EX-10.1 2 rli-20180524ex10163fc23.htm EX-10.1 8-K_Exhibit_101

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Picture 9

 

 

CREDIT AGREEMENT

 

dated as of

 

May 24, 2018

 

among

 

RLI CORP.,

 

The Lenders Party Hereto

 

and

 

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.,
as Administrative Agent

 

___________________________

 

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.,
as Sole Bookrunner and Sole Lead Arranger

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

 

 

Page

ARTICLE I

Definitions…………………………………………………………………..............

1

 

Section 1.01.

Defined Terms…………………………………………………………………

1

 

Section 1.02.

Classification of Loans and Borrowings………………………………………

17

 

Section 1.03.

Terms Generally……………………………………………………………….

17

 

Section 1.04.

Accounting Terms; GAAP…………………………………………………….

18

 

Section 1.05.

Interest Rates…………………………………………………………………..

19

ARTICLE II

The Credits…………………………………………………………………………

19

 

Section 2.01.

Commitments………………………………………………………………….

19

 

Section 2.02

Loans and Borrowing………………………………………………………….

19

 

Section 2.03

Requests for Revolving Borrowings…………………………………………..

19

 

Section 2.04.

Funding of Borrowings………………………………………………………..

20

 

Section 2.05.

Interest Elections………………………………………………………………

20

 

Section 2.06.

Termination and Reduction of, and Increases in, Commitments……………..

21

 

Section 2.07.

Repayment of Loans; Evidence of Debt………………………………………

22

 

Section 2.08.

Prepayment of Loans…………………………………………………………..

23

 

Section 2.09.

Fees…………………………………………………………………………….

23

 

Section 2.10.

Interest…………………………………………………………………………

23

 

Section 2.11.

Alternate Rate of Interest……………………………………………...………

24

 

Section 2.12.

Increased Costs………………………………………………………………..

25

 

Section 2.13.

Break Funding Payments……………………………………………………..

26

 

Section 2.14.

Withholding of Taxes; Gross-Up………………………………………..……

27

 

Section 2.15.

Payments Generally; Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of Setoffs…………..……

30

 


 

 

 

Section 2.16.

Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders……………………………..

31

 

Section 2.17.

Defaulting Lenders…………………………………………………………….

32

 

Section 2.18

Extension of Maturity Date……………………………………………………

33

ARTICLE III

Representations and Warranties……………………………………………….

34

 

Section 3.01.

Existence and Standing………………………………………………………..

34

 

Section 3.02.

Authorization and Validity…………………………………………………….

34

 

Section 3.03.

No Conflict; Consent…………………………………………………………..

35

 

Section 3.04.

Financial Statements……………………………………………………………

35

 

Section 3.05.

Taxes……………………………………………………………………………

35

 

Section 3.06.

Material Adverse Change………………………………………………………

35

 

Section 3.07.

Litigation and Contingent Obligations…………………………………….......

35

 

Section 3.08.

Subsidiaries…………………………………………………………………….

36

 

Section 3.09.

ERISA………………………………………………………………………….

36

 

Section 3.10.

Accuracy of Information……………………………………………………….

36

 

Section 3.11.

Regulation U……………………………………………………………………

36

 

Section 3.12.

Material Agreements………………………………………………………..…

36

 

Section 3.13.

Compliance With Laws…………………………………………………..……

36

 

Section 3.14.

Plan Assets; Prohibited Transactions…………………………………………..

36

 

Section 3.15.

Investment Company Act………………………………………………………

37

 

Section 3.16.

Insurance Licenses……………………………………………………………..

37

 

Section 3.17.

Solvency………………………………………………………………………..

37

 

Section 3.18.

Labor Controversies; Union Contracts, Etc………………………………........

37

 

Section 3.19.

Surety Obligations; Financial Assurances……………………………………..

37

 

Section 3.20.

Business Relations……………………………………………………………..

37

 

Section 3.21.

Environmental Matters……………………………………………..………….

38

 

Section 3.22.

Ranking…………………………………………………………………………

38

 


 

 

 

Section 3.23.

Intellectual Property………………………………………………………..….

38

 

Section 3.24.

Anti-Corruption Laws and Sanctions………………………………………….

38

 

Section 3.25.

EEA Financial Institutions……………………………………………………..

38

ARTICLE IV

Conditions……………………………………………………………………………

38

 

Section 4.01.

Effective Date………………………………………………………………….

38

 

Section 4.02.

Each Loan……………………………………………………………………..

39

ARTICLE V

Affirmative Covenants………………………………………………………………

39

 

Section 5.01.

Financial Statements…………………………………………………………..

39

 

Section 5.02.

Other Reports………………………………………………………………….

40

 

Section 5.03.

Use of Proceeds………………………………………………………………..

41

 

Section 5.04.

Notice of Default………………………………………………………………

41

 

Section 5.05.

Taxes…………………………………………………………………………..

41

 

Section 5.06.

Insurance………………………………………………………………………

41

 

Section 5.07.

Compliance with Laws………………………………………………………

42

 

Section 5.08.

Maintenance of Properties…………………………………………………….

42

 

Section 5.09.

Inspection………………………………………………………………………

42

 

Section 5.10.

Conduct of Business…………………………………………………………

42

 

Section 5.11.

Accuracy of Information……………………………………………………….

43

 

Section 5.12.

Plan Assets; Prohibited Transaction………………………………..…………

43

ARTICLE VI

Negative Covenants………………………………………………………………….

43

 

Section 6.01.

Dividends………………………………………………………………………

43

 

Section 6.02.

Merger………………………………………………………………………….

43

 

Section 6.03.

Sale of Assets………………………………………………………………….

44

 

Section 6.04.

Investments and Acquisitions………………………………………………….

44

 

Section 6.05.

Liens……………………………………………………………………………

44

 

Section 6.06.

Reinsurance……………………………………………………………………

46

 


 

 

 

Section 6.07.

Affiliates……………………………………………………………………….

46

 

Section 6.08.

Financial Covenants…………………………………………………………

46

ARTICLE VII

Events of Default……………………………………………………………………

46

 

Section 7.01.

Events of Default………………………………………………………………

46

 

Section 7.02.

Application of Payments…………………………………………………..….

49

ARTICLE VIII

The Administrative Agent…………………………………………………………...

49

 

Section 8.01.

Authorization and Action……………………………………………………..

49

 

Section 8.02.

Administrative Agent’s Reliance, Indemnification, Etc………………………

51

 

Section 8.03.

Posting of Communications…………………………………………………

52

 

Section 8.04.

The Administrative Agent Individually……………………………………….

53

 

Section 8.05.

Successor Administrative Agent………………………………………………

54

 

Section 8.06.

Acknowledgements of Lenders………………………………………………..

54

 

Section 8.07.

Certain ERISA Matters………………………………………………………..

55

ARTICLE IX

Miscellaneous………………………………………………………………………..

56

 

Section 9.01.

Notices…………………………………………………………………………

56

 

Section 9.02.

Waivers; Amendments…………………………………………………..……

58

 

Section 9.03.

Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver………………………………………..

58

 

Section 9.04.

Successors and Assigns………………………………………………………..

60

 

Section 9.05.

Survival………………………………………………………………………..

63

 

Section 9.06.

Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness; Electronic Execution………………

63

 

Section 9.07.

Severability…………………………………………………………………….

64

 

Section 9.08.

Right of Setoff………………………………………………..……………….

64

 

Section 9.09.

Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Consent to Service of Process……………..….

64

 

Section 9.10.

WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL…………………………………………………..

65

 

Section 9.11.

Headings……………………………………………………………………….

65

 

Section 9.12.

Confidentiality…………………………………………………………………

65

 


 

 

 

Section 9.13.

Material Non-Public Information…………………………………………..…

66

 

Section 9.14.

Interest Rate Limitation……………………………………………………….

66

 

Section 9.15.

No Fiduciary Duty, etc……………………………………………………….

67

 

Section 9.16.

USA PATRIOT Act………………………………………………………......

67

 

Section 9.17.

Acknowledgement and Consent to Bail-In of EEA Financial Institutions…....

68

 

 

SCHEDULES:

Schedule 2.01 – Commitments

Schedule 3.08 -- Subsidiaries

Schedule 3.19 – Financial Assurance       

EXHIBITS:

Exhibit A – Form of Assignment and Assumption

Exhibit B – Form of Borrowing Request

Exhibit C – Form of Interest Election Request

Exhibit D-1 – U.S. Tax Certificate (For Non-U.S. Lenders that are not Partnerships for U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)

Exhibit D-2 – U.S. Tax Certificate (For Non-U.S. Participants that are not Partnerships for U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)

Exhibit D-3 – U.S. Tax Certificate (For Non-U.S. Participants that are Partnerships for U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)

Exhibit D-4 – U.S. Tax Certificate (For Non-U.S. Lenders that are Partnerships for U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)

 

 

 


 

 

CREDIT AGREEMENT dated as of May 24, 2018, among RLI CORP., the LENDERS party hereto, and JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., as Administrative Agent.

The parties hereto agree as follows:

ARTICLE I


Definitions

Section 1.01. Defined TermsAs used in this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings specified below:

ABR”, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the Loans comprising such Borrowing, bear interest at a rate determined by reference to the Alternate Base Rate.

Acquisition” means any transaction, or any series of related transactions, consummated on or after the date of this Agreement, by which the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (a) acquires any going business or all or substantially all of the assets of any firm, corporation or limited liability company, or division thereof, whether through purchase of assets, merger or otherwise or (b) directly or indirectly acquires (in one transaction or as the most recent transaction in a series of transactions) at least a majority (in number of votes) of the securities of a corporation which have ordinary voting power for the election of directors (other than securities having such power only by reason of the happening of a contingency) or a majority (by percentage or voting power) of the outstanding ownership interests of a partnership or limited liability company.

Adjusted LIBO Rate” means, with respect to any Eurodollar Borrowing for any Interest Period, an interest rate per annum (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/16 of 1%) equal to (a) the LIBO Rate for such Interest Period multiplied by (b) the Statutory Reserve Rate.

Administrative Agent” means JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. in its capacity as administrative agent for the Lenders hereunder.

Administrative Questionnaire” means an Administrative Questionnaire in a form supplied by the Administrative Agent.

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.

Agent Indemnitee” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.03(c).

Alternate Base Rate” means, for any day, a rate per annum equal to the greatest of (a) the Prime Rate in effect on such day, (b) the NYFRB Rate in effect on such day plus ½ of 1% and (c) the Adjusted LIBO Rate for a one month Interest Period on such day (or if such day is not a Business Day, the immediately preceding Business Day) plus 1%, provided that for the purpose of this definition, the Adjusted LIBO Rate for any day shall be based on the LIBO Screen Rate (or if the LIBO Screen Rate is not available for such one month Interest Period, the Interpolated Rate) at approximately 11:00 a.m. London time on such day.  Any change in the Alternate Base Rate due to a change in the Prime Rate, the NYFRB Rate or the Adjusted LIBO Rate shall be effective from and including the effective date of such change in the Prime Rate, the NYFRB Rate or the Adjusted LIBO Rate, respectively.  If the Alternate Base Rate is being used as an alternate rate of interest pursuant to Section 2.11 hereof, then the Alternate Base Rate shall be the greater of clauses (a) and (b) above and shall be determined without reference to clause (c) above.  For the

 


 

 

avoidance of doubt, if the Alternate Base Rate as so determined would be less than zero, such rate shall be deemed to be zero for purposes of this Agreement.

Annual Statement” means the annual statutory financial statement of any Insurance Subsidiary required to be filed with the insurance commissioner (or similar authority) of its jurisdiction of incorporation, which statement shall be in the form required by such Insurance Subsidiary’s jurisdiction of incorporation or, if no specific form is so required, in the form of financial statements permitted by such insurance commissioner (or such similar authority) to be used for filing annual statutory financial statements and shall contain the type of information permitted by such insurance commissioner (or such similar authority) to be disclosed therein, together with all exhibits or schedules filed therewith.

Anti-Corruption Laws” means all laws, rules, and regulations of any jurisdiction applicable to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries from time to time concerning or relating to bribery or corruption.

Applicable Parties” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 8.03(c).

Applicable Percentage” means, with respect to any Lender, the percentage of the total Commitments represented by such Lender’s Commitment; provided that, in the case of Section 2.17 when a Defaulting Lender shall exist, “Applicable Percentage” shall mean the percentage of the total Commitments (disregarding any Defaulting Lender’s Commitment) represented by such Lender’s Commitment.  If the Commitments have terminated or expired, the Applicable Percentages shall be determined based upon the Commitments most recently in effect, giving effect to any assignments and to any Lender’s status as a Defaulting Lender at the time of determination.

Applicable Rate” means, for any day, with respect to any Floating Rate Loan or Eurodollar Loan, or with respect to the commitment fees payable hereunder, as the case may be, the applicable rate per annum set forth below under the caption "Floating Rate Spread", "Eurodollar Spread" or "Commitment Fee Rate", as the case may be, based upon the Moody’s Rating and the S&P Rating applicable on such date to the Index Debt:

Index Debt Ratings:

Floating Rate Spread

Eurodollar Spread

Commitment Fee Rate

Level I Status

0.125%

1.125%

0.150%

Level II Status

0.250%

1.250%

0.175%

Level III Status

0.375%

1.375%

0.225%

 

For the purposes of this definition:

"Level I Status" exists at any date if, on such date, the Borrower's Moody’s Rating is A3 or better or the Borrower’s S&P Rating is A- or better.

"Level II Status" exists at any date if, on such date, (i) the Borrower has not qualified for Level I Status and (ii) the Borrower's Moody’s Rating is Baa1 or better or the Borrower's S&P Rating is BBB+ or better.

 

 

 

2

 


 

 

"Level III Status" exists at any date if, on such date, the Borrower has not qualified for Level I Status or Level II Status.

"Moody’s Rating" means, at any time, the rating issued by Moody’s and then in effect with respect to the Index Debt.

"S&P Rating" means, at any time, the rating issued by S&P and then in effect with respect to the Index Debt.

"Status" means Level I Status, Level II Status or Level III Status.

For purposes of the foregoing, (i) if the ratings established or deemed to have been established by Moody’s and S&P for the Index Debt shall fall within different Levels, the Applicable Rate shall be based on the higher of the two ratings unless one of the two ratings is two or more Levels lower than the other, in which case the Applicable Rate shall be determined by reference to the rating which is one Level above the lower of the two ratings, and (ii) if the ratings established or deemed to have been established by Moody’s and S&P for the Index Debt shall be changed (other than as a result of a change in the rating system of Moody’s or S&P, as applicable), such change shall be effective as of the date on which it is first announced by the applicable rating agency, irrespective of when notice of such change shall have been furnished by the Borrower to the Agent and the Lenders pursuant to Section 6.1 or otherwise.  Each change in the Applicable Rate shall apply during the period commencing on the effective date of such change and ending on the date immediately preceding the effective date of the next such change.  If the rating system of Moody’s or S&P shall change, if either Moody’s or S&P shall cease to be in the business of rating corporate debt obligations or if neither Moody’s nor S&P shall have in effect a rating for the Index Debt, then the Borrower, the Agent and the Required Lenders shall negotiate in good faith to amend this definition to reflect such changed rating system or the unavailability of ratings from such ratings agency and, pending the effectiveness of any such amendment, the Applicable Rate shall be determined by reference to the rating most recently in effect prior to any such change or cessation. 

 “Approved Electronic Platform” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 8.03(a).

Approved Fund” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.04(b).

Arranger” means JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. in its capacity as sole bookrunner and sole lead arranger hereunder.

Assignment and Assumption” means an assignment and assumption entered into by a Lender and an assignee (with the consent of any party whose consent is required by Section 9.04), and accepted by the Administrative Agent, in the form of Exhibit A or any other form (including electronic records generated by the use of an electronic platform) approved by the Administrative Agent.

Availability Period” means the period from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the earlier of the Maturity Date and the date of termination of the Commitments.

Bail-In Action” means the exercise of any Write-Down and Conversion Powers by the applicable EEA Resolution Authority in respect of any liability of an EEA Financial Institution.

Bail-In Legislation” means, 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 for such EEA Member Country from time to time which is described in the EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule.

 

 

 

3

 


 

 

Bankruptcy Code” means Title 11 of the United States Code entitled “Bankruptcy”, as now and hereafter in effect, or any successor statute.

Bankruptcy Event” means, with respect to any Person, such Person becomes the subject of a voluntary or involuntary bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding, or has had a receiver, conservator, trustee, administrator, custodian, assignee for the benefit of creditors or similar Person charged with the reorganization or liquidation of its business appointed for it, or, in the good faith determination of the Administrative Agent, has taken any action in furtherance of, or indicating its consent to, approval of, or acquiescence in, any such proceeding or appointment or has had any order for relief in such proceeding entered in respect thereof, provided that a Bankruptcy Event shall not result solely by virtue of any ownership interest, or the acquisition of any ownership interest, in such Person by a Governmental Authority or instrumentality thereof, unless such ownership interest results in or provides such Person 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 permits such Person (or such Governmental Authority or instrumentality) to reject, repudiate, disavow or disaffirm any contracts or agreements made by such Person.

Beneficial Ownership Certification” means a certification regarding beneficial ownership as 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 Section 3(3) of ERISA) that is subject to Title I of ERISA, (b) a “plan” as defined in Section 4975 of the Code to which Section 4975 of the Code applies, and (c) any Person whose assets include (for purposes of the Plan Asset Regulations 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”.

Borrower” means RLI Corp., a Delaware corporation, and its successors and assigns.

Borrowing” means Revolving Loans of the same Type, made, converted or continued on the same date and, in the case of Eurodollar Loans, as to which a single Interest Period is in effect.

Borrowing Request” means a request by the Borrower for a Revolving Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.03, which shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit B or any other form approved by the Administrative Agent.

Business Day” means any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in New York City or Chicago, Illinois are authorized or required by law to remain closed; provided that, when used in connection with a Eurodollar Loan, the term “Business Day” shall also exclude any day on which banks are not open for dealings in dollar deposits in the London interbank market.

Capitalized Lease” of a Person means any lease of property by such Person as lessee which would be capitalized on a balance sheet of such Person prepared in accordance with GAAP.

Capitalized Lease Obligations” of a Person means the amount of the obligations of such Person under Capitalized Leases which would be shown as a liability on a balance sheet of such Person prepared in accordance with GAAP.

CBIC” means Contractors Bonding and Insurance Co., an Illinois insurance company.

 

 

 

4

 


 

 

Change in Control” means (a) a “change in control,” as defined in any applicable state law Insurance Holding Company System Regulatory Act or similar legislation, regulation, applicable insurance commission or department order, with respect to RLIC or MHIC; (b) any “Person” or “group” (as such terms are used in Sections 13d and 14d of the 1934 Act, is or shall become the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the 1934 Act) directly or indirectly, of 25% or more on a fully diluted basis of the voting capital stock interest of the Borrower; (c) during any period of 12 consecutive calendar months, commencing on the date hereof, the ceasing of those individuals (the “Continuing Directors”) who (i) were directors of the Borrower on the first day of each such period or (ii) subsequently became directors of the Borrower and whose initial election or initial nomination for election subsequent to that date was approved by a majority of the Continuing Directors then on the board of directors of the Borrower, to constitute a majority of the board of directors of the Borrower; (d) the Borrower shall cease to own beneficially and of record, free and clear of all Liens, other encumbrances or voting agreements, restrictions or trusts of any kind, 100% of the outstanding shares of voting stock of RLIC on a fully diluted basis; or (e) RLIC shall cease to own beneficially and of record, free and clear of all Liens, other encumbrances or voting agreements, restrictions or trusts of any kind, 100% of the outstanding shares of voting shock of MHIC on a fully diluted basis.

Change in Law” means the occurrence after the date of this Agreement or, with respect to any Lender, such later date on which such Lender becomes a party to this Agreement) of (a) the adoption of 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) compliance by any Lender (or, for purposes of Section 2.12(b), by any lending office of such Lender or by such Lender’s holding company, if any) with any request, guideline or directive (whether or not having the force of law) of any Governmental Authority made or issued after the date of this Agreement; provided that, notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary,  (x) 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 (y) 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.

Charges” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.14.

Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

Commitment” means, with respect to each Lender, the commitment of such Lender to make Revolving Loans hereunder, expressed as an amount representing the maximum aggregate amount of such Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure hereunder, as such commitment may be (a) reduced from time to time pursuant to Section 2.06 and (b) reduced or increased from time to time pursuant to assignments by or to such Lender pursuant to Section 9.04.  The initial amount of each Lender’s Commitment is set forth on Schedule 2.01, or in the Assignment and Assumption or other documentation or record (as such term is defined in Section 9-102(a)(70) of the Illinois Uniform Commercial Code) as provided in Section 9.04(b)(ii)(C), pursuant to which such Lender shall have assumed its Commitment, as applicable.  The initial aggregate amount of the Lenders’ Commitments is $50,000,000.

Communications” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 8.03(c).

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.

 

 

 

5

 


 

 

Consolidated Indebtedness” means at any time the Indebtedness of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries calculated on a consolidated basis as of such time.

Consolidated Net Worth” means at any time the consolidated stockholders’ equity of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries calculated on a consolidated basis as of such time.

Consolidated Total Capitalization” means at any time the sum of Consolidated Indebtedness and Consolidated Net Worth, each calculated at such time.

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.

Credit Party” means the Administrative Agent or any other Lender.

Default” means any event or condition which constitutes an Event of Default or which upon notice, lapse of time or both would, unless cured or waived, become an Event of Default.

Defaulting Lender” means any Lender that (a) has failed, within two Business Days of the date required to be funded or paid, to (i) fund any portion of its Loans, or (ii) pay over to any Credit Party any other amount required to be paid by it hereunder, unless, in the case of clause (i) above, such Lender notifies the Administrative Agent in writing that such failure is the result of such Lender’s good faith determination that a condition precedent to funding (specifically identified and including the particular default, if any) has not been satisfied, (b) has notified the Borrower or any Credit Party in writing, or has made a public statement to the effect, that it does not intend or expect to comply with any of its funding obligations under this Agreement (unless such writing or public statement indicates that such position is based on such Lender’s good faith determination that a condition precedent (specifically identified and including the particular default, if any) to funding a loan under this Agreement cannot be satisfied) or generally under other agreements in which it commits to extend credit, (c) has failed, within three Business Days after request by a Credit Party, acting in good faith, to provide a certification in writing from an authorized officer of such Lender that it will comply with its obligations (and is financially able to meet such obligations) to fund prospective Loans under this Agreement, provided that such Lender shall cease to be a Defaulting Lender pursuant to this clause (c) upon such Credit Party’s receipt of such certification in form and substance satisfactory to it and the Administrative Agent, or (d) has become the subject of (A) a Bankruptcy Event or (B) a Bail-In Action.

Disposition” or “Dispose” means the sale, transfer, license, lease or other disposition (in one transaction or in a series of transactions) of any property by any Person (including any sale and leaseback transaction and any issuance of Equity Interests by a Subsidiary of such Person), 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.

dollars” or “$” refers to lawful money of the United States of America.

EEA Financial Institution” means (a) any institution 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 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.

 

 

 

6

 


 

 

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.

Effective Date” means the date on which the conditions specified in Section 4.01 are satisfied (or waived in accordance with Section 9.02).

Electronic Signature” means an electronic sound, symbol, or process attached to, or associated with, a contract or other record and adopted by a person with the intent to sign, authenticate or accept such contract or record.

Environmental Laws” means all laws, rules, regulations, codes, ordinances, orders, decrees, judgments, injunctions, notices or binding agreements issued, promulgated or entered into by any Governmental Authority, relating in any way to (i) the environment, (ii) preservation or reclamation of natural resources, (iii) the management, release or threatened release of any Hazardous Material or (iv) health and safety matters.

Environmental Liability” means any liability, contingent or otherwise (including any liability for damages, costs of environmental remediation, fines, penalties or indemnities), of the Borrower or any Subsidiary directly or indirectly resulting from or based upon (a) violation of any Environmental Law, (b) the generation, use, handling, transportation, storage, treatment or disposal of any Hazardous Materials, (c) exposure to any Hazardous Materials, (d) the release or threatened release of any Hazardous Materials into the environment 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 shares of capital stock, partnership interests, membership interests in a limited liability company, beneficial interests in a trust or other equity ownership interests in a Person, and any warrants, options or other rights entitling the holder thereof to purchase or acquire any such equity interest, but excluding any debt securities convertible into any of the foregoing.

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

ERISA Affiliate” means any trade or business (whether or not incorporated) that, together with the Borrower, is treated as a single employer under Section 414(b) or (c) of the Code or Section 4001(14) of ERISA or, solely for purposes of Section 302 of ERISA and Section 412 of the Code, is treated as a single employer under Section 414 of the Code.

ERISA Event” means (a) any “reportable event”, as defined in Section 4043 of ERISA or the regulations issued thereunder with respect to a Plan (other than an event for which the 30 day notice period is waived); (b) the failure to satisfy the “minimum funding standard” (as defined in Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA), whether or not waived; (c) the filing pursuant to Section 412(c) of the Code or Section 302(c) of ERISA of an application for a waiver of the minimum funding standard with respect to any Plan; (d) the incurrence by the Borrower or any of its ERISA Affiliates of any liability under Title IV of ERISA with respect to the termination of any Plan; (e) the receipt by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from the PBGC or a plan administrator of any notice relating to an intention by the PBGC to terminate any Plan or Plans or to appoint a trustee to administer any Plan; (f) the incurrence by the Borrower or any of its ERISA Affiliates of any liability with respect to the withdrawal or partial withdrawal of the Company or any

 

 

 

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of its ERISA Affiliates from any Plan or Multiemployer Plan; or (g) the receipt by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate of any notice, or the receipt by any Multiemployer Plan from the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate of any notice, concerning the imposition upon the Company or any of its ERISA Affiliates of Withdrawal Liability or a determination that a Multiemployer Plan is, or is expected to be, insolvent or in reorganization, within the meaning of Title IV of ERISA.

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.

Eurodollar” when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the Loans comprising such Borrowing, are bearing interest at a rate determined by reference to the Adjusted LIBO Rate (or, in the case of a Competitive Loan, the LIBO Rate).

Event of Default” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 7.01.

Excluded Taxes” means any of the following Taxes imposed on or with respect to a 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 applicable 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 2.16(b)) or (ii) such Lender changes its lending office, except in each case to the extent that, pursuant to Section 2.14, amounts with respect to such Taxes were payable either to such Lender’s assignor immediately before such Lender acquired the applicable interest in a Loan or Commitment or to such Lender immediately before it changed its lending office, (c) Taxes attributable to such Recipient’s failure to comply with Section 2.14(f) and (d) any withholding Taxes imposed under FATCA.

Existing Maturity Date” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.18(a).

Extending Lender” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.18(b)(ii).

Extension Request” means a written request from the Borrower to the Administrative Agent requesting an extension of the Maturity Date pursuant to Section 2.18.

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 agreement 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 Effective Rate” means, for any day, the rate calculated by the NYFRB based on such day’s federal funds transactions by depositary institutions, as determined in such manner as the NYFRB shall set forth on its public website from time to time, and published on the next succeeding Business Day by the NYFRB as the effective federal funds rate, provided that if the Federal Funds Effective Rate as so determined would be less than zero, such rate shall be deemed to zero for the purposes of this Agreement.

 

 

 

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Federal Reserve Board” means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of the United States of America.

FHLB Agreement” means any loan agreement or other instrument or agreement governing Indebtedness entered into between RLIC or MHIC and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago.

Financial Assurance” means any financial assurance (whether in the form of a bond, letter of credit, cash or otherwise) required pursuant to any Act, other than insurance policies and bonds issued by any Insurance Subsidiary in the ordinary course of business.

Financial Hedge” means a swap, collar, floor, cap or other contract which is intended to reduce or eliminate the risk of fluctuations in interest rates.

Financial Officer” means the chief financial officer, principal accounting officer, treasurer or controller of the Borrower.

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.

GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America.

Governmental Authority” means the government of the United States of America, any other nation or 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.

Guarantee” of or by any Person (the “guarantor”) means any obligation, contingent or otherwise, of the guarantor guaranteeing or having the economic effect of guaranteeing any Indebtedness or other obligation of any other Person (the “primary obligor”) in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, and including any obligation of the guarantor, direct or indirect, (a) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for the purchase or payment of) such Indebtedness or other obligation or to purchase (or to advance or supply funds for the purchase of) any security for the payment thereof, (b) to purchase or lease property, securities or services for the purpose of assuring the owner of such Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment thereof, (c) to maintain working capital, equity capital or any other financial statement condition or liquidity of the primary obligor so as to enable the primary obligor to pay such Indebtedness or other obligation or (d) as an account party in respect of any letter of credit or letter of guaranty issued to support such Indebtedness or obligation; provided, that the term Guarantee shall not include endorsements for collection or deposit in the ordinary course of business.

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, asbestos or asbestos containing materials, polychlorinated biphenyls, radon gas, infectious or medical wastes and all other substances or wastes of any nature regulated pursuant to any Environmental Law.

Impacted Interest Period” has the meaning assigned to it in the definition of “LIBO Rate.”

Indebtedness” of a Person means such Person’s (a) obligations for borrowed money, including, without limitation, obligations under any FHLB Agreement, (b) obligations representing the deferred purchase price of property or services (other than accounts payable arising in the ordinary course of such Person’s business payable on terms customary in the trade), (c) obligations, whether or not assumed, secured

 

 

 

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by Liens or payable out of the proceeds or production from property now or hereafter owned or acquired by such Person, (d) obligations which are evidenced by notes, acceptances, or other instruments, (e) obligations to purchase securities or other property arising out of or in connection with the sale of the same or substantially similar securities or property, (f) Capitalized Lease Obligations, (g) obligations arising in respect of reverse repurchase transactions, (h) reimbursement obligations arising in respect of drawn and undrawn Letters of Credit, (i) senior obligations with respect to Financial Hedges, but only following the occurrence of a default under the applicable Financial Hedge or an Event of Default hereunder, (j) senior obligations with respect to debt for which a Person is responsible or liable solely as a guarantor, but only from and after the date demand for payment is made under the applicable guaranty, and (k) any other obligation for borrowed money or other financial accommodation which in accordance with GAAP would be shown as a liability on the consolidated balance sheet of such Person.

Indemnified Taxes” means (a) Taxes, other than Excluded Taxes, imposed on or with respect to any payment made by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower under any Loan Document and (b) to the extent not otherwise described in (a) hereof, Other Taxes.

Indemnitee” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.03(b).

Ineligible Institution” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.04(b).

Index Debt” means senior, unsecured, long-term indebtedness for borrowed money of the Borrower that is not guaranteed by any other Person or subject to any other credit enhancement.

Information” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.12.

Insurance Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary which is engaged in the insurance business.

Interest Election Request” means a request by the Borrower to convert or continue a Revolving Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.05, which shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit C or any other form approved by the Administrative Agent.

Interest Payment Date” means (a) with respect to any ABR Loan, the last day of each March, June, September and December and the Maturity Date, and (b) with respect to any Eurodollar Loan, the last day of each Interest Period applicable to the Borrowing of which such Loan is a part and, in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing with an Interest Period of more than three months’ duration, each day prior to the last day of such Interest Period that occurs at intervals of three months’ duration after the first day of such Interest Period, and the Maturity Date.

Interest Period” means, with respect to any Eurodollar Borrowing, the period commencing on the date of such Borrowing and ending on the numerically corresponding day in the calendar month that is one, two, three or six months thereafter, as the Borrower may elect; provided, that (i) if any Interest Period would end on a day other than a Business Day, such Interest Period shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day unless, in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing only, such next succeeding Business Day would fall in the next calendar month, in which case such Interest Period shall end on the next preceding Business Day and (ii) any Interest Period pertaining to a Eurodollar Borrowing that commences on the last Business Day of a calendar month (or on a day for which there is no numerically corresponding day in the last calendar month of such Interest Period) shall end on the last Business Day of the last calendar month of such Interest Period.  For purposes hereof, the date of a Borrowing initially shall be the date on which such Borrowing is made and, in the case of a Revolving Borrowing, thereafter shall be the effective date of the most recent conversion or continuation of such Borrowing.

 

 

 

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Interpolated  Rate means, at any time, for any Interest Period, the rate per annum (rounded to the same number of decimal places as the LIBO Screen Rate) determined by the Administrative Agent (which determination shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest error) to be equal to the rate that results from interpolating on a linear basis between: (a) the LIBO Screen Rate for the longest period for which the LIBO Screen Rate is available) that is shorter than the Impacted Interest Period; and (b) the LIBO Screen Rate for the shortest period (for which that LIBO Screen Rate is available) that exceeds the Impacted Interest Period, in each case, at such time.

Investment” of a Person means any loan, advance (other than commission, travel and similar advances to officers and employees made in the ordinary course of business), extension of credit (other than premiums or accounts receivable arising in the ordinary course of business on terms customary in the trade) or contribution of capital by such Person; stocks, bonds, mutual funds, partnership interests, notes, debentures or other securities owned by such Person; any deposit accounts and certificate of deposit owned by such Person; and structured notes, derivative financial instruments and other similar instruments or contracts owned by such Person.

Investment Grade Obligations” means, as of any date for each Insurance Subsidiary, Investments having an NAIC investment rating of 1 or 2, or a Standard & Poor’s rating within the range of ratings from AAA to BBB-, or a Moody’s rating within the range of ratings from Aaa to Baa3.

IRS” means the United States Internal Revenue Service.

Lender Parent” means, with respect to any Lender, any Person as to which such Lender is, directly or indirectly, a subsidiary.

Lenders” means the Persons listed on Schedule 2.01 and any other Person that shall have become a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption or otherwise, other than any such Person that ceases to be a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption or otherwise.

LIBO Rate” means, with respect to any Eurodollar Borrowing for any Interest Period, the LIBO Screen Rate at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, two Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period; provided that if the LIBO Screen Rate shall not be available at such time for such Interest Period (an “Impacted Interest Period”) then the LIBO Rate shall be the Interpolated Rate.

LIBO Screen Rate”  means, for any day and time, with respect to any Eurodollar Borrowing for any Interest Period, the London interbank offered rate as administered by ICE Benchmark Administration (or any other Person that takes over the administration of such rate for U.S. Dollars for a period equal in length to such Interest Period as displayed on such day and time on pages LIBOR01 or LIBOR02 of the Reuters screen that displays such rate (or, in the event such rate does not appear on a Reuters page or screen, on any successor or substitute page on such screen that displays such rate, or on the appropriate page of such other information service that publishes such rate from time to time as selected by the Administrative Agent in its reasonable discretion); provided that if the LIBO Screen Rate as so determined would be less than zero, such rate shall be deemed to be zero for the purposes of this Agreement.

License” means any license, certificate of authority, permit or other authorization which is required to be obtained from any Governmental Authority in connection with the operation, ownership or transaction of insurance business.

Lien” means, with respect to any asset, (a) any mortgage, deed of trust, lien, pledge, hypothecation, encumbrance, charge or security interest in, on or of such asset, (b) the interest of a vendor or a lessor under any conditional sale agreement, capital lease or title retention agreement (or any financing lease having

 

 

 

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substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing) relating to such asset and (c) in the case of securities, any purchase option, call or similar right of a third party with respect to such securities.

Loan Documents” means this Agreement, including schedules and exhibits hereto, and any agreements entered into in connection herewith by the Borrower with or in favor of the Administrative Agent and/or the Lenders, including this Agreement, the notes, any amendments, modifications or supplements thereto or waivers thereof, legal opinions issued in connection with the other Loan Documents, and any other documents prepared in connection with the other Loan Documents, if any.

Loans” means the loans made by the Lenders to the Borrower pursuant to this Agreement.

Margin Stock” means margin stock within the meaning of Regulations T, U and X, as applicable.

Material Adverse Effect” means a material adverse effect on (a) the business, assets, operations, prospects or condition, financial or otherwise, of the Borrower and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (b) the ability of the Borrower to perform any of its Obligations or (c) the validity or enforceability of any of the Loan Documents or the rights or remedies of the Agent or the Lenders thereunder.

Material Indebtedness” means Indebtedness (other than the Loans), or obligations in respect of one or more Swap Agreements, of any one or more of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in an aggregate principal amount exceeding $10,000,000.  For purposes of determining Material Indebtedness, the “principal amount” of the obligations of the Borrower or any Subsidiary in respect of any Swap Agreement at any time shall be the maximum aggregate amount (giving effect to any netting agreements) that the Borrower or such Subsidiary would be required to pay if such Swap Agreement were terminated at such time.

Material Indebtedness Agreement” means any agreement under which any Material Indebtedness was created or is governed or which provides for the incurrence of Indebtedness in an amount which would constitute Material Indebtedness (whether or not an amount of Indebtedness constituting Material Indebtedness is outstanding thereunder).

Maturity Date” means, with respect to any Lender, the later of (a) May 24, 2020 and (b) if the maturity date is extended for such Lender pursuant to Section 2.18, such extended maturity date as determined pursuant to such Section; provided,  however, in each case, if such date is not a Business Day, the Maturity Date shall be the next preceding Business Day.

Maximum Rate” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.14.

MHIC” means Mt. Hawley Insurance Company, an Illinois insurance company.

Moody’s” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.

Multiemployer Plan” means a multiemployer plan as defined in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA.

NAIC” means the National Association of Insurance Commissioners or any successor thereto, or in lieu thereof, any other association, agency or other organization performing advisory, coordination or other like functions among insurance departments, insurance commissioners and similar Governmental Authorities of the various states of the United States toward the promotion of uniformity in the practices of such Governmental Authorities.

Non-extending Lender” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.18(a).

 

 

 

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NYFRB” means the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

NYFRB Rate” means, for any day, the greater of (a) the Federal Funds Effective Rate in effect on such day and (b) the Overnight Bank Funding Rate in effect on such day (or for any day that is not a Business Day, for the immediately preceding Business Day); provided that if none of such rates are published for any day that is a Business Day, the term “NYFRB Rate” means the rate for a federal funds transaction quoted at 11:00 a.m. on such day received by the Administrative Agent from a federal funds broker of recognized standing selected by it; provided, further, that if any of the aforesaid rates as so determined be less than zero, such rate shall be deemed to be zero for purposes of this Agreement.

Obligations” means all advances to, and debts, liabilities, obligations, covenants and duties of, the Borrower arising under any Loan Document or otherwise with respect to any Loan, 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 and fees that accrue after the commencement by or against the Borrower 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 and fees are allowed or allowable claims in such proceeding.  Without limiting the foregoing, the Obligations include (a) the obligation to pay principal, interest, charges, expenses, fees, indemnities and other amounts payable by the Borrower under any Loan Document and (b) the obligation of the Borrower to reimburse any amount in respect of any of the foregoing that the Administrative Agent or any Lender, in each case in its sole discretion, may elect to pay or advance on behalf of the Borrower.

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 2.16).

Overnight Bank Funding Rate” means, for any day, the rate comprised of both overnight federal funds and overnight Eurodollar borrowings by U.S.-managed banking offices of depository institutions, as such composite rate shall be determined by the NYFRB as set forth on its public website from time to time, and published on the next succeeding Business Day by the NYFRB as an overnight bank funding rate.

Participant” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.04(c).

Participant Register” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.04(c).

Patriot Act” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.16.

PBGC” means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation referred to and defined in ERISA and any successor entity performing similar functions.

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

 

 

 

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Plan” means any employee pension benefit plan (other than a Multiemployer Plan) subject to the provisions of Title IV of ERISA or Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, and in respect of which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate is (or, if such plan were terminated, would under Section 4069 of ERISA be deemed to be) an “employer” as defined in Section 3(5) of ERISA.

Plan Asset Regulations” means 29 CFR § 2510.3-101 et seq., as modified by Section 3(42) of ERISA, as amended from time to time.

Prime Rate” means the rate of interest last quoted by The Wall Street Journal as the “Prime Rate” in the U.S. or, if The Wall Street Journal ceases to quote such rate, the highest per annum interest rate published by the Federal Reserve Board in Federal Reserve Statistical Release H.15 (519) (Selected Interest Rates) as the “bank prime loan” rate or, if such rate is no longer quoted therein, any similar rate quoted therein (as determined by the Administrative Agent) or any similar release by the Federal Reserve Board (as determined by the Administrative Agent). Each change in the Prime Rate shall be effective from and including the date such change is publicly announced or quoted as being effective.

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.

Quarterly Statement” means the quarterly statutory financial statement of any Insurance Subsidiary required to be filed with the insurance commissioner (or similar authority) of its jurisdiction of incorporation or, if no specific form is so required, in the form of financial statements permitted by such insurance commissioner (or such similar authority) to be used for filing quarterly statutory financial statements and shall contain the type of financial information permitted by such insurance commissioner (or such similar authority) to be disclosed therein, together with all exhibits or schedules filed therewith.

Rating Agency” means each of S&P and Moody’s.

Recipient” means (a) the Administrative Agent and (b) any Lender, as applicable.

Register” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.04(b).

Regulation D” means Regulation D of the Federal Reserve Board, as in effect from time to time and all official rulings and interpretations thereunder or thereof.

Regulation T” means Regulation T of the Federal Reserve Board, as in effect from time to time and all official rulings and interpretations thereunder or thereof.

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

Regulation X” means Regulation X of the Federal Reserve Board, as in effect from time to time and all official rulings and interpretations thereunder or thereof.

Related Parties” means, with respect to any specified Person, such Person’s Affiliates and the respective directors, officers, employees, agents and advisors of such Person and such Person’s Affiliates.

Replacement Lender” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.18(c).

Required Lenders” means, subject to Section 2.17, at any time, Lenders having Revolving Credit Exposures and unused Commitments representing more than 50% of the sum of the Total Revolving Credit

 

 

 

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Exposure and unused Commitments at such time; provided that for the purpose of determining the Required Lenders needed for any waiver, amendment, modification or consent, any Lender that is the Borrower or an Affiliate of the Borrower shall be disregarded.

Response Date” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.18(a).

Responsible Officer” means the president, Financial Officer or other executive officer of the Borrower.

Revolving Credit Exposure” means, with respect to any Lender at any time, the sum of the outstanding principal amount of such Lender’s Revolving Loans at such time.

Revolving Loan” means a Loan made pursuant to Section 2.03.

Risk Based Capital Act” means the Risk-Based Capital for Property and Casualty Insurers Model Act and the rules, regulations and procedures prescribed from time to time by the NAIC with respect thereto, in each case as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time by the NAIC.

Risk-Based Capital Guidelines” is defined in Section 3.2.

RLIC” means RLI Insurance Company, an Illinois insurance company.

S&P” means Standard & Poor’s Rating Services, a Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC business.

Sanctioned Country” means, at any time, a country, region or territory which is itself the subject or target of any Sanctions (at the time of this Agreement, Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria).

Sanctioned Person” means, at any time, (a) any Person listed in any Sanctions-related list of designated Persons maintained by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury or the U.S. Department of State, (b) any Person operating, organized or resident in a Sanctioned Country, (c) any Person owned or controlled by any such Person or Persons described in the foregoing clauses (a) or (b), or (d) any Person otherwise the subject of any Sanctions.

Sanctions”  means all economic or financial sanctions or trade embargoes imposed, administered or enforced from time to time by the U.S. government, including those administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury or the U.S. Department of State.

SAP” means, with respect to any Insurance Subsidiary, the statutory accounting practices prescribed or permitted by the insurance commissioner (or other similar authority) in the jurisdiction of such Person for the preparation of annual statements and other financial reports by insurance companies of the same type as such Person in effect from time to time, applied in a manner consistent with those used in preparing the financial statements referred to in Section 6.1.

SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission of the United State of America.

Solvent” means, as to any Person as of any date of determination, that on such date (a) the fair value of the property of such Person is greater than the total amount of liabilities, including contingent liabilities, of such Person, (b) the present fair saleable value of such Person is not less than the amount that will be required to pay the probable liability of such Person on its debts, including contingent debts, as they become absolute and matured, (c) such Person does not intend to, and does not believe that it will, incur

 

 

 

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debts or liabilities, including contingent debts and liabilities, beyond such Person’s ability to pay such debts and liabilities as they mature and (d) such Person is not engaged in a business or a transaction, and is not about to engage in a business or a transaction, for which such Person’s property would constitute an unreasonably small capital.  The amount of any contingent liability at any time shall be computed as the amount that, in light of all of the facts and circumstances existing at such time, represents the amount that can reasonably be expected to become an actual or matured liability.

Statutory Net Income” means, with respect to any Insurance Subsidiary at any time, the net income of such Insurance Subsidiary at such time, as determined in accordance with SAP.

Statutory Reserve Rate” means a fraction (expressed as a decimal), the numerator of which is the number one and the denominator of which is the number one minus the aggregate of the maximum reserve percentage (including any marginal, special, emergency or supplemental reserves) expressed as a decimal established by the Federal Reserve Board to which the Administrative Agent is subject with respect to the Adjusted LIBO Rate, for eurocurrency funding (currently referred to as “Eurocurrency liabilities” in Regulation D).  Such reserve percentage shall include those imposed pursuant to Regulation D.  Eurodollar Loans shall be deemed to constitute eurocurrency funding and to be subject to such reserve requirements without benefit of or credit for proration, exemptions or offsets that may be available from time to time to any Lender under Regulation D or any comparable regulation.  The Statutory Reserve Rate shall be adjusted automatically on and as of the effective date of any change in any reserve percentage.

Statutory Surplus as Regards Policyholders” means, with respect to any Insurance Subsidiary at any time, the capital and surplus of such Insurance Subsidiary at such time, as determined in accordance with SAP.

subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person (the “parent”) at any date, any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or other entity the accounts of which would be consolidated with those of the parent in the parent’s consolidated financial statements if such financial statements were prepared in accordance with GAAP as of such date, as well as any other corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or other entity (a) of which securities or other ownership interests representing more than 50% of the equity or more than 50% of the ordinary voting power or, in the case of a partnership, more than 50% of the general partnership interests are, as of such date, owned, controlled or held, or (b) that is, as of such date, otherwise Controlled by the parent and/or one or more subsidiaries of the parent.

Subsidiary” means any subsidiary of the Borrower.

Substantial Portion” means, with respect to the property of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, property which represents more than 10% of the consolidated assets of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries or property which is responsible for more than 10% of the consolidated net revenue of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, in each case, as would be shown in the consolidated financial statements of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as at the beginning of the twelve-month period ending with the month in which such determination is made (or if financial statements have not been delivered hereunder for that month which begins the twelve-month period, then the financial statements delivered hereunder for the quarter ending immediately prior to that month).

Swap Agreement” means any agreement with respect to any swap, forward, future or derivative transaction or option or similar agreement involving, or settled by reference to, one or more rates, currencies, commodities, equity or debt instruments or securities, or economic, financial or pricing indices or measures of economic, financial or pricing risk or value or any similar transaction or any combination of these

 

 

 

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transactions; provided that no phantom stock or similar plan providing for payments only on account of services provided by current or former directors, officers, employees or consultants of the Borrower or the Subsidiaries shall be a Swap Agreement.

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

Total Invested Assets” means, as of any date, as to each Insurance Subsidiary, the amount of such Insurance Subsidiary’s cash and invested assets calculated in accordance with SAP.

Total Revolving Credit Exposure” means, the sum of the outstanding principal amount of all Lenders’ Revolving Loans.

Transactions” means the execution, delivery and performance by the Borrower of this Agreement, the borrowing of Loans and the use of the proceeds thereof.

Type”, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether the rate of interest on such Loan, or on the Loans comprising such Borrowing, is determined by reference to the Adjusted LIBO Rate or the Alternate Base Rate.

U.S. Person” means a “United States person” within the meaning of Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code.

U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.17(f)(ii)(B)(3).

Withdrawal Liability” means liability to a Multiemployer Plan as a result of a complete or partial withdrawal from such Multiemployer Plan, as such terms are defined in Part I of Subtitle E of Title IV of ERISA.

Write-Down and Conversion Powers” means, 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.

Section 1.02. Classification of Loans and Borrowings.  For purposes of this Agreement, Loans may be classified and referred to by Type (e.g., a “Eurodollar Loan”).  Borrowings also may be classified and referred to by Type (e.g., a “Eurodollar Borrowing”).

Section 1.03. Terms Generally.  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 (a) any definition of or reference to any agreement, instrument or other document herein shall be construed as referring to such agreement, instrument or other document as from time to time amended, supplemented or otherwise modified (subject to any restrictions on such amendments, supplements or modifications set forth herein), (b) any reference herein to any Person shall be construed to include such Person’s successors and assigns, (c) the words “herein”, “hereof” and “hereunder”, and words of similar import, shall be

 

 

 

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construed to refer to this Agreement in its entirety and not to any particular provision hereof, (d) all references herein to Articles, Sections, Exhibits and Schedules shall be construed to refer to Articles and Sections of, and Exhibits and Schedules to, this Agreement, (e) any reference to any law, rule or regulation herein shall, unless otherwise specified, refer to such law, rule or regulation as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time and (f) 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.

Section 1.04. Accounting Terms; GAAP.   Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all terms of an accounting or financial nature shall be construed in accordance with GAAP or SAP, as applicable, as in effect from time to time, unless otherwise specified; provided that, if the Borrower notifies the Administrative Agent that the Borrower requests an amendment to any provision hereof to eliminate the effect of any change occurring after the date hereof in GAAP or in the application thereof on the operation of such provision (or if the Administrative Agent notifies the Borrower that the Required Lenders request an amendment to any provision hereof for such purpose), regardless of whether any such notice is given before or after such change in GAAP or in the application thereof, then such provision shall be interpreted on the basis of GAAP as in effect and applied immediately before such change shall have become effective until such notice shall have been withdrawn or such provision amended in accordance herewith.  Notwithstanding any other provision contained herein, 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 (i) any election under Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification 825 (or any other Financial Accounting Standard having a similar result or effect) to value any Indebtedness or other liabilities of the Borrower or any Subsidiary at “fair value”, as defined therein and (ii) any treatment of Indebtedness in respect of convertible debt instruments under Accounting Standards Codification 470-20 (or any other Accounting Standards Codification or Financial Accounting Standard having a similar result or effect) to value any such Indebtedness in a reduced or bifurcated manner as described therein, and such Indebtedness shall at all times be valued at the full stated principal amount thereof.

(a) References herein to particular columns, lines or sections of any Person’s Annual Statement shall be deemed, where appropriate, to be references to the corresponding column, line or section of such Person’s Quarterly Statement, or if no such corresponding column, line or section exists or if any report form changes, then to the corresponding item referenced thereby.  In the event that the columns, lines or sections of the Annual Statement referenced herein are changed or renumbered, all such references shall be deemed references to such column, line or section as so renumbered or changed.  References herein to the Risk Based Capital Act shall be deemed to be references to such act as in effect on the date of this Agreement; provided, that the Agent, the Lenders and the Borrower agree to make mutually acceptable modifications to Section 6.18 hereof following the request by any thereof upon any modification to such act.

(c)Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in Section 1.04(a) or in the definition of “Capitalized Lease Obligations,” in the event of an accounting change requiring all leases to be capitalized, only those leases (assuming for purposes hereof that such leases were in existence on the date hereof) that would constitute capital leases in conformity with GAAP on the date hereof shall be considered capital leases, and all calculations and deliverables under this Agreement or any other Loan Document shall be made or delivered, as applicable, in accordance therewith.

Section 1.05. Interest Rates.  The Administrative Agent does not warrant or accept responsibility for, and shall not have any liability with respect to, the administration, submission or any other matter related to the rates in the definition of “LIBO Rate” or with respect to any comparable or successor rate thereto, or replacement rate therefor.

 

 

 

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ARTICLE II


The Credits

Section 2.01. Commitments.  Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, each Lender agrees to make Revolving Loans to the Borrower from time to time during the Availability Period in an aggregate principal amount that will not result (after giving effect to any application of proceeds of such Borrowing pursuant to Section 2.07) in (a) such Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure exceeding such Lender’s Commitment or (b)  the Total Revolving Credit Exposure exceeding the total Commitments.  Within the foregoing limits and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Borrower may borrow, prepay and reborrow Revolving Loans.

Section 2.02. Loans and Borrowings.   Each Revolving Loan shall be made as part of a Borrowing consisting of Revolving Loans made by the Lenders ratably in accordance with their respective Commitments.  The failure of any Lender to make any Loan required to be made by it shall not relieve any other Lender of its obligations hereunder; provided that the Commitments of the Lenders are several and no Lender shall be responsible for any other Lender’s failure to make Loans as required.

(a) Subject to Section 2.14, each Revolving Borrowing shall be comprised entirely of ABR Loans or Eurodollar Loans as the Borrower may request in accordance herewith, Each Lender at its option may make any Eurodollar Loan by causing any domestic or foreign branch or Affiliate of such Lender to make such Loan; provided that any exercise of such option shall not affect the obligation of the Borrower to repay such Loan in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.

(b) At the commencement of each Interest Period for any Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing, such Borrowing shall be in an aggregate amount that is an integral multiple of $1,000,000 and not less than $500,000.  At the time that each ABR Revolving Borrowing is made, such Borrowing shall be in an aggregate amount that is an integral multiple of $1,000,000 and not less than $100,000; provided that an ABR Revolving Borrowing may be in an aggregate amount that is equal to the entire unused balance of the total Commitments.  Borrowings of more than one Type may be outstanding at the same time; provided that there shall not at any time be more than a total of six (6) Eurodollar Revolving Borrowings outstanding.

(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Borrower shall not be entitled to request, or to elect to convert or continue, any Borrowing if the Interest Period requested with respect thereto would end after the Maturity Date.

Section 2.03. Requests for Revolving Borrowings.  To request a Revolving Borrowing, the Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of such request by submitting a Borrowing Request (a) in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing, not later than 12:00 noon, Chicago time, two Business Days before the date of the proposed Borrowing or (b) in the case of an ABR Borrowing, not later than 12:00 noon, Chicago time, the date of the proposed Borrowing.  Each such Borrowing Request shall be irrevocable and shall be signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower.  Each such Borrowing Request shall specify the following information in compliance with Section 2.02:

(i) the aggregate amount of the requested Borrowing;

(ii) the date of such Borrowing, which shall be a Business Day;

(iii) whether such Borrowing is to be an ABR Borrowing or a Eurodollar Borrowing;

 

 

 

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(iv) in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing, the initial Interest Period to be applicable thereto, which shall be a period contemplated by the definition of the term “Interest Period”; and

(v) the location and number of the Borrower’s account to which funds are to be disbursed, which shall comply with the requirements of Section 2.04.

If no election as to the Type of Revolving Borrowing is specified, then the requested Revolving Borrowing shall be an ABR Borrowing.  If no Interest Period is specified with respect to any requested Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing, then the Borrower shall be deemed to have selected an Interest Period of one month’s duration.  Promptly following receipt of a Borrowing Request in accordance with this Section, the Administrative Agent shall advise each Lender of the details thereof and of the amount of such Lender’s Loan to be made as part of the requested Borrowing.

Section 2.04. Funding of Borrowings.   Each Lender shall make each Loan to be made by it hereunder on the proposed date thereof solely by wire transfer of immediately available funds, by 2:00 p.m., Chicago time, to the account of the Administrative Agent most recently designated by it for such purpose by notice to the Lenders.  The Administrative Agent will make such Loans available to the Borrower by promptly crediting the funds so received in the aforesaid account of the Administrative Agent to an account of the Borrower maintained with the Administrative Agent in New York City and designated by the Borrower in the applicable Borrowing Request.

(a) Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from a Lender prior to the proposed date of any 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 paragraph (a) of this Section 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 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 (i) in the case of such Lender, the greater of the NYFRB Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation or (ii) in the case of the Borrower, the interest rate applicable to ABR Loans.  If such Lender pays such amount to the Administrative Agent, then such amount shall constitute such Lender’s Loan included in such Borrowing.

Section 2.05. Interest Elections  Each Revolving Borrowing initially shall be of the Type specified in the applicable Borrowing Request and, in the case of a Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing, shall have an initial Interest Period as specified in such Borrowing Request.  Thereafter, the Borrower may elect to convert such Borrowing to a different Type or to continue such Borrowing and, in the case of a Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing, may elect Interest Periods therefor, all as provided in this Section.  The Borrower may elect different options with respect to different portions of the affected Borrowing, in which case each such portion shall be allocated ratably among the Lenders holding the Loans comprising such Borrowing, and the Loans comprising each such portion shall be considered a separate Borrowing.

(a) To make an election pursuant to this Section, the Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of such election by the time that a Borrowing Request would be required under Section 2.03 if the Borrower were requesting a Revolving Borrowing of the Type resulting from such election to be made on the effective date of such election.  Each such Interest Election Request shall be irrevocable and shall be signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower.

 

 

 

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(b) Each Interest Election Request shall specify the following information in compliance with Section 2.02:

(i) the Borrowing to which such Interest Election Request applies and, if different options are being elected with respect to different portions thereof, the portions thereof to be allocated to each resulting Borrowing (in which case the information to be specified pursuant to clauses (iii) and (iv) below shall be specified for each resulting Borrowing);

(ii) the effective date of the election made pursuant to such Interest Election Request, which shall be a Business Day;

(iii) whether the resulting Borrowing is to be an ABR Borrowing or a Eurodollar Borrowing; and

(iv) if the resulting Borrowing is a Eurodollar Borrowing, the Interest Period to be applicable thereto after giving effect to such election, which shall be a period contemplated by the definition of the term “Interest Period”.

If any such Interest Election Request requests a Eurodollar Borrowing but does not specify an Interest Period, then the Borrower shall be deemed to have selected an Interest Period of one month’s duration.

(c) Promptly following receipt of an Interest Election Request, the Administrative Agent shall advise each Lender of the details thereof and of such Lender’s portion of each resulting Borrowing.

(d) If the Borrower fails to deliver a timely Interest Election Request with respect to a Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing prior to the end of the Interest Period applicable thereto, then, unless such Borrowing is repaid as provided herein, at the end of such Interest Period such Borrowing shall be converted to an ABR Borrowing.  Notwithstanding any contrary provision hereof, if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing and the Administrative Agent, at the request of the Required Lenders, so notifies the Borrower, then, so long as an Event of Default is continuing (i) no outstanding Revolving Borrowing may be converted to or continued as a Eurodollar Borrowing and (ii) unless repaid, each Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing shall be converted to an ABR Borrowing at the end of the Interest Period applicable thereto.

Section 2.06. Termination and Reduction of, and Increases in, Commitments.   Unless previously terminated, the Commitments shall terminate on the Maturity Date.

(a) The Borrower may at any time terminate, or from time to time reduce, the Commitments; provided that (i) each reduction of the Commitments shall be in an amount that is an integral multiple of $500,000 and not less than $1,000,000 and (ii) the Borrower shall not terminate or reduce the Commitments if, after giving effect to any concurrent prepayment of the Loans in accordance with Section 2.08, the Total Revolving Credit Exposure would exceed the total Commitments.

(b) The Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of any election to terminate or reduce the Commitments under paragraph (b) of this Section at least three Business Days prior to the effective date of such termination or reduction, specifying such election and the effective date thereof.  Promptly following receipt of any notice, the Administrative Agent shall advise the Lenders of the contents thereof.  Each notice delivered by the Borrower pursuant to this Section shall be irrevocable; provided that a notice of termination of the Commitments delivered by the Borrower may state that such notice is conditioned upon the effectiveness of other credit facilities, in which case such notice may be revoked by the Borrower (by notice to the Administrative Agent on or prior to the specified effective date) if such condition is not satisfied.  Any

 

 

 

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termination or reduction of the Commitments shall be permanent.  Each reduction of the Commitments shall be made ratably among the Lenders in accordance with their respective Commitments.

(c) The Borrower may, at its option, on up to two occasions, seek to increase the aggregate Commitments by up to an aggregate amount of $25,000,000 (resulting in a maximum aggregate Commitment of $75,000,000) upon at least three (3) Business Days’ prior written notice to the Agent, which notice shall specify the amount of any such increase and shall be delivered at a time when no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing.  The Borrower shall, after giving such notice, first offer the increase in the aggregate Commitment on a ratable basis to the Lenders (which may be declined by any Lender in its sole discretion).  If any existing Lender does not accept the offer to increase its Commitment, the Borrower may offer the amount so declined to one or more Lenders and/or to other Lenders or entities reasonably acceptable to the Agent.  No increase in the aggregate Commitment shall become effective until the existing or new Lenders extending such incremental Commitment amount and the Borrower shall have delivered to the Agent a document in form reasonably satisfactory to the Agent pursuant to which any such existing Lender states the amount of its Commitment increase,  any such new Lender states its Commitment amount and agrees to assume and accept the obligations and rights of a Lender hereunder and the Borrower accepts such incremental Commitments.  The Lenders (new or existing) shall accept an assignment from the existing Lenders, and the existing Lenders shall make an assignment to the new or existing Lender accepting a new or increased Commitment, of a direct or participation interest in each then outstanding Advance such that, after giving effect thereto, all credit exposure hereunder is held ratably by the Lenders in proportion to their respective Commitments.  Assignments pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be made in exchange for the principal amount assigned plus accrued and unpaid interest and facility fees.  The Borrower shall make any payments under Section 2.13 resulting from such assignments.  Any such increase of the aggregate Commitment shall be subject to receipt by the Agent from the Borrower of resolutions approving the increase in the aggregate Commitment and such other supplemental opinions, resolutions, certificates and other documents as the Agent may reasonably request.

Section 2.07. Repayment of Loans; Evidence of Debt.   The Borrower hereby unconditionally promises to pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender the then unpaid principal amount of each Revolving Loan on the Maturity Date.

(a) Each Lender shall maintain in accordance with its usual practice an account or accounts evidencing the indebtedness of the Borrower to such Lender resulting from each Loan made by such Lender, including the amounts of principal and interest payable and paid to such Lender from time to time hereunder.

(b) The Administrative Agent shall maintain accounts in which it shall record (i) the amount of each Loan made hereunder, the Type thereof and the Interest Period applicable thereto, (ii) the amount of any principal or interest due and payable or to become due and payable from the Borrower to each Lender hereunder and (iii) the amount of any sum received by the Administrative Agent hereunder for the account of the Lenders and each Lender’s share thereof.

(c) The entries made in the accounts maintained pursuant to paragraph (b) or (c) of this Section shall be prima facie evidence of the existence and amounts of the obligations recorded therein; provided that the failure of any Lender or the Administrative Agent to maintain such accounts or any error therein shall not in any manner affect the obligation of the Borrower to repay the Loans in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.

(d) Any Lender may request that Loans made by it be evidenced by a promissory note.  In such event, the Borrower shall prepare, execute and deliver to such Lender a promissory note payable to such Lender (or, if requested by such Lender, to such Lender and its registered assigns) and in a form approved by

 

 

 

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the Administrative Agent.  Thereafter, the Loans evidenced by such promissory note and interest thereon shall at all times (including after assignment pursuant to Section 9.04) be represented by one or more promissory notes in such form.

Section 2.08. Prepayment of Loans.   The Borrower shall have the right at any time and from time to time to prepay any Borrowing in whole or in part, subject to prior notice in accordance with paragraph (b) of this Section.

(a) The Borrower shall notify the Administrative  Agent by telephone (confirmed by  electronic mail) of any prepayment hereunder (i) in the case of prepayment of a Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing, not later than 12:00 noon, Chicago time, three Business Days before the date of prepayment,  or (ii) in the case of prepayment of an ABR Revolving Borrowing, not later than 12:00 noon, Chicago time, one Business Day before the date of prepayment.  Each such notice shall be irrevocable and shall specify the prepayment date and the principal amount of each Borrowing or portion thereof to be prepaid; provided that, if a notice of prepayment is given in connection with a conditional notice of termination of the Commitments as contemplated by Section 2.06, then such notice of prepayment may be revoked if such notice of termination is revoked in accordance with Section 2.06.  Promptly following receipt of any such notice relating to a Revolving Borrowing, the Administrative Agent shall advise the Lenders of the contents thereof.  Each partial prepayment of any Revolving Borrowing shall be in an amount that would be permitted in the case of an advance of a Revolving Borrowing of the same Type as provided in Section 2.02.  Each prepayment of a Revolving Borrowing shall be applied ratably to the Loans included in the prepaid Borrowing.  Prepayments shall be accompanied by accrued interest to the extent required by Section 2.10 and any break funding payments required by Section 2.13.

Section 2.09. Fees.   The Borrower agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender a commitment fee, which shall accrue at the Applicable Rate on the daily unused portion of the Commitment of such Lender (whether used or unused) during the period from and including the date hereof to but excluding the date on which such Commitment terminates.  Commitment fees accrued through and including the last day of March, June, September and December of each year shall be payable in arrears on the fifteenth day following the such last day and on the date on which the Commitments terminate, commencing on the first such date to occur after the date hereof.  All commitment fees shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days and shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day).

(a) The Borrower agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, for its own account, fees payable in the amounts and at the times separately agreed upon between the Borrower and the Administrative Agent.

(b) All fees payable hereunder shall be paid on the dates due, in immediately available funds, to the Administrative Agent for distribution, in the case of commitment fees, to the Lenders.  Fees paid shall not be refundable under any circumstances.

Section 2.10. Interest.   The Loans comprising each ABR Borrowing shall bear interest at the Alternate Base Rate plus the Applicable Rate.

(a) The Loans comprising each Eurodollar Borrowing shall bear interest in the case of a Eurodollar Revolving Loan, at the Adjusted LIBO Rate for the Interest Period in effect for such Borrowing plus the Applicable Rate.

(b) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section 2.10 or otherwise, during the continuance of a Default or Event of Default the Required Lenders may, at their option, by notice to the Borrower (which notice may be revoked at the option of the Required Lenders notwithstanding any

 

 

 

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provision of Section 8.2 requiring unanimous consent of the Lenders to changes in interest rates), declare that no Loan may be made as, converted into or continued as a Eurodollar Loan.  During the continuance of an Event of Default the Required Lenders may, at their option, by notice to the Borrower (which notice may be revoked at the option of the Required Lenders notwithstanding any provision of Section 8.2 requiring unanimous consent of the Lenders to changes in interest rates), declare that (i) each Eurodollar Advance shall bear interest for the remainder of the applicable Interest Period at the rate otherwise applicable to such Interest Period plus 2% per annum and (ii) each ABR Loan shall bear interest at a rate per annum equal to the rate applicable to ABR Loans in effect from time to time plus 2% per annum, provided that, during the continuance of an Event of Default under Section 7.6 or 7.7, the interest rates set forth in clauses (i) and (ii) above shall be applicable to all Loans without any election or action on the part of the Agent or any Lender.

(c) Accrued interest on each Loan shall be payable in arrears on each Interest Payment Date for such Loan and, in the case of Revolving Loans, upon termination of the Commitments; provided that (i) interest accrued pursuant to paragraph (d) of this Section shall be payable on demand, (ii) in the event of any repayment or prepayment of any Loan (other than a prepayment of an ABR Revolving Loan prior to the end of the Availability Period), accrued interest on the principal amount repaid or prepaid shall be payable on the date of such repayment or prepayment and (iii) in the event of any conversion of any Eurodollar Revolving Loan prior to the end of the current Interest Period therefor, accrued interest on such Loan shall be payable on the effective date of such conversion.

(d) All interest hereunder shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days, except that interest computed by reference to the Alternate Base Rate at times when the Alternate Base Rate is based on the Prime Rate shall be computed on the basis of a year of 365 days (or 366 days in a leap year), and in each case shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day).  The applicable Alternate Base Rate, Adjusted LIBO Rate or LIBO Rate shall be determined by the Administrative Agent, and such determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

Section 2.11. Alternate Rate of Interest.  (a)  If prior to the commencement of any Interest Period for a Eurodollar Borrowing:

(i) the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error) that adequate and reasonable means do not exist for ascertaining the Adjusted LIBO Rate or the LIBO Rate, as applicable (including because the LIBO Screen Rate is not available or published on a current basis), for such Interest Period; or

(ii) the Administrative Agent is advised by the Required Lenders that the Adjusted LIBO Rate or the LIBO Rate, as applicable, for such Interest Period will not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to such Lenders of making or maintaining their Loans included in such Borrowing for such Interest Period;

then the Administrative Agent shall give notice thereof to the Borrower and the Lenders by telephone or electronic mail as promptly as practicable thereafter and, until the Administrative Agent notifies the Borrower and the Lenders that the circumstances giving rise to such notice no longer exist, (A) any Interest Election Request that requests the conversion of any Revolving Borrowing to, or continuation of any Revolving Borrowing as, a Eurodollar Borrowing shall be ineffective, and (B) if any Borrowing Request requests a Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing, such Borrowing shall be made as an ABR Borrowing; provided that if the circumstances giving rise to such notice affect only one Type of Borrowings, then the other Type of Borrowings shall be permitted.

 

 

 

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(e) If at any time the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error) that (i) the circumstances set forth in clause (a)(i) have arisen and such circumstances are unlikely to be temporary or (ii) the circumstances set forth in clause (a)(i) have not arisen but either (w) the supervisor for the administrator of the LIBO Screen Rate has made a public statement that the administrator of the LIBOR Screen Rate is insolvent (and there is no successor administrator that will continue publication of the LIBOR Screen Rate), (x) the administrator of the LIBO Screen Rate has made a public statement identifying a specific date after which the LIBO Screen Rate will permanently or indefinitely cease to be published by it (and there is no successor administrator that will continue publication of the LIBOR Screen Rate), (y) the supervisor for the administrator of the LIBO Screen Rate has made a public statement identifying a specific date after which the LIBO Screen Rate will permanently or indefinitely cease to be published or (z) the supervisor for the administrator of the LIBO Screen Rate or a Governmental Authority having jurisdiction over the Administrative Agent has made a public statement identifying a specific date after which the LIBO Screen Rate may no longer be used for determining interest rates for loans, then the Administrative Agent and the Borrower shall endeavor to establish an alternate rate of interest to the LIBO Rate that gives due consideration to the then prevailing market convention for determining a rate of interest for syndicated loans in the United States at such time, and shall enter into an amendment to this Agreement to reflect such alternate rate of interest and such other related changes to this Agreement as may be applicable (but for the avoidance of doubt, such related changes shall not include a reduction of the Applicable Rate); provided that, if such alternate rate of interest as so determined would be less than zero, such rate shall be deemed to be zero for the purposes of this Agreement.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Section 9.02, such amendment shall become effective without any further action or consent of any other party to this Agreement so long as the Administrative Agent shall not have received, within five Business Days of the date notice of such alternate rate of interest is provided to the Lenders, a written notice from the Required Lenders stating that such Required Lenders object to such amendment.  Until an alternate rate of interest shall be determined in accordance with this clause (b) (but, in the case of the circumstances described in clause (ii) of the first sentence of this Section 2.14(b), only to the extent the LIBO Screen Rate for such Interest Period is not available or published at such time on a current basis), (x) any Interest Election Request that requests the conversion of any Revolving Borrowing to, or continuation of any Revolving Borrowing as, a Eurodollar Borrowing shall be ineffective, and (y) if any Borrowing Request requests a Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing, such Borrowing shall be made as an ABR Borrowing; provided that, if such alternate rate of interest as so determined would be less than zero, such rate shall be deemed to be zero for the purposes of this Agreement.

 

Section 2.12. Increased Costs.   If any Change in Law shall:

(i) impose, modify or deem applicable any reserve, special deposit, liquidity or similar requirement (including any compulsory loan requirement, insurance charge or other assessment) against assets of, deposits with or for the account of, or credit extended by, any Lender (except any such reserve requirement reflected in the Adjusted LIBO Rate);

(ii) impose on any Lender or the London interbank market any other condition, cost or expense (other than Taxes) affecting this Agreement or Loans made by such Lender; or

(iii) 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;

 

 

 

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

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

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

(h) Failure or delay on the part of any Lender to demand compensation pursuant to this Section shall not constitute a waiver of such Lender’s right to demand such compensation; provided that the Borrower shall not be required to compensate a Lender pursuant to this Section for any increased costs or reductions incurred more than 120 days prior to the date that such Lender notifies the Borrower of the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions and of such Lender’s intention to claim compensation therefor; provided further that, if the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions is retroactive, then the 120-day period referred to above shall be extended to include the period of retroactive effect thereof.

Section 2.13. Break Funding Payments.  In the event of (a) the payment of any principal of any Eurodollar Loan other than on the last day of an Interest Period applicable thereto (including as a result of an Event of Default), (b) the conversion of any Eurodollar Loan other than on the last day of the Interest Period applicable thereto, (c) the failure to borrow, convert, continue or prepay any Eurodollar Loan on the date specified in any notice delivered pursuant hereto (regardless of whether such notice may be revoked under Section 2.08(b) and is revoked in accordance therewith), or (d) the assignment of any Eurodollar Loan other than on the last day of the Interest Period applicable thereto as a result of a request by the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.16, then, in any such event, the Borrower shall compensate each Lender for the loss, cost and expense attributable to such event.  In the case of a Eurodollar Loan, such loss, cost or expense to any Lender shall be deemed to include an amount determined by such Lender to be the excess, if any, of (i) the amount of interest which would have accrued on the principal amount of such Loan had such event not occurred, at the Adjusted LIBO Rate that would have been applicable to such Loan, for the period from the date of such event to the last day of the then current Interest Period therefor (or, in the case of a failure to borrow, convert or continue, for the period that would have been the Interest Period for such Loan), over (ii) the amount of interest which would accrue on such principal amount for such period at the interest rate which such Lender would bid were it to bid, at the commencement of such period, for dollar deposits of a comparable amount and period from other banks in the eurodollar market.  A certificate of any Lender setting forth any amount or amounts that such Lender is entitled to receive pursuant to this Section shall be delivered to the Borrower and shall be conclusive absent manifest error.  The Borrower shall pay such Lender the amount shown as due on any such certificate within 10 days after receipt thereof.

 

 

 

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Section 2.14. Withholding of Taxes; Gross-Up    Payments Free of Taxes.  Any and all payments by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower under any Loan Document shall be made without deduction or withholding for any Taxes, except as required by applicable law.  If any applicable law (as determined in the good faith discretion of an applicable withholding agent) requires 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 Borrower shall be increased as necessary so that after such deduction or withholding has been made (including such deductions and withholdings applicable to additional sums payable under this Section) the applicable Recipient receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such deduction or withholding been made.

(a) 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, Other Taxes.

(b) Evidence of Payments.  As soon as practicable after any payment of Taxes by the Borrower to a Governmental Authority pursuant to this Section, 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 the return reporting such payment or other evidence of such payment reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.

(c) Indemnification by the Borrower.  The Borrower shall indemnify each Recipient, within 10 days after 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) 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.

(d) Indemnification by the Lenders.  Each Lender shall severally indemnify the Administrative Agent, within 10 days after demand therefor, for (i) any Indemnified Taxes attributable to such Lender (but only to the extent that the Borrower has not already indemnified the Administrative Agent for such Indemnified Taxes and without limiting the obligation of the Borrower to do so), (ii) any Taxes attributable to such Lender’s failure to comply with the provisions of Section 9.04(c) relating to the maintenance of a Participant Register and (iii) any Excluded Taxes attributable to such Lender, in each case, that are payable or paid by the Administrative Agent 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 paragraph (e).

(e) Status of Lenders.   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

 

 

 

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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 2.14(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.

(i) Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, in the event that the Borrower is a U.S. Person,

(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), an executed copy 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, an executed copy of IRS Form W-8BEN-E or IRS Form W-8BEN 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 IRS Form W-8BEN 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) in the case of a Foreign Lender claiming that its extension of credit will generate U.S. effectively connected income, an executed copy 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 E-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) an executed copy of IRS Form W-8BEN-E or IRS Form W-8BEN; or

 

 

 

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(4) to the extent a Foreign Lender is not the beneficial owner, an executed copy of IRS Form W-8IMY, accompanied by IRS Form W-8ECI, IRS Form W-8BEN-E, IRS Form W-8BEN, a U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit E-2 or Exhibit E-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 E-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 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 purposes of this clause (D), “FATCA” shall include any amendments made to FATCA after the date of this Agreement.

Each Lender agrees that if any form or certification it previously delivered 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.

(f) Treatment of Certain Refunds.  If any party 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 pursuant to this Section  (including by the payment of additional amounts pursuant to this Section), it shall pay to the indemnifying party an amount equal to such refund (but only to the extent of indemnity payments made under this Section with respect to the Taxes giving rise to such refund), net of all out-of-pocket expenses (including Taxes) of such indemnified party and without interest (other than any interest paid by the relevant Governmental Authority with respect to such refund).  Such indemnifying party, upon the request of such indemnified party, shall repay to such indemnified party the amount paid over pursuant to this paragraph (g) (plus any penalties, interest or other charges imposed by the relevant Governmental Authority) in the event that such indemnified party is required to repay such refund to such Governmental Authority.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this paragraph (g), in no event will the indemnified party be required to pay any amount to an indemnifying party pursuant to this paragraph (g) the payment of which

 

 

 

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would place the indemnified party in a less favorable net after-Tax position than the indemnified party 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 paragraph shall not be construed to require any indemnified party to make available its Tax returns (or any other information relating to its Taxes that it deems confidential) to the indemnifying party or any other Person.

(g) Survival.  Each party’s obligations under this Section 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 obligations under any Loan Document.

(h) Defined Terms.  For purposes of this Section, the term “applicable law” includes FATCA.

Section 2.15. Payments Generally; Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of Setoffs.   The Borrower shall make each payment required to be made by it hereunder (whether of principal, interest or fees, or of amounts payable under Section 2.12,  2.13 or 2.14, or otherwise) prior to 11:00 a.m., Chicago time, on the date when due, in immediately available funds, without setoff, recoupment or counterclaim.  Any amounts received after such time on any date may, in the discretion of the Administrative Agent, be deemed to have been received on the next succeeding Business Day for purposes of calculating interest thereon.  All such payments shall be made to the Administrative Agent at its offices at 10 South Dearborn, Chicago, Illinois, except that payments pursuant to Sections 2.12,  2.13,  2.14 and 9.03 shall be made directly to the Persons entitled thereto.  The Administrative Agent shall distribute any such payments received by it for the account of any other Person to the appropriate recipient promptly following receipt thereof.  If any payment hereunder shall be due on a day that is not a Business Day, the date for payment shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day, and, in the case of any payment accruing interest, interest thereon shall be payable for the period of such extension.  All payments hereunder shall be made in dollars.

(a) If at any time insufficient funds are received by and available to the Administrative Agent to pay fully all amounts of principal, interest and fees then due hereunder, such funds shall be applied (i) first, towards payment of interest and fees then due hereunder, ratably among the parties entitled thereto in accordance with the amounts of interest and fees then due to such parties, and (ii) second, towards payment of principal then due hereunder, ratably among the parties entitled thereto in accordance with the amounts of principal then due to such parties.

(b) If any Lender shall, by exercising any right of setoff or counterclaim or otherwise, obtain payment in respect of any principal of or interest on any of its Revolving Loans resulting in such Lender receiving payment of a greater proportion of the aggregate amount of its Revolving Loans and accrued interest thereon than the proportion received by any other Lender, then the Lender receiving such greater proportion shall purchase (for cash at face value) participations in the Revolving Loans to the extent necessary so that the benefit of all such payments shall be shared by the Lenders ratably in accordance with the aggregate amount of principal of and accrued interest on their respective Revolving Loans; provided that (i) if any such participations are purchased and all or any portion of the payment giving rise thereto is recovered,  such participations shall be rescinded and the purchase price restored to the extent of such recovery, without interest, and (ii) the provisions of this paragraph shall not be construed to apply to any payment made by the Borrower pursuant to and in accordance with the express terms of this Agreement or any payment obtained by a Lender as consideration for the assignment of or sale of a participation in any of its Loans to any assignee or participant, other than to the Borrower or any Subsidiary or Affiliate thereof (as to which the provisions of this paragraph shall apply).  The Borrower consents to the foregoing and agrees, to the extent it may effectively do so under applicable law, that any Lender acquiring a participation pursuant

 

 

 

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to the foregoing arrangements may exercise against the Borrower rights of setoff and counterclaim with respect to such participation as fully as if such Lender were a direct creditor of the Borrower in the amount of such participation.

(c) 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 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 the amount due.  In such event, if the Borrower has not in fact made such payment, then each of the Lenders severally agrees to repay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand the amount so distributed to such Lender 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 NYFRB Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation.

Section 2.16. Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders.   If any Lender requests compensation under Section 2.12, 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 2.14, then such Lender shall 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, such designation or assignment (i) would eliminate or reduce amounts payable pursuant to Section 2.13 or 2.14, as the case may be, in the future and (ii) would not subject such Lender to any unreimbursed cost or expense and would not otherwise be disadvantageous to such Lender.  The Borrower hereby agrees to pay all reasonable costs and expenses incurred by any Lender in connection with any such designation or assignment.

(a) If any Lender requests compensation under Section 2.12, 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 2.14, or if any Lender becomes Defaulting Lender, or if any Lender does not consent to any proposed amendment, supplement, modification, consent or waiver of any provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document that requires the consent of each of the Lenders or each of the Lenders affected thereby has been obtained), 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 Section 9.04), all its interests, rights (other than its existing rights to payments pursuant to Sections 2.12 or 2.14) and obligations under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents  to an 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 received the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent, which consent shall not unreasonably be withheld, (ii) such Lender shall have received payment of an amount equal to the outstanding principal of its Loans, accrued interest thereon, accrued fees and all other amounts payable to it hereunder, 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) and (iii) in the case of any such assignment resulting from a claim for compensation under Section 2.12 or payments required to be made pursuant to Section 2.14, such assignment will result in a reduction in such compensation or payments.  A Lender shall not be required to make any such assignment and 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. Each party hereto agrees that an assignment required pursuant to this paragraph may be effected pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption executed by the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the assignee (or, to the extent applicable, an agreement incorporating an Assignment and Assumption by reference pursuant to an Approved Electronic Platform as to which the Administrative Agent and such

 

 

 

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parties are participants), and (b) 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 an 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 that any such documents shall be without recourse to or warranty by the parties thereto.

Section 2.17. Defaulting Lenders.

Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, if any Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender, then the following provisions shall apply for so long as such Lender is a Defaulting Lender:

(a) fees shall cease to accrue on the unfunded portion of the Commitment of such Defaulting Lender pursuant to Section 2.09(a);

(b) 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 Section 7.02 or otherwise) or received by the Administrative Agent from a Defaulting Lender pursuant to Section 9.08 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, 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; third, if so determined by the Administrative Agent and the Borrower, to be held in a deposit account and released pro rata in order to satisfy such Defaulting Lender’s potential future funding obligations with respect to Loans under this Agreement; fourth, to the payment of any amounts owing to the Lenders as a result of any judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction obtained by any Lender against such Defaulting Lender as a result of such Defaulting Lender’s breach of its obligations under this Agreement or under any other Loan Document; fifth, 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 or under any other Loan Document; and seventh, to such Defaulting Lender or as otherwise directed by a court of competent jurisdiction; provided that if (x) such payment is a payment of the principal amount of any Loans in respect of which such Defaulting Lender has not fully funded its appropriate share, and (y) such Loans were made 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 all non-Defaulting Lenders on a pro rata basis prior to being applied to the payment of any Loans of such Defaulting Lender until such time as all Loans are held by the Lenders pro rata in accordance with the Commitments without giving effect to clause (d) below.  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 shall be deemed paid to and redirected by such Defaulting Lender, and each Lender irrevocably consents hereto; and

(c) the Commitment and Revolving Credit Exposure of such Defaulting Lender shall not be included in determining whether the Required Lenders have taken or may take any action hereunder (including any consent to any amendment, waiver or other modification pursuant to Section 9.02); provided that this clause (c) shall not apply to the vote of a Defaulting Lender in the case of an amendment, waiver or other modification requiring the consent of such Lender or each Lender affected thereby.

 

 

 

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Section 2.18. Extension of Maturity Date.   The Borrower may, by delivering an Extension Request to the Administrative Agent (who shall promptly deliver a copy to each of the Lenders), not less than 60 days in advance of the Maturity Date in effect at such time (the “Existing Maturity Date”), request that the Lenders extend the Existing Maturity Date for a period of 364 days; provided, that no such notice may be given at any time that a year or more remains under the existing term of the Revolving Credit Facility. Each Lender, acting in its sole discretion, shall, by written notice to the Administrative Agent given not later than the date that is the 20th day after the date of the Extension Request, or if such date is not a Business Day, the immediately following Business Day (the “Response Date”), advise the Administrative Agent in writing whether or not such Lender agrees to the requested extension. Each Lender that advises the Administrative Agent that it will not extend the Existing Maturity Date is referred to herein as a “Non-extending Lender”; provided, that any Lender that does not advise the Administrative Agent of its consent to such requested extension by the Response Date and any Lender that is a Defaulting Lender on the Response Date shall be deemed to be a Non-extending Lender. The Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower, in writing, of the Lenders’ elections promptly following the Response Date. The election of any Lender to agree to such an extension shall not obligate any other Lender to so agree. The Maturity Date may be extended no more than two times pursuant to this Section 2.18.

  If, by the Response Date, Lenders holding Commitments that aggregate 50% or more of the total Commitments shall constitute Non-extending Lenders, then the Existing Maturity Date shall not be extended and the outstanding principal balance of all Loans and other amounts payable hereunder shall be payable, and the Commitments shall terminate, on the Existing Maturity Date in effect prior to such extension.

(i) If (and only if), by the Response Date, Lenders holding Commitments that aggregate more than 50% of the total Commitments shall have agreed to extend the Existing Maturity Date (each such consenting Lender, an “Extending Lender”), then effective as of the Existing Maturity Date, the Maturity Date for such Extending Lenders shall be extended for a period of 364 days (subject to satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 2.18(d)). In the event of such extension, the Commitment of each Non-extending Lender shall terminate on the Existing Maturity Date in effect for such Non-extending Lender prior to such extension and the outstanding principal balance of all Loans and other amounts payable hereunder to such Non-extending Lender shall become due and payable on such Existing Maturity Date and, subject to Section 2.18(c) below, the total Commitments hereunder shall be reduced by the Commitments of the Non-extending Lenders so terminated on such Existing Maturity Date.

(d) In the event of any extension of the Existing Maturity Date pursuant to Section 2.18(b)(ii), the Borrower shall have the right on or before the Existing Maturity Date, at its own expense, to require any Non-extending Lender to transfer and assign without recourse (in accordance with and subject to the restrictions contained in Section 9.04) all its interests, rights (other than its rights to payments pursuant to Section 2.12,  Section 2.13,  Section 2.14 or Section 9.03 arising prior to the effectiveness of such assignment) and obligations under this Agreement to one or more banks or other financial institutions identified to the Non-extending Lender by the Borrower, which may include any existing Lender (each a “Replacement Lender”), provided that (i) such Replacement Lender, if not already a Lender hereunder, shall be subject to the approval of the Administrative Agent (such approvals to not be unreasonably withheld) to the extent the consent of the Administrative Agent would be required to effect an assignment under Section 9.04(b), (ii) such assignment shall become effective as of a date specified by the Borrower (which shall not be later than the Existing Maturity Date in effect for such Non-extending Lender prior to the effective date of the requested extension) and (iii) the Replacement Lender shall pay to such Non-extending Lender in immediately available funds on the effective date of such assignment the principal of and interest accrued to

 

 

 

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the date of payment on the outstanding principal amount Loans made by it hereunder and all other amounts accrued and unpaid for its account or otherwise owed to it hereunder on such date.

(e) As a condition precedent to each such extension of the Existing Maturity Date pursuant to Section 2.18(b)(ii), the Borrower shall (i) deliver to the Administrative Agent a certificate of the Borrower dated as of the Existing Maturity Date signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower certifying that, as of such date, both before and immediately after giving effect to such extension, (A) the representations and warranties of the Borrower set forth in this Agreement shall be true and correct and (B) no Default shall have occurred and be continuing and (ii) make such prepayments of the outstanding Loans as shall be required such that, after giving effect to the termination of the Commitments of the Non-extending Lenders pursuant to Section 2.18(b) and any assignment pursuant to Section 2.18(c), the aggregate Revolving Credit Exposure does not exceed the aggregate amount of Commitments being extended.

(f) For the avoidance of doubt, no consent of any Lender (other than the existing Lenders participating in the extension of the Existing Maturity Date) shall be required for any extension of the Maturity Date pursuant to this Section 2.18 and the operation of this Section 2.18 in accordance with its terms is not an amendment subject to Section 9.02.

ARTICLE III


Representations and Warranties

The Borrower represents and warrants to the Lenders that:

Section 3.01. Existence and Standing.  Each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries is a corporation, partnership (in the case of Subsidiaries only) or limited liability company duly and properly incorporated or organized, as the case may be, validly existing and (to the extent such concept applies to such entity) in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation or organization and has all requisite authority to conduct its business and (to the extent such concept applies to such entity) is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which its business is conducted, the failure of which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

Section 3.02. Authorization and Validity.  The Borrower has the power and authority and legal right to execute and deliver the Loan Documents to which it is a party and to perform its obligations thereunder.  The execution and delivery by the Borrower of the Loan Documents to which it is a party and the performance of its obligations thereunder have been duly authorized by proper corporate proceedings, and the Loan Documents to which the Borrower is a party constitute legal, valid and binding obligations of the Borrower enforceable against the Borrower in accordance with their terms, except as enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally.

Section 3.03. No Conflict; Consent.  Neither the execution and delivery by the Borrower of the Loan Documents to which it is a party, nor the consummation of the transactions therein contemplated, nor compliance with the provisions thereof will violate (a) any law, rule, regulation, order, writ, judgment, injunction, decree or award binding on the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or (b) the Borrower’s or any Subsidiary’s articles or certificate of incorporation, partnership agreement, certificate of partnership, articles or certificate of organization, by-laws, or operating or other management agreement, as the case may be, or (c) the provisions of any indenture, instrument or agreement to which the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or is subject, or by which it, or its property, is bound, or conflict with or constitute a default thereunder, or result in, or require, the creation or imposition of any Lien in, of or on the property of the Borrower or a Subsidiary pursuant to the terms of any such indenture, instrument or agreement, which in any

 

 

 

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such case could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  No order, consent, adjudication, approval, license, authorization, or validation of, or filing, recording or registration with, or exemption by, or other action in respect of any Person (including any governmental or public body or authority, or any subdivision thereof), which has not been obtained by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, is required to be obtained by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in connection with the execution and delivery of the Loan Documents, the borrowings under this Agreement, the payment and performance by the Borrower of the Obligations or the legality, validity, binding effect or enforceability of any of the Loan Documents.

Section 3.04. Financial Statements.  The Borrower has heretofore furnished to each of the Lenders (a) the December 31, 2017 audited consolidated financial statements of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries and (b) the December 31, 2017 Annual Statement of each of RLIC, CBIC and MHIC (collectively, the “Financial Statements”).  Each of the Financial Statements was prepared in accordance with GAAP or SAP, as applicable, and such Financial Statements fairly present the consolidated (to the extent applicable) financial condition and operations of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries or such Insurance Subsidiary, as applicable, at such dates and the consolidated results of their operations for the respective periods then ended (except, in the case of such unaudited statements, for normal year-end audit adjustments).

Section 3.05. Taxes.  The Borrower and its Subsidiaries have filed all United States federal tax returns and all other tax returns which are required to be filed and have paid all taxes due pursuant to said returns or pursuant to any assessment received by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, except such taxes, if any, as are being contested in good faith and as to which adequate reserves have been provided in accordance with GAAP and as to which no Lien exists.  To the Borrower’s knowledge, no tax Liens have been filed and no claims are being asserted with respect to any such taxes.

Section 3.06. Material Adverse Change.  Since December 31, 2017, there has been no change in the business, property, condition (financial or otherwise) or results of operations of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

Section 3.07. Litigation and Contingent Obligations.  There is no litigation, arbitration, governmental investigation, proceeding or inquiry pending or, to the knowledge of any of their officers, threatened against or affecting the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries which, if adversely determined, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or which seeks to prevent, enjoin or delay the making of any Loans.  The Borrower has no material contingent obligations not provided for or disclosed in the financial statements referred to in Section 5.01, other than any liabilities which could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

Section 3.08. SubsidiariesSchedule 3.08 contains an accurate list of all Subsidiaries of the Borrower as of the date of this Agreement, setting forth their respective jurisdictions of organization and the percentage of their respective capital stock or other ownership interests owned by the Borrower or other Subsidiaries.  All of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock or other ownership interests of such Subsidiaries have been (to the extent such concepts are relevant with respect to such ownership interests) duly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non‑assessable.

Section 3.09. ERISA.  No ERISA Event has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur that, when taken together with all other such ERISA Events for which liability is reasonably expected to occur, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.  The present value of all accumulated benefit obligations under each Plan (based on the assumptions used for purposes of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 87) did not, as of the date of the most recent financial statements reflecting such amounts, exceed the fair market value of the assets of such Plan, and the present value of all accumulated benefit obligations of all underfunded Plans (based on the assumptions used for purposes of Statement of

 

 

 

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Financial Accounting Standards No. 87) did not, as of the date of the most recent financial statements reflecting such amounts, exceed the fair market value of the assets of all such underfunded Plans by an amount, in any such case, which could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

Section 3.10. Accuracy of Information.  No information, exhibit or report furnished by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to the Agent or to any Lender in connection with the negotiation of, or compliance with, the Loan Documents contained any material misstatement of fact or omitted to state a material fact or any fact necessary to make the statements contained therein not misleading.    As of the Closing Date, the information included in the Beneficial Ownership Certification is true and correct in all respects.

Section 3.11. Regulation U.  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, or extending credit for the purpose of purchasing or carrying Margin Stock, and no part of the proceeds of any Borrowing hereunder will be used to buy or carry any Margin Stock.  Following the application of the proceeds of each Borrowing, not more than 25% of the value of the assets (either of the Borrower only or of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis) will be Margin Stock.

Section 3.12. Material Agreements.  Neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary is a party to any agreement or instrument or subject to any charter or other corporate restriction which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  Neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary is in default in the performance, observance or fulfillment of any of the obligations, covenants or conditions contained in (a) any agreement to which it is a party, which default could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or (b) any agreement or instrument evidencing or governing Indebtedness.

Section 3.13. Compliance With Laws.  The Borrower and its Subsidiaries have complied with all applicable statutes, rules, regulations, orders and restrictions of any domestic or foreign government or any instrumentality or agency thereof having jurisdiction over the conduct of their respective businesses or the ownership of their respective property except for any failure to comply with any of the foregoing which could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.    No Default has occurred and is continuing.

Section 3.14. Plan Assets; Prohibited Transactions.  None of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries holds “plan assets” (within the meaning of the Plan Asset Regulations), and, subject to the accuracy of the representations set forth in Section 8.07, neither the execution, delivery  or  performance of the transactions contemplated under this Agreement, including the making of any Loan hereunder, will give rise to a non-exempt prohibited transaction under Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code.

Section 3.15. Investment Company Act.  Neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary is an “investment company” or a company “controlled” by an “investment company”, within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

Section 3.16. Insurance Licenses.  No license (including, without limitation, licenses or certificates of authority from applicable insurance departments), permit or authorization to transact insurance business held by any Insurance Subsidiary, the loss of which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, is the subject of a proceeding for suspension or revocation.  To the Borrower’s knowledge, there is no sustainable basis for such suspension or revocation, and no such suspension or revocation has been threatened by any Governmental Authority.

Section 3.17. Solvency.  Immediately after the consummation of the transactions to occur on the date hereof and immediately following the making of each Loan, if any, made on the date hereof and

 

 

 

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after giving effect to the application of the proceeds of such Loans, (a) the fair value of the assets of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, at a fair valuation, will exceed the debts and liabilities, subordinated, contingent or otherwise, of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis; (b) the present fair saleable value of the property of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis will be greater than the amount that will be required to pay the probable liability of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis on their debts and other liabilities, subordinated, contingent or otherwise, as such debts and other liabilities become absolute and matured; (c) the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis will be able to pay their debts and liabilities, subordinated, contingent or otherwise, as such debts and liabilities become absolute and matured; and (d) the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis will not have unreasonably small capital with which to conduct the businesses in which they are engaged as such businesses are now conducted and are proposed to be conducted after the date hereof.

Section 3.18. Labor Controversies; Union Contracts, Etc.  There are no labor controversies pending or, to the knowledge of the Borrower, threatened against the Borrower, which if adversely determined could have a Material Adverse Effect.  There are no pending or, to the Borrower’s knowledge, threatened or anticipated (a) employment discrimination charges or complaints against or involving the Borrower before any governmental Person or (b) unfair labor practice charges or complaints, disputes or grievances or arbitration proceedings or controversies affecting the Borrower, which, in any such case, if adversely determined, could have a Material Adverse Effect.  There are no collective bargaining agreements covering any of the employees of the Borrower.

Section 3.19. Surety Obligations; Financial Assurances.  The Borrower is not obligated as surety or indemnitor under any surety or similar bond or other contract and has not issued or entered into any agreement to assure payment, performance or completion of performance of any undertaking or obligation of any Person, except, in any such case, in the ordinary course of business.  As of the date of this Agreement, the Borrower has not posted or placed any Financial Assurance except as indicated in Schedule 3.19 hereto.

Section 3.20. Business Relations.  There exists no actual or threatened termination, cancellation, or adverse limitation of, or any adverse modification or change in, the contractual and/or business relationship between the Borrower and any owner/lessor of any facility utilized in the Borrower’s business, municipality, customer and/or supplier, and there exists no present condition or state of facts or circumstances in such relations, which in each case would have a Material Adverse Effect.

Section 3.21. Environmental Matters.  Except with respect to any matters that, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, neither the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries (i) has failed to comply with any Environmental Law or to obtain, maintain or comply with any permit, license or other approval required under any Environmental Law, (ii) has become subject to any Environmental Liability, (iii) has received notice of any claim with respect to any Environmental Liability or (iv) knows of any basis for any Environmental Liability.

Section 3.22. Ranking.  The Obligations will rank at least pari passu with all Indebtedness of the Borrower, except Indebtedness secured by Liens permitted under Section 6.15.

Section 3.23. Intellectual Property.  The Borrower owns or has sufficient and legally enforceable rights to use all material licenses, patents, patent applications, copyrights, service marks, trademarks, trademark applications, and trade names necessary to continue to conduct its businesses as heretofore conducted by it, now conducted by it, and now proposed to be conducted by it, the lack of which could reasonably be expected to have a  Material Adverse Effect.  The Borrower is conducting its business without infringement or claim of infringement of any license, patent, copyright, service mark, trademark,

 

 

 

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trade name, trade secret, or other intellectual property right of others, other than any such infringements or claims which, if successfully asserted against or determined adversely to the Borrower, could not, individually or collectively reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

Section 3.24. Anti-Corruption Laws and Sanctions.  The Borrower has implemented and maintains in effect policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance by the Borrower, its Subsidiaries and their respective directors, officers, employees and agents with Anti-Corruption Laws and applicable Sanctions, and the Borrower, its Subsidiaries and their respective officers and directors and to the knowledge of the Borrower its employees and agents, are in compliance with Anti-Corruption Laws and applicable Sanctions in all material respects and are not knowingly engaged in any activity that would reasonably be expected to result in the Borrower being designated as a Sanctioned Person.  None of (a) the Borrower, any Subsidiary, any of their respective directors or officers or to the knowledge of the Borrower or such Subsidiary employees, or (b) to the knowledge of the Borrower, any agent of the Borrower or any Subsidiary that will act in any capacity in connection with or benefit from the credit facility established hereby, is a Sanctioned Person.  No Borrowing, use of proceeds or other transaction contemplated by this Agreement  will violate any Anti-Corruption Law or applicable Sanctions.

Section 3.25. EEA Financial Institutions.  The Borrower is not an EEA Financial Institution.

ARTICLE IV


Conditions

Section 4.01. Effective Date.  The obligations of the Lenders to make Loans hereunder shall not become effective until the date on which each of the following conditions is satisfied (or waived in accordance with Section 9.02):

(a) The Administrative Agent (or its counsel) shall have received from each party hereto either (i) a counterpart of this Agreement signed on behalf of such party or (ii) written evidence satisfactory to the Administrative Agent (which may include electronic transmission of a signed signature page of this Agreement) that such party has signed a counterpart of this Agreement.

(b) The Administrative Agent shall have received a favorable written opinion (addressed to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders and dated the Effective Date) of Jeffrey D. Fick, Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer for the Borrower, covering such matters relating to the Borrower and this Agreement as the Administrative Agent shall reasonably request.  The Borrower hereby requests such counsel to deliver such opinion.

(c) The Administrative Agent shall have received such documents and certificates as the Administrative Agent or its counsel may reasonably request relating to the organization, existence and good standing of the Borrower, the authorization of the Transactions and any other legal matters relating to the Borrower, this Agreement or the Transactions, all in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and its counsel.

(d) The Administrative Agent shall have received all fees and other amounts due and payable on or prior to the Effective Date, including, to the extent invoiced, reimbursement or payment of all out of pocket expenses required to be reimbursed or paid by the Borrower hereunder.

(e) The Administrative Agent shall have received, at least (i) five days prior to the Effective Date, all documentation and other information regarding the Borrower requested in connection with applicable “know your customer” and anti-money laundering rules and regulations, including the Patriot Act,

 

 

 

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to the extent requested in writing of the Borrower at least 10 days prior to the Effective Date, and (ii) to the extent the Borrower qualifies as a “legal entity customer” under the Beneficial Ownership Regulation, at least five days prior to the Effective Date, a Beneficial Ownership Certification in relation to the Borrower.

(f) The Administrative Agent shall have received such other documents as the Administrative Agent or the Required Lenders (through the Administrative Agent) may reasonably request.

Section 4.02. Each Loan.  The obligation of each Lender to make a Loan on the occasion of any Borrowing is subject to the satisfaction of the following conditions:

(a) The representations and warranties of the Borrower set forth in this Agreement shall be true and correct on and as of the date of such Borrowing.

(b) At the time of and immediately after giving effect to such Borrowing, no Default shall have occurred and be continuing.

Each Borrowing shall be deemed to constitute a representation and warranty by the Borrower on the date thereof as to the matters specified in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section.

ARTICLE V


Affirmative Covenants

Until the Commitments have expired or been terminated and the principal of and interest on each Loan and all fees payable hereunder shall have been paid in full, the Borrower covenants and agrees with the Lenders that:

Section 5.01. Financial Statements.  The Borrower will furnish to the Administrative Agent and each Lender:

(a) Within ninety (90) days after the close of each of its fiscal years, an audit report (without a “going concern” or like qualification, commentary or exception and without any qualification or exception as to the scope of such audit) issued by an independent registered public accounting firm acceptable to the Lenders, prepared in accordance with GAAP on a consolidated basis for itself and its Subsidiaries, including balance sheets as of the end of such period, related profit and loss, retained earnings and reconciliation of surplus statements, and a statement of cash flows, accompanied by any management letter prepared by said accountants, and within one hundred fifty (150) days after the close of each of its fiscal years, a certificate of said accountants that, in the course of their examination necessary for their certification of the foregoing, they have obtained no knowledge of any Default or Event of Default, or if, in the opinion of such accountants, any Default or Event of Default shall exist, stating the nature and status thereof.

(b) Within sixty (60) days after the close of the first three quarterly periods of each of its fiscal years, for itself and its Subsidiaries, consolidated unaudited balance sheets as at the close of each such period and consolidated profit and loss, retained earnings and reconciliation of surplus statements and a statement of cash flows for the period from the beginning of such fiscal year to the end of such quarter, all certified by its chief financial officer.

(c) Together with the financial statements required under Sections 6.1(a) and (b), a compliance certificate in substantially the form of Exhibit A signed by its chief financial officer or treasurer showing the calculations necessary to determine compliance with this Agreement and stating that no Default or Event of Default exists, or if any Default or Event of Default exists, stating the nature and status thereof.

 

 

 

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Section 5.02. Other Reports.  The Borrower will furnish to the Administrative Agent and each Lender prompt written notice of the following:

(a) As soon as possible and in any event within 10 days after learning thereof, the occurrence of any ERISA Event that, alone or together with any other ERISA Events that have occurred, could reasonably be expected to result in liability of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in an aggregate amount exceeding $1,000,000.

(b) Within ninety (90) days after the close of each fiscal year of each of RLIC, CBIC and MHIC, copies of the unaudited Annual Statement of such Insurance Subsidiary, certified by the chief financial officer or the treasurer of such Insurance Subsidiary, all such statements to be prepared in accordance with SAP consistently applied throughout the periods reflected therein.

(c) Within sixty (60) days after the close of each of the first three (3) fiscal quarters of each fiscal year of each of RLIC, CBIC and MHIC, copies of the unaudited Quarterly Statement of each of the Insurance Subsidiaries, certified by the chief financial officer or the treasurer of RLIC, CBIC or MHIC, as applicable, all such statements to be prepared in accordance with SAP consistently applied through the period reflected therein.

(d) Promptly and in any event within ten (10) days after (i) learning thereof, notification of any changes after the date of this Agreement in the rating given by A.M. Best & Co. in respect of any Insurance Subsidiary and (ii) receipt thereof, copies of any ratings analysis by A.M. Best & Co. relating to any Insurance Subsidiary.

(e) Promptly after Moody’s or S&P shall have announced a change in the rating established or deemed to have been established for the Index Debt, written notice of such rating change.

(f) 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 the Patriot Act.

(g) Such other information (including, without limitation, the annual Best’s Advance Report Service report prepared with respect to each Insurance Subsidiary rated by A.M. Best & Co. and non-financial information) as the Agent or any Lender may from time to time reasonably request.

Section 5.03. Use of Proceeds.  The proceeds of the Loans will be used for working capital and general corporate purposes.  No part of the proceeds of any Loan will be used, whether directly or indirectly, for any purpose that entails a violation of any of the regulations of the Federal Reserve Board, including Regulations T, U and X.  The Borrower will not request any Borrowing, and the Borrower shall not use, and shall procure that its Subsidiaries and its or their respective directors, officers, employees and agents shall not use, the proceeds of any Borrowing (A) in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization of the payment or giving of money, or anything else of value, to any Person in violation of any Anti-Corruption Laws, (B) for the purpose of funding, financing or facilitating any activities, business or transaction of or with any Sanctioned Person, or in any Sanctioned Country, except to the extent permitted for a Person required to comply with Sanctions, or (C) in any manner that would result in the violation of any Sanctions applicable to any party hereto.

Section 5.04. Notice of DefaultThe Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, give prompt notice in writing to the Lenders of the occurrence of (a) any Default or Event of Default, (b) of any other event or development, financial or other, relating specifically to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (and not of a general economic or political nature) which could reasonably be expected to have a Material

 

 

 

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Adverse Effect, (c) their receipt of any notice from any Governmental Authority of the expiration without renewal, revocation or suspension of, or the institution of any proceedings to revoke or suspend, any License now or hereafter held by any Insurance Subsidiary which is required to conduct insurance business in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations and the expiration, revocation or suspension of which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (d) their receipt of any notice from any Governmental Authority of the institution of any disciplinary proceedings against or in respect of any Insurance Subsidiary, or the issuance of any order, the taking of any action or any request for an extraordinary audit for cause by any Governmental Authority which, if adversely determined, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (e) any material judicial or administrative order of which they are aware limiting or controlling the insurance business of any Insurance Subsidiary (and not the insurance industry generally) which has been issued or adopted, (f) the commencement of any litigation of which they are aware which could reasonably be expected to create a Material Adverse Effect, or (g) any change in the information provided in the Beneficial Ownership Certification that would result in a change to the list of beneficial owners identified in parts (c) or (d) of such certification.

Section 5.05. Taxes.  The Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, timely file complete and correct United States federal and other material foreign, state and local tax returns required by law and pay when due all taxes, assessments and governmental charges and levies upon it or its income, profits or property, except those which are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and with respect to which adequate reserves have been set aside in accordance with GAAP.

Section 5.06. Insurance.  The Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, maintain with financially sound and reputable insurance companies insurance on all their property in such amounts and covering such risks as is consistent with sound business practice, and the Borrower will furnish to any Lender upon request full information as to the insurance carried.  The Borrower shall retain all incidents of ownership of the insurance maintained pursuant hereto and shall not borrow upon or otherwise impair its rights to receive the proceeds of such insurance.  In the event the Borrower either fails to provide the Agent with evidence of the insurance coverage required by this Section 5.06 or at any time hereafter shall fail to obtain or maintain any of the policies of insurance required above, or to pay any premium in whole or in part relating thereto, then the Agent, without waiving or releasing any obligation or default by the Borrower hereunder, may at any time (but shall be under no obligation to act), obtain and maintain such policies of insurance and pay such premium and take any other action with respect thereto, which the Agent deems advisable.  The Borrower may later cancel any such insurance purchased by the Agent, but only after providing the Agent with evidence that the Borrower has obtained the insurance coverage required by this Section.  The costs of such insurance obtained by the Agent, through and including the effective date such insurance coverage is canceled or expires, shall be payable on demand by the Borrower to the Agent, together with interest at the default rate provided for in Section 2.10(c) on such amounts until repaid and any other charges by the Agent in connection with the placement of such insurance.  The costs of such insurance, which may be greater than the cost of insurance which the Borrower may be able to obtain on its own, together with interest thereon at the default rate provided for in Section 2.10(c) and any other charges by the Agent in connection with the placement of such insurance may be added to the total Obligations due and owing.

Section 5.07. Compliance with Laws.  The Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, comply with all laws, rules, regulations, orders, writs, judgments, injunctions, decrees or awards to which it may be subject including, without limitation, all Environmental Laws, the failure to comply with which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

Section 5.08. Maintenance of Properties.  The Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, do all things necessary to maintain, preserve, protect and keep its property in good repair, working order

 

 

 

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and condition, and make all necessary and proper repairs, renewals and replacements so that its business carried on in connection therewith may be properly conducted at all times.

Section 5.09. Inspection.  The Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, upon reasonable notice permit the Agent and the Lenders, by their respective representatives and agents, to inspect any of the property, corporate books and financial records of the Borrower and each Subsidiary, to examine and make copies of the books of accounts and other financial records of the Borrower and each Subsidiary, and to discuss the affairs, finances and accounts of the Borrower and each Subsidiary with, and to be advised as to the same by, their respective officers at such reasonable times and intervals as the Lenders may designate.  The Borrower will keep or cause to be kept, and cause each Subsidiary to keep or cause to be kept, appropriate records and books of account in which complete entries are to be made reflecting its and their business and financial transactions, such entries to be made in accordance with GAAP or SAP, as applicable, consistently applied.

Section 5.10. Conduct of Business.  The Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, (a) carry on and conduct its business in substantially the same manner and in substantially the same fields of enterprise as it is presently conducted, (b) do all things necessary to remain duly incorporated, validly existing and in good standing as a domestic corporation in its jurisdiction of incorporation and maintain all requisite authority to conduct its business in each jurisdiction in which its business is conducted except where the failure to maintain such authority could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect and (c) do all things necessary to renew, extend and continue in effect all Licenses which may at any time and from time to time be necessary for any Insurance Subsidiary to operate its insurance business in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations except for any License the loss of which could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; provided, that any Insurance Subsidiary may withdraw from one or more states (other than its state of domicile) as an admitted insurer if such withdrawal is determined by the such Insurance Subsidiary’s Board of Directors to be in the best interest of such Insurance Subsidiary and could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  No Insurance Subsidiary shall change its state of domicile or incorporation without the prior written consent of the Required Lenders; provided that any Insurance Subsidiary may change its state of domicile and/or incorporation to Illinois.  Each Wholly-Owned Subsidiary in existence as of the date of this Agreement shall continue to be a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary; provided, that (x) the Borrower may sell all of the capital stock of any Subsidiary, subject to Section 6.03 hereof, and (y) the Borrower may cause or permit the dissolution or winding up of any such Wholly-Owned Subsidiary so long as the assets or revenues thereof, taken together with all other Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries dissolved or wound up since the date hereof, do not constitute a Substantial Portion.

Section 5.11. Accuracy of Information.  The Borrower will ensure that any information, including financial statements or other documents, furnished to the Administrative Agent or the Lenders in connection with this Agreement or any amendment or modification hereof or waiver hereunder contains no material misstatement of fact or omits to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, and the furnishing of such information shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Borrower on the date thereof as to the matters specified in this Section.

Section 5.12. Plan Assets; Prohibited Transactions.  The Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, ensure that neither Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries holds “plan assets” (within the meaning of the Plan Asset Regulations), and that, subject to the accuracy of the representations set forth in Section 8.07, neither the execution, delivery  or  performance of the transactions contemplated under this Agreement, including the making of any Loan hereunder, will give rise to a non-exempt prohibited transaction under Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code.

 

 

 

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ARTICLE VI


Negative Covenants

Until the Commitments have expired or terminated and the principal of and interest on each Loan and all fees payable hereunder have been paid in full, the Borrower covenants and agrees with the Lenders that:

Section 6.01. Dividends.  The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any Subsidiary to, declare or pay any dividends or make any distributions on its capital stock (other than dividends payable in its own capital stock) or redeem, repurchase or otherwise acquire or retire any of its capital stock at any time outstanding, except that (a) any Subsidiary may declare and pay dividends or make distributions to the Borrower or to a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary, and (b) the Borrower may declare and pay dividends on its capital stock or redeem, repurchase or otherwise acquire or retire any of its capital stock at any time outstanding; provided, that no Default or Event of Default shall exist before or after giving effect to such dividends, redemptions, repurchases or other acquisitions or be created as a result thereof.

Section 6.02. Merger.  The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any Subsidiary to, merge or consolidate with or into any other Person; provided, that (x) any Person may merge with or into the Borrower so long as (i) no Event of Default will result therefrom, (ii) the Borrower has provided written notice at least twenty days prior to the proposed effective date, (iii) the aggregate consideration paid in such transaction does not exceed $100,000,000 and (iv) the Borrower is the surviving entity, and (y) subject to Section 6.04, a Subsidiary may merge into the Borrower or a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary.

Section 6.03. Sale of Assets.  The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any Subsidiary to, lease, sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of its property to any other Person except for (a) sales of Investments in the ordinary course of business, (b) the sale by the Borrower on commercially reasonable terms of its other unconsolidated investees and (c) leases, sales, transfers or other dispositions of its property (including capital stock of Subsidiaries) that, together with all other property of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries leased, sold or disposed of (other than sales permitted pursuant to clauses (a) and (b) of this Section 6.03) as permitted by this Section 6.03 since the date hereof do not constitute a Substantial Portion.

Section 6.04. Investments and Acquisitions.  The Borrower and its Subsidiaries may make Investments (including, without limitation, loans and advances to, and other Investments in, its Subsidiaries) and commitments therefor, create Subsidiaries, become a partner in any partnership or joint venture and make Acquisitions, subject to the following:

(a) The Borrower and its Subsidiaries may make Acquisitions so long as (i) such transactions (A) consist exclusively of Acquisitions of businesses or entities engaged in the property and casualty business, (B) do not constitute hostile takeovers and (C) do not require the payment of an aggregate consideration in excess of $100,000,000 after the date of this Agreement, (ii) the Borrower provides the Agent and each Lender with written notice of such transactions at least 20 days prior to the effective date thereof, and (iii) no Default has occurred and is continuing or would occur after giving effect thereto.

(b) The Borrower and its Subsidiaries may make Investments in debt securities so long as at least 85% of the principal amount outstanding of all such Investments constitutes an Investment in Investment Grade Obligations.

 

 

 

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(c) Any Investments made by any Insurance Subsidiary must be of a quality acceptable to the insurance commissioner in the respective domiciliary state of such Insurance Subsidiary.

(d) The Borrower and its Subsidiaries may make loans to and extend guarantees of loans made to employees of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries to purchase stock of the Borrower pursuant to an employee stock purchase plan, so long as the aggregate principal amount outstanding of all such loans and guaranteed loans shall not exceed $20,000,000 in the aggregate.

(e) The Borrower and its Subsidiaries may become a partner in a partnership or joint venture or similar Person in a transaction which does not constitute an Acquisition; provided, that after giving effect to such transaction, the aggregate fair market value of the partnership, joint venture and other interests so obtained shall not exceed at any time 20% of the aggregate statutory surplus of the Insurance Subsidiaries at such time; provided,  further, that (x) interests in joint ventures which are limited liability companies engaging in the same lines of business as the Insurance Subsidiaries and (y) interests in partnerships, to the extent that such investments are insurance company portfolio investments made by an Insurance Subsidiary in the ordinary course of business, shall not count toward such limitation.

Section 6.05. Liens.  The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any Subsidiary to, create, incur, or suffer to exist any Lien in, of or on the property of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, except:

(a) Liens for taxes, assessments or governmental charges or levies on its property if the same shall not at the time be delinquent or thereafter can be paid without penalty, or are being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings and for which adequate reserves in accordance with GAAP shall have been set aside on its books.

(b) Liens imposed by law, such as carriers’, warehousemen’s and mechanics’ liens and other similar liens arising in the ordinary course of business which secure payment of obligations not more than 60 days past due or which are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which adequate reserves shall have been set aside on its books.

(c) Liens arising out of pledges or deposits under worker’s compensation laws, unemployment insurance, pension plans, or other social security or retirement benefits, or similar legislation.

(d) Utility easements, building restrictions and such other encumbrances or charges against real property as are of a nature generally existing with respect to properties of a similar character and which do not in any material way affect the marketability of the same or interfere with the use thereof in the business of the Borrower or its Subsidiaries.

(e) Purchase money Liens upon or in real property or equipment acquired or held by the Borrower or any Subsidiary in the ordinary course of business to secure the purchase price of such property or equipment or to secure Indebtedness incurred solely for the purpose of financing the acquisition, construction or improvement of any such property or equipment to be subject to such Liens, or Liens existing on any such property or equipment at the time of acquisition or within 180 days following such acquisition (other than any such Liens created in contemplation of such acquisition that do not secure the purchase price), or extensions, renewals or replacements of any of the foregoing for the same or a lesser amount; provided that no such Lien shall extend to or cover any property other than the property or equipment being acquired, constructed or improved, and no such extension, renewal or replacement shall extend to or cover any property not theretofore subject to the Lien being extended, renewed or replaced.

(f) Liens arising in connection with Capitalized Leases; provided that no such Lien shall extend to or cover any assets other than the assets subject to such Capitalized Leases.

 

 

 

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(g) Liens securing Financial Hedges arising in the ordinary course of business.

(h) Liens on securities arising out of repurchase agreements permitted by the terms of this Agreement.

(i) Liens consisting of deposits made by an Insurance Subsidiary with any Governmental Authority or Liens or claims imposed or required by applicable insurance law or regulation against the property of any Insurance Subsidiary, in each case in favor of policyholders of such Insurance Subsidiary or any Governmental Authority and in the ordinary course of such Insurance Subsidiary’s business.

(j) Liens on Investments and cash balances of any Insurance Subsidiary (other than capital stock or any Subsidiary) securing Obligations of the Borrower or any Insurance Subsidiary in respect of (i) letters of credit obtained in the ordinary course of business and/or (ii) trust arrangements formed in the ordinary course of business for the benefit of cedents to secure reinsurance recoverables owed to them by any Insurance Subsidiary.

(k) The replacement, extension or renewal of any Lien permitted by clause (e) or (g) above upon or in the same property theretofore subject thereto or the replacement, extension or renewal (without increase in the amount (other than in respect of fees, expenses and premiums, if any) or change in any direct or contingent obligor) of the Indebtedness secured thereby.

(l) Liens securing obligations owed by any Subsidiary to the Borrower or any other Subsidiary.

(m) Liens incurred in the ordinary course of business in favor of financial intermediaries and clearing agents pending clearance of payments for Investments or in the nature of set-off, banker’s lien or similar rights as to deposit accounts or other funds.

(n) Judgment or judicial attachment Liens; provided, that the enforcement of such Liens is effectively stayed and the claims secured thereby are being actively contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings.

(o) Liens securing obligations not to exceed $125,000,000 in the aggregate at any time outstanding under FHLB Agreements.

(p) Liens securing investments by an Insurance Subsidiary in Section 42 low income housing tax credit transactions and historical tax credit transactions.

(q) Liens securing Indebtedness or obligations (in addition to that described in clauses (a) through (p) above), in an aggregate amount not to exceed $30,000,000 at any one time outstanding.

Section 6.06. Reinsurance.  After the date of this Agreement, the Borrower will not permit CBIC, RLIC or MHIC to modify its reinsurance arrangements in a manner that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

Section 6.07. Affiliates.  The Borrower will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, enter into any transaction (including, without limitation, the purchase, exchange or sale of any property or service) with, or make any payment or transfer to, any Affiliate except (a) transactions between Subsidiaries and/or payments by or transfers from one Subsidiary to another or (b) in the ordinary course of business and pursuant to the reasonable requirements of the Borrower’s or such Subsidiary’s business and upon fair and reasonable terms no less favorable to the Borrower or such Subsidiary than the Borrower or such Subsidiary would obtain in a comparable arms‑length transaction.

 

 

 

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Section 6.08. Financial Covenants.

(a) Leverage Ratio.  The Borrower will not permit the ratio, determined as of the end of each of its fiscal quarters, of (a) Consolidated Indebtedness to (b) Consolidated Total Capitalization to be greater than 0.30 to 1.0.

(b) Risk-Based Capital.  The Borrower will cause each of CBIC, RLIC and MHIC at all times to maintain a ratio of (a) Total Adjusted Capital (as defined in the Risk-Based Capital Act or in the rules and procedures prescribed from time to time by the NAIC with respect thereto) to (b) Authorized Control Level (as defined in the Risk-Based Capital Act or in the rules and procedures prescribed from time to time by the NAIC with respect thereto) of at least four hundred fifty percent (450%).

ARTICLE VII


Events of Default

Section 7.01. Events of Default.  If any of the following events (“Events of Default”) shall occur:

(a) Any representation or warranty made or deemed made by or on behalf of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to the Lenders or the Agent under or in connection with this Agreement, any Loan, or any certificate or information delivered in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document shall be materially false on the date as of which made;

(b) Nonpayment of principal of any Loan when due, or nonpayment of interest upon any Loan or of any commitment fee or other obligations under any of the Loan Documents within five days after the same becomes due;

(c) The breach by the Borrower of any of the terms or provisions of Sections 5.03,  5.04(a),  5.10, or 6.01 through 6.08;

(d) The breach by the Borrower (other than a breach which constitutes a Default under another Section of this Article VII) of any of the terms or provisions of this Agreement or any other Loan Document which is not remedied within twenty (20) Business Days after written notice from the Agent or any Lender;

(e) Failure of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to pay when due any Material Indebtedness; or the default by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in the performance (beyond the applicable grace period with respect thereto, if any) of any term, provision or condition contained in any Material Indebtedness Agreement, or any other event shall occur or condition exist, the effect of which default, event or condition is to cause, or to permit the holder(s) of such Material Indebtedness or the lender(s) under any Material Indebtedness Agreement to cause, such Material Indebtedness to become due prior to its stated maturity or any commitment to lend under any Material Indebtedness Agreement to be terminated prior to its stated expiration date; or any Material Indebtedness of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries shall be declared to be due and payable or required to be prepaid or repurchased (other than by a regularly scheduled payment) prior to the stated maturity thereof; or the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries shall not pay, or admit in writing its inability to pay, its debts generally as they become due;

(f) The Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries shall (i) have an order for relief entered with respect to it under the Federal bankruptcy laws as now or hereafter in effect, (ii) make an assignment for the benefit of creditors, (iii) apply for, seek, consent to, or acquiesce in, the appointment of a receiver, custodian, trustee, examiner, liquidator or similar official for it or any Substantial Portion of its property, (iv) institute

 

 

 

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any proceeding seeking an order for relief under the Federal bankruptcy laws as now or hereafter in effect or seeking to adjudicate it a bankrupt or insolvent, or seeking dissolution, winding up, liquidation, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, rehabilitation or composition of it or its debts under any law relating to bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization or relief of debtors or fail to file an answer or other pleading denying the material allegations of any such proceeding filed against it, (v) take any corporate or partnership action to authorize or effect any of the foregoing actions set forth in this Section 7.01(f) or (vi) fail to contest in good faith any appointment or proceeding described in Section 7.01(g);

(g) Without the application, approval or consent of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, a receiver, trustee, examiner, liquidator or similar official shall be appointed for the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or any Substantial Portion of its property, or a proceeding described in Section 7.01(f)(iv) shall be instituted against the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries and such appointment continues undischarged or such proceeding continues undismissed or unstayed for a period of 60 consecutive days;

(h) Any court, government or governmental agency shall condemn, seize or otherwise appropriate, or take custody or control of, all or any portion of the property of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries which, when taken together with all other property of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries so condemned, seized, appropriated, or taken custody or control of, during the twelve-month period ending with the month in which any such action occurs, constitutes a Substantial Portion;

(i) The Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries shall fail within 30 days to pay (or make arrangements to pay), bond or otherwise discharge one or more judgments which are not stayed on appeal or otherwise being appropriately contested in good faith and which are (i) judgments or orders for the payment of money in excess of $10,000,000 (or the equivalent thereof in currencies other than U.S. Dollars) in the aggregate, or (ii) nonmonetary judgments or orders which, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;

(j) An ERISA Event shall have occurred that, when taken together with all other ERISA Events that have occurred, could reasonably be expected to result in liability of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in an amount which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;

(k) Any Change in Control shall occur;

(l) Any material License of RLIC or MHIC (a) shall be revoked by the Governmental Authority which issued a material License, or any action (administrative or judicial) to revoke a material License shall have been commenced against RLIC or MHIC and shall not have been dismissed within 180 days after the commencement thereof, (b) shall be suspended by such Governmental Authority for a period in excess of thirty (30) days or (c) shall not be reissued or renewed by such Governmental Authority upon the expiration thereof following application for such reissuance or renewal by RLIC or MHIC, as applicable;

(m) The Insurance Subsidiaries shall be the subject of one or more final non-appealable orders imposing a fine in an amount in excess of $10,000,000 in any single instance or other such orders imposing fines in excess of $35,000,000 in the aggregate after the date of this Agreement by or at the request of one or more state insurance regulatory agencies as a result of the violation by such Insurance Subsidiaries of such states’ applicable insurance laws or the regulations promulgated in connection therewith; or

(n) Any Insurance Subsidiary shall become subject to any conservation, rehabilitation or liquidation order, directive or mandate issued by any Governmental Authority or any Insurance Subsidiary shall become subject to any other directive or mandate issued by any Governmental Authority which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect and which is not stayed within ten (10) days;

 

 

 

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then, and in every such event (other than an event with respect to the Borrower described in clause (h) or (i) of this Article), and at any time thereafter during the continuance of such event, the Administrative Agent may, and at the request of the Required Lenders shall, by notice to the Borrower, take any or all of the following actions, at the same or different times:  (i) terminate the Commitments, and thereupon the Commitments shall terminate immediately, (ii) declare the Loans then outstanding to be due and payable in whole (or in part, in which case any principal not so declared to be due and payable may thereafter be declared to be due and payable), and thereupon the principal of the Loans so declared to be due and payable, together with accrued interest thereon and all fees and other obligations of the Borrower accrued hereunder, shall become due and payable immediately, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by the Borrower, and (iii) exercise on behalf of itself and the Lenders all rights and remedies available to it and the Lenders under the Loan Documents and Applicable Law; and in case of any event with respect to the Borrower described in clause (h) or (i) of this Article, the Commitments shall automatically terminate and the principal of the Loans then outstanding, together with accrued interest thereon and all fees and other obligations of the Borrower accrued hereunder, shall automatically become due and payable, in each case, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by the Borrower.

Section 7.02. Application of Payments.  Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, following the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, and notice thereof to the Administrative Agent by the Borrower or the Required Lenders, all payments received on account of the Obligations shall, subject to Section 2.20, be applied by the Administrative Agent as follows:

(i) first, to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting fees, indemnities, expenses and other amounts payable to the Administrative Agent (including fees and disbursements and other charges of counsel to the Administrative Agent payable under Section 9.03 and amounts pursuant to Section 2.12(c) payable to the Administrative Agent in its capacity as such);

(ii) second, to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting fees, expenses, indemnities and other amounts (other than principal and interest) payable to the Lenders (including fees and disbursements and other charges of counsel to the Lenders payable under Section 9.03) arising under the Loan Documents, ratably among them in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause (ii) payable to them;

(iii) third, to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting charges and interest on the Loans, ratably among the Lenders in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause (iii) payable to them;

(iv) fourth, to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting unpaid principal of the Loans, ratably among the Lenders in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause (iv) payable to them;

(v) fifth, to the payment in full of all other Obligations, in each case ratably among the Administrative Agent and the Lenders based upon the respective aggregate amounts of all such Obligations owing to them in accordance with the respective amounts thereof then due and payable; and

(vi) finally, the balance, if any, after all Obligations have been indefeasibly paid in full, to the Borrower or as otherwise required by law.

 

 

 

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ARTICLE VIII


The Administrative Agent

Section 8.01. Authorization and Action.   Each Lender hereby irrevocably appoints the entity named as Administrative Agent in the heading of this Agreement and its successors and assigns to serve as the administrative agent under the Loan Documents and each Lender authorizes the Administrative Agent to take such actions as agent on its behalf and to exercise such powers under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents as are delegated to the Administrative Agent under such agreements and to exercise such powers as are reasonably incidental thereto. Without limiting the foregoing, each Lender hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent to execute and deliver, and to perform its obligations under, each of the Loan Documents to which the Administrative Agent is a party, to exercise all rights, powers and remedies that the Administrative Agent may have under such Loan Documents.

(a) As to any matters not expressly provided for herein and in the other Loan Documents (including enforcement or collection), the Administrative Agent shall not be required to exercise any discretion or take any action, but shall be required to act or to refrain from acting (and shall be fully protected in so acting or refraining from acting) upon the written instructions of the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary, pursuant to the terms in the Loan Documents), and, unless and until revoked in writing, such instructions shall be binding upon each Lender; provided, however, that the Administrative Agent shall not be required to take any action that (i) the Administrative Agent in good faith believes exposes it to liability unless the Administrative Agent receives an indemnification satisfactory to it from the Lenders with respect to such action or (ii) is contrary to this Agreement or any other Loan Document or applicable law, including any action that may be in violation of the automatic stay under any requirement of law relating to bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization or relief of debtors or that may effect a forfeiture, modification or termination of property of a Defaulting Lender in violation of any requirement of law relating to bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization or relief of debtors; provided,  further, that the Administrative Agent may seek clarification or direction from the Required Lenders prior to the exercise of any such instructed action and may refrain from acting until such clarification or direction has been provided. Except as expressly set forth in the Loan Documents, the Administrative Agent shall not have any duty to disclose, and shall not be liable for the failure to disclose, any information relating to the Borrower, any Subsidiary or any Affiliate of any of the foregoing that is communicated to or obtained by the Person serving as Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates in any capacity. Nothing in this Agreement shall require the Administrative Agent to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.

(b) In performing its functions and duties hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, the Administrative Agent is acting solely on behalf of the Lenders (except in limited circumstances expressly provided for herein relating to the maintenance of the Register), and its duties are entirely mechanical and administrative in nature. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing:

(i) the Administrative Agent does not assume and shall not be deemed to have assumed any obligation or duty or any other relationship as the agent, fiduciary or trustee of or for any Lender other than as expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents, regardless of whether a Default or an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing (and it is understood and agreed that the use of the term “agent” (or any similar term) herein or in any other Loan Document with reference to the Administrative Agent is not intended to connote any fiduciary duty or other implied (or express) obligations arising under agency doctrine of any applicable law, and that such term is

 

 

 

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used as a matter of market custom and is intended to create or reflect only an administrative relationship between contracting parties); additionally, each Lender agrees that it will not assert any claim against the Administrative Agent based on an alleged breach of fiduciary duty by the Administrative Agent in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby; and

(ii) nothing in this Agreement or any Loan Document shall require the Administrative Agent to account to any Lender for any sum or the profit element of any sum received by the Administrative Agent for its own account.

(c) The Administrative Agent may perform any 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 of their respective duties and exercise their respective rights and powers through their respective Related Parties. The exculpatory provisions of this Article 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 pursuant to this Agreement. The Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for the negligence or misconduct of any sub-agent except to the extent that a court of competent jurisdiction determines in a final and nonappealable judgment that the Administrative Agent acted with gross negligence or willful misconduct in the selection of such sub-agent.

(d) No Arranger shall have obligations or duties whatsoever in such capacity under this Agreement or any other Loan Document and shall incur no liability hereunder or thereunder in such capacity, but all such persons shall have the benefit of the indemnities provided for hereunder.

(e) In case of the pendency of any proceeding with respect to Borrower under any Federal, state or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or similar law now or hereafter in effect, the Administrative Agent (irrespective of whether the principal of any Loan 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 (but not obligated) 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 and all other 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 and the Administrative Agent (including any claim under Sections 2.12,  2.13,  2.15,  2.17 and 9.03) 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 proceeding is hereby authorized by each Lender 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 to pay to the Administrative Agent any amount due to it, in its capacity as the Administrative Agent, under the Loan Documents (including under Section 9.03). 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 any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Obligations or the rights of any Lender or to authorize the Administrative Agent to vote in respect of the claim of any Lender in any such proceeding.

 

 

 

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(f) The provisions of this Article are solely for the benefit of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders, and, except solely to the extent of the Borrower’s rights to consent pursuant to and subject to the conditions set forth in this Article, none of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, or any of their respective Affiliates, shall have any rights as a third party beneficiary under any such provisions.

Section 8.02. Administrative Agent’s Reliance, Indemnification, Etc.       Neither the Administrative Agent nor any of its Related Parties shall be (i) liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken by it under or in connection with this Agreement or the other Loan Documents (x) with the consent of 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 to be necessary, under the circumstances as provided in the Loan Documents) or (y) in the absence of its own gross negligence or willful misconduct (such absence to be presumed unless otherwise determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by a final and nonappealable judgment) or (ii) responsible in any manner to any of the Lenders for any recitals, statements, representations or warranties made by the Borrower or any officer thereof contained in this Agreement or any other Loan Document or in any certificate, report, statement or other document referred to or provided for in, or received by the Administrative Agent under or in connection with, this Agreement or any other Loan Document or for the value, validity, effectiveness, genuineness, enforceability or sufficiency of this Agreement or any other Loan Document or for any failure of the Borrower to perform its obligations hereunder or thereunder.

(a) The Administrative Agent shall be deemed not to have knowledge of any Default unless and until written notice thereof (stating that it is a “notice of default”) is given to the Administrative Agent by the Borrower or a Lender, and the Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for or have any duty to ascertain or inquire into (i) any statement, warranty or representation made in or in connection with any Loan Document, (ii) the contents of any certificate, report or other document delivered thereunder or in connection therewith, (iii) the performance or observance of any of the covenants, agreements or other terms or conditions set forth in any Loan Document or the occurrence of any Default, (iv) the sufficiency, validity, enforceability, effectiveness or genuineness of any Loan Document or any other agreement, instrument or document, or (v) the satisfaction of any condition set forth in Article IV or elsewhere in any Loan Document, other than to confirm receipt of items expressly required to be delivered to the Administrative Agent or satisfaction of any condition that expressly refers to the matters described therein being acceptable or satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.

(b) Without limiting the foregoing, the Administrative Agent (i) may treat the payee of any promissory note as its holder until such promissory note has been assigned in accordance with Section 9.04, (ii) may rely on the Register to the extent set forth in Section 9.04(b), (iii) may consult with legal counsel (including counsel to the Borrower), independent public accountants and other experts selected by it, and shall not be liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken in good faith by it in accordance with the advice of such counsel, accountants or experts, (iv) makes no warranty or representation to any Lender and shall not be responsible to any Lender for any statements, warranties or representations made by or on behalf of the Borrower in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document, (v) in determining compliance with any condition hereunder to the making of a Loan, that by its terms must be fulfilled to the satisfaction of a Lender, may presume that such condition is satisfactory to such Lender unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice to the contrary from such Lender sufficiently in advance of the making of such Loan and (vi) shall be entitled to rely on, and shall incur no liability under or in respect of this Agreement or any other Loan Document by acting upon, any notice, consent, certificate or other instrument or writing (which writing may be a fax, any electronic message, Internet or intranet website posting or other distribution) or any statement made to it orally or by telephone and believed by it to be genuine and signed or sent or otherwise authenticated by the proper party or parties (whether or not such Person in fact meets the requirements set forth in the Loan Documents for being the maker thereof).

 

 

 

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Section 8.03. Posting of Communications.   The Borrower agrees that the Administrative Agent may, but shall not be obligated to, make any Communications available to the Lenders by posting the Communications on IntraLinks™, DebtDomain, SyndTrak, ClearPar or any other electronic platform chosen by the Administrative Agent to be its electronic transmission system (the “Approved Electronic Platform”).

(a) Although the Approved Electronic Platform and its primary web portal are secured with generally-applicable security procedures and policies implemented or modified by the Administrative Agent from time to time (including, as of the Effective Date, a user ID/password authorization system) and the Approved Electronic Platform is secured through a per-deal authorization method whereby each user may access the Approved Electronic Platform only on a deal-by-deal basis, each of the Lenders and the Borrower acknowledges and agrees that the distribution of material through an electronic medium is not necessarily secure, that the Administrative Agent is not responsible for approving or vetting the representatives or contacts of any Lender that are added to the Approved Electronic Platform and that there are confidentiality and other risks associated with such distribution. Each of the Lenders and the Borrower hereby approves distribution of the Communications through the Approved Electronic Platform and understands and assumes the risks of such distribution.

(b) THE APPROVED ELECTRONIC PLATFORM AND THE COMMUNICATIONS ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE”. THE APPLICABLE PARTIES (AS DEFINED BELOW) DO NOT WARRANT THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE COMMUNICATIONS, OR THE ADEQUACY OF THE APPROVED ELECTRONIC PLATFORM AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM LIABILITY FOR ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN THE APPROVED ELECTRONIC PLATFORM AND THE COMMUNICATIONS. 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 THE APPLICABLE PARTIES IN CONNECTION WITH THE COMMUNICATIONS OR THE APPROVED ELECTRONIC PLATFORM. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, ANY ARRANGER OR ANY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE RELATED PARTIES (COLLECTIVELY, “APPLICABLE PARTIES”) HAVE ANY LIABILITY TO THE BORROWER, ANY LENDER OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FOR DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING DIRECT OR INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, LOSSES OR EXPENSES (WHETHER IN TORT, CONTRACT OR OTHERWISE) ARISING OUT OF THE BORROWER’S OR THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT’S TRANSMISSION OF COMMUNICATIONS THROUGH THE INTERNET OR THE APPROVED ELECTRONIC PLATFORM.

Communications” means, collectively, any notice, demand, communication, information, document or other material provided by or on behalf of the Borrower pursuant to any Loan Document or the transactions contemplated therein which is distributed by the Administrative Agent or any Lender by means of electronic communications pursuant to this Section, including through an Approved Electronic Platform.

(c) Each Lender agrees that notice to it (as provided in the next sentence) specifying that Communications have been posted to the Approved Electronic Platform shall constitute effective delivery of the Communications to such Lender for purposes of the Loan Documents. Each Lender agrees (i) to notify the Administrative Agent in writing (which could be in the form of electronic communication) from time to time of such Lender’s email address to which the foregoing notice may be sent by electronic transmission and (ii) that the foregoing notice may be sent to such email address.

(d) Each of the Lenders and the Borrower agrees that the Administrative Agent may, but (except as may be required by applicable law) shall not be obligated to, store the Communications on the Approved

 

 

 

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Electronic Platform in accordance with the Administrative Agent’s generally applicable document retention procedures and policies.

(e) Nothing herein shall prejudice the right of the Administrative Agent or any Lender to give any notice or other communication pursuant to any Loan Document in any other manner specified in such Loan Document.

Section 8.04. The Administrative Agent Individually.  With respect to its Commitment and Loans, the Person serving as the Administrative Agent shall have and may exercise the same rights and powers hereunder and is subject to the same obligations and liabilities as and to the extent set forth herein for any other Lender. The terms “Lenders”, “Required Lenders” and any similar terms shall, unless the context clearly otherwise indicates, include the Administrative Agent in its individual capacity as a Lender or as one of the Required Lenders, as applicable. The Person serving as the Administrative Agent 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 or other business with, the Borrower, any Subsidiary or any Affiliate of any of the foregoing as if such Person was not acting as the Administrative Agent and without any duty to account therefor to the Lenders.

Section 8.05. Successor Administrative Agent.   The Administrative Agent may resign at any time by giving 30 days’ prior written notice thereof to the Lenders and the Borrower, whether or not a successor Administrative Agent has been appointed. Upon any such resignation, the Required Lenders shall have the right to appoint a successor Administrative Agent. If no successor Administrative Agent shall have been so appointed by the Required Lenders, and shall have accepted such appointment, within 30 days after the retiring Administrative Agent’s giving of notice of resignation, then the retiring Administrative Agent may, on behalf of the Lenders, appoint a successor Administrative Agent, which shall be a bank with an office in Chicago, Illinois or New York, New York or an Affiliate of any such bank. In either case, such appointment shall be subject to the prior written approval of the Borrower (which approval may not be unreasonably withheld and shall not be required while an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing). Upon the acceptance of any appointment as Administrative Agent by a successor Administrative Agent, such successor Administrative Agent shall succeed to, and become vested with, all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring Administrative Agent. Upon the acceptance of appointment as Administrative Agent by a successor Administrative Agent, the retiring Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents. Prior to any retiring Administrative Agent’s resignation hereunder as Administrative Agent, the retiring Administrative Agent shall take such action as may be reasonably necessary to assign to the successor Administrative Agent its rights as Administrative Agent under the Loan Documents.

(a) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this Section, in the event no successor Administrative Agent shall have been so appointed and shall have accepted such appointment within 30 days after the retiring Administrative Agent gives notice of its intent to resign, the retiring Administrative Agent may give notice of the effectiveness of its resignation to the Lenders and the Borrower, whereupon, on the date of effectiveness of such resignation stated in such notice, (i) the retiring Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations hereunder and under the other Loan Documents; and (ii) the Required Lenders shall succeed to and become vested with all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring Administrative Agent; provided that (A) all payments required to be made hereunder or under any other Loan Document to the Administrative Agent for the account of any Person other than the Administrative Agent shall be made directly to such Person and (B) all notices and other communications required or contemplated to be given or made to the Administrative Agent shall directly be given or made to each Lender. Following the effectiveness of the Administrative Agent’s resignation from its capacity as such, the provisions of this Article and Section 9.03, as well as any exculpatory, reimbursement and

 

 

 

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indemnification provisions set forth in any other Loan Document, shall continue in effect for the benefit of such retiring 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 while the retiring Administrative Agent was acting as Administrative Agent.

Section 8.06. Acknowledgements of Lenders.   Each Lender represents that it is engaged in making, acquiring or holding commercial loans in the ordinary course of its business and that it has, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent, any Arranger or any other Lender, or any of the Related Parties of any of the foregoing, and based on such documents and information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Agreement as a Lender, and to make, acquire or hold Loans hereunder. Each Lender also acknowledges that it will, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent, any Arranger or any other Lender, or any of the Related Parties of any of the foregoing, and based on such documents and information (which may contain material, non-public information within the meaning of the United States securities laws concerning the Borrower and its Affiliates) as it shall from time to time deem appropriate, continue to make its own 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.

(a) Each Lender, by delivering its signature page to this Agreement on the Effective Date, or delivering its signature page to an Assignment and Assumption or any other Loan Document pursuant to which it shall become a Lender hereunder, shall be deemed to have acknowledged receipt of, and consented to and approved, each Loan Document and each other document required to be delivered to, or be approved by or satisfactory to, the Administrative Agent or the Lenders on the Effective Date.

Section 8.07. Certain ERISA Matters  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 each Arranger and their respective Affiliates, and not, for the avoidance of doubt, to or for the benefit of the Borrower, that at least one of the following is and will be true:

(i) such Lender is not using “plan assets” (within the meaning of the Plan Asset Regulations) of one or more Benefit Plans in connection with the Loans or the Commitments,

(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 Commitments and this Agreement, and the conditions for exemptive relief thereunder are and will continue to be satisfied in connection therewith,

(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

 

 

 

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(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 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 sub-clause (i) in the immediately preceding clause (a) is true with respect to a Lender or such Lender has not provided another representation, warranty and covenant as provided in sub-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 each Arranger and their respective Affiliates, and not, for the avoidance of doubt, to or for the benefit of the Borrower, that:

(i) none of the Administrative Agent, or any Arranger or any of their respective Affiliates is a fiduciary with respect to the assets of such Lender (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 to hereto or thereto),

(ii) the Person making the investment decision on behalf of such Lender with respect to the entrance into, participation in, administration of and performance of the Loans, the Commitments and this Agreement is independent (within the meaning of 29 CFR § 2510.3-21, as amended from time to time) and is a bank, an insurance carrier, an investment adviser, a broker-dealer or other person that holds, or has under management or control, total assets of at least $50 million, in each case as described in 29 CFR § 2510.3-21(c)(1)(i)(A)-(E),

(iii) the Person making the investment decision on behalf of such Lender with respect to the entrance into, participation in, administration of and performance of the Loans, the Commitments and this Agreement is capable of evaluating investment risks independently, both in general and with regard to particular transactions and investment strategies (including in respect of the obligations),

(iv) the Person making the investment decision on behalf of such Lender with respect to the entrance into, participation in, administration of and performance of the Loans, the Commitments and this Agreement is a fiduciary under ERISA or the Code, or both, with respect to the Loans, the Commitments and this Agreement and is responsible for exercising independent judgment in evaluating the transactions hereunder, and

(v) no fee or other compensation is being paid directly to the Administrative Agent, or any Arranger or any of their respective Affiliates for investment advice (as opposed to other services) in connection with the Loans, the Commitments or this Agreement.

(c) The Administrative Agent and each Arranger hereby inform the Lenders that each such Person is not undertaking to provide impartial investment advice, or to give advice in a fiduciary capacity, in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, and that such Person has a financial interest in the transactions contemplated hereby in that such Person or an Affiliate thereof (i) may receive interest or other payments with respect to the Loans, the Commitments and this Agreement, (ii) may recognize a gain if it extended the Loans or the Commitments for an amount less than the amount being paid for an interest in the Loans or the Commitments by such Lender or (iii) may receive fees or other payments in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, the Loan Documents or otherwise, including structuring fees, commitment

 

 

 

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fees, arrangement fees, facility fees, upfront fees, underwriting fees, ticking fees, agency fees, administrative agent or collateral agent fees, utilization fees, minimum usage fees, letter of credit fees, fronting fees, deal-away or alternate transaction fees, amendment fees, processing fees, term out premiums, banker’s acceptance fees, breakage or other early termination fees or fees similar to the foregoing.

ARTICLE IX


Miscellaneous

Section 9.01. Notices.   Except in the case of notices and other communications expressly permitted to be given by telephone (and subject to paragraph (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 electronic mail, as follows:

(i) if to the Borrower, to it at

9025 North Lindbergh Drive
Peoria, Illinois  61615-1431
Attention:  Thomas L. Brown

thomas.brown@rlicorp.com 

(ii) if to the Administrative Agent, to

10 South Dearborn
9
th Floor
Chicago, Illinois  60603
Suite IL1-0364
Attention: Ryan Kin
ryan.kin@jpmorgan.com

and

(iii) if to any other Lender, to it at its address set forth in its Administrative Questionnaire.

Notices sent by hand or overnight courier service, or mailed by certified or registered mail, shall be deemed to have been given when received.  Notices delivered through Approved Electronic Platforms, to the extent provided in paragraph (b) below, shall be effective as provided in said paragraph (b).  Notices delivered through electronic mail shall be effective as provided in said paragraph (c).

(d) Notices and other communications to the Lenders hereunder may be delivered or furnished by using Approved Electronic Platforms pursuant to procedures approved by the Administrative Agent; provided that the foregoing shall not apply to notices pursuant to Article II unless otherwise agreed by the Administrative Agent and the applicable Lender.  The Administrative Agent or the Borrower may, 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.

 

 

 

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

(f) Any party hereto may change its address for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to the other parties hereto.

Section 9.02. Waivers; Amendments.   No failure or delay by the Administrative Agent or any Lender in exercising any right or power hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such right or power, or any abandonment or discontinuance of steps to enforce such a right or power, preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right or power.  The rights and remedies of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders hereunder are cumulative and are not exclusive of any rights or remedies that they would otherwise have.  No waiver of any provision of this Agreement or consent to any departure by the Borrower therefrom shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be permitted by paragraph (b) of this Section, and then such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the purpose for which given.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the making of a Loan shall not be construed as a waiver of any Default, regardless of whether the Administrative Agent or any Lender may have had notice or knowledge of such Default at the time.

(a) Subject to Section 2.11(b) and Section 9.02(c) below, neither this Agreement nor any provision hereof may be waived, amended or modified except pursuant to an agreement or agreements in writing entered into by the Borrower and the Required Lenders or by the Borrower and the Administrative Agent with the consent of the Required Lenders; provided that no such agreement shall (i) increase the Commitment of any Lender without the written consent of such Lender, (ii) reduce the principal amount of any Loan or reduce the rate of interest thereon, or reduce any fees payable hereunder, without the written consent of each Lender affected thereby, (iii) postpone the scheduled date of payment of the principal amount of any Loan, or any interest thereon, or any fees payable hereunder, or reduce the amount of, waive or excuse any such payment, or postpone the scheduled date of expiration of any Commitment, without the written consent of each Lender affected thereby, (iv) change Section 2.09(c) or 2.18(b) or (c) in a manner that would alter the ratable reduction of Commitments or the pro rata sharing of payments required thereby, without the written consent of each Lender, (v) change the payment waterfall provisions of Section 2.20(b) or 7.02 without the written consent of each Lender, or (vi) change any of the provisions of this Section or the definition of “Required Lenders” or any other provision hereof specifying the number or percentage of Lenders required to waive, amend or modify any rights hereunder or make any determination or grant any consent hereunder, without the  written consent of each Lender; provided further that no such agreement shall amend, modify or otherwise affect the rights or duties of the Administrative Agent hereunder without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent.

(b) 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, 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.

 

 

 

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Section 9.03. Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver.   The Borrower shall pay (i) all reasonable out of pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent and its Affiliates, including the reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of counsel for the Administrative Agent, in connection with the syndication of the credit facilities provided for herein, the preparation and administration of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents or any amendments, modifications or waivers of the provisions hereof or thereof (whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby shall be consummated), and (ii) all out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent or any Lender, including the fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for the Administrative Agent or any Lender, in connection with the enforcement or protection of its rights in connection with this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, including its rights under this Section, or in connection with the Loans made hereunder, including all such out-of-pocket expenses incurred during  any workout, restructuring or negotiations in respect of such Loans.

(a) The Borrower shall indemnify the Administrative Agent, each Arranger and each Lender, 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 fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for any Indemnitee, incurred by or asserted against any Indemnitee 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 or any other transactions contemplated hereby, (ii) any Loan or the use of the proceeds therefrom, (iii) any actual or alleged presence or release of Hazardous Materials on or from any property owned or operated by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or any Environmental Liability related in any way to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or (iv) any actual or prospective claim, litigation, investigation, arbitration or proceeding relating to any of the foregoing, whether or not such claim, litigation, investigation, arbitration or proceeding is brought by the Borrower or its equity holders, Affiliates, creditors or any other third Person and whether based on contract, tort or any other theory 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 are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Indemnitee.  This Section 9.03(b) shall not apply with respect to Taxes other than any Taxes that represent losses, claims or damages arising from any non-Tax claim.

(b) Each Lender severally agrees to pay any amount required to be paid by the Borrower under paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section 9.03 to the Administrative Agent and each Related Party of any of the foregoing Persons (each, an “Agent Indemnitee”) (to the extent not reimbursed by the Borrower and without limiting the obligation of the Borrower to do so), ratably according to their respective Applicable Percentage in effect on the date on which indemnification is sought under this Section (or, if indemnification is sought after the date upon which the Commitments shall have terminated and the Loans shall have been paid in full, ratably in accordance with such Applicable Percentage immediately prior to such date), from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and related expenses, including the fees, charges and disbursements of any kind whatsoever that may at any time (whether before or after the payment of the Loans) be imposed on, incurred by or asserted against such Agent Indemnitee in any way relating to or arising out of the Commitments, this Agreement, any of the other Loan Documents or any documents contemplated by or referred to herein or therein or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby or any action taken or omitted by such Agent Indemnitee under or in connection with any of the foregoing; 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 such Agent Indemnitee in its capacity as such; provided further that no Lender shall be liable for the payment of any portion of such liabilities, obligations, losses, damages, penalties, actions, judgments, suits, costs, expenses or disbursements that are found by a final and

 

 

 

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nonappealable decision of a court of competent jurisdiction to have resulted from such Agent Indemnitee’s gross negligence or willful misconduct.  The agreements in this Section shall survive the termination of this Agreement and the payment of the Loans and all other amounts payable hereunder.

(c) To the extent permitted by applicable law (i) the Borrower shall not assert, and the Borrower hereby waives, any claim against any Indemnitee for any damages arising from the use by others of information or other materials obtained through telecommunications, electronic or other information transmission systems (including the Internet), and (ii) no party hereto shall assert, and each such party hereby waives, any claim against any other party hereto, 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 or thereby, the Transactions, any Loan or the use of the proceeds thereof; provided that, nothing in this clause (d)(ii) shall relieve the Borrower of any obligation it may have to indemnify an Indemnitee against special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages asserted against such Indemnitee by a third party.

(d) All amounts due under this Section shall be payable promptly after written demand therefor.

Section 9.04. Successors and Assigns.   The provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby, except that (i) the Borrower may not assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of each Lender (and any attempted assignment or transfer by the Borrower without such consent shall be null and void) and (ii) no Lender may assign or otherwise transfer its rights or obligations hereunder except in accordance with this Section.  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 paragraph (c) of this Section) and, to the extent expressly contemplated hereby, the Related Parties of each of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this Agreement.

    Subject to the conditions set forth in paragraph (b)(ii) below, any Lender may assign to one or more Persons (other than an Ineligible Institution) all or a portion of its rights and obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and the Loans at the time owing to it) with the prior written consent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld) of:

(A) the Borrower, provided that, the Borrower shall be deemed to have consented to an assignment of all or a portion of the Revolving Loans and Commitments unless it shall have objected thereto by written notice to the Administrative Agent within ten (10) Business Days after having received notice thereof provided that no consent of the Borrower shall be required for an assignment to a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender, an Approved Fund or, if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, any other assignee; and

(B) the Administrative Agent, provided that no consent of the Administrative Agent shall be required for an assignment of any Commitment to an assignee that is a Lender (other than a Defaulting Lender) with a Commitment immediately prior to giving effect to such assignment.

(iv) Assignments shall be subject to the following additional conditions:

 

 

 

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(A) except in the case of an assignment to a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender or an assignment of the entire remaining amount of the assigning Lender’s Commitment or Loans, the amount of the Commitment or 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) shall not be less than $5,000,000 unless each of the Borrower and the Administrative Agent otherwise consent, provided that no such consent of the Borrower shall be required if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing;

(B) 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;

(C) the parties to each assignment shall execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent (x) an Assignment and Assumption or (y) to the extent applicable, an agreement incorporating an Assignment and Assumption by reference pursuant to an Approved Electronic Platform as to which the Administrative Agent and the parties to the Assignment and Assumption are participants, together with a processing and recordation fee of $3,500; and

(D) the assignee, if it shall not be a Lender, shall deliver to the Administrative Agent an Administrative Questionnaire in which the assignee designates one or more Credit Contacts to whom all syndicate-level information (which may contain material non-public information about the Borrower and its related parties or its securities) will be made available and who may receive such information in accordance with the assignee’s compliance procedures and applicable laws, including Federal and state securities laws.

For the purposes of this Section 9.04(b), the term “Approved Fund” and “Ineligible Institution” have the following meanings:

Approved Fund” means any Person (other than a natural person) that is engaged in making, purchasing, holding or investing in bank loans and similar extensions of credit in the ordinary course of its business and 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.

Ineligible Institution” means (a) a natural person, (b) a Defaulting Lender or its  Lender Parent, (c) a holding company, investment vehicle or trust for, or owned and operated for the primary benefit of, a natural person or relative(s) thereof or (d)  the Borrower or any of its Affiliates; provided that, with respect to clause (c), such holding company, investment vehicle or trust shall not constitute an Ineligible Institution if it (x) has not been established for the primary purpose of acquiring any Loans or Commitments, (y) is managed by a professional advisor, who is not such natural person or a relative thereof, having significant experience in the business of making or purchasing commercial loans, and (z) has assets greater than $25,000,000 and a significant part of its activities consist of making or purchasing commercial loans and similar extensions of credit in the ordinary course of its business; provided,  further, that upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, any Person (other than a Lender) shall be an Ineligible Institution if after giving effect to any proposed assignment to such Person, such Person would hold more than 25% of the then outstanding Total Revolving Credit Exposure or Commitments, as the case may be.

(v) Subject to acceptance and recording thereof pursuant to paragraph (b)(iv) of this Section, from and after the effective date specified in each Assignment and Assumption the assignee

 

 

 

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thereunder shall be a party hereto 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 2.12,  2.13,  2.14 and 9.03).  Any assignment or transfer by a Lender of rights or obligations under this Agreement that does not comply with this Section 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 paragraph (c) of this Section.

(vi) The Administrative Agent, acting for this purpose as a non-fiduciary agent of the Borrower, shall maintain at one of its offices a copy of each Assignment and Assumption delivered to it and a register for the recordation of the names and addresses of the Lenders, and the Commitment of, and principal amount (and stated interest) of the Loans owing to, each Lender pursuant to the terms hereof from time to time (the “Register”).  The entries in the Register shall be conclusive, 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, notwithstanding notice to the contrary.  The Register shall be available for inspection by the Borrower and any Lender, at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice.

(vii) Upon its receipt of (x) a duly completed Assignment and Assumption executed by an assigning Lender and an assignee or (y) to the extent applicable, an agreement incorporating an Assignment and Assumption by reference pursuant to an Approved Electronic Platform as to which the Administrative Agent and the parties to the Assignment and Assumption are participants, the assignee’s completed Administrative Questionnaire (unless the assignee shall already be a Lender hereunder), the processing and recordation fee referred to in paragraph (b) of this Section and any written consent to such assignment required by paragraph (b) of this Section, the Administrative Agent shall accept such Assignment and Assumption and record the information contained therein in the Register; provided that if either the assigning Lender or the assignee shall have failed to make any payment required to be made by it pursuant to Section 2.05(d),  2.06(d) or (e),  2.07(b),  2.15(d) or 9.03(c), the Administrative Agent shall have no obligation to accept such Assignment and Assumption and record the information therein in the Register unless and until such payment shall have been made in full, together with all accrued interest thereon.  No assignment shall be effective for purposes of this Agreement unless it has been recorded in the Register as provided in this paragraph.

(e) Any Lender may, without the consent of, or notice to, the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, sell participations to one or more banks or other entities (a “Participant”), other than an Ineligible Institution, 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 owing to it); provided that (A) such Lender’s obligations under this Agreement shall remain unchanged; (B) such Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto for the performance of such obligations; and (C) the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the other Lenders shall continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in connection with such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement.  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, modification or waiver described in the first proviso to

 

 

 

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Section 9.02(b) that affects such Participant.  The Borrower agrees that each Participant shall be entitled to the benefits of Sections 2.12,  2.13 and 2.14 (subject to the requirements and limitations therein, including the requirements under Sections 2.14(f) and (g) (it being understood that the documentation required under Section 2.14(f) shall be delivered to the participating Lender and the information and documentation required under Section 2.14(g) will be delivered to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent)) to the same extent as if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to paragraph (b) of this Section; provided that such Participant (A) agrees to be subject to the provisions of Section 2.16 as if it were an assignee under paragraph (b) of this Section; and (B) shall not be entitled to receive any greater payment under Section 2.12 or 2.14, with respect to any participation, than its participating Lender 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 2.16(b) with respect to any Participant.  To the extent permitted by law, each Participant also shall be entitled to the benefits of Section 9.08 as though it were a Lender; provided that such Participant agrees to be subject to Section 2.15(c) 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) 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 or Loans 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 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.

(f) Any Lender may at any time pledge or assign a security interest in all or any portion of its rights under this Agreement to secure obligations of such Lender, including any pledge or assignment to secure obligations to a Federal Reserve Bank, and this Section shall not apply to any such pledge or assignment of a security interest; provided that no such pledge or assignment of a security interest shall release a Lender from any of its obligations hereunder or substitute any such pledgee or assignee for such Lender as a party hereto.

Section 9.05. Survival.  All covenants, agreements, representations and warranties made by the Borrower herein and in the other Loan Documents and in the certificates or other instruments  delivered in connection with or pursuant to this Agreement or any other Loan Documents shall be considered to have been relied upon by the other parties hereto and shall survive the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the making of any Loans, regardless of any investigation made by any such other party or on its behalf and notwithstanding that the Administrative Agent or any Lender may have had notice or knowledge of any Default or incorrect representation or warranty at the time any credit is extended hereunder, and shall continue in full force and effect as long as the principal of or any accrued interest on any Loan or any fee or any other amount payable under this Agreement is outstanding and unpaid and so long as the Commitments have not expired or terminated.  The provisions of Sections 2.12,  2.13,  2.14 and 9.03 and Article VIII shall survive and remain in full force and effect regardless of the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, the repayment of the Loans, the expiration or termination of the Commitments or the termination of this Agreement or any provision hereof.

 

 

 

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Section 9.06. Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness; Electronic Execution.   This Agreement may be executed in counterparts (and by different parties hereto on 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 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 which, when taken together, bear the signatures of each of the other parties hereto, and thereafter shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns.

(a) Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Agreement by emailed pdf. or any other electronic means that reproduces an image of the actual executed signature page shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Agreement.  The words “execution,” “signed,” “signature,” “delivery,” and words of like import in or relating to any  document to be signed in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby shall be deemed to include Electronic Signatures, deliveries 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 Illinois Electronic Commerce Security Act, or any other similar state laws based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act; provided that nothing herein shall require the Administrative Agent to accept electronic signatures in any form or format without its prior written consent.

Section 9.07. Severability.  Any provision of this Agreement held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability without affecting the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions hereof; and the invalidity of a particular provision in a particular jurisdiction shall not invalidate such provision in any other jurisdiction.

Section 9.08. Right of SetoffIf an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, each Lender and each of its Affiliates is hereby authorized at any time and from time to time, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to set off and apply any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final) at any time held, and other obligations at any time owing, by such Lender or any such Affiliate, to or for the credit or the account of the Borrower against any and all of the obligations of the Borrower now or hereafter existing under this Agreement or any other Loan Document to such Lender or its Affiliates, irrespective of whether or not such Lender or Affiliate shall have made any demand under this Agreement or any other Loan Document and although such obligations of the Borrower may be contingent or unmatured or are owed to a branch office or Affiliate of such Lender 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, (x) all amounts so set off shall be paid over immediately to the Administrative Agent for further application in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.17 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 and the Lenders, and (y) the Defaulting Lender shall provide promptly to the Administrative Agent a statement describing in reasonable detail the Obligations owing to such Defaulting Lender as to which it exercised such right of setoff.  The rights of each Lender and its Affiliates under this Section are in addition to other rights and remedies (including other rights of setoff) that such Lender or its Affiliates may have.  Each Lender agrees to notify the Borrower and

 

 

 

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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.

Section 9.09. Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Consent to Service of Process.   This Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the law of the State of Illinois.

(a) Each of the Lenders and the Administrative Agent hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees that, notwithstanding the governing law provisions of any applicable Loan Document, any claims brought against the Administrative Agent by any Lender relating to this Agreement, any other Loan Document or the consummation or administration of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the law of the State of Illinois.

(b) Each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally submits, for itself and its property, to the exclusive jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (or if such court lacks subject matter jurisdiction, any state court of the State of Illinois sitting in Cook County), and any appellate court from any thereof, in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document or the transactions relating hereto or thereto, or for recognition or enforcement of any judgment, and each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees that all claims in respect of any such action or proceeding may (and any such claims, cross-claims or third party claims brought against the Administrative Agent or any of its Related Parties may only) be heard and determined in such Federal (to the extent permitted by law) or Illinois State court.  Each of the parties hereto agrees that a final judgment in any such action 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 or any Lender may otherwise have to bring any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement against the Borroweror its properties in the courts of any jurisdiction.

(c) Each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waives, to the fullest extent it may legally and effectively do so, any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document in any court referred to in paragraph (c) of this Section.  Each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the defense of an inconvenient forum to the maintenance of such action or proceeding in any such court.

(d) Each party to this Agreement irrevocably consents to service of process in the manner provided for notices in Section 9.01.  Nothing in this Agreement will affect the right of any party to this Agreement to serve process in any other manner permitted by law.

Section 9.10. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL.  EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY 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 THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER THEORY).  EACH PARTY HERETO (A) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY 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 BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION.

 

 

 

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Section 9.11. Headings.  Article and Section headings and the Table of Contents used herein are for convenience of reference only, are not part of this Agreement and shall not affect the construction of, or be taken into consideration in interpreting, this Agreement.

Section 9.12. Confidentiality.  Each of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders agrees to maintain the confidentiality of the Information (as defined below), except that Information may be disclosed (a) to its and its Affiliates’ directors, officers, employees and agents, including accountants, legal counsel and other advisors (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), (b) to the extent requested by any Governmental Authority (including any self-regulatory authority, such as the National Association of Insurance Commissioners), (c) to the extent required by applicable laws or regulations or by any subpoena or similar legal process, (d) to any other party to this Agreement, (e) in connection with the exercise of any remedies hereunder or under any other Loan Document or any suit, action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or the enforcement of rights hereunder of under any other Loan Document, (f) subject to an agreement containing provisions substantially the same as those of this Section, to (i) any assignee of or Participant in, or any prospective assignee of or Participant in, any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement or (ii)  any actual or prospective counterparty (or its advisors) to any swap or derivative transaction relating to the Borrower and its obligations, (g) on a confidential basis to (1) any rating agency in connection with rating the Company or its Subsidiaries or the credit facilities provided for herein or (2) the CUSIP Service Bureau or any similar agency in connection with the issuance and monitoring of identification numbers with respect to the credit facilities provided for herein, (h) with the consent of the Borrower or (i) to the extent such Information (i) becomes publicly available other than as a result of a breach of this Section or (ii) becomes available to the Administrative Agent or any Lender on a non-confidential basis from a source other than the Borrower.  For the purposes of this Section, “Information” means all information received from the Borrower relating to the Borrower or its business, other than any such information that is available to the Administrative Agent or any Lender on a non-confidential basis prior to disclosure by the Borrower and other than information pertaining to this Agreement routinely provided by arrangers to data service providers, including league table providers, that serve the lending industry; provided that, in the case of information received from the Borrower 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 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.

Section 9.13. Material Non-Public Information.

(a) EACH LENDER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT INFORMATION AS DEFINED IN SECTION 9.12 FURNISHED TO IT PURSUANT TO THIS AGREEMENT MAY INCLUDE MATERIAL NON-PUBLIC INFORMATION CONCERNING THE BORROWER AND  ITS RELATED PARTIES OR THEIR RESPECTIVE SECURITIES, AND CONFIRMS THAT IT HAS DEVELOPED COMPLIANCE PROCEDURES REGARDING THE USE OF MATERIAL NON-PUBLIC INFORMATION AND THAT IT WILL HANDLE SUCH MATERIAL NON-PUBLIC INFORMATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THOSE PROCEDURES AND APPLICABLE LAW, INCLUDING FEDERAL AND STATE SECURITIES LAWS.

(b) ALL INFORMATION, INCLUDING REQUESTS FOR WAIVERS AND AMENDMENTS, FURNISHED BY THE BORROWER OR THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT PURSUANT TO, OR IN THE COURSE OF ADMINISTERING, THIS AGREEMENT WILL BE SYNDICATE-LEVEL INFORMATION, WHICH MAY CONTAIN MATERIAL NON-PUBLIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE BORROWER AND ITS RELATED PARTIES OR ITS

 

 

 

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SECURITIES.  ACCORDINGLY, EACH LENDER REPRESENTS TO THE BORROWER AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT THAT IT HAS IDENTIFIED IN ITS ADMINISTRATIVE QUESTIONNAIRE A CREDIT CONTACT WHO MAY RECEIVE INFORMATION THAT MAY CONTAIN MATERIAL NON-PUBLIC INFORMATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS COMPLIANCE PROCEDURES AND APPLICABLE LAW.

Section 9.14. Interest Rate Limitation.  Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if at any time the interest rate applicable to any Loan, together with all fees, charges and other amounts which are treated as interest on such Loan under applicable law (collectively the “Charges”), shall exceed the maximum lawful rate (the “Maximum Rate”) which may be contracted for, charged, taken, received or reserved by the Lender holding such Loan in accordance with applicable law, the rate of interest payable in respect of such Loan hereunder, together with all Charges payable in respect thereof, shall be limited to the Maximum Rate and, to the extent lawful, the interest and Charges that would have been payable in respect of such Loan but were not payable as a result of the operation of this Section shall be cumulated and the interest and Charges payable to such Lender in respect of other Loans or periods shall be increased (but not above the Maximum Rate therefor) until such cumulated amount, together with interest thereon at the NYFRB Rate to the date of repayment, shall have been received by such Lender.

Section 9.15. No Fiduciary Duty, etc.  The Borrower acknowledges and agrees, and acknowledges its Subsidiaries’ understanding, that no Credit Party will have any obligations except those obligations expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents and each Credit Party is acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length contractual counterparty to the Borrower with respect to the Loan Documents and the transaction contemplated therein and not as a financial advisor or a fiduciary to, or an agent of, the Borrower or any other person.  The Borrower agrees that it will not assert any claim against any Credit Party based on an alleged breach of fiduciary duty by such Credit Party in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby.  Additionally, the Borrower acknowledges and agrees that no Credit Party is advising the Borrower as to any legal, tax, investment, accounting, regulatory or any other matters in any jurisdiction.  The Borrower shall consult with its own advisors concerning such matters and shall be responsible for making its own independent investigation and appraisal of the transactions contemplated hereby, and the Credit Parties shall have no responsibility or liability to the Borrower with respect thereto.

The Borrower further acknowledges and agrees, and acknowledges its Subsidiaries’ understanding, that each Credit Party, together with its Affiliates, is a full service securities or banking firm engaged in securities trading and brokerage activities as well as providing investment banking and other financial services.  In the ordinary course of business, any Credit Party may provide investment banking and other financial services to, and/or acquire, hold or sell, for its own accounts and the accounts of customers, equity, debt and other securities and financial instruments (including bank loans and other obligations) of, the Borrower and other companies with which the Borrower may have commercial or other relationships.  With respect to any securities and/or financial instruments so held by any Credit Party or any of its customers, all rights in respect of such securities and financial instruments, including any voting rights, will be exercised by the holder of the rights, in its sole discretion.

In addition, the Borrower acknowledges and agrees, and acknowledges its Subsidiaries’ understanding, that each Credit Party and its affiliates may be providing debt financing, equity capital or other services (including financial advisory services) to other companies in respect of which the Borrower may have conflicting interests regarding the transactions described herein and otherwise.  No Credit Party will use confidential information obtained from the Borrower by virtue of the transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents or its other relationships with the Borrower in connection with the performance by such Credit Party of services for other companies, and no Credit Party will furnish any such information to other

 

 

 

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companies.  The Borrower also acknowledges that no Credit Party has any obligation to use in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents, or to furnish to the Borrower, confidential information obtained from other companies.

Section 9.16. USA PATRIOT Act.  Each Lender that is subject to the requirements of the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 (the “Patriot Act”) hereby notifies the Borrower that pursuant to the requirements of the Patriot Act, it is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies the Borrower, which information includes the name and address of the Borrower and other information that will allow such Lender to identify the Borrower in accordance with the Patriot Act.

Section 9.17. Acknowledgement and Consent to Bail-In of EEA 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 EEA Financial Institution arising under any Loan Document may be subject to the Write-Down and Conversion Powers of an EEA 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 an EEA Resolution Authority to any such liabilities arising hereunder which may be payable to it by any party hereto that is an EEA 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 EEA Financial Institution, its parent entity, 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 any EEA Resolution Authority.

 

 

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed and delivered by their respective authorized officers as of the day and year first above written.

 

 

RLI CORP.

 

By:

/s/ Thomas L. Brown

 

Name:  Thomas L. Brown

Title:  SVP, Chief Financial Officer

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Aaron P. Diefenthaler

 

Name:  Aaron P. Diefenthaler

Title:  VP, Chief Investment Officer & Treasurer

 

 

 

 

 

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., individually and as Administrative Agent,

 

By:

/s/ Ryan M. Kin

 

Name:  Ryan M. Kin

Title:  Vice President

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Schedule 2.01

 

Commitments

 

 

BANK

   ALLOCATION

   PERCENT

JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.

$50,000,000

100.00%

 

 

 

Total

$50,000,000

100.00%

 


 

 

Schedule 3.08

 

Subsidiaries of RLI Corp.

 

 

 

 

Name

Jurisdiction of Incorporation

Percentage Ownership

 

 

 

RLI Insurance Company

Illinois

100%

Mt. Hawley Insurance Company

Illinois

100%

RLI Underwriting Services, Inc.

Illinois

100%

RLI Insurance Agency Ltd.

Canada

100%

Safe Fleet Insurance Services, Inc.

California

100%

Data & Staff Service Company

Washington

100%

Contractors Bonding & Insurance Company

Illinois

100%

 

 

 

 

2

 


 

 

Schedule 3.19

Financial Assurances

 

 

 

NONE

 

 

 

 

3

 


 

ANNEX 1

 

EXHIBIT A

ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION

This Assignment and Assumption (the “Assignment and Assumption”) is dated as of the Effective Date set forth below and is entered into by and between [Insert name of Assignor] (the “Assignor”) and [Insert name of Assignee] (the “Assignee”).  Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement identified below  (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”), receipt of a copy of which is hereby acknowledged by the Assignee.  The Standard Terms and Conditions set forth in Annex 1 attached hereto are hereby agreed to and incorporated herein by reference and made a part of this Assignment and Assumption as if set forth herein in full.

For an agreed consideration, the Assignor hereby irrevocably sells and assigns to the Assignee, and the Assignee hereby irrevocably purchases and assumes from the Assignor, subject to and in accordance with the Standard Terms and Conditions and the Credit Agreement, as of the Effective Date inserted by the Administrative Agent as contemplated below (i) all of the Assignor’s rights and obligations in its capacity as a Lender under the Credit Agreement and any other documents or instruments delivered pursuant thereto to the extent related to the amount and percentage interest identified below of all of such outstanding rights and obligations of the Assignor under the facility identified below and (ii) to the extent permitted to be assigned under applicable law, all claims, suits, causes of action and any other right of the Assignor (in its capacity as a Lender) against any Person, whether known or unknown, arising under or in connection with the Credit Agreement, any other documents or instruments delivered pursuant thereto or the loan transactions governed thereby or in any way based on or related to any of the foregoing, including contract claims, tort claims, malpractice claims, statutory claims and all other claims at law or in equity related to the rights and obligations sold and assigned pursuant to clause (i) above (the rights and obligations sold and assigned pursuant to clauses (i) and (ii) above being referred to herein collectively as the “Assigned Interest”).  Such sale and assignment is without recourse to the Assignor and, except as expressly provided in this Assignment and Assumption, without representation or warranty by the Assignor.

 

 

 

1.

Assignor:

______________________________________

2.

Assignee:

______________________________________

[and is an Affiliate/Approved Fund of [identify Lender]1  ] 

3.

Borrower(s):

______________________________________

4.

Administrative Agent:

JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as the administrative agent under the Credit Agreement

5.

Credit Agreement

Credit Agreement dated as of May 24, 2018 among RLI Corp., the Lenders parties thereto, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent, and the other agents parties thereto

 

 

__________________________

 1 Select as applicable.

 


 

 

6.Assigned Interest:

 

 

 

 

Facility Assigned

Aggregate Amount of Commitment/Loans for all Lenders

Amount of Commitment/Loans Assigned

Percentage Assigned of Commitment/Loans2

Revolving Commitment

$

$

%

 

$

$

%

 

$

$

%

 

Effective Date:  _____________ ___, 20___ [TO BE INSERTED BY ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT AND WHICH SHALL BE THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF RECORDATION OF TRANSFER IN THE REGISTER THEREFOR.]

The Assignee agrees to deliver to the Administrative Agent a completed Administrative Questionnaire in which the Assignee designates one or more Credit Contacts to whom all syndicate-level information  (which may contain material non-public information about the Borrower and its Related Parties or their respective securities) will be made available and who may receive such information in accordance with the Assignee’s compliance procedures and applicable laws, including Federal and state securities laws.

The terms set forth in this Assignment and Assumption are hereby agreed to:

ASSIGNOR

[NAME OF ASSIGNOR]

 

By:

 

 

Title:

 

 

ASSIGNEE

[NAME OF ASSIGNEE]

 

By:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

 

 

________________________

2  Set forth, to at least 9 decimals, as a percentage of the Commitment/Loans of all Lenders thereunder.

 

 

 

2

 


 

 

[Consented to and]3  Accepted:

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., as
Administrative Agent

 

By_________________________________

Title:

 

[Consented to:]4

RLI CORP.

 

By________________________________

Title:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

____________________

3  To be added only if the consent of the Administrative Agent is required by the terms of the Credit Agreement.

4 To be added only if the consent of the Borrower is required by the terms of the Credit Agreement.

 

 

 

3

 


 

 

 

STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR
ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION

1.  Representations and Warranties.

1.1  Assignor.  The Assignor (a) represents and warrants that (i) it is the legal and beneficial owner of the Assigned Interest, (ii) the Assigned Interest is free and clear of any lien, encumbrance or other adverse claim and (iii) it has full power and authority, and has taken all action necessary, to execute and deliver this Assignment and Assumption and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby; and (b) assumes no responsibility with respect to (i) any statements, warranties or representations made in or in connection with the Credit Agreement, (ii) the execution, legality, validity, enforceability, genuineness, sufficiency or value of the Credit Agreement or any collateral thereunder, (iii) the financial condition of the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates or any other Person obligated in respect of the Credit Agreement, (iv) any requirements under applicable law for the Assignee to become a lender under the Credit Agreement or to charge interest at the rate set forth therein from time to time or (v) the performance or observance by the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates or any other Person of any of their respective obligations under the Credit Agreement.

1.2.  Assignee.  The Assignee (a) represents and warrants that (i) it has full power and authority, and has taken all action necessary, to execute and deliver this Assignment and Assumption and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and to become a Lender under the Credit Agreement, (ii) it satisfies the requirements, if any, specified in the Credit Agreement and under applicable law that are required to be satisfied by it in order to acquire the Assigned Interest and become a Lender, (iii) from and after the Effective Date, it shall be bound by the provisions of the Credit Agreement as a Lender thereunder and, to the extent of the Assigned Interest, shall have the obligations of a Lender thereunder, (iv) it has received a copy of the Credit Agreement, together with copies of the most recent financial statements delivered pursuant to Section 5.01 thereof, as applicable, and such other documents and information as it has deemed appropriate to make its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Assignment and Assumption and to purchase the Assigned Interest on the basis of which it has made such analysis and decision independently and without reliance on the Administrative Agent, any Arranger or any other Lender and their respective Related Parties, and (v) attached to the Assignment and Assumption is any documentation required to be delivered by it pursuant to the terms of the Credit Agreement, duly completed and executed by the Assignee; and (b) agrees that (i) it will, independently and without reliance on the Administrative Agent, any Arranger, the Assignor or any other Lender and their respective Related Parties, and based on such documents and information as it shall deem appropriate at the time, continue to make its own credit decisions in taking or not taking action under the Credit Agreement, and (ii) it will perform in accordance with their terms all of the obligations which by the terms of the Credit Agreement are required to be performed by it as a Lender.

2.  Payments.  From and after the Effective Date, the Administrative Agent shall make all payments in respect of the Assigned Interest (including payments of principal, interest, fees and other amounts) to the Assignor for amounts which have accrued to but excluding the Effective Date and to the Assignee for amounts which have accrued from and after the Effective Date.

3.  General Provisions. This Assignment and Assumption shall be binding upon, and inure to the benefit of, the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns.  This Assignment and Assumption may be executed in any number of counterparts, which together shall constitute one instrument.  Acceptance and adoption of the terms of this Assignment and Assumption by the Assignee and the Assignor by Electronic Signature or delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Assignment and Assumption by any Approved Electronic Platform shall be effective as delivery of a

 

 

 

4

 


 

 

manually executed counterpart of this Assignment and Assumption.  This Assignment and Assumption shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the law of the State of Illinois.

 

 

 

 

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EXHIBIT B

 

[FORM OF] BORROWING REQUEST

 

JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.,

  as Administrative Agent
10 South Dearborn
9
th Floor
Chicago, Illinois  60603
Suite IL1-0364

Telephone: [ ]

Email: [ ] 

Attention:  [ ]

 

 

Copy to:

 

JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.,

  as Administrative Agent

[ADDRESS]

 

Attention: [ ]

 

[Date]

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Reference is hereby made to the Credit Agreement dated as of May 24, 2018 (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”), among RLI Corp., each lender from time to time party thereto and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. as Administrative Agent.  Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Credit Agreement and used herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement. This notice constitutes a Borrowing Request and the Borrower hereby gives you notice, pursuant to Section 2.03 of the Credit Agreement, that it requests a Borrowing under the Credit Agreement, and in that connection the Borrower specifies the following information with respect to such Borrowing:

(A)Aggregate principal amount of Borrowing:5 $_________________

(B)Date of Borrowing (which is a Business Day):________________

(C)Type of Borrowing:6 ____________________________________

(D)Interest Period:7 _____________________

_________________

5  Must comply with Section 2.02(c) of the Credit Agreement.

6 Specify ABR Borrowing or Eurodollar Borrowing.  If no election as to the Type of Borrowing is specified, then the requested Borrowing shall be an ABR Borrowing.

 


 

 

[(E)Location and number of the Borrower’s account to which proceeds of the requested Borrowing are to be disbursed: [NAME OF BANK] (Account No.: ______________)]

The Borrower hereby certifies that the conditions specified in paragraphs (a) and (b) of Section 4.02 of the Credit Agreement have been satisfied and that, after giving effect to the Borrowing requested hereby, the Total Revolving Credit Exposure shall not exceed the maximum amount thereof specified in Section 2.01 of the Credit Agreement.

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

 

 

RLI CORP.,

by

 

 

 

Name:

 

Title:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

__________________________________

7. Applicable to Eurodollar Borrowings only. Shall be subject to the definition of “Interest Period” and can be a period of one, two, three or six months. Cannot extend beyond the Maturity Date. If an Interest Period is not specified, then the Borrower shall be deemed to have selected an Interest Period of one month’s duration.

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

EXHIBIT C

[FORM OF] INTEREST ELECTION REQUEST

 

JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.,

  as Administrative Agent
10 South Dearborn
9
th Floor
Chicago, Illinois  60603
Suite IL1-0364

Telephone: [ ]

Email: [ ] 

Attention:  [ ]

 

 

Copy to:

 

JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.,

  as Administrative Agent

[ADDRESS]

 

Attention: [ ]

 

[Date]

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Reference is hereby made to the Credit Agreement dated as of May 24, 2018 (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”), among RLI Corp., JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, and each lender from time to time party thereto.  Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Credit Agreement and used herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement. This notice constitutes an Interest Election Request and the Borrower hereby gives you notice, pursuant to Section 2.05 of the Credit Agreement, that it requests to convert an existing Borrowing under the Credit Agreement, and in that connection the Borrower specifies the following information with respect to such conversion requested hereby:

(A)List date, Type, principal amount and Interest Period (if applicable) of existing Borrowing: ___________

(B)Aggregate principal amount of resulting Borrowing:8 $_________________

(C)Effective date of interest election (which is a Business Day):________________

(D)Type of Borrowing:9 ____________________________________

________________________________

8  Must comply with Section 2.02(c) of the Credit Agreement.

9  Specify ABR Borrowing or Eurodollar Borrowing.

 


 

 

 

(E)Interest Period and last day thereof (if a Eurodollar Borrowing):10 _____________________

 

 

Very truly yours,

RLI Corp.,

by

 

 

 

Name:

 

Title:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

______________________

10 Applicable to Eurodollar Borrowings only. Shall be subject to the definition of “Interest Period” and can be a period of one, two, three or six months. Cannot extend beyond the Maturity Date. If an Interest Period is not specified, then the Borrower shall be deemed to have selected an Interest Period of one month’s duration.

 

 

 


 

 

EXHIBIT D-1

[FORM OF]

U.S. TAX COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE

(For Foreign Lenders That Are Not Partnerships For U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)

 

Reference is hereby made to the Credit Agreement dated as of May 24, 2018 (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”), among RLI Corp., JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, and each lender from time to time party thereto. 

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.14 of the Credit Agreement, the undersigned hereby certifies that (i) it is the sole record and beneficial owner of the Loan(s) (as well as any promissory note(s) evidencing such Loan(s)) in respect of which it is providing this certificate, (ii) it is not a bank within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, (iii) it is not a ten percent shareholder of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 871(h)(3)(B) of the Code and (iv) it is not a controlled foreign corporation related to the Borrower as described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code.

The undersigned has furnished the Administrative Agent and the Borrower with a certificate of its non-U.S. Person status on IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E.  By executing this certificate, the undersigned agrees that (1) if the information provided on this certificate changes, the undersigned shall promptly so inform the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, and (2) the undersigned shall have at all times furnished the Borrower and the Administrative Agent with a properly completed and currently effective certificate in either the calendar year in which each payment is to be made to the undersigned, or in either of the two calendar years preceding such payments.

Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Credit Agreement and used herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement.

 

 

[NAME OF LENDER]

By:

 

Name: 

 

Title: 

Date: ________ __, 20[  ]

 

 


 

 

EXHIBIT E-2

[FORM OF]

U.S. TAX COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE

(For Foreign Participants That Are Not Partnerships For U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)

 

Reference is hereby made to the Credit Agreement dated as of May 24, 2018 (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”), among RLI Corp., JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, and each lender from time to time party thereto. 

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.14 of the Credit Agreement, the undersigned hereby certifies that (i) it is the sole record and beneficial owner of the participation in respect of which it is providing this certificate, (ii) it is not a bank within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, (iii) it is not a ten percent shareholder of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 871(h)(3)(B) of the Code, and (iv) it is not a controlled foreign corporation related to the Borrower as described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code.

The undersigned has furnished its participating Lender with a certificate of its non-U.S. Person status on IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E.  By executing this certificate, the undersigned agrees that (1) if the information provided on this certificate changes, the undersigned shall promptly so inform such Lender in writing, and (2) the undersigned shall have at all times furnished such Lender with a properly completed and currently effective certificate in either the calendar year in which each payment is to be made to the undersigned, or in either of the two calendar years preceding such payments.

Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Credit Agreement and used herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement.

 

[NAME OF PARTICIPANT]

By:

 

Name: 

 

Title: 

Date: ________ __, 20[  ]

 

 

 


 

 

EXHIBIT E-3

[FORM OF]

U.S. TAX COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE

(For Foreign Participants That Are Partnerships For U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)

 

Reference is hereby made to the Credit Agreement dated as of May 24, 2018 (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”), among RLI Corp., JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, and each lender from time to time party thereto. 

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.14 of the Credit Agreement, the undersigned hereby certifies that (i) it is the sole record owner of the participation in respect of which it is providing this certificate, (ii) its direct or indirect partners/members are the sole beneficial owners of such participation, (iii) with respect such participation, neither the undersigned nor any of its direct or indirect partners/members is a bank extending credit pursuant to a loan agreement entered into in the ordinary course of its trade or business within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, (iv) none of its direct or indirect partners/members is a ten percent shareholder of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 871(h)(3)(B) of the Code and (v) none of its direct or indirect partners/members is a controlled foreign corporation related to the Borrower as described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code.

The undersigned has furnished its participating Lender with IRS Form W-8IMY accompanied by one of the following forms from each of its partners/members that is claiming the portfolio interest exemption: (i) an IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E or (ii) an IRS Form W-8IMY accompanied by an IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E from each of such partner’s/member’s beneficial owners that is claiming the portfolio interest exemption.  By executing this certificate, the undersigned agrees that (1) if the information provided on this certificate changes, the undersigned shall promptly so inform such Lender and (2) the undersigned shall have at all times furnished such Lender with a properly completed and currently effective certificate in either the calendar year in which each payment is to be made to the undersigned, or in either of the two calendar years preceding such payments.

Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Credit Agreement and used herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement.

 

 

 

[NAME OF PARTICIPANT]

By:

 

Name: 

 

Title: 

 

Date: ________ __, 20[  ]

 

 


 

 

EXHIBIT E-4

[FORM OF]

U.S. TAX COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE

(For Foreign Lenders That Are Partnerships For U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)

 

Reference is hereby made to the Credit Agreement dated as of May 24, 2018 (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”), among RLI Corp., JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, and each lender from time to time party thereto. 

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.17 of the Credit Agreement, the undersigned hereby certifies that (i) it is the sole record owner of the Loan(s) (as well as any promissory note(s) evidencing such Loan(s)) in respect of which it is providing this certificate, (ii) its direct or indirect partners/members are the sole beneficial owners of such Loan(s) (as well as any promissory note(s) evidencing such Loan(s)), (iii) with respect to the extension of credit pursuant to this Credit Agreement or any other Loan Document, neither the undersigned nor any of its direct or indirect partners/members is a bank extending credit pursuant to a loan agreement entered into in the ordinary course of its trade or business within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, (iv) none of its direct or indirect partners/members is a ten percent shareholder of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 871(h)(3)(B) of the Code and (v) none of its direct or indirect partners/members is a controlled foreign corporation related to the Borrower as described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code.

The undersigned has furnished the Administrative Agent and the Borrower with IRS Form

W-8IMY accompanied by one of the following forms from each of its partners/members that is claiming

the portfolio interest exemption: (i) an IRS Form W-8BEN or Form W-8BEN-E or (ii) an IRS Form

W-8IMY accompanied by an IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS W-8BEN-E from each of such partner’s/member’s beneficial owners that is claiming the portfolio interest exemption.  By executing this certificate, the undersigned agrees that (1) if the information provided on this certificate changes, the undersigned shall promptly so inform the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, and (2) the undersigned shall have at all times furnished the Borrower and the Administrative Agent with a properly completed and currently effective certificate in either the calendar year in which each payment is to be made to the undersigned, or in either of the two calendar years preceding such payments.

Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Credit Agreement and used herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement.

 

[NAME OF LENDER]

By:

 

Name: 

 

Title: 

Date: ________ __, 20[  ]