Lenders. Any such reduction in the Aggregate Revolving
Commitments shall result in a proportionate reduction (rounded to
the next lowest integral multiple of $100,000) in the Swingline
Commitment and the LC Commitment.
|
|
Section 2.10
|
Repayment of
Loans.
|
(a) The
outstanding principal amount of all Revolving Loans shall be due
and payable (together with accrued and unpaid interest thereon) on
the Revolving Commitment Termination Date.
(b) The
principal amount of each Swingline Borrowing shall be due and
payable (together with accrued and unpaid interest thereon) on the
earlier of (i) the last day of the Interest Period applicable to
such Borrowing and (ii) the Revolving Commitment Termination
Date.
|
|
Section 2.11
|
Evidence of
Indebtedness .
|
(a) Each
Lender shall maintain in accordance with its usual practice
appropriate records evidencing the indebtedness of the Borrower to
such Lender resulting from each Loan made by such Lender from time
to time, including the amounts of principal and interest payable
thereon and paid to such Lender from time to time under this
Agreement. The Administrative Agent shall maintain appropriate
records in which shall be recorded (i) the Revolving Commitment of
each Lender, (ii) the amount of each Loan made hereunder by each
Lender, the Class and Type thereof and the Interest Period
applicable thereto, (iii) the date of each continuation thereof
pursuant to Section 2.8 , (iv) the date of each
conversion of all or a portion thereof to another Type pursuant to
Section 2.8 , (v) the date and amount of any principal
or interest due and payable or to become due and payable from the
Borrower to each Lender hereunder in respect of such Loans and (vi)
both the date and amount of any sum received by the Administrative
Agent hereunder from the Borrower in respect of the Loans and each
Lender’s Pro Rata Share thereof. The entries made in such
records shall be prima facie evidence of the
existence and amounts of the obligations of the Borrower therein
recorded; provided , however , that the failure or
delay of any Lender or the Administrative Agent in maintaining or
making entries into any such record or any error therein shall not
in any manner affect the obligation of the Borrower to repay the
Loans (both principal and unpaid accrued interest) of such Lender
in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.
(b) At
the request of any Lender (including the Swingline Lender) at any
time, the Borrower agrees that it will execute and deliver to such
Lender a Revolving Credit Note and, in the case of the Swingline
Lender only, a Swingline Note, payable to the order of such
Lender.
|
|
Section 2.12
|
Prepayments
.
|
The Borrower shall have the right at
any time and from time to time to prepay any Borrowing, in whole or
in part, without premium or penalty, by giving irrevocable written
notice (or telephonic notice promptly confirmed in writing) to the
Administrative Agent no later than (i)
30
CHAR1\935816v6
in the case of prepayment of any
Eurodollar Borrowing, 12:00 noon not less than three (3)
Business Days prior to any such prepayment, (ii) in the case of any
prepayment of any Base Rate Borrowing, not less than one Business
Day prior to the date of such prepayment, and (iii) in the case of
Swingline Borrowings, prior to 12:00 noon on the date of such
prepayment. Each such notice shall be irrevocable and shall specify
the proposed date of such prepayment and the principal amount of
each Borrowing or portion thereof to be prepaid. Upon receipt of
any such notice, the Administrative Agent shall promptly notify
each Lender of the contents thereof and of such Lender’s Pro
Rata Share of any such prepayment. If such notice is given, the
aggregate amount specified in such notice shall be due and payable
on the date designated in such notice, together with accrued
interest to such date on the amount so prepaid; provided ,
that if a Eurodollar Borrowing is prepaid on a date other than the
last day of an Interest Period applicable thereto, the Borrower
shall also pay all amounts required pursuant to
Section 2.19 . Each partial prepayment of any Revolving
Loan (other than a Swingline Loan) shall be in a minimum amount of
$5,000,000 and in integral multiples of $1,000,000, and each
partial prepayment of any Swingline Loan shall be in a minimum
amount of $100,000 and integral multiples of $50,000. Each
prepayment of a Borrowing shall be applied ratably to the Loans
comprising such Borrowing.
|
|
Section 2.13
|
Interest on
Loans .
|
(a) The
Borrower shall pay interest on each Base Rate Loan at the Base Rate
in effect from time to time plus the Applicable Margin in effect
from time to time, and the Borrower shall pay interest on each
Eurodollar Loan at the Adjusted LIBO Rate for the applicable
Interest Period in effect for such Loan, plus the Applicable Margin
in effect from time to time.
|
|
(b)
|
The Borrower shall pay interest on
each Swingline Loan at the Swingline Rate.
|
(c) If
an Event of Default has occurred or is continuing, and at any time
after acceleration of the Loans pursuant to the last paragraph of
Section 8.1 , the Borrower shall pay interest (“
Default Interest ”) with respect to all Eurodollar
Loans at the rate otherwise applicable for the then-current
Interest Period plus an additional 2% per annum until the last day
of such Interest Period, and thereafter, and with respect to all
Base Rate Loans (including all Swingline Loans) and all other
Obligations hereunder (other than Loans), at an all-in rate in
effect for Base Rate Loans, plus an additional 2% per
annum.
(d) Interest
on the principal amount of all Loans shall accrue from and
including the date such Loans are made to but excluding the date of
any repayment thereof. Interest on all outstanding Base Rate Loans
shall be payable quarterly in arrears on the last day of each
Fiscal Quarter and on the Revolving Commitment Termination Date.
Interest on all outstanding Eurodollar Loans shall be payable on
the last day of each Interest Period applicable thereto, and, in
the case of any Eurodollar Loans having an Interest Period in
excess of three months or 90 days, respectively, on each day which
occurs every three months or 90 days, as the case may be, after the
initial date of such Interest Period, and on the Revolving
Commitment Termination Date. Interest on each Swingline Loans shall
be payable quarterly in arrears on the last day of each Fiscal
Quarter, and on the Revolving Commitment Termination Date. Interest
on any Loan which is converted into a Loan of another Type or which
is repaid or prepaid shall be payable on
31
CHAR1\935816v6
the date of such conversion or on
the date of any such repayment or prepayment (on the amount repaid
or prepaid) thereof. All Default Interest shall be payable on
demand.
(e) The
Administrative Agent shall determine each interest rate applicable
to the Loans hereunder and shall promptly notify the Borrower and
the Lenders of such rate in writing (or by telephone, promptly
confirmed in writing). Any such determination shall be conclusive
and binding for all purposes, absent manifest error.
(a) The
Borrower shall pay to the Administrative Agent for its own account
fees in the amounts and at the times previously agreed upon by the
Borrower and the Administrative Agent in the Fee Letter.
(b) The
Borrower agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent for the account
of each Revolving Lender a commitment fee, which shall accrue at
the Applicable Commitment Fee Percentage (determined daily in
accordance with Schedule 1.1 ) on the daily amount of
the unused Revolving Commitment of such Lender during the
Availability Period. Accrued commitment fees shall be payable in
arrears on the last day of each Fiscal Quarter and on the Revolving
Commitment Termination Date, commencing on the first such date
after the Closing Date; provided, further, however, that any
commitment fees accruing after the Revolving Commitment Termination
Date shall be payable on demand. For purposes of computing
commitment fees with respect to the Revolving Commitments, the
Revolving Commitment of each Revolving Lender shall be deemed used
to the extent of the outstanding Revolving Loans and LC Exposure,
but not Swingline Exposure, of such Lender.
(c) The
Borrower agrees to pay (i) to the Administrative Agent, for the
account of each Revolving Lender, a letter of credit fee with
respect to such Lender’s participation in each Letter of
Credit, which shall accrue at the Applicable Margin for Eurodollar
Loans then in effect on the average daily amount of such
Lender’s LC Exposure (excluding any portion thereof
attributable to unreimbursed LC Disbursements) attributable to such
Letter of Credit during the period from and including the date of
issuance of such Letter of Credit to but excluding the date on
which such Letter of Credit expires or is drawn in full (including
without limitation any LC Exposure that remains outstanding after
the Revolving Commitment Termination Date) and (ii) to the Issuing
Bank for its own account a fronting fee, which shall accrue at the
rate set forth in the Fee Letter on the daily amount of the LC
Exposure (excluding any portion thereof attributable to
unreimbursed LC Disbursements) during the Availability Period (or
until the date that such Letter of Credit is irrevocably cancelled,
whichever is later), as well as the Issuing Bank’s standard
fees with respect to issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of
any Letter of Credit or processing of drawings thereunder. Accrued
letter of credit fees and fronting fees shall be due and payable
quarterly in arrears on the last day of each Fiscal Quarter,
commencing with the last day of the Fiscal Quarter in which the
first Letter of Credit is issued, and ending on the Revolving
Commitment Termination Date, and thereafter accrued letter of
credit fees and fronting fees shall be payable on
demand.
32
CHAR1\935816v6
|
|
Section 2.15
|
Computation of Interest and
Fees .
|
Other than calculations in respect
of the Base Rate (which shall be made on the basis of actual number
of days elapsed in a 365/366 day year), all computations of
interest and fees hereunder shall be made on the basis of a year of
360 days for the actual number of days (including the first
day but excluding the last day) occurring in the period for which
such interest or fees are payable (to the extent computed on the
basis of days elapsed). Each determination by the Administrative
Agent of an interest amount or fee hereunder shall be made in good
faith and, except for manifest error, shall be final, conclusive
and binding for all purposes.
|
|
Section 2.16
|
Inability to Determine
Interest Rates .
|
If prior to the commencement of any
Interest Period for any Eurodollar Borrowing,
(i) the
Administrative Agent shall have determined (which determination
shall be conclusive and binding upon the Borrower absent manifest
error) that, by reason of circumstances affecting the relevant
interbank market, adequate means do not exist for ascertaining
LIBOR for such Interest Period, or
(ii) the
Administrative Agent shall have received notice from the Required
Lenders that the Adjusted LIBO Rate does not adequately and fairly
reflect the cost to such Lenders (or Lender, as the case may be) of
making, funding or maintaining their (or its, as the case may be)
Eurodollar Loans for such Interest Period,
the Administrative Agent shall give
written notice (or telephonic notice, promptly confirmed in
writing) to the Borrower and to the Lenders as soon as practicable
thereafter. In the case of Eurodollar Loans, until the
Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and the Lenders that
the circumstances giving rise to such notice no longer exist, (i)
the obligations of the Lenders to make Eurodollar Loans or to
continue or convert outstanding Loans as or into Eurodollar Loans
shall be suspended and (ii) all such affected Loans shall be
converted into Base Rate Loans on the last day of the then current
Interest Period applicable thereto unless the Borrower prepays such
Loans in accordance with this Agreement. Unless the Borrower
notifies the Administrative Agent at least one Business Day before
the date of any Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing for which a Notice
of Revolving Borrowing has previously been given that it elects not
to borrow on such date, then such Revolving Borrowing shall be made
as a Base Rate Borrowing.
|
|
Section 2.17
|
Illegality
.
|
If any Change in Law shall make it
unlawful or impossible for any Lender to make, maintain or fund any
Eurodollar Loan and such Lender shall so notify the Administrative
Agent, the Administrative Agent shall promptly give notice thereof
to the Borrower and the other Lenders, whereupon until such Lender
notifies the Administrative Agent and the Borrower that the
circumstances giving rise to such suspension no longer exist, the
obligation of such Lender to make Eurodollar Loans, or to continue
or convert outstanding Loans as or into Eurodollar Loans, shall be
suspended. In the case of the making of a Eurodollar Revolving
Borrowing, such Lender’s Revolving Loan shall be made as a
Base Rate Loan as part of the same Revolving
33
CHAR1\935816v6
Borrowing for the same Interest
Period and if the affected Eurodollar Loan is then outstanding,
such Loan shall be converted to a Base Rate Loan either (i) on the
last day of the then current Interest Period applicable to such
Eurodollar Loan if such Lender may lawfully continue to maintain
such Loan to such date or (ii) immediately if such Lender shall
determine that it may not lawfully continue to maintain such
Eurodollar Loan to such date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the
affected Lender shall, prior to giving such notice to the
Administrative Agent, designate a different Applicable Lending
Office if such designation would avoid the need for giving such
notice and if such designation would not otherwise be
disadvantageous to such Lender in the good faith exercise of its
discretion.
|
|
Section 2.18
|
Increased Costs
.
|
|
|
(a)
|
If any Change in Law
shall:
|
(i) impose,
modify or deem applicable any reserve, special deposit or similar
requirement that is not otherwise included in the determination of
the Adjusted LIBO Rate hereunder against assets of, deposits with
or for the account of, or credit extended by, any Lender (except
any such reserve requirement reflected in the Adjusted LIBO Rate)
or the Issuing Bank;
(ii) impose
on any Lender or on the Issuing Bank or the eurodollar interbank
market any other condition affecting this Agreement or any
Eurodollar Loans made by such Lender or any Letter of Credit or any
participation therein; or
(iii) change
the basis of taxation of the overall net income or overall gross
income by the United States or any foreign jurisdiction or any
political subdivision of either thereof under the laws of which any
Lender is organized or has its lending office;
and the result of the foregoing is
to increase the cost to such Lender of making, converting into,
continuing or maintaining a Eurodollar Loan or to increase the cost
to such Lender or the Issuing Bank of participating in or issuing
any Letter of Credit or to reduce the amount received or receivable
by such Lender or the Issuing Bank hereunder (whether of principal,
interest or any other amount), then the Borrower shall promptly
pay, upon written notice from and demand by such Lender on the
Borrower (with a copy of such notice and demand to the
Administrative Agent), to the Administrative Agent for the account
of such Lender, within ten (10) days after the date of such
notice and demand, additional amount or amounts sufficient to
compensate such Lender or the Issuing Bank, as the case may be, for
such additional costs incurred or reduction suffered.
(b) If
any Lender or the Issuing Bank shall have determined that on or
after the date of this Agreement any Change in Law regarding
capital requirements has the effect of reducing the rate of return
on such Lender’s or the Issuing Bank’s capital (or on
the capital of such Lender’s or the Issuing Bank’s
parent corporation) as a consequence of its obligations hereunder
or under or in respect of any Letter of Credit to a level below
that which such Lender or the Issuing Bank or such Lender’s
or the Issuing Bank’s parent corporation could have achieved
but for such Change in Law (taking into consideration such
Lender’s or the Issuing Bank’s policies or the policies
of such Lender’s or the Issuing Bank’s parent
corporation with respect to capital
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CHAR1\935816v6
adequacy) then, from time to time,
within ten (10) days after receipt by the Borrower of written
demand by such Lender (with a copy thereof to the Administrative
Agent), the Borrower shall pay to such Lender such additional
amounts as will compensate such Lender or the Issuing Bank or such
Lender’s or the Issuing Bank’s parent corporation for
any such reduction suffered.
(c) A
certificate of a Lender or the Issuing Bank setting forth the
amount or amounts necessary to compensate such Lender or the
Issuing Bank or such Lender’s or the Issuing Bank’s
parent corporation, as the case may be, specified in
paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section shall be delivered
to the Borrower (with a copy to the Administrative Agent) and shall
be conclusive, absent manifest error. The Borrower shall pay any
such Lender or the Issuing Bank, as the case may be, such amount or
amounts within ten (10) days after receipt thereof.
(d) Failure
or delay on the part of any Lender or the Issuing Bank to demand
compensation pursuant to this Section shall not constitute a
waiver of such Lender’s or the Issuing Bank’s right to
demand such compensation.
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Section 2.19
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Funding
Indemnity .
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In the event of (a) the payment of
any principal of a Eurodollar Loan other than on the last day of
the Interest Period applicable thereto (including as a result of an
Event of Default), (b) the conversion or continuation of a
Eurodollar Loan other than on the last day of the Interest Period
applicable thereto, or (c) the failure by the Borrower to borrow,
prepay, convert or continue any Eurodollar Loan on the date
specified in any applicable notice (regardless of whether such
notice is withdrawn or revoked) then, in any such event, the
Borrower shall compensate each Lender, within ten (10) days
after written demand from such Lender, for any loss, cost or
expense attributable to such event. In the case of a Eurodollar
Loan, such loss, cost or expense shall be deemed to include an
amount determined by such Lender to be the excess, if any, of (A)
the amount of interest that would have accrued on the principal
amount of such Eurodollar Loan if such event had not occurred at
the Adjusted LIBO Rate applicable to such Eurodollar Loan for the
period from the date of such event to the last day of the then
current Interest Period therefor (or in the case of a failure to
borrow, convert or continue, for the period that would have been
the Interest Period for such Eurodollar Loan) over (B) the amount
of interest that would accrue on the principal amount of such
Eurodollar Loan for the same period if the Adjusted LIBO Rate were
set on the date such Eurodollar Loan was prepaid or converted or
the date on which the Borrower failed to borrow, convert or
continue such Eurodollar Loan. A certificate as to any additional
amount payable under this Section 2.19 submitted to the
Borrower by any Lender (with a copy to the Administrative Agent)
shall be conclusive, absent manifest error.
(a) Any
and all payments by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower
hereunder shall be made free and clear of and without deduction for
any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes; provided, however, that if
the Borrower shall be required to deduct any Indemnified Taxes or
Other Taxes from such payments, then (i) the sum payable shall be
increased as necessary so that after making all required deductions
(including deductions
35
CHAR1\935816v6
applicable to additional sums
payable under this Section) the Administrative Agent, any Lender or
the Issuing Bank (as the case may be) shall receive an amount equal
to the sum it would have received had no such deductions been made,
(ii) the Borrower shall make such deductions and (iii) the Borrower
shall pay the full amount deducted to the relevant Governmental
Authority in accordance with applicable law.
(b) In
addition, the Borrower shall pay any Other Taxes to the relevant
Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable
law.
(c) The
Borrower shall indemnify the Administrative Agent, each Lender and
the Issuing Bank, within ten (10) days after written demand
therefor, for the full amount of any Indemnified Taxes or Other
Taxes paid by the Administrative Agent, such Lender or the Issuing
Bank, as the case may be, on or with respect to any payment by or
on account of any obligation of the Borrower hereunder (including
Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes imposed or asserted on or
attributable to amounts payable under this Section) and any
penalties, interest and reasonable expenses arising therefrom or
with respect thereto, whether or not such Indemnified Taxes or
Other Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the
relevant Governmental Authority. A certificate as to the amount of
such payment or liability delivered to the Borrower by a Lender or
the Issuing Bank, or by the Administrative Agent on its own behalf
or on behalf of a Lender or the Issuing Bank, shall be conclusive
absent manifest error.
(d) As
soon as practicable after any payment of Indemnified Taxes or Other
Taxes by the Borrower to a Governmental Authority, the Borrower
shall deliver to the Administrative Agent the original or a
certified copy of a receipt issued by such Governmental Authority
evidencing such payment, a copy of the return reporting such
payment or other evidence of such payment reasonably satisfactory
to the Administrative Agent.
(e) Any
Foreign Lender that is entitled to an exemption from or reduction
of withholding tax under the Code or any treaty to which the United
States is a party, with respect to payments under this Agreement
shall deliver to the Borrower (with a copy to the Administrative
Agent), at the time or times prescribed by applicable law, such
properly completed and executed documentation prescribed by
applicable law or reasonably requested by the Borrower as will
permit such payments to be made without withholding or at a reduced
rate. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, each
Foreign Lender agrees that it will deliver to the Administrative
Agent and the Borrower (or in the case of a Participant, to the
Lender from which the related participation shall have been
purchased), as appropriate, two (2) duly completed copies of
(i) Internal Revenue Service Form W-8 ECI, or any successor
form thereto, certifying that the payments received from the
Borrower hereunder are effectively connected with such Foreign
Lender’s conduct of a trade or business in the United States;
or (ii) Internal Revenue Service Form W-8 BEN, or any
successor form thereto, certifying that such Foreign Lender is
entitled to benefits under an income tax treaty to which the United
States is a party which reduces the rate of withholding tax on
payments of interest; or (iii) Internal Revenue Service
Form W-8 BEN, or any successor form prescribed by the Internal
Revenue Service, together with a certificate (A) establishing that
the payment to the Foreign Lender qualifies as “portfolio
interest” exempt from U.S. withholding tax under Code section
871(h) or 881(c), and (B) stating that (1) the Foreign Lender is
not a bank for purposes of Code section 881(c)(3)(A), or the
obligation of the Borrower hereunder is not, with respect to such
Foreign Lender, a loan
36
CHAR1\935816v6
agreement entered into in the
ordinary course of its trade or business, within the meaning of
that section; (2) the Foreign Lender is not a 10% shareholder of
the Borrower within the meaning of Code section 871(h)(3) or
881(c)(3)(B); and (3) the Foreign Lender is not a controlled
foreign corporation that is related to the Borrower within the
meaning of Code section 881(c)(3)(C); or (iv) such other Internal
Revenue Service forms as may be applicable to the Foreign Lender,
including Forms W-8 IMY or W-8 EXP. Each such Foreign Lender shall
deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent such forms on
or before the date that it becomes a party to this Agreement (or in
the case of a Participant, on or before the date such Participant
purchases the related participation). In addition, each such
Foreign Lender shall deliver such forms promptly upon the
obsolescence or invalidity of any form previously delivered by such
Foreign Lender. Each such Foreign Lender shall promptly notify the
Borrower and the Administrative Agent at any time that it
determines that it is no longer in a position to provide any
previously delivered certificate to the Borrower (or any other form
of certification adopted by the Internal Revenue Service for such
purpose).
Section 2.21
Payments
Generally; Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of Set-offs
.
(a) The
Borrower shall make each payment required to be made by it
hereunder (whether of principal, interest, fees or reimbursement of
LC Disbursements, or of amounts payable under
Section 2.18 , 2.19 or 2.20 , or
otherwise) prior to 12:00 noon, on the date when due, in
immediately available funds, free and clear of any defenses, rights
of set-off, counterclaim, or withholding or deduction of taxes. Any
amounts received after such time on any date may, in the discretion
of the Administrative Agent, be deemed to have been received on the
next succeeding Business Day for purposes of calculating interest
thereon. All such payments shall be made to the Administrative
Agent at the Payment Office, except payments to be made directly to
the Issuing Bank or Swingline Lender as expressly provided herein
and except that payments pursuant to Sections 2.18 ,
2.19 and 2.20 and 10.3 may be made directly to
the Persons entitled thereto. The Administrative Agent shall
distribute any such payments received by it for the account of any
other Person to the appropriate recipient promptly following
receipt thereof. If any payment hereunder shall be due on a day
that is not a Business Day, the date for payment shall be extended
to the next succeeding Business Day, and, in the case of any
payment accruing interest, interest thereon shall be made payable
for the period of such extension. All payments hereunder shall be
made in Dollars.
(b) If
at any time insufficient funds are received by and available to the
Administrative Agent to pay fully all amounts of principal,
unreimbursed LC Disbursements, interest and fees then due
hereunder, such funds shall be applied (i) first, towards payment
of interest and fees then due hereunder, ratably among the parties
entitled thereto in accordance with the amounts of interest and
fees then due to such parties, and (ii) second, towards payment of
principal and unreimbursed LC Disbursements then due hereunder,
ratably among the parties entitled thereto in accordance with the
amounts of principal and unreimbursed LC Disbursements then due to
such parties.
(c) If
any Lender shall, by exercising any right of set-off or
counterclaim or otherwise, obtain payment in respect of any
principal of or interest on any of its Loans that would result in
such Lender receiving payment of a greater proportion of the
aggregate amount
37
CHAR1\935816v6
of its Loans and accrued interest
thereon than the proportion received by any other Lender, then the
Lender receiving such greater proportion shall purchase (for cash
at face value) participations in the Loans of other Lenders to the
extent necessary so that the benefit of all such payments shall be
shared by the Lenders ratably in accordance with the aggregate
amount of principal of and accrued interest on their respective
Loans; provided, that (i) if any such participations are purchased
and all or any portion of the payment giving rise thereto is
recovered, such participations shall be rescinded and the purchase
price restored to the extent of such recovery, without interest,
and (ii) the provisions of this paragraph shall not be construed to
apply to any payment made by the Borrower pursuant to and in
accordance with the express terms of this Agreement or any payment
obtained by a Lender as consideration for the assignment of or sale
of a participation in any of its Loans to any assignee or
participant, other than to the Borrower or any Subsidiary or
Affiliate thereof (as to which the provisions of this paragraph
shall apply). The Borrower consents to the foregoing and agrees, to
the extent it may effectively do so under applicable law, that any
Lender acquiring a participation pursuant to the foregoing
arrangements may exercise against the Borrower rights of set-off
and counterclaim with respect to such participation as fully as if
such Lender were a direct creditor of the Borrower in the amount of
such participation.
(d) Unless
the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from the
Borrower prior to the date on which any payment is due to the
Administrative Agent for the account of the Lenders or the Issuing
Bank hereunder that the Borrower will not make such payment, the
Administrative Agent may assume that the Borrower has made such
payment on such date in accordance herewith and may, in reliance
upon such assumption, distribute to the Lenders or the Issuing
Bank, as the case may be, the amount or amounts due. In such event,
if the Borrower has not in fact made such payment, then each of the
Lenders or the Issuing Bank, as the case may be, severally agrees
to repay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand the amount
so distributed to such Lender or Issuing Bank with interest
thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is
distributed to it to but excluding the date of payment to the
Administrative Agent, at the greater of the Federal Funds Effective
Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in
accordance with banking industry rules on interbank
compensation.
(e) If
any Lender shall fail to make any payment required to be made by it
pursuant to Section 2.6(b) , 2.7(b) ,
2.21(d) , 2.23(d) , or 10.3(d) , then the
Administrative Agent may, in its discretion (notwithstanding any
contrary provision hereof), apply any amounts thereafter received
by the Administrative Agent for the account of such Lender to
satisfy such Lender’s obligations under such
Sections until all such unsatisfied obligations are fully
paid.
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Section 2.22
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Mitigation of Obligations;
Replacement of Lenders .
|
(a) If
any Lender requests compensation under Section 2.18 ,
or if the Borrower is required to pay any additional amount to any
Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender
pursuant to Section 2.20 , then such Lender shall use
reasonable efforts to designate a different lending office for
funding or booking its Loans hereunder or to assign its rights and
obligations hereunder to another of its offices, branches or
affiliates, if, in the sole judgment of such Lender, such
designation or assignment (i) would eliminate or reduce
amounts
38
CHAR1\935816v6
payable under
Section 2.18 or Section 2.20 , as the case
may be, in the future and (ii) would not subject such Lender to any
unreimbursed cost or expense and would not otherwise be
disadvantageous to such Lender. The Borrower hereby agrees to pay
all costs and expenses incurred by any Lender in connection with
such designation or assignment.
(b) If
any Lender requests compensation under Section 2.18 ,
or if the Borrower is required to pay any additional amount to any
Lender or any Governmental Authority of the account of any Lender
pursuant to Section 2.20 , or if any Lender defaults in
its obligation to fund Loans hereunder, then the Borrower may, at
its sole expense and effort, upon notice to such Lender and the
Administrative Agent, require such Lender to assign and delegate,
without recourse (in accordance with and subject to the
restrictions set forth in Section 10.4(b) ) all its
interests, rights and obligations under this Agreement to an
Eligible Assignee that shall assume such obligations (which
Eligible Assignee may be another Lender); provided, that (i) the
Borrower shall have received the prior written consent of the
Administrative Agent, which consent shall not be unreasonably
withheld, conditioned or delayed (ii) such Lender shall have
received payment of an amount equal to the outstanding principal
amount of all Loans owed to it, accrued interest thereon, accrued
fees and all other amounts payable to it hereunder, from the
assignee (in the case of such outstanding principal and accrued
interest) and from the Borrower (in the case of all other amounts)
and (iii) in the case of a claim for compensation under
Section 2.18 or payments required to be made pursuant
to Section 2.20 , such assignment will result in a
reduction in future claims for such compensation or payments. A
Lender shall not be required to make any such assignment and
delegation if, prior thereto, as a result of a waiver by such
Lender or otherwise, the circumstances entitling the Borrower to
require such assignment and delegation cease to apply.
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Section 2.23
|
Letters of Credit.
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(a) During
the Availability Period, the Issuing Bank, in reliance upon the
agreements of the other Revolving Lenders pursuant to
Section 2.23(d) , agrees to issue, at the request of
the Borrower, standby Letters of Credit for the account of the
Borrower on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth;
provided, however, that (i) each Letter of Credit shall expire on
the earlier of (A) the date one year after the date of issuance of
such Letter of Credit (or in the case of any extension thereof, one
year after such extension) and (B) the date that is five (5)
Business Days prior to the Revolving Commitment Termination Date;
(ii) the Borrower may not request any Letter of Credit, if, after
giving effect to such issuance (A) the aggregate LC Exposure would
exceed the LC Commitment or (B) the aggregate LC Exposure, plus the
aggregate outstanding Revolving Loans and Swingline Loans of all
Lenders would exceed the Aggregate Revolving Commitment Amount; and
(iii) the Issuing Bank shall not be under any obligation to
issue any Letter of Credit if: (A) any order, judgment or
decree of any Governmental Authority or arbitrator shall by its
terms purport to enjoin or restrain the Issuing Bank from issuing
such Letter of Credit, or any Law applicable to the Issuing Bank or
any request or directive (whether or not having the force of law)
from any Governmental Authority with jurisdiction over the Issuing
Bank shall prohibit, or request that the Issuing Bank refrain from,
the issuance of letters of credit generally or such Letter of
Credit in particular or shall impose upon the Issuing Bank with
respect to such Letter of Credit any restriction, reserve or
capital requirement (for which the Issuing Bank is not otherwise
compensated hereunder) not in effect on the Closing Date, or
shall
39
CHAR1\935816v6
impose upon the Issuing Bank any
unreimbursed loss, cost or expense which was not applicable on the
Closing Date and which the Issuing Bank in good faith deems
material to it; (B) the issuance of such Letter of Credit
would violate one or more policies of the Issuing Bank (provided,
however, the Issuing Bank agrees that it will not adopt policies
for the sole purpose of preventing the issuance of Letters of
Credit hereunder); (C) except as otherwise agreed by the
Administrative Agent and the Issuing Bank, such Letter of Credit is
in an initial stated amount less than $1,000.00; (D) such
Letter of Credit is to be denominated in a currency other than
Dollars; (E) a default of any Lender’s obligations to
fund under Section 2.23(e) exists, unless the Issuing
Bank has entered into satisfactory arrangements with the Borrower
or such Lender to eliminate the Issuing Bank’s risk with
respect to such Lender (and the Issuing Bank agrees to make
reasonable efforts to enter into such satisfactory arrangements).
Upon the issuance of each Letter of Credit and with respect to the
SunTrust Letter of Credit, each Revolving Lender shall be deemed
to, and hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees to, purchase
from the Issuing Bank without recourse a participation in such
Letter of Credit equal to such Lender’s Pro Rata Share of the
aggregate amount available to be drawn under such Letter of Credit.
Furthermore, each Revolving Lender acknowledges and confirms that
it has a participation interest in the liability of the Issuing
Bank under the Existing Letters of Credit equal to such Revolving
Lender’s Pro Rata Share of the Revolving Loans. The
Borrower’s reimbursement obligations in respect of the
Existing Letters of Credit, and each Revolving Lender’s
obligations in connection therewith, shall be governed by the terms
of this Agreement. Each issuance of a Letter of Credit shall be
deemed to utilize the Revolving Commitment of each Revolving Lender
by an amount equal to the amount of such participation.
(b) To
request the issuance of a Letter of Credit (or any amendment or
extension of an outstanding Letter of Credit), the Borrower shall
give the Issuing Bank and the Administrative Agent irrevocable
written notice at least three (3) Business Days prior to the
requested date of such issuance specifying the date (which shall be
a Business Day) such Letter of Credit is to be issued (or amended
or extended as the case may be), the expiration date of such Letter
of Credit, the amount of such Letter of Credit, the name and
address of the beneficiary thereof and such other information as
shall be necessary to prepare, amend or extend such Letter of
Credit. In addition to the satisfaction of the conditions in
Article III, the issuance of such Letter of Credit (or any
amendment which increases the amount of such Letter of Credit) will
be subject to the further conditions that such Letter of Credit
shall be in such form and contain such terms as the Issuing Bank
shall approve and that the Borrower shall have executed and
delivered any additional applications, agreements and instruments
relating to such Letter of Credit as the Issuing Bank shall
reasonably require; provided, however, that in the event of any
conflict between such applications, agreements or instruments and
this Agreement, the terms of this Agreement shall
control.
(c) At
least two Business Days prior to the issuance of any Letter of
Credit, the Issuing Bank will confirm with the Administrative Agent
(by telephone or in writing) that the Administrative Agent has
received such notice and if not, the Issuing Bank will provide the
Administrative Agent with a copy thereof. Unless the Issuing Bank
has received notice from the Administrative Agent on or before the
Business Day immediately preceding the date the Issuing Bank is to
issue the requested Letter of Credit directing the Issuing Bank not
to issue the Letter of Credit because such issuance is not then
permitted hereunder because of the limitations set
40
CHAR1\935816v6
forth in Section 2.23(a)
or that one or more conditions specified in Article III are
not then satisfied, then, subject to the terms and conditions
hereof, the Issuing Bank shall, on the requested date, issue such
Letter of Credit in accordance with the Issuing Bank’s usual
and customary business practices.
(d) The
Issuing Bank shall examine all documents purporting to represent a
demand for payment under a Letter of Credit promptly following its
receipt thereof. The Issuing Bank shall notify the Borrower and the
Administrative Agent of such demand for payment and whether the
Issuing Bank has made or will make a LC Disbursement thereunder;
provided, however, that any failure to give or delay in giving such
notice shall not relieve the Borrower of its obligation to
reimburse the Issuing Bank and the Revolving Lenders with respect
to such LC Disbursement. The Borrower shall be irrevocably and
unconditionally obligated to reimburse the Issuing Bank for any LC
Disbursements paid by the Issuing Bank in respect of such drawing,
without presentment, demand or other formalities of any kind.
Unless the Borrower shall have notified the Issuing Bank and the
Administrative Agent prior to 11:00 a.m. on the Business Day
immediately prior to the date on which such drawing is honored that
the Borrower intends to reimburse the Issuing Bank for the amount
of such drawing in funds other than from the proceeds of Revolving
Loans, the Borrower shall be deemed to have timely given a Notice
of Revolving Borrowing to the Administrative Agent requesting the
Revolving Lenders to make a Base Rate Borrowing on the date on
which such drawing is honored in an exact amount due to the Issuing
Bank; provided, however, that for purposes solely of such
Borrowing, the conditions precedents set forth in
Section 3.2 hereof shall not be applicable. The
Administrative Agent shall notify the Revolving Lenders of such
Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.3 , and each
Revolving Lender shall make the proceeds of its Base Rate Loan
included in such Borrowing available to the Administrative Agent
for the account of the Issuing Bank in accordance with
Section 2.7 . The proceeds of such Borrowing shall be
applied directly by the Administrative Agent to reimburse the
Issuing Bank for such LC Disbursement.
(e) If
for any reason a Base Rate Borrowing may not be (as determined in
the sole discretion of the Administrative Agent), or is not, made
in accordance with the foregoing provisions, then the
Administrative Agent shall promptly notify the Revolving Lenders of
such unreimbursed LC Disbursement, and each Revolving Lender (other
than the Issuing Bank) shall be obligated to fund the participation
that such Lender purchased pursuant to subsection (a) in an
amount equal to its Pro Rata Share of such LC Disbursement on and
as of the date which such Base Rate Borrowing should have occurred.
If the Borrower shall fail to reimburse the Issuing Bank as
provided above for a LC Disbursement, the unreimbursed amount shall
bear interest at a rate equal to the Base Rate plus the Applicable
Margin plus an additional 2% per annum, it being understood and
a
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