EXHIBIT 10.2
PLEDGE
AGREEMENT
This
PLEDGE AGREEMENT, dated as of November 9, 2007 (together with
all amendments, if any, from time to time hereto, this “
Agreement ”) by and among COOPER TIRE & RUBBER
COMPANY, a Delaware corporation (“ Pledgor ”)
and BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. in its capacity as Agent for Lenders
(“ Agent ”).
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS,
pursuant to that certain Loan and Security Agreement dated as of
the date hereof by and among the Pledgor, as a Borrower (the
“ Borrower ”), the financial institutions
signatory thereto from time to time as Lenders and the Agent
(including all annexes, exhibits and schedules thereto, and as from
time to time amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified,
the “ Loan Agreement ”), the Lenders have agreed
to make the Revolver Loans and to incur LC Obligations for the
benefit of Borrower;
WHEREAS,
Pledgor will derive direct and indirect economic benefits from the
credit facilities made available to them under the Loan Agreement;
and
WHEREAS,
Pledgor is the record and beneficial owners of the shares of Stock
listed in Part A of Schedule I hereto and the
owners of the promissory notes and instruments listed in Part B of
Schedule I hereto; and
WHEREAS,
in order to induce Lenders to make the Loans and to incur the LC
Obligations as provided for in the Loan Agreement, Pledgor has
agreed to pledge the Pledged Collateral to Agent in accordance
herewith;
NOW,
THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the covenants
hereinafter contained and to induce Lenders to make Loans and to
incur LC Obligations under the Loan Agreement, it is agreed as
follows:
1. Definitions . Unless
otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Loan Agreement are
used herein as therein defined, and the following shall have
(unless otherwise provided elsewhere in this Agreement) the
following respective meanings (such meanings being equally
applicable to both the singular and plural form of the terms
defined):
“
Bankruptcy Code ” means title 11, United States Code,
as amended from time to time, and any successor statute
thereto.
“
Issuer ” means an issuer of Pledged Debt.
“
Pledged Collateral ” has the meaning assigned to such
term in Section 2 hereof.
“
Pledged Debt ” means the Debt evidenced by promissory
notes and instruments listed on Part B of
Schedule I hereto;
“
Pledged Entity ” means Cooper Receivables, LLC.
“
Pledged Shares ” means all of Pledgor’s
membership interest in Cooper Receivables, LLC.
“
Secured Obligations ” has the meaning assigned to such
term in Section 3 hereof.
“
Stock ” means all limited liability company membership
interests, whether voting or nonvoting, including “equity
security” (as such term is defined in Rule 3a11-1 of the
General Rules and Regulations promulgated by the Securities and
Exchange Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended).
2. Pledge . Pledgor
hereby pledges to Agent, and grants to Agent for itself and the
benefit of Lenders, a first priority security interest in all of
the following owned by it (collectively, the “ Pledged
Collateral ”):
(a) the Pledged Shares and all
certificates representing the Pledged Shares, if any, and all
dividends, distributions, cash, instruments and other property or
proceeds from time to time received, receivable or otherwise
distributed in respect of or in exchange for any or all of the
Pledged Shares;
(b) such portion, as determined by
Agent as provided in Section 6(d) below, of any
additional shares of Stock that Pledged Entity from time to time
acquired by Pledgor in any manner (which shares shall be deemed to
be part of the Pledged Shares), and all certificates representing
such additional shares, and all dividends, distributions, cash,
instruments and other property or proceeds from time to time
received, receivable or otherwise distributed in respect of or in
exchange for any or all of such Stock; and
(c) the Pledged Debt and the
promissory notes or instruments evidencing the Pledged Debt, and
all interest, cash, instruments and other property and assets from
time to time received, receivable or otherwise distributed in
respect of the Pledged Debt.
3. Security for
Obligations . This Agreement secures, and the Pledged
Collateral is security for, the prompt payment in full when due,
whether at stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise, and
performance of all Obligations of any kind under or in connection
with the Loan Agreement and the other Loan Documents, and all
obligations of Pledgor now or hereafter existing under this
Agreement including, without limitation, all fees, costs and
expenses whether in connection with collection actions hereunder or
otherwise (collectively, the “ Secured Obligations
”).
4. Delivery of Pledged
Collateral . All certificates, if any, and all promissory notes
or instruments evidencing the Pledged Collateral shall be delivered
to and held by or on behalf of Agent, for itself and the benefit of
the Lenders, pursuant hereto. All certificates, if any,
representing Pledged Shares shall be accompanied by duly executed
instruments of transfer or assignment in blank, all in form and
substance satisfactory to Agent. All promissory notes or other
instruments evidencing the Pledged Debt shall be indorsed by
Pledgor.
5. Representations and
Warranties . Pledgor represents and warrants to Agent
that:
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(a) Pledgor is, and at the time of
delivery of the Pledged Shares to Agent will be, the sole holder of
record and the sole beneficial owner of the Pledged Collateral
pledged by Pledgor free and clear of any Lien thereon or affecting
the title thereto, except for any Lien created by this Agreement;
Pledgor is and at the time of delivery of the Pledged Debt to Agent
will be, the sole owner of such Pledged Collateral free and clear
of any Lien thereon or affecting title thereto, except for any Lien
created by this Agreement;
(b) All of the Pledged Shares have
been duly authorized, validly issued and are fully paid and, to the
extent applicable, non-assessable; the Pledged Debt has been duly
authorized, authenticated or issued and delivered by, and is the
legal, valid and binding obligations of the Issuer and the Issuer
is not in default thereunder;
(c) Pledgor has the right and
requisite authority to pledge, assign, transfer, deliver, deposit
and set over the Pledged Collateral pledged by Pledgor to Agent as
provided herein;
(d) None of the Pledged Shares or
Pledged Debt has been issued or transferred in violation of the
securities registration, securities disclosure or similar laws of
any jurisdiction to which such issuance or transfer may be
subject;
(e) All of the Pledged Shares pledged
by Pledgor hereunder are presently owned by Pledgor. As of the date
hereof, (i) there are no existing options, warrants, calls or
commitments of any character whatsoever relating to the Pledged
Shares and (ii) none of the Pledges Shares are represented by
certificates;
(f) No consent, approval,
authorization or other order or other action by, and no notice to
or filing with, any governmental authority or any other Person is
required (i) for the pledge by Pledgor of the Pledged
Collateral pledged by it pursuant to this Agreement or for the
execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement by Pledgor, or
(ii) for the exercise by Agent of the voting or other rights
provided for in this Agreement or the remedies in respect of the
Pledged Collateral pursuant to this Agreement, except as may be
required in connection with such disposition by laws affecting the
offering and sale of securities generally;
(g) The pledge, assignment and
delivery of the Pledged Collateral pursuant to this Agreement will
create a valid first priority Lien on and a first priority
perfected security interest in favor of the Agent for the benefit
of Agent and Lenders in the Pledged Collateral and the proceeds
thereof, securing the payment of the Secured Obligations, subject
to no other Lien;
(h) This Agreement has been duly
authorized, executed and delivered by Pledgor and constitutes a
legal, valid and binding obligation of Pledgor enforceable against
Pledgor in accordance with its terms;
(i) The Pledged Shares constitute
100% of the issued and outstanding shares of Stock of the Pledged
Entity; and
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(j) Except as disclosed on
Part B of Schedule I , none of the Pledged Debt is
subordinated in right of payment to other Debt (except for the
Secured Obligations) or subject to the terms of an indenture.
The
representations and warranties set forth in this
Section 5 shall survive the execution and delivery of
this Agreement.
6. Covenants . Pledgor
covenants and agrees that until Full Payment of the Obligations and
termination of all Revolver Commitments (the “ Termination
Date ”):
(a) Without the prior written consent
of Agent, Pledgor will not sell, assign, transfer, pledge, or
otherwise encumber any of its rights in or to the Pledged
Collateral, or any unpaid dividends, interest or other
distributions or payments with respect to the Pledged Collateral or
grant a Lien in the Pledged Collateral, unless otherwise expressly
permitted by the Loan Agreement;
(b) Pledgor will, at its expense,
promptly execute, acknowledge and deliver all such instruments and
take all such actions as Agent from time to time may request in
order to ensure to Agent and Lenders the benefits of the Liens in
and to the Pledged Collateral intended to be created by this
Agreement, including the filing of any necessary UCC financing
statements, which may be filed by Agent with or (to the extent
permitted by Applicable Law) without the signature of Pledgor, and
will cooperate with Agent, at Pledgor’s expense, in obtaining
all necessary approvals and making all necessary filings under
federal, state, local or foreign law in connection with such Liens
or any sale or transfer of the Pledged Collateral;
(c) Pledgor has and will defend the
title to the Pledged Collateral and the Liens of Agent in the
Pledged Collateral against the claim of any Person and will
maintain and preserve such Liens except for claims and Liens
relating to the Receivables Securitization Facility;
(d) Pledgor will not permit or cause
any of the Pledges Shares to be represented by certificates;
provided , however , in the event that any Pledged
Shares become represented by certificates in contravention of this
provision, Pledgor shall immediately deliver, or cause to be
delivered, to Agent, to be held by Agent on its behalf and on
behalf of the Lenders, all such certificates, together with duly
executed instruments of transfer or assignment in black, all in
form and substance satisfactory to Agent; and
(e) Pledgor will, upon obtaining
ownership of any additional Stock or promissory notes or
instruments of a Pledged Entity or Issuer, which Stock, notes or
instruments are not already Pledged Collateral, promptly (and in
any event within three (3) Business Days) deliver to Agent a
Pledge Amendment, duly executed by Pledgor, in substantially the
form of Schedule II hereto (a “ Pledge
Amendment ”) in respect of any such additional Stock,
notes or instruments, pursuant to which Pledgor shall pledge to
Agent all of such additional Stock, notes or instruments. Pledgor
hereby authorizes Agent to attach each Pledge Amendment to this
Agreement and agrees that all Pledged
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Shares and
Pledged Debt listed on any Pledge Amendment delivered to Agent
shall for all purposes hereunder be considered Pledged
Collateral.
7. Pledgors’
Rights . As long as no Default or Event of Default shall be
deemed to have occurred under the Loan Agreement and be continuing
and until written notice shall be given to Pledgor in accordance
with Section 8(a) hereof or as otherwise permitted
under the Loan Agreement:
(a) Pledgor shall have the right,
from time to time, to vote and give consents with respect to the
Pledged Collateral, or any part thereof for all purposes not
inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement, the Loan
Agreement or any other Loan Document; provided ,
however , that no vote shall be cast, and no consent shall
be given or action taken, which would have the effect of impairing
the position or interest of Agent in respect of the Pledged
Collateral or which would authorize, effect or consent to (unless
and to the extent expressly permitted by the Loan Agreement):
(i) the dissolution or liquidation,
in whole or in part, of any Pledged Entity;
(ii) the consolidation or merger of
any Pledged Entity with any other Person;
(iii) the sale, disposition or
encumbrance of all or substantially all of the assets of any
Pledged Entity, except for Liens in favor of Agent;
(iv) any change in the authorized
number of shares, the stated capital or the authorized share
capital of any Pledged Entity or the issuance of any additional
Stock; or
(v) the alteration of the voting
rights with respect to the Stock of any Pledged Entity; and
(b)
(i) Pledgor shall be entitled, from time to time, to collect
and receive for its own use all cash dividends and interest paid in
respect of the Pledged Shares and Pledged Debt to the extent not in
violation of the Loan Agreement other than any and all:
(A) dividends and interest paid or payable other than in cash
in respect of any Pledged Collateral, and instruments and other
property received, receivable or otherwise distributed in respect
of, or in exchange for, any Pledged Collateral; (B) dividends
and other distributions paid or payable in cash in respect of any
Pledged Shares in connection with a partial or total liquidation or
dissolution or in connection with a reduction of capital, capital
surplus or paid-in capital of any Pledged Entity; and (C) cash
paid, payable or otherwise distributed, in respect of principal of,
or in redemption of, or in exchange for, any Pledged Collateral;
provided , however , that until actually paid all
rights to such distributions shall remain subject to the Lien
created by this Agreement; and
(ii) all dividends and interest
(other than such cash dividends and interest as are permitted to be
paid to Pledgor in accordance with clause (i) above)
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and all other
distributions in respect of any of the Pledged Shares or Pledged
Debt, whenever paid or made, shall be delivered to Agent to hold as
Pledged Collateral and shall, if
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