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Exhibit
10.2
E XECUTION
C OPY
THIRD AMENDMENT AND
WAIVER
This Third Amendment and
Waiver (the “ Agreement ”) to the Credit
Agreement referred to below is dated as of February 25, 2008,
by and among BOWATER CANADIAN FOREST PRODUCTS INC., a company
organized under the laws of Canada, in its capacity as Borrower
under the Credit Agreement referred to below (the “
Borrower ”), BOWATER INCORPORATED, a corporation
organized under the laws of Delaware, in its capacity as a
Guarantor under the Credit Agreement referred to below (the “
Original U.S. Borrower ”), certain Subsidiaries and
Affiliates of the Original U.S. Borrower party hereto (the “
Grantors ”), ABITIBIBOWATER, INC., a corporation
organized under the laws of Delaware (the “ Parent
”), the Lenders and the U.S. Lenders party hereto (the
“ Consenting Lenders ”) pursuant to an
authorization (in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A ,
each a “ Lender Authorization ”) and THE BANK OF
NOVA SCOTIA, as administrative agent (the “ Administrative
Agent ”) for the Lenders party to the Credit Agreement
referred to below.
STATEMENT OF
PURPOSE:
The Borrower, the U.S.
Borrower, the Lenders, certain other financial institutions and the
Administrative Agent are parties to the Credit Agreement dated as
of May 31, 2006 (as amended by that certain First Amendment
dated as of July 20, 2007, that certain Second Amendment dated
as of October 31, 2007, as amended hereby and as further
amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to
time, the “ Credit Agreement ”).
The Borrower has requested
that the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the U.S. Lenders
agree to amend the Credit Agreement as more specifically set forth
herein. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the
Administrative Agent and each of the Consenting Lenders have agreed
to grant such requests of the Borrower.
NOW, THEREFORE, for good and
valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are
hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto hereby agree as
follows:
1. Capitalized Terms .
All capitalized undefined terms used in this Agreement (including,
without limitation, in the introductory paragraph and the statement
of purpose hereto) shall have the meanings assigned thereto in the
Credit Agreement (as amended by this Agreement).
2. Waiver . Pursuant
to Section 14.2 of the Credit Agreement and subject to
the terms and conditions hereof, including, without limitation, the
conditions to effectiveness set forth in Section 4
hereof, each of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Lender and
the other Consenting Lenders party hereto waive any and all
Defaults or Events of Default occurring pursuant to
Section 12.1(d) of the Credit Agreement solely as a
result of the failure by the U.S. Borrower and its Subsidiaries to
comply with the financial covenants set forth in Sections
9.1 and 9.2 of the Credit Agreement solely with respect
to the testing period ended December 31, 2007.
3. Credit Agreement
Amendments . The Credit Agreement is hereby amended as set
forth on Exhibit B ; provided , that the
Administrative Agent (in consultation with the Lenders and the U.S.
Lenders) may effect such other amendments to the Credit Agreement
as may be necessary or appropriate, in the opinion of the
Administrative Agent (in consultation with the Lenders and the U.S.
Lenders), to reflect changes in the structure of the Newco
Transactions from the structure described in the Credit Agreement
so long as (a) any such new structure has substantially the
same economic end result as the structure described in the Credit
Agreement and (b) any such changes are limited to changes that
are not materially adverse to the Lenders or the U.S
Lenders.
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4. Conditions to
Effectiveness . Upon the satisfaction of each of the following
conditions, this Agreement shall be deemed to be effective as of
the date hereof:
(a) the U.S. Administrative
Agent shall have received counterparts of this Agreement executed
by the Administrative Agent (on behalf of itself and each of the
Consenting Lenders by virtue of each Consenting Lender’s
execution of a Lender Authorization), the Borrower, the Original
U.S. Borrower, the Parent and the Grantors;
(b) the U.S. Administrative
Agent shall have received executed Lender Authorizations from the
requisite Consenting Lenders;
(c) the Administrative Agent
shall have been reimbursed for all fees and out-of-pocket charges
and other expenses incurred in connection with this Agreement,
including, without limitation, the reasonable fees and
disbursements of counsel for the Administrative Agent;
(d) the Administrative Agent
and the U.S. Administrative Agent shall have received Schedule
1.1(c) to the Credit Agreement and Schedule 1.1(c) to
the U.S. Credit Agreement, in each case, in form and substance
reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the U.S.
Administrative Agent;
(e) the Administrative Agent
shall have received a corresponding amendment to the U.S. Credit
Agreement, in form and substance substantially consistent with this
Agreement (with such changes as are applicable only to the U.S.
Credit Agreement), duly executed by the U.S. Administrative Agent,
the U.S. Borrower, the Parent, each U.S. Subsidiary Guarantor and
the requisite Consenting Lenders (whether directly or through a
lender authorization);
(f) the Borrower shall have
paid to the U.S. Administrative Agent (or its applicable
affiliates), for the account of each Consenting Lender (including
the Administrative Agent and the U.S. Administrative Agent) that
executes and delivers this Agreement or a Lender Authorization to
the U.S. Administrative Agent (or its counsel) on or prior to 2:00
p.m. (Eastern Time) on February 22, 2008, an amendment fee in
an amount equal to (a) 25 basis points times the
principal amount of such Consenting Lender’s Commitment
plus (b) 25 basis points times the principal
amount of such Consenting Lender’s “Commitment”
(as defined in the U.S. Credit Agreement); and
(g) the Administrative Agent
shall have received such other instruments, documents and
certificates as the Administrative Agent shall reasonably request
in connection with the execution of this Agreement.
5. Effect of the
Agreement . Except as expressly provided herein, the Credit
Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall remain unmodified and
in full force and effect. Except as expressly set forth herein,
this Agreement shall not be deemed (a) to be a waiver of, or
consent to, a modification or amendment of, any other term or
condition of the Credit Agreement or any other Loan Document,
(b) to prejudice any other right or rights which the
Administrative Agent or the Lenders may now have or may have in the
future under or in connection with the Credit Agreement or the
other Loan Documents or any of the instruments or agreements
referred to therein, as the same may be amended, restated,
supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, (c) to
be a commitment or any other undertaking or expression of any
willingness to engage in any further discussion with the Borrower,
the U.S. Borrower or any other Person with respect to any waiver,
amendment, modification or any other change to the Credit Agreement
or the Loan Documents or any rights or remedies arising in favor of
the Lenders or the Administrative Agent, or any of them, under or
with respect to any such documents or (d) to be a waiver of,
or consent to or a modification or amendment of, any other term or
condition of any other agreement by and among the Borrower and the
U.S. Borrower, on the one hand, and the Administrative Agent or any
other Lender, on
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the other hand. References in the Credit
Agreement to “this Agreement” (and indirect references
such as “hereunder”, “hereby”,
“herein”, and “hereof”) and in any Loan
Document to the Credit Agreement shall be deemed to be references
to the Credit Agreement as modified hereby.
6. Representations and
Warranties/No Default . By their execution hereof,
(a) the Borrower, the
Original U.S. Borrower and each Grantor hereby certifies,
represents and warrants to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders
that after giving effect to the waiver set forth in
Section 2 above and the amendments set forth in
Section 3 above, each of the representations and
warranties set forth in the Credit Agreement and the other Loan
Documents is true and correct in all material respects as of the
date hereof (except to the extent that (i) any such
representation or warranty that is qualified by materiality or by
reference to Material Adverse Effect, in which case such
representation or warranty is true and correct in all respects as
of the date hereof or (ii) any such representation or warranty
relates only to an earlier date, in which case such representation
or warranty shall remain true and correct as of such earlier date)
and that no Default or Event of Default has occurred or is
continuing;
(b) the Borrower, the
Original U.S. Borrower, the Parent and each of the Grantors hereby
certifies, represents and warrants to the Administrative Agent and
the Lenders that:
(i) it has the right, power
and authority and has taken all necessary corporate and other
action to authorize the execution, delivery and performance of this
Agreement and each of the other documents executed in connection
herewith to which it is a party in accordance with their respective
terms and the transactions contemplated hereby; and
(ii) this Agreement and each
other document executed in connection herewith has been duly
executed and delivered by the duly authorized officers of the
Borrower, the Original U.S. Borrower, the Parent and each of the
Grantors, and each such document constitutes the legal, valid and
binding obligation of the Borrower, the Original U.S. Borrower, the
Parent and each of the Grantors, enforceable in accordance with its
terms, except as may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization, moratorium or similar state or federal debtor
relief laws from time to time in effect which affect the
enforcement of creditors’ rights in general and the
availability of equitable remedies.
7. Reaffirmations.
Each Credit Party (a) agrees that the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement shall not limit or diminish the
obligations of such Person under, or release such Person from any
obligations under the Credit Agreement, the applicable Guaranty
Agreement, the Collateral Agreement and each other Security
Document to which it is a party, (b) confirms and reaffirms
its obligations under the Credit Agreement, the applicable Guaranty
Agreement, the Collateral Agreement and each other Security
Document to which it is a party and (c) agrees that the Credit
Agreement, the applicable Guaranty Agreement, the Collateral
Agreement and each other Security Document to which it is a party
remain in full force and effect and are hereby ratified and
confirmed. In furtherance of the reaffirmations set forth in this
Section 7 , each Credit Party (other than the Original
U.S. Borrower) hereby grants to the Administrative Agent, for the
ratable benefit of the Secured Parties, a security interest in, all
Collateral and all proceeds thereof as security for the
Obligations, in each case subject to any applicable terms and
conditions set forth in the Credit Agreement, the applicable
Guaranty Agreement, the Collateral Agreement and each other
Security Document to which it is a party.
8. Acknowledgement by
Parent . The Parent hereby acknowledges receipt of a copy of
the Credit Agreement and agrees, for the benefit of the
Administrative Agent and the Secured Parties, to be
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bound thereby and to comply with the
terms thereof insofar as such terms are applicable to it
(including, without limitation, Sections 7.1(f) ,
10.6(i) and 12.1(o) ).
9. Governing Law .
THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE
WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, WITHOUT REFERENCE TO THE
CONFLICTS OF LAW PRINCIPLES THEREOF.
10. Counterparts .
This Agreement may be executed by one or more of the parties hereto
in any number of separate counterparts and all of said counterparts
taken together shall be deemed to constitute one and the same
instrument.
11. Electronic
Transmission . A facsimile, telecopy, pdf or other reproduction
of this Agreement may be executed by one or more parties hereto,
and an executed copy of this Agreement may be delivered by one or
more parties hereto by facsimile or similar instantaneous
electronic transmission device pursuant to which the signature of
or on behalf of such party can be seen, and such execution and
delivery shall be considered valid, binding and effective for all
purposes. At the request of any party hereto, all parties hereto
agree to execute an original of this Agreement as well as any
facsimile, telecopy, pdf or other reproduction hereof.
12. Agreement Regarding
Intercompany Subordination Agreement . The Intercompany
Subordination Agreement is hereby amended by:
(a) adding the phrase
“(other than the U.S. Borrower)” after the reference to
“U.S. Credit Party” in the definition of “Demand
Indebtedness”;
(b) deleting the reference to
“ Article XI ” in Section 2.05 and
replacing it with “ Article XII ”;
and
(c) adding the phrase
“(other than the U.S. Borrower)” after each reference
to the “U.S. Credit Party” in Section 2.05(a) and
(b).
[Signature Pages
Follow]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the
parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of
the date and year first above written.
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| BORROWER: |
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| BOWATER CANADIAN FOREST PRODUCTS
INC. |
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| By: |
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/s/ William G. Harvey |
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Name: |
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William
G. Harvey |
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Title: |
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Vice
President |
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| PARENT: |
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| ABITIBIBOWATER, INC. |
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| By: |
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/s/ William G. Harvey |
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Name: |
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William
G. Harvey |
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Title: |
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Sr. Vice
President & CFO |
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| PARENT GRANTORS: |
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| BOWATER INCORPORATED |
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| By: |
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/s/ William G. Harvey |
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Name: |
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William
G. Harvey |
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Title: |
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Vice
President & Treasurer |
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BOWATER CANADIAN HOLDINGS
INCORPORATED |
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| By: |
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/s/ William G. Harvey |
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Name: |
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William
G. Harvey |
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Title: |
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Vice
President |
[Signature Pages
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| SUBSIDIARY GRANTORS: |
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BOWATER CANADA FINANCE
LIMITED
PARTNERSHIP
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| By: |
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BOWATER CANADA TREASURY
CORPORATION, its general
partner
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| By: |
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/s/ William G. Harvey |
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Name: |
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William
G. Harvey |
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Title: |
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President |
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| BOWATER SHELBURNE CORPORATION |
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| By: |
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/s/ William G. Harvey |
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Name: |
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William
G. Harvey |
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Title: |
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President |
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| BOWATER LAHAVE CORPORATION |
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| By: |
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/s/ William G. Harvey |
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Name: |
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William
G. Harvey |
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Title: |
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Vice
President & Treasurer |
[Signature Pages
Continue]
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| THE BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA, as Administrative Agent (on behalf of
itself and the Lenders who have executed a Lender Authorization)
and as Issuing Lender and Lender |
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| By: |
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/s/ Robert
Boomhour |
| Name: |
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Robert
Boomhour |
| Title: |
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Director |
LENDER
AUTHORIZATION
Bowater
Incorporated
Bowater Canadian Forest
Products Inc.
Third Amendment and
Waiver
February 25,
2008
Wachovia Bank, National
Association
NC0680
1525 West W.T. Harris Blvd.
Charlotte, North Carolina
28262
Attention: Syndication Agency
Services
The Bank of Nova Scotia
40 King Street West
Scotia Plaza, 62
nd
Floor
Toronto, Ontario M5W 2X6
Attention: Corporate Banking Loan
Syndication
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Re: |
(a) the Third Amendment and Waiver dated as of
February 25, 2008 (the “ U.S. Agreement ”)
to that certain Credit Agreement dated as of May 31, 2006 (as
amended, the “ U.S. Credit Agreement ”) among
Bowater Incorporated (the “ U.S. Borrower ”),
the lenders party thereto (the “ U.S. Lenders
”), and Wachovia Bank, National Association, as
administrative agent (the “ U.S. Administrative Agent
”) for the U.S. Lenders and (b) the Third Amendment and
Waiver dated as of February 25, 2008 (the “ Canadian
Agreement ” and, together with the U.S. Agreement, the
“ Agreements ”) to that certain Credit Agreement
dated as of May 31, 2006 (as amended, the “ Canadian
Credit Agreement ”) among Bowater Canadian Forest
Products Inc. (the “ Canadian Borrower ”), the
U.S. Borrower, the lenders party thereto (the “ Canadian
Lenders ”), and The Bank of Nova Scotia, as
administrative agent (the “ Canadian Administrative
Agent ”) for the Canadian Lenders. |
This Lender Authorization
acknowledges our receipt and review of the execution copy of the
Agreements, each in the form posted on SyndTrak Online or otherwise
distributed to us by the U.S. Administrative Agent or the Canadian
Administrative Agent. By executing this Lender Authorization, we
hereby approve the Agreements and authorize the U.S. Administrative
Agent or the Canadian Administrative Agent (as applicable) to
execute and deliver the Agreements on our behalf.
Each financial institution
purporting to be a U.S. Lender and executing this Lender
Authorization agrees or reaffirms that it shall be a party to the
Agreements and the other Loan Documents (as defined in the U.S.
Credit Agreement) to which U.S. Lenders are parties and shall have
the rights and obligations of a “Lender” (as defined in
the U.S. Credit Agreement), and agrees to be bound by the terms and
provisions applicable to a “Lender” under each such
agreement. Each financial institution purporting to be a Canadian
Lender and executing this Lender Authorization agrees or reaffirms
that it shall be a party to the Agreements and the other Loan
Documents (as defined in the Canadian Credit Agreement) to which
Canadian Lenders are parties and shall have the rights and
obligations of a “Lender” (as defined in the Canadian
Credit Agreement), and agrees to be bound by the terms and
provisions applicable to a “Lender” under each such
agreement. In furtherance of the foregoing, each financial
institution executing this Lender Authorization agrees to execute
any additional documents reasonably requested by the U.S.
Administrative Agent or the Canadian Administrative Agent, as
applicable, to evidence such financial
institution’s rights and
obligations under the U.S. Credit Agreement or the Canadian Credit
Agreement, as applicable.
A facsimile, telecopy, pdf or
other reproduction of this Lender Authorization may be executed by
one or more parties hereto, and an executed copy of this Lender
Authorization may be delivered by one or more parties hereto by
facsimile or similar instantaneous electronic transmission device
pursuant to which the signature of or on behalf of such party can
be seen, and such execution and delivery shall be considered valid,
binding and effective for all purposes.
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| THE BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA |
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| By: |
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/s/ David Loewen |
| Name: |
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David
Loewen |
| Title: |
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Director |
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| By: |
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/s/ Daniel Zolov |
| Name: |
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Daniel
Zolov |
| Title: |
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Associate |
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| THE TORONTO DOMINION BANK |
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| By: |
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/s/ Jackie
Barrett |
| Name: |
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Jackie
Barrett |
| Title: |
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Authorized Signatory |
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| EXPORT DEVELOPMENT CANADA |
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| By: |
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/s/ Matthew
Devine |
| Name: |
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Matthew
Devine |
| Title: |
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Asset
Manager |
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| By: |
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/s/ Howard
Clysdale |
| Name: |
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Howard
Clysdale |
| Title: |
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Loan
Portfolio Manager |
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| BANK OF MONTREAL |
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| By: |
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/s/ Bruno Jarry |
| Name: |
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Bruno
Jarry |
| Title: |
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Director |
Exhibit B
E XECUTION
C OPY
Published CUSIP Number:
Revolving Credit CUSIP
Number:
CREDIT
AGREEMENT
dated as of May 31,
2006
(as amended by that certain
First Amendment dated as of July 20, 2007,
that certain Second Amendment
dated as of October 31, 2007 and
that certain Third Amendment
and Waiver dated as of February 25, 2008)
by and among
BOWATER CANADIAN FOREST
PRODUCTS INC. ,
as Borrower,
BOWATER
INCORPORATED,
as Guarantor,
the Lenders referred to
herein,
THE BANK OF NOVA
SCOTIA ,
as Administrative
Agent
and Issuing
Lender,
BANK OF MONTREAL
,
as Syndication Agent and
Swingline Lender,
TD SECURITIES
LLC,
as Syndication
Agent
and
WACHOVIA BANK, NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION,
as Documentation
Agent
WACHOVIA CAPITAL MARKETS,
LLC
as Sole Book
Manager
WACHOVIA CAPITAL MARKETS,
LLC,
as Lead Arranger
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
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Page |
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ARTICLE I
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DEFINITIONS |
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6 |
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SECTION 1.1
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Definitions |
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6 |
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SECTION 1.2
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Other
Definitions and Provisions |
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41 |
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SECTION 1.3
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Accounting Terms |
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41 |
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SECTION 1.4
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PPSA and
CCQ Terms |
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41 |
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SECTION 1.5
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Rounding |
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41 |
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SECTION 1.6
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References to Agreement and Laws |
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42 |
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SECTION 1.7
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Times of
Day |
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42 |
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SECTION 1.8
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Letter of
Credit Amounts |
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42 |
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SECTION 1.9
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Amount of
Obligations |
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42 |
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ARTICLE II
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REVOLVING
CREDIT FACILITY |
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42 |
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SECTION 2.1
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Revolving
Credit Loans |
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SECTION 2.2
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Swingline
Loans |
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43 |
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SECTION 2.3
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Procedure
for Advances of Revolving Credit Loans and Swingline
Loans |
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44 |
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SECTION 2.4
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Repayment
and Prepayment of Revolving Credit Loans and Swingline
Loans |
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45 |
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SECTION 2.5
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Permanent
Reduction of the Commitment |
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48 |
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SECTION 2.6
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Termination of Credit Facility |
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48 |
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SECTION 2.7
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Terms
Applicable to BA Loans |
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50 |
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ARTICLE III
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LETTER OF
CREDIT FACILITY |
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54 |
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SECTION 3.1
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L/C
Commitment |
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54 |
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SECTION 3.2
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Procedure
for Issuance of Letters of Credit |
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55 |
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SECTION 3.3
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Commissions and Other Charges |
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55 |
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SECTION 3.4
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L/C
Participations |
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56 |
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SECTION 3.5
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Reimbursement Obligation of the Borrower |
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57 |
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SECTION 3.6
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Obligations Absolute |
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58 |
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SECTION 3.7
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Effect of
Letter of Credit Application |
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58 |
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ARTICLE IV
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GENERAL
LOAN PROVISIONS |
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58 |
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SECTION 4.1
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Interest |
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SECTION 4.2
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Notice
and Manner of Conversion or Continuation of Loans |
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61 |
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SECTION 4.3
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Fees |
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63 |
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SECTION 4.4
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Manner of
Payment |
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63 |
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SECTION 4.5
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Evidence
of Indebtedness |
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64 |
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SECTION 4.6
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Adjustments |
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64 |
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SECTION 4.7
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Nature of
Obligations of Lenders Regarding Extensions of Credit; Assumption
by the Administrative Agent |
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65 |
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SECTION 4.8
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Changed
Circumstances |
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66 |
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SECTION 4.9
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Indemnity |
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67 |
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SECTION 4.10
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Increased
Costs |
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SECTION 4.11
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Taxes |
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69 |
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SECTION 4.12
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Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders |
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71 |
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SECTION 4.13
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Security |
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72 |
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SECTION 4.14
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Additional Subsidiary Borrowers |
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72 |
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ARTICLE V
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CLOSING;
CONDITIONS OF CLOSING AND BORROWING |
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73 |
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SECTION 5.1
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Closing |
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73 |
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SECTION 5.2
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Conditions to Closing and Initial Extensions of
Credit |
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74 |
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SECTION 5.3
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Conditions to All Extensions of Credit |
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77 |
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SECTION 5.4
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Post-Closing Conditions |
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78 |
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ARTICLE VI
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REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE BORROWER |
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79 |
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SECTION 6.1
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Representations and Warranties |
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79 |
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SECTION 6.2
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Survival
of Representations and Warranties, Etc. |
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86 |
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ARTICLE VII
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FINANCIAL
INFORMATION AND NOTICES |
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86 |
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SECTION 7.1
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Financial
Statements and Projections |
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87 |
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SECTION 7.2
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Officer’s Compliance Certificate |
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89 |
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SECTION 7.3
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Accountants’ Certificate |
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89 |
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SECTION 7.4
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Other
Reports |
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89 |
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SECTION 7.5
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Notice of
Litigation and Other Matters |
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89 |
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SECTION 7.6
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Accuracy
of Information |
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91 |
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ARTICLE VIII
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AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS |
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91 |
|
SECTION 8.1
|
|
Preservation of Corporate Existence and Related
Matters |
|
91 |
|
SECTION 8.2
|
|
Maintenance of Property; Reinvestment |
|
91 |
|
SECTION 8.3
|
|
Insurance |
|
93 |
|
SECTION 8.4
|
|
Accounting Methods and Financial Records |
|
93 |
|
SECTION 8.5
|
|
Payment
of Taxes |
|
93 |
|
SECTION 8.6
|
|
Compliance With Laws and Approvals |
|
93 |
|
SECTION 8.7
|
|
Environmental Laws |
|
93 |
|
SECTION 8.8
|
|
Compliance with ERISA |
|
94 |
|
SECTION 8.9
|
|
Visits
and Inspections |
|
94 |
|
SECTION 8.10
|
|
Additional Subsidiary Guarantors and Parent
Guarantors |
|
94 |
|
SECTION 8.11
|
|
Use of
Proceeds |
|
97 |
|
SECTION 8.12
|
|
Requirements Regarding Certain Permitted
Indebtedness |
|
97 |
|
SECTION 8.13
|
|
Further
Assurances |
|
98 |
|
|
|
|
ARTICLE IX
|
|
FINANCIAL
COVENANTS |
|
98 |
|
SECTION 9.1
|
|
Consolidated Senior Secured Leverage Ratio |
|
98 |
|
SECTION 9.2
|
|
Interest
Coverage Ratio |
|
99 |
|
|
|
|
ARTICLE X
|
|
NEGATIVE
COVENANTS |
|
99 |
|
SECTION 10.1
|
|
Limitations on Indebtedness |
|
99 |
|
SECTION 10.2
|
|
Limitations on Liens |
|
103 |
ii
|
|
|
|
|
|
SECTION 10.3
|
|
Limitations on Loans, Advances, Investments and
Acquisitions |
|
104 |
|
SECTION 10.4
|
|
Limitations on Mergers and Liquidation |
|
106 |
|
SECTION 10.5
|
|
Limitations on Asset Dispositions |
|
107 |
|
SECTION 10.6
|
|
Limitations on Dividends and Distributions |
|
108 |
|
SECTION 10.7
|
|
Limitations on Exchange and Issuance of Capital
Stock |
|
110 |
|
SECTION 10.8
|
|
Transactions with Affiliates |
|
110 |
|
SECTION 10.9
|
|
Certain
Accounting Changes; Organizational Documents |
|
110 |
|
SECTION 10.10
|
|
Amendments; Payments and Prepayments of
Indebtedness |
|
111 |
|
SECTION 10.11
|
|
Restrictive Agreements |
|
112 |
|
SECTION 10.12
|
|
Nature of
Business |
|
113 |
|
SECTION 10.13
|
|
Impairment of Security Interests |
|
113 |
|
|
|
|
ARTICLE XI
|
|
UNCONDITIONAL U.S. BORROWER GUARANTY |
|
113 |
|
SECTION 11.1
|
|
Guaranty
of Obligations |
|
113 |
|
SECTION 11.2
|
|
Nature of
Guaranty |
|
113 |
|
SECTION 11.3
|
|
Waivers |
|
114 |
|
SECTION 11.4
|
|
Modification of Loan Documents, Etc. |
|
115 |
|
SECTION 11.5
|
|
Demand by
the Administrative Agent |
|
116 |
|
SECTION 11.6
|
|
Termination; Reinstatement |
|
116 |
|
SECTION 11.7
|
|
No
Subrogation |
|
117 |
|
SECTION 11.8
|
|
Payments |
|
117 |
|
SECTION 11.9
|
|
Nature of
Obligations; Bankruptcy Limitations; Agreement for
Contribution |
|
118 |
|
|
|
|
ARTICLE XII
|
|
DEFAULT
AND REMEDIES |
|
120 |
|
SECTION 12.1
|
|
Events of
Default |
|
120 |
|
SECTION 12.2
|
|
Remedies |
|
125 |
|
SECTION 12.3
|
|
Rights
and Remedies Cumulative; Non-Waiver; etc. |
|
126 |
|
SECTION 12.4
|
|
Crediting
of Payments and Proceeds |
|
126 |
|
SECTION 12.5
|
|
Administrative Agent May File Proofs of Claim |
|
127 |
|
SECTION 12.6
|
|
Judgment
Currency |
|
128 |
|
|
|
|
ARTICLE XIII
|
|
THE
ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT |
|
128 |
|
SECTION 13.1
|
|
Appointment and Authority |
|
128 |
|
SECTION 13.2
|
|
Rights as
a Lender |
|
129 |
|
SECTION 13.3
|
|
Exculpatory Provisions |
|
129 |
|
SECTION 13.4
|
|
Reliance
by the Administrative Agent |
|
130 |
|
SECTION 13.5
|
|
Delegation of Duties |
|
131 |
|
SECTION 13.6
|
|
Resignation of Administrative Agent |
|
131 |
|
SECTION 13.7
|
|
Non-Reliance on Administrative Agent and Other
Lenders |
|
132 |
|
SECTION 13.8
|
|
No Other
Duties, etc; Documentation Agent |
|
132 |
|
SECTION 13.9
|
|
Collateral and Guaranty Matters |
|
133 |
|
SECTION 13.10
|
|
Swingline
Lender |
|
133 |
|
|
|
|
ARTICLE XIV
|
|
MISCELLANEOUS |
|
134 |
|
SECTION 14.1
|
|
Notices |
|
134 |
|
SECTION 14.2
|
|
Amendments, Waivers and Consents |
|
135 |
iii
|
|
|
|
|
|
SECTION 14.3
|
|
Expenses;
Indemnity |
|
137 |
|
SECTION 14.4
|
|
Right of
Setoff |
|
139 |
|
SECTION 14.5
|
|
Governing
Law |
|
140 |
|
SECTION 14.6
|
|
Waiver of
Jury Trial |
|
140 |
|
SECTION 14.7
|
|
Reversal
of Payments |
|
141 |
|
SECTION 14.8
|
|
Injunctive Relief; Punitive Damages |
|
141 |
|
SECTION 14.9
|
|
Accounting Matters |
|
141 |
|
SECTION 14.10
|
|
Successors and Assigns; Participations |
|
141 |
|
SECTION 14.11
|
|
Confidentiality |
|
144 |
|
SECTION 14.12
|
|
Performance of Duties |
|
145 |
|
SECTION 14.13
|
|
All
Powers Coupled with Interest |
|
145 |
|
SECTION 14.14
|
|
Survival
of Indemnities |
|
145 |
|
SECTION 14.15
|
|
Titles
and Captions |
|
145 |
|
SECTION 14.16
|
|
Severability of Provisions |
|
145 |
|
SECTION 14.17
|
|
Counterparts |
|
145 |
|
SECTION 14.18
|
|
Integration |
|
146 |
|
SECTION 14.19
|
|
Term of
Agreement |
|
146 |
|
SECTION 14.20
|
|
Advice of
Counsel, No Strict Construction |
|
146 |
|
SECTION 14.21
|
|
USA
Patriot Act |
|
146 |
|
SECTION 14.22
|
|
Inconsistencies with Other Documents; Independent Effect of
Covenants |
|
146 |
|
SECTION 14.23
|
|
No
Novation |
|
147 |
iv
|
|
|
|
|
| EXHIBITS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Exhibit A-1
|
|
- |
|
Form of
Revolving Credit Note |
|
Exhibit A-2
|
|
- |
|
Form of
Swingline Note |
|
Exhibit B
|
|
- |
|
Form of
Notice of Borrowing |
|
Exhibit C
|
|
- |
|
Form of
Notice of Account Designation |
|
Exhibit D
|
|
- |
|
Form of
Notice of Prepayment |
|
Exhibit E
|
|
- |
|
Form of
Notice of Conversion/Continuation |
|
Exhibit F
|
|
- |
|
Form of
Officer’s Compliance Certificate |
|
Exhibit G
|
|
- |
|
Form of
Assignment and Assumption |
|
Exhibit H
|
|
- |
|
Form of
Subsidiary Guaranty Agreement |
|
Exhibit I
|
|
- |
|
Form of
Collateral Agreement |
|
Exhibit J
|
|
- |
|
Form of
Intercompany Subordination Agreement |
|
|
|
| SCHEDULES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Schedule 1.1(a)
|
|
- |
|
Existing
Letters of Credit |
|
Schedule 1.1(b)
|
|
- |
|
Specified
Existing Notes |
|
Schedule 1.1(c)
|
|
- |
|
Description of Catawba Mill Real Property |
|
Schedule 6.1(b)
|
|
- |
|
Subsidiaries and Capitalization |
|
Schedule 6.1(i-1)
|
|
- |
|
ERISA
Plans |
|
Schedule 6.1(i-2)
|
|
- |
|
Canadian
Plans |
|
Schedule 6.1(l)
|
|
- |
|
Significant Indebtedness |
|
Schedule 6.1(n)
|
|
- |
|
Burdensome Provisions |
|
Schedule 6.1(t)
|
|
- |
|
Litigation |
|
Schedule 10.1
|
|
- |
|
Permitted
Indebtedness |
|
Schedule 10.2
|
|
- |
|
Existing
Liens |
|
Schedule 10.3
|
|
- |
|
Existing
Loans, Advances and Investments |
|
Schedule 10.8
|
|
- |
|
Transactions with Affiliates |
v
CREDIT AGREEMENT, dated as of
May 31, 2006, by and among BOWATER CANADIAN FOREST PRODUCTS
INC., a Canadian corporation, as Borrower (the “
Borrower ”), BOWATER INCORPORATED, a Delaware
corporation, as a Guarantor (the “ Original U.S.
Borrower ”), the lenders who are party to this Agreement
or who may become a party to this Agreement pursuant to
Section 14.10 hereof, as Lenders, and THE BANK OF NOVA
SCOTIA, as Administrative Agent for the Lenders.
STATEMENT OF
PURPOSE
The Borrower has requested,
and the Lenders have agreed, to extend certain credit facilities to
the Borrower on the terms and conditions of this
Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, for good and
valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are
hereby acknowledged by the parties hereto, such parties hereby
agree as follows:
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
SECTION 1.1
Definitions . The following terms when used in this
Agreement shall have the meanings assigned to them
below:
“ Abitibi
Entities ” means, collectively, Abitibi-Consolidated Inc.
and its Subsidiaries.
“ Additional Newco
Indebtedness ” has the meaning assigned thereto in
Section 10.1(m)(ii) .
“ Administrative
Agent ” means The Bank of Nova Scotia, in its capacity as
Administrative Agent hereunder, and any successor thereto appointed
pursuant to Section 13.6 .
“ Administrative
Agent’s Office ” means the office of the
Administrative Agent specified in or determined in accordance with
the provisions of Section 14.1(c) .
“ Administrative
Questionnaire ” means an Administrative Questionnaire in
a form supplied by the Administrative Agent.
“ Affiliate
” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person which
directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries,
controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with,
such first Person or any of its Subsidiaries. As used in this
definition, the term “control” means (a) the power
to vote ten percent (10%) or more of the securities or other
equity interests of a Person having ordinary voting power
(excluding, however, a Person or group whose ownership in another
Person is permitted to be reported on Schedule 13G pursuant to Rule
13d-1(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) or
(b) the possession, directly or indirectly, of any other power
to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of
a Person, whether through ownership of voting securities, by
contract or otherwise. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) no
individual shall be an Affiliate of the U.S. Borrower or any of its
Subsidiaries solely and exclusively by reason of his or her being a
director, officer or employee of the U.S. Borrower or any of its
Subsidiaries, (ii) none of the Subsidiaries of the
U.S.
6
Borrower shall be Affiliates of the U.S.
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries and (iii) no U.S. Borrower
shall be an Affiliate of any other U.S. Borrower; provided
that the Abitibi Entities shall be Affiliates of the U.S. Borrower
and its Subsidiaries for purposes of this Agreement and the other
Loan Documents and the U.S. Credit Agreement and the “Loan
Documents” (as defined in the U.S. Credit
Agreement).
“ Aggregate Credit
Exposure ” means the sum of (a) the aggregate amount
of outstanding Loans and (b) the aggregate amount of
outstanding U.S. Loans.
“ Agreement
” means this Credit Agreement, as amended by (a) the
First Amendment dated as of July 20, 2007 by and among the
Borrower, the Guarantors and the Administrative Agent (on behalf of
itself and the Lenders party thereto), (b) the Second
Amendment dated as of October 31, 2007 by and among the
Borrower, the Guarantors and the Administrative Agent (on behalf of
itself and the Lenders party thereto) and (c) the Third
Amendment and as further amended, restated, supplemented or
otherwise modified from time to time.
“ Applicable
Insolvency Laws ” means all Applicable Laws governing
bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment of debts,
relief of debtors, dissolution, insolvency, fraudulent transfers or
conveyances or other similar laws (including, without limitation,
11 U.S.C. Sections 544, 547, 548 and 550 and other
“avoidance” provisions of Title 11 of the United States
Code, as amended or supplemented, the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act
(Canada), as amended or supplemented, the Companies’
Creditors Arrangement Act (Canada), as amended or supplemented, and
the CCQ).
“ Applicable Law
” means all applicable provisions of constitutions, laws,
statutes, ordinances, rules, treaties, regulations, permits,
licenses, approvals, legally binding policies, interpretations and
orders of courts or Governmental Authorities and all orders and
decrees of all courts and arbitrators.
“ Applicable Margin ”
means the corresponding percentages per annum as set forth below
based on the Average Utilization:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pricing
Level
|
|
Average Utilization
Percentage
|
|
LIBOR + |
|
|
Canadian Prime Rate
or Base Rate + |
|
| I |
|
Greater than 75%
|
|
3.00 |
% |
|
1.75 |
% |
| II |
|
Greater than 35%, but less than or equal
to 75%
|
|
2.75 |
% |
|
1.50 |
% |
| III |
|
Less than or equal to 35%
|
|
2.50 |
% |
|
1.25 |
% |
The Applicable Margin shall be
determined by the Administrative Agent and adjusted quarterly on
the date (each a “ Calculation Date ”) ten
(10) Business Days after the end of each fiscal quarter of the
U.S. Borrower; provided that the Applicable Margin shall be
based on Pricing Level I until the first Calculation Date occurring
after the Third Amendment Effective Date and, thereafter the
Pricing Level shall be determined by reference to the Average
Utilization Percentage as of the last day of the most recently
ended fiscal quarter of the U.S. Borrower
7
preceding the applicable Calculation
Date. The Applicable Margin shall be effective from one Calculation
Date until the next Calculation Date. Any adjustment in the
Applicable Margin shall be applicable to all Extensions of Credit
then existing or subsequently made or issued.
“ Approved Fund
” means any Person (other than a natural Person), including,
without limitation, any special purpose entity, 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; provided , that such
Approved Fund must be administered, managed or underwritten 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.
“ Asset Coverage
Amount ” means, as of any date of determination, an
amount equal to sixty percent (60%) of the net book value of
the Coverage Assets as set forth on the Consolidated balance sheet
of the Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries most recently
delivered pursuant to Sections 5.2 or 7.1
hereof.
“ Asset
Disposition ” means the disposition of any or all of the
assets (including, without limitation, any Capital Stock owned
thereby) of the U.S. Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries whether by
sale, lease, transfer or otherwise. The term “Asset
Disposition” shall not include any Insurance and Condemnation
Event.
“ Assignment and
Assumption ” means an assignment and assumption entered
into by a Lender and an Eligible Assignee (with the consent of any
party whose consent is required by Section 14.10 ), and
accepted by the Administrative Agent, in substantially the form of
Exhibit G or any other form approved by the Administrative
Agent.
“ Attributable
Indebtedness ” means, on any date, (a) in respect of
any Capital Lease of any Person, the capitalized amount thereof
that would appear on a balance sheet of such Person prepared as of
such date in accordance with GAAP, and (b) in respect of any
Synthetic Lease, the capitalized amount or principal amount of the
remaining lease payments under the relevant lease that would appear
on a balance sheet of such Person prepared as of such date in
accordance with GAAP if such lease were accounted for as a Capital
Lease.
“ Average
Utilization ” means, for any calendar quarter, the
average daily principal balance of all Extensions of Credit
outstanding during such calendar quarter.
“ BA Discount
Rate ” means, with respect to an issue of Bankers’
Acceptances with the same maturity date, (a) for a Lender
which is a Schedule I Lender, the CDOR Rate for the appropriate
term, and (b) for a Lender which is a Lender (other than a
Schedule I Lender), the arithmetic average (rounded upwards to the
nearest 1/100 of 1%) of the actual discount rates for
Bankers’ Acceptances for such term accepted by the Schedule
II or III Reference Banks established in accordance with their
normal practices at or about 10:00 a.m. (Toronto time) on the date
of issuance.
“ BA Equivalent
Loan ” means a Revolving Credit Loan made to the Borrower
by a Non-BA Lender in lieu of accepting such Non-BA Lender’s
share of Bankers’ Acceptances which may be evidenced by a
Discount Note.
8
“ BA Loan
” means a borrowing by the Borrower by way of the issuance of
Bankers’ Acceptances and includes a BA Equivalent
Loan.
“ BA Proceeds
” means, for any Bankers’ Acceptance issued and to be
purchased by the Lenders hereunder, an amount calculated on the
applicable date that such Bankers’ Acceptance is accepted by
dividing:
(a) the face amount of such
Bankers’ Acceptance
by
(b) the sum of one
plus the product of:
(i) the BA Discount Rate
applicable thereto
and
(ii) a fraction, the
numerator of which is the number of days in the applicable Interest
Period and the denominator of which is the number of days in the
applicable year, being 365 or 366, as the case may be,
with the product being rounded up or
down to the (A) second decimal place (with .005 being rounded
up) and (B) nearest whole cent with one-half of one cent being
rounded up.
“ Bankers’
Acceptance ” means each bill of exchange, including a
depository bill issued in accordance with the Depository Bills
and Notes Act (Canada), denominated in Canadian Dollars, drawn
by the Borrower and accepted by a Lender (including, without
limitation, each Discount Note).
“ Base Rate
” means, at any time, the higher of (a) the Prime Rate
and (b) the Federal Funds Rate plus 1/2 of 1%; each
change in the Base Rate shall take effect simultaneously with the
corresponding change or changes in the Prime Rate or the Federal
Funds Rate.
“ Base Rate Loan
” means any Loan made to the Borrower in Dollars which bears
interest at a rate based upon the Base Rate as provided in
Section 4.1(a) .
“ BCFC Notes
” means the 7.95% Notes due 2011 issued pursuant to the
Indenture dated as of October 31, 2001 among Bowater Canada
Finance Corporation, as Issuer, the Original U.S. Borrower, as
Guarantor, and The Bank of New York, as Trustee.
“ Borrower
” has the meaning assigned thereto in the introductory
paragraph hereto.
“ Borrowing Limit ”
means, at any time, the lesser of:
(a) the aggregate principal
amount of the Commitments at such time less , except with
respect to Sections 2.4(b) and 5.2(e)(iii)
,
(i) in the case of any
request for Revolving Credit Loans (other than BA Loans), the sum
of all outstanding Swingline Loans, BA Loans and L/C
Obligations;
9
(ii) in the case of any
request for Swingline Loans, the sum of all outstanding Revolving
Credit Loans (including BA Loans) and L/C Obligations;
or
(iii) in the case of any
request for BA Loans, the sum of all outstanding Revolving Credit
Loans (other than BA Loans), Swingline Loans and L/C Obligations;
or
(iv) in the case of any
request for issuance of a Letter of Credit, the sum of all
outstanding Loans (including BA Loans); and
(b) the amount which, when
aggregated with the aggregate amount of all other Extensions of
Credit, does not exceed the Asset Coverage Amount.
“ Bowater-Calhoun
Arrangement ” means that certain intercompany loan
arrangement pursuant to which:
(a) the Original U.S.
Borrower loaned $33,294,000 of proceeds of the McMinn County
pollution control bonds to Calhoun Newsprint Company as evidenced
by an intercompany note payable to the Original U.S. Borrower;
and
(b) Calhoun Newsprint Company
loaned such proceeds back to the Original U.S. Borrower as
evidenced by an intercompany note payable to Calhoun Newsprint
Company and secured by the Original U.S. Borrower’s
intercompany note receivable referred to in clause (a).
“ Bowater Guaranteed
Obligations ” has the meaning assigned thereto in
Section 11.1 .
“ Business Day
” means:
(a) for all purposes other
than as set forth in clause (b) below, any day other than a
Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday on which banks in New York, New
York, Toronto, Ontario and Montreal, Québec are open for the
conduct of their commercial banking business; and
(b) with respect to all
notices and determinations in connection with, and payments of
principal and interest on, any LIBOR Rate Loan, any day that is a
Business Day described in clause (a) and that is also a day
for trading by and between banks in deposits for the applicable
Permitted Currency in the London interbank market or any other
applicable offshore interbank market for such Permitted
Currency.
“ Calculation
Date ” has the meaning assigned thereto in the definition
of Applicable Margin.
“ Canadian
Dollar” or “C$ ” means, at any time of
determination, the lawful currency of Canada.
“ Canadian Employee
Benefit Plan ” means (a) any employee benefit plan
that is maintained for the benefit of employees or former employees
of the Borrower or any of its Domestic Subsidiaries registered in
accordance with the ITA or other Applicable Law which the U.S.
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries sponsors, maintains, or to
which it makes, is making, or is obligated to make, contributions
or (b) any Canadian Pension Plan or Canadian
Multiemployer
10
Plan that has at any time within the
preceding six (6) years been maintained for the employees of
the U.S. Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, and shall not include
any Employee Benefit Plan.
“ Canadian Fee
Letter ” means the separate fee letter agreement executed
by the Borrower and The Bank of Nova Scotia and/or certain of its
affiliates dated May 31, 2006.
“ Canadian GAAP
” means generally accepted accounting principles in Canada,
that are applicable to the circumstances as of the date of
determination, consistently applied.
“ Canadian
Multiemployer Plan ” means a “multi-employer
pension plan” as defined by Applicable Laws and registered in
accordance with the ITA or other Applicable Laws and as to which
the U.S. Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries is making, or is
accruing an obligation to make, or has accrued an obligation to
make, contributions within the preceding six (6) years, and
shall not include any Multiemployer Plan.
“ Canadian Pension
Plan ” means any Canadian Employee Benefit Plan, other
than a Canadian Multiemployer Plan, which is registered in
accordance with the ITA or other Applicable Law and which
(a) is maintained for the employees of the U.S. Borrower or
any of its Subsidiaries or (b) has at any time within the
preceding six (6) years been maintained for the employees of
the U.S. Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries which the U.S.
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries sponsors, maintains, or to
which it makes, is making or is obligated to make, contributions,
and shall not include any Pension Plan.
“ Canadian Prime
Rate ” means,
(a) with respect to Revolving
Credit Loans denominated in Canadian Dollars, at any time, the
greater of (i) the rate of interest per annum announced by the
Administrative Agent from time to time (and in effect on such day)
as its prime rate for Canadian Dollar commercial loans made in
Canada, as adjusted automatically from time to time and without
notice to the Borrower upon change by the Administrative Agent and
(ii) one percent (1%) plus the one (1) month
CDOR Rate from time to time (and in effect on such day) as advised
by the Administrative Agent to the Borrower from time to time
pursuant hereto; and
(b) with respect to Swingline
Loans denominated in Canadian Dollars, at any time, the greater of
(i) the rate of interest per annum announced by the Swingline
Lender from time to time (and in effect on such day) as its prime
rate for Canadian Dollar commercial loans made in Canada, as
adjusted automatically from time to time and without notice to the
Borrower upon change by the Swingline Lender and (ii) one
percent (1%) plus the one (1) month CDOR Rate
from time to time (and in effect on such day) as advised by the
Swingline Lender to the Borrower from time to time pursuant
hereto.
The parties hereto
acknowledge that the rate announced publicly by the Administrative
Agent or the Swingline Lender, as applicable, as its prime rate is
an index or base rate and shall not necessarily be its lowest or
best rate charged to its customers or other banks.
“ Canadian Prime
Rate Loan ” means any Loan made to the Borrower in
Canadian Dollars which bears interest based upon the Canadian Prime
Rate as provided in Section 4.1(a) .
11
“ Canadian Qualified
Lender ” means a Lender that:
(a) is resident in Canada for
the purposes of the ITA; or
(b) is an “authorized
foreign bank” for the purposes of the ITA, where any amount
paid or credited to it in respect of any Loan is paid or credited
to it in respect of its Canadian banking business, as defined in
the ITA, and which is accordingly deemed a resident in Canada
pursuant to the ITA for purposes of Part XIII of the ITA and in
particular withholding tax on the Obligations owed to
it.
“ Capital Asset
” means, with respect to the U.S. Borrower and its
Subsidiaries, any asset that should, in accordance with GAAP, be
classified and accounted for as a capital asset on a Consolidated
balance sheet of the U.S. Borrower and its Subsidiaries.
“ Capital
Expenditures ” means, with respect to the U.S. Borrower
and its Subsidiaries for any period, the aggregate cost of all
Capital Assets acquired by the U.S. Borrower and its Subsidiaries
during such period, as determined in accordance with
GAAP.
“ Capital Lease
” means any lease of any property by the U.S. Borrower or any
of its Subsidiaries, as lessee, that should, in accordance with
GAAP, be classified and accounted for as a capital lease on a
Consolidated balance sheet of the U.S. Borrower and its
Subsidiaries.
“ Capital Stock
” means (a) in the case of a corporation, capital stock,
(b) in the case of an association or business entity, any and
all shares, interests, participations, rights or other equivalents
(however designated) of capital stock, (c) in the case of a
partnership, partnership interests (whether general or limited),
(d) in the case of a limited liability company, membership
interests and (e) any other interest or participation that
confers on a Person the right to receive a share of the profits and
losses of, or distributions of assets of, the issuing
Person.
“ Cash
Equivalents ” means, collectively:
(a) marketable obligations
issued or unconditionally guaranteed by the United States, Canada
or any agency thereof maturing within two hundred seventy
(270) days from the date of acquisition thereof;
(b) commercial paper maturing
no more than two hundred seventy (270) days from the date of
creation thereof and currently having the highest rating obtainable
from either S&P, Moody’s or DBRS;
(c) certificates of deposit,
time deposits and bankers’ acceptances maturing no more than
two hundred seventy (270) days from the date of creation
thereof issued by commercial banks incorporated under the laws of
the United States or Canada, each having combined capital, surplus
and undivided profits of not less than $500,000,000 and having a
rating of “A” or better by a nationally recognized
rating agency; provided that the aggregate amount invested
in such certificates of deposit shall not at any time exceed
$5,000,000 for any one such certificate of deposit and $10,000,000
for any one such bank;
12
(d) repurchase obligations
for underlying securities of the types described in, and satisfying
the requirements specified in, clauses (a) and (c) above
entered into with any bank satisfying the requirements specified in
clause (c) above;
(e) demand deposit accounts
maintained in the ordinary course of business; and
(f) (i) money market mutual
or similar funds which (A) invest solely in assets of the
types described in clauses (a) through (e) above, without
regard to the limitations as to the maturity of such obligations,
bankers’ acceptances, time deposits, certificates of deposit,
repurchase agreements or commercial paper set forth above,
(B) are rated at least “AAm” or “AAmg”
or their equivalent by both S&P and Moody’s,
provided that there is no “r-highlighter”
affixed to such rating and (C) comply with Rule 2a-7 of the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended; and
(ii) the money market fund
called Columbia Cash Reserves, so long as Columbia Cash Reserves
continues to buy only “first tier” securities as
defined by Rule 2a-7 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended.
“ Catawba Mill
Assets ” means, collectively, (a) that certain mill
owned as of the Third Amendment Effective Date by the Original U.S.
Borrower and located in Catawba, South Carolina (the “
Catawba Mill ”), along with the real property upon
which the Catawba Mill is situated (as more particularly described
on Schedule 1.1(c) hereto, the “ Catawba Mill Real
Property ”), (b) all equipment used in connection
therewith and located at the Catawba Mill Real Property (the
“ Catawba Mill Equipment ”), (c) all other
rights and assets used for the operation, administration and
maintenance of the Catawba Mill Real Property and (d) all
operations thereof.
“ Catawba
Mortgage ” means that certain mortgage, deed of trust,
security agreement or other real property security document
encumbering the Newco Fixed Assets, in form and substance
reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the U.S.
Administrative Agent and executed by Newco in favor of the U.S.
Administrative Agent, for the ratable benefit of the Secured
Parties and the U.S. Secured Parties, as amended, restated,
supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time.
“ Catawba Note
” has the meaning assigned thereto in
Section 10.5(h) .
“ CCQ ”
means the Civil Code of Québec as in effect in the
Province of Québec, as amended or modified from time to
time.
“ CDOR Rate
” means, on any day, with respect to a particular term as
specified herein, the annual rate of discount or interest which is
the arithmetic average of the discount rates (rounded upwards to
the nearest multiple of 0.01%) for bankers’ acceptances
denominated in Canadian Dollars for such term and face amount
identified as such on the Reuters Screen CDOR Page at approximately
10:00 a.m. (Toronto time) on such day, or if such day is not a
Business Day, then on the immediately preceding Business Day (as
adjusted by the Administrative Agent after 10:00 a.m. (Toronto
time) to reflect any error in any posted rate or in the posted
average annual rate). If the rate does not appear on the Reuters
Screen CDOR Page as contemplated above, then the CDOR Rate on any
day shall be calculated by the Administrative Agent as the
arithmetic average of the discount rates (rounded upwards to the
nearest multiple of 0.01%) for
13
bankers’ acceptances denominated
in Canadian Dollars for such term and face amount of, and as quoted
by, the Schedule I Reference Banks, as of 10:00 a.m. (Toronto time)
on that day, or if that day is not a Business Day, then on the
immediately preceding Business Day. Each calculation by the
Administrative Agent of the CDOR Rate shall be binding and
conclusive for all purposes, absent manifest error.
“ Change in
Control ” means an event or series of events by which
(a) any person or group of persons (within the meaning of
Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended) shall obtain ownership or control in one or more series of
transactions of more than thirty-five percent (35%) of the
Capital Stock or thirty-five percent (35%) of the voting power
of the Parent entitled to vote in the election of members of the
board of directors of the Parent, (b) during any period of
twenty-five (25) consecutive calendar months, a majority of
the members of the board of directors of the Parent cease to be
composed of Continuing Directors, (c) there shall have
occurred under any indenture or other instrument evidencing any
Indebtedness of the U.S. Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in
excess of $25,000,000 any “change in control” or
similar provision (as set forth in the indenture, agreement or
other evidence of such Indebtedness) obligating the U.S. Borrower
or any of its Subsidiaries to repurchase, redeem or repay all or
any part of such Indebtedness or Capital Stock provided for therein
( provided that if such obligation is contingent on any
other event or circumstance, then such “change in
control” shall not constitute a Change in Control hereunder
unless such other event or circumstance also has occurred or
exists), (d) the Parent shall cease to own one hundred percent
(100%) of the Capital Stock of the Original U.S. Borrower,
(e) the U.S. Borrower shall cease to own, directly or
indirectly, one hundred percent (100%) of the Capital Stock of
the Borrower or (f) after receipt of the documentation
required pursuant to Section 8.10(e)(ii)(A)(1) of the
U.S. Credit Agreement, the Parent shall cease to own one hundred
percent (100%) of the Capital Stock of Newco.
For the purposes hereof,
“Continuing Directors” means, during any period of
twenty-five (25) consecutive calendar months, individuals
(i) who were members of the board of directors on the first
day of such period, (ii) whose election or nomination to the
board of directors was approved by individuals who comprised a
majority of the board of directors on the first day of such period
or (iii) whose election or nomination to the board of
directors was approved by (A) individuals who were members of
the board of directors on the first day of such period or
(B) individuals whose election or nomination to the board of
directors was approved by a majority of the board of directors on
the first day of such period; provided that in each case
such individuals referenced in clause (A) and clause
(B) constituted a majority of the board of directors at the
time of such election or nomination.
“ Change in Law
” means the occurrence, after the date of this Agreement, of
any of the following: (a) the adoption or taking effect of any
law, rule, regulation or treaty, (b) any change in any law,
rule, regulation or treaty or in the administration, interpretation
or application thereof by any Governmental Authority or
(c) the making or issuance of any request, guideline or
directive (whether or not having the force of law) by any
Governmental Authority.
“ Closing Date
” means the date of this Agreement or such later Business Day
upon which each condition described in Section 5.2
shall be satisfied or waived in all respects in a manner acceptable
to the Administrative Agent, in its sole discretion.
14
“ Code ”
means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and the rules and
regulations thereunder, each as amended or modified from time to
time.
“ Collateral
” means the collateral security for the Obligations and/or
the U.S. Obligations (as the case may be) pledged or granted
pursuant to the Security Documents.
“ Collateral
Agreement ” means the collateral agreement of even date
executed by the Credit Parties in favor of the Administrative
Agent, for the benefit of the Secured Parties, substantially in the
form of Exhibit I , as amended, restated, supplemented or
otherwise modified from time to time.
“ Combination
” means the combination of the Original U.S. Borrower with
Abitibi-Consolidated Inc., with the Parent as a common holding
company, pursuant to the terms of the Combination
Agreement.
“ Combination
Agreement ” means that certain Combination Agreement and
Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of January 29, 2007
among the Parent, Abitibi-Consolidated Inc., the Original U.S.
Borrower, Alpha-Bravo Merger Sub Inc., a Delaware corporation, and
Bowater Canada, Inc., as the same may be amended, modified or
supplemented from time to time.
“ Commitment
” means (a) as to any Lender, the obligation of such
Lender to make Extensions of Credit to the Borrower hereunder in an
aggregate principal amount at any time outstanding not to exceed
the amount set forth opposite such Lender’s name on the
Register, as such amount may be modified at any time or from time
to time pursuant to the terms hereof and (b) as to all
Lenders, the aggregate commitment of all Lenders to make Extensions
of Credit, as such amount may be modified at any time or from time
to time pursuant to the terms hereof. The Commitment of all the
Lenders on the Closing Date shall be $165,000,000.
“ Commitment
Percentage ” means, as to any Lender at any time, the
ratio of (a) the amount of the Commitment of such Lender to
(b) the Commitments of all the Lenders.
“ Consolidated
” means, when used with reference to financial statements or
financial statement items of any Person, such statements or items
on a consolidated basis in accordance with applicable principles of
consolidation under GAAP; provided , however, that upon
receipt by the Administrative Agent of all documentation required
to be delivered pursuant to Section 8.10(e)(i) , when
used with respect to the U.S. Borrower, “Consolidated”
shall include the Original U.S. Borrower and its Subsidiaries
(other than the Abitibi Entities) combined with Newco and its
Subsidiaries (if any).
“ Consolidated
Adjusted EBITDA ” means, for any period, the sum for the
U.S. Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries (determined on a
Consolidated basis, without duplication, in accordance with GAAP)
of the following: (a) Consolidated EBITDA for such period
plus (b) any net gain on any Asset Disposition during
such period minus (c) any net loss on any Asset
Disposition during such period; provided that, for purposes
of this Agreement, Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA shall be adjusted
on a pro forma basis, in a manner consistent with
Regulation S-X of the SEC or otherwise reasonably acceptable to the
Administrative Agent, to include or exclude, as applicable, as of
the first day of any applicable period, (A) any Permitted
Acquisition closed during such period or (B) any permitted
Asset Disposition closed during such period (other
15
than Asset Dispositions permitted
pursuant to Section 10.5(a)-(i) ) of assets having an
aggregate fair market value (at the time of the closing of such
Asset Disposition) in excess of $50,000,000.
“ Consolidated
EBITDA ” means, for any period, the sum for the U.S.
Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries (determined on a
Consolidated basis, without duplication, in accordance with GAAP)
of the following:
(a) Consolidated Net Income
for such period,
plus
(b) the sum of the following
to the extent deducted in determining Consolidated Net Income for
such period:
(i) income taxes for such
period (or minus , to the extent added in determining
Consolidated Net Income for such period, income tax benefit for
such period);
(ii) amortization,
depreciation, depletion and other non-cash charges for such
period;
(iii) Consolidated Interest
Expense for such period;
(iv) any extraordinary
charges for such period;
(v) any unusual or
non-recurring charges for such period up to an amount not to exceed
five percent (5%) of the Consolidated EBITDA of the U.S.
Borrower and its Subsidiaries (as calculated without giving effect
to this clause (v) or clause (vi) below);
(vi) any cost savings and
synergies associated with a Permitted Acquisition not to exceed
five percent (5%) of the Consolidated EBITDA of the U.S.
Borrower and its Subsidiaries (as calculated without giving effect
to this clause (vi) or clause (v) above); and
(vii) any net loss on any
Asset Disposition during such period,
less
(c) the sum of the following
to the extent included in determining Consolidated Net Income for
such period:
(i) the aggregate amount of
interest income for such period;
(ii) any extraordinary gains
during such period;
(iii) any unusual or
non-recurring gains during such period; and
(iv) any net gain on any
Asset Disposition during such period;
16
provided that, for
purposes of this Agreement, Consolidated EBITDA shall be adjusted
on a pro forma basis, in a manner consistent with Regulation
S-X of the SEC or otherwise reasonably acceptable to the
Administrative Agent and the U.S. Administrative Agent, to include
or exclude, as applicable, as of the first day of any applicable
period, (A) any Permitted Acquisition closed during such
period or (B) any permitted Asset Disposition closed during
such period (other than Asset Dispositions permitted pursuant to
Section 10.5(a)-(i) ) of assets having an aggregate
fair market value (at the time of the closing of such Asset
Disposition) in excess of $50,000,000.
“ Consolidated
Interest Expense ” means, with respect to the U.S.
Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries for any period,
(a) the gross interest expense (including, without limitation,
interest expense attributable to Capital Leases and plus the
net amount payable (or minus the net amount receivable)
under any Interest Rate Contracts of the U.S. Borrower and its
Consolidated Subsidiaries), plus (b) the aggregate amount of
all cash distributions or dividends paid by the U.S. Borrower and
its Consolidated Subsidiaries to the Parent pursuant to, and in
accordance with, Section 10.6(j) , all determined for
such period on a Consolidated basis without duplication, in
accordance with GAAP.
“ Consolidated Net
Income ” means, with respect to the U.S. Borrower and its
Consolidated Subsidiaries, for any period of determination, the net
income (or loss) of the U.S. Borrower and its Consolidated
Subsidiaries for such period, determined on a Consolidated basis in
accordance with GAAP.
“ Consolidated
Senior Secured Leverage Ratio ” means, as of any date of
determination, the ratio of (a) Consolidated Total Senior
Secured Indebtedness on such date to (b) the sum, without
duplication, of (i) Consolidated EBITDA for the period of four
(4) consecutive fiscal quarters ending on or immediately prior
to such date plus (ii) the amount of Specified
Non-Recurring Charges taken during the period of four
(4) consecutive fiscal quarters ending on or immediately prior
to such date.
“ Consolidated
Subsidiary ” means, for any Person, each Subsidiary of
such Person (whether now existing or hereafter created or acquired)
the financial statements of which shall be (or should have been)
consolidated with the financial statements of such Person in
accordance with GAAP.
“ Consolidated Total
Indebtedness ” means, as of any date of determination,
without duplication, all Indebtedness (excluding clause (h) of
the definition thereof) of the U.S. Borrower and its Consolidated
Subsidiaries.
“ Consolidated Total
Leverage Ratio ” means, as of any date of determination,
the ratio of (a) Consolidated Total Indebtedness on such date
to (b) Consolidated EBITDA for the period of four
(4) consecutive fiscal quarters ending on or immediately prior
to such date.
“ Consolidated Total
Senior Secured Indebtedness ” means,
(a) for purposes of
determining the Consolidated Senior Secured Leverage Ratio, as of
any date of determination with respect to the U.S. Borrower and its
Consolidated Subsidiaries on a Consolidated basis, without
duplication, the sum of (i) all outstanding U.S. Extensions of
Credit (including, without limitation, each outstanding letter of
credit and each outstanding
17
swingline loan) under the U.S. Credit
Facility plus (ii) all outstanding Extensions of Credit
(including, without limitation, each outstanding Letter of Credit
and each outstanding Swingline Loan) under the Credit Facility
plus (iii) all other outstanding Indebtedness of the
U.S. Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries which is secured by
any assets of the U.S. Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries
other than (A) any Hedging Agreement and (B) any such
Indebtedness that is secured by a Lien or Liens (1) permitted
pursuant to Section 10.2(k) or (2) that is or are
junior in priority to the Liens in favor of the U.S. Administrative
Agent securing the U.S. Obligations and/or the Obligations;
and
(b) for all other purposes,
as of any date of determination with respect to the U.S. Borrower
and its Consolidated Subsidiaries on a Consolidated basis, without
duplication, the sum of (i) all outstanding U.S. Extensions of
Credit (including, without limitation, each outstanding letter of
credit and each outstanding swingline loan) under the U.S. Credit
Facility plus (ii) all other outstanding Indebtedness
(other than any Hedging Agreement) of the U.S. Borrower and its
Consolidated Subsidiaries which is secured by a Lien on the U.S.
Coverage Assets.
“ Coverage
Assets ” means all accounts receivable (excluding any
intercompany accounts receivable) and all inventory of the Borrower
and its Domestic Subsidiaries.
“ Credit
Facility ” means, collectively, the Revolving Credit
Facility, the Swingline Facility and the L/C Facility.
“ Credit Parties
” means, collectively, the Borrower and the
Guarantors.
“ DBRS ”
means Dominion Bond Rating Service Limited and any successor
thereto.
“ Default
” means any of the events specified in
Section 12.1 which with the passage of time, the giving
of notice or any other condition, would constitute an Event of
Default.
“ Defaulting
Lender ” means any Lender that (a) has failed to
fund any portion of the Revolving Credit Loans or participations in
L/C Obligations or participations in Swingline Loans required to be
funded by it hereunder within one (1) Business Day of the date
required to be funded by it hereunder, (b) has otherwise
failed to pay over to the Administrative Agent or any other Lender
any other amount required to be paid by it hereunder within one
(1) Business Day of the date when due, unless such amount is
the subject of a good faith dispute, or (c) has been deemed
insolvent or become the subject of a bankruptcy, receivership or
insolvency proceeding.
“ Determination
Time ” means (i) with respect to Extensions of
Credit expressed in Canadian Dollars, each of
(A) approximately 11:00 a.m. (Toronto time) two
(2) Business Days before such Extension of Credit is made or
issued (or to be made or issued), as applicable, and
(B) approximately 11:00 a.m. (Toronto time) two
(2) Business Days before each date on which such Extension of
Credit is continued pursuant to Section 4.2 or extended
(or to be continued or extended), as applicable, or (ii) at
such times as may be reasonably determined by the Administrative
Agent (not more frequently than quarterly).
“ Discount Note
” means a non-interest bearing promissory note denominated in
Canadian Dollars issued by the Borrower to a Non-BA Lender to
evidence a BA Equivalent Loan.
18
“ Disputes
” means any dispute, claim or controversy arising out of,
connected with or relating to this Agreement or any other Loan
Document, between or among parties hereto and to the other Loan
Documents.
“ Documentation
Agent ” means Wachovia Bank, National Association, in its
capacity as Documentation Agent hereunder.
“ Dollar Amount
” means, as of any date of determination, (a) with
respect to each Extension of Credit or other sum expressed in
Dollars, the amount thereof and (b) with respect to each
Extension of Credit or other sum expressed in Canadian Dollars, the
amount of Dollars which is equivalent to the principal amount of
such Extension of Credit or other sum, at the most favorable spot
exchange rate reasonably determined by the Administrative Agent as
of the most recent Determination Time.
“ Dollars” or
“$ ” means, unless otherwise qualified, dollars in
lawful currency of the United States.
“ Domestic
Subsidiary ” means any Subsidiary of the Borrower
organized under the laws of Canada or any province or political
subdivision thereof.
“ Eligible
Assignee ” means (a) a Lender, (b) an Affiliate
of a Lender, (c) an Approved Fund, and (d) any other
Person (other than a natural person) approved by (i) the
Administrative Agent, (ii) the Swingline Lender,
(iii) each Issuing Lender and (iv) unless a Default or
Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Borrower (each
such approval not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed);
provided that unless a Default or Event of Default has
occurred and is continuing any Person that is not a Canadian
Qualified Lender shall not be an Eligible Assignee without the
consent of the Borrower. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
“Eligible Assignee” shall not include the U.S. Borrower
or any of the U.S. Borrower’s Affiliates or
Subsidiaries.
“ Employee Benefit
Plan ” means (a) any employee benefit plan within
the meaning of Section 3(3) of ERISA that is maintained for
employees of the U.S. Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries which the
U.S. Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their ERISA
Affiliates sponsors, maintains, or to which it makes, is making, or
is obligated to make, contributions or (b) any Pension Plan or
Multiemployer Plan that has at any time within the preceding six
(6) years been maintained for the employees of the U.S.
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their current or
former ERISA Affiliates.
“ Environmental
Claims ” means any and all administrative, regulatory or
judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters, claims, liens,
accusations, allegations, notices of noncompliance or violation,
investigations (other than internal reports prepared by any Person
in the ordinary course of business and not in response to any third
party action or request of any kind) or proceedings relating in any
way to any actual or alleged violation of or liability under any
Environmental Law or relating to any permit issued, or any approval
given, under any such Environmental Law, including, without
limitation, any and all claims by Governmental Authorities for
enforcement, cleanup, removal, response, remedial or other actions
or damages, contribution, indemnification cost recovery,
compensation or injunctive relief resulting from
19
Hazardous Materials or arising from
alleged injury or threat of injury to human health or the
environment.
“ Environmental
Laws ” means any and all federal, foreign, state,
provincial and local laws, statutes, ordinances, codes, rules,
legally binding policies, standards and regulations, permits,
licenses, approvals, interpretations and orders of courts or
Governmental Authorities, relating to the protection of human
health or the environment, including, but not limited to,
requirements pertaining to the manufacture, processing,
distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transportation,
handling, reporting, licensing, permitting, investigation or
remediation of Hazardous Materials.
“ ERISA ”
means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, and the
rules and regulations thereunder, each as amended or modified from
time to time.
“ ERISA
Affiliate ” means any Person who together with the U.S.
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries is treated as a single employer
within the meaning of Section 414(b), (c), (m) or
(o) of the Code or Section 4001(b) of ERISA.
“ Event of
Default ” means any of the events specified in
Section 12.1 ; provided that any requirement for
passage of time, giving of notice, or any other condition, has been
satisfied.
“ Exchangeable
Shares ” means those shares of Capital Stock issued by
Bowater Canada, Inc. and listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange
(under stock symbol BWX) which are exchangeable at any time at the
option of the holder of such shares into common stock of the Parent
and which entitle the holders thereof to similar voting rights and
dividend payments (on a per share basis) as those granted to
holders of the common stock of the Parent.
“ Excluded Taxes
” means, with respect to the Administrative Agent, any
Lender, any Issuing Lender or any other recipient of any payment to
be made by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower
hereunder, (a) taxes imposed on or measured by its overall net
income (however denominated), and franchise taxes imposed on it (in
lieu of net income taxes), by the jurisdiction (or any political
subdivision thereof) 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 Canada or any
similar tax imposed by any other jurisdiction in which the Borrower
is located and (c) in the case of a Foreign Lender (other than
an assignee pursuant to a request by the Borrower under
Section 4.12(b) ), any withholding tax that is imposed
on amounts payable to such Foreign Lender at the time such Foreign
Lender becomes a party hereto (or designates a new Lending Office)
or is attributable to such Foreign Lender’s failure or
inability (other than as a result of a Change in Law) to comply
with Section 4.11(e) , except to the extent that such
Foreign Lender (or its assignor, if any) was entitled, at the time
of designation of a new Lending Office (or assignment), to receive
additional amounts from the Borrower with respect to such
withholding tax pursuant to Section 4.11(a)
.
“ Existing
Facilities ” means the collective reference to
(a) the credit facility established pursuant to that certain
Credit Agreement dated as of April 22, 2004 (as amended,
restated, supplemented or modified) by and among the Original U.S.
Borrower and the Borrower, as
20
borrowers, JPMorgan Chase Bank, as U.S.
administrative agent, The Bank of Nova Scotia, as Canadian
administrative agent and the lenders party thereto and (b) the
conduit facility established pursuant that certain Loan Agreement
dated as of December 19, 2002 (as amended, restated,
supplemented or modified) by and among Bowater Funding Inc., as
borrower, the U.S. Borrower, as initial servicer, the lenders party
thereto, SunTrust Capital Markets, Inc. and Wachovia Bank, National
Association, as co-agents, and SunTrust Capital Markets, Inc., as
administrative agent.
“ Existing Letters
of Credit ” means those letters of credit existing on the
Closing Date and identified on Schedule 1.1(a) .
“ Existing Notes
” means the collective reference to each of the senior
unsecured notes and debentures set forth on Schedule 10.1
.
“ Extensions of
Credit ” means, as to any Lender at any time, (a) an
amount equal to the sum of (i) the aggregate principal amount
of all Revolving Credit Loans made by such Lender then outstanding,
(ii) such Lender’s Commitment Percentage of the L/C
Obligations then outstanding and (iii) such Lender’s
Commitment Percentage of the Swingline Loans then outstanding or
(b) the making of any Loan or participation in any Swingline
Loan or any Letter of Credit by such Lender, as the context
requires.
“ Federal Funds
Rate ” means, for any day, the rate per annum equal to
the weighted average of the rates on overnight Federal funds
transactions with members of the Federal Reserve System arranged by
federal funds brokers on such day (or, if such day is not a
Business Day, for the immediately preceding Business Day), as
published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on the Business
Day next succeeding such day, provided that if such rate is
not so published for any day which is a Business Day, the average
of the quotation for such day on such transactions received by the
Administrative Agent from three Federal Funds brokers of recognized
standing selected by the Administrative Agent.
“ Fiscal Year
” means the fiscal year of the U.S. Borrower and its
Subsidiaries ending on December 31.
“ Foreign Lender
” means any Lender that is organized under the laws of a
jurisdiction other than that in which the Borrower is resident for
tax purposes. For purposes of this definition, Canada and each
province thereof shall be deemed to constitute a single
jurisdiction.
“ GAAP ”
means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States
set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting
Principles Board and the American Institute of Certified Public
Accountants and statements and pronouncements of the Financial
Accounting Standards Board or such other principles as may be
approved by a significant segment of the accounting profession in
the United States, that are applicable to the circumstances as of
the date of determination, consistently applied.
“ Governmental
Approvals ” means all authorizations, consents,
approvals, permits, licenses and exemptions of, registrations and
filings with, and reports to, all Governmental
Authorities.
21
“ Governmental
Authority ” means the government of the United States,
Canada or any other nation, or of any political subdivision
thereof, whether state, provincial 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 (including any supra-national bodies such as the
European Union or the European Central Bank).
“ Guarantors
” means each Parent Guarantor and each Subsidiary Guarantor,
and upon receipt of the documentation required pursuant to
Section 8.10(e)(i) , Newco.
“ Guaranty
Agreements ” means, collectively, the Parent Guaranty
Agreements and the Subsidiary Guaranty Agreements.
“ Guaranty
Obligation ” means, with respect to the U.S. Borrower and
its Subsidiaries, without duplication, any obligation, contingent
or otherwise, of any such Person pursuant to which such Person has
directly or indirectly guaranteed any Indebtedness of any other
Person and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, any
obligation, direct or indirect, contingent or otherwise, of any
such Person (a) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds
for the purchase or payment of) such Indebtedness (whether arising
by virtue of partnership arrangements, by agreement to keep well,
to purchase assets, goods, securities or services, to take-or-pay,
or to maintain financial statement condition or otherwise) or
(b) entered into for the purpose of assuring in any other
manner the obligee of such Indebtedness of the payment thereof or
to protect such obligee against loss in respect thereof (in whole
or in part); provided , that the term Guaranty Obligation
shall not include endorsements for collection or deposit in the
ordinary course of business.
“ Hazardous
Materials ” means any substances or materials
(a) which are or become defined as hazardous wastes, hazardous
substances, pollutants, contaminants, chemical substances or
mixtures or toxic substances under any Environmental Law,
(b) which are toxic, explosive, corrosive, flammable,
infectious, radioactive, carcinogenic, mutagenic or otherwise
harmful to human health or the environment and are or become
regulated by any Governmental Authority, (c) the presence of
which require investigation or remediation under any Environmental
Law or common law, (d) the discharge or emission or release of
which requires a permit or license under any Environmental Law or
other Governmental Approval, (e) which are deemed to
constitute a nuisance or a trespass which pose a health or safety
hazard to Persons or neighboring properties, (f) which consist
of underground or aboveground storage tanks, whether empty, filled
or partially filled with any substance, or (g) which contain,
without limitation, asbestos, polychlorinated biphenyls, urea
formaldehyde foam insulation, petroleum hydrocarbons, petroleum
derived substances or waste, crude oil, nuclear fuel, natural gas
or synthetic gas.
“ Hedging
Agreement ” means any agreement with respect to any
Interest Rate Contract, forward rate agreement, commodity swap,
forward foreign exchange agreement, currency swap agreement,
cross-currency rate swap agreement, currency option agreement or
other agreement or arrangement designed to alter the risks of any
Person arising from fluctuations in interest rates, currency values
or commodity prices, all as amended, restated, supplemented or
otherwise modified from time to time.
22
“ Hedging
Obligations ” means all existing or future payment and
other obligations owing by any Credit Party under any Hedging
Agreement (which such Hedging Agreement is permitted hereunder)
with any Person that is a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender at the
time such Hedging Agreement is executed.
“ Immaterial
Subsidiary ” means:
(a) any Domestic Subsidiary
that is not a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary to the extent that
(i) there is a provision in the organizational documents of
such Domestic Subsidiary or (ii) the Borrower or any of its
Subsidiaries is party to a legally enforceable agreement, in either
case that would prohibit such Domestic Subsidiary from being a
Subsidiary Guarantor without the consent of (or the approval of
directors appointed by) a third party owner of such Domestic
Subsidiary; and
(b) any individual Domestic
Subsidiary having total assets with a book value that is less than
one percent (1%) of the aggregate book value of the total
Consolidated assets of the U.S. Borrower and its Subsidiaries (as
of the most recent date for which financial statements have been
delivered).
“ Indebtedness
” means, with respect to any Person at any date and without
duplication, the sum of the following:
(a) all liabilities,
obligations and indebtedness for borrowed money of such Person,
including, but not limited to, obligations evidenced by bonds,
debentures, notes or other similar instruments of such
Person;
(b) all obligations of such
Person to pay the deferred purchase price of property or services
(including, without limitation, all obligations under
non-competition, earn-out or similar agreements in connection with
an acquisition), except trade payables and accrued obligations
arising in the ordinary course of business, so long as such trade
accounts payable are payable within ninety (90) days of the
date the respective goods are delivered or the respective services
are rendered;
(c) the Attributable
Indebtedness of such Person with respect to such Person’s
obligations in respect of Capital Leases and Synthetic Leases
(regardless of whether accounted for as indebtedness under
GAAP);
(d) all Indebtedness of any
other Person secured by a Lien on any asset owned by such Person
(including indebtedness arising under conditional sales or other
title retention agreements), whether or not such indebtedness shall
have been assumed by such Person or is limited in
recourse;
(e) all Guaranty Obligations
of such Person;
(f) all obligations,
contingent or otherwise, of such Person in connection with letters
of credit, whether or not drawn, including, without limitation, any
reimbursement obligation, and bankers’ acceptances issued for
the account of such Person;
23
(g) all cash obligations of
any such Person to redeem, repurchase, exchange, defease or
otherwise make payments in respect of Capital Stock of such Person,
unless such redemption, repurchase, exchange, defeasance or other
payment is contingent (unless such contingency has been satisfied)
or is not required prior to the date that is ninety-one
(91) days after the Maturity Date;
(h) all Net Hedging
Obligations of such Person; and
(i) the outstanding
attributed principal amount under any asset securitization program
of such Person.
For all purposes hereof, the
Indebtedness of any Person shall include the Indebtedness of any
partnership or joint venture (other than a joint venture that is
itself a corporation or limited liability company) in which such
Person is a general partner or a joint venturer, unless such Person
is not legally liable therefor under Applicable Law or as a result
of any legally enforceable contractual limitation with respect to
such Indebtedness.
“ Indemnified
Taxes ” means Taxes and Other Taxes other than Excluded
Taxes.
“ Insurance and
Condemnation Event ” means the receipt by the U.S.
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries of any cash insurance proceeds
or condemnation award payable by reason of theft, loss, physical
destruction or damage, taking or similar event with respect to any
of their respective property or assets.
“ Intercompany
Subordination Agreement ” means an Intercompany
Subordination Agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit
J by and among the Administrative Agent and the applicable
Credit Parties or Subsidiaries thereof party thereto.
“ Intercreditor
Agreement ” means each intercreditor agreement by and
among the Administrative Agent, the U.S. Administrative Agent, the
Credit Parties, the U.S. Credit Parties and each lender or group of
lenders (or any authorized representative thereof) with respect to
any secured Indebtedness incurred pursuant to
Section 10.1(m) , which agreement shall be in form and
substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the U.S.
Administrative Agent, as amended, restated, supplemented or
otherwise modified from time to time in accordance with the terms
of this Agreement.
“ Interest
Period ” has the meaning assigned thereto in
Section 4.1(b) .
“ Interest Rate
Contract ” means any interest rate swap agreement,
interest rate cap agreement, interest rate floor agreement,
interest rate collar agreement, interest rate option or any other
agreement regarding the hedging of interest rate risk exposure
executed in connection with hedging the interest rate exposure of
any Person and any confirming letter executed pursuant to such
agreement, all as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise
modified from time to time.
“ ISP98 ”
means the International Standby Practices (1998 Revision, effective
January 1, 1999), International Chamber of Commerce
Publication No. 590.
24
“ Issuing Lender
” means (a) with respect to Letters of Credit issued
hereunder on or after the Closing Date, The Bank of Nova Scotia, in
its capacity as issuer thereof, or any successor thereto or any
other Lender designated as an Issuing Lender by the Borrower (with
reasonable prior notice of such designation by the Borrower to the
Administrative Agent) and (b) with respect to the Existing
Letters of Credit, the issuers thereof as identified on Schedule
1.1(a) .
“ ITA ”
means the Income Tax Act (Canada), as amended or modified from time
to time.
“ L/C Commitment
” means the lesser of (a) Fifty Million Dollars
($50,000,000) and (b) the aggregate Commitments of the
Lenders.
“ L/C Facility
” means the letter of credit facility established pursuant to
Article III .
“ L/C
Obligations ” means at any time, an amount equal to the
sum of (a) the aggregate undrawn and unexpired amount of the
then outstanding Letters of Credit and (b) the aggregate
amount of drawings under Letters of Credit which have not then been
reimbursed pursuant to Section 3.5 .
“ L/C
Participants ” means the collective reference to all of
the Lenders other than the applicable Issuing Lender.
“ L/C Supporting
Documentation ” has the meaning assigned thereto in
Section 3.2 .
“ Lender ”
means each Person that is bound by the terms of this Agreement as a
Lender (including, without limitation, each Issuing Lender and the
Swingline Lender unless the context otherwise requires) and each
Person that hereafter becomes a party to this Agreement as a Lender
pursuant to Section 14.10 .
“ Lending Office
” means, with respect to any Lender, the office of such
Lender maintaining such Lender’s Extensions of
Credit.
“ Letter of Credit
Application ” means an application, in the form specified
by the applicable Issuing Lender from time to time, requesting the
applicable Issuing Lender to issue a Letter of Credit.
“ Letters of
Credit ” means the collective reference to letters of
credit issued pursuant to Section 3.1 and the Existing
Letters of Credit.
“ LIBOR ”
means the rate of interest per annum determined on the basis of the
rate for deposits in the applicable Permitted Currency in minimum
amounts of at least $5,000,000 (with respect to Revolving Credit
Loans denominated in Dollars) or C$5,000,000 (with respect to
Revolving Credit Loans denominated in Canadian Dollars) for a
period equal to the applicable Interest Period which appears on the
Reuters Page LIBOR01 (or any successor page) at approximately 11:00
a.m. (London time) two (2) Business Days prior to the first
day of the applicable Interest Period (rounded upward, if
necessary, to the nearest 1/100 th of 1%). If, for any reason, such rate does not appear on
Reuters Page LIBOR01 (or any successor page), then
“LIBOR” shall be determined by the Administrative Agent
to be the arithmetic average of the rate per annum at which
deposits in the applicable Permitted Currency in minimum amounts
of
25
at least $5,000,000 (with respect to
Revolving Credit Loans denominated in Dollars) or C$5,000,000 (with
respect to Revolving Credit Loans denominated in Canadian Dollars)
would be offered by first class banks in the London interbank
market to the Administrative Agent at approximately 11:00 a.m.
(London time) two (2) Business Days prior to the first day of
the applicable Interest Period for a period equal to such Interest
Period. Each calculation by the Administrative Agent of LIBOR shall
be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent manifest
error.
“ LIBOR Rate
” means the rate per annum (rounded upwards, if necessary, to
the next higher 1/100th of 1%) equal to LIBOR. Each calculation by
the Administrative Agent of the LIBOR Rate shall be conclusive and
binding for all purposes, absent manifest error.
“ LIBOR Rate
Loan ” means any Loan bearing interest at a rate based
upon the LIBOR Rate as provided in Section 4.1(a)
.
“ Lien ”
means, with respect to any asset, any mortgage, leasehold mortgage,
lien, pledge, charge, security interest, hypothec, hypothecation,
assignment by way of security or encumbrance of any kind in respect
of such asset. For the purposes of this Agreement, a Person shall
be deemed to own subject to a Lien any asset which it has acquired
or holds subject to the interest of a vendor or lessor under any
conditional sale agreement, Capital Lease or other title retention
agreement relating to such asset.
“ Loan Documents
” means, collectively, this Agreement, each Note, the Letter
of Credit Applications, the Security Documents, each Intercreditor
Agreement, the Intercompany Subordination Agreement, and each other
document, instrument, certificate and agreement executed and
delivered by the Parent, the U.S. Borrower or any of their
respective Subsidiaries in connection with this Agreement or
otherwise referred to herein or contemplated hereby (excluding any
Hedging Agreement), all as may be amended, restated, supplemented
or otherwise modified from time to time.
“ Loans ”
means the collective reference to the Revolving Credit Loans and
the Swingline Loans, and “Loan” means any of such
Loans.
“ Material Adverse
Effect ” means, with respect to the U.S. Borrower or any
of its Subsidiaries, a material adverse effect on (a) the
business, assets, liabilities (actual or contingent), operations or
condition (financial or otherwise) of the U.S. Borrower and its
Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (b) the ability of any such
Person to perform its obligations under the Loan Documents to which
it is a party.
“ Material
Subsidiary ” means:
(a) each Domestic Subsidiary
of the Borrower, other than the Immaterial Subsidiaries;
and
(b) each Domestic Subsidiary
that, notwithstanding the definition of Immaterial Subsidiary, is
designated as a Material Subsidiary pursuant to
Section 8.10(a)(ii) .
26
Notwithstanding anything to
the contrary contained in this Agreement or any other Loan
Document, any Domestic Subsidiary that (i) owns a Material
Subsidiary or (ii) provides a guaranty of (A) the
Existing Notes, (B) any Indebtedness incurred to refinance,
refund, renew or extend the Existing Notes as permitted pursuant to
Section 10.1(d) , (C) any Indebtedness permitted
pursuant to Section 10.1(m) , (D) any Indebtedness
incurred to refinance, refund, renew or extend any Indebtedness
incurred pursuant to Section 10.1(m) as permitted
pursuant to Section 10.1(d) or (E) any
Indebtedness permitted pursuant to
Section 12.1(o)(viii) , in each case, shall be a
Material Subsidiary.
“ Maturity Date
” means the earliest of the dates referred to in
Section 2.6 (subject to the extension provisions
thereof).
“ Moody’s
” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. and any
successor thereto.
“ Multiemployer
Plan ” means a “multiemployer plan” as
defined in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA to which the U.S.
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their ERISA
Affiliates is making, or is accruing an obligation to make, or has
accrued an obligation to make contributions within the preceding
six (6) years.
“ Net Cash
Proceeds ” means, as applicable;
(a) with respect to any Asset
Disposition, the gross cash proceeds received by the U.S. Borrower
or any of its Subsidiaries therefrom less the sum of the
following, without duplication, (i) selling expenses incurred
in connection with such Asset Disposition (including reasonable
brokers’ fees and commissions, legal, accounting and other
professional and transactional fees, transfer and similar taxes and
the Original U.S. Borrower’s reasonable good faith estimate
of income taxes paid or payable in connection with such sale),
(ii) reasonable reserves with respect to post-closing
adjustments, indemnities and other contingent liabilities
established in connection with such Asset Disposition (
provided that, to the extent and at the time any such
amounts are released from such reserve, such amounts shall
constitute Net Cash Proceeds), (iii) the principal amount,
premium or penalty, if any, interest and other amounts on any
Indebtedness secured by a Lien on the assets (or a portion thereof)
sold in such Asset Disposition, which Indebtedness is repaid with
such proceeds and (iv) the Original U.S. Borrower’s
reasonable good faith estimate of cash payments required to be made
within ninety (90) days of such Asset Disposition with respect
to retained liabilities directly related to the assets (or a
portion thereof) sold in such Asset Disposition ( provided
that, to the extent that cash proceeds are not used to make
payments in respect of such retained liabilities within ninety
(90) days of such Asset Disposition, such cash proceeds shall
constitute Net Cash Proceeds); and
(b) with respect to any
Insurance and Condemnation Event, the gross cash proceeds received
by the U.S. Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries therefrom
less the sum of the following, without duplication,
(i) all fees and expenses in connection therewith and
(ii) the principal amount, premium or penalty, if any,
interest and other amounts on any Indebtedness secured by a Lien on
the assets (or a portion thereof) subject to such Insurance and
Condemnation Event, which Indebtedness is repaid in connection
therewith.
27
“ Net Hedging
Obligations ” means, with respect to any Hedging
Agreement as of any date, the Termination Value of such Hedging
Agreement on such date.
“ Newco ”
means a corporation or other entity to be formed under the laws of
a state of the United States.
“ Newco Fixed
Assets ” means, collectively, the Catawba Mill, the
Catawba Mill Real Property, the Catawba Mill Equipment and any and
all other real property and equipment owned or thereafter acquired
by Newco or in which Newco has or at any time in the future may
acquire any right, title or interest, and wherever located or
deemed located to the extent related to or forming a part of the
Catawba Mill, the Catawba Mill Real Property or the Catawba Mill
Equipment; provided , that in no event shall the Newco Fixed
Assets include any U.S. Coverage Assets.
“ Newco
Transactions ” means the following transactions, in each
case, to the extent permitted pursuant to, and in accordance with
the terms of, this Agreement and the U.S. Credit
Agreement;
(a) the formation by the
Original U.S. Borrower of Newco;
(b) the transfer of the
Catawba Mill Assets from the Original U.S. Borrower to Newco in
exchange for the Catawba Note; and
(c) the transfer of all of
the issued and outstanding Capital Stock of Newco held by the
Original U.S. Borrower to the Parent pursuant to
Section 10.5(i) or Section 10.6(h)
.
“ New Material
Subsidiary ” has the meaning assigned thereto in
Section 8.10 .
“ Non-BA Lender
” means a Lender that cannot or does not as a matter of
policy accept or purchase Bankers’ Acceptances.
“ Non-Consenting
Lender ” has the meaning assigned thereto in
Section 2.6 .
“ Notes ”
means the collective reference to the Revolving Credit Notes, the
Swingline Note and the Discount Notes.
“ Notice of Account
Designation ” has the meaning assigned thereto in
Section 2.3(b) .
“ Notice of
Borrowing ” has the meaning assigned thereto in
Section 2.3(a) .
“ Notice of
Conversion/Continuation ” has the meaning assigned
thereto in Section 4.2 .
“ Notice of
Prepayment ” has the meaning assigned thereto in
Section 2.4(c) .
“ Obligations
” means, in each case, whether now in existence or hereafter
arising: (a) the principal of and interest on (including
interest accruing after the filing of any bankruptcy or similar
petition) the Loans, (b) the L/C Obligations, (c) all
Hedging Obligations and (d) all other fees and commissions
(including reasonable attorneys’ fees), charges,
indebtedness, loans,
28
liabilities, financial accommodations,
obligations, covenants and duties owing by the U.S. Borrower, the
Borrower or any of their respective Subsidiaries to the Lenders or
the Administrative Agent, in each case under any Loan Document,
with respect to any Loan or Letter of Credit, of every kind, nature
and description, direct or indirect, absolute or contingent, due or
to become due, contractual or tortious, liquidated or unliquidated,
and whether or not evidenced by any note.
“ OFAC ”
means the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign
Assets Control.
“ Officer’s
Compliance Certificate ” means a certificate of the chief
financial officer, the treasurer or the assistant treasurer of each
of the Borrower and the Original U.S. Borrower substantially in the
form of Exhibit F .
“ Operating
Lease ” means, as to any Person as determined in
accordance with GAAP, any lease of property (whether real, personal
or mixed) by such Person as lessee which is not a Capital
Lease.
“ Original U.S.
Borrower ” has the meaning assigned thereto in the
introductory paragraph hereto.
“ Original Newco
Indebtedness ” has the meaning assigned thereto in
Section 10.1(m)(i) .
“ Other Taxes
” means 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 under any other Loan
Document or from the execution, delivery or enforcement of, or
otherwise with respect to, this Agreement or any other Loan
Document.
“ Parent ”
means AbitibiBowater, Inc., a Delaware corporation f/k/a
Alpha-Bravo Holdings, Inc.
“ Parent
Guarantor ” means (a) the U.S. Borrower, as
guarantor pursuant to Article XI hereof, and (b) each
other direct or indirect parent company of the Borrower that
(i) has previously provided a guaranty of the Obligations or
(ii) hereafter becomes a guarantor pursuant to
Section 8.10(c) .
“ Parent Guaranty
Agreements ” means each unconditional guaranty agreement
executed by the Parent Guarantors in favor of the Administrative
Agent for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties, as amended,
restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to
time.
“ Parent Overhead
Expenses ” means (a) accounting and auditing costs
and expenses incurred by the Parent in the ordinary course of its
business in connection with preparing financial reports and tax
filings; (b) customary fees and expenses payable to the SEC
and other reasonable and customary costs and expenses payable in
connection with the Parent being a publicly traded company
(including, without limitation, reasonable and customary fees and
expenses required to be paid for professional and regulatory
compliance); (c) reasonable and customary legal fees and
expenses required for the corporate maintenance of the Parent and
the U.S. Borrower and its Subsidiaries; (d) reasonable and
customary director fees; (e) reasonable and customary costs
and expenses payable for director and officer insurance;
(f) transfer agent
29
fees payable in connection with Capital
Stock of the Parent; and (g) franchise taxes and other fees
payable to the jurisdiction of incorporation or qualification of
the Parent incurred in the ordinary course of conducting its
business; provided that in no event shall Parent Overhead
Expenses include management fees, salaries, bonuses, debt service
and dividends and other distributions in respect of the Capital
Stock of the Parent.
“ Participant
” has the meaning assigned thereto in
Section 14.10(d) .
“ PBGC ”
means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation or any successor
agency.
“ Pension Plan
” means any Employee Benefit Plan, other than a Multiemployer
Plan, which is subject to the provisions of Title IV of ERISA or
Section 412 of the Code and which (a) is maintained for
the employees of the U.S. Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or
any of their ERISA Affiliates or (b) has at any time within
the preceding six (6) years been maintained for the employees
of the U.S. Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their
current or former ERISA Affiliates which the U.S. Borrower or any
of its Subsidiaries or any of their ERISA Affiliates sponsors,
maintains, or to which it makes, is making or is obligated to make,
contributions.
“ Permitted
Acquisition ” means any investment by the U.S. Borrower
or any of its Subsidiaries in the form of the acquisition of all or
substantially all of the business or assets, or any portion of the
business or assets that constitutes a line of business, a business
unit or a division (whether by the acquisition of Capital Stock,
assets or any combination thereof), of any other Person if each
such acquisition or investment meets all of the following
requirements:
(a) with respect to any
acquisition:
(i) such acquisition is not a
hostile acquisition (with evidence thereof to be provided to the
Administrative Agent or the U.S. Administrative Agent upon its
reasonable request);
(ii) the Person or business
to be acquired shall be in a substantially similar line of business
as the U.S. Borrower and its Subsidiaries pursuant to
Section 10.12 ;
(iii) if such transaction is
a merger or consolidation involving a Credit Party or a U.S. Credit
Party, the surviving Person shall be a Credit Party or U.S. Credit
Party and no Change of Control shall have been effected
thereby;
(iv) if the acquisition will
result in the acquisition of, or creation of, any New Material
Subsidiary, the Borrower shall comply with Section 8.10
hereof;
(v) no Default or Event of
Default shall have occurred and be continuing both before and after
giving effect to such acquisition; and
(vi) after giving effect to
the acquisition, at least (A) $50,000,000 in availability
shall exist under the U.S. Credit Facility and (B) $25,000,000
in availability shall exist under this Credit Facility;
and
30
(b) with respect to any
acquisition for which the Permitted Acquisition Consideration is
greater than $50,000,000 or any acquisition funded (in whole or in
part) by Extensions of Credit or U.S. Extensions of Credit (in
addition to the requirements set forth in clause
(a) above):
(i) no less than fifteen
(15) Business Days prior to the proposed closing date of such
acquisition, the Original U.S. Borrower shall have delivered
written notice of such acquisition to the Administrative Agent and
the U.S. Administrative Agent, which notice shall include the
proposed closing date of such acquisition;
(ii) no later than five
(5) Business Days prior to the proposed closing date of such
acquisition, the Original U.S. Borrower shall have delivered to the
Administrative Agent and the U.S. Administrative Agent an
Officer’s Compliance Certificate demonstrating, in form and
substance reasonably satisfactory thereto, (A) pro
forma compliance (as of the most recent fiscal quarter ended
for which financial statements have been delivered pursuant hereto,
adjusted to give effect the acquisition and any Extensions of
Credit or U.S. Extensions of Credit made or to be made in
connection therewith) with each covenant contained in Article
IX and (B) a pro forma Consolidated Senior
Secured Leverage Ratio (as of the most recent fiscal quarter ended
for which financial statements have been delivered pursuant hereto,
adjusted to give effect the acquisition and any Extensions of
Credit or U.S. Extensions of Credit made or to be made in
connection therewith) not to exceed 1.00 to 1.00;
(iii) no later than five
(5) Business Days prior to the proposed closing date of such
acquisition, the Original U.S. Borrower, to the extent requested by
the Administrative Agent or the U.S. Administrative Agent,
(A) shall have delivered to the Administrative Agent or the
U.S. Administrative Agent, as applicable, promptly upon the
finalization thereof, copies of substantially final Permitted
Acquisition Documents, which shall be in form and substance
reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent or the U.S.
Administrative Agent, as applicable, and (B) shall have
delivered to, or made available for inspection by, the
Administrative Agent or the U.S. Administrative Agent, as
applicable, substantially complete Permitted Acquisition Diligence
Information, which shall be in form and substance reasonably
satisfactory to the Administrative Agent or the U.S. Administrative
Agent, as applicable;
(iv) the Original U.S.
Borrower shall provide such other documents and other information
as may be reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent or the
U.S. Administrative Agent in connection with the acquisition;
and
(v) the Original U.S.
Borrower shall demonstrate, in form and substance reasonably
satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the U.S.
Administrative Agent, that the entity to be acquired had positive
Consolidated EBITDA for the four (4) fiscal quarter period
ended prior to the proposed closing date of such acquisition (it
being agreed and acknowledged that clause (b)(vi) of the definition
of “Consolidated EBITDA” shall be calculated solely
with respect to the Person or business to be acquired);
and
31
(c) with respect to any
acquisition for which the Permitted Acquisition Consideration is
less than $50,000,000 and such acquisition is not funded (in whole
or in part) by Extensions of Credit or U.S. Extensions of Credit
(in addition to the requirements set forth in clause
(a) above):
(i) no more than ten
(10) days following the closing date of such acquisition, the
Original U.S. Borrower shall have delivered written notice of such
acquisition to the Administrative Agent and the U.S. Administrative
Agent, which notice shall include the closing date of such
acquisition; and
(ii) to the extent requested
by the Administrative Agent or the U.S. Administrative Agent, the
Original U.S. Borrower shall have delivered to the Administrative
Agent or the U.S. Administrative Agent, as applicable, promptly
upon the finalization thereof (but no later than fifteen
(15) days after the closing date of such acquisition) copies
of substantially final Permitted Acquisition Documents.
Notwithstanding anything to
the contrary contained in this Agreement or the other Loan
Documents, the Original U.S. Borrower shall have obtained the prior
written consent of the Required Lenders prior to the consummation
of such acquisition if (1) the Permitted Acquisition
Consideration for any such acquisition (or series of related
acquisitions), together with all other acquisitions consummated
during the previous twelve (12) month period exceeds
$100,000,000 in the aggregate (excluding any portion of the
acquisitions paid with the proceeds from any equity issuance by the
U.S. Borrower) and (2) the Permitted Acquisition Consideration
for such acquisition (or series of related acquisitions), together
with all other acquisitions consummated during the term of this
Agreement, exceeds $300,000,000 in the aggregate (excluding any
portion of the acquisitions paid with the proceeds from any equity
issuance by the U.S. Borrower).
“ Permitted
Acquisition Consideration ” means the aggregate amount of
the purchase price (including, but not limited to, any assumed
debt, earn-outs (valued at the maximum amount payable thereunder),
deferred payments, or Capital Stock of the U.S. Borrower, net of
the applicable acquired company’s cash and Cash Equivalent
balance as shown on its most recent financial statements delivered
in connection with the applicable Permitted Acquisition) to be paid
on a singular basis in connection with any applicable Permitted
Acquisition as set forth in the applicable Permitted Acquisition
Documents executed by the U.S. Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries
in order to consummate the applicable Permitted
Acquisition.
“ Permitted
Acquisition Diligence Information ” means with respect to
any acquisition proposed by the U.S. Borrower or any of its
Subsidiaries, to the extent applicable and in the possession of the
U.S. Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, all material financial
information, all material contracts, all material customer lists,
all material supply agreements, and all other material information,
in each case, reasonably requested to be delivered to the
Administrative Agent or the U.S. Administrative Agent in connection
with such acquisition (except to the extent that any such
information is (a) subject to any confidentiality agreement,
unless mutually agreeable arrangements can be made to preserve such
information as confidential, (b) classified or
(c) subject to any attorney-client privilege).
32
“ Permitted
Acquisition Documents ” means with respect to any
acquisition proposed by the U.S. Borrower or any of its
Subsidiaries, the purchase agreement, sale agreement, merger
agreement or other similar agreement evidencing such acquisition
(whichever is applicable), including, without limitation, all
schedules and exhibits thereto and each other material document
executed, delivered, contemplated by or prepared in connection
therewith and any amendment, modification or supplement to any of
the foregoing.
“ Permitted
Currency ” means Dollars and Canadian Dollars or each
such currency, as the context requires.
“ Permitted
Liens ” means the Liens permitted pursuant to
Section 10.2 .
“ Person ”
means any natural person, corporation, limited liability company,
trust, joint venture, association, company, partnership,
governmental authority or other entity.
“ PPSA ”
means the Personal Property Security Act as in effect in the
provinces of Ontario, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, as amended or
modified from time to time.
“ Prime Rate
” means,
(a) with respect to all
Revolving Credit Loans denominated in Dollars, at any time, the
rate of interest per annum publicly announced from time to time by
the Administrative Agent as its prime rate for Dollar commercial
loans made in Canada; and
(b) with respect to all
Swingline Loans denominated in Dollars, at any time, the rate of
interest per annum publicly announced from time to time by the
Swingline Lender as its prime rate for Dollar commercial loans made
in Canada.
Each change in the Prime Rate
shall be effective as of the opening of business on the day such
change in such prime rate occurs. The parties hereto acknowledge
that the rate announced publicly by the Administrative Agent or the
Swingline Lender, as applicable, as its prime rate is an index or
base rate and shall not necessarily be its lowest or best rate
charged to its customers or other banks.
“ QSPE ”
means each of the following: (a) Calhoun Note Holdings AT LLC,
(b) Calhoun Note Holdings TI LLC, (c) Bowater Catawba
Note Holdings I LLC, (d) Bowater Catawba Note Holdings II LLC,
(e) Bowater Saluda Note Holdings LLC, (f) Timber Note
Holding LLC and (g) any other qualified special purpose entity
created to facilitate the sale and/or the monetization of
receivables from the sale of timberlands pursuant to
Section 10.5(g) ; provided that:
(i) no portion of the
Indebtedness or any other obligations (contingent or otherwise) of
any such Person (1) may be guaranteed by the U.S. Borrower or
any of its Subsidiaries, (2) may be recourse to or obligate
the U.S. Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in any way or
(3) may subject any property or asset of the U.S. Borrower or
any of its Subsidiaries, directly or indirectly, contingently or
otherwise, to the satisfaction thereof (other than, in the case of
clauses (1) (solely with respect to guaranties of make whole
premiums), (2) and (3), pursuant to Standard Securitization
Undertakings);
33
(ii) the U.S. Borrower and
its Subsidiaries may not have any material contract, agreement,
arrangement or understanding with any such Person other than on
terms no less favorable to the U.S. Borrower or any of its
Subsidiaries than those that might be obtained at the time from
Persons that are not Affiliates of the U.S. Borrower or any of its
Subsidiaries; and
(iii) the U.S. Borrower and
its Subsidiaries may not (A) have any obligation to maintain
or preserve the financial condition of any such Person or
(B) cause any such Person to achieve certain levels of
operating results.
“ Québec
Collateral Documents ” means collectively the Deed of
Hypothec, the Debenture and the Pledge referred to in
Section 13.1(b) .
“ Register
” has the meaning assigned thereto in
Section 14.10(c) .
“ Reimbursement
Obligation ” means the obligation of the Borrower to
reimburse the applicable Issuing Lender pursuant to
Section 3.5 for amounts drawn under Letters of
Credit.
“ Related
Parties ” means, with respect to any Person, such
Person’s Affiliates and the directors, officers, employees,
agents and advisors of such Person and of such Person’s
Affiliates.
“ Required Agreement
Lenders ” means, at any date, any combination of Lenders
having more than fifty percent (50%) of the sum of the
aggregate amount of the Commitment under this Credit Facility or,
if the Commitment under this Credit Facility has been terminated,
any combination of Lenders holding more than fifty percent
(50%) of the aggregate Extensions of Credit.
“ Required
Lenders ” means, at any date, any combination of Lenders
and U.S. Lenders having more than fifty percent (50%) of the
sum of (a) the aggregate amount of the Commitment under this
Credit Facility (or if the Commitment has been terminated, the
aggregate amount of Extensions of Credit under this Credit
Facility) plus (b) the aggregate amount of the
commitments under the U.S. Credit Facility (or, if the commitments
under the U.S. Credit Facility have been terminated, the aggregate
amount of the U.S. Extensions of Credit).
“ Responsible
Officer ” means, as to any Person, the chief executive
officer, president, chief financial officer, controller, treasurer
or assistant treasurer of such Person or any other officer of such
Person reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent and the
U.S. Administrative Agent. Any document delivered hereunder that is
signed by a Responsible Officer of a Person shall be conclusively
presumed to have been authorized by all necessary corporate,
partnership and/or other action on the part of such Person and such
Responsible Officer shall be conclusively presumed to have acted on
behalf of such Person.
“ Restricted
Subsidiary ” means any Person that is a “Restricted
Subsidiary” pursuant to the definition thereof as contained
in the Existing Notes as in effect as of the Closing Date, for so
long as such Existing Notes or any Indebtedness incurred to
refinance such Existing Notes is outstanding and includes
provisions restricting the granting of a lien on the capital stock
or indebtedness of such Restricted Subsidiaries .
34
“ Revolving Credit
Facility ” means the revolving credit facility
established pursuant to Article II .
“ Revolving Credit
Loan ” means (i) any revolving loan made to the
Borrower pursuant to Section 2.1 , (b) any BA Loan
made to the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.7 and
(c) all such revolving loans collectively as the context
requires.
“ Revolving Credit
Note ” means a promissory note made by the Borrower in
favor of a Lender evidencing the Revolving Credit Loans (other than
BA Loans) made by such Lender, substantially in the form of
Exhibit A-1 , and any amendments, supplements and
modifications thereto, any substitutes therefor, and any
replacements, restatements, renewals or extension thereof, in whole
or in part.
“ S&P
” means Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, a
division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. and any successor
thereto.
“ SEC ”
means the Securities and Exchange Commission, or any Governmental
Authority succeeding to any of its principal functions.
“ Sanctioned
Entity ” shall mean (a) an agency of the government
of, (b) an organization directly or indirectly controlled by,
or (c) a person resident in a country that is subject to a
sanctions program identified on the list maintained by OFAC and
available at
http://www.treas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/sanctions/index.html
, or as otherwise published from time to time as such program may
be applicable to such agency, organization or person.
“ Sanctioned
Person ” shall mean a person named on the list of
Specially Designated Nationals or Blocked Persons maintained by
OFAC available at http://www.treas.gov/offices/
enforcement/ofac/sdn/index.html , or as otherwise published
from time to time.
“ Schedule I
Lender ” means any Lender named on Schedule I to the
Bank Act (Canada).
“ Schedule I
Reference Banks ” means any bank or banks named on
Schedule I to the Bank Act (Canada) as may be agreed from
time to time by the Administrative Agent and the
Borrower.
“ Schedule II or III
Lender ” means any Lender named on Schedule II or
Schedule III to the Bank Act (Canada).
“ Schedule II or III
Reference Banks ” means any bank named on Schedule II or
Schedule III to the Bank Act (Canada) as may be agreed from
time to time by the Administrative Agent and the
Borrower.
“ Secured
Parties ” means the Administrative Agent, the Lenders
and/or any party to a Hedging Agreement that was a Lender or an
Affiliate of a Lender at the time such Hedging Agreement was
executed.
“ Security
Documents ” means the collective reference to the
Collateral Agreement, the Québec Security Documents, the
Guaranty Agreements, the Catawba Mortgage and each other
35
agreement or writing pursuant to which
any Credit Party purports to pledge or grant a security interest in
any property or assets securing the Obligations or any such Person
purports to guaranty the payment and/or performance of the
Obligations, in each case, as amended, restated, supplemented or
otherwise modified from time to time.
“ Significant
Indebtedness ” means Indebtedness (other than the
Obligations and the U.S. Obligations) of the U.S. Borrower and its
Subsidiaries the outstanding principal amount of which is in excess
of $25,000,000.
“ Solvent
” means, as to the U.S. Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a
particular date, that any such Person (a) has capital
sufficient to carry on its business and transactions and all
business and transactions in which it is about to engage and is
able to pay its debts as they mature, (b) has assets having a
value, both at fair valuation and at present fair saleable value,
greater than the amount required to pay its probable liabilities
(including contingencies), and (c) does not believe that it
will incur debts or liabilities beyond its ability to pay such
debts or liabilities as they mature.
“ Specified Existing
Notes ” means each of the Existing Notes which
(a) as of the Closing Date, matures or is subject to mandatory
redemption prior to May 25, 2011 and (b) has an
outstanding principal amount, as of the Closing Date, in excess of
$75,000,000. The Specified Existing Notes shall be set forth on
Schedule 1.1(b) .
“ Specified
Non-Recurring Charges ” means the non-recurring charges
against income taken by the Original U.S. Borrower during the
following periods in the following amounts:
(a) with respect to the
fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2007, non-recurring charges in
the amount of $9,500,000;
(b) with respect to the
fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2007, non-recurring charges in
the amount of $20,000,000;
(c) with respect to the
fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2007, non-recurring charges
in the amount of $46,000,000;
(d) with respect to the
fiscal quarter ending December 31, 2007, non-recurring charges
consisting of the following, without duplication,
(i) severance expenses of the Original U.S. Borrower,
(ii) merger costs incurred with respect to the Combination and
(iii) other mill closure costs, in each case, taken during
such quarter, in an aggregate amount to be determined in accordance
with GAAP, but not to exceed $100,000,000; and
(e) with respect to the
fiscal quarter ending March 31, 2008, non-recurring charges
consisting of the following, without duplication,
(i) severance expenses of the Original U.S. Borrower,
(ii) merger costs incurred with respect to the Combination and
(iii) other mill closure costs, in each case, taken during
such quarter, in an aggregate amount to be determined in accordance
with GAAP, but not to exceed $100,000,000 less the amount of
Specified Non-Recurring Charges taken pursuant to clause
(d) above with respect to the fiscal quarter ended
December 31, 2007;
36
provided that,
notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this
Agreement or any other Loan Document, for purposes of calculating
the Consolidated Senior Secured Leverage Ratio and the interest
coverage ratio as set forth in Section 9.2 , such
non-recurring charges shall be excluded from the non-recurring
charges included in clause (b)(v) of the definition of Consolidated
EBITDA.
“ Stamping Fee
” has the meaning assigned thereto in
Section 2.7(k) .
“ Standard
Securitization Undertakings ” means, collectively,
(i) customary arms-length servicing obligations (together with
any related performance guaranties), (ii) obligations
(together with any related performance guaranties) to refund the
purchase price or grant purchase price credits for dilutive events
or misrepresentation (in each case unrelated to the collectibility
of receivables or creditworthiness of the associated account
debtors), (iii) representations, warranties, covenants and
indemnities (together with any related performance guaranties) of a
type that are reasonably customary in accounts receivable
securitizations and (iv) in the case of a QSPE, a guarantee by
the U.S. Borrower or its Subsidiaries of any make whole premium
(but not any principal or interest) on Indebtedness of such
QSPE.
“ Subordinated
Indebtedness ” means the collective reference to any
Indebtedness of the U.S. Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries
subordinated in right and time of payment to the Obligations and
containing such other terms and conditions, in each case as are
satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the U.S.
Administrative Agent.
“ Subsidiary
” means as to any Person, any corporation, partnership,
limited liability company or other entity of which more than fifty
percent (50%) of the outstanding Capital Stock having ordinary
voting power to elect a majority of the board of directors or other
persons or governing body performing similar functions of such
corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity
is at the time directly or indirectly owned or controlled by such
Person and/or one or more Subsidiaries of such Person (irrespective
of whether, at the time, Capital Stock of any other class or
classes of such corporation, partnership, limited liability company
or other entity shall have or might have voting power by reason of
the happening of any contingency); provided , however,
notwithstanding the foregoing, the terms “Subsidiary”
or “Subsidiaries”:
(a) shall include
(i) all Subsidiaries of the Original U.S. Borrower (other than
those noted in clause (b) below) and (ii) all
Subsidiaries of Newco; and
(b) shall exclude
(i) all QSPEs and (ii) all of the Abitibi
Entities.
Unless otherwise qualified,
references to “Subsidiary” or
“Subsidiaries” herein shall refer to those of the U.S.
Borrower.
“ Subsidiary
Borrower ” means any Domestic Subsidiary of the Borrower
that is designated as a borrower under this agreement in accordance
with the terms of Section 4.14 .
“ Subsidiary
Guarantors ” means each direct or indirect Material
Subsidiary of the Borrower which becomes a party to the Subsidiary
Guaranty Agreement in accordance with Section 8.10(a)
.
37
“ Subsidiary
Guaranty Agreement ” means each unconditional guaranty
agreement executed by the Subsidiary Guarantors in favor of the
Administrative Agent for the ratable benefit of the Secured
Parties, substantially in the form of Exhibit H , as
amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to
time.
“ Swingline
Commitment ” means the lesser of (a) Ten Million
Dollars ($10,000,000) and (b) the Commitment.
“ Swingline
Facility ” means the swingline facility established
pursuant to Section 2.2 .
“ Swingline
Lender ” means Bank of Montreal in its capacity as
swingline lender hereunder.
“ Swingline Loan
” means any swingline loan made by the Swingline Lender to
the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.2 , and all such
swingline loans collectively as the context requires.
“ Swingline Note
” means a promissory note made by the Borrower in favor of
the Swingline Lender evidencing the Swingline Loans made by the
Swingline Lender, substantially in the form of Exhibit A-2 ,
and any amendments, supplements and modifications thereto, any
substitutes therefor, and any replacements, restatements, renewals
or extension thereof, in whole or in part.
“ Swingline
Termination Date ” means the first to occur of
(a) the resignation or removal of the Swingline Lender in
accordance with Section 13.10 (except to the extent the
Swingline Lender is replaced with a successor Swingline Lender,
reasonably acceptable to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent
(such approvals not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed), prior
to the effectiveness of such resignation) and (b) the Maturity
Date.
“ Synthetic
Lease ” means any synthetic lease, tax retention
operating lease, off-balance sheet loan or similar off-balance
sheet financing product where such transaction is considered
borrowed money indebtedness for tax purposes but is classified as
an Operating Lease in accordance with GAAP.
“ Taxes ”
means all present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties,
deductions, withholdings, assessments, fees or other charges
imposed by any Governmental Authority, including any interest,
additions to tax or penalties applicable thereto.
“ Termination
Event ” means except for any such event or condition that
could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect:
(a) a “Reportable Event” described in
Section 4043 of ERISA for which the notice requirement has not
been waived by the PBGC, or (b) the withdrawal of the U.S.
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their ERISA
Affiliates from a Pension Plan during a plan year in which it was a
“substantial employer” as defined in
Section 4001(a)(2) of ERISA, or (c) the termination of a
Pension Plan, the filing of a notice of intent to terminate a
Pension Plan or the treatment of a Pension Plan amendment as a
termination, under Section 4041 of ERISA or similar provision
of other Applicable Law, if the plan assets are not sufficient to
pay all plan liabilities, or (d) the institution of
proceedings to terminate, or the appointment of a trustee with
respect to, any Pension Plan by the PBGC or any
38
other applicable Governmental Authority
under other Applicable Law, or (e) any other event or
condition which would constitute grounds under Section 4042(a)
of ERISA or other Applicable Law for the termination of, or the
appointment of a trustee to administer, any Pension Plan, or
(f) the imposition of a Lien pursuant to Section 412 of
the Code or Section 302 of ERISA or the provisions of any
other Applicable Law, or (g) the partial or complete
withdrawal of the U.S. Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or of
any of their ERISA Affiliates from a Multiemployer Plan if
withdrawal liability is asserted by such plan, or (h) any
event or condition which results in the reorganization or
insolvency of a Multiemployer Plan under Sections 4241 or 4245 of
ERISA, or (i) any event or condition which results in the
termination of a Multiemployer Plan under Section 4041A of
ERISA or the institution by PBGC of proceedings to terminate a
Multiemployer Plan under Section 4042 of ERISA, or
(j) the termination of a Canadian Pension Plan, the filing of
a notice of intent to terminate a Canadian Pension Plan or the
treatment of a Canadian Pension Plan amendment as a termination,
under Applicable Law, if the plan assets are not sufficient to pay
all plan liabilities, or (k) the institution of proceedings to
terminate, or the appointment of a trustee with respect to, any
Canadian Pension Plan by any applicable Governmental Authority
under Applicable Law, or (l) any other event or condition
which would constitute grounds under Applicable Law for the
termination of, or the appointment of a trustee to administer, any
Canadian Pension Plan, or (m) the partial or complete
withdrawal of the U.S. Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries from a
Canadian Multiemployer Plan if withdrawal liability is asserted by
such plan, or (n) any event or condition which results in the
reorganization or insolvency of a Canadian Multiemployer Plan, or
(o) any event or condition which results in the termination of
a Canadian Multiemployer Plan or the institution by any
Governmental Authority of proceedings to terminate a Canadian
Multiemployer Plan.
“ Termination
Value ” means, in respect of any one or more Hedging
Agreements, after taking into account the effect of any legally
enforceable netting agreement relating to such Hedging Agreements,
(a) for any date on or after the date such Hedging Agreements
have been closed out and termination value(s) determined in
accordance therewith, such termination value(s), and (b) for
any date prior to the date referenced in clause (a), the amount(s)
determined as the mark-to-market value(s) for such Hedging
Agreements, as determined based upon one or more mid-market or
other readily available quotations provided by any recognized
dealer in such Hedging Agreements (which may include a Lender or
any Affiliate of a Lender).
“ Third
Amendment ” means that certain Third Amendment and Waiver
dated as of Third Amendment Effective Date by and among the
Borrower, the Guarantors and the Administrative Agent (on behalf of
itself and the Lenders party thereto).
“ Third Amendment
Effective Date ” means February 25, 2008.
“ U.S.
Administrative Agent ” means Wachovia Bank, National
Association in its capacity as the administrative agent under the
U.S. Credit Agreement.
“ U.S. Borrower
” means (a) prior to receipt by the Administrative Agent
of all of the documentation required pursuant to
Section 8.10(e)(i) , the Original U.S. Borrower and
(b) upon receipt by the Administrative Agent of all of the
documentation required pursuant to Section 8.10(e)(i)
collectively, Newco and the Original U.S. Borrower.
39
“ U.S. Borrower
Guaranty ” means the unconditional guaranty of the
payment of the Obligations of the Borrower under Article XI
of this Agreement.
“ U.S.
Collateral ” means the “Collateral” as
defined in the U.S. Credit Agreement.
“ U.S. Collateral
Agreement ” means the “Collateral Agreement”
as defined in the U.S. Credit Agreement.
“ U.S. Credit
Agreement ” means that certain credit agreement dated as
of even date herewith by and among the U.S. Borrower, as borrower,
the lenders party thereto, as lenders, and the U.S. Administrative
Agent, as administrative agent.
“ U.S. Coverage
Assets ” means the “Coverage Assets” as
defined in the U.S. Credit Agreement.
“ U.S. Credit
Facility ” means that certain revolving credit facility
established pursuant to the U.S. Credit Agreement.
“ U.S. Credit
Party ” means the U.S. Borrower and each U.S. Subsidiary
Guarantor.
“ U.S. Extensions of
Credit ” means the “Extensions of Credit” as
defined in the U.S. Credit Agreement.
“ U.S. Fee
Letter ” means the separate fee letter agreement executed
by the Original U.S. Borrower and Wachovia and/or certain of its
affiliates dated April 3, 2006.
“ U.S. Lender
” means any “Lender” as defined in the U.S.
Credit Agreement.
“ U.S. Loans
” means “Loans” as defined in the U.S. Credit
Agreement.
“ U.S. Maturity
Date ” means the “Maturity Date” as defined
in the U.S. Credit Agreement.
“ U.S.
Obligations ” means the “Obligations” as
defined in the U.S. Credit Agreement.
“ U.S. Parent
Guaranty Agreement ” means the “Parent Guaranty
Agreement” as defined in the U.S. Credit
Agreement.
“ U.S. Required
Agreement Lenders ” means the “Required Agreement
Lenders” as defined in the U.S. Credit Agreement.
“ U.S. Secured
Parties ” means the “Secured Parties” as
defined in the U.S. Credit Agreement.
“ U.S. Subsidiary
Guarantors ” means the “Subsidiary
Guarantors” as defined in the U.S. Credit
Agreement.
“ United States
” means the United States of America.
40
“ Wholly-Owned
” means, with respect to a Subsidiary, that all of the shares
of Capital Stock of such Subsidiary are, directly or indirectly,
owned or controlled by the U.S. Borrower and/or one or more of its
Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries (except for (a) directors’
qualifying shares or other shares required by Applicable Law to be
owned by a Person other than the U.S. Borrower and (b) the
Exchangeable Shares).
SECTION 1.2 Other
Definitions and Provisions . With reference to this Agreement
and each other Loan Document, unless otherwise specified herein or
in such other Loan Document: (a) the definitions of terms
herein shall apply equally to the singular and plural forms of the
terms defined, (b) whenever the context may require, any
pronoun shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine and
neuter forms, (c) the words “include”,
“includes” and “including” shall be deemed
to be followed by the phrase “without limitation”,
(d) the word “will” shall be construed to have the
same meaning and effect as the word “shall”,
(e) 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 from time to
time amended, supplemented or otherwise modified (subject to any
restrictions on such amendments, supplements or modifications set
forth herein), (f) any reference herein to any Person shall be
construed to include such Person’s successors and assigns,
(g) the words “herein”, “hereof” and
“hereunder”, and words of similar import, shall be
construed to refer to this Agreement in its entirety and not to any
particular provision hereof, (h) all references herein to
Articles, Sections, Exhibits and Schedules shall be construed to
refer to Articles and Sections of, and Exhibits and Schedules to,
this Agreement, (i) the words “asset” and
“property” shall be construed to have the same meaning
and effect and to refer to any and all tangible and intangible
assets and properties, including cash, securities, accounts and
contract rights, (j) the term “ documents ”
includes any and all instruments, documents, agreements,
certificates, notices, reports, financial statements and other
writings, however evidenced, whether in physical or electronic
form, (k) in the computation of periods of time from a
specified date to a later specified date, the word
“from” means “from and including;” the
words “to” and “until” each mean “to
but excluding;” and the word “through” means
“to and including”, and (l) Section headings
herein and in the other Loan Documents are included for convenience
of reference only and shall not affect the interpretation of this
Agreement or any other Loan Document.
SECTION 1.3 Accounting
Terms . All accounting terms not specifically or completely
defined herein shall be construed in conformity with, and all
financial data (including financial ratios and other financial
calculations) required to be submitted pursuant to this Agreement
shall be prepared in conformity with GAAP as in effect from time to
time, applied on a consistent basis and in a manner consistent with
that used in preparing the audited financial statements required by
Section 7.1(b) and (d) , except as
otherwise specifically prescribed herein.
SECTION 1.4 PPSA and CCQ
Terms . Terms defined in the PPSA or the CCQ in effect on the
Closing Date and not otherwise defined herein shall, unless the
context otherwise indicates, have the meanings provided by those
definitions. Subject to the foregoing, the terms “
PPSA ” and “ CCQ ” refer, as of any
date of determination, to the PPSA or the CCQ, as applicable, then
in effect.
SECTION 1.5 Rounding .
Any financial ratios required to be maintained pursuant to this
Agreement shall be calculated by dividing the appropriate component
by the other
41
component, carrying the result to one
place more than the number of places by which such ratio is
expressed herein and rounding the result up or down to the nearest
number (with a rounding-up if there is no nearest
number).
SECTION 1.6 References to
Agreement and Laws . Unless otherwise expressly provided
herein, (a) references to formation documents, governing
documents, agreements (including the Loan Documents) and other
contractual instruments shall be deemed to include all subsequent
amendments, restatements, extensions, supplements and other
modifications thereto, but only to the extent that such amendments,
restatements, extensions, supplements and other modifications are
not prohibited by any Loan Document; and (b) references to any
Applicable Law shall include all statutory and regulatory
provisions consolidating, amending, replacing, supplementing or
interpreting such Applicable Law.
SECTION 1.7 Times of
Day . Unless otherwise specified, all references herein to
times of day shall be references to Eastern time (daylight or
standard, as applicable).
SECTION 1.8 Letter of
Credit Amounts . Unless otherwise specified, all references
herein to the amount of a Letter of Credit at any time shall be
deemed to mean the maximum face amount of such Letter of Credit
after giving effect to all increases thereof contemplated by such
Letter of Credit or the Letter of Credit Application therefor,
whether or not such maximum face amount is in effect at such
time.
SECTION 1.9 Amount of
Obligations . Unless otherwise specified, for purposes of this
Agreement, any determination of the amount of any outstanding
Loans, L/C Obligations or other Obligations shall be based upon the
Dollar Amount of such outstanding Loans, L/C Obligations or other
Obligations.
ARTICLE II
REVOLVING CREDIT
FACILITY
SECTION 2.1 Revolving
Credit Loans . Subject to the terms and conditions of this
Agreement (including, without limitation, with respect to any BA
Loan, Section 2.7 ), and in reliance upon the
representations and warranties set forth herein, each Lender
severally agrees to make Revolving Credit Loans in any Permitted
Currency to the Borrower from time to time from the Closing Date
through, but not including, the Maturity Date as requested by the
Borrower in accordance with the terms of Section 2.3 ;
provided , that (a) the aggregate principal amount of
all outstanding Revolving Credit Loans, after giving effect to any
amount requested, shall not exceed the Borrowing Limit and
(b) the principal amount of outstanding Revolving Credit Loans
from any Lender shall not at any time exceed such Lender’s
Commitment less such Lender’s Commitment Percentage of
outstanding L/C Obligations and outstanding Swingline Loans. Each
Revolving Credit Loan by a Lender shall be in a principal amount
equal to such Lender’s Commitment Percentage of the aggregate
principal amount of Revolving Credit Loans requested on such
occasion in the Permitted Currency requested by the Borrower.
Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the Borrower may
borrow, repay and reborrow Revolving Credit Loans hereunder until
the Maturity Date.
42
SECTION 2.2 Swingline
Loans .
(a) Availability .
Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the
Swingline Lender agrees to make Swingline Loans in any Permitted
Currency to the Borrower from time to time from the Closing Date
through, but not including, the Swingline Termination Date;
provided , that the aggregate principal amount of all
outstanding Swingline Loans (after giving effect to any amount
requested), shall not exceed the lesser of (i) the Borrowing
Limit and (ii) the Swingline Commitment.
(b) Refunding
.
(i) Swingline Loans shall be
refunded by the Lenders in the applicable Permitted Currency on
demand by the Swingline Lender with notice to the Administrative
Agent. Such refundings shall be made by the Lenders in accordance
with their respective Commitment Percentages and shall thereafter
be reflected as Revolving Credit Loans of the Lenders on the books
and records of the Administrative Agent (which Revolving Credit
Loans shall bear interest based upon (A) the Canadian Prime
Rate with respect to any Swingline Loan denominated in Canadian
Dollars and (B) the Base Rate with respect to any Swingline
Loan denominated in Dollars). Each Lender shall fund its respective
Commitment Percentage of Revolving Credit Loans as required to
repay Swingline Loans outstanding to the Swingline Lender upon
demand by the Swingline Lender but in no event later than 1:00 p.m.
on the next succeeding Business Day after such demand is made. No
Lender’s obligation to fund its respective Commitment
Percentage of a Swingline Loan shall be affected by any other
Lender’s failure to fund its Commitment Percentage of a
Swingline Loan, nor shall any Lender’s Commitment Percentage
be increased as a result of any such failure of any other Lender to
fund its Commitment Percentage of a Swingline Loan.
(ii) The Borrower shall pay
to the Swingline Lender on demand, in the applicable Permitted
Currency, with notice to the Administrative Agent, the amount of
such Swingline Loans to the extent amounts received from the
Lenders are not sufficient to repay in full the outstanding
Swingline Loans requested or required to be refunded. In addition,
the Borrower hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent to charge
any account maintained by the Borrower with the Swingline Lender
(up to the amount available therein) in order to immediately pay
the Swingline Lender the amount of such Swingline Loans to the
extent amounts received from the Lenders are not sufficient to
repay in full the outstanding Swingline Loans requested or required
to be refunded. If any portion of any such amount paid to the
Swingline Lender shall be recovered by or on behalf of the Borrower
from the Swingline Lender in bankruptcy or otherwise, the loss of
the amount so recovered shall be ratably shared among all the
Lenders in accordance with their respective Commitment Percentages
(unless the amounts so recovered by or on behalf of the Borrower
pertain to a Swingline Loan extended after the occurrence and
during the continuance of an Event of Default of which the
Swingline Lender has received notice in the manner consistent with
the notice requirements of Section 13.10(b) and which
such Event of Default has not been waived by the Required Lenders,
the Required Agreement Lenders or the Lenders, as
applicable).
43
(iii) Each Lender
acknowledges and agrees that its obligation to refund Swingline
Loans in accordance with the terms of this Section is absolute and
unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance
whatsoever, including, without limitation, non-satisfaction of the
conditions set forth in Article V . Further, each Lender
agrees and acknowledges that if prior to the refunding of any
outstanding Swingline Loans pursuant to this Section, one of the
events described in Section 12.1(i) or (j)
shall have occurred, each Lender will, on the date the
applicable Revolving Credit Loan would have been made, purchase an
undivided participating interest in the Swingline Loan to be
refunded in an amount equal to its Commitment Percentage of the
aggregate amount of such Swingline Loan. Each Lender will
immediately transfer to the Swingline Lender, in immediately
available funds in the applicable Permitted Currency, the amount of
its participation and upon receipt thereof the Swingline Lender
will deliver to such Lender a certificate evidencing such
participation dated the date of receipt of such funds and for such
amount. Whenever, at any time after the Swingline Lender has
received from any Lender such Lender’s participating interest
in a Swingline Loan, the Swingline Lender receives any payment on
account thereof, the Swingline Lender will distribute to such
Lender its participating interest in such amount (appropriately
adjusted, in the case of interest payments, to reflect the period
of time during which such Lender’s participating interest was
outstanding and funded).
SECTION 2.3 Procedure for
Advances of Revolving Credit Loans and Swingline Loans
.
(a) Requests for
Borrowing . The Borrower shall give the Administrative Agent
and, with respect to each Swingline Loan, the Swingline Lender
irrevocable prior written notice substantially in the form of
Exhibit B (a “ Notice of Borrowing ”) not
later than 12:00 p.m. (i) on the same Business Day as each
Canadian Prime Rate Loan, each Base Rate Loan and each Swingline
Loan, (ii) at least one (1) Business Day before each BA
Loan and (iii) at least three (3) Business Days before
each LIBOR Rate Loan, of its intention to borrow, specifying
(A) the date of such borrowing, which shall be a Business Day;
(B) the applicable Permitted Currency with respect to such
borrowing; (C) the amount of such borrowing, which shall be,
(1) with respect to Canadian Prime Rate Loans (other than
Swingline Loans) in an aggregate principal amount of C$1,000,000 or
a whole multiple of C$500,000 in excess thereof, (2) with
respect to Base Rate Loans (other than Swingline Loans) in an
aggregate principal amount of $1,000,000 or a whole multiple of
$500,000 in excess thereof, (3) with respect to BA Loans in an
aggregate principal amount of C$1,000,000 or a whole multiple of
C$500,000 in excess thereof, (4) with respect to LIBOR Rate
Loans denominated in Canadian Dollars in an aggregate principal
amount of C$3,000,000 or a whole multiple of C$1,000,000 in excess
thereof, (5) with respect to LIBOR Rate Loans denominated in
Dollars in an aggregate principal amount of $3,000,000 or a whole
multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof and (6) with respect
to Swingline Loans in any amount of Canadian Dollars or Dollars (as
applicable); (D) whether such Loan is to be a Revolving Credit
Loan or Swingline Loan; (E) in the case of a Revolving Credit
Loan whether the Loans are to be LIBOR Rate Loans, Canadian Prime
Rate Loans, Base Rate Loans or BA Loans; and (E) in the case
of a LIBOR Rate Loan or any BA Loan, the duration of the Interest
Period applicable thereto. A Notice of Borrowing received after
12:00 p.m. shall be deemed received on the next Business Day. The
Administrative Agent shall promptly notify the Lenders of each
Notice of Borrowing.
44
(b) Disbursement of
Revolving Credit and Swingline Loans . Not later than 2:00 p.m.
on the proposed borrowing date for any Loan (including any BA
Loan), (i) each Lender will make available to the
Administrative Agent, for the account of the Borrower, at the
Administrative Agent’s Office in funds immediately available
to the Administrative Agent, such Lender’s Commitment
Percentage of the Revolving Credit Loans (including any BA Loan) to
be made on such borrowing date ( provided that, without
limiting the anything to the contrary contained herein, BA Loans
shall be subject to all disbursement provisions of
Section 2.7 ) and (ii) the Swingline Lender will
make available to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the
Borrower, at the Administrative Agent’s Office in funds
immediately available to the Administrative Agent, the Swingline
Loans to be made on such borrowing date. The Borrower hereby
irrevocably authorizes the Administrative Agent to disburse the
proceeds of each borrowing requested pursuant to this Section in
immediately available funds by crediting or wiring such proceeds to
the deposit account of the Borrower identified in the most recent
notice substantially in the form of Exhibit C (a “
Notice of Account Designation ”) delivered by the
Borrower to the Administrative Agent or as may be otherwise agreed
upon by the Borrower and the Administrative Agent from time to
time. Subject to Section 4.7 hereof, the Administrative
Agent shall not be obligated to disburse the portion of the
proceeds of any Loan (including any BA Loan) requested pursuant to
this Section to the extent that (i) with respect to any
Revolving Credit Loan (including any BA Loan), any Lender has not
made available to the Administrative Agent its Commitment
Percentage of such Revolving Credit Loan (including any BA Loan) or
(ii) with respect to any Swingline Loan, the Swingline Lender
has not made available to the Administrative Agent such Swingline
Loan. Revolving Credit Loans to be made for the purpose of
refunding Swingline Loans shall be made by the Lenders as provided
in Section 2.2(b) .
SECTION 2.4 Repayment and
Prepayment of Revolving Credit Loans and Swingline Loans
.
(a) Repayment on Maturity
Date . The Borrower hereby agrees to repay the outstanding
principal amount of (i) all Revolving Credit Loans in full on
the Maturity Date, and (ii) all Swingline Loans in accordance
with Section 2.2(b) , together, in each case, with all
accrued but unpaid interest thereon.
(b) Mandatory
Prepayments .
(i) Borrowing Limit .
If at any time (as determined by the Administrative Agent under
Section 2.4(b)(iv) , which determination shall be
conclusive absent manifest error):
(A) solely because of
currency fluctuation, the outstanding principal amount of all
Revolving Credit Loans plus the sum of all outstanding
Swingline Loans and L/C Obligations exceeds one hundred and five
percent (105%) of the Borrowing Limit; or
(B) for any other reason, the
outstanding principal amount of all Revolving Credit Loans
plus the sum of all outstanding Swingline Loans and L/C
Obligations exceeds the Borrowing Limit;
45
then, in each such case, the
Borrower agrees to prepay (x) if such excess results from a
change to the Asset Coverage Amount, within three (3) Business
Days following the delivery of the applicable financial statements
resulting in such change or (y) in any other circumstance,
immediately upon notice from the Administrative Agent, by payment
to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Lenders,
Extensions of Credit in an amount equal to such excess with each
such repayment applied first to the principal amount of
outstanding Swingline Loans, second to the principal amount
of outstanding Revolving Credit Loans (other than Bankers’
Acceptances and BA Loans) and third , with respect to any
Letters of Credit, Bankers’ Acceptances or BA Loans then
outstanding, a payment of cash collateral into a cash collateral
account opened by the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the
Lenders in an amount equal to the aggregate then undrawn and
unexpired amount of such Letters of Credit, Bankers’
Acceptances or BA Loans (such cash collateral to be applied in
accordance with Section 2.5(b) or
Section 12.2(b) ).
(ii) Excess Swingline
Loans . If at any time (as determined by the Administrative
Agent or the Swingline Lender under Section 2.4(b)(iv)
, which determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error)
the outstanding amount of all Swingline Loans exceeds the Swingline
Commitment, then, in each such case, the Borrower agrees to repay,
immediately upon notice from the Administrative Agent, by payment
to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Swingline
Lender, Swingline Loans in an amount equal to such excess;
provided that if such excess is solely as a result of
currency fluctuations the Borrower shall only be required to make
such payment to the extent that the outstanding amount of all
Swingline Loans exceeds one hundred and five percent (105%) of
the Swingline Commitment.
(iii) Excess L/C
Obligations . If at any time (as determined by the
Administrative Agent under Section 2.4(b)(iv) , which
determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error) the
outstanding amount of all L/C Obligations exceeds the L/C
Commitment, then, in each such case, the Borrower shall make a
payment of cash collateral into an account opened by the
Administrative Agent, for the benefit of itself and the Lenders, in
an amount equal to the aggregate then undrawn and unexpired amount
of such Letters of Credit (such cash collateral to be applied in
accordance with Section 12.2(b) ); provided that
if such excess is solely as a result of currency fluctuations the
Borrower shall only be required to make such payment of cash
collateral to the extent that the outstanding amount of all L/C
Obligations exceeds one hundred and five percent (105%) of the
L/C Commitment.
(iv) Testing . The
Borrower’s compliance with this Section 2.4(b)
shall be tested only at each Determination Time.
(c) Optional
Prepayments . The Borrower may at any time and from time to
time prepay Revolving Credit Loans and Swingline Loans, in whole or
in part, with irrevocable prior written notice to the
Administrative Agent substantially in the form of
Exhibit D (a “ Notice of Prepayment
”) given not later than 12:00 p.m. (i) on the same
Business Day as the prepayment of each Canadian Prime Rate Loan and
each Base Rate Loan (including, in each case, each Swingline Loan),
(ii) at least one (1) Business Day before the prepayment
of each BA Loan and (iii) at least three (3) Business
Days before the prepayment of each LIBOR Rate Loan,
46
specifying the date and amount of
prepayment, the applicable Permitted Currency in which such
prepayment is denominated and whether the prepayment is of Canadian
Prime Rate Loans, Base Rate Loans, BA Loans, LIBOR Rate Loans,
Swingline Loans or a combination thereof, and, if of a combination
thereof, the amount allocable to each. Upon receipt of such notice,
the Administrative Agent shall promptly notify each Lender. If any
such notice is given, the amount specified in such notice shall be
due and payable on the date set forth in such notice. Partial
prepayments shall be in an aggregate amount of C$1,000,000 or a
whole multiple of C$500,000 in excess thereof with respect to
Canadian Prime Rate Loans (other than Swingline Loans), $1,000,000
or a whole multiple of $500,000 in excess thereof with respect to
Base Rate Loans (other than Swingline Loans), C$1,000,000 or a
whole multiple of C$500,000 in excess thereof with respect to BA
Loans, C$3,000,000 or a whole multiple of C$1,000,000 in excess
thereof with respect to LIBOR Rate Loans denominated in Canadian
Dollars, $3,000,000 or a whole multiple of $1,000,000 in excess
thereof with respect to LIBOR Rate Loans denominated in Dollars,
C$100,000 or a whole multiple of C$100,000 in excess thereof with
respect to Swingline Loans denominated in Canadian Dollars and
$100,000 or a whole multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof with
respect to Swingline Loans denominated in Dollars. A Notice of
Prepayment received after 12:00 p.m. shall be deemed received on
the next Business Day.
(d) Limitation on
Prepayment of LIBOR Rate Loans and BA Loans .
(i) The Borrower may not
prepay any LIBOR Rate Loan on any day other than on the last day of
the Interest Period applicable thereto unless such prepayment is
accompanied by any amount required to be paid pursuant to
Section 4.9 hereof.
(ii) Notwithstanding
Section 2.4(c) above, the Borrower may not prepay any
BA Loan on any day other than on the last day of the Interest
Period applicable thereto; provided that, notwithstanding
anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, if at any
time any Bankers’ Acceptances are required to be prepaid
prior to their maturity, the Borrower shall be required to deposit
the amount of such prepayment in a cash collateral account with the
Administrative Agent until the date of maturity of such
Bankers’ Acceptances. Such cash collateral account shall be
under the sole control of the Administrative Agent. Except as
contemplated hereby, neither the Borrower nor any Person claiming
on behalf of the Borrower shall have any right to any of the cash
in such cash collateral account. The Administrative Agent shall
apply the cash held in such cash collateral account to the face
amount of such Bankers’ Acceptances at maturity whereupon any
cash remaining in such cash collateral account shall be released by
the Administrative Agent to the Borrower. Upon deposit of such cash
collateral as provided herein, such Bankers’ Acceptances
shall not be considered to be outstanding for any purpose
hereunder, including, without limitation, calculation of Average
Utilization and availability under the Borrowing Limit.
(e) Hedging Agreements
. No repayment or prepayment pursuant to this Section shall affect
any of the Borrower’s obligations under any Hedging
Agreement.
47
SECTION 2.5 Permanent
Reduction of the Commitment .
(a) Voluntary
Reduction . The Borrower shall have the right at any time and
from time to time, upon at least five (5) Business Days prior
written notice to the Administrative Agent, to permanently reduce,
without premium or penalty, (i) the entire Commitment at any
time or (ii) portions of the Commitment, from time to time, in
an aggregate principal amount not less than $5,000,000 or any whole
multiple of $5,000,000 in excess thereof. Any reduction of the
Commitment shall be applied to the Commitment of each Lender
according to its Commitment Percentage. All commitment fees accrued
until the effective date of any termination of the Commitment shall
be paid on the effective date of such termination.
(b) Corresponding
Payment . Each permanent reduction permitted pursuant to this
Section shall be accompanied by a payment of principal sufficient
to reduce the aggregate outstanding Revolving Credit Loans,
Swingline Loans and L/C Obligations, as applicable, after such
reduction to the Commitment as so reduced and if the Commitment as
so reduced is less than the aggregate amount of all outstanding
Letters of Credit, the Borrower shall be required to deposit cash
collateral in a cash collateral account opened by the
Administrative Agent in an amount equal to the aggregate then
undrawn and unexpired amount of such Letters of Credit. Such cash
collateral shall be applied in accordance with
Section 12.2(b) . Any reduction of the Commitment to
zero shall be accompanied by payment of all outstanding Revolving
Credit Loans and Swingline Loans (and furnishing of cash collateral
for all L/C Obligations) and shall result in the termination of the
Commitment and the Credit Facility. Such cash collateral shall be
applied in accordance with Section 12.2(b) . If the
reduction of the Commitment requires the repayment of any LIBOR
Rate Loan or any BA Loan, such repayment shall be accompanied by
any amount required to be paid pursuant to Section 4.9
hereof; provided that, notwithstanding anything to the
contrary contained in this Agreement, if at any time any
Bankers’ Acceptances are prepaid prior to their maturity, the
Borrower shall be required to deposit the amount of such prepayment
in a cash collateral account with the Administrative Agent until
the date of maturity of such Bankers’ Acceptances. Such cash
collateral account shall be under the sole control of the
Administrative Agent. Except as contemplated hereby, neither the
Borrower nor any Person claiming on behalf of the Borrower shall
have any right to any of the cash in such cash collateral account.
The Administrative Agent shall apply the cash held in such cash
collateral account to the face amount of such Bankers’
Acceptances at maturity whereupon any cash remaining in such cash
collateral account shall be released by the Administrative Agent to
the Borrower. Upon deposit of such cash collateral as provided
herein, such Bankers’ Acceptances shall not be considered to
be outstanding for any purpose hereunder, including, without
limitation, calculation of Average Utilization and availability
under the Borrowing Limit.
SECTION 2.6 Termination of
Credit Facility .
(a) The Credit Facility shall
terminate on the earliest of (i) May 30, 2007,
(ii) the date of termination by the Borrower pursuant to
Section 2.5 or (iii) the date of termination by
the Administrative Agent on behalf of the Lenders pursuant to
Section 12.2(a) ; provided , that, on an annual
basis the Borrower shall be entitled to request an extension of the
Credit Facility upon the same terms and conditions as contained
herein for an additional 364-day period and thereafter be entitled
to request subsequent extensions for 364-day periods, which request
shall be granted in the Lenders’ discretion and subject to
the provisions of Sections 2.6(b) and (c) ;
provided that the
48
following conditions are satisfied
(A) no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is
continuing, (B) the Credit Facility has not been terminated
pursuant to clause (ii) or (iii) above, (C) the
Borrower provides written notice to the Administrative Agent (the
“ Extension Notice ”) at least ninety
(90) days prior to the then existing Maturity Date (the date
on which such Extension Notice is delivered, the “
Extension Notice Date ”) of its request to extend the
Credit Facility and (D) each of the conditions set forth in
Section 5.3 on the then existing Maturity Date are
satisfied by the Borrower.
(b) The Administrative Agent
shall promptly deliver a copy of the Extension Notice to each
Lender upon receipt of same from the Borrower. Each of the Lenders
shall within thirty (30) days from the Extension Notice Date
(the “ Consent Date ”) provide written notice to
the Administrative Agent of each such Lender’s agreement to
extend (any such Lender, a “ Consenting Lender
”) or not to so extend (any such Lender, a “
Non-Consenting Lender ”) the then existing Maturity
Date. No Lender shall be under any obligation or commitment to
extend the then existing Maturity Date and no such obligation or
commitment on the part of any Lender shall be inferred from the
provisions of this Section 2.6 . Failure on the part of
any Lender to respond to the Extension Notice by the Consent Date
shall be deemed to be the consent by such Lender to the Extension
Notice and such Lender shall be deemed to be a Consenting Lender
for purposes of this Section 2.6 . The Administrative
Agent shall provide a written list of the Consenting Lenders and
Non-Consenting Lenders to the Borrower and the Lenders promptly
following the Consent Date.
(c) All Loans of any
Non-Consenting Lender shall be subject to the then existing
Maturity Date. If Lenders holding Commitment Percentages
aggregating less than one hundred percent (100%) of the
aggregate Commitments consent to such extension, the Borrower may
elect by written notice to the Administrative Agent to
(i) continue the Credit Facility for such additional period
with an aggregate Commitment equal to the then effective aggregate
Commitment less the total Commitments of the Non-Consenting Lenders
( provided that such continuation shall be permitted only if
the total amount of such Commitments to be continued are equal to
or greater than fifty percent (50%) of the total amount of the
original Commitments (after giving effect to any assignments
pursuant to clause (iii) below)) or (ii) not continue the
Credit Facility for such additional period and, in such event, the
Extension Notice shall be of no further effect or
(iii) require any such Non-Consenting Lender to transfer and
assign without recourse (in accordance with the provisions of
Section 14.10 ) its Commitment and other interests,
rights and obligations under this Agreement to an Eligible Assignee
which consents thereto, which shall assume such obligations upon
its consent to assume such obligations; provided that
(A) no such assignment shall conflict with any Applicable Law,
(B) such assignment shall be at the cost and expense of the
Borrower and (C) the purchase price to be paid to such
Non-Consenting Lender shall be an amount equal to the outstanding
principal amount of the Loans of such Non-Consenting Lender plus
all interest accrued and unpaid thereon and all other amounts owing
to such Non-Consenting Lender thereon. If the extension is granted
and the conditions set forth in clause (a) of this
Section 2.6 are satisfied, upon the then existing
Maturity Date, the scheduled Maturity Date shall be extended to the
date which is 364 days from such then existing Maturity
Date.
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SECTION 2.7 Terms
Applicable to BA Loans .
(a) Commitment for BA
Loans .
(i) Subject to the terms and
conditions of this Agreement, the Borrower shall be entitled to
receive the BA Proceeds of Bankers’ Acceptances denominated
in Canadian Dollars in accordance with the provisions of Article
II (including, without limitation, this Section 2.7
); provided that:
(A) the aggregate principal
amount of all outstanding BA Loans (after giving effect to any
amount requested) shall not exceed the Borrowing Limit;
and
(B) the aggregate principal
amount of all outstanding BA Loans from any Lender shall not at any
time exceed such Lender’s Commitment less the such
Lender’s Commitment Percentage of outstanding Revolving
Credit Loans (other than BA Loans), outstanding Swingline Loans and
outstanding L/C Obligations.
Each BA Loan shall be funded in Canadian
Dollars by each Lender in a principal amount equal to such
Lender’s Commitment Percentage of the aggregate principal
amount of BA Loans requested on such occasion. Subject to the terms
and conditions hereof, the Borrower may borrow, repay and reborrow
BA Loans hereunder until the Maturity Date.
(ii) For the purposes of this
Agreement, the full face amount of Bankers’ Acceptances,
without discount, shall be used when calculations are made to
determine the amount of Loans outstanding. Each determination by
the Administrative Agent of the Stamping Fee, the BA Discount Rate
and the BA Proceeds shall, in the absence of manifest error, be
presumed correct.
(b) Term . Each
Bankers’ Acceptance shall have an Interest Period as
determined pursuant to Section 4.1(b) (subject to
availability).
(c) Discount Rate . On
each borrowing date on which Bankers’ Acceptances are to be
accepted, the Administrative Agent shall advise the Borrower as to
its determination of the applicable BA Discount Rate for the
Bankers’ Acceptances which the Lenders have agreed to
purchase.
(d) Purchase of
Bankers’ Acceptances . Each Lender agrees to purchase a
Bankers’ Acceptance accepted by it. The Borrower shall sell,
and such Lender shall purchase, the Bankers’ Acceptance at
the applicable BA Discount Rate. Each Lender shall provide, to the
account of the Administrative Agent, the BA Proceeds less
the Stamping Fee payable by the Borrower with respect to the
Bankers’ Acceptance. The Administrative Agent shall make
available to the Borrower, in accordance with the provisions of
Section 2.3 , the BA Proceeds less the
applicable Stamping Fee with respect to each Bankers’
Acceptance purchased and each BA Equivalent Loan advanced by a
Lender on the date of such acceptance. Each Lender may from time to
time hold, sell, rediscount, trade or otherwise dispose of any or
all Bankers’ Acceptances accepted and purchased by
it.
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(e) Execution of
Bankers’ Acceptances . Drafts drawn by the Borrower to be
accepted as Bankers’ Acceptances shall be signed by a duly
authorized officer or officers of the Borrower or by its attorneys,
including attorneys appointed pursuant to
Section 2.7(f) . Notwithstanding that any Person whose
signature appears on any Bankers’ Acceptance may no longer be
an authorized signatory for the Borrower at the time of issuance of
a Bankers’ Acceptance, that signature shall nevertheless be
valid and sufficient for all purposes as if the authority had
remained in force at the time of issuance and any Bankers’
Acceptance so signed shall be binding on the Borrower.
(f) Power of Attorney for
the Execution of Bankers’ Acceptances . To facilitate
availment of the BA Loans, the Borrower hereby appoints each Lender
as its attorney to sign and endorse on its behalf, in handwriting
or by facsimile or mechanical signature as and when deemed
necessary by such Lender, blank forms of Bankers’
Acceptances. In this respect, it is each Lender’s
responsibility to maintain an adequate supply of blank forms of
Bankers’ Acceptances for acceptance under this Agreement.
Each Lender shall exercise the same degree of care in the custody
and safekeeping of signed blank forms of Bankers’ Acceptance
as it exercises in respect of its own bearer securities. The
Borrower recognizes and agrees that all Bankers’ Acceptances
signed and/or endorsed on its behalf by a Lender shall bind the
Borrower as fully and effectually as if signed in the handwriting
of and duly issued by the proper signing officers of the Borrower.
Each Lender is hereby authorized to issue such Bankers’
Acceptances endorsed in blank in such face amounts as may be
determined by such Lender; provided that the aggregate
amount thereof is equal to the aggregate amount of Bankers’
Acceptances required to be accepted and purchased by such Lender.
No Lender shall be liable for any damage, loss or other claim
arising by reason of any loss or improper use of any such
instrument except to the extent that such damage, loss or other
claim is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final
nonappealable judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence
or willful misconduct of such Lender or its officers, employees,
agents or representatives. On the repayment in full of all
Obligations or on request by the Borrower, each Lender shall cancel
all forms of Bankers’ Acceptances which have been pre-signed
or pre-endorsed by or on behalf of the Borrower and which are held
by such Lender and have not yet been issued in accordance herewith.
Each Lender shall maintain a record with respect to Bankers’
Acceptances held by it in blank hereunder, voided by it for any
reason, accepted and purchased by it hereunder, and cancelled at
their respective maturities. Each Lender agrees to provide such
records to the Borrower at the Borrower’s expense upon
request.
To facilitate the acceptance
of Bankers’ Acceptances hereunder, the Borrower hereby
authorizes the Lenders and irrevocably appoints each of the Lenders
as its attorney, respectively:
(i) to complete and sign on
the Borrower’s behalf, either manually or by facsimile or
mechanical signature, the drafts to create the Bankers’
Acceptances (with, in each Lender’s discretion, the
inscription “This is a depository bill subject to the
Depository Bills and Notes Act (Canada)”);
(ii) after the acceptance
thereof by any Lender, to endorse on the Borrower’s behalf,
either manually or by facsimile or mechanical signature, such
Bankers’ Acceptances in favor of the applicable purchaser or
endorsee thereof including, in such
51
Lender’s discretion,
such Lender or a clearing house (as defined by the Depository
Bills and Notes Act (Canada));
(iii) to deliver such
Bankers’ Acceptances to such purchaser or to deposit such
Bankers’ Acceptances with such clearing house; and
(iv) to comply with the
procedures and requirements established from time to time by such
Lender or such clearing house in respect of the delivery, transfer
and collection of bankers’ acceptances and depository
bills.
All Bankers’ Acceptances so
completed, signed, endorsed, delivered or deposited by a Lender on
behalf of the Borrower shall be binding upon the Borrower as if
completed, signed, endorsed, delivered or deposited by it. The
records of the Lenders and such clearing houses shall, in the
absence of manifest error, be conclusively binding on the Borrower.
None of the Lenders shall be liable for any claim arising by reason
of any loss or improper use of such drafts or Bankers’
Acceptances except for damages suffered by the Borrower caused by
the willful misconduct or gross negligence of such Lender, as
determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final
nonappealable judgment.
(g) Disbursement of BA
Loans . Promptly following the receipt by the Administrative
Agent of a Notice of Borrowing or Notice of Conversion/Continuation
in respect of Bankers’ Acceptances, the Administrative Agent
shall advise the Lenders of the notice and shall advise each Lender
of the face amount of Bankers’ Acceptances to be accepted by
it on the applicable borrowing date and the applicable Interest
Period (which shall be identical for all Lenders). The aggregate
face amount of Bankers’ Acceptances to be accepted by a
Lender shall be determined by the Administrative Agent by reference
to such Lender’s Commitment Percentage of the Bankers’
Acceptances to be made on the applicable borrowing date, except
that, if the face amount of a Bankers’ Acceptance which would
otherwise be accepted by a Lender would not be C$100,000, or a
whole multiple thereof, the face amount shall be increased or
reduced by the Administrative Agent in its sole discretion to
C$100,000, or the nearest whole multiple of that amount, as
appropriate; provided that after such issuance, the
aggregate principal amount of all outstanding BA Loans from any
Lender shall not at any time exceed such Lender’s Commitment
less such Lender’s Commitment Percentage of
outstanding Revolving Credit Loans (other than BA Loans),
outstanding Swingline Loans and outstanding L/C
Obligations.
(h) Waiver of Presentment
and Other Conditions . The Borrower waives presentment for
payment and any other defense to payment of any amounts due to any
Lender in respect of a Bankers’ Acceptance accepted and
purchased by it pursuant to this Agreement which might exist solely
by reason of the Bankers’ Acceptance being held, at the
maturity thereof, by such Lender in its own right and the Borrower
agrees not to claim any days of grace if such Lender as holder sues
the Borrower on the Bankers’ Acceptance for payment of the
amount payable by the Borrower thereunder. On the specified
maturity date of a Bankers’ Acceptance or the date of any
prepayment thereof in accordance with this Agreement, if earlier,
the Borrower shall pay to the Lender that has accepted such
Bankers’ Acceptance the full face amount of such
Bankers’ Acceptance and after such payment, the Borrower
shall have no further liability in respect of such Bankers’
Acceptance (except to the extent that any such payment is rescinded
or reclaimed
52
by operation of law or otherwise) and
such Lender shall be entitled to all benefits of, and be
responsible for all payments due to third parties under, such
Bankers’ Acceptance.
(i) BA Equivalent Loans by
Non-BA Lenders . Whenever the Borrower requests a BA Loan or
conversion to a BA Loan or continuation of a BA Loan under this
Agreement, each Non-BA Lender shall, in lieu of accepting and
purchasing a Bankers’ Acceptance, make a BA Equivalent Loan
in an amount equal to the Non-BA Lender’s Commitment
Percentage of the BA Loan to be made on the applicable borrowing
date.
(j) Terms Applicable to
Discount Notes . As set out in the definition of
“Bankers’ Acceptances”, that term includes
Discount Notes and all terms of this Agreement applicable to
Bankers’ Acceptances shall apply equally to Discount Notes
evidencing BA Equivalent Loans with such changes as may in the
context be necessary. For purposes of this Agreement:
(i) the term of a Discount
Note shall be the same as the Interest Period for Bankers’
Acceptances accepted and purchased on the same date in respect of
the same BA Loan;
(ii) a stamping fee will be
payable in respect of a Discount Note and shall be calculated at
the same rate and in the same manner as the Stamping Fee in respect
of a Bankers’ Acceptance; and
(iii) the BA Discount Rate
applicable to a Discount Note shall be the BA Discount Rate
applicable to Bankers’ Acceptances accepted by the
Administrative Agent (or its designee), as Lender, on the same
date, in respect of the same BA Loan.
(k) Stamping Fees on
Bankers’ Acceptance . The Borrower shall pay, in respect
of each draft accepted by each Lender as a Bankers’
Acceptance, a per annum stamping fee (the “ Stamping
Fee ”) equal to (i) the Applicable Margin for LIBOR
Rate Loans, changing when and as such Applicable Margin for LIBOR
Rate Loans shall change, multiplied by (ii) the
face amount of such Bankers’ Acceptance, and calculated based
on the number of days to maturity of such Bankers’ Acceptance
divided by the number of days in the applicable year,
being 365 or 366, as the case may be. Such Stamping Fee shall be
payable in advance on the date of issuance of the Bankers’
Acceptance. The Borrower authorizes and directs each Lender to
deduct from the BA Proceeds of Bankers’ Acceptances purchased
by such Lender for its own account, the amount of each such
Stamping Fee upon the issue of each Bankers’
Acceptance.
(l) Depository Bills and
Notes Act . At the option of the Borrower and any Lender,
Bankers’ Acceptances under this Agreement to be accepted by
such Lender may be issued in the form of depository bills for
deposit with The Canadian Depository for Securities Limited
pursuant to the Depository Bills and Notes Act (Canada). All
depository bills so issued shall be governed by the provisions of
this Agreement.
(m) Circumstances Making
Bankers’ Acceptances Unavailable . If the Administrative
Agent determines in good faith, which determination shall
constitute prima facie evidence thereof, and notifies the
Borrower that, by reason of circumstances affecting the money
market, there is no market for Bankers’ Acceptances,
then:
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(i) the right of the Borrower
to request a BA Loan (or continuation or conversion thereof) shall
be suspended until the Administrative Agent determines that the
circumstances causing such suspension no longer exist and the
Administrative Agent so notifies the Borrower; and
(ii) any notice relating to a
BA Loan (or continuation or conversion thereof) which is
outstanding at such time shall be deemed to be a notice requesting
Canadian Prime Rate Loans (or continuation or conversion
thereof).
The Administrative Agent shall promptly
notify the Borrower and the Lenders of the suspension in accordance
with this Section 2.7(m) of the Borrower’s right
to request a BA Loan (or continuation or conversion thereof) and of
the termination of any such suspension.
(n) Prepayment . As
provided in Section 2.4 , the Borrower may pay the full
face amount of a Bankers’ Acceptances to the Administrative
Agent to be held by the Administrative Agent in a non-interest
bearing (unless otherwise agreed to by the Administrative Agent)
account as collateral security for the Borrower’s obligations
with respect to those Bankers’ Acceptances and after such
payment, the Borrower shall have no further liability in respect of
such Bankers’ Acceptance (except to the extent that any such
payment is rescinded or reclaimed by operation of law or otherwise)
and any Lender that accepted such Bankers’ Acceptance shall
be entitled to all benefits of, and be responsible for all payments
due to third parties under, such Bankers’
Acceptance.
(o) Default .
Immediately upon termination of the Commitments under
Section 12.2 , the Borrower shall pay to the
Administrative Agent on behalf of the Lenders the full face amount
of all Bankers’ Acceptances which have not matured. Such
amounts shall be held by the Administrative Agent in a non-interest
bearing (unless otherwise agreed to by the Administrative Agent)
account as collateral security for the Borrower’s obligations
with respect to those Bankers’ Acceptances.
ARTICLE III
LETTER OF CREDIT
FACILITY
SECTION 3.1 L/C
Commitment . Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, each
Issuing Lender, in reliance on the agreements of the other Lenders
set forth in Section 3.4(a) , agrees to issue standby
letters of credit (“ Letters of Credit ”) for
the account of the Borrower on any Business Day from the Closing
Date to, but not including, the fifth (5 th ) Business Day prior to the
Maturity Date in such form as may be approved from time to time by
the applicable Issuing Lender; provided , that no Issuing
Lender shall have any obligation to issue any Letter of Credit if,
after giving effect to such issuance, (a) the aggregate amount
of L/C Obligations would exceed the L/C Commitment or (b) the
aggregate amount of L/C Obligations would exceed the Borrowing
Limit. Each Letter of Credit shall (i) be denominated in a
Permitted Currency and (ii) be a standby letter of credit
issued to support obligations of the Borrower or any of its
Subsidiaries, contingent or otherwise, (iii) expire on a date
that is no later than the fifth (5 th ) Business Day prior to the
Maturity Date ( provided that any such Letter of Credit may,
(A) by its terms and otherwise consistent with this Agreement,
provide for automatic annual renewals and
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(B) expire on a date that is
after the Maturity Date with the prior written consent of each of
the Administrative Agent and the applicable Issuing Lender, in each
such Person’s sole discretion; provided that all L/C
Obligations associated with any such Letter of Credit are cash
collateralized in a manner satisfactory to the Administrative Agent
and the applicable Issuing Lender on or prior to the fifth
(5 th ) Business Day prior to the Maturity Date) and
(iv) be subject to ISP98 and, to the extent not inconsistent
therewith, the laws of the State of New York. No Issuing Lender
shall at any time be obligated to issue any Letter of Credit
hereunder if such issuance would conflict with, or cause such
Issuing Lender or any L/C Participant to exceed any limits imposed
by, any Applicable Law. References herein to “issue”
and derivations thereof with respect to Letters of Credit shall
also include extensions or modifications of any outstanding Letters
of Credit, unless the context otherwise requires. As of the Closing
Date, each of the Existing Letters of Credit shall constitute, for
all purposes of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, a
Letter of Credit issued and outstanding hereunder.
SECTION 3.2 Procedure for
Issuance of Letters of Credit . The Borrower may from time to
time request that an Issuing Lender issue a Letter of Credit by
delivering to such Issuing Lender at such Issuing Lender’s
Lending Office and to the Administrative Agent at the
Administrative Agent’s Office a Letter of Credit Application
therefor, completed to the reasonable satisfaction of the
applicable Issuing Lender and the Administrative Agent, and such
other certificates, documents and other papers and information as
such Issuing Lender and the Administrative Agent may reasonably
request (the “ L/C Supporting Documentation ”)
(which information shall include the Permitted Currency in which
the Letter of Credit shall be denominated). Upon receipt of any
Letter of Credit Application and the L/C Supporting Documentation,
the applicable Issuing Lender shall process such Letter of Credit
Application and the L/C Supporting Documentation delivered to it in
connection therewith in accordance with its customary procedures
and shall, after approving the same and receiving confirmation from
the Administrative Agent that sufficient availability exists under
the Credit Facility for the issuance of such Letter of Credit,
subject to Section 3.1 and Article V , promptly
issue the Letter of Credit requested thereby (but in no event shall
the applicable Issuing Lender be required to issue any Letter of
Credit earlier than three (3) Business Days after its receipt
of the Letter of Credit Application therefor and the L/C Supporting
Documentation relating thereto) by issuing the original of such
Letter of Credit to the beneficiary thereof or as otherwise may be
agreed by the applicable Issuing Lender and the Borrower. The
applicable Issuing Lender shall promptly furnish to the Borrower
and the Administrative Agent a copy of such Letter of Credit and
the Administrative Agent shall promptly notify each Lender of the
issuance of such Letter of Credit and, upon request by any Lender,
furnish to such Lender a copy of such Letter of Credit and the
amount of such Lender’s participation therein.
SECTION 3.3 Commissions
and Other Charges .
(a) Letter of Credit
Commissions . The Borrower shall pay to the Administrative
Agent, for the account of the each applicable Issuing Lender and
the L/C Participants, a letter of credit commission with respect to
each Letter of Credit in an amount equal to the face amount of such
Letter of Credit (as such amount may be reduced by (i) any
permanent reduction of such Letter of Credit or (ii) any
amount which is drawn, reimbursed and no longer available under
such Letter of Credit) multiplied by the Applicable Margin
with respect to LIBOR Rate Loans (determined on a per annum basis).
Such commission shall be payable quarterly in arrears on
the
55
last Business Day of each calendar
quarter, on the Maturity Date and thereafter on demand of the
Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent shall, promptly
following its receipt thereof, distribute to each applicable
Issuing Lender and the L/C Participants all commissions received
pursuant to this Section in accordance with their respective
Commitment Percentages.
(b) Issuance Fee . In
addition to the foregoing commission, the Borrower shall pay to the
Administrative Agent, for the account of each applicable Issuing
Lender, an issuance fee with respect to each Letter of Credit
issued by such Issuing Lender in an amount equal to the face amount
of such Letter of Credit multiplied by one-eighth of one
percent (0.125%) per annum. Such issuance fee shall be payable
quarterly in arrears on the last Business Day of each calendar
quarter commencing with the first such date to occur after the
issuance of such Letter of Credit, on the Maturity Date and
thereafter on demand of the applicable Issuing Lender.
(c) Other Costs . In
addition to the foregoing fees and commissions, the Borrower shall
pay or reimburse each Issuing Lender for such normal and customary
costs and expenses as are incurred or charged by such Issuing
Lender in issuing, effecting payment under, amending or otherwise
administering any Letter of Credit.
(d) Payments . The
commissions, fees, charges, costs and expenses payable pursuant to
this Section 3.3 shall be payable in the Permitted
Currency in which the applicable Letter of Credit is
denominated.
SECTION 3.4 L/C
Participations .
(a) Each Issuing Lender
irrevocably agrees to grant and hereby grants to each L/C
Participant, and, to induce such Issuing Lender to issue Letters of
Credit hereunder, each L/C Participant irrevocably agrees to accept
and purchase and hereby accepts and purchases from such Issuing
Lender, on the terms and conditions hereinafter stated, for such
L/C Participant’s own account and risk an undivided interest
equal to such L/C Participant’s Commitment Percentage in such
Issuing Lender’s obligations and rights under and in respect
of each Letter of Credit issued by such Issuing Lender hereunder
and the amount of each draft paid by such Issuing Lender
thereunder. Each L/C Participant unconditionally and irrevocably
agrees with each Issuing Lender that, if a draft is paid under any
Letter of Credit issued by such Issuing Lender for which such
Issuing Lender is not reimbursed in full by the Borrower through a
Revolving Credit Loan or otherwise in accordance with the terms of
this Agreement, such L/C Participant shall pay to such Issuing
Lender in the applicable Permitted Currency upon demand at such
Issuing Lender’s Lending Office an amount equal to such L/C
Participant’s Commitment Percentage of the amount of such
draft, or any part thereof, which is not so reimbursed.
(b) Upon becoming aware of
any amount required to be paid by any L/C Participant to the
applicable Issuing Lender pursuant to Section 3.4(a) in
respect of any unreimbursed portion of any payment made by such
Issuing Lender under any Letter of Credit issued by it, such
Issuing Lender shall notify the Administrative Agent and each L/C
Participant of the amount and due date of such required payment and
such L/C Participant shall pay to such Issuing Lender in the
applicable Permitted Currency the amount specified on the
applicable due date. If any such amount is paid to such Issuing
Lender after the date such payment is due, such L/C Participant
shall pay to such Issuing Lender in the applicable Permitted
Currency on demand, in
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addition to such amount, the product of
(i) such amount, multiplied by (ii) the Base Rate
(with respect to payments required to be made in Dollars) or the
Canadian Prime Rate (with respect to payments required to be made
in Canadian Dollars), in each case as determined by the
Administrative Agent, during the period from and including the date
such payment is due to the date on which such payment is
immediately available to such Issuing Lender, multiplied by
(iii) a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of days
that elapse during such period and the denominator of which is 360.
A certificate of the applicable Issuing Lender with respect to any
amounts owing under this Section shall be conclusive in the absence
of manifest error. With respect to payment to an Issuing Lender of
the unreimbursed amounts described in this Section, if the L/C
Participants receive notice that any such payment is due
(A) prior to 2:00 p.m. on any Business Day, such payment shall
be due that Business Day, and (B) after 2:00 p.m. on any
Business Day, such payment shall be due on the following Business
Day.
(c) Whenever, at any time
after the applicable Issuing Lender has made payment under any
Letter of Credit and has received from any L/C Participant its
Commitment Percentage of such payment in accordance with this
Section, such Issuing Lender receives any payment related to such
Letter of Credit (whether directly from the Borrower or otherwise),
or any payment of interest on account thereof, such Issuing Lender
will distribute to such L/C Participant its pro rata
share thereof; provided , that in the event that any such
payment received by such Issuing Lender shall be required to be
returned by such Issuing Lender, such L/C Participant shall return
to such Issuing Lender the portion thereof previously distributed
by such Issuing Lender to it.
SECTION 3.5 Reimbursement
Obligation of the Borrower . In the event of any drawing under
any Letter of Credit, the Borrower agrees to reimburse (either with
the proceeds of a Revolving Credit Loan as provided for in this
Section or with funds from other sources), in same day funds in the
applicable Permitted Currency in which such Letter of Credit was
denominated, the applicable Issuing Lender on each date on which
such Issuing Lender notifies the Borrower of the date and amount of
a draft paid under any Letter of Credit for the amount of
(a) such draft so paid and (b) any amounts referred to in
Section 3.3(c) incurred by such Issuing Lender in
connection with such payment. The applicable Issuing Lender shall
promptly deliver written notice of any drawing under any Letter of
Credit issued by such Issuing Lender to the Administrative Agent
and the Borrower. Unless the Borrower shall immediately notify the
applicable Issuing Lender that the Borrower intends to reimburse
such Issuing Lender for such drawing from other sources or funds,
the Borrower shall be deemed to have timely given a Notice of
Borrowing to the Administrative Agent requesting that the Lenders
make a Revolving Credit Loan bearing interest at the Base
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