EX-1.1 2 d422163dex11.htm EX-1.1 EX-1.1

Exhibit 1.1

 

 

 

AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT

Dated as of November 11, 2022

among

BOWMAN CONSULTING GROUP LTD.,

as the Borrower,

the GUARANTORS

identified as Guarantors on the signature pages hereto,

and

BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,

as the Lender

 

 

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

         Page  

ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING TERMS

     1  

1.01

  Defined Terms      1  

1.02

  Other Interpretive Provisions      21  

1.03

  Accounting Terms      22  

1.04

  Rounding      22  

1.05

  Times of Day      23  

1.06

  Reserved      23  

1.07

  UCC Terms      23  

1.08

  Rates      23  

ARTICLE II COMMITMENTS AND CREDIT EXTENSIONS

     23  

2.01

  Loans      23  

2.02

  Borrowings, Conversions and Continuations of Loans      24  

2.03

  Reserved      25  

2.04

  Reserved      25  

2.05

  Prepayments      25  

2.06

  Termination or Reduction of Commitments      25  

2.07

  Repayment of Loans      25  

2.08

  Interest and Default Rate      25  

2.09

  Fees      26  

2.10

  Computation of Interest and Fees; Retroactive Adjustments of Applicable Rate      26  

2.11

  Payments Generally      27  

2.12

  Increase in Revolving Facility      27  

ARTICLE III TAXES, YIELD PROTECTION AND ILLEGALITY

     28  

3.01

  Taxes      28  

3.02

  Illegality      28  

3.03

  Inability to Determine Rates      28  

3.04

  Increased Costs      30  

3.05

  Compensation for Losses      31  

3.06

  Survival      31  

ARTICLE IV CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO CREDIT EXTENSIONS

     31  

4.01

  Conditions of Initial Credit Extension      31  

4.02

  Conditions to all Credit Extensions      33  

ARTICLE V REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

     34  

5.01

  Existence, Qualification and Power      34  

5.02

  Authorization; No Contravention      34  

5.03

  Governmental Authorization; Other Consents      34  

5.04

  Binding Effect      34  

5.05

  Financial Statements; No Material Adverse Effect      35  

5.06

  Litigation      35  

5.07

  No Default      35  

5.08

  Ownership of Property      35  

5.09

  Environmental Matters      35  

5.10

  Insurance      36  

5.11

  Taxes      36  

5.12

  ERISA Compliance      37  


5.13

  Margin Regulations; Investment Company Act      38  

5.14

  Disclosure      38  

5.15

  Compliance with Laws      38  

5.16

  Solvency      38  

5.17

  Casualty, Etc.      38  

5.18

  Sanctions Concerns and Anti-Corruption Laws      38  

5.19

  Responsible Officers      39  

5.20

  Subsidiaries; Equity Interests; Loan Parties      39  

5.21

  Collateral Representations      39  

5.22

  Beneficial Ownership Certification      40  

5.23

  Designation as Senior Indebtedness      40  

5.24

  Intellectual Property; Licenses, Etc.      41  

5.25

  Labor Matters      41  

ARTICLE VI AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS

     41  

6.01

  Financial Statements      41  

6.02

  Certificates; Other Information      42  

6.03

  Notices      43  

6.04

  Payment of Obligations      43  

6.05

  Preservation of Existence, Etc.      44  

6.06

  Maintenance of Properties      44  

6.07

  Maintenance of Insurance      44  

6.08

  Compliance with Laws      44  

6.09

  Books and Records      45  

6.10

  Inspection Rights      45  

6.11

  Use of Proceeds      45  

6.12

  Material Contracts      45  

6.13

  Covenant to Guarantee Obligations      45  

6.14

  Covenant to Give Security      46  

6.15

  Compliance with Terms of Leaseholds      46  

6.16

  Anti-Corruption Laws; Sanctions      47  

6.17

  Cash Management      47  

6.18

  Further Assurances      47  

ARTICLE VII NEGATIVE COVENANTS

     47  

7.01

  Liens      47  

7.02

  Indebtedness      48  

7.03

  Investments      49  

7.04

  Fundamental Changes      49  

7.05

  Dispositions      50  

7.06

  Restricted Payments      50  

7.07

  Change in Nature of Business      51  

7.08

  Transactions with Affiliates      51  

7.09

  Burdensome Agreements      51  

7.10

  Use of Proceeds      51  

7.11

  Financial Covenants      51  

7.12

  Amendments of Organization Documents; Fiscal Year; Legal Name, State of Formation; Form of Entity and Accounting Changes      52  

7.13

  Sale and Leaseback Transactions      52  

7.14

  Sanctions      52  


7.15

  Anti-Corruption Laws      52  

ARTICLE VIII EVENTS OF DEFAULT AND REMEDIES

     52  

8.01

  Events of Default      52  

8.02

  Remedies upon Event of Default      54  

8.03

  Application of Funds      55  

ARTICLE IX CONTINUING GUARANTY

     55  

9.01

  Guaranty      55  

9.02

  Rights of Lender      55  

9.03

  Certain Waivers      56  

9.04

  Obligations Independent      56  

9.05

  Subrogation      56  

9.06

  Termination; Reinstatement      56  

9.07

  Stay of Acceleration      56  

9.08

  Condition of Borrower      57  

9.09

  Appointment of Borrower      57  

9.10

  Right of Contribution      57  

9.11

  Keepwell      57  

ARTICLE X MISCELLANEOUS

     57  

10.01

  Amendments, Etc.      57  

10.02

  Notices; Effectiveness; Electronic Communications      58  

10.03

  No Waiver; Cumulative Remedies; Enforcement      59  

10.04

  Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver      59  

10.05

  Payments Set Aside      60  

10.06

  Successors and Assigns      60  

10.07

  Treatment of Certain Information; Confidentiality      60  

10.08

  Right of Setoff      61  

10.09

  Interest Rate Limitation      61  

10.10

  Integration; Effectiveness      62  

10.11

  Survival of Representations and Warranties      62  

10.12

  Severability      62  

10.13

  Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Etc.      62  

10.14

  Waiver of Jury Trial      63  

10.15

  Subordination      63  

10.16

  No Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility      64  

10.17

  Electronic Execution; Electronic Records; Counterparts      64  

10.18

  USA PATRIOT Act Notice      65  

10.19

  Acknowledgement Regarding Any Supported QFCs      65  

10.20

  Amendment and Restatement of Existing Credit Agreement      66  


BORROWER PREPARED SCHEDULES
Schedule 1.01(b)    Responsible Officers
Schedule 5.06    Litigation
Schedule 5.10    Insurance
Schedule 5.12    Pension Plans
Schedule 5.20(a)    Subsidiaries, Joint Ventures, Partnerships and Other Equity Investments
Schedule 5.20 (b)    Loan Parties
Schedule 5.21(b)    Intellectual Property
Schedule 5.21(c)    Documents, Instrument, and Tangible Chattel Paper
Schedule 5.21(d)(i)    Deposit Accounts & Securities Accounts
Schedule 5.21(d)(ii)    Electronic Chattel Paper & Letter-of-Credit Rights
Schedule 5.21(e)    Commercial Tort Claims
Schedule 5.21(f)    Pledged Equity Interests
Schedule 5.21(g)    Material Contracts
Schedule 7.01    Existing Liens
Schedule 7.02    Existing Indebtedness
Schedule 7.03    Existing Investments
Schedule 7.08    Transactions with Affiliates
LENDER PREPARED SCHEDULES
Schedule 1.01(a)    Certain Addresses for Notices
EXHIBITS   
Exhibit A    (Form of) Compliance Certificate
Exhibit B    (Form of) Joinder Agreement
Exhibit C    (Form of) Loan Notice
Exhibit D    (Form of) Permitted Acquisition Certificate
Exhibit E    (Form of) Solvency Certificate
Exhibit F    (Form of) Notice of Loan Prepayment
Exhibit I    (Form of) Officer’s Certificate


AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT

This AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT is entered into as of November 11, 2022, among BOWMAN CONSULTING GROUP LTD., a Delaware corporation (the Borrower), the other parties identified as “Guarantors” on the signature pages hereto and such other parties that may become Guarantors hereunder after the date hereof (together with the Borrower, each individually a Loan Party, and collectively, the Loan Parties) and BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as the Lender.

PRELIMINARY STATEMENTS:

WHEREAS, Borrower and Lender are parties to that certain Credit Agreement dated as of August 24, 2017 (as amended, restated, substituted, extended, renewed or otherwise modified prior to the date hereof, the “Existing Credit Agreement”), pursuant to which the Lender made available to the Borrower a revolving credit facility in the maximum principal amount of Twenty-Five Million Dollars ($25,000,000).

WHEREAS, the parties desire to enter into this Agreement to, among other things, (i) amend and restate in its entirety the Existing Credit Agreement without constituting a novation of the obligations, liabilities and indebtedness owing thereunder, and (ii) increase the Revolving Commitment (as herein defined) to Fifty Million Dollars ($50,000,000).

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements herein contained, the parties hereto covenant and agree as follows:

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING TERMS

1.01 Defined Terms.

As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:

Acquisition means the acquisition, whether through a single transaction or a series of related transactions, of (a) a majority of the Voting Stock or other controlling ownership interest in another Person (including the purchase of an option, warrant or convertible or similar type security to acquire such a controlling interest at the time it becomes exercisable by the holder thereof), whether by purchase of such equity or other ownership interest or upon the exercise of an option or warrant for, or conversion of securities into, such equity or other ownership interest, or (b) assets of another Person which constitute all or substantially all of the assets of such Person or of a division, line of business or other business unit of such Person.

Additional Secured Obligations means (a) all obligations arising under Secured Cash Management Agreements and Secured Hedge Agreements, and (b) all costs and expenses incurred in connection with enforcement and collection of the foregoing, including the fees, charges and disbursements of counsel, in each case whether direct or indirect (including those acquired by assumption), absolute or contingent, due or to become due, now existing or hereafter arising and including interest, expenses and fees that accrue after the commencement by or against any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Laws naming such Person as the debtor in such proceeding, regardless of whether such interest, expenses and fees are allowed claims in such proceeding; provided, that, Additional Secured Obligations of a Loan Party shall exclude any Excluded Swap Obligations with respect to such Loan Party.

Affiliate means, with respect to a specified Person, another Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, Controls or is Controlled by or is under common Control with the Person specified.

 

1


Agreement means this Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, including all schedules, exhibits and annexes hereto, as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time.

Applicable Law means, as to any Person, all applicable Laws binding upon such Person or to which such a Person is subject.

Applicable Rate means, for any day, the rate per annum set forth below opposite the applicable Level then in effect (based on the Leverage Ratio), it being understood that the Applicable Rate for (a) Revolving Loans that are Base Rate Loans shall be the percentage set forth under the column “Base Rate Revolving Loans”, (b) Revolving Loans that are Term SOFR Loans shall be the percentage set forth under the column “Term SOFR Revolving Loans”, and (c) the Utilization Fee shall be the percentage set forth under the column “Utilization Fee”:

 

Applicable Rate

Level

  

Leverage Ratio

   Term
SOFR
Revolving
Loans
  Base Rate
Revolving
Loans
  Unused
Commitment
Fee

1

  

Greater than or

equal to 3.0 to

1.0

   2.60%   1.60%   0.20%

2

  

Greater than or

equal to 2.5 to

1.0 but less

than 3.0 to 1.0

   2.30%   1.30%   0.20%

3

  

Less than 2.5

to 1.0

   2.00%   1.00%   0.20%

Any increase or decrease in the Applicable Rate resulting from a change in the Leverage Ratio shall become effective as of the first (1st) Business Day immediately following the date a Compliance Certificate is delivered pursuant to Section 6.02(b); provided, that, if a Compliance Certificate is not delivered when due in accordance with Section 6.02(b), then, Pricing Level 1 shall apply unless otherwise agreed to by the Lender, in each case as of the first (1st) Business Day after the date on which such Compliance Certificate was required to have been delivered and in each case shall remain in effect until the first (1st) Business Day following the date on which such Compliance Certificate is delivered.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this definition, (a) the determination of the Applicable Rate for any period shall be subject to the provisions of Section 2.10 and (b) the initial Applicable Rate shall be set at Pricing Level 3 until the first (1st) Business Day immediately following the date a Compliance Certificate is delivered pursuant to Section 6.02(b) to the Lender. Any adjustment in the Applicable Rate shall be applicable to all Credit Extensions then existing or subsequently made or issued.

“ASC Topic 842 means Accounting Standards Update 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) issued by the Financial Standards Accounting Board.

Attributable Indebtedness means, on any date, (a) in respect of any Capitalized 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 Obligation, the capitalized amount of the remaining lease or similar payments under the relevant lease or other applicable agreement or instrument that would appear on a balance sheet of such Person prepared as of such date in accordance with GAAP if such lease or other agreement or instrument were accounted for as a Capitalized Lease, provided that Attributable Indebtedness shall exclude liabilities reflected on the balance sheet as a result of such Person’s adoption and implementation of ASC Topic 842.

 

2


Audited Financial Statements means the audited Consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, and the related Consolidated statements of income or operations, Shareholders’ Equity and cash flows for such fiscal year of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, including the notes thereto.

Authorization to Share Insurance Information means the authorization in form and substance satisfactory to the Lender (or such other form as required by each of the Loan Party’s insurance companies).

Availability Period means in respect of the Revolving Facility, the period from and including the Closing Date to the earliest of (i) the Maturity Date for the Revolving Facility, (ii) the date of termination of the Revolving Commitments pursuant to Section 2.06, and (iii) the date of termination of the Commitment of the Lender to make Revolving Loans and L/C Credit Extensions pursuant to Section 8.02.

Bank of America means Bank of America, N.A. and its successors.

Base Rate means for any day a fluctuating rate of interest per annum equal to the highest of (a) the Federal Funds Rate plus one-half of one percent (0.50%), (b) the rate of interest in effect for such day as publicly announced from time to time by Bank of America as its “prime rate,” and (c) the Term SOFR plus one percent (1.00%), subject to the interest rate floors set forth therein; provided, that, if the Base Rate shall be less than 1%, such rate shall be deemed 1% for purposes of this Agreement. The “prime rate” is a rate set by Bank of America based upon various factors including Bank of America’s costs and desired return, general economic conditions and other factors, and is used as a reference point for pricing some loans, which may be priced at, above, or below such announced rate. Any change in such prime rate announced by Bank of America shall take effect at the opening of business on the day specified in the public announcement of such change. If the Base Rate is being used as an alternate rate of interest pursuant to Section 3.03 hereof, then the Base Rate shall be the greater of clauses (a) and (b) above and shall be determined without reference to clause (c) above.

Base Rate Loan means a Revolving Loan that bears interest based on the Base Rate.

Beneficial Ownership Certification means a certification regarding beneficial ownership required by the Beneficial Ownership Regulation.

Beneficial Ownership Regulation means 31 C.F.R. § 1010.230.

Benefit Plan means any of (a) an “employee benefit plan” (as defined in ERISA) that is subject to Title I of ERISA, (b) a “plan” as defined in and subject to Section 4975 of the Code, or (c) any Person whose assets include (for purposes of ERISA Section 3(42) or otherwise for purposes of Title I of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code) the assets of any such “employee benefit plan” or “plan”.

BHC Act Affiliate of a party means an “affiliate” (as such term is defined under, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. 1841(k)) of such party.

Borrower has the meaning specified in the introductory paragraph hereto.

Borrowing means a Revolving Borrowing.

Business Day means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks are authorized to close under the Laws of, or are in fact closed in, the state where the Lender’s Office is located.

 

3


Capital Expenditures means, with respect to any Person for any period, any expenditure in respect of the purchase or other acquisition of any fixed or capital asset (excluding normal replacements, tenant improvements and maintenance which are properly charged to current operations).

Capitalized Lease means any lease that has been or is required to be, in accordance with GAAP, recorded, classified and accounted for as a capitalized lease or financing lease.

Cash Equivalents means any of the following types of Investments, to the extent owned by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries free and clear of all Liens (other than Permitted Liens):

(a) readily marketable obligations issued or directly and fully guaranteed or insured by the United States or any agency or instrumentality thereof having maturities of not more than three hundred sixty days (360) days from the date of acquisition thereof; provided, that, the full faith and credit of the United States is pledged in support thereof;

(b) time deposits with, or insured certificates of deposit or bankers’ acceptances of, any commercial bank that (i) (A) is the Lender or (B) is organized under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia or is the principal banking subsidiary of a bank holding company organized under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia, and is a member of the Federal Reserve System, (ii) issues (or the parent of which issues) commercial paper rated as described in clause (c) of this definition, and (iii) has combined capital and surplus of at least $1,000,000,000, in each case with maturities of not more than ninety (90) days from the date of acquisition thereof;

(c) commercial paper issued by any Person organized under the laws of any state of the United States and rated at least Prime–1” (or the then equivalent grade) by Moody’s or at least “A–1” (or the then equivalent grade) by S&P, in each case with maturities of not more than one hundred eighty (180) days from the date of acquisition thereof; and

(d) Investments, classified in accordance with GAAP as current assets of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, in money market investment programs registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, which are administered by financial institutions that have the highest rating obtainable from either Moody’s or S&P, and the portfolios of which are limited solely to Investments of the character, quality and maturity described in clauses (a), (b) and (c) of this definition.

Cash Management Agreement means any agreement that is not prohibited by the terms hereof to provide treasury or cash management services, including deposit accounts, overnight draft, credit cards, debit cards, p-cards (including purchasing cards and commercial cards), funds transfer, automated clearinghouse, zero balance accounts, returned check concentration, controlled disbursement, lockbox, account reconciliation and reporting and trade finance services and other cash management services.

CFC means a Person that is a controlled foreign corporation under Section 957 of the Code in which the Borrower or any Loan Party is a United States shareholder within the meaning of Section 951(b) of the Code.

Change in Law means the occurrence, after the Closing Date, 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, implementation or application thereof by any Governmental Authority, or (c) the making or issuance of any request, rule, guideline or directive (whether or not having the force of law) by any Governmental Authority; provided, that, notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, (i) the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and all requests, rules, guidelines or directives thereunder or issued in connection therewith or in the implementation thereof, and (ii) all requests, rules, guidelines or directives promulgated by the Bank for International Settlements, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (or any successor or similar authority) or the United States or foreign regulatory authorities, in each case pursuant to Basel III, shall in each case be deemed to be a Change in Law,” regardless of the date enacted, adopted, issued or implemented.

 

 

4


Change of Control means the occurrence of any of the following: (a) any Person or group (as such term is defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act) is or becomes the “beneficial owner,” directly or indirectly, of more than 40% of the total voting power in the aggregate of all classes of Equity Interests of Borrower then outstanding normally entitled to vote in elections of directors, managers or trustees, as applicable, (b) during any period of 12 consecutive months after the Closing Date, Persons who at the beginning of such 12-month period constituted the board of Borrower (together with any new Persons whose election or designation by such board or whose nomination for election by the shareholders of Borrower was approved by a vote of a majority of the Persons then still comprising the board who were either members of the board at the beginning of such period or whose election, designation or nomination for election was previously so approved) cease for any reason to constitute a majority of the board of directors of Borrower then in office or (c) any “change of control” or similar event shall occur under any other Indebtedness (other than non-recourse Indebtedness) of Borrower with an aggregate principal amount in excess of 40% of the Revolving Commitment which results in a default under such Indebtedness beyond the period of grace (if any) or a declaration of such Indebtedness to be due and payable prior to the scheduled maturity thereof.

Closing Date means the date hereof.

CME” means CME Group Benchmark Administration Limited.

Code means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

Collateral means all of the Collateral and all of the other property that is or is intended under the terms of the Collateral Documents to be subject to Liens in favor of the Lender.

Collateral Documents means, collectively, the Security Agreement, any Qualifying Control Agreements, each Joinder Agreement, each of the collateral assignments, security agreements, pledge agreements, account control agreements or other similar agreements delivered to the Lender pursuant to Section 6.14, and each of the other agreements, instruments or documents that creates or purports to create a Lien in favor of the Lender for the benefit of the Secured Parties.

Commitment means the Revolving Commitment.

Commodity Exchange Act means the Commodity Exchange Act (7 U.S.C. § 1 et seq.), as amended from time to time, and any successor statute.

Communication means this Agreement, any Loan Document and any document, any amendment, approval, consent, information, notice, certificate, request, statement, disclosure or authorization related to any Loan Document.

Compliance Certificate means a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit A.

Conforming Changes means, with respect to the use, administration of or any conventions associated with SOFR or any proposed Successor Rate or Term SOFR, as applicable, any conforming changes to the definitions of “Base Rate”, “SOFR”, “Term SOFR” and “Interest Period”, timing and frequency of determining rates and making payments of interest and other technical, administrative or operational matters (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the definitions of “Business Day” and “U.S. Government Securities Business Day”, timing of borrowing requests or prepayment, conversion or continuation notices and length of lookback periods) as may be appropriate, in the discretion of the Lender, to reflect the adoption and implementation of such applicable rate(s) and to permit the administration thereof by the Lender in a manner substantially consistent with market practice (or, if the Lender determines that adoption of any portion of such market practice is not administratively feasible or that no market practice for the administration of such rate exists, in such other manner of administration as the Lender determines is reasonably necessary in connection with the administration of this Agreement and any other Loan Document).

 

5


Consolidated means, when used with reference to financial statements or financial statement items of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries or any other Person, such statements or items on a consolidated basis in accordance with the consolidation principles of GAAP.

Contractual Obligation means, as to any Person, any provision of any security issued by such Person or of any agreement, instrument or other undertaking to which such Person is a party or by which it or any of its property is bound.

Control means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a Person, whether through the ability to exercise voting power, by contract or otherwise. Controlling and Controlled have meanings correlative thereto. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, a Person shall be deemed to be Controlled by another Person if such other Person possesses, directly or indirectly, power to vote forty percent (40.0%) or more of the securities having ordinary voting power for the election of directors, managing general partners or the equivalent.

Controlled Account means each deposit account and securities account that is subject to a Qualifying Control Agreement.

Covered Entity means any of the following: (a) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b); (b) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or (c) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b).

Covered Party has the meaning set forth in Section 10.19.

Credit Extension means a Borrowing.

Daily Simple SOFR” with respect to any applicable determination date means the SOFR published on such date on the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s website (or any successor source).

Debtor Relief Laws means the Bankruptcy Code of the United States, and all other liquidation, conservatorship, bankruptcy, assignment for the benefit of creditors, moratorium, rearrangement, receivership, insolvency, reorganization, or similar debtor relief Laws of the United States or other applicable jurisdictions from time to time in effect.

Default means any event or condition that constitutes an Event of Default or that, with the giving of any notice, the passage of time, or both, would be an Event of Default.

Default Rate means (a) with respect to any Obligation for which a rate is specified, a rate per annum equal to two percent (2.0%) in excess of the rate otherwise applicable thereto, and (b) with respect to any Obligation for which a rate is not specified or available, a rate per annum equal to the Base Rate, plus the Applicable Rate for Revolving Loans that are Base Rate Loans, plus two percent (2.0%), in each case, to the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law.

Default Right has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable.

Designated Account has the meaning specified in Section 2.11(b).

Designated Jurisdiction means any country or territory to the extent that such country or territory is the subject of any Sanction.

 

6


Disposition or Dispose means the sale, transfer, license, lease or other disposition (including any Sale and Leaseback Transaction) of any property by any Loan Party or Subsidiary (or the granting of any option or other right to do any of the foregoing), including any sale, assignment, transfer or other disposal, with or without recourse, of any notes or accounts receivable or any rights and claims associated therewith.

Dollar and $ mean lawful money of the United States.

Domestic Subsidiary means any Subsidiary that is organized under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia.

EBITDA means, for any period, the sum of the following, without duplication, for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in accordance with GAAP: (a) Net Income for the most recently completed Measurement Period; plus (b) the following to the extent deducted in calculating such Net Income (without duplication), (i) Interest Charges, (ii) the provision for federal, state, local and foreign income taxes payable, and (iii) depreciation and amortization expense, and (iv) non-cash charges and losses (excluding any such non-cash charges or losses to the extent (A) there were cash charges with respect to such charges and losses in past accounting periods, or (B) there is a reasonable expectation that there will be cash charges with respect to such charges and losses in future accounting periods); less (c) without duplication, and to the extent reflected as a gain or otherwise included in the calculation of Net Income for such period, non-cash gains (excluding any such non-cash gains to the extent (i) there were cash gains with respect to such gains in past accounting periods, or (ii) there is a reasonable expectation that there will be cash gains with respect to such gains in future accounting periods).

Electronic Record and Electronic Signature shall have the meanings assigned to them, respectively, by 15 USC §7006, as it may be amended from time to time.

Elevated Ratio Period” has the meaning specified in Section 7.11(a).

Environment means ambient air, indoor air, surface water, groundwater, drinking water, soil, surface and subsurface strata, and natural resources such as wetland, flora and fauna.

Environmental Laws means any and all federal, state, local, and foreign statutes, laws (including common law), regulations, standards, ordinances, rules, judgments, interpretations, orders, decrees, permits, agreements or governmental restrictions relating to pollution or the protection of the Environment or human health (to the extent related to exposure to hazardous materials), including those relating to the manufacture, generation, handling, transport, storage, treatment, Release or threat of Release of Hazardous Materials, air emissions and discharges to waste or public systems.

Environmental Liability means any liability, contingent or otherwise (including any liability for damages, costs of environmental remediation, fines, penalties or indemnities) whether based in contract, tort, implied or express warranty, strict liability, criminal or civil statute or common law, directly or indirectly relating to (a) any Environmental Law, (b) the generation, use, handling, transportation, storage, treatment or disposal of any Hazardous Materials, (c) exposure to any Hazardous Materials, (d) Release or threatened Release of any Hazardous Materials, or (e) any contract, agreement or other consensual arrangement pursuant to which liability is assumed or imposed with respect to any of the foregoing.

Environmental Permit means any permit, certification, registration, approval, identification number, license or other authorization required under any Environmental Law.

Equity Interests means, with respect to any Person, all of the shares of capital stock of (or other ownership or profit interests in) such Person, all of the warrants, options or other rights for the purchase or acquisition from such Person of shares of capital stock of (or other ownership or profit interests in) such Person, all of the securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of (or other ownership or profit interests in) such Person or warrants, rights or options for the purchase or acquisition from such Person of such shares (or such other interests), and all of the other ownership or profit interests in such Person (including partnership, member or trust interests therein), whether voting or nonvoting, and whether or not such shares, warrants, options, rights or other interests are outstanding on any date of determination.

 

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Equity Issuance means, any issuance by any Loan Party or any Subsidiary to any Person of its Equity Interests, other than (a) any issuance of its Equity Interests pursuant to the exercise of options or warrants, (b) any issuance of its Equity Interests pursuant to the conversion of any debt securities to equity or the conversion of any class of equity securities to any other class of equity securities, and (c) any issuance of options or warrants relating to its Equity Interests. The term “Equity Issuance” shall not be deemed to include any Disposition.

ERISA means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

ERISA Affiliate means any trade or business (whether or not incorporated) under common control with the Borrower within the meaning of Sections 414(b) or (c) of the Code (and Sections 414(m) and (o) of the Code for purposes of provisions relating to Section 412 of the Code).

ERISA Event means (a) a Reportable Event with respect to a Pension Plan; (b) the withdrawal of the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from a Pension Plan subject to Section 4063 of ERISA during a plan year in which such entity was a “substantial employer” as defined in Section 4001(a)(2) of ERISA or a cessation of operations that is treated as such a withdrawal under Section 4062(e) of ERISA; (c) a complete or partial withdrawal by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from a Multiemployer Plan or notification that a Multiemployer Plan is insolvent; (d) the filing of a notice of intent to terminate, the treatment of a Pension Plan amendment as a termination under Section 4041 or 4041A of ERISA; (e) the institution by the PBGC of proceedings to terminate a Pension Plan; (f) any event or condition which constitutes grounds under Section 4042 of ERISA for the termination of, or the appointment of a trustee to administer, any Pension Plan; (g) the determination that any Pension Plan is considered an at-risk plan or a plan in endangered or critical status within the meaning of Sections 430, 431 and 432 of the Code or Sections 303, 304 and 305 of ERISA; (h) the imposition of any liability under Title IV of ERISA, other than for PBGC premiums due but not delinquent under Section 4007 of ERISA, upon the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate; or (i) a failure by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate to meet all applicable requirements under the Pension Funding Rules in respect of a Pension Plan, whether or not waived, or the failure by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate to make any required contribution to a Multiemployer Plan.

Event of Default has the meaning specified in Section 8.01.

Excluded Property means, with respect to any Loan Party, (a) any owned or leased real property which is located outside of the United States, unless requested by the Lender, (b) unless requested by the Lender, any Intellectual Property for which a perfected Lien thereon is not effected either by filing of a UCC financing statement or by appropriate evidence of such Lien being filed in either the United States Copyright Office or the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and (c) the Equity Interests of any Foreign Subsidiary of any Loan Party to the extent not required to be pledged to secure the Secured Obligations pursuant to the Collateral Documents.

Excluded Swap Obligation means, with respect to any Loan Party, any Swap Obligation if, and to the extent that, all or a portion of the Guaranty of such Loan Party of, or the grant by such Loan Party of a Lien to secure, such Swap Obligation (or any Guarantee thereof) is or becomes illegal under the Commodity Exchange Act or any rule, regulation or order of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (or the application or official interpretation thereof) by virtue of such Loan Party’s failure for any reason to constitute an “eligible contract participant” as defined in the Commodity Exchange Act (determined after giving effect to Section 9.11 and any other “keepwell, support or other agreement” for the benefit of such Loan Party and any and all guarantees of such Loan Party’s Swap Obligations by other Loan Parties) at the time the Guaranty of such Loan Party, or grant by such Loan Party of a Lien, becomes effective with respect to such Swap Obligation. If a Swap Obligation arises under a Master Agreement governing more than one Swap Contract, such exclusion shall apply only to the portion of such Swap Obligation that is attributable to Swap Contracts for which such Guaranty or Lien is or becomes excluded in accordance with the first sentence of this definition.

 

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Facility means the Revolving Facility.

Facility Termination Date means the date as of which all of the following shall have occurred: (a) the Commitments have terminated, and (b) all Obligations have been paid in full (other than contingent indemnification obligations).

FASB ASC means the Accounting Standards Codification of the Financial Accounting Standards Board.

Federal Funds Rate means, for any day, the rate per annum calculated by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York based on such day’s federal funds transactions by depository institutions (as determined in such manner as the Federal Reserve Bank of New York shall set forth on its public website from time to time) and published on the next succeeding Business Day by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as the federal funds effective rate; provided, that, if the Federal Funds Rate as so determined would be less than zero, such rate shall be deemed to be zero for purposes of this Agreement.

Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio means the ratio of (a) the sum of EBITDA plus lease expense and rent expense (on a cash basis), minus income tax, minus dividends, withdrawals, and other distributions, to (b) the sum of interest expense, lease expense and rent expense (on a cash basis), the current portion of long term debt (excluding the indebtedness under the Revolving Facility) and the current portion of capitalized lease obligations (excluding liabilities as a result of the adoption and implementation of ASC Topic 842).

Foreign Subsidiary means any Subsidiary that is not a Domestic Subsidiary.

FRB means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of the United States.

FSHCO means any Subsidiary substantially all of the assets of which constitute the Equity Interests of CFCs.

Funded Indebtedness means, as of any date of determination, for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, the sum of: (a) the outstanding principal amount of all obligations, whether current or long-term, for borrowed money (including Obligations hereunder) and all obligations evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes, loan agreements or other similar instruments; (b) all purchase money Indebtedness; (c) the maximum amount available to be drawn under issued and outstanding letters of credit (including standby and commercial), bankers’ acceptances, bank guaranties, surety bonds and similar instruments; (d) all obligations in respect of the deferred purchase price of property or services (other than trade accounts payable in the ordinary course of business); (e) all Attributable Indebtedness; (f) without duplication, all Guarantees with respect to outstanding Indebtedness of the types specified in clauses (a) through (e) above of Persons other than the Borrower or any Subsidiary; and (h) all Indebtedness of the types referred to in clauses (a) through (f) above of any partnership or joint venture (other than a joint venture that is itself a corporation or limited liability company) in which the Borrower or a Subsidiary is a general partner or joint venturer, unless such Indebtedness is expressly made non-recourse to the Borrower or such Subsidiary; provided, however, that for purposes of calculating the Leverage Ratio, unrestricted cash amounts in excess of Six Million Dollars ($6,000,000) shall be subtracted from the calculation of Funded Indebtedness.

Funding Indemnity Letter means a funding indemnity letter in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Lender.

GAAP means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States set forth from time to time 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 agencies with similar functions of comparable stature and authority within the accounting profession) including, without limitation, the FASB Accounting Standards Codification, that are applicable to the circumstances as of the date of determination, consistently applied and subject to Section 1.03.

 

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Governmental Authority means the government of the United States or any other nation, or of any political subdivision thereof, whether state or local, and any agency, authority, instrumentality, regulatory body, court, central bank or other entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory or administrative powers or functions of or pertaining to government (including, without limitation, any supra-national bodies such as the European Union or the European Central Bank).

Guarantee means, as to any Person, (a) any obligation, contingent or otherwise, of such Person guaranteeing or having the economic effect of guaranteeing any Indebtedness of the kind described in clauses (a) through (g) of the definition thereof or other obligation payable or performable by another Person (the primary obligor) in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, and including any obligation of such Person, direct or indirect, (i) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for the purchase or payment of) such Indebtedness or other obligation, (ii) to purchase or lease property, securities or services for the purpose of assuring the obligee in respect of such Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment or performance of such Indebtedness or other obligation, (iii) to maintain working capital, equity capital or any other financial statement condition or liquidity or level of income or cash flow of the primary obligor so as to enable the primary obligor to pay such Indebtedness or other obligation, or (iv) entered into for the purpose of assuring in any other manner the obligee in respect of such Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment or performance thereof or to protect such obligee against loss in respect thereof (in whole or in part), or (b) any Lien on any assets of such Person securing any Indebtedness of the kind described in clauses (a) through (g) of the definition thereof or other obligation of any other Person, whether or not such Indebtedness or other obligation is assumed or expressly undertaken by such Person (or any right, contingent or otherwise, of any holder of such Indebtedness to obtain any such Lien). The amount of any Guarantee shall be deemed to be an amount equal to the stated or determinable amount of the related primary obligation, or portion thereof, in respect of which such Guarantee is made or, if not stated or determinable, the maximum reasonably anticipated liability in respect thereof as determined by the guaranteeing Person in good faith. The term Guarantee as a verb has a corresponding meaning.

Guaranteed Obligations” has the meaning set forth in Section 9.01.

Guarantors means, collectively, (a) the other parties identified as “Guarantors” on the signature pages hereto and such other parties that may become Guarantors hereunder after the date hereof, (b) the Subsidiaries of the Borrower as are or may from time to time become parties to this Agreement pursuant to Section 6.13, and (c) with respect to Additional Secured Obligations owing by any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries and any Swap Obligation of a Specified Loan Party (determined before giving effect to Sections 9.01 and 9.11) under the Guaranty, the Borrower.

Guaranty means, collectively, the Guarantee made by the Guarantors under Article IX in favor of the Secured Parties, together with each other guaranty delivered pursuant to Section 6.13.

Hazardous Materials means all explosive or radioactive substances or wastes and all hazardous or toxic substances, wastes or other pollutants, including petroleum or petroleum distillates, natural gas, natural gas liquids, asbestos or asbestos-containing materials, polychlorinated biphenyls, radon gas, toxic mold, infectious or medical wastes and all other substances, wastes, chemicals, pollutants, contaminants or compounds of any nature in any form regulated pursuant to any Environmental Law.

Incremental Facility” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.12(a).

Indebtedness means, as to any Person at a particular time, without duplication, all of the following, whether or not included as indebtedness or liabilities in accordance with GAAP:

 

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(a) all obligations of such Person for borrowed money and all obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes, loan agreements or other similar instruments;

(b) the maximum amount of all direct or contingent obligations of such Person arising under letters of credit (including standby and commercial), bankers’ acceptances, bank guaranties, surety bonds and similar instruments;

(c) net obligations of such Person under any Swap Contract;

(d) all obligations (including, without limitation, earnout obligations) of such Person to pay the deferred purchase price of property or services (other than trade accounts payable in the ordinary course of business and not past due for more than sixty (60) days after the date on which such trade account was created);

(e) indebtedness (excluding prepaid interest thereon) secured by a Lien on property owned or being purchased 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;

(f) all Attributable Indebtedness in respect of Capitalized Leases and Synthetic Lease Obligations of such Person and all Synthetic Debt of such Person;

(g) all obligations under PACE Financings; and

(h) all Guarantees of such Person in respect of any of the foregoing.

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 Indebtedness is expressly made non-recourse to such Person. The amount of any net obligation under any Swap Contract on any date shall be deemed to be the Swap Termination Value thereof as of such date.

Indemnitee has the meaning specified in Section 10.04(b).

Information has the meaning specified in Section 10.07.

Intellectual Property has the meaning set forth in the Security Agreement.

Intercompany Debt has the meaning specified in Section 7.02(e).

Interest Charges means, for any Measurement Period, the sum of (a) all interest, premium payments, debt discount, fees, charges and related expenses in connection with borrowed money (including capitalized interest) or in connection with the deferred purchase price of assets, in each case to the extent treated as interest in accordance with GAAP, (b) all interest paid or payable with respect to discontinued operations, and (c) the portion of rent expense under Capitalized Leases that is treated as interest in accordance with GAAP, in each case, of or by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for the most recently completed Measurement Period.

Interest Payment Date means, as to any Term SOFR Loan or Base Rate Loan, the last Business Day of each month and the Maturity Date of the Facility under which such Loan was made.

Interest Period means as to each Term SOFR Loan, the period commencing on the date such Term SOFR Loan is disbursed or converted to or continued as a Term SOFR Loan and ending on the date one, three or six months thereafter, as selected by the Borrower in its Loan Notice, or such other period that is twelve months or less requested by the Borrower and consented to by the Lender (in the case of each requested Interest Period, subject to availability); provided that: any Interest Period that would otherwise end on a day that is not a Business Day shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day, unless such Business Day falls in another calendar month, in which case such Interest Period shall end on the next preceding Business Day;

 

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(a) any Interest Period that would otherwise end on a day that is not a Business Day shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day unless, in the case of a Term SOFR Loan, such Business Day falls in another calendar month, in which case such Interest Period shall end on the next preceding Business Day;

(b) any Interest Period pertaining to a Term SOFR Loan that begins on the last Business Day of a calendar month (or on a day for which there is no numerically corresponding day in the calendar month at the end of such Interest Period) shall end on the last Business Day of the calendar month at the end of such Interest Period; and

(c) no Interest Period shall extend beyond the Maturity Date.

Investment means, as to any Person, any direct or indirect acquisition or investment by such Person, whether by means of (a) the purchase or other acquisition of Equity Interests of another Person, (b) a loan, advance or capital contribution to, Guarantee or assumption of debt of, or purchase or other acquisition of any other debt or interest in, another Person (including any partnership or joint venture interest in such other Person and any arrangement pursuant to which the investor guaranties Indebtedness of such other Person), or (c) the purchase or other acquisition (in one transaction or a series of transactions) of assets of another Person which constitute all or substantially all of the assets of such Person or of a division, line of business or other business unit of such Person. For purposes of covenant compliance, the amount of any Investment shall be the amount actually invested, without adjustment for subsequent increases or decreases in the value of such Investment.

Involuntary Disposition means any loss of, damage to or destruction of, or any condemnation or other taking for public use of, any property of any Loan Party or any Subsidiary.

IRS means the United States Internal Revenue Service.

Joinder Agreement means a joinder agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit B executed and delivered in accordance with the provisions of Section 6.13.

Laws means, collectively, all international, foreign, federal, state and local statutes, treaties, rules, guidelines, regulations, ordinances, codes and administrative or judicial precedents or authorities, including the interpretation or administration thereof by any Governmental Authority charged with the enforcement, interpretation or administration thereof, and all applicable administrative orders, directed duties, requests, licenses, authorizations and permits of, and agreements with, any Governmental Authority, in each case whether or not having the force of law.

Lender means Bank of America, N.A. and its successors and assigns.

Lenders Office means the Lender’s address and, as appropriate, account as set forth on Schedule 1.01(a), or such other address or account as the Lender may from time to time notify the Borrower; which office may include any Affiliate of the Lender or any domestic or foreign branch of the Lender or such Affiliate.

Leverage Ratio means, as of any date of determination, the ratio of: (a) Funded Indebtedness as of such date; to (b) EBITDA of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for the most recently completed Measurement Period.

Lien means any mortgage, pledge, hypothecation, assignment, deposit arrangement, encumbrance, lien (statutory or otherwise), charge, or preference, priority or other security interest or preferential arrangement in the nature of a security interest of any kind or nature whatsoever (including any conditional sale or other title retention agreement, any easement, right of way or other encumbrance on title to real property and any financing lease having substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing).

 

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Loan means an extension of credit by the Lender to the Borrower under Article II in the form of a Revolving Loan.

Loan Documents means, collectively, (a) this Agreement, (b) the Guaranty, (c) the Collateral Documents, (d) each Joinder Agreement, and (e) all other certificates, agreements, documents and instruments executed and delivered, in each case, by or on behalf of any Loan Party pursuant to the foregoing (but specifically excluding any Secured Hedge Agreement or any Secured Cash Management Agreement) and any amendments, modifications or supplements thereto or to any other Loan Document or waivers hereof or to any other Loan Document; provided, that, for purposes of Section 10.01, “Loan Documents” shall mean any of the foregoing that is signed by any Loan Party and the Lender.

Loan Notice means a notice of (a) a Borrowing, (b) a conversion of Loans from one Type to the other, or (c) a continuation of Term SOFR Loans, pursuant to Section 2.02(a), which, if in writing, shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit C or such other form as may be approved by the Lender (including any form on an electronic platform or electronic transmission system as shall be approved by the Lender), appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower.

Loan Party and Loan Parties have the meanings specified in the introductory paragraph hereto.

Master Agreement has the meaning set forth in the definition of “Swap Contract.”

Material Adverse Effect means (a) a material adverse change in, or a material adverse effect upon, the operations, business, properties, liabilities (actual or contingent), condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects of the Borrower or the Borrower and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole; or (b) a material adverse effect on (i) the ability of any Loan Party to perform its Obligations under any Loan Document to which it is a party, (ii) the legality, validity, binding effect or enforceability against any Loan Party of any Loan Document to which it is a party or (iii) the rights, remedies and benefits available to, or conferred upon, the Lender under any Loan Documents.

Material Contract means, with respect to any Person, each contract or agreement (a) to which such Person is a party involving aggregate consideration payable to or by such Person of an annual amount equal to twenty percent (20%) or more of the revenue generated by the Borrower in the previous year or (b) otherwise material to the business, condition (financial or otherwise), operations, performance, properties or prospects of such Person or (c) any other contract, agreement, permit or license, written or oral, of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as to which the breach, nonperformance, cancellation or failure to renew by any party thereto, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

Maturity Date means September 30, 2024.

Measurement Period means, at any date of determination, the most recently completed four (4) fiscal quarters of the Borrower (or, for purposes of determining Pro Forma Compliance, the most recently completed four (4) fiscal quarters of the Borrower for which financial statements have been delivered pursuant to Section 6.01) or, if fewer than four (4) consecutive fiscal quarters of the Borrower have been completed since the Closing Date, the fiscal quarters of the Borrower that have been completed since the Closing Date (or, for purposes of determining Pro Forma Compliance, if financial statements have been delivered pursuant to Section 6.01 for fewer than four (4) consecutive fiscal quarters of the Borrower since the Closing Date, the fiscal quarters of the Borrower for which financial statements have been delivered pursuant to Section 6.01 since the Closing Date).

Moodys means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. and any successor thereto.

Multiemployer Plan means any employee benefit plan of the type described in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA, to which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate makes or is obligated to make contributions, or during the preceding five (5) plan years, has made or been obligated to make contributions.

 

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Multiple Employer Plan means a Plan which has two or more contributing sponsors (including the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate) at least two of whom are not under common control, as such a plan is described in Section 4064 of ERISA.

Net Income means, at any date of determination, the net income (or loss) of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for the most recently completed Measurement Period; provided, that, Net Income shall exclude (a) unusual and infrequent gains and unusual and infrequent losses for such Measurement Period, (b) the net income of any Subsidiary during such Measurement Period to the extent that the declaration or payment of dividends or similar distributions by such Subsidiary of such income is not permitted by operation of the terms of its Organization Documents or any agreement, instrument or Law applicable to such Subsidiary during such Measurement Period, except that the Borrower’s equity in any net loss of any such Subsidiary for such Measurement Period shall be included in determining Net Income, and (c) any income (or loss) for such Measurement Period of any Person if such Person is not a Subsidiary, except that the Borrower’s equity in the net income of any such Person for such Measurement Period shall be included in Net Income up to the aggregate amount of cash actually distributed by such Person during such Measurement Period to the Borrower or a Subsidiary as a dividend or other distribution (and in the case of a dividend or other distribution to a Subsidiary, such Subsidiary is not precluded from further distributing such amount to the Borrower as described in clause (b) of this proviso).

Note means a Revolving Note.

Notice of Loan Prepayment means a notice of prepayment with respect to a Loan, which shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit F or such other form as may be approved by the Lender (including any form on an electronic platform or electronic transmission system as shall be approved by the Lender), appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer.

Obligations means (a) all advances to, and debts, liabilities, obligations, covenants and duties of, any Loan Party arising under any Loan Document or otherwise with respect to any Loan and (b) all costs and expenses incurred in connection with enforcement and collection of the foregoing, including the fees, charges and disbursements of counsel, in each case whether direct or indirect (including those acquired by assumption), absolute or contingent, due or to become due, now existing or hereafter arising and including interest, expenses and fees that accrue after the commencement by or against any Loan Party or any Affiliate thereof pursuant to any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Laws naming such Person as the debtor in such proceeding, regardless of whether such interest, expenses and fees are allowed claims in such proceeding.

OFAC means the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the United States Department of the Treasury.

Officers Certificate means a certificate substantially the form of Exhibit I or any other form approved by the Lender.

Organization Documents means, with respect to any corporation, the charter or certificate or articles of incorporation and the bylaws (or equivalent or comparable constitutive documents with respect to any non-U.S. jurisdiction); (b) with respect to any limited liability company, the certificate or articles of formation or organization and operating agreement or limited liability company agreement (or equivalent or comparable documents with respect to any non-U.S. jurisdiction); (c) with respect to any partnership, joint venture, trust or other form of business entity, the partnership, joint venture or other applicable agreement of formation or organization (or equivalent or comparable documents with respect to any non-U.S. jurisdiction) and (d) with respect to all entities, any agreement, instrument, filing or notice with respect thereto filed in connection with its formation or organization with the applicable Governmental Authority in the jurisdiction of its formation or organization (or equivalent or comparable documents with respect to any non-U.S. jurisdiction).

 

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Outstanding Amount means with respect to Revolving Loans on any date, the aggregate outstanding principal amount thereof after giving effect to any Borrowings and prepayments or repayments of Revolving Loans occurring on such date.

Patriot Act has the meaning specified in Section 10.18.

PBGC means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.

Pension Funding Rules means the rules of the Code and ERISA regarding minimum funding standards with respect to Pension Plans and set forth in Sections 412, 430, 431, 432 and 436 of the Code and Sections 302, 303, 304 and 305 of ERISA.

Pension Plan means any employee pension benefit plan (including a Multiple Employer Plan or a Multiemployer Plan) that is maintained or is contributed to by the Borrower and any ERISA Affiliate or with respect to which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate has any liability and is either covered by Title IV of ERISA or is subject to the minimum funding standards under Section 412 of the Code.

Permitted Acquisition means any Acquisition consisting of a single transaction or a series of related transactions by the Borrower so long as (i) no event of default under this Agreement has occurred and is continuing or would exist after giving effect to such Acquisition, (ii) immediately prior to and after giving effect to such Acquisition, the Borrower shall be in compliance with financial covenants set forth in this Agreement on a pro-forma basis, (iii) the Total Consideration for any single Acquisition does not exceed $7,500,000 and the Total Consideration in any twelve month period, calculated from and after September 30, 2022, does not exceed $40,000,000; and (iv) at the time and after giving effect to each such Acquisition, the sum of the Borrower’s unencumbered cash and availability under Revolving Loans shall not be less than $10,000,000. For purposes hereof, “Total Consideration” shall be calculated as the total of cash paid at closing and seller notes entered into at closing and shall exclude the value of any equity of the Borrower which has been issued as part of the purchase price in connection with any Acquisition.

Permitted Acquisition Certificate means a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit D or any other form approved by the Lender.

Permitted Liens has the meaning set forth in Section 7.01.

Permitted Transfers means (a) Dispositions of inventory in the ordinary course of business; (b) Dispositions of property to the Borrower or any Subsidiary; provided, that, if the transferor of such property is a Loan Party then the transferee thereof must be a Loan Party; (c) Dispositions of accounts receivable in connection with the collection or compromise thereof; (d) licenses, sublicenses, leases or subleases granted to others not interfering in any material respect with the business of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries; and (e) the sale or disposition of Cash Equivalents for fair market value.

Person means any natural person, corporation, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, association, company, partnership, Governmental Authority or other entity.

Plan means any employee benefit plan within the meaning of Section 3(3) of ERISA (including a Pension Plan), maintained for employees of the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate or any such Plan to which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate is required to contribute on behalf of any of its employees.

Pledged Equity has the meaning specified in the Security Agreement.

Pro Forma Basis and Pro Forma Effect means, for any Disposition of all, or substantially all, of a division or a line of business or for any Acquisition, whether actual or proposed, for purposes of determining compliance with the financial covenants set forth in Section 7.11, each such transaction or proposed transaction shall be deemed to have occurred on and as of the first day of the relevant Measurement Period, and the following pro forma adjustments shall be made:

 

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(a) in the case of an actual or proposed Disposition, all income statement items (whether positive or negative) attributable to the line of business or the Person subject to such Disposition shall be excluded from the results of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for such Measurement Period;

(b) in the case of an actual or proposed Acquisition, income statement items (whether positive or negative) attributable to the property, line of business or the Person subject to such Acquisition shall be included in the results of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for such Measurement Period;

(c) interest accrued during the relevant Measurement Period on, and the principal of, any Indebtedness repaid or to be repaid or refinanced in such transaction shall be excluded from the results of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for such Measurement Period;

(d) any Indebtedness actually or proposed to be incurred or assumed in such transaction shall be deemed to have been incurred as of the first day of the applicable Measurement Period, and interest thereon shall be deemed to have accrued from such day on such Indebtedness at the applicable rates provided therefor (and in the case of interest that does or would accrue at a formula or floating rate, at the rate in effect at the time of determination) and shall be included in the results of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for such Measurement Period; and

(e) the above pro forma calculations shall be made in good faith by a financial or accounting officer of the Borrower who is a Responsible Officer and may include, for the avoidance of doubt, the amount of synergies and cost savings projected by the Borrower from actions taken, or expected to be taken, during the twelve (12) month period following the date of such transaction, net of the amount of actual benefits theretofore realized during such period from such actions; provided, that, (i) such amounts are reasonably identifiable, quantifiable and factually supportable in the good faith judgment of the Borrower and the Lender, (ii) such synergies and cost savings are directly attributable to such transaction, and (iii) no amounts shall be added pursuant to this clause (e) to the extent duplicative of any amounts that are otherwise added back in computing EBITDA, whether through a pro forma adjustment or otherwise, with respect to such period.

Pro Forma Compliance means, with respect to any transaction, that such transaction does not cause, create or result in a Default after giving Pro Forma Effect, based upon the results of operations for the most recently completed Measurement Period to (a) such transaction and (b) all other transactions which are contemplated or required to be given Pro Forma Effect hereunder that have occurred on or after the first day of the relevant Measurement Period.

QFC has the meaning assigned to the term “qualified financial contract” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. 5390(c)(8)(D).

QFC Credit Support has the meaning specified in Section 10.19.

Qualified ECP Guarantor means, at any time, each Loan Party with total assets exceeding $10,000,000 or that qualifies at such time as an “eligible contract participant” under the Commodity Exchange Act and can cause another Person to qualify as an “eligible contract participant” at such time under Section 1a(18)(A)(v)(II) of the Commodity Exchange Act.

Qualifying Control Agreement means an agreement, among a Loan Party, a depository institution or securities intermediary and the Lender, which agreement is in form and substance acceptable to the Lender and which provides the Lender with “control” (as such term is used in Article 9 of the UCC) over the deposit account(s) or securities account(s) described therein.

 

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Receivables means any of the Borrower’s and its Subsidiaries’ presently existing and hereafter arising or acquired accounts receivable, notes receivable and other rights to payment for goods sold or leased or for services rendered, whether or not they have been earned by performance, and all rights in any merchandise or goods which any of the same may represent, and all rights, title, security, guarantees, indemnities and warranties with respect to each of the foregoing, including, without limitation, any right of stoppage in transit, and any other assets which are customarily transferred, or in respect of which security interests are customarily granted, in connection with securitization transactions involving accounts receivables.

Regulation U means Regulation U of the FRB, as in effect from time to time and all official rulings and interpretations thereunder or thereof.

Related Parties means, with respect to any Person, such Person’s Affiliates and the partners, directors, officers, employees, agents, trustees, administrators, managers, advisors, consultants, service providers and representatives of such Person and of such Person’s Affiliates.

Release means any release, spill, emission, discharge, deposit, disposal, leaking, pumping, pouring, dumping, emptying, injection or leaching into the Environment, or into, from or through any building, structure or facility.

Relevant Governmental Body” means the Federal Reserve Board and/or the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, or a committee officially endorsed or convened by the Federal Reserve Board and/or the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Reportable Event means any of the events set forth in Section 4043(c) of ERISA, other than events for which the thirty (30) day notice period has been waived.

Request for Credit Extension means with respect to a Borrowing, conversion or continuation of Revolving Loans, a Loan Notice.

Responsible Officer means the chief executive officer, president, chief financial officer, treasurer, assistant treasurer or controller of a Loan Party, and solely for purposes of the delivery of incumbency certificates pursuant to Section 4.01, the secretary or any assistant secretary of a Loan Party. Any document delivered hereunder that is signed by a Responsible Officer of a Loan Party shall be conclusively presumed to have been authorized by all necessary corporate, partnership and/or other action on the part of such Loan Party and such Responsible Officer shall be conclusively presumed to have acted on behalf of such Loan Party. To the extent requested by the Lender, each Responsible Officer will provide an incumbency certificate and to the extent requested by the Lender, appropriate authorization documentation, in form and substance satisfactory to the Lender.

Restricted Payment means (a) any dividend or other distribution, direct or indirect, on account of any shares (or equivalent) of any class of Equity Interests of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, now or hereafter outstanding, (b) any redemption, retirement, sinking fund or similar payment, purchase or other acquisition for value, direct or indirect, of any shares (or equivalent) of any class of Equity Interests of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, now or hereafter outstanding, and (c) any payment made to retire, or to obtain the surrender of, any outstanding warrants, options or other rights to acquire shares of any class of Equity Interests of any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries, now or hereafter outstanding.

Revolving Borrowing means a borrowing consisting of simultaneous Revolving Loans of the same Type and, in the case of Term SOFR Loans, having the same Interest Period made by the Lender pursuant to Section 2.01(b).

Revolving Commitment means the Lender’s obligation to make Revolving Loans to the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.01(b). The Revolving Commitment on the Closing Date shall be $50,000,000.

 

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Revolving Facility means, at any time, the aggregate amount of the Lender’s Revolving Commitments at such time.

Revolving Loan has the meaning specified in Section 2.01(b).

S&P means Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC, a subsidiary of S&P Global Inc., and any successor thereto.

Sale and Leaseback Transaction means, with respect to any Loan Party or any Subsidiary, any arrangement, directly or indirectly, with any Person whereby such Loan Party or such Subsidiary shall sell or transfer any property used or useful in its business, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, and thereafter rent or lease such property or other property that it intends to use for substantially the same purpose or purposes as the property being sold or transferred.

Sanction(s) means any sanction administered or enforced by the United States Government (including, without limitation, OFAC), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury (HMT) or other relevant sanctions authority.

Scheduled Unavailability Date has the meaning specified in Section 3.03(b).

SEC means the Securities and Exchange Commission, or any Governmental Authority succeeding to any of its principal functions.

Secured Cash Management Agreement means any Cash Management Agreement between the any Loan Party and the Lender or an Affiliate of the Lender.

Secured Hedge Agreement means any interest rate, currency, foreign exchange, or commodity Swap Contract required by or not prohibited under Article VI or Article VII between any Loan Party and the Lender or an Affiliate of the Lender.

Secured Obligations means all Obligations and all Additional Secured Obligations.

Securities Act means the Securities Act of 1933, including all amendments thereto and regulations promulgated thereunder.

Security Agreement means the security and pledge agreement, dated as of the Closing Date, executed in favor of the Lender by each of the Loan Parties.

Securities Exchange Act means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including all amendments thereto and regulations promulgated thereunder.

ShareholdersEquity means, as of any date of determination, consolidated shareholders’ equity of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of such date, determined in accordance with GAAP.

SOFR” means the Secured Overnight Financing Rate as administered by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (or a successor administrator).

SOFR Adjustment with respect to Daily Simple SOFR means 0.11448% (11.448 basis points); and with respect to Term SOFR means 0.11448% (11.448 basis points) for an Interest Period of one-month’s duration, 0.26161% (26.161 basis points;) for an Interest Period of three-month’s duration, 0.42826% (42.826 basis points) for an Interest Period of six-months’ duration, and 0.71513% (71.513 basis points) for an Interest Period of twelve–months’ duration.

Solvency Certificate means a solvency certificate in substantially in the form of Exhibit E.

 

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Solvent and Solvency mean, with respect to any Person on any date of determination, that on such date (a) the fair value of the property of such Person is greater than the total amount of liabilities, including contingent liabilities, of such Person, (b) the present fair saleable value of the assets of such Person is not less than the amount that will be required to pay the probable liability of such Person on its debts as they become absolute and matured, (c) such Person does not intend to, and does not believe that it will, incur debts or liabilities beyond such Person’s ability to pay such debts and liabilities as they mature, (d) such Person is not engaged in business or a transaction, and is not about to engage in business or a transaction, for which such Person’s property would constitute an unreasonably small capital, and (e) such Person is able to pay its debts and liabilities, contingent obligations and other commitments as they mature in the ordinary course of business. The amount of contingent liabilities at any time shall be computed as the amount that, in the light of all the facts and circumstances existing at such time, represents the amount that can reasonably be expected to become an actual or matured liability.

Specified Loan Party means any Loan Party that is not then an “eligible contract participant” under the Commodity Exchange Act (determined prior to giving effect to Section 9.11).

Subordinated Debt means Indebtedness incurred by any Loan Party which by its terms (a) is subordinated in right of payment to the prior payment of the Obligations and (b) contains other terms, including without limitation, standstill, interest rate, maturity and amortization, and insolvency-related provisions, in all respects acceptable to the Lender.

Subordinated Debt Documents means all agreements (including without limitation intercreditor agreements, instruments and other documents) pursuant to which Subordinated Debt has been or will be issued or otherwise setting forth the terms of any Subordinated Debt.

Subsidiary of a Person means a corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company or other business entity of which a majority of the shares of Voting Stock is at the time beneficially owned, or the management of which is otherwise controlled, directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, or both, by such Person. Unless otherwise specified, all references herein to a “Subsidiary” or to “Subsidiaries” shall refer to a Subsidiary or Subsidiaries of the Borrower.

Successor Rate has the meaning specified in Section 3.03(b).

Supported QFC has the meaning specified in Section 10.19.

Swap Contract means (a) any and all rate swap transactions, basis swaps, credit derivative transactions, forward rate transactions, commodity swaps, commodity options, forward commodity contracts, equity or equity index swaps or options, bond or bond price or bond index swaps or options or forward bond or forward bond price or forward bond index transactions, interest rate options, forward foreign exchange transactions, cap transactions, floor transactions, collar transactions, currency swap transactions, cross-currency rate swap transactions, currency options, spot contracts, or any other similar transactions or any combination of any of the foregoing (including any options to enter into any of the foregoing), whether or not any such transaction is governed by or subject to any master agreement, and (b) any and all transactions of any kind, and the related confirmations, which are subject to the terms and conditions of, or governed by, any form of master agreement published by the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc., any International Foreign Exchange Master Agreement, or any other master agreement (any such master agreement, together with any related schedules, a Master Agreement), including any such obligations or liabilities under any Master Agreement.

Swap Obligations means with respect to any Loan Party any obligation to pay or perform under any agreement, contract or transaction that constitutes a “swap” within the meaning of Section 1a(47) of the Commodity Exchange Act.

 

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Swap Termination Value means, in respect of any one or more Swap Contracts, after taking into account the effect of any legally enforceable netting agreement relating to such Swap Contracts, (a) for any date on or after the date such Swap Contracts 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 Swap Contracts, as determined based upon one or more mid-market or other readily available quotations provided by any recognized dealer in such Swap Contracts (which may include the Lender or any Affiliate of the Lender).

Synthetic Debt means, with respect to any Person as of any date of determination thereof, all obligations of such Person in respect of transactions entered into by such Person that are intended to function primarily as a borrowing of funds but are not otherwise included in the definition of “Indebtedness” or as a liability on the Consolidated balance sheet of such Person and its Subsidiaries in accordance with GAAP.

Synthetic Lease Obligation means the monetary obligation of a Person under (a) a so-called synthetic, off-balance sheet or tax retention lease, or (b) an agreement for the use or possession of property (including Sale and Leaseback Transactions), in each case, creating obligations that do not appear on the balance sheet of such Person but which, upon the application of any Debtor Relief Laws to such Person, would be characterized as the indebtedness of such Person (without regard to accounting treatment).

Taxes means all present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties, deductions, withholdings (including backup withholding), assessments, fees or other charges imposed by any Governmental Authority, including any interest, additions to tax or penalties applicable thereto.

Term SOFR” means:

(a) for any Interest Period with respect to a Term SOFR Loan, the rate per annum equal to the Term SOFR Screen Rate two U.S. Government Securities Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period with a term equivalent to such Interest Period; provided that if the rate is not published prior to 11:00 a.m. on such determination date then Term SOFR means the Term SOFR Screen Rate on the first U.S. Government Securities Business Day immediately prior thereto, in each case, plus the SOFR Adjustment for such Interest Period; and

(b) for any interest calculation with respect to a Base Rate Loan on any date, the rate per annum equal to the Term SOFR Screen Rate with a term of one month commencing that day;

provided that if the Term SOFR determined in accordance with either of the foregoing provisions (a) or (b) of this definition would otherwise be less than zero, the Term SOFR shall be deemed zero for purposes of this Agreement.

Term SOFR Loan” means a Loan that bears interest at a rate based on clause (a) of the definition of Term SOFR.

Term SOFR Screen Rate” means the forward-looking SOFR term rate administered by CME (or any successor administrator satisfactory to the Lender) and published on the applicable Reuters screen page (or such other commercially available source providing such quotations as may be designated by the Lender from time to time).

Threshold Amount means $5,000,000.

Total Revolving Outstandings means the aggregate Outstanding Amount of all Revolving Loans.

Type means, with respect to a Loan, its character as a Base Rate Loan or a Term SOFR Loan.

UCC means the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in the Commonwealth of Virginia; provided, that, if perfection or the effect of perfection or non-perfection or the priority of any security interest in any Collateral is governed by the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in a jurisdiction other than the Commonwealth of Virginia, UCC means the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect from time to time in such other jurisdiction for purposes of the provisions hereof relating to such perfection, effect of perfection or non-perfection or priority.

 

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United States and U.S. mean the United States of America.

U.S. Government Securities Business Day” means any Business Day, except any Business Day on which any of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, the New York Stock Exchange or the Federal Reserve Bank of New York is not open for business because such day is a legal holiday under the federal laws of the United States or the laws of the State of New York, as applicable.

U.S. Special Resolution Regimes has the meaning specified in Section 10.19.

Voting Stock means, with respect to any Person, Equity Interests issued by such Person the holders of which are ordinarily, in the absence of contingencies, entitled to vote for the election of directors (or persons performing similar functions) of such Person, even though the right to so vote has been suspended by the happening of such contingency.

1.02 Other Interpretive 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. Whenever the context may require, any pronoun shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter forms. The words “include,” “includes” and “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase “without limitation.” The word “will” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect as the word “shall.” Unless the context requires otherwise, (i) any definition of or reference to any agreement, instrument or other document (including the Loan Documents and any Organization Document) shall be construed as referring to such agreement, instrument or other document as from time to time amended, amended and restated, modified, extended, restated, replaced or supplemented from time to time (subject to any restrictions on such amendments, supplements or modifications set forth herein or in any other Loan Document), (ii) any reference herein to any Person shall be construed to include such Person’s successors and assigns, (iii) the words “hereto,” “herein,” “hereof” and “hereunder,” and words of similar import when used in any Loan Document, shall be construed to refer to such Loan Document in its entirety and not to any particular provision thereof, (iv) all references in a Loan Document to Articles, Sections, Preliminary Statements, Exhibits and Schedules shall be construed to refer to Articles and Sections of, and Preliminary Statements, Exhibits and Schedules to, the Loan Document in which such references appear, (v) any reference to any law shall include all statutory and regulatory rules, regulations, orders and provisions consolidating, amending, replacing or interpreting such law and any reference to any law, rule or regulation shall, unless otherwise specified, refer to such law, rule or regulation as amended, modified, extended, restated, replaced or supplemented from time to time, and (vi) 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. Any and all references to “Borrower”, regardless of whether preceded by the term “a”, “any”, “each of”, “all”, “and/or” or any other similar term, shall be deemed to refer, as the context requires, to each and every (and/or any one or all) parties constituting a Borrower, individually and/or in the aggregate.

(b) 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,”.

 

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(c) 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.

(d) Any reference herein to a merger, transfer, consolidation, amalgamation, assignment, sale, disposition or transfer, or similar term, shall be deemed to apply to a division of or by a limited liability company, or an allocation of assets to a series of a limited liability company (or the unwinding of such a division or allocation), as if it were a merger, transfer, consolidation, amalgamation, assignment, sale, disposition or transfer, or similar term, as applicable, to, of or with a separate Person. Any division of a limited liability company shall constitute a separate Person hereunder (and each division of any limited liability company that is a Subsidiary, joint venture or any other like term shall also constitute such a Person or entity).

1.03 Accounting Terms.

(a) Generally. 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 applied on a consistent basis, as in effect from time to time, applied in a manner consistent with that used in preparing the Audited Financial Statements, except as otherwise specifically prescribed herein. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for purposes of determining compliance with any covenant (including the computation of any financial covenant) contained herein, (i) Indebtedness of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries shall be deemed to be carried at one-hundred percent (100.0%) of the outstanding principal amount thereof, and the effects of FASB ASC 825 on financial liabilities shall be disregarded, and (ii) all terms of an accounting or financial nature used herein shall be construed, and all computations of amounts and ratios referred to herein shall be made, without giving effect to any election under FASB ASC Topic 825 “Financial Instruments” (or any other financial accounting standard having a similar result or effect) to value any Indebtedness of the Borrower or any Subsidiary at “fair value”, as defined therein. For purposes of determining the amount of any outstanding Indebtedness, no effect shall be given to any election by the Borrower to measure an item of Indebtedness using fair value (as permitted by Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification 825–10–25 (formerly known as FASB 159) or any similar accounting standard).

(b) Changes in GAAP. If at any time any change in GAAP would affect the computation of any financial ratio or requirement set forth in any Loan Document, and either the Borrower or Lender shall so request, the Lender and the Borrower shall negotiate in good faith to amend such ratio or requirement to preserve the original intent thereof in light of such change in GAAP; provided, that, until so amended, (i) such ratio or requirement shall continue to be computed in accordance with GAAP prior to such change therein and (ii) the Borrower shall provide to the Lender financial statements and other documents required under this Agreement or as reasonably requested hereunder setting forth a reconciliation between calculations of such ratio or requirement made before and after giving effect to such change in GAAP.

(c) Pro Forma Treatment. Each Disposition of all or substantially all of a line of business, and each Acquisition, by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries that is consummated during any Measurement Period shall, for purposes of determining compliance with the financial covenants set forth in Section 7.11 and for purposes of determining the Applicable Rate, be given Pro Forma Effect as of the first day of such Measurement Period.

1.04 Rounding.

Any financial ratios required to be maintained by the Borrower pursuant to this Agreement shall be calculated by dividing the appropriate component by the other 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).

 

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1.05 Times of Day.

Unless otherwise specified, all references herein to times of day shall be references to Eastern time (daylight or standard, as applicable).

1.06 Reserved.

1.07 UCC Terms.

Terms defined in the UCC 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 term “UCC” refers, as of any date of determination, to the UCC then in effect.

1.08 Rates

The Lender does not warrant, nor accept responsibility, nor shall the Lender have any liability with respect to the administration, submission or any other matter related any reference rate referred to herein or with respect to any rate (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the selection of such rate and any related spread or other adjustment) that is an alternative or replacement for or successor to any such rates (including, without limitation, any Successor Rate) (or any component of any of the foregoing) or the effect of any of the foregoing, or of any Conforming Changes. The Lender and its affiliates or other related entities may engage in transactions or other activities that affect any reference rate referred to herein, or any alternative, successor or replacement rate (including, without limitation, any Successor Rate) (or any component of any of the foregoing) or any related spread or other adjustments thereto, in each case, in a manner adverse to the Borrower. The Lender may select information sources or services in its reasonable discretion to ascertain any reference rate referred to herein or any alternative, successor or replacement rate (including, without limitation, any Successor Rate) (or any component of any of the foregoing), in each case pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, and shall have no liability to the Borrower or any other person or entity for damages of any kind, including direct or indirect, special, punitive, incidental or consequential damages, costs, losses or expenses (whether in tort, contract or otherwise and whether at law or in equity), for any error or other action or omission related to or affecting the selection, determination, or calculation of any rate (or component thereof) provided by any such information source or service

ARTICLE II

COMMITMENTS AND CREDIT EXTENSIONS

2.01 Loans.

(a) Reserved.

(b) Revolving Borrowings. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Lender agrees to make loans (each such loan, a “Revolving Loan”) to the Borrower, in Dollars-, from time to time, on any Business Day during the Availability Period, in an aggregate amount not to exceed at any time outstanding the amount of the Revolving Commitment; provided, however, that after giving effect to any Revolving Borrowing, the Total Revolving Outstandings shall not exceed the Revolving Facility. Within the limits of the Revolving Commitment, and subject to the other terms and conditions hereof, the Borrower may borrow Revolving Loans, prepay under Section 2.05, and reborrow under this Section 2.01(b). Revolving Loans may be Base Rate Loans or Term SOFR, as further provided herein; provided, however, that any Revolving Borrowings made on the Closing Date or any of the three (3) Business Days following the Closing Date shall be made as Base Rate Loans unless the Borrower delivers a Funding Indemnity Letter not less than three (3) Business Days prior to the date of such Revolving Borrowing.

 

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2.02 Borrowings, Conversions and Continuations of Loans.

(a) Each Borrowing, each conversion of Loans from one Type to the other, and each continuation of Term SOFR Loans shall be made upon the Borrower’s irrevocable notice to the Lender, which may be given by (A) telephone or (B) a Loan Notice; provided that any telephonic notice must be confirmed immediately by delivery to the Lender of a Loan Notice. Each such Loan Notice must be received by the Lender not later than 11:00 a.m. (i) two Business Days prior to the requested date of any Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of Term SOFR Loans or of any conversion of Term SOFR Loans to Base Rate Loans, and (ii) on the requested date of any Borrowing of Base Rate Loans; provided, however, that if the Borrower wishes to request Term SOFR Loans having an Interest Period other than one, three or six months in duration as provided in the definition of “Interest Period,” the applicable notice must be received by the Lender not later than 11:00 a.m. four Business Days prior to the requested date of such Borrowing, conversion or continuation. Not later than 11:00 a.m., three Business Days before the requested date of such Borrowing, conversion or continuation, the Lender shall notify the Borrower (which notice may be by telephone) whether or not the requested Interest Period has been consented to by the Lender. Each Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of Term SOFR Loans shall be in a principal amount of $5,000,000 or a whole multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof. Each Borrowing of or conversion to Base Rate Loans shall be in a principal amount of $500,000 or a whole multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof. Each Loan Notice shall specify (i) whether the Borrower is requesting a Borrowing, a conversion of Loans from one Type to the other, or a continuation of Term SOFR Loans, (ii) the requested date of the Borrowing, conversion or continuation, as the case may be (which shall be a Business Day), (iii) the principal amount of Loans to be borrowed, converted or continued, (iv) the Type of Loans to be borrowed or to which existing Loans are to be converted, and (v) if applicable, the duration of the Interest Period with respect thereto. If the Borrower fails to specify a Type of Loan in a Loan Notice or if the Borrower fails to give a timely notice requesting a conversion or continuation, then the applicable Loans shall be made as, or converted to, Base Rate Loans. Any such automatic conversion to Base Rate Loans shall be effective as of the last day of the Interest Period then in effect with respect to the applicable Term SOFR Loans. If the Borrower requests a Borrowing of, conversion to, or continuation of Term SOFR Loans in any such Loan Notice, but fails to specify an Interest Period, it will be deemed to have specified an Interest Period of one month.

(b) Following receipt of a Loan Notice, upon satisfaction of the applicable conditions set forth in Section 4.02 (and, if such Borrowing is the initial Credit Extension, Section 4.01), the Lender shall make the requested funds available to the Borrower either by (i) crediting the account of the Borrower on the books of Bank of America with the amount of such funds or (ii) wire transfer of such funds, in each case in accordance with instructions provided to (and reasonably acceptable to) the Lender by the Borrower.

(c) Except as otherwise provided herein, a Term SOFR Loan may be continued or converted only on the last day of an Interest Period for such Term SOFR Loan. During the existence of a Default, no Loans may be requested as, converted to or continued as Term SOFR Loans without the consent of the Required Lenders.

(d) The Lender shall promptly notify the Borrower of the interest rate applicable to any Interest Period for Term SOFR Loans upon determination of such interest rate.

(e) After giving effect to all Borrowings, all conversions of Loans from one Type to the other, and all continuations of Loans as the same Type, there shall not be more than the Interest Periods in effect with respect to Loans.

(f) Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, in order to facilitate borrowings, the Borrower and the Lender may mutually agree to, and are hereby authorized to, enter into an autoborrow agreement in form and substance satisfactory to the Lender (the “Autoborrow Agreement”) providing for the automatic advance by the Lender of Revolving Loans under the conditions set forth in such agreement, which shall be in addition to the conditions set forth herein. At any time an Autoborrow Agreement is in effect, the requirements for Revolving Loan borrowings set forth herein shall not apply, and all Revolving Loan borrowings shall be made in accordance with the Autoborrow Agreement.

 

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(g) With respect to SOFR or Term SOFR, the Lender will have the right to make Conforming Changes from time to time and, notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein or in any other Loan Document, any amendments implementing such Conforming Changes will become effective without any further action or consent of any other party to this Agreement or any other Loan Document; provided that, with respect to any such amendment effected, the Lender shall post each such amendment implementing such Conforming Changes to the Borrower reasonably promptly after such amendment becomes effective.

2.03 Reserved.

2.04 Reserved.

2.05 Prepayments.

(a) Optional. The Borrower may, upon notice to the Lender pursuant to delivery to the Lender of a Notice of Loan Prepayment, at any time or from time to time voluntarily prepay in whole or in part without premium or penalty.

(b) Reserved.

2.06 Termination or Reduction of Commitments.

(a) Optional. The Borrower may, upon notice to the Lender, terminate the Revolving Facility or from time to time permanently reduce the Revolving Facility; provided, that, (i) any such notice shall be received by the Lender not later than 11:00 a.m. five (5) Business Days prior to the date of termination or reduction, (ii) any such partial reduction shall be in an aggregate amount of $10,000,000 or any whole multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof and (iii) the Borrower shall not terminate or reduce the Revolving Facility if, after giving effect thereto and to any concurrent prepayments hereunder, the Total Revolving Outstandings would exceed the Revolving Facility.

(b) Reserved.

(c) Payment of Fees. All fees in respect of the Revolving Facility accrued until the effective date of any termination of the Revolving Facility shall be paid on the effective date of such termination.

2.07 Repayment of Loans.

(a) Reserved.

(b) Revolving Loans. The Borrower shall repay to the Lender on the Maturity Date for the Revolving Facility the aggregate principal amount of all Revolving Loans outstanding on such date.

2.08 Interest and Default Rate.

(a) Interest. Subject to the provisions of Section 2.08(b), (i) each Term SOFR Loan under a Facility shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof for each Interest Period from the applicable Borrowing date at a rate per annum equal to the Term SOFR for such Interest Period plus the Applicable Rate for such Facility; and (ii) each Base Rate Loan under a Facility shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof from the applicable Borrowing date at a rate per annum equal to the Base Rate plus the Applicable Rate for such Facility. To the extent that any calculation of interest or any fee required to be paid under this Agreement shall be based on (or result in) a calculation that is less than zero, such calculation shall be deemed zero for purposes of this Agreement.

 

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(b) Default Rate.

(i) If any amount of principal of any Loan is not paid when due (without regard to any applicable grace periods), whether at stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise, such amount shall thereafter bear interest at a fluctuating interest rate per annum at all times equal to the Default Rate to the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Laws.

(ii) If any amount (other than principal of any Loan) payable by the Borrower under any Loan Document is not paid when due (without regard to any applicable grace periods), whether at stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise, then upon the request of the Lender such amount shall thereafter bear interest at a fluctuating interest rate per annum at all times equal to the Default Rate to the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Laws.

(iii) Upon the request of the Lender, while any Event of Default exists (including a payment default), all outstanding Obligations may accrue at a fluctuating interest rate per annum at all times equal to the Default Rate to the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Laws.

(iv) Accrued and unpaid interest on past due amounts (including interest on past due interest) shall be due and payable upon demand.

(c) Interest Payments. Interest on each Loan shall be due and payable in arrears on each Interest Payment Date applicable thereto and at such other times as may be specified herein. Interest hereunder shall be due and payable in accordance with the terms hereof before and after judgment, and before and after the commencement of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law.

2.09 Fees.

(a) Facility Fee. The Borrower shall pay to the Lender a facility fee equal to Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000). Such fees shall be fully earned when paid and shall not be refundable for any reason whatsoever.

(b) Unused Commitment Fee. The Borrower agrees to pay a fee on any difference between the Revolving Commitment and the amount of credit it actually uses, determined by the daily amount of credit outstanding during the specified period. The fee will be calculated at the Applicable Rate. This fee is due on the last day of the calendar month following the Closing Date, and on the last day of each following quarter until the expiration of the availability period.

(c) Other Fees.

The Borrower shall pay to the Lender such fees as shall have been separately agreed upon in writing in the amounts and at the times so specified. Such fees shall be fully earned when paid and shall not be refundable for any reason whatsoever.

2.10 Computation of Interest and Fees; Retroactive Adjustments of Applicable Rate.

(a) Computation of Interest and Fees. All computations of interest for Base Rate Loans (including Base Rate Loans determined by reference to the Term SOFR) shall be made on the basis of a year of 365 or 366 days, as the case may be, and actual days elapsed. All other computations of fees and interest shall be made on the basis of a 360-day year and actual days elapsed (which results in more fees or interest, as applicable, being paid than if computed on the basis of a 365 day year). Interest shall accrue on each Loan for the day on which the Loan is made, and shall not accrue on a Loan, or any portion thereof, for the day on which the Loan or such portion is paid, provided that any Loan that is repaid on the same day on which it is made shall, subject to Section 2.11, bear interest for one (1) day. Each determination by the Lender of an interest rate or fee hereunder shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent manifest error.

 

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2.11 Payments Generally.

(a) General Payment Terms. All payments to be made by the Borrower shall be made free and clear of and without condition or deduction for any counterclaim, defense, recoupment or setoff. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all payments by the Borrower hereunder shall be made to the Lender at the Lender’s Office in Dollars and in immediately available funds not later than 2:00 p.m. on the date specified herein. All payments received by the Lender after 2:00 p.m. shall be deemed received on the next succeeding Business Day and any applicable interest or fee shall continue to accrue. Unless as otherwise specifically provided for in this Agreement, if any payment to be made by the Borrower shall come due on a day other than a Business Day, payment shall be made on the next following Business Day, and such extension of time shall be reflected in computing interest or fees, as the case may be.

(b) Direct Debit.

(i) The Borrower agrees that on the due date of any amount due under this Agreement, the Lender will debit the amount due from deposit account number 435029053069 owned by the Borrower, or such other of the Borrower’s accounts with the Lender as designated in writing by the Borrower (the “Designated Account”). Should there be insufficient funds in the Designated Account to pay all such sums when due, the full amount of such deficiency shall be immediately due and payable by the Borrower in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.

(ii) The Borrower may terminate this direct debit arrangement at any time by sending written notice to the Lender at the address specified at the end of this Agreement.

2.12 Increase in Revolving Facility.

(a) Request for Increase. Provided there exists no Default, upon notice to the Lender and subject to Lender’s approval in its sole discretion, the Borrower may from time to time request an increase in the Revolving Facility (an “Incremental Facility”) by an aggregate amount not to exceed Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000), but in minimum increments of not less than Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000).

(b) Conditions to Effectiveness of Increase. As a condition precedent to such increase, the Borrower shall deliver to the Lender a certificate of each Loan Party dated as of the effective date of such increase (the “Revolving Increase Effective Date”) signed by a Responsible Officer of such Loan Party (i) certifying and attaching the resolutions adopted by such Loan Party approving or consenting to such increase, and (ii) in the case of the Borrower, certifying that, before and after giving effect to such increase, (A) the representations and warranties contained in Article V and the other Loan Documents are true and correct, on and as of the Revolving Increase Effective Date, and except that for purposes of this Section 2.12, the representations and warranties contained in clauses (a) and (b) of Section 5.05 shall be deemed to refer to the most recent statements furnished pursuant to clauses (a) and (b), respectively, of Section 6.01, and (B) both before and after giving effect to the Incremental Facility, no Default exists. The Borrower shall deliver or cause to be delivered any other customary documents as reasonably requested by the Lender in connection with any Incremental Facility.

(c) Conflicting Provisions. This Section 2.12 shall supersede any provisions in Section 10.01 to the contrary.

(d) Other Terms and Conditions. Except as otherwise specifically set forth herein, all of the other terms and conditions applicable to such Incremental Facility shall be identical to the terms and conditions applicable to the Revolving Facility.

 

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ARTICLE III

TAXES, YIELD PROTECTION AND ILLEGALITY

3.01 Taxes.

If any payments to the Lender under this Agreement are made from outside the United States, the Borrower will not deduct any foreign Taxes from any payments it makes to the Lender. If any such Taxes are imposed on any payments made by the Borrower (including payments under this Section 3.01), the Borrower shall pay the Taxes and will also pay to the Lender, at the time interest is paid, any additional amount which the Lender specifies as necessary to preserve the after-tax yield the Lender would have received if such taxes had not been imposed. As soon as practicable after any payment of Taxes by any Loan Party to a Governmental Authority, as provided in this Section 3.01, the Borrower will deliver to the Lender the original or a certified copy of a receipt issued by such Governmental Authority evidencing such payment, a copy of any return reporting such payment or other evidence of such payment reasonably satisfactory to the Lender.

The Borrower will confirm that it has paid the Taxes by giving the Lender official tax receipts (or notarized copies) within thirty (30) days after the due date.

3.02 Illegality.

If the Lender determines that any Law has made it unlawful, or that any Governmental Authority has asserted that it is unlawful, for the Lender or its applicable Lending Office to make, maintain or fund Loans whose interest is determined by reference to SOFR or Term SOFR, or to determine or charge interest rates based upon SOFR or Term SOFR, then, upon notice thereof by the Lender to the Borrower, (a) any obligation of the Lender to make or continue Term SOFR Loans or to convert Base Rate Loans to Term SOFR Loans shall be suspended, and (b) if such notice asserts the illegality of the Lender making or maintaining Base Rate Loans the interest rate on which is determined by reference to the Term SOFR component of the Base Rate, the interest rate on which Base Rate Loans of the Lender shall, if necessary to avoid such illegality, be determined by the Lender without reference to the Term SOFR component of the Base Rate, in each case until the Lender notifies the Borrower that the circumstances giving rise to such determination no longer exist. Upon receipt of such notice, (i) the Borrower shall, upon demand from the Lender, prepay or, if applicable, convert all Term SOFR Loans of such Lender to Base Rate Loans (the interest rate on which Base Rate Loans of the Lender shall, if necessary to avoid such illegality, be determined by the Lender without reference to the Term SOFR component of the Base Rate), either on the last day of the Interest Period therefor, if the Lender may lawfully continue to maintain such Term SOFR Loan to such day, or immediately, if the Lender may not lawfully continue to maintain such Term SOFR Loan and (ii) if such notice asserts the illegality of the Lender determining or charging interest rates based upon SOFR, the Lender shall during the period of such suspension compute the Base Rate applicable to the Lender without reference to the Term SOFR component thereof until the Borrower is advised in writing by the Lender that it is no longer illegal for the Lender to determine or charge interest rates based upon SOFR. Upon any such prepayment or conversion, the Borrower shall also pay accrued interest on the amount so prepaid or converted, together with any additional amounts required pursuant to Section 3.05.

3.03 Inability to Determine Rates.

(a) If in connection with any request for a Term SOFR Loan or a conversion of Base Rate Loans to Term SOFR Loans or a continuation of any of such Loans, as applicable, (i) the Lender determines (which determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error) that (A) no Successor Rate has been determined in accordance with Section 3.03(b), and the circumstances under clause (i) of Section 3.03(b) or the Scheduled Unavailability Date has occurred, or (B) adequate and reasonable means do not otherwise exist for determining Term SOFR for any requested Interest Period with respect to a proposed Term SOFR Loan or in connection with an existing or proposed Base Rate Loan, or (ii) the Lender determines that for any reason that Term SOFR for any requested Interest Period with respect to a proposed Loan does not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to the Lender of funding such Loan, the Lender will promptly so notify the Borrower.

 

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Thereafter, (x) the obligation of the Lender to make or maintain Term SOFR Loans, or to convert Base Rate Loans to Term SOFR Loans, shall be suspended (to the extent of the affected Term SOFR Loans or Interest Periods), and (y) in the event of a determination described in the preceding sentence with respect to the Term SOFR component of the Base Rate, the utilization of the Term SOFR component in determining the Base Rate shall be suspended, in each case until the Lender revokes such notice.

Upon receipt of such notice, (i) the Borrower may revoke any pending request for a Borrowing of, or conversion to, or continuation of Term SOFR Loans (to the extent of the affected Term SOFR Loans or Interest Periods) or, failing that, will be deemed to have converted such request into a request for a Borrowing of Base Rate Loans in the amount specified therein and (ii) any outstanding Term SOFR Loans shall be deemed to have been converted to Base Rate Loans immediately at the end of their respective applicable Interest Period.

(b) Replacement of Term SOFR or Successor Rate. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement or any other Loan Documents, if the Lender determines (which determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error), or the Borrower notifies the Lender that the Borrower has determined, that:

(i) adequate and reasonable means do not exist for ascertaining one month, three month and six month interest periods of Term SOFR, including, without limitation, because the Term SOFR Screen Rate is not available or published on a current basis and such circumstances are unlikely to be temporary; or

(ii) CME or any successor administrator of the Term SOFR Screen Rate or a Governmental Authority having jurisdiction over the Lender or such administrator with respect to its publication of Term SOFR, in each case acting in such capacity, has made a public statement identifying a specific date after which one month, three month and six month interest periods of Term SOFR or the Term SOFR Screen Rate shall or will no longer be made available, or permitted to be used for determining the interest rate of U.S. dollar denominated syndicated loans, or shall or will otherwise cease, provided that, at the time of such statement, there is no successor administrator that is satisfactory to the Lender, that will continue to provide such interest periods of Term SOFR after such specific date (the latest date on which one month, three month and six month interest periods of Term SOFR or the Term SOFR Screen Rate are no longer available permanently or indefinitely, the “Scheduled Unavailability Date”);

then, on a date and time determined by the Lender (any such date, the “Term SOFR Replacement Date”), which date shall be at the end of an Interest Period or on the relevant interest payment date, as applicable, for interest calculated and, solely with respect to clause (ii) above, no later than the Scheduled Unavailability Date, Term SOFR will be replaced hereunder and under any Loan Document with Daily Simple SOFR plus the SOFR Adjustment for any payment period for interest calculated that can be determined by the Lender, in each case, without any amendment to, or further action or consent of any other party to, this Agreement or any other Loan Document (the “Successor Rate”).

If the Successor Rate is Daily Simple SOFR plus the SOFR Adjustment, all interest payments will be payable on a monthly basis.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, (i) if the Lender determines that Daily Simple SOFR is not available on or prior to the Term SOFR Replacement Date, or (ii) if the events or circumstances of the type described in Section 3.03(b)(i) or (iii) have occurred with respect to the Successor Rate then in effect, then in each case, the Lender and the Borrower may amend this Agreement solely for the purpose of replacing Term SOFR or any then current Successor Rate in accordance with this Section 3.03 at the end of any Interest Period, relevant interest payment date or payment period for interest calculated, as applicable, with an alternative benchmark rate giving due consideration to any evolving or then existing convention for similar U.S. dollar denominated credit facilities syndicated and agented in the United States for such alternative benchmark. and, in each case, including any mathematical or other adjustments to such benchmark giving due consideration to any evolving or then existing convention for similar U.S. dollar denominated credit facilities syndicated and agented in the United

 

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States for such benchmark, which adjustment or method for calculating such adjustment shall be published on an information service as selected by the Lender from time to time in its reasonable discretion and may be periodically updated. For the avoidance of doubt, any such proposed rate and adjustments, shall constitute a “Successor Rate”.

The Lender will promptly (in one or more notices) notify the Borrower of the implementation of any Successor Rate.

Any Successor Rate shall be applied in a manner consistent with market practice; provided that to the extent such market practice is not administratively feasible for the Lender, such Successor Rate shall be applied in a manner as otherwise reasonably determined by the Lender.

Notwithstanding anything else herein, if at any time any Successor Rate as so determined would otherwise be less than zero%, the Successor Rate will be deemed to be zero% for the purposes of this ‘Agreement and the other Loan Documents.’

In connection with the implementation of a Successor Rate, the Lender will have the right to make Conforming Changes from time to time and, notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein or in any other Loan Document, any amendments implementing such Conforming Changes will become effective without any further action or consent of any other party to this Agreement; provided that, with respect to any such amendment effected, the Lender shall post each such amendment implementing such Conforming Changes to the Borrower reasonably promptly after such amendment becomes effective.

3.04 Increased Costs.

(a) Increased Costs Generally. If any Change in Law shall:

(i) impose, modify or deem applicable any reserve, special deposit, compulsory loan, insurance charge or similar requirement against assets of, deposits with or for the account of, or credit extended or participated in by, the Lender;

(ii) subject the Lender to any taxes on its loans, loan principal, letters of credit, commitments, or other obligations, or its deposits, reserves, other liabilities or capital attributable thereto; or

(iii) impose on the Lender any other condition, cost or expense affecting this Agreement or Term SOFR Loans made by the Lender;

and the result of any of the foregoing shall be to increase the cost to the Lender of making, converting to, continuing or maintaining any Loan (or of maintaining its obligation to make any such Loan), or to reduce the amount of any sum received or receivable by the Lender hereunder (whether of principal, interest or any other amount) then, upon request of the Lender, the Borrower will pay to the Lender such additional amount or amounts as will compensate the Lender for such additional costs incurred or reduction suffered.

(b) Capital Requirements. If the Lender determines that any Change in Law affecting the Lender or the Lender’s Office or the Lender’s holding company, if any, regarding capital or liquidity requirements has or would have the effect of reducing the rate of return on the Lender’s capital or on the capital of the Lender’s holding company, if any, as a consequence of this Agreement, the Commitments of the Lender or the Loans made by or the Letters of Credit issued by the Lender, to a level below that which the Lender or the Lender’s holding company could have achieved but for such Change in Law (taking into consideration the Lender’s policies and the policies of the Lender’s holding company with respect to capital adequacy), then from time to time the Borrower will pay to the Lender such additional amount or amounts as will compensate the Lender or the Lender’s holding company for any such reduction suffered.

 

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(c) Certificates for Reimbursement. A certificate of the Lender setting forth the amount or amounts necessary to compensate the Lender or its holding company, as the case may be, as specified in clause (a) or (b) of this Section 3.04 and delivered to the Borrower shall be conclusive absent manifest error. The Borrower shall pay the Lender the amount shown as due on any such certificate within ten (10) days after receipt thereof.

(d) Delay in Requests. Failure or delay on the part of the Lender to demand compensation pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 3.04 shall not constitute a waiver of the Lender’s right to demand such compensation, provided that the Borrower shall not be required to compensate the Lender pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section for any increased costs incurred or reductions suffered more than nine (9) months prior to the date that the Lender notifies the Borrower of the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions and of the Lender’s intention to claim compensation therefor (except that, if the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions is retroactive, then the nine (9) month period referred to above shall be extended to include the period of retroactive effect thereof).

3.05 Compensation for Losses.

Upon demand of the Lender from time to time, the Borrower shall promptly compensate the Lender for and hold the Lender harmless from any loss, cost or expense incurred by it as a result of:

(a) any continuation, conversion, payment or prepayment of any Loan other than a Base Rate Loan on a day other than the last day of the Interest Period for such Loan (whether voluntary, mandatory, automatic, by reason of acceleration, or otherwise); or

(b) any failure by the Borrower (for a reason other than the failure of the Lender to make a Loan) to prepay, borrow, continue or convert any Loan other than a Base Rate Loan on the date or in the amount notified by the Borrower.

including any loss of anticipated profits and any loss or expense arising from the liquidation or reemployment of funds obtained by it to maintain such Loan or from fees payable to terminate the deposits from which such funds were obtained. The Borrower shall also pay any customary administrative fees charged by the Lender in connection with the foregoing.

3.06 Survival.

All of the Borrower’s obligations under this Article III shall survive termination of the Commitments, repayment of all other Obligations hereunder and the Facility Termination Date.

ARTICLE IV

CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO CREDIT EXTENSIONS

4.01 Conditions of Initial Credit Extension.

The obligation of the Lender to make its initial Credit Extension hereunder is subject to satisfaction of the following conditions precedent:

(a) Execution of Amended and Restated Credit Agreement; Loan Documents. The Lender shall have received (i) counterparts of this Agreement, executed by a Responsible Officer of each Loan Party, (ii) counterparts of the Security Agreement and each other Collateral Document, executed by a Responsible Officer of the applicable Loan Parties and a duly authorized officer of each other Person party thereto, as applicable and (iii) counterparts of any other Loan Document, executed by a Responsible Officer of the applicable Loan Party and a duly authorized officer of each other Person party thereto.

 

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(b) Officer’s Certificate. The Lender shall have received an Officer’s Certificate dated the Closing Date, certifying as to the Organization Documents of each Loan Party (which, to the extent filed with a Governmental Authority, shall be certified as of a recent date by such Governmental Authority), the resolutions of the governing body of each Loan Party, the good standing, existence or its equivalent of each Loan Party and of the incumbency (including specimen signatures) of the Responsible Officers of each Loan Party.

(c) Legal Opinions of Counsel. The Lender shall have received an opinion or opinions (including, if requested by the Lender, local counsel opinions) of counsel for the Loan Parties, dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Lender, in form and substance acceptable to the Lender.

(d) Financial Statements. The Lender shall have received copies of the financial statements referred to in Section 5.05, each in form and substance satisfactory to each of them.

(e) Personal Property Collateral. The Lender shall have received, in form and substance satisfactory to the Lender:

(i) (A) searches of UCC filings in the jurisdiction of incorporation or formation, as applicable, of each Loan Party and each jurisdiction where any Collateral is located or where a filing would need to be made in order to perfect the Lender’s security interest in the Collateral, copies of the financing statements on file in such jurisdictions and evidence that no Liens exist other than Permitted Liens and (B) tax lien, judgment and bankruptcy searches;

(ii) completed UCC financing statements for each appropriate jurisdiction as is necessary, in the Lender’s sole discretion, to perfect the Lender’s security interest in the Collateral;

(iii) in the case of any personal property Collateral located at premises leased by a Loan Party and set forth on Schedule 5.20(g)(ii), such estoppel letters, consents and waivers from the landlords of such real property to the extent required to be delivered in connection with Section 6.14 (such letters, consents and waivers shall be in form and substance satisfactory to the Lender);

(iv) to the extent required to be delivered, filed, registered or recorded pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Collateral Documents, all instruments, documents and chattel paper in the possession of any of the Loan Parties, together with allonges or assignments as may be necessary or appropriate to create and perfect the Lender’s security interest in the Collateral; and

(v) Qualifying Control Agreements satisfactory to the Lender to the extent required to be delivered pursuant to Section 6.14; and

(vi) such documentation as may be required by the Lender to comply with the Federal Assignment of Claims Act; and the Loan Parties shall take such actions as may be required by the Lender to file such documentation with the appropriate Governmental Authorities.

(f) Liability, Casualty, Property, Terrorism and Business Interruption Insurance. The Lender shall have received copies of insurance policies, declaration pages, certificates and endorsements of insurance or insurance binders evidencing liability, casualty, property, terrorism and business interruption insurance meeting the requirements set forth herein or in the Collateral Documents or as required by the Lender.

(g) Solvency Certificate. The Lender shall have received a Solvency Certificate signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower as to the financial condition, solvency and related matters of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, after giving effect to the initial Borrowings under the Loan Documents and the other transactions contemplated hereby.

 

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(h) Financial Condition Certificate. The Lender shall have received, in form and substance satisfactory to the Lender, a certificate or certificates executed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower as of the Closing Date, as to certain financial matters.

(i) Loan Notice. The Lender shall have received a Loan Notice with respect to the Loans to be made on the Closing Date.

(j) Existing Indebtedness of the Loan Parties. All of the existing Indebtedness for borrowed money of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries (other than Indebtedness permitted to exist pursuant to Section 7.02) shall be repaid in full and all security interests related thereto shall be terminated on or prior to the Closing Date.

(k) Anti-Money-Laundering; Beneficial Ownership. The Borrower shall have provided to the Lender, and the Lender shall be reasonably satisfied with, the documentation and other information so requested in connection with applicable “know your customer” and anti-money-laundering rules and regulations, including, without limitation, the PATRIOT Act, and any Loan Party that qualifies as a “legal entity customer” under the Beneficial Ownership Regulation shall have delivered to the Lender a Beneficial Ownership Certification in relation to such Loan Party.

(l) Consents. The Lender shall have received evidence that all members, boards of directors, governmental, shareholder and material third party consents and approvals necessary in connection with the entering into of this Agreement have been obtained.

(m) Fees and Expenses. The Lender shall have received all fees and expenses, if any, owing pursuant to Section 2.09.

(n) Due Diligence. The Lender shall have completed a due diligence investigation of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in scope, and with results, satisfactory to the Lender.

(o) Other Documents. All other documents provided for herein or which the Lender may reasonably request or require.

(p) Additional Information. Such additional information and materials which the Lender shall reasonably request or require.

4.02 Conditions to all Credit Extensions.

The obligation of the Lender to honor any Request for Credit Extension is subject to the following conditions precedent:

(a) Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of the Borrower and each other Loan Party contained in Article II, Article V or any other Loan Document, or which are contained in any document furnished at any time under or in connection herewith or therewith, shall be true and correct in all material respects on and as of the date of such Credit Extension, and except that for purposes of this Section 4.02, the representations and warranties contained in Sections 5.05(a) and (b) shall be deemed to refer to the most recent statements furnished pursuant to Sections 6.01(a) and (b), respectively.

(b) Default. No Default shall exist, or would result from such proposed Credit Extension or from the application of the proceeds thereof.

(c) Request for Credit Extension. The Lender shall have received a Request for Credit Extension in accordance with the requirements hereof.

 

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Each Request for Credit Extension submitted by the Borrower shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty that the conditions specified in Sections 4.02(a) and (b) have been satisfied on and as of the date of the applicable Credit Extension.

ARTICLE V

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

Each Loan Party represents and warrants to the Lender, as of the date made or deemed made, that:

5.01 Existence, Qualification and Power.

Each Loan Party and each of its Subsidiaries (a) is duly organized or formed, validly existing and, as applicable, in good standing under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, (b) has all requisite power and authority and all requisite governmental licenses, authorizations, consents and approvals to (i) own or lease its assets and carry on its business and (ii) execute, deliver and perform its obligations under the Loan Documents to which it is a party, and (c) is duly qualified and is licensed and, as applicable, in good standing under the Laws of each jurisdiction where its ownership, lease or operation of properties or the conduct of its business requires such qualification or license; except in each case referred to in clause (b)(i) or (c), to the extent that failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The copy of the Organization Documents of each Loan Party provided to the Lender pursuant to the terms of this Agreement is a true and correct copy of each such document, each of which is valid and in full force and effect.

5.02 Authorization; No Contravention.

The execution, delivery and performance by each Loan Party of each Loan Document to which such Person is or is to be a party have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate or other organizational action, and do not and will not (a) contravene the terms of any of such Person’s Organization Documents; (b) conflict with or result in any breach or contravention of, or the creation of (or the requirement to create) any Lien under, or require any payment to be made under (i) any Contractual Obligation to which such Person is a party or affecting such Person or the properties of such Person or any of its Subsidiaries or (ii) any order, injunction, writ or decree of any Governmental Authority or any arbitral award to which such Person or its property is subject; or (c) violate any Applicable Law.

5.03 Governmental Authorization; Other Consents.

No approval, consent, exemption, authorization, or other action by, or notice to, or filing with, any Governmental Authority or any other Person is necessary or required in connection with (a) the execution, delivery or performance by, or enforcement against, any Loan Party of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, (b) the grant by any Loan Party of the Liens granted by it pursuant to the Collateral Documents, (c) the perfection or maintenance of the Liens created under the Collateral Documents (including the first priority nature thereof) or (d) the exercise by the Lender of its rights under the Loan Documents or the remedies in respect of the Collateral pursuant to the Collateral Documents, other than (i) authorizations, approvals, actions, notices and filings which have been duly obtained and (ii) filings to perfect the Liens created by the Collateral Documents.

5.04 Binding Effect.

This Agreement has been, and each other Loan Document, when delivered hereunder, will have been, duly executed and delivered by each Loan Party that is party thereto. This Agreement constitutes, and each other Loan Document when so delivered will constitute, a legal, valid and binding obligation of such Loan Party, enforceable against each Loan Party that is party thereto in accordance with its terms.

 

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5.05 Financial Statements; No Material Adverse Effect.

(a) Audited Financial Statements. The Audited Financial Statements (i) were prepared in accordance with GAAP consistently applied throughout the period covered thereby, except as otherwise expressly noted therein; (ii) fairly present the financial condition of Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of the date thereof and their results of operations, cash flows and changes in Shareholder’s Equity for the period covered thereby in accordance with GAAP consistently applied throughout the period covered thereby, except as otherwise expressly noted therein; and (iii) show all material indebtedness and other liabilities, direct or contingent, of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of the date thereof, including liabilities for taxes, material commitments and Indebtedness.

(b) Quarterly Financial Statements. The unaudited Consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries dated June 30, 2022, and the related Consolidated statements of income or operations, Shareholders’ Equity and cash flows for the fiscal quarter ended on that date (i) were prepared in accordance with GAAP consistently applied throughout the period covered thereby, except as otherwise expressly noted therein, and (ii) fairly present the financial condition of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of the date thereof and their results of operations, cash flows and changes in Shareholder’s Equity for the period covered thereby, subject, in the case of clauses (i) and (ii), to the absence of footnotes and to normal year-end audit adjustments.

(c) Material Adverse Effect. Since the date of the balance sheet included in the Audited Financial Statements, there has been no event or circumstance, either individually or in the aggregate, that has had or could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

5.06 Litigation.

Other than as set forth in Schedule 5.06, there are no actions, suits, proceedings, claims or disputes pending or, to the knowledge of the Loan Parties after due and diligent investigation, threatened or contemplated, at law, in equity, in arbitration or before any Governmental Authority, by or against any Loan Party or any Subsidiary or against any of their properties or revenues that (a) purport to affect or pertain to this Agreement or any other Loan Document or any of the transactions contemplated hereby, or (b) either individually or in the aggregate could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

5.07 No Default.

Neither any Loan Party nor any Subsidiary thereof is in default under or with respect to, or a party to, any Contractual Obligation that could, either individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. No Default has occurred and is continuing or would result from the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any other Loan Document.

5.08 Ownership of Property.

Each Loan Party and each of its Subsidiaries has good record and marketable title in fee simple to, or valid leasehold interests in, all real property necessary or used in the ordinary conduct of its business, except for such defects in title as could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

5.09 Environmental Matters.

(a) Except as could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in any Material Adverse Effect on any of the Loan Parties or any of their respective subsidiaries:

(i) (A) None of the properties currently or formerly owned, leased or operated by any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries is listed or formally proposed for listing on the NPL or on the CERCLIS or any analogous foreign, state or local list or is adjacent to any such property; (B) there are no, and to the best knowledge of the Loan Parties and their Subsidiaries never have been any underground or above-

 

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ground storage tanks or any surface impoundments, septic tanks, pits, sumps or lagoons in which Hazardous Materials are being or have been treated, stored or disposed on any property currently owned, leased or operated by any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries or, to the best of the knowledge of the Loan Parties, on any property formerly owned, leased or operated by any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries; (C) there is no and never has been any asbestos or asbestos-containing material on, at or in any property currently owned, leased or operated by any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries; (D) Hazardous Materials have not been released on, at, under or from any property currently or formerly owned, leased or operated by any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries or any property by or on behalf, or otherwise arising from the operations, of any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries; and (E) no Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries has become subject to any Environmental Liability or knows of any facts or circumstances that could reasonably be expected to give rise to any Environmental Liability;

(ii) (A) Neither any Loan Party nor any of its Subsidiaries is undertaking, and has not completed, either individually or together with other potentially responsible parties, any investigation or assessment or remedial or response action relating to any actual or threatened Release of Hazardous Materials at, on, under, or from any site, location or operation, either voluntarily or pursuant to the order of any Governmental Authority or the requirements of any Environmental Law; and (B) all Hazardous Materials generated, used, treated, handled or stored at, or transported to or from, any property currently or formerly owned, leased or operated by any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries have been disposed of in a manner which could not reasonably expected to result in liability to any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries;

(iii) The Loan Parties and their respective Subsidiaries: (A) are, and within the period of all applicable statutes of limitation have been, in compliance with all applicable Environmental Laws; (B) hold all Environmental Permits (each of which is in full force and effect) required for any of their current or intended operations or for any property owned, leased, or otherwise operated by any of them; (C) are, and within the period of all applicable statutes of limitation have been, in compliance with all of their Environmental Permits; (D) to the extent within the control of the Loan Parties and their respective Subsidiaries, will timely renew and comply with each of their Environmental Permits and any additional Environmental permits that may be required of any of them without material expense, and timely comply with any current, future or potential Environmental Law without material expense; and (E) are not aware of any requirements proposed for adoption or implementation under any Environmental Law.

5.10 Insurance.

The properties of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries are insured with financially sound and reputable insurance companies not Affiliates of the Borrower, in such amounts, with such deductibles and covering such risks as are customarily carried by companies engaged in similar businesses and owning similar properties in localities where the applicable Loan Party or the applicable Subsidiary operates. The general liability, casualty, property, terrorism and business interruption insurance coverage of the Loan Parties as in effect on the Closing Date, and as of the last date such Schedule 5.10 was required to be updated in accordance with Sections 6.02, 6.13 and 6.14, is outlined as to carrier, policy number, expiration date, type, amount and deductibles on Schedule 5.10 and such insurance coverage complies with the requirements set forth in this Agreement and the other Loan Documents.

5.11 Taxes.

Each Loan Party and each of its Subsidiaries have timely filed all federal, state and other material tax returns and reports required to be filed, and have timely paid all federal, state and other material Taxes (whether or not shown on a tax return) levied or imposed upon it or its properties, income or assets otherwise due and payable, except those which are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted and for which adequate reserves have been provided in accordance with GAAP. There is no proposed tax assessment against any Loan Party or any Subsidiary that would, if made, have a Material Adverse Effect, nor is there any tax sharing agreement applicable to the Borrower or any Subsidiary.

 

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5.12 ERISA Compliance.

(a) Each Plan is in compliance in all material respects with the applicable provisions of ERISA, the Code and other federal or state laws. Each Pension Plan that is intended to be a qualified plan under Section 401(a) of the Code has received a favorable determination letter or is subject to a favorable opinion letter from the IRS to the effect that the form of such Plan is qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code and the trust related thereto has been determined by the IRS to be exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(a) of the Code, or an application for such a letter is currently being processed by the IRS. To the best knowledge of the Loan Parties, nothing has occurred that would prevent or cause the loss of such tax-qualified status.

(b) There are no pending or, to the best knowledge of the Loan Parties, threatened claims, actions or lawsuits, or action by any Governmental Authority, with respect to any Plan that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. There has been no prohibited transaction or violation of the fiduciary responsibility rules with respect to any Plan that has resulted or could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(c) (i) No ERISA Event has occurred, and no Loan Party nor any ERISA Affiliate is aware of any fact, event or circumstance that could reasonably be expected to constitute or result in an ERISA Event with respect to any Pension Plan or Multiemployer Plan; (ii) as of the most recent valuation date for any Pension Plan, the funding target attainment percentage (as defined in Section 430(d)(2) of the Code) is sixty percent (60.0%) or higher and no Loan Party nor any ERISA Affiliate knows of any facts or circumstances that could reasonably be expected to cause the funding target attainment percentage for any such plan to drop below sixty percent (60.0%) as of the most recent valuation date; (iii) no Loan Party nor any ERISA Affiliate has incurred any liability to the PBGC other than for the payment of premiums, and there are no premium payments which have become due that are unpaid; (iv) neither the Borrower nor any ERISA Affiliate has engaged in a transaction that could be subject to Section 4069 or Section 4212(c) of ERISA; and (v) no Pension Plan has been terminated by the plan administrator thereof nor by the PBGC, and no event or circumstance has occurred or exists that could reasonably be expected to cause the PBGC to institute proceedings under Title IV of ERISA to terminate any Pension Plan.

(d) Neither the Borrower nor any ERISA Affiliate maintains or contributes to, or has any unsatisfied obligation to contribute to, or liability under, any active or terminated Pension Plan other than (i) on the Closing Date, those listed on Schedule 5.12 hereto, and (ii) thereafter, Pension Plans not otherwise prohibited by this Agreement.

(e) The Borrower represents and warrants as of the Closing Date that the Borrower is not and will not be using “plan assets” (within the meaning of Section 3(42) of ERISA or otherwise) of one or more Benefit Plans with respect to the Borrower’s entrance into, participation in, administration of and performance of the Loans, the Commitments or this Agreement.

5.13 Margin Regulations; Investment Company Act.

(a) Margin Regulations. Neither the Borrower not any of its Subsidiaries is engaged and will engage, principally or as one of its important activities, in the business of purchasing or carrying margin stock (within the meaning of Regulation U), or extending credit for the purpose of purchasing or carrying margin stock. Following the application of the proceeds of each Borrowing, not more than twenty-five percent (25.0%) of the value of the assets (either of the Borrower only or of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a Consolidated basis) subject to the provisions of Section 7.01 or Section 7.05 or subject to any restriction contained in any agreement or instrument between the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries and the Lender or any Affiliate of the Lender relating to Indebtedness and within the scope of Section 8.01(e) will be margin stock.

 

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(b) Investment Company Act. None of the Borrower, any Person Controlling the Borrower, or any Subsidiary is or is required to be registered as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940.

5.14 Disclosure.

The Borrower has disclosed to the Lender all agreements, instruments and corporate or other restrictions to which it or any of its Subsidiaries or any other Loan Party is subject, and all other matters known to it, that, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. No report, financial statement, certificate or other information furnished (whether in writing or orally) by or on behalf of any Loan Party to the Lender in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby and the negotiation of this Agreement or delivered hereunder or under any other Loan Document (in each case as modified or supplemented by other information so furnished) contains any material misstatement of fact or omits to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, that, with respect to projected financial information, each Loan Party represents only that such information was prepared in good faith based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable at the time.

5.15 Compliance with Laws.

Each Loan Party and each Subsidiary thereof is in compliance with the requirements of all Applicable Laws and all orders, writs, injunctions and decrees applicable to it or to its properties, except in such instances in which (a) such requirement of Law or order, writ, injunction or decree is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted or (b) the failure to comply therewith, either individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

5.16 Solvency.

Each Loan Party is, individually and together with its Subsidiaries on a Consolidated basis, Solvent.

5.17 Casualty, Etc.

Neither the businesses nor the properties of any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries are affected by any fire, explosion, accident, strike, lockout or other labor dispute, drought, storm, hail, earthquake, embargo, act of God or of the public enemy or other casualty (whether or not covered by insurance) that, either individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

5.18 Sanctions Concerns and Anti-Corruption Laws.

(a) Sanctions Concerns. No Loan Party, nor any Subsidiary, nor, to the knowledge of the Loan Parties and their Subsidiaries, any director, officer, employee, agent, affiliate or representative thereof, is an individual or entity that is, or is owned or controlled by one or more individuals or entities that are (i) currently the subject or target of any Sanctions, (ii) included on OFAC’s List of Specially Designated Nationals or HMT’s Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions Targets, or any similar list enforced by any other relevant sanctions authority or (iii) located, organized or resident in a Designated Jurisdiction. The Borrower and its Subsidiaries have conducted their businesses in compliance with all applicable Sanctions and have instituted and maintained policies and procedures designed to promote and achieve compliance with such Sanctions.

(b) Anti-Corruption Laws. The Loan Parties and their Subsidiaries have conducted their business in compliance in all material respects with the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, the UK Bribery Act 2010 and other applicable anti-corruption legislation in other jurisdictions, and have instituted and maintained policies and procedures designed to promote and achieve compliance with such laws.

 

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5.19 Responsible Officers.

Set forth on Schedule 1.01(b) are Responsible Officers, holding the offices indicated next to their respective names, as of the Closing Date and as of the last date such Schedule 1.01(b)was required to be updated in accordance with Sections 6.02, 6.13 and 6.14 and such Responsible Officers are the duly elected and qualified officers of such Loan Party and are duly authorized to execute and deliver, on behalf of the respective Loan Party, this Agreement, and the other Loan Documents.

5.20 Subsidiaries; Equity Interests; Loan Parties.

(a) Subsidiaries, Joint Ventures, Partnerships and Equity Investments. Set forth on Schedule 5.20(a), is the following information which is true and complete in all respects as of the Closing Date and as of the last date such Schedule 5.20(a) was required to be updated in accordance with Sections 6.02, 6.13 and 6.14: (i) a complete and accurate list of all Subsidiaries, joint ventures and partnerships and other equity investments of the Loan Parties as of the Closing Date and as of the last date such Schedule was required to be updated in accordance with Sections 6.02, 6.13 and 6.14, (ii) the number of shares of each class of Equity Interests in each Subsidiary outstanding, (iii) the number and percentage of outstanding shares of each class of Equity Interests owned by the Loan Parties and their Subsidiaries and (iv) the class or nature of such Equity Interests (i.e., voting, non-voting, preferred, etc.). The outstanding Equity Interests in all Subsidiaries are validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and are owned free and clear of all Liens. There are no outstanding subscriptions, options, warrants, calls, rights or other agreements or commitments (other than stock awards granted to employees or directors and directors’ qualifying shares) of any nature relating to the Equity Interests of any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof, except (i) as contemplated in connection with the Loan Documents and (ii) in connection with Investments of Borrower made in compliance with Section 7.03.

(b) Loan Parties. Set forth on Schedule 5.20(b) is a complete and accurate list of all Loan Parties, showing as of the Closing Date, or as of the last date such Schedule 5.20(b) was required to be updated in accordance with Sections 6.02, 6.13 and 6.14 (as to each Loan Party) (i) the exact legal name, (ii) any former legal names of such Loan Party in the four (4) months prior to the Closing Date, (iii) the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, as applicable, (iv) the type of organization, (v) the jurisdictions in which such Loan Party is qualified to do business, (vi) the address of its chief executive office, (vii) the address of its principal place of business, (viii) its U.S. federal taxpayer identification number or, in the case of any non-U.S. Loan Party that does not have a U.S. taxpayer identification number, its unique identification number issued to it by the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, (ix) the organization identification number, (x) ownership information (e.g., publicly held or if private or partnership, the owners and partners of each of the Loan Parties) and (xi) the industry or nature of business of such Loan Party.

5.21 Collateral Representations.

(a) Collateral Documents. The provisions of the Collateral Documents are effective to create in favor of the Lender a legal, valid and enforceable first priority Lien (subject to Permitted Liens) on all right, title and interest of the respective Loan Parties in the Collateral described therein. Except for filings completed prior to the Closing Date and as contemplated hereby and by the Collateral Documents, no filing or other action will be necessary to perfect or protect such Liens.

(b) Intellectual Property. Set forth on Schedule 5.21(b), as of the Closing Date and as of the last date such Schedule 5.21(b) was required to be updated in accordance with Sections 6.02, 6.13 and 6.14, is a list of all registered or issued Intellectual Property (including all applications for registration and issuance) owned by each of the Loan Parties or that each of the Loan Parties has the right to (including the name/title, current owner, registration or application number, and registration or application date and such other information as reasonably requested by the Lender).

 

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(c) Documents, Instrument, and Tangible Chattel Paper. Set forth on Schedule 5.21(c), as of the Closing Date and as of the last date such Schedule 5.21(c) was required to be updated in accordance with Sections 6.02, 6.13 and 6.14, is a description of all Documents, Instruments, and Tangible Chattel Paper (each as defined in the UCC) of the Loan Parties (including the Loan Party owning such Document, Instrument and Tangible Chattel Paper and such other information as reasonably requested by the Lender).

(d) Deposit Accounts, Electronic Chattel Paper, Letter-of-Credit Rights, and Securities Accounts.

(i) Set forth on Schedule 5.21(d)(i), as of the Closing Date and as of the last date such Schedule 5.21(d)(i) was required to be updated in accordance with Sections 6.02, 6.13 and 6.14, is a description of all deposit accounts and securities accounts of the Loan Parties, including the name of (A) the applicable Loan Party, (B) in the case of a deposit account, the depository institution and average amount held in such deposit account and whether such account is a zero balance account or a payroll account, and (C) in the case of a securities account, the securities intermediary or issuer and the average aggregate market value held in such securities account, as applicable.

(ii) Set forth on Schedule 5.21(d)(ii), as of the Closing Date and as of the last date such Schedule 5.21(d)(ii) was required to be updated in accordance with Sections 6.02, 6.13 and 6.14, is a description of all Electronic Chattel Paper (as defined in the UCC) and Letter-of-Credit Rights (as defined in the UCC) of the Loan Parties, including the name of (A) the applicable Loan Party, (B) in the case of Electronic Chattel Paper (as defined in the UCC), the account debtor and (C) in the case of Letter-of-Credit Rights (as defined in the UCC), the issuer or nominated person, as applicable.

(e) Commercial Tort Claims. Set forth on Schedule 5.21(e), as of the Closing Date and as of the last date such Schedule 5.21(e) was required to be updated in accordance with Sections 6.02, 6.13 and 6.14, is a description of all Commercial Tort Claims (as defined in the UCC) of the Loan Parties (detailing such Commercial Tort Claim in such detail as reasonably requested by the Lender).

(f) Pledged Equity Interests. Set forth on Schedule 5.21(f), as of the Closing Date and as of the last date such Schedule 5.21(f) was required to be updated in accordance with Sections 6.02, 6.13 and 6.14, is a list of (i) all Pledged Equity and (ii) all other Equity Interests required to be pledged to the Lender pursuant to the Collateral Documents (in each case, detailing the Grantor (as defined in the Security Agreement), the Person whose Equity Interests are pledged, the number of shares of each class of Equity Interests, the certificate number and percentage ownership of outstanding shares of each class of Equity Interests and the class or nature of such Equity Interests (i.e., voting, non-voting, preferred, etc.)).

(g) Material Contracts. Set forth on Schedule 5.21(g), as of the Closing Date and as of the last date such Schedule 5.21(g) was required to be updated in accordance with Sections 6.02, 6.13 and 6.14, is a complete and accurate list of all Material Contracts of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries.

5.22 Beneficial Ownership Certification.

The information included in the Beneficial Ownership Certification, if applicable, is true and correct in all respects.

5.23 Designation as Senior Indebtedness.

The Obligations constitute indebtedness that has maximum rights as “senior debt” under any agreement governing any Subordinated Debt and the subordination provisions set forth in each such agreement are legally valid and enforceable against the parties thereto.

 

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5.24 Intellectual Property; Licenses, Etc.

The Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries own, or possess the right to use, all of the trademarks, service marks, trade names, copyrights, patents, patent rights, trade secrets, know-how, franchises, licenses and other intellectual property rights that are used in the operation of their respective businesses, without conflict with the rights of any other Person. To the best knowledge of the Borrower, neither the operation of the business, nor any product, service, process, method, substance, part or other material now used, or now contemplated to be used, by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries infringes, misappropriates or otherwise violates upon any rights held by any other Person. No claim or litigation regarding any of the foregoing is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Borrower, threatened, which, either individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. To the best knowledge of the Borrower, there has been no unauthorized use, access, interruption, modification, corruption or malfunction of any information technology assets or systems (or any information or transactions stored or contained therein or transmitted thereby) owned or used by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, which, either individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

5.25 Labor Matters.

There are no collective bargaining agreements or Multiemployer Plans covering the employees of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries as of the Closing Date and neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary has suffered any strikes, walkouts, work stoppages or other material labor difficulty within the last five (5) years preceding the Closing Date.

ARTICLE VI

AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS

Each of the Loan Parties hereby covenants and agrees that, on the Closing Date and thereafter until the Facility Termination Date, such Loan Party shall, and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries, to:

6.01 Financial Statements.

Deliver to the Lender, in form and detail satisfactory to the Lender:

(a) Audited Financial Statements. Within one hundred five (105) days after the end of each fiscal year of the Borrower (but in no event later than fifteen (15) days after the related filing deadline under the SEC rules and regulations), a Consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as at the end of such fiscal year, and the related Consolidated statements of income or operations, changes in Shareholders’ Equity and cash flows for such fiscal year, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the previous fiscal year, all in reasonable detail and prepared in accordance with GAAP, (i) such Consolidated statements to be audited and accompanied by a report and opinion of an independent certified public accountant of nationally recognized standing reasonably acceptable to the Lender, which report and opinion shall be prepared in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards and shall not be subject to any “going concern” or like qualification or exception or any qualification or exception as to the scope of such audit, and (ii) such consolidating statements to be certified by the chief executive officer, chief financial officer, treasurer or controller that is a Responsible Officer of the Borrower to the effect that such statements are fairly stated in all material respects when considered in relation to the Consolidated financial statements of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries.

(b) Quarterly Financial Statements. Within sixty (60) days after the end of each of the first three (3) fiscal quarters of each fiscal year of the Borrower (but in no event later than fifteen (15) days after the related filing deadline under the SEC rules and regulations), a Consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as at the end of such fiscal quarter, and the related Consolidated statements of income or operations, changes in Shareholders’ Equity and cash flows for such fiscal quarter and for the portion of the Borrower’s fiscal

 

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year then ended, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the corresponding fiscal quarter of the previous fiscal year and the corresponding portion of the previous fiscal year, all in reasonable detail and prepared in accordance with GAAP, such Consolidated statements to be certified by the chief executive officer, chief financial officer, treasurer or controller who is a Responsible Officer of the Borrower as fairly presenting the financial condition, results of operations, Shareholders’ Equity and cash flows of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, subject only to normal year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes.

(c) Annual Backlog Report and Budget. No later than sixty (60) days after the end of each fiscal year of the Borrower, an annual backlog report and budget of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a Consolidated basis, including forecasts prepared by management of the Borrower, in form satisfactory to the Lender, of Consolidated balance sheets and statements of income or operations and cash flows of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for the immediately following fiscal year.

As to any information contained in materials furnished pursuant to Section 6.02(f), the Borrower shall not be separately required to furnish such information under Section 6.01(a) or (b) above, but the foregoing shall not be in derogation of the obligation of the Borrower to furnish the information and materials described in Sections 6.01(a) and (b) above at the times specified therein.

6.02 Certificates; Other Information.

Deliver to the Lender, in form and detail satisfactory to the Lender:

(a) Accountants’ Certificate. Concurrently with the delivery of the financial statements referred to in Section 6.01(a), a certificate of its independent certified public accountants certifying such financial statements and stating that in making the examination necessary therefor no knowledge was obtained of any Default under the financial covenants set forth herein or, if any such Default shall exist, stating the nature and status of such event, provided that, no such certificate shall be required for any period for which Borrower is subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act.

(b) Compliance Certificate. Concurrently with the delivery of the financial statements referred to in clauses (a) and (b) of Section 6.01, a duly completed Compliance Certificate signed by the chief executive officer, chief financial officer, treasurer or controller who is a Responsible Officer of the Borrower. Unless the Lender requests executed originals, delivery of the Compliance Certificate may be by electronic communication including fax or email and shall be deemed to be an original and authentic counterpart thereof for all purposes.

(c) Updated Schedules. Concurrently with the delivery of the Compliance Certificate referred to in Section 6.02(b), the following updated Schedules to this Agreement (which may be attached to the Compliance Certificate) to the extent required to make the representation related to such Schedule true and correct as of the date of such Compliance Certificate: Schedules 1.01(b), 5.10, 5.20(a), 5.20(b), 5.21(b), 5.21(c), 5.21(d)(i), 5.21(d)(ii), 5.21(e), 5.21(f), and 5.21(g).

(d) Changes in Entity Structure. Within ten (10) days prior to any merger, consolidation, dissolution or other change in entity structure of any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries permitted pursuant to the terms hereof, provide notice of such change in entity structure to the Lender, along with such other information as reasonably requested by the Lender. Provide notice to the Lender, not less than ten (10) days prior (or such extended period of time as agreed to by the Lender) of any change in any Loan Party’s legal name, state of organization, or organizational existence.

(e) Audit Reports; Management Letters; Recommendations. Promptly after any request by the Lender, copies of any detailed audit reports, management letters or recommendations submitted to the board of directors (or the audit committee of the board of directors) of any Loan Party by independent accountants in connection with the accounts or books of any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries, or any audit of any of them.

 

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(f) Notices. Not later than five (5) Business Days after receipt thereof by any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof, copies of all notices, requests and other documents (including amendments, waivers and other modifications) so received under or pursuant to any instrument, indenture, loan or credit or similar agreement regarding or related to any breach or default by any party thereto or any other event that could materially impair the value of the interests or the rights of any Loan Party or otherwise have a Material Adverse Effect and, from time to time upon request by the Lender, such information and reports regarding such instruments, indentures and loan and credit and similar agreements as the Lender may reasonably request.

(g) Anti-Money-Laundering; Beneficial Ownership Regulation. Promptly following any request therefor, information and documentation reasonably requested by the Lender for purposes of compliance with applicable “know your customer” and anti-money-laundering rules and regulations, including, without limitation, the Patriot Act.

(h) Beneficial Ownership. To the extent any Loan Party qualifies as a “legal entity customer” under the Beneficial Ownership Regulation, an updated Beneficial Ownership Certification promptly following any change in the information provided in the Beneficial Ownership Certification delivered to any Lender in relation to such Loan Party that would result in a change to the list of beneficial owners identified in such certification.

(i) Additional Information. Promptly, such additional information regarding the business, financial, legal or corporate affairs of any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof, or compliance with the terms of the Loan Documents, as the Lender may from time to time reasonably request.

6.03 Notices.

Promptly, and in any event within three (3) Business Days after any Responsible Officer obtains knowledge thereof, notify the Lender:

(a) of the occurrence of any Default;

(b) of any matter that has resulted or could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, including (i) breach or non-performance of, or any default under, a Contractual Obligation of the Borrower or any Subsidiary; (ii) any action, suit, dispute, litigation, investigation, proceeding or suspension involving the Borrower or any Subsidiary and any Governmental Authority; or (iii) the commencement of, or any material development in, any litigation or proceeding affecting the Borrower or any Subsidiary, including pursuant to any applicable Environmental Laws;

(c) of the occurrence of any ERISA Event; and

(d) of any material change in accounting policies or financial reporting practices by any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof, except to the extent disclosed pursuant to Section 6.01 (a) or 6.01 (b).

Each notice pursuant to this Section 6.03 shall be accompanied by a statement of a Responsible Officer of the Borrower setting forth details of the occurrence referred to therein and to the extent applicable, stating what action the Borrower has taken and proposes to take with respect thereto. Each notice pursuant to Section 6.03(a) shall describe with particularity any and all provisions of this Agreement and any other Loan Document that have been breached.

6.04 Payment of Obligations.

Pay and discharge as the same shall become due and payable, all its obligations and liabilities, including (a) all tax liabilities, assessments and governmental charges or levies upon it or its properties or assets, unless the same are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted and adequate reserves in accordance with GAAP are being maintained by the Borrower or such Subsidiary; (b) all lawful claims which, if unpaid, would by law become a Lien upon its property; and (c) all Indebtedness, as and when due and payable, but subject to any subordination provisions contained in any instrument or agreement evidencing such Indebtedness.

 

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6.05 Preservation of Existence, Etc.

(a) Preserve, renew and maintain in full force and effect its legal existence and good standing under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its organization except in a transaction permitted by Section 7.04 or 7.05;

(b) take all reasonable action to maintain all rights, privileges, permits, licenses and franchises necessary or desirable in the normal conduct of its business, except to the extent that failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and

(c) preserve or renew all of its registered patents, trademarks, trade names and service marks, the non-preservation of which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

6.06 Maintenance of Properties.

(a) Maintain, preserve and protect all of its material properties and equipment necessary in the operation of its business in good working order and condition, ordinary wear and tear excepted; and

(b) make all necessary repairs thereto and renewals and replacements thereof except where the failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

6.07 Maintenance of Insurance.

(a) Maintenance of Insurance. Maintain with financially sound and reputable insurance companies not Affiliates of the Borrower, insurance with respect to its properties and business against loss or damage of the kinds customarily insured against by Persons engaged in the same or similar business, of such types and in such amounts as are customarily carried under similar circumstances by such other Persons and all such insurance shall: (i) provide for not less than thirty (30) days’ prior notice to the Lender of termination, lapse or cancellation of such insurance; (ii) name the Lender as loss payee (in the case of property insurance), as applicable; (iii) if reasonably requested by the Lender, include a breach of warranty clause; and (iv) be reasonably satisfactory in all other respects to the Lender.

(b) Evidence of Insurance. Cause the Lender to be named as lenders’ loss payable, loss payee or mortgagee, as its interest may appear, and/or additional insured with respect of any such insurance providing liability coverage or coverage in respect of any Collateral, and cause, unless otherwise agreed to by the Lender, each provider of any such insurance to agree, by endorsement upon the policy or policies issued by it or by independent instruments furnished to the Lender that it will give the Lender thirty (30) days prior written notice before any such policy or policies shall be altered or cancelled (or ten (10) days prior notice in the case of cancellation due to the nonpayment of premiums). Annually, upon expiration of current insurance coverage, the Loan Parties shall provide, or cause to be provided, to the Lender, such evidence of insurance as required by the Lender, including, but not limited to: (i) certified copies of such insurance policies; (ii) evidence of such insurance policies (including, without limitation and as applicable, ACORD Form 28 certificates (or similar form of insurance certificate), and ACORD Form 25 certificates (or similar form of insurance certificate)); (iii) declaration pages for each insurance policy; and (iv) lender’s loss payable endorsement if the Lender is not on the declarations page for such policy. As requested by the Lender, the Loan Parties agree to deliver to the Lender an Authorization to Share Insurance Information.

6.08 Compliance with Laws.

Comply with the requirements of all Applicable Laws and all orders, writs, injunctions and decrees applicable to it or to its business or property, except in such instances in which: (a) such requirement of Law or order, writ, injunction or decree is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted; or (b) the failure to comply therewith could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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6.09 Books and Records.

(a) Maintain proper books of record and account, in which full, true and correct entries in conformity with GAAP consistently applied shall be made of all financial transactions and matters involving the assets and business of such Loan Party or such Subsidiary, as the case may be; and

(b) maintain such books of record and account in material conformity with all applicable requirements of any Governmental Authority having regulatory jurisdiction over such Loan Party or such Subsidiary, as the case may be.

6.10 Inspection Rights.

(a) Permit representatives and independent contractors of the Lender to visit and inspect any of its properties, to examine its corporate, financial and operating records, and make copies thereof or abstracts therefrom, and to discuss its affairs, finances and accounts with its directors, officers, and independent public accountants, all at the expense of the Borrower and at such reasonable times during normal business hours and as often as may be reasonably desired, upon reasonable advance notice to the Borrower; provided, that, when an Event of Default exists the Lender (or any of its respective representatives or independent contractors) may do any of the foregoing at the expense of the Borrower at any time during normal business hours and without advance notice.

(b) If requested by the Lender in its sole discretion, permit the Lender and its representatives, upon reasonable advance notice to the Borrower, to conduct, at the expense of the Borrower, an annual: (i) personal property asset appraisal on personal property Collateral of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries; (ii) real estate appraisal on real estate Collateral of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries; and (iii) field exam on the accounts receivable, inventory, payables, controls and systems of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries.

(c) If requested by the Lender in its sole discretion, permit the Lender, and its representatives, upon reasonable advance notice to the Borrower, to conduct an annual audit of the Collateral at the expense of the Borrower.

6.11 Use of Proceeds.

Use the proceeds of the Credit Extensions for general corporate purposes not in contravention of any Law or of any Loan Document.

6.12 Material Contracts.

Perform and observe all the terms and provisions of each Material Contract to be performed or observed by it, maintain each such Material Contract in full force and effect (other than failure to renew that is not the result of a breach by the Loan Party), enforce each such Material Contract in accordance with its terms, take all such action to such end as may be from time to time requested by the Lender and, upon request of the Lender, make to each other party to each such Material Contract such demands and requests for information and reports or for action as any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries is entitled to make under such Material Contract, and cause each of its Subsidiaries to do so.

6.13 Covenant to Guarantee Obligations.

The Loan Parties will cause each of their Subsidiaries whether newly formed, after acquired or otherwise existing to promptly (and in any event within thirty (30) days after such Subsidiary is formed or acquired (or such longer period of time as agreed to by the Lender in its reasonable discretion)) become a Guarantor hereunder by

 

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way of execution of a Joinder Agreement. Notwithstanding anything else herein, if at any time following the Closing Date any Subsidiary of any Loan Party listed as “non-operational” in Schedule 5.20(a) becomes operational, such Subsidiary shall become a Guarantor hereunder by way of execution of a Joinder Agreement within thirty (30) days after assuming operations. In connection with the foregoing, the Loan Parties shall deliver to the Lender, with respect to each new Guarantor to the extent applicable, substantially the same documentation required pursuant to Sections 4.01(b), (d) – (f) and 6.14 and such other documents or agreements as the Lender may reasonably request, including without limitation, updated Schedules to this Agreement.

6.14 Covenant to Give Security.

(a) Equity Interests and Personal Property. Each Loan Party will cause the Pledged Equity, and all of its tangible and intangible personal property now owned or hereafter acquired by it, to be subject at all times to a first priority, perfected Lien (subject to Permitted Liens to the extent permitted by the Loan Documents) in favor of the Lender for the benefit of the Secured Parties to secure the Secured Obligations pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Collateral Documents. Each Loan Party shall provide opinions of counsel and any filings and deliveries reasonably necessary in connection therewith to perfect the security interests therein, all in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Lender.

(b) Landlord Waivers. In the case of (i) each headquarter location of the Loan Parties, each other location where any significant administrative or governmental functions are performed and each other location where the Loan Parties maintain any books or records (electronic or otherwise) and (ii) any personal property Collateral located at any other premises leased by a Loan Party, the Loan Parties will provide the Lender with such estoppel letters, consents and waivers from the landlords on such real property to the extent (A) requested by the Lender and (B) the Loan Parties are able to secure such letters, consents and waivers after using commercially reasonable efforts (such letters, consents and waivers shall be in form and substance satisfactory to the Lender).

(c) Account Control Agreements. Each of the Loan Parties shall not open, maintain or otherwise have any deposit or other accounts (including securities accounts) at any bank or other financial institution, or any other account where money or securities are or may be deposited or maintained with any Person, other than (i) deposit accounts that are maintained at all times with depositary institutions as to which the Lender shall have received a Qualifying Control Agreement, (ii) securities accounts that are maintained at all times with financial institutions as to which the Lender shall have received a Qualifying Control Agreement, and (iii) deposit accounts established solely as payroll and other zero balance accounts.

(d) Updated Schedules. Concurrently with the delivery of any Collateral pursuant to the terms of this Section 6.14, the Borrower shall provide the Lender with the applicable updated Schedule(s): 5.20(a), 5.21(b), 5.21(c), 5.21(d)(i), 5.21(d)(ii), 5.21(e), 5.21(f) and 5.21(g).

(e) Further Assurances. At any time upon request of the Lender, promptly execute and deliver any and all further instruments and documents and take all such other action as the Lender may deem necessary or desirable to maintain in favor of the Lender, for the benefit of the Secured Parties, Liens and insurance rights on the Collateral that are duly perfected in accordance with the requirements of, or the obligations of the Loan Parties under, the Loan Documents and all Applicable Laws.

6.15 Compliance with Terms of Leaseholds.

Make all payments and otherwise perform all obligations in respect of all leases of real property to which the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries is a party, keep such leases in full force and effect and not allow such leases to lapse or be terminated or any rights to renew such leases to be forfeited or cancelled, notify the Lender of any default by any party with respect to such leases and cooperate with the Lender in all respects to cure any such default, and cause each of its Subsidiaries to do so, except, in any case, where the failure to do so, either individually or in the aggregate, could not be reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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6.16 Anti-Corruption Laws; Sanctions.

Conduct its business in compliance in all material respects with the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, the UK Bribery Act 2010 and other applicable anti-corruption legislation in other jurisdictions and with all applicable Sanctions, and maintain policies and procedures designed to promote and achieve compliance with such laws and Sanctions.

6.17 Cash Management.

Within ninety (90) days of the Closing Date, maintain all primary cash management and treasury business with Bank of America or any of its Affiliates, including, without limitation, all deposit accounts, disbursement accounts, investment accounts and lockbox accounts.

6.18 Further Assurances.

Promptly upon request by the Lender, (a) correct any material defect or error that may be discovered in any Loan Document or in the execution, acknowledgment, filing or recordation thereof, and (b) do, execute, acknowledge, deliver, record, re-record, file, re-file, register and re-register any and all such further acts, deeds, certificates, assurances and other instruments as the Lender may reasonably require from time to time in order to (i) carry out more effectively the purposes of the Loan Documents, (ii) to the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law, subject any Loan Party’s or any of its Subsidiaries’ properties, assets, rights or interests to the Liens now or hereafter intended to be covered by any of the Collateral Documents, (iii) perfect and maintain the validity, effectiveness and priority of any of the Collateral Documents and any of the Liens intended to be created thereunder and (iv) assure, convey, grant, assign, transfer, preserve, protect and confirm more effectively unto the Lender the rights granted or now or hereafter intended to be granted to the Lender under any Loan Document or under any other instrument executed in connection with any Loan Document to which any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries is or is to be a party, and cause each of its Subsidiaries to do so.

ARTICLE VII

NEGATIVE COVENANTS

Each of the Loan Parties hereby covenants and agrees that on the Closing Date and thereafter until the Facility Termination Date, no Loan Party shall, nor shall it permit any Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly:

7.01 Liens.

Create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Lien upon any of its property, assets or revenues, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, except for the following (the “Permitted Liens”):

(a) Liens pursuant to any Loan Document;

(b) Liens existing on the Closing Date and listed on Schedule 7.01 and any renewals or extensions thereof, provided that (i) the property covered thereby is not changed, (ii) the amount secured or benefited thereby is not increased except as contemplated by Section 7.02(c), (iii) the direct or any contingent obligor with respect thereto is not changed, and (iv) any renewal or extension of the obligations secured or benefited thereby is permitted by Section 7.02(c);

(c) Liens for Taxes not yet due or Liens for Taxes which are being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted, if adequate reserves with respect thereto are maintained on the books of the applicable Person in accordance with GAAP;

 

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(d) Statutory Liens such as carriers’, warehousemen’s, mechanics’, materialmen’s, repairmen’s or other like Liens arising in the ordinary course of business which are not overdue for a period of more than thirty (30) days or which are being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted; provided that adequate reserves with respect thereto are maintained on the books of the applicable Person in accordance with GAAP;

(e) pledges or deposits in the ordinary course of business in connection with workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance and other social security legislation, other than any Lien imposed by ERISA;

(f) deposits to secure the performance of bids, trade contracts and leases (other than Indebtedness), statutory obligations and other obligations of a like nature incurred in the ordinary course of business;

(g) Liens securing judgments for the payment of money (or appeal or other surety bonds relating to such judgments) not constituting an Event of Default under Section 8.01(h);

(h) bankers’ Liens, rights of setoff and other similar Liens existing solely with respect to cash and Cash Equivalents on deposit in one or more accounts maintained by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries with the Lender, in each case in the ordinary course of business in favor of the bank or banks with which such accounts are maintained, securing solely the customary amounts owing to such bank with respect to cash management and operating account arrangements; provided, that, in no case shall any such Liens secure (either directly or indirectly) the repayment of any Indebtedness;

(i) deposits to secure the performance of bids, trade contracts and leases (other than Indebtedness), statutory obligations, surety and appeal bonds, performance bonds and other obligations of a like nature incurred in the ordinary course of business;

(j) Liens arising out of judgments or awards not resulting in an Event of Default; provided, that, the applicable Loan Party or Subsidiary shall in good faith be prosecuting an appeal or proceedings for review; and

(k) Any interest or title of a lessor, licensor or sublessor under any lease, license or sublease entered into by any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof in the ordinary course of business and covering only the assets so leased, licensed or subleased.

7.02 Indebtedness.

Create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Indebtedness, except:

(a) Indebtedness under the Loan Documents;

(b) Subordinated Debt;

(c) Indebtedness outstanding on the date hereof and listed on Schedule 7.02 and any refinancings, refundings, renewals or extensions thereof; provided, that, the amount of such Indebtedness is not increased at the time of such refinancing, refunding, renewal or extension except by an amount equal to a reasonable premium or other reasonable amount paid, and fees and expenses reasonably incurred, in connection with such refinancing and by an amount equal to any existing commitments unutilized thereunder and the direct or any contingent obligor with respect thereto is not changed, as a result of or in connection with such refinancing, refunding, renewal or extension;

(d) Indebtedness in respect of Capitalized Leases, Synthetic Lease Obligations and purchase money obligations for fixed or capital assets within the limitations set forth in Section 7.01(j); provided, however, that, the aggregate amount of all such Indebtedness at any one time outstanding shall not exceed $25,000,000;

(e) Unsecured Indebtedness of a Subsidiary of the Borrower owed to the Borrower or a Subsidiary of the Borrower, which Indebtedness shall (i) to the extent required by the Lender, be evidenced by promissory notes which shall be pledged to the Lender as Collateral for the Secured Obligations in accordance with the terms of the Security Agreement, (ii) be on terms (including subordination terms) acceptable to the Lender and (iii) be otherwise permitted under the provisions of Section 7.03 (“Intercompany Debt”);

 

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(f) Unsecured Indebtedness in respect of Permitted Acquisitions; and

(g) Guarantees of the Borrower or any Subsidiary in respect of Indebtedness otherwise permitted hereunder of the Borrower or any Subsidiary that is controlled by the Borrower or another Subsidiary.

7.03 Investments.

Make or hold any Investments, except:

(a) Investments held by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in the form of cash or Cash Equivalents;

(b) (i) Investments by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in their respective Subsidiaries outstanding on the date hereof, (ii) additional Investments by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in Loan Parties, (iii) additional Investments by Subsidiaries of the Borrower that are not Loan Parties in other Subsidiaries that are not Loan Parties and (iv) so long as no Default has occurred and is continuing or would result from such Investment, additional Investments by the Loan Parties in wholly-owned Subsidiaries that are not Loan Parties in an aggregate amount invested from the date hereof not to exceed $300,000;

(c) Investments consisting of extensions of credit in the nature of accounts receivable or notes receivable arising from the grant of trade credit in the ordinary course of business, and Investments received in satisfaction or partial satisfaction thereof from financially troubled account debtors to the extent reasonably necessary in order to prevent or limit loss;

(d) Guarantees permitted by Section 7.02;

(e) Investments existing on the date hereof (other than those referred to in Section 7.03(c)(i)) and set forth on Schedule 7.03; and

(f) Permitted Acquisitions (other than of CFCs and Subsidiaries held directly or indirectly by a CFC which Investments are covered by Section 7.03(c)(iv)). The Borrower shall notify Lender of any Permitted Acquisition not less than seven (7) days prior to closing on such Permitted Acquisition and provide Lender with copies of the current draft of the purchase agreement and any other material documents in connection with such Permitted Acquisition. Not later than ninety (90) days after the closing of each Permitted Acquisition, the Lender shall have received all documentation and other information regarding each Person which is the subject of a Permitted Acquisition as the Lender and its counsel may require, including, such documents as are necessary to add such Person as a Borrower to this Agreement and will grant liens to the Lender, for the benefit of the Lender, in any property of such Person which constitutes Collateral. Without limiting the foregoing, the Borrower will, and will cause each such Person to, execute and deliver, or cause to be executed and delivered, to the Lender such documents, agreements and instruments, and will take or cause to be taken such further actions (including the filing and recording of financing statements, and other documents and such other actions or deliveries of the type required by this Agreement), which may be required the Lender or which the Lender may, from time to time, reasonably request to carry out the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents and to ensure perfection and priority of the liens created or intended to be created in favor of the Lender, all in form and substance satisfactory to the Lender and all at the expense of the Borrower.

7.04 Fundamental Changes.

Merge, dissolve, liquidate, consolidate with or into another Person, or Dispose of (whether in one transaction or in a series of transactions) all or substantially all of its assets (whether now owned or hereafter acquired) to or in favor of any Person, except that so long as no Default exists or would result therefrom:

 

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(a) any Subsidiary may merge with (i) the Borrower; provided, that, the Borrower shall be the continuing or surviving Person, or (ii) any one or more other Subsidiaries, provided that when any Loan Party is merging with another Subsidiary, such Loan Party shall be the continuing or surviving Person;

(b) any Loan Party may Dispose of all or substantially all of its assets (upon voluntary liquidation or otherwise) to the Borrower or to another Loan Party;

(c) any Subsidiary that is not a Loan Party may dispose of all or substantially all its assets (including any Disposition that is in the nature of a liquidation) to (i) another Subsidiary that is not a Loan Party or (ii) to a Loan Party; and

(d) so long as no Default has occurred and is continuing or would result therefrom, each of the Borrower and any of its Subsidiaries may merge into or consolidate with any other Person or permit any other Person to merge into or consolidate with it; provided, however, that, in each case, immediately after giving effect thereto (i) in the case of any such merger to which the Borrower is a party, the Borrower is the surviving Person and (ii) in the case of any such merger to which any Loan Party (other than the Borrower) is a party, such Loan Party is the surviving Person.

7.05 Dispositions.

Make any Disposition or enter into any agreement to make any Disposition, except:

(a) Permitted Transfers;

(b) Dispositions of obsolete or worn out property, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, in the ordinary course of business;

(c) Dispositions of equipment or real property to the extent that (i) such property is exchanged for credit against the purchase price of similar replacement property or (ii) the proceeds of such Disposition are reasonably promptly applied to the purchase price of such replacement property;

(d) Dispositions permitted by Section 7.04; and

(e) other Dispositions so long as (i) the consideration paid in connection therewith shall be cash or Cash Equivalents paid contemporaneously with consummation of the transaction and shall be in an amount not less than the fair market value of the property disposed of, (ii) if such transaction is a Sale and Leaseback Transaction, such transaction is not prohibited by the terms of Section 7.14, (iii) such transaction does not involve the sale or other disposition of a minority Equity Interests in any Subsidiary, (iv) such transaction does not involve a sale or other disposition of receivables other than receivables owned by or attributable to other property concurrently being disposed of in a transaction otherwise permitted under this Section 7.05, and (v) the aggregate net book value of all of the assets sold or otherwise disposed of by the Loan Parties and their Subsidiaries in all such transactions in any fiscal year of the Borrower shall not exceed $300,000.

7.06 Restricted Payments.

Declare or make, directly or indirectly, any Restricted Payment, or incur any obligation (contingent or otherwise) to do so, except that so long as no Default shall have occurred and be continuing at the time of any action described below or would result therefrom:

(a) each Subsidiary may make Restricted Payments to any Person that owns Equity Interests in such Subsidiary, ratably according to their respective holdings of the type of Equity Interest in respect of which such Restricted Payment is being made;

 

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(b) the Borrower and each Subsidiary may declare and make dividend payments or other distributions payable solely in common Equity Interests of such Person; and

(c) the Borrower may make other Restricted Payments, so long as immediately prior to and after giving effect to such payment, the Borrower shall be in compliance with the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio covenant set forth in this Agreement on a pro-forma basis.

7.07 Change in Nature of Business.

Engage in any material line of business substantially different from those lines of business conducted by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on the date hereof or any business substantially related or incidental thereto.

7.08 Transactions with Affiliates.

Enter into or permit to exist any transaction or series of transactions with any officer, director or Affiliate of such Person, other than (a) intercompany transactions expressly permitted by this Agreement, (b) senior management and employee compensation arrangements approved by a majority of independent (as to such transactions) members of the board of directors of Borrower; (c) compensation and reimbursement of reasonable fees and expenses paid to independent directors of Borrower; (d) transactions solely between the Borrower and any of the Guarantors or solely among Guarantors; (e ) transactions existing as of the Closing Date set forth on Schedule 7.08; and (f) except as otherwise specifically limited in this Agreement, other transactions which are entered into in the ordinary course of such Person’s business on fair and reasonable terms and conditions substantially as favorable to such Person as would be obtainable by it in a comparable arms’ length transaction with a Person other than an officer, director or Affiliate.

7.09 Burdensome Agreements.

Enter into, or permit to exist, any Contractual Obligation (except for this Agreement and the other Loan Documents) that (a) encumbers or restricts the ability of any such Person to (i) to act as a Loan Party; (ii) make Restricted Payments to any Loan Party, (iii) pay any Indebtedness or other obligation owed to any Loan Party, (iv) make loans or advances to any Loan Party, or (v) create any Lien upon any of their properties or assets, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, except, in the case of clause (a)(v) only, for any document or instrument governing Indebtedness incurred pursuant to Section 7.02(c), provided, that, any such restriction contained therein relates only to the asset or assets constructed or acquired in connection therewith or (b) requires the grant of any Lien on property for any obligation if a Lien on such property is given as security for the Secured Obligations.

7.10 Use of Proceeds.

Use the proceeds of any Credit Extension, whether directly or indirectly, and whether immediately, incidentally or ultimately, to purchase or carry margin stock (within the meaning of Regulation U) or to extend credit to others for the purpose of purchasing or carrying margin stock or to refund indebtedness originally incurred for such purpose.

7.11 Financial Covenants.

(a) Leverage Ratio. Permit the Leverage Ratio as of the end of any Measurement Period ending as of the end of each fiscal quarter of the Borrower to be greater than 3.25:1.00. Notwithstanding anything set forth herein to the contrary, after the closing of any Permitted Acquisition, the Borrower may exercise an option to increase the permitted maximum Leverage Ratio to 3.75:1.0 for a period of four (4) quarters commencing with the quarter during which the Permitted Acquisition closes (each an “Elevated Ratio Period”), provided that (i) no more than two (2) Elevated Ratio Periods shall be permitted during the term of this Agreement and (ii) Lender may require that there exist at least one (1) fiscal quarter between Elevated Ratio Periods.

 

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(b) Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio. Permit the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio as of the end of any Measurement Period ending as of the end of each fiscal quarter of the Borrower to be less than the 1.25:1.00.

7.12 Amendments of Organization Documents; Fiscal Year; Legal Name, State of Formation; Form of Entity and Accounting Changes.

(a) Amend any of its Organization Documents, other than any amendments which do not materially adversely affect (i) the Borrower’s ability to repay the Obligations when due, or (ii) the Borrower’s ability to perform any of its Obligations under the Loan Documents;

(b) change its fiscal year;

(c) without providing ten (10) days prior written notice to the Lender (or such extended period of time as agreed to by the Lender), change its name, state of formation, form of organization or principal place of business; or

(d) make any change in accounting policies or reporting practices, except as required by GAAP.

7.13 Sale and Leaseback Transactions.

Enter into any Sale and Leaseback Transaction.

7.14 Sanctions.

Directly or indirectly, use any Credit Extension or the proceeds of any Credit Extension, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such Credit Extension or the proceeds of any Credit Extension to any Person, to fund any activities of or business with any Person, that, at the time of such funding, is the subject of Sanctions, or in any other manner that will result in a violation by any Person (including any Person participating in the transaction, whether as Lender or otherwise) of Sanctions.

7.15 Anti-Corruption Laws.

Directly or indirectly, use any Credit Extension or the proceeds of any Credit Extension for any purpose which would breach the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, the UK Bribery Act 2010 and other anti-corruption legislation in other jurisdictions.

ARTICLE VIII

EVENTS OF DEFAULT AND REMEDIES

8.01 Events of Default.

Any of the following shall constitute an event of default (each, an “Event of Default”):

(a) Non-Payment. The Borrower or any other Loan Party fails to pay (i) when and as required to be paid herein, any amount of principal of any Loan, or (ii) within three (3) days after the same becomes due, any interest on any Loan, or any fee due hereunder, or (iii) within five (5) days after the same becomes due, any other amount payable hereunder or under any other Loan Document; or

(b) Specific Covenants. (i) Any Loan Party fails to perform or observe any term, covenant or agreement contained in any of Section 6.01, 6.02, 6.03, 6.05, 6.08, 6.10, 6.11, 6.12, Article VII or Article IX or (ii) any of the Loan Parties fails to perform or observe any term, covenant or agreement contained in of the Security Agreement; or

 

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(c) Other Defaults. Any Loan Party fails to perform or observe any other covenant or agreement (not specified in clauses (a) or (b) above) contained in any Loan Document on its part to be performed or observed and such failure continues for thirty (30) days; or

(d) Representations and Warranties. Any representation, warranty, certification or statement of fact made or deemed made by or on behalf of the Borrower or any other Loan Party herein, in any other Loan Document, or in any document delivered in connection herewith or therewith shall be incorrect or misleading when made or deemed made; or

(e) Cross-Default. (i) Any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof (A) fails to make any payment when due (whether by scheduled maturity, required prepayment, acceleration, demand, or otherwise) in respect of any Indebtedness or Guarantee (other than Indebtedness hereunder and Indebtedness under Swap Contracts) having an aggregate principal amount (including undrawn committed or available amounts and including amounts owing to all creditors under any combined or syndicated credit arrangement) of more than the Threshold Amount, or (B) fails to observe or perform any other agreement or condition relating to any such Indebtedness or Guarantee or contained in any instrument or agreement evidencing, securing or relating thereto, or any other event occurs, the effect of which default or other event is to cause, or to permit the holder or holders of such Indebtedness or the beneficiary or beneficiaries of such Guarantee (or a trustee or agent on behalf of such holder or holders or beneficiary or beneficiaries) to cause, with the giving of notice if required, such Indebtedness to be demanded or to become due or to be repurchased, prepaid, defeased or redeemed (automatically or otherwise), or an offer to repurchase, prepay, defease or redeem such Indebtedness to be made, prior to its stated maturity, or such Guarantee to become payable; or (ii) there occurs under any Swap Contract an Early Termination Date (as defined in such Swap Contract) resulting from (A) any event of default under such Swap Contract as to which a Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof is the Defaulting Party (as defined in such Swap Contract) or (B) any Termination Event (as so defined) under such Swap Contract as to which a Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof is an Affected Party (as so defined) and, in either event, the Swap Termination Value owed by such Loan Party or such Subsidiary as a result thereof is greater than the Threshold Amount; or

(f) Insolvency Proceedings, Etc. Any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof institutes or consents to the institution of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law, or makes an assignment for the benefit of creditors; or applies for or consents to the appointment of any receiver, trustee, custodian, conservator, liquidator, rehabilitator or similar officer for it or for all or any material part of its property; or any receiver, trustee, custodian, conservator, liquidator, rehabilitator or similar officer is appointed without the application or consent of such Person and the appointment continues undischarged or unstayed for forty-five (45) calendar days; or any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law relating to any such Person or to all or any material part of its property is instituted without the consent of such Person and continues undismissed or unstayed for sixty (60) calendar days, or an order for relief is entered in any such proceeding; or

(g) Inability to Pay Debts; Attachment. (i) Any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof becomes unable or admits in writing its inability or fails generally to pay its debts as they become due, or (ii) any writ or warrant of attachment or execution or similar process is issued or levied against all or any material part of the property of any such Person and is not released, vacated or fully bonded within thirty (30) days after its issue or levy; or

(h) Judgments. There is entered against any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof (i) one or more final judgments or orders for the payment of money in an aggregate amount (as to all such judgments and orders) exceeding the Threshold Amount (to the extent not covered by independent third-party insurance as to which the insurer is rated at least “A” by A.M. Best Company, has been notified of the potential claim and does not dispute coverage), or (ii) any one or more non-monetary final judgments that have, or could reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect and, in either case, (A) enforcement proceedings are commenced by any creditor upon such judgment or order, or (B) there is a period of ten (10) consecutive days during which a stay of enforcement of such judgment, by reason of a pending appeal or otherwise, is not in effect; or

 

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(i) ERISA. (i) An ERISA Event occurs with respect to a Pension Plan or Multiemployer Plan which has resulted or could reasonably be expected to result in liability of any Loan Party to the Pension Plan, Multiemployer Plan or the PBGC in an aggregate amount in excess of the Threshold Amount, or (ii) the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate fails to pay when due, after the expiration of any applicable grace period, any installment payment with respect to its withdrawal liability under Section 4201 of ERISA under a Multiemployer Plan in an aggregate amount in excess of the Threshold Amount; or

(j) Default Under or Invalidity of Loan Documents. (i) Any Loan Party fails to perform or observe any covenant or agreement contained in any other Loan Document or any default or event of default occurs under any other Loan Document; or (ii) any provision of any Loan Document, at any time after its execution and delivery and for any reason other than as expressly permitted hereunder or thereunder or satisfaction in full of all Obligations arising under the Loan Documents, ceases to be in full force and effect; or any Loan Party or any other Person contests in any manner the validity or enforceability of any provision of any Loan Document; or any Loan Party denies that it has any or further liability or obligation under any provision of any Loan Document, or purports to revoke, terminate or rescind any provision of any Loan Document or it is or becomes unlawful for a Loan Party to perform any of its obligations under the Loan Documents; or

(k) Collateral Documents. Any Collateral Document after delivery thereof pursuant to the terms of the Loan Documents shall for any reason cease to create a valid and perfected first priority Lien (subject to Permitted Liens) on the Collateral purported to be covered thereby, or any Loan Party shall assert the invalidity of such Liens;

(l) Change of Control. There occurs any Change of Control; or

(m) Subordination. (i) Any of the subordination, standstill, payover and insolvency related provisions of any of the Subordinated Debt Documents (the “Subordinated Provisions”) shall, in whole or in part, terminate, cease to be effective or cease to be legally valid, binding and enforceable against any holder of the applicable Subordinated Debt; or (ii) the Borrower or any other Loan Party shall, directly or indirectly, disavow or contest in any manner (A) the effectiveness, validity or enforceability of any of the Subordination Provisions, (B) that the Subordination Provisions exist for the benefit of the Lender or (C) that all payments of principal of or premium and interest on the applicable Subordinated Debt, or realized from the liquidation of any property of any Loan Party, shall be subject to any of the Subordination Provisions.

If a Default shall have occurred under the Loan Documents, then such Default will continue to exist until it either is cured (to the extent specifically permitted) in accordance with the Loan Documents or is otherwise expressly waived by Lender as determined in accordance with Section 10.01; and once an Event of Default occurs under the Loan Documents, then such Event of Default will continue to exist until it is expressly waived by the Lender, as required hereunder in Section 10.01.

8.02 Remedies upon Event of Default.

If any Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Lender may take any or all of the following actions:

(a) declare the Commitment of the Lender to make Loans to be terminated, whereupon such commitments and obligation shall be terminated;

(b) declare the unpaid principal amount of all outstanding Loans, all interest accrued and unpaid thereon, and all other amounts owing or payable hereunder or under any other Loan Document to be immediately due and payable, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby expressly waived by the Borrower; and

(c) exercise all rights and remedies available to it under the Loan Documents or Applicable Law or equity;

 

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provided, however, that, upon the occurrence of an actual or deemed entry of an order for relief with respect to the Borrower under the Bankruptcy Code of the United States, the obligation of the Lender to make Loans shall automatically terminate, the unpaid principal amount of all outstanding Loans and all interest and other amounts as aforesaid shall automatically become due and payable.

8.03 Application of Funds.

After the exercise of remedies provided for in Section 8.02 or if at any time insufficient funds are received by and available to the Lender to pay fully all Secured Obligations then due hereunder, any amounts received on account of the Secured Obligations shall, subject to the provisions of Section 2.11, be applied by the Lender in its sole discretion. Excluded Swap Obligations with respect to any Guarantor shall not be paid with amounts received from such Guarantor or its assets.

ARTICLE IX

CONTINUING GUARANTY

9.01 Guaranty.

Each Guarantor hereby absolutely and unconditionally, jointly and severally guarantees, as primary obligor and as a guaranty of payment and performance and not merely as a guaranty of collection, prompt payment when due, whether at stated maturity, by required prepayment, upon acceleration, demand or otherwise, and at all times thereafter, of any and all of the Secured Obligations (for each Guarantor, subject to the proviso in this sentence, its “Guaranteed Obligations”); provided, that, (a) the Guaranteed Obligations of a Guarantor shall exclude any Excluded Swap Obligations with respect to such Guarantor and (b) the liability of each Guarantor individually with respect to this Guaranty shall be limited to an aggregate amount equal to the largest amount that would not render its obligations hereunder subject to avoidance under Section 548 of the Bankruptcy Code of the United States or any comparable provisions of any applicable state law. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Guaranteed Obligations shall include any such indebtedness, obligations, and liabilities, or portion thereof, which may be or hereafter become unenforceable or compromised or shall be an allowed or disallowed claim under any proceeding or case commenced by or against any debtor under any Debtor Relief Laws. The Lender’s books and records showing the amount of the Obligations shall be admissible in evidence in any action or proceeding, and shall be binding upon each Guarantor, and conclusive for the purpose of establishing the amount of the Secured Obligations. This Guaranty shall not be affected by the genuineness, validity, regularity or enforceability of the Secured Obligations or any instrument or agreement evidencing any Secured Obligations, or by the existence, validity, enforceability, perfection, non-perfection or extent of any collateral therefor, or by any fact or circumstance relating to the Secured Obligations which might otherwise constitute a defense to the obligations of the Guarantors, or any of them, under this Guaranty, and each Guarantor hereby irrevocably waives any defenses it may now have or hereafter acquire in any way relating to any or all of the foregoing.

9.02 Rights of Lender.

Each Guarantor consents and agrees that the Secured Parties may, at any time and from time to time, without notice or demand, and without affecting the enforceability or continuing effectiveness hereof: (a) amend, extend, renew, compromise, discharge, accelerate or otherwise change the time for payment or the terms of the Secured Obligations or any part thereof; (b) take, hold, exchange, enforce, waive, release, fail to perfect, sell, or otherwise dispose of any security for the payment of this Guaranty or any Secured Obligations; (c) apply such security and direct the order or manner of sale thereof as the Lender in its sole discretion may determine; and (d) release or substitute one or more of any endorsers or other guarantors of any of the Secured Obligations. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, each Guarantor consents to the taking of, or failure to take, any action which might in any manner or to any extent vary the risks of such Guarantor under this Guaranty or which, but for this provision, might operate as a discharge of such Guarantor.

 

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9.03 Certain Waivers.

Each Guarantor waives: (a) any defense arising by reason of any disability or other defense of the Borrower or any other guarantor, or the cessation from any cause whatsoever (including any act or omission of any Secured Party) of the liability of the Borrower or any other Loan Party; (b) any defense based on any claim that such Guarantor’s obligations exceed or are more burdensome than those of the Borrower or any other Loan Party; (c) the benefit of any statute of limitations affecting any Guarantor’s liability hereunder; (d) any right to proceed against the Borrower or any other Loan Party, proceed against or exhaust any security for the Secured Obligations, or pursue any other remedy in the power of any Secured Party whatsoever; (e) any benefit of and any right to participate in any security now or hereafter held by any Secured Party; and (f) to the fullest extent permitted by law, any and all other defenses or benefits that may be derived from or afforded by Applicable Law limiting the liability of or exonerating guarantors or sureties. Each Guarantor expressly waives all setoffs and counterclaims and all presentments, demands for payment or performance, notices of nonpayment or nonperformance, protests, notices of protest, notices of dishonor and all other notices or demands of any kind or nature whatsoever with respect to the Secured Obligations, and all notices of acceptance of this Guaranty or of the existence, creation or incurrence of new or additional Secured Obligations.

9.04 Obligations Independent.

The obligations of each Guarantor hereunder are those of primary obligor, and not merely as surety, and are independent of the Secured Obligations and the obligations of any other guarantor, and a separate action may be brought against each Guarantor to enforce this Guaranty whether or not the Borrower or any other person or entity is joined as a party.

9.05 Subrogation.

No Guarantor shall exercise any right of subrogation, contribution, indemnity, reimbursement or similar rights with respect to any payments it makes under this Guaranty until all of the Secured Obligations and any amounts payable under this Guaranty have been indefeasibly paid and performed in full and the Commitments and the Facilities are terminated. If any amounts are paid to a Guarantor in violation of the foregoing limitation, then such amounts shall be held in trust for the benefit of the Secured Parties and shall forthwith be paid to the Secured Parties to reduce the amount of the Secured Obligations, whether matured or unmatured.

9.06 Termination; Reinstatement.

This Guaranty is a continuing and irrevocable guaranty of all Secured Obligations now or hereafter existing and shall remain in full force and effect until the Facility Termination Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Guaranty shall continue in full force and effect or be revived, as the case may be, if any payment by or on behalf of the Borrower or a Guarantor is made, or any of the Secured Parties exercises its right of setoff, in respect of the Secured Obligations and such payment or the proceeds of such setoff or any part thereof is subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside or required (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by any of the Secured Parties in their discretion) to be repaid to a trustee, receiver or any other party, in connection with any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Laws or otherwise, all as if such payment had not been made or such setoff had not occurred and whether or not the Secured Parties are in possession of or have released this Guaranty and regardless of any prior revocation, rescission, termination or reduction. The obligations of each Guarantor under this Section 9.06 shall survive termination of this Guaranty.

9.07 Stay of Acceleration.

If acceleration of the time for payment of any of the Secured Obligations is stayed, in connection with any case commenced by or against a Guarantor or the Borrower under any Debtor Relief Laws, or otherwise, all such amounts shall nonetheless be payable by each Guarantor, jointly and severally, immediately upon demand by the Secured Parties.

 

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9.08 Condition of Borrower.

Each Guarantor acknowledges and agrees that it has the sole responsibility for, and has adequate means of, obtaining from the Borrower and any other guarantor such information concerning the financial condition, business and operations of the Borrower and any such other guarantor as such Guarantor requires, and that none of the Secured Parties has any duty, and such Guarantor is not relying on the Secured Parties at any time, to disclose to it any information relating to the business, operations or financial condition of the Borrower or any other guarantor (each Guarantor waiving any duty on the part of the Secured Parties to disclose such information and any defense relating to the failure to provide the same).

9.09 Appointment of Borrower.

Each of the Loan Parties hereby appoints the Borrower to act as its agent for all purposes of this Agreement, the other Loan Documents and all other documents and electronic platforms entered into in connection herewith and agrees that: (a) the Borrower may execute such documents and provide such authorizations on behalf of such Loan Parties as the Borrower deems appropriate in its sole discretion and each Loan Party shall be obligated by all of the terms of any such document and/or authorization executed on its behalf; (b) any notice or communication delivered by the Lender to the Borrower shall be deemed delivered to each Loan Party; and (c) the Lender may accept, and be permitted to rely on, any document, authorization, instrument or agreement executed by the Borrower on behalf of each of the Loan Parties.

9.10 Right of Contribution.

The Guarantors agree among themselves that, in connection with payments made hereunder, each Guarantor shall have contribution rights against the other Guarantors as permitted under Applicable Law.

9.11 Keepwell.

Each Loan Party that is a Qualified ECP Guarantor at the time the Guaranty or the grant of a Lien under the Loan Documents, in each case, by any Specified Loan Party becomes effective with respect to any Swap Obligation, hereby jointly and severally, absolutely, unconditionally and irrevocably undertakes to provide such funds or other support to each Specified Loan Party with respect to such Swap Obligation as may be needed by such Specified Loan Party from time to time to honor all of its obligations under the Loan Documents in respect of such Swap Obligation (but, in each case, only up to the maximum amount of such liability that can be hereby incurred without rendering such Qualified ECP Guarantor’s obligations and undertakings under this Article IX voidable under Applicable law relating to fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfer, and not for any greater amount). The obligations and undertakings of each Qualified ECP Guarantor under this Section 9.11 shall remain in full force and effect until the Secured Obligations have been indefeasibly paid and performed in full. Each Loan Party intends this Section 9.11 to constitute, and this Section 9.11 shall be deemed to constitute, a guarantee of the obligations of, and a “keepwell, support, or other agreement” for the benefit of, each Specified Loan Party for all purposes of the Commodity Exchange Act.

ARTICLE X

MISCELLANEOUS

10.01 Amendments, Etc.

No amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, and no consent to any departure by the Borrower or any other Loan Party therefrom, shall be effective unless in writing signed by the Lender and the Borrower or the applicable Loan Party, as the case may be, and each such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the specific purpose for which given.

 

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10.02 Notices; Effectiveness; Electronic Communications.

(a) Notices Generally. Except in the case of notices and other communications expressly permitted to be given by telephone (and except as provided in clause (b) below), all notices and other communications provided for herein shall be in writing and shall be delivered by hand or overnight courier service, mailed by certified or registered mail or sent by fax transmission or e-mail transmission as follows, and all notices and other communications expressly permitted hereunder to be given by telephone shall be made to the applicable telephone number, to the address, fax number, e-mail address or telephone number specified for the Borrower or any other Loan Party or the Lender on Schedule 1.01(a).

Notices and other communications sent by hand or overnight courier service, or mailed by certified or registered mail, shall be deemed to have been given when received; notices and other communications sent by fax transmission shall be deemed to have been given when sent (except that, if not given during normal business hours for the recipient, shall be deemed to have been given at the opening of business on the next Business Day for the recipient). Notices and other communications delivered through electronic communications to the extent provided in clause (b) below shall be effective as provided in such clause (b).

(b) Electronic Communications.

(i) Notices and other communications to the Lender hereunder may be delivered or furnished by electronic communication (including e-mail, FPML messaging, and Internet or intranet websites) pursuant to an electronic communications agreement (or such other procedures approved by the Lender). The Lender or the Borrower may each, in its discretion, agree to accept notices and other communications to it hereunder by electronic communications pursuant to procedures approved by it, provided that approval of such procedures may be limited to particular notices or communications.

(ii) Unless the Lender otherwise prescribes, (A) notices and other communications sent to an e-mail address shall be deemed received upon the sender’s receipt of an acknowledgement from the intended recipient (such as by the “return receipt requested” function, as available, return e-mail or other written acknowledgement) and (B) notices and other communications posted to an Internet or intranet website shall be deemed received by the intended recipient upon the sender’s receipt of an acknowledgment from the intended recipient (such as by the “return receipt requested” function, as available, return e-mail address or other written acknowledgement) indicating that such notice or communication is available and identifying the website address therefor; provided, that, for both clauses (A) and (B), if such notice or other communication is not sent during the normal business hours of the recipient, such notice, email or communication shall be deemed to have been sent at the opening of business on the next Business Day for the recipient.

(c) Change of Address, Etc. Each of the Borrower and the Lender may change its address, fax number or telephone number or e-mail address for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to the other parties hereto.

(d) Reliance by Lender. The Lender shall be entitled to rely and act upon any notices (including, without limitation, telephonic or electronic notices, Loan Notices and Notice of Loan Prepayment) purportedly given by or on behalf of any Loan Party even if (i) such notices were not made in a manner specified herein, were incomplete or were not preceded or followed by any other form of notice specified herein, or (ii) the terms thereof, as understood by the recipient, varied from any confirmation thereof. The Loan Parties shall indemnify the Lender and the Related Parties of each of them from all losses, costs, expenses and liabilities resulting from the reliance by such Person on each notice purportedly given by or on behalf of a Loan Party. All telephonic notices to and other telephonic communications with the Lender may be recorded by the Lender, and each of the parties hereto hereby consents to such recording.

 

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10.03 No Waiver; Cumulative Remedies; Enforcement.

No failure by the Lender to exercise, and no delay by any such Person in exercising, any right, remedy, power or privilege hereunder or under any other Loan Document shall operate as a waiver thereof; nor shall any single or partial exercise of any right, remedy, power or privilege hereunder or under any other Loan Document preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, remedy, power or privilege. The rights, remedies, powers and privileges herein provided, and provided under each other Loan Document, are cumulative and not exclusive of any rights, remedies, powers and privileges provided by law.

10.04 Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver.

(a) Costs and Expenses. The Loan Parties shall pay (i) all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Lender and its Affiliates (including but not limited to the reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of counsel for the Lender and due diligence expenses), in connection with the preparation, negotiation, execution, delivery and administration of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents or any amendments, modifications or waivers of the provisions hereof or thereof (whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby shall be consummated), and (ii) all out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Lender (including the fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for the Lender), in connection with the enforcement or protection of its rights (A) in connection with this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, including its rights under this Section 10.04, or (B) in connection with Loans made hereunder, including all such out-of-pocket expenses incurred during any workout, restructuring or negotiations in respect of such Loans.

(b) Indemnification by the Loan Parties. The Loan Parties shall indemnify the Lender and each Related Party (each such Person being called an “Indemnitee”) against, and hold each Indemnitee harmless from, any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and related expenses (including the fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for any Indemnitee), incurred by any Indemnitee or asserted against any Indemnitee by any Person (including the Borrower or any other Loan Party) arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of (i) the execution or delivery of this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby or thereby (including, without limitation, the Indemnitee’s reliance on any Communication executed using an Electronic Signature, or in the form of an Electronic Record the performance by the parties hereto of their respective obligations hereunder or thereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, or the administration of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents (including in respect of any matters addressed in Section 3.01), (ii) any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use or proposed use of the proceeds therefrom (including any refusal by the Lender to honor a demand for payment under a Letter of Credit if the documents presented in connection with such demand do not strictly comply with the terms of such Letter of Credit), (iii) any actual or alleged presence or Release of Hazardous Materials on or from any property owned, leased or operated by a Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries, or any Environmental Liability related in any way to a Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries, or (iv) any actual or prospective claim, litigation, investigation or proceeding relating to any of the foregoing, whether based on contract, tort or any other theory, whether brought by a third party or by the Borrower or any other Loan Party, and regardless of whether any Indemnitee is a party thereto; provided that such indemnity shall not, as to any Indemnitee, be available to the extent that such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or related expenses (x) are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and non-appealable judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence, or willful misconduct, of such Indemnitee. Without limiting the provisions of Section 3.01, this Section 10.04(b) shall not apply with respect to Taxes other than any Taxes that represent losses, claims, damages, etc. arising from any non-Tax claim.

(c) Waiver of Consequential Damages, Etc. To the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law, no Loan Party shall assert, and each Loan Party hereby waives, and acknowledges that no other Person shall have, any claim against any Indemnitee, on any theory of liability, for special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages (as opposed to direct or actual damages) arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of, this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby, the transactions

 

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contemplated hereby or thereby, any Loan or the use of the proceeds thereof. No Indemnitee referred to in clause (b) above shall be liable for any damages arising from the use by unintended recipients of any information or other materials distributed to such unintended recipients by such Indemnitee through telecommunications, electronic or other information transmission systems in connection with this Agreement or the other Loan Documents or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby.

(d) Payments. All amounts due under this Section 10.04 shall be payable not later than ten (10) Business Days after demand therefor.

(e) Survival. The agreements in this Section 10.04 and the indemnity provisions of Section 10.02(d) shall survive the termination of the Commitments and the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all the other Obligations.

10.05 Payments Set Aside.

To the extent that any payment by or on behalf of the Borrower is made to the Lender, or the Lender exercises its right of setoff, and such payment or the proceeds of such setoff or any part thereof is subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside or required (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by the Lender in its discretion) to be repaid to a trustee, receiver or any other party, in connection with any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law or otherwise, then to the extent of such recovery, the obligation or part thereof originally intended to be satisfied shall be revived and continued in full force and effect as if such payment had not been made or such setoff had not occurred.

10.06 Successors and Assigns.

This Agreement is binding on each Loan Party’s and the Lender’s successors and assignees. Each Loan Party agrees that it may not assign this Agreement without the Lender’s prior written consent. The Lender may sell participations in or assign this Agreement, and may exchange information about the Loan Parties (including, without limitation, any information regarding any hazardous substances) with actual or potential participants or assignees. If a participation is sold or the loan is assigned, the purchaser will have the right of set-off against the Borrower.

10.07 Treatment of Certain Information; Confidentiality.

(a) Treatment of Certain Information. The Lender agrees to maintain the confidentiality of the Information (as defined below), except that Information may be disclosed (i) to its Affiliates, its auditors and to its Related Parties (it being understood that the Persons to whom such disclosure is made will be informed of the confidential nature of such Information and instructed to keep such Information confidential), (ii) to the extent required or requested by any regulatory authority purporting to have jurisdiction over such Person or its Related Parties (including any self-regulatory authority, such as the National Association of Insurance Commissioners), (iii) to the extent required by Applicable Laws or regulations or by any subpoena or similar legal process, (iv) to any other party hereto, (v) in connection with the exercise of any remedies hereunder or under any other Loan Document or any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document or the enforcement of rights hereunder or thereunder, (vi) subject to an agreement containing provisions substantially the same as those of this Section 10.07, to (A) any assignee of or participant in, or any prospective assignee of or participant in, any of its rights and obligations under this Agreement or (B) any actual or prospective party (or its Related Parties) to any swap, derivative or other transaction under which payments are to be made by reference to the Borrower and its obligations, this Agreement or payments hereunder, (vii) on a confidential basis to any rating agency in connection with rating any Loan Party or its Subsidiaries or the credit facilities provided hereunder, (viii) with the consent of the Borrower or to the extent such Information (1) becomes publicly available other than as a result of a breach of this Section 10.07 or (2) becomes available to the Lender or any of its Affiliates on a nonconfidential basis from a source other than the Borrower or (ix) is independently discovered or developed by a party hereto without utilizing any Information received from the Borrower or violating the terms of this Section

 

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10.07. For purposes of this Section 10.07, “Information” means all information received from the Borrower or any Subsidiary relating to the Borrower or any Subsidiary or any of their respective businesses, other than any such information that is available to the Lender on a nonconfidential basis prior to disclosure by the Borrower or any Subsidiary, provided, that, in the case of information received from the Borrower or any Subsidiary after the date hereof, such information is clearly identified at the time of delivery as confidential. Any Person required to maintain the confidentiality of Information as provided in this Section 10.07 shall be considered to have complied with its obligation to do so if such Person has exercised the same degree of care to maintain the confidentiality of such Information as such Person would accord to its own confidential information. In addition, the Lender may disclose the existence of this Agreement and information about this Agreement to market data collectors, similar service providers to the lending industry and service providers to the Lender in connection with the administration of this Agreement, the other Loan Documents and the Commitments.

Without limiting the foregoing, the Lender acknowledges that (i) the information may include material non-public information concerning the Borrower or a Subsidiary, as the case may be, (ii) it has developed compliance procedures regarding the use of material non-public information and (iii) it will handle such material non-public information in accordance with its compliance procedures.

(b) Press Releases. The Loan Parties agree that they will not in the future issue any press releases or other public disclosure using the name of the Lender or its Affiliates or referring to this Agreement or any of the Loan Documents without the prior written consent of the Lender, unless (and only to the extent that) the Loan Parties is required to do so under Applicable Law and then, in any event the Loan Parties will consult with such Person before issuing such press release or other public disclosure.

(c) Customary Advertising Material. The Loan Parties consent to the publication by the Lender of customary advertising material relating to the transactions contemplated hereby using the name, product photographs, logo or trademark of the Loan Parties.

10.08 Right of Setoff.

If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, the Lender and each of its Affiliates is hereby authorized at any time and from time to time, to the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law to set off and apply any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final, in whatever currency) at any time held and other obligations (in whatever currency) at any time owing by the Lender or any such Affiliate to or for the credit or the account of the Borrower or any other Loan Party against any and all of the obligations of the Borrower or any other Loan Party now or hereafter existing under this Agreement or any other Loan Document to the Lender or its Affiliates, irrespective of whether or not the Lender or Affiliate shall have made any demand under this Agreement or any other Loan Document and although such obligations of the Borrower or any other Loan Party may be contingent or unmatured, secured or unsecured, or are owed to a branch, office or Affiliate of the Lender different from the branch, office or Affiliate holding such deposit or obligated on such indebtedness. The rights of the Lender and its Affiliates under this Section 10.08 are in addition to other rights and remedies (including other rights of setoff) that the Lender or its Affiliates may have under Applicable Law. The Lender agrees to notify the Borrower promptly after any such setoff and application, provided that the failure to give such notice shall not affect the validity of such setoff and application.

10.09 Interest Rate Limitation.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any Loan Document, the interest paid or agreed to be paid under the Loan Documents shall not exceed the maximum rate of non-usurious interest permitted by Applicable Law (the “Maximum Rate”). If the Lender shall receive interest in an amount that exceeds the Maximum Rate, the excess interest shall be applied to the principal of the Loans or, if it exceeds such unpaid principal, refunded to the Borrower. In determining whether the interest contracted for, charged, or received by the Lender exceeds the Maximum Rate, such Person may, to the extent permitted by Applicable Law, (a) characterize any payment that is not principal as an expense, fee, or premium rather than interest, (b) exclude voluntary prepayments and the effects thereof, and (c) amortize, prorate, allocate, and spread in equal or unequal parts the total amount of interest throughout the contemplated term of the Obligations hereunder.

 

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10.10 Integration; Effectiveness.

This Agreement, the other Loan Documents, and any separate letter agreements with respect to fees payable to the Lender, constitute the entire contract among the parties relating to the subject matter hereof and supersede any and all previous agreements and understandings, oral or written, relating to the subject matter hereof. Except as provided in Section 4.01, this Agreement shall become effective when it shall have been executed by the Lender and when the Lender shall have received counterparts hereof that, when taken together, bear the signatures of each of the other parties hereto, and thereafter shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns.

10.11 Survival of Representations and Warranties.

All representations and warranties made hereunder and in any other Loan Document or other document delivered pursuant hereto or thereto or in connection herewith or therewith shall survive the execution and delivery hereof and thereof. Such representations and warranties have been or will be relied upon by the Lender, regardless of any investigation made by the Lender or on its behalf and notwithstanding that the Lender may have had notice or knowledge of any Default at the time of any Credit Extension, and shall continue in full force and effect as long as any Loan or any other Obligation hereunder shall remain unpaid or unsatisfied shall remain outstanding and until the Facility Termination Date.

10.12 Severability.

If any provision of this Agreement or the other Loan Documents is held to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable, (a) the legality, validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall not be affected or impaired thereby and (b) the parties shall endeavor in good faith negotiations to replace the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provisions with valid provisions the economic effect of which comes as close as possible to that of the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provisions. The invalidity of a provision in a particular jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction.

10.13 Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Etc.

(a) GOVERNING LAW. THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS (EXCEPT, AS TO ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT, AS EXPRESSLY SET FORTH THEREIN) AND ANY CLAIMS, CONTROVERSY, DISPUTE OR CAUSE OF ACTION (WHETHER IN CONTRACT OR TORT OR OTHERWISE) BASED UPON, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT (EXCEPT, AS TO ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT, AS EXPRESSLY SET FORTH THEREIN) AND THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY AND THEREBY SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAW OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA.

(b) SUBMISSION TO JURISDICTION. THE BORROWER AND EACH OTHER LOAN PARTY IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY AGREES THAT IT WILL NOT COMMENCE ANY ACTION, LITIGATION OR PROCEEDING OF ANY KIND OR DESCRIPTION, WHETHER IN LAW OR EQUITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT OR IN TORT OR OTHERWISE, AGAINST THE LENDER OR ANY RELATED PARTY IN ANY WAY RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS RELATING HERETO OR THERETO, IN ANY FORUM OTHER THAN THE COURTS OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA SITTING IN IN FAIRFAX COUNTY, AND OF THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA, AND ANY APPELLATE COURT FROM ANY THEREOF, AND EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO IRREVOCABLY

 

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AND UNCONDITIONALLY SUBMITS TO THE JURISDICTION OF SUCH COURTS AND AGREES THAT ALL CLAIMS IN RESPECT OF ANY SUCH ACTION, LITIGATION OR PROCEEDING MAY BE HEARD AND DETERMINED IN SUCH VIRGINIA STATE COURT OR, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN SUCH FEDERAL COURT. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO AGREES THAT A FINAL JUDGMENT IN ANY SUCH ACTION, LITIGATION OR PROCEEDING SHALL BE CONCLUSIVE AND MAY BE ENFORCED IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS BY SUIT ON THE JUDGMENT OR IN ANY OTHER MANNER PROVIDED BY LAW. NOTHING IN THIS AGREEMENT OR IN ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT SHALL AFFECT ANY RIGHT THAT THE LENDER MAY OTHERWISE HAVE TO BRING ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT AGAINST THE BORROWER OR ANY OTHER LOAN PARTY OR ITS PROPERTIES IN THE COURTS OF ANY JURISDICTION.

(c) WAIVER OF VENUE. THE BORROWER AND EACH OTHER LOAN PARTY IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY OBJECTION THAT IT MAY NOW OR HEREAFTER HAVE TO THE LAYING OF VENUE OF ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT IN ANY COURT REFERRED TO IN CLAUSE (B) OF THIS SECTION 10.13. THE BORROWER AND EACH OTHER LOAN PARTY IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THE DEFENSE OF AN INCONVENIENT FORUM TO THE MAINTENANCE OF SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING IN ANY SUCH COURT.

(d) SERVICE OF PROCESS. EACH PARTY HERETO IRREVOCABLY CONSENTS TO SERVICE OF PROCESS IN THE MANNER PROVIDED FOR NOTICES IN SECTION 10.02. NOTHING IN THIS AGREEMENT WILL AFFECT THE RIGHT OF ANY PARTY HERETO TO SERVE PROCESS IN ANY OTHER MANNER PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW.

10.14 Waiver of Jury Trial.

EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER THEORY). EACH PARTY HERETO (a) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PERSON HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PERSON WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER AND (b) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT AND THE OTHER PARTIES HERETO HAVE BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION 10.14.

10.15 Subordination.

Each Loan Party (a “Subordinating Loan Party”) hereby subordinates the payment of all obligations and indebtedness of any other Loan Party owing to it, whether now existing or hereafter arising, including but not limited to any obligation of any such other Loan Party to the Subordinating Loan Party as subrogee of the Lender or resulting from such Subordinating Loan Party’s performance under this Guaranty, to the indefeasible payment in full in cash of all Obligations. If the Lender so request, any such obligation or indebtedness of any such other Loan Party to the Subordinating Loan Party shall be enforced and performance received by the Subordinating Loan Party as trustee for the Lender and the proceeds thereof shall be paid over to the Lender on account of the Secured Obligations, but without reducing or affecting in any manner the liability of the Subordinating Loan Party under this Agreement. Without limitation of the foregoing, so long as no Default has occurred and is continuing, the Loan Parties may make and receive payments with respect to Intercompany Debt; provided, that, in the event that any Loan Party receives any payment of any Intercompany Debt at a time when such payment is prohibited by this Section 10.15, such payment shall be held by such Loan Party, in trust for the benefit of, and shall be paid forthwith over and delivered, upon written request, to the Lender.

 

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10.16 No Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility.

In connection with all aspects of each transaction contemplated hereby (including in connection with any amendment, waiver or other modification hereof or of any other Loan Document), the Borrower and each other Loan Party acknowledges and agrees, and acknowledges its Affiliates’ understanding, that: (a) (i) the services regarding this Agreement provided by the Lender and any Affiliate thereof are arm’s-length commercial transactions between the Borrower, each other Loan Party and their respective Affiliates, on the one hand, and the Lender and its Affiliates, on the other hand, (ii) each of the Borrower and the other Loan Parties has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it has deemed appropriate, and (iii) the Borrower and each other Loan Party is capable of evaluating, and understands and accepts, the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the other Loan Documents; (b) (i) the Lender and its Affiliates each is and has been acting solely as a principal and, except as expressly agreed in writing by the relevant parties, has not been, is not, and will not be acting as an advisor, agent or fiduciary, for the Borrower, any other Loan Party or any of their respective Affiliates, or any other Person and (ii) neither the Lender nor any of its Affiliates has any obligation to the Borrower, any other Loan Party or any of their respective Affiliates with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby except those obligations expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents; and (c) the Lender and its Affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Borrower, the other Loan Parties and their respective Affiliates, and neither the Lender nor any of its Affiliates has any obligation to disclose any of such interests to the Borrower, any other Loan Party or any of their respective Affiliates. To the fullest extent permitted by law, each of the Borrower and each other Loan Party hereby waives and releases any claims that it may have against the Lender or any of its Affiliates with respect to any breach or alleged breach of agency or fiduciary duty in connection with any aspect of any transactions contemplated hereby.

10.17 Electronic Execution; Electronic Records; Counterparts.

This Agreement, any Loan Document and any other Communication, including Communications required to be in writing, may be in the form of an Electronic Record and may be executed using Electronic Signatures. Each Loan Party and the Lender agrees that any Electronic Signature on or associated with any Communication shall be valid and binding on such Person to the same extent as a manual, original signature, and that any Communication entered into by Electronic Signature, will constitute the legal, valid and binding obligation of such Person enforceable against such Person in accordance with the terms thereof to the same extent as if a manually executed original signature was delivered. Any Communication may be executed in as many counterparts as necessary or convenient, including both paper and electronic counterparts, but all such counterparts are one and the same Communication. For the avoidance of doubt, the authorization under this paragraph may include, without limitation, use or acceptance of a manually signed paper Communication which has been converted into electronic form (such as scanned into PDF format), or an electronically signed Communication converted into another format, for transmission, delivery and/or retention. The Lender may, at its option, create one or more copies of any Communication in the form of an imaged Electronic Record (“Electronic Copy”), which shall be deemed created in the ordinary course of such Person’s business, and destroy the original paper document. All Communications in the form of an Electronic Record, including an Electronic Copy, shall be considered an original for all purposes, and shall have the same legal effect, validity and enforceability as a paper record. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, the Lender is not under any obligation to accept an Electronic Signature in any form or in any format unless expressly agreed to by such Person pursuant to procedures approved by it; provided, further, without limiting the foregoing, (a) to the extent the Lender has agreed to accept such Electronic Signature, the Lender shall be entitled to rely on any such Electronic Signature purportedly given by or on behalf of any Loan Party without further verification and regardless of the appearance or form of such Electronic Signature, and (b) upon the request of the Lender, Electronic Signature shall be promptly followed by a manually executed counterpart.

 

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The Lender shall not be responsible for or have any duty to ascertain or inquire into the sufficiency, validity, enforceability, effectiveness or genuineness of any Loan Document or any other agreement, instrument or document (including, for the avoidance of doubt, in connection with the Lender’s reliance on any Electronic Signature transmitted by telecopy, emailed .pdf or any other electronic means). The Lender shall be entitled to rely on, and shall incur no liability under or in respect of this Agreement or any other Loan Document by acting upon, any Communication (which writing may be a fax, any electronic message, Internet or intranet website posting or other distribution or signed using an Electronic Signature) or any statement made to it orally or by telephone and believed by it to be genuine and signed or sent or otherwise authenticated (whether or not such Person in fact meets the requirements set forth in the Loan Documents for being the maker thereof).

Each of the Loan Parties hereby waives (i) any argument, defense or right to contest the legal effect, validity or enforceability of this Agreement, any other Loan Document based solely on the lack of paper original copies of this Agreement, such other Loan Document, and (ii) waives any claim against the Lender for any liabilities arising solely from the Lender’s reliance on or use of Electronic Signatures, including any liabilities arising as a result of the failure of the Loan Parties to use any available security measures in connection with the execution, delivery or transmission of any Electronic Signature.

10.18 USA PATRIOT Act Notice.

The Lender hereby notifies the Borrower and the other Loan Parties that pursuant to the requirements of the USA PATRIOT Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107–56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)) (the “Patriot Act”), it is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies the Borrower and each other Loan Party, which information includes the name and address of the Borrower and each other Loan Party and other information that will allow the Lender to identify the Borrower and each other Loan Party in accordance with the Patriot Act. The Borrower and each other Loan Party shall, promptly following a request by the Lender, provide all such other documentation and information that the Lender requests in order to comply with its ongoing obligations under applicable “know your customer” and anti-money laundering rules and regulations, including the Patriot Act.

10.19 Acknowledgement Regarding Any Supported QFCs.

To the extent that the Loan Documents provide support, through a guarantee or otherwise, for any Swap Contract or any other agreement or instrument that is a QFC (such support, “QFC Credit Support”, and each such QFC, a “Supported QFC”), the parties acknowledge and agree as follows with respect to the resolution power of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation under the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (together with the regulations promulgated thereunder, the “U.S. Special Resolution Regimes”) in respect of such Supported QFC and QFC Credit Support (with the provisions below applicable notwithstanding that the Loan Documents and any Supported QFC may in fact be stated to be governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia and/or of the United States or any other state of the United States): In the event a Covered Entity that is party to a Supported QFC (each, a “Covered Party”) becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer of such Supported QFC and the benefit of such QFC Credit Support (and any interest and obligation in or under such Supported QFC and such QFC Credit Support, and any rights in property securing such Supported QFC or such QFC Credit Support) from such Covered Party will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if the Supported QFC and such QFC Credit Support (and any such interest, obligation and rights in property) were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States. In the event a Covered Party or a BHC Act Affiliate of a Covered Party becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under the Loan Documents that might otherwise apply to such Supported QFC or any QFC Credit Support that may be exercised against such Covered Party are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if the Supported QFC and the Loan Documents were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.

 

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10.20 Amendment and Restatement of Existing Credit Agreement.

This Agreement is an amendment and restatement, in its entirety, of the Existing Credit Agreement, and any Indebtedness outstanding thereunder shall be deemed to be outstanding under this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement shall be deemed to be a repayment or novation of the Indebtedness, or to release or otherwise adversely affect any lien or security interest securing such Indebtedness or any rights of the Lender against the Borrower, any Guarantor or any other party primarily or secondarily liable for such Indebtedness. All references in any existing document or instrument that refers to the Existing Credit Agreement shall be deemed references to this Agreement.

[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK.]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first above written.

 

BORROWER:     BOWMAN CONSULTING GROUP LTD.
    By:  

/s/ Bruce Labovitz

    Name:  

Bruce Labovitz

    Title:  

Chief Financial Officer

GUARANTORS:     BOWMAN NORTH CAROLINA LTD.
    By:  

/s/ Gary Bowman

    Name:  

Gary Bowman

    Title:  

President

    BOWMAN REALTY CONSULTANTS, LLC
    By:  

/s/ Bruce Labovitz

    Name:  

Bruce Labovitz

    Title:  

Chief Financial Officer

    MCMAHON ASSOCIATES, INC.
    By:  

/s/ Bruce Labovitz

    Name:  

Bruce Labovitz

    Title:  

Chief Financial Officer

    PROJECT DESIGN CONSULTANTS, LLC.
    By:  

/s/ Bruce Labovitz

    Name:  

Bruce Labovitz

    Title:  

Chief Financial Officer

[Signature Pages Continue]

Signature Page to Amended and Restated Credit Agreement

 

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BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as Lender
By:  

/s/ Holver Rivera

Name: Holver Rivera
Title: Credit Officer, Senior Vice President

Signature Page to Amended and Restated Credit Agreement

 

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