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UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
_____________________________________________
FORM 10-Q
_____________________________________________
(Mark One)
| | | | | |
☑ | QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2024
or
| | | | | |
☐ | TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the transition period from to
Commission file number: 001-33520
_____________________________________________
COMSCORE, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
_____________________________________________
| | | | | | | | |
Delaware | | 54-1955550 |
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | | (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
11950 Democracy Drive, Suite 600
Reston, Virginia 20190
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
(703) 438-2000
(Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code)
_____________________________________________
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Title of Each Class | | Trading Symbol | | Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered |
Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share | | SCOR | | NASDAQ Global Select Market |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☑ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☑ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," "smaller reporting company," and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Large accelerated filer | | ☐ | | Accelerated filer | | ☑ |
Non-accelerated filer | | ☐ | | Smaller reporting company | | ☑ |
| | | | Emerging growth company | | ☐ |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☑
Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the registrant's classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date: As of November 7, 2024, there were 4,890,557 shares of the registrant's Common Stock outstanding.
COMSCORE, INC.
QUARTERLY REPORT ON FORM 10-Q
FOR THE QUARTER ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2024
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
We may make certain statements, including in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, or 10-Q, including the information contained in Item 2, "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations", and the information incorporated by reference in this 10-Q, that constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal and state securities laws. Forward-looking statements are all statements other than statements of historical fact. We attempt to identify these forward-looking statements by words such as "may," "will," "should," "could," "might," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "target," "goal," "predict," "intend," "potential," "continue," "seek" and other comparable words. Similarly, statements that describe our business strategy, goals, prospects, opportunities, outlook, objectives, plans or intentions are also forward-looking statements. These statements may relate to, but are not limited to, expectations of future operating results or financial performance; expectations regarding our restructuring activities and cost-reduction initiatives; macroeconomic trends that we expect may influence our business, including declines in discretionary advertising spending; plans for financing and capital expenditures; expectations regarding liquidity, customer payments and compliance with debt and financing covenants, dividend requirements and other payment obligations; expectations regarding our commercial relationships and the development and introduction of new products; potential limitations on our net operating loss carryforwards and other tax assets; regulatory compliance and expected changes in the regulatory, industry or privacy landscape affecting our business; expected impact of contractual disputes, litigation and regulatory proceedings; and plans for growth and future operations, as well as assumptions relating to the foregoing. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified. These statements are based on expectations and assumptions as of the date of this 10-Q regarding future events and business performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual events or results to be materially different from any future events or results expressed or implied by these statements. These factors include those set forth in the following discussion and within Item 1A, "Risk Factors" of this 10-Q and elsewhere within this report; those identified within Item 1A, "Risk Factors" of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023; and those identified in other documents that we file from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC. We believe that it is important to communicate our future expectations to our investors. However, there may be events in the future that we are not able to accurately predict or control and that may cause our actual results to differ materially from the expectations we describe in our forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this 10-Q. You should carefully review the risk factors described in this 10-Q and in other documents that we file from time to time with the SEC. Except as required by applicable law, including the rules and regulations of the SEC, we undertake no obligation, and expressly disclaim any duty, to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements, whether as a result of any new information, future events or otherwise. Although we believe the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date of this 10-Q, our statements are not guarantees of future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements, and actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, any of our statements.
PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION
| | | | | |
ITEM 1. | FINANCIAL STATEMENTS |
COMSCORE, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| As of | | As of | | | | | | |
| September 30, 2024 | | December 31, 2023 | | | | | | |
(In thousands, except share and per share data) | (Unaudited) | | | | | | | | |
Assets | | | | | | | | | |
Current assets: | | | | | | | | | |
Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 19,996 | | | $ | 22,750 | | | | | | | |
Restricted cash | 189 | | | 186 | | | | | | | |
Accounts receivable, net of allowances of $445 and $614, respectively ($931 and $786 of accounts receivable attributable to related parties, respectively) | 55,165 | | | 63,826 | | | | | | | |
Prepaid expenses and other current assets | 9,583 | | | 11,228 | | | | | | | |
Total current assets | 84,933 | | | 97,990 | | | | | | | |
Property and equipment, net | 48,856 | | | 41,574 | | | | | | | |
Operating right-of-use assets | 14,070 | | | 18,628 | | | | | | | |
Deferred tax assets | 3,484 | | | 2,588 | | | | | | | |
Intangible assets, net | 5,750 | | | 8,115 | | | | | | | |
Goodwill | 247,460 | | | 310,360 | | | | | | | |
Other non-current assets | 7,909 | | | 12,040 | | | | | | | |
Total assets | $ | 412,462 | | | $ | 491,295 | | | | | | | |
Liabilities, Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock and Stockholders' Equity (Deficit) | | | | | | | | | |
Current liabilities: | | | | | | | | | |
Accounts payable ($17,862 and $11,996 attributable to related parties, respectively) | $ | 34,277 | | | $ | 30,551 | | | | | | | |
Accrued expenses ($5,439 and $3,781 attributable to related parties, respectively) | 28,501 | | | 34,422 | | | | | | | |
Contract liabilities ($754 and $1,784 attributable to related parties, respectively) | 45,500 | | | 48,912 | | | | | | | |
Revolving line of credit | 10,000 | | | 16,000 | | | | | | | |
Accrued dividends (related parties) | 4,424 | | | 24,132 | | | | | | | |
Customer advances | 8,034 | | | 11,076 | | | | | | | |
Current operating lease liabilities | 8,417 | | | 7,982 | | | | | | | |
Contingent consideration | 1,191 | | | 4,806 | | | | | | | |
Other current liabilities | 3,815 | | | 4,680 | | | | | | | |
Total current liabilities | 144,159 | | | 182,561 | | | | | | | |
Non-current operating lease liabilities | 16,605 | | | 23,003 | | | | | | | |
Non-current portion of accrued data costs ($24,756 and $21,908 attributable to related parties, respectively) | 36,258 | | | 32,833 | | | | | | | |
Deferred tax liabilities | — | | | 1,321 | | | | | | | |
Other non-current liabilities | 10,706 | | | 7,589 | | | | | | | |
Total liabilities | 207,728 | | | 247,307 | | | | | | | |
Commitments and contingencies | | | | | | | | | |
Convertible redeemable preferred stock, $0.001 par value; 100,000,000 shares authorized as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023; 95,784,903 shares and 82,527,609 shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively; aggregate liquidation preference of $241,194 as of September 30, 2024, and $228,132 as of December 31, 2023 (related parties) | 207,470 | | | 187,885 | | | | | | | |
Stockholders' equity (deficit): | | | | | | | | | |
Preferred stock, $0.001 par value; 5,000,000 shares authorized as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023; no shares issued or outstanding as of September 30, 2024 or December 31, 2023 | — | | | — | | | | | | | |
Common stock, $0.001 par value; 13,750,000 shares authorized as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023; 5,228,787 shares issued and 4,890,548 shares outstanding as of September 30, 2024, and 5,093,380 shares issued and 4,755,141 shares outstanding as of December 31, 2023 | 5 | | | 5 | | | | | | | |
Additional paid-in capital | 1,713,399 | | | 1,696,612 | | | | | | | |
Accumulated other comprehensive loss | (13,282) | | | (14,110) | | | | | | | |
Accumulated deficit | (1,472,874) | | | (1,396,420) | | | | | | | |
Treasury stock, at cost, 338,239 shares as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023 | (229,984) | | | (229,984) | | | | | | | |
Total stockholders' equity (deficit) | (2,736) | | | 56,103 | | | | | | | |
Total liabilities, convertible redeemable preferred stock and stockholders' equity (deficit) | $ | 412,462 | | | $ | 491,295 | | | | | | | |
See accompanying Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
COMSCORE, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE (LOSS) INCOME
(Unaudited)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Three Months Ended September 30, | | Nine Months Ended September 30, | |
(In thousands, except share and per share data) | | 2024 | | 2023 | | 2024 | | 2023 | | | | |
Revenues (1) | | $ | 88,479 | | | $ | 91,000 | | | $ | 261,111 | | | $ | 276,242 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Cost of revenues (1) (2) (3) | | 52,005 | | | 50,473 | | | 154,025 | | | 155,360 | | | | | |
Selling and marketing (2) (3) | | 12,515 | | | 14,794 | | | 42,691 | | | 48,984 | | | | | |
Research and development (2) (3) | | 7,272 | | | 8,083 | | | 24,412 | | | 25,792 | | | | | |
General and administrative (2) (3) | | 11,116 | | | 12,928 | | | 35,663 | | | 39,776 | | | | | |
Amortization of intangible assets | | 764 | | | 800 | | | 2,365 | | | 4,412 | | | | | |
Impairment of goodwill | | 63,000 | | | — | | | 63,000 | | | 44,100 | | | | | |
Impairment of right-of-use and long-lived assets | | 1,397 | | | 1,502 | | | 1,397 | | | 1,502 | | | | | |
Restructuring | | 15 | | | 353 | | | 968 | | | 5,455 | | | | | |
Total expenses from operations | | 148,084 | | | 88,933 | | | 324,521 | | | 325,381 | | | | | |
(Loss) income from operations | | (59,605) | | | 2,067 | | | (63,410) | | | (49,139) | | | | | |
Other income, net | | — | | | 628 | | | 651 | | | 425 | | | | | |
(Loss) gain from foreign currency transactions | | (2,223) | | | 1,090 | | | (1,508) | | | (544) | | | | | |
Interest expense, net | | (424) | | | (426) | | | (1,440) | | | (1,141) | | | | | |
(Loss) income before income taxes | | (62,252) | | | 3,359 | | | (65,707) | | | (50,399) | | | | | |
Income tax benefit (provision) | | 1,622 | | | (741) | | | 2,315 | | | (563) | | | | | |
Net (loss) income | | $ | (60,630) | | | $ | 2,618 | | | $ | (63,392) | | | $ | (50,962) | | | | | |
Net loss available to common stockholders: | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net (loss) income | | $ | (60,630) | | | $ | 2,618 | | | $ | (63,392) | | | $ | (50,962) | | | | | |
Convertible redeemable preferred stock dividends (1) | | (4,578) | | | (4,286) | | | (13,062) | | | (11,983) | | | | | |
Total net loss available to common stockholders | | $ | (65,208) | | | $ | (1,668) | | | $ | (76,454) | | | $ | (62,945) | | | | | |
Net loss per common share (4): | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Basic and diluted | | $ | (12.79) | | | $ | (0.34) | | | $ | (15.33) | | | $ | (13.15) | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Weighted-average number of shares used in per share calculation - Common Stock (4): | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Basic and diluted | | 5,098,415 | | | 4,885,459 | | | 4,986,746 | | | 4,785,205 | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Comprehensive (loss) income: | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net (loss) income | | $ | (60,630) | | | $ | 2,618 | | | $ | (63,392) | | | $ | (50,962) | | | | | |
Other comprehensive income (loss): | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Foreign currency cumulative translation adjustment | | 2,925 | | | (2,267) | | | 828 | | | (869) | | | | | |
Total comprehensive (loss) income | | $ | (57,705) | | | $ | 351 | | | $ | (62,564) | | | $ | (51,831) | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
(1) Transactions with related parties are included in the line items above as follows. Refer to Footnote 9, Related Party Transactions. |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Three Months Ended September 30, | | Nine Months Ended September 30, |
| 2024 | | | 2023 | | 2024 | | 2023 |
Revenues | $ | 2,597 | | | | $ | 2,856 | | | $ | 7,512 | | | $ | 8,802 | |
Cost of revenues | 7,364 | | | | 7,178 | | | 22,964 | | | 22,251 | |
Convertible redeemable preferred stock dividends | (4,578) | | | | (4,286) | | | (13,062) | | | (11,983) | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
(2) Excludes amortization of intangible assets, which is presented as a separate line item. |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
(3) Stock-based compensation (benefit) expense is included in the line items above as follows: |
| | | | | |
| Three Months Ended September 30, | | Nine Months Ended September 30, |
| 2024 | | 2023 | | 2024 | | 2023 |
Cost of revenues | $ | (281) | | | $ | 113 | | | $ | 118 | | | $ | 435 | |
Selling and marketing | (208) | | | 96 | | | 71 | | | 411 | |
Research and development | (193) | | | 85 | | | 92 | | | 333 | |
General and administrative | 560 | | | 747 | | | 1,986 | | | 2,640 | |
Total stock-based compensation (benefit) expense | $ | (122) | | | $ | 1,041 | | | $ | 2,267 | | | $ | 3,819 | |
(4) Adjusted retroactively for the Reverse Stock Split, refer to Footnote 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies. |
|
See accompanying Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
COMSCORE, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CONVERTIBLE REDEEMABLE PREFERRED STOCK AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY (DEFICIT)
(Unaudited)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
(In thousands, except share data) | Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock | | | Common Stock | | Additional Paid-In Capital | | Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss | | Accumulated Deficit | | Treasury stock, at cost | | Total Stockholders' Equity (Deficit) |
Shares | | Amount | | | Shares | | Amount | |
Balance as of December 31, 2023 | 82,527,609 | | | $ | 187,885 | | | | 4,755,141 | | | $ | 5 | | | $ | 1,696,612 | | | $ | (14,110) | | | $ | (1,396,420) | | | $ | (229,984) | | | $ | 56,103 | |
Net loss | — | | | — | | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | (1,054) | | | — | | | (1,054) | |
Convertible redeemable preferred stock dividends (1) | — | | | — | | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | (4,240) | | | — | | | (4,240) | |
Restricted stock units distributed | — | | | — | | | | 7,780 | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | |
Exercise of Common Stock options | — | | | — | | | | 33 | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | |
Payments for taxes related to net share settlement of equity awards | — | | | — | | | | (2,684) | | | — | | | (46) | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | (46) | |
Amortization of stock-based compensation | — | | | — | | | | — | | | — | | | 681 | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | 681 | |
Settlement of restricted stock unit liability | — | | | — | | | | — | | | — | | | 1,895 | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | 1,895 | |
Foreign currency translation adjustment | — | | | — | | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | (1,987) | | | — | | | — | | | (1,987) | |
Other | — | | | — | | | | (39) | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | |
Balance as of March 31, 2024 | 82,527,609 | | | $ | 187,885 | | | | 4,760,231 | | | $ | 5 | | | $ | 1,699,142 | | | $ | (16,097) | | | $ | (1,401,714) | | | $ | (229,984) | | | $ | 51,352 | |
Net loss | — | | | — | | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | (1,708) | | | — | | | (1,708) | |
Convertible redeemable preferred stock dividends (1) | — | | | — | | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | (4,244) | | | — | | | (4,244) | |
Restricted stock units distributed | — | | | — | | | | 131,817 | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Payments for taxes related to net share settlement of equity awards | — | | | — | | | | (2,411) | | | — | | | (33) | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | (33) | |
Amortization of stock-based compensation | — | | | — | | | | — | | | — | | | 580 | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | 580 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Foreign currency translation adjustment | — | | | — | | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | (110) | | | — | | | — | | | (110) | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Balance as of June 30, 2024 | 82,527,609 | | | $ | 187,885 | | | | 4,889,637 | | | $ | 5 | | | $ | 1,699,689 | | | $ | (16,207) | | | $ | (1,407,666) | | | $ | (229,984) | | | $ | 45,837 | |
Net loss | — | | | — | | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | (60,630) | | | — | | | (60,630) | |
Convertible redeemable preferred stock, net of issuance costs (1) | 13,257,294 | | | 19,585 | | | | — | | | — | | | 13,017 | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | 13,017 | |
Convertible redeemable preferred stock dividends (1) | — | | | — | | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | (4,578) | | | — | | | (4,578) | |
Restricted stock units distributed | — | | | — | | | | 1,277 | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | |
Payments for taxes related to net share settlement of equity awards | — | | | — | | | | (366) | | | — | | | (2) | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | (2) | |
Amortization of stock-based compensation | — | | | — | | | | — | | | — | | | 695 | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | 695 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Foreign currency translation adjustment | — | | | — | | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | 2,925 | | | — | | | — | | | 2,925 | |
Balance as of September 30, 2024 | 95,784,903 | | | $ | 207,470 | | | | 4,890,548 | | | $ | 5 | | | $ | 1,713,399 | | | $ | (13,282) | | | $ | (1,472,874) | | | $ | (229,984) | | | $ | (2,736) | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
(In thousands, except share data) | Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock | | | Common Stock (2) | | Additional Paid-In Capital (2) | | Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss | | Accumulated Deficit | | Treasury stock, at cost | | Total Stockholders' Equity |
Shares | | Amount | | | Shares | | Amount | |
Balance as of December 31, 2022 | 82,527,609 | | | $ | 187,885 | | | | 4,605,247 | | | $ | 5 | | | $ | 1,690,870 | | | $ | (15,940) | | | $ | (1,300,789) | | | $ | (229,984) | | | $ | 144,162 | |
Net loss | — | | | — | | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | (8,671) | | | — | | | (8,671) | |
Convertible redeemable preferred stock dividends (1) | — | | | — | | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | (3,825) | | | — | | | (3,825) | |
Restricted stock units distributed | — | | | — | | | | 14,301 | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | |
Exercise of Common Stock options | — | | | — | | | | 150 | | | — | | | 3 | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | 3 | |
Payments for taxes related to net share settlement of equity awards | — | | | — | | | | (1,722) | | | — | | | (48) | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | (48) | |
Amortization of stock-based compensation | — | | | — | | | | — | | | — | | | 879 | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | 879 | |
Settlement of restricted stock unit liability | — | | | — | | | | — | | | — | | | 2,761 | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | 2,761 | |
Foreign currency translation adjustment | — | | | — | | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | 1,517 | | | — | | | — | | | 1,517 | |
Balance as of March 31, 2023 | 82,527,609 | | | $ | 187,885 | | | | 4,617,976 | | | $ | 5 | | | $ | 1,694,465 | | | $ | (14,423) | | | $ | (1,313,285) | | | $ | (229,984) | | | $ | 136,778 | |
Net loss | — | | | — | | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | (44,909) | | | — | | | (44,909) | |
Convertible redeemable preferred stock dividends (1) | — | | | — | | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | (3,872) | | | — | | | (3,872) | |
Restricted stock units distributed | — | | | — | | | | 136,799 | | | — | | | 3 | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | 3 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Payments for taxes related to net share settlement of equity awards | — | | | — | | | | (459) | | | — | | | (12) | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | (12) | |
Amortization of stock-based compensation | — | | | — | | | | — | | | — | | | 915 | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | 915 | |
Foreign currency translation adjustment | — | | | — | | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | (119) | | | — | | | — | | | (119) | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Balance as of June 30, 2023 | 82,527,609 | | | $ | 187,885 | | | | 4,754,316 | | | $ | 5 | | | $ | 1,695,371 | | | $ | (14,542) | | | $ | (1,362,066) | | | $ | (229,984) | | | $ | 88,784 | |
Net income | — | | | — | | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | 2,618 | | | — | | | 2,618 | |
Convertible redeemable preferred stock dividends (1) | — | | | — | | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | (4,286) | | | — | | | (4,286) | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Amortization of stock-based compensation | — | | | — | | | | — | | | — | | | 717 | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | 717 | |
Foreign currency translation adjustment | — | | | — | | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | (2,267) | | | — | | | — | | | (2,267) | |
Balance as of September 30, 2023 | 82,527,609 | | | $ | 187,885 | | | | 4,754,316 | | | $ | 5 | | | $ | 1,696,088 | | | $ | (16,809) | | | $ | (1,363,734) | | | $ | (229,984) | | | $ | 85,566 | |
(1) Transactions for these line items were exclusively with related parties. Refer to Footnote 5, Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock and Stockholders' Equity (Deficit) and Footnote 9, Related Party Transactions. (2) Adjusted retroactively for the Reverse Stock Split, refer to Footnote 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies. See accompanying Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
COMSCORE, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Unaudited)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Nine Months Ended September 30, |
(In thousands) | | 2024 | | 2023 |
Operating activities: | | | | |
Net loss | | $ | (63,392) | | | $ | (50,962) | |
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities: | | | | |
Impairment of goodwill | | 63,000 | | | 44,100 | |
Depreciation | | 16,194 | | | 14,613 | |
Non-cash operating lease expense | | 4,031 | | | 4,196 | |
Amortization expense of finance leases | | 2,691 | | | 1,268 | |
Amortization of intangible assets | | 2,365 | | | 4,412 | |
Stock-based compensation expense | | 2,267 | | | 3,819 | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
Impairment of right-of-use and long-lived assets | | 1,397 | | | 1,502 | |
Deferred tax benefit | | (2,182) | | | (61) | |
Other | | 947 | | | 1,140 | |
Changes in operating assets and liabilities: | | | | |
Accounts receivable | | 8,399 | | | 21,899 | |
Prepaid expenses and other assets | | 4,722 | | | 132 | |
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities | | 588 | | | (2,779) | |
Contract liabilities and customer advances | | (6,172) | | | (7,013) | |
Operating lease liabilities | | (6,715) | | | (5,981) | |
Net cash provided by operating activities | | 28,140 | | | 30,285 | |
| | | | |
Investing activities: | | | | |
Capitalized internal-use software costs | | (18,189) | | | (16,609) | |
Purchases of property and equipment | | (579) | | | (1,240) | |
Net cash used in investing activities | | (18,768) | | | (17,849) | |
| | | | |
Financing activities: | | | | |
Payments of line of credit | | (6,000) | | | — | |
Contingent consideration payment at initial value | | (3,704) | | | (1,037) | |
Principal payments on finance leases | | (2,172) | | | (1,337) | |
| | | | |
Other | | (266) | | | (276) | |
Net cash used in financing activities | | (12,142) | | | (2,650) | |
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash | | 19 | | | 25 | |
Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash | | (2,751) | | | 9,811 | |
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period | | 22,936 | | | 20,442 | |
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period | | $ | 20,185 | | | $ | 30,253 | |
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | As of September 30, |
| | 2024 | | 2023 |
Cash and cash equivalents | | $ | 19,996 | | | $ | 30,067 | |
Restricted cash | | 189 | | | 186 | |
Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash | | $ | 20,185 | | | $ | 30,253 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Nine Months Ended September 30, |
| | 2024 | | 2023 |
Supplemental disclosures of non-cash investing and financing activities: | | | | |
Issuance of convertible redeemable preferred stock (related parties) (1) | | $ | 32,771 | | | $ | — | |
| | | | |
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for finance lease liabilities | | 7,861 | | | 3,048 | |
Convertible redeemable preferred stock dividends accrued but not yet paid (related parties) | | 4,424 | | | 11,983 | |
Settlement of restricted stock unit liability | | 1,895 | | | 2,761 | |
Change in accounts payable and accrued expenses related to capital expenditures | | 799 | | | 1,170 | |
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for operating lease liabilities | | — | | | 1,211 | |
| | | | |
(1) The preferred stock issuance was initially recognized at fair value. The Company recorded the initial fair value, net of issuance costs, of $19.6 million within
mezzanine equity and the remaining $13.0 million within additional paid-in capital on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of September 30, 2024. Refer to Footnote 5, Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock and Stockholders' Equity (Deficit). See accompanying Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
COMSCORE, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
1.Organization
comScore, Inc., together with its consolidated subsidiaries (collectively, "Comscore" or the "Company"), headquartered in Reston, Virginia, is a global information and analytics company that measures audiences, consumer behavior and advertising across media platforms.
Operating segments are defined as components of a business that can earn revenues and incur expenses for which discrete financial information is available that is evaluated on a regular basis by the chief operating decision maker ("CODM"). The Company's CODM is its Chief Executive Officer ("CEO"), who decides how to allocate resources and assess performance. The Company has one operating segment. A single management team reports to the CODM, who manages the entire business. The Company's CODM reviews consolidated results of operations to make decisions, allocate resources and assess performance and does not evaluate the profit or loss from any separate geography or product line.
2.Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation and Consolidation
The accompanying Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned domestic and foreign subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions and balances are eliminated upon consolidation.
Reclassification
Certain amounts in the prior year financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation. Specifically, change in fair value of warrants liability and contingent consideration have been aggregated within other operating activities on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.
Reverse Stock Split
On December 12, 2023, the Company held a special meeting of stockholders of the Company (the "Special Meeting"). At the Special Meeting, the stockholders approved an amendment to the Company's Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the "Certificate of Amendment") for the purpose of effecting a reverse stock split (the "Reverse Stock Split") of all outstanding shares of Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the "Common Stock") and reducing the number of authorized shares of Common Stock by the same ratio as the Reverse Stock Split. Following the Special Meeting, the Board of Directors approved a final ratio of 1-for-20 for the Reverse Stock Split with an effective date of December 20, 2023.
On December 20, 2023, the Company filed the Certificate of Amendment with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware to implement the Reverse Stock Split, without any change to the par value of the Common Stock. The Certificate of Amendment reduced the number of authorized shares of Common Stock from 275,000,000 to 13,750,000 and the total number of shares of stock authorized for issuance from 380,000,000 to 118,750,000. The Company implemented the Reverse Stock Split on December 20, 2023.
The Common Stock began trading on a split-adjusted basis on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on December 20, 2023 under the existing trading symbol "SCOR", but the security has been assigned a new CUSIP number (20564W204).
As a result of the Reverse Stock Split, every 20 shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding or held in treasury immediately prior to the Reverse Stock Split were converted into one share of Common Stock after the Reverse Stock Split. The Reverse Stock Split applied uniformly to all holders of Common Stock and did not alter any stockholder's percentage interest in the Company, except to the extent that the Reverse Stock Split would have resulted in some stockholders owning a fractional share. No fractional shares were issued in connection with the Reverse Stock Split, as all fractional shares were rounded down to the nearest whole share. Stockholders who would otherwise have been entitled to a fractional share of Common Stock were instead entitled to receive a proportional cash payment.
Unless noted, all shares of Common Stock, including Common Stock underlying warrants, stock options, and restricted stock units, as well as all conversion ratios, exercise prices, conversion prices and per share information in the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been retroactively adjusted to reflect the 1-for-20 Reverse Stock Split, as if the split occurred at the beginning of the earliest period presented in this quarterly report.
Unaudited Interim Financial Information
The interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements included in this quarterly report have been prepared by the Company and are unaudited, pursuant to the rules and regulations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("GAAP") have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. However, the Company believes that the disclosures contained in this quarterly report comply with the requirements of Section 13(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), for a quarterly report on Form 10-Q and are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. The interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements included herein reflect all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) which are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods
presented. These interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto contained in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 (the "2023 10-K"). The Condensed Consolidated Results of Operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be anticipated for the entire year ending December 31, 2024 or thereafter. All references to September 30, 2024 and 2023 in the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements are unaudited. Use of Estimates and Judgments in the Preparation of the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the reported amounts of revenue and expense during the reporting periods. Significant estimates and judgments are inherent in the analysis and the measurement of management's standalone selling price, principal versus agent revenue recognition, determination of performance obligations, determination of transaction price, including the determination of variable consideration and allocation of transaction price to performance obligations, deferred tax assets and liabilities, including the identification and quantification of income tax liabilities due to uncertain tax positions, the valuation and recoverability of goodwill, intangible and other long-lived assets, the determination of appropriate discount rates for lease accounting, the probability of exercising either lease renewal or termination clauses, the assessment of potential loss from contingencies, the fair value determination of contingent consideration from business combinations, financing-related liabilities and warrants, the initial fair value determination of the 2024 Preferred Stock (as defined below), and the valuation of options, performance-based and market-based stock awards. Management bases its estimates and assumptions on historical experience and on various other factors that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances.
Due to the inherent uncertainty involved in making estimates, actual results reported in future periods may be affected by changes in those estimates. The Company evaluates its estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis.
Goodwill
The Company tests goodwill for impairment annually during the fourth quarter as of October 1, or more frequently when events or changes in circumstances indicate that fair value is below carrying value.
The Company has a single reporting unit. Accordingly, the impairment assessment for goodwill is performed at the enterprise level. Goodwill is reviewed for possible impairment between annual tests if an event occurs or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of the reporting unit below its carrying value. The Company has the option to first perform qualitative testing to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value. The qualitative evaluation is an assessment of factors, including operating results and cost factors, as well as industry, market and macroeconomic conditions, to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than the respective carrying amount, including goodwill. If the Company chooses not to complete a qualitative assessment or if the initial assessment indicates that it is more likely than not that the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its estimated fair value, additional quantitative testing is required.
The fair value of the reporting unit is determined utilizing a discounted cash flow model, and a market value approach is utilized to supplement the discounted cash flow model. The estimated fair value of a reporting unit is determined based on assumptions regarding estimated future cash flows, discount rates, long-term growth rates and market values. Additionally, the Company considers income tax effects from any tax-deductible goodwill on the carrying amount of the reporting unit when measuring the goodwill impairment charge.
The Company monitors for events and circumstances that could negatively impact the key assumptions in determining fair value, including long-term revenue growth projections, profitability, discount rates, volatility in the Company's market capitalization, and general industry, market and macroeconomic conditions.
In the third quarter of 2024, the Company concluded that it was more likely than not that the estimated fair value of its reporting unit was less than its carrying value. In its assessment, the Company considered changes in the Company's stock price, market and equity capitalization, operating results and projections. The Company performed a quantitative goodwill impairment test using a discounted cash flow model, supported by a market approach. The Company's reporting unit did not pass the goodwill impairment test, and as a result, the Company recorded a $63.0 million non-cash impairment charge during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024.
In the second quarter of 2023, the Company performed a quantitative goodwill impairment test using a discounted cash flow model, supported by a market approach. The Company's reporting unit did not pass the goodwill impairment test, and as a result, the Company recorded a $44.1 million non-cash impairment charge during the nine months ended September 30, 2023.
For further information refer to Footnote 4, Goodwill.
Recoverability of Other Long-Lived Assets
The Company's other long-lived assets consist primarily of property and equipment and right-of-use ("ROU") assets. The Company evaluates its ROU and long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value of such assets may not be recoverable.
In the third quarter of 2024, the Company performed an analysis related to the execution of a sublease for an office space for which expected cash receipts are less than the disbursements for the primary lease. The Company recorded a $1.4 million non-cash impairment charge related to the ROU asset and associated leasehold improvements for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024. The fair value of the ROU asset was estimated using an income approach and a discount rate of 9.3%.
In the third quarter of 2023, the Company performed an analysis related to the abandonment of two leased office spaces, which changed the extent and manner for which the ROU assets and related long-lived assets were being used. The Company recorded a non-cash impairment charge of $1.5 million related to the ROU assets for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023.
Preferred Stock
In January 2021, the Company entered into separate Securities Purchase Agreements with each of Charter Communications Holding Company, LLC ("Charter"), Qurate Retail, Inc. (together with its affiliate Qurate SCOR, LLC, "Qurate") and Pine Investor, LLC ("Pine") (the "Securities Purchase Agreements") for the issuance and sale of shares of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 ("Preferred Stock") described in Footnote 5, Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock and Stockholders' Equity (Deficit). The issuance of the Preferred Stock pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreements (the "Transactions") and related matters were approved by the Company's stockholders on March 9, 2021 and completed on March 10, 2021. On May 16, 2023, Qurate sold 27,509,203 shares of Preferred Stock to Liberty Broadband Corporation ("Liberty") in a privately negotiated transaction.
On July 24, 2024, the Company issued 13,257,294 additional shares of Preferred Stock (the "2024 Preferred Stock") to the existing holders of Preferred Stock in exchange for cancellation of the Company's obligation to pay accrued dividends totaling $32.8 million to such holders for annual dividend periods ended in 2023 and 2024. Shares of the 2024 Preferred Stock have the same terms and conditions as the Preferred Stock previously issued by the Company. In connection with the issuance of the 2024 Preferred Stock, the Company and the holders of the Preferred Stock also entered into an amendment to the Stockholders Agreement between the parties. Among other things, the amendment reduced the $100.0 million special dividend threshold set forth in the Stockholders Agreement by an amount equal to the liquidation preference of the additional Preferred Stock ($32.8 million). After further reducing the threshold by annual dividends paid in prior years, the current special dividend threshold is $47.0 million.
The Preferred Stock (including the 2024 Preferred Stock) is contingently redeemable upon certain deemed liquidation events, such as a change in control. Because a deemed liquidation event could constitute a redemption event outside of the Company's control, all shares of Preferred Stock have been presented outside of permanent equity in mezzanine equity on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. The instrument was initially recognized at fair value net of issuance costs. The Company reassesses whether the Preferred Stock is currently redeemable, or probable to become redeemable in the future, as of each reporting date. If the instrument meets either of these criteria, the Company will accrete the carrying value to the redemption value. The Preferred Stock has not been adjusted to its redemption amount as of September 30, 2024 because a deemed liquidation event is not considered probable.
The Preferred Stock includes a change of control put option which allows the holders of the Preferred Stock to require the Company to repurchase such holders' shares in cash in an amount equal to the initial purchase price plus accrued dividends. The change of control put option was determined to be a derivative liability. As of September 30, 2024, the probability of a change of control was determined to be remote and the fair value of the change of control derivative was determined to be negligible.
Other Income, Net
Other income, net represents income and expenses incurred that are generally not recurring in nature or are not part of the Company's normal operations. The following is a summary of the significant components of other income, net:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Three Months Ended September 30, | | Nine Months Ended September 30, |
(In thousands) | | | | | 2024 | | 2023 | | 2024 | | 2023 |
Change in fair value of warrants liability | | | | | $ | — | | | $ | 634 | | | $ | 669 | | | $ | 407 | |
Other | | | | | — | | | (6) | | | (18) | | | 18 | |
Total other income, net | | | | | $ | — | | | $ | 628 | | | $ | 651 | | | $ | 425 | |
Loss Per Share
The Company uses the two-class method to calculate net loss per share. The two-class method is an earnings allocation formula that treats a participating security as having rights to earnings that otherwise would have been available to common stockholders. Under the two-class method, earnings for the period are allocated between common stockholders and participating security holders based on their respective rights to receive dividends as if all undistributed book earnings for the period were distributed.
Basic loss per share is computed by dividing total net loss available to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the period. This includes the effect of vested and deferred stock units granted to members of the Company's Board of Directors ("Board") and certain employees. These awards are expected to be settled in shares of Common Stock and generally distributed upon the earlier of the individual's separation from service or a change of control. Diluted loss per share includes the effect of potential common shares, such as the Company's Preferred Stock, warrants, stock options and restricted stock units, and contingent consideration liability to the extent the effect is dilutive. In periods with a net loss available to common stockholders, the anti-dilutive effect of these potential common shares is excluded and diluted net loss per share is equal to basic net loss per share.
The following is a summary of the Common Stock equivalents for the securities outstanding during the respective periods that have been excluded from the computation of diluted net loss per common share, as their effect would be anti-dilutive:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Three Months Ended September 30, | | Nine Months Ended September 30, |
| | 2024 | | 2023 | | 2024 | | 2023 |
Preferred stock (1) | | 4,805,301 | | | 4,441,099 | | | 4,661,642 | | | 4,285,418 | |
Stock options and restricted stock units | | 280,598 | | | 290,841 | | | 301,595 | | | 296,337 | |
Contingent consideration (2) | | 175,552 | | | 401,311 | | | 175,552 | | | 401,311 | |
Warrants | | — | | | 272,851 | | | 177,254 | | | 272,851 | |
Total | | 5,261,451 | | | 5,406,102 | | | 5,316,043 | | | 5,255,917 | |
(1) Includes the effect of potential Common Stock that would be issued to settle unpaid dividends accrued to holders of the Preferred Stock if they elected to convert their shares at the beginning of the period (or at the time of issuance, if later).
(2) A contingent consideration liability was recognized as part of the Company's acquisition of Shareablee, Inc. ("Shareablee") in December 2021. The liability payments may be settled in any combination of cash or shares of Common Stock (at the Company's election) based on the volume-weighted average trading price of the Common Stock for the ten trading days prior to the date of each payment. Settlement of this liability in Common Stock could potentially dilute basic earnings per share in future periods. The Company paid the first installment of $3.7 million in cash in 2023 and the second installment of $3.7 million in cash in the first quarter of 2024. The Company calculated a potential anti-dilutive share count for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 based on the remaining expected payments totaling $1.2 million and the $6.79 per share closing price of the Company's Common Stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on September 30, 2024. The Company calculated a potential anti-dilutive share count for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 based on the expected payments totaling $4.9 million and the $12.20 per share closing price of the Company's Common Stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on September 29, 2023.
Income Taxes
The Company's net operating loss carryforwards are subject to an annual limitation under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code. The Company completed a Section 382 study in 2023 and concluded that an ownership change occurred in May 2021 as a result of its Preferred Stock transactions. Therefore, all of the Company's U.S. net operating loss carryforwards are subject to annual limitations under Section 382. The Company's deferred tax asset related to its U.S. federal net operating loss carryforwards has been revalued to reflect the amount of carryforwards that are utilizable under the Section 382 limitations; however, the same analysis for the Company's state net operating loss carryforwards has not yet been completed. Due to the Company's valuation allowance position in the United States, the required revaluation of its deferred tax asset related to these limited U.S. state net operating loss carryforwards is not expected to have a material impact on the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements or related disclosures.
Recent Accounting Guidance Issued But Not Adopted at September 30, 2024
In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures, to improve the transparency of income tax disclosures by requiring consistent categories and greater disaggregation of information in the rate reconciliation and income taxes paid disaggregated by jurisdiction. The amendments are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024 and early adoption is permitted. The amendments in this update should be applied on a prospective basis. Retroactive application is permitted. The Company expects to adopt the new standard effective January 1, 2025 and is currently evaluating the impact that this standard will have on its Consolidated Financial Statements and related disclosures.
In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-08, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures, which expands annual and interim disclosure requirements for reportable segments, primarily through enhanced disclosures about significant segment expenses. The amendments are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that this standard will have on its Consolidated Financial Statements and related disclosures.
3.Revenue Recognition
The Company has one reportable segment in accordance with ASC 280, Segment Reporting; as such, the disaggregation of revenue below reconciles directly to its unique reportable segment. The following table presents the Company's revenue disaggregated by solution group.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
(In thousands) | | Three Months Ended September 30, | | Nine Months Ended September 30, |
By solution group: | | 2024 | | 2023 | | 2024 | | 2023 |
Content & Ad Measurement | | | | | | | | |
Syndicated Audience | | $ | 65,042 | | | $ | 67,946 | | | $ | 193,831 | | | $ | 207,551 | |
Cross-Platform | | 10,232 | | | 7,664 | | | 26,252 | | | 22,117 | |
Total Content & Ad Measurement | | 75,274 | | | 75,610 | | | 220,083 | | | 229,668 | |
Research & Insight Solutions | | 13,205 | | | 15,390 | | | 41,028 | | | 46,574 | |
Total | | $ | 88,479 | | . | $ | 91,000 | | | $ | 261,111 | | | $ | 276,242 | |
The following table presents the Company's revenue disaggregated by geographical market and timing of transfer of products and services. The Company attributes revenue to geographical markets based on the location of the customer.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
(In thousands) | | Three Months Ended September 30, | | Nine Months Ended September 30, |
By geographical market: | | 2024 | | 2023 | | 2024 | | 2023 |
United States | | $ | 78,846 | | | $ | 82,192 | | | $ | 233,058 | | | $ | 249,832 | |
Europe | | 5,456 | | | 4,617 | | | 15,630 | | | 13,845 | |
Latin America | | 1,758 | | | 1,745 | | | 5,203 | | | 5,170 | |
Canada | | 1,368 | | | 1,408 | | | 4,221 | | | 4,249 | |
Other | | 1,051 | | | 1,038 | | | 2,999 | | | 3,146 | |
Total | | $ | 88,479 | | | $ | 91,000 | | | $ | 261,111 | | | $ | 276,242 | |
| | | | | | | | |
By timing of revenue recognition: | | | | | | | | |
Products and services transferred over time | | $ | 77,741 | | | $ | 78,179 | | | $ | 227,416 | | | $ | 234,803 | |
Products and services transferred at a point in time | | 10,738 | | | 12,821 | | | 33,695 | | | 41,439 | |
Total | | $ | 88,479 | | | $ | 91,000 | | | $ | 261,111 | | | $ | 276,242 | |
Contract Balances
The following table provides information about receivables, contract assets, contract liabilities and customer advances from contracts with customers:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | As of | | As of |
(In thousands) | | September 30, 2024 | | December 31, 2023 |
Accounts receivable, net | | $ | 55,165 | | | $ | 63,826 | |
Current and non-current contract assets | | 5,267 | | | 8,833 | |
Current contract liabilities | | 45,500 | | | 48,912 | |
Current customer advances | | 8,034 | | | 11,076 | |
Non-current contract liabilities | | 977 | | | 605 | |
Significant changes in the current contract liabilities balance are as follows:
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Nine Months Ended September 30, |
(In thousands) | 2024 | | 2023 |
Revenue recognized that was included in the opening contract liabilities balance | $ | (46,807) | | | $ | (46,883) | |
Cash received or amounts billed in advance and not recognized as revenue | 39,728 | | | 43,651 | |
Remaining Performance Obligations
As of September 30, 2024, approximately $200 million of revenue is expected to be recognized from remaining performance obligations that are unsatisfied (or partially unsatisfied) for non-cancelable contracts with an original expected duration of longer than one year. The Company expects to recognize revenue on approximately 17% of these remaining performance obligations during the remainder of 2024, approximately 48% in 2025, and approximately 23% in 2026, with the remainder recognized thereafter.
4.Goodwill
The Company tests goodwill for impairment annually during the fourth quarter as of October 1, or more frequently when events or changes in circumstances indicate that fair value is below carrying value. In the third quarter of 2024, the Company concluded that it was more likely than not that the estimated fair value of its reporting unit was less than its carrying value. In its assessment, the Company considered changes in the
Company's stock price, market and equity capitalization, operating results and projections. The Company performed quantitative testing on its reporting unit using a discounted cash flow model (a form of the income approach) utilizing Level 3 unobservable inputs, supported by a market approach. The Company relied in part on the work of an independent valuation firm engaged by the Company to provide inputs as to the fair value of the reporting unit and to assist in the related calculations and analysis. The Company's reporting unit did not pass the goodwill impairment test, and as a result the Company recorded a $63.0 million non-cash impairment charge for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024.
In the second quarter of 2023, the Company concluded that it was more likely than not that the estimated fair value of its reporting unit was less than its carrying value. In its assessment, the Company considered the decline in the Company's stock price and market capitalization, among other factors. The Company performed quantitative testing on its reporting unit using a discounted cash flow model (a form of the income approach) utilizing Level 3 unobservable inputs, supported by a market approach. The Company relied in part on the work of an independent valuation firm engaged by the Company to provide inputs as to the fair value of the reporting unit and to assist in the related calculations and analysis. The Company's reporting unit did not pass the goodwill impairment test, and as a result the Company recorded a $44.1 million non-cash impairment charge for the nine months ended September 30, 2023.
The change in the carrying value of goodwill is as follows:
| | | | | | |
(In thousands) | | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
Balance as of December 31, 2022 | $ | 387,973 | | |
Impairment charge | (78,200) | | |
Translation adjustments | 587 | | |
Balance as of December 31, 2023 | 310,360 | | |
Impairment charge | (63,000) | | |
Translation adjustments | 100 | | |
| | |
Balance as of September 30, 2024 | $ | 247,460 | | |
5.Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock and Stockholders' Equity (Deficit)
2021 Issuance of Preferred Stock
On March 10, 2021, the Company issued and sold 82,527,609 shares of Preferred Stock in exchange for aggregate gross proceeds of $204.0 million. Net proceeds from the Transactions totaled $187.9 million after deducting issuance costs.
The holders of Preferred Stock are entitled to participate in all dividends declared on the Common Stock on an as-converted basis and are also entitled to a cumulative dividend at the rate of 7.5% per annum, payable annually in arrears (on June 30 of each year) and subject to increase under certain specified circumstances. The annual dividend accrues on a daily basis from and including the issuance date of such shares, whether or not declared. In the event the annual dividends are not paid on the annual payment date, the dividends otherwise payable on such date shall continue to accrue and cumulate at a rate of 9.5% per annum, until such failure is cured.
In addition, the holders of Preferred Stock are entitled to request, and the Company will take all actions reasonably necessary to pay, a one-time dividend ("Special Dividend") equal to the highest dividend that the Company's Board determines can be paid at the applicable time (or a lesser amount agreed upon by the holders), subject to additional conditions and limitations set forth in a Stockholders Agreement entered into by the Company and the holders on March 10, 2021 and amended on July 24, 2024 (the "Stockholders Agreement"). As set forth in the Stockholders Agreement, the Company may be obligated to obtain debt financing in order to effectuate the Special Dividend.
At the annual meeting of stockholders of the Company held on June 15, 2023 (the "Annual Meeting"), the Company's stockholders approved proposals permitting the payment of annual dividends on the Preferred Stock in the form of cash, shares of Common Stock, additional shares of Preferred Stock, or a combination thereof, subject to conditions set forth in the Certificate of Designations of the Preferred Stock. On the same date, each holder of Preferred Stock waived its right to receive on June 30, 2023 the annual dividends otherwise payable by the Company on that date (the "June 2023 Waivers"). Upon receipt of the June 2023 Waivers, the Company's Board elected to defer the June 30, 2023 payment. Under the June 2023 Waivers and the Certificate of Designations, the deferred dividends would accrue and accumulate at a rate of 9.5% per year from June 30, 2023 until declared and paid, with payment to occur on or before December 31, 2023.
On December 26, 2023, each holder of Preferred Stock waived its right to receive the deferred dividends on or before December 31, 2023 (the "December Waivers"). Under the December Waivers and the Certificate of Designations, the deferred dividends would continue to accrue and accumulate at a rate of 9.5% per year until declared and paid, with payment to occur on or before June 30, 2024.
On June 27, 2024, each holder of Preferred Stock further waived its right to receive the deferred dividends on or before June 30, 2024 (the "June 2024 Waivers"). In addition, each holder waived its right to receive on June 30, 2024 the annual dividends otherwise payable on that date for the dividend period ending June 29, 2024. Under the June 2024 Waivers and the Certificate of Designations, the deferred dividends for both periods (2023 and 2024) would continue to accrue and accumulate at a rate of 9.5% per year until declared and paid, with payment to occur on or before July 31, 2024.
2024 Issuance of Preferred Stock
On July 24, 2024 (the "2024 Issuance Date"), the Company issued 13,257,294 shares of Preferred Stock (the "2024 Preferred Stock") to the existing holders of Preferred Stock in exchange for cancellation of the Company's obligation to pay the deferred dividends totaling $32.8 million to such holders for annual dividend periods ended in 2023 and 2024. As of the 2024 Issuance Date, shares of 2024 Preferred Stock were convertible into 662,862 shares of the Company's Common Stock, representing an effective conversion price of $49.438 per share for the canceled dividend obligation.
Shares of 2024 Preferred Stock have the same terms and conditions as the Preferred Stock previously issued by the Company, including that holders are entitled to cumulative dividends at a rate of 7.5% per annum, payable annually in arrears and subject to increase under certain circumstances.
In connection with the issuance, the Company and the holders of Preferred Stock also entered into an amendment to the Stockholders Agreement. Among other things, the amendment reduced the $100.0 million Special Dividend threshold set forth in the Stockholders Agreement by an amount equal to the liquidation preference of the 2024 Preferred Stock ($32.8 million). After further reducing the threshold by annual dividends paid in prior years, the current Special Dividend threshold is $47.0 million.
For purposes of the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements, the 2024 Preferred Stock issuance was deemed to be a payment of the deferred dividends in the form of Preferred Stock, and the cancellation of the deferred dividend balance constituted an extinguishment of the liability. For extinguishments of a liability, the difference between the requisition price and the net carrying amount of the liability being extinguished should be recognized as a gain or loss when the liability is extinguished. Therefore, the Company estimated the fair value using a binomial lattice model, a form of the income approach, utilizing Level 3 unobservable inputs. The Company used significant inputs and assumptions which included the price and expected volatility of the Common Stock, risk-adjusted discount rate, risk-free rate, expected term, deferred dividends and the timing and probability of a Special Dividend being called and paid as of the 2024 Issuance Date. The Company recorded the fair value of the 2024 Preferred Stock, net of issuance costs of $19.6 million within mezzanine equity. The remaining $13.0 million of the cancelled dividend balance was recognized in additional paid-in capital on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of September 30, 2024, because gains in transactions with related parties are recognized as equity contributions.
The Preferred Stock (including the 2024 Preferred Stock) is convertible at the option of the holders at any time into a number of shares of Common Stock based on a conversion rate set in accordance with the Certificate of Designations of the Preferred Stock. The conversion right is subject to certain anti-dilution adjustments and customary provisions related to partial dividend periods. Due to the Reverse Stock Split effected on December 20, 2023, the conversion factor was adjusted to 0.05 pursuant to the Certificate of Designations of the Preferred Stock.
As of September 30, 2024, each share of Preferred Stock (including each share of 2024 Preferred Stock) was convertible into 0.050934 shares of Common Stock, with such assumed conversion rate scheduled to return to 0.05 upon payment of accrued dividends. As of September 30, 2024, no shares of Preferred Stock had been converted into Common Stock, and accrued dividends for the Preferred Stock totaled $4.4 million.
2019 Issuance and Sale of Common Stock and Warrants
On June 23, 2019, the Company entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement with CVI Investments, Inc. ("CVI"), pursuant to which CVI agreed to purchase (i) 136,425 shares of Common Stock (the "Initial Shares"), at a price of $146.60 per share and (ii) Series A Warrants, Series B-1 Warrants, Series B-2 Warrants and Series C Warrants, for aggregate gross proceeds of $20.0 million (the "Private Placement"). The Private Placement closed on June 26, 2019 (the "CVI Closing Date"). The Series B-1 Warrants and Series B-2 Warrants expired in 2020.
The Series C Warrants were exercised on October 10, 2019. As a result of this exercise, the Company issued 136,425 shares of Common Stock to CVI on October 14, 2019. In addition, the number of shares that were issuable under the Series A Warrants was increased by 136,425.
The Series A Warrants were exercisable by the holders for a period of five years from the CVI Closing Date and were exercisable into 272,851 shares of Common Stock, which was equal to the Initial Shares plus the number of shares issued pursuant to the exercise of the Series C Warrants (described above), at an adjusted exercise price equal to $15.83. The Series A Warrants expired on June 26, 2024.
6.Debt
Revolving Credit Agreement
On May 5, 2021, the Company entered into a senior secured revolving credit agreement (the "Revolving Credit Agreement") among the Company, as borrower, certain subsidiaries of the Company, as guarantors, Bank of America N.A., as administrative agent (in such capacity, the "Agent"), and the lenders from time to time party thereto.
The Revolving Credit Agreement had an original borrowing capacity equal to $25.0 million and bore interest on borrowings at a Eurodollar Rate (as defined in the Revolving Credit Agreement) that was based on LIBOR. The Company could also request the issuance of letters of credit under the Revolving Credit Agreement in an aggregate amount up to $5.0 million, which would reduce the amount of available borrowings by the amount of such issued and outstanding letters of credit. The facility originally had a maturity of three years from the closing date of the agreement.
On February 25, 2022, the Company entered into an amendment (the "2022 Amendment") to the Revolving Credit Agreement to expand its aggregate borrowing capacity from $25.0 million to $40.0 million. The 2022 Amendment also replaced the Eurodollar Rate with a SOFR-based
interest rate and modified the Applicable Rate definition in the Revolving Credit Agreement to increase the Applicable Rate payable on SOFR-based loans to 2.50%. Finally, the 2022 Amendment modified certain financial covenants under the Revolving Credit Agreement.
On February 24, 2023, the Company entered into an additional amendment (the "2023 Amendment") to the Revolving Credit Agreement. Among other things, the 2023 Amendment (i) increased the minimum Consolidated EBITDA and Consolidated Asset Coverage Ratio financial covenant requirements under the Revolving Credit Agreement, (ii) modified the measurement periods for certain financial covenants contained in the Revolving Credit Agreement, (iii) introduced a minimum liquidity covenant, and (iv) modified the Applicable Rate definition in the Revolving Credit Agreement to increase the Applicable Rate payable on SOFR-based loans to 3.50%.
On May 3, 2024, the Company entered into a third amendment (the "May 2024 Amendment") to the Revolving Credit Agreement. Among other things, the May 2024 Amendment (i) extended the maturity date of the facility from May 5, 2024 to November 5, 2024; (ii) reduced the Company's aggregate borrowing capacity under the facility from $40.0 million to $25.0 million; (iii) increased the Applicable Rate payable on SOFR-based loans to 4.50%; (iv) increased the minimum Consolidated Asset Coverage Ratio covenant and decreased the minimum liquidity covenant; (v) limited certain Restricted Payments (as defined in the Revolving Credit Agreement) with respect to the Company's equity interests; (vi) required a repayment of $6.0 million to reduce the principal amount outstanding under the Revolving Credit Agreement; (vii) updated certain defined terms in the Revolving Credit Agreement to reflect the May 2023 transfer of shares of Preferred Stock from Qurate to Liberty; and (viii) provided for certain amendment fees, including a fee of 2.0% of aggregate commitments due on the maturity date (November 5, 2024) unless all obligations were paid in full prior to such date.
As of September 30, 2024, the Revolving Credit Agreement required the Company to maintain:
•a minimum Consolidated Asset Coverage Ratio (as defined in the Revolving Credit Agreement) of not less than 2.5 to 1.0, tested as of the last day of each calendar month from and after the calendar month ending May 31, 2024;
•a minimum Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio (as defined in the Revolving Credit Agreement) of not less than 1.25 to 1.0 for the most recently ended four fiscal quarter period, tested as of the last day of each fiscal quarter ending on or after March 31, 2024; and
•minimum Liquidity (as defined in the Revolving Credit Agreement) of $22.0 million, tested as of the last business day of each calendar month from and after the calendar month ending March 31, 2024.
The Revolving Credit Agreement contains restrictive covenants that limit the Company's ability to, among other things, incur additional indebtedness or liens, make investments and loans, enter into mergers and acquisitions, make or declare dividends and other payments, enter into certain contracts, sell assets and engage in transactions with affiliates. The Revolving Credit Agreement is also subject to customary events of default, including a change in control. If an event of default occurs and is continuing, the Agent or the Required Lenders may accelerate any amounts outstanding and terminate lender commitments. The Company was in compliance with the covenants under the Revolving Credit Agreement as of September 30, 2024.
The Revolving Credit Agreement is guaranteed by the Company and its domestic subsidiaries (other than Excluded Subsidiaries (as defined in the Revolving Credit Agreement)) and is secured by a first lien security interest in substantially all assets of the Company and its domestic subsidiaries (other than Excluded Subsidiaries), subject to certain customary exclusions.
As of September 30, 2024, the Company had outstanding borrowings of $10.0 million, and issued and outstanding letters of credit of $3.2 million, under the amended Revolving Credit Agreement, with remaining borrowing capacity of $11.8 million. The outstanding borrowings are classified within current liabilities based on the maturity date of the facility.
On November 1, 2024, the Company repaid the outstanding borrowings under the Revolving Credit Agreement. On November 5, 2024, the Company entered into a fourth amendment (the "November 2024 Amendment") to the Revolving Credit Agreement. Among other things, the November 2024 Amendment extended the maturity date with respect to the outstanding letters of credit and reduced the aggregate commitments to equal the outstanding letters of credit ($3.2 million). For additional information about the November 2024 Amendment, refer to Footnote 12, Subsequent Events. 7.Fair Value Measurements
The Company's financial instruments measured at fair value in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets on a recurring basis consist of the following:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| As of | | As of |
| September 30, 2024 | | December 31, 2023 |
(In thousands) | Level 1 | | Level 2 | | Level 3 | | Total | | Level 1 | | Level 2 | | Level 3 | | Total |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Liabilities | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Contingent consideration liability (1) | $ | — | | | $ | 1,191 | | | $ | — | | | $ | 1,191 | | | $ | — | | | $ | 4,806 | | | $ | — | | | $ | 4,806 | |
Warrants liability (2) | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | 669 | | | 669 | |
Total liabilities | $ | — | | | $ | 1,191 | | | $ | — | | | $ | 1,191 | | | $ | — | | | $ | 4,806 | | | $ | 669 | | | $ | 5,475 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
(1) The fair value of this liability as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023 is derived from a technique which utilizes market-corroborated inputs that result in classification as a Level 2 fair value measurement as of such date. The contingent consideration liability is classified as current on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023.
(2) The fair value of this liability was derived from a technique which utilized inputs, certain of which were significant and unobservable, that resulted in classification as a Level 3 fair value measurement. Warrants liability included only the Series A warrants as of December 31, 2023. Warrants liability was classified within other current liabilities on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Series A Warrants expired on June 26, 2024 and there are no warrants outstanding as of September 30, 2024.
There were no changes to the Company's valuation techniques or methodologies during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023.
The following tables present the changes in the Company's recurring Level 3 fair valued instruments for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively:
| | | | | | | | |
(In thousands) | | Warrants Liability |
Balance as of December 31, 2023 | | $ | 669 | |
Total gain recognized due to remeasurement and expiration of warrants (1) | | (669) | |
Balance as of September 30, 2024 | | $ | — | |
(1) The gain due to remeasurement and expiration of warrants was recorded in other income, net, in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive (Loss) Income. The Series A warrants expired unexercised on June 26, 2024.
| | | | | | | | |
(In thousands) | | Warrants Liability |
Balance as of December 31, 2022 | | $ | 718 | |
Total gain recognized due to remeasurement (1) | | (407) | |
Balance as of September 30, 2023 | | $ | 311 | |
(1) The gain due to remeasurement of the warrants liability was recorded in other income, net, in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive (Loss) Income.
The following table displays the valuation technique and the significant inputs, certain of which were unobservable, for the Company's Level 3 liabilities that existed as of December 31, 2023:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Fair Value Measurements |
| | Significant Valuation Technique | | Significant Valuation Inputs | | | | December 31, 2023 |
Warrants liability | | Option pricing | | Stock price | | | | $16.70 |
| | | | Exercise price | | | | $20.20 |
| | | | Volatility | | | | 75.0% |
| | | | Term | | | | 0.49 years |
| | | | Risk-free rate | | | | 5.3% |
The primary sensitivities in the valuation of the warrants liability were driven by the exercise price, the Common Stock price at the measurement date and the expected volatility of the Common Stock over the remaining term.
Fair Value Measurements on a Nonrecurring Basis
The Company recorded a non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $63.0 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and $44.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023. Refer to Footnote 4, Goodwill for further details. The remeasurement of goodwill is classified as a non-recurring Level 3 fair value assessment due to the significance of unobservable inputs developed in the determination of the fair value. The Company used a discounted cash flow model to determine the estimated fair value of the reporting unit. The Company made estimates and assumptions regarding future cash flows, discount rates, long-term growth rates and market values to determine the reporting unit's estimated fair value. It is possible that future changes in such circumstances, or in the variables associated with the judgments, assumptions and estimates used in assessing the fair value of the reporting unit, would require the Company to record additional non-cash impairment charges. The Company recorded the 2024 Preferred Stock of $19.6 million within mezzanine equity and $13.0 million within additional paid-in capital as of September 30, 2024, which was based on the calculated fair value net of issuance costs. Refer to Footnote 5, Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock and Stockholders' Equity (Deficit) for further details. The initial measurement of the 2024 Preferred Stock issuance is classified as a non-recurring Level 3 fair value assessment due to the significance of unobservable inputs developed in the determination of the fair value. The Company used a binomial lattice model, a form of the income approach, to determine the fair value of the 2024 Preferred Stock at the 2024 Issuance Date. The Company used significant inputs and assumptions which included the price and expected volatility of the Common Stock, risk-adjusted discount rate, risk-free rate, expected term, deferred dividends and the timing and probability of a Special Dividend being called and paid as of the 2024 Issuance Date.
8.Accrued Expenses
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | As of | | As of |
(In thousands) | | September 30, 2024 | | December 31, 2023 |
Accrued data costs | | $ | 17,543 | | | $ | 15,529 | |
Payroll and payroll-related | | 6,519 | | | 10,604 | |
Professional fees | | 1,507 | | | 2,203 | |
Restructuring accrual | | 551 | | | 1,630 | |
Other | | 2,381 | | | 4,456 | |
Total accrued expenses | | $ | 28,501 | | | $ | 34,422 | |
9.Related Party Transactions
Transactions with WPP
As of September 30, 2024 (based on public filings), WPP plc and its affiliates ("WPP") owned 565,968 shares of the Company's outstanding Common Stock, representing 11.6% of the outstanding Common Stock. The Company provides WPP, in the normal course of business, services amongst its different product lines and receives various services from WPP supporting the Company's data collection efforts.
The Company's results from transactions with WPP, as reflected in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive (Loss) Income, are as follows:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Three Months Ended September 30, | | Nine Months Ended September 30, |
(In thousands) | 2024 | | 2023 | | 2024 | | 2023 |
Revenues | $ | 1,789 | | | $ | 2,048 | | | $ | 5,051 | | | $ | 6,472 | |
Cost of revenues | 2,240 | | | 2,199 | | | 6,627 | | | 7,322 | |
The Company has the following balances related to transactions with WPP, as reflected in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets:
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| As of | | As of |
(In thousands) | September 30, 2024 | | December 31, 2023 |
Assets | | | |
Accounts receivable, net | $ | 705 | | | $ | 525 | |
Liabilities | | | |
Accounts payable | $ | 1,983 | | | $ | 1,673 | |
Accrued expenses | 333 | | | 399 | |
Contract liabilities | 430 | | | 1,447 | |
| | | |
Transactions with Charter, Qurate, Liberty and Pine
Through May 15, 2023, Charter, Qurate, and Pine each held 33.3% of the outstanding shares of Preferred Stock. On May 16, 2023, Qurate sold its Preferred Stock to Liberty, and as of September 30, 2024, Charter, Liberty and Pine each hold 33.3% of the outstanding shares of Preferred Stock. Charter, Liberty and Pine are entitled to convert the Preferred Stock into shares of Common Stock and to vote as a single class with the holders of the Common Stock as set forth in the Certificate of Designations. As of September 30, 2024 (based on public filings), Pine also owned 109,654 shares of the Company's outstanding Common Stock, representing 2.2% of the outstanding Common Stock. In addition, Charter, Liberty and Pine each designated two members of the Company's Board in accordance with the Stockholders Agreement.
At the Annual Meeting on June 15, 2023, the Company's stockholders approved proposals permitting the payment of annual dividends on the Preferred Stock in the form of cash, shares of Common Stock, additional shares of Preferred Stock, or a combination thereof. On the same date, each holder of Preferred Stock waived its right to receive on June 30, 2023 the annual dividends otherwise payable by the Company on that date. Under the waivers and the Certificate of Designations, the deferred dividends would accrue at a rate of 9.5% per year from June 30, 2023 until declared and paid, with payment to occur on or before December 31, 2023.
On December 26, 2023, each holder of Preferred Stock waived its right to receive the deferred dividends on or before December 31, 2023. Under the December Waivers and the Certificate of Designations, the deferred dividends would continue to accrue and accumulate at a rate of 9.5% per year until declared and paid, with payment to occur on or before June 30, 2024.
On June 27, 2024, each holder of Preferred Stock further waived its right to receive the deferred dividends on or before June 30, 2024. In addition, each holder waived its right to receive on June 30, 2024 the annual dividends otherwise payable on that date for the dividend period ending June 29, 2024. Under the June 2024 Waivers and the Certificate of Designations, the deferred dividends for both periods (2023 and 2024) would continue to accrue and accumulate at a rate of 9.5% per year until declared and paid, with payment to occur on or before July 31, 2024, subject to certain conditions.
On July 24, 2024, the Company issued 13,257,294 additional shares of Preferred Stock to the existing holders of Preferred Stock in exchange for cancellation of the Company's obligation to pay the deferred dividends totaling $32.8 million to such holders for annual dividend periods ended in 2023 and 2024. For further information refer to Footnote 5, Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock and Stockholders' Equity (Deficit). As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, Charter, Liberty and Pine each owned 31,928,301 and 27,509,203 shares of Preferred Stock, respectively. Accrued dividends to the holders of Preferred Stock as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023 were $4.4 million and $24.1 million, respectively.
Concurrent with the closing of the Transactions on March 10, 2021, the Company entered into a ten-year Data License Agreement ("DLA") with Charter Communications Operating, LLC ("Charter Operating"), an affiliate of Charter. Under the DLA, Charter Operating will bill the Company for license fees according to a payment schedule that gradually increases from $10.0 million in the first year of the term to $32.3 million in the tenth year of the term. The Company recognizes expense for the license fees ratably over the term. On November 6, 2022, the Company and Charter Operating entered into an amendment to the DLA, pursuant to which the Company received license fee credits totaling $7.0 million. In June 2023, the Company exchanged correspondence with counsel to Charter Operating regarding Charter Operating's compliance with certain terms of the DLA. In response, Charter Operating denied the Company's concerns and notified the Company of alleged breaches of the DLA by the Company. If either party were to terminate the DLA, all amounts then due to Charter Operating would be immediately due and payable, and Charter Operating could seek liquidated damages as set forth in the DLA. To date, however, neither party has indicated that it intends to terminate the DLA, and the parties are discussing a resolution to the matter.
The Company's results from transactions with Charter and its affiliates, as reflected in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive (Loss) Income, are detailed below:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Three Months Ended September 30, | | Nine Months Ended September 30, |
(In thousands) | 2024 | | 2023 | | 2024 | | 2023 |
Revenues | $ | 501 | | | $ | 501 | | | $ | 1,543 | | | $ | 1,500 | |
Cost of revenues | 5,124 | | | 4,979 | | | 16,337 | | | 14,929 | |
The Company has the following liability balances related to transactions with Charter and its affiliates, as reflected in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | As of | | As of |
(In thousands) | | September 30, 2024 | | December 31, 2023 |
Accounts payable | | $ | 15,879 | | | $ | 10,323 | |
Accrued expenses | | 5,106 | | | 3,382 | |
Non-current portion of accrued data costs | | 24,756 | | | 21,908 | |
The Company had no transactions with Pine and Liberty, other than the 2024 Preferred Stock issuance for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024. In the third quarter of 2023, the Company entered into a finance lease with a third-party vendor that is not a related party. In conjunction with this transaction, the third-party vendor purchased equipment for $2.5 million from a Pine affiliate (related party). The Company had no additional transactions with Pine and no transactions with Liberty for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023.
The Company recognized revenues of $0.2 million during the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, and $0.6 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 from transactions with Qurate and its affiliates in the normal course of business as reflected in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive (Loss) Income.
10.Organizational Restructuring
On September 29, 2022, the Company communicated a workforce reduction as part of its broader efforts to improve cost efficiency and better align its operating structure and resources with strategic priorities (collectively, the "Restructuring Plan"). In addition to employee terminations, the Restructuring Plan has included the reallocation of commercial and product development resources; reinvestment in and modernization of key technology platforms; consolidation of data storage and processing activities to reduce the Company's data center footprint; and reduction of other operating expenses, including software and facility costs. In connection with the Restructuring Plan, which was authorized by the Board on September 19, 2022, the Company has incurred certain exit-related costs. These costs were estimated to range between $10 million and $15 million. The Company believes that the Restructuring Plan, including cash payments, will be substantially complete in 2024.
The following table summarizes costs incurred related to the Restructuring Plan for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Three Months Ended September 30, | | Nine Months Ended September 30, | | | | | |
(In thousands) | 2024 | | 2023 | | 2024 | | 2023 | | |
Severance and related costs | $ | (38) | | | $ | 170 | | | $ | 788 | | | $ | 4,831 | | | | | | |
Other | 53 | | | 183 | | | 180 | | | 624 | | | | | | |
Total restructuring | $ | 15 | | | $ | 353 | | | $ | 968 | | | $ | 5,455 | | | | | | |
The table below summarizes the balance of restructuring liability as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, which is recorded in accrued expenses in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
(In thousands) | Severance and Related Costs | | Other | | Total Restructuring |
Balance as of December 31, 2023 | $ | 1,524 | | | $ | 106 | | | $ | 1,630 | |
Restructuring expense | 788 | | | 180 | | | 968 | |
Payments | (2,124) | | | (97) | | | (2,221) | |
Other | 345 | | | (171) | | | 174 | |
Balance as of September 30, 2024 | $ | 533 | | | $ | 18 | | | $ | 551 | |
| | | | | |
11.Commitments and Contingencies
Commitments
The Company has certain long-term contractual arrangements that have fixed and determinable payment obligations including unconditional purchase obligations with multichannel video programming distributors ("MVPDs") and other providers for set-top box and connected (Smart) television data. These agreements have remaining terms of less than one year to seven years. As of September 30, 2024, the total fixed payment obligations related to set-top box and connected television data agreements are $294.9 million and $25.4 million, respectively.
The information set forth below summarizes the contractual obligations, by year, as of September 30, 2024:
| | | | | |
| (In thousands) |
2024 (remaining) | $ | 14,340 | |
2025 | 56,155 | |
2026 | 60,522 | |
2027 | 48,641 | |
2028 | 40,659 | |
Thereafter | 99,971 | |
Total | $ | 320,288 | |
Contingencies
The Company is involved in various legal proceedings from time to time. The Company establishes reserves for specific legal proceedings when management determines that the likelihood of an unfavorable outcome is probable, and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated. The Company has also identified certain other legal matters where an unfavorable outcome is reasonably possible and/or for which no estimate of possible losses can be made. In these cases, the Company does not establish a reserve until it can reasonably estimate the loss. Legal fees related to contingencies are expensed as incurred. The outcomes of legal proceedings are inherently unpredictable, subject to significant uncertainties, and could be material to the Company's operating results and cash flows for a particular period.
Current Matters
The Company is, and may become, a party to a variety of legal proceedings from time to time that arise in the normal course of the Company's business. While the results of such legal proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty, management believes that, based on current knowledge, the final outcome of any such current pending matters will not have a material adverse effect on the Company's financial position, results of operations or cash flows. Regardless of the outcome, legal proceedings can have a material effect on the Company because of defense costs, diversion of management resources and other factors.
Indemnification
The Company has entered into indemnification agreements with each of the Company's directors and certain officers, and the Company's amended and restated certificate of incorporation requires it to indemnify each of its directors and officers, to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law, who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding by
reason of the fact that he or she is or was a director or officer of the Company. The Company has paid and may in the future pay legal counsel fees incurred by current and former directors and officers who are involved in legal proceedings that require indemnification.
Similarly, certain of the Company's commercial contracts require it to indemnify contract counterparties under specified circumstances, and the Company may incur legal counsel fees and other costs in connection with these obligations.
12.Subsequent Events
On November 1, 2024, the Company repaid the outstanding principal balance of $10.0 million under the Revolving Credit Agreement. On November 5, 2024, the Company entered into a fourth amendment (the "November 2024 Amendment") to the Revolving Credit Agreement to extend the maturity date with respect to the outstanding letters of credit under the facility to January 31, 2025. The November 2024 Amendment reduced the aggregate lender commitments under the Revolving Credit Agreement to equal the outstanding letters of credit (totaling $3.2 million) and limited the purpose of, and use of proceeds under, the Revolving Credit Agreement to the issuance of letters of credit.
Additionally, the November 2024 Amendment terminated the following financial covenants: (i) the minimum Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio, (ii) the minimum Consolidated Asset Coverage Ratio, and (iii) the minimum Liquidity requirement, each as defined in the Revolving Credit Agreement. The November 2024 Amendment maintained the same non-financial covenants, security interest and interest rate as in effect immediately prior to the November 2024 Amendment, each as described in Footnote 6, Debt. Finally, the November 2024 Amendment provided for certain amendment fees, including a fee of $250,000 due on the new maturity date (January 31, 2025) unless all letters of credit are terminated or cash collateralized on or prior to such date.
ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and the related Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part I, Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, or 10-Q. In addition to historical financial information, the following discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Our actual results and timing of selected events in future periods may differ materially from those anticipated or implied in these forward-looking statements as a result of many factors, including those discussed under Item 1A, "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 (the "2023 10-K"), under Item 1A, "Risk Factors" in this 10-Q and elsewhere in this 10-Q. See also "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" at the beginning of this 10-Q. Overview
We are a global information and analytics company that measures advertising, content, and the consumer audiences of each, across media platforms. We create our products using a global data platform that combines information on digital platforms (connected (Smart) televisions, mobile devices, tablets and computers), TV, direct to consumer applications, and movie screens with demographics and other descriptive information. We have developed proprietary data science that enables measurement of person-level and household-level audiences, removing duplicated viewing across devices and over time. This combination of data and methods enables a common standard for buyers and sellers to transact on advertising. This helps companies across the media ecosystem better understand and monetize their audiences and develop marketing plans and products to more efficiently and effectively reach those audiences. Our ability to unify behavioral and other descriptive data enables us to provide audience ratings, advertising verification and granular consumer segments that describe hundreds of millions of consumers. Our customers include digital publishers, television networks, movie studios, content owners, brand advertisers, agencies and technology providers.
The platforms we measure include televisions, mobile devices, computers, tablets, connected TV (CTV) devices and movie theaters. The information we analyze crosses geographies, types of content and activities, including websites, mobile and over-the-top applications, video games, television and movie programming, e-commerce and advertising.
Results of Operations
The following table sets forth selected Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive (Loss) Income data as a percentage of revenues for each of the periods indicated. Percentages may not add due to rounding.
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| Three Months Ended September 30, | | Nine Months Ended September 30, |
| 2024 | | 2023 | | 2024 | | 2023 |
(In thousands) | Dollars | | % of Revenue | | Dollars | | % of Revenue | | Dollars | | % of Revenue | | Dollars | | % of Revenue |
Revenues | $ | 88,479 | | | 100.0 | % | | $ | 91,000 | | | 100.0 | % | | $ | 261,111 | | | 100.0 | % | | $ | 276,242 | | | 100.0 | % |
Cost of revenues | 52,005 | | | 58.8 | % | | 50,473 | | | 55.5 | % | | 154,025 | | | 59.0 | % | | 155,360 | | | 56.2 | % |
Selling and marketing | 12,515 | | | 14.1 | % | | 14,794 | | | 16.3 | % | | 42,691 | | | 16.3 | % | | 48,984 | | | 17.7 | % |
Research and development | 7,272 | | | 8.2 | % | | 8,083 | | | 8.9 | % | | 24,412 | | | 9.3 | % | | 25,792 | | | 9.3 | % |
General and administrative | 11,116 | | | 12.6 | % | | 12,928 | | | 14.2 | % | | 35,663 | | | 13.7 | % | | 39,776 | | | 14.4 | % |
Amortization of intangible assets | 764 | | | 0.9 | % | | 800 | | | 0.9 | % | | 2,365 | | | 0.9 | % | | 4,412 | | | 1.6 | % |
Impairment of goodwill | 63,000 | | | 71.2 | % | | — | | | — | % | | 63,000 | | | 24.1 | % | | 44,100 | | | 16.0 | % |
Impairment of right-of-use and long-lived assets | 1,397 | | | 1.6 | % | | 1,502 | | | 1.7 | % | | 1,397 | | | 0.5 | % | | 1,502 | | | 0.5 | % |
Restructuring | 15 | | | — | % | | 353 | | | 0.4 | % | | 968 | | | 0.4 | % | | 5,455 | | | 2.0 | % |
Total expenses from operations | 148,084 | | | 167.4 | % | | 88,933 | | | 97.7 | % | | 324,521 | | | 124.3 | % | | 325,381 | | | 117.8 | % |
(Loss) income from operations | (59,605) | | | (67.4) | % | | 2,067 | | | 2.3 | % | | (63,410) | | | (24.3) | % | | (49,139) | | | (17.8) | % |
Other income, net | — | | | — | % | | 628 | | | 0.7 | % | | 651 | | | 0.2 | % | | 425 | | | 0.2 | % |
(Loss) gain from foreign currency transactions | (2,223) | | | (2.5) | % | | 1,090 | | | 1.2 | % | | (1,508) | | | (0.6) | % | | (544) | | | (0.2) | % |
Interest expense, net | (424) | | | (0.5) | % | | (426) | | | (0.5) | % | | (1,440) | | | (0.6) | % | | (1,141) | | | (0.4) | % |
(Loss) income before income taxes | (62,252) | | | (70.4) | % | | 3,359 | | | 3.7 | % | | (65,707) | | | (25.2) | % | | (50,399) | | | (18.2) | % |
Income tax benefit (provision) | 1,622 | | | 1.8 | % | | (741) | | | (0.8) | % | | 2,315 | | | 0.9 | % | | (563) | | | (0.2) | % |
Net (loss) income | $ | (60,630) | | | (68.5) | % | | $ | 2,618 | | | 2.9 | % | | $ | (63,392) | | | (24.3) | % | | $ | (50,962) | | | (18.4) | % |
Revenues
Our products and services are organized around solution groups that address customer needs, which are largely centered around measurement and insights. Accordingly, we evaluate revenues in the following two solution groups:
•Content & Ad Measurement represents the measurement portion of our business - measuring audiences across content and advertisements for linear TV, CTV, desktops, laptops, tablets and mobile devices. Product offerings reported in this solution group include our legacy subscription-based syndicated offerings that measure audiences for linear TV (national and local), digital and streaming, as well as theatrical box office receipts. Also included in this solution group are our transaction-based cross-platform products, Proximic by Comscore ("Proximic"), our Activation solution suite, and Comscore Campaign Ratings ("CCR"). These syndicated and cross-platform products are used as currency to plan and execute ad campaigns, measure the outcome of ad campaigns, optimize ad campaigns that are in-flight, activate programmatic campaigns, and make content easier for programmatic advertisers to reach.
•Research & Insight Solutions represents the custom solutions we provide that are tailored to our clients' specific needs. These offerings include custom TV, digital and cross-platform data feeds, as well as other data integrations. They also include our survey business, our Consumer Brand Health business, and other bespoke research, data and insight deliverables that help our clients better understand their business, competitive landscape, clients and market.
We categorize our revenue along these two solution groups; however, our cost structure is tracked at the corporate level and not by our solution groups. These costs include, but are not limited to, employee costs, purchased data, operational overhead, data storage and technology that supports multiple solution groups.
Revenues for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 were as follows:
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| Three Months Ended September 30, | | | | |
(In thousands) | 2024 | | % of Revenue | | 2023 | | % of Revenue | | $ Variance | | % Variance |
Content & Ad Measurement | | | | | | | | | | | |
Syndicated Audience | $ | 65,042 | | | 73.5 | % | | $ | 67,946 | | | 74.7 | % | | $ | (2,904) | | | (4.3) | % |
Cross-Platform | 10,232 | | | 11.6 | % | | 7,664 | | | 8.4 | % | | 2,568 | | | 33.5 | % |
Total Content & Ad Measurement | 75,274 | | | 85.1 | % | | 75,610 | | | 83.1 | % | | (336) | | | (0.4) | % |
Research & Insight Solutions | 13,205 | | | 14.9 | % | | 15,390 | | | 16.9 | % | | (2,185) | | | (14.2) | % |
Total revenues | $ | 88,479 | | | 100.0 | % | | $ | 91,000 | | | 100.0 | % | | $ | (2,521) | | | (2.8) | % |
Content & Ad Measurement revenue decreased due to lower revenue from our Syndicated Audience offerings, primarily related to lower renewals of our national TV and syndicated digital products, as well as lower variable cloud computing and processing reimbursements for certain custom TV data set deliveries. This decrease was offset by an increase in Cross-Platform revenue driven by increased usage of our Proximic products.
Research & Insight Solutions revenue decreased primarily due to lower deliveries of certain custom digital products.
Revenues for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 were as follows:
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| Nine Months Ended September 30, | | | | |
(In thousands) | 2024 | | % of Revenue | | 2023 | | % of Revenue | | $ Variance | | % Variance |
Content & Ad Measurement | | | | | | | | | | | |
Syndicated Audience | $ | 193,831 | | | 74.2 | % | | $ | 207,551 | | | 75.1 | % | | $ | (13,720) | | | (6.6) | % |
Cross-Platform | 26,252 | | | 10.1 | % | | 22,117 | | | 8.0 | % | | 4,135 | | | 18.7 | % |
Total Content & Ad Measurement | 220,083 | | | 84.3 | % | | 229,668 | | | 83.1 | % | | (9,585) | | | (4.2) | % |
Research & Insight Solutions | 41,028 | | | 15.7 | % | | 46,574 | | | 16.9 | % | | (5,546) | | | (11.9) | % |
Total revenues | $ | 261,111 | | | 100.0 | % | | $ | 276,242 | | | 100.0 | % | | $ | (15,131) | | | (5.5) | % |
Content & Ad Measurement revenue decreased due to lower revenue from our Syndicated Audience offerings, primarily related to lower renewals of our national TV and syndicated digital products, as well as lower variable cloud computing and processing reimbursements for certain custom TV data set deliveries. This decrease was largely offset by an increase in Cross-Platform revenue driven by increased usage of our Proximic products.
Research & Insight Solutions revenue decreased primarily due to lower deliveries of certain custom digital products.
Cost of Revenues
Cost of revenues consists primarily of expenses related to producing our products, operating our network infrastructure, the recruitment, maintenance and support of our consumer panels and amortization of capitalized fulfillment costs. These expenses include employee costs for salaries, benefits, stock-based compensation and other related personnel costs of network operations, survey operations, custom analytics and technical support, all of which are expensed as they are incurred. Cost of revenues also includes costs to obtain MVPD data sets and panel, census-based and other data sets used in our products as well as operational costs associated with our data centers, including depreciation expense associated with computer equipment and internally developed software that supports our panels and systems. Additionally, cost of revenues includes allocated overhead, which is comprised of lease expense and other facilities-related costs, and depreciation expense generated by general purpose equipment and software.
Cost of revenues for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 were as follows:
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| Three Months Ended September 30, | | |
(In thousands) | 2024 | | % of Revenue | | 2023 | | % of Revenue | | $ Change | | % Change |
Data costs | $ | 19,317 | | | 21.8 | % | | $ | 17,919 | | | 19.6 | % | | $ | 1,398 | | | 7.8 | % |
Employee costs | 8,582 | | | 9.7 | % | | 8,763 | | | 9.6 | % | | (181) | | | (2.1) | % |
Lease expense and depreciation | 7,354 | | | 8.3 | % | | 5,782 | | | 6.4 | % | | 1,572 | | | 27.2 | % |
Systems and bandwidth costs | 7,131 | | | 8.1 | % | | 9,257 | | | 10.2 | % | | (2,126) | | | (23.0) | % |
Panel costs | 3,372 | | | 3.8 | % | | 2,938 | | | 3.2 | % | | 434 | | | 14.8 | % |
Royalties and resellers | 1,870 | | | 2.1 | % | | 867 | | | 1.0 | % | | 1,003 | | | 115.7 | % |
Sample and survey costs | 1,557 | | | 1.8 | % | | 1,662 | | | 1.8 | % | | (105) | | | (6.3) | % |
Professional fees | 1,464 | | | 1.7 | % | | 2,049 | | | 2.3 | % | | (585) | | | (28.6) | % |
Technology | 1,090 | | | 1.2 | % | | 1,003 | | | 1.1 | % | | 87 | | | 8.7 | % |
Other | 268 | | | 0.3 | % | | 233 | | | 0.3 | % | | 35 | | | 15.0 | % |
Total cost of revenues | $ | 52,005 | | | 58.8 | % | | $ | 50,473 | | | 55.5 | % | | $ | 1,532 | | | 3.0 | % |
Lease expense and depreciation increased primarily due to higher depreciation driven by an increase in capitalized internal-use software and finance leases. Data costs increased primarily due to higher data licensing costs to expand our data footprint and data rights. Costs for royalties and resellers increased primarily due to increased sales for products in which we pay royalties. These increases were partially offset by a decrease in systems and bandwidth costs due to lower cloud computing and processing costs attributable to certain custom TV data set deliveries.
Cost of revenues for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 were as follows:
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| Nine Months Ended September 30, | | |
(In thousands) | 2024 | | % of Revenue | | 2023 | | % of Revenue | | $ Change | | % Change |
Data costs | $ | 57,647 | | | 22.2 | % | | $ | 54,126 | | | 19.5 | % | | $ | 3,521 | | | 6.5 | % |
Employee costs | 28,407 | | | 10.9 | % | | 28,379 | | | 10.3 | % | | 28 | | | 0.1 | % |
Systems and bandwidth costs | 20,460 | | | 7.8 | % | | 28,455 | | | 10.3 | % | | (7,995) | | | (28.1) | % |
Lease expense and depreciation | 19,996 | | | 7.7 | % | | 16,807 | | | 6.1 | % | | 3,189 | | | 19.0 | % |
Panel costs | 9,482 | | | 3.6 | % | | 10,399 | | | 3.8 | % | | (917) | | | (8.8) | % |
Professional fees | 4,769 | | | 1.8 | % | | 5,614 | | | 2.0 | % | | (845) | | | (15.1) | % |
Sample and survey costs | 4,735 | | | 1.8 | % | | 4,888 | | | 1.8 | % | | (153) | | | (3.1) | % |
Royalties and resellers | 4,545 | | | 1.7 | % | | 2,797 | | | 1.0 | % | | 1,748 | | | 62.5 | % |
Technology | 3,201 | | | 1.2 | % | | 3,104 | | | 1.1 | % | | 97 | | | 3.1 | % |
Other | 783 | | | 0.3 | % | | 791 | | | 0.3 | % | | (8) | | | (1.0) | % |
Total cost of revenues | $ | 154,025 | | | 59.0 | % | | $ | 155,360 | | | 56.2 | % | | $ | (1,335) | | | (0.9) | % |
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Systems and bandwidth costs decreased primarily due to lower cloud computing and processing costs attributable to certain custom TV data set deliveries. The decrease was partially offset by an increase in data costs primarily due to higher TV data licensing costs to expand our data footprint and data rights. Lease expense and depreciation increased primarily due to higher depreciation driven by an increase in capitalized internal-use software and finance leases. Royalties and resellers costs increased primarily due to increased sales for products in which we pay royalties.
Selling and Marketing
Selling and marketing expenses consist primarily of employee costs for salaries, benefits, commissions, stock-based compensation and other related costs for personnel associated with sales and marketing activities, as well as costs related to online and offline advertising, industry conferences, promotional materials, public relations, other sales and marketing programs and allocated overhead, which is comprised of lease expense and other facilities-related costs, and depreciation expense generated by general purpose equipment and software.
Selling and marketing expenses for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 were as follows:
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| Three Months Ended September 30, | | | | |
(In thousands) | 2024 | | % of Revenue | | 2023 | | % of Revenue | | $ Change | | % Change |
Employee costs | $ | 9,691 | | | 11.0 | % | | $ | 11,515 | | | 12.7 | % | | $ | (1,824) | | | (15.8) | % |
Technology | 811 | | | 0.9 | % | | 796 | | | 0.9 | % | | 15 | | | 1.9 | % |
Professional fees | 616 | | | 0.7 | % | | 808 | | | 0.9 | % | | (192) | | | (23.8) | % |
Lease expense and depreciation | 546 | | | 0.6 | % | | 815 | | | 0.9 | % | | (269) | | | (33.0) | % |
Marketing and advertising | 479 | | | 0.5 | % | | 557 | | | 0.6 | % | | (78) | | | (14.0) | % |
Other | 372 | | | 0.4 | % | | 303 | | | 0.3 | % | | 69 | | | 22.8 | % |
Total selling and marketing expenses | $ | 12,515 | | | 14.1 | % | | $ | 14,794 | | | 16.3 | % | | $ | (2,279) | | | (15.4) | % |
Employee costs decreased primarily due to a decrease in employee headcount related to our restructuring plan and a decrease in commissions.
Selling and marketing expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 were as follows:
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| Nine Months Ended September 30, | | | | |
(In thousands) | 2024 | | % of Revenue | | 2023 | | % of Revenue | | $ Change | | % Change |
Employee costs | $ | 33,127 | | | 12.6 | % | | $ | 39,266 | | | 14.2 | % | | $ | (6,139) | | | (15.6) | % |
Technology | 2,401 | | | 0.9 | % | | 2,351 | | | 0.9 | % | | 50 | | | 2.1 | % |
Lease expense and depreciation | 2,072 | | | 0.8 | % | | 2,332 | | | 0.8 | % | | (260) | | | (11.1) | % |
Marketing and advertising | 1,979 | | | 0.8 | % | | 1,662 | | | 0.6 | % | | 317 | | | 19.1 | % |
Professional fees | 1,832 | | | 0.7 | % | | 2,321 | | | 0.8 | % | | (489) | | | (21.1) | % |
Other | 1,280 | | | 0.5 | % | | 1,052 | | | 0.4 | % | | 228 | | | 21.7 | % |
Total selling and marketing expenses | $ | 42,691 | | | 16.3 | % | | $ | 48,984 | | | 17.7 | % | | $ | (6,293) | | | (12.8) | % |
Employee costs decreased primarily due to a decrease in employee headcount related to our restructuring plan and a decrease in commissions.
Research and Development
Research and development expenses include product development costs, consisting primarily of employee costs for salaries, benefits, stock-based compensation and other related costs for personnel associated with research and development activities, third-party expenses to develop new products and third-party data costs and allocated overhead, which is comprised of lease expense and other facilities-related costs, and depreciation expense related to general purpose equipment and software.
Research and development expenses for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 were as follows:
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| Three Months Ended September 30, | | | | |
(In thousands) | 2024 | | % of Revenue | | 2023 | | % of Revenue | | $ Change | | % Change |
Employee costs | $ | 5,252 | | | 5.9 | % | | $ | 6,291 | | | 6.9 | % | | $ | (1,039) | | | (16.5) | % |
Technology | 758 | | | 0.9 | % | | 823 | | | 0.9 | % | | (65) | | | (7.9) | % |
Professional fees | 702 | | | 0.8 | % | | 209 | | | 0.3 | % | | 493 | | | 235.9 | % |
Lease expense and depreciation | 450 | | | 0.5 | % | | 645 | | | 0.7 | % | | (195) | | | (30.2) | % |
Other | 110 | | | 0.1 | % | | 115 | | | 0.1 | % | | (5) | | | (4.3) | % |
Total research and development expenses | $ | 7,272 | | | 8.2 | % | | $ | 8,083 | | | 8.9 | % | | $ | (811) | | | (10.0) | % |
Employee costs decreased primarily due to a decrease in employee bonus expense.
Research and development expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 were as follows:
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| Nine Months Ended September 30, | | | | |
(In thousands) | 2024 | | % of Revenue | | 2023 | | % of Revenue | | $ Change | | % Change |
Employee costs | $ | 18,132 | | | 6.9 | % | | $ | 20,435 | | | 7.3 | % | | $ | (2,303) | | | (11.3) | % |
Technology | 2,298 | | | 0.9 | % | | 2,541 | | | 0.9 | % | | (243) | | | (9.6) | % |
Professional fees | 1,919 | | | 0.7 | % | | 562 | | | 0.2 | % | | 1,357 | | | 241.5 | % |
Lease expense and depreciation | 1,725 | | | 0.7 | % | | 1,833 | | | 0.7 | % | | (108) | | | (5.9) | % |
Other | 338 | | | 0.1 | % | | 421 | | | 0.2 | % | | (83) | | | (19.7) | % |
Total research and development expenses | $ | 24,412 | | | 9.3 | % | | $ | 25,792 | | | 9.3 | % | | $ | (1,380) | | | (5.4) | % |
Employee costs decreased primarily due to an increase in employee compensation that was capitalized in 2024 in relation to capitalized software projects as we allocated more resources to product development, as well as a decrease in employee bonus expense. This decrease was partially offset by an increase in professional fees primarily due to a change in cost allocation to better align costs with the services provided.
General and Administrative
General and administrative expenses consist primarily of employee costs for salaries, benefits, stock-based compensation and other related costs, and related expenses for executive management, finance, human capital, legal and other administrative functions, as well as professional fees, overhead, including allocated overhead, which is comprised of lease expense and other facilities-related costs, depreciation expense related to general purpose equipment and software, amortization of cloud-computing implementation costs, changes in the fair value of our contingent consideration liability, Board of Directors compensation and expenses incurred for other general corporate purposes.
General and administrative expenses for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 were as follows:
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| Three Months Ended September 30, | | | | |
(In thousands) | 2024 | | % of Revenue | | 2023 | | % of Revenue | | $ Change | | % Change |
Employee costs | $ | 5,307 | | | 6.1 | % | | $ | 6,775 | | | 7.5 | % | | $ | (1,468) | | | (21.7) | % |
Professional fees | 2,949 | | | 3.3 | % | | 3,408 | | | 3.7 | % | | (459) | | | (13.5) | % |
Technology | 810 | | | 0.9 | % | | 836 | | | 0.9 | % | | (26) | | | (3.1) | % |
Lease expense and depreciation | 259 | | | 0.3 | % | | 373 | | | 0.4 | % | | (114) | | | (30.6) | % |
Other | 1,791 | | | 2.0 | % | | 1,536 | | | 1.7 | % | | 255 | | | 16.6 | % |
Total general and administrative expenses | $ | 11,116 | | | 12.6 | % | | $ | 12,928 | | | 14.2 | % | | $ | (1,812) | | | (14.0) | % |
Employee costs decreased primarily due to a decrease in employee bonus expense.
General and administrative expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 were as follows:
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| Nine Months Ended September 30, | | | | |
(In thousands) | 2024 | | % of Revenue | | 2023 | | % of Revenue | | $ Change | | % Change |
Employee costs | $ | 17,714 | | | 6.8 | % | | $ | 20,972 | | | 7.6 | % | | $ | (3,258) | | | (15.5) | % |
Professional fees | 9,645 | | | 3.7 | % | | 10,816 | | | 3.9 | % | | (1,171) | | | (10.8) | % |
Technology | 2,503 | | | 1.0 | % | | 2,539 | | | 0.9 | % | | (36) | | | (1.4) | % |
Lease expense and depreciation | 1,009 | | | 0.4 | % | | 1,052 | | | 0.4 | % | | (43) | | | (4.1) | % |
Other | 4,792 | | | 1.8 | % | | 4,397 | | | 1.6 | % | | 395 | | | 9.0 | % |
Total general and administrative expenses | $ | 35,663 | | | 13.7 | % | | $ | 39,776 | | | 14.4 | % | | $ | (4,113) | | | (10.3) | % |
Employee costs decreased primarily due to a decrease in employee headcount related to our restructuring plan and a decrease in employee bonus expense. Additionally, professional fees decreased primarily due to a decrease in corporate insurance costs.
Amortization of Intangible Assets
Amortization expense consists of charges related to the amortization of intangible assets associated with acquisitions. Amortization of intangible assets was $0.8 million and $2.4 million during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and $0.8 million and $4.4 million during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, respectively. The decrease of $2.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 versus the nine months ended September 30, 2023 was primarily due to amortization for certain customer relationships, methodologies and technology intangibles related to our 2016 Rentrak merger reaching the end of their useful lives in 2023.
Organizational Restructuring
We incurred $15 thousand and $1.0 million of restructuring expense during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and $0.4 million and $5.5 million during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, respectively, related to the implementation of a restructuring plan that included a workforce reduction communicated in 2022. We expect the 2022 restructuring plan to be substantially complete in 2024. For further information refer to Footnote 10, Organizational Restructuring. Impairment of Goodwill
In the third quarter of 2024, as a result of changes in our stock price, market and equity capitalization, operating results and projections, we performed an interim impairment review of our goodwill in conjunction with our October 1, 2024 annual testing date. Our reporting unit did not pass the goodwill impairment test, and as a result we recorded a $63.0 million non-cash impairment charge in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024.
In the second quarter of 2023, as a result of a decline in our stock price and market capitalization, among other factors, we performed an interim impairment review of our goodwill. Our reporting unit did not pass the goodwill impairment test, and as a result we recorded a $44.1 million non-cash impairment charge in the nine months ended September 30, 2023. For further information on our goodwill, refer to Footnote 4, Goodwill in this 10-Q and Item 7, "Critical Accounting Estimates" within our 2023 10-K.
Impairment of Right-of-use and Long-lived Assets
In the third quarter of 2024, we recorded an impairment charge of $1.4 million related to certain office space lease right-of-use assets and associated leasehold improvements. The impairment charge was driven by the execution of a sublease for an office space for which expected cash receipts are less than the cash disbursements for the primary lease.
In the third quarter of 2023, we recorded an impairment charge of $1.5 million related to certain office space lease right-of-use assets and related long-lived assets. The impairment charge was driven by our abandonment of certain leased office spaces prior to the end of the lease terms. For further information refer to Footnote 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies. Other Income, Net
Other income, net represents income and expenses incurred that are generally not recurring in nature or are not part of our regular operations. The following is a summary of other income, net for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Three Months Ended September 30, | | Nine Months Ended September 30, |
(In thousands) | 2024 | | 2023 | | 2024 | | 2023 |
Change in fair value of warrants liability | $ | — | | | $ | 634 | | | $ | 669 | | | $ | 407 | |
| | | | | | | |
Other | — | | | (6) | | | (18) | | | 18 | |
Total other income, net | $ | — | | | $ | 628 | | | $ | 651 | | | $ | 425 | |
The change in other income, net for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 as compared to the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 was primarily driven by changes in the fair value of our warrants liability. The gain on the warrants liability for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 was primarily due to a decrease in the trading price of our Common Stock during the first quarter of 2024 and the Series A warrants expiring unexercised in the second quarter of 2024, as described in Footnote 5, Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock and Stockholders' Equity (Deficit). The gain on the warrants liability for the three months ended September 30, 2023 was primarily due to a decrease in the trading price of our Common Stock during the quarter. The gain on the warrants liability for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 was primarily due to the decrease in the trading price of our Common Stock during the second and third quarter, offset by an exercise price adjustment during the first quarter of 2023. (Loss) Gain From Foreign Currency Transactions
Our foreign currency transactions are recorded as a result of fluctuations in the exchange rate between the transactional currency and the functional currency of foreign subsidiary transactions. Our foreign currency exposures that relate to the translation to U.S. Dollars are in a net liability position and our foreign currency exposures that relate to the translation from U.S. Dollars are in a net asset position.
For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, the loss from foreign currency transactions was $2.2 million and $1.5 million, respectively. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, the gain (loss) from foreign currency transactions was $1.1 million and $(0.5) million, respectively. The losses incurred during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 were primarily driven by fluctuations in the Euro, Chilean Peso, Brazilian Real, and U.S. Dollar exchange rates. The gain (loss) incurred during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 was primarily driven by fluctuations between the Chilean Peso, Euro, and U.S. Dollar exchange rates.
Interest Expense, Net
Interest expense, net consists of interest income and interest expense. Interest income primarily consists of interest earned from our cash and cash equivalent balances. Interest expense relates to interest on our senior secured revolving credit agreement (the "Revolving Credit Agreement") and our finance leases.
We incurred interest expense, net of $0.4 million during the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, and $1.4 million and $1.1 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Income Tax Benefit (Provision)
A valuation allowance has been established against our net U.S. federal and state deferred tax assets and certain foreign deferred tax assets, including net operating loss carryforwards. As a result, our income tax position is primarily related to foreign tax activity and U.S. deferred taxes for tax deductible goodwill and other indefinite-lived liabilities.
For the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, we recorded an income tax benefit of $1.6 million and an income tax provision of $0.7 million, respectively, resulting in effective tax rates of 2.6% and 22.1%, respectively. For the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, we recorded an income tax benefit of $2.3 million and an income tax provision of $0.6 million, respectively, resulting in effective tax rates of 3.5% and 1.1%, respectively. These effective tax rates differ from the U.S. federal statutory rate primarily due to the effects of certain permanent items, foreign tax rate differences, changes in the valuation allowance against our domestic deferred tax assets and income tax benefit related to the impairment of goodwill. A deferred income tax benefit of $1.8 million and $1.3 million related to the impairment of goodwill is included in the amounts recorded in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and the nine months ended September 30, 2023, respectively.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
The following table summarizes our cash flows for each of the periods identified:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Nine Months Ended September 30, |
(In thousands) | | 2024 | | 2023 |
Net cash provided by operating activities | | $ | 28,140 | | | $ | 30,285 | |
Net cash used in investing activities | | (18,768) | | | (17,849) | |
Net cash used in financing activities | | (12,142) | | | (2,650) | |
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash | | 19 | | | 25 | |
Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash | | (2,751) | | | 9,811 | |
Overview
Our principal uses of cash consist of cash paid for data, payroll and other operating expenses, including expenses incurred in prior periods; payments related to investments in equipment, primarily to support our consumer panels and technical infrastructure required to deliver our products and services and support our customers; service of our debt and lease facilities; and deferred payment obligations with respect to our 2021 acquisition of Shareablee.
As of September 30, 2024, our principal sources of liquidity consisted of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash totaling $20.2 million (including $0.2 million in restricted cash), cash flows from our operations, and amounts available to us under our Revolving Credit Agreement, as described below.
On May 3, 2024, we entered into an amendment to the Revolving Credit Agreement. Among other things, the amendment extended the maturity date of the facility from May 5, 2024 to November 5, 2024 and reduced our aggregate borrowing capacity under the Revolving Credit Agreement from $40.0 million to $25.0 million. The amendment also limited our ability to make certain restricted payments (including dividends) with respect to our equity interests and required a repayment of $6.0 million to reduce the principal amount outstanding under the Revolving Credit Agreement. As of September 30, 2024, after taking into account the $6.0 million repayment, we had outstanding borrowings of $10.0 million and outstanding letters of credit totaling $3.2 million under the Revolving Credit Agreement, leaving a remaining borrowing capacity of $11.8 million.
On November 1, 2024, we repaid the outstanding principal balance of $10.0 million under the Revolving Credit Agreement. On November 5, 2024, we entered into an amendment to the Revolving Credit Agreement to extend the maturity date with respect to the outstanding letters of credit under the facility to January 31, 2025. The amendment reduced the aggregate lender commitments under the Revolving Credit Agreement to equal the outstanding letters of credit (totaling $3.2 million) and limited the purpose of, and use of proceeds under, the Revolving Credit Agreement to the issuance of letters of credit. We are evaluating alternative financing options for the Company, including a replacement of the Revolving Credit Agreement, and have engaged outside advisors to assist in our evaluation.
At an annual meeting of stockholders held on June 15, 2023 (the "Annual Meeting"), our stockholders approved proposals permitting the payment of annual dividends on the Preferred Stock in the form of cash, shares of Common Stock, additional shares of Preferred Stock, or a combination thereof, subject to conditions set forth in the Certificate of Designations governing the Preferred Stock. In 2023, each holder of Preferred Stock waived its right to receive on June 30, 2023 (and subsequently on December 31, 2023) the annual dividends otherwise payable by us on that date. On June 27, 2024, each holder of Preferred Stock further waived its right to receive the deferred dividends on or before June 30, 2024. In addition, each holder waived its right to receive on June 30, 2024 the annual dividends otherwise payable on that date for the dividend period ending June 29, 2024. Under the waivers and the Certificate of Designations, the deferred dividends accrued at a rate of 9.5% per year until July 24, 2024, when we issued additional shares of Preferred Stock in exchange for cancellation of the deferred dividend obligation.
Macroeconomic Factors
In recent years, macroeconomic challenges such as inflation, rising interest rates, capital market disruptions and recession concerns have caused some advertisers to reduce or delay advertising expenditures. These declines have had a direct impact on demand for our products, particularly those that are tied to discretionary advertising spend. We expect that softness in the advertising market will continue to affect our business through the end of 2024 and into 2025. Although we cannot quantify the impact of macroeconomic factors on our future results, any worsening of ad market conditions could negatively impact our financial position and liquidity.
Preferred Stock
On March 10, 2021, we issued 82,527,609 shares of Preferred Stock in exchange for gross cash proceeds of $204.0 million. Net proceeds from the issuance totaled $187.9 million after deducting issuance costs. Shares of Preferred Stock are convertible into Common Stock as described in Footnote 5, Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock and Stockholders' Equity (Deficit). The holders of Preferred Stock are entitled to participate in all dividends declared on the Common Stock on an as-converted basis and are also entitled to a cumulative dividend at the rate of 7.5% per annum, payable annually in arrears and subject to increase under certain specified circumstances (including in connection with the dividend waivers described below). In addition, such holders are entitled to request, and we must take all actions reasonably necessary to pay, a one-time special dividend on the Preferred Stock equal to the highest dividend that our Board of
Directors determines can be paid at the applicable time (or a lesser amount agreed by the holders), subject to additional conditions and limitations described in Footnote 5, Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock and Stockholders' Equity (Deficit). We may be obligated to obtain debt financing in order to effectuate the special dividend, which could significantly impact our financial position and liquidity depending on the timing and scope of the dividend payment and related financing. At the Annual Meeting held on June 15, 2023, our stockholders approved proposals permitting the payment of annual dividends on the Preferred Stock in the form of cash, shares of Common Stock, additional shares of Preferred Stock, or a combination thereof, subject to conditions set forth in the Certificate of Designations governing the Preferred Stock. On the same date, each holder of Preferred Stock waived its right to receive on June 30, 2023 the annual dividends otherwise payable by us on that date. Upon receipt of the waivers, our Board elected to defer the June 2023 payment. Under the waivers and the Certificate of Designations, the deferred dividends would accrue and accumulate at a rate of 9.5% per year from June 30, 2023 until declared and paid, with payment to occur on or before December 31, 2023.
On December 26, 2023, each holder of our Preferred Stock waived its right to receive the deferred dividends on or before December 31, 2023. Under these waivers and the Certificate of Designations, the deferred dividends would continue to accrue and accumulate at a rate of 9.5% per year until declared and paid, with payment to occur on or before June 30, 2024.
On June 27, 2024, each holder of Preferred Stock further waived its right to receive the deferred dividends on or before June 30, 2024. In addition, each holder waived its right to receive on June 30, 2024 the annual dividends otherwise payable on that date for the dividend period ending June 29, 2024. Under these waivers and the Certificate of Designations, the deferred dividends for both periods (2023 and 2024) would continue to accrue and accumulate at a rate of 9.5% per year until declared and paid, with payment to occur on or before July 31, 2024, subject to certain conditions.
On July 24, 2024, we issued 13,257,294 additional shares of Preferred Stock (the "2024 Preferred Stock") to the existing holders of Preferred Stock in exchange for cancellation of our obligation to pay the deferred dividends described above, which totaled $32.8 million on the issuance date. As of July 24, 2024, the 2024 Preferred Stock was convertible into 662,862 shares of our Common Stock, representing an effective conversion price of $49.438 per share for the canceled dividend obligation. The 2024 Preferred Stock has the same terms and conditions as the Preferred Stock previously issued, including that holders are entitled to cumulative dividends at a rate of 7.5% per annum, payable annually in arrears and subject to increase under certain circumstances.
In connection with the issuance, we also entered into an amendment to the Stockholders Agreement with the holders of Preferred Stock. Among other things, the amendment reduced the $100.0 million special dividend threshold set forth in the Stockholders Agreement by an amount equal to the liquidation preference of the additional Preferred Stock ($32.8 million). After further reducing the threshold by annual dividends paid in prior years, the current special dividend threshold is $47.0 million.
As of September 30, 2024, each share of Preferred Stock (including each share of 2024 Preferred Stock) was convertible into 0.050934 shares of Common Stock, with such conversion rate scheduled to return to 0.05 upon payment of accrued dividends.
Any payment of dividends (annual or special) in the form of cash could significantly impact our financial position and liquidity.
Revolving Credit Agreement
On May 5, 2021, we entered into the Revolving Credit Agreement. As of September 30, 2024, the Revolving Credit Agreement provided a borrowing capacity equal to $25.0 million, which was reduced from $40.0 million on May 3, 2024. We could also request the issuance of letters of credit under the Revolving Credit Agreement in an aggregate amount up to $5.0 million, which would reduce the amount of available borrowings by the amount of such issued and outstanding letters of credit.
On May 3, 2024, we entered into an amendment to the Revolving Credit Agreement that, among other things, (i) extended the maturity date of the facility from May 5, 2024 to November 5, 2024; (ii) reduced our borrowing capacity from $40.0 million to $25.0 million; (iii) increased the Applicable Rate payable on SOFR-based loans to 4.50%; (iv) revised certain financial covenants; (v) limited certain restricted payments (including dividends) with respect to our equity interests; (vi) required a repayment of $6.0 million to reduce the principal amount outstanding under the facility; and (vii) provided for certain amendment fees, including a fee of 2.0% of aggregate commitments due on the maturity date unless all obligations were paid in full prior to such date.
As of September 30, 2024, we had outstanding borrowings of $10.0 million and outstanding letters of credit totaling $3.2 million under the Revolving Credit Agreement. The borrowed funds were used to reduce our accounts payable balances, primarily related to expenses incurred in prior periods, and support our working capital position.
On November 1, 2024, we repaid the outstanding principal balance of $10.0 million under the Revolving Credit Agreement. On November 5, 2024, we entered into an amendment to the Revolving Credit Agreement to extend the maturity date with respect to the outstanding letters of credit under the facility to January 31, 2025. The amendment reduced the aggregate lender commitments under the Revolving Credit Agreement to equal the outstanding letters of credit (totaling $3.2 million) and limited the purpose of, and use of proceeds under, the Revolving Credit Agreement to the issuance of letters of credit. Additionally, the amendment terminated the following financial covenants: (i) the minimum Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio, (ii) the minimum Consolidated Asset Coverage Ratio, and (iii) the minimum Liquidity requirement, each as defined in the Revolving Credit Agreement. The amendment maintained the same non-financial covenants, security interest and interest rate as in effect immediately prior to the amendment. Finally, the amendment provided for certain amendment fees, including a fee of $250,000 due on the new maturity date (January 31, 2025) unless all letters of credit are terminated or cash collateralized on or prior to such date.
While we continue to take steps to obtain alternative financing, reduce our outstanding trade payables and improve our working capital position, our liquidity could be negatively affected if we are unable to generate sufficient cash from operations to satisfy outstanding payables and meet our other financial obligations as they come due, or if we are unable to secure alternative financing (including a replacement for the Revolving Credit Agreement) on acceptable terms or at all.
For additional information on the Revolving Credit Agreement, refer to Footnote 6, Debt. Operating Activities
Our primary source of cash provided by operating activities is revenues generated from sales of our products and services. Our primary uses of cash from operating activities include personnel costs and costs related to data and infrastructure used to develop and maintain our products and services.
Cash provided by operating activities is calculated by adjusting our net loss for changes in working capital, as well as by excluding non-cash items such as: depreciation, stock-based compensation, non-cash operating lease expense, amortization expense of finance leases and intangible assets, impairment of right-of-use and long-lived assets and goodwill, deferred tax benefit and change in the fair value of contingent consideration and warrants liability.
Net cash provided by operating activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 was $28.1 million compared to $30.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023. The decrease in cash provided by operating activities was partially attributable to a net decrease in cash generated from operating assets and liabilities, with $0.8 million of cash provided for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 as compared to $6.3 million of cash provided for the nine months ended September 30, 2023, primarily due to lower customer billings and cash receipts in 2024.
Investing Activities
Cash used in investing activities primarily consists of payments related to capitalized internal-use software costs, purchases of computer and network equipment to support our technical infrastructure, and furniture and equipment. The extent of these investments will be affected by our ability to expand relationships with existing customers, grow our customer base and introduce new digital formats, as well as constraints on cash expenditures due to our financial position and the current economic environment.
Net cash used in investing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 was $18.8 million compared to $17.8 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023. The increase in cash used in investing activities was primarily due to an increase in cash paid for capitalized internally developed software as we increased our focus on product development and innovation in 2024.
Financing Activities
Net cash used in financing activities during the nine months ended September 30, 2024 was $12.1 million compared to $2.7 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2023. The increase in cash used in financing activities was primarily due to the repayment of $6.0 million of the principal amount outstanding under the Revolving Credit Agreement and the payment of the second installment of contingent consideration for our 2021 Shareablee acquisition initially recorded at fair value during the nine months ended September 30, 2024.
Contractual Payment Obligations
We have certain long-term contractual arrangements that have fixed and determinable payment obligations including purchase obligations with MVPDs and connected (Smart) TV providers, operating and financing leases, and data storage and bandwidth arrangements.
We have data licensing agreements with a number of MVPDs and other providers for set-top box and connected TV data. These agreements have remaining terms of less than one year to seven years. As of September 30, 2024, the total fixed payment obligations related to set-top box and connected TV data agreements are $294.9 million and $25.4 million, respectively.
We have both operating and financing leases related to corporate office space and equipment. Our leases have remaining terms from less than one year to five years. As of September 30, 2024, the total fixed payment obligation related to these agreements is $39.6 million.
We have an agreement for cloud-based data storage and bandwidth to help process and store our data. The remaining term for this agreement is less than two years. As of September 30, 2024, the total fixed payment obligation related to this agreement is $17.5 million.
Future Capital Requirements
Our ability to generate cash is subject to our performance, general economic conditions, industry trends and other factors, including the timing of cash collections from our customers, data costs and other trade payables, service of our debt and lease facilities, dividend payment obligations, and expenses from ongoing compliance efforts and legal matters. To the extent that our existing cash, cash equivalents and operating cash flow, together with savings from cost-reduction initiatives undertaken by our management, are insufficient to fund our future activities and requirements, we may need to raise additional funds through public or private equity or debt financing. We may also be required to raise additional funds in order to pay dividends to holders of our Preferred Stock, as described above. Our history of net losses, as well as disruption and volatility in global capital and credit markets, could impact our ability to access capital resources on terms acceptable to us or at all. If we issue additional equity securities in order to raise additional funds, pay dividends or for other purposes, further dilution to existing stockholders may occur.
Critical Accounting Estimates
Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based on our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates, assumptions and judgments that affect the amounts reported in our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and the accompanying Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances.
Refer to the critical accounting estimates disclosed in Item 7, "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," in our 2023 10-K for detailed information about the estimates and assumptions that we consider to be the most critical to an understanding of our financial condition and results of operations. These estimates and assumptions involve significant judgments and uncertainties, and actual results in these areas could differ from our estimates. | | | | | |
ITEM 3. | QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK |
Market risk represents the risk of loss that may impact our financial position due to adverse changes in financial market prices and rates. We have foreign currency exchange rate risk from our global operations.
For additional discussion of our market risk associated with foreign currency exchange rates, refer to Item 7A, "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk" within the 2023 10-K.
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ITEM 4. | CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES |
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
We carried out an evaluation required by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"), under the supervision and with the participation of our principal executive officer and our principal financial officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures, as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the Exchange Act, as of September 30, 2024. Based on this evaluation, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer concluded that as of September 30, 2024, these disclosure controls and procedures were effective to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC's rules and forms and to provide reasonable assurance that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Under Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(d) and 15d-15(d), management is required to evaluate, with the participation of our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, any changes in internal control over financial reporting that occurred during each fiscal quarter that materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting. There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting during our most recent fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Inherent Limitation on the Effectiveness of Internal Controls
The effectiveness of any system of internal control over financial reporting is subject to inherent limitations, including the exercise of judgment in designing, implementing, operating, and evaluating the controls and procedures, and the inability to eliminate misconduct completely. Accordingly, any system of internal control over financial reporting can only provide reasonable, not absolute, assurance that its objectives will be met. In addition, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. We intend to continue to monitor and upgrade our internal controls as necessary or appropriate for our business, but we cannot assure that such improvements will be sufficient to provide us with effective internal control over financial reporting in future periods.
PART II. OTHER INFORMATION
Refer to Footnote 11, Commitments and Contingencies of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part I, Item 1 of this 10-Q, which is incorporated herein by reference. An investment in our Common Stock involves a substantial risk of loss. In addition to the information in this report, you should carefully consider the risks discussed in Item 1A, "Risk Factors" of our 2023 10-K before you decide whether to invest in our stock. The risks identified below and in our 2023 10-K could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results. In that case, the trading price of our Common Stock could decline, and you could lose part or all of your investment. The risks described below and in our 2023 10-K are not the only risks we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial also may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results, and may result in the loss of part or all of your investment. We may not be able to generate or obtain sufficient cash to service our debt, dividend obligations, lease facilities and trade payables.
We currently have indebtedness and lease facilities, as well as trade payables, including expenses incurred in prior periods. In addition, we are required to pay annual dividends on our Preferred Stock, and we may incur additional debt for operations or to fund a special dividend to the holders of our Preferred Stock. These obligations could require us to use a large portion of our cash flow from operations to service our debt, dividend obligations, and lease facilities and pay accrued expenses. They could also limit our flexibility to invest in our business and adjust to market conditions, which could impact our customer relationships and place us at a competitive disadvantage.
We expect to obtain the funds to pay our expenses and meet our financial obligations from cash flow from our operations and, potentially, from other debt or equity offerings and transactions. Accordingly, our ability to meet our obligations depends on our performance and corporate activities, which will be affected by financial, business, contractual, economic and other factors, some of which are beyond our control. Failure to meet our payment obligations could disrupt our supply of goods and services and impact our reputation, creditworthiness and relations with customers, partners, creditors and holders of our Preferred Stock. It could also lead to costly litigation.
If our cash flow and capital resources prove inadequate to allow us to meet outstanding trade payables, pay the interest and principal on our debt when due, invest in our business and meet our other financial obligations, we could face substantial liquidity challenges and might be required to dispose of material assets or operations, obtain alternative financing (which we may be unable to do on acceptable terms) or forego attractive business opportunities. In addition, the terms of our existing or future financing agreements and Preferred Stock may restrict us from pursuing these alternatives. Failure to meet our financial obligations could have significant consequences including, potentially, forcing us into bankruptcy or liquidation.
Our outstanding securities, the stock or securities that we may issue under existing or future agreements, and certain provisions of those securities, may cause immediate and substantial dilution to our existing stockholders.
Our existing stockholders have and may continue to experience substantial dilution as a result of our obligations to issue shares of Common Stock. As of September 30, 2024, our Preferred Stock was convertible into an aggregate of 4,878,720 shares of Common Stock at the election of the holders. We have also issued 403,342 shares of Common Stock to the selling stockholders of Shareablee (which we acquired in December 2021), and we may elect to pay any deferred consideration due to the Shareablee sellers in 2024 in shares of Common Stock. In addition, in June 2023 our stockholders adopted an amendment to the Certificate of Designations of our Preferred Stock to permit payment of annual dividends on the Preferred Stock in the form of cash, shares of Common Stock, additional shares of Preferred Stock (which would be convertible into shares of Common Stock) or a combination thereof.
As of September 30, 2024, 99,469 shares of Common Stock were reserved for issuance pursuant to outstanding stock options under our equity incentive plans (including stock option awards we assumed in the Shareablee acquisition), 381,658 shares of Common Stock were reserved for issuance pursuant to outstanding restricted stock unit and deferred stock unit awards under our equity incentive plans and arrangements (including Shareablee plan awards and an employment inducement award we granted in 2021), and 837,438 shares of Common Stock were available for future equity awards under our 2018 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan.
The issuance of shares of Common Stock (i) upon the conversion of or payment of dividends on our Preferred Stock, (ii) as deferred consideration to the Shareablee sellers, (iii) pursuant to outstanding and future equity awards, or (iv) upon the conversion of other existing or future convertible securities, may result in substantial dilution to each of our stockholders by reducing that stockholder's percentage ownership of our outstanding Common Stock.
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ITEM 2. | UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES, USE OF PROCEEDS, AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES |
(a) Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities during the Three Months Ended September 30, 2024
On July 24, 2024, we issued 13.3 million shares of Preferred Stock to the existing holders of Preferred Stock in exchange for cancellation of our obligation to pay accrued dividends totaling $32.8 million to such holders for annual dividend periods ended in 2023 and 2024. The shares of Preferred Stock and Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Preferred Stock that were, or will be, issued as part of or following this issuance, as applicable, were, or will be, issued without registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), in reliance on the exemption from registration provided by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. Additional information required by Item 701 of Regulation S-K was previously included in our Current Report on Form 8-K filed on July 25, 2024.
(b) Use of Proceeds from Sale of Registered Equity Securities
None.
(c) Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers
None.
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ITEM 3. | DEFAULTS UPON SENIOR SECURITIES |
Not applicable.
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ITEM 4. | MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES |
Not applicable.
(a) On November 1, 2024, we repaid the outstanding principal balance of $10.0 million under the Revolving Credit Agreement. On November 5, 2024, we entered into an amendment to the Revolving Credit Agreement by and among the Company, as borrower, our subsidiaries from time to time party thereto, as guarantors, Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent, and the lenders from time to time party thereto (the "November 2024 Amendment"). Among other things, the November 2024 Amendment extended the maturity date with respect to the outstanding letters of credit under the Revolving Credit Agreement to January 31, 2025. The November 2024 Amendment reduced the aggregate lender commitments under the Revolving Credit Agreement to equal the outstanding letters of credit (totaling $3.2 million) and limited the purpose of, and use of proceeds under, the Revolving Credit Agreement to the issuance of letters of credit.
Additionally, the November 2024 Amendment terminated the following financial covenants: (i) the minimum Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio, (ii) the minimum Consolidated Asset Coverage Ratio, and (iii) the minimum Liquidity requirement, each as defined in the Revolving Credit Agreement. The November 2024 Amendment maintained the same non-financial covenants, security interest and interest rate as in effect immediately prior to the November 2024 Amendment, each as described in Footnote 6, Debt. Finally, the November 2024 Amendment provided for certain amendment fees, including a fee of $250,000 due on the new maturity date (January 31, 2025) unless all letters of credit are terminated or cash collateralized on or prior to such date. The foregoing summary of the November 2024 Amendment is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the November 2024 Amendment, a copy of which is attached as Exhibit 10.5 to this 10-Q.
(c) During the quarter ended September 30, 2024, no director or officer (as defined in Rule 16a-1(f) under the Exchange Act) of the Company adopted or terminated any Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangements or non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangements (in each case, as defined in Item 408(a) of Regulation S-K).
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Exhibit No. | | Exhibit Document | |
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3.1 | | | |
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3.2 | | | |
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3.3 | | | |
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3.4 | | | |
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3.5 | | | |
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3.6 | | | |
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3.7 | | | |
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3.8 | | | |
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3.9 | | | |
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3.10 | | | |
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3.11 | | | |
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4.1 | | | |
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4.2 | | | |
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4.3 | | | |
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10.1 | | | |
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10.4 | | Amended and Restated Stockholders Agreement, dated July 24, 2024, by and among comScore, Inc., Charter Communications Holding Company, LLC, Liberty Broadband Corporation and Pine Investor, LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K, filed July 25, 2024) (File No. 001-33520) | |
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101.INS | | XBRL Instance Document - the instance document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document. | |
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101.SCH | | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document. | |
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101.CAL | | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document. | |
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101.DEF | | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document. | |
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101.LAB | | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document. | |
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101.PRE | | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document. | |
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104 | | Cover Page Interactive Data File - the cover page iXBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document | |
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* Management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement
+ Filed or furnished herewith
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| COMSCORE, INC. |
| | |
| By: | /s/ Mary Margaret Curry |
| | Mary Margaret Curry |
| | Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer |
| | (Principal Financial Officer, Principal Accounting Officer and Duly Authorized Officer) |
November 12, 2024
DocumentExhibit 10.5
FOURTH AMENDMENT TO CREDIT AGREEMENT
THIS FOURTH AMENDMENT TO CREDIT AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) dated as of November 5, 2024 is by and among COMSCORE, INC., a Delaware corporation (the “Borrower”), the Guarantors party hereto, the Lenders party hereto, and BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., in its capacity as administrative agent (in such capacity, the “Administrative Agent”).
RECITALS
WHEREAS, the Borrower, the Guarantors party thereto, the Lenders from time to time party thereto, the Administrative Agent, and the L/C Issuer are parties to that certain Credit Agreement, dated as of May 5, 2021 (as amended by that certain First Amendment to Credit Agreement dated as of February 25, 2022, that certain Second Amendment to Credit Agreement dated as of February 24, 2023, and that certain Third Amendment to Credit Agreement dated as of May 3, 2024 (the “Third Amendment”), and as further amended, modified, extended, restated, replaced, or supplemented in writing from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”).
WHEREAS, the Loan Parties have requested that the Lenders agree to amend the Credit Agreement on the terms and conditions set forth herein.
WHEREAS, the Lenders have agreed to do so, but only pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth herein.
AGREEMENT
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of these premises and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1.Definitions. Capitalized terms used herein but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings provided to such terms in the Credit Agreement.
2.Estoppel. Each Loan Party hereby acknowledges and agrees that, as of the close of business on November 4, 2024, (a) the Outstanding Amount of the Revolving Loans was $0.00, (b) the Outstanding Amount of the Swing Line Loans was $0.00, and (c) the Outstanding Amount of the L/C Obligations was $3,181,692.82, each of which constitutes a valid and subsisting obligation of each Loan Party, jointly and severally, owed to the Lenders or the L/C Issuer, as applicable, that is not subject to any credits, offsets, defenses, claims, counterclaims, or adjustments of any kind.
3.Consent, Acknowledgement, and Reaffirmation. Each Loan Party hereby: (a) acknowledges and consents to this Agreement and the terms and provisions hereof; (b) reaffirms the covenants and agreements contained in each Loan Document to which such Person is party, including, in each case, as such covenants and agreements may be modified by this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby; (c) reaffirms that each of the Liens created and granted in or pursuant to the Loan Documents in favor of the Administrative Agent for the benefit of the holders of the Secured Obligations is valid and subsisting, and acknowledges and agrees that this Agreement shall in no manner impair or otherwise adversely affect such Liens; and (d) confirms that each Loan Document to which such Person is
a party is and shall continue to be in full force and effect and the same is hereby ratified and confirmed in all respects, except that upon the effectiveness of this Agreement, all references in such Loan Documents to the “Credit Agreement”, “thereunder”, “thereof”, or words of like import shall mean the Credit Agreement and the other Loan Documents, as the case may be, as in effect and as modified by this Agreement.
4.Amendments to Credit Agreement.
(a)As of the Effective Date, the Credit Agreement (but excluding the Schedules and Exhibits thereto) is hereby amended by (a) deleting the stricken text (indicated textually in the same manner as the following example: stricken text) and (b) adding the double underlined text (indicated textually in the same manner as the following example: double-underlined text) as set forth in the amended Credit Agreement attached hereto as Schedule 1.
(b)Schedule 1.01(b) to the Credit Agreement is hereby amended and restated in its entirety to read in the form attached hereto as Schedule 2.
(c)Schedule 2.03 to the Credit Agreement is hereby amended and restated in its entirety to read in the form attached hereto as Schedule 3.
5.Secondary Amendment Fee. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in the Third Amendment, the Secondary Amendment Fee (as defined in the Third Amendment) shall be reduced to an amount equal to $400,000.00, shall be fully earned and non-refundable as of the Effective Date, and shall be payable as follows:
(a)a portion of the Secondary Amendment Fee in an amount equal to $150,000.00 shall be due and payable in immediately available funds on the Effective Date (such portion of the Secondary Amendment Fee, the “Secondary Amendment Fee Effective Date Portion”); and
(b)the remainder of the Secondary Amendment Fee equal to $250,000.00 (the “Remaining Fee Portion”) shall be due and payable on the earlier to occur of (i) the acceleration of the Obligations pursuant to the Loan Documents and (ii) the Maturity Date (as amended by this Agreement), unless on or prior to such date the Obligations have been paid in full (other than contingent indemnification obligations) and all outstanding L/C Obligations have been Cash Collateralized (as defined in the Credit Agreement as amended by this Agreement) in an amount equal to 105% of such outstanding L/C Obligations plus any accrued and unpaid interest thereon as of such date, in which case the Remaining Fee Portion shall be deemed canceled and waived in full; provided, for the avoidance of doubt, that if no L/C Obligations are outstanding on the Maturity Date, the Remaining Fee Portion shall be deemed canceled and waived in full.
6.Reimbursement of Fees and Expenses. Without in any way limiting the obligations of the Loan Parties under the Loan Documents, upon demand therefor, the Loan Parties shall promptly reimburse the Administrative Agent for all reasonable fees and out of pocket expenses incurred in connection with the Loan Documents and the transactions contemplated hereby (including the reasonable fees and expenses of Moore & Van Allen PLLC, as counsel to the Administrative Agent).
7.Conditions Precedent. This Agreement shall be effective on the date (the “Effective Date”) that each of the following conditions have been satisfied or waived, in each case as determined by the Administrative Agent in its sole discretion:
(a)Executed Agreement. The Administrative Agent shall have received a copy of this Agreement duly executed by each Loan Party, the Administrative Agent, and the Lenders.
(b)Principal Payment. The Administrative Agent shall have received a payment in immediately available funds in the amount of $10,000,000, which shall be applied to the outstanding principal amount of the Revolving Loans.
(c)Secondary Amendment Fee Effective Date Portion. The Administrative Agent shall have received, for the benefit of the Lenders, payment of the Secondary Amendment Fee Effective Date Portion.
(d)Fees and Expenses. The Administrative Agent shall have received transmittal evidence for the reimbursement for all reasonable fees and out of pocket expenses of the Administrative Agent incurred in connection with this Agreement and the other Loan Documents (including without limitation the reasonable fees and expenses of Moore & Van Allen PLLC as counsel to the Administrative Agent); provided, that the Administrative Agent shall have actually received such reimbursement by no later than 5:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on November 6, 2024.
(e)Certificates and Resolutions. The Administrative Agent shall have received:
(i)copies of the Organization Documents of each Loan Party certified to be true and complete as of a recent date by the appropriate Governmental Authority of the state or other jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, where applicable, and certified by a secretary or assistant secretary of such Loan Party to be true and correct as of the Effective Date; provided, that, the items referenced in this clause (i) may be evidenced by certifications that such items have not been amended, repealed, modified or restated since the last copies of such items delivered by such Loan Party to the Administrative Agent and certified by a secretary or assistant secretary of such Loan Party to be true and correct as of the date of such delivery; and
(ii)such certificates of resolutions or other action, incumbency certificates and/or other certificates of Responsible Officers of each Loan Party as the Administrative Agent may require evidencing the identity, authority and capacity of each Responsible Officer thereof authorized to act as a Responsible Officer in connection with this Agreement and the Credit Agreement.
8.Representations of Loan Parties. Each Loan Party represents and warrants to the Administrative Agent, the Lenders, and the L/C Issuer as follows:
(a)Each Loan Party has the requisite power and authority and has taken all necessary action to authorize the execution, delivery, and performance of this Agreement in accordance with its terms.
(b)This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by each Loan Party and is the legally valid and binding obligation of such Loan Party, enforceable against such Loan Party in accordance with its terms, except as may be limited by Debtor Relief Laws or by equitable principles relating to enforceability.
(c)The execution, delivery, and performance by the Loan Parties of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement do not and will not
require, as a condition to the effectiveness thereof, any registration with, consent, or approval of, or notice to, or other action to, with or by, any Governmental Authority except for filings, recordings, or consents where failure to obtain or make could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(d)Other than the filing of this Agreement with the SEC, no material consent or approval of, registration or filing with, or any other action by, any Governmental Authority is required in connection with the execution, delivery, or performance by any Loan Party of this Agreement.
(e)After giving effect to this Agreement, the representations and warranties set forth in the Loan Documents are true and correct in all material respects (but without duplication of any existing materiality qualifiers) as of the Effective Date, except those that specifically relate to an earlier date, which shall have been true and correct in all material respects (but without duplication of any existing materiality qualifiers) on and as of such earlier date.
(f)No event has occurred and is continuing which constitutes a Default or an Event of Default.
(g)The parties executing this Agreement as Guarantors include each Subsidiary of any Loan Party that is required pursuant to Section 6.12 of the Credit Agreement to become a Loan Party as of the Effective Date.
9.Release.
(a)Each Loan Party hereby releases and forever discharges the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer, and each Lender, and their respective predecessors, successors, assigns, attorneys, and Related Parties (each and every of the foregoing, a “Released Party”) from any and all claims, counterclaims, demands, damages, debts, suits, liabilities, actions, and causes of action of any nature whatsoever, in each case to the extent arising in connection with any of the Loan Documents through the Effective Date, whether arising at law or in equity, whether known or unknown, whether liability be direct or indirect, whether liquidated or unliquidated, whether absolute or contingent, whether foreseen or unforeseen, and whether or not heretofore asserted, which any of the foregoing may have or claim to have against any Released Party.
(b)Each Loan Party understands, acknowledges, and agrees that the release of each Released Party provided in this Section 9 includes a waiver of any and all rights and protections such Person may have under Section 1542 of the Civil Code of California (the text of which is below) and any similar statute or law (including, without limitation, any similar statute or law applicable in the State of New York or any jurisdiction of incorporation or organization of any Loan Party). Section 1542 of the Civil Code of California provides:
“A GENERAL RELEASE DOES NOT EXTEND TO CLAIMS THAT THE CREDITOR OR RELEASING PARTY DOES NOT KNOW OR SUSPECT TO EXIST IN HIS OR HER FAVOR AT THE TIME OF EXECUTING THE RELEASE AND THAT, IF KNOWN BY HIM OR HER, WOULD HAVE MATERIALLY AFFECTED HIS OR HER SETTLEMENT WITH THE DEBTOR OR RELEASED PARTY.”
By executing this Agreement, each Loan Party (i) waives and relinquishes any and all rights and benefits which they may have under Section 1542 of the Civil Code or California, and any similar statute or law (including, without limitation, any similar statute or law applicable in the State of New York or any jurisdiction or incorporation or organization of any Loan Party), and (ii) assumes the risk of releasing or covenanting not to sue in respect of any existing, but as of yet unknown, claims. The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that this waiver is an essential term of this Agreement.
10.No Actions, Claims. Each Loan Party represents, warrants, acknowledges, and confirms that, as of the date hereof, it has no knowledge of any action, cause of action, claim, demand, damage, or liability of whatever kind or nature, in law or in equity, against any Released Party arising from any action by such Persons, or failure of such Persons to act, under or in connection with any of the Loan Documents.
11.Incorporation of Agreement. Except as specifically modified herein, the terms of the Loan Documents shall remain in full force and effect. The execution, delivery, and effectiveness of this Agreement shall not operate as a waiver of any right, power, or remedy of the Administrative Agent or the Lenders under the Loan Documents, or constitute a waiver or amendment of any provision of the Loan Documents, except as expressly set forth herein.
12.No Third-Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement and the rights and benefits hereof shall inure to the benefit of each of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns, and the obligations hereof shall be binding upon the Loan Parties. No other Person shall have or be entitled to assert rights or benefits under this Agreement, other than any non-party Released Party only with respect to Section 9 and Section 10 hereof.
13.Entirety. This Agreement, the Credit Agreement, and the other Loan Documents embody the entire agreement among the parties hereto and supersede all prior agreements and understandings, oral or written, if any, relating to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement, the Credit Agreement, and the other Loan Documents represent the final agreement between the parties and may not be contradicted by evidence of prior, contemporaneous, or subsequent oral agreements of the parties.
14.Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts (and by different parties hereto in different counterparts), each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Delivery by telecopier or other electronic transmission of an executed counterpart of a signature page to this Agreement shall be effective as delivery of an original executed counterpart of this Agreement.
15.Governing Law; Submission to Jurisdiction; Etc.; Waiver of Jury Trial. The governing law, submission to jurisdiction, waiver of venue, service of process, and waiver of jury trial provisions contained in Sections 11.14 and 11.15 of the Credit Agreement are hereby incorporated by reference mutatis mutandis.
16.Further Assurances. Each of the parties hereto agrees to execute and deliver, or to cause to be executed and delivered, all such instruments as may reasonably be requested to effectuate the intent and purposes, and to carry out the terms, of this Agreement.
17.Miscellaneous. Section headings in this Agreement are included herein for convenience of reference only and shall not constitute a part of this Agreement for any other purpose. Wherever possible, each provision of this Agreement shall be interpreted in such a manner as to be effective and
valid under applicable law, but if any provision of this Agreement shall be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, then such provision shall be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder of such provision or the remaining provisions of this Agreement. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, if any provision contained in this Agreement conflicts with, or is inconsistent with, any provision in any Loan Document, then the provision contained in this Agreement shall govern and control.
[Remainder of page intentionally left blank.]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first above written.
| | | | | |
BORROWER: | COMSCORE, INC., a Delaware corporation By: /s/ Mary Margaret Curry Name: Mary Margaret Curry Title: Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer |
GUARANTORS: | PROXIMIC, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company M.LABS, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company LNKMTR, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company FULL CIRCLE STUDIES, INC., a Delaware corporation MARKETSCORE, INC., a Delaware corporation TMRG, INC., a Delaware corporation VOICEFIVE, INC., a Delaware corporation CREATIVE KNOWLEDGE, INC., a Delaware corporation CSWS, LLC, a Virginia limited liability company CARMENERE HOLDING COMPANY, a Delaware corporation COMSCORE INTERNATIONAL INC., a Delaware corporation COMSCORE HOLDINGS LLC, a Delaware limited liability company COMSCORE EUROPE, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company HOLLYWOOD SOFTWARE, INC., a California corporation
By: /s/ Ashley Wright Name: Ashley Wright Title: President and Secretary
|
COMSCORE
FOURTH AMENDMENT TO CREDIT AGREEMENT
| | | | | |
|
COMSCORE BRAND AWARENESS, L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability company
By: comScore, Inc., its sole member
By: /s/ Mary Margaret Curry Name: Mary Margaret Curry Title: Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer
RENTRAK, LLC, an Oregon limited liability company SS MEDIA HOLDCO, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company SHAREABLEE, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company SCORRESEARCH, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company
By: /s/ Mary Margaret Curry Name: Mary Margaret Curry Title: Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer
|
[SIGNATURE PAGES CONTINUE]
COMSCORE
FOURTH AMENDMENT TO CREDIT AGREEMENT
ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as Administrative Agent
By: /s/ Ena Ukachi
Name: Ena Ukachi
Title: Senior Vice President
COMSCORE
FOURTH AMENDMENT TO CREDIT AGREEMENT
LENDERS: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,
as a Lender, L/C Issuer and Swing Line Lender
By: /s/ Ena Ukachi
Name: Ena Ukachi
Title: Senior Vice President
COMSCORE
FOURTH AMENDMENT TO CREDIT AGREEMENT
Schedule 1
Amended Credit Agreement
[See attached.]
COMSCORE
FOURTH AMENDMENT TO CREDIT AGREEMENT
CREDIT AGREEMENT
Dated as of May 5, 2021
among
COMSCORE, INC.,
as the Borrower,
THE SUBSIDIARIES OF THE BORROWER PARTY HERETO,
as the Guarantors,
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,
as Administrative Agent, Swing Line Lender and
L/C Issuer,
and
THE LENDERS PARTY HERETO
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,
| | |
as Sole Lead Arranger and Sole Bookrunner |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Page | |
| | | | |
| Article I DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING TERMS | 1 | |
| 1.01 | Defined Terms | 1 | |
| 1.02 | Other Interpretive Provisions | 32 | |
| 1.03 | Accounting Terms | 33 | |
| 1.04 | Rounding | 34 | |
| 1.05 | Times of Day | 34 | |
| 1.06 | Letter of Credit Amounts | 34 | |
| 1.07 | UCC Terms | 34 | |
| 1.08 | Rates | 3435 | |
| | | | |
| Article II COMMITMENTS AND CREDIT EXTENSIONS | 3435 | |
| 2.01 | Loans | 3435 | |
| 2.02 | Borrowings of Loans | 35 | |
| 2.03 | Letters of Credit | 36 | |
| 2.04 | Swing Line Loans | 45 | |
| 2.05 | Prepayments | 4748 | |
| 2.06 | Termination or Reduction of Commitments | 4849 | |
| 2.07 | Repayment of Loans | 4950 | |
| 2.08 | Interest and Default Rate | 4950 | |
| 2.09 | Fees | 5051 | |
| 2.10 | Computation of Interest and Fees | 51 | |
| 2.11 | Evidence of Debt | 5152 | |
| 2.12 | Payments Generally; Administrative Agent’s Clawback | 5152 | |
| 2.13 | Sharing of Payments by Lenders | 5354 | |
| 2.14 | Cash Collateral | 5455 | |
| 2.15 | Defaulting Lenders | 5556 | |
| 2.16 | Increase in Facility. | 5758 | |
| | | | |
| Article III TAXES, YIELD PROTECTION AND ILLEGALITY | 59 | |
| 3.01 | Taxes | 59 | |
| 3.02 | Illegality | 6263 | |
| 3.03 | Inability to Determine Rates | 6364 | |
| 3.04 | Increased Costs | 65 | |
| 3.05 | Reserved | 6667 | |
| 3.06 | Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders | 6667 | |
| 3.07 | Survival | 6667 | |
| | | | |
| Article IV CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO CREDIT EXTENSIONS | 67 | |
| 4.01 | Conditions of Initial Credit Extension. | 67 | |
| 4.02 | Conditions to all Credit Extensions | 6869 | |
| | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Article V REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES | 6970 | |
| 5.01 | Existence, Qualification and Power | 6970 | |
| 5.02 | Authorization; No Contravention | 6970 | |
| 5.03 | Governmental Authorization; Other Consents | 70 | |
| 5.04 | Binding Effect | 7071 | |
| 5.05 | Financial Statements; No Material Adverse Effect | 7071 | |
| 5.06 | Litigation | 7071 | |
| 5.07 | No Default | 71 | |
| 5.08 | Ownership of Property | 71 | |
| 5.09 | Environmental Compliance | 7172 | |
| 5.10 | Insurance | 72 | |
| 5.11 | Taxes | 72 | |
| 5.12 | ERISA Compliance | 7273 | |
| 5.13 | Margin Regulations; Investment Company Act | 73 | |
| 5.14 | Disclosure; Beneficial Ownership Certification | 7374 | |
| 5.15 | Compliance with Laws | 7374 | |
| 5.16 | Solvency | 7374 | |
| 5.17 | Casualty, Etc | 74 | |
| 5.18 | Sanctions Concerns and Anti-Corruption Laws | 74 | |
| 5.19 | Subsidiaries; Loan Parties | 7475 | |
| 5.20 | Collateral Representations | 75 | |
| 5.21 | Affected Financial Institutions | 75 | |
| 5.22 | Covered Entities | 7576 | |
| 5.23 | Intellectual Property; Licenses, Etc | 7576 | |
| | | | |
| Article VI AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS | 7576 | |
| 6.01 | Financial Statements | 76 | |
| 6.02 | Certificates; Other Information | 7677 | |
| 6.03 | Notices | 7880 | |
| 6.04 | Payment of Obligations | 7980 | |
| 6.05 | Preservation of Existence, Etc | 7980 | |
| 6.06 | Maintenance of Properties | 7981 | |
| 6.07 | Maintenance of Insurance | 8081 | |
| 6.08 | Compliance with Laws | 8081 | |
| 6.09 | Books and Records | 8081 | |
| 6.10 | Inspection Rights | 8081 | |
| 6.11 | Use of Proceeds | 8182 | |
| 6.12 | Covenant to Guarantee Obligations | 8182 | |
| 6.13 | Covenant to Give Security | 8182 | |
| 6.14 | Further Assurances | 8283 | |
| 6.15 | Anti-Corruption Laws; Sanctions | 8283 | |
| 6.16 | Cash Management | 8283 | |
| 6.17 | Post-Closing Covenant | 8283 | |
| | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Article VII NEGATIVE COVENANTS | 8284 | |
| 7.01 | Liens | 8384 | |
| 7.02 | Indebtedness | 8586 | |
| 7.03 | Investments | 8788 | |
| 7.04 | Fundamental Changes | 8889 | |
| 7.05 | Dispositions | 8990 | |
| 7.06 | Restricted Payments. | 8990 | |
| 7.07 | Change in Nature of Business | 9092 | |
| 7.08 | Transactions with Affiliates | 9092 | |
| 7.09 | Burdensome Agreements | 9192 | |
| 7.10 | Use of Proceeds | 9193 | |
| 7.11 | Financial Covenants | 9293 | |
| 7.12 | Amendments of Organization Documents; Fiscal Year; Legal Name, State of Formation; or Form of Entity | 9293 | |
| 7.13 | Sale and Leaseback Transactions | 9294 | |
| 7.14 | Sanctions | 9394 | |
| 7.15 | Anti-Corruption Laws | 9394 | |
| 7.16 | Payments of Earn-Out Obligations | 9394 | |
| | | | |
| Article VIII EVENTS OF DEFAULT AND REMEDIES | 9394 | |
| 8.01 | Events of Default | 9394 | |
| 8.02 | Remedies upon Event of Default | 9597 | |
| 8.03 | Application of Funds | 9697 | |
| | | | |
| Article IX ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT | 9799 | |
| 9.01 | Appointment and Authority | 9799 | |
| 9.02 | Rights as a Lender | 9899 | |
| 9.03 | Exculpatory Provisions | 98100 | |
| 9.04 | Reliance by Administrative Agent | 99101 | |
| 9.05 | Delegation of Duties | 100101 | |
| 9.06 | Resignation of Administrative Agent | 100101 | |
| 9.07 | Non-Reliance on Administrative Agent, the Arranger and the Other Lenders | 101103 | |
| 9.08 | No Other Duties, Etc | 102104 | |
| 9.09 | Administrative Agent May File Proofs of Claim; Credit Bidding | 102104 | |
| 9.10 | Collateral and Guaranty Matters | 104105 | |
| 9.11 | Secured Cash Management Agreements and Secured Hedge Agreements | 105106 | |
| 9.12 | Certain ERISA Matters | 105106 | |
| 9.13 | Recovery of Rescindable Amounts | 106107 | |
| | | | |
| Article X CONTINUING GUARANTY | 106108 | |
| 10.01 | Guaranty | 106108 | |
| 10.02 | Rights of Lenders | 107108 | |
| 10.03 | Certain Waivers | 107109 | |
| 10.04 | Obligations Independent | 108109 | |
| 10.05 | Subrogation | 108109 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10.06 | Termination; Reinstatement | 108109 | |
| 10.07 | Stay of Acceleration | 108110 | |
| 10.08 | Condition of Borrower | 108110 | |
| 10.09 | Appointment of Borrower | 109110 | |
| 10.10 | Right of Contribution | 109110 | |
| 10.11 | Keepwell | 109110 | |
| | | | |
| Article XI MISCELLANEOUS | 109111 | |
| 11.01 | Amendments, Etc | 109111 | |
| 11.02 | Notices; Effectiveness; Electronic Communications | 111113 | |
| 11.03 | No Waiver; Cumulative Remedies; Enforcement | 113115 | |
| 11.04 | Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver | 114115 | |
| 11.05 | Payments Set Aside | 116117 | |
| 11.06 | Successors and Assigns | 116118 | |
| 11.07 | Treatment of Certain Information; Confidentiality | 121122 | |
| 11.08 | Right of Setoff | 122124 | |
| 11.09 | Interest Rate Limitation | 123124 | |
| 11.10 | Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness | 123124 | |
| 11.11 | Survival of Representations and Warranties | 123125 | |
| 11.12 | Severability | 124125 | |
| 11.13 | Replacement of Lenders | 124125 | |
| 11.14 | Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Etc | 125126 | |
| 11.15 | Waiver of Jury Trial | 126127 | |
| 11.16 | Subordination | 126128 | |
| 11.17 | No Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility | 127128 | |
| 11.18 | Electronic Execution; Electronic Records | 127129 | |
| 11.19 | USA Patriot Act Notice | 128129 | |
| 11.20 | Acknowledgement and Consent to Bail-In of Affected Financial Institutions | 128130 | |
| 11.21 | Acknowledgement Regarding Any Supported QFCs | 129130 | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
SCHEDULES
Schedule 1.01(a) Certain Addresses for Notices
Schedule 1.01(b) Initial Commitments and Applicable Percentages
Schedule 2.01 Swing Line Commitments
Schedule 2.03 Letter of Credit Commitments
Schedule 5.19(a) Subsidiaries
Schedule 5.19(b) Loan Parties
Schedule 5.20 Intellectual Property
Schedule 7.01 Existing Liens
Schedule 7.02 Existing Indebtedness
Schedule 7.03 Existing Investments
Schedule 7.08 Existing Affiliate Transactions
EXHIBITS
Exhibit A Form of Administrative Questionnaire
Exhibit B Form of Assignment and Assumption
Exhibit C Form of Compliance Certificate
Exhibit D Form of Joinder Agreement
Exhibit E Form of Loan Notice
Exhibit F Form of Note
Exhibit G Form of Secured Party Designation Notice
Exhibit H Form of Swing Line Loan Notice
Exhibit I Forms of U.S. Tax Compliance Certificates
Exhibit J Form of Notice of Loan Prepayment
CREDIT AGREEMENT
This CREDIT AGREEMENT is entered into as of May 5, 2021, among COMSCORE, INC., a Delaware corporation (the “Borrower”), the Guarantors (defined herein), the Lenders (defined herein), and BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as Administrative Agent, Swing Line Lender and L/C Issuer.
PRELIMINARY STATEMENTS:
WHEREAS, the Loan Parties (as hereinafter defined) have requested that the Lenders, the Swing Line Lender and the L/C Issuer make loans and other financial accommodations to the Loan Parties in an aggregate principal amount of up to $40,000,000.
WHEREAS, the Lenders, the Swing Line Lender and the L/C Issuer have agreed to make such loans and other financial accommodations to the Loan Parties on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein.
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
1.01Defined Terms.
As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:
“Acquired EBITDA” means with respect to any Acquired Entity or Business for any period, the amount for such period of Consolidated EBITDA of such Acquired Entity or Business (determined as if references to the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in the definition of the term “Consolidated EBITDA” were references to such Acquired Entity or Business and its Subsidiaries which will become Subsidiaries), all as determined on a consolidated basis for such Acquired Entity or Business.
“Acquired Entity or Business” has the meaning specified in the definition of “Consolidated EBITDA”.
“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 reasonable 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 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 Guarantor shall exclude any Excluded Swap Obligations with respect to such Guarantor.
“Administrative Agent” means Bank of America in its capacity as administrative agent under any of the Loan Documents, or any successor administrative agent.
“Administrative Agent’s Office” means the Administrative Agent’s address and, as appropriate, account as set forth on Schedule 1.01(a), or such other address or account as the Administrative Agent may from time to time notify the Borrower and the Lenders.
“Administrative Questionnaire” means an Administrative Questionnaire in substantially the form of Exhibit A or any other form approved by the Administrative Agent.
“Affected Financial Institution” means (a) any EEA Financial Institution or (b) any UK Financial Institution.
“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.
“Aggregate Commitments” means the Commitments of all the Lenders.
“Agreement” means this Credit Agreement, including all schedules, exhibits and annexes hereto.
“Applicable Law” means, as to any Person, all applicable Laws binding upon such Person or to which such a Person is subject.
“Applicable Percentage” means, with respect to any Lender at any time, the percentage (carried out to the ninth decimal place) of the Facility represented by such Lender’s Commitment at such time, subject to adjustment as provided in Section 2.15. If the Commitment of all of the Lenders to make Revolving Loans and the obligation of the L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions have been terminated pursuant to Section 8.02, or if the Commitments have expired, then the Applicable Percentage of each Lender shall be determined based on the Applicable Percentage of such Lender most recently in effect, giving effect to any subsequent assignments and to any Lender’s status as a Defaulting Lender at the time of determination. The Applicable Percentage of each Lender is set forth opposite the name of such Lender on Schedule 1.01(b) or in the Assignment and Assumption pursuant to which such Lender becomes a party hereto or in any documentation executed by such Lender pursuant to Section 2.16, as applicable.
“Applicable Rate” means, for any day, the rate per annum set forth below, for the time period set forth below, 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”, (b) Revolving Loans that are Daily SOFR Loans shall be the percentage set forth under the column “Daily SOFR & Letter of Credit Fee”, (c) the Letter of Credit Fee shall be the percentage set forth under the column “Daily SOFR & Letter of Credit Fee”, and (d) the commitment fee shall be the percentage set forth under the column “Commitment Fee”:
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Period | Daily SOFR & Letter of Credit Fee | Base Rate | Commitment Fee |
From the Closing Date to but excluding the First Amendment Effective Date | 2.25% | 1.25% | 0.25% |
From the First Amendment Effective Date to but excluding the Second Amendment Effective Date | 2.50% | 1.50% | 0.25% |
From the Second Amendment Effective Date to but excluding the Third Amendment Effective Date | 3.50% | 2.50% | 0.25% |
From and after the Third Amendment Effective Date | 4.50% | 3.50% | 0.25% |
“Appropriate Lender” means, at any time, (a) with respect to the Facility, a Lender that has a Commitment with respect to the Facility or holds a Loan under the Facility at such time, (b) with respect to the Letter of Credit Sublimit, (i) the L/C Issuer and (ii) if any Letters of Credit have been issued pursuant to Section 2.03, the Lenders and (c) with respect to the Swing Line Sublimit, (i) the Swing Line Lender and (ii) if any Swing Line Loans are outstanding pursuant to Section 2.04(a), the Lenders.
“Approved Fund” means any Fund that is administered or managed by (a) a Lender, (b) an Affiliate of a Lender or (c) an entity or an Affiliate of an entity that administers or manages a Lender.
“Arranger” means Bank of America, N.A., an affiliate of BofA Securities, Inc., in its capacity as sole lead arranger and sole bookrunner.
“Assignment and Assumption” means an assignment and assumption entered into by a Lender and an Eligible Assignee (with the consent of any party whose consent is required by Section 11.06(b)), and accepted by the Administrative Agent, in substantially the form of Exhibit B or any other form (including an electronic documentation form generated by use of an electronic platform) approved by the Administrative Agent.
“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, (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, (c) all Synthetic Debt of such Person, (d) in respect of any Securitization Transaction, the outstanding principal amount of such financing, after taking into account reserve accounts and making appropriate adjustments, determined by the Administrative Agent in its reasonable judgment and (e) in respect of any Sale and Leaseback Transaction, the present value (discounted in accordance with GAAP) of the obligations of the lessee for rental payments during the remaining term of such lease.
“Audited Financial Statements” means the audited Consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, 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.
“Auto-Extension Letter of Credit” has the meaning specified in Section 2.03(b).
“Auto-Reinstatement Letter of Credit” has the meaning specified in Section 2.03(b).
“Availability Period” means the period from and including the Closing Date to the earliest of (a) the Maturity Date, (b) the date of termination of the Commitments pursuant to Section 2.06, and (c) the date of termination of the Commitment of each Lender to make Revolving Loans and of the obligation of the L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions pursuant to Section 8.02.Fourth Amendment Effective Date.
“Bail-In Action” means the exercise of any Write-Down and Conversion Powers by the applicable Resolution Authority in respect of any liability of an Affected Financial Institution.
“Bail-In Legislation” means, (a) with respect to any EEA Member Country implementing Article 55 of Directive 2014/59/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of the European Union, the implementing law, rule, regulation or requirement for such EEA Member Country from time to time which is described in the EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule, and (b) with respect to the United Kingdom, Part I of the United Kingdom Banking Act 2009 (as amended from time to time) and any other law, regulation or rule applicable in the United Kingdom relating to the resolution of unsound or failing banks, investment firms or other financial institutions or their affiliates (other than through liquidation, administration or other insolvency proceedings).
“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 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 Daily SOFR for such date plus 1.00%, subject to the interest rate floors set forth therein; provided that if the Base Rate shall be less than zero such rate shall be deemed zero 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 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.
“Borrower Materials” has the meaning specified in Section 6.02(j).
“Borrowing” means a Revolving Borrowing or a Swing Line Borrowing, as the context may require.
“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 Administrative Agent’s Office is located.
“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 and maintenance which are properly charged to current operations), including capitalized costs for software development and other capitalized intellectual property costs.
“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 Collateralize” means to pledge and deposit with or deliver to the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of one or more of the L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender (as applicable) or the Lenders, as Collateral for L/C Obligations, the Obligations in respect of Swing Line Loans, or obligations of the Lenders to fund participations in respect of L/C Obligations or Swing Line Loans (as the context may require), (a) cash or deposit account balances, (b) backstop letters of credit entered into on terms, from issuers and in amounts reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer, and/or (c) if the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender shall agree, in their reasonable discretion, other credit support, in each case, in Dollars and pursuant to documentation in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender (as applicable). “Cash Collateral” shall have a meaning correlative to the foregoing and shall include the proceeds of such Cash Collateral and other credit support.
“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 a 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.
“Cash Management Bank” means any Person in its capacity as a party to a Cash Management Agreement that, (a) at the time it enters into a Cash Management Agreement with a Loan Party or any Subsidiary, is a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender, or (b) at the time it (or its Affiliate) becomes a Lender, is a party to a Cash Management Agreement with a Loan Party or any Subsidiary, in each case in its capacity as a party to such Cash Management Agreement (even if such Person ceases to be a Lender or such Person’s Affiliate ceased to be a Lender); provided, however, that for any of the foregoing to be included as a “Secured Cash Management Agreement” on any date of determination by the Administrative Agent, the applicable Cash Management Bank (other than the Administrative Agent or an Affiliate of the Administrative Agent) must have delivered a Secured Party Designation Notice to the Administrative Agent prior to such date of determination.
“CFC” means a Foreign Subsidiary that is a “controlled foreign corporation” as defined in Section 957 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.
“Change of Control” means an event or series of events by which:
(a)any “person” or “group” (as such terms are used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, but excluding any employee benefit plan of such person or
its subsidiaries, and any person or entity acting in its capacity as trustee, agent or other fiduciary or administrator of any such plan), other than any Preferred Equity Holder, becomes the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except that a person or group shall be deemed to have “beneficial ownership” of all securities that such person or group has the right to acquire, whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time (such right, an “option right”)), directly or indirectly, of 35% or more of the Equity Interests of the Borrower entitled to vote for members of the board of directors or equivalent governing body of the Borrower on a fully-diluted basis (and taking into account all such securities that such “person” or “group” has the right to acquire pursuant to any option right); or
(b)during any period of twelve (12) consecutive months, a majority of the members of the board of directors or other equivalent governing body of the Borrower cease to be composed of individuals (i) who were members of that board or equivalent governing body on the first day of such period, (ii) whose election or nomination to that board or equivalent governing body was nominated, appointed or approved by individuals referred to in clause (i) above constituting at the time of such election or nomination at least a majority of that board or equivalent governing body or (iii) whose election or nomination to that board or other equivalent governing body was nominated, appointed or approved by individuals referred to in clauses (i) and (ii) above constituting at the time of such election or nomination at least a majority of that board or equivalent governing body.
“Charter” has the meaning set forth in the definition of “Preferred Equity Holders”.
“Closing Date” means the date hereof.
“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
“Collateral” means all of the “Collateral” referred to in the Collateral Documents 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 Administrative Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties. For the sake of clarity, “Collateral” does not include any Excluded Property.
“Collateral Documents” means, collectively, the Security Agreement, each Joinder Agreement, each of the collateral assignments, security agreements, pledge agreements, account control agreements or other similar agreements delivered to the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 6.13, and each of the other agreements, instruments or documents that creates or purports to create a Lien in favor of the Administrative Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties.
“Commitment” means, as to each Lender, its obligation to (a) make Revolving Loans to the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.01, (b) purchase participations in L/C Obligations, and (c) purchase participations in Swing Line Loans, in an aggregate principal amount at any one time outstanding not to exceed the amount set forth opposite such Lender’s name on Schedule 1.01(b) under the caption “Commitment” or opposite such caption in the Assignment and Assumption pursuant to which such Lender becomes a party hereto, as applicable, as such amount may be adjusted from time to time in accordance with this Agreement. The Commitment of all of the Lenders on the First Amendment Effective Date shall be $40,000,000. The Commitment of all the Lenders on the Third Amendment Effective Date shall be $25,000,000. The Commitment of all the Lenders from and after the Fourth
Amendment Effective Date shall be the lesser of (i) the Outstanding Amount of L/C Obligations as of any date and (ii) $3,181,692.82.
“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.
“Compliance Certificate” means a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit C.
“Conforming Changes” means, with respect to the use, administration of or any conventions associated with SOFR or any proposed Successor Rate, as applicable, any conforming changes to the definitions of “Base Rate”, “SOFR”, “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”, “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 Administrative Agent, to reflect the adoption and implementation of such applicable rate and to permit the administration thereof by the Administrative Agent in a manner substantially consistent with market practice (or, if the Administrative Agent determines that adoption of any portion of such market practice is not administratively feasible or that no market practice for the administration of such applicable rate exists, in such other manner of administration as the Administrative Agent determines is reasonably necessary in connection with the administration of this Agreement and any other Loan Document).
“Connection Income Taxes” means Other Connection Taxes that are imposed on or measured by net income (however denominated) or that are franchise Taxes or branch profits Taxes.
“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.
“Consolidated Asset Coverage Ratio” means as of the end of any period, the ratio of (a) the sum of accounts receivable, net of bad debt reserve, in each case, as shown on the Consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries to (b) the Total Revolving Outstandings as of such date.
“Consolidated EBITDA” means, for any period, the Consolidated Net Income for such period plus: (i) without duplication and to the extent already deducted (and not added back) in arriving at such Consolidated Net Income (or, as applicable, to the extent not already included in Consolidated Net Income), the sum of the following amounts for such period: (1) total interest expense and, to the extent not reflected in such total interest expense, any losses on Swap Contracts or other derivative instruments entered into for the purpose of hedging interest rate risk, net of interest income and gains on such Swap Contracts or such derivative instruments, and bank and letter of credit fees and costs of surety bonds in connection with financing activities, (2) provision for Taxes based on income, profits or capital gains, including federal, foreign, state, franchise, excise and similar Taxes paid or accrued during such period (including in respect of repatriated funds), (3) depreciation and amortization (including amortization of intangible assets established through purchase accounting and amortization of deferred financing fees or costs), (4) non-cash charges (excluding any non-cash charge which consists of or requires an accrual of, or reserve for, potential cash charges in any future period), (5) extraordinary losses in accordance with GAAP, (6) unusual or non-recurring charges (including litigation and investigation-related costs and expenses, costs associated with tax projects/audits and professional, consulting or other fees), (7) restructuring charges, accruals or reserves (including restructuring costs related to Acquisitions after the
Closing Date), (8) losses on asset sales, disposals or abandonments (other than asset sales, disposals or abandonments in the ordinary course of business), (9) the amount of any net losses from discontinued operations in accordance with GAAP, (10) any expenses, charges or losses that are covered by indemnification or other reimbursement provisions in connection with any Investment, Acquisition or any sale, conveyance, transfer or other disposition of assets, to the extent actually reimbursed, or, so long as the Borrower has received notification from the applicable Person that it intends to indemnify or reimburse such expenses, charges or losses and that there exists reasonable evidence that such amount will in fact be reimbursed by the applicable Person and only to the extent that such amount is (A) not denied by the applicable Person in writing within 180 days and (B) in fact reimbursed within 365 days of the date of such evidence (with a deduction for any amount so added back to the extent not so reimbursed within such 365 days), (11) to the extent covered by insurance and actually reimbursed, or, so long as the Borrower has made a determination that there exists reasonable evidence that such amount will in fact be reimbursed by the insurer and only to the extent that such amount is (A) not denied by the applicable carrier in writing within 180 days and (B) in fact reimbursed within 365 days of the date of such evidence (with a deduction for any amount so added back to the extent not so reimbursed within such 365 days), expenses, charges or losses with respect to liability or casualty events or business interruption, (12) fees, costs and expenses incurred in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents, and (13) any charges, costs and expenses incurred during such period, or any amortization thereof for such period, in connection with any Acquisition; Investment; asset disposition; issuance, repayment or extinguishment of debt, issuance of equity securities; refinancing transaction or amendment or other modification of any debt instrument (in each case, including any such transaction consummated prior to the Closing Date and any such transaction undertaken but not completed); provided that the aggregate amount added to Consolidated EBITDA pursuant to clauses (6), (7) and (13) above shall not, collectively, exceed 15% of Consolidated EBITDA (calculated prior to giving effect to such addbacks) for any period of four-consecutive fiscal quarters, less (ii) without duplication and to the extent included in arriving at such Consolidated Net Income (or, as applicable, to the extent not already included in Consolidated Net Income), the sum of the following amounts for such period: (1) extraordinary gains in accordance with GAAP and unusual or non-recurring gains, (2) non-cash gains, (3) gains on asset sales, disposals or abandonments (other than asset sales, disposals or abandonments in the ordinary course of business), and (4) the amount of any net income from discontinued operations in accordance with GAAP, in each case, as determined on a consolidated basis for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in accordance with GAAP; provided that, to the extent included in Consolidated Net Income: (1) there shall be excluded in determining Consolidated EBITDA, without duplication, any net unrealized gains and losses relating to mark-to-market of amounts denominated in foreign currencies resulting from the application of FASB ASC 830, (2) there shall be included in determining Consolidated EBITDA for any period, without duplication, the Acquired EBITDA of any Person, property, business or asset acquired by the Borrower or any Subsidiary of the Borrower during such period to the extent not subsequently sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of (but not including the Acquired EBITDA of any related Person, property, business or assets to the extent not so acquired) (each such Person, property, business or asset acquired, including pursuant to a transaction consummated prior to the Closing Date, and not subsequently so disposed of, an “Acquired Entity or Business”), in each case based on the Acquired EBITDA of such Acquired Entity or Business for such period (including the portion thereof occurring prior to such acquisition or conversion) determined on a historical Pro Forma Basis, (3) there shall be excluded in determining Consolidated EBITDA for any period the Disposed EBITDA of any Person, property, business or asset sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of, closed or classified as discontinued operations by the Borrower or any Subsidiary of the Borrower during such period (each such Person, property, business or asset so sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of, closed or classified, a “Sold Entity or Business”), in each case based on the Disposed EBITDA of such Sold Entity or Business for such period (including the portion thereof occurring prior to such sale, transfer, disposition, closure, classification or conversion) determined on a
historical Pro Forma Basis, and (4) there shall be excluded in determining Consolidated EBITDA for any period the cumulative effect of a change in accounting principles during such period to the extent included in Consolidated Net Income.
“Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio” means, as of any date of determination, the ratio of (a) (i) Consolidated EBITDA, less (ii) the aggregate amount of all Unfinanced Capital Expenditures, less (iii) the aggregate amount of federal, state, local and foreign income Taxes paid in cash, less (iv) Restricted Payments paid in cash (other than Section 7.06(a) or (e)) to (b) the sum of (i) Consolidated Interest Charges to the extent paid in cash and (ii) Consolidated Scheduled Funded Debt Payments, in each case, of or by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for the most recently completed Measurement Period.
“Consolidated Funded Indebtedness” means, as of any date of determination, for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a Consolidated basis, 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 debt 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 (i) trade accounts payable in the ordinary course of business and (ii) obligations with respect to earnouts or other similar purchase price adjustments to the extent such payments are not due and payable); (e) all Attributable Indebtedness; (f) all obligations to purchase, redeem, retire, defease or otherwise make any payment prior to the Maturity Date in respect of any Disqualified Equity Interests, valued, in the case of a redeemable preferred interest, at the greater of its voluntary or involuntary liquidation preference plus accrued and unpaid dividends; (g) without duplication, all Guarantees with respect to outstanding Indebtedness of the types specified in clauses (a) through (f) above of Persons other than the Borrower or any Subsidiary; and (h) all Indebtedness of the types referred to in clauses (a) through (g) 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.
“Consolidated 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 on a Consolidated basis for the most recently completed Measurement Period.
“Consolidated Net Income” means, for any Measurement Period, the net income (or loss) of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a Consolidated basis for the most recently completed Measurement Period; provided that Consolidated Net Income shall exclude (a) 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 equity in any net loss of any such Subsidiary for such Measurement Period shall be included in determining Consolidated Net Income, and (b) any income (or loss) for such Measurement Period of any Person if such Person is not a Subsidiary, except that the
Borrower equity in the net income of any such Person for such Measurement Period shall be included in Consolidated 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 (a) of this proviso).
“Consolidated Scheduled Funded Debt Payments” means, at any date of determination, the sum of all regularly scheduled payments of principal on Consolidated Funded Indebtedness for any period, for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a Consolidated basis for the most recently completed Measurement Period. For purposes of this definition, “scheduled payments of principal” (a) shall be determined without giving effect to any reduction of such scheduled payments resulting from the application of any voluntary or mandatory prepayments made during the applicable period, (b) shall be deemed to include the Attributable Indebtedness and (c) shall not include any voluntary or mandatory prepayments.
“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.
“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).
“Credit Extension” means each of the following: (a) a Borrowing and (b) an L/C Credit Extension.
“Credit Party” has the meaning set forth in Section 9.13.
“Daily SOFR” means the rate per annum equal to SOFR determined for any day pursuant to the definition thereof plus the SOFR Adjustment. Any change in Daily SOFR shall be effective from and including the date of such change without further notice. If the rate as so determined would be less than zero, such rate shall be deemed to be zero for purposes of this Agreement.
“Daily SOFR Loan” means a Loan that bears interest at a rate based on Daily SOFR.
“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%) 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%), 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.
“Defaulting Lender” means, subject to Section 2.15(b), any Lender that (a) has failed to (i) fund all or any portion of its Loans within two (2) Business Days of the date such Loans were required to be funded hereunder unless such Lender notifies the Administrative Agent and the Borrower in writing that such failure is the result of such Lender’s determination that one or more conditions precedent to funding (each of which conditions precedent, together with any applicable default, shall be specifically identified in such writing) has not been satisfied, or (ii) pay to the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer, the Swing Line Lender or any other Lender any other amount required to be paid by it hereunder (including in respect of its participation in Letters of Credit or Swing Line Loans) within two (2) Business Days of the date when due, (b) has notified the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender in writing that it does not intend to comply with its funding obligations hereunder, or has made a public statement to that effect (unless such writing or public statement relates to such Lender’s obligation to fund a Loan hereunder and states that such position is based on such Lender’s determination that a condition precedent to funding (which condition precedent, together with any applicable default, shall be specifically identified in such writing or public statement) cannot be satisfied), (c) has failed, within three (3) Business Days after written request by the Administrative Agent or the Borrower, to confirm in writing to the Administrative Agent and the Borrower that it will comply with its prospective funding obligations hereunder (provided that such Lender shall cease to be a Defaulting Lender pursuant to this clause (c) upon receipt of such written confirmation by the Administrative Agent and the Borrower), or (d) has, or has a direct or indirect parent company that has, (i) become the subject of a proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law, (ii) had appointed for it a receiver, custodian, conservator, trustee, administrator, assignee for the benefit of creditors or similar Person charged with reorganization or liquidation of its business or assets, including the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other state or federal regulatory authority acting in such a capacity or (iii) become the subject of a Bail-In Action; provided that a Lender shall not be a Defaulting Lender solely by virtue of the ownership or acquisition of any Equity Interest in that Lender or any direct or indirect parent company thereof by a Governmental Authority so long as such ownership interest does not result in or provide such Lender with immunity from the jurisdiction of courts within the United States or from the enforcement of judgments or writs of attachment on its assets or permit such Lender (or such Governmental Authority) to reject, repudiate, disavow or disaffirm any contracts or agreements made with such Lender. Any determination by the Administrative Agent that a Lender is a Defaulting Lender under any one or more of clauses (a) through (d) above, and the effective date of such status, shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest error, and such Lender shall be deemed to be a Defaulting Lender (subject to Section 2.15(b)) as of the date established therefor by the Administrative Agent in a written notice of such determination, which shall be delivered by the Administrative Agent to the Borrower, the L/C Issuer, the Swing Line Lender and each other Lender promptly following such determination.
“Deposit Accounts” has the meaning assigned to that term in the UCC.
“Designated Jurisdiction” means any country or territory to the extent that such country or territory is the subject of any Sanction.
“Disposed EBITDA” has the meaning specified in the definition of “Consolidated EBITDA”.
“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.
“Disqualified Equity Interest” means any Equity Interest that, by its terms (or the terms of any security or other Equity Interests into which it is convertible or for which it is exchangeable), or upon the happening of any event or condition (a) matures or is mandatorily redeemable (other than solely for Equity Interests that are not Disqualified Equity Interests), pursuant to a sinking fund obligation or otherwise (except as a result of a change of control or asset sale so long as any rights of the holders thereof upon the occurrence of a change of control or asset sale event shall be subject to the prior repayment in full of the Loans and all other Obligations that are accrued and payable and the termination of the Commitments), (b) is redeemable at the option of the holder thereof, in whole or in part (other than solely for Equity Interests that are not Disqualified Equity Interests), (c) provides for scheduled payments of dividends in cash (except to the extent such payments can be converted to being payable in kind or the failure of which to pay would not constitute a default or breach under the documentation governing such Equity Interests), or (d) is or becomes convertible into or exchangeable for Indebtedness or any other Equity Interests that would constitute Disqualified Equity Interests, in each case, prior to the date that is 91 days after the Maturity Date; provided that if such Equity Interests are issued pursuant to a plan for the benefit of employees of Borrower or any Subsidiary or by any such plan to such employees, such Equity Interests shall not constitute Disqualified Equity Interests solely because they may be required to be repurchased by Borrower or its Subsidiaries in order to satisfy applicable statutory or regulatory obligations or as a result of such employee’s termination, death or disability. For the avoidance of doubt, the Preferred Equity shall not be deemed to be Disqualified Equity Interests.
“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.
“EEA Financial Institution” means (a) any credit institution or investment firm established in any EEA Member Country which is subject to the supervision of an EEA Resolution Authority, (b) any entity established in an EEA Member Country which is a parent of an institution described in clause (a) of this definition, or (c) any financial institution established in an EEA Member Country which is a Subsidiary of an institution described in clauses (a) or (b) of this definition and is subject to consolidated supervision with its parent.
“EEA Member Country” means any of the member states of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.
“EEA Resolution Authority” means any public administrative authority or any Person entrusted with public administrative authority of any EEA Member Country (including any delegee) having responsibility for the resolution of any EEA Financial Institution.
“Eligible Assignee” means any Person that meets the requirements to be an assignee under Section 11.06 (subject to such consents, if any, as may be required under Section 11.06(b)(iii)).
“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.
“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.
“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 that is covered by Title IV of ERISA; (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; (d) the filing of a notice of intent to terminate or the treatment of a Pension Plan amendment or a Multiemployer 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 or a Multiemployer 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 or Multiemployer 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, as applicable; (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.
“EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule” means the EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule published by the Loan Market Association (or any successor person), as in effect from time to time.
“Event of Default” has the meaning specified in Section 8.01.
“Excluded Deposit Accounts” means (a) Deposit Accounts the balance of which consists exclusively of (i) withheld income taxes, employment taxes or payroll taxes in such amounts as are required in the reasonable judgment of the Loan Parties to be paid to the applicable Governmental Authorities with respect to current or former employees of any one or more of the Loan Parties and (ii) amounts required by Applicable Law to be paid over to an employee benefit plan or similar employee benefit arrangement on behalf of or for the benefit of employees of one or more of the Loan Parties, (b) all segregated Deposit Accounts constituting tax accounts and payroll accounts, (c) any Deposit Account that is automatically swept on a daily basis into another Deposit Account that is subject to a control agreement in favor of the Administrative Agent, (d) any Deposit Account containing solely fiduciary funds held in trust for the benefit of third parties (other than a Loan Party or any Affiliate thereof) and (e) any Deposit Account that is subject to a Lien in favor of a third party to the extent constituting a Permitted Lien.
“Excluded Equity Interests” means the Equity Interests of (a)(i) any direct or indirect Foreign Subsidiary of any Loan Party or (ii) any FSHCO, in each case, to the extent not required to be pledged to secure the Obligations pursuant to Section 6.13(a) and (b) any captive insurance companies, not-for-profit Subsidiaries, joint ventures and special purpose entities, in each case to the extent the pledge thereof would require the consent of one or more third parties or is prohibited by the terms of any applicable organization documents or by Applicable Laws.
“Excluded Property” means, with respect to any Loan Party, (a) any fee or leasehold interest in real property, (b) 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, (c) any personal property (other than personal property described in clause (b) above and Equity Interests required to be pledged to secure the Obligations pursuant to Section 6.13) for which the attachment or perfection of a Lien thereon is not governed by the UCC, (d) any Excluded Equity Interests, (e) any property which, subject to the terms of Section 7.09, is subject to a Lien of the type described in Section 7.01(i) pursuant to documents which prohibit such Loan Party from granting any other Liens in such property, (f) any particular asset, if the grant of a security interest therein is prohibited by Applicable Law, or by any contract binding on such assets or property at the time of its acquisition (or on the Closing Date) and not entered into in contemplation thereof (or in contemplation of the transactions contemplated hereby, as applicable) other than to the extent such prohibition is deemed ineffective under the UCC or other Applicable Law notwithstanding such prohibition, (g) any rights of a Loan Party arising under or evidenced by any contract, lease, instrument, license or other agreement to the extent the grant of security interests therein is prohibited or restricted by such contract, lease, instrument, license or other agreement, other than proceeds and receivables thereof (except to the extent such proceeds and receivables themselves constitute Excluded Property), except to the extent the pledge of such rights is effective under the UCC or other applicable Law notwithstanding such prohibition or restriction or such prohibition or restriction is ineffective under the UCC or other applicable Law, (h) licenses and any other property and assets to the extent that the Administrative Agent may not validly possess a security interest therein under
applicable Laws, to the extent such applicable Laws are not rendered ineffective by the UCC or other applicable Law, or the creation of a security interest in which would require governmental consent, approval, license or authorization (except that cash proceeds of dispositions thereof shall not constitute Excluded Property, except to the extent such cash proceeds and receivables themselves constitute Excluded Property), (i) motor vehicles and other assets subject to certificates of title to the extent a Lien thereon cannot be perfected by the filing of a UCC financing statement, (j) assets for which the Administrative Agent and the Borrower have determined in their reasonable judgment and agree in writing that the cost (including any adverse tax consequences as determined in the reasonable judgment of the Borrower in consultation with the Administrative Agent) of creating or perfecting such pledges or security interests therein would be excessive in view of the benefits to be obtained by the Lenders therefrom, (k) margin stock, (l) letter of credit rights, to the extent a Lien thereon cannot be perfected by the filing of a UCC financing statement, and commercial tort claims to the extent having a value of less than $5,000,000, (m) Excluded Deposit Accounts, and (n) any intent-to-use trademark application in the United States prior to the filing of a “Statement of Use” or “Amendment to Allege Use” with respect thereto, to the extent, if any, that, and solely during the period, if any, in which, the grant, attachment, or enforcement of a security interest therein would impair the validity or enforceability of such intent-to-use trademark application under applicable federal law.
“Excluded Subsidiary” means (a) any Subsidiary that is prohibited by Applicable Law or Contractual Obligations existing on the Closing Date and identified on Schedule 5.19(a) as an Excluded Subsidiary (or, in the case of any newly acquired Subsidiary, in existence at the time of acquisition but not entered into in contemplation thereof) from guaranteeing the Obligations or if guaranteeing the Obligations would require governmental (including regulatory) consent, approval, license or authorization (unless such consent, approval, license or authorization has been obtained), (b) any other Subsidiary with respect to which, in the reasonable judgment of the Administrative Agent, in consultation with the Borrower, the burden or cost or other consequences (including any adverse tax consequences as determined in the reasonable judgment of the Borrower in consultation with the Administrative Agent) of providing a Guaranty would be excessive in view of the benefits to be obtained by the Lenders therefrom, (c) any direct or indirect Foreign Subsidiary of the Borrower, (d) any not-for-profit Subsidiaries, (e) any FSHCO, (f) any CFC and any Subsidiary of a CFC, (g) any captive insurance subsidiaries and (h) any special purpose entities.
“Excluded Swap Obligation” means, with respect to any Guarantor, any Swap Obligation if, and to the extent that, all or a portion of the Guaranty of such Guarantor of, or the grant by such Guarantor 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 Guarantor’s failure for any reason to constitute an “eligible contract participant” as defined in the Commodity Exchange Act (determined after giving effect to Section 10.11 and any other “keepwell”, support or other agreement for the benefit of such Guarantor and any and all guarantees of such Guarantor’s Swap Obligations by other Loan Parties) at the time the Guaranty of such Guarantor, or grant by such Guarantor 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.
“Excluded Taxes” means any of the following Taxes imposed on or with respect to any Recipient or required to be withheld or deducted from a payment to a Recipient, (a) Taxes imposed on or measured by net income (however denominated), franchise Taxes, and branch profits Taxes, in each case,
(i) imposed as a result of such Recipient being organized under the laws of, or having its principal office or, in the case of any Lender, its Lending Office located in, the jurisdiction imposing such Tax (or any political subdivision thereof) or (ii) that are Other Connection Taxes, (b) in the case of a Lender, U.S. federal withholding Taxes imposed on amounts payable to or for the account of such Lender with respect to an applicable interest in a Loan or Commitment pursuant to a law in effect on the date on which (i) such Lender acquires such interest in the Loan or Commitment (other than pursuant to an assignment request by the Borrower under Section 11.13) or (ii) such Lender changes its Lending Office, except in each case to the extent that, pursuant to Sections 3.01(b) or (d), amounts with respect to such Taxes were payable either to such Lender’s assignor immediately before such Lender became a party hereto or to such Lender immediately before it changed its Lending Office, (c) Taxes attributable to such Recipient’s failure to comply with Section 3.01(f) and (d) any withholding Taxes imposed pursuant to FATCA.
“Facility” means, at any time, the aggregate amount of the Lenders’ Commitments at such time.
“Facility Termination Date” means the date as of which all of the following shall have occurred: (a) the Aggregate Commitments have terminated, (b) all Obligations have been paid in full (other than contingent indemnification obligations), and (c) all Letters of Credit have terminated or expired (other than Letters of Credit as to which other arrangements with respect thereto reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer shall have been made)., provided that, with respect to any Letter of Credit outstanding on the Maturity Date, the Cash Collateralization of the L/C Obligations in respect of such Letter of Credit in an amount equal to 105% of such outstanding L/C Obligations plus any accrued and unpaid interest thereon as of the Maturity Date shall be deemed reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer for purposes of this clause (c)).
“FASB ASC” means the Accounting Standards Codification of the Financial Accounting Standards Board.
“FATCA” means Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code, as of the date of this Agreement (or any amended or successor version that is substantively comparable and not materially more onerous to comply with), any current or future regulations or official interpretations thereof, any agreements entered into pursuant to Section 1471(b)(1) of the Code and any fiscal or regulatory legislation, rules or practices adopted pursuant to any intergovernmental agreement, treaty or convention among Governmental Authorities and implementing such Sections of the Code.
“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 the purposes of this Agreement.
“Fee Letter” means the letter agreement, dated as of the Closing Date, between the Borrower and the Administrative Agent.
“First Amendment Effective Date” means February 25, 2022.
“Foreign Lender” means (a) if the Borrower is a U.S. Person, a Lender that is not a U.S. Person, and (b) if the Borrower is not a U.S. Person, a Lender that is resident or organized under the laws of a jurisdiction other than that in which the Borrower is resident for tax purposes. For purposes of this
definition, the United States, each State thereof and the District of Columbia shall be deemed to constitute a single jurisdiction.
“Foreign Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary that is not a Domestic Subsidiary.
“Fourth Amendment Effective Date” means November 5, 2024.
“FRB” means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of the United States.
“Fronting Exposure” means, at any time there is a Defaulting Lender that is a Lender, (a) with respect to the L/C Issuer, such Defaulting Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the outstanding L/C Obligations other than L/C Obligations as to which such Defaulting Lender’s participation obligation has been reallocated to other Lenders or Cash Collateralized in accordance with the terms hereof, and (b) with respect to the Swing Line Lender, such Defaulting Lender’s Applicable Percentage of Swing Line Loans other than Swing Line Loans as to which such Defaulting Lender’s participation obligation has been reallocated to other Lenders or Cash Collateralized in accordance with the terms hereof.
“FSHCO” means any Domestic Subsidiary substantially all of whose assets consist, directly or indirectly, of Equity Interests or Indebtedness of one or more Foreign Subsidiaries that are CFCs.
“Fund” means any Person (other than a natural Person) that is (or will be) engaged in making, purchasing, holding or otherwise investing in commercial loans and similar extensions of credit in the ordinary course of its activities.
“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.
“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 (h) 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 10.01.
“Guarantors” means, collectively, (a) the Domestic Subsidiaries (other than any Excluded Subsidiary) of the Borrower as are or may from time to time become parties to this Agreement pursuant to Section 6.12 and (b) 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 10.01 and 10.11) under the Guaranty, the Borrower.
“Guaranty” means, collectively, the Guarantee made by the Guarantors under Article X in favor of the Secured Parties, together with each other guaranty delivered pursuant to Section 6.12.
“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.
“Hedge Bank” means any Person in its capacity as a party to a Swap Contract that, (a) at the time it enters into a Swap Contract not prohibited under Articles VI or VII, is a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender, or (b) at the time it (or its Affiliate) becomes a Lender, is a party to a Swap Contract not prohibited under Articles VI or VII, in each case, in its capacity as a party to such Swap Contract (even if such Person ceases to be a Lender or such Person’s Affiliate ceased to be a Lender); provided in the case of a Secured Hedge Agreement with a Person who is no longer a Lender (or Affiliate of a Lender), such Person shall be considered a Hedge Bank only through the stated termination date (without extension or renewal) of such Secured Hedge Agreement; provided, further that for any of the foregoing to be included as a “Secured Hedge Agreement” on any date of determination by the Administrative Agent, the applicable Hedge Bank (other than the Administrative Agent or an Affiliate of the Administrative Agent) must have delivered a Secured Party Designation Notice to the Administrative Agent prior to such date of determination.
“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:
(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)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);
(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 of such Person with respect to Disqualified Equity Interests; 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. For the avoidance of doubt, usual and customary transfer pricing arrangements between or among the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business and consistent with past practices shall not constitute Indebtedness.
“Indemnified Taxes” means all (a) Taxes, other than Excluded Taxes, imposed on or with respect to any payment made by or on account of any obligation of any Loan Party under any Loan Document and (b) to the extent not otherwise described in clause (a), Other Taxes.
“Indemnitee” has the meaning specified in Section 11.04(b).
“Information” has the meaning specified in Section 11.07(a).
“Intellectual Property” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.24.
“Intercompany Debt” has the meaning specified in Section 7.02(d).
“Interest Payment Date” means the first Business Day of each April, July, October and January (with respect to interest accrued for the calendar quarter immediately preceding such date) and 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) an Acquisition. 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, but net of any cash dividends or other return of capital received
by a Loan Party or their respective Subsidiaries, as applicable, with respect thereto. For the avoidance of doubt, usual and customary transfer pricing arrangements between or among the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business and consistent with past practices shall not constitute Investments.
“IRS” means the United States Internal Revenue Service.
“ISP” means the International Standby Practices, International Chamber of Commerce Publication No. 590 (or such later version thereof as may be in effect at the applicable time).
“Issuer Documents” means with respect to any Letter of Credit, the Letter of Credit Application, and any other document, agreement and instrument entered into by the L/C Issuer and the Borrower (or any Subsidiary) or in favor of the L/C Issuer and relating to such Letter of Credit.
“Joinder Agreement” means a joinder agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit D executed and delivered in accordance with the provisions of Section 6.12.
“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.
“L/C Advance” means, with respect to each Lender, such Lender’s funding of its participation in any L/C Borrowing in accordance with its Applicable Percentage.
“L/C Borrowing” means an extension of credit resulting from a drawing under any Letter of Credit which has not been reimbursed on the date when made or refinanced as a Revolving Borrowing.
“L/C Commitment” means, with respect to the L/C Issuer, the commitment of the L/C Issuer to issue Letters of Credit hereunder. The initial amount of the L/C Issuer’s Letter of Credit Commitment is set forth on Schedule 2.03. The Letter of Credit Commitment of the L/C Issuer may be modified from time to time by agreement between the L/C Issuer and the Borrower, and notified to the Administrative Agent. The L/C Commitment from and after the Fourth Amendment Effective Date shall be the lesser of (i) the Outstanding Amount of L/C Obligations as of any date and (ii) $3,181,692.82.
“L/C Credit Extension” means, with respect to any Letter of Credit, the issuance thereof or extension of the expiry date thereof, or the increase of the amount thereof.
“L/C Issuer” means Bank of America in its capacity as issuer of Letters of Credit hereunder, or any successor issuer of Letters of Credit hereunder.
“L/C Obligations” means, as at any date of determination, the aggregate amount available to be drawn under all outstanding Letters of Credit plus the aggregate of all Unreimbursed Amounts (including all L/C Borrowings). For purposes of computing the amount available to be drawn under any Letter of Credit, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be determined in accordance with Section 1.06. For all purposes of this Agreement, if on any date of determination a Letter of Credit has expired by its terms but any amount may still be drawn thereunder by reason of the operation of Rule 3.14 of the ISP, such Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be “outstanding” in the amount so remaining available to be drawn.
“Lender” means each of the Persons identified as a “Lender” on the signature pages hereto, each other Person that becomes a “Lender” in accordance with this Agreement and, their successors and assigns and, unless the context requires otherwise, includes the Swing Line Lender.
“Lending Office” means, as to the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or any Lender, the office or offices of such Person described as such in such Person’s Administrative Questionnaire, or such other office or offices as such Person may from time to time notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent; which office may include any Affiliate of such Person or any domestic or foreign branch of such Person or such Affiliate.
“Letter of Credit” means any standby letter of credit issued hereunder.
“Letter of Credit Application” means an application and agreement for the issuance or amendment of a Letter of Credit in the form from time to time in use by the L/C Issuer.
“Letter of Credit Fee” has the meaning specified in Section 2.03(m).
“Letter of Credit Sublimit” means, as of any date of determination, an amount equal to the lesser of (a) $5,000,0003,181,692.82 and (b) the Facility. The Letter of Credit Sublimit is part of, and not in addition to, the Facility.
“Liberty” has the meaning set forth in the definition of “Preferred Equity Holders”.
“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).
“Liquidity” means the sum of (a) all cash and Cash Equivalents of the Loan Parties on such date that (i) do not appear (or would not be required to appear) as “restricted” on a consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower (other than any cash and Cash Equivalents “restricted” in favor of the Secured Obligations) and (ii) are not subject to a Lien (other than Liens of the type described in Sections 7.01(a) and (l) and other Permitted Liens in favor of the Secured Obligation) plus (b) the total of (a) the Aggregate Commitments at such time, minus (b) the Total Revolving Outstandings at such time.
“Loan” means an extension of credit by a Lender to the Borrower under Article II in the form of a Revolving Loan or a Swing Line Loan.
“Loan Documents” means, collectively, (a) this Agreement, (b) the Notes, (c) the Collateral Documents, (d) the Fee Letter, (e) each Issuer Document, (f) each Joinder Agreement, (g) any agreement creating or perfecting rights in Cash Collateral pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.14, and (h) 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, however, that for purposes of Section 11.01, “Loan Documents” shall mean this Agreement and the Collateral Documents.
“Loan Notice” means a notice of a Borrowing, which shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit E or such other form as may be approved by the Administrative Agent (including any form on an electronic platform or electronic transmission system as shall be approved by the Administrative Agent), appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower.
“Loan Parties” means, collectively, the Borrower and each Guarantor.
“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) or condition (financial or otherwise) of 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 Administrative Agent or any Lender under the Loan Documents.
“Maturity Date” means November 5January 31, 20242025; provided, however, that if such date is not a Business Day, the Maturity Date shall be the next preceding Business Day.
“Measurement Period” means, at any date of determination, the most recently completed four (4) fiscal quarters of the Borrower (or, for purposes of determining compliance with the financial covenants set forth in Section 7.11 on a Pro Forma Basis, the most recently completed four (4) fiscal quarters of the Borrower for which financial statements have been delivered pursuant to Section 6.01).
“Minimum Collateral Amount” means, at any time, (a) with respect to Cash Collateral consisting of cash or deposit account balances, an amount equal to 105% of the Fronting Exposure of the L/C Issuer with respect to Letters of Credit issued and outstanding at such time and (b) otherwise, an amount determined by the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer in their reasonable discretion.
“Moody’s” 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.
“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.
“New Lender” has the meaning specified in Section 2.16(c).
“Non-Consenting Lender” means any Lender that does not approve any consent, waiver or amendment that (a) requires the approval of all Lenders or all affected Lenders in accordance with the terms of Section 11.01 and (b) has been approved by the Required Lenders.
“Non-Defaulting Lender” means, at any time, each Lender that is not a Defaulting Lender at such time.
“Non-Extension Notice Date” has the meaning specified in Section 2.03(b).
“Non-Reinstatement Deadline” has the meaning specified in Section 2.03(b).
“Note” means a promissory note made by the Borrower in favor of a Lender evidencing Loans made by such Lender, substantially in the form of Exhibit F.
“Notice of Loan Prepayment” means a notice of prepayment with respect to a Loan, which shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit J or such other form as may be approved by the Administrative Agent (including any form on an electronic platform or electronic transmission system as shall be approved by the Administrative Agent), 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, or Letter of Credit and (b) all costs and expenses incurred in connection with enforcement and collection of the foregoing, including the reasonable 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; provided that, without limiting the foregoing, the Obligations of a Guarantor shall exclude any Excluded Swap Obligations with respect to such Guarantor.
“OFAC” means the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the United States Department of the Treasury.
“Organization Documents” means, (a) 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).
“Other Connection Taxes” means, with respect to any Recipient, Taxes imposed as a result of a present or former connection between such Recipient and the jurisdiction imposing such Tax (other than connections arising from such Recipient having executed, delivered, become a party to, performed its obligations under, received payments under, received or perfected a security interest under, engaged in any other transaction pursuant to or enforced any Loan Document, or sold or assigned an interest in any Loan or Loan Document).
“Other Taxes” means all present or future stamp, court or documentary, intangible, recording, filing or similar Taxes that arise from any payment made under, from the execution, delivery, performance, enforcement or registration of, from the receipt or perfection of a security interest under, or
otherwise with respect to, any Loan Document, except any such Taxes that are Other Connection Taxes imposed with respect to an assignment (other than an assignment made pursuant to Section 3.06).
“Outstanding Amount” means (a) with respect to Revolving Loans and Swing Line Loans on any date, the aggregate outstanding principal amount thereof after giving effect to any Borrowings and prepayments or repayments of Revolving Loans and Swing Line Loans, as the case may be, occurring on such date; and (b) with respect to any L/C Obligations on any date, the amount of such L/C Obligations on such date after giving effect to any L/C Credit Extension occurring on such date and any other changes in the aggregate amount of the L/C Obligations as of such date, including as a result of any reimbursements by the Borrower of Unreimbursed Amounts.
“Participant” has the meaning specified in Section 11.06(d).
“Participant Register” has the meaning specified in Section 11.06(d).
“Patriot Act” has the meaning specified in Section 11.19.
“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 and 436 of the Code and Sections 302 and 303 of ERISA.
“Pension Plan” means any employee pension benefit plan (including a Multiple Employer Plan but excluding 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 an Investment consisting of an Acquisition by the Borrower or any Subsidiary of the Borrower (the Person or division, line of business or other business unit of the Person to be acquired in such Acquisition shall be referred to herein as the “Target”); provided that:
(a)no Default shall have occurred and be continuing or would result from such Acquisition;
(b)the Target is a type of business (or assets used in a type of business) permitted to be engaged in by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries pursuant to this Agreement;
(c)the Loan Parties shall have delivered to the Administrative Agent a certificate demonstrating that, after giving effect to the Acquisition on a Pro Forma Basis, the Loan Parties are in compliance with the financial covenants set forth in Section 7.11 recomputed for the most recently completed Measurement Period;
(d)such Acquisition shall not be a “hostile” Acquisition and shall have been approved by the board of directors (or equivalent) and/or shareholders (or equivalent) of the applicable Loan Party and the Target; and
(e)after giving effect to such Acquisition and any Borrowings made in connection therewith, Liquidity shall be at least $10,000,000.
“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 obsolete or worn out property or machinery and equipment no longer used or useful in the conduct of business of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business; (c) Dispositions of equipment or other 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 (net of any Taxes paid or payable as a result of such Disposition) are reasonably promptly applied to the purchase price of such replacement property; (d) 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; (e) Dispositions of accounts receivable in connection with the collection or compromise thereof; (f) licenses, sublicenses, leases or subleases granted to others not interfering in any material respect with the business of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries; (g) the sale or disposition of Cash Equivalents for fair market value and the expenditure of cash in the ordinary course of business; (h) Dispositions of property in furtherance of casualty or condemnation events; (i) Dispositions of Investments in joint ventures to the extent required by, or made pursuant to customary buy/sell arrangements between, the joint venture parties set forth in joint venture arrangements and similar binding arrangements; (j) the unwinding of Swap Contracts in accordance with the terms thereof; and (k) to the extent constituting a Disposition, the contribution or cancellation of a promissory note or other right to payment with respect to Indebtedness owing between or among the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in exchange for Equity Interests in the debtor Subsidiary.
“Person” means any natural person, corporation, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, association, company, partnership, Governmental Authority or other entity.
“Pine” has the meaning set forth in the definition of “Preferred Equity Holders”.
“Plan” means any employee benefit plan within the meaning of Section 3(3) of ERISA (including a Pension Plan but excluding a Multiemployer 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.
“Platform” has the meaning specified in Section 6.02(j).
“Pledged Equity” has the meaning specified in the Security Agreement.
“Preferred Equity Agreement” means that certain Stockholders Agreement, dated as of March 10, 2021, by and among the Borrower and the Preferred Equity Holders.
“Preferred Equity Holders” means: Charter Communications Holding Company, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Charter”); Liberty Broadband Corporation, a Delaware corporation (“Liberty”); Pine Investor, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company wholly owned by funds advised by Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. (“Pine”); the respective Affiliates of Charter, Liberty and Pine; and Charter’s, Liberty’s and Pine’s (and their respective Affiliates’) investment funds and controlled investment vehicles.
“Preferred Equity” means the Equity Interests of the Borrower consisting of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Series B Preferred Stock”), that have been or may be issued from time to time.
“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:
(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; and
(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.
“PTE” means a prohibited transaction class exemption issued by the U.S. Department of Labor, as any such exemption may be amended from time to time.
“Public Lender” has the meaning specified in Section 6.02(j).
“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 11.21.
“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.
“Qurate” has the meaning set forth in the definition of “Preferred Equity Holders”.
“Recipient” means the Administrative Agent, any Lender, the L/C Issuer or any other recipient of any payment to be made by or on account of any obligation of any Loan Party hereunder.
“Register” has the meaning specified in Section 11.06(c).
“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.
“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.
“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.
“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 (a) with respect to a Borrowing of Revolving Loans, a Loan Notice, (b) with respect to an L/C Credit Extension, a Letter of Credit Application, and (c) with respect to a Swing Line Loan, a Swing Line Loan Notice.
“Required Lenders” means, at any time, Lenders having Total Credit Exposures representing more than 50% of the Total Credit Exposures of all Lenders. The Total Credit Exposure of any Defaulting Lender shall be disregarded in determining Required Lenders at any time; provided that, the amount of any participation in any Swing Line Loan and Unreimbursed Amounts that such Defaulting Lender has failed to fund that have not been reallocated to and funded by another Lender shall be deemed to be held by the Lender that is the Swing Line Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, in making such determination.
“Rescindable Amount” has the meaning as defined in Section 2.12(b)(ii).
“Resignation Effective Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 9.06(a).
“Resolution Authority” means an EEA Resolution Authority or, with respect to any UK Financial Institution, a UK Resolution Authority.
“Responsible Officer” means the chief executive officer, president, chief financial officer, treasurer, assistant treasurer or controller of a Loan Party, solely for purposes of the delivery of certificates pursuant to Section 4.01(b), the secretary or any assistant secretary of a Loan Party and, solely for purposes of notices given pursuant to Article II, any other officer or employee of the applicable Loan Party so designated by any of the foregoing officers in a notice to the Administrative Agent or any other officer or employee of the applicable Loan Party designated in or pursuant to an agreement between the applicable Loan Party and the Administrative Agent. 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 Administrative Agent, each Responsible Officer will provide an incumbency certificate and to the extent requested by the Administrative Agent, appropriate authorization documentation, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.
“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 made by each of the Lenders pursuant to Section 2.01.
“Revolving Exposure” means, as to any Lender at any time, the aggregate principal amount at such time of its outstanding Revolving Loans and such Lender’s participation in L/C Obligations and Swing Line Loans at such time.
“Revolving Loan” has the meaning specified in Section 2.01.
“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 U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or any Governmental Authority succeeding to any of its principal functions.
“Second Amendment Effective Date” means February 24, 2023.
“Secured Cash Management Agreement” means any Cash Management Agreement between any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries, on the one hand, and any Cash Management Bank, on the other hand.
“Secured Hedge Agreement” means any interest rate, currency, foreign exchange, or commodity Swap Contract required by or not prohibited under Article VI or VII between any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries, on the one hand, and any Hedge Bank, on the other hand.
“Secured Obligations” means all Obligations and all Additional Secured Obligations.
“Secured Parties” means, collectively, the Administrative Agent, the Lenders, the L/C Issuer, the Hedge Banks, the Cash Management Banks, the Indemnitees and each co-agent or sub-agent appointed by the Administrative Agent from time to time pursuant to Section 9.05.
“Secured Party Designation Notice” means a notice from any Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender substantially in the form of Exhibit G.
“Securitization Transaction” means, with respect to any Person, any financing transaction or series of financing transactions (including factoring arrangements) pursuant to which such Person or any Subsidiary of such Person may sell, convey or otherwise transfer, or grant a security interest in, accounts, payments, receivables, rights to future lease payments or residuals or similar rights to payment to a special purpose subsidiary or affiliate of such Person.
“Security Agreement” means the security and pledge agreement, dated as of the Closing Date, executed in favor of the Administrative Agent by each of the Loan Parties.
“Series B Preferred Stock” has the meaning set forth in the definition of “Preferred Equity”.
“SOFR” means, with respect to any applicable determination date, the Secured Overnight Financing Rate published on the fifth U.S. Government Securities Business Day preceding such date by the SOFR Administrator on the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s website (or any successor source); provided however that if such determination date is not a U.S. Government Securities Business Day, then SOFR means such rate that applied on the first U.S. Government Securities Business Day immediately prior thereto.
“SOFR Adjustment” means 10 basis points (.10%) per annum.
“SOFR Administrator” means the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, as the administrator of SOFR, or any successor administrator of SOFR designated by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York or other Person acting as the SOFR Administrator at such time.
“Sold Entity or Business” has the meaning specified in the definition of “Consolidated EBITDA”.
“Solvent” and “Solvency” mean, with respect to any Person on any date of determination, that on such date (a) the fair value of the assets and 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, including contingent liabilities, as they become absolute and matured. 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 L/C Obligations” has the meaning specified in Section 2.03(q)(i).
“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 10.11).
“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 11.21.
“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 Guarantor 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.
“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 a Lender or any Affiliate of a Lender).
“Swing Line Borrowing” means a borrowing of a Swing Line Loan pursuant to Section 2.04.
“Swing Line Commitment” means, as to any Lender (a) the amount set forth opposite such Lender’s name on Schedule 2.01 hereof or (b) if such Lender has entered into an Assignment and Assumption or has otherwise assumed a Swing Line Commitment after the Closing Date, the amount set forth for such Lender as its Swing Line Commitment in the Register maintained by the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 11.06(c).
“Swing Line Lender” means Bank of America in its capacity as provider of Swing Line Loans, or any successor swing line lender hereunder.
“Swing Line Loan” has the meaning specified in Section 2.04(a).
“Swing Line Loan Notice” means a notice of a Swing Line Borrowing pursuant to Section 2.04(b), which shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit H or such other form as approved by the Administrative Agent (including any form on an electronic platform or electronic transmission system as shall be approved by the Administrative Agent), appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower.
“Swing Line Sublimit” means an amount equal to the lesser of (a) $0 and (b) the Facility. The Swing Line Sublimit is part of, and not in addition to, the Facility.
“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 (including any minority interest transactions that function primarily as a borrowing) 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).
“Target” has the meaning set forth in the definition of “Permitted Acquisition”.
“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.
“Third Amendment Effective Date” means May 3, 2024.
“Threshold Amount” means $5,000,000.
“Total Credit Exposure” means, as to any Lender at any time, the unused Commitments and Revolving Exposure of such Lender at such time.
“Total Revolving Outstandings” means the aggregate Outstanding Amount of all Revolving Loans, Swing Line Loans and L/C Obligations.
“Type” means, with respect to a Loan, its character as a Base Rate Loan or a Daily SOFR Loan.
“UCC” means the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in the State of New York; provided that, if perfection or the effect of perfection or non-perfection or the priority of any security interest in any Collateral is governed by the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in a jurisdiction other than the State of New York, “UCC” means the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect from time to time in such other jurisdiction for purposes of the provisions hereof relating to such perfection, effect of perfection or non-perfection or priority.
“UK Financial Institution” means any BRRD Undertaking (as such term is defined under the PRA Rulebook (as amended form time to time) promulgated by the United Kingdom Prudential Regulation Authority) or any person subject to IFPRU 11.6 of the FCA Handbook (as amended from time
to time) promulgated by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority, which includes certain credit institutions and investment firms, and certain affiliates of such credit institutions or investment firms.
“UK Resolution Authority” means the Bank of England or any other public administrative authority having responsibility for the resolution of any UK Financial Institution.
“Unfinanced Capital Expenditures” means, for any period, Capital Expenditures by the Borrower and/or any of its Subsidiaries made during such period which are not financed (a) with the proceeds of any Indebtedness (other than the Loans), (b) with the proceeds of the sale of an asset, (c) with capital contributions to the Borrower or the proceeds from the issuance of Equity Interests by the Borrower, (d) with casualty insurance proceeds or condemnation awards, (e) through a trade-in of existing assets or (f) with any combination of the foregoing. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, Capital Expenditures that constitute an Investment or Acquisition permitted hereunder shall not constitute Unfinanced Capital Expenditures.
“United States” and “U.S.” mean the United States of America.
“Unreimbursed Amount” has the meaning specified in Section 2.03(f).
“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. Loan Party” means any Loan Party that is organized under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia.
“U.S. Person” means any Person that is a “United States Person” as defined in Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code.
“U.S. Special Resolution Regimes” has the meaning specified in Section 11.21.
“U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate” has the meaning specified in Section 3.01(f)(ii)(B)(3).
“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.
“Wholly Owned Subsidiary” means any Person 100% of whose Equity Interests are at the time owned by the Borrower directly or indirectly through other Persons 100% of whose Equity Interests are at the time owned, directly or indirectly, by the Borrower.
“Withholding Agent” means any Loan Party and the Administrative Agent.
“Write-Down and Conversion Powers” means, (a) with respect to any EEA Resolution Authority, the write-down and conversion powers of such EEA Resolution Authority from time to time under the Bail-In Legislation for the applicable EEA Member Country, which write-down and conversion powers are described in the EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule, and (b) with respect to the United Kingdom, any powers of the applicable Resolution Authority under the Bail-In Legislation to cancel, reduce, modify or
change the form of a liability of any UK Financial Institution or any contract or instrument under which that liability arises, to convert all or part of that liability into shares, securities or obligations of that person or any other person, to provide that any such contract or instrument is to have effect as if a right had been exercised under it or to suspend any obligation in respect of that liability or any of the powers under that Bail-In Legislation that are related to or ancillary to any of those powers.
1.02Other 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 permitted 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.
(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.”
(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).
1.03Accounting 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 100% of the outstanding principal amount thereof, and the effects of FASB ASC 825 and FASB ASC 470–20 on financial liabilities shall be disregarded, (ii) all liability amounts shall be determined excluding any liability relating to any operating lease, all asset amounts shall be determined excluding any right-of-use assets relating to any operating lease, all amortization amounts shall be determined excluding any amortization of a right-of-use asset relating to any operating lease, and all interest amounts shall be determined excluding any deemed interest comprising a portion of fixed rent payable under any operating lease, in each case to the extent that such liability, asset, amortization or interest pertains to an operating lease under which the covenantor or a member of its consolidated group is the lessee and would not have been accounted for as such under GAAP as in effect on December 31, 2015, and (iii) 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 the Required Lenders shall so request, the Administrative Agent, the Lenders 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 (subject to the approval of the Required Lenders); 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 Administrative Agent and the Lenders 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.
1.04Rounding.
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).
1.05Times of Day.
Unless otherwise specified, all references herein to times of day shall be references to Eastern time (daylight or standard, as applicable).
1.06Letter of Credit Amounts.
Unless otherwise specified herein, the amount of a Letter of Credit at any time shall be deemed to be the undrawn stated amount of such Letter of Credit in effect at such time; provided, however, that with respect to any Letter of Credit that, by its terms or the terms of any Issuer Document related thereto, provides for one or more automatic increases in the stated amount thereof, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be the maximum undrawn stated amount of such Letter of Credit after giving effect to all such increases, whether or not such maximum stated amount is in effect at such time.
1.07UCC 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.
1.08Rates.
The Administrative Agent does not warrant, nor accept responsibility, nor shall the Administrative Agent have any liability with respect to the administration, submission or any other matter related to the rates in the definition of “SOFR”, the selection of any rates, any related spread or adjustment or with respect to any rate that is an alternative or replacement for or successor to any of such rates (including, without limitation, any Successor Rate) or the effect of any of the foregoing, or of any Conforming Changes.
Article II.
COMMITMENTS AND CREDIT EXTENSIONS
2.01Loans.
Revolving Borrowings. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, each Lender severally 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 such Lender’s Commitment; provided, however, that after giving effect to any Revolving Borrowing, (i) the Total Revolving Outstandings shall not exceed the Facility, and (ii) the Revolving Exposure of any Lender shall not exceed such Lender’s Commitment. Within the limits of each Lender’s 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. Revolving Loans may be Base Rate Loans or Daily SOFR Loans, as further provided herein.
2.02Borrowings of Loans.
(a)Notice of Borrowing. Each Borrowing shall be made upon the Borrower’s irrevocable notice to the Administrative Agent, which may be given by: (i) telephone or (ii) a Loan Notice; provided that any telephonic notice must be confirmed immediately by delivery to the Administrative Agent of a Loan Notice. Each such Loan Notice must be received by the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m. on the requested date of any Borrowing. Each Borrowing shall be in a principal amount of $500,000 or a whole multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof. Each Loan Notice and each telephonic notice shall specify (I) the requested date of the Borrowing (which shall be a Business Day) and (II) the principal amount of Loans to be borrowed. Subject to Section 3.03 or as otherwise expressly set forth herein, all Borrowings shall be Daily SOFR Loans.
(b)Advances. Following receipt of a Loan Notice for a Facility, the Administrative Agent shall promptly notify each Appropriate Lender of the amount of its Applicable Percentage under such Facility of the applicable Loans. Each Appropriate Lender shall make the amount of its Loan available to the Administrative Agent in immediately available funds at the Administrative Agent’s Office not later than 1:00 p.m. on the Business Day specified in the applicable 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 Administrative Agent shall make all funds so received available to the Borrower in like funds as received by the Administrative Agent 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 Administrative Agent by the Borrower; provided, however, that if, on the date a Loan Notice with respect to a Revolving Borrowing is given by the Borrower, there are L/C Borrowings outstanding, then the proceeds of such Revolving Borrowing, first, shall be applied to the payment in full of any such L/C Borrowings, and second, shall be made available to the Borrower as provided above.
(c)Daily SOFR Loans. During the existence of a Default, no Loans may be requested as Daily SOFR Loans without the consent of the Required Lenders. During the existence of an Event of Default, the Required Lenders may demand that any or all of the outstanding Daily SOFR Loans be converted immediately to Base Rate Loans.
(d)Interest Rates. Each determination of an interest rate by the Administrative Agent pursuant to any provision of this Agreement shall be conclusive and binding on the Borrower and the Lenders in the absence of manifest error.
(e)Cashless Settlement Mechanism. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, any Lender may exchange, continue or rollover all or the portion of its Loans in connection with any refinancing, extension, loan modification or similar transaction permitted by the terms of this Agreement, pursuant to a cashless settlement mechanism approved by the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and such Lender.
(f)Conforming Changes. With respect to SOFR, the Administrative Agent 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 Administrative Agent shall post each such amendment implementing such Conforming Changes to the Borrower and the Lenders reasonably promptly after such amendment becomes effective.
2.03Letters of Credit.
(a)The Letter of Credit Commitment. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, in addition to the Loans provided for in Section 2.01, the Borrower may request that the L/C Issuer, in reliance on the agreements of the Lenders set forth in this Section 2.03, issue, at any time and from time to time during the Availability Period, Letters of Credit denominated in Dollars for its own account or the account of any of its Subsidiaries in such form as is acceptable to the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer in its reasonable determination. Letters of Credit issued hereunder shall constitute utilization of the Commitments.
(b)Notice of Issuance, Amendment, Extension, Reinstatement or Renewal.
(i)To request the issuance of a Letter of Credit (or the amendment of the terms and conditions, extension of the terms and conditions, extension of the expiration date, or reinstatement of amounts paid, or renewal of an outstanding Letter of Credit), the Borrower shall deliver (or transmit by electronic communication, if arrangements for doing so have been approved by the L/C Issuer) to the L/C Issuer and to the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m. at least two (2) Business Days (or such later date and time as the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer may agree in a particular instance in their sole discretion) prior to the proposed issuance date or date of amendment, as the case may be a notice requesting the issuance of a Letter of Credit, or identifying the Letter of Credit to be amended, extended, reinstated or renewed, and specifying the date of issuance, amendment, extension, reinstatement or renewal (which shall be a Business Day), the date on which such Letter of Credit is to expire (which shall comply with clause (d) of this Section 2.03), the amount of such Letter of Credit, the name and address of the beneficiary thereof, the purpose and nature of the requested Letter of Credit and such other information as shall be necessary to prepare, amend, extend, reinstate or renew such Letter of Credit. If requested by the L/C Issuer, the Borrower also shall submit a letter of credit application and reimbursement agreement on the L/C Issuer’s standard form in connection with any request for a Letter of Credit. In the event of any inconsistency between the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the terms and conditions of any form of letter of credit application and reimbursement agreement or other agreement submitted by the Borrower to, or entered into by the Borrower with, the L/C Issuer relating to any Letter of Credit, the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall control.
(ii)If the Borrower so requests in any applicable Letter of Credit Application (or the amendment of an outstanding Letter of Credit), the L/C Issuer may, in its sole discretion, agree to issue a Letter of Credit that has automatic extension provisions (each, an “Auto-Extension Letter of Credit”); provided that any such Auto-Extension Letter of Credit shall permit the L/C Issuer to prevent any such extension at least once in each twelve-month period (commencing with the date of issuance of such Letter of Credit) by
giving prior notice to the beneficiary thereof not later than a day (the “Non-Extension Notice Date”) in each such twelve-month period to be agreed upon by the Borrower and the L/C Issuer at the time such Letter of Credit is issued. Unless otherwise directed by the L/C Issuer, the Borrower shall not be required to make a specific request to the L/C Issuer for any such extension. Once an Auto-Extension Letter of Credit has been issued, the Lenders shall be deemed to have authorized (but may not require) the L/C Issuer to permit the extension of such Letter of Credit at any time to an expiration date not later than the date permitted pursuant to Section 2.03(d); provided, that the L/C Issuer shall not (A) permit any such extension if (1) the L/C Issuer has determined that it would not be permitted, or would have no obligation, at such time to issue such Letter of Credit in its extended form under the terms hereof (except that the expiration date may be extended to a date that is no more than one (1) year from the then-current expiration date) or (2) it has received notice (which may be in writing or by telephone (if promptly confirmed in writing)) on or before the day that is seven (7) Business Days before the Non-Extension Notice Date from the Administrative Agent that the Required Lenders have elected not to permit such extension or (B) be obligated to permit such extension if it has received notice (which may be in writing or by telephone (if promptly confirmed in writing)) on or before the day that is seven (7) Business Days before the Non-Extension Notice Date from the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the Borrower that one or more of the applicable conditions set forth in Section 4.02 is not then satisfied, and in each such case directing the L/C Issuer not to permit such extension.
(iii)If the Borrower so requests in any applicable Letter of Credit Application, the L/C Issuer may, in its sole discretion, agree to issue a Letter of Credit that permits the automatic reinstatement of all or a portion of the stated amount thereof after any drawing thereunder (each, an “Auto-Reinstatement Letter of Credit”). Unless otherwise directed by the L/C Issuer, the Borrower shall not be required to make a specific request to the L/C Issuer to permit such reinstatement. Once an Auto-Reinstatement Letter of Credit has been issued, except as provided in the following sentence, the Lenders shall be deemed to have authorized (but may not require) the L/C Issuer to reinstate all or a portion of the stated amount thereof in accordance with the provisions of such Letter of Credit. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if such Auto-Reinstatement Letter of Credit permits the L/C Issuer to decline to reinstate all or any portion of the stated amount thereof after a drawing thereunder by giving notice of such non-reinstatement within a specified number of days after such drawing (the “Non-Reinstatement Deadline”), the L/C Issuer shall not permit such reinstatement if it has received a notice (which may be by telephone or in writing) on or before the day that is seven (7) Business Days before the Non-Reinstatement Deadline (A) from the Administrative Agent that the Required Lenders have elected not to permit such reinstatement or (B) from the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the Borrower that one or more of the applicable conditions specified in Section 4.02 is not then satisfied (treating such reinstatement as an L/C Credit Extension for purposes of this clause) and, in each case, directing the L/C Issuer not to permit such reinstatement.
(c)Limitations on Amounts, Issuance and Amendment. A Letter of Credit shall be issued, amended, extended, reinstated or renewed only if (and upon issuance, amendment, extension, reinstatement or renewal of each Letter of Credit the Borrower shall be deemed to represent and warrant that), after giving effect to such issuance, amendment, extension, reinstatement or renewal (x) the aggregate amount of the outstanding Letters of Credit issued by
the L/C Issuer shall not exceed its L/C Commitment, (y) the aggregate L/C Obligations shall not exceed the L/CLetter of Credit Sublimit and (z) the Revolving Exposure of any Lender shall not exceed its Commitment.
(i)The L/C Issuer shall not be under any obligation to issue any Letter of Credit if:
(A)any order, judgment or decree of any Governmental Authority or arbitrator shall by its terms purport to enjoin or restrain the L/C Issuer from issuing the Letter of Credit, or any Law applicable to the L/C Issuer or any request or directive (whether or not having the force of law) from any Governmental Authority with jurisdiction over the L/C Issuer shall prohibit, or request that the L/C Issuer refrain from, the issuance of letters of credit generally or the Letter of Credit in particular or shall impose upon the L/C Issuer with respect to the Letter of Credit any restriction, reserve or capital requirement (for which the L/C Issuer is not otherwise compensated hereunder) not in effect on the Closing Date, or shall impose upon the L/C Issuer any unreimbursed loss, cost or expense which was not applicable on the Closing Date and which the L/C Issuer in good faith deems material to it;
(B)the issuance of such Letter of Credit would violate one or more policies of the L/C Issuer applicable to letters of credit generally;
(C)except as otherwise agreed by the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer, the Letter of Credit is in an initial stated amount less than $10,000;
(D)any Lender is at that time a Defaulting Lender, unless the L/C Issuer has entered into arrangements, including the delivery of Cash Collateral, satisfactory to the L/C Issuer (in its sole discretion) with the Borrower or such Lender to eliminate the L/C Issuer’s actual or potential Fronting Exposure (after giving effect to Section 2.15(a)(iv)) with respect to the Defaulting Lender arising from either the Letter of Credit then proposed to be issued or that Letter of Credit and all other L/C Obligations as to which the L/C Issuer has actual or potential Fronting Exposure, as it may elect in its sole discretion; or
(E)the Letter of Credit contains any provisions for automatic reinstatement of the stated amount after any drawing thereunder.
(ii)The L/C Issuer shall be under no obligation to amend any Letter of Credit if (A) the L/C Issuer would have no obligation at such time to issue the Letter of Credit in its amended form under the terms hereof, or (B) the beneficiary of the Letter of Credit does not accept the proposed amendment to the Letter of Credit.
(d)Expiration Date. Each Letter of Credit shall have a stated expiration date no later than the earlier of (i) the date twelve (12) months after the date of the issuance of such Letter of Credit (or, in the case of any extension of the expiration date thereof, whether automatic or by amendment, twelve months after the then-current expiration date of such Letter of Credit) and (ii) the date that is five (5) Business Days prior to the Maturity Date.
(e)Participations.
(i)By the issuance of a Letter of Credit (or an amendment to a Letter of Credit increasing the amount or extending the expiration date thereof), and without any further action on the part of the L/C Issuer or the Lenders, the L/C Issuer hereby grants to each Lender, and each Lender hereby acquires from the L/C Issuer, a participation in such Letter of Credit equal to such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the aggregate amount available to be drawn under such Letter of Credit. Each Lender acknowledges and agrees that its obligation to acquire participations pursuant to this clause (e) in respect of Letters of Credit is absolute, unconditional and irrevocable and shall not be affected by any circumstance whatsoever, including any amendment, extension, reinstatement or renewal of any Letter of Credit or the occurrence and continuance of a Default or reduction or termination of the Commitments.
(ii)In consideration and in furtherance of the foregoing, each Lender hereby absolutely, unconditionally and irrevocably agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, for account of the L/C Issuer, such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of each L/C Disbursement made by the L/C Issuer not later than 1:00 p.m. on the Business Day specified in the notice provided by the Administrative Agent to the Lenders pursuant to Section 2.03(f) until such L/C Disbursement is reimbursed by the Borrower or at any time after any reimbursement payment is required to be refunded to the Borrower for any reason, including after the Maturity Date. Such payment shall be made without any offset, abatement, withholding or reduction whatsoever. Each such payment shall be made in the same manner as provided in Section 2.02 with respect to Loans made by such Lender (and Section 2.02 shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to the payment obligations of the Lenders pursuant to this Section 2.03), and the Administrative Agent shall promptly pay to the L/C Issuer the amounts so received by it from the Lenders. Promptly following receipt by the Administrative Agent of any payment from the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.03(f), the Administrative Agent shall distribute such payment to the L/C Issuer or, to the extent that the Lenders have made payments pursuant to this clause (e) to reimburse the L/C Issuer, then to such Lenders and the L/C Issuer as their interests may appear. Any payment made by a Lender pursuant to this clause (e) to reimburse the L/C Issuer for any L/C Disbursement shall not constitute a Loan and shall not relieve the Borrower of its obligation to reimburse such L/C Disbursement.
(iii)Each Lender further acknowledges and agrees that its participation in each Letter of Credit will be automatically adjusted to reflect such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the aggregate amount available to be drawn under such Letter of Credit at each time such Lender’s Commitment is amended pursuant to the operation of Sections 2.16, as a result of an assignment in accordance with Section 11.06 or otherwise pursuant to this Agreement.
(iv)If any Lender fails to make available to the Administrative Agent for the account of the L/C Issuer any amount required to be paid by such Lender pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.03(e), then, without limiting the other provisions of this Agreement, the L/C Issuer shall be entitled to recover from such Lender (acting through the Administrative Agent), on demand, such amount with interest thereon for the period from the date such payment is required to the date on which such payment is immediately available to the L/C Issuer at a rate per annum equal to the greater of the
Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by the L/C Issuer in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation, plus any administrative, processing or similar fees customarily charged by the L/C Issuer in connection with the foregoing. If such Lender pays such amount (with interest and fees as aforesaid), the amount so paid shall constitute such Lender’s Revolving Loan included in the relevant Revolving Borrowing or L/C Advance in respect of the relevant L/C Borrowing, as the case may be. A certificate of the L/C Issuer submitted to any Lender (through the Administrative Agent) with respect to any amounts owing under this clause (e)(iv) shall be conclusive absent manifest error.
(f)Reimbursement. If the L/C Issuer shall make any L/C Disbursement in respect of a Letter of Credit, the Borrower shall reimburse the L/C Issuer in respect of such L/C Disbursement by paying to the Administrative Agent an amount equal to such L/C Disbursement not later than 12:00 noon on (i) the Business Day that the Borrower receives notice of such L/C Disbursement, if such notice is received prior to 10:00 a.m. or (ii) the Business Day immediately following the day that the Borrower receives such notice, if such notice is not received prior to such time, provided that, if such L/C Disbursement is not less than $1,000,000, the Borrower may, subject to the conditions to borrowing set forth herein, request in accordance with Section 2.02 or Section 2.04 that such payment be financed with a Borrowing of Daily SOFR Loans or a Swing Line Loan in an equivalent amount and, to the extent so financed, the Borrower’s obligation to make such payment shall be discharged and replaced by the resulting Borrowing of Daily SOFR Loans or Swing Line Loan. If the Borrower fails to make such payment when due, the Administrative Agent shall notify each Lender of the applicable L/C Disbursement, the payment then due from the Borrower in respect thereof (the “Unreimbursed Amount”) and such Lender’s Applicable Percentage thereof. Promptly upon receipt of such notice, each Lender shall pay to the Administrative Agent its Applicable Percentage of the Unreimbursed Amount pursuant to Section 2.03(e)(ii), subject to the amount of the unutilized portion of the aggregate Commitments. Any notice given by the L/C Issuer or the Administrative Agent pursuant to this Section 2.03(f) may be given by telephone if immediately confirmed in writing; provided that the lack of such an immediate confirmation shall not affect the conclusiveness or binding effect of such notice.
(g)Obligations Absolute. The Borrower’s obligation to reimburse L/C Disbursements as provided in clause (f) of this Section 2.03 shall be absolute, unconditional and irrevocable, and shall be performed strictly in accordance with the terms of this Agreement under any and all circumstances whatsoever and irrespective of:
(i)any lack of validity or enforceability of this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any Letter of Credit, or any term or provision herein or therein;
(ii)the existence of any claim, counterclaim, setoff, defense or other right that the Borrower or any Subsidiary may have at any time against any beneficiary or any transferee of such Letter of Credit (or any Person for whom any such beneficiary or any such transferee may be acting), the L/C Issuer or any other Person, whether in connection with this Agreement, the transactions contemplated hereby or by such Letter of Credit or any agreement or instrument relating thereto, or any unrelated transaction;
(iii)any draft, demand, certificate or other document presented under such Letter of Credit proving to be forged, fraudulent, invalid or insufficient in any respect or any statement in such draft or other document being untrue or inaccurate in any respect;
or any loss or delay in the transmission or otherwise of any document required in order to make a drawing under such Letter of Credit;
(iv)waiver by the L/C Issuer of any requirement that exists for the L/C Issuer’s protection and not the protection of the Borrower or any waiver by the L/C Issuer which does not in fact materially prejudice the Borrower;
(v)honor of a demand for payment presented electronically even if such Letter of Credit required that demand be in the form of a draft;
(vi)any payment made by the L/C Issuer in respect of an otherwise complying item presented after the date specified as the expiration date of, or the date by which documents must be received under such Letter of Credit if presentation after such date is authorized by the UCC, the ISP or the UCP, as applicable;
(vii)payment by the L/C Issuer under a Letter of Credit against presentation of a draft or other document that does not comply strictly with the terms of such Letter of Credit; or any payment made by the L/C Issuer under such Letter of Credit to any Person purporting to be a trustee in bankruptcy, debtor-in-possession, assignee for the benefit of creditors, liquidator, receiver or other representative of or successor to any beneficiary or any transferee of such Letter of Credit, including any arising in connection with any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law; or
(viii)any other event or circumstance whatsoever, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing, that might, but for the provisions of this Section 2.03, constitute a legal or equitable discharge of, or provide a right of setoff against, the Borrower’s obligations hereunder.
(h)Examination. The Borrower shall promptly examine a copy of each Letter of Credit and each amendment thereto that is delivered to it and, in the event of any claim of noncompliance with the Borrower’s instructions or other irregularity, the Borrower will promptly notify the L/C Issuer. The Borrower shall be conclusively deemed to have waived any such claim against the L/C Issuer and its correspondents unless such notice is given as aforesaid.
(i)Liability. None of the Administrative Agent, the Lenders, the L/C Issuer, or any of their Related Parties shall have any liability or responsibility by reason of or in connection with the issuance or transfer of any Letter of Credit by the L/C Issuer or any payment or failure to make any payment thereunder (irrespective of any of the circumstances referred to in the preceding sentence), or any error, omission, interruption, loss or delay in transmission or delivery of any draft, notice or other communication under or relating to any Letter of Credit (including any document required to make a drawing thereunder), any error in interpretation of technical terms, any error in translation or any consequence arising from causes beyond the control of the L/C Issuer; provided that the foregoing shall not be construed to excuse the L/C Issuer from liability to the Borrower to the extent of any direct damages (as opposed to consequential damages, claims in respect of which are hereby waived by the Borrower to the extent permitted by Applicable Law) suffered by the Borrower that are caused by the L/C Issuer’s failure to exercise care when determining whether drafts and other documents presented under a Letter of Credit comply with the terms thereof. The parties hereto expressly agree that, in the absence of gross negligence or willful misconduct on the part of the L/C Issuer (as finally determined by a
court of competent jurisdiction), the L/C Issuer shall be deemed to have exercised care in each such determination, and that:
(i)the L/C Issuer may replace a purportedly lost, stolen, or destroyed original Letter of Credit or missing amendment thereto with a certified true copy marked as such or waive a requirement for its presentation;
(ii)the L/C Issuer may accept documents that appear on their face to be in substantial compliance with the terms of a Letter of Credit without responsibility for further investigation, regardless of any notice or information to the contrary, and may make payment upon presentation of documents that appear on their face to be in substantial compliance with the terms of such Letter of Credit and without regard to any non-documentary condition in such Letter of Credit;
(iii)the L/C Issuer shall have the right, in its sole discretion, to decline to accept such documents and to make such payment if such documents are not in strict compliance with the terms of such Letter of Credit; and
(iv)this sentence shall establish the standard of care to be exercised by the L/C Issuer when determining whether drafts and other documents presented under a Letter of Credit comply with the terms thereof (and the parties hereto hereby waive, to the extent permitted by Applicable Law, any standard of care inconsistent with the foregoing).
Without limiting the foregoing, none of the Administrative Agent, the Lenders, the L/C Issuer, or any of their Related Parties shall have any liability or responsibility by reason of (A) any presentation that includes forged or fraudulent documents or that is otherwise affected by the fraudulent, bad faith, or illegal conduct of the beneficiary or other Person, (B) the L/C Issuer declining to take-up documents and make payment, (1) against documents that are fraudulent, forged, or for other reasons by which that it is entitled not to honor or (2) following a Borrower’s waiver of discrepancies with respect to such documents or request for honor of such documents or (C) the L/C Issuer retaining proceeds of a Letter of Credit based on an apparently applicable attachment order, blocking regulation, or third-party claim notified to the L/C Issuer.
(j)Applicability of ISP. Unless otherwise expressly agreed by the L/C Issuer and the Borrower when a Letter of Credit is issued by it, the rules of the ISP shall apply to each Letter of Credit. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the L/C Issuer shall not be responsible to the Borrower for, and the L/C Issuer’s rights and remedies against the Borrower shall not be impaired by, any action or inaction of the L/C Issuer required or permitted under any law, order, or practice that is required or permitted to be applied to any Letter of Credit or this Agreement, including the Law or any order of a jurisdiction where the L/C Issuer or the beneficiary is located, the practice stated in the ISP, or in the decisions, opinions, practice statements, or official commentary of the ICC Banking Commission, the Bankers Association for Finance and Trade – International Financial Services Association (BAFT-IFSA), or the Institute of International Banking Law & Practice, whether or not any Letter of Credit chooses such law or practice.
(k)Benefits. the L/C Issuer shall act on behalf of the Lenders with respect to any Letters of Credit issued by it and the documents associated therewith, and the L/C Issuer shall
have all of the benefits and immunities (i) provided to the Administrative Agent in Article IX with respect to any acts taken or omissions suffered by the L/C Issuer in connection with Letters of Credit issued by it or proposed to be issued by it and Issuer Documents pertaining to such Letters of Credit as fully as if the term “Administrative Agent” as used in Article IX included the L/C Issuer with respect to such acts or omissions, and (ii) as additionally provided herein with respect to the L/C Issuer.
(l)Letter of Credit Fees. The Borrower shall pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender in accordance with its Applicable Percentage a Letter of Credit fee (the “Letter of Credit Fee”) for each Letter of Credit equal to the Applicable Rate times the daily amount available to be drawn under such Letter of Credit. For purposes of computing the daily amount available to be drawn under any standby Letter of Credit, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be determined in accordance with Section 1.06. Letter of Credit Fees shall be (i) payable on the first Business Day following the end of each March, June, September and December, commencing with the first such date to occur after the issuance of such Letter of Credit and (ii) accrued through and including the last day of each calendar quarter in arrears. If there is any change in the Applicable Rate during any quarter, the daily amount available to be drawn under each Letter of Credit shall be computed and multiplied by the Applicable Rate separately for each period during such quarter that such Applicable Rate was in effect. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, upon the request of the Required Lenders, while any Event of Default exists, all Letter of Credit Fees shall accrue at the Default Rate.
(m)Fronting Fee and Documentary and Processing Charges Payable to L/C Issuer. The Borrower shall pay directly to the L/C Issuer for its own account a fronting fee with respect to each Letter of Credit, at the rate specified in the Fee Letter, computed on the daily amount available to be drawn under such Letter of Credit on a quarterly basis in arrears. Such fronting fee shall be due and payable no later than the tenth Business Day after the end of each March, June, September and December in the most recently- ended quarterly period (or portion thereof, in the case of the first payment), commencing with the first such date to occur after the issuance of such Letter of Credit, on the Maturity Date and thereafter on demand. For purposes of computing the daily amount available to be drawn under any Letter of Credit, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be determined in accordance with Section 1.06. In addition, the Borrower shall pay directly to the L/C Issuer for its own account, in Dollars the customary issuance, presentation, amendment and other processing fees, and other standard costs and charges, of the L/C Issuer relating to letters of credit as from time to time in effect. Such customary fees and standard costs and charges are due and payable on demand and are nonrefundable.
(n)Disbursement Procedures. The L/C Issuer for any Letter of Credit shall, within the time allowed by Applicable Laws or the specific terms of the Letter of Credit following its receipt thereof, examine all documents purporting to represent a demand for payment under such Letter of Credit. the L/C Issuer shall promptly after such examination notify the Administrative Agent and the Borrower in writing of such demand for payment if the L/C Issuer has made or will make an L/C Disbursement thereunder; provided that any failure to give or delay in giving such notice shall not relieve the Borrower of its obligation to reimburse the L/C Issuer and the Lenders with respect to any such L/C Disbursement.
(o)Interim Interest. If the L/C Issuer for any standby Letter of Credit shall make any L/C Disbursement, then, unless the Borrower shall reimburse such L/C Disbursement in full on
the date such L/C Disbursement is made, the unpaid amount thereof shall bear interest, for each day from and including the date such L/C Disbursement is made to but excluding the date that the Borrower reimburses such L/C Disbursement, at the rate per annum then applicable to Base Rate Loans; provided that if the Borrower fails to reimburse such L/C Disbursement when due pursuant to clause (f) of this Section 2.03, then Section 2.08(b) shall apply. Interest accrued pursuant to this clause (o) shall be for account of the L/C Issuer, except that interest accrued on and after the date of payment by any Lender pursuant to clause (f) of this Section 2.03 to reimburse the L/C Issuer shall be for account of such Lender to the extent of such payment.
(p)Replacement of the L/C Issuer. The L/C Issuer may be replaced at any time by written agreement between the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the replaced L/C Issuer and the successor L/C Issuer. The Administrative Agent shall notify the Lenders of any such replacement of the L/C Issuer. At the time any such replacement shall become effective, the Borrower shall pay all unpaid fees accrued for the account of the replaced L/C Issuer pursuant to Section 2.03(m). From and after the effective date of any such replacement, (i) the successor L/C Issuer shall have all the rights and obligations of an L/C Issuer under this Agreement with respect to Letters of Credit to be issued by it thereafter and (ii) references herein to the term “L/C Issuer” shall be deemed to include such successor or any previous L/C Issuer, or such successor and all previous L/C Issuers, as the context shall require. After the replacement of the L/C Issuer hereunder, the replaced L/C Issuer shall remain a party hereto and shall continue to have all the rights and obligations of an L/C Issuer under this Agreement with respect to Letters of Credit issued by it prior to such replacement, but shall not be required to issue additional Letters of Credit.
(q)Cash Collateralization.
(i)If any Event of Default shall occur and be continuing, on the Business Day that the Borrower receives notice from the Administrative Agent or the Required Lenders (or, if the maturity of the Loans has been accelerated, Lenders with L/C Obligations representing at least 50% of the total L/C Obligations) demanding the deposit of Cash Collateral pursuant to this clause (q), the Borrower shall immediately deposit into an account established and maintained on the books and records of the Administrative Agent (the “Collateral Account”) an amount in cash equal to 105% of the total L/C Obligations as of such date plus any accrued and unpaid interest thereon, provided that the obligation to deposit such Cash Collateral shall become effective immediately, and such deposit shall become immediately due and payable, without demand or other notice of any kind, upon the occurrence of any Event of Default with respect to the Borrower described in clause (f) of Section 8.01. Such deposit shall be held by the Administrative Agent as collateral for the payment and performance of the obligations of the Borrower under this Agreement. In addition, and without limiting the foregoing or clause (d) of this Section 2.03, if any L/C Obligations remain outstanding after the expiration date specified in said clause (d) (any such L/C Obligations, the “Specified L/C Obligations”), the Borrower shall immediately deposit into the Collateral Account an amount in cash equal to 105% of such Specified L/C Obligations as of such date plus any accrued and unpaid interest thereon.
(ii)The Administrative Agent shall have exclusive dominion and control, including the exclusive right of withdrawal, over the Collateral Account. Other than any interest earned on the investment of such deposits, which investments shall be made at
the option and sole discretion of the Administrative Agent and at the Borrower’s risk and expense, such deposits shall not bear interest. Interest or profits, if any, on such investments shall accumulate in the Collateral Account. Moneys in the Collateral Account shall be applied by the Administrative Agent to reimburse the L/C Issuer for L/C Disbursements for which it has not been reimbursed, together with related fees, costs, and customary processing charges, and, to the extent not so applied, shall be held for the satisfaction of the reimbursement obligations of the Borrower for the L/C Obligations at such time or, if the maturity of the Loans has been accelerated (but subject to the consent of Lenders with L/C Obligations representing 50% of the total L/C Obligations), be applied to satisfy other obligations of the Borrower under this Agreement. If the Borrower is required to provide an amount of Cash Collateral hereunder (x) as a result of the occurrence of an Event of Default, such amount (to the extent not applied as aforesaid) shall be returned to the Borrower within three (3) Business Days after all Events of Default have been cured or waived. and (y) in respect of Specified L/C Obligations, such Cash Collateral (or the appropriate portion thereof) shall be released promptly (i) in full, upon the reduction of the aggregate Specified L/C Obligations to $0.00 or (ii) from time to time, in an aggregate amount equal to the excess of (I) the aggregate amount of such Cash Collateral over (II) 105% of the total Specified L/C Obligations outstanding as of such date plus any accrued and unpaid interest thereon; provided further that, the provisions of this sentence shall survive the Facility Termination Date.
(r)Letters of Credit Issued for Subsidiaries. Notwithstanding that a Letter of Credit issued or outstanding hereunder is in support of any obligations of, or is for the account of, a Subsidiary, the Borrower shall be obligated to reimburse, indemnify and compensate the L/C Issuer hereunder for any and all drawings under such Letter of Credit as if such Letter of Credit had been issued solely for the account of the Borrower. The Borrower irrevocably waives any and all defenses that might otherwise be available to it as a guarantor or surety of any or all of the obligations of such Subsidiary in respect of such Letter of Credit. The Borrower hereby acknowledges that the issuance of Letters of Credit for the account of Subsidiaries inures to the benefit of the Borrower, and that the Borrower’s business derives substantial benefits from the businesses of such Subsidiaries.
(s)Conflict with Issuer Documents. In the event of any conflict between the terms hereof and the terms of any Issuer Document, the terms hereof shall control.
2.04Swing Line Loans.
(a)The Swing Line. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Swing Line Lender, in reliance upon the agreements of the other Lenders set forth in this Section 2.04, may in its sole discretion make loans to the Borrower (each such loan, a “Swing Line Loan”). Each such Swing Line Loan may be made, subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein 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 Swing Line Sublimit; provided, however, that (i) after giving effect to any Swing Line Loan, (A) the Total Revolving Outstandings shall not exceed the Facility at such time and (B) the Revolving Exposure of any Lender at such time shall not exceed such Lender’s Commitment, (ii) the Borrower shall not use the proceeds of any Swing Line Loan to refinance any outstanding Swing Line Loan, and (iii) the Swing Line Lender shall not be under any obligation to make any Swing
Line Loan if it shall determine (which determination shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest error) that it has, or by such Credit Extension may have, Fronting Exposure. Within the foregoing limits, and subject to the other terms and conditions hereof, the Borrower may borrow under this Section 2.04, prepay under Section 2.05, and reborrow under this Section 2.04. Each Swing Line Loan shall bear interest only at a rate based on the Base Rate plus the Applicable Rate. Immediately upon the making of a Swing Line Loan, each Lender shall be deemed to, and hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees to, purchase from the Swing Line Lender a risk participation in such Swing Line Loan in an amount equal to the product of such Lender’s Applicable Percentage times the amount of such Swing Line Loan.
(b)Borrowing Procedures.
Each Swing Line Borrowing shall be made upon the Borrower’s irrevocable notice to the Swing Line Lender and the Administrative Agent, which may be given by: (i) telephone or (ii) a Swing Line Loan Notice; provided that any telephonic notice must be confirmed immediately by delivery to the Swing Line Lender and the Administrative Agent of a Swing Line Loan Notice. Each such Swing Line Loan Notice must be received by the Swing Line Lender and the Administrative Agent not later than 1:00 p.m. on the requested borrowing date, and shall specify (A) the amount to be borrowed, which shall be a minimum of $100,000, and (B) the requested date of the Borrowing (which shall be a Business Day). Promptly after receipt by the Swing Line Lender of any Swing Line Loan Notice, the Swing Line Lender will confirm with the Administrative Agent (by telephone or in writing) that the Administrative Agent has also received such Swing Line Loan Notice and, if not, the Swing Line Lender will notify the Administrative Agent (by telephone or in writing) of the contents thereof. Unless the Swing Line Lender has received notice (by telephone or in writing) from the Administrative Agent (including at the request of any Lender) prior to 2:00 p.m. on the date of the proposed Swing Line Borrowing (1) directing the Swing Line Lender not to make such Swing Line Loan as a result of the limitations set forth in the first proviso to the first sentence of Section 2.04(a), or (2) that one or more of the applicable conditions specified in Article IV is not then satisfied, then, subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the Swing Line Lender may, make the amount of its Swing Line Loan available to the Borrower at its office by crediting the account of the Borrower on the books of the Swing Line Lender in immediately available funds.
(c)Refinancing of Swing Line Loans.
(i)The Swing Line Lender at any time in its sole discretion may request, on behalf of the Borrower (which hereby irrevocably authorizes the Swing Line Lender to so request on its behalf), that each Lender make a Base Rate Loan in an amount equal to such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the amount of Swing Line Loans then outstanding. Such request shall be made in writing (which written request shall be deemed to be a Loan Notice for purposes hereof) and in accordance with the requirements of Section 2.02, without regard to the minimum and multiples specified therein for the principal amount of Base Rate Loans, but subject to the unutilized portion of the Facility and the conditions set forth in Section 4.02. The Swing Line Lender shall furnish the Borrower with a copy of the applicable Loan Notice promptly after delivering such notice to the Administrative Agent. Each Lender shall make an amount equal to its Applicable Percentage of the amount specified in such Loan Notice available to the
Administrative Agent in immediately available funds (and the Administrative Agent may apply Cash Collateral available with respect to the applicable Swing Line Loan) for the account of the Swing Line Lender at the Administrative Agent’s Office not later than 1:00 p.m. on the day specified in such Loan Notice, whereupon, subject to Section 2.04(c)(ii), each Lender that so makes funds available shall be deemed to have made a Base Rate Loan to the Borrower in such amount. The Administrative Agent shall remit the funds so received to the Swing Line Lender.
(ii)Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the foregoing, if for any reason any Swing Line Loan cannot be refinanced by such a Revolving Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.04(c)(i) (including, without limitation, the failure to satisfy the conditions set forth in Section 4.02), the request for Base Rate Loans submitted by the Swing Line Lender as set forth herein shall be deemed to be a request by the Swing Line Lender that each of the Lenders fund its risk participation in the relevant Swing Line Loan and each Lender’s payment to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Swing Line Lender pursuant to Section 2.04(c)(i) shall be deemed payment in respect of such participation.
(iii)If any Lender fails to make available to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Swing Line Lender any amount required to be paid by such Lender pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.04(c) by the time specified in Section 2.04(c)(i), the Swing Line Lender shall be entitled to recover from such Lender (acting through the Administrative Agent), on demand, such amount with interest thereon for the period from the date such payment is required to the date on which such payment is immediately available to the Swing Line Lender at a rate per annum equal to the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by the Swing Line Lender in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation, plus any administrative, processing or similar fees customarily charged by the Swing Line Lender in connection with the foregoing. If such Lender pays such amount (with interest and fees as aforesaid), the amount so paid shall constitute such Lender’s Revolving Loan included in the relevant Revolving Borrowing or funded participation in the relevant Swing Line Loan, as the case may be. A certificate of the Swing Line Lender submitted to any Lender (through the Administrative Agent) with respect to any amounts owing under this clause (c)(iii) shall be conclusive absent manifest error.
(iv)Each Lender’s obligation to make Revolving Loans or to purchase and fund risk participations in Swing Line Loans pursuant to this Section 2.04(c) shall be absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance, including (A) any setoff, counterclaim, recoupment, defense or other right which such Lender may have against the Swing Line Lender, the Borrower or any other Person for any reason whatsoever, (B) the occurrence or continuance of a Default or (C) any other occurrence, event or condition, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing; provided, however, that each Lender’s obligation to make Revolving Loans pursuant to this Section 2.04(c) is subject to the conditions set forth in Section 4.02 (other than delivery by the Borrower of a Loan Notice). No such funding of risk participations shall relieve or otherwise impair the obligation of the Borrower to repay Swing Line Loans, together with interest as provided herein.
(d)Repayment of Participations.
(i)At any time after any Lender has purchased and funded a risk participation in a Swing Line Loan, if the Swing Line Lender receives any payment on account of such Swing Line Loan, the Swing Line Lender will distribute to such Lender its Applicable Percentage thereof in the same funds as those received by the Swing Line Lender.
(ii)If any payment received by the Swing Line Lender in respect of principal or interest on any Swing Line Loan is required to be returned by the Swing Line Lender under any of the circumstances described in Section 11.05 (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by the Swing Line Lender in its discretion), each Lender shall pay to the Swing Line Lender its Applicable Percentage thereof on demand of the Administrative Agent, plus interest thereon from the date of such demand to the date such amount is returned, at a rate per annum equal to the Federal Funds Rate. The Administrative Agent will make such demand upon the request of the Swing Line Lender. The obligations of the Lenders under this clause shall survive the payment in full of the Obligations and the termination of this Agreement.
(e)Interest for Account of Swing Line Lender. the Swing Line Lender shall be responsible for invoicing the Borrower for interest on the Swing Line Loans. Until each Lender funds its Base Rate Loan or risk participation pursuant to this Section 2.04 to refinance such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of any Swing Line Loan, interest in respect of such Applicable Percentage shall be solely for the account of the Swing Line Lender.
(f)Payments Directly to Swing Line Lender. The Borrower shall make all payments of principal and interest in respect of the Swing Line Loans directly to the Swing Line Lender.
2.05Prepayments.
(a)Optional.
(i)The Borrower may, upon notice to the Administrative Agent pursuant to delivery to the Administrative Agent of a Notice of Loan Prepayment, at any time or from time to time voluntarily prepay Revolving Loans in whole or in part without premium or penalty subject to Section 3.05; provided that, unless otherwise agreed by the Administrative Agent, (A) such notice must be received by the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m. on the date of prepayment and; (B) any prepayment shall be in a principal amount of $500,000 or a whole multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof; or if less, the entire principal amount thereof then outstanding. Each such notice shall specify the date and amount of such prepayment. The Administrative Agent will promptly notify each Lender of its receipt of each such notice, and of the amount of such Lender’s ratable portion of such prepayment (based on such Lender’s Applicable Percentage in respect of the relevant Facility). If such notice is given by the Borrower, the Borrower shall make such prepayment and the payment amount specified in such notice shall be due and payable on the date specified therein. Subject to Section 2.15, such prepayments shall be paid to the Lenders in accordance with their respective Applicable Percentages.
(ii)The Borrower may, upon notice to the Swing Line Lender pursuant to delivery to the Swing Line Lender of a Notice of Loan Prepayment (with a copy to the
Administrative Agent), at any time or from time to time, voluntarily prepay Swing Line Loans in whole or in part without premium or penalty; provided that, unless otherwise agreed by the Swing Line Lender, (A) such notice must be received by the Swing Line Lender and the Administrative Agent not later than 1:00 p.m. on the date of the prepayment, and (B) any such prepayment shall be in a minimum principal amount of $100,000 or a whole multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof (or, if less, the entire principal thereof then outstanding). Each such notice shall specify the date and amount of such prepayment. If such notice is given by the Borrower, the Borrower shall make such prepayment and the payment amount specified in such notice shall be due and payable on the date specified therein.
(b)Mandatory.
(i)Revolving Outstandings. If for any reason the Total Revolving Outstandings at any time exceed the Facility at such time, the Borrower shall immediately prepay Revolving Loans, Swing Line Loans and L/C Borrowings and/or Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations in an aggregate amount equal to such excess; provided, however, that the Borrower shall not be required to Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations pursuant to this Section 2.05(b) unless, after the prepayment of the Revolving Loans and Swing Line Loans, the Total Revolving Outstandings exceed the Facility at such time.
(ii)Application of Other Payments. Except as otherwise provided in Section 2.15, prepayments of the Facility made pursuant to this Section 2.05(b), first, shall be applied ratably to the L/C Borrowings and the Swing Line Loans, second, shall be applied to the outstanding Revolving Loans, and, third, shall be used to Cash Collateralize the remaining L/C Obligations. Upon the drawing of any Letter of Credit that has been Cash Collateralized, the funds held as Cash Collateral shall be applied (without any further action by or notice to or from the Borrower or any other Loan Party or any Defaulting Lender that has provided Cash Collateral) to reimburse the L/C Issuer or the Lenders, as applicable.
Within the parameters of the applications set forth above, prepayments pursuant to this Section 2.05(b) shall be applied first to Base Rate Loans and then to Daily SOFR Loans. All prepayments under this Section 2.05(b) shall be subject to Section 3.05, but otherwise without premium or penalty, and shall be accompanied by interest on the principal amount prepaid through the date of prepayment.
2.06Termination or Reduction of Commitments.
(a)Optional. The Borrower may, upon notice to the Administrative Agent, terminate the Facility, the Letter of Credit Sublimit or the Swing Line Sublimit, or from time to time permanently reduce the Facility, the Letter of Credit Sublimit or the Swing Line Sublimit; provided that (i) any such notice shall be received by the Administrative Agent 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 (A) the Facility if, after giving effect thereto and to any concurrent prepayments hereunder, the Total Revolving Outstandings would exceed the Facility, (B) the Letter of Credit Sublimit if, after giving effect thereto, the Outstanding Amount of L/C Obligations not fully Cash Collateralized hereunder would exceed the Letter of Credit Sublimit, or (C) the Swing Line Sublimit if, after giving effect
thereto and to any concurrent prepayments hereunder, the Outstanding Amount of Swing Line Loans would exceed the Swing Line Sublimit.
(b)Mandatory. If after giving effect to any reduction or termination of Commitments under Section 2.06(a), the Letter of Credit Sublimit or the Swing Line Sublimit exceeds the Facility at such time, the Letter of Credit Sublimit or the Swing Line Sublimit, as the case may be, shall be automatically reduced by the amount of such excess.
(c)Application of Commitment Reductions; Payment of Fees. The Administrative Agent will promptly notify the Lenders of any termination or reduction of the Letter of Credit Sublimit, Swing Line Sublimit or the Commitment under this Section 2.06. Upon any reduction of the Commitments, the Commitment of each Lender shall be reduced by such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the amount of such reduction. All fees in respect of the Facility accrued until the effective date of any termination of the Facility shall be paid on the effective date of such termination.
2.07Repayment of Loans.
(a)Revolving Loans. The Borrower shall repay to the Lenders on the Maturity Date the aggregate principal amount of all Revolving Loans outstanding on such date.
(b)Swing Line Loans. The Borrower shall repay each Swing Line Loan on the earlier to occur of (i) the date ten (10) Business Days after such Loan is made and (ii) the Maturity Date.
(c)L/C Borrowings. The Borrower shall repay to the Lenders on the Maturity Date the aggregate Unreimbursed Amounts of L/C Borrowings outstanding on such date.
2.08Interest and Default Rate.
(a)Interest. Subject to the provisions of Section 2.08(b), (i) each Daily SOFR 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 Daily SOFR plus the Applicable Rate for such Facility; (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; and (iii) each Swing Line Loan 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. 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.
(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 Required Lenders 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 Required Lenders, while any Event of Default exists (including a payment default), all outstanding Obligations (including Letter of Credit Fees, but excluding Letter of Credit fronting fees under Section 2.03(m) and fees on unutilized Commitments under Section 2.09(a)) 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.
2.09Fees.
In addition to certain fees described in clauses (l) and (m) of Section 2.03:
(a)Commitment Fee. The Borrower shall pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender in accordance with its Applicable Percentage, a commitment fee equal to the Applicable Rate times the actual daily amount by which the Facility exceeds the sum of (i) the Outstanding Amount of Revolving Loans and (ii) the Outstanding Amount of L/C Obligations, subject to adjustment as provided in Section 2.15. For the avoidance of doubt, the Outstanding Amount of Swing Line Loans shall not be counted towards or considered usage of the Facility for purposes of determining the commitment fee, except to the extent the Outstanding Amount of Swing Line Loans has been refinanced with a Revolving Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.04(c)(i). The commitment fee shall accrue at all times during the Availability Period, including at any time during which one or more of the conditions in Article IV is not met, and shall be due and payable quarterly in arrears on the first Business Day of each April, July, October and January (with respect to the calendar quarter immediately preceding such date), commencing with the first such date to occur after the Closing Date, and on the last day of the Availability Period for the Facility. The commitment fee shall be calculated quarterly in arrears, and if there is any change in the Applicable Rate during any quarter, the actual daily amount shall be computed and multiplied by the Applicable Rate separately for each period during such quarter that such Applicable Rate was in effect.
(b)Other Fees.
(i)The Borrower shall pay to the Administrative Agent for its own account fees in the amounts and at the times specified in the Fee Letter. Such fees shall be fully earned when paid and shall not be refundable for any reason whatsoever.
(ii)The Borrower shall pay to the Lenders 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.
2.10Computation of Interest and Fees.
All computations of interest for Base Rate Loans (including Base Rate Loans determined by reference to the Daily 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 three hundred sixty (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 2.12(a), bear interest for one (1) day. Each determination by the Administrative Agent of an interest rate or fee hereunder shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent manifest error.
2.11Evidence of Debt.
(a)Maintenance of Accounts. The Credit Extensions made by each Lender shall be evidenced by one or more accounts or records maintained by such Lender in the ordinary course of business. The Administrative Agent shall maintain the Register in accordance with Section 11.06(c). The accounts or records maintained by each Lender shall be conclusive absent manifest error of the amount of the Credit Extensions made by the Lenders to the Borrower and the interest and payments thereon. Any failure to so record or any error in doing so shall not, however, limit or otherwise affect the obligation of the Borrower hereunder to pay any amount owing with respect to the Obligations. In the event of any conflict between the accounts and records maintained by any Lender and the Register, the Register shall control in the absence of manifest error. Upon the request of any Lender made through the Administrative Agent, the Borrower shall execute and deliver to such Lender (through the Administrative Agent) a Note, which shall evidence such Lender’s Loans in addition to such accounts or records. Each Lender may attach schedules to its Note and record thereon the date, Type (if applicable), amount and maturity of its Loans and payments with respect thereto.
(b)Maintenance of Records. In addition to the accounts and records referred to in Section 2.11(a), each Lender and the Administrative Agent shall maintain in accordance with its usual practice accounts or records evidencing the purchases and sales by such Lender of participations in Letters of Credit and Swing Line Loans. In the event of any conflict between the Register and corresponding accounts and records maintained by the Administrative Agent and the accounts and records of any Lender in respect of such matters, the Register and corresponding accounts and records of the Administrative Agent shall control in the absence of manifest error.
2.12Payments Generally; Administrative Agent’s Clawback.
(a)General. 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 Administrative Agent, for the account of the respective Lenders to which such payment is owed, at the Administrative Agent’s Office in Dollars and in immediately available
funds not later than 2:00 p.m. on the date specified herein. The Administrative Agent will promptly distribute to each Lender its Applicable Percentage in respect of the relevant Facility (or other applicable share as provided herein) of such payment in like funds as received by wire transfer to such Lender’s Lending Office. All payments received by the Administrative Agent 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. Except 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)
(i)Funding by Lenders; Presumption by Administrative Agent. Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from a Lender prior to the proposed date of any Borrowing of Daily SOFR Loans (or, in the case of any Borrowing of Base Rate Loans, prior to 12:00 noon on the date of such Borrowing) that such Lender will not make available to the Administrative Agent such Lender’s share of such Borrowing, the Administrative Agent may assume that such Lender has made such share available on such date in accordance with Section 2.02 (or, in the case of a Borrowing of Base Rate Loans, that such Lender has made such share available in accordance with and at the time required by Section 2.02) and may, in reliance upon such assumption, make available to the Borrower a corresponding amount. In such event, if a Lender has not in fact made its share of the applicable Borrowing available to the Administrative Agent, then the applicable Lender and the Borrower severally agree to pay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand such corresponding amount in immediately available funds with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is made available to the Borrower to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at (A) in the case of a payment to be made by such Lender, the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation, plus any administrative, processing or similar fees customarily charged by the Administrative Agent in connection with the foregoing, and (B) in the case of a payment to be made by the Borrower, the interest rate applicable to the Loan in question. If the Borrower and such Lender shall pay such interest to the Administrative Agent for the same or an overlapping period, the Administrative Agent shall promptly remit to the Borrower the amount of such interest paid by the Borrower for such period. If such Lender pays its share of the applicable Borrowing to the Administrative Agent, then the amount so paid shall constitute such Lender’s Loan included in such Borrowing. Any payment by the Borrower shall be without prejudice to any claim the Borrower may have against a Lender that shall have failed to make such payment to the Administrative Agent.
(ii)Payments by Borrower; Presumptions by Administrative Agent. Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from the Borrower prior to the date on which any payment is due to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Lenders or the L/C Issuer hereunder that the Borrower will not make such payment, the Administrative Agent may assume that the Borrower has made such payment on such date in accordance herewith and may, in reliance upon such assumption, distribute to the Lenders or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, the amount due.
With respect to any payment that the Administrative Agent makes for the account of the Lenders or the L/C Issuer hereunder as to which the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error) that any of the following applies (such payment referred to as the “Rescindable Amount”): (1) the Borrower has not in fact made such payment; (2) the Administrative Agent has made a payment in excess of the amount so paid by the Borrower (whether or not then owed); or (3) the Administrative Agent has for any reason otherwise erroneously made such payment; then each of the Lenders or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, severally agrees to repay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand the Rescindable Amount so distributed to such Lender or the L/C Issuer, in immediately available funds with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is distributed to it to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation.
A notice of the Administrative Agent to any Lender or the Borrower with respect to any amount owing under this clause (b) shall be conclusive, absent manifest error.
(c)Failure to Satisfy Conditions Precedent. If any Lender makes available to the Administrative Agent funds for any Loan to be made by such Lender as provided in the foregoing provisions of this Article II, and such funds are not made available to the Borrower by the Administrative Agent because the conditions to the applicable Credit Extension set forth in Article IV are not satisfied or waived in accordance with the terms hereof, the Administrative Agent shall return such funds (in like funds as received from such Lender) to such Lender, without interest.
(d)Obligations of Lenders Several. The obligations of the Lenders hereunder to make Revolving Loans, to fund participations in Letters of Credit and Swing Line Loans and to make payments pursuant to Section 11.04(c) are several and not joint. The failure of any Lender to make any Loan, to fund any such participation or to make any payment under Section 11.04(c) on any date required hereunder shall not relieve any other Lender of its corresponding obligation to do so on such date, and no Lender shall be responsible for the failure of any other Lender to so make its Loan, to purchase its participation or to make its payment under Section 11.04(c).
(e)Funding Source. Nothing herein shall be deemed to obligate any Lender to obtain the funds for any Loan in any particular place or manner or to constitute a representation by any Lender that it has obtained or will obtain the funds for any Loan in any particular place or manner.
(f)Pro Rata Treatment. Except to the extent otherwise provided herein: (i) each Borrowing (other than Swing Line Borrowings) shall be made from the Appropriate Lenders, each payment of fees under Section 2.09 and clauses (l) and (m) of Section 2.03 shall be made for account of the Appropriate Lenders, and each termination or reduction of the amount of the Commitments shall be applied to the respective Commitments of the Lenders, pro rata according to the amounts of their respective Commitments; (ii) each Borrowing shall be allocated pro rata among the Lenders according to the amounts of their respective Commitments; (iii) each payment or prepayment of principal of Loans by the Borrower shall be made for account of the Appropriate Lenders pro rata in accordance with the respective unpaid principal amounts of the Loans held by them; and (iv) each payment of interest on Loans by the Borrower shall be made
for account of the Appropriate Lenders pro rata in accordance with the amounts of interest on such Loans then due and payable to the respective Appropriate Lenders.
2.13Sharing of Payments by Lenders.
If any Lender shall, by exercising any right of setoff or counterclaim or otherwise, obtain payment in respect of (a) Obligations due and payable to such Lender hereunder and under the other Loan Documents at such time in excess of its ratable share (according to the proportion of (i) the amount of such Obligations due and payable to such Lender at such time to (ii) the aggregate amount of the Obligations due and payable to all Lenders hereunder and under the other Loan Documents at such time) of payments on account of the Obligations due and payable to all Lenders hereunder and under the other Loan Documents at such time obtained by all the Lenders at such time or (b) Obligations owing (but not due and payable) to such Lender hereunder and under the other Loan Documents at such time in excess of its ratable share (according to the proportion of (i) the amount of such Obligations owing (but not due and payable) to such Lender at such time to (ii) the aggregate amount of the Obligations owing (but not due and payable) to all Lenders hereunder and under the other Loan Documents at such time) of payments on account of the Obligations owing (but not due and payable) to all Lenders hereunder and under the other Loan Documents at such time obtained by all of the Lenders at such time, then, in each case under clauses (a) and (b) above, the Lender receiving such greater proportion shall (A) notify the Administrative Agent of such fact, and (B) purchase (for cash at face value) participations in the Loans and sub-participations in L/C Obligations and Swing Line Loans of the other Lenders, or make such other adjustments as shall be equitable, so that the benefit of all such payments shall be shared by the Lenders ratably in accordance with the aggregate amount of Obligations then due and payable to the Lenders or owing (but not due and payable) to the Lenders, as the case may be, provided that:
(i)if any such participations or sub-participations are purchased and all or any portion of the payment giving rise thereto is recovered, such participations or sub-participations shall be rescinded and the purchase price restored to the extent of such recovery, without interest; and
(ii)the provisions of this Section 2.13 shall not be construed to apply to (A) any payment made by or on behalf of the Borrower pursuant to and in accordance with the express terms of this Agreement (including the application of funds arising from the existence of a Defaulting Lender), (B) the application of Cash Collateral provided for in Section 2.14, or (C) any payment obtained by a Lender as consideration for the assignment of or sale of a participation in any of its Loans or sub-participations in L/C Obligations or Swing Line Loans to any assignee or participant, other than an assignment to any Loan Party or any Affiliate thereof (as to which the provisions of this Section 2.13 shall apply).
Each Loan Party consents to the foregoing and agrees, to the extent it may effectively do so under Applicable Law, that any Lender acquiring a participation pursuant to the foregoing arrangements may exercise against such Loan Party rights of setoff and counterclaim with respect to such participation as fully as if such Lender were a direct creditor of such Loan Party in the amount of such participation.
2.14Cash Collateral.
(a)Obligation to Cash Collateralize. At any time there shall exist a Defaulting Lender, within one Business Day following the written request of the Administrative Agent or the
L/C Issuer (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), the Borrower shall Cash Collateralize the L/C Issuer’s Fronting Exposure with respect to such Defaulting Lender (determined after giving effect to Section 2.15(a)(iv) and any Cash Collateral provided by such Defaulting Lender) in an amount not less than the Minimum Collateral Amount.
(b)Grant of Security Interest. The Borrower, and to the extent provided by any Defaulting Lender, such Defaulting Lender, hereby grants to (and subjects to the control of) the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Lenders, and agrees to maintain, a first priority security interest in all such cash, deposit accounts and all balances therein, and all other property so provided as Collateral pursuant hereto, and in all proceeds of the foregoing, all as security for the obligations to which such Cash Collateral may be applied pursuant to Section 2.14(c). If at any time the Administrative Agent determines that Cash Collateral is subject to any right or claim of any Person other than the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer as herein provided, other than Liens permitted under Section 7.01(l), or that the total amount of such Cash Collateral is less than the Minimum Collateral Amount, the Borrower will, promptly upon demand by the Administrative Agent, pay or provide to the Administrative Agent additional Cash Collateral in an amount sufficient to eliminate such deficiency (determined in the case of Cash Collateral provided pursuant to Section 2.15(a)(v), after giving effect to Section 2.15(a)(iv) and any Cash Collateral provided by the Defaulting Lender). All Cash Collateral (other than credit support not constituting funds subject to deposit) shall be maintained in blocked, non-interest bearing deposit accounts at Bank of America. The Borrower shall pay on demand therefor from time to time all customary account opening, activity and other administrative fees and charges in connection with the maintenance and disbursement of Cash Collateral.
(c)Application. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, Cash Collateral provided under any of this Section 2.14 or Sections 2.03, 2.05, 2.15 or 8.02 in respect of Letters of Credit shall be held and applied to the satisfaction of the specific L/C Obligations, obligations to fund participations therein (including, as to Cash Collateral provided by a Lender that is a Defaulting Lender, any interest accrued on such obligation) and other obligations for which the Cash Collateral was so provided, prior to any other application of such property as may be provided for herein.
(d)Release. Cash Collateral (or the appropriate portion thereof) provided to reduce Fronting Exposure or to secure other obligations shall be released promptly following (i) the elimination of the applicable Fronting Exposure or other obligations giving rise thereto (including by the termination of Defaulting Lender status of the applicable Lender (or, as appropriate, its assignee following compliance with Section 11.06(b)(vi))) or (ii) the determination by the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer that there exists excess Cash Collateral; provided, however, (A) any such release shall be without prejudice to, and any disbursement or other transfer of Cash Collateral shall be and remain subject to, any other Lien conferred under the Loan Documents and the other applicable provisions of the Loan Documents, and (B) the Person providing Cash Collateral and the L/C Issuer may agree that Cash Collateral shall not be released but instead held to support future anticipated Fronting Exposure or other obligations.
2.15Defaulting Lenders.
(a)Adjustments. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, if any Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender, then, until such time as that Lender is no longer a Defaulting Lender, to the extent permitted by Applicable Law:
(i)Waivers and Amendments. Such Defaulting Lender’s right to approve or disapprove any amendment, waiver or consent with respect to this Agreement shall be restricted as set forth in the definition of “Required Lenders” and Section 11.01.
(ii)Defaulting Lender Waterfall. Any payment of principal, interest, fees or other amounts received by the Administrative Agent for the account of such Defaulting Lender (whether voluntary or mandatory, at maturity, pursuant to Article VIII or otherwise) or received by the Administrative Agent from a Defaulting Lender pursuant to Section 11.08 shall be applied at such time or times as may be determined by the Administrative Agent as follows: first, to the payment of any amounts owing by such Defaulting Lender to the Administrative Agent hereunder; second, to the payment on a pro rata basis of any amounts owing by such Defaulting Lender to the L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender hereunder; third, to Cash Collateralize the L/C Issuer’s Fronting Exposure with respect to such Defaulting Lender in accordance with Section 2.14; fourth, as the Borrower may request (so long as no Default or Event of Default exists), to the funding of any Loan in respect of which such Defaulting Lender has failed to fund its portion thereof as required by this Agreement, as determined by the Administrative Agent; fifth, if so determined by the Administrative Agent and the Borrower, to be held in a deposit account and released pro rata in order to (A) satisfy such Defaulting Lender’s potential future funding obligations with respect to Loans under this Agreement and (B) Cash Collateralize the L/C Issuer’s future Fronting Exposure with respect to such Defaulting Lender with respect to future Letters of Credit issued under this Agreement, in accordance with Section 2.14; sixth, to the payment of any amounts owing to the Lenders, the L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender as a result of any judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction obtained by any Lender, the L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender against such Defaulting Lender as a result of such Defaulting Lender’s breach of its obligations under this Agreement; seventh, so long as no Default or Event of Default exists, to the payment of any amounts owing to the Borrower as a result of any judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction obtained by the Borrower against such Defaulting Lender as a result of such Defaulting Lender’s breach of its obligations under this Agreement; and eighth, to such Defaulting Lender or as otherwise as may be required under the Loan Documents in connection with any Lien conferred thereunder or directed by a court of competent jurisdiction; provided that if (x) such payment is a payment of the principal amount of any Loans or L/C Borrowings in respect of which such Defaulting Lender has not fully funded its appropriate share, and (y) such Loans were made or the related Letters of Credit were issued at a time when the conditions set forth in Section 4.02 were satisfied or waived, such payment shall be applied solely to pay the Loans of, and L/C Obligations owed to, all Non-Defaulting Lenders on a pro rata basis prior to being applied to the payment of any Loans of, or L/C Obligations owed to, such Defaulting Lender until such time as all Loans and funded and unfunded participations in L/C Obligations and Swing Line Loans are held by the Lenders pro rata in accordance with the Commitments hereunder without giving effect to Section 2.15(a)(iv). Any payments, prepayments or other amounts paid or payable to a Defaulting Lender that are
applied (or held) to pay amounts owed by a Defaulting Lender or to post Cash Collateral pursuant to this Section 2.15(a)(ii) shall be deemed paid to and redirected by such Defaulting Lender, and each Lender irrevocably consents hereto.
(iii)Certain Fees.
(A)Fees. No Defaulting Lender shall be entitled to receive any fee payable under Section 2.09(a) for any period during which that Lender is a Defaulting Lender (and the Borrower shall not be required to pay any such fee that otherwise would have been required to have been paid to that Defaulting Lender).
(B)Letter of Credit Fees. Each Defaulting Lender shall be entitled to receive Letter of Credit Fees for any period during which that Lender is a Defaulting Lender only to the extent allocable to its Applicable Percentage of the stated amount of Letters of Credit for which it has provided Cash Collateral pursuant to Section 2.14.
(C)Defaulting Lender Fees. With respect to any Letter of Credit Fee not required to be paid to any Defaulting Lender pursuant to clause (B) above, the Borrower shall (1) pay to each Non-Defaulting Lender that portion of any such fee otherwise payable to such Defaulting Lender with respect to such Defaulting Lender’s participation in L/C Obligations that has been reallocated to such Non-Defaulting Lender pursuant to clause (iv) below, (2) pay to the L/C Issuer the amount of any such fee otherwise payable to such Defaulting Lender to the extent allocable to such L/C Issuer’s Fronting Exposure to such Defaulting Lender, and (3) not be required to pay the remaining amount of any such fee.
(iv)Reallocation of Applicable Percentages to Reduce Fronting Exposure. All or any part of such Defaulting Lender’s participation in L/C Obligations and Swing Line Loans shall be reallocated among the Non-Defaulting Lenders in accordance with their respective Applicable Percentages (calculated without regard to such Defaulting Lender’s Commitment) but only to the extent that such reallocation does not cause the aggregate Revolving Exposure of any Non-Defaulting Lender to exceed such Non-Defaulting Lender’s Commitment. Subject to Section 11.20, no reallocation hereunder shall constitute a waiver or release of any claim of any party hereunder against a Defaulting Lender arising from that Lender having become a Defaulting Lender, including any claim of a Non-Defaulting Lender as a result of such Non-Defaulting Lender’s increased exposure following such reallocation.
(v)Cash Collateral, Repayment of Swing Line Loans. If the reallocation described in clause (a)(iv) above cannot, or can only partially, be effected, the Borrower shall, without prejudice to any right or remedy available to it hereunder or under Applicable Law, (A) first, prepay Swing Line Loans in an amount equal to the Swing Line Lender’s Fronting Exposure and (B) second, Cash Collateralize the L/C Issuer’s Fronting Exposure in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 2.14.
(b)Defaulting Lender Cure. If the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the Swing Line Lender and the L/C Issuer agree in writing that a Lender is no longer a Defaulting Lender,
the Administrative Agent will so notify the parties hereto, whereupon as of the effective date specified in such notice and subject to any conditions set forth therein (which may include arrangements with respect to any Cash Collateral), that Lender will, to the extent applicable, purchase at par that portion of outstanding Loans of the other Lenders or take such other actions as the Administrative Agent may determine to be necessary to cause the Loans and funded and unfunded participations in Letters of Credit and Swing Line Loans to be held pro rata by the Lenders in accordance with their Commitments (without giving effect to Section 2.15(a)(iv)), whereupon such Lender will cease to be a Defaulting Lender; provided that no adjustments will be made retroactively with respect to fees accrued or payments made by or on behalf of the Borrower while that Lender was a Defaulting Lender; and provided, further, that except to the extent otherwise expressly agreed by the affected parties, no change hereunder from Defaulting Lender to Lender will constitute a waiver or release of any claim of any party hereunder arising from that Lender’s having been a Defaulting Lender.
(c)New Swing Line Loans/Letters of Credit. So long as any Lender is a Defaulting Lender, (i) the Swing Line Lender shall not be required to fund any Swing Line Loans unless it is satisfied that it will have no Fronting Exposure after giving effect to such Swing Line Loan and (ii) the L/C Issuer shall not be required to issue, extend, increase, reinstate or renew any letter of Credit unless it is satisfied that it will have no Fronting Exposure after giving effect thereto.
2.16Increase in Facility.
(a)Request for Increase. Provided there exists no Default, upon notice to the Administrative Agent (which shall promptly notify the Lenders), the Borrower may from time to time afterduring the period from the First Amendment Effective Date until the Fourth Amendment Effective Date, request an increase in the Facility by an amount (for all such requests) not exceeding $25,000,000 (an “Incremental Facility”); provided that any such request for an Incremental Facility shall be in a minimum amount of $5,000,000. At the time of sending such notice, the Borrower (in consultation with the Administrative Agent) shall specify the time period within which each Lender is requested to respond (which shall in no event be less than ten (10) Business Days from the date of delivery of such notice to the Lenders).
(b)Lender Elections to Increase. Each Lender shall notify the Administrative Agent within such time period whether or not it agrees to increase its Commitment and, if so, whether by an amount equal to, greater than, or less than its Applicable Percentage of such requested increase. Any Lender not responding within such time period shall be deemed to have declined to increase its Commitment.
(c)Notification by Administrative Agent; Additional Lenders. The Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and each Lender of the Lenders’ responses to each request made hereunder. To achieve the full amount of a requested increase, and subject to the approval of the Administrative Agent (in its reasonable discretion), the L/C Issuer and the Swing Line Lender, the Borrower may also invite additional Eligible Assignees to become Lenders (“New Lenders”) pursuant to a joinder agreement in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and its counsel.
(d)Effective Date and Allocations. If the Facility is increased in accordance with this Section 2.16, the Administrative Agent and the Borrower shall determine the effective date (the “Revolving Increase Effective Date”) and the final allocation of such increase. The
Administrative Agent shall promptly notify the Borrower and the Lenders and the New Lenders of the final allocation of such increase and the Revolving Increase Effective Date.
(e)Conditions to Effectiveness of Increase. As a condition precedent to such increase, the Borrower shall deliver to the Administrative Agent a certificate of each Loan Party dated as of the Revolving Increase Effective Date (in sufficient copies for each Lender) signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower, certifying that, before and after giving effect to such increase, (i) the representations and warranties contained in Article V and the other Loan Documents are true and correct in all material respects (or if such representation and warranty is qualified by materiality or Material Adverse Effect, it shall be true and correct), on and as of the Revolving Increase Effective Date except to the extent that such representations and warranties specifically refer to an earlier date, in which case they shall be true and correct in all material respects (or if such representation and warranty is qualified by materiality or Material Adverse Effect, it shall be true and correct) as of such earlier date, (ii) after giving effect to the incurrence of such Incremental Facility (assuming the full amount of the Incremental Facility has been funded) on a Pro Forma Basis, the Loan Parties would be in compliance with the financial covenants set forth in Section 7.11 recomputed for the most recently completed Measurement Period and (iii) both before and after giving effect to the Incremental Facility, no Default shall have occurred and be continuing. The Administrative Agent shall have received customary closing certificates and legal opinions and all other documents (including resolutions of the board of directors of the Loan Parties) it may reasonably request relating to the corporate or other necessary authority for such Incremental Facility and the validity of such Incremental Facility, and any other matters relevant thereto, all in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent. The Borrower shall prepay any Revolving Loans outstanding on the Revolving Increase Effective Date (and pay any additional amounts required pursuant to Section 3.05) to the extent necessary to keep the outstanding Revolving Loans ratable with any revised Applicable Percentages arising from any nonratable increase in the Commitments under this Section 2.16.
(f)Conflicting Provisions. This Section 2.16 shall supersede any provisions in Section 2.13 or 11.01 to the contrary.
(g)Incremental Facility. 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 Facility.
Article III.
TAXES, YIELD PROTECTION AND ILLEGALITY
3.01Taxes.
(a)Defined Terms. For purposes of this Section 3.01, the term “Applicable Law” includes FATCA and the term “Lender” includes any L/C Issuer.
(b)Payments Free of Taxes; Obligation to Withhold; Payments on Account of Taxes. Any and all payments by or on account of any obligation of any Loan Party under any Loan Document shall be made without deduction or withholding for any Taxes, except as required by Applicable Laws. If any Applicable Laws (as determined in the good faith discretion
of an applicable Withholding Agent) require the deduction or withholding of any Tax from any such payment by a Withholding Agent, then the applicable Withholding Agent shall be entitled to make such deduction or withholding and shall timely pay the full amount deducted or withheld to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with Applicable Law and, if such Tax is an Indemnified Tax, then the sum payable by the applicable Loan Party shall be increased as necessary so that after any required withholding or the making of all required deductions (including deductions applicable to additional sums payable under this Section 3.01) the applicable Recipient receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such withholding or deduction been made.
(c)Payment of Other Taxes by the Borrower. The Borrower shall timely pay to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with Applicable Law, or at the option of the Administrative Agent timely reimburse it for the payment of, any Other Taxes.
(d)Tax Indemnifications.
(i)Each of the Loan Parties shall, and does hereby, jointly and severally indemnify each Recipient, and shall make payment in respect thereof within ten (10) days after written demand therefor, for the full amount of any Indemnified Taxes (including Indemnified Taxes imposed or asserted on or attributable to amounts payable under this Section 3.01) payable or paid by such Recipient or required to be withheld or deducted from a payment to such Recipient, and any reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such Indemnified Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority. A certificate as to the amount of such payment or liability delivered to the Borrower by a Lender (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), or by the Administrative Agent on its own behalf or on behalf of a Lender, shall be conclusive absent manifest error.
(ii)Each Lender shall, and does hereby, severally indemnify and shall make payment in respect thereof within ten (10) days after demand therefor, (A) the Administrative Agent against any Indemnified Taxes attributable to such Lender (but only to the extent that any Loan Party has not already indemnified the Administrative Agent for such Indemnified Taxes and without limiting the obligation of the Loan Parties to do so), (B) the Administrative Agent and the Loan Parties, as applicable, against any Taxes attributable to such Lender’s failure to comply with the provisions of Section 11.06(d) relating to the maintenance of a Participant Register and (C) the Administrative Agent and the Loan Parties, as applicable, against any Excluded Taxes attributable to such Lender, in each case, that are payable or paid by the Administrative Agent or a Loan Party in connection with any Loan Document, and any reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority. A certificate as to the amount of such payment or liability delivered to any Lender by the Administrative Agent shall be conclusive absent manifest error. Each Lender hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent to set off and apply any and all amounts at any time owing to such Lender under any Loan Document or otherwise payable by the Administrative Agent to the Lender from any other source against any amount due to the Administrative Agent under this clause (d)(ii).
(e)Evidence of Payments. 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 shall deliver to the Administrative Agent the original or a certified copy of a receipt issued by such Governmental Authority evidencing such payment, a copy of any return reporting such payment or other evidence of such payment reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.
(f)Status of Lenders; Tax Documentation.
(i)Any Lender that is entitled to an exemption from or reduction of withholding Tax with respect to payments made under any Loan Document shall deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, at the time or times reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, such properly completed and executed documentation reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent as will permit such payments to be made without withholding or at a reduced rate of withholding. In addition, any Lender, if reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, shall deliver such other documentation prescribed by Applicable Law or reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent as will enable the Borrower or the Administrative Agent to determine whether or not such Lender is subject to backup withholding or information reporting requirements. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the preceding two sentences, the completion, execution and submission of such documentation (other than such documentation set forth in Section 3.01(f)(ii)(A), (ii)(B) and (ii)(D) below) shall not be required if in the Lender’s reasonable judgment such completion, execution or submission would subject such Lender to any material unreimbursed cost or expense or would materially prejudice the legal or commercial position of such Lender.
(ii)Without limiting the generality of the foregoing,
(A)any Lender that is a U.S. Person shall deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent on or prior to the date on which such Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of the Borrower or the Administrative Agent), executed copies of IRS Form W–9 certifying that such Lender is exempt from U.S. federal backup withholding tax;
(B)any Foreign Lender shall, to the extent it is legally entitled to do so, deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent (in such number of copies as shall be requested by the recipient) on or prior to the date on which such Foreign Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of the Borrower or the Administrative Agent), whichever of the following is applicable:
(1)in the case of a Foreign Lender claiming the benefits of an income tax treaty to which the United States is a party (x) with respect to payments of interest under any Loan Document, executed copies of IRS Form W–8BEN–E (or W–8BEN, as applicable) establishing an exemption from, or reduction of, U.S. federal withholding Tax pursuant to the “interest” article of such tax treaty and (y) with respect to any
other applicable payments under any Loan Document, IRS Form W–8BEN–E (or W–8BEN, as applicable) establishing an exemption from, or reduction of, U.S. federal withholding Tax pursuant to the “business profits” or “other income” article of such tax treaty;
(2)executed copies of IRS Form W–8ECI;
(3)in the case of a Foreign Lender claiming the benefits of the exemption for portfolio interest under Section 881(c) of the Code, (x) a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit I–1 to the effect that such Foreign Lender is not a “bank” within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, a “10 percent shareholder” of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(B) of the Code, or a “controlled foreign corporation” described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code (a “U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate”) and (y) executed copies of IRS Form W–8BEN–E (or W–8BEN, as applicable); or
(4)to the extent a Foreign Lender is not the beneficial owner, executed copies of IRS Form W–8IMY, accompanied by IRS Form W–8ECI, IRS Form W–8BEN–E (or W–8BEN, as applicable), a U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit I–2 or Exhibit I–3, IRS Form W–9, and/or other certification documents from each beneficial owner, as applicable; provided that if the Foreign Lender is a partnership and one or more direct or indirect partners of such Foreign Lender are claiming the portfolio interest exemption, such Foreign Lender may provide a U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit I–4 on behalf of each such direct and indirect partner;
(C)any Foreign Lender shall, to the extent it is legally entitled to do so, deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent (in such number of copies as shall be requested by the recipient) on or prior to the date on which such Foreign Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of the Borrower or the Administrative Agent), executed copies (or originals, as required) of any other form prescribed by Applicable Law as a basis for claiming exemption from or a reduction in U.S. federal withholding Tax, duly completed, together with such supplementary documentation as may be prescribed by Applicable Law to permit the Borrower or the Administrative Agent to determine the withholding or deduction required to be made; and
(D)if a payment made to a Lender under any Loan Document would be subject to U.S. federal withholding Tax imposed by FATCA if such Lender were to fail to comply with the applicable reporting requirements of FATCA (including those contained in Section 1471(b) or 1472(b) of the Code, as applicable), such Lender shall deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent at the time or times prescribed by law and at such time or times reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent such documentation prescribed by Applicable Law (including as prescribed by Section
1471(b)(3)(C)(i) of the Code) and such additional documentation reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent as may be necessary for the Borrower and the Administrative Agent to comply with their obligations under FATCA and to determine that such Lender has complied with such Lender’s obligations under FATCA or to determine the amount to deduct and withhold from such payment. Solely for the purposes of this clause (f)(ii)(D), “FATCA” shall include any amendments made to FATCA after the date of this Agreement.
(iii)Each Lender agrees that if any form or certification it previously delivered pursuant to this Section 3.01 expires or becomes obsolete or inaccurate in any respect, it shall update such form or certification or promptly notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent in writing of its legal inability to do so.
(g)Treatment of Certain Refunds. Unless required by Applicable Laws, at no time shall the Administrative Agent have any obligation to file for or otherwise pursue on behalf of a Lender, or have any obligation to pay to any Lender, any refund of Taxes withheld or deducted from funds paid for the account of such Lender. If any Recipient determines, in its sole discretion exercised in good faith, that it has received a refund of any Taxes as to which it has been indemnified by any Loan Party or with respect to which any Loan Party has paid additional amounts pursuant to this Section 3.01, it shall pay to such Loan Party an amount equal to such refund (but only to the extent of indemnity payments made, or additional amounts paid, by such Loan Party under this Section 3.01 with respect to the Taxes giving rise to such refund), net of all out-of-pocket expenses (including Taxes) incurred by such Recipient, as the case may be, and without interest (other than any interest paid by the relevant Governmental Authority with respect to such refund), provided that each Loan Party, upon the request of the Recipient, agrees to repay the amount paid over to such Loan Party (plus any penalties, interest or other charges imposed by the relevant Governmental Authority) to the Recipient in the event the Recipient is required to repay such refund to such Governmental Authority. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this clause (g), in no event will the applicable Recipient be required to pay any amount to such Loan Party pursuant to this clause (g) the payment of which would place the Recipient in a less favorable net after-Tax position than such Recipient would have been in if the Tax subject to indemnification and giving rise to such refund had not been deducted, withheld or otherwise imposed and the indemnification payments or additional amounts with respect to such Tax had never been paid. This clause (g) shall not be construed to require any Recipient to make available its tax returns (or any other information relating to its Taxes that it deems confidential) to any Loan Party or any other Person.
(h)Survival. Each party’s obligations under this Section 3.01 shall survive the resignation or replacement of the Administrative Agent or any assignment of rights by, or the replacement of, a Lender, the termination of the Commitments and the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all other Obligations.
3.02Illegality. If any Lender determines that any Law has made it unlawful, or that any Governmental Authority has asserted that it is unlawful, for any Lender or its Lending Office to make, maintain or fund or charge interest with respect to any Credit Extension, or to determine or charge interest rates based upon Daily SOFR, or any Governmental Authority has imposed
material restrictions on the authority of such Lender to engage in reverse repurchase of U.S. Treasury securities transactions of the type included in the determination of SOFR, or to determine or charge interest rates based upon Daily SOFR purchase or sell, or to take deposits of, Dollars in the interbank market, then, upon notice thereof by such Lender to the Borrower (through the Administrative Agent), (i) any obligation of such Lender to make or continue Daily SOFR Loans or to convert Base Rate Loans to Daily SOFR Loans shall be suspended, and (ii) if such notice asserts the illegality of such Lender making or maintaining Base Rate Loans the interest rate on which is determined by reference to the Daily SOFR component of the Base Rate, the interest rate on which Base Rate Loans of such Lender shall, if necessary to avoid such illegality, be determined by the Administrative Agent without reference to the Daily SOFR component of the Base Rate, in each case until such Lender notifies the Administrative Agent and the Borrower that the circumstances giving rise to such determination no longer exist. Upon receipt of such notice, (A) the Borrower shall, upon demand from such Lender (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), prepay all Daily SOFR Loans or, if applicable, convert all Daily SOFR Loans of such Lender to Base Rate Loans (the interest rate on which Base Rate Loans of such Lender shall, if necessary to avoid such illegality, be determined by the Administrative Agent without reference to the Daily SOFR component of the Base Rate), in each case, immediately, and (B) if such notice asserts the illegality of such Lender determining or charging interest rates based upon the SOFR, the Administrative Agent shall during the period of such suspension compute the Base Rate applicable to such Lender without reference to the Daily SOFR component thereof until the Administrative Agent is advised in writing by such Lender that it is no longer illegal for such 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.
3.03Inability to Determine Rates.
(a)If in connection with any request for a Daily SOFR Loan, (i) the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error) that (A) no Successor Rate for Daily SOFR 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 with respect to Daily SOFR, or (B) adequate and reasonable means do not exist for determining Daily SOFR for any determination date(s) with respect to a proposed Daily SOFR Loan or in connection with an existing or proposed Base Rate Loan, or (ii) the Administrative Agent or the Required Lenders determine that for any reason the Daily SOFR does not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to such Lenders of funding such Loan, the Administrative Agent will promptly so notify the Borrower and each Lender.
Thereafter, (x) the obligation of the Lenders to make or maintain Daily SOFR Loans, shall be suspended to the extent of the affected Daily SOFR Loans and (y) in the event of a determination described in the preceding sentence with respect to the Daily SOFR component of the Base Rate, the utilization of the Daily SOFR component in determining the Base Rate shall be suspended, in each case until the Administrative Agent (or, in the case of a determination by the Required Lenders described in clause (ii) of this Section 3.03(a), until the Administrative Agent upon instruction of the Required Lenders) revokes such notice.
Upon receipt of such notice, (i) the Borrower may revoke any pending request for a Borrowing of Daily SOFR Loans 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 Daily SOFR Loans shall be deemed to have been converted to Base Rate Loans immediately.
(b)Replacement of Daily SOFR or Successor Rate. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement or any other Loan Documents, if the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error), or the Borrower or Required Lenders notify the Administrative Agent (with, in the case of the Required Lenders, a copy to the Borrower) that the Borrower or Required Lenders (as applicable) have determined, that:
(i)adequate and reasonable means do not exist for ascertaining Daily SOFR for a period of one (1) month hereunder or any other tenors of Daily SOFR is not available or published on a current basis and such circumstances are unlikely to be temporary; or
(ii)the Governmental Authority having jurisdiction over the Administrative Agent or such administrator has made a public statement identifying a specific date after which Daily SOFR or SOFR shall no longer be made available, or used for determining the interest rate of loans, or shall or will otherwise cease, provided that, in each case, at the time of such statement, there is no successor administrator that is satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, that will continue to provide Daily SOFR after such specific date (such specific date, the “Scheduled Unavailability Date”); or
(iii)syndicated loans currently being executed, or that include language similar to that contained in this Section 3.03, are being executed or amended (as applicable) to incorporate or adopt a new benchmark interest rate to replace Daily SOFR;
or if the events or circumstances of the type described in Section 3.03(b)(i), (ii) or (iii) have occurred with respect to the Successor Rate then in effect, then, the Administrative Agent and the Borrower may amend this Agreement solely for the purpose of replacing Daily SOFR or any then current Successor Rate in accordance with this Section 3.03 with an alternative benchmark rate giving due consideration to any evolving or then existing convention for similar credit facilities syndicated and agented in the U.S. for such alternative benchmarks, 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 credit facilities syndicated and agented in the U.S. for such benchmarks, which adjustment or method for calculating such adjustment shall be published on an information service as selected by the Administrative Agent from time to time in its reasonable discretion and may be periodically updated (and any such proposed rate, including for the avoidance of doubt, any adjustment thereto, a “Successor Rate”), and any such amendment shall become effective at 5:00 p.m. on the fifth Business Day after the Administrative Agent shall have posted such proposed amendment to all Lenders and the Borrower unless, prior to such time, Lenders comprising the Required Lenders have delivered to the Administrative Agent written notice that such Required Lenders object to such amendment.
The Administrative Agent will promptly (in one or more notices) notify the Borrower and each Lender 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 Administrative Agent, such Successor Rate shall be applied in a manner as otherwise reasonably determined by the Administrative Agent.
Notwithstanding anything else herein, if at any time any Successor Rate as so determined would otherwise be less than 0.0%, the Successor Rate will be deemed to be 0.0% for the purposes of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents.
In connection with the implementation of a Successor Rate, the Administrative Agent 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 Administrative Agent shall post each such amendment implementing such Conforming Changes to the Borrower and the Lenders reasonably promptly after such amendment becomes effective.
3.04Increased 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, any Lender or the L/C Issuer;
(ii)subject any Recipient to any Taxes (other than (A) Indemnified Taxes, (B) Taxes described in clauses (b) through (d) of the definition of Excluded Taxes and (C) Connection Income 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 any Lender or the L/C Issuer or any applicable interbank market any other condition, cost or expense (in each case, other than Taxes) affecting this Agreement or Daily SOFR Loans made by such Lender or any Letter of Credit or participation therein;
and the result of any of the foregoing shall be to increase the cost to such Lender of making, converting to, continuing or maintaining any Loan (or of maintaining its obligation to make any such Loan), or to increase the cost to such Lender or the L/C Issuer of participating in, issuing or maintaining any Letter of Credit (or of maintaining its obligation to participate in or to issue any Letter of Credit), or to reduce the amount of any sum received or receivable by such Lender or the L/C Issuer hereunder (whether of principal, interest or any other amount) then, upon request of such Lender or the L/C Issuer, the Borrower will pay to such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, for such additional costs incurred or reduction suffered.
(b)Capital Requirements. If any Lender or the L/C Issuer determines that any Change in Law affecting such Lender or the L/C Issuer or any Lending Office of such Lender or such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’s holding company, if any, regarding capital or liquidity
requirements has or would have the effect of reducing the rate of return on such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’s capital or on the capital of such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’s holding company, if any, as a consequence of this Agreement, the Commitments of such Lender or the Loans made by, or participations in Letters of Credit or Swing Line Loans held by, such Lender, or the Letters of Credit issued by the L/C Issuer, to a level below that which such Lender or the L/C Issuer or such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’s holding company could have achieved but for such Change in Law (taking into consideration such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’s policies and the policies of such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’s holding company with respect to capital adequacy), then from time to time the Borrower will pay to such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or the L/C Issuer or such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’s holding company for any such reduction suffered.
(c)Certificates for Reimbursement. A certificate of a Lender or the L/C Issuer setting forth the amount or amounts necessary to compensate such Lender or the L/C Issuer 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 such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, 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 any Lender or the L/C Issuer to demand compensation pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 3.04 shall not constitute a waiver of such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’s right to demand such compensation, provided that the Borrower shall not be required to compensate a Lender or the L/C Issuer pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 3.04 for any increased costs incurred or reductions suffered more than nine (9) months prior to the date that such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, notifies the Borrower of the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions and of such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’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).
3.05Reserved.
3.06Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders.
(a)Designation of a Different Lending Office. If any Lender requests compensation under Section 3.04, or requires the Borrower to pay any Indemnified Taxes or additional amounts to any Lender, the L/C Issuer, or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender or the L/C Issuer pursuant to Section 3.01, or if any Lender gives a notice pursuant to Section 3.02, then at the request of the Borrower, such Lender or the L/C Issuer shall, as applicable, use reasonable efforts to designate a different Lending Office for funding or booking its Loans hereunder or to assign its rights and obligations hereunder to another of its offices, branches or affiliates, if, in the judgment of such Lender or the L/C Issuer, such designation or assignment (i) would eliminate or reduce amounts payable pursuant to Section 3.01 or 3.04, as the case may be, in the future, or eliminate the need for the notice pursuant to Section 3.02, as applicable, and (ii) in each case, would not subject such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, to any unreimbursed cost or expense and would not otherwise be disadvantageous to such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be. The Borrower hereby agrees to pay all reasonable costs and
expenses incurred by any Lender or the L/C Issuer in connection with any such designation or assignment.
(b)Replacement of Lenders. If any Lender requests compensation under Section 3.04, or if the Borrower is required to pay any Indemnified Taxes or additional amounts to any Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to Section 3.01 and, in each case, such Lender has declined or is unable to designate a different lending office in accordance with Section 3.06(a), the Borrower may replace such Lender in accordance with Section 11.13.
3.07Survival.
All of the Borrower’s obligations under this Article III shall survive termination of the Aggregate Commitments, repayment of all other Obligations hereunder, resignation of the Administrative Agent and the Facility Termination Date.
Article IV.
CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO CREDIT EXTENSIONS
4.01Conditions of Initial Credit Extension.
The obligation of the L/C Issuer and each Lender to make its initial Credit Extension hereunder is subject to satisfaction of the following conditions precedent:
(a)Execution of Credit Agreement; Loan Documents. The Administrative Agent shall have received (i) counterparts of this Agreement, executed by a Responsible Officer of each Loan Party and a duly authorized officer of each Lender, (ii) for the account of each Lender requesting a Note, a Note executed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower, (iii) 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 (iv) 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.
(b)Officer’s Certificate. The Administrative Agent 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 Administrative Agent shall have received an opinion or opinions (including, if requested by the Administrative Agent, local counsel opinions) of counsel for the Loan Parties, dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders, in form and substance acceptable to the Administrative Agent.
(d)Personal Property Collateral. The Administrative Agent shall have received, in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent:
(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 Administrative Agent’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 and judgment searches;
(ii)searches of ownership of Intellectual Property in the appropriate governmental offices and such patent/trademark/copyright filings as requested by the Administrative Agent in order to perfect the Administrative Agent’s security interest in the Intellectual Property;
(iii)completed UCC financing statements for each appropriate jurisdiction as is necessary, in the Administrative Agent’s sole discretion, to perfect the Administrative Agent’s security interest in the Collateral;
(iv)stock or membership certificates, if any, evidencing the Pledged Equity and undated stock or transfer powers duly executed in blank; in each case to the extent such Pledged Equity is certificated; and
(v)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 Administrative Agent’s and the Lenders’ security interest in the Collateral.
(e)Evidence of Insurance. The Administrative Agent shall have received copies of insurance certificates evidencing liability and property insurance meeting the requirements set forth herein or in the Collateral Documents.
(f)Consents. The Administrative Agent 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.
(g)Anti-Money-Laundering; Beneficial Ownership. Upon the reasonable request of any Lender, the Borrower shall have provided to such Lender, and such 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 each Lender that so requests, a Beneficial Ownership Certification in relation to such Loan Party.
(h)Fees. Receipt by the Administrative Agent for the account of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders of any fees required under the Loan Documents to be paid on or before the Closing Date.
(i)Attorney Costs. The Borrower shall have paid all reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of counsel to the Administrative Agent (directly to such counsel if requested by the Administrative Agent) to the extent due under the Loan Documents and invoiced at least one Business Day prior to the Closing Date.
Without limiting the generality of the provisions of Section 9.03(c), for purposes of determining compliance with the conditions specified in this Section 4.01, each Lender that has signed this Agreement shall be deemed to have consented to, approved or accepted or to be satisfied with, each document or other matter required thereunder to be consented to or approved by or acceptable or satisfactory to a Lender unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from such Lender prior to the proposed Closing Date specifying its objection thereto.
4.02Conditions to all Credit Extensions.
The obligation of each Lender and the L/C Issuer 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 (i) with respect to representations and warranties that contain a materiality qualification, be true and correct on and as of the date of such Credit Extension and (ii) with respect to representations and warranties that do not contain a materiality qualification, be true and correct in all material respects on and as of the date of such Credit Extension, and except that (x) for purposes of this Section 4.02, the representations and warranties contained in Section 5.05(a) shall be deemed to refer to the most recent statements furnished pursuant to Section 6.01(a), respectively and (y) any representation or warranty which by its terms is made as of a specified date shall be required to be true and correct in all material respects only as of such specified date.
(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 Administrative Agent and, if applicable, the L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender shall have received a Request for Credit Extension in accordance with the requirements hereof.
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 Administrative Agent and the Lenders, as of the date made or deemed made, that:
5.01Existence, 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 clauses (a) through (c), to the extent that failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. As of the Closing Date, each of the copies of the Organization Documents of each Loan Party provided to the Administrative Agent 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.
5.02Authorization; 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 (other than Permitted Liens) 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, except for any such conflict, breach or contravention that could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; or (c) violate any Applicable Law; except for any such violations that could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
5.03Governmental 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, subject to Permitted Liens) or (d) the exercise by the Administrative Agent or any 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, taken, given or made, and routine disclosures required under securities laws and regulations, (ii) filings to perfect the Liens created by the Collateral Documents and (iii) those approvals, consents, exemptions, authorizations or other actions, notices or filings, the failure of which to obtain or make would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
5.04Binding 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, subject to (i) applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and subject to general principles of equity, (ii) the need for filings and registrations necessary to perfect the Liens on Collateral granted by the Loan Parties in favor of the Secured Parties and (iii) the effect of foreign Laws, rules and regulations as they relate to pledges of Equity Interests in Foreign Subsidiaries.
5.05Financial 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 and (ii) fairly present in all material respects the financial condition of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of the date thereof and their results of operations, cash flows and changes in shareholders’ equity for the period covered thereby in accordance with GAAP consistently applied throughout the period covered thereby, except as otherwise expressly noted therein.
(b)Reserved.
(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.
5.06Litigation.
There are no actions, suits, proceedings, claims or disputes pending or, to the knowledge of the Loan Parties, threatened in writing, 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.
5.07No Default.
Neither any Loan Party nor any Subsidiary thereof is in default under or with respect to any Contractual Obligation, which default could, either individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. No Default has occurred and is continuing.
5.08Ownership 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.
5.09Environmental Compliance.
(a)There are no Environmental Laws or claims alleging potential liability or responsibility for violation of any Environmental Law by the Loan Parties or their Subsidiaries that could, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(b)Except as could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in any Material Adverse Effect: none of the properties currently or formerly owned or operated by the Borrower or any Subsidiary is listed or proposed for listing on the National Priorities List under CERCLA or on the CERCLIS or any analogous foreign, state or local list or is adjacent to any such property; there are no and never have been any underground or above-
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 or operated by the Borrower or any Subsidiary or, to the best of the knowledge of the Loan Parties, on any property formerly owned or operated by the Borrower or any Subsidiary; there is no asbestos or asbestos-containing material on any property currently owned or operated by the Borrower or any Subsidiary; and Hazardous Materials have not been released, discharged or disposed of on any property currently or formerly owned or operated by the Borrower or any Subsidiary.
(c)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, discharge or disposal of Hazardous Materials at any site, location or operation, either voluntarily or pursuant to the order of any Governmental Authority or the requirements of any Environmental Law, except for such investigation or assessment or remedial or response action that, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; and all Hazardous Materials generated, used, treated, handled or stored at, or transported to or from, any property currently or formerly owned or operated by any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries have been disposed of in a manner not reasonably expected to result, individually or in the aggregate, in a Material Adverse Effect.
5.10Insurance.
The Borrower and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with the requirements of Section 6.07.
5.11Taxes.
Each Loan Party and its Subsidiaries have filed all material federal, state and other tax returns and reports required to be filed, and have paid all material federal, state and other taxes, assessments, fees and other governmental charges levied or imposed upon them or their properties, income or assets otherwise due and payable, except taxes, assessments, fees or other governmental charges that 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 the Borrower or any Subsidiary that would, if made, have a Material Adverse Effect. No Loan Party nor any Subsidiary is party to any tax sharing agreement.
5.12ERISA Compliance.
(a)Each Plan is in compliance with the applicable provisions of ERISA, the Code and other federal or state laws except for matters that have not resulted, and could not reasonably be expected to result, in a Material Adverse Effect.
(b)There are no pending or, to the 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)Except for matters that have not resulted, and could not reasonably be expected to result, in a liability in an aggregate amount in excess of the Threshold Amount: (i) no ERISA
Event has occurred, and no Loan Party is aware of any fact, event or circumstance that could reasonably be expected to constitute or result in an ERISA Event; (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 60% or higher and no Loan Party 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 60% 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)No Loan Party nor any ERISA Affiliate maintains or contributes to, or has any unsatisfied obligation in excess of the Threshold Amount to contribute to, or liability under, any active or terminated Pension Plan other than Pension Plans not otherwise prohibited by this Agreement.
5.13Margin Regulations; Investment Company Act.
(a)Margin Regulations. The Borrower is not engaged and will not 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 or drawing under each Letter of Credit, not more than twenty-five percent (25%) 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 any Lender or any Affiliate of any Lender relating to Indebtedness and within the scope of Section 8.01(e) will be margin stock.
(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.
5.14Disclosure; Beneficial Ownership Certification.
(a)Disclosure. Each Loan Party has disclosed to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders all agreements, instruments and corporate or other restrictions to which it or any of its Subsidiaries 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 written information furnished by or on behalf of any Loan Party to the Administrative Agent or any 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) when taken as a whole 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 materially misleading; provided that, with respect to projected financial information, the Loan
Parties represent only that such information was prepared in good faith based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable at the time, it being understood that such projections may vary from actual results and that such variances may be material.
(b)Beneficial Ownership Certification. The information included in the Beneficial Ownership Certification, if applicable, is true and correct in all respects.
5.15Compliance 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.
5.16Solvency.
The Borrower and its Subsidiaries are Solvent on a Consolidated basis.
5.17Casualty, 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.
5.18Sanctions 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 Loan Parties and their Subsidiaries conduct 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 conduct 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.
5.19Subsidiaries; Loan Parties.
(a)Subsidiaries. Set forth on Schedule 5.19(a), is the following information which is true and complete in all respects as of the Closing Date: (i) a complete and accurate list of all
Subsidiaries as of the Closing Date, (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, other than non-consensual Liens arising by operation of Law and Liens contemplated in connection with the Loan Documents. As of the Closing Date, there are no outstanding subscriptions, options, warrants, calls, rights or other similar agreements or commitments relating to the Equity Interests of any Loan Party (other than the Borrower) or any Subsidiary thereof, except as contemplated in connection with the Loan Documents or pursuant to intercompany agreements among the Borrower and the Subsidiaries.
(b)Loan Parties. Set forth on Schedule 5.19(b) as of the Closing Date is a complete and accurate list of all Loan Parties, showing as of the Closing Date (as to each Loan Party) (i) the exact legal name, (ii) any former legal names of such Loan Party in the five years prior to the Closing Date, (iii) the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, as applicable, (iv) the type of organization, (v) the address of its chief executive office, (vi) U.S. federal taxpayer identification number; and (vii) the organization identification number, if applicable.
5.20Collateral Representations.
(a)Collateral Documents. The provisions of the Collateral Documents are effective to create in favor of the Administrative Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties 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 or filings contemplated hereby and by the Collateral Documents, no filing or other action will be necessary to perfect such Liens, subject to any exceptions with respect to the requirement to perfect such Liens expressly set forth in the Collateral Documents.
(b)Intellectual Property. Set forth on Schedule 5.20, as of the Closing Date and as of the last date such Schedule was required to be updated in accordance with Section 6.02, is a list of all registered or issued Intellectual Property (including all applications for registration and issuance) owned by each of the Loan Parties (including the name/title, current owner, registration or application number, and registration or application date and such other information as reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent).
5.21Affected Financial Institutions.
No Loan Party is an Affected Financial Institution.
5.22Covered Entities.
No Loan Party is a Covered Entity.
5.23Intellectual Property; Licenses, Etc.
Each Loan Party 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 (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) that are reasonably necessary in the operation of their respective businesses, without conflict with the rights of
any other Person, except to the extent such conflicts, either individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. To the knowledge of the Loan Parties, 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 any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries infringes, misappropriates or otherwise violates upon any rights held by any other Person, except for such infringements, misappropriations and violations, either individually or in the aggregate, which would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. No claim or litigation regarding any of the foregoing is pending or, to the knowledge of the Loan Parties, threatened in writing, which, either individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. To the knowledge of the Loan Parties, 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 any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries, which, either individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
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:
6.01Financial Statements.
Deliver to the Administrative Agent:
(a)Audited Financial Statements. As soon as available, but in any event within one hundred twenty (120) days after the end of each fiscal year of the Borrower (or, if earlier, 15 days after the date required to be filed with the SEC (without giving effect to any extension permitted by the SEC)), commencing with the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, 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, audited and accompanied by a report and opinion of an independent certified public accountant of nationally recognized standing reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent, 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, other than a going concern exception or explanatory note resulting solely from (x) an upcoming maturity date of Indebtedness occurring within one year from the time such opinion is delivered or (y) any prospective breach of any financial maintenance covenant, including under Section 7.11.
(b)Quarterly Financial Statements. As soon as available, but in any event within forty-five (45) days after the end of each of the first three (3) fiscal quarters of each fiscal year of the Borrower (commencing with the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2021), a condensed Consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as at the end of such fiscal quarter, and the related condensed Consolidated statements of income or operations and changes in shareholders’ equity for such fiscal quarter and for the portion of the Borrower’s fiscal year
then ended, and the related condensed Consolidated statements of cash flows for the portion of the Borrower’s fiscal year then ended, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the corresponding periods of the previous fiscal year, all in reasonable detail and prepared in accordance with GAAP and including management’s discussion and analysis of operating results inclusive of operating metrics in comparative form, 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 in all material respects, subject only to normal year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes.
(c)Business Plan and Budget. As soon as available, but in any event within sixty (60) days after the end of each fiscal year of the Borrower, an annual business plan and budget of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a Consolidated basis, including forecasts prepared by management of the Borrower, in form reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, of Consolidated balance sheets and statements of income or operations and cash flows of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a quarterly basis for the immediately following fiscal year.
6.02Certificates; Other Information.
Deliver to the Administrative Agent:
(a)Compliance Certificate. ConcurrentlyPrior to the Fourth Amendment Effective Date, concurrently with the delivery of the financial statements referred to in Sections 6.01(a) and (b), a duly completed Compliance Certificate signed by the chief executive officer, chief financial officer, treasurer or controller which is a Responsible Officer of the Borrower. Unless the Administrative Agent or a 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.
(b)Updated Schedules. Concurrently with the delivery of the Compliance Certificate referred to in Section 6.02(a), an updated Schedule 5.20 to this Agreement (which may be attached to the Compliance Certificate) to the extent required to make the representation related to such Schedule 5.20 true and correct in all material respects as of the date of such Compliance Certificate.
(c)Changes in Entity Structure. Not less than ten (10) days prior to any merger, consolidation, dissolution or other change in entity structure of any Loan Party permitted pursuant to the terms hereof (or such shorter period of time as agreed to by the Administrative Agent), provide notice of such change in entity structure to the Administrative Agent, along with such other information as reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent. Provide notice to the Administrative Agent, not less than ten (10) days prior (or such shorter period of time as agreed to by the Administrative Agent) of any change in any Loan Party’s legal name, state of organization, or organizational existence.
(d)Audit Reports; Management Letters; Recommendations. Promptly after any reasonable request by the Administrative Agent and subject to applicable attorney-client, auditor-client or similar privilege, copies of any material audit reports or material 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.
(e)Annual Reports; Etc. Promptly after the same are available, copies of each annual report, proxy or financial statement or other report or communication sent to the stockholders of the Borrower, and copies of all annual, regular, periodic and special reports and registration statements which the Borrower may file with the SEC under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or with any national securities exchange, and in any case not otherwise required to be delivered to the Administrative Agent pursuant hereto.
(f)SEC Notices. Promptly, and in any event within five (5) Business Days after receipt thereof by any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof, copies of each material notice or other material correspondence received from the SEC (or comparable agency in any applicable non-U.S. jurisdiction) concerning any investigation or possible investigation or other material inquiry by such agency regarding financial or other operational results of any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof.
(g)Anti-Money-Laundering. Promptly following any request therefor, information and documentation reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent or any 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 Administrative Agent may from time to time reasonably request.
(j)Documents required to be delivered pursuant to Section 6.01(a) or (b) or Section 6.02(e) (to the extent any such documents are included in materials otherwise filed with the SEC) may be delivered electronically and if so delivered, shall be deemed to have been delivered on the date (i) on which the documents are filed and made available to the public on the SEC’s website (www.sec.gov); or (ii) on which such documents are posted on the Borrower’s behalf on an Internet or intranet website, if any, to which each Lender and the Administrative Agent have access (whether a commercial, third-party website or whether sponsored by the Administrative Agent); provided that, the Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent (by fax transmission or e-mail transmission) of the posting of any such documents pursuant to clause (ii) above. Each Lender shall be solely responsible for timely accessing posted documents and maintaining its copies of such documents.
(k)Each Loan Party hereby acknowledges that (i) the Administrative Agent and/or an Affiliate thereof may, but shall not be obligated to, make available to the Lenders and the L/C Issuer materials and/or information provided by or on behalf of the Loan Parties hereunder (collectively, “Borrower Materials”) by posting the Borrower Materials on IntraLinks, Syndtrak,
ClearPar or a substantially similar electronic transmission system (the “Platform”) and (ii) certain of the Lenders (each, a “Public Lender”) may have personnel who do not wish to receive material non-public information with respect to the Loan Parties or their Affiliates, or the respective securities of any of the foregoing, and who may be engaged in investment and other market-related activities with respect to such Persons’ securities. Each Loan Party hereby agrees that so long as the Borrower is the issuer of any outstanding debt or Equity Interests that are registered or issued pursuant to a private offering or is actively contemplating issuing any such securities it will use commercially reasonable efforts to identify that portion of the Borrower Materials that may be distributed to the Public Lenders and that (A) all such Borrower Materials shall be clearly and conspicuously marked “PUBLIC” which, at a minimum, shall mean that the word “PUBLIC” shall appear prominently on the first page thereof; (B) by marking Borrower Materials “PUBLIC,” the Loan Parties shall be deemed to have authorized the Administrative Agent, any Affiliate thereof, the Arranger, the L/C Issuer and the Lenders to treat such Borrower Materials as not containing any material non-public information (although it may be sensitive and proprietary) with respect to the Loan Parties or their securities for purposes of United States federal and state securities laws (provided, however, that to the extent such Borrower Materials constitute Information, they shall be treated as set forth in Section 11.07); (C) all Borrower Materials marked “PUBLIC” are permitted to be made available through a portion of the Platform designated “Public Side Information;” and (D) the Administrative Agent and any Affiliate thereof and the Arranger shall be entitled to treat any Borrower Materials that are not marked “PUBLIC” as being suitable only for posting on a portion of the Platform not designated “Public Side Information.” Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Borrower shall be under no obligation to mark any Borrower Materials “PUBLIC”.
(l)Three-Month Cashflow. As soon as available, but in any event within fifteen (15) Business Days after the end of each calendar month, a consolidated three-month cash flow forecast, together with a comparison to projected cash flows for the month then ended and a narrative explanation of any variances (on a line-item basis) between actual cash flows and projected cash flows for such month, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.
(m)Capital Expenditures. Within forty-five (45) days after the end of each fiscal quarter, a report prepared by management of the Borrower with respect to the most recently ended fiscal quarter setting forth (i) the aggregate amount of Capital Expenditures made by the Loan Parties in such fiscal quarter, (ii) the aggregate amount of Capital Expenditures made by the Loan Parties, on a cumulative year-to-date basis, during the applicable fiscal year, and (iii) any additional sources of financing utilized by the Loan Parties with respect to such Capital Expenditures.
(n)Lender Calls. From and after the Third Amendment Effective Date, the Borrower shall conduct a telephonic meeting with the Administrative Agent and the Lenders on a bi-weekly basis to discuss such matters as the Administrative Agent and the Lenders may reasonably request, at which shall be present such officers of the Loan Parties as may be reasonably requested to attend by the Administrative Agent, such request or requests to be made within a reasonable time prior to the scheduled date of such meeting.
(o)Monthly Compliance Certificate. From and after March 31, 2023 until the Fourth Amendment Effective Date, concurrently with the reports delivered pursuant to Section 6.02(l), a certificate of a Responsible Officer of the Borrower certifying compliance with the
financial covenants contained in Section 7.11(c) and (d), together with all supporting calculations, in form and detail reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.
6.03Notices.
Promptly, but in any event within three (3) Business Days, notify the Administrative Agent:
(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;
(c)of the occurrence of any ERISA Event that has resulted or could reasonably be expected to result in liability in an aggregate amount in excess of the Threshold Amount; and
(d)of any material change in accounting policies or financial reporting practices by any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof.
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.
6.04Payment of Obligations.
Except, in each case, to the extent the failure to pay or discharge the same would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, 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.
6.05Preservation 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 (i) in a transaction permitted by Section 7.04 or 7.05 or (ii) to the extent that the failure to remain in good standing could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;
(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.
6.06Maintenance 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, casualty events, and condemnation events 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.
6.07Maintenance 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 (after giving effect to any self-insurance reasonable and customary for similarly situated Persons engaged in the same or similar businesses as the Borrower and its Subsidiaries) as are customarily carried under similar circumstances by such other Persons.
(b)Evidence of Insurance. Subject to Section 6.17, cause the Administrative Agent 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 Administrative Agent, 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 Administrative Agent that it will give the Administrative Agent 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).
6.08Compliance 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.
6.09Books and Records.
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, in all material respects (it being understood and agreed that certain Foreign Subsidiaries maintain individual books and records in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in their respective countries of organization and that such maintenance shall not constitute a breach of the representations, warranties or covenants hereunder).
6.10Inspection Rights.
Permit representatives and independent contractors of the Administrative Agent and each 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, excluding any such visits and inspections during the continuation of an Event of Default, only the Administrative Agent on behalf of the Lenders may exercise rights of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders under this Section 6.10 and the Administrative Agent shall not exercise such rights more often than two (2) times during any calendar year and only one (1) such time shall be at the Borrower’s expense; provided, further, that when an Event of Default exists, the Administrative Agent or any Lender (or any of their 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. The Administrative Agent and the Lenders shall give the Borrower the opportunity to participate in any discussions with the Borrower’s independent public accountants. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any Loan Document, none of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries will be required to disclose, permit the inspection, examination or making copies or abstracts of, or discussion of, any document, information or other matter that is subject to attorney-client or similar privilege or constitutes attorney work product (it being understood that if the Borrower withholds any document, information or other matter in reliance on this sentence, the Borrower agrees to inform the Administrative Agent promptly thereof, to the extent so informing the Administrative Agent would not result in a loss of such privilege).
6.11Use of Proceeds.
Use the proceeds of the Credit Extensions for working capital, capital expenditures and other general corporate purposes, including the making of Restricted Payments; provided that in no event shall the proceeds of the Credit Extensions be used in contravention of any Law or of any Loan Document.
6.12Covenant to Guarantee Obligations.
The Loan Parties will cause each of their Domestic Subsidiaries (other than Excluded Subsidiaries), whether newly formed, after acquired or otherwise existing, to promptly (and in any event within thirty (30) days after such Domestic Subsidiary is formed, acquired or is no longer an Excluded Subsidiary (or such longer period of time as agreed to by the Administrative Agent in its reasonable discretion)) become a Guarantor hereunder by way of execution of a Joinder Agreement. In connection with the foregoing, the Loan Parties shall deliver to the Administrative Agent, with respect to each new Guarantor to the extent applicable, such Organization Documents, resolutions and favorable opinions of counsel, all in form, content and scope reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and such other documents or agreements as the Administrative Agent may reasonably request.
6.13Covenant to Give Security.
(a)Equity Interests. Cause (i) 100% of the issued and outstanding Equity Interests of each Domestic Subsidiary (other than Domestic Subsidiaries that are FSHCOs or Subsidiaries of CFCs, and other than any Equity Interests issued by Domestic Subsidiaries otherwise constituting Excluded Equity Interests) and (ii) 65% of the issued and outstanding Equity Interests entitled to vote (within the meaning of Treas. Reg. Section 1.956-2(c)(2)) and 100% of the issued and
outstanding Equity Interests not entitled to vote (within the meaning of Treas. Reg. Section 1.956-2(c)(2)) in each Foreign Subsidiary and FSHCO, in each case, directly owned by any Loan Party, to be subject at all times to a first priority, perfected Lien in favor of the Administrative Agent pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Collateral Documents, and, in connection with the foregoing, deliver to the Administrative Agent such other documentation as the Administrative Agent may request including, any filings and deliveries to perfect such Liens and favorable opinions of counsel all in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.
(b)Other Property. Cause all personal property (other than Excluded Property) of each Loan Party to be subject at all times to first priority, perfected Liens in favor of the Administrative Agent to secure the Obligations pursuant to the Collateral Documents (subject to Permitted Liens and any exceptions with respect to the perfection of Liens expressly set forth in the Collateral Documents) and, in connection with the foregoing, deliver to the Administrative Agent such other documentation as the Administrative Agent may request including filings and deliveries necessary to perfect such Liens.
(c)Foreign Collateral. Notwithstanding anything herein or in any Collateral Document to the contrary, no Loan Party nor any of its Subsidiaries shall be required to take any steps or actions or make any filings to perfect security interests in the Collateral in any country other than the United States.
6.14Further Assurances.
Promptly upon reasonable request by the Administrative Agent, or any Lender through the Administrative Agent, (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 Administrative Agent, or any Lender through the Administrative Agent, 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 and perfected thereunder and hereunder and (iv) assure, convey, grant, assign, transfer, preserve, protect and confirm more effectively unto the Secured Parties the rights granted or now or hereafter intended to be granted to the Secured Parties 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.
6.15Anti-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.
6.16Cash Management
No later than December 31, 2021 (or such later date as the Administrative Agent may agree in its reasonable discretion), cause the Loan Parties to maintain their primary operating deposit accounts that are located in the United States with Bank of America.
6.17Post-Closing Covenant
By no later than forty-five (45) days after the Closing Date (or such later date acceptable to the Administrative Agent in its reasonable discretion), the Loan Parties shall deliver to the Administrative Agent copies of endorsements of insurance evidencing liability and property insurance meeting the requirements set forth herein or in the Collateral Documents.
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:
7.01Liens.
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 (other than through the addition of after-acquired property that is affixed or incorporated into the property covered by such Lien and proceeds and products thereof), (ii) the amount secured or benefited thereby is not increased except as contemplated by Section 7.02(b), (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(b);
(c)Liens for Taxes not yet delinquent or which are not overdue for a period of more than thirty (30) days or 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 or other applicable accounting principles;
(d)statutory Liens such as landlords’, carriers’, warehousemen’s, mechanics’, materialmen’s, repairmen’s, construction contractors’ 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, if more than thirty (30) days overdue, are unfiled and no other action has been taken to enforce such Lien 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;
(e)(i) pledges or deposits in the ordinary course of business in connection with workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance and other social security legislation and (ii) pledges and deposits in the ordinary course of business securing liability for reimbursement or indemnification obligations of (including obligations in respect of letters of credit or bank guarantees for the benefit of) insurance carriers providing property, casualty or liability insurance to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries;
(f)pledges and deposits to secure the performance of bids, trade contracts, governmental contracts and leases (other than Indebtedness for borrowed money), statutory obligations, surety, stay, customs and appeal bonds, performance bonds, letters of credit, bank guarantees, bankers’ acceptances and other obligations of a like nature (including those to secure health, safety and environmental obligations) incurred in the ordinary course of business;
(g)easements, rights-of-way, restrictions, encroachments, protrusions, minor title defects and other similar encumbrances affecting real property which, in the aggregate, do not in any case materially detract from the value of the property subject thereto or materially interfere with the ordinary conduct of the business of the applicable Person;
(h)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);
(i)Liens securing Indebtedness permitted under Section 7.02(c); provided that (i) such Liens do not at any time encumber any property other than the property financed by such Indebtedness (and accessions thereto) and (ii) the Indebtedness secured thereby does not exceed the cost or fair market value, whichever is lower, of the property being acquired on the date of acquisition, plus reasonable and customary costs and expenses in connection therewith;
(j)Liens arising out of judgments or awards not resulting in an Event of Default; provided the applicable Loan Party or Subsidiary shall in good faith be prosecuting an appeal or proceedings for review if the Loan Party or Subsidiary determines in its reasonable business judgment that taking such step is in the best interests of such Person;
(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;
(l)Liens of a collection bank arising under Section 4–210 of the UCC on items in the course of collection and normal and customary rights of setoff upon deposits of cash in favor of banks or other depository institutions;
(m)any zoning, building or similar laws or rights reserved to or vested in any Governmental Authority;
(n)leases, licenses, subleases or sublicenses granted to others in the ordinary course of business which do not (i) interfere in any material respect with the business of the Borrower or any Subsidiary or (ii) secure any Indebtedness;
(o)Liens in favor of customs and revenue authorities arising as a matter of Law to secure payment of customs duties in connection with the importation of goods in the ordinary course of business;
(p)Liens (i) on cash advances in favor of the seller of any property to be acquired in an Investment permitted pursuant to Section 7.03 to be applied against the purchase price for such Investment, and (ii) consisting of an agreement to Dispose of any property in a Disposition permitted under Section 7.05, in each case, solely to the extent such Investment or Disposition, as the case may be, would have been permitted on the date of the creation of such Lien;
(q)Liens arising out of conditional sale, title retention, consignment or similar arrangements for sale of goods entered into by the Borrower or any Subsidiary in the ordinary course of business;
(r)Liens encumbering reasonable customary initial deposits and margin deposits and similar Liens attaching to commodity trading accounts or other brokerage accounts incurred in the ordinary course of business and not for speculative purposes;
(s)Liens solely on any cash earnest money deposits made by the Borrower or any Subsidiary in connection with any letter of intent or purchase agreement;
(t)Liens on property (i) of any Subsidiary that is not a Loan Party and (ii) that does not constitute Collateral, which Liens secure Indebtedness of the applicable Subsidiary permitted under Section 7.02;
(u)Liens existing on property at the time of its acquisition or existing on the property of any Person at the time such Person becomes a Subsidiary, provided that (i) such Lien was not created in contemplation of such acquisition or such Person becoming a Subsidiary, (ii) such Lien does not extend to or cover any other assets or property (other than the proceeds or products thereof and other than after-acquired property subjected to such Lien);
(v)Liens arising from precautionary Uniform Commercial Code financing statement filings regarding operating leases entered into by Borrower or any Subsidiary in the ordinary course of business covering the property under such lease;
(w)Liens securing insurance premium financing arrangements permitted by Section 7.02(m) under customary terms and conditions;
(x)(i) Liens on Equity Interests of joint ventures securing capital contributions to, or obligations of, such Persons, and customary rights of first refusal and tag, drag and similar rights in joint venture agreements and (ii) Liens on the Equity Interests of joint ventures securing financing arrangements for the benefit of the applicable joint venture that are not otherwise prohibited under this Agreement; and
(y)other Liens affecting property or assets of the Borrower or its Subsidiaries securing obligations in an aggregate principal amount outstanding at any time not to exceed $5,000,000.
7.02Indebtedness.
Create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Indebtedness, except:
(a)Indebtedness under the Loan Documents;
(b)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;
(c)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(i); provided, however, that the aggregate amount of all such Indebtedness at any one time outstanding shall not exceed $15,000,000;
(d)intercompany Indebtedness permitted under Section 7.03 (“Intercompany Debt”); provided that in the case of Indebtedness owing by a Loan Party to a Subsidiary that is not a Loan Party such Indebtedness shall be subordinated to the Obligations in a manner and to an extent reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent;
(e)Guarantees of the Borrower or any Subsidiary in respect of Indebtedness otherwise permitted hereunder of the Borrower or any Subsidiary;
(f)obligations (contingent or otherwise) existing or arising under any Swap Contract; provided that (i) such obligations are (or were) entered into by such Person in the ordinary course of business for the purpose of directly mitigating risks associated with fluctuations in interest rates or foreign exchange rates and (ii) such Swap Contract does not contain any provision exonerating the non-defaulting party from its obligation to make payments on outstanding transactions to the defaulting party;
(g)direct or contingent obligations of such Person arising under performance, bid, appeal and surety bonds, performance and completion guarantees, and similar instruments (including any related indemnity agreement) or obligations in respect of letters of credit, bank guarantees or similar instruments related thereto, in each case entered into in the ordinary course of business, including in respect of workers compensation claims, health, disability or other employee benefits or property, casualty or liability insurance or self-insurance or other Indebtedness with respect to reimbursement-type obligations regarding workers compensation claims;
(h)Indebtedness in respect of any Cash Management Agreements entered into in the ordinary course of business;
(i)Indebtedness representing deferred compensation to directors or employees of the Borrower or the Subsidiaries incurred in the ordinary course of business;
(j)Indebtedness consisting of promissory notes issued by the Borrower to current or former officers, directors, consultants and employees, their respective estates, spouses or former spouses to finance the purchase or redemption of Equity Interests of the Borrower permitted by Section 7.06;
(k)Indebtedness incurred by the Borrower or any Subsidiary in a Permitted Acquisition, any other Investment permitted hereunder or any Disposition, in each case constituting indemnification obligations or obligations in respect of earnouts, purchase price adjustments, or other similar adjustments;
(l)Indebtedness consisting of obligations of the Borrower or any Subsidiary under deferred compensation, earn-outs or other similar arrangements incurred by such Person in connection with Permitted Acquisitions or any other Investment permitted hereunder;
(m)Indebtedness consisting of (i) the financing of insurance premiums or (ii) take-or-pay obligations contained in supply arrangements, in each case, in the ordinary course of business;
(n)Indebtedness of Subsidiaries that are not Loan Parties in an aggregate principal amount at any time outstanding not to exceed $10,000,000;
(o)Indebtedness of a Subsidiary acquired in any Permitted Acquisition that is secured only by the assets or business acquired in the applicable Permitted Acquisition, so long as both immediately prior and after giving effect thereto, (A) no Default shall exist or result therefrom, (B) the Borrower and the Subsidiaries will be in Pro Forma Compliance with the covenants set forth in Section 7.11 and (C) the aggregate principal amount of such Indebtedness at any time outstanding pursuant to this clause does not exceed $15,000,000;
(p)other Indebtedness in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $5,000,000 at any time outstanding; and
(q)all premiums (if any), interest (including post-petition interest), fees, expenses, charges and additional or contingent interest on obligations described in clauses (a) through (u) above.
7.03Investments.
Make or hold any Investments, except:
(a)Investments in the form of cash or Cash Equivalents and Investments that were Cash Equivalents at the time when made;
(b)loans and advances to officers, directors, consultants and employees of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in an aggregate amount not to exceed $500,000 at any time outstanding, for travel, entertainment, relocation and analogous ordinary business purposes or in connection with such Person’s purchase of Equity Interests of the Borrower (provided that the amount of such loans and advances shall be contributed to the Borrower in cash as common equity);
(c)(i) Investments among the Borrower and its Subsidiaries outstanding on the date hereof, including intercompany Indebtedness and intercompany payables and receivables, (ii) Investments by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in their respective Subsidiaries outstanding on the date hereof, (iii) additional Investments by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in Loan Parties, (iv) additional Investments by Subsidiaries that are not Loan Parties in other Subsidiaries that are not Loan Parties and (v) so long as on the date such Investment is incurred no Default has
occurred and is continuing or would result from such Investment, additional Investments by the Loan Parties in Subsidiaries that are not Loan Parties in an aggregate amount outstanding from and after the date hereof not to exceed $5,000,000;
(d)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;
(e)(i) Guarantees permitted by Section 7.02 and (ii) Guarantees of leases (other than Capitalized Leases) or of other obligations that do not constitute Indebtedness in the ordinary course of business;
(f)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, in each case, any modification, replacement, renewal, reinvestment or extension thereof that does not require an increase in such Investment;
(g)Investments consisting of extensions of credit to customers, suppliers, lessors or utilities or for workers’ compensation in the ordinary course of business that are recorded as accounts receivable, prepaid expenses or deposits on the balance sheet of Borrower and its Subsidiaries prepared in accordance with GAAP or other applicable accounting principles;
(h)Permitted Acquisitions;
(i)Investments consisting of Liens and fundamental changes permitted under Sections 7.01 and 7.04, respectively;
(j)Investments in Swap Contracts permitted under Section 7.02;
(k)promissory notes and other non-cash consideration received in connection with Dispositions permitted by Section 7.05;
(l)Investments in the ordinary course of business consisting of UCC Article 3 endorsements for collection or deposit and UCC Article 4 customary trade arrangements with customers consistent with past practice;
(m)Investments (including debt obligations and Equity Interests) received in connection with the bankruptcy or reorganization of suppliers and customers or in settlement of delinquent obligations of, or other disputes with, customers and suppliers arising in the ordinary course of business or upon the foreclosure with respect to any secured Investment or other transfer of title with respect to any secured Investment;
(n)advances of payroll payments to employees in the ordinary course of business;
(o)Investments to the extent that payment for such Investments is made solely with Equity Interests of the Borrower or the cash proceeds received by the Borrower from an issuance of Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Equity Interests);
(p)Investments of a Subsidiary acquired after the Closing Date or of a Person merged or consolidated with the Borrower or a Subsidiary in accordance with Section 7.04 after
the Closing Date to the extent that such Investments were not made in contemplation of or in connection with such acquisition, merger or consolidation and were in existence on the date of such acquisition, merger or consolidation;
(q)Investments consisting of earnest money deposits in connection with an Investment otherwise permitted by this Section;
(r)Investments in joint ventures in an aggregate amount invested in any calendar year not to exceed $10,000,000; and
(s)other Investments not contemplated by the above provisions not exceeding $5,000,000 in the aggregate in any fiscal year of the Borrower.
7.04Fundamental 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:
(a)any Subsidiary of the Borrower 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 of the Borrower, provided that when any Loan Party is merging with another Subsidiary of the Borrower, a 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, dissolution, 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 or dissolution) to (i) another Subsidiary that is not a Loan Party or (ii) to a Loan Party;
(d)so long as no Default exists or would result therefrom, a merger, dissolution, liquidation, consolidation or Disposition, the purpose of which is to effect a Disposition permitted pursuant to Section 7.05, may be consummated; and
(e)in connection with any Permitted Acquisition or other applicable Investment permitted by Section 7.03, the Borrower or any Subsidiary of the Borrower may merge into or consolidate with any other Person or permit any other Person to merge into or consolidate with it; provided that (i) if the Borrower is a party to such transaction, the Borrower is the continuing or surviving Person and (ii) if the Borrower is not a party to such transaction and a Guarantor is a party to such transaction, a Guarantor is the surviving Person.
7.05Dispositions.
Make any Disposition or enter into any agreement to make any Disposition, except:
(a)Permitted Transfers;
(b)to the extent constituting a Disposition, the granting of Liens permitted by Section 7.01, the making of Investments permitted by Section 7.03, the consummation of
fundamental changes permitted by Section 7.04 and the making of Restricted Payments permitted by Section 7.06 and the consummation of Sale and Leaseback Transactions permitted by Section 7.13; and
(c)other Dispositions so long as (i) at least 75% of the consideration paid in connection therewith shall be in the form of cash or Cash Equivalents and the total consideration received 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 Interest in any Wholly Owned 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, (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 $5,000,000; and (vi) the Loan Parties would be in compliance with the financial covenants set forth in Section 7.11 recomputed for the most recently completed Measurement Period on a Pro Forma Basis.
7.06Restricted Payments.
Declare or make, directly or indirectly, any Restricted Payment, or incur any obligation (contingent or otherwise) to do so, except that:
(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;
(b)the Borrower and each Subsidiary may declare and make dividend payments or other distributions payable solely in Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Equity Interests) of such Person;
(c)(i) repurchases of Equity Interests in the Borrower deemed to occur upon exercise of stock options or warrants or other incentive interests shall be permitted, if such Equity Interests represent a portion of the exercise price of such options or warrants, and (ii) payments made or expected to be made in respect of (x) withholding or similar Taxes payable by or on behalf of any future, present or former employee, officer, director or consultant and any repurchases of Equity Interests in consideration of such payments, including deemed repurchases, in connection with the exercise of stock options or warrants or net settlement of restricted stock units, deferred stock units or other incentive interests and (y) redemptions, purchases or other acquisitions in accordance with the net settlement and net exercise features in any employment contract, benefit plan or other similar arrangement with or for the benefit of current or former employees, officers, directors or consultants shall, in each case, be permitted;
(d)the Borrower may make Restricted Payments for the repurchase, retirement or other acquisition or retirement for value of Equity Interests of the Borrower by any future, present or former employee, officer, director or consultant (or their respective spouses, former spouses, domestic partners, successors, executors, administrators, heirs, legatees or distributees) of the Borrower or its Subsidiaries pursuant to any employee, officer, director or consultant equity plan, stock option plan or any other benefit plan or any agreement (including any stock subscription or
shareholder agreement) with any employee, officer, director or consultant of the Borrower or its Subsidiaries, upon the death, disability, retirement or termination of employment or service of, or breach of restrictive covenants by, any such Person or otherwise in accordance with any such agreement; provided that (i) the aggregate amount of such Restricted Payments and payments with respect to any Indebtedness permitted pursuant to Section 7.02(j) shall not exceed $5,000,000 in any fiscal year of the Borrower plus any unutilized portion of such amount in the immediately preceding fiscal year (using the basket for the current fiscal year first, then the unutilized portion of the basket for the prior fiscal year) and (ii) at the time of such payment, no Default or Event of Default then exists or would result immediately after giving effect thereto;
(e)redemptions in whole or in part of any of its Equity Interests for another class of its Equity Interests, or with proceeds from substantially concurrent equity contributions or issuances of new Equity Interests, shall be permitted;
(f)the Borrower may make Restricted Payments to pay cash in lieu of fractional Equity Interests in connection with any dividend, split or combination thereof or any Permitted Acquisition (or other similar Investment); and
(g)prior to the Third Amendment Effective Date, the Borrower may make Restricted Payments with respect to its Equity Interests, so long as, before and after giving effect to such Restricted Payment, (i) no Default shall have occurred and be continuing, (ii) the Loan Parties would be in compliance with the financial covenants set forth in Section 7.11 recomputed for the most recently completed Measurement Period on a Pro Forma Basis and (iii) Liquidity shall be at least $10,000,000.
7.07Change 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, incidental or ancillary thereto.
7.08Transactions 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) advances of working capital to any Loan Party, (b) transfers of cash and assets to any Loan Party, (c) intercompany transactions and transactions with officers, directors, or Affiliates of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in each case expressly permitted by Section 7.02, Section 7.03, Section 7.04, Section 7.05 or Section 7.06, (d) except as otherwise specifically limited in this Agreement, other transactions which are entered into on fair and reasonable terms and conditions substantially as favorable to such Person as would be obtainable by it in a comparable arm’s length transaction with a Person other than an officer, director or Affiliate, (e) transactions between or among Loan Parties and transactions between or among Subsidiaries that are not Loan Parties, (f) transactions set forth on, or transactions pursuant to agreements set forth on, Schedule 7.08 or any amendment thereto to the extent such an amendment is not adverse to the Lenders in any material respect; (g) employment, severance, benefit, equity award, equity option, and other similar compensation or benefit plans or arrangements between the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, on the one hand, and their respective officers, employees, directors and consultants, on the other hand, in the ordinary course of business, (h) the payment of customary fees and reasonable out of pocket costs to, and indemnities provided on behalf of, directors, officers, consultants and employees of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in the ordinary course
of business to the extent attributable to the ownership or operation of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries and (i) customary transfer pricing arrangements between or among the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business.
7.09Burdensome Agreements.
Enter into, or permit to exist, any Contractual Obligation (except for this Agreement and the other Loan Documents) that limits the ability of (a) any Subsidiary of the Borrower that is not a Guarantor to make Restricted Payments to the Borrower or any Guarantor or (b) any Loan Party to create, incur, assume or suffer to exist Liens on property of such Person for the benefit of the Lenders with respect to the Obligations or under the Loan Documents, except (i) restrictions or conditions imposed by any agreement relating to secured Indebtedness permitted by this Agreement if such restrictions or conditions apply only to the property securing such Indebtedness, (ii) customary provisions in leases, licenses and other contracts restricting the assignment thereof, (iii) customary restrictions and conditions with respect to property to be sold pursuant to a Disposition permitted under Section 7.05 pending the consummation of such Disposition, (iv) any restrictions or conditions set forth in any agreement in effect at any time any Person becomes a Subsidiary (but not any modification or amendment expanding the scope of any such restriction or condition), provided that such agreement was not entered into in contemplation of such Person becoming a Subsidiary, (v) any restrictions or conditions set forth in any agreement governing Indebtedness incurred or permitted pursuant to Section 7.02 that are not materially more restrictive, taken as a whole, than the terms of the Loan Documents, (vi) restrictions imposed by Indebtedness of a non-Guarantor Subsidiary of the Loan Parties, which Indebtedness is permitted by Section 7.02 (solely to the extent such restrictions only apply to such non-Guarantor Subsidiary and its assets), (vii) restrictions on cash or other deposits imposed under contracts entered into in the ordinary course of business and (viii) customary provisions in joint venture organizational governance documents, depositary agreements, agreements relating to bank products, and Hedge Agreements, in each case, entered into in the ordinary course of business.
7.10Use 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.
7.11Financial Covenants.
(a) Permit Consolidated EBITDA as of the end of any Measurement Period ending as of the end of any fiscal quarter of the Borrower set forth below to be less than the amount set forth below opposite such period:
| | | | | |
Measurement Period | Minimum Consolidated EBITDA |
June 30, 2021 through and including December 31, 2022 | $20,000,000 |
March 31, 2023 | $22,000,000 |
June 30, 2023 | $24,000,000 |
September 30, 2023 | $32,000,000 |
December 31, 2023 | $35,000,000 |
| |
(b) Permit the Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio as of the end of any Measurement Period ending as of the end of any fiscal quarter of the Borrower set forth below to be less than the ratio set forth below opposite such period:
| | | | | |
Measurement Period | Minimum Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio |
March 31, 2024 and thereafter through June 30, 2024 | 1.25:1.00 |
(c) Permit the Consolidated Asset Coverage Ratio to be less than (i) 1.50:1.00 as of the end of any Measurement Period ending as of the end of any fiscal quarter of the Borrower beginning with the fiscal quarter ending March 31, 2022, and continuing until the Measurement Period ending December 31, 2022, (ii) 2.00:1.00 as of the last day of each calendar month beginning with calendar month ending March 31, 2023 through the calendar month ending April 30, 2024, and (iii) 2.50:1.00 as of the last day of each calendar month from and afterbeginning with the calendar month ending May 31, 2024 through the calendar month ending September 30, 2024.
(d) Permit Liquidity to be less than (i) $28,000,000 as of the last Business Day of each calendar month beginning with calendar month ending March 31, 2023 through the calendar month ending February 29, 2024, and (ii) $22,000,000 as of the last Business Day of each calendar month from and afterbeginning with the calendar month ending March 31, 2024 through the calendar month ending September 30, 2024.
7.12Amendments of Organization Documents; Fiscal Year; Legal Name, State of Formation; or Form of Entity.
(a)Permit any Loan Party to amend any of its Organization Documents in a manner that would be materially adverse to the interests of the Lenders;
(b)permit the Borrower to change its fiscal year, except to the extent required by GAAP or Applicable Law or as otherwise disclosed to the Administrative Agent reasonably in advance of such change; or
(c)without providing ten (10) days prior written notice to the Administrative Agent (or such shorter period of time as agreed to by the Administrative Agent), permit any Loan Party to change its name, state of formation, form of organization or principal place of business.
7.13Sale and Leaseback Transactions.
Enter into any Sale and Leaseback Transaction from and after the Closing Date.
7.14Sanctions.
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, Arranger, Administrative Agent, L/C Issuer, Swing Line Lender, or otherwise) of Sanctions.
7.15Anti-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 applicable anti-corruption legislation in other jurisdictions, in each case in any material respect.
7.16Payments of Earn-Out Obligations.
Pay (whether voluntarily or mandatorily when due), redeem, purchase, defease or otherwise satisfy any Indebtedness permitted to be incurred pursuant to Section 7.02(l), unless, before and after giving effect to such payment, (i) no Default shall have occurred and be continuing, (ii) the Loan Parties would be in compliance with the financial covenants set forth in Section 7.11 recomputed for the most recently completed Measurement Period on a Pro Forma Basis and (iii) Liquidity shall be at least $10,000,000.
Article VIII.
EVENTS OF DEFAULT AND REMEDIES
8.01Events 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 any L/C Obligation or deposit any funds as Cash Collateral in respect of L/C Obligations, or (ii) within five (5) days after the same becomes due, any other amount payable hereunder or under any other Loan Document; or
(b)Specific Covenants. 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 (with respect to the legal existence of the Borrower only), 6.10, 6.11, 6.12, Article VII or Article X; or
(c)Other Defaults. Any Loan Party fails to perform or observe any other covenant or agreement (not specified in Section 8.01(a) or (b) above) contained in any Loan Document on its part to be performed or observed and such failure continues unremedied for thirty (30) days after
the earlier of (i) knowledge of a Responsible Officer or (ii) notice thereof by the Administrative Agent to the Borrower; 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, but after giving effect to any applicable grace periods) 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 Cash Collateral in respect thereof to be demanded; provided that this clause (e)(B) shall not apply to secured Indebtedness that becomes due or is mandatorily redeemable as a result of the voluntary sale or transfer of the property or assets securing such Indebtedness if such sale or transfer is permitted hereunder and under the documents providing for such Indebtedness 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 sixty (60) consecutive 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) consecutive calendar days, or an order for relief is entered in any such proceeding; provided that any transaction expressly permitted pursuant to Section 7.04 shall be deemed to not violate this clause (f); 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 the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, and is not released, vacated or fully bonded within sixty (60) 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), and such judgment or order shall not have been satisfied, vacated, discharged or stayed or bonded pending an appeal for a period of sixty (60) consecutive days 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; or
(i)ERISA. (i) An ERISA Event occurs which has resulted or could reasonably be expected to result in liability of any Loan Party under Title IV of ERISA to a Pension Plan, Multiemployer Plan or the PBGC, 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 and, with respect to clauses (i) and (ii) such ERISA Event or failure, together with all such other ERISA Events and failures, have, or could reasonably be expected to have, a Material Adverse Effect; or
(j)Invalidity of Loan Documents. Any material 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 (including as a result of a transaction permitted under Section 7.04 or 7.05) or as a result of acts or omissions by the Administrative Agent or satisfaction in full of all Obligations arising under the Loan Documents, ceases to be in full force and effect; or any Loan Party 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 (other than as a result of repayment in full of the Obligations and termination of the Aggregate Commitments), 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 material 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 any material portion of the Collateral purported to be covered thereby (other than pursuant to the terms thereof, including as a result of a transaction not prohibited under this Agreement, and except (i) to the extent that any such loss of perfection or priority results from the failure of the Administrative Agent to maintain possession of certificates actually delivered to it representing securities pledged under the Collateral Documents or to file Uniform Commercial Code continuation statements and (ii) for any failure due to foreign Laws, rules and regulations as they relate to pledges of Equity Interests in Foreign Subsidiaries (other than pledges made under Laws of the applicable jurisdiction of formation of such Foreign Subsidiary)), or any Loan Party shall assert the invalidity of such Liens; or
(l)Change of Control. There occurs any Change of Control.
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 Administrative Agent (with the approval of requisite Appropriate Lenders (in their sole discretion)) as determined in accordance with Section 11.01; 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 requisite Appropriate Lenders or by the Administrative Agent with the approval of the requisite Appropriate Lenders, as required hereunder in Section 11.01.
8.02Remedies upon Event of Default.
If any Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Administrative Agent shall, at the request of, or may, with the consent of, the Required Lenders, take any or all of the following actions:
(a)declare the Commitment of each Lender to make Loans and any obligation of the L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions 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;
(c)require that the Borrower Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations (in an amount equal to the Minimum Collateral Amount with respect thereto); and
(d)exercise on behalf of itself, the Lenders and the L/C Issuer all rights and remedies available to it, the Lenders and the L/C Issuer under the Loan Documents or Applicable Law or equity;
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 Commitment of each Lender to make Loans and any obligation of the L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions 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, and the obligation of the Borrower to Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations as aforesaid shall automatically become effective, in each case without further act of the Administrative Agent or any Lender.
8.03Application of Funds.
(a)After the exercise of remedies provided for in Section 8.02 (or after the Loans have automatically become immediately due and payable and the L/C Obligations have automatically been required to be Cash Collateralized as set forth in the proviso to Section 8.02) or if at any time insufficient funds are received by and available to the Administrative Agent to pay fully all Secured Obligations then due hereunder, any amounts received on account of the Secured Obligations shall, subject to the provisions of Sections 2.14 and 2.15, be applied by the Administrative Agent in the following order:
First, to payment of that portion of the Secured Obligations constituting fees, indemnities, expenses and other amounts (including fees, charges and disbursements of
counsel to the Administrative Agent and amounts payable under Article III) payable to the Administrative Agent in its capacity as such;
Second, to payment of that portion of the Secured Obligations constituting fees, indemnities and other amounts (other than principal, interest and Letter of Credit Fees) payable to the Lenders and the L/C Issuer (including fees, charges and disbursements of counsel to the respective Lenders and the L/C Issuer arising under the Loan Documents and amounts payable under Article III) ratably among them in proportion to the respective amounts described in this Second clause payable to them;
Third, to payment of that portion of the Secured Obligations constituting accrued and unpaid Letter of Credit Fees and interest on the Loans, L/C Borrowings and other Secured Obligations arising under the Loan Documents, ratably among the Lenders and the L/C Issuer in proportion to the respective amounts described in this Third clause payable to them;
Fourth, to payment of that portion of the Secured Obligations constituting unpaid principal of the Loans, L/C Borrowings and Secured Obligations then owing under Secured Hedge Agreements and Secured Cash Management Agreements and to the Administrative Agent for the account of the L/C Issuer, to Cash Collateralize that portion of L/C Obligations comprised of the aggregate undrawn amount of Letters of Credit to the extent not otherwise Cash Collateralized by the Borrower pursuant to Sections 2.03 and 2.14, in each case ratably among the Administrative Agent, the Lenders, the L/C Issuer, the Hedge Banks and the Cash Management Banks in proportion to the respective amounts described in this Fourth clause held by them; and
Last, the balance, if any, after all of the Secured Obligations have been indefeasibly paid in full, to the Borrower or as otherwise required by Law.
(b)Subject to Sections 2.03 and 2.14, amounts used to Cash Collateralize the aggregate undrawn amount of Letters of Credit pursuant to the Fourth clause above shall be applied to satisfy drawings under such Letters of Credit as they occur. If any amount remains on deposit as Cash Collateral after all Letters of Credit have either been fully drawn or expired, such remaining amount shall be applied to the other Secured Obligations, if any, in the order set forth above. Excluded Swap Obligations with respect to any Guarantor shall not be paid with amounts received from such Guarantor or its assets, but appropriate adjustments shall be made with respect to payments from other Loan Parties to preserve the allocation to Secured Obligations otherwise set forth above in this Section 8.03.
(c)Notwithstanding the foregoing, Secured Obligations arising under Secured Cash Management Agreements and Secured Hedge Agreements shall be excluded from the application described above if the Administrative Agent has not received a Secured Party Designation Notice, together with such supporting documentation as the Administrative Agent may request, from the applicable Cash Management Bank or Hedge Bank, as the case may be. Each Cash Management Bank or Hedge Bank not a party to this Agreement that has given the notice contemplated by the preceding sentence shall, by such notice, be deemed to have acknowledged and accepted the appointment of the Administrative Agent pursuant to the terms of Article IX for itself and its Affiliates as if a “Lender” party hereto.
Article IX.
ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
9.01Appointment and Authority.
(a)Appointment. Each of the Lenders and the L/C Issuer hereby irrevocably appoints, designates and authorizes Bank of America to act on its behalf as the Administrative Agent hereunder and under the other Loan Documents and authorizes the Administrative Agent to take such actions on its behalf and to exercise such powers as are delegated to the Administrative Agent by the terms hereof or thereof, together with such actions and powers as are reasonably incidental thereto. The provisions of this Article IX are solely for the benefit of the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the L/C Issuer, and neither the Borrower nor any other Loan Party shall have rights as a third-party beneficiary of any of such provisions. It is understood and agreed that the use of the term “agent” herein or in any other Loan Documents (or any other similar term) with reference to the Administrative Agent is not intended to connote any fiduciary or other implied (or express) obligations arising under agency doctrine of any Applicable Law. Instead such term is used as a matter of market custom and is intended to create or reflect only an administrative relationship between contracting parties.
(b)Collateral Agent. The Administrative Agent shall also act as the “collateral agent” under the Loan Documents, and each of the Lenders (including in its capacities as a potential Hedge Bank, and a potential Cash Management Bank) and the L/C Issuer hereby irrevocably appoints and authorizes the Administrative Agent to act as the agent of such Lender and the L/C Issuer for purposes of acquiring, holding and enforcing any and all Liens on Collateral granted by any of the Loan Parties to secure any of the Secured Obligations, together with such powers and discretion as are reasonably incidental thereto. In this connection, the Administrative Agent, as “collateral agent” and any co-agents, sub-agents and attorneys-in-fact appointed by the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 9.05 for purposes of holding or enforcing any Lien on the Collateral (or any portion thereof) granted under the Collateral Documents, or for exercising any rights and remedies thereunder at the direction of the Administrative Agent, shall be entitled to the benefits of all provisions of this Article IX and Article XI (including Section 11.04(c), as though such co-agents, sub-agents and attorneys-in-fact were the “collateral agent” under the Loan Documents) as if set forth in full herein with respect thereto.
9.02Rights as a Lender.
The Person serving as the Administrative Agent hereunder shall have the same rights and powers in its capacity as a Lender as any other Lender and may exercise the same as though it were not the Administrative Agent and the term “Lender” or “Lenders” shall, unless otherwise expressly indicated or unless the context otherwise requires, include the Person serving as the Administrative Agent hereunder in its individual capacity. Such Person and its Affiliates may accept deposits from, lend money to, own securities of, act as the financial advisor or in any other advisory capacity for and generally engage in any kind of banking, trust, financial, advisory, underwriting or other business with any Loan Party or any Subsidiary or other Affiliate thereof as if such Person were not the Administrative Agent hereunder and without any duty to account therefor to the Lenders or to provide notice to or consent of the Lenders with respect thereto.
9.03Exculpatory Provisions.
(a)The Administrative Agent or the Arranger, as applicable, shall not have any duties or obligations except those expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents, and its duties hereunder shall be administrative in nature. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Administrative Agent or the Arranger, as applicable, and its Related Parties:
(i)shall not be subject to any fiduciary or other implied duties, regardless of whether a Default has occurred and is continuing;
(ii)shall not have any duty to take any discretionary action or exercise any discretionary powers, except discretionary rights and powers expressly contemplated hereby or by the other Loan Documents that the Administrative Agent is required to exercise as directed in writing by the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be expressly provided for herein or in the other Loan Documents); provided that the Administrative Agent shall not be required to take any action that, in its opinion or the opinion of its counsel, may expose the Administrative Agent to liability or that is contrary to any Loan Document or Applicable Law, including for the avoidance of doubt any action that may be in violation of the automatic stay under any Debtor Relief Law or that may effect a forfeiture, modification or termination of property of a Defaulting Lender in violation of any Debtor Relief Law; and
(iii)shall not have any duty or responsibility to disclose, and shall not be liable for the failure to disclose, to any Lender or the L/C Issuer any credit or other information concerning the business, prospects, operations, property, financial and other condition or creditworthiness of any of the Loan Parties or any of their Affiliates that is communicated to, or in the possession of, the Administrative Agent, Arranger or any of their Related Parties in any capacity, except for notices, reports and other documents expressly required to be furnished to the Lenders by the Administrative Agent herein.
(b)Neither the Administrative Agent nor any of its Related Parties shall be liable for any action taken or not taken by the Administrative Agent under or in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby (i) with the consent or at the request of the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary), or as the Administrative Agent shall believe in good faith shall be necessary, under the circumstances as provided in Sections 11.01 and 8.02) or (ii) in the absence of its own gross negligence or willful misconduct as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and non-appealable judgment. The Administrative Agent shall be deemed not to have knowledge of any Default unless and until notice describing such Default is given in writing to the Administrative Agent by the Borrower, a Lender or the L/C Issuer. Notwithstanding anything in this clause (b) to the contrary, nothing herein shall be deemed to diminish or eliminate the Borrower’s defenses to indemnification expressly set forth in Section 11.04(b).
(c)Neither the Administrative Agent nor any of its Related Parties have any duty or obligation to any Lender or participant or any other Person to ascertain or inquire into (i) any statement, warranty or representation made in or in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document, (ii) the contents of any certificate, report or other document delivered hereunder or thereunder or in connection herewith or therewith, (iii) the performance or observance of any
of the covenants, agreements or other terms or conditions set forth herein or therein or the occurrence of any Default, (iv) the validity, enforceability, effectiveness or genuineness of this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any other agreement, instrument or document, or the creation, perfection or priority of any Lien purported to be created by the Collateral Documents, (v) the value or the sufficiency of any Collateral, or (vi) the satisfaction of any condition set forth in Article IV or elsewhere herein, other than to confirm receipt of items expressly required to be delivered to the Administrative Agent.
9.04Reliance by Administrative Agent.
The Administrative Agent shall be entitled to rely upon, and shall be fully protected in relying and shall not incur any liability for relying upon, any notice, request, certificate, communication, consent, statement, instrument, document or other writing (including any electronic message, Internet or intranet website posting or other distribution) believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed, sent or otherwise authenticated by the proper Person. The Administrative Agent also may rely upon any statement made to it orally or by telephone and believed by it to have been made by the proper Person and shall be fully protected in relying and shall not incur any liability for relying thereon. In determining compliance with any condition hereunder to the making of a Loan, or the issuance, extension, renewal or increase of a Letter of Credit, that by its terms must be fulfilled to the satisfaction of a Lender or the L/C Issuer, the Administrative Agent may presume that such condition is satisfactory to such Lender or the L/C Issuer unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice to the contrary from such Lender or the L/C Issuer prior to the making of such Loan or the issuance of such Letter of Credit. The Administrative Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be counsel for the Loan Parties), independent accountants and other experts selected by it, and shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it in accordance with the advice of any such counsel, accountants or experts. For purposes of determining compliance with the conditions specified in Section 4.01, each Lender that has signed this Agreement shall be deemed to have consented to, approved or accepted or to be satisfied with, each document or other matter required thereunder to be consented to or approved by or acceptable or satisfactory to a Lender unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from such Lender prior to the proposed Closing Date specifying its objections.
9.05Delegation of Duties.
The Administrative Agent may perform any and all of its duties and exercise its rights and powers hereunder or under any other Loan Document by or through any one or more sub-agents appointed by the Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent may perform any and all of its duties and exercise its rights and powers by or through their respective Related Parties. The exculpatory provisions of this Article IX shall apply to any such sub-agent and to the Related Parties of the Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent, and shall apply to their respective activities in connection with the syndication of the Facilities as well as activities as Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for the negligence or misconduct of any sub-agents except to the extent that a court of competent jurisdiction determines in a final and non-appealable judgment that the Administrative Agent acted with gross negligence or willful misconduct in the selection of such sub-agents.
9.06Resignation of Administrative Agent.
(a)Notice. The Administrative Agent may at any time give notice of its resignation to the Lenders, the L/C Issuer and the Borrower. Upon receipt of any such notice of resignation,
the Required Lenders shall have the right, in consultation with the Borrower, to appoint a successor, which shall be a bank with an office in the United States, or an Affiliate of any such bank with an office in the United States. If no such successor shall have been so appointed by the Required Lenders and shall have accepted such appointment within thirty (30) days after the retiring Administrative Agent gives notice of its resignation (or such earlier day as shall be agreed by the Required Lenders) (the “Resignation Effective Date”), then the retiring Administrative Agent may (but shall not be obligated to) on behalf of the Lenders and the L/C Issuer, appoint a successor Administrative Agent meeting the qualifications set forth above; provided that in no event shall any successor Administrative Agent be a Defaulting Lender. Whether or not a successor has been appointed, such resignation shall become effective in accordance with such notice on the Resignation Effective Date.
(b)Defaulting Lender. If the Person serving as Administrative Agent is a Defaulting Lender pursuant to clause (d) of the definition thereof, the Required Lenders may, to the extent permitted by Applicable Law, by notice in writing to the Borrower and such Person remove such Person as Administrative Agent and, in consultation with the Borrower, appoint a successor. If no such successor shall have been so appointed by the Required Lenders and shall have accepted such appointment within thirty (30) days (or such earlier day as shall be agreed by the Required Lenders) (the “Removal Effective Date”), then such removal shall nonetheless become effective in accordance with such notice on the Removal Effective Date.
(c)Effect of Resignation or Removal. With effect from the Resignation Effective Date or the Removal Effective Date (as applicable) (i) the retiring or removed Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations hereunder and under the other Loan Documents (except that in the case of any collateral security held by the Administrative Agent on behalf of the Lenders or the L/C Issuer under any of the Loan Documents, the retiring or removed Administrative Agent shall continue to hold such collateral security until such time as a successor Administrative Agent is appointed) and (ii) except for any indemnity payments or other amounts then owed to the retiring or removed Administrative Agent, all payments, communications and determinations provided to be made by, to or through the Administrative Agent shall instead be made by or to each Lender and the L/C Issuer directly, until such time, if any, as the Required Lenders appoint a successor Administrative Agent as provided for above. Upon the acceptance of a successor’s appointment as Administrative Agent hereunder, such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all of the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring (or removed) Administrative Agent (other than as provided in Section 3.01(g) and other than any rights to indemnity payments or other amounts owed to the retiring or removed Administrative Agent as of the Resignation Effective Date or the Removal Effective Date, as applicable), and the retiring or removed Administrative Agent shall be discharged from all of its duties and obligations hereunder or under the other Loan Documents (if not already discharged therefrom as provided above in this Section 9.06). The fees payable by the Borrower to a successor Administrative Agent shall be the same as those payable to its predecessor unless otherwise agreed between the Borrower and such successor. After the retiring or removed Administrative Agent’s resignation or removal hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, the provisions of this Article XI and Section 11.04 shall continue in effect for the benefit of such retiring or removed Administrative Agent, its sub-agents and their respective Related Parties in respect of any actions taken or omitted to be taken by any of them (A) while the retiring or removed Administrative Agent was acting as Administrative Agent and (B) after such resignation or removal for as long as any of them continues to act in any capacity hereunder or under the other Loan Documents, including, without limitation, (1) acting as collateral agent or otherwise holding
any collateral security on behalf of any of the Secured Parties and (2) in respect of any actions taken in connection with transferring the agency to any successor Administrative Agent.
(d)L/C Issuer and Swing Line Lender. Any resignation or removal by Bank of America as Administrative Agent pursuant to this Section 9.06 shall also constitute its resignation as L/C Issuer and Swing Line Lender. If Bank of America resigns as the L/C Issuer, it shall retain all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the L/C Issuer hereunder with respect to all Letters of Credit outstanding as of the effective date of its resignation as the L/C Issuer and all L/C Obligations with respect thereto, including the right to require the Lenders to make Base Rate Loans or fund risk participations in Unreimbursed Amounts pursuant to Section 2.03(c). If Bank of America resigns as Swing Line Lender, it shall retain all the rights of Swing Line Lender provided for hereunder with respect to Swing Line Loans made by it and outstanding as of the effective date of such resignation, including the right to require the Lenders to make Base Rate Loans or fund risk participations in outstanding Swing Line Loans pursuant to Section 2.04(c). Upon the appointment by the Borrower of a successor L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender hereunder (which successor shall in all cases be a Lender other than a Defaulting Lender), (i) such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all of the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender, as applicable, (ii) the retiring L/C Issuer and Swing Line Lender shall be discharged from all of their respective duties and obligations hereunder or under the other Loan Documents, and (iii) the successor L/C Issuer shall issue Letters of Credit in substitution for the Letters of Credit, if any, outstanding at the time of such succession or make other arrangements satisfactory to Bank of America to effectively assume the obligations of Bank of America with respect to such Letters of Credit.
9.07Non-Reliance on Administrative Agent, the Arranger and the Other Lenders.
Each Lender and the L/C Issuer expressly acknowledges that none of the Administrative Agent nor the Arranger has made any representation or warranty to it, and that no act by the Administrative Agent or the Arranger hereafter taken, including any consent to, and acceptance of any assignment or review of the affairs of any Loan Party or any Affiliate thereof, shall be deemed to constitute any representation or warranty by the Administrative Agent or the Arranger to any Lender or the L/C Issuer as to any matter, including whether the Administrative Agent or the Arranger have disclosed material information in their (or their Related Parties’) possession. Each Lender and the L/C Issuer represents to the Administrative Agent and the Arranger that it has, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent, the Arranger, any other Lender or any of their Related Parties and based on such documents and information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own credit analysis of, appraisal of, and investigation into, the business, prospects, operations, property, financial and other condition and creditworthiness of the Loan Parties and their Subsidiaries, and all applicable bank or other regulatory Laws relating to the transactions contemplated hereby, and made its own decision to enter into this Agreement and to extend credit to the Borrower hereunder. Each Lender and the L/C Issuer also acknowledges that it will, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent, the Arranger, any other Lender or any of their Related Parties and based on such documents and information as it shall from time to time deem appropriate, continue to make its own credit analysis, appraisals and decisions in taking or not taking action under or based upon this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any related agreement or any document furnished hereunder or thereunder, and to make such investigations as it deems necessary to inform itself as to the business, prospects, operations, property, financial and other condition and creditworthiness of the Loan Parties. Each Lender and the L/C Issuer represents and warrants that (i) the Loan Documents set forth the terms of a commercial lending facility and (ii) it is engaged in making, acquiring or holding commercial loans in the ordinary course and is
entering into this Agreement as a Lender or L/C Issuer for the purpose of making, acquiring or holding commercial loans and providing other facilities set forth herein as may be applicable to such Lender or L/C Issuer, and not for the purpose of purchasing, acquiring or holding any other type of financial instrument, and each Lender and the L/C Issuer agrees not to assert a claim in contravention of the foregoing. Each Lender and the L/C Issuer represents and warrants that it is sophisticated with respect to decisions to make, acquire and/or hold commercial loans and to provide other facilities set forth herein, as may be applicable to such Lender or such L/C Issuer, and either it, or the Person exercising discretion in making its decision to make, acquire and/or hold such commercial loans or to provide such other facilities, is experienced in making, acquiring or holding such commercial loans or providing such other facilities.
9.08No Other Duties, Etc.
Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, none of the titles listed on the cover page hereof shall have any powers, duties or responsibilities under this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents, except in its capacity, as applicable, as the Administrative Agent, the Arranger, a Lender or the L/C Issuer hereunder.
9.09Administrative Agent May File Proofs of Claim; Credit Bidding.
(a)In case of the pendency of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law or any other judicial proceeding relative to any Loan Party, the Administrative Agent (irrespective of whether the principal of any Loan or L/C Obligation shall then be due and payable as herein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Administrative Agent shall have made any demand on the Borrower) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise:
(i)to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of the principal and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Loans, L/C Obligations and all other Secured Obligations that are owing and unpaid and to file such other documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Lenders, the L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Lenders, the L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent and their respective agents and counsel and all other amounts due the Lenders, the L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent under Sections 2.03(l) and (m), 2.09, 2.10(b) and 11.04) allowed in such judicial proceeding; and
(ii)to collect and receive any monies or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same;
and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Lender and the L/C Issuer to make such payments to the Administrative Agent and, in the event that the Administrative Agent shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Lenders and the L/C Issuer, to pay to the Administrative Agent any amount due for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Administrative Agent and its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Administrative Agent under Sections 2.09, 2.10(b) and 11.04.
(b)Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to authorize the Administrative Agent to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Lender or the L/C Issuer any plan of
reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Secured Obligations or the rights of any Lender or the L/C Issuer to authorize the Administrative Agent to vote in respect of the claim of any Lender or the L/C Issuer or in any such proceeding.
(c)The Secured Parties hereby irrevocably authorize the Administrative Agent, at the direction of the Required Lenders, to credit bid all or any portion of the Secured Obligations (including accepting some or all of the Collateral in satisfaction of some or all of the Secured Obligations pursuant to a deed in lieu of foreclosure or otherwise) and in such manner purchase (either directly or through one or more acquisition vehicles) all or any portion of the Collateral (i) at any sale thereof conducted under the provisions of the Bankruptcy Code of the United States, including under Sections 363, 1123 or 1129 of the Bankruptcy Code of the United States, or any similar Laws in any other jurisdictions to which a Loan Party is subject, (ii) at any other sale or foreclosure or acceptance of collateral in lieu of debt conducted by (or with the consent or at the direction of) the Administrative Agent (whether by judicial action or otherwise) in accordance with any Applicable Law. In connection with any such credit bid and purchase, the Secured Obligations owed to the Secured Parties shall be entitled to be, and shall be, credit bid on a ratable basis (with Secured Obligations with respect to contingent or unliquidated claims receiving contingent interests in the acquired assets on a ratable basis that would vest upon the liquidation of such claims in an amount proportional to the liquidated portion of the contingent claim amount used in allocating the contingent interests) in the asset or assets so purchased (or in the Equity Interests or debt instruments of the acquisition vehicle or vehicles that are used to consummate such purchase). In connection with any such bid (A) the Administrative Agent shall be authorized to form one or more acquisition vehicles to make a bid, (B) to adopt documents providing for the governance of the acquisition vehicle or vehicles (provided that any actions by the Administrative Agent with respect to such acquisition vehicle or vehicles, including any disposition of the assets or Equity Interests thereof shall be governed, directly or indirectly, by the vote of the Required Lenders, irrespective of the termination of this Agreement and without giving effect to the limitations on actions by the Required Lenders contained in Section 11.01 of this Agreement), (C) the Administrative Agent shall be authorized to assign the relevant Secured Obligations to any such acquisition vehicle pro rata by the Lenders, as a result of which each of the Lenders shall be deemed to have received a pro rata portion of any Equity Interests and/or debt instruments issued by such an acquisition vehicle on account of the assignment of the Secured Obligations to be credit bid, all without the need for any Secured Party or acquisition vehicle to take any further action, and (D) to the extent that Secured Obligations that are assigned to an acquisition vehicle are not used to acquire Collateral for any reason (as a result of another bid being higher or better, because the amount of Secured Obligations assigned to the acquisition vehicle exceeds the amount of debt credit bid by the acquisition vehicle or otherwise), such Secured Obligations shall automatically be reassigned to the Lenders pro rata and the Equity Interests and/or debt instruments issued by any acquisition vehicle on account of the Secured Obligations that had been assigned to the acquisition vehicle shall automatically be cancelled, without the need for any Secured Party or any acquisition vehicle to take any further action.
9.10Collateral and Guaranty Matters.
(a)Each of the Lenders (including in its capacities as a potential Cash Management Bank and a potential Hedge Bank) and the L/C Issuer irrevocably authorize the Administrative Agent, at its option and in its discretion,
(i)to release any Lien on any property granted to or held by the Administrative Agent under any Loan Document (i) upon the Facility Termination Date (other than, for the avoidance of doubt, any such Lien on Cash Collateral provided to Cash Collateralize Specified L/C Obligations on the Maturity Date, except to the extent all or a portion of such Cash Collateral is required to be released pursuant to clause (y) of the last sentence of Section 2.03(q)(ii)), (ii) that is sold or otherwise disposed of or to be sold or otherwise disposed of as part of or in connection with any sale or other disposition permitted hereunder or under any other Loan Document, or (iii) if approved, authorized or ratified in writing by the Required Lenders in accordance with Section 11.01;
(ii)to subordinate any Lien on any property granted to or held by the Administrative Agent under any Loan Document to the holder of any Lien on such property that is permitted by Section 7.01(i); and
(iii)to release any Guarantor from its obligations under the Guaranty if such Person ceases to be a Subsidiary as a result of a transaction permitted under the Loan Documents.
(b)Upon request by the Administrative Agent at any time, the Required Lenders will confirm in writing the Administrative Agent’s authority to release or subordinate its interest in particular types or items of property, or to release any Guarantor from its obligations under the Guaranty pursuant to this Section 9.10. In each case as specified in this Section 9.10, the Administrative Agent will, at the Borrower’s expense, execute and deliver to the applicable Loan Party such documents as such Loan Party may reasonably request to evidence the release of such item of Collateral from the assignment and security interest granted under the Collateral Documents or to subordinate its interest in such item, or to release such Guarantor from its obligations under the Guaranty, in each case in accordance with the terms of the Loan Documents and this Section 9.10.
(c)The Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for or have a duty to ascertain or inquire into any representation or warranty regarding the existence, value or collectability of the Collateral, the existence, priority or perfection of the Administrative Agent’s Lien thereon, or any certificate prepared by any Loan Party in connection therewith, nor shall the Administrative Agent be responsible or liable to the Lenders for any failure to monitor or maintain any portion of the Collateral.
9.11Secured Cash Management Agreements and Secured Hedge Agreements.
Except as otherwise expressly set forth herein or in the Guaranty or any Collateral Document, no Cash Management Bank or Hedge Bank that obtains the benefit of the provisions of Section 8.03, the Guaranty or any Collateral by virtue of the provisions hereof or any Collateral Document shall have any right to notice of any action or to consent to, direct or object to any action hereunder or under any other Loan Document or otherwise in respect of the Collateral (including the release or impairment of any Collateral) (or to notice of or to consent to any amendment, waiver or modification of the provisions hereof or of the Guaranty or any Collateral Document) other than in its capacity as a Lender and, in such case, only to the extent expressly provided in the Loan Documents. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article IX to the contrary, the Administrative Agent shall not be required to verify the payment of, or that other satisfactory arrangements have been made with respect to, Secured Obligations arising under Secured Cash Management Agreements and Secured Hedge Agreements except to the extent expressly
provided herein and unless the Administrative Agent has received a Secured Party Designation Notice of such Secured Obligations, together with such supporting documentation as the Administrative Agent may request, from the applicable Cash Management Bank or Hedge Bank, as the case may be. The Administrative Agent shall not be required to verify the payment of, or that other satisfactory arrangements have been made with respect to, Secured Obligations arising under Secured Cash Management Agreements and Secured Hedge Agreements in the case of a Facility Termination Date.
9.12Certain ERISA Matters.
(a)Each Lender (x) represents and warrants, as of the date such Person became a Lender party hereto, to, and (y) covenants, from the date such Person became a Lender party hereto to the date such Person ceases being a Lender party hereto, for the benefit of, the Administrative Agent and not, for the avoidance of doubt, to or for the benefit of the Borrower or any other Loan Party, that at least one of the following is and will be true:
(i)such Lender is not using “plan assets” (within the meaning of Section 3(42) of ERISA or otherwise) of one or more Benefit Plans with respect to such Lender’s entrance into, participation in, administration of and performance of the Loans, the Letters of Credit, the Commitments, or this Agreement,
(ii)the transaction exemption set forth in one or more PTEs, such as PTE 84–14 (a class exemption for certain transactions determined by independent qualified professional asset managers), PTE 95–60 (a class exemption for certain transactions involving insurance company general accounts), PTE 90–1 (a class exemption for certain transactions involving insurance company pooled separate accounts), PTE 91–38 (a class exemption for certain transactions involving bank collective investment funds) or PTE 96–23 (a class exemption for certain transactions determined by in-house asset managers), is applicable with respect to such Lender’s entrance into, participation in, administration of and performance of the Loans, the Letters of Credit, the Commitments and this Agreement,
(iii)(A) such Lender is an investment fund managed by a “Qualified Professional Asset Manager” (within the meaning of Part VI of PTE 84–14), (B) such Qualified Professional Asset Manager made the investment decision on behalf of such Lender to enter into, participate in, administer and perform the Loans, the Letters of Credit, the Commitments and this Agreement, (C) the entrance into, participation in, administration of and performance of the Loans, the Letters of Credit, the Commitments and this Agreement satisfies the requirements of sub-sections (b) through (g) of Part I of PTE 84–14 and (D) to the best knowledge of such Lender, the requirements of subsection (a) of Part I of PTE 84–14 are satisfied with respect to such Lender’s entrance into, participation in, administration of and performance of the Loans, the Letters of Credit, the Commitments and this Agreement, or
(iv)such other representation, warranty and covenant as may be agreed in writing between the Administrative Agent, in its sole discretion, and such Lender.
(b)In addition, unless either (1) clause (i) in the immediately preceding clause (a) is true with respect to a Lender or (2) a Lender has provided another representation, warranty and covenant in accordance with clause (iv) in the immediately preceding clause (a), such Lender
further (x) represents and warrants, as of the date such Person became a Lender party hereto, to, and (y) covenants, from the date such Person became a Lender party hereto to the date such Person ceases being a Lender party hereto, for the benefit of, the Administrative Agent and not, for the avoidance of doubt, to or for the benefit of the Borrower or any other Loan Party, that the Administrative Agent is not a fiduciary with respect to the assets of such Lender involved in such Lender’s entrance into, participation in, administration of and performance of the Loans, the Letters of Credit, the Commitments and this Agreement (including in connection with the reservation or exercise of any rights by the Administrative Agent under this Agreement, any Loan Document or any documents related hereto or thereto).
9.13Recovery of Rescindable Amounts.
Without limitation of any other provision in this Agreement, if at any time the Administrative Agent makes a payment hereunder in error to any Lender or the L/C Issuer (a “Credit Party”), whether or not in respect of an Obligation due and owing by the Borrower at such time, where such payment is a Rescindable Amount, then in any such event, each Credit Party receiving a Rescindable Amount severally agrees to repay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand the Rescindable Amount received by such Credit Party in immediately available funds in the currency so received, with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such Rescindable Amount is received by it to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation. Each Credit Party irrevocably waives any and all defenses, including any “discharge for value” (under which a creditor might otherwise claim a right to retain funds mistakenly paid by a third party in respect of a debt owed by another) or similar defense to its obligation to return any Rescindable Amount. The Administrative Agent shall inform each Credit Party promptly upon determining that any payment made to such Credit Party comprised, in whole or in part, a Rescindable Amount.
Article X.
CONTINUING GUARANTY
10.01Guaranty.
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 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 Administrative Agent’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 (other than any defense related to the indefeasible payment or satisfaction in full of the Secured Obligations).
10.02Rights of Lenders.
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 Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Lenders in their 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.
10.03Certain 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.
10.04Obligations 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.
10.05Subrogation.
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.
10.06Termination; 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 10.06 shall survive termination of this Guaranty.
10.07Stay 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.
10.08Condition 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).
10.09Appointment 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 Administrative Agent, L/C Issuer or a Lender to the Borrower shall be deemed delivered to each Loan Party and (c) the Administrative Agent,
L/C Issuer or the Lenders 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.
10.10Right 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.
10.11Keepwell.
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 X 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 10.11 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 10.11 to constitute, and this Section 10.11 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 XI.
MISCELLANEOUS
11.01Amendments, Etc.
(a)Subject to Section 2.16, Section 3.03(b) and the last paragraph of this Section 11.01, 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 Required Lenders (or by the Administrative Agent with the consent of the Required Lenders) and the Borrower or the applicable Loan Party, as the case may be, and acknowledged by the Administrative Agent, and each such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the specific purpose for which given; provided, however, that no such amendment, waiver or consent shall:
(i)extend or increase the Commitment of any Lender (or reinstate any Commitment terminated pursuant to Section 8.02) without the written consent of such Lender (it being understood and agreed that a waiver of any condition precedent in Section 4.02 or of any Default or a mandatory reduction in Commitments is not considered an extension or increase in Commitments of any Lender);
(ii)postpone any date fixed by this Agreement or any other Loan Document for any payment (excluding mandatory prepayments) of principal, interest, fees or other amounts due to the Lenders (or any of them) hereunder or under such other Loan Document without the written consent of each Lender entitled to such payment;
(iii)reduce the principal of, or the rate of interest specified herein on, any Loan or L/C Borrowing, or (subject to clause (D) of the second proviso to this Section 11.01(a)) any fees or other amounts payable hereunder or under any other Loan Document without the written consent of each Lender entitled to such amount; provided, however, that only the consent of the Required Lenders shall be necessary (i) to amend the definition of “Default Rate” or to waive any obligation of the Borrower to pay interest or Letter of Credit Fees at the Default Rate or (ii) to amend any financial covenant hereunder (or any defined term used therein) even if the effect of such amendment would be to reduce the rate of interest on any Loan or L/C Borrowing or to reduce any fee payable hereunder;
(iv)without the written consent of each Lender directly affected thereby (A) change Section 8.03, Section 2.13 or Section 2.12(f) or any other provision hereof in a manner that would have the effect of altering the ratable reduction of Commitments or the pro rata sharing of payments otherwise required hereunder, (B) subordinate, or have the effect of subordinating, the Obligations hereunder to any other Indebtedness or other obligation or (C) subordinate, or have the effect of subordinating, the Liens securing the Obligations to Liens securing any other Indebtedness or other obligation;
(v)change any provision of this Section 11.01 or the definition of “Required Lenders” or any other provision of any Loan Document specifying the number or percentage of Lenders required to amend, waive or otherwise modify any rights hereunder or thereunder or make any determination or grant any consent hereunder, without the written consent of each Lender;
(vi)release, or have the effect of releasing, all or substantially all of the Collateral in any transaction or series of related transactions, without the written consent of each Lender, except to the extent such release is permitted pursuant to Section 9.10 (in which case such release may be made by the Administrative Agent acting alone);
(vii)release, or have the effect of releasing, all or substantially all of the value of the Guaranty, without the written consent of each Lender, except to the extent the release of any Subsidiary from the Guaranty is permitted pursuant to Section 9.10 (in which case such release may be made by the Administrative Agent acting alone); or
(viii)release the Borrower or permit the Borrower to assign or transfer any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement or the other Loan Documents without the consent of each Lender;
provided, further, that (A) no amendment, waiver or consent shall, unless in writing and signed by the L/C Issuer in addition to the Lenders required above, affect the rights or duties of the L/C Issuer under this Agreement or any Issuer Document relating to any Letter of Credit issued or to be issued by it; (B) no amendment, waiver or consent shall, unless in writing and signed by the Swing Line Lender in addition to the Lenders required above, affect the rights or duties of the Swing Line Lender under this Agreement; (C) no amendment, waiver or consent shall, unless in writing and signed by the Administrative Agent in addition to the Lenders required above, affect the rights or duties of the Administrative Agent under this Agreement or any other Loan Document; and (D) the Fee Letter may be amended, or rights or privileges thereunder waived, in a writing executed only by the parties thereto.
(b)Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, (i) no Defaulting Lender shall have any right to approve or disapprove any amendment, waiver or consent hereunder (and any amendment, waiver or consent which by its terms requires the consent of all Lenders or each affected Lender, may be effected with the consent of the applicable Lenders other than Defaulting Lenders), except that (A) the Commitment of any Defaulting Lender may not be increased or extended without the consent of such Lender and (B) any waiver, amendment or modification requiring the consent of all Lenders or each affected Lender, that by its terms affects any Defaulting Lender disproportionately adversely relative to other affected Lenders shall require the consent of such Defaulting Lender; (ii) each Lender is entitled to vote as such Lender sees fit on any bankruptcy reorganization plan that affects the Loans, and each Lender acknowledges that the provisions of Section 1126(c) of the Bankruptcy Code of the United States supersedes the unanimous consent provisions set forth herein and (iii) the Required Lenders shall determine whether or not to allow a Loan Party to use cash collateral in the context of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding and such determination shall be binding on all of the Lenders.
(c)Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, this Agreement may be amended and restated without the consent of any Lender (but with the consent of the Borrower and the Administrative Agent) if, upon giving effect to such amendment and restatement, such Lender shall no longer be a party to this Agreement (as so amended and restated), the Commitments of such Lender shall have terminated, such Lender shall have no other commitment or other obligation hereunder and shall have been paid in full all principal, interest and other amounts owing to it or accrued for its account under this Agreement.
(d)Notwithstanding any provision herein to the contrary, if the Administrative Agent and the Borrower acting together identify any ambiguity, omission, mistake, typographical error or other defect in any provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document (including the schedules and exhibits thereto), then the Administrative Agent and the Borrower shall be permitted to amend, modify or supplement such provision to cure such ambiguity, omission, mistake, typographical error or other defect, and such amendment shall become effective without any further action or consent of any other party to this Agreement.
11.02Notices; 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, as follows:
(i)if to the Borrower or any other Loan Party, the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender, to the address, fax number, e-mail address or telephone number specified for such Person on Schedule 1.01(a); and
(ii)if to any other Lender, to the address, fax number, e-mail address or telephone number specified in its Administrative Questionnaire (including, as appropriate, notices delivered solely to the Person designated by a Lender on its
Administrative Questionnaire then in effect for the delivery of notices that may contain material non-public information relating to the Borrower).
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 Administrative Agent, the Lenders, the Swing Line Lender and the L/C Issuer 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 Administrative Agent in its sole discretion); provided that the foregoing shall not apply to notices to any Lender, the Swing Line Lender or the L/C Issuer pursuant to Article II if such Lender, the Swing Line Lender or the L/C Issuer, as applicable, has notified the Administrative Agent that it is incapable of receiving notices under such Article II by electronic communication. The Administrative Agent, the Swing Line Lender, the L/C Issuer 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 Administrative Agent otherwise prescribes, (A) notices and other communications sent to an e-mail address shall be deemed received 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 or other written acknowledgement); provided that the Administrative Agent agrees to in good faith provide confirmations of receipt with respect to e-mail communications from the Borrower, 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 acknowledgement 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)The Platform. THE PLATFORM IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE.” THE AGENT PARTIES (AS DEFINED BELOW) DO NOT WARRANT THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE BORROWER MATERIALS OR THE ADEQUACY OF THE PLATFORM, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM LIABILITY FOR ERRORS IN OR OMISSIONS FROM THE BORROWER MATERIALS. NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OF
MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR FREEDOM FROM VIRUSES OR OTHER CODE DEFECTS, IS MADE BY ANY AGENT PARTY IN CONNECTION WITH THE BORROWER MATERIALS OR THE PLATFORM. In no event shall the Administrative Agent or any of its Related Parties (collectively, the “Agent Parties”) have any liability to the Borrower, any Lender, the L/C Issuer or any other Person for losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses of any kind (whether in tort, contract or otherwise) arising out of the Borrower’s, any Loan Party’s or the Administrative Agent’s transmission of Borrower Materials or notices through the Platform, any other electronic platform or electronic messaging service, or through the Internet.
(d)Change of Address, Etc. Each of the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Swing Line 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. Each other Lender may change its address, fax number or telephone number or e-mail address for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Swing Line Lender. In addition, each Lender agrees to notify the Administrative Agent from time to time to ensure that the Administrative Agent has on record (i) an effective address, contact name, telephone number, fax number and e-mail address to which notices and other communications may be sent and (ii) accurate wire instructions for such Lender. Furthermore, each Public Lender agrees to cause at least one (1) individual at or on behalf of such Public Lender to at all times have selected the “Private Side Information” or similar designation on the content declaration screen of the Platform in order to enable such Public Lender or its delegate, in accordance with such Public Lender’s compliance procedures and Applicable Law, including United States federal and state securities Laws, to make reference to Borrower Materials that are not made available through the “Public Side Information” portion of the Platform and that may contain material non-public information with respect to the Borrower or its securities for purposes of United States federal or state securities laws.
(e)Reliance by Administrative Agent, L/C Issuer and Lenders. The Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Lenders shall be entitled to rely and act upon any notices (including, without limitation, telephonic or electronic notices, Loan Notices, Letter of Credit Applications, Notice of Loan Prepayment and Swing Line Loan Notices) 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 Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer, each 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, provided that such reliance was in good faith and was not the result of gross negligence or willful misconduct on the part of such Person or its Related Parties. All telephonic notices with the Administrative Agent may be recorded by the Administrative Agent, and each of the parties hereto hereby consents to such recording.
11.03No Waiver; Cumulative Remedies; Enforcement.
(a)No failure by any Loan Party, any Lender, the L/C Issuer or the Administrative Agent 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.
(b)Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein or in any other Loan Document, the authority to enforce rights and remedies hereunder and under the other Loan Documents against the Loan Parties or any of them shall be vested exclusively in, and all actions and proceedings at law in connection with such enforcement shall be instituted and maintained exclusively by, the Administrative Agent in accordance with Section 8.02 for the benefit of all the Lenders and the L/C Issuer; provided, however, that the foregoing shall not prohibit (a) the Administrative Agent from exercising on its own behalf the rights and remedies that inure to its benefit (solely in its capacity as Administrative Agent) hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, (b) the L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender from exercising the rights and remedies that inure to its benefit (solely in its capacity as L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender, as the case may be) hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, (c) any Lender from exercising setoff rights in accordance with Section 11.08 (subject to the terms of Section 2.13), or (d) any Lender from filing proofs of claim or appearing and filing pleadings on its own behalf during the pendency of a proceeding relative to any Loan Party under any Debtor Relief Law; and provided, further, that if at any time there is no Person acting as Administrative Agent hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, then (i) the Required Lenders shall have the rights otherwise ascribed to the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 8.02 and (ii) in addition to the matters set forth in clauses (b), (c) and (d) of the preceding proviso and subject to Section 2.13, any Lender may, with the consent of the Required Lenders, enforce any rights and remedies available to it and as authorized by the Required Lenders.
11.04Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver.
(a)Costs and Expenses. The Loan Parties shall pay (i) all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent and its Affiliates (including, but not limited to, (A) the reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of one counsel for the Administrative Agent and its Affiliates and (B) due diligence expenses), in connection with the credit facilities provided for herein, 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), (ii) all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the L/C Issuer in connection with the issuance, amendment, extension, reinstatement or renewal of any Letter of Credit or any demand for payment thereunder and (iii) all out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the L/C Issuer (including the reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the L/C Issuer), 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 11.04, or (B) in connection with Loans made or Letters of Credit issued hereunder, including all such out-of-pocket expenses incurred during any workout, restructuring or negotiations in respect of such Loans or Letters of Credit.
(b)Indemnification by the Loan Parties. The Loan Parties shall indemnify the Administrative Agent (and any sub-agent thereof), each Lender and the L/C Issuer, and each
Related Party of any of the foregoing Persons (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 reasonable 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, the performance by the parties hereto of their respective obligations hereunder or thereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, or, in the case of the Administrative Agent (and any sub-agent thereof) and its Related Parties only, 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 L/C Issuer 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 or its Related Parties, (y) result from any claim, litigation, investigation, proceeding or dispute solely among Indemnitees (other than any claims against any Indemnitee in its capacity or in fulfilling its role as an agent or arranger) that does not involve an act or omission of the Borrower or any of its Affiliates or (z) are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and non-appealable judgment to have resulted from a material breach of any obligations under any Loan Document by such Indemnitee or its Related Parties. Without limiting the provisions of Section 3.01(c), this Section 11.04(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)Reimbursement by Lenders. To the extent that the Loan Parties for any reason fail to indefeasibly pay any amount required under clauses (a) or (b) of this Section 11.04 to be paid by it to the Administrative Agent (or any sub-agent thereof), the L/C Issuer, the Swing Line Lender or any Related Party of any of the foregoing, each Lender severally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent (or any such sub-agent), the L/C Issuer, the Swing Line Lender or such Related Party, as the case may be, such Lender’s pro rata share (determined as of the time that the applicable unreimbursed expense or indemnity payment is sought based on each Lender’s share of the Total Credit Exposure at such time) of such unpaid amount (including any such unpaid amount in respect of a claim asserted by such Lender), such payment to be made severally among them based on such Lender’s Applicable Percentage (determined as of the time that the applicable unreimbursed expense or indemnity payment is sought), provided that the unreimbursed expense or indemnified loss, claim, damage, liability or related expense, as the case may be, was incurred by or asserted against the Administrative Agent (or any such sub-agent), the L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender in its capacity as such, or against any Related Party of any of the foregoing acting for the Administrative Agent (or any such sub-agent), the L/C Issuer or the Swing Line
Lender in connection with such capacity. The obligations of the Lenders under this clause (c) are subject to the provisions of Section 2.12(d).
(d)Waiver of Consequential Damages, Etc. Subject to Section 11.04(b) above, to the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law, no Loan Party or Indemnitee shall assert, and each Loan Party and Indemnitee hereby waives, and acknowledges that no other Person shall have, any claim against any Loan Party or 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 contemplated hereby or thereby, any Loan or Letter of Credit 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; provided that the protections afforded to any Indemnitee pursuant to this sentence shall not be available to the extent that such damages 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 or its Related Parties.
(e)Payments. All amounts due under this Section 11.04 shall be payable not later than ten (10) Business Days after demand therefor.
(f)Survival. The agreements in this Section 11.04 and the indemnity provisions of Section 11.02(e) shall survive the resignation of the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Swing Line Lender, the replacement of any Lender, the termination of the Aggregate Commitments and the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all the other Obligations.
11.05Payments Set Aside.
To the extent that any payment by or on behalf of the Borrower is made to the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or any Lender, or the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or any 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 Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or such 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 (a) 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, and (b) each Lender and the L/C Issuer severally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent upon demand its applicable share (without duplication) of any amount so recovered from or repaid by the Administrative Agent, plus interest thereon from the date of such demand to the date such payment is made at a rate per annum equal to the Federal Funds Rate. The obligations of the Lenders and the L/C Issuer under clause (b) of the preceding sentence shall survive the payment in full of the Obligations and the termination of this Agreement.
11.06Successors and Assigns.
(a)Successors and Assigns Generally. The provisions of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and
thereto and their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby, except neither the Borrower nor any other Loan Party may assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent and each Lender and no Lender may assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder except (i) to an assignee in accordance with the provisions of Section 11.06(b), (ii) by way of participation in accordance with the provisions of Section 11.06(d), or (iii) by way of pledge or assignment of a security interest subject to the restrictions of Section 11.06(e) (and any other attempted assignment or transfer by any party hereto shall be null and void). Nothing in this Agreement, expressed or implied, shall be construed to confer upon any Person (other than the parties hereto, their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby, Participants to the extent provided in Section 11.06(d) and, to the extent expressly contemplated hereby, the Related Parties of each of the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Lenders) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this Agreement.
(b)Assignments by Lenders. Any Lender may at any time assign to one or more assignees all or a portion of its rights and obligations under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents (including all or a portion of its Commitment(s) and the Loans (including for purposes of this clause (b), participations in L/C Obligations and in Swing Line Loans) at the time owing to it); provided that (in each case with respect to any Facility) any such assignment shall be subject to the following conditions:
(i)Minimum Amounts.
(A)in the case of an assignment of the entire remaining amount of the assigning Lender’s Commitment under any Facility and/or the Loans at the time owing to it (in each case with respect to any Facility) or contemporaneous assignments to related Approved Funds (determined after giving effect to such assignments) that equal at least the amount specified in clause (b)(i)(B) of this Section 11.06 in the aggregate or in the case of an assignment to a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender or an Approved Fund, no minimum amount need be assigned; and
(B)in any case not described in clause (b)(i)(A) of this Section 11.06, the aggregate amount of the Commitment (which for this purpose includes Loans outstanding thereunder) or, if the Commitment is not then in effect, the principal outstanding balance of the Loans of the assigning Lender subject to each such assignment, determined as of the date the Assignment and Assumption with respect to such assignment is delivered to the Administrative Agent or, if “Trade Date” is specified in the Assignment and Assumption, as of the Trade Date, shall not be less than $5,000,000, in the case of any assignment, unless each of the Administrative Agent and, so long as no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Borrower otherwise consents (each such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed).
(ii)Proportionate Amounts. Each partial assignment shall be made as an assignment of a proportionate part of all the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents with respect to the Loans and/or the Commitment assigned, except that this clause (b)(ii) shall not (A) apply to the Swing Line Lender’s rights and obligations in respect of Swing Line Loans or (B) prohibit any
Lender from assigning all or a portion of its rights and obligations among separate Facilities on a non-pro rata basis.
(iii)Required Consents. No consent shall be required for any assignment except to the extent required by clause (b)(i)(B) of this Section 11.06 and, in addition:
(A)the consent of the Borrower (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) shall be required unless (1) an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing at the time of such assignment or (2) such assignment is to a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender or an Approved Fund; provided that the Borrower shall be deemed to have consented to any such assignment unless it shall object thereto by written notice to the Administrative Agent within five (5) Business Days after having received notice thereof;
(B)the consent of the Administrative Agent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) shall be required for assignments in respect of any Commitment if such assignment is to a Person that is not a Lender with a Commitment, an Affiliate of such Lender or an Approved Fund with respect to such Lender; and
(C)the consent of the L/C Issuer and the Swing Line Lender shall be required for any assignment in respect of the Facility.
(iv)Assignment and Assumption. The parties to each assignment shall execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent an Assignment and Assumption, together with a processing and recordation fee in the amount of $3,500; provided, however, that the Administrative Agent may, in its sole discretion, elect to waive such processing and recordation fee in the case of any assignment. The assignee, if it is not a Lender, shall deliver to the Administrative Agent an Administrative Questionnaire.
(v)No Assignment to Certain Persons. No such assignment shall be made (A) to the Borrower or any of the Borrower’s Affiliates or Subsidiaries, (B) to any Defaulting Lender or any of its Subsidiaries, or any Person who, upon becoming a Lender hereunder, would constitute any of the foregoing Persons described in this clause (B), or (C) to a natural Person (or a holding company, investment vehicle or trust for, or owned and operated by or for the primary benefit of one or more natural Persons).
(vi)Certain Additional Payments. In connection with any assignment of rights and obligations of any Defaulting Lender hereunder, no such assignment shall be effective unless and until, in addition to the other conditions thereto set forth herein, the parties to the assignment shall make such additional payments to the Administrative Agent in an aggregate amount sufficient, upon distribution thereof as appropriate (which may be outright payment, purchases by the assignee of participations or sub-participations, or other compensating actions, including funding, with the consent of the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, the applicable pro rata share of Loans previously requested but not funded by the Defaulting Lender, to each of which the applicable assignee and assignor hereby irrevocably consent), to (A) pay and satisfy in full all payment liabilities then owed by such Defaulting Lender to the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or any Lender hereunder (and interest accrued thereon) and (B) acquire (and
fund as appropriate) its full pro rata share of all Loans and participations in Letters of Credit and Swing Line Loans in accordance with its Applicable Percentage. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that any assignment of rights and obligations of any Defaulting Lender hereunder shall become effective under Applicable Law without compliance with the provisions of this clause (b)(vi), then the assignee of such interest shall be deemed to be a Defaulting Lender for all purposes of this Agreement until such compliance occurs.
(vii)Subject to acceptance and recording thereof by the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 11.06(c), from and after the effective date specified in each Assignment and Assumption, the assignee thereunder shall be a party to this Agreement and, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, have the rights and obligations of a Lender under this Agreement, and the assigning Lender thereunder shall, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, be released from its obligations under this Agreement (and, in the case of an Assignment and Assumption covering all of the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement, such Lender shall cease to be a party hereto but shall continue to be entitled to the benefits of Sections 3.01, 3.04, 3.05 and 11.04 with respect to facts and circumstances occurring prior to the effective date of such assignment); provided, that except to the extent otherwise expressly agreed by the affected parties, no assignment by a Defaulting Lender will constitute a waiver or release of any claim of any party hereunder arising from that Lender’s having been a Defaulting Lender. Upon request, the Borrower (at its expense) shall execute and deliver a Note to the assignee Lender. Any assignment or transfer by a Lender of rights or obligations under this Agreement that does not comply with this clause (b) shall be treated for purposes of this Agreement as a sale by such Lender of a participation in such rights and obligations in accordance with Section 11.06(d).
(c)Register. The Administrative Agent, acting solely for this purpose as a non-fiduciary agent of the Borrower (and such agency being solely for Tax purposes), shall maintain at the Administrative Agent’s Office a copy of each Assignment and Assumption delivered to it (or the equivalent thereof in electronic form) and a register for the recordation of the names and addresses of the Lenders, and the Commitments of, and principal amounts (and stated interest amounts) of the Loans and L/C Obligations owing to, each Lender pursuant to the terms hereof from time to time (the “Register”). The entries in the Register shall be conclusive, absent manifest error, and the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders shall treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Register pursuant to the terms hereof as a Lender hereunder for all purposes of this Agreement. The Register shall be available for inspection by the Borrower and any Lender (with respect to such Lender’s interest only), at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice.
(d)Participations.
(i)Any Lender may at any time, without the consent of, or notice to, the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, sell participations to any Person (other than a natural Person, or a holding company, investment vehicle or trust for, or owned and operated for the primary benefit of one or more natural Persons, a Defaulting Lender or the Borrower or any of the Borrower’s Affiliates or Subsidiaries) (each, a “Participant”) in all or a portion of such Lender’s rights and/or obligations under this Agreement
(including all or a portion of its Commitment and/or the Loans (including such Lender’s participations in L/C Obligations and/or Swing Line Loans) owing to it); provided that (i) such Lender’s obligations under this Agreement shall remain unchanged, (ii) such Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto for the performance of such obligations and (iii) the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the L/C Issuer shall continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in connection with such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, each Lender shall be responsible for the indemnity under Section 11.04(c) without regard to the existence of any participations.
(ii)Any agreement or instrument pursuant to which a Lender sells such a participation shall provide that such Lender shall retain the sole right to enforce this Agreement and to approve any amendment, modification or waiver of any provision of this Agreement; provided that such agreement or instrument may provide that such Lender will not, without the consent of the Participant, agree to any amendment, waiver or other modification described in the first proviso to Section 11.01 that affects such Participant. The Borrower agrees that each Participant shall be entitled to the benefits of Sections 3.01, 3.04 and 3.05 (subject to the requirements and limitations therein, including the requirements under Section 3.01(f) (it being understood that the documentation required under Section 3.01(f) shall be delivered to the Lender who sells the participation)) to the same extent as if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to clause (b) of this Section 11.06; provided that such Participant (A) shall be subject to the provisions of Sections 3.06 and 11.13 as if it were an assignee under clause (b) of this Section 11.06 and (B) shall not be entitled to receive any greater payment under Sections 3.01 or 3.04, with respect to any participation, than the Lender from whom it acquired the applicable participation would have been entitled to receive, except to the extent such entitlement to receive a greater payment results from a Change in Law that occurs after the Participant acquired the applicable participation. Each Lender that sells a participation agrees, at the Borrower’s request and expense, to use reasonable efforts to cooperate with the Borrower to effectuate the provisions of Section 3.06 with respect to any Participant. To the extent permitted by law, each Participant also shall be entitled to the benefits of Section 11.08 as though it were a Lender; provided that such Participant agrees to be subject to Section 2.13 as though it were a Lender. Each Lender that sells a participation shall, acting solely for this purpose as a non-fiduciary agent of the Borrower, maintain a register on which it enters the name and address of each Participant and the principal amounts (and stated interest amounts) of each Participant’s interest in the Loans or other obligations under the Loan Documents (the “Participant Register”); provided that no Lender shall have any obligation to disclose all or any portion of the Participant Register (including the identity of any Participant or any information relating to a Participant’s interest in any commitments, loans, letters of credit or its other obligations under any Loan Document) to any Person except to the extent that such disclosure is necessary to establish that such commitment, loan, letter of credit or other obligation is in registered form under Section 5f.103–1(c) of the United States Treasury Regulations. The entries in the Participant Register shall be conclusive absent manifest error, and such Lender shall treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Participant Register as the owner of such participation for all purposes of this Agreement notwithstanding any notice to the contrary. For the avoidance of doubt, the Administrative Agent (in its capacity as Administrative Agent) shall have no responsibility for maintaining a Participant Register.
(e)Certain Pledges. Any Lender may at any time pledge or assign a security interest in all or any portion of its rights under this Agreement (including under its Note or Notes, if any) to secure obligations of such Lender, including any pledge or assignment to secure obligations to a Federal Reserve Bank; provided that no such pledge or assignment shall release such Lender from any of its obligations hereunder or substitute any such pledgee or assignee for such Lender as a party hereto.
(f)Resignation as L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender after Assignment. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, if at any time Bank of America assigns all of its Commitment and Revolving Loans pursuant to clause (b) above, Bank of America may, (i) upon thirty (30) days’ notice to the Administrative Agent, the Borrower and the Lenders, resign as L/C Issuer and/or (ii) upon thirty (30) days’ notice to the Borrower, resign as Swing Line Lender. In the event of any such resignation as L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender, the Borrower shall be entitled to appoint from among the Lenders a successor L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender hereunder; provided, however, that no failure by the Borrower to appoint any such successor shall affect the resignation of Bank of America as L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender, as the case may be. If Bank of America resigns as L/C Issuer, it shall retain all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the L/C Issuer hereunder with respect to all Letters of Credit outstanding as of the effective date of its resignation as L/C Issuer and all L/C Obligations with respect thereto (including the right to require the Lenders to make Base Rate Loans or fund risk participations in Unreimbursed Amounts pursuant to Section 2.03(c)). If Bank of America resigns as Swing Line Lender, it shall retain all the rights of the Swing Line Lender provided for hereunder with respect to Swing Line Loans made by it and outstanding as of the effective date of such resignation, including the right to require the Lenders to make Base Rate Loans or fund risk participations in outstanding Swing Line Loans pursuant to Section 2.04(c). Upon the appointment of a successor L/C Issuer and/or Swing Line Lender, (A) such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all of the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender, as the case may be, and (B) the successor L/C Issuer shall issue letters of credit in substitution for the Letters of Credit, if any, outstanding at the time of such succession or make other arrangements satisfactory to Bank of America to effectively assume the obligations of Bank of America with respect to such Letters of Credit.
11.07Treatment of Certain Information; Confidentiality.
(a)Treatment of Certain Information. Each of the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the L/C Issuer agrees to maintain the confidentiality of the Information (as defined below), except that Information may be disclosed (i) to its Affiliates, its auditors and 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 11.07, 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 any Eligible Assignee invited to be a Lender pursuant to Section 2.16 or Section
11.01 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 (A) any rating agency in connection with rating the Borrower or its Subsidiaries or the credit facilities provided hereunder or (B) the provider of any Platform or other electronic delivery service used by the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and/or the Swing Line Lender to deliver Borrower Materials or notices to the Lenders, (viii) the CUSIP Service Bureau or any similar agency in connection with the application, issuance, publishing and monitoring of CUSIP numbers or other market identifiers with respect to the credit facilities provided hereunder, or (ix) with the consent of the Borrower, or to the extent such Information (x) becomes publicly available other than as a result of a breach of this Section 11.07, (xi) becomes available to the Administrative Agent, any Lender, the L/C Issuer or any of their respective Affiliates on a nonconfidential basis from a source not known to the Administrative Agent, Lender, L/C issuer or Affiliate to have confidentiality obligations to the Borrower or (xii) is independently discovered or developed by a party hereto without utilizing any Information received from the Borrower or violating the terms of this Section 11.07. For purposes of this Section 11.07, “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 Administrative Agent, any Lender or the L/C Issuer 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 11.07 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 Administrative Agent and the Lenders 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 Administrative Agent and the Lenders in connection with the administration of this Agreement, the other Loan Documents and the Commitments.
(b)Non-Public Information. Each of the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the L/C Issuer acknowledges that (i) the Information may include material non-public information concerning a Loan Party 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 Applicable Law, including United States federal and state securities Laws.
(c)Press Releases. The Loan Parties and their Affiliates agree that they will not in the future issue any press releases or other public disclosure using the name of the Administrative Agent or any Lender or their respective Affiliates or referring to this Agreement or any of the Loan Documents without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent, unless (and only to the extent that) the Loan Parties or such Affiliate is required to do so under law, regulation, stock exchange rules or applicable accounting principles and then, in any event the Loan Parties or such Affiliate will consult with such Person before issuing such press release or other public disclosure (provided, that, no prior notice or consultation shall be required with respect to periodic filings with the SEC).
(d)Customary Advertising Material. The consent of the Borrower shall be required prior to the publication by the Administrative Agent or any Lender of advertising material
relating to the transactions contemplated hereby using the product photographs or trademarks of the Loan Parties; provided no consent shall be required for disclosure of the name and industry of the Borrower, the logo of the Loan Parties, the Lenders and the types, amounts, tenor and use of proceeds of the credit facilities contained herein in customary marketing materials of the Administrative Agent.
11.08Right of Setoff.
If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, each Lender, the L/C Issuer and each of their respective Affiliates is hereby authorized at any time and from time to time, after obtaining the prior written consent of the Required Lenders, 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 such Lender, the L/C Issuer 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 such Loan Party now or hereafter existing under this Agreement or any other Loan Document to such Lender, the L/C Issuer or such Affiliates, irrespective of whether or not such Lender, the L/C Issuer or Affiliate shall have made any demand under this Agreement or any other Loan Document and although such obligations of the Borrower or such Loan Party may be contingent or unmatured, secured or unsecured, or are owed to a branch, office or Affiliate of such Lender or the L/C Issuer different from the branch, office or Affiliate holding such deposit or obligated on such indebtedness; provided that in the event that any Defaulting Lender shall exercise any such right of setoff, (a) all amounts so set off shall be paid over immediately to the Administrative Agent for further application in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.15 and, pending such payment, shall be segregated by such Defaulting Lender from its other funds and deemed held in trust for the benefit of the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Lenders, and (b) the Defaulting Lender shall provide promptly to the Administrative Agent a statement describing in reasonable detail the Secured Obligations owing to such Defaulting Lender as to which it exercised such right of setoff. The rights of each Lender, the L/C Issuer and their respective Affiliates under this Section 11.08 are in addition to other rights and remedies (including other rights of setoff) that such Lender, the L/C Issuer or their respective Affiliates may have under Applicable Law. Each Lender and the L/C Issuer agrees to notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent 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.
11.09Interest 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 Administrative Agent or any 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 Administrative Agent or a 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.
11.10Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness.
This Agreement and each of the other Loan Documents may be executed in counterparts (and by different parties hereto in different counterparts), each of which shall constitute an original, but all of which when taken together shall constitute a single contract. This Agreement, the other Loan Documents, and any separate letter agreements with respect to fees payable to the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer, 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 Administrative Agent and when the Administrative Agent shall have received counterparts hereof that, when taken together, bear the signatures of each of the other parties hereto. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, or any certificate delivered thereunder, by fax transmission or e-mail transmission (e.g., “pdf” or “tif”) shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Agreement or such other Loan Document or certificate. Without limiting the foregoing, to the extent a manually executed counterpart is not specifically required to be delivered under the terms of any Loan Document, upon the request of any party, such fax transmission or e-mail transmission shall be promptly followed by such manually executed counterpart.
11.11Survival 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 Administrative Agent and each Lender, regardless of any investigation made by the Administrative Agent or any Lender or on their behalf and notwithstanding that the Administrative Agent or any 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 or any Letter of Credit shall remain outstanding.
11.12Severability.
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. Without limiting the foregoing provisions of this Section 11.12, if and to the extent that the enforceability of any provisions in this Agreement relating to Defaulting Lenders shall be limited by Debtor Relief Laws, as determined in good faith by the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender, as applicable, then such provisions shall be deemed to be in effect only to the extent not so limited.
11.13Replacement of Lenders.
(a)If the Borrower is entitled to replace a Lender pursuant to the provisions of Section 3.06, or if any Lender is a Defaulting Lender or a Non-Consenting Lender or if any other circumstance exists hereunder that gives the Borrower the right to replace a Lender as a party hereto, then the Borrower may, at its sole expense and effort, upon notice to such Lender and the Administrative Agent, require such Lender to assign and delegate, without recourse (in
accordance with and subject to the restrictions contained in, and consents required by, Section 11.06), all of its interests, rights (other than its existing rights to payments pursuant to Sections 3.01 and 3.04) and obligations under this Agreement and the related Loan Documents to an Eligible Assignee that shall assume such obligations (which assignee may be another Lender, if a Lender accepts such assignment), provided that:
(i)the Borrower shall have paid to the Administrative Agent the assignment fee (if any) specified in Section 11.06(b);
(ii)such Lender shall have received payment of an amount equal to 100% of the outstanding principal of its Loans and L/C Advances, accrued interest thereon, accrued fees and all other amounts payable to it hereunder and under the other Loan Documents (including any amounts under Section 3.05) from the assignee (to the extent of such outstanding principal and accrued interest and fees) or the Borrower (in the case of all other amounts);
(iii)in the case of any such assignment resulting from a claim for compensation under Section 3.04 or payments required to be made pursuant to Section 3.01, such assignment will result in a reduction in such compensation or payments thereafter;
(iv)such assignment does not conflict with Applicable Laws; and
(v)in the case of an assignment resulting from a Lender becoming a Non-Consenting Lender, the applicable assignee shall have consented to the applicable amendment, waiver or consent.
(b)A Lender shall not be required to make any such assignment or delegation if, prior thereto, as a result of a waiver by such Lender or otherwise, the circumstances entitling the Borrower to require such assignment and delegation cease to apply.
(c)Each party hereto agrees that (i) an assignment required pursuant to this Section 11.13 may be effected pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption executed by the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the assignee and (ii) the Lender required to make such assignment need not be a party thereto in order for such assignment to be effective and shall be deemed to have consented to and be bound by the terms thereof; provided, that, following the effectiveness of any such assignment, the other parties to such assignment agree to execute and deliver such documents necessary to evidence such assignment as reasonably requested by the applicable Lender, provided further that any such documents shall be without recourse to or warranty by the parties thereto.
(d)Notwithstanding anything in this Section 11.13 to the contrary, (A) the Lender that acts as the L/C Issuer may not be replaced hereunder at any time it has any Letter of Credit outstanding hereunder unless arrangements satisfactory to such Lender (including the furnishing of a backstop standby letter of credit in form and substance, and issued by an issuer, reasonably satisfactory to the L/C Issuer or the depositing of Cash Collateral into a Cash Collateral account in amounts and pursuant to arrangements reasonably satisfactory to the L/C Issuer) have been made with respect to such outstanding Letter of Credit and (B) the Lender that acts as the Administrative Agent may not be replaced hereunder except in accordance with the terms of Section 9.06.
11.14Governing 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 STATE OF NEW YORK.
(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 ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, ANY LENDER, THE L/C ISSUER, OR ANY RELATED PARTY OF THE FOREGOING 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 STATE OF NEW YORK SITTING IN NEW YORK COUNTY AND OF THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT OF THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK, AND ANY APPELLATE COURT FROM ANY THEREOF, AND EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO IRREVOCABLY 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 NEW YORK 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 ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, ANY LENDER OR THE L/C ISSUER 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 11.14. 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 11.02. NOTHING IN THIS AGREEMENT WILL AFFECT THE RIGHT OF ANY PARTY HERETO TO SERVE PROCESS IN ANY OTHER MANNER PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW.
11.15Waiver 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 11.15.
11.16Subordination.
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 Secured Parties or resulting from such Subordinating Loan Party’s performance under this Guaranty, to the indefeasible payment in full in cash of all Obligations then due and owing. If the Secured Parties 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 Secured Parties and the proceeds thereof shall be paid over to the Secured Parties 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 Event of 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 11.16, 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 Administrative Agent.
11.17No 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 arranging and other services regarding this Agreement provided by the Administrative Agent, the Arranger and the Lenders and their respective Affiliates are arm’s-length commercial transactions between the Borrower, each other Loan Party and their respective Affiliates, on the one hand, and the Administrative Agent, the Arranger and the Lenders and their respective 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 Administrative Agent, the Arranger and each Lender and each of their respective 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 Administrative Agent, the Arranger, nor any Lender nor any of their respective 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 Administrative Agent, the Arranger and the Lenders and their respective 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 Administrative Agent, the Arranger, nor any Lender nor any of their respective 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 Administrative Agent, the Arranger, the Lenders and their respective Affiliates with respect to any breach or alleged breach of agency or fiduciary duty in connection with any aspect of any transactions contemplated hereby.
11.18Electronic Execution; Electronic Records.
(a)The words “delivery,” “execute,” “execution,” “signed,” “signature,” and words of like import in any Loan Document or any other document executed in connection herewith shall be deemed to include electronic signatures, the electronic matching of assignment terms and contract formations on electronic platforms approved by the Administrative Agent, or the keeping of records in electronic form, each of which shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature, physical delivery thereof or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case may be, to the extent and as provided for in any Applicable Law, including the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, the New York State Electronic Signatures and Records Act, or any other similar state laws based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act; provided that notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, the Administrative Agent is under no obligation to agree to accept electronic signatures in any form or in any format unless expressly agreed to by the Administrative Agent pursuant to procedures approved by it; provided, further, without limiting the foregoing, upon the request of the Administrative Agent, any electronic signature shall be promptly followed by such manually executed counterpart. For the avoidance of doubt, the authorization under this paragraph may include, without limitation, use or acceptance by the Administrative Agent and each of the Secured Parties of a manually signed paper document, amendment, approval, consent, information, notice, certificate, request, statement, disclosure or authorization related to this Agreement (each a “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.
(b)The Borrower hereby acknowledges the receipt of a copy of this Agreement and all other Loan Documents. The Administrative Agent and each Lender may, on behalf of the Borrower, create a microfilm or optical disk or other electronic image of this Agreement and any or all of the other Loan Documents. The Administrative Agent and each Lender may store the electronic image of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents in its electronic form and then
destroy the paper original as part of the Administrative Agent’s and each Lender’s normal business practices, with the electronic image deemed to be an original and of the same legal effect, validity and enforceability as the paper originals.
11.19USA Patriot Act Notice.
Each Lender that is subject to the Patriot Act and the Administrative Agent (for itself and not on behalf of any 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 such Lender or the Administrative Agent, as applicable, 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 Administrative Agent or any Lender, provide all such other documentation and information that the Administrative Agent or such 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.
11.20Acknowledgement and Consent to Bail-In of Affected Financial Institutions.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any Loan Document or in any other agreement, arrangement or understanding among any such parties, each party hereto acknowledges that any liability of any Lender or L/C Issuer that is an Affected Financial Institution arising under any Loan Document, to the extent such liability is unsecured, may be subject to the Write-Down and Conversion Powers of the applicable Resolution Authority and agrees and consents to, and acknowledges and agrees to be bound by:
(a)the application of any Write-Down and Conversion Powers by the applicable Resolution Authority to any such liabilities arising hereunder which may be payable to it by any Lender or L/C Issuer that is an Affected Financial Institution; and
(b)the effects of any Bail-In Action on any such liability, including, if applicable:
(i)a reduction in full or in part or cancellation of any such liability;
(ii)a conversion of all, or a portion of, such liability into shares or other instruments of ownership in such Affected Financial Institution, its parent undertaking, or a bridge institution that may be issued to it or otherwise conferred on it, and that such shares or other instruments of ownership will be accepted by it in lieu of any rights with respect to any such liability under this Agreement or any other Loan Document; or
(iii)the variation of the terms of such liability in connection with the exercise of the Write-Down and Conversion Powers of the applicable Resolution Authority.
11.21Acknowledgement 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 State of New York 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. Without limitation of the foregoing, it is understood and agreed that rights and remedies of the parties with respect to a Defaulting Lender shall in no event affect the rights of any Covered Party with respect to a Supported QFC or any QFC Credit Support.
[END]
Schedule 2
Amended Schedule 1.01(b)
[See attached.]
SCHEDULE 1.01(b)
Initial Commitments and Applicable Percentages
As of the Fourth Amendment Effective Date
| | | | | | | | |
Lender | Revolving Commitment | Applicable Percentage of Revolving Facility |
Bank of America, N.A. | The lesser of (i) the Outstanding Amount of L/C Obligations as of any date and (ii) $3,181,692.82 | 100.000000000% |
Total: | The lesser of (i) the Outstanding Amount of L/C Obligations as of any date and (ii) $3,181,692.82 | 100.000000000% |
Schedule 3
Amended Schedule 2.03
[See attached.]
SCHEDULE 2.03
LETTER OF CREDIT COMMITMENTS AS OF THE FOURTH AMENDMENT EFFECTIVE DATE
| | | | | |
L/C Issuer | L/C Commitment |
Bank of America, N.A. | The lesser of (i) the Outstanding Amount of L/C Obligations as of any date and (ii) $3,181,692.82 |
Document
Exhibit 31.1
CERTIFICATIONS
I, Jonathan Carpenter, certify that:
1. I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of comScore, Inc.;
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
4. The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:
(a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
(b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
(c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
(d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant's most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and
5. The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
(a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
(b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting.
| | |
/s/ Jonathan Carpenter |
Jonathan Carpenter |
Chief Executive Officer |
(Principal Executive Officer) |
Date: November 12, 2024
DocumentCERTIFICATIONS
I, Mary Margaret Curry, certify that:
1. I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of comScore, Inc.;
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
4. The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:
(a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
(b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
(c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
(d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant's most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and
5. The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
(a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
(b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.
| | |
/s/ Mary Margaret Curry |
Mary Margaret Curry |
Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer |
(Principal Financial Officer) |
Date: November 12, 2024
DocumentCertification Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350
In connection with the Quarterly Report of comScore, Inc. (the "Company") on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on the date hereof (the "Report"), I, Jonathan Carpenter, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that, to the best of my knowledge:
(1) The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and
(2) The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.
A signed original of this written statement has been provided to the Company and will be retained by the Company and furnished to the SEC or its staff upon request.
| | |
/s/ Jonathan Carpenter |
Jonathan Carpenter |
Chief Executive Officer |
(Principal Executive Officer) |
Date: November 12, 2024
DocumentCertification Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350
In connection with the Quarterly Report of comScore, Inc. (the "Company") on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on the date hereof (the "Report"), I, Mary Margaret Curry, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that, to the best of my knowledge:
(1) The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and
(2) The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.
A signed original of this written statement has been provided to the Company and will be retained by the Company and furnished to the SEC or its staff upon request.
| | |
/s/ Mary Margaret Curry |
Mary Margaret Curry |
Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer |
(Principal Financial Officer) |
Date: November 12, 2024