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Exhibit
10.1
COLLATERAL
AGREEMENT
dated as
of
May 20,
2008
among
NORTEK,
INC.
the
GUARANTORS named herein
and
U.S. BANK
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
as
Collateral Agent
THIS COLLATERAL
AGREEMENT IS SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THE LIEN SUBORDINATION
AND INTERCREDITOR AGREEMENT OF EVEN DATE HEREWITH AMONG NORTEK,
INC., OTHER SUBSIDIARIES OF NORTEK, INC. NAMED THEREIN, BANK OF
AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT FOR THE REVOLVING CREDIT
FACILITY SECURED PARTIES REFERRED TO THEREIN, AND U.S. BANK
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS NOTEHOLDER COLLATERAL AGENT, AS MORE FULLY
SET FORTH IN SECTION 27 HEREOF.
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TABLE OF
CONTENTS
Page
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Section
1.
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Grant of
Security
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Security for
Obligations
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8
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Delivery and
Control of Pledged Collateral
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9
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Maintaining
Electronic Chattel Paper, Transferable Records and Letter-of-Credit
Rights and Giving Notice of Commercial Tort Claims
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10
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Representations
and Warranties
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11
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As to Equipment
and Inventory and Insurance
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15
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Post-Closing
Changes; Bailees; Collections on Assigned Agreements and Accounts;
Assigned Agreements
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16
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As to
Intellectual Property Collateral
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18
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Voting Rights;
Dividends; Etc
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20
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Transfers and
Other Liens; Additional Shares
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21
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Collateral
Agent Appointed Attorney-in-Fact
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21
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Collateral
Agent May Perform
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22
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Collateral
Agent’s Duties
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23
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Indemnity and
Expenses
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27
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Amendments;
Waivers; Additional Grantors; Etc
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27
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Continuing
Security Interest; Assignments under the Indenture
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28
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Execution in
Counterparts
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29
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Intercreditor
Agreement Governs
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29
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COLLATERAL
AGREEMENT, dated as of May 20, 2008 (this “
Agreement ”), made by NORTEK, INC., a Delaware
corporation (the “ Issuer ”), the
GUARANTORS listed on the signature pages hereof and the Additional
Grantors (as hereinafter defined) (the Issuer, the Guarantors so
listed and the Additional Grantors being, collectively, the “
Grantors ”), to U.S. BANK NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION, as Collateral Agent (in such capacity, together with
any successor collateral agent, the “ Collateral
Agent ”) for the Secured Parties.
PRELIMINARY
STATEMENTS
(1) The
Issuer, the Guarantors named therein and U.S. Bank National
Association, as trustee (in such capacity, the “
Trustee ”) and collateral agent, have entered
into (a) an Indenture dated of even date herewith (as amended,
amended and restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time
to time, the “ Indenture ”) and
(b) a Purchase Agreement dated as of May 13, 2008 (the
“ Purchase Agreement ”) among the Issuer,
the Guarantors named therein and certain financial institutions
(the “ Representatives ”) of the several
Initial Purchasers named therein (the “ Initial
Purchasers ”).
(2) Pursuant
to the Indenture, the Grantors are entering into this Agreement in
order to grant to the Collateral Agent for the ratable benefit of
the Secured Parties a security interest in the Collateral (as
hereinafter defined).
(3) It
is a condition precedent to the purchasing of the Notes that the
Grantors shall have granted the assignment and security interest
and made the pledge and assignment contemplated by this
Agreement.
(4) Each
Grantor will derive substantial direct and indirect benefit from
the issuance and sale of the Notes pursuant to the
Indenture.
(5) Terms
defined in the Indenture and not otherwise defined in this
Agreement are used in this Agreement as defined in the
Indenture. Further, unless otherwise defined in this
Agreement or in the Indenture, terms defined in Article 8 or 9
of the UCC (as defined below) are used in this Agreement as such
terms are defined in such Article 8 or 9 (including Accounts,
Certificated Security, Chattel Paper, Commercial Tort Claims,
Commodity Account, Commodity Contract, Deposit Accounts, Documents,
Equipment, Farm Products, Financial Assets, Fixtures, General
Intangibles, Goods, Instruments, Inventory, Investment Property,
Letter of Credit Rights, Securities Accounts, Securities
Intermediary, Security, Security Entitlements and Supporting
Obligations). Additionally, the following terms shall
have the following meanings:
“
Account Debtor ” a Person who is
obligated under an Account, Chattel Paper or General
Intangible.
“
Commodity Account Control Agreement ” shall
mean an agreement in form reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral
Agent sufficient to grant the Collateral Agent or, pursuant to
Section 3.01 of the Intercreditor Agreement (as in effect on the
Issue Date), the Collateral Agent (as defined in the Intercreditor
Agreement) Control over a specified Commodity Account.
“
Control ” shall mean (i) in the case of
each Deposit Account, “control,” as such term is
defined in Section 9-104 of the UCC, (ii) in the case of
any Security Entitlement, “control,” as such term is
defined in Section 8-106 of the UCC and (iii) in the case
of any Commodity Contract, “control,” as such term is
defined in Section 9-106 of the UCC.
“
Control Agreements ” shall mean, collectively,
the Deposit Account Control Agreements, the Securities Account
Control Agreements and the Commodity Account Control
Agreements.
“
Debtor Relief Laws ” means 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.
“
Deposit Account Control Agreement ” shall mean
an agreement in form reasonably satisfactory to the
Collateral Agent (as advised by legal counsel, on which it may
conclusively rely, or as directed by Majority Noteholders)
sufficient to grant the Collateral Agent or, pursuant to Section
3.01 of the Intercreditor Agreement (as in effect on the Issue
Date), the Collateral Agent (as defined in the Intercreditor
Agreement) Control over a specified Deposit Account.
“
Dominion Account ” means any Deposit Account of
a Grantor at Bank of America, N.A. or its Affiliates or branches or
another bank acceptable to the Collateral Agent, in each case which
is subject to a Deposit Account Control Agreement.
“
Excluded Accounts ” shall mean each of the
following, but in each case only to the extent that Control of the
same has not been provided to or for the benefit of any other
creditor or as security for any other obligations:
(i)all
Deposit Accounts maintained by the Grantors solely for the purpose
of making current payments of payroll obligations in the ordinary
course of business;
(ii)for
a period of not more than 30 days (or such longer period as may be
approved by the Collateral Agent in its sole discretion) after a
Person becomes a Guarantor, the Deposit Accounts, Securities
Accounts and Commodity Accounts of such Guarantor; and
(ii) any
Deposit Accounts, Securities Accounts and Commodity Accounts as to
which (A) during the first 90 days dollowing the Closing Date, the
aggregate book balances thereof, taken as a whole, do not exceed
$10,000,000 and (B) thereafter, the aggregate collected balances
thereof, taken as a whole, do not exceed $10,000,000 (or such
greater amount as may be agreed from time to time by the Collateral
Agent in its discretion).
“
Excluded Equity ” shall mean each of the
following, but in each case only to the extent that the same has
not been pledged to or for the benefit of any other creditor or as
security for any other obligations:
(i) shares
of Voting Foreign Stock of any Foreign Subsidiary to the extent
(and only to the extent) that the pledge thereof hereunder would
result in more than 66% of the Voting Foreign Stock of such Foreign
Subsidiary to be pledged hereunder; and
(ii) Equity
Interests in Foreign Subsidiaries that are not Material Foreign
Subsidiaries.
“Foreign
Subsidiary” means any
Subsidiary not incorporated or organized under the laws of the
United States of America, any State thereof or the District of
Columbia.
“
Intercompany Note ” means an intercompany note,
substantially in the form of Exhibit E hereto, executed by the
Issuer and each of its Subsidiaries and endorsed in blank by each
of the Guarantors.
“
Lien Waiver ” means an agreement, in form and
substance reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent, by which
(a) for any Collateral located on leased premises, the lessor
waives or subordinates any Lien it may have on the Collateral, and
agrees to permit the Collateral Agent to enter upon the premises
and remove the Collateral or to use the premises for an agreed upon
period of time to store or dispose of the Collateral; (b) for any
Collateral held by a warehouseman, processor, shipper, customs
broker or freight forwarder, such Person waives or subordinates any
Lien it may have on the Collateral, agrees to hold any documents in
its possession relating to the Collateral as agent for the
Collateral Agent, and agrees to deliver the Collateral to the
Collateral Agent upon request and (c) for any Collateral held by a
repairman, mechanic or bailee, such Person acknowledges the
Collateral Agent’s Lien, waives or subordinates any Lien it
may have on the Collateral, and agrees to deliver the Collateral to
the Collateral Agent upon request.
“
Majority Noteholders ” means the Holders of 25%
or more of the outstanding principal amount of the Notes issued
under the Indenture.
“Mortgages”
means the
mortgages, deeds of trust, leasehold mortgages, assignments of
leases and rents, modifications and other security documents
delivered pursuant to Section 4.26 of the Indenture.
“
Note Documents ” means the Indenture (including
the Note Guarantees set forth therein), the Notes, this Agreement,
the other Security Documents, the Intercreditor Agreement and the
other documents and instruments executed and delivered pursuant to
the foregoing, as such documents and instruments may be amended,
amended restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to
time.
“
Obligations ” means (a) the Indebtedness
evidenced by the Notes and all obligations in respect thereof,
including principal, premium (if any), interest (including
Additional Interest, if any, and interest accruing on or after the
filing of any petition in bankruptcy or for reorganization relating
to the Issuer or any Guarantor whether or not a claim for
post-filing interest is allowed in such proceedings), fees,
charges, expenses, reimbursement obligations, Guarantees and all
other amounts payable thereunder or in respect thereof, and (b) any
other obligations of the Issuer or any Guarantor under the
Indenture or any other Note Document.
“
Payment Item ” means each
check, draft or other item of payment payable to a Grantor,
including those constituting proceeds of any Collateral.
“
Release Date ” shall have the meaning specified
in Section 22.
“
Secured Parties ” means, collectively, (a) the
Holders (as defined in the Indenture), (b) the Trustee, (c) the
Collateral Agent, (d) each other Person that holds, or is an
obligee in respect of, any Obligations, and (e) the successors and
assigns of each of the foregoing.
“
Securities Account Control Agreement ” shall
mean an agreement in form reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral
Agent (as advised by legal counsel, on which it may conclusively
rely, or as directed by Majority Noteholders) sufficient to grant
the Collateral Agent or, pursuant to Section 3.01 of the
Intercreditor Agreement (as in effect on the Issue Date), the
Collateral Agent (as defined in the Intercreditor Agreement)
Control with respect to a specified Securities Account.
“
UCC ” means the Uniform Commercial Code as in
effect in the State of New York; provided that, if
perfection or the effect of perfection or non-perfection or the
priority of any security interest in any Collateral is governed by
the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in a jurisdiction other
than the State of New York, “UCC” means the Uniform
Commercial Code as in effect from time to time in such other
jurisdiction for purposes of the provisions hereof relating to such
perfection, effect of perfection or non-perfection or
priority.
“
Voting Foreign Stock ” shall mean shares of
stock in any Foreign Subsidiary entitled to vote (within the
meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.956-2(c)(2)
promulgated under the Code).
NOW,
THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and in order to induce
the Initial Purchasers to purchase the Notes, each Grantor hereby
agrees with the Collateral Agent for the ratable benefit of the
Secured Parties as follows:
Section
1.
Grant of
Security . Each
Grantor hereby grants to the Collateral Agent, for the ratable
benefit of the Secured Parties, a security interest in, such
Grantor’s right, title and interest in and to the following,
in each case, as to each type of property described below, whether
now owned or hereafter acquired by such Grantor, wherever located,
and whether now or hereafter existing or arising (collectively, the
“ Collateral ”):
(b)
all cash and
Cash Equivalents;
(d)
all Commercial
Tort Claims (including, without limitation, the Commercial Tort
Claims set forth on Schedule 15 to the Perfection
Certificate);
(e)
all Deposit
Accounts;
(j)
all General
Intangibles;
(n)
all
Letter-of-Credit Rights (together with all Accounts, Chattel Paper,
Instruments, Deposit Accounts, General Intangibles and other
obligations of any kind, whether or not arising out of or in
connection with the sale or lease of goods or the rendering of
services and whether or not earned by performance, the “
Receivables ”; and all rights now or hereafter
existing in and to all supporting obligations and in and to all
security agreements, mortgages, Liens, leases, letters of credit
and other contracts securing or otherwise relating to the
Receivables, being the “ Related Contracts
”);
(o)
the following
(the “ Security Collateral ”):
(i)
all
indebtedness from time to time owed to such Grantor, including
without limitation, all debt securities, all promissory notes or
instruments, if any, evidencing such indebtedness, all indebtedness
owed to such Grantor pursuant to the Intercompany Note and the
instruments set forth on Schedule 12 to the Perfection
Certificate (all the foregoing, the “ Pledged
Debt ”), and all interest, cash, instruments and
other property from time to time received, receivable or otherwise
distributed in respect of or in exchange for any or all of the
Pledged Debt;
(ii)
all Equity
Interests, other than Excluded Equity, from time to time acquired,
owned or held by such Grantor in any manner, including, without
limitation, the Equity Interests of each Grantor set forth opposite
such Grantor’s name on and otherwise described on
Schedule 11 to the Perfection Certificate, and the
certificates, if any, representing such shares or units or other
Equity Interests (all the foregoing, the “ Pledged
Equity ”), and all dividends, distributions, return
of capital, cash, instruments and other property from time to time
received, receivable or otherwise distributed in respect of or in
exchange for any or all of such shares or other Equity Interests
and all subscription warrants, rights or options issued thereon or
with respect thereto;
(iii)
all Investment
Property and all Financial Assets (including, without limitation,
all securities, security entitlements and securities accounts), the
certificates or instruments, if any, representing or evidencing
such Investment Property or Financial Assets and all dividends,
distributions, return of capital, interest, cash, instruments and
other property from time to time received, receivable or otherwise
distributed in respect of or in exchange therefor and all
subscription warrants, rights or options issued thereon or with
respect thereto;
(iv)
all rights and
privileges of such Grantor with respect to the securities and other
property referred to in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) above;
and
(v)
all Proceeds
of any of the foregoing;
provided,
however, that
(i) the Equity Interests and other securities of a Subsidiary
will constitute Security Collateral only to the extent that such
Equity Interests and other securities can secure the Notes without
Rule 3-10 or Rule 3-16 of Regulation S-X under the
Securities Act ( “ Rule 3-10 ” and
“ Rule 3-16 ,” respectively) (or any
other law, rule or regulation) requiring separate financial
statements of such Subsidiary to be filed with the Commission (or
any other governmental agency); (ii) in the event that either
Rule 3-10 or Rule 3-16 requires or is amended, modified
or interpreted by the Commission to require (or is replaced with
another rule or regulation, or any other law, rule or regulation is
adopted, which would require) the filing with the Commission (or
any other governmental agency) of separate financial statements of
any Subsidiary due to the fact that such Subsidiary’s Equity
Interests or other securities constitute Security Collateral, then
such Equity Interests or other securities shall automatically be
deemed not to be Security Collateral, but only to the extent
necessary to not be subject to such requirement; and (iii) in
the event that either Rule 3-10 or Rule 3-16 is amended,
modified or interpreted by the Commission to permit (or is replaced
with another rule or regulation, or any other law, rule or
regulation is adopted, which would permit) such Equity Interests or
other securities to constitute Security Collateral without the
filing with the Commission (or any other governmental agency) of
separate financial statements of such Subsidiary, then such Equity
Interests and other securities shall automatically be deemed to be
Security Collateral but only to the extent necessary to not be
subject to any such financial statement requirement.
(p)
all contracts
and agreements between any Grantor and one or more additional
parties (including, without limitation, any Swap Contracts,
licensing agreements and any partnership agreements, joint venture
agreements, limited liability company agreements), the Related
Contracts and the IP Agreements (as hereinafter defined), in each
case as such agreements may be amended, amended and restated,
supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time (collectively,
the “ Assigned Agreements ”), including,
without limitation, (i) all rights of such Grantor to receive
moneys due and to become due under or pursuant to the Assigned
Agreements, (ii) all rights of such Grantor to receive proceeds of
any insurance, indemnity, warranty or guaranty with respect to the
Assigned Agreements, (iii) claims of such Grantor for damages
arising out of or for breach of or default under the Assigned
Agreements, to perform thereunder and to compel performance and
otherwise exercise all remedies thereunder (all such Collateral
being the “ Agreement Collateral
”);
(q)
the following
(collectively, the “ Intellectual Property
Collateral ”):
(i)
all patents,
patent applications, utility models and statutory invention
registrations, all inventions claimed or disclosed therein and all
improvements thereto (“ Patents
”);
(ii)
all trademarks,
service marks, domain names, trade dress, logos, designs, slogans,
trade names, business names, corporate names and other source
identifiers, whether registered or unregistered (provided that no
security interest shall be granted in United States intent-to-use
trademark applications to the extent that, and solely during the
period in which, the grant of a security interest therein would
impair the validity or enforceability of such intent-to-use
trademark applications under applicable federal law), together, in
each case, with the goodwill symbolized thereby (“
Trademarks ”);
(iii)
all copyrights,
including, without limitation, copyrights in Computer Software (as
hereinafter defined), internet web sites and the content thereof,
whether registered or unregistered (“
Copyrights ”);
(iv)
all computer
software, programs and databases (including, without limitation,
source code, object code and all related applications and data
files), firmware and documentation and materials relating thereto,
together with any and all maintenance rights, service rights,
programming rights, hosting rights, test rights, improvement
rights, renewal rights and indemnification rights and any
substitutions, replacements, improvements, error corrections,
updates and new versions of any of the foregoing (“
Computer Software ”);
(v)
all
confidential and proprietary information of the Grantor, including,
without limitation, know-how, trade secrets, manufacturing and
production processes and techniques, inventions, research and
development information, databases and data, including, without
limitation, technical data, financial, marketing and business data,
pricing and cost information, business and marketing plans and
customer and supplier lists and information (collectively, “
Trade Secrets ”), and all other intellectual,
industrial and intangible property of any type, including, without
limitation, industrial designs and mask works;
(vi)
all
registrations and applications for registration for any of the
foregoing, including, without limitation, those registrations and
applications for registration set forth in Schedule 14 to the
Perfection Certificate, together with all reissues, divisions,
continuations, continuations-in-part, extensions, renewals and
reexaminations thereof;
(vii)
all tangible
embodiments of the foregoing, all rights in the foregoing provided
by international treaties or conventions, all rights corresponding
thereto throughout the world and all other rights of any kind
whatsoever of such Grantor accruing thereunder or pertaining
thereto;
(viii)
all agreements,
permits, consents, orders and franchises relating to the license,
development, use or disclosure of any of the foregoing to which
such Grantor, now or hereafter, is a party or a beneficiary
(“ IP Agreements ”); and
(ix)
any and all
claims for damages and injunctive relief for past, present and
future infringement, dilution, misappropriation, violation, misuse
or breach with respect to any of the foregoing, with the right, but
not the obligation, to sue for and collect, or otherwise recover,
such damages (the property described in this Section 1(q) is
referred to herein as the “ Intellectual
Property ”);
(r)
all books and
records (including, without limitation, customer lists, credit
files, printouts and other computer output materials and records)
of such Grantor pertaining to any of the Collateral;
(s)
and all other
tangible and intangible personal property of whatever nature
whether or not covered by Article 9 of the UCC;
(t)
all proceeds
of, collateral for, income, royalties and other payments now or
hereafter due and payable with respect to and Supporting
Obligations relating to, any and all of the Collateral (including,
without limitation, proceeds, collateral and supporting obligations
that constitute property of the types described in clauses (a)
through (t) of this Section 1 and, to the extent not otherwise
included, all payments under insurance (whether or not the
Collateral Agent is the loss payee thereof), or any indemnity,
warranty or guaranty, payable by reason of loss or damage to or
otherwise with respect to any of the foregoing
Collateral;
provided
that
notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, this
Agreement shall not constitute a grant of a security interest in
Excluded Assets.
Section
2.
Security for
Obligations . This
Agreement secures, in the case of each Grantor, the payment of all
Obligations of such Grantor now or hereafter existing under the
Note Documents, whether direct or indirect, absolute or contingent,
and whether for principal, reimbursement obligations, interest
(including interest and fees that accrue after the commencement by
or against any Grantor of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief
Laws naming such Person as the debtor in such proceeding,
regardless of whether such interest and fees are allowed claims in
such proceeding), fees, premiums, penalties, indemnifications,
contract causes of action, costs, expenses or otherwise (all such
obligations being the “ Secured Obligations
”).
Section
3.
Grantors Remain
Liable . Anything
herein to the contrary notwithstanding, (a) each Grantor shall
remain liable under the contracts and agreements included in such
Grantor’s Collateral to the extent set forth therein to
perform all of its duties and obligations thereunder to the same
extent as if this Agreement had not been executed, (b) the
exercise by the Collateral Agent of any of the rights hereunder
shall not release any Grantor from any of its duties or obligations
under the contracts and agreements included in the Collateral and
(c) no Secured Party shall have any obligation or liability
under the contracts and agreements included in the Collateral by
reason of this Agreement or any other Note Document, nor shall any
Secured Party be obligated to perform any of the obligations or
duties of any Grantor thereunder or to take any action to collect
or enforce any claim for payment assigned hereunder.
Section
4.
Delivery and
Control of Security Collateral . (a) (i) All
certificates representing or evidencing the Pledged Equity and
(ii) all instruments representing or evidencing the Pledged
Debt (excluding, unless an Event of Default has occurred and is
continuing, Pledged Debt in an aggregate principal amount not in
excess of $2,500,000), shall be delivered to and held by or on
behalf of the Collateral Agent pursuant hereto and shall be in
suitable form for transfer by delivery, or shall be accompanied by
duly executed instruments of transfer or assignment in blank, all
in form and substance satisfactory to the Collateral Agent;
provided that, unless an Event of Default shall have
occurred and be continuing, with respect to intercompany
indebtedness to the extent evidenced by the Intercompany Note, the
Grantors shall only be required to deliver possession of the
Intercompany Note with respect to such
indebtedness. During the continuation of an Event of
Default, the Collateral Agent shall have the right, at any time in
its discretion and without notice to any Grantor, to
(i) transfer to or to register in the name of the Collateral
Agent or any of its nominees any or all of the Security Collateral,
subject only to the revocable rights specified in
Section 11(a), (ii) exchange certificates or instruments
representing or evidencing Security Collateral for certificates or
instruments of smaller or larger denominations, and
(iii) convert Security Collateral consisting of financial
assets credited to any Securities Account to Security Collateral
consisting of financial assets held directly by the Collateral
Agent, and to convert Security Collateral consisting of financial
assets held directly by the Collateral Agent to Security Collateral
consisting of financial assets credited to any Securities
Account.
(b) With
respect to any Security Collateral in which any Grantor has any
right, title or interest and that constitutes an uncertificated
security, such Grantor will promptly notify the Collateral Agent
thereof and, (i) if so requested by the Collateral Agent with
respect to any such Security Collateral (which request shall only
be made with respect to Security Collateral as to which the actions
described in this Section 4(b) have not been taken to the extent
that the aggregate value thereof is in excess of $1,000,000) or
(ii) solely in the case of Security Collateral representing Equity
Interests in a Subsidiary, upon the request of the Collateral
Agent, cause the issuer thereof either (x) to register the
Collateral Agent as the registered owner of such security or
(y) to agree in an authenticated record with such Grantor and
the Collateral Agent that such issuer will comply with instructions
with respect to such security originated by the Collateral Agent
without further consent of such Grantor, such authenticated record
to be in form and substance satisfactory to the Collateral
Agent. During the continuation of an Event of Default,
with respect to any Security Collateral in which any Grantor has
any right, title or interest, promptly upon the request of the
Collateral Agent, such Grantor will notify each such issuer of
Security Collateral that such Security Collateral is subject to the
security interest granted hereunder.
(c) Except
as otherwise set forth herein, if any amount payable under or in
connection with any of the Collateral shall be or become evidenced
by any Instrument, certificated security or Chattel Paper, such
Instrument, certificated security or Chattel Paper shall be
promptly delivered to the Collateral Agent, duly endorsed in a
manner satisfactory to the Collateral Agent, to be held as
Collateral pursuant to this Agreement; provided that, unless
an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Grantors
shall not be required to deliver the same pursuant to this clause
(c) to the extent that the aggregate value of the Collateral not so
delivered does not exceed $5,000,000.
Section
5.
RESERVED
.
Section
6.
RESERVED
.
Section
7.
Maintaining
Electronic Chattel Paper, Transferable Records and Letter-of-Credit
Rights and Giving Notice of Commercial Tort Claims
. Unless
the Release Date shall have occurred:
(a)
Each Grantor
will maintain Deposit Accounts (other than Excluded Accounts) only
with a bank (which may include the Collateral Agent) (a “
Pledged Account Bank ”) that has entered into a
Deposit Account Control Agreement; provided that so long as
the Collateral Agent (as defined in the Intercreditor Agreement)
has possession or controls a deposit or securities account as
gratuitous bailee for the Collateral Agent (as defined herein)
pursuant to Section 3.01 of the Intercreditor Agreement (as in
effect on the Issue Date) for purposes of perfecting the Collateral
Agent’s Lien on such account, the Collateral Agent under this
Agreement will not require a separate control agreement for such
account. The Collateral Agent hereby agrees that it will
not deliver a notice indicating that the Collateral Agent will take
Control over a Deposit Account, Securities Account or Commodity
Account under any Control Agreement unless it has received notice
or has knowledge that an Event of Default has occurred and is
continuing.
(b)
The Collateral
Agent may, at any time and without notice to, or consent from, the
Grantor, transfer, or direct the transfer of, funds from the
Pledged Deposit Accounts to satisfy the Grantor’s obligations
under the Note Documents if it has received notice or has knowledge
that an Event of Default shall have occurred and be
continuing.
(c)
Upon any
termination by a Grantor of any Pledged Deposit Account, such
Grantor will immediately (i) transfer all funds and property held
in such terminated Pledged Deposit Account to another Pledged
Deposit Account or and (ii) notify all Account Debtors and any
other obligors that were making payments to such Pledged Deposit
Account to make all future payments to another Pledged Deposit
Account, in each case so that the Collateral Agent shall have a
continuously perfected security interest in such Account
Collateral, funds and property.
(d)
Upon the
occurrence of and during the continuation of an Event of Default,
promptly upon the request of the Collateral Agent, each Grantor
will maintain (i) all Electronic Chattel Paper with a value
individually in excess of $500,000 or in the aggregate in excess of
$2,000,000 so that the Collateral Agent has control of the
Electronic Chattel Paper in the manner specified in
Section 9-105 of the UCC and (ii) all transferable
records so that the Collateral Agent has control of the
transferable records in the manner specified in Section 16 of
the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, as in effect in the
jurisdiction governing such transferable record (“
UETA ”).
(e)
Each Grantor,
by granting a security interest in its Receivables consisting of
letter-of-credit rights to the Collateral Agent, intends to (and
hereby does) assign to the Collateral Agent its rights (including
its contingent rights) to the proceeds of all Related Contracts
consisting of letters of credit of which it is or hereafter becomes
a beneficiary or assignee (except to the extent that the applicable
Grantor is required by applicable law to apply such proceeds to a
specified purpose). If any Grantor is at any time a
beneficiary under a letter of credit now or hereafter issued in
favor of such Grantor, and (i) the face amount of such letter
of credit is in excess of $1,000,000 individually or (ii) the
face amount of such letter of credit, together with the face amount
of all other letters of credit issued in favor of any Grantor in
which the Collateral Agent does not have a perfected security
interest exceeds $2,500,000 in the aggregate, such Grantor shall
promptly notify the Collateral Agent thereof and such Grantor shall
use commercially reasonable efforts to either (A) arrange for
the issuer and any confirmer of such letter of credit to consent to
an assignment to the Collateral Agent of the proceeds of any
drawing under such letter of credit or (B) arrange for the
Collateral Agent to become the transferee beneficiary of such
letter of credit.
(f)
Upon the
occurrence of an Event of Default, each Grantor shall, promptly
upon request by the Collateral Agent, (i) notify (and such Grantor
hereby authorizes the Collateral Agent to notify) the issuer and
each nominated person with respect to each of the Related Contracts
consisting of letters of credit that the proceeds thereof have been
assigned to the Collateral Agent hereunder and any payments due or
to become due in respect thereof are to be made directly to the
Collateral Agent or its designee and (ii) arrange for the
Collateral Agent to become the transferee beneficiary of such
letters of credit.
(g)
Each Grantor
will give prompt notice in writing (which notice shall reference
this Section 7(g)) to the Collateral Agent of any Commercial
Tort Claim individually valued in excess of $2,500,000 that may
arise in the future and, if requested by the Collateral Agent, will
promptly execute or otherwise authenticate a supplement to this
Agreement, and otherwise take all necessary action, to subject such
Commercial Tort Claim to the first priority security interest
created under this Agreement.
Section
8.
Representations
and Warranties . Each
Grantor represents and warrants as follows:
(a)
All Pledged
Equity consisting of certificated securities and all Pledged Debt
has been delivered to the Collateral Agent in accordance
herewith. If such Grantor is an issuer of Security
Collateral, such Grantor confirms that it has received notice of
the security interest granted hereunder.
(b)
Such Grantor is
the legal and beneficial owner of the Collateral granted or
purported to be granted by such Grantor free and clear of any Lien,
claim, option or right of others, except for the security interest
created under this Agreement, subject to Liens permitted under
Section 4.12 of the Indenture. To the best
knowledge of the Grantors, no effective financing statement or
other instrument similar in effect covering all or any part of the
Collateral or listing such Grantor or any trade name of such
Grantor as debtor is on file in any recording office, except such
as may have been filed in favor of the Collateral Agent relating to
the Note Documents or as otherwise permitted under the
Indenture.
(c)
All of the
Equipment and Inventory of such Grantor are located at the places
specified therefor in Schedule 2 to the Perfection Certificate
or at another location as to which such Grantor has complied with
the requirements of Sections 10 and 11(b). Such
Grantor has obtained and maintains insurance with respect to its
Equipment and Inventory in compliance with
Section 10(d).
(d)
(i) The Pledged
Equity issued by the Issuer or any of its Subsidiaries hereunder
has been duly authorized and validly issued and is fully paid and
non-assessable. The Pledged Debt pledged by such Grantor
hereunder has been duly authorized, authenticated or issued and
delivered, is the legal, valid and binding obligation of the
issuers thereof, is evidenced by one or more promissory notes
(which promissory notes have been delivered to the Collateral Agent
and is not in default.
(ii) The
Pledged Equity pledged by such Grantor constitutes the percentage
of the issued and outstanding Equity Interests of the issuers
thereof indicated on Schedule 11 to the Perfection
Certificate. No Grantor has any Investment Property or
Financial Assets other than the Investment Property and Financial
Assets listed on Schedules 11, 12 and 13 to the Perfection
Certificate.
(e)
Each Grantor
has good and valid rights in and title to the Collateral with
respect to which it has purported to grant a security interest
hereunder and has full power and authority to grant to the
Collateral Agent the security interest in such Collateral pursuant
hereto and to execute, deliver and perform its obligations in
accordance with the terms of this Agreement, without the consent or
approval of any other person, other than any consent or approval
that has been obtained and is in full force and effect or the need
for which has been specifically disclosed herein or in the
Indenture.
(f)
The Perfection
Certificate has been duly prepared, completed and executed by the
Issuer and the information set forth therein, including the exact
legal name of each Grantor, is true, accurate and
complete.
(g)
This Agreement
creates in favor of the Collateral Agent for the benefit of the
Secured Parties a valid security interest in the Collateral granted
by such Grantor, securing the payment of the Secured Obligations;
and (i) when the financing statements set forth in Schedule 7
of the Perfection Certificate are filed or recorded with the
appropriate Governmental Authority referred to therein with respect
to the Collateral described therein in which a security interest
may be perfected by filing or recordation and (ii) upon the taking
of possession or control by the Collateral Agent of the Collateral
described in Schedules 11, 12 and 16 of the Perfection Certificate
with respect to which a security interest may be perfected only by
possession or control, all filings and other actions necessary to
perfect the security interest in the Collateral granted by such
Grantor have been duly made or taken and are in full force and
effect; and such security interest is, in the case of Notes
Collateral, first priority and, in the case of ABL Collateral,
second priority.
(h)
None of the
Grantors has filed or consented to the filing of (i) any financing
statement or analogous document under the UCC or any other
applicable laws covering any Collateral, (ii) any assignment in
which any Grantor assigns any Collateral or any security agreement
or similar instrument covering any Collateral with the United
States Patent and Trademark Office or the United States Copyright
Office or (iii) any assignment in which any Grantor assigns any
Collateral or any security agreement or similar instrument covering
any Collateral with any foreign governmental, municipal or other
office, which financing statement or analogous document,
assignment, security agreement or similar instrument is still in
effect, except, in each case, for Liens expressly permitted
pursuant to Section 4.12 of the Indenture.
(i)
No
authorization or approval or other action by, and no notice to or
filing with, any governmental authority or regulatory body or any
other third party is required for (i) the grant by such Grantor of
the security interest granted hereunder or for the execution,
delivery or performance of this Agreement by such Grantor, (ii) the
perfection or maintenance of the security interest created
hereunder (including the first or second, as applicable, priority
nature of such security interest), except for the filing of
financing and continuation statements under the UCC and the
recordation of the Intellectual Property Collateral Agreement
referred to in Section 12(f) with the U.S. Patent and
Trademark Office and the U.S. Copyright Office, in each case as
described in Schedule 7 to the Perfection Certificate, and the
actions described in Section 4 with respect to the Security
Collateral, or (iii) the exercise by the Collateral Agent of its
voting or other rights provided for in this Agreement or the
remedies in respect of the Collateral pursuant to this Agreement,
except as may be required in connection with the disposition of any
portion of the Security Collateral by laws affecting the offering
and sale of securities generally.
(j)
The Inventory
that has been produced or distributed by such Grantor has been
produced in compliance with all requirements of applicable law,
including, without limitation, the Fair Labor Standards
Act.
(k)
No amount
payable to such Grantor under or in connection with any Receivable
is evidenced by any Instrument or Chattel Paper which has not been
delivered to the Collateral Agent to the extent otherwise required
to be delivered hereunder (other than purchase orders, supply
agreements and invoices).
(l)
As to itself
and its Intellectual Property Collateral:
(i)
To such
Grantor’s knowledge, the operation of such Grantor’s
business as currently conducted and the use of the Intellectual
Property in connection therewith do not infringe, misappropriate or
otherwise violate the intellectual property rights of any third
party.
(ii)
Such Grantor is
the exclusive owner of all right, title and interest in and to the
material Intellectual Property Collateral, and is entitled to use
all material Intellectual Property Collateral subject only to the
terms of the IP Agreements, in each case as used in or necessary to
its operations.
(iii)
The IP
Agreements, patents, trademarks, service marks, trade names and all
applications for any of the foregoing included in the Intellectual
Property Collateral is set forth on Schedule 14 to the
Perfection Certificate and such schedule sets forth all such
Intellectual Property and all IP Agreements material to the
operations of the Grantors.
(iv)
None of such
Grantor’s Intellectual Property material to the operations of
the Grantors, has been abandoned or has been adjudged invalid or
unenforceable in whole or part.
Section
9.
Further
Assurances . (a) Each
Grantor agrees that from time to time, at the expense of such
Grantor, such Grantor will promptly execute and deliver, or
otherwise authenticate, all further instruments and documents, and
take all further action that may be reasonably necessary or
desirable, or that the Collateral Agent may reasonably request
(without hereby imposing or implying any duty or obligation on the
part of the Collateral Agent to request such action), in order to
perfect and protect any pledge or security interest granted or
purported to be granted by such Grantor hereunder or to enable the
Collateral Agent to exercise and enforce its rights and remedies
hereunder with respect to any Collateral of such
Grantor. Without limiting the generality of the
foregoing, each Grantor will promptly with respect to Collateral of
such Grantor:
(i)
mark
conspicuously at the request of the Collateral Agent if an Event of
Default has occurred and is continuing, each Chattel Paper, each
Related Contract and each Assigned Agreement and, at the request of
the Collateral Agent, each of its records pertaining to such
Collateral with a legend, in form and substance satisfactory to the
Collateral Agent, indicating that such document, Chattel Paper,
Related Contract, Assigned Agreement or Collateral is subject to
the security interest granted hereby;
(ii)
if any Grantor
shall, following the Closing Date, establish and maintain any
Securities Account or Commodity Account (other than an Excluded
Account) with any Securities Intermediary or Commodity Intermediary
such Grantor shall, within 30 days (or such longer period as the
Collateral Agent may agree in its sole discretion) of
opening such Securities Account or Commodity Account,
notify the Collateral Agent thereof and deliver to the Collateral
Agent an executed Control Agreement with respect to such Securities
Account or Commodity Account, as the case may be; and
(iii)
deliver to the
Collateral Agent evidence that all other action that the Collateral
Agent may deem reasonably necessary or desirable in order to
perfect and protect the security interest granted or purported to
be granted by such Grantor under this Agreement has been taken
(without herein imposing or implying any duty or obligation on the
part of the Collateral Agent to require or request such
evidence).
(b) Each
Grantor hereby authorizes the Collateral Agent to file one or more
financing or continuation statements, and amendments thereto,
including, without limitation, one or more financing statements
indicating that such financing statements cover all assets or all
personal property (or words of similar effect) of such Grantor, in
each case without the signature of such Grantor, and regardless of
whether any particular asset described in such financing statements
falls within the scope of the UCC or the granting clause of this
Agreement. A photocopy or other reproduction of this
Agreement or any financing statement covering the Collateral or any
part thereof shall be sufficient as a financing statement where
permitted by law. Each Grantor ratifies its
authorization for the Collateral Agent to have filed such financing
statements, continuation statements or amendments filed prior to
the date hereof.
(c) Each
Grantor will furnish to the Collateral Agent from time to time
statements and schedules further identifying and describing the
Collateral of such Grantor and such other reports in connection
with such Collateral as the Collateral Agent may reasonably
request, all in reasonable detail (without herein imposing or
implying any duty or obligation on the part of the Collateral Agent
to require or request such statements and schedules).
(d) The
Issuer will furnish to the Collateral Agent, at any time upon the
request of the Collateral Agent if an Event of Default has occurred
and is continuing, an opinion of counsel, from outside counsel
reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent, to the effect that
all financing or continuation statements have been filed, and all
other action has been taken to perfect continuously from the date
hereof the security interest granted hereunder (without herein
imposing or implying any duty or obligation on the part of the
Collateral Agent to require or request such opinion).
(e) Each
Grantor shall at all times defend its title to Collateral and the
Collateral Agent’s Liens therein against all Persons, claims
and demands whatsoever, except for Liens permitted under
Section 4.12 of the Indenture.
Section
10.
As to Equipment
and Inventory and Insurance . (a) Each
Grantor will keep its Equipment and Inventory (other than Inventory
sold in the ordinary course of business or pursuant to a
disposition in accordance with Section 4.13 of the Indenture) at
the places therefor specified in Section 2 to the Perfection
Certificate or at such other locations as such Grantor may
determine from time to time, provided that such Grantor
shall give written notice to the Collateral Agent specifying any
such other location within 30 days after the first date on which
any Equipment or Inventory is moved to such location.
(b)
Each Grantor
will promptly furnish to the Collateral Agent a statement
respecting any loss or damage exceeding $1,000,000 to any of the
Inventory of such Grantor.
(c)
In producing
its Inventory, each Grantor will comply in all material respects
with all requirements of applicable law, including, without
limitation, the Fair Labor Standards Act.
(d)
Each Grantor
will, at its own expense, maintain insurance with respect to its
Equipment and Inventory in such amounts, against such risks, in
such form and with such insurers, as required under
Section 4.05 of the Indenture. Without limitation
to the foregoing, each Grantor shall maintain insurance with
respect to the Collateral, covering casualty, hazard, public
liability, theft, malicious mischief, flood and other risks, in
amounts, with indorsements and with insurers with a Best Rating of
at least A7. All proceeds under each policy shall be
payable to the Collateral Agent. From time to time upon
request, the Grantors shall deliver to the Collateral Agent the
originals or certified copies of its insurance policies and updated
flood plain searches. Unless the Collateral Agent shall
agree otherwise, each policy of property insurance shall include
indorsements: (i) showing the Collate