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INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Table of Contents

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 23, 2017

Registration No. 333-215940

 

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549



Amendment No. 1 to
FORM S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933



ProPetro Holding Corp.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Texas

  1389   26-3685382

(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)

  (Primary Standard Industrial
Classification Code Number)
  (I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)

1706 S. Midkiff, Bldg. B
Midland, Texas 79701
(432) 688-0012
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant's principal executive offices)



Dale Redman
Chief Executive Officer
1706 S. Midkiff, Bldg. B
Midland, Texas 79701
(432) 688-0012
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)



Copies to:

Ryan J. Maierson
Thomas G. Brandt
Latham & Watkins LLP
811 Main Street, Suite 3700
Houston, Texas 77002
(713) 546-5400
  Alan Beck
Douglas E. McWilliams
Vinson & Elkins L.L.P.
1001 Fannin Street, Suite 2500
Houston, Texas 77002
(713) 758-2222



Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public:
As soon as practicable after this Registration Statement becomes effective.

           If any of the securities being registered on this form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box.     o

           If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.     o

           If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.     o

           If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.     o

           Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer" and "smaller reporting company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer  o   Accelerated filer  o   Non-accelerated filer  ý
(Do not check if a
smaller reporting company)
  Smaller reporting company  o



            The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

   


Table of Contents

The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. These securities may not be sold until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell nor does it seek an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED FEBRUARY 23, 2017

PROSPECTUS

Shares

LOGO

ProPetro Holding Corp.

Common Stock



          This is our initial public offering. We are offering             shares of our common stock and the selling shareholders are selling              shares of common stock.

          Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our common stock. It is currently estimated that the initial public offering price will be between $             and $             per share. We intend to apply to list our common stock on the New York Stock Exchange, or NYSE, under the symbol "PUMP." We are an "emerging growth company" as that term is used in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or JOBS Act, and will be subject to reduced public company reporting requirements.



           You should consider the risks we have described in "Risk Factors" beginning on page 15.



           Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.



  Per Share   Total
 

Initial public offering price

  $                $               

Underwriting discounts and commissions (1)

  $                $               

Proceeds, before expenses, to ProPetro Holding Corp. 

  $                $               

Proceeds, before expenses, to the selling shareholders

  $                $               

(1)
Please read "Underwriting" for a description of all underwriting compensation payable in connection with this offering.



          The underwriters have the option to purchase up to an additional             shares from the selling shareholders at the public offering price, less the underwriting discounts.

          Delivery of the shares of common stock is expected to be made on or about                          , 2017 through the book-entry facilities of The Depository Trust Company.



Goldman, Sachs & Co.   Barclays

 

Credit Suisse   J.P. Morgan

 

Evercore ISI   RBC Capital Markets   Simmons & Company International
        Energy Specialists of Piper Jaffray

 

Raymond James
Deutsche Bank Securities
  Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co.
Johnson Rice & Company L.L.C.



   

The date of this prospectus is                          , 2017.


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GRAPHIC


Table of Contents


TABLE OF CONTENTS

    Page
 

Summary

    1  

The Offering

    10  

Summary Historical Consolidated Financial Data

    12  

Risk Factors

    15  

Use of Proceeds

    35  

Stock Split

    36  

Dividend Policy

    37  

Capitalization

    38  

Dilution

    39  

Selected Historical Financial Data

    41  

Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

    43  

Industry Overview

    60  

Business

    70  

Management

    83  

Executive Compensation

    89  

Principal and Selling Shareholders

    102  

Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions

    105  

Description of Capital Stock

    108  

Shares Eligible For Future Sale

    110  

Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences to Non-U.S. Holders

    113  

Underwriting

    118  

Legal Matters

    124  

Experts

    125  

Where You Can Find Additional Information

    126  

Forward-Looking Statements

    127  

Glossary of Oil and Natural Gas Terms

    A-1  

Index to Financial Statements

    F-1  

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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

          You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus or in any free writing prospectus prepared by us or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you. We have not, and the underwriters have not, authorized any other person to provide you with information different from that contained in this prospectus and any free writing prospectus. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We are not, and the underwriters are not, making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where an offer or sale is not permitted. The information in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date of this prospectus, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or any sale of our common stock. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date.

          This prospectus contains forward-looking statements that are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. Please read "Risk Factors" and "Forward-Looking Statements."

          We own or have rights to various trademarks, service marks and trade names that we use in connection with the operation of our business. This prospectus may also contain trademarks, service marks and trade names of third parties, which are the property of their respective owners. Our use or display of third parties' trademarks, service marks, trade names or products in this prospectus is not intended to, and does not imply, a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship by us. Solely for convenience, the trademarks, service marks and trade names referred to in this prospectus may appear without the ®, TM or SM symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that we will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights or the right of the applicable licensor to these trademarks, service marks and trade names.

          Unless the context otherwise requires, the information in this prospectus (other than in the historical financial statements) assumes that the underwriters will not exercise their option to purchase additional shares.


INDUSTRY AND MARKET DATA

          The data included in this prospectus regarding the industry in which we operate, including descriptions of trends in the market and our position and the position of our competitors within our industries, is based on a variety of sources, including independent publications, government publications, information obtained from customers, distributors, suppliers, trade and business organizations and publicly available information, as well as our good faith estimates, which have been derived from management's knowledge and experience in the industry in which we operate. The industry data sourced from Spears & Associates is from its publication titled "Hydraulic Fracturing Market 2005-2017," published in the fourth quarter of 2016. The industry data sourced from Rystad Energy is from its "UCube" as of November 2016. We believe that these third-party sources are reliable and that the third-party information included in this prospectus and in our estimates is accurate and complete.

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SUMMARY

           This summary provides a brief overview of information contained elsewhere in this prospectus. This summary does not contain all of the information that you should consider before investing in our common stock. You should read the entire prospectus carefully, including the financial statements and the notes to those financial statements included in this prospectus. Unless indicated otherwise, the information presented in this prospectus (i) assumes an initial public offering price of $             per share (the midpoint of the price range on the cover page of this prospectus), that the underwriters do not exercise their option to purchase additional shares, and the conversion of all of the outstanding shares of our Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share ("Series A Preferred Shares"), into shares of common stock, (ii) gives effect to our 170.4667 for 1 reverse stock split effected in December 2016 and (iii) other than the consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus, reflects the           for 1 stock split that we will effect after the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part and prior to the completion of this offering. You should read "Risk Factors" for more information about important risks that you should consider carefully before buying our common stock.

           Unless the context otherwise requires, references in this prospectus to "ProPetro Holding Corp.," "the Company," "our company," "we," "our" and "us," or like terms, refer to ProPetro Holding Corp. and its subsidiary. References to (i) "Energy Capital Partners" refer to Energy Capital Partners II, LP and its parallel and co-investment funds and related investment vehicles and (ii) the "selling shareholders" refer to Energy Capital Partners and the other selling shareholders that are offering shares of common stock in this offering and have granted the underwriters an option to purchase additional shares. When we refer to the "utilization" of our fleet, we are referring to the percentage of our fleet in use by our customers at the applicable time or for the applicable period of determination. We have provided definitions for some of the terms we use to describe our business and industry and other terms used in this prospectus in the "Glossary of Oil and Natural Gas Terms" beginning on page A-1 of this prospectus.


ProPetro Holding Corp.

Overview

          We are a growth-oriented, Midland, Texas-based oilfield services company providing hydraulic fracturing and other complementary services to leading upstream oil and gas companies engaged in the exploration and production, or E&P, of North American unconventional oil and natural gas resources. Our operations are primarily focused in the Permian Basin, where we have cultivated longstanding customer relationships with some of the region's most active and well-capitalized E&P companies, including Callon Petroleum, Diamondback Energy, Parsley Energy, Pioneer Natural Resources, Surge Energy and XTO Energy. For the year ended December 31, 2016, no single customer represented greater than 20% of our revenue. The Permian Basin is widely regarded as the most prolific oil-producing area in the United States, and we believe we are currently the largest private provider of hydraulic fracturing services in the region by hydraulic horsepower, or HHP, with an aggregate deployed capacity of 420,000 HHP. Our fleet, which consists of 10 hydraulic fracturing units, has been designed to handle the highest intensity, most complex hydraulic fracturing jobs, and has been 100% utilized since September 2016. We have purchased two additional hydraulic fracturing units, which are scheduled for delivery and deployment to dedicated customers in April and June 2017, respectively. These units will provide us with an additional 90,000 HHP, bringing our total capacity to 510,000 HHP. Additionally, we expect to use the proceeds from this offering to purchase two additional units that will be deployed in 2017 to meet specific customer requests, giving us an additional 90,000 HHP, or 600,000 HHP in the aggregate, once all units have been received.

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          Our modern hydraulic fracturing fleet has been designed to handle Permian Basin specific operating conditions and the region's increasingly high-intensity well completions, which are characterized by longer horizontal wellbores, more frac stages per lateral and increasing amounts of proppant per well. Over 75% of our fleet has been delivered over the past four years, and we have fully maintained our equipment throughout the recent industry downturn to ensure optimal performance and reliability. In contrast, we believe many of our competitors have deferred necessary maintenance capital spending throughout the downturn, which we believe positions us to respond more quickly and reliably to customer needs during the ongoing market recovery.

          In addition to our core hydraulic fracturing operations, we also offer a suite of complementary well completion and production services, including cementing, acidizing, coiled tubing, flowback services, Permian drilling and surface air drilling. We believe these complementary services create operational efficiencies for our customers and allow us to capture a greater portion of their capital spending across the lifecycle of an unconventional well. We believe that these complementary services should benefit from a continued industry recovery and that we are well positioned to continue expanding these offerings in response to our customers' increasing service needs and spending levels.

          Our primary business objective is to serve as a strategic partner to our customers. We achieve this objective by providing reliable, high-quality services that are tailored to our customers' needs and synchronized with their well development programs. This alignment assists our customers in optimizing the long-term development of their unconventional resources. Over the past four years, we have leveraged our strong Permian Basin relationships to grow our installed HHP capacity by over four times and organically build our Permian Basin cementing, coiled tubing and acidizing lines of business. Consistent with past performance, we believe our substantial market presence will continue to yield a variety of actionable growth opportunities allowing us to expand both our hydraulic fracturing and complementary services going forward. To this end, we intend to continue our past practice of opportunistically deploying new equipment on a long-term, dedicated basis in response to specific customer demand.

          For the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, we generated net losses of approximately $(53.1) million and $(45.9) million, respectively, and Adjusted EBITDA of approximately $7.8 million and $60.1 million, respectively. Over these same years, approximately 94% and 90% of our revenues, respectively, were generated from our pressure pumping segment, which includes our hydraulic fracturing, cementing and acidizing services. For the definition of Adjusted EBITDA and a reconciliation from its most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"), please read "Selected Historical Consolidated Financial Data — Non-GAAP Financial Measures."


Our Services

          We primarily provide hydraulic fracturing services to E&P companies in the Permian Basin. These services are intended to optimize hydrocarbon flow paths during the completion phase of horizontal shale wellbores. Our Chief Executive Officer, Dale Redman, and our Chief Financial Officer, Jeffrey Smith, founded ProPetro in 2005 and, in 2009, strategically focused the Company's operations on hydraulic fracturing targeting the Permian Basin. As of December 31, 2016, we had grown our hydraulic fracturing business to a total of 10 hydraulic fracturing units with an aggregate of 420,000 HHP, of which 320,000 HHP has been delivered since 2013. We have purchased two additional hydraulic fracturing units, which are scheduled for delivery and deployment to dedicated customers in April and June 2017, respectively. These units will provide us with an additional 90,000 HHP, bringing our total capacity to 510,000 HHP. Additionally, we expect to use the proceeds from this offering to purchase two additional units that will be deployed in 2017 to meet specific customer requests, giving us an additional 90,000 HHP, or 600,000 HHP in the aggregate, once all

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units have been received. Our fleet has been designed to handle the highest-intensity, most complex hydraulic fracturing jobs, and is largely standardized across units to facilitate efficient maintenance and repair and reduce equipment downtime.

          We provide dedicated equipment, personnel and services that are tailored to meet each of our customer's needs. Each unit in our fleet has a designated team of personnel, which allows us to provide responsive and customized services, such as project design, proppant procurement, real-time data provision and post-completion analysis for each of our jobs. Many of our hydraulic fracturing units and associated personnel have continuously worked with the same customer for the past several years, promoting deep relationships and a high degree of coordination and visibility into future customer activity levels. Furthermore, in light of our substantial market position and historically high fleet utilization levels, we have established a variety of entrenched relationships with key equipment, sand and other downhole consumable suppliers. These strategic relationships provide us ready access to equipment, parts and materials on a timely and economic basis and allow our dedicated procurement logistics team to ensure consistently reliable operations. In addition to our hydraulic fracturing operations, we offer a range of ancillary services to our customers, including cementing, acidizing, coiled tubing, flowback services and surface air drilling. We believe these services are complementary and synergistic with our hydraulic fracturing operations and have, in large part, grown organically with our customers' demand for these services.


Market Opportunity

          ProPetro is strategically located and focused in the Permian Basin, one of the world's most attractive regions for oil field service operations as a result of its size, geology, and customer activity levels. The Permian Basin consists of mature, legacy, onshore oil and liquids-rich natural gas reservoirs that span approximately 86,000 square miles in West Texas and New Mexico and are characterized by multiple prospective geologic benches for horizontal development. Rystad Energy estimates that, as of November 2016, the Permian Basin contains approximately 58 billion barrels of oil, the largest recoverable crude oil resource base in the United States and the second largest in the world. As a result of its significant size, coupled with the presence of multiple prospective geologic benches and other favorable characteristics, the Permian Basin has become widely recognized as the most attractive and economic oil resource in North America. Since May 2016, Permian Basin rig counts have grown by more than 110% to 291 active rigs as of January 2017. This increase in Permian Basin rig activity has accounted for more than 50% of the total U.S. rig count growth over that time period, more than three times the combined number of rigs added in the Bakken and Eagle Ford shales. The Permian Basin is divided by the Central Basin Platform, creating the Midland and Delaware sub-basins, which have each contributed to the overall growth in the Permian Basin.

          The Midland Basin is the more delineated and mature resource-play of the Permian Basin's sub-basins and is the current focus of our operations. Operational improvements in the basin have driven heightened oil production in recent years as a result of increasing levels of pad drilling, downspacing, and capital efficiency. Initially delineated with thousands of vertical wells, today its resource potential is further enhanced through horizontal drilling and completion efficiencies. Rystad Energy estimates the Midland Basin's recoverable oil resource to be over 27 billion barrels, second in the United States only to the geographically adjacent Delaware Basin.

          Accounting for more than 50% of the Permian Basin's growth in rig activity since May 2016, the Delaware Basin has become a premier, complementary resource base to the Midland Basin. Rystad Energy estimates the recoverable crude oil resource in the Delaware Basin to be slightly greater than the Midland Basin, at approximately 28 billion barrels. E&P operators have actively delineated acreage in the Delaware Basin, having successfully targeted nine distinct zones with

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horizontal penetration. As the less-developed of the two primary Permian Basin sub-basins, the Delaware Basin represents a high-growth opportunity for E&P companies, many of whom have entered the basin through large-scale acquisitions. As activity levels increase in the Delaware Basin, we have begun to expand our presence in the region in tandem with increasing activity levels and demand pull from our core customer base.

          The Permian Basin's compelling economics for E&P companies, especially in a low commodity price environment, has resulted in a significant increase in acquisition activity across the basin. The Permian Basin leads all other North American basins in acquisition activity since 2016, with more than 30 transactions of $100 million or greater and an aggregate transaction volume totaling more than $30 billion during that period, and an aggregate transaction volume totaling more than $75 billion since 2013. Our customers have accounted for a significant portion of this acquisition activity by both size and volume and are actively scaling their capital budgets to develop their expanding resource bases.

          In addition to increased drilling activity levels in the Permian Basin, an ongoing shift to larger and more complex well completions has significantly increased per-well demand for the hydraulic fracturing and other completion services we offer. According to Spears & Associates, key drivers of this increasing service intensity include:

    Longer horizontal wellbore laterals.   Average Permian Basin lateral lengths are expected to grow from an average of 5,000 feet in 2013 to an estimated average of 9,000 feet anticipated in 2017. Management estimates that leading-edge Permian Basin lateral lengths are currently approaching 12,500 feet;

    More frac stages per lateral.   Frac stages per well are expected to increase from 15 stages per well completed in 2013 to approximately 42 stages per well completed in 2017; and

    Increasing amounts of proppant per well.   Permian Basin sand use is expected to grow from an average of 1,100 pounds per foot of proppant per well in 2015 to approximately 1,800 pounds per foot of proppant per well anticipated in 2017.

          Rising producer activity levels, increasing basin service intensity and continued drilling and completion efficiencies have combined to drive the 100% utilization of our fleet and build a sizable backlog of addressable demand for our services. We have seen our competitors defer necessary maintenance spending and cannibalize idle equipment for spare parts. This has resulted in tightening hydraulic fracturing supply and demand fundamentals and is likely to drive continued pricing improvement for our hydraulic fracturing services. Moreover, we believe the other complementary services that we provide are well-positioned to similarly benefit from a continued industry recovery.


Competitive Strengths

          Our primary business objective is to serve as a strategic partner for our customers. We achieve this objective by providing reliable, high-quality services that are tailored to our customers' needs and synchronized with their well development programs. This alignment assists our customers in optimizing the long-term development of their unconventional resources. We believe that the following competitive strengths differentiate us from our peers and uniquely position us to achieve our primary business objective.

    Strong market position in the Permian Basin.   We believe we are the largest private hydraulic fracturing provider by HHP in the Permian Basin, which is the most prolific oil producing area in the United States. Our longstanding customer relationships and substantial Permian Basin market presence uniquely position us to continue growing in tandem with the basin's ongoing development. The Permian Basin is a mature, liquids-rich

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      basin with well-known geology and a large, exploitable resource base that delivers attractive E&P producer economics at or below current commodity prices. Rystad Energy estimates that, as of November 2016, the Permian Basin contains approximately 58 billion barrels of oil, the largest recoverable crude oil resource base in the United States and the second largest in the world. As a result of its significant size, coupled with the presence of multiple prospective geologic benches and other favorable characteristics, the Permian Basin has become widely recognized as the most attractive and economic oil resource in North America.

      The recent recovery of oil prices to the low $50 per barrel range has driven a considerable increase in Permian drilling and completion activity and associated demand for our services. Today, the Permian Basin is the most active onshore basin in North America, with over 291 active rigs, and accounts for approximately 51% of all oil-directed rigs in the United States. Current Permian production levels exceed the combined output of both the Bakken and Eagle Ford shale formations, and, given the Permian Basin's superior breakeven economics, which are estimated by Rystad Energy to be as low as $32 per barrel, we expect robust activity levels in the basin for the foreseeable future.

      Our operational focus has historically been in the Permian Basin's Midland sub-basin in support of our customers' core operations. More recently, however, many of our customers (including Callon Petroleum, Diamondback Energy, Parsley Energy, RSP Permian and XTO Energy) have made sizeable acquisitions in the Delaware Basin. We anticipate that many of these customers will request our services in the Delaware Basin to help develop their acreage, and we believe that we are uniquely positioned to capture a large addressable growth opportunity as the basin develops. For the foreseeable future, we expect both the Midland Basin and the Delaware Basin to continue to command a disproportionate share of future North American E&P spending.

    Hydraulic fracturing is highly levered to increasing drilling activity and completion intensity levels.   The combination of an expanding Permian Basin horizontal rig count and more complex well completions has a compounding effect on HHP demand growth. Horizontal drilling has become the default method for E&P operators to most economically extract unconventional resources, and the number of horizontal rigs has increased from 22% of the total Permian Basin rig count in December 2011 to over 80% of the Permian Basin rig count in January 2017. As the horizontal rig count has grown, well completion intensity levels have also increased as a result of longer wellbore lateral lengths, more fracturing stages per foot of lateral and increasing amounts of proppant per stage. These trends resulted in our hydraulic fracturing operations completing 36% more frac stages during the fourth quarter of 2016 as compared to the third quarter of 2016. Furthermore, the ongoing improvement in drilling and completion efficiencies, driven by innovations such as multi-well pads and zipper fracs, have further increased the demand for HHP. Taken together, these demand drivers have helped contribute to the full utilization of our fleet and leave us well positioned to capture future organic growth opportunities and enhanced pricing for the services we offer.

    Deep relationships and operational alignment with high-quality, Permian Basin-focused customers.   Our deep local roots, operational expertise and commitment to safe and reliable service have allowed us to cultivate longstanding customer relationships with the most active and well-capitalized Permian Basin operators. Our diverse customer base is comprised of market leaders such as Callon Petroleum, Diamondback Energy, Parsley Energy, Pioneer Natural Resources, Surge Energy and XTO Energy, with no single customer representing more than 20% of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2016. Many of our current customers have worked with us since our inception and have integrated our fleet

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      scheduling with their well development programs. This high degree of operational alignment and their continued support have allowed us to maintain relatively high utilization rates over time. As our customers increase activity levels, we expect to continue to leverage these strong relationships to keep our fleet fully utilized and selectively expand our platform in response to specific customer demand.

    Standardized fleet of modern, well-maintained equipment.   We have a large, homogenous fleet of modern equipment that is configured to handle the Permian Basin's most complex, highest-intensity, hydraulic fracturing jobs. We believe that our fleet design is a key competitive advantage compared to many of our competitors who have fracturing units that are not optimized for Permian Basin conditions. Our fleet is largely standardized across units to facilitate efficient maintenance and repair, reducing equipment downtime and improving labor efficiency. Importantly, we have fully maintained our fleet throughout the recent industry downturn to ensure optimal performance and reliability. In contrast, we believe many of our competitors have deferred necessary maintenance capital spending and cannibalized essential equipment for spare parts during the same period. Furthermore, our entrenched relationships with a variety of key suppliers and vendors provide us with the reliable access to the equipment necessary to support our continued organic growth strategy.

    Proven cross-cycle financial performance.   Over the past several years, we have maintained relatively high cross-cycle fleet utilization rates. Since September 2016, our fleet has been 100% utilized, and for each of the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016, we operated in excess of 65% utilization. Our consistent track record of steady organic growth, coupled with our ability to immediately deploy new HHP on a dedicated and fully utilized basis, has resulted in revenue growth across industry cycles. We believe that we will be able to grow faster than our competitors while preserving attractive EBITDA margins as a result of our differentiated service offerings and a robust backlog of demand for our services. Furthermore, we believe that our philosophy of maintaining modest financial leverage and a healthy balance sheet has left us more conservatively capitalized than our peers. Several of our customers have recently requested additional HHP capacity from us, and we expect that improving market fundamentals, our superior execution and our customer-focused approach should result in enhanced financial performance going forward.

    Seasoned management and operating team and exemplary safety record.   We have a seasoned executive management team, with our three most senior members contributing more than 100 years of collective industry and financial experience. Members of our management team founded our business and seeded our company with a portion of our original investment capital. We believe their track record of successfully building premier oilfield service companies in the Permian Basin, as well as their deep roots and relationships throughout the West Texas community, provide a meaningful competitive advantage for our business. In addition, our management team has assembled a loyal group of highly-motivated and talented divisional managers and field personnel, and we have had virtually no manager-level turnover in our core service divisions over the past three years. We employ a balanced decision-making structure that empowers managerial and field personnel to work directly with customers to develop solutions while leveraging senior management's oversight. This collaborative approach fosters strong customer links at all levels of the organization and effectively institutionalizes customer relationships beyond the executive suite. We promote a "Safety First" culture, which has led to a Total Recordable Incident Rate, or TRIR, well below industry averages. For example, for the year ended December 31, 2016, we had a TRIR of 0.9, compared to a peer average of 2.5 for the year ended December 31, 2014.

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Business Strategies

          We intend to achieve our primary business objective through the following business strategies:

    Capture an increasing share of rising demand for hydraulic fracturing services in the Permian Basin.   We intend to continue to position ourselves as a Permian Basin-focused hydraulic fracturing business, as we believe the Permian Basin hydraulic fracturing market offers supportive long-term growth fundamentals. These fundamentals are characterized by increased demand for our HHP, driven by increasing drilling activity and well completion intensity levels, along with underinvestment by our competitors in their equipment. In response to the current commodity price environment, a number of our customers have publicly announced their intention to increase 2017 capital budgets in the Permian Basin in excess of 50% over 2016 levels. We are currently operating at 100% utilization, and several of our customers have requested additional HHP capacity from us. As our customers continue to develop their assets in the Midland Basin and Delaware Basin, we believe we are strategically positioned to deploy additional hydraulic fracturing equipment in support of their ongoing needs. We have purchased two additional hydraulic fracturing units, which are scheduled for delivery and deployment to dedicated customers in April and June 2017, respectively. These units will provide us with an additional 90,000 HHP, bringing our total capacity to 510,000 HHP. Additionally, we expect to use the proceeds from this offering to purchase two additional units that will be deployed in 2017 to meet specific customer requests, giving us an additional 90,000 HHP, or 600,000 HHP in the aggregate, once all units have been received.

    Capitalize on improving pricing and efficiency gains.   The increase in demand for HHP coupled with expected competitor equipment attrition is expected to drive more favorable hydraulic fracturing supply and demand fundamentals. We believe this market tightening may lead to a general increase in prices for hydraulic fracturing services. Furthermore, our consistently high fleet utilization levels and 24 hours per day, seven days per week operating schedule (with approximately 90% of our fleet currently operating on such a schedule, as compared to 2014, when the majority of our services were provided during daylight hours) should result in greater revenue opportunity and enhanced margins as fixed costs are spread over a broader revenue base. We believe that any incremental future fleet additions will benefit from these trends and associated economies of scale.

    Cross-sell our complementary services.   In addition to our hydraulic fracturing services, we offer a broad range of complementary services in support of our customers' development activities, including cementing, acidizing, coiled tubing, flowback services and surface air drilling. These complementary services create operational efficiencies for our customers, and allow us to capture a greater percentage of their capital spending across the lifecycle of an unconventional well. We believe that, as our customers increase spending levels, we are well positioned to continue cross-selling and growing our complementary service offerings.

    Maintain financial stability and flexibility to pursue growth opportunities.   Consistent with our historical practices, we plan to continue to maintain a conservative balance sheet, which will allow us to better react to potential changes in industry and market conditions and opportunistically grow our business. In the near term, we intend to continue our past practice of aligning our growth capital expenditures with visible customer demand, by strategically deploying new equipment on a long-term, dedicated basis in response to inbound customer requests. We will also selectively evaluate potential strategic acquisitions that increase our scale and capabilities or diversify our operations. At the closing of this offering, we expect to have a net cash position of $              million and undrawn borrowing capacity under our $150.0 million revolving credit facility to support our growth ambitions.

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Principal Shareholders

          Our principal shareholder is Energy Capital Partners. Energy Capital Partners, together with its affiliate funds and related persons, is a private equity firm with over $13.5 billion in capital commitments that is focused on investing in North America's energy infrastructure. Energy Capital Partners has significant energy and financial expertise, including investments in the power generation, midstream oil and gas, energy services and environmental infrastructure sectors.

          Upon completion of this offering, Energy Capital Partners will beneficially own approximately         % of our common stock (or approximately         % if the underwriters' option to purchase additional shares of common stock is exercised in full). We are also a party to certain other agreements with Energy Capital Partners and certain of its affiliates. For a description of these agreements, please read "Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions."


Risk Factors

          Investing in our common stock involves risks. You should carefully read the section of this prospectus entitled "Risk Factors" beginning on page 15 and the other information in this prospectus for an explanation of these risks before investing in our common stock.


Principal Executive Offices and Internet Address

          Our principal executive offices are located at 1706 S. Midkiff, Bldg. B, Midland Texas, 79701, and our telephone number is (432) 688-0012. Following the closing of this offering, our website will be located at http://www.                    .com. We expect to make our periodic reports and other information filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, available, free of charge, through our website, as soon as reasonably practicable after those reports and other information are electronically filed with or furnished to the SEC. Information on our website or any other website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus and does not constitute a part of this prospectus.

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Our Emerging Growth Company Status

          As a company with less than $1.0 billion in revenue during our last fiscal year, we qualify as an "emerging growth company" as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act. As an emerging growth company, we may, for up to five years, take advantage of specified exemptions from reporting and other regulatory requirements that are otherwise applicable generally to public companies. These exemptions include:

          We may take advantage of these provisions until we are no longer an emerging growth company, which will occur on the earliest of (i) the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of this offering, (ii) the last day of the fiscal year in which we have more than $1.0 billion in annual revenue, (iii) the date on which we issue more than $1.0 billion of non-convertible debt over a three-year period and (iv) the date on which we are deemed to be a "large accelerated filer," as defined in Rule 12b-2 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act.

          We have elected to take advantage of all of the applicable JOBS Act provisions, except that we will elect to opt out of the exemption that allows emerging growth companies to extend the transition period for complying with new or revised financial accounting standards (this election is irrevocable). Accordingly, the information that we provide you may be different than what you may receive from other public companies in which you hold equity interests.

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THE OFFERING

Issuer

  ProPetro Holding Corp.

Common stock offered by us

 

             shares.

Common stock offered by the selling shareholders

 

             shares.

Common stock outstanding after this offering

 

             shares (after giving effect to the           for 1 stock split of our common stock and including shares of common stock issued upon the automatic conversion of our Series A Preferred Shares at the consummation of this offering).

 

Except as otherwise indicated in this prospectus, the number of shares of common stock to be outstanding after this offering excludes:

 

               shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding stock options at an exercise price of $         per share;

 

             shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding stock options at an exercise price of $         per share;

 

             shares of common stock issuable upon settlement of outstanding restricted stock units as of                  , 2017; and

 

an additional               shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2017 Incentive Award Plan, or the Plan, including pursuant to equity awards to be granted in connection with this offering, as described in "Executive Compensation — Narrative to Summary Compensation Table — Offering Grants to Employees under the 2017 Incentive Award Plan."

Option to purchase additional shares

 

The selling shareholders have granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an aggregate of             additional shares of our common stock.

Shares held by our selling shareholders after this offering

 

             shares (or             shares, if the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase additional shares).

Use of proceeds

 

We expect to receive approximately $             million of net proceeds from this offering, based upon the assumed initial public offering price of $             per share (the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus), after deducting underwriting discounts and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

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We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering as follows:

 

approximately $             million will be used to repay borrowings outstanding under our term loan;

 

approximately $              million will be used to fund the purchase of additional hydraulic fracturing units; and

 

approximately $             million will be retained for general corporate purposes. Please read "Use of Proceeds."

 

We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of shares of our common stock by the selling shareholders in this offering, including pursuant to any exercise by the underwriters of their option to purchase additional shares of our common stock from the selling shareholders.

Dividend policy

 

We do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our common stock. In addition, we expect our new revolving credit facility will place certain restrictions on our ability to pay cash dividends. Please read "Dividend Policy."

Directed share program

 

At our request, the underwriters have reserved up to         % of the common stock being offered by this prospectus for sale, at the initial public offering price, to our directors, executive officers, employees and business associates. The sales will be made by the underwriters through a directed share program. We do not know if these persons will choose to purchase all or any portion of these reserved shares, but any purchases they do make will reduce the number of shares available to the general public. Please read "Underwriting — Directed Share Program."

Listing and trading symbol

 

We intend to apply to list our common stock on the NYSE under the symbol "PUMP."

Risk factors

 

You should carefully read and consider the information set forth under the heading "Risk Factors" and all other information set forth in this prospectus before deciding to invest in our common stock.

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SUMMARY HISTORICAL CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA

          The following table presents summary historical consolidated financial data of ProPetro Holding Corp. as of the dates and for the periods indicated. The summary historical consolidated financial data as of and for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 are derived from the audited financial statements appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. Historical results are not necessarily indicative of future results. The information in the table below does not give effect to the       for 1 stock split that we will effect after the effective date of this registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part and prior to the completion of this offering.

          We conduct our business through seven operating segments: hydraulic fracturing, cementing, acidizing, coil tubing, flowback, surface drilling and Permian drilling. For reporting purposes, the hydraulic fracturing, cementing and acidizing operating segments are aggregated into our one reportable segment: pressure pumping. The summary historical consolidated data presented below should be read in conjunction with "Risk Factors," "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and our consolidated financial statements and the related notes and other financial data included elsewhere in this prospectus.

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    For the Years  

    Ended  

    December 31,  

($ in thousands except shares and per share amounts)  

  2016     2015    

Statement of Operations Data:

             

Revenue

  $ 436,920   $ 569,618  

Costs and Expenses:

             

Cost of services (1)

    404,140     483,338  

General and administrative (2)

    26,613     27,370  

Depreciation and amortization

    43,542     50,134  

Property and equipment impairment expense

    6,305     36,609  

Goodwill impairment expense

    1,177      

Loss on disposal of assets

    22,529     21,268  

Total costs and expenses

  $ 504,306   $ 618,719  

Operating Loss

  $ (67,386 ) $ (49,101 )

Other Income (Expense):

             

Interest expense

    (20,387 )   (21,641 )

Gain on extinguishment of debt

    6,975      

Other expense

    (321 )   (499 )

Total other expense

    (13,733 )   (22,140 )

Loss before income taxes

    (81,119 )   (71,241 )

Income tax benefit

    (27,972 )   (25,388 )

Net loss

  $ (53,147 ) $ (45,853 )

Per share information:

             

Net loss per common share:

             

Basic (3)

  $ (1.72 ) $ (1.90 )

Diluted (3)

  $ (1.72 ) $ (1.90 )

Weighted average common shares outstanding:

             

Basic

    30,887,370     24,132,871  

Diluted

    30,887,370     24,132,871  

Balance Sheet Data as of:

   
 
   
 
 

Cash and cash equivalents

  $ 133,596   $ 34,310  

Property and equipment — net of accumulated depreciation

    263,862     291,838  

Total assets

    541,422     446,454  

Long-term debt — net of deferred loan costs

    159,407     236,876  

Total shareholders' equity

    221,009     69,571  

Cash Flow Statement Data:

   
 
   
 
 

Net cash provided by operating activities

  $ 10,658   $ 81,231  

Net cash used in investing activities

    (41,688 )   (62,776 )

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

    130,315     (15,216 )

Other Data:

   
 
   
 
 

Adjusted EBITDA

  $ 7,816   $ 60,149  

Adjusted EBITDA Margin

    1.8 %   10.6 %

Capital expenditures

  $ 46,008   $ 71,677  

(1)
Exclusive of depreciation and amortization.

(2)
Inclusive of stock-based compensation.

(3)
After giving effect to a           for 1 stock split of our common stock, basic and diluted net loss per share of common stock would have been            and           for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

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Non-GAAP Financial Measures

EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin

          We view Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin as important indicators of performance. We define EBITDA as our net income, before (i) interest expense, (ii) income taxes and (iii) depreciation and amortization. We define Adjusted EBITDA as EBITDA, plus (i) loss on disposal of assets, (ii) gain on extinguishment of debt, (iii) stock based compensation, and (iv) other unusual or non-recurring charges, such as costs related to our initial public offering. Adjusted EBITDA margin reflects our Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of our revenues.

          EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin are supplemental measures utilized by our management and other users of our financial statements such as investors, commercial banks, research analysts and others, to assess our financial performance because it allows us to compare our operating performance on a consistent basis across periods by removing the effects of our capital structure (such as varying levels of interest expense), asset base (such as depreciation and amortization) and items outside the control of our management team (such as income tax rates). EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin have limitations as analytical tools and should not be considered as an alternative to net income, operating income, cash flow from operating activities or any other measure of financial performance presented in accordance with GAAP.

          We believe that our presentation of EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin will provide useful information to investors in assessing our financial condition and results of operations. Net income is the GAAP measure most directly comparable to EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin. EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin should not be considered alternatives to net income presented in accordance with GAAP. Because EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin may be defined differently by other companies in our industry, our definition of EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies, thereby diminishing its utility. The following table presents a reconciliation of net loss to EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin for each of the years indicated.

Reconciliation of net loss to Adjusted EBITDA

    For the Years  

    ended  

    December 31,  

($ in thousands, except percentages)
  2016     2015    

Net loss

  $ (53,147 ) $ (45,853 )

Interest expense

    20,387     21,641  

Income tax benefit

    (27,972 )   (25,388 )

Depreciation and amortization

    43,542     50,134  

EBITDA

  $ (17,190 ) $ 534  

Property and equipment impairment expense

    6,305     36,609  

Goodwill impairment expense

    1,177      

Loss on disposal of assets

    22,529     21,268  

Gain on extinguishment of debt

    (6,975 )    

Stock-based compensation

    1,649     1,239  

Other expense

    321     499  

Adjusted EBITDA

  $ 7,816   $ 60,149  

Revenue

    436,920     569,618  

Adjusted EBITDA margin

    1.8 %   10.6 %

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RISK FACTORS

           Investing in shares of our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks described below with all of the other information included in this prospectus before deciding to invest in shares of our common stock. If any of the following risks were to occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be materially adversely affected. In that case, the trading price of our common stock could decline and you could lose all or part of your investment.

Risks Inherent in Our Business

Our business and financial performance depends on the oil and natural gas industry and particularly on the level of capital spending and exploration and production activity within the United States and in the Permian Basin, and a decline in prices for oil and natural gas may have an adverse effect on our revenue, cash flows, profitability and growth.

          Demand for most of our services depends substantially on the level of capital expenditures in the Permian Basin by companies in the oil and natural gas industry. As a result, our operations are dependent on the levels of capital spending and activity in oil and gas exploration, development and production. A prolonged reduction in oil and gas prices would generally depress the level of oil and natural gas exploration, development, production, and well completion activity and would result in a corresponding decline in the demand for the hydraulic fracturing services that we provide. The significant decline in oil and natural gas prices beginning in late 2014 caused a reduction in our customers' spending and associated drilling and completion activities, which had an adverse effect on our revenue. If prices were to decline, similar declines in our customers' spending would have an adverse effect on our revenue. In addition, a worsening of these conditions may result in a material adverse impact on certain of our customers' liquidity and financial position resulting in further spending reductions, delays in the collection of amounts owing to us and similar impacts.

          Many factors over which we have no control affect the supply of and demand for, and our customers' willingness to explore, develop and produce oil and natural gas, and therefore, influence prices for our services, including:

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          These factors and the volatility of the energy markets make it extremely difficult to predict future oil and natural gas price movements with any certainty. Such a decline would have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operation and financial condition.

The cyclical nature of the oil and natural gas industry may cause our operating results to fluctuate.

          We derive our revenues from companies in the oil and natural gas exploration and production industry, a historically cyclical industry with levels of activity that are significantly affected by the levels and volatility of oil and natural gas prices. We have experienced, and may in the future experience, significant fluctuations in operating results as a result of the reactions of our customers to changes in oil and natural gas prices. For example, prolonged low commodity prices experienced by the oil and natural gas industry during 2015 and 2016, combined with adverse changes in the capital and credit markets, caused many exploration and production companies to reduce their capital budgets and drilling activity. This resulted in a significant decline in demand for oilfield services and adversely impacted the prices oilfield services companies could charge for their services. In addition, a majority of the service revenue we earn is based upon a charge for a relatively short period of time (for example, a day, a week or a month) for the actual period of time the service is provided to our customers. By contracting services on a short-term basis, we are exposed to the risks of a rapid reduction in market prices and utilization and resulting volatility in our revenues.

The majority of our operations are located in the Permian Basin, making us vulnerable to risks associated with operating in one major geographic area.

          Our operations are geographically concentrated in the Permian Basin. For the year ended December 31, 2016, approximately 97% of our revenues were attributable to our operations in the Permian Basin. As a result of this concentration, we may be disproportionately exposed to the impact of regional supply and demand factors, delays or interruptions of production from wells in the Permian Basin caused by significant governmental regulation, processing or transportation

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capacity constraints, market limitations, curtailment of production or interruption of the processing or transportation of oil and natural gas produced from the wells in these areas. In addition, the effect of fluctuations on supply and demand may become more pronounced within specific geographic oil and natural gas producing areas such as the Permian Basin, which may cause these conditions to occur with greater frequency or magnify the effects of these conditions. Due to the concentrated nature of our operations, we could experience any of the same conditions at the same time, resulting in a relatively greater impact on our revenue than they might have on other companies that have more geographically diverse operations.

We are exposed to the credit risk of our customers, and any material nonpayment or nonperformance by our customers could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

          We are subject to the risk of loss resulting from nonpayment or nonperformance by our customers. Our credit procedures and policies may not be adequate to fully eliminate customer credit risk. If we fail to adequately assess the creditworthiness of existing or future customers or unanticipated deterioration in their creditworthiness, any resulting increase in nonpayment or nonperformance by them and our inability to re-market or otherwise use the production could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. The decline and volatility in oil and natural gas prices over the last two years has negatively impacted the financial condition of our customers and further declines, sustained lower prices, or continued volatility could impact their ability to meet their financial obligations to us.

We face significant competition that may cause us to lose market share.

          The oilfield services industry is highly competitive and has relatively few barriers to entry. The principal competitive factors impacting sales of our services are price, reputation and technical expertise, equipment and service quality and health and safety standards. The market is also fragmented and includes numerous small companies capable of competing effectively in our markets on a local basis, as well as several large companies that possess substantially greater financial and other resources than we do. Our larger competitors' greater resources could allow those competitors to compete more effectively than we can. For instance, our larger competitors may offer services at below-market prices or bundle ancillary services at no additional cost our customers. We compete with large national and multi-national companies that have longer operating histories, greater financial, technical and other resources and greater name recognition than we do. Several of our competitors provide a broader array of services and have a stronger presence in more geographic markets. In addition, we compete with several smaller companies capable of competing effectively on a regional or local basis.

          Some jobs are awarded on a bid basis, which further increases competition based on price. Pricing is often the primary factor in determining which qualified contractor is awarded a job. The competitive environment may be further intensified by mergers and acquisitions among oil and natural gas companies or other events that have the effect of reducing the number of available customers. As a result of competition, we may lose market share or be unable to maintain or increase prices for our present services or to acquire additional business opportunities, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

          Our competitors may be able to respond more quickly to new or emerging technologies and services and changes in customer requirements. The amount of equipment available may exceed demand, which could result in active price competition. In addition, depressed commodity prices lower demand for hydraulic fracturing equipment, which results in excess equipment and lower utilization rates. In addition, some exploration and production companies have commenced

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completing their wells using their own hydraulic fracturing equipment and personnel. Any increase in the development and utilization of in-house fracturing capabilities by our customers could decrease the demand for our services and have a material adverse impact on our business.

          In addition, competition among oilfield service and equipment providers is affected by each provider's reputation for safety and quality. We cannot assure that we will be able to maintain our competitive position.

Our business depends upon our ability to obtain specialized equipment, parts and key raw materials, including frac sand and chemicals, from third-party suppliers, and we may be vulnerable to delayed deliveries and future price increases.

          We purchase specialized equipment, parts and raw materials (including, for example, frac sand, chemicals and fluid ends) from third party suppliers and affiliates. At times during the business cycle, there is a high demand for hydraulic fracturing and other oil field services and extended lead times to obtain equipment and raw materials needed to provide these services. Should our current suppliers be unable or unwilling to provide the necessary equipment, parts or raw materials or otherwise fail to deliver the products timely and in the quantities required, any resulting delays in the provision of our services could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. In addition, future price increases for this type of equipment, parts and raw materials could negatively impact our ability to purchase new equipment, to update or expand our existing fleet, to timely repair equipment in our existing fleet or meet the current demands of our customers.

Reliance upon a few large customers may adversely affect our revenue and operating results.

          The majority of our revenue is generated from our hydraulic fracturing services. Due to the large percentage of our revenue historically derived from our hydraulic fracturing services with recurring customers and the limited availability of our fracturing units, we have had some degree of customer concentration. Our top ten customers represented approximately 70% and 83% of our consolidated revenue for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016, respectively. It is likely that we will depend on a relatively small number of customers for a significant portion of our revenue in the future. If a major customer fails to pay us, revenue would be impacted and our operating results and financial condition could be harmed. Additionally, if we were to lose any material customer, we may not be able to redeploy our equipment at similar utilization or pricing levels and such loss could have an adverse effect on our business until the equipment is redeployed at similar utilization or pricing levels.

Certain of our completion services, particularly our hydraulic fracturing services, are substantially dependent on the availability of water. Restrictions on our or our customers' ability to obtain water may have an adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

          Water is an essential component of unconventional shale oil and natural gas production during both the drilling and hydraulic fracturing processes. Over the past several years, certain of the areas in which we and our customers operate have experienced extreme drought conditions and competition for water in such areas is growing. In addition, some state and local governmental authorities have begun to monitor or restrict the use of water subject to their jurisdiction for hydraulic fracturing to ensure adequate local water supply. For instance, some states require E&P companies to report certain information regarding the water they use for hydraulic fracturing and to monitor the quality of groundwater surrounding some wells stimulated by hydraulic fracturing. Generally, our water requirements are met by our customers from sources on or near their sites, but there is no assurance that our customers will be able to obtain a sufficient supply of water from

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sources in these areas. Our or our customers' inability to obtain water from local sources or to effectively utilize flowback water could have an adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

We rely on a few key employees whose absence or loss could adversely affect our business.

          Many key responsibilities within our business have been assigned to a small number of employees. The loss of their services could adversely affect our business. In particular, the loss of the services of one or more members of our executive team, including our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, could disrupt our operations. We do not maintain "key person" life insurance policies on any of our employees. As a result, we are not insured against any losses resulting from the death of our key employees.

If we are unable to employ a sufficient number of skilled and qualified workers, our capacity and profitability could be diminished and our growth potential could be impaired.

          The delivery of our services requires skilled and qualified workers with specialized skills and experience who can perform physically demanding work. As a result of the volatility of the oilfield services industry and the demanding nature of the work, workers may choose to pursue employment in fields that offer a more desirable work environment at wage rates that are competitive. Our ability to be productive and profitable will depend upon our ability to employ and retain skilled workers. In addition, our ability to expand our operations depends in part on our ability to increase the size of our skilled labor force. The demand for skilled workers is high, and the supply is limited. As a result, competition for experienced oilfield service personnel is intense, and we face significant challenges in competing for crews and management with large and well-established competitors. A significant increase in the wages paid by competing employers could result in a reduction of our skilled labor force, increases in the wage rates that we must pay, or both. If either of these events were to occur, our capacity and profitability could be diminished and our growth potential could be impaired.

Our operations require substantial capital and we may be unable to obtain needed capital or financing on satisfactory terms or at all, which could limit our ability to grow.

          The oilfield services industry is capital intensive. In conducting our business and operations, we have made, and expect to continue to make, substantial capital expenditures. Our total capital expenditures were approximately $46 million for the year ended December 31, 2016. We have historically financed capital expenditures primarily with funding from cash generated by operations, equipment and vendor financing and borrowings under our credit facilities. Following the completion of this offering, we intend to finance our capital expenditures primarily with cash on hand, cash flow from operations and borrowings under our new revolving credit facility. We may be unable to generate sufficient cash from operations and other capital resources to maintain planned or future levels of capital expenditures which, among other things, may prevent us from acquiring new equipment or properly maintaining our existing equipment. Further, any disruptions or continuing volatility in the global financial markets may lead to an increase in interest rates or a contraction in credit availability impacting our ability to finance our operations. This could put us at a competitive disadvantage or interfere with our growth plans. Further, our actual capital expenditures for 2017 or future years could exceed our capital expenditure budget. In the event our capital expenditure requirements at any time are greater than the amount we have available, we could be required to seek additional sources of capital, which may include debt financing, joint venture partnerships, sales of assets, offerings of debt or equity securities or other means. We may not be able to obtain any such alternative source of capital. We may be required to curtail or eliminate contemplated activities. If we can obtain alternative sources of capital, the terms of such

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alternative may not be favorable to us. In particular, the terms of any debt financing may include covenants that significantly restrict our operations. Our inability to grow as planned may reduce our chances of maintaining and improving profitability.

Concerns over general economic, business or industry conditions may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, liquidity and financial condition.

          Concerns over global economic conditions, geopolitical issues, interest rates, inflation, the availability and cost of credit and the United States and foreign financial markets have contributed to increased economic uncertainty and diminished expectations for the global economy. These factors, combined with volatility in commodity prices, business and consumer confidence and unemployment rates, have precipitated an economic slowdown. Concerns about global economic growth have had a significant adverse impact on global financial markets and commodity prices. If the economic climate in the United States or abroad deteriorates, worldwide demand for petroleum products could diminish further, which could impact the price at which oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids can be sold, which could affect the ability of our customers to continue operations and ultimately adversely impact our results of operations, liquidity and financial condition.

Our indebtedness and liquidity needs could restrict our operations and make us more vulnerable to adverse economic conditions.

          Our existing and future indebtedness, whether incurred in connection with acquisitions, operations or otherwise, may adversely affect our operations and limit our growth, and we may have difficulty making debt service payments on such indebtedness as payments become due. Our level of indebtedness may affect our operations in several ways, including the following:

Restrictions in our new revolving credit facility and any future financing agreements may limit our ability to finance future operations or capital needs or capitalize on potential acquisitions and other business opportunities.

          We expect to enter into a new revolving credit agreement concurrently with the closing of this offering. The operating and financial restrictions and covenants in our new revolving credit facility and any future financing agreements could restrict our ability to finance future operations or capital

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needs or to expand or pursue our business activities. For example, we expect that our new revolving credit facility will restrict or limit our ability to:

          Furthermore, our new revolving credit facility may contain certain other operating and financial covenants. Our ability to comply with the covenants and restrictions contained in the new revolving credit facility may be affected by events beyond our control, including prevailing economic, financial and industry conditions. If market or other economic conditions deteriorate, our ability to comply with these covenants may be impaired. If we violate any of the restrictions, covenants, ratios or tests in our new revolving credit facility, a significant portion of our indebtedness may become immediately due and payable, our lenders' commitment to make further loans to us may terminate. We might not have, or be able to obtain, sufficient funds to make these accelerated payments. Any subsequent replacement of our new revolving credit facility or any new indebtedness could have similar or greater restrictions. Please read "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Liquidity and Capital Resources — Credit Facilities — Our Revolving Credit Facility."

Our operations are subject to unforeseen interruptions and hazards inherent in the oil and natural gas industry, for which we may not be adequately insured and which could cause us to lose customers and substantial revenue.

          Our operations are exposed to the risks inherent to our industry, such as equipment defects, vehicle accidents, fires, explosions, blowouts, surface cratering, uncontrollable flows of gas or well fluids, pipe or pipeline failures, abnormally pressured formations and various environmental hazards, such as oil spills and releases of, and exposure to, hazardous substances. For example, our operations are subject to risks associated with hydraulic fracturing, including any mishandling, surface spillage or potential underground migration of fracturing fluids, including chemical additives. In addition, our operations are exposed to potential natural disasters, including blizzards, tornadoes, storms, floods, other adverse weather conditions and earthquakes. The occurrence of any of these events could result in substantial losses to us due to injury or loss of life, severe damage to or destruction of property, natural resources and equipment, pollution or other environmental damage, clean-up responsibilities, regulatory investigations and penalties or other damage resulting in curtailment or suspension of our operations. The cost of managing such risks may be significant. The frequency and severity of such incidents will affect operating costs, insurability and relationships with customers, employees and regulators. In particular, our customers may elect not to purchase our services if they view our environmental or safety record as unacceptable, which could cause us to lose customers and substantial revenues.

          Our insurance may not be adequate to cover all losses or liabilities we may suffer. Furthermore, we may be unable to maintain or obtain insurance of the type and amount we desire at reasonable rates. As a result of market conditions, premiums and deductibles for certain of our insurance policies have increased and could escalate further. In addition, sub-limits have been

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imposed for certain risks. In some instances, certain insurance could become unavailable or available only for reduced amounts of coverage. If we were to incur a significant liability for which we are not fully insured, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. In addition, we may not be able to secure additional insurance or bonding that might be required by new governmental regulations. This may cause us to restrict our operations, which might severely impact our financial position.

          Since hydraulic fracturing activities are part of our operations, they are covered by our insurance against claims made for bodily injury, property damage and clean-up costs stemming from a sudden and accidental pollution event. However, we may not have coverage if we are unaware of the pollution event and unable to report the "occurrence" to our insurance company within the time frame required under our insurance policy. In addition, these policies do not provide coverage for all liabilities, and the insurance coverage may not be adequate to cover claims that may arise, or we may not be able to maintain adequate insurance at rates we consider reasonable. A loss not fully covered by insurance could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

A terrorist attack or armed conflict could harm our business.

          Terrorist activities, anti-terrorist efforts and other armed conflicts involving the United States could adversely affect the U.S. and global economies and could prevent us from meeting financial and other obligations. We could experience loss of business, delays or defaults in payments from payors or disruptions of fuel supplies and markets if pipelines, production facilities, processing plants, refineries or transportation facilities are direct targets or indirect casualties of an act of terror or war. Such activities could reduce the overall demand for oil and natural gas, which, in turn, could also reduce the demand for our services. Terrorist activities and the threat of potential terrorist activities and any resulting economic downturn could adversely affect our results of operations, impair our ability to raise capital or otherwise adversely impact our ability to realize certain business strategies.

Increasing trucking regulations may increase our costs and negatively impact our results of operations.

          In connection with our business operations, including the transportation and relocation of our hydraulic fracking equipment and shipment of frac sand, we operate trucks and other heavy equipment. As such, we operate as a motor carrier in providing certain of our services and therefore are subject to regulation by the United States Department of Transportation and by various state agencies. These regulatory authorities exercise broad powers, governing activities such as the authorization to engage in motor carrier operations, driver licensing, insurance requirements, financial reporting and review of certain mergers, consolidations and acquisitions, and transportation of hazardous materials (HAZMAT). Our trucking operations are subject to possible regulatory and legislative changes that may increase our costs. Some of these possible changes include increasingly stringent environmental regulations, changes in the hours of service regulations which govern the amount of time a driver may drive or work in any specific period, onboard black box recorder device requirements or limits on vehicle weight and size.

          Interstate motor carrier operations are subject to safety requirements prescribed by the United States Department of Transportation. To a large degree, intrastate motor carrier operations are subject to state safety regulations that mirror federal regulations. Matters such as the weight and dimensions of equipment are also subject to federal and state regulations. From time to time, various legislative proposals are introduced, including proposals to increase federal, state, or local taxes, including taxes on motor fuels, which may increase our costs or adversely impact the recruitment of drivers. We cannot predict whether, or in what form, any increase in such taxes applicable to us will be enacted.

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          Certain motor vehicle operators require registration with the Department of Transportation. This registration requires an acceptable operating record. The Department of Transportation periodically conducts compliance reviews and may revoke registration privileges based on certain safety performance criteria that could result in a suspension of operations.

We are subject to environmental laws and regulations, and future compliance, claims, and liabilities relating to such matters may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position or cash flows.

          The nature of our operations, including the handling, transporting and disposing of a variety of fluids and substances, including hydraulic fracturing fluids and other regulated substances, air emissions, and wastewater discharges exposes us to some risks of environmental liability, including the release of pollutants from oil and natural gas wells and associated equipment to the environment. The cost of compliance with these laws can be significant. Failure to properly handle, transport or dispose of these materials or otherwise conduct our operations in accordance with these and other environmental laws could expose us to substantial liability for administrative, civil and criminal penalties, cleanup and site restoration costs and liability associated with releases of such materials, damages to natural resources and other damages, as well as potentially impair our ability to conduct our operations. Such liability is commonly on a strict, joint and several liability basis, without regard to fault. Liability may be imposed as a result of our conduct that was lawful at the time it occurred or the conduct of, or conditions caused by, prior operators or other third parties. Neighboring landowners and other third parties may file claims against us for personal injury or property damage allegedly caused by the release of pollutants into the environment. Environmental laws and regulations have changed in the past, and they may change in the future and become more stringent. Current and future claims and liabilities may have a material adverse effect on us because of potential adverse outcomes, defense costs, diversion of management resources, unavailability of insurance coverage and other factors. The ultimate costs of these liabilities are difficult to determine and may exceed any reserves we may have established. If existing environmental requirements or enforcement policies change, we may be required to make significant unanticipated capital and operating expenditures.

The adoption of climate change legislation or regulations restricting emissions of greenhouse gases could result in increased operating costs and reduced demand for oil and natural gas.

          The EPA has determined that greenhouse gases present an endangerment to public health and the environment because such gases contribute to warming of the earth's atmosphere and other climatic changes. Based on these findings, the EPA has adopted and implemented, and continues to adopt and implement, regulations that restrict emissions of greenhouse gases ("GHGs") under existing provisions of the Clean Air Act ("CAA"). The EPA also requires the annual reporting of GHG emissions from certain large sources of GHG emissions in the United States, including certain oil and gas production facilities. The EPA has also taken steps to limit methane emissions from oil and gas production facilities. In addition, the U.S. Congress has from time to time considered adopting legislation to reduce emissions of GHGs and almost one-half of the states have already taken legal measures to reduce emissions of GHGs primarily through the planned development of GHG emission inventories and/or regional GHG cap and trade programs. And in December 2015, the United States joined the international community at the 21st Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Paris, France. The resulting Paris Agreement calls for the parties to undertake "ambitious efforts" to limit the average global temperature, and to conserve and enhance sinks and reservoirs of greenhouse gases. The Paris Agreement entered into force in November 2016. The United States is one of over 70 nations that has ratified or otherwise indicated that it intends to comply with the agreement. Restrictions on emissions of GHGs that may be imposed could adversely affect the oil and natural gas industry by

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reducing demand for hydrocarbons and by making it more expensive to develop and produce hydrocarbons, either of which could have a material adverse effect on future demand for our services.

          Moreover, climate change may cause more extreme weather conditions and increased volatility in seasonal temperatures. Extreme weather conditions can interfere with our operations and increase our costs, and damage resulting from extreme weather may not be fully insured.

Federal and state legislative and regulatory initiatives relating to hydraulic fracturing could result in increased costs and additional operating restrictions or delays.

          Our hydraulic fracturing operations are a significant component of our business, and it is an important and common practice that is used to stimulate production of hydrocarbons, particularly oil and natural gas, from tight formations, including shales. The process, which involves the injection of water, sand and chemicals under pressure into formations to fracture the surrounding rock and stimulate production, is typically regulated by state oil and natural gas commissions. However, federal agencies have asserted regulatory authority over certain aspects of the process. For example, in May 2014, the EPA issued an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comment on the development of regulations under the Toxic Substances Control Act to require companies to disclose information regarding the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing. Beginning in August 2012, the EPA issued a series of rules under the CAA that establish new emission control requirements for emissions of volatile organic compounds and methane from certain oil and natural gas production and natural gas processing operations and equipment. And in March 2015, the Bureau of Land Management finalized a rule governing hydraulic fracturing on federal lands, implementation of which has been stayed pending the resolution of legal challenges. Further, legislation to amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to repeal the exemption for hydraulic fracturing (except when diesel fuels are used) from the definition of "underground injection" and require federal permitting and regulatory control of hydraulic fracturing, as well as legislative proposals to require disclosure of the chemical constituents of the fluids used in the fracturing process, have been proposed in recent sessions of Congress. Several states and local jurisdictions in which we or our customers operate also have adopted or are considering adopting regulations that could restrict or prohibit hydraulic fracturing in certain circumstances, impose more stringent operating standards and/or require the disclosure of the composition of hydraulic fracturing fluids.

          More recently, federal and state governments have begun investigating whether the disposal of produced water into underground injection wells has caused increased seismic activity in certain areas. For example, in December 2016, the EPA released its final report regarding the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources, concluding that "water cycle" activities associated with hydraulic fracturing may impact drinking water resources under certain circumstances such as water withdrawals for fracturing in times or areas of low water availability, surface spills during the management of fracturing fluids, chemicals or produced water, injection of fracturing fluids into wells with inadequate mechanical integrity, injection of fracturing fluids directly into groundwater resources, discharge of inadequately treated fracturing wastewater to surface waters, and disposal or storage of fracturing wastewater in unlined pits. The results of these studies could lead federal and state governments and agencies to develop and implement additional regulations.

          Increased regulation of hydraulic fracturing and related activities (whether as a result of the EPA study results or resulting from other factors) could subject us and our customers to additional permitting and financial assurance requirements, more stringent construction specifications, increased monitoring, reporting and recordkeeping obligations, and plugging and abandonment requirements. New requirements could result in increased operational costs for us and our customers, and reduce the demand for our services.

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Conservation measures, commercial development and technological advances could reduce demand for oil and natural gas and our services.

          Fuel conservation measures, alternative fuel requirements, increasing consumer demand for alternatives to oil and natural gas, technological advances in fuel economy and energy generation devices could reduce demand for oil and natural gas, resulting in reduced demand for oilfield services. The impact of the changing demand for oil and natural gas services and products may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

          The commercial development of economically-viable alternative energy sources and related products (such as electric vehicles, wind, solar, geothermal, tidal, fuel cells and biofuels) could have a similar effect. In addition, certain U.S. federal income tax deductions currently available with respect to oil and natural gas exploration and development, including the allowance of percentage depletion for oil and natural gas properties, may be eliminated as a result of proposed legislation. Any future decreases in the rate at which oil and natural gas reserves are discovered or developed, whether due to the passage of legislation, increased governmental regulation leading to limitations, or prohibitions on exploration and drilling activity, including hydraulic fracturing, or other factors, could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition, even in a stronger oil and natural gas price environment.

We may be subject to claims for personal injury and property damage, which could materially adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

          We operate with most of our customers under master service agreements, or MSAs. We endeavor to allocate potential liabilities and risks between the parties in the MSAs. Generally, under our MSAs, including those relating to our hydraulic fracturing services, we assume responsibility for, including control and removal of, pollution or contamination which originates above surface and originates from our equipment or services. Our customer assumes responsibility for, including control and removal of, all other pollution or contamination which may occur during operations, including that which may result from seepage or any other uncontrolled flow of drilling fluids. We may have liability in such cases if we are negligent or commit willful acts. Generally, our customers also agree to indemnify us against claims arising from their employees' personal injury or death to the extent that, in the case of our hydraulic fracturing operations, their employees are injured or their properties are damaged by such operations, unless resulting from our gross negligence or willful misconduct. Similarly, we generally agree to indemnify our customers for liabilities arising from personal injury to or death of any of our employees, unless resulting from gross negligence or willful misconduct of the customer. In addition, our customers generally agree to indemnify us for loss or destruction of customer-owned property or equipment and in turn, we agree to indemnify our customers for loss or destruction of property or equipment we own. Losses due to catastrophic events, such as blowouts, are generally the responsibility of the customer. However, despite this general allocation of risk, we might not succeed in enforcing such contractual allocation, might incur an unforeseen liability falling outside the scope of such allocation or may be required to enter into an MSA with terms that vary from the above allocations of risk. Litigation arising from a catastrophic occurrence at a location where our equipment and services are being used may result in our being named as a defendant in lawsuits asserting large claims. As a result, we may incur substantial losses which could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operation.

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We are subject to cyber security risks. A cyber incident could occur and result in information theft, data corruption, operational disruption and/or financial loss.

          The oil and natural gas industry has become increasingly dependent on digital technologies to conduct certain processing activities. For example, we depend on digital technologies to perform many of our services and process and record operational and accounting data. At the same time, cyber incidents, including deliberate attacks or unintentional events, have increased. The U.S. government has issued public warnings that indicate that energy assets might be specific targets of cyber security threats. Our technologies, systems and networks, and those of our vendors, suppliers and other business partners, may become the target of cyberattacks or information security breaches that could result in the unauthorized release, gathering, monitoring, misuse, loss or destruction of proprietary and other information, or other disruption of our business operations. In addition, certain cyber incidents, such as surveillance, may remain undetected for an extended period. Our systems and insurance coverage for protecting against cyber security risks may not be sufficient. As cyber incidents continue to evolve, we may be required to expend additional resources to continue to modify or enhance our protective measures or to investigate and remediate any vulnerability to cyber incidents. Our insurance coverage for cyberattacks may not be sufficient to cover all the losses we may experience as a result of such cyberattacks.

Risks Related to This Offering and Ownership of Our Common Stock

The concentration of our capital stock ownership among our largest shareholders and their affiliates will limit your ability to influence corporate matters.

          Upon completion of this offering (assuming no exercise of the underwriters' option to purchase additional shares), Energy Capital Partners will own approximately         % of our outstanding common stock. Consequently, Energy Capital Partners will continue to have significant influence over all matters that require approval by our shareholders, including the election of directors and approval of significant corporate transactions. This concentration of ownership will limit your ability to influence corporate matters, and as a result, actions may be taken that you may not view as beneficial. Moreover, this concentration of stock ownership may also adversely affect the trading price of our common stock to the extent investors perceive a disadvantage in owning stock of a company with a controlling shareholder.

Conflicts of interest could arise in the future between us, on the one hand, and Energy Capital Partners and its affiliates and affiliated funds, including its and their current and future portfolio companies, on the other hand, concerning among other things, potential competitive business activities or business opportunities.

          Conflicts of interest could arise in the future between us, on the one hand, and Energy Capital Partners and its affiliates and affiliated funds, including its and their current and future portfolio companies, on the other hand, concerning among other things, potential competitive business activities or business opportunities. Energy Capital Partners and its affiliated funds are primarily North American investors in essential, long-lived and capital intensive energy assets within a host of energy related industries. Energy Capital Partners and its affiliated funds currently have investments in companies that operate in the energy infrastructure and oilfield services industries. As a result, Energy Capital Partners and its affiliates' and affiliated funds' current and future portfolio companies which it controls may now, or in the future, directly or indirectly, compete with us for investment or business opportunities.

          Our governing documents provide that Energy Capital Partners and its affiliates and affiliated funds (including portfolio investments of Energy Capital Partners and its affiliates and affiliated funds) are not restricted from owning assets or engaging in businesses that compete directly or

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indirectly with us and will not have any duty to refrain from engaging, directly or indirectly, in the same or similar business activities or lines of business as us, including those business activities or lines of business deemed to be competing with us, or doing business with any of our clients, customers or vendors. In particular, subject to the limitations of applicable law, our certificate of incorporation, among other things:

          Energy Capital Partners or its affiliates or affiliated funds may become aware, from time to time, of certain business opportunities (such as acquisition opportunities) and may direct such opportunities to other businesses in which they have invested, in which case we may not become aware of or otherwise have the ability to pursue such opportunity. Further, such businesses may choose to compete with us for these opportunities, possibly causing these opportunities to not be available to us or causing them to be more expensive for us to pursue. In addition, Energy Capital Partners and its affiliates and affiliated funds may dispose of their interests in energy infrastructure or other oilfield services companies or other assets in the future, without any obligation to offer us the opportunity to purchase any of those assets. As a result, our renouncing our interest and expectancy in any business opportunity that may be from time to time presented to Energy Capital Partners and its affiliates and affiliated funds could adversely impact our business or prospects if attractive business opportunities are procured by such parties for their own benefit rather than for ours.

          In any of these matters, the interests of Energy Capital Partners and its affiliates and affiliated funds may differ or conflict with the interests of our other shareholders. Any actual or perceived conflicts of interest with respect to the foregoing could have an adverse impact on the trading price of our common stock.

The requirements of being a public company, including compliance with the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the NYSE, may strain our resources, increase our costs and distract management, and we may be unable to comply with these requirements in a timely or cost-effective manner.

          As a public company, we will need to comply with new laws, regulations and requirements, certain corporate governance provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, related regulations of the SEC and the requirements of the NYSE, with which we are not required to comply as a private company. Complying with these statutes, regulations and requirements will occupy a significant amount of time of our board of directors and management and will significantly increase our costs and expenses. We will need to:

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          In addition, we expect that being a public company subject to these rules and regulations may make it more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance and we may be required to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain the same or similar coverage. As a result, it may be more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified individuals to serve on our board of directors or as executive officers. We are currently evaluating these rules, and we cannot predict or estimate the amount of additional costs we may incur or the timing of such costs.

          We will be required to comply with certain provisions of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act as early as our fiscal year ending December 31, 2018. Section 404 requires that we document and test our internal control over financial reporting and issue management's assessment of our internal control over financial reporting. This section also requires that our independent registered public accounting firm opine on those internal controls upon becoming a large accelerated filer, as defined in the SEC rules, or otherwise ceasing to qualify as an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act. We are evaluating our existing controls against the standards adopted by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. During the course of our ongoing evaluation and integration of the internal control over financial reporting, we may identify areas requiring improvement, and we may have to design enhanced processes and controls to address issues identified through this review. For example, we anticipate the need to hire additional administrative and accounting personnel to conduct our financial reporting.

          We cannot be certain at this time that we will be able to successfully complete the procedures, certification and attestation requirements of Section 404 or that we or our independent registered public accounting firm will not identify material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. If we fail to comply with the requirements of Section 404 or if we or our independent registered public accounting firm identify and report such material weaknesses, the accuracy and timeliness of the filing of our annual and quarterly reports may be materially adversely affected and could cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, which could have a negative effect on the stock price of our common stock. In addition, a material weakness in the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting could result in an increased chance of fraud and the loss of customers, reduce our ability to obtain financing and require additional expenditures to comply with these requirements, each of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

There is no existing market for our common stock, and a trading market that will provide you with adequate liquidity may not develop. The price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly, and you could lose all or part of your investment.

          Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our common stock. After this offering, there will be only                  publicly traded shares of common stock held by our public common shareholders (           shares of common stock if the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase additional shares of common stock). Energy Capital Partners will own             shares of common stock, representing an aggregate         % of outstanding shares of our common stock (or             shares of common stock, representing an aggregate         % of outstanding shares of our common stock, if the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase additional shares of common stock). In addition, in connection with this offering, we intend to grant certain of our employees awards of stock options at an exercise price equal to the initial public offering price of our common stock with respect to an aggregate of up to             shares of common stock. See "Executive Compensation — Narrative to Summary Compensation Table — Offering Grants to Employees under the 2017 Incentive Award Plan." We do not know the extent to which investor interest will lead to the development of an active trading market or how liquid that market might become. If an active trading market does not develop, you may have difficulty reselling any of our

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common stock at or above the initial public offering price. Additionally, the lack of liquidity may result in wide bid-ask spreads, contribute to significant fluctuations in the market price of the common stock and limit the number of investors who are able to buy the common stock.

          The initial public offering price for the common stock offered hereby will be determined by negotiations between us and the representatives of the underwriters and may not be indicative of the market price of the common stock that will prevail in the trading market. Consequently, you may not be able to sell shares of our common stock at prices equal to or greater than the price paid by you in this offering.

          The following is a non-exhaustive list of factors that could affect our stock price:

          The stock markets in general have experienced extreme volatility that has often been unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. These broad market fluctuations may adversely affect the trading price of our common stock. Securities class action litigation has often been instituted against companies following periods of volatility in the overall market and in the market price of a company's securities. Such litigation, if instituted against us, could result in substantial costs, divert our management's attention and resources and harm our business, operating results and financial condition.

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If securities or industry analysts do not publish research reports or publish unfavorable research about our business, the price and trading volume of our common stock could decline.

          The trading market for our common stock will depend in part on the research reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. We do not currently have and may never obtain research coverage by securities and industry analysts. If no securities or industry analysts commence coverage of us the trading price for our common stock and other securities would be negatively affected. In the event we obtain securities or industry analyst coverage, if one or more of the analysts who covers us downgrades our securities, the price of our securities would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts ceases to cover us or fails to publish regular reports on us, interest in the purchase of our securities could decrease, which could cause the price of our common stock and other securities and their trading volume to decline.

Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws, as well as Delaware law, contain provisions that could discourage acquisition bids or merger proposals, which may adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

          We intend to redomicile as a corporation under Delaware General Corporation Law and file a new certificate of incorporation. Our certificate of incorporation will authorize our board of directors to issue preferred stock, in addition to the Series A Preferred Shares, without shareholder approval. If our board of directors elects to issue preferred stock, it could be more difficult for a third party to acquire us. In addition, some provisions of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire control of us, even if the change of control would be beneficial to our shareholders, including:

Investors in this offering will experience immediate and substantial dilution of $              per share.

          Based on an assumed initial public offering price of $             per share (the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover of this prospectus), purchasers of our common stock in this offering will experience an immediate and substantial dilution of $             per share in the net tangible book value per share of common stock from the initial public offering price, and our historical and pro forma net tangible book deficit as of                          , 2016 would be $             per share. Please see "Dilution."

We have broad discretion in the use of the net proceeds from this offering and may not use them effectively.

          Our management will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds from this offering and could spend the proceeds in ways that do not improve our results of operations or

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enhance the value of our common stock. We intend to use the net proceeds for general corporate purposes. However, our use of these proceeds may differ substantially from our current plans. The failure by our management to apply these funds effectively could result in financial losses that could have a material adverse effect on our business and cause the price of our common stock to decline. Pending their use, we may invest the net proceeds from this offering in a manner that does not produce income or that loses value.

We do not intend to pay dividends on our common stock, and we expect that our debt agreements will place certain restrictions on our ability to do so. Consequently, your only opportunity to achieve a return on your investment is if the price of our common stock appreciates.

          We do not plan to declare dividends on shares of our common stock in the foreseeable future. Additionally, we expect that our new revolving credit facility will place certain restrictions on our ability to pay cash dividends. Consequently, unless we revise our dividend policy, your only opportunity to achieve a return on your investment in us will be if you sell your common stock at a price greater than you paid for it. There is no guarantee that the price of our common stock that will prevail in the market will ever exceed the price that you pay in this offering.

Future sales of our common stock in the public market could reduce our stock price, and any additional capital raised by us through the sale of equity or convertible securities may dilute your ownership in us.

          We may sell additional shares of common stock in subsequent public offerings. We may also issue additional shares of common stock or convertible securities. After the completion of this offering, we will have outstanding             shares of common stock, after giving effect to the             for 1 stock split of our common stock and including shares of common stock issued upon the automatic conversion of the Series A Preferred Shares upon the consummation of this offering. Following the completion of this offering, assuming no exercise of the underwriters' option to purchase additional shares, Energy Capital Partners will own             shares of our common stock, or approximately         % of our total outstanding shares, all of which are restricted from immediate resale under the federal securities laws and are subject to the lock-up agreements with the underwriters described in "Underwriting," but may be sold into the market in the future. Please see "Shares Eligible for Future Sale."

          In connection with this offering, we intend to file a registration statement with the SEC on Form S-8 providing for the registration of shares of our common stock issued or reserved for issuance under our equity incentive plan. Subject to the satisfaction of vesting conditions, the expiration of lock-up agreements and the requirements of Rule 144, shares registered under the registration statement on Form S-8 will be available for resale immediately in the public market without restriction.

          We cannot predict the size of future issuances of our common stock or securities convertible into common stock or the effect, if any, that future issuances and sales of shares of our common stock will have on the market price of our common stock. Sales of substantial amounts of our common stock (including shares issued in connection with an acquisition), or the perception that such sales could occur, may adversely affect prevailing market prices of our common stock.

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The underwriters of this offering may waive or release parties to the lock-up agreements entered into in connection with this offering, which could adversely affect the price of our common stock.

          Prior to this offering, we, all of our directors and executive officers and holders of substantially all of our common stock will enter into lock-up agreements with respect to their common stock, pursuant to which they are subject to certain resale restrictions for a period of         days following the effectiveness date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Barclays Capital Inc. may, at any time and without notice, release all or any portion of the common stock subject to the foregoing lock-up agreements. If the restrictions under the lock-up agreements are waived, then common stock will be available for sale into the public markets, which could cause the market price of our common stock to decline and impair our ability to raise capital.

A significant reduction by Energy Capital Partners of its ownership interests in us could adversely affect us.

          We believe that Energy Capital Partners' substantial ownership interest in us provides them with an economic incentive to assist us to be successful. Upon the expiration or earlier waiver of the lock-up restrictions on transfers or sales of our securities following the completion of this offering, Energy Capital Partners will not be subject to any obligation to maintain its ownership interest in us and may elect at any time thereafter to sell all or a substantial portion of or otherwise reduce its ownership interest in us. If Energy Capital Partners sells all or a substantial portion of its ownership interest in us, it may have less incentive to assist in our success and its affiliate(s) that are expected to serve as members of our board of directors may resign. Such actions could adversely affect our ability to successfully implement our business strategies which could adversely affect our cash flows or results of operations.

We are an "emerging growth company" and we cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies will make our common stock less attractive to investors.

          We are an "emerging growth company," as defined in the JOBS Act, and we intend to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies, including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. We intend to take advantage of these reporting exemptions until we are no longer an emerging growth company. We cannot predict if investors will find our common stock less attractive because we will rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our stock price may be more volatile.

          We will remain an emerging growth company for up to five years, although we will lose that status sooner if we have more than $1.0 billion of revenues in a fiscal year, have more than $700 million in market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates as of any June 30 or issue more than $1.0 billion of non-convertible debt over a rolling three-year period.

          Under the JOBS Act, emerging growth companies can delay adopting new or revised accounting standards until such time as those standards apply to private companies. We have irrevocably elected not to avail ourselves of this exemption from new or revised accounting

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standards and, therefore, we will be subject to the same new or revised accounting standards as other public companies that are not emerging growth companies.

          To the extent that we rely on any of the exemptions available to emerging growth companies, you will receive less information about our executive compensation and internal control over financial reporting than issuers that are not emerging growth companies. If some investors find our common stock to be less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our stock price may be more volatile

We may be a "controlled company" for purposes of NYSE corporate governance requirements, and if so, our shareholders will not have, and may never have, the protections that these corporate governance requirements are intended to provide.

          Since we may be a "controlled company" for purposes of NYSE corporate governance requirements, we may not be required to comply with the provisions requiring that a majority of our directors be independent, the compensation of our executives be determined by independent directors or nominees for election to our board of directors be selected by independent directors. If we choose to take advantage of any or all of these exemptions, our shareholders may not have the protections that these rules are intended to provide.

Our ability to use our net operating loss carryforwards may be limited.

          As of December 31, 2016, we had approximately $175.6 million of U.S. federal and state net operating loss carryforwards ("NOLs"). Our NOLs begin to expire in 2024. Utilization of these NOLs depends on many factors, including our future income, which cannot be assured. In addition, Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended ("Section 382"), generally imposes an annual limitation on the amount of taxable income that may be offset by NOLs when a corporation has undergone an "ownership change" (as determined under Section 382). Generally, a change of more than 50% in the ownership of a corporation's stock, by value, over a three-year period constitutes an ownership change for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Any unused annual limitation may, subject to certain limitations, be carried over to later years. We have previously experienced an ownership change and anticipate we will have an ownership change as a result of this offering, which would result in an annual limitation under Section 382 determined by multiplying the value of our stock at the time of the ownership change by the applicable long-term tax-exempt rate as defined in Section 382, increased under certain circumstances as a result of recognizing built-in gains in our assets existing at the time of the ownership change. The limitations arising from our prior ownership change or from any ownership change arising as a result of this offering may prevent utilization of our NOLs prior to their expiration. Future ownership changes or regulatory changes could further limit our ability to utilize our NOLs. To the extent we are not able to offset our future income with our NOLs, this could adversely affect our operating results and cash flows if we attain profitability.

Our certificate of incorporation will designate the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by our shareholders, which could limit our shareholders' ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, employees or agents.

          Our certificate of incorporation will provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers, employees or agents to us or our shareholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law

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(the "DGCL"), our certificate of incorporation or our bylaws, or (iv) any action asserting a claim against us that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine, in each such case subject to such Court of Chancery having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants therein. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock will be deemed to have notice of, and consented to, the provisions of our certificate of incorporation described in the preceding sentence. This choice of forum provision may limit a shareholder's ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers, employees or agents, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and such persons. Alternatively, if a court were to find these provisions of our certificate of incorporation inapplicable to, or unenforceable in respect of, one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.

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USE OF PROCEEDS

          Our net proceeds from the sale of             shares of common stock in this offering are estimated to be $              million, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses. We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering as follows: (i) approximately $          million will be used to repay borrowings outstanding under our term loan, (ii) approximately $             million will be used to fund the purchase of additional hydraulic fracturing units; and (iii) approximately $         million will be retained for general corporate purposes.

          We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of shares of our common stock by the selling shareholders. We will pay all expenses related to this offering, other than underwriting discounts and commissions related to the shares sold by the selling shareholders.

          The following table illustrates our anticipated use of the net proceeds from this offering:

Sources of Funds    
  Use of Funds    
 
(In millions)
 

Net proceeds from this offering

  $            

Repayment of outstanding borrowings under our term loan

  $            

               

Purchase of additional hydraulic fracturing units

               

               

General corporate purposes

               

Total sources of funds

  $            

Total uses of funds

  $            

          As of January 31, 2017, we had $71.8 million of outstanding borrowings under our term loan. The term loan matures on September 30, 2019 and requires quarterly principal and interest payments. Our term loan bears interest at a rate of LIBOR plus 6.25% and is subject to a 1% floor. The outstanding borrowings under our term loan were incurred primarily to fund a portion of our 2015 and 2016 capital expenditures. In connection with the completion of this offering, we expect to repay our term loan in full and terminate our term loan.

          A $1.00 increase or decrease in the assumed initial public offering price of $             per share would cause the net proceeds from this offering, after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses, received by us to increase or decrease, respectively, by approximately $              million, assuming the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same. If the proceeds increase due to a higher initial public offering price or due to the issuance of additional shares, we would use the additional net proceeds to fund growth capital expenditures or for general corporate purposes. If the proceeds decrease due to a lower initial public offering price or a decrease in the number of shares issued, then we would first reduce by a corresponding amount the net proceeds directed to general corporate purposes and, if necessary, the purchase of additional hydraulic fracturing units and then, if necessary, the net proceeds directed to repay outstanding borrowings under our term loan.

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STOCK SPLIT

          We will effect a         for 1 stock split after the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part and prior to the completion of this offering. The stock split will affect all of our shareholders uniformly and will not affect any individual shareholder's percentage ownership interest in us. Unless otherwise indicated, and other than the consolidated financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus, information presented in this prospectus is adjusted to reflect our             for 1 stock split.

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DIVIDEND POLICY

          We do not anticipate declaring or paying any cash dividends to holders of our common stock in the foreseeable future. We currently intend to retain future earnings, if any, to finance the growth of our business. Our future dividend policy is within the discretion of our board of directors and will depend upon then-existing conditions, including our results of operations, financial condition, capital requirements, investment opportunities, statutory restrictions on our ability to pay dividends and other factors our board of directors may deem relevant. In addition, we expect that our revolving credit facility will place restrictions on our ability to pay cash dividends.

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CAPITALIZATION

          The following table sets forth our cash and cash equivalents and capitalization as of December 31, 2016:

          This table is derived from, should be read together with and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the historical consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes. You should also read this table in conjunction with "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations." Historical actual share amounts presented in the table below are not adjusted to reflect our         for 1 stock split that will occur after the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part and prior to the completion of this offering.

    As of December 31, 2016
 

    Historical     As Adjusted     As Further
Adjusted
 

    (in thousands, except per share)  

Cash and cash equivalents (1)

  $ 133,596   $     $    

Debt (2) :

                   

Revolving credit facility (3)

  $ 13,500   $     $    

Term loan (4)

    146,750              

Equipment financing

    19,193              

Total debt

  $ 179,443   $     $    

Shareholders' equity:

   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Preferred Stock ($0.001 par value; 30,000,000 shares authorized and 11,724,134 shares issued and outstanding, actual historical; and 30,000,000 shares authorized, zero shares issued and outstanding, as adjusted)

    12              

Preferred stock, additional paid in capital

    162,499              

Common stock ($0.001 par value; 200,000,000 shares authorized, 36,294,936 issued and outstanding, actual historical; and 200,000,000 shares authorized,              shares issued and outstanding, as adjusted)

    36              

Additional paid-in capital

    265,372              

Accumulated deficit

    (206,910 )            

Total shareholders' equity

  $ 221,009              

Total Capitalization

  $ 400,452              

(1)
As of January 31, 2017, we had a total of $9.2 million in cash and cash equivalents on hand.

(2)
Debt shown is exclusive of deferred loan costs and net of amortization.

(3)
As of January 31, 2017, we had no borrowings outstanding under our revolving credit facility and $1,500,000 of letters of credit issued under our credit agreement.

(4)
As of January 31, 2017, we had $71,750,000 outstanding under our term loan. Our term loan carries a LIBOR plus 6.25% interest rate, subject to a 1% floor. The term loan matures on September 30, 2019.

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DILUTION

          Purchasers of our common stock in this offering will experience immediate and substantial dilution in the net tangible book value (tangible assets less total liabilities) per share of our common stock for accounting purposes. Our net tangible book value as of December 31, 2016 was approximately $              million, or $             per share.

          Pro forma net tangible book value per share is determined by dividing our net tangible book value, or total tangible assets less total liabilities, by our shares of common stock that will be outstanding immediately prior to the closing of this offering. Assuming an initial public offering price of $             per share (which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus), after giving effect to (i) the sale of the shares in this offering and (ii) the conversion of the Series A Preferred Shares into shares of common stock upon the consummation of this offering, and further assuming the receipt of the estimated net proceeds (after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us), our adjusted pro forma net tangible book value as of                          , 2016 would have been approximately $              million, or $             per share. This represents an immediate increase in the net tangible book value of $             per share to our existing shareholders and an immediate dilution to new investors purchasing shares in this offering of $             per share, resulting from the difference between the offering price and the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value after this offering. The following table illustrates the per share dilution to new investors purchasing shares in this offering:

Assumed initial public offering price per share

                    $                

Pro forma net tangible book value per share as of               , 2016 (after giving effect to the conversion of the Series A Preferred Shares into common stock)

  $                                  

Increase per share attributable to new investors in this offering

                                     

As adjusted pro forma net tangible book value per share (after giving effect to this offering)

                                     

Dilution in pro forma net tangible book value per share to new investors in this offering

                    $                

          A $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $             per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) our as adjusted pro forma net tangible book value per share after the offering by $             and increase (decrease) the dilution to new investors in this offering by $              per share, assuming the number of shares offered by us and the selling shareholders, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same, after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

          The above discussion and table below are based on the number of shares outstanding as of the date of this prospectus and exclude:

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          The following table summarizes, on an adjusted pro forma basis as of                          , 2016, the total number of shares of common stock owned by existing shareholders and to be owned by new investors at $             per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and the total consideration paid and the average price per share paid by our existing shareholders and to be paid by new investors in this offering at $             , the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, calculated before deduction of estimated underwriting discounts and commissions.

  Shares Acquired     Total
Consideration
    Average
 

                          Price Per  

  Number     Percent     Amount     Percent     Share
 

Existing shareholders (1)

                            % $                           % $                

New investors in this offering

                                                                             

Total

                    100 % $                   100 % $                

(1)
Includes                          shares issuable upon the conversion of our Series A Preferred Shares in connection with this offering.

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SELECTED HISTORICAL FINANCIAL DATA

          The following table presents selected historical financial and operating data of ProPetro Holding Corp. as of the dates and for the years indicated. The selected historical financial data as of and for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 are derived from the audited consolidated financial statements appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. Historical results are not necessarily indicative of future results.The information in the table below does not give effect to the       for 1 stock split that we will effect after the effective date of this registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part and prior to the completion of this offering.

          We conduct our business through seven operating segments: hydraulic fracturing, cementing, acidizing, coil tubing, flowback, surface drilling and Permian drilling. For reporting purposes, the hydraulic fracturing, cementing and acidizing operating segments are aggregated into our one reportable segment: pressure pumping. The selected historical consolidated financial and operating data presented below should be read in conjunction with "Risk Factors," "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and our consolidated financial statements and the related notes and other financial data included elsewhere in this prospectus.

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    For the Years  

    Ended  

    December 31,  

($ in thousands except shares and per share amounts)
  2016     2015    

Statement of Operations Data:

             

Revenue

  $ 436,920   $ 569,618  

Pressure pumping

    409,014     510,198  

All other

    27,906     59,420  

Costs and Expenses:

             

Cost of services (1)

    404,140     483,338  

General and administrative (2)

    26,613     27,370  

Depreciation and amortization

    43,542     50,134  

Property and equipment impairment expense

    6,305     36,609  

Goodwill impairment expense

    1,177      

Loss on disposal of assets

    22,529     21,268  

Total costs and expenses

  $ 504,306   $ 618,719  

Operating Loss

  $ (67,386 ) $ (49,101 )

Other Income (Expense):

             

Interest expense

    (20,387 )   (21,641 )

Gain on extinguishment of debt

    6,975      

Other expense

    (321 )   (499 )

Total other expense

    (13,733 )   (22,140 )

Loss before income taxes

    (81,119 )   (71,241 )

Income tax benefit

    (27,972 )   (25,388 )

Net loss

  $ (53,147 ) $ (45,853 )

Per share information:

             

Net loss per common share:

             

Basic (3)

  $ (1.72 ) $ (1.90 )

Diluted (3)

  $ (1.72 ) $ (1.90 )

Weighted average common shares outstanding:

             

Basic

    30,887,370     24,132,871  

Diluted

    30,887,370     24,132,871  

Balance Sheet Data as of:

   
 
   
 
 

Cash and cash equivalents

  $ 133,596   $ 34,310  

Property and equipment — net of accumulated depreciation

    263,862     291,838  

Total assets

    541,422     446,454  

Long-term debt — net of deferred loan costs

    159,407     236,876  

Total shareholders' equity

    221,009     69,571  

Cash Flow Statement Data:

   
 
   
 
 

Net cash provided by operating activities

  $ 10,658   $ 81,231  

Net cash used in investing activities

    (41,688 )   (62,776 )

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

    130,315     (15,216 )

Other Data:

   
 
   
 
 

Adjusted EBITDA (4)

  $ 7,816   $ 60,149  

Adjusted EBITDA margin (4)

    1.8 %   10.6 %

Capital expenditures

    46,008     71,677  

(1)
Exclusive of depreciation and amortization.

(2)
Inclusive of stock-based compensation.

(3)
After giving effect to a             for 1 stock split of our common stock, basic and diluted net loss per share of common stock would have been              and             for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

(4)
For definitions of the non-GAAP financial measures of Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin and reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin from our most directly comparable financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP, please read "Summary Historical Financial Data — Non-GAAP Financial Measures."

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MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

           You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with our audited financial statements and the related notes appearing at the end of this prospectus. Some of the information contained in this discussion and analysis or set forth elsewhere in this prospectus, including information with respect to our plans and strategy for our business and related financing, includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. You should read the "Risk Factors" section of this prospectus for a discussion of important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results described in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in the following discussion and analysis.


Basis of Presentation

          Unless otherwise indicated, references in this "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" to "ProPetro Holding Corp.," "the Company," "we," "our," "us" or like terms refer to ProPetro Holding Corp. and its subsidiary.


Overview

          We are a growth-oriented, Midland, Texas-based oilfield services company providing hydraulic fracturing and other complementary services to leading upstream oil and gas companies engaged in the exploration and production, or E&P, of North American unconventional oil and natural gas resources. Our operations are primarily focused in the Permian Basin, where we have cultivated longstanding customer relationships with some of the region's most active and well-capitalized E&P companies, including Parsley Energy, Diamondback Energy, Surge Energy, XTO Energy, Callon Petroleum and Pioneer Natural Resources. For the year ended December 31, 2016, no single customer represented greater than 20% of our revenue. The Permian Basin is widely regarded as the most prolific oil-producing area in the United States, and we believe we are currently the largest private provider of hydraulic fracturing services in the region by hydraulic horsepower, or HHP, with an aggregate deployed capacity of 420,000 HHP. Our fleet, which consists of 10 hydraulic fracturing units, has been designed to handle the highest intensity, most complex hydraulic fracturing jobs and has been 100% utilized since September 2016. We have purchased two additional hydraulic fracturing units, which are scheduled for delivery and deployment to dedicated customers in April and June 2017, respectively. These units will provide us with an additional 90,000 HHP, bringing our total capacity to 510,000 HHP. Additionally, we expect to use the proceeds from this offering to purchase two additional units to meet specific customer requests, giving us an additional 90,000 HHP, or 600,000 HHP in the aggregate, once all units have been received.


Our Assets and Operations

          Through our pressure pumping segment, which includes cementing and acidizing operations, we primarily provide hydraulic fracturing services to E&P companies in the Permian Basin. Our modern hydraulic fracturing fleet has been designed to handle Permian Basin specific operating conditions and the region's increasingly high-intensity well completions, which are characterized by longer horizontal wellbores, more frac stages per lateral and increasing amounts of proppant per well. Over 75% of our fleet has been delivered over the past four years, and we have fully maintained our equipment throughout the recent industry downturn to ensure optimal performance and reliability. In contrast, we believe many of our competitors have deferred necessary maintenance capital spending throughout the downturn, which we believe uniquely positions us to respond more quickly to customer needs during the ongoing market recovery.

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          In addition to our core hydraulic fracturing operations, we also offer a suite of complementary well completion and production services, including coiled tubing, flowback services and surface air drilling. We believe these complementary services create operational efficiencies for our customers and allow us to capture a greater portion of their capital spending across the lifecycle of an unconventional well. We believe that these complementary services should benefit from a continued industry recovery and that we are well positioned to continue expanding these offerings in response to our customers increasing service needs and spending levels.


Overall Trends and Outlook

          The oil and gas industry has traditionally been volatile and is influenced by a combination of long-term, short-term and cyclical trends, including domestic and international supply and demand for oil and gas, current and expected future prices for oil and gas and the perceived stability and sustainability of those prices, and capital investments of E&P companies toward their development and production of oil and gas reserves. The oil and gas industry is also impacted by general domestic and international economic conditions, political instability in oil producing countries, government regulations (both in the United States and internationally), levels of consumer demand, adverse weather conditions, and other factors that are beyond our control. Declines and sustained weakness in crude oil prices began in the fourth quarter of 2014 and continued into February 2016, when the closing crude oil prices reached a low of $26.19 per barrel. This decline in oil prices caused our customers to reduce drilling and completion activity and curtail spending. These declines adversely affected the demand for our equipment and services and negatively impacted the prices we were able to charge our customers.

          Over the same period, the low crude oil price environment caused a steep reduction in our customers' drilling, completion and other production activities and their spending on our equipment and services. However, the recent recovery of crude oil prices to the low $50 per barrel range as of December 2016 has driven a considerable increase in drilling and completion activity, and associated demand for our services. The Permian Basin, our primary area of operation, is leading the recovery with the number of active drilling rigs increasing 110% from a low of 137 rigs in the basin as of May 2016 to 291 rigs in the basin as of January 2017, according to Baker Hughes. In addition to increased activity levels in the Permian Basin, several evolving industry trends, including increasingly longer horizontal wellbore laterals, a greater number of frac stages per lateral and increasing amounts of proppant employed per well, have significantly increased demand for our hydraulic fracturing and other completion services.

          As the Permian Basin shifts further towards more intensive horizontal drilling, operators and service providers are expected to continue to place significant focus on drilling and completion efficiencies, such as multi-well pads and zipper fracs. Multi-well pads allow for the drilling of multiple wellbores from a single topside location, reducing average drilling time. Similarly, zipper fracking allows for the alternating completion of hydraulic fracturing stages in adjacent wells, increasing the number of stages that can be performed in a given time period. These advancements have resulted in a reduction in the number of days typically required to drill and complete a well and, as a result, increased the total number of wells that can be drilled per rig, which, in turn, drives incremental demand for hydraulic fracturing services.

          Rising producer activity levels, increasing basin service intensity and continued drilling and completion efficiencies have combined to drive the 100% utilization of our fleet and build a sizable backlog of addressable demand for our services. We have seen our competitors defer necessary maintenance capital spending, cannibalize existing units for spare parts and idle HHP. This has resulted in tightening hydraulic fracturing supply and demand fundamentals and is likely to drive pricing improvement for our hydraulic fracturing services. Moreover, we believe the other complementary services that we provide are well-positioned to similarly benefit from a continued industry recovery.

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          Our competitors include many large and small oilfield services companies, including RPC, Inc., Halliburton, C&J Energy Services, Patterson-UTI Energy Inc., Superior Energy Services, Schlumberger and a number of private companies. Competitive factors impacting sales of our services are price, reputation and technical expertise, service and equipment quality, and health and safety standards. Although we believe our customers consider all of these factors, we believe price is a key factor in E&P companies' criteria in choosing a service provider. While we seek to price our services competitively, we believe many of our customers elect to work with us based on our deep local roots, operational expertise, equipment's ability to handle the most complex Permian Basin well completions, and commitment to safety and reliability.

          Our substantial market presence in the Permian Basin positions us well to capitalize on increasing drilling and completion activity in the region. Historically, our operational focus has been in the Permian Basin's Midland sub-basin, where our customers have primarily operated. More recently however, with increasing levels of Delaware Basin activity, we have begun to expand our Delaware Basin presence in response to increasing levels of demand pull from our customers. Given our entrenched relationships with a variety of Delaware Basin operators, we believe that we are uniquely positioned to capture large addressable growth opportunity as the basin develops. Over time, we expect the Permian Basin's Midland and Delaware sub-basins to continue to command a disproportionate share of future North American E&P spending.


How We Generate Revenue

          We generate revenue primarily through our pressure pumping segment, and more specifically, by providing hydraulic fracturing services to our customers. We own and operate a fleet of mobile hydraulic fracturing units and other auxiliary equipment to perform fracturing services. We also provide personnel and services that are tailored to meet each of our customers' needs. We generally do not have long-term written contractual arrangements with our customers other than standard master service agreements, which include general contractual terms between our customers and us. We charge our customers on a per-job basis, in which we set pricing terms after receiving full specifications for the requested job, including the lateral length of the customer's wellbore, the number of frac stages per well, the amount of proppant to be employed and other parameters of the job.

          In addition to hydraulic fracturing services, we generate revenue through the complementary services that we provide to our customers, including cementing, acidizing, coiled tubing, flowback services and surface air drilling. These complementary services are provided through various contractual arrangements, including on a turnkey contract basis, in which we set a price to perform a particular job, a daywork contract basis, in which we are paid a set price per day for our services, or a footage contract basis, in which we are paid a set price per foot we drill. We are also sometimes paid by the hour for these complementary services.


Costs of Conducting our Business

          The principal direct costs involved in operating our business are expendables, other direct costs, and direct labor costs. Generally, we price each job to reflect a predetermined margin over our expendables and direct labor costs. Our fixed costs are relatively low and a large portion of the costs described below are only incurred as we perform jobs for our customers.

          Expendables.     Expendables are the largest expenses incurred, and include the product and freight costs associated with proppant, chemicals and other consumables used in our pressure pumping and other operations. These costs comprise a substantial variable component of our service costs, particularly with respect to the quantity and quality of sand and chemicals demanded when providing hydraulic fracturing services. Expendable product costs comprised approximately

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61.0% and 58.9% of total costs of service for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

          Other Direct Costs.     We incur other direct expenses related to our service offerings, including the costs of fuel, repairs and maintenance, general supplies, equipment rental and other miscellaneous operating expenses. Fuel is consumed both in the operation and movement of our hydraulic fracturing fleet and other equipment. Repairs and maintenance costs are expenses directly related to upkeep of equipment, which have been amplified by the demand for higher horsepower jobs. Capital expenditures to upgrade or extend the useful life of equipment are not included in other direct costs. Other direct costs were 24.4% and 24.3% of total costs of service for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

          Direct Labor Costs.     Payroll and benefit expenses related to our crews and other employees that are directly attributable to the effective delivery of services are included in our operating costs. Direct labor costs amounted to 14.5% and 16.9% of total costs of service for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.


How We Evaluate Our Operations

          Our management uses a variety of financial and operating metrics to evaluate and analyze the performance of our business, including Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin.

Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin

          We view Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin as important indicators of performance. We define EBITDA as our net income, before (i) interest expense, (ii) income taxes and (iii) depreciation and amortization. We define Adjusted EBITDA as EBITDA, plus (i) loss on disposal of assets, (ii) gain on extinguishment of debt, (iii) stock based compensation, and (iv) other unusual or non-recurring charges, such as costs related to our initial public offering. Adjusted EBITDA margin reflects our Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of our revenues.

          Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin are supplemental measures utilized by our management and other users of our financial statements such as investors, commercial banks, research analysts and others, to assess our financial performance because it allows us to compare our operating performance on a consistent basis across periods by removing the effects of our capital structure (such as varying levels of interest expense), asset base (such as depreciation and amortization) and items outside the control of our management team (such as income tax rates). Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin have limitations as analytical tools and should not be considered as an alternative to net income, operating income, cash flow from operating activities or any other measure of financial performance presented in accordance with GAAP.

Note Regarding Non-GAAP Financial Measures

          Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin are not financial measures presented in accordance with GAAP. We believe that the presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures will provide useful information to investors in assessing our financial condition and results of operations. Net income is the GAAP measure most directly comparable to Adjusted EBITDA. Our non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered as alternatives to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure. Each of these non-GAAP financial measures has important limitations as analytical tools because they exclude some but not all items that affect the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures. You should not consider Adjusted EBITDA or Adjusted EBITDA margin in isolation or as a substitute for an analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Because Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin may be defined differently by other companies in our industry, our definitions of these non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies, thereby diminishing their utility. Please read "Summary — Summary Historical Consolidated Financial Data — Non-GAAP Financial Measures."

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Factors Affecting the Comparability of Our Financial Results

          Our future results of operations may not be comparable to our historical results of operations for the reasons described below:

           Our strategic focus on our pressure pumping segment and other complementary services will reduce the relative financial contribution of the Permian drilling operating segment in our results of operations. We expect revenues and costs of services related to our Permian drilling operating segment to comprise a lower percentage of total revenues and total costs of service in future results of operations when compared to historic results due to our increased focus on pressure pumping and other complementary service offerings. We idled all seven of our Permian vertical drilling rigs throughout 2016. As a result, Permian drilling comprised only $9.9 million of revenue (or 2.3% of revenues) for the year ended December 31, 2016, as compared to $35.7 million (or 6.3% of revenues) for the year ended December 31, 2015. Likewise cost of services related to Permian drilling was $8.5 million (2.1% of all costs of services) for the year ended December 31, 2016 as compared to $30.8 million (or 6.4% of cost of service) for the year ended December 31, 2015. We anticipate the financial significance of this service line relative to the financial results from pressure pumping and other service offerings to continue to decline.

          We will incur additional operating expenses as a publicly traded corporation.     We expect to incur approximately $3.0 million annually in additional operating expenses as a publicly traded corporation that we have not previously incurred, including costs associated with compliance under the Exchange Act, annual and quarterly reports to common shareholders, registrar and transfer agent fees, audit fees, incremental director and officer liability insurance costs and director and officer compensation.


Results of Operations

          We conduct our business through seven operating segments: hydraulic fracturing, cementing, acidizing, coil tubing, flowback, surface drilling, and Permian drilling. For reporting purposes, the hydraulic fracturing, cementing and acidizing operating segments are aggregated into our one reportable segment: pressure pumping.

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Year Ended December 31, 2016 Compared To Year Ended December 31, 2015

  Year Ended
December 31,
 
 

(in thousands except industry data)
  2016     2015    

Revenue

  $ 436,920   $ 569,618  

Cost of services (1)

    404,140     483,338  

General and administrative expense (2)

    26,613     27,370  

Depreciation and amortization

    43,542     50,134  

Property and equipment impairment expense

    6,305     36,609  

Goodwill impairment expense

    1,177      

Loss on disposal of assets

    22,529     21,268  

Interest expense

    20,387     21,641  

Gain on extinguishment of debt

    6,975      

Other expense

    321     499  

Income tax benefit

    27,972     25,388  

Net loss

  $ (53,147 ) $ (45,853 )

Adjusted EBITDA (3)

  $ 7,816   $ 60,149  

Adjusted EBITDA Margin (3)

    1.8 %   10.6 %

Pressure pumping segment results of operations:

             

Service revenue

  $ 409,014   $ 510,198  

Cost of services

  $ 379,815   $ 432,372  

Adjusted EBITDA

  $ 15,655   $ 62,540  

Adjusted EBITDA Margin (3)(7)

    3.8 %   12.3 %

Baker Hughes Domestic Average Rig Count — Onshore (4)

    490     948  

Average oil price (per barrel)

  $ 43.29   $ 48.66  

Average natural gas price (per thousand cubic feet) (6)

  $ 2.52   $ 2.62  

(1)
Exclusive of depreciation and amortization.

(2)
Inclusive of stock-based compensation.

(3)
For definitions of the non-GAAP financial measures of Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin and reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin to our most directly comparable financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP, please read "Summary — Summary Historical Financial Data — Non-GAAP Financial Measures."

(4)
Average onshore U.S. rig count published by Baker Hughes 12/31/16 10-K.

(5)
Average twelve-month West TX Intermediate Spot Price published by EIA.

(6)
Average twelve-month Henry Hub Natural Gas Spot Price published by EIA.

(7)
The non-GAAP financial measure of Adjusted EBITDA margin for the pressure pumping segment is calculated by taking Adjusted EBITDA for the pressure pumping segment as a percentage of our revenues for the pressure pumping segment.

          Revenues.     Revenues decreased 23.3%, or $132.7 million, to $436.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 as compared to $569.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. The decrease was primarily attributable to a reduction in customer activity, a decline in pricing for our frac services as a result of an over-supply of HHP in our areas of operations, and the idling of our seven Permian drilling rigs. Our pressure pumping segment revenues decreased 19.8%, or $101.2 million, for the year ended December 31, 2016 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2015. Revenues other than pressure pumping decreased 53.0%, or $31.5 million, for the year December 31, 2016 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2015. The decrease

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was primarily attributable to a decline in demand and pricing for these ancillary services. The overall decrease in revenues was attributable to a competitive market environment caused by the decrease in U.S. onshore drilling and completion activity as a result of decreased oil and natural gas commodity prices. Average oil and natural gas prices have decreased 11.0% and 3.8%, respectively, from the year ended December 31, 2015 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2016. The Baker Hughes U.S. onshore rig count also decreased 48.3% during the year ended December 31, 2016 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2015.

          Cost of Services.     Cost of services decreased 16.4%, or $79.2 million, to $404.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 from $483.3 million as compared to the year ended December 31, 2015. Cost of services in our pressure pumping segment decreased $52.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2015. The decreases were primarily attributable to lower activity levels, coupled with reduced personnel headcount. As a percentage of pressure pumping segment revenues, pressure pumping cost of services increased to 92.9% for the year ended December 31, 2016 as compared to 84.7% for the year ended December 31, 2015. The increase in cost of services as a percentage of sales for the pressure pumping segment resulted from lower revenue generating activity levels without a corresponding reduction in costs as well as depressed pricing for our services, which resulted in significantly lower realized EBITDA margins.

          General and Administrative Expenses.     General and administrative expenses decreased 2.8%, or $0.8 million, to $26.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 as compared to $27.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. The decrease was primarily attributable to a $2.2 million reduction in insurance expense due to a reduction in personnel headcount and a $1.0 million reduction in property taxes, partially offset by an increase in bonus expense of $2.5 million as compared to 2015. General and administrative expenses as a percentage of total revenues was 6.1% for the year ended December 31, 2016 as compared to 4.8% for the year ended December 31, 2015. This increase was due partially to pricing pressures in a competitive operating environment, as well as our decision to maintain equipment and retain key personnel during times of lower equipment utilization levels.

          Depreciation and Amortization.     Depreciation and amortization decreased 13.1%, or $6.6 million, to $43.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 as compared to $50.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. The decrease was primarily attributable to a decrease in average depreciable assets partially offset by approximately $46.0 million in capital expenditures during the year ended December 31, 2016. We calculate depreciation of property and equipment using the straight-line method.

          Property and Equipment Impairment Expense.     Property and equipment impairment expense was $36.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2015, as compared to $6.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2016. The non-cash impairment expense in 2015 was associated with our Permian drilling rigs and acidizing assets and was recognized as a result of depressed commodity prices and a negative future near-term outlook for these assets. The non-cash impairment expense in 2016 was a result of the continuous depressed demand for our vertical drilling rigs.

          Goodwill Impairment Expense.     Goodwill impairment expense was $1.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2016, as compared to no goodwill impairment expense for the year ended December 31, 2015. The impairment expense in 2016 was attributable to the write-down of goodwill related to our surface drilling reporting unit.

          Loss on Disposal of Assets.     Loss on the disposal of assets increased 5.9%, or $1.3 million, to $22.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 as compared to $21.3 million for the year

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ended December 31, 2015. The increase was primarily attributable to greater service intensity of jobs completed despite lower pressure pumping activity levels.

          Interest Expense.     Interest expense decreased 5.8%, or $1.3 million, to $20.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 as compared to $21.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. The decrease in interest expense was primarily attributable to a reduction in our average debt balance during 2016.

          Gain on Extinguishment of Debt.     Gain on extinguishment of debt was $7.0 million, net of cost, for the year ended December 31, 2016, as compared to no debt extinguishment gain or loss for the year ended December 31, 2015. In June 2016, we conducted an auction process with our lenders to repurchase $37.5 million of our term loan at a 20% discount to par value.

          Other Expense.     Other expense decreased to $0.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 as compared to $0.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. The decrease was primarily attributable to an unrealized gain resulting from the change in the fair value of our interest rate swap liability at December 31, 2016 compared to 2015, partially offset by restructuring expenses related to the first amendment to our existing credit agreement incurred in 2016 and the reduction of other income in 2016 as compared to 2015.

          Income Tax Benefit.     The increase of $2.6 million in income tax benefit for the year ended December 31, 2016 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2015 is primarily attributable to a higher loss before income taxes, partially offset by the valuation allowance of $0.9 million recorded in the year.


Liquidity and Capital Resources

          As of December 31, 2016, our cash and cash equivalents were $133.6 million, and as of December 31, 2015, were $34.3 million. Historically, our primary sources of liquidity and capital resources have been borrowings under our term loan and revolving credit facility, cash flows from our operations and capital contributions from our shareholders. Our primary uses of capital have been investing in and maintaining our property and equipment and repaying indebtedness.

          Effective as of December 27, 2016, we completed a private placement of 11,724,134 shares of Series A Preferred Shares. We received net proceeds of approximately $163 million and used the net proceeds (i) to repay a portion of the indebtedness outstanding under our revolving credit facility and term loan, (ii) to acquire new hydraulic fracturing units totaling 90,000 additional HHP and (iii) for general corporate purposes.

          We expect that our primary sources of liquidity and capital resources will be cash flows generated by operating activities and borrowings under our revolving credit facility. We expect that our primary uses of capital will be to continue to fund our operations, support organic growth opportunities and satisfy future debt payments. We believe that our operating cash flow will be sufficient to fund our operations for at least the next twelve months. However, we expect that additional capital expenditures will be required to conduct our future operations and grow our business. As of December 31, 2016, we had $25.0 million borrowing capacity available under our revolving credit facility.

          There can be no assurance that operations and other capital resources will provide cash in sufficient amounts to maintain planned or future levels of capital expenditures. Future cash flows are subject to a number of variables, and are highly dependent on the drilling, completion, and production activity by our customers, which in turn is highly dependent on oil and gas prices. Depending upon market conditions and other factors, we may issue equity and debt securities or take other actions necessary to fund our business or meet our future obligations.

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Working Capital

          Working capital is the amount by which current assets exceed current liabilities and is a measure of our ability to pay our liabilities as they become due. The following table presents the components of our working capital as of December 31, 2016 compared to December 31, 2015.

  December 31    

  2016     2015    

Current Assets:

             

Cash and cash equivalents

  $ 133,596   $ 34,310  

Accounts receivable — net of allowance for doubtful accounts

    115,179     90,291  

Inventories

    4,713     8,572  

Prepaid expenses

    4,609     4,488  

Other current assets

    6,683     804  

Total current assets

    264,780     138,465  

Current liabilities:

             

Accounts payable

    129,093     87,365  

Accrued liabilities

    13,620     7,052  

Current portion of long-term debt

    16,920     16,295  

Accrued interest payable

    108     77  

Total current liabilities

    159,741     110,789  

Working capital

  $ 105,039   $ 27,676  

          Our working capital totaled $105.0 million at December 31, 2016 and our working capital totaled $27.7 million at December 31, 2015. The $77.4 million increase in working capital was primarily due to the receipt of $163.0 million (net of $7.5 million transaction costs) from the private placement issuance of Series A Preferred Shares. As of December 31, 2016, $25 million of the proceeds from the private placement were used to pay a portion of the outstanding indebtedness under our revolving credit facility. The increase in cash due to the proceeds from the private placement was partially offset by a decrease in cash provided by operations as a result of depressed revenues and margins during 2016. These factors contributed to a $99.3 million net increase in cash and cash equivalents.

Cash and Cash Flows

          Our cash and cash equivalents were $133.6 million and $34.3 million at December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively.

          The following table sets forth the historical cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 (in thousands):

    Year ended
December 31
 

    2016     2015  

Net cash provided by operating activities

  $ 10,658   $ 81,231  

Net cash used in investing activities

  $ (41,688 ) $ (62,776 )

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

  $ 130,315   $ (15,216 )

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents

  $ 99,285   $ 3,239  

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Operating Activities

          Net cash provided by operating activities was $10.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 and $81.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. The decrease was primarily due to a decrease in operating margins when adjusted for non-cash items. Operating income (loss), excluding depreciation, amortization and impairment expenses, decreased from income of $37.6 million in 2015 to a loss of $16.4 million in 2016. Additionally, the change in operating assets and liabilities decreased from a $38.3 million cash inflow in 2015 to a $19.8 million cash inflow in 2016 due to an increase in accounts receivable attributable to higher business activity levels in the fourth quarter of 2016 as compared to 2015, partially offset by the timing of payments of our accounts payable.

Investing Activities

          Net cash used in investing activities was $41.7 million and $62.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The decrease was primarily due to the addition of one hydraulic fracturing unit in January 2015 and a decline in capital expenditures in response to lower activity levels in 2016. Approximately 97.8% of our capital expenditures during 2016 is related to maintenance of equipment.

Financing Activities

          Net cash provided by financing activities was $130.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2016, and net cash used in financing activities was $15.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. The change was primarily due to a $210.4 million increase in equity capitalization, $40.4 million common equity and $170.0 million preferred equity, partially offset by a $28.2 million increase in net repayments of borrowings, $7.5 million of transaction costs occurred related to the private placement and $30.0 million extinguishment of debt during 2016. In 2015, we entered into a new equipment financing arrangement relating to three hydraulic fracturing units, where we extended the amortization period from 13 to 36 months and reduced the amount of required monthly installment payments.

Credit Facility and Other Financing Arrangements

Existing Credit Facility

          On September 30, 2013, we and our wholly owned subsidiary, ProPetro Services, Inc. (the "Borrower"), entered into a credit agreement with Deutsche Bank AG New York Branch (as administrative agent) and the lenders party thereto, which we refer to as our "existing credit agreement". Our existing credit agreement provides for a term loan facility in a principal amount of $220.0 million, which we refer to as our term loan, and a revolving credit facility in a principal amount of commitments of $40.0 million. We refer to this revolving credit facility and our term loan collectively as "our existing credit facility". Our existing revolving credit facility matures on September 30, 2018, and the term loan matures on September 30, 2019.

          On June 8, 2016, we and the Borrower entered into an amendment and waiver to our existing credit agreement as a result of our failure to comply with the specified leverage ratio financial covenant for the test period ended March 31, 2016. As a condition precedent to the effectiveness of the amendment our sponsor and majority shareholder, Energy Capital Partners, together with certain minority shareholders, contributed $40.4 million of additional equity into us, $10.4 million of which was reserved for working capital purposes and fees and up to $30.0 million of which was utilized to repurchase outstanding debt under our term loan. As of December 31, 2016, we and the Borrower were in compliance with all covenants and restrictions in our existing credit facility.

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          As of December 31, 2016, we had an outstanding principal balance of $13.5 million and $146.8 million under our revolving credit facility and term loan, respectively. On January 13, 2017, we used a portion of the net proceeds of our recent private placement to repay in full all outstanding borrowings under our revolving credit facility and approximately $75 million under our term loan. In addition, we entered into an amendment to our existing credit agreement pursuant to which the Borrower is no longer required to make scheduled amortization payments of principal for the remainder of the term of the existing credit facility.

New Revolving Credit Facility

          Concurrent with the consummation of this offering, it is expected that we and the Borrower, will enter into an asset-based revolving credit agreement with Barclays Bank PLC (as administrative agent) and the lenders party thereto, which we refer to as our "new credit agreement." Our new credit agreement is expected to provide for revolving credit facility commitments in a principal amount of $150.0 million, which we refer to as "our new revolving credit facility."

          Our new revolving credit facility is expected to be guaranteed, in the future, by any domestic subsidiaries of the Borrower, subject to certain qualifications and exceptions. Our new revolving credit facility is expected to be secured by a first priority lien on, and security interest in, (i) substantially all assets and equity interests held by the Borrower and (ii) the equity interests we hold in the Borrower, subject to certain exceptions and excluded assets.

          The applicable margin on our new revolving credit facility will be determined by reference to a three-tier pricing grid based on availability under our new revolving credit facility. The Borrower, at its option, may elect for loans drawn under our new credit facility to be based on either LIBOR or base rate, plus the applicable margin. The applicable margin on our new revolving credit facility will range from 1.75% to 2.25% (in the case of LIBOR loans) and 0.75% to 1.25% (in the case of base rate loans). Our new revolving credit facility does not contain a LIBOR floor.

          The Borrower will also be required to pay an unused line fee on unutilized commitments under our new revolving credit facility. The unused line fee will be determined by reference to a two-tier grid based on availability under our new revolving credit facility. The unused line fee will range from 0.25% to 0.375% depending on the Borrower's usage of our new revolving credit facility.

          Our new revolving credit facility is expected to mature five years from the closing date.

          Our new revolving credit facility is also expected to contain a springing fixed charge coverage ratio (the "FCCR"). The FCCR would only be tested if availability under our new revolving credit facility falls below certain specified levels. If tested, the Borrower would need to demonstrate compliance with a 1.0x FCCR, on a quarterly basis, until such time as the Borrower has availability under our new revolving credit facility in excess of certain specified levels for at least thirty consecutive days.

          Our new revolving credit facility is expected to contain various covenants that would restrict, among other things and subject to certain exceptions, our ability, as well as the ability of the Borrower and certain of its present and future subsidiaries to incur certain liens, incur indebtedness, change the nature of its business, undertake mergers and other fundamental changes, dispose of certain assets, make investments and restricted payments, amend its organizational documents or accounting policies, make early prepayments of certain debt, enter into dividend or lien blockers, enter into certain transactions with affiliates and, solely in our case, carry out certain activities.

          Failure to comply with these covenants and restrictions could result in an event of default under our new revolving credit facility. In such an event, we could not request borrowings under our new revolving credit facility, and all amounts outstanding under our new revolving credit facility, together with accrued interest, could then be declared immediately due and payable.

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Equipment Financing Arrangements

          On November 24, 2015, we entered into a 36-month equipment financing arrangement for three hydraulic fracturing units, and received proceeds of $25.0 million. A portion of the proceeds were used to pay off manufacturer notes, and the remainder was used for additional liquidity. As of December 31, 2016 the outstanding balance was $19.2 million.

Off Balance Sheet Arrangements

          We had no off balance sheet arrangements as of December 31, 2016.

Capital Requirements

          Capital expenditures were $71.7 million in 2015 and $46.0 million in 2016. We currently expect our capital expenditures to increase in 2017 as we deploy new hydraulic fracturing units and continue to capitalize equipment maintenance costs.

          Our capital expenditures, maintenance costs and other expenses, including labor, proppant and fuel costs have increased commensurately with our organic fleet growth and increase in overall hydraulic fracturing fleet utilization to 100% utilization since September 2016.

Customer Concentration

          For the year ended December 31, 2016, sales to Parsley Energy and Diamondback Energy accounted for 18.0% and 12.5%, respectively, of total revenue. No other customer accounted for more than 10% of total revenue for the year ended December 31, 2016.

Contractual Obligations

          The following table presents our contractual obligations and other commitments as of December 31, 2016 (in thousands).

  Total     Less than
1 year
 
  1 - 3 years     3 - 5 years     More than
5 years
 
 

6.25% Term loan (1)

  $ 173,267   $ 21,340   $ 151,927   $   $  

Revolving credit facility (2)

    13,500         13,500          

Equipment refinancing (3)

    22,115     7,773     14,342          

Operating leases (4)

    2,382     471     793     688     430  

Total contractual obligations

  $ 211,264   $ 29,584   $ 180,562   $ 688   $ 430  

(1)
Includes estimated interest cost at an interest rate of 6.25% plus rate with a 1% floor, per the terms of our term loan. As the Eurodollar Rate is floating and cannot be determined with accuracy for future periods, the floor rate of 1% was utilized to calculate anticipated future interest payments.

(2)
Exclusive of future commitment fees, amortization of deferred financing costs, interest expense or other fees on our revolving credit facility because obligations thereunder are floating rate instruments and we cannot determine with accuracy of the timing of future loan advances, repayments or future interest rates to be charged.

(3)
Equipment refinancing includes estimated interests costs of $2.9 million.

(4)
Operating leases include agreements for various office locations.


Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosure of Market Risks

          Market risk is the risk of loss arising from adverse changes in market rates and prices. Historically, our risks have been predominantly related to potential changes in the fair value of our long-term debt due to fluctuations in applicable market interest rates. Going forward our market risk

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exposure generally will be limited to those risks that arise in the normal course of business, as we do not engage in speculative, non-operating transactions, nor do we utilize financial instruments or derivative instruments for trading purposes.

Commodity Price Risk

          Our material and fuel purchases expose us to commodity price risk. Our material costs primarily include the cost of inventory consumed while performing our pressure pumping services such as proppants, chemicals, guar, trucking and fluid supplies. Our fuel costs consist primarily of diesel fuel used by our various trucks and other motorized equipment. The prices for fuel and the raw materials in our inventory are volatile and are impacted by changes in supply and demand, as well as market uncertainty and regional shortages. Historically, we have generally been able to pass along price increases to our customers; however, we may be unable to do so in the future. We do not engage in commodity price hedging activities.

Interest Rate Risk

          We are subject to interest rate risk on our variable rate debt, and use an interest rate swap to manage the cash flow impacts of the floating rate obligations associated with our existing term loan and credit facility. The Company also has fixed rate debt, but does not currently utilize derivative instruments to manage the economic effect of changes in interest rates on our fixed rate debt. Our policies do not permit speculative trading activities, and the swap was not designated as a hedging instrument. The impact of a 1% increase in interest rates on our outstanding debt as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 would have resulted in an increase in interest expense and corresponding decrease in pre-tax income of approximately $2.1 million and $2.3 million, for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Credit Risk

          Financial instruments that potentially subject us to concentrations of credit risk are trade receivables. We extend credit to customers and other parties in the normal course of business. We have established various procedures to manage our credit exposure, including credit evaluations and maintaining an allowance for doubtful accounts.

Internal Controls and Procedures

          We are not currently required to comply with the SEC's rules implementing Section 404 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002, and are therefore not required to make a formal assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting for that purpose. Upon becoming a public company, we will be required to comply with the SEC's rules implementing Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, which will require our management to certify financial and other information in our quarterly and annual reports and provide an annual management report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. We will not be required to make our first assessment of our internal control over financial reporting until the year of our second annual report required to be filed with the SEC. To comply with the requirements of being a public company, we may need to implement additional financial and management controls, reporting systems and procedures and hire additional accounting, finance and legal staff.

          Further, our independent registered public accounting firm is not yet required to formally attest to the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting, and will not be required to do so for as long as we are an "emerging growth company" pursuant to the provisions of the JOBS Act. Please read "Summary — Our Emerging Growth Company Status."

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Recent Accounting Pronouncements

          In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) . ASU No. 2014-09 requires entities to recognize revenue to depict transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. ASU No. 2014-09 requires entities to disclose both qualitative and quantitative information that enables users of interim condensed consolidated financial statements to understand the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers, including disclosure of significant judgments affecting the recognition of revenue. ASU No. 2014-09 was originally effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, using either the retrospective or cumulative effect transition method. On August 12, 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-14, which defers the effective date of the revenue standard, ASU No. 2014-09, by one year for all entities and permits early adoption on a limited basis. We believe that the adoption of this guidance will not materially affect our revenue recognition. However, we will continue to evaluate and quantify the effect of the adoption of this guidance on our consolidated financial statements.

          On July 22, 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-11, Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory, which requires entities to measure most inventory "at the lower of cost and net realizable value," thereby simplifying the current guidance under which an entity must measure inventory at the lower of cost or market. ASU No. 2015-11 does not apply to inventories that are measured by using either the last-in, first-out method or the retail inventory method. The amendments in ASU No. 2015-11 are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016. We are currently evaluating the effect of the adoption of this guidance on the consolidated financial statements.

          In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases , a new standard on accounting for leases. The ASU introduces a lessee model that brings most leases on the balance sheet. The new standard also aligns many of the underlying principles of the new lessor model with those in the current accounting guidance as well as the FASB's new revenue recognition standard. However, the ASU eliminates the use of bright-line tests in determining lease classification as required in the current guidance. The ASU also requires additional qualitative disclosures along with specific quantitative disclosures to better enable users of financial statements to assess the amount, timing, and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. The pronouncement is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, including periods within that reporting period, using a modified retrospective approach. Early adoption is permitted. We have not completed an evaluation of the impact the pronouncement will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

Emerging Growth Company

          We qualify as an "emerging growth company" pursuant to the provisions of the JOBS Act, enacted on April 5, 2012. Section 102 of the JOBS Act provides that an "emerging growth company" can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. However, we are choosing to "opt out" of such extended transition period, and as a result, we will comply with new or revised accounting standards on the relevant dates on which adoption of such standards is required for non-emerging growth companies. Our election to "opt-out" of the extended transition period is irrevocable.

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Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

          The discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based on our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally acceptable in the United States of America. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the dates of the financial statements and the reported revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. We evaluate these estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis and base our estimates on historical experience, current conditions and various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. The results of these estimates form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities as well as identifying and assessing the accounting treatment with respect to commitments and contingencies. Our actual results may materially differ from these estimates.

          Listed below are the accounting policies that we believe are critical to our financial statements due to the degree of uncertainty regarding the estimates or assumptions involved, and that we believe are critical to the understanding of our operations.

Property and Equipment

          Our property and equipment are recorded at cost, less accumulated depreciation.

          Upon sale or retirement of property and equipment, the cost and related accumulated depreciation are removed from the balance sheet and the net amount, less proceeds from disposal, is recognized as a gain or loss in earnings.

          We retired certain components of equipment rather than entire pieces of equipment, which resulted in a net loss on disposal of assets of $22.5 million and $21.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

          Depreciation of property and equipment is provided on the straight-line method over estimated useful lives. The estimated useful lives and salvage values of property and equipment is subject to key assumptions such as maintenance, utilization and job variation. Unanticipated future changes in these assumptions could negatively or positively impact our net income. A 10% change in the useful lives of our property and equipment would have resulted in a $4.3 million impact on net income in the year ended December 31, 2016.

          Depreciation of property and equipment is provided on the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives:

Vehicles

  1 - 5 years

Equipment

  2 - 20 years

Buildings and improvements

  5 - 20 years

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

          In accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification 360 regarding Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets , we review the long-lived assets to be held and used whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying value of those assets may not be recoverable. An impairment loss is indicated if the sum of the expected future undiscounted cash flows attributable to the assets is less than the carrying amount of such assets. In this circumstance, we recognize an impairment loss for the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds the fair value of the asset. Our cash flows forecasts require us to make certain judgements regarding long-term forecasts of future

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revenue and costs and cash flows related to the assets subject to review. The significant assumption in our cash flow forecasts is our future growth expectations. The significant assumption is uncertain in that it is driven by future demand for our services and utilization which could be impacted by crude oil market prices, future market conditions and technological advancements. Our fair value estimates for certain long-lived assets require us to use significant other observable inputs among others including significant assumptions related to market approach based on recent auction sales or selling prices of comparable equipment. The estimates of fair value are also subject to significant variability, are sensitive to changes in market conditions, and are reasonably likely to change in the future. We recorded an impairment loss of $6.3 million during the fiscal year 2016 related to our permian drilling asset group, as our cash flow forecasts were negatively impacted with the idling of these rigs during the fourth quarter. The fair value estimate also declined as observable market inputs, such as recent auction sales also decreased.

          If the crude oil market declines or the demand for vertical drilling does not recover, and if our equipment remains idle or under-utilized, the estimated fair value of such equipment may decline, which could result in additional impairment charges. Though the impacts of variations in any of these factors can have compounding or off-setting impacts, a 10% decline in the estimated fair value of our permian drilling assets would result in additional impairment of approximately $0.9 million as of December 31, 2016. A 10% decline in the estimated future cash flows for our other asset groups would not indicate an impairment.

Goodwill

          Goodwill is the excess of the consideration transferred over the fair value of the tangible and identifiable intangible assets and liabilities recognized. Goodwill is not amortized. We perform an annual impairment test of goodwill as of December 31, or more frequently if circumstances indicate that impairment may exist.

          We most recently performed our annual goodwill impairment test in accordance with ASC 350 on December 31, 2016, at which time, we determined that the fair value of our hydraulic fracturing reporting unit was substantially in excess of its carrying value and the fair value of our surface drilling reporting unit was less than its carrying value, resulting in the impairment of the entire $1.2 million of our surface drilling goodwill. The hydraulic fracturing and surface drilling operating segments are the only two segments which have goodwill. The quantitative impairment test we perform for goodwill utilizes certain assumptions, including forecasted revenue and cost assumptions. If the crude oil market declines and remains at low levels for a sustained period of time, we could record an impairment of the carrying value of our goodwill in the future. If crude oil prices decline further or remain at low levels, to the extent appropriate we expect to perform our goodwill impairment assessment on a more frequent basis to determine whether an impairment is required. Our discounted cash flow analysis for each reporting unit includes significant assumptions regarding discount rates, revenue growth rates, expected profitability margin, forecasted capital expenditures, the timing of an anticipated market recovery, and the timing of expected cash flow. As such, these analyses incorporate inherent uncertainties that are difficult to predict in volatile economic environments and could result in impairment charges in future periods if actual results materially differ from the estimated assumptions utilized in our forecast.

Income Taxes

          Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method, which requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the consolidated financial statements. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined on the basis of differences between the consolidated financial statements and tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in

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which the differences are expected to reverse. The effect of a change in tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date.

          We recognize deferred tax assets to the extent that we believe these assets are more likely than not to be realized. In making such a determination, we consider all positive and negative evidence, including future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, projected future taxable income, and the results of recent operations. If we determine that we would be able to realize our deferred tax assets in the future in excess of their net recorded amount, we would make an adjustment to the deferred tax asset valuation allowance, which would reduce the provision for income taxes. In determining the valuation allowance of $0.9 million in 2016, we have considered and made judgements and estimates regarding estimated future taxable income. These estimates and judgements include some degree of uncertainty and changes in these estimates and assumptions could require us to adjust the valuation allowances for our deferred tax assets and the ultimate realization of tax assets depends on the generation of sufficient taxable income.

          Our methodology for recording income taxes requires a significant amount of judgement in the use of assumptions and estimates. Additionally, we forecasts certain tax elements, such as future taxable income, as well as evaluate the feasibility of implementing tax planning strategies. Given the inherent uncertainty involved with the use of such variables, there can be significant variation between anticipated and actual results. Unforeseen events may significantly impact these variables, and changes to these variables could have a material impact on our income tax accounts. The final determination of our income tax liabilities involves the interpretation of local tax laws and related authorities in each jurisdiction. Changes in the operating environments, including changes in tax law, could impact the determination of our income tax liabilities for a tax year.

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INDUSTRY OVERVIEW

           Unless otherwise indicated, the information set forth under "Industry Overview," including all statistical data and related forecasts, is derived from Spears & Associates' "Hydraulic Fracturing Market 2005-2017" published in the fourth quarter 2016, and Rystad Energy's "UCube" as of November 2016. We believe that the third-party sources are reliable and that the third-party information included in this prospectus or in our estimates is accurate and complete. While we are not aware of any misstatements regarding the hydraulic fracturing industry data presented herein, estimates involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change based on various factors, including those discussed under the heading "Risk Factors."

          Over the past decade, the innovative application of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing has fundamentally changed the U.S. onshore oil and gas industry by enabling the extraction of hydrocarbons from tight rock formations, commonly referred to as shales, or unconventional resources. These technological advancements, discussed in detail below, have enabled E&P operators to economically extract these unconventional resources, repositioning the United States as a globally competitive oil and gas producer with resources expected to last generations.

          According to the EIA, U.S. unconventional oil production grew from 380,000 barrels per day in 2007 to almost 4.9 million barrels per day in 2015, representing 52% of total U.S. crude oil production in 2015. Furthermore, unconventional shale resources are expected to remain a substantial component of U.S. oil and gas production growth for the foreseeable future. The EIA projects that U.S. production of unconventional oil will increase by 45% from 2015 to 2040, representing a 1.5% annual growth rate over the next 25 years. This growth trajectory is supported by the vast resource potential of U.S. shale basins. According to industry consultant, Rystad Energy, there are over 430 billion barrels of technically recoverable oil and gas equivalent in U.S. shales, or more than 50 times the total amount of oil and gas produced in the United States in 2015. We believe the Permian Basin, our primary area of operation, will be a key driver of U.S. tight oil production due to its extensive drilling inventory and relatively attractive breakeven economics.

Crude Oil Annual Production Growth
  Global Crude Oil Proved Reserves Growth
GRAPHIC   GRAPHIC


 

Source: Rystad Energy UCube, November 2016   Source: EIA, January 2017

    Horizontal Drilling Overview

          Horizontal drilling is used to provide greater access to hydrocarbon reserves by exposing the well to more of the trapped producing formation. Horizontal wells have become the default method for E&P operators to most economically extract unconventional resources. According to Baker Hughes, as of January 27, 2017, horizontal rigs accounted for approximately 81% of all rigs drilling in the United States, up from 25% at year-end 2007. The figure below illustrates this shift over time.

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Horizontal Rigs as a Percentage of Total U.S. Rig Count

GRAPHIC


Source: Baker Hughes Rig Data, January 27, 2017

Hydraulic Fracturing Overview

          Hydraulic fracturing involves pumping fluid down a well casing or tubing under high pressure to cause the underground formation to crack or fracture, allowing hydrocarbons to flow more freely. A propping agent, or proppant, is suspended in the fracturing fluid and holds open the fractures created in this process. Proppants generally consist of raw sand, resin-coated sand or ceramic particles and other engineered proprietary materials. To perform fracturing jobs, service providers use hydraulic horsepower and equipment mounted on mobile units, referred to as "frac fleets", to pump fluids, sand and other consumables downhole with high amounts of hydraulic horsepower ("HHP") to complete numerous frac stages in a single well, thereby increasing the flow of hydrocarbons.

          Among oilfield service subsectors, recent developments in drilling and completion techniques have had a disproportionately positive impact on demand for hydraulic fracturing and other well completion services. Spears & Associates estimates that the global market for hydraulic fracturing grew at a 10% compound annual growth rate from 2005 to 2015, faster than any other oilfield service segment. Spears & Associates estimates the total size of this market to be $25 billion in revenue in 2015, as shown below.


Historical Worldwide Revenues for Selected Oilfield Service Segments

GRAPHIC


Source: Spears & Associates, December 2016

Recent Trends in North American Hydraulic Fracturing Market

          In response to the increased demand for hydraulic fracturing services, between 2010 and 2015, over 12 million HHP entered the North American hydraulic fracturing market, resulting in an

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estimated 22 million HHP operating in North America (United States and Canada) at year-end 2015, according to Spears & Associates. As drilling and completion activity declined during the most recent oil and gas downturn, working North America, HHP also declined leading to an oversupply of HHP and a decline in HHP fleet utilization. In response to an oversupplied hydraulic fracturing market, many hydraulic fracturing service companies deferred necessary maintenance capital spending and idled HHP. As a result, Spears & Associates estimates that North American HHP will fall to approximately 20 million by year-end 2016, down over 10% from peak 2015 operating HHP.

          Since the closing price of crude oil reached a low of $26.19 in February 2016, demand for HHP has improved significantly, with oil and gas producers adding 250 oil-directed rigs in the United States since the lowest point during this time period. Further, North American shale E&P operators' 2017 capital budgets are higher than 2016 levels due to the more supportive commodity price environment. We anticipate industry-wide utilization of hydraulic fracturing horsepower to continue to increase resulting in a convergence of equipment supply and demand. Spears & Associates forecasts that Permian Basin hydraulic fracturing revenue will increase to $7 billion by 2019, representing a 70% increase over 2015 revenue and a 14% annual growth rate during the same time period.


Permian Basin Hydraulic Fracturing Revenue

GRAPHIC


Source: Spears & Associates, December 2016

Permian Basin

          The Permian Basin stretches across more than 86,000 square miles in West Texas and Southeast New Mexico and is comprised of three primary sub-areas: the Midland Basin, the Central Basin Platform and the Delaware Basin. These areas are characterized by high oil and liquids-rich natural gas content, extensive production histories, long-lived reserves, multiple producing horizons and historically high drilling success rates.

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Major Sub-Basins of the Permian Basin

GRAPHIC

          With the advent of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, the Permian Basin has experienced a renaissance over the past five years, and is today the largest crude oil resource in the United States, and the second largest in the world, according to Rystad Energy. The Permian Basin currently produces two million barrels of crude oil per day, which represents more than 22% of U.S. crude oil production, and exceeds the combined oil output of the Bakken and Eagle Ford, according to the EIA.

Largest Crude Oil Field in the United States
  Permian Oil Production Continues to Increase
GRAPHIC   GRAPHIC


 

Source: Rystad Energy UCube, November 2016   Source: EIA, January 27, 2017

          The Permian Basin's extensive proved oil reserve base, and ability to increase production through commodity price cycles is largely due to its unique, multi-zone geology, commonly referenced to as stacked pay zones. Unlike other oil-producing basins, like the Eagle Ford and Bakken, Permian E&P operators are able to extract hydrocarbons from a single topside location from multiple stacked pay zones. This unique stacked geology lends itself to increased efficiencies and well productivity, driving costs considerably lower than other U.S. shale plays on a per barrel basis. Rystad Energy estimates Permian Basin breakeven costs to be as low $32 per barrel.

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Permian Basin Producing Zones Benchmarking


GRAPHIC
 
GRAPHIC

          The Permian Basin's extensive drilling inventory and relatively attractive breakeven economics have resulted in an acceleration of E&P activity relative to other U.S. basins. Since rig counts bottomed in May 2016, the Permian Basin rig count has increased by 154 rigs, from 137 in May 2016 to 291 in January 2017, which represents approximately 50% of the total U.S. rig count increase over the same period. Today, the Permian Basin is the most active onshore North American basin, with over 291 drilling rigs operating as of January 2017, representing approximately 51% of all oil-directed rigs in the United States, according to Baker Hughes.

Increase in Rig Count Since May 2016
  Total Rig Count by Basin
GRAPHIC   GRAPHIC


 

Source: Baker Hughes Rig Data, January 27, 2017   Source: Baker Hughes Rig Data, January 27, 2017

          Increased drilling and completion activity in the Permian Basin has been further supported by an active Permian M&A and capital markets environment. In contrast to other U.S. shale plays, through the most recent commodity price cycle Permian Basin-focused operators were able to raise significant amounts of equity and debt capital to fund their drilling programs and bolster their acreage positions through M&A. In 2016 alone, publicly traded Permian pure-play operators were able to raise over $12.0 billion of common equity, in contrast to Bakken and Eagle Ford operators who only raised approximately $2.8 billion and $1.9 billion, respectively. Further, many E&P operators who did not have a presence in the Permian entered the basin through acquisitions. We

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anticipate that the influx of capital into the basin will result in increased drilling and completion spending as well as increased hydrocarbon production.

GRAPHIC

 
   



 

Source: Company disclosures, February 2017

  Source: Company disclosures, February 2017

Midland Basin

          The Midland basin is the more delineated and mature resource-play of the Permian Basin's sub-basins. Investors look to the Midland Basin for near-term oil volume growth given its advanced stages of pad drilling, downspacing, and capital efficiency. Initially derisked with thousands of vertical wells, today its resource potential is further enhanced through horizontal drilling and drilling and completion efficiencies. Rystad Energy estimates the Midland Basin's recoverable oil resource to be over 27 billion barrels, which is greater than the entire Eagle Ford shale play's crude oil reserves, and is second only to the Midland Basin adjacent Delaware Basin. Our leading position in the Midland Basin positions us well to capitalize on increasing drilling and completion activity.

Midland Basin Percentage of Horizontal Rigs
  Midland Basin Rig Count Since May 2016
GRAPHIC   GRAPHIC


 

Source: Baker Hughes Rig Data, January 27, 2017   Source: Baker Hughes Rig Data, January 27, 2017

Delaware Basin

          Accounting for over 50% of the Permian Basin's growth in rig-activity since May 2016, the Delaware Basin has become a premier, complementary resource base to the Midland Basin. Rystad Energy estimates the recoverable crude oil resource in the Delaware Basin to be slightly greater than the Midland Basin, at approximately 28 billion barrels. As the less-developed of the two

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primary Permian Basin sub-basins, the Delaware Basin represents a high-growth opportunity for Midland-based service providers. As activity levels increase in the Delaware Basin we have begun to expand our presence in the Delaware Basin due to considerable demand pull from both existing and new customers.

Delaware Basin Percentage of Horizontal Rigs
  Delaware Basin Rig Count Since May 2016
GRAPHIC   GRAPHIC


 

Source: Baker Hughes Rig Data, January 27, 2017   Source: Baker Hughes Rig Data, January 27, 2017


Industry Trends Impacting Hydraulic Fracturing Services

          A number of recent industry developments are positively impacting demand for hydraulic fracturing and related oilfield services. These developments include:

    overall increase in drilling activity in the Permian Basin;

    dramatic shift to horizontal drilling as a percentage of total drilling activity;

    increasingly longer horizontal wellbore laterals;

    greater number of frac stages per well;

    increasing amounts of proppant employed per well; and

    enhanced drilling and completion efficiencies.

          These developments, which are being driven by E&P operators to increase drilling and completion efficiencies, enhance well performance and decrease breakeven costs, are described in greater detail below.

Increase in Permian Basin Drilling Activity

          Since rig counts reached their lowest point in May 2016, the Permian Basin rig count has increased by 154 rigs, from 137 in May 2016 to 291 in January 2017, which represents approximately 50% of the total U.S. rig count increase over the same period.

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Total Permian Basin Rig Count Since May 2016

GRAPHIC


Source: Baker Hughes Rig Data, January 27, 2017

Horizontal Drilling Activity

          Much of the growth in rig activity in the Permian Basin is the result of increasing horizontal drilling activity. Horizontal drilling has become the default method for E&P operators to most economically extract unconventional resources from the basin. According to Baker Hughes, as of January 27, 2017, horizontal rigs accounted for approximately 81% of all rigs drilling in the United States, up from 58% as of December 31, 2011. This growth has been especially pronounced in the Permian Basin, where horizontal rigs account for approximately 84% of current Permian Basin rig activity compared to just 22% in December 2011.


Horizontal Rigs as a Percentage of Total Rig Count

GRAPHIC


Source: Baker Hughes Rig Data, January 27, 2017

Horizontal Lateral Length and Frac Stages per Well

          As the Permian Basin has shifted towards horizontal drilling, E&P operators and service providers are expected to continue to focus on advancing horizontal drilling efficiencies. Operators are expected to continue to increase horizontal wellbore lateral lengths and increase the number of frac stages per well by minimizing the spacing between stages along laterals. Longer horizontal laterals provide producers with a greater length of productive wellbore, and Spears & Associates estimates that lateral lengths will increase from an average of 5,000 feet in 2013 to an estimated average of 9,000 feet expected in 2017. Furthermore, we estimate that current leading-edge laterals in the Permian Basin can be as long as 12,500 feet. The combination of longer laterals and increased frac stages per well is resulting in increased demand for HHP. The graphs below illustrate

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recent and expected increases in horizontal lateral lengths and frac stages per well within the Permian Basin.

Estimated Average Lateral Length in the
Permian Basin

  Estimated Average Fracture Stages per Well in the Permian Basin
GRAPHIC   GRAPHIC


 

Source: Spears & Associates, December 2016   Source: Spears & Associates, December 2016


Total Frac Stages Performed in the Permian Basin

GRAPHIC


Source: Spears & Associates, December 2016

Greater Volume of Proppant per Well

          The purpose of fluids and proppant in well completion is to induce and sustain reservoir rock fractures, thereby facilitating the flow of hydrocarbons from the reservoir into the well. Over time, oilfield service providers have been able to increase the volume of proppant used per lateral foot, thereby increasing the effectiveness of fractures. In order to pump larger amounts of these consumables, oilfield service providers require greater horsepower per fracturing stage, which results in increased demand for hydraulic fracturing equipment that is capable of performing the more complex and intense fracturing jobs. As shown below, Spears & Associates expects the amount of proppant pumped per foot of lateral length in the Permian Basin to rise over each of the next four years, growing at an annualized rate of approximately 20% from 2015 to 2018.


Proppant per Lateral Foot in the Permian Basin

GRAPHIC


Source: Spears & Associates, November 2016

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Drilling and Completion Efficiencies

          In addition to the shift to horizontal drilling and increasing service intensity, drilling and completion efficiencies, such as multi-well pads and zipper fracs, are also driving increased hydraulic fracturing demand. Multi-well pads allow for the drilling of multiple wellbores from a single topside location, reducing average drilling time. Similarly, zipper fracking allows for the simultaneous completion of hydraulic fracturing stages in adjacent wells, increasing the number of stages that can be performed in a given time period. These advancements have resulted in a reduction in the number of days typically required to drill and complete a well, and as a result, increased the total number of wells that can be drilled per rig, which drives incremental demand for hydraulic fracturing services.


Supply and Demand Dynamics in the Hydraulic Fracturing Services Market

          The increase in demand for hydraulic horsepower coupled with anticipated competitor equipment attrition is expected to drive more favorable hydraulic fracturing supply and demand dynamics. As the market for fracturing services tightens, we believe this may lead to a general increase in pricing. With demand for our services in excess of current capacity and the ability of our fleet to handle the most complex, highest intensity hydraulic fracturing jobs, we are optimally positioned to benefit from increasing pricing trends.

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BUSINESS

Overview

          We are a growth-oriented, Midland, Texas-based oilfield services company providing hydraulic fracturing and other complementary services to leading upstream oil and gas companies engaged in the exploration and production, or E&P, of North American unconventional oil and natural gas resources. Our operations are primarily focused in the Permian Basin, where we have cultivated longstanding customer relationships with some of the region's most active and well-capitalized E&P companies, including Callon Petroleum, Diamondback Energy, Parsley Energy, Pioneer Natural Resources, Surge Energy and XTO Energy. For the year ended December 31, 2016, no single customer represented greater than 20% of our revenue. The Permian Basin is widely regarded as the most prolific oil-producing area in the United States, and we believe we are currently the largest private provider of hydraulic fracturing services in the region by HHP, with an aggregate deployed capacity of 420,000 HHP. Our fleet, which consists of 10 hydraulic fracturing units, has been designed to handle the highest intensity, most complex hydraulic fracturing jobs, and has been 100% utilized since September 2016. We have purchased two additional hydraulic fracturing units, which are scheduled for delivery and deployment to dedicated customers in April and June 2017, respectively. These units will provide us with an additional 90,000 HHP, bringing our total capacity to 510,000 HHP. Additionally, we expect to use the proceeds from this offering to purchase two additional units that will be deployed in 2017 to meet specific customer requests, giving us an additional 90,000 HHP, or 600,000 HHP in the aggregate, once all units have been received.

          Our modern hydraulic fracturing fleet has been designed to handle Permian Basin specific operating conditions and the region's increasingly high-intensity well completions, which are characterized by longer horizontal wellbores, more frac stages per lateral and increasing amounts of proppant per well. Over 75% of our fleet has been delivered over the past four years, and we have fully maintained our equipment throughout the recent industry downturn to ensure optimal performance and reliability. In contrast, we believe many of our competitors have deferred necessary maintenance capital spending throughout the downturn, which we believe uniquely positions us to respond more quickly and reliably to customer needs during the ongoing market recovery.

          In addition to our core hydraulic fracturing operations, we also offer a suite of complementary well completion and production services, including cementing, acidizing, coiled tubing, flowback services and surface air drilling. We believe these complementary services create operational efficiencies for our customers and allow us to capture a greater portion of their capital spending across the lifecycle of an unconventional well. We believe that these complementary services should benefit from a continued industry recovery and that we are well positioned to continue expanding these offerings in response to our customers increasing service needs and spending levels.

          Our primary business objective is to serve as a strategic partner to our customer. We achieve this objective by providing reliable, high-quality services that are tailored to our customers' needs and synchronized with their well development programs. This alignment assists our customers in optimizing the long-term development of their unconventional resources. Over the past four years, we have leveraged our strong Permian Basin relationships to grow our installed HHP capacity by over four times and organically build our Permian Basin cementing, coiled tubing and acidizing lines of business. Consistent with past performance, we believe our substantial market presence will continue to yield a variety of actionable growth opportunities allowing us to expand both our hydraulic fracturing and complementary services going forward. To this end, we intend to continue our past practice of opportunistically deploying new equipment on a long-term, dedicated basis in response to specific customer demand.

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          For the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, we generated net losses of approximately $(53.1) million and $(45.9) million, respectively, and Adjusted EBITDA of approximately $7.8 million and $60.1 million, respectively. Over these same periods, approximately 94% and 90% of our revenues, respectively, were generated from our pressure pumping segment, which includes our hydraulic fracturing, cementing and acidizing services. For the definition of Adjusted EBITDA and a reconciliation from its most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"), please read "Selected Historical Consolidated Financial Data — Non-GAAP Financial Measures."

Recent Developments

Private Placement of Convertible Preferred Stock

          Effective as of December 27, 2016, we completed a private placement of 11,724,134 shares of Series A Preferred Shares to certain "accredited investors" (as defined in Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act). We received net proceeds of approximately $163 million and used the net proceeds (i) to repay in full all outstanding borrowings under our revolving credit facility and approximately $75 million under our term loan, (ii) to acquire new hydraulic fracturing units totaling 90,000 additional HHP and (iii) for general corporate purposes. Upon consummation of this offering, the Series A Preferred Shares will automatically convert into shares of our common stock.

          Effective December 27, 2016, and in connection with the closing of the private placement of Series A Preferred Shares, we entered into a registration rights agreement with the purchasers of the Series A Preferred Shares under which we agreed to grant such purchasers certain registration rights with respect to the common stock into which the Series A Preferred Shares will convert. Please see "Shares Eligible for Future Sales — Preferred Shareholder Registration Rights Agreement."

Reverse Stock Split

          On December 22, 2016, we effected a 170.4667-for-1 reverse split of our common stock (the "reverse stock split"). All share-related and per-share information in the registration statement of which this prospectus constitutes a part has been adjusted to give effect to the reverse stock split from the beginning of the earliest years presented.

Our Services

          We conduct our business through seven operating segments: hydraulic fracturing, cementing, acidizing, coil tubing, flowback, surface drilling and Permian drilling. For reporting purposes, the hydraulic fracturing, cementing and acidizing operating segments are aggregated into our one reportable segment: pressure pumping.

Pressure Pumping

Hydraulic Fracturing

          We primarily provide hydraulic fracturing services to E&P companies in the Permian Basin. These services are intended to optimize hydrocarbon flow paths during the completion phase of horizontal shale wellbores. We have significant expertise in multi-stage fracturing of horizontal oil-producing wells in unconventional geological formations. As of December 31, 2016, we had grown our hydraulic fracturing business to a total of 10 hydraulic fracturing units with an aggregate of 420,000 HHP, of which 320,000 HHP has been delivered since 2013. We have purchased two additional hydraulic fracturing units, which are scheduled for delivery and deployment to dedicated

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customers in April and June 2017, respectively. These units will provide us with an additional 90,000 HHP, bringing our total capacity to 510,000 HHP. Additionally, we expect to use the proceeds from this offering to purchase two additional units that will be deployed in 2017 to meet specific customer requests, giving us an additional 90,000 HHP, or 600,000 HHP in the aggregate, once all units have been received.

          The fracturing process consists of pumping a fracturing fluid into a well at sufficient pressure to fracture the formation. Materials known as proppants, which in our business are comprised primarily of sand, are suspended in the fracturing fluid and are pumped into the fracture to prop it open. The fracturing fluid is designed to "break," or loosen viscosity, and be forced out of the formation by its pressure, leaving the proppants suspended in the fractures created, thereby increasing the mobility of the hydrocarbons. As a result of the fracturing process, production rates are usually enhanced substantially, thus increasing the rate of return of hydrocarbons for the operator.

          We own and operate a fleet of mobile hydraulic fracturing units and other auxiliary equipment to perform fracturing services. We refer to all of our fracturing units, other equipment and vehicles necessary to perform fracturing jobs as our "fleet" and the personnel assigned to each unit as a "crew." Our hydraulic fracturing units consist primarily of a high pressure hydraulic pump, a diesel engine, a transmission and various hoses, valves, tanks and other supporting equipment that are typically mounted to a flat-bed trailer.

          We provide dedicated equipment, personnel and services that are tailored to meet each of our customer's needs. Each unit in our fleet has a designated team of personnel, which allows us to provide responsive and customized services, such as project design, proppant and other consumables procurement, real-time data provision and post-completion analysis for each of our jobs. Many of our hydraulic fracturing units and associated personnel have continuously worked with the same customer for the past several years promoting deep relationships and a high degree of coordination and visibility into future customer activity levels. Furthermore, in light of our substantial market presence and historically high fleet utilization levels, we have established a variety of entrenched relationships with key equipment, sand and other downhole consumable suppliers. These strategic relationships ensure ready access to equipment, parts and materials on a timely and economic basis and allow our dedicated procurement logistics team to ensure consistently safe and reliable operations.

Cementing

          We provide cementing services for completion of new wells and remedial work on existing wells. Cementing services use pressure pumping equipment to deliver a slurry of liquid cement that is pumped down a well between the casing and the borehole. Cementing provides isolation between fluid zones behind the casing to minimize potential damage to hydrocarbon bearing formations or the integrity of freshwater aquifers, and provides structural integrity for the casing by securing it to the earth. Cementing is also done when recompleting wells, where one zone is plugged and another is opened.

          We currently operate a total of 13 cementing units, with seven units operating in the Permian Basin and six units operating in the Uinta-Piceance Basin. We believe that our cementing segment provides an organic growth opportunity for us to expand our service offerings within our existing customer base.

Acidizing

          We operate 10 acidizing pumps and four combination units in the Permian Basin, together totaling approximately 22,000 HHP, which perform procedures like toe preps, pump downs and

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foamed acid. Acidizing is a stimulation technique where acid is injected under pressure into formations (typically carbonate reservoirs) which can form or expand fissures. We believe that our acidizing operations provide an organic growth opportunity for us to expand our service offerings within our existing customer base.

Other Services

Coiled Tubing

          Coiled tubing services involve injecting coiled tubing into wells to perform various completion well intervention operations. Coiled tubing is a flexible steel pipe with a diameter of typically less than three inches and manufactured in continuous lengths of thousands of feet. It is wound or coiled on a truck-mounted reel for onshore applications. Due to its small diameter, coiled tubing can be inserted into existing production tubing and used to perform a variety of services to enhance the flow of oil or natural gas.

          The principal advantages of using coiled tubing include the ability to (i) continue production from the well without interruption, thus reducing the risk of formation damage, (ii) move continuous coiled tubing in and out of a well significantly faster than conventional pipe in the case of a workover rig, which must be jointed and unjointed, (iii) direct fluids into a wellbore with more precision, allowing for improved stimulation fluid placement, (iv) provide a source of energy to power a downhole motor or manipulate down-hole tools and (v) enhance access to remote fields due to the smaller size and mobility.

          As of November 2016, we had one 2", one 2 3 / 8 " and one 1 1 / 4 " coiled tubing unit, all of which were operating in the Permian Basin. We believe these units are well suited for the performance requirements of the unconventional resource markets we serve. The average age of these units is less than four years old.

Flowback Services

          Our flowback services consist of production testing, solids control, hydrostatic testing and torque services. Flowback involves the process of allowing fluids to flow from the well following a treatment, either in preparation for an impending phase of treatment or to return the well to production. Our flowback equipment consists of manifolds, accumulators, valves, flare stacks and other associated equipment that combine to form up to a total of five well-testing spreads. We provide flowback services in the Permian Basin and mid-continent markets.

Surface Air Drilling

          We currently operate a surface air drilling operation in the Uinta-Piceance Basin, which is capable of offering cost-effective, pre-set surface air drilling services to target depths of approximately 4,000 feet in areas of fragile geology. Air drilling is a technique in which oil, natural gas, or geothermal wells are drilled by creating a pressure within the well that is lower than the reservoir pressure, which results in increased rates of penetration, reduced formation damage and reduced drilling costs. This division is uniquely suited to the fragile geology of the Uinta-Piceance Basin and is highly complementary to our cementing offering.

Competitive Strengths

          Our primary business objective is to serve as a strategic partner for our customers. We achieve this objective by providing reliable, high-quality services that are tailored to our customers' needs and synchronized with their well development programs. This alignment assists our customers in optimizing the long-term development of their unconventional resources. We believe

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that the following competitive strengths differentiate us from our peers and uniquely position us to achieve our primary business objective.

    Strong market position in the Permian Basin.   We believe we are the largest private hydraulic fracturing provider by HHP in the Permian Basin, which is the most prolific oil producing area in the United States, by HHP. Our longstanding customer relationships and substantial Permian Basin market presence uniquely position us to continue growing in tandem with the basin's ongoing development. The Permian Basin is a mature, liquids-rich basin with well-known geology and a large, exploitable resource base that delivers attractive E&P producer economics at or below current commodity prices. Rystad Energy estimates that, as of November 2016, the Permian Basin contains approximately 58 billion barrels of oil, the largest recoverable crude oil resource base in the United States and the second largest in the world. The massive extent of the Permian Basin coupled with the presence of multiple prospective geologic benches render the Permian Basin the most attractive and economic oil resource in North America.

      The recent recovery of oil prices to the low $50 per barrel range has driven a considerable increase in Permian drilling and completion activity and associated demand for our services. Today, the Permian Basin is the most active onshore basin in North America, with over 291 active rigs, and accounts for approximately 51% of all oil-directed rigs in the United States. Current Permian production levels exceed the combined output of both the Bakken and Eagle Ford shale formations, and, given the Permian Basin's superior breakeven economics, which are estimated by Rystad Energy to be as low as $32 per barrel, we expect robust activity levels in the basin for the foreseeable future.

      Our operational focus has historically been in the Permian Basin's Midland sub-basin, where our customers have historically operated. More recently however, many of our customers (including Callon Petroleum, Diamondback Energy, Parsley Energy, RSP Permian and XTO Energy) have made sizeable acquisitions in the Delaware Basin. We anticipate that many of these customers will request our services in the Delaware Basin to help develop their acreage, and we believe that we are uniquely positioned to capture large addressable growth opportunity as the basin develops. For the foreseeable future, we expect both the Midland Basin and the Delaware Basin to continue to command a disproportionate share of future North American E&P spending.

    Hydraulic fracturing is highly levered to increasing drilling activity and completion intensity levels . The combination of an expanding Permian Basin horizontal rig count and well completions has a compounding effect on HHP demand growth. Horizontal drilling has become the default method for E&P operators to most economically extract unconventional resources, and the number of horizontal rigs has increased from 22% of the total Permian Basin rig count in December 2011 to over 80% of the Permian Basin rig count in January 2017. As the horizontal rig count has grown, well completion intensity levels have also increased as a result of longer wellbore lateral lengths, more fracturing stages per foot of lateral and increasing amounts of proppant per stage. These trends resulted in our hydraulic fracturing operations completing 36% more frac stages during the fourth quarter of 2016 as compared to the third quarter of 2016. Furthermore, the ongoing improvement in drilling and completion efficiencies, driven by innovations such as multi-well pads and zipper fracs, have further increased the demand for HHP. Taken together, these demand drivers have helped contribute to the full utilization of our fleet and leave us well positioned to capture future organic growth opportunities and enhanced pricing for the services we offer.

    Deep relationships and operational alignment with high-quality, Permian Basin-focused customers.   Our deep local roots, operational expertise and commitment to safe and

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      reliable service have allowed us to cultivate longstanding customer relationships with the most active and well-capitalized Permian Basin operators. Our diverse customer base is comprised of market leaders such as Callon Petroleum, Diamondback Energy, Parsley Energy, Pioneer Natural Resources, Surge Energy and XTO Energy, with no single customer representing more than 20% of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2016. Many of our current customers have worked with us since our inception and have integrated our fleet scheduling with their well development programs. This high degree of operational alignment and their continued support have allowed us to maintain relatively high utilization rates. As our customers increase activity levels, we expect to continue to leverage these strong relationships to keep our fleet fully utilized and selectively expand our platform in response to specific customer demand.

    Standardized fleet of modern, well-maintained equipment.   We have a large, homogenous fleet of modern equipment that is configured to handle the Permian Basin's most complex, highest-intensity, hydraulic fracturing jobs. We believe that our fleet design is a key competitive advantage compared to many of our competitors who have fracturing units that are not optimized for Permian Basin conditions. Our fleet is largely standardized across units to facilitate efficient maintenance and repair, reducing equipment downtime and improving labor efficiency. Importantly, we have fully maintained our fleet throughout the recent industry downturn to ensure optimal performance and reliability. In contrast, we believe many of our competitors have deferred necessary maintenance capital spending and cannibalized essential equipment for spare parts during the same period. Furthermore, our entrenched relationships with a variety of key suppliers and vendors provide us with the reliable access to the equipment necessary to support our continued organic growth strategy.

    Proven cross-cycle financial performance.   Over the past several years, we have maintained relatively high cross-cycle fleet utilization rates. Since September 2016, our fleet has been 100% utilized, and for each of the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016, we operated in excess of 65% utilization. Our consistent track record of steady organic growth, coupled with our ability to immediately deploy new HHP on a dedicated and fully utilized basis, has resulted in revenue growth across industry cycles. We believe that we will be able to grow faster than our competitors while preserving attractive EBITDA margins as a result of our differentiated service offerings and a robust backlog of demand for our services. Furthermore, we believe that our philosophy of maintaining modest financial leverage and a healthy balance sheet has left us more conservatively capitalized than our peers. Several of our customers have recently requested additional HHP capacity from us, and we expect that improving market fundamentals, our superior execution and our customer-focused approach should result in enhanced financial performance going forward.

    Seasoned management and operating team and exemplary safety record.   We have a seasoned executive management team, with our three most senior members contributing more than 100 years of collective industry and financial experience. Members of our management team founded our business and seeded our company with a portion of our original investment capital. We believe their track record of successfully building premier oilfield service companies in the Permian Basin, as well as their deep roots and relationships throughout the West Texas community, provide a meaningful competitive advantage for our business. In addition, our management team has assembled a loyal group of highly-motivated and talented divisional managers and field personnel, and we have had virtually no manager-level turnover in our core service divisions over the past three years. We employ a balanced decision-making structure that empowers managerial and field personnel to work directly with customers to develop solutions while leveraging senior management's

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      oversight. This collaborative approach fosters strong customer links at all levels of the organization and effectively institutionalizes customer relationships beyond the executive suite. We promote a "Safety First" culture, which has led to a Total Recordable Incident Rate, or TRIR, well below industry averages. For example, for the year ended December 31, 2016, we had a TRIR of 0.9, compared to a peer average of 2.5 for the year ended December 31, 2014.

Business Strategies

          We intend to achieve our primary business objective through the following business strategies:

    Capture an increasing share of rising demand for hydraulic fracturing services in the Permian Basin.   We intend to continue to position ourselves as a Permian Basin-focused hydraulic fracturing business, as we believe the Permian Basin hydraulic fracturing market offers supportive long-term growth fundamentals. These fundamentals are characterized by increased demand for our HHP, driven by increasing drilling activity and well completion intensity levels, along with underinvestment by our competitors in their equipment. In response to the current commodity price environment, a number of our customers have publicly announced their intention to increase 2017 capital budgets in the Permian Basin in excess of 50% over 2016 levels. We are currently operating at 100% utilization, and several of our customers have requested additional HHP capacity from us. As our customers continue to develop their assets in the Midland Basin and Delaware Basin, we believe we are strategically positioned to deploy additional hydraulic fracturing equipment in support of their ongoing needs. We have purchased two additional hydraulic fracturing units, which are scheduled for delivery and deployment to dedicated customers in April and June 2017, respectively. These units will provide us with an additional 90,000 HHP, bringing our total capacity to 510,000 HHP. Additionally, we expect to use the proceeds from this offering to purchase two additional units that will be deployed in 2017 to meet specific customer requests, giving us an additional 90,000 HHP, or 600,000 HHP in the aggregate, once all units have been received.

    Capitalize on improving pricing and efficiency gains.   The increase in demand for HHP coupled with expected competitor equipment attrition is expected to drive more favorable hydraulic fracturing supply and demand fundamentals. We believe this market tightening may lead to a general increase in prices for hydraulic fracturing services. Furthermore, our consistently high fleet utilization levels and 24 hours per day, seven days per week operating schedule (with approximately 90% of our fleet currently operating on such a schedule, as opposed to 2014, when the majority of our work was daylight hour operations) should result in greater revenue opportunity and enhanced margins as fixed costs are spread over a broader revenue base. We believe that any incremental future fleet additions will benefit from these trends and associated economies of scale.

    Cross-sell our complementary services.   In addition to our hydraulic fracturing services, we offer a broad range of complementary services in support of our customers' development activities, including cementing, acidizing, coiled tubing, flowback services and surface air drilling. These complementary services create operational efficiencies for our customers, and allow us to capture a greater percentage of their capital spending across the lifecycle of an unconventional well. We believe that, as our customers increase spending levels, we are well positioned to continue cross-selling and growing our complementary service offerings.

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    Maintain financial stability and flexibility to pursue growth opportunities.   Consistent with our historical practices, we plan to continue to maintain a conservative balance sheet, which will allow us to better react to potential changes in industry and market conditions and opportunistically grow our business. In the near term, we intend to continue our past practice of aligning our growth capital expenditures with visible customer demand, by strategically deploying new equipment on a long-term, dedicated basis in response to inbound customer requests. We will also selectively evaluate potential strategic acquisitions that increase our scale and capabilities or diversify our operations. At the closing of this offering, we expect to have a net cash position of $              million and undrawn borrowing capacity under our $150.0 million revolving credit facility to support our growth ambitions.

Properties

          Our corporate headquarters are located at 1706 S. Midkiff, Bldg. B Midland, Texas 79701. In addition to our headquarters, we also lease nine properties that are used for field offices, yards or storage. We believe that our facilities are adequate for our current operations.

Our Customers

          Our customers consist primarily of oil and natural gas producers in North America. Our top five customers accounted for approximately 58% and 53% of our revenue, for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. During the year ended December 31, 2016, Parsley Energy accounted for 18.0% and Diamondback Energy accounted for 12.5%, respectively, of our total revenue.

Our Relationship with Energy Capital Partners

          Our principal shareholder is Energy Capital Partners.

          Energy Capital Partners, together with its affiliate funds and related persons, is a private equity firm with over $13.5 billion in capital commitments that is focused on investing in North America's energy infrastructure. Energy Capital Partners has significant energy and financial expertise to complement its investment in us, including investments in power generation, midstream oil and gas, oilfield services, environmental infrastructure and energy services sectors.

          We believe that our relationship with Energy Capital Partners is a competitive advantage, as it brings significant financial and management experience, which we believe it will use to help support our business, and also relationships throughout the energy industry.

Competition

          The markets in which we operate are highly competitive. To be successful, an oilfield services company must provide services that meet the specific needs of oil and natural gas exploration and production companies at competitive prices. Competitive factors impacting sales of our services are price, reputation and technical expertise, service and equipment quality, and health and safety standards. Although we believe our customers consider all of these factors, we believe price is a key factor in E&P companies' criteria in choosing a service provider. While we seek to price our services competitively, we believe many of our customers elect to work with us based on our deep local roots, operational expertise, equipment's ability to handle the most complex Permian Basin well completions, and commitment to safety and reliability.

          We provide our services primarily in the Permian Basin, and we compete against different companies in each service and product line we offer. Our competition includes many large and small oilfield service companies, including the largest integrated oilfield services companies. Our

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major competitors for hydraulic fracturing services, which make up the majority of revenues, include C&J Energy Services, Halliburton, Patterson-UTI Energy Inc., RPC, Inc., Schlumberger, Superior Energy Services and a number of locally oriented businesses.

Seasonality

          Our results of operations have historically reflected seasonal tendencies, generally in the fourth quarter, relating to the conclusion of our customers' annual capital expenditure budgets, the holidays and inclement winter weather during which we may experience declines in our operating results.

Operating Risks and Insurance

          Our operations are subject to hazards inherent in the oilfield services industry, such as accidents, blowouts, explosions, fires and spills and releases that can cause personal injury or loss of life, damage or destruction of property, equipment, natural resources and the environment and suspension of operations.

          In addition, claims for loss of oil and natural gas production and damage to formations can occur in the oilfield services industry. If a serious accident were to occur at a location where our equipment and services are being used, it could result in us being named as a defendant in lawsuits asserting large claims.

          Because our business involves the transportation of heavy equipment and materials, we may also experience traffic accidents which may result in spills, property damage and personal injury.

          Despite our efforts to maintain safety standards, we from time to time have suffered accidents in the past and anticipate that we could experience accidents in the future. In addition to the property damage, personal injury and other losses from these accidents, the frequency and severity of these incidents affect our operating costs and insurability and our relationships with customers, employees, regulatory agencies and other parties. Any significant increase in the frequency or severity of these incidents, or the general level of compensation awards, could adversely affect the cost of, or our ability to obtain, workers' compensation and other forms of insurance, and could have other material adverse effects on our financial condition and results of operations.

          We maintain commercial general liability, workers' compensation, business auto, commercial property, umbrella liability, in certain instances, excess liability, and directors and officers insurance policies providing coverages of risks and amounts that we believe to be customary in our industry. Further, we have pollution legal liability coverage for our business entities, which would cover, among other things, third party liability and costs of clean-up relating to environmental contamination on our premises while our equipment are in transit and while on our customers' job site. With respect to our hydraulic fracturing operations, coverage would be available under our pollution legal liability policy for any surface or subsurface environmental clean-up and liability to third parties arising from any surface or subsurface contamination. We also have certain specific coverages for some of our businesses, including for our hydraulic fracturing services.

          Although we maintain insurance coverage of types and amounts that we believe to be customary in the industry, we are not fully insured against all risks, either because insurance is not available or because of the high premium costs relative to perceived risk. Further, insurance rates have in the past been subject to wide fluctuation and changes in coverage could result in less coverage, increases in cost or higher deductibles and retentions. Liabilities for which we are not insured, or which exceed the policy limits of our applicable insurance, could have a material adverse effect on us. See "Risk Factors" for a description of certain risks associated with our insurance policies.

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Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety Regulations

Environmental, Health and Safety Matters and Regulation

          Our operations are subject to stringent laws and regulations governing the discharge of materials into the environment or otherwise relating to environmental protection, and occupational health and safety. Numerous federal, state and local governmental agencies issue regulations that often require difficult and costly compliance measures that could carry substantial administrative, civil and criminal penalties and may result in injunctive obligations for non-compliance. These laws and regulations may, for example, restrict the types, quantities and concentrations of various substances that can be released into the environment, limit or prohibit construction or drilling activities on certain lands lying within wilderness, wetlands, ecologically or seismically sensitive areas and other protected areas, or require action to prevent or remediate pollution from current or former operations. Moreover, it is not uncommon for neighboring landowners and other third parties to file claims for personal injury and property damage allegedly caused by the release of hazardous substances, hydrocarbons or other waste products into the environment. Changes in environmental, health and safety laws and regulations occur frequently, and any changes that result in more stringent and costly requirements could materially adversely affect our operations and financial position. We have not experienced any material adverse effect from compliance with these requirements. This trend, however, may not continue in the future.

          Below is an overview of some of the more significant environmental, health and safety requirements with which we must comply. Our customers' operations are subject to similar laws and regulations. Any material adverse effect of these laws and regulations on our customers operations and financial position may also have an indirect material adverse effect on our operations and financial position.

          Waste Handling.     We handle, transport, store and dispose of wastes that are subject to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act ("RCRA") and comparable state laws and regulations, which affect our activities by imposing requirements regarding the generation, transportation, treatment, storage, disposal and cleanup of hazardous and non-hazardous wastes. With federal approval, the individual states administer some or all of the provisions of RCRA, sometimes in conjunction with their own, more stringent requirements. Although certain petroleum production wastes are exempt from regulation as hazardous wastes under RCRA, such wastes may constitute "solid wastes" that are subject to the less stringent requirements of non-hazardous waste provisions.

          Administrative, civil and criminal penalties can be imposed for failure to comply with waste handling requirements. Moreover, the EPA or state or local governments may adopt more stringent requirements for the handling of non-hazardous wastes or recategorize some non-hazardous wastes as hazardous for future regulation. Indeed, legislation has been proposed from time to time in Congress to recategorize certain oil and natural gas exploration, development and production wastes as hazardous wastes. Several environmental organizations have also petitioned the EPA to modify existing regulations to recategorize certain oil and natural gas exploration, development and production wastes as hazardous. Any such changes in these laws and regulations could have a material adverse effect on our capital expenditures and operating expenses. Although we do not believe the current costs of managing our wastes, as presently classified, to be significant, any legislative or regulatory reclassification of oil and natural gas exploration and production wastes could increase our costs to manage and dispose of such wastes.

          Remediation of Hazardous Substances.     The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act ("CERCLA" or "Superfund") and analogous state laws generally impose liability without regard to fault or legality of the original conduct, on classes of persons who are considered to be responsible for the release of a hazardous substance into the environment.

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These persons include the current owner or operator of a contaminated facility, a former owner or operator of the facility at the time of contamination and those persons that disposed or arranged for the disposal of the hazardous substance at the facility. Liability for the costs of removing or remediating previously disposed wastes or contamination, damages to natural resources, the costs of conducting certain health studies, amongst other things, is strict and joint and several. In addition, it is not uncommon for neighboring landowners and other third parties to file claims for personal injury and property damage allegedly caused by the hazardous substances released into the environment. In the course of our operations, we use materials that, if released, would be subject to CERCLA and comparable state laws. Therefore, governmental agencies or third parties may seek to hold us responsible under CERCLA and comparable state statutes for all or part of the costs to clean up sites at which such hazardous substances have been released.

          One of our facilities in Midland, Texas is located within the boundaries of the West County Road 112 federal Superfund site, which site and the associated investigation and cleanup is being managed by EPA Region 6. The site's soil and groundwater is contaminated with chromium and hexavalent chromium as a result of historic site operations unaffiliated with the Company and unassociated with the Company's operations. Toxic tort claims also have been asserted as a result of this groundwater contamination against various unaffiliated parties. In 2013, in order to reduce the Company's risk of incurring any future liabilities in connection with this site, the Company negotiated and obtained a bona fide prospective purchaser ("BFPP") letter from EPA Region 6 in connection with a reorganization of the facility site ownership and lease. The BFPP letter generally acknowledges and provides that the Company is unaffiliated with any potentially responsible parties or known contamination that is the subject of the Superfund action, the Company agrees to comply with any future land use restrictions that may be imposed in connection with a site remedy (none have been imposed to date), and the Company agrees to cooperate with and provide access and assistance to EPA Region 6 in connection with the remediation. In exchange for these undertakings, the Company will not be subject to any CERCLA action by the EPA. In addition, the Company separately obtained a 10-year environmental pollution legal liability insurance policy, effective March 4, 2013, with an aggregate limit of $20 million to insure against potential third-party claims and any known or unknown pre-existing conditions at the site, including Superfund or toxic tort liabilities. Both prior to and since obtaining the BFPP letter and the insurance policy, no claims have been made or threatened against the Company or any of its affiliated persons or entities with regard to this Superfund site or any related liabilities, and the Company has not incurred any significant expenses in connection with this matter.

          NORM.     In the course of our operations, some of our equipment may be exposed to naturally occurring radioactive materials ("NORM") associated with oil and gas deposits and, accordingly may result in the generation of wastes and other materials containing NORM. NORM exhibiting levels of naturally occurring radiation in excess of established state standards are subject to special handling and disposal requirements, and any storage vessels, piping and work area affected by NORM may be subject to remediation or restoration requirements.

          Water Discharges.     The Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, Oil Pollution Act and analogous state laws and regulations impose restrictions and strict controls regarding the unauthorized discharge of pollutants, including produced waters and other gas and oil wastes, into regulated waters. The discharge of pollutants into regulated waters is prohibited, except in accordance with the terms of a permit issued by the EPA or the state. Also, spill prevention, control and countermeasure plan requirements require appropriate containment berms and similar structures to help prevent the contamination of regulated waters.

          Air Emissions.     The Clean Air Act ("CAA") and comparable state laws and regulations, regulate emissions of various air pollutants through the issuance of permits and the imposition of

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other emissions control requirements. The EPA has developed, and continues to develop, stringent regulations governing emissions of air pollutants from specified sources. New facilities may be required to obtain permits before work can begin, and existing facilities may be required to obtain additional permits and incur capital costs in order to remain in compliance. These and other laws and regulations may increase the costs of compliance for some facilities where we operate. Obtaining or renewing permits also has the potential to delay the development of oil and natural gas projects.

          Climate Change.     The EPA has determined that greenhouse gases ("GHG") present an endangerment to public health and the environment because such gases contribute to warming of the earth's atmosphere and other climatic changes. Based on these findings, the EPA has adopted and implemented, and continues to adopt and implement, regulations that restrict emissions of GHGs under existing provisions of the CAA. The EPA also requires the annual reporting of GHG emissions from certain large sources of GHG emissions in the United States, including certain oil and gas production facilities. The U.S. Congress has from time to time considered adopting legislation to reduce emissions of GHGs and almost one-half of the states have already taken legal measures to reduce emissions of GHGs primarily through the planned development of GHG emission inventories and/or regional GHG cap and trade programs. And in December 2015, the United States joined the international community at the 21st Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Paris, France. The resulting Paris Agreement calls for the parties to undertake "ambitious efforts" to limit the average global temperature, and to conserve and enhance sinks and reservoirs of greenhouse gases. The Paris Agreement entered into force in November 2016. The United States is one of over 70 nations that has ratified or otherwise indicated that it intends to comply with the agreement. Restrictions on emissions of GHGs that may be imposed could adversely affect the oil and natural gas industry by reducing demand for hydrocarbons and by making it more expensive to develop and produce hydrocarbons, either of which could have a material adverse effect on future demand for our services.

          Moreover, climate change may cause more extreme weather conditions and increased volatility in seasonal temperatures. Extreme weather conditions can interfere with our operations and increase our costs, and damage resulting from extreme weather may not be fully insured.

          Endangered and Threatened Species.     Environmental laws such as the Endangered Species Act ("ESA") and analogous state laws may impact exploration, development and production activities in areas where we operate. The ESA provides broad protection for species of fish, wildlife and plants that are listed as threatened or endangered. Similar protections are offered to migratory birds under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and various state analogs. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service may identify previously unidentified endangered or threatened species or may designate critical habitat and suitable habitat areas that it believes are necessary for survival of a threatened or endangered species, which could cause us or our customers to incur additional costs or become subject to operating restrictions or operating bans in the affected areas.

          Regulation of Hydraulic Fracturing and Related Activities.     Our hydraulic fracturing operations are a significant component of our business. Hydraulic fracturing is an important and common practice that is used to stimulate production of hydrocarbons, particularly natural gas, from tight formations, including shales. The process, which involves the injection of water, sand and chemicals under pressure into formations to fracture the surrounding rock and stimulate production, is typically regulated by state oil and natural gas commissions. However, federal agencies have asserted regulatory authority over certain aspects of the process. For example, in May 2014, the EPA issued an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comment on the development of regulations under the Toxic Substances Control Act to require companies to disclose information regarding the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing. Beginning in August 2012, the EPA issued a

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series of rules under the CAA that establish new emission control requirements for certain oil and natural gas production and natural gas processing operations and associated equipment. And in March 2015, the Bureau of Land Management finalized a rule governing hydraulic fracturing on federal lands, implementation of which has been stayed pending the resolution of legal challenges. Further, legislation to amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to repeal the exemption for hydraulic fracturing (except when diesel fuels are used) from the definition of "underground injection" and require federal permitting and regulatory control of hydraulic fracturing, as well as legislative proposals to require disclosure of the chemical constituents of the fluids used in the fracturing process, have been proposed in recent sessions of Congress. Several states and local jurisdictions in which we or our customers operate also have adopted or are considering adopting regulations that could restrict or prohibit hydraulic fracturing in certain circumstances, impose more stringent operating standards and/or require the disclosure of the composition of hydraulic fracturing fluids.

          More recently, federal and state governments have begun investigating whether the disposal of produced water into underground injection wells has caused increased seismic activity in certain areas. For example, in December 2016, the EPA released its final report regarding the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources, concluding that "water cycle" activities associated with hydraulic fracturing may impact drinking water resources under certain circumstances such as water withdrawals for fracturing in times or areas of low water availability, surface spills during the management of fracturing fluids, chemicals or produced water, injection of fracturing fluids into wells with inadequate mechanical integrity, injection of fracturing fluids directly into groundwater resources, discharge of inadequately treated fracturing wastewater to surface waters, and disposal or storage of fracturing wastewater in unlined pits. The results of these studies could lead federal and state governments and agencies to develop and implement additional regulations.

          Increased regulation of hydraulic fracturing and related activities (whether as a result of the EPA study results or resulting from other factors) could subject us and our customers to additional permitting and financial assurance requirements, more stringent construction specifications, increased monitoring, reporting and recordkeeping obligations, and plugging and abandonment requirements. New requirements could result in increased operational costs for us and our customers, and reduce the demand for our services.

          OSHA Matters.     The Occupational Safety and Health Act ("OSHA") and comparable state statutes regulate the protection of the health and safety of workers. In addition, the OSHA hazard communication standard requires that information be maintained about hazardous materials used or produced in operations and that this information be provided to employees, state and local government authorities and the public.

Employees

          As of December 31, 2016, we employed 642 people. None of our employees are represented by labor unions or subject to collective bargaining agreements.

Legal Proceedings

          From time to time we may be involved in litigation relating to claims arising out of our operations in the normal course of business. We are not currently a party to any legal proceedings that we believe would have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows and are not aware of any material legal proceedings contemplated by governmental authorities.

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MANAGEMENT

Directors and Executive Officers of ProPetro Holding Corp.

          The following table sets forth the names, ages and titles of our directors and executive officers. Directors hold office until their successors have been elected or qualified or until their earlier death, resignation, removal or disqualification. Executive officers are appointed by, and serve at the discretion of, the board of directors. The following table shows information for the directors and executive officers as of January 31, 2017.

Name
  Age     Position with ProPetro Holding Corp.  

Dale Redman

    56   Chief Executive Officer and Director

David Sledge

    60   Chief Operating Officer

Jeffrey Smith

    57   Chief Financial Officer

Mark Howell

    38   General Counsel and Corporate Secretary Designate

Spencer D. Armour, III

    62   Director

Schuyler E. Coppedge

    43   Director

Stephen Herman

    73   Director

Matthew H. Himler

    30   Director

Peter L. Labbat

    51   Director

Francesco Ciabatti

    29   Director Nominee

Alan E. Douglas

    58   Director Nominee

Christopher Leininger

    48   Director Nominee

Jack B. Moore

    63   Director Nominee

Dale Redman

          Dale Redman is a co-founder of ProPetro and has been Chief Executive Officer since 2008, and he has been a member of our board of directors since 2005. Mr. Redman has over 32 years of executive and entrepreneurial experience in the energy services industry. He was a co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Downhole Injection Systems, LLC, which was sold in 2004. Prior to that, Mr. Redman was President and CEO of Reef Chemical Company from 1993 to 1998. Mr. Redman received a B.B.A. in Finance from Texas Tech University. We believe that Mr. Redman's industry experience and deep knowledge of our business and our customers makes him well suited to serve as Chief Executive Officer and director.

David Sledge

          David Sledge has served as our Chief Operating Officer since 2011. Mr. Sledge has over 37 years of experience in the energy services industry, Mr. Sledge currently serves on the Board of Directors for Comstock Resources, Inc. where he has served since 1996. Prior to joining ProPetro Mr. Sledge was Vice President — Drilling for Basic Energy Services from 2007 to 2009. Mr. Sledge was President and Chief Operating Officer of Sledge Drilling Corp., which was sold to Basic Energy Services in 2007. Mr. Sledge received a B.B.A. in Management from Baylor University. We believe Mr. Sledge's experience in the oilfield services business, combined with his executive management experience, makes him well suited to serve as our Chief Operating Officer.

Jeffrey Smith

          Jeffrey Smith is a co-founder of ProPetro and has been our Chief Financial Officer since 2005. Mr. Smith has over 33 years of accounting and financial experience. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Smith served as President of Nittany Enterprises from 1991 to 2005, and before that Mr. Smith

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served as Chief Financial Officer for Southmark Commercial Management Inc., a national commercial real estate company. Mr. Smith is a licensed certified public accountant. Mr. Smith received a B.B.A. in Finance from Penn State University and a M.B.A. from the University of Michigan. We believe that Mr. Smith's extensive experience in accounting and finance, and history in the energy services industry, makes him well suited to serve as our Chief Financial Officer.

Mark Howell

          Mark Howell will join ProPetro as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary in March 2017. Prior to joining ProPetro, Mr. Howell served Anthem, Inc. as Associate General Counsel — Corporate Securities and Finance from September 2015, and Vantage Drilling Company, an international oil and gas services company, in various legal roles from 2010 to 2015, including as General Counsel from 2014 and Legal Director from 2011. Prior to joining Vantage, Mr. Howell worked as an attorney focused on corporate and securities law and oil and gas transactions at Burleson Cooke LLP and Andrews Kurth LLP. Mr. Howell holds a Doctorate of Jurisprudence from South Texas College of Law and a B.A. from the University of Texas. We believe that Mr. Howell's experience with corporate and securities law and the oil and gas industry makes him well suited to serve as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary.

Spencer D. Armour, III

          Spencer D. Armour, III has served as a member of our board of directors since February 2013. Mr. Armour has over 30 years of executive and entrepreneurial experience in the energy services industry. Mr. Armour currently serves as President of PT Petroleum LLC in Midland, Texas. He was the Vice President of Corporate Development for Basic Energy Services, Inc. from 2007 to 2008, which acquired Sledge Drilling Corp., a company Mr. Armour co-founded and served as Chief Executive Officer for from 2005 to 2006. From 1998 through 2005, he served as Executive Vice President of Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc., which acquired Lone Star Mud, Inc., a company Mr. Armour founded and served as President for from 1986 to 1997. He also served on the Patterson — UTI Board of Directors from 1999 through 2001. Mr. Armour received a B.S. in Economics from the University of Houston in 1977 and was appointed to the University of Houston System Board of Regents in 2011 by former Texas Governor, Rick Perry. We believe that Mr. Armour's extensive experience in the energy services industry and his deep knowledge of the industry dynamics within the Permian Basin make him well suited to serve as a director.

Schuyler E. Coppedge

          Schuyler E. Coppedge has served as a member of our board of directors since March 2013. Mr. Coppedge is a Partner at Energy Capital Partners where he has worked since 2005. Mr. Coppedge has over 20 years of experience in energy industry finance and investment activities, with a particular emphasis on oil field services, midstream oil and gas and renewable power generation. Prior to joining Energy Capital in 2005, Mr. Coppedge spent over six years at JP Morgan. In addition to ProPetro, Mr. Coppedge currently serves on the boards of STEAG-SCR Tech, Terra-Gen, LLC and USD Partners LP and as an observer to NCSG Crane & Heavy Haul Corporation. Mr. Coppedge also served on the board of FirstLight Power Enterprises, Inc. Mr. Coppedge received a B.A. from Middlebury College and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Coppedge was selected to serve as a director on the board due to his affiliation with Energy Capital Partners, his extensive experience in the finance industry and his history in the energy services industry.

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Stephen Herman

          Stephen Herman has served as a member of our board of directors since March 2013. Mr. Herman has served as a Managing Director at Energy Capital Partners since 2005. Mr. Herman has over 43 years of energy industry experience, with a particular emphasis on renewable and fossil generation and environmental and oil field services. Prior to joining Energy Capital Partners in 2005, Mr. Herman was Senior Energy Counsel for Goldman Sachs. Mr. Herman was also the Senior Vice President and General Counsel of PG&E National Energy Group and its predecessor, U.S. Generating Company. Mr. Herman was also previously a Partner at Latham & Watkins and Kirkland & Ellis. Mr. Herman currently serves on the boards of ADA Carbon Solutions LLC, STEAG-SCR Tech, EnergySolutions, Inc. and Granite Holdings, Inc. (the parent company of Wheelabrator Technologies, Inc.). Mr. Herman has also served on the boards of FirstLight Resources Inc., NextLight Renewable Power, LLC, PLH Group, Inc., Power Holdings of Illinois, LLC and Ice Energy, Inc. Mr. Herman received a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School of Finance and Commerce at the University of Pennsylvania and an LL.B. from the University of Virginia Law School. Mr. Herman was selected to serve as a director on the board due to his affiliation with Energy Capital Partners, his extensive experience in the law and finance, and his history in the energy industry.

Matthew H. Himler

          Matthew H. Himler has served as a member of our board of directors since October 2016 and was appointed to the board in connection with his affiliation with Energy Capital Partners. Mr. Himler is a Vice President at Energy Capital Partners, where he has worked since 2013. Mr. Himler has over seven years of experience in energy industry investment and finance activities. In addition to ProPetro, Mr. Himler serves on the board of NESCO Holdings LP and is an observer to NCSG Crane and Heavy Haul Corporation. Prior to joining Energy Capital Partners in 2012, Mr. Himler was an analyst at Lazard Frères & Co. Mr. Himler received a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from Amherst College. Mr. Himler was selected to serve as a director on the board due to his affiliation with Energy Capital Partners and his experience in investment activities within the oilfield and energy services sectors.

Peter L. Labbat

          Peter L. Labbat has served as a member of our board of directors since March 2013 and was appointed to the board in connection with his affiliation with Energy Capital Partners. Mr. Labbat has served as a Partner of Energy Capital Partners since 2006. Mr. Labbat has over 27 years of financial and investment experience and specializes in the energy and power sectors. Prior to joining Energy Capital Partners in 2006, Mr. Labbat was a Managing Director at Goldman, Sachs & Co. He currently serves on the boards of ADA Carbon Solutions, LLC, Chieftain Sand and Proppant, LLC, Next Wave Energy Partners, LP, Sendero Midstream Partners, LP and Summit Midstream Partners, LP. Mr. Labbat has also served on the boards of NextLight Renewable Power, LLC, Odessa Power Holdings, LLC, Ice Energy, Inc. and Red Oak Power Holdings, LLC. Mr. Labbat received a B.A. in Economics from Georgetown University and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Labbat was selected to serve as a director on the board due to his affiliation with Energy Capital Partners and his extensive experience across the finance and energy sectors.

Francesco Ciabatti

          We expect that Francesco Ciabatti will become a member of our board of directors on the date that our common stock is listed on the NYSE. Mr. Ciabatti is a Vice President at Energy Capital Partners where he has worked since 2013. Mr. Ciabatti has over six years of experience in energy

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industry investment and finance activities. Prior to joining Energy Capital Partners in 2013, Mr. Ciabatti was an analyst at Barclays Capital Inc. Mr. Ciabatti received a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from Yale University. Mr. Ciabatti was selected to serve as a director on the board due to his affiliation with Energy Capital Partners and his experience in investment activities within the oilfield, energy and midstream services sectors.

Alan E. Douglas

          We expect that Alan E. Douglas will become a member of our board of directors on the date that our common stock is listed on the NYSE. Mr. Douglas is a shareholder of Johnson, Miller & Co. where he has worked for 25 years. Mr. Douglas is a Certified Public Accountant with over 37 years of experience in accounting and audit activities. Prior to joining Johnson, Miller & Co., Mr. Douglas was a Certified Public Accountant at KPMG for twelve years. Mr. Douglas received a B.B.A. in accounting from Texas Tech University. Mr. Douglas was selected to serve as a director on the board due to his extensive experience with accounting and auditing activities.

Christopher M. Leininger

          We expect that Christopher M. Leininger will become a member of our board of directors on the date that our common stock is listed on the NYSE. Mr. Leininger is Managing Director and Deputy General Counsel at Energy Capital Partners where he has worked since 2006. Mr. Leininger has over 17 years of experience in legal and finance activities in the energy industry. Mr. Leininger currently serves on the boards of Wheelabrator Technologies, Inc., NESCO Holdings, LP, EnergySolutions, Inc. and PLH Group, Inc. Prior to joining Energy Capital Partners, Mr. Leininger was an associate at Latham & Watkins LLP for 7 years. Mr. Leininger received a B.A. in History and Political Science from the University of San Diego and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. Mr. Leininger was selected to serve as a director on the board due to his affiliation with Energy Capital Partners and his experience in financing, acquisition and development transactions.

Jack B. Moore

          We expect that Jack B. Moore will become a member of our board of directors on the date that our common stock is listed on the NYSE. Mr. Moore served as Chairman of the Board of Cameron International Corporation from 2011 until it was acquired in April 2016. Mr. Moore worked at Cameron International Corporation from 1999 until 2014, serving as Chief Executive Officer from 2008 to 2015 and as President from 2008 to 2014. Prior to that, he held various management positions at Baker Hughes Incorporated, where he was employed for 23 years. Mr. Moore currently serves on the board of directors of Occidental Petroleum Corporation, Rowan Companies plc and KBR Inc. Mr. Moore also previously served on the board of directors of the American Petroleum Institute, the National Ocean Industries Association, and the Petroleum Equipment Suppliers Association. Mr. Moore received a B.B.A. from the University of Houston and is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. Mr. Moore was selected to serve as a director on the board due to his wealth of experience in the oilfield service sector, including service as a director and executive officer to public corporations in the sector.

Status as a Controlled Company

          Energy Capital Partners may beneficially own a majority of our outstanding common stock following the completion of this offering, and if so, we would be a controlled company under NYSE corporate governance standards. A controlled company need not comply with the applicable corporate governance rules that require its board of directors to have a majority of independent directors and independent compensation and nominating and governance committees. Notwithstanding our status as a controlled company, we would remain subject to the applicable

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corporate governance standard that requires us to have an audit committee composed entirely of independent directors. As a result, we must have at least one independent director on our audit committee by the date our common stock is listed on the NYSE, a majority of independent directors on our audit committee within 90 days of the listing date and all independent directors on our audit committee within one year of the listing date.

          If at any time we cease to be a controlled company, we will take all action necessary to comply with NYSE listing rules, including appointing a majority of independent directors to our board of directors and ensuring we have a compensation committee and a nominating and corporate governance committee composed entirely of independent directors, subject to a permitted "phase-in" period. We would cease to qualify as a controlled company once Energy Capital Partners ceases to control a majority of our voting stock.

Board of Directors and Committees

          In connection with this offering, we will enter into a stockholders agreement with Energy Capital Partners. Pursuant to the stockholders agreement, our board of directors will initially consist of ten directors, six of which are to be designated by Energy Capital Partners. See "Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions — Stockholders Agreement." We expect that two of our directors at the completion of this offering will satisfy the independence requirements of the Exchange Act and NYSE listing standards. Our bylaws provide that the terms of office of the directors are one year from the time of their election until the next annual meeting of shareholders or until their successors are duly elected and qualified.

          Our certificate of incorporation provides that the authorized number of directors will, subject to the provisions of the stockholders agreement, be fixed from time to time by the board of directors pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the whole board. In addition, our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws provide that, in general, vacancies on the board may be filled by a majority of directors in office, although less than a quorum.

Audit Committee

          Our board of directors will establish an audit committee in connection with this offering whose functions include the following:

          The specific functions and responsibilities of the audit committee will be set forth in the audit committee charter. Upon completion of this offering, we expect our audit committee will consist of two directors who satisfy the independence requirements of the Exchange Act and NYSE listing standards, one of whom will qualify as an audit committee financial expert as defined under these rules and listing standards, and all of whom will satisfy the financial literacy standards for audit committee members under the Exchange Act and NYSE listing standards. Within one year after

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completion of the offering, we expect that our audit committee will be composed of three members that will satisfy the independence requirements of the Exchange Act and NYSE listing standards.

          Pursuant to our bylaws, our board of directors may, from time to time, establish other committees to facilitate the management of our business and operations. Because we may be considered to be controlled by Energy Capital Partners under NYSE rules, we may be eligible for exemptions from provisions of these rules requiring a majority of independent directors, nominating and corporate governance and compensation committees composed entirely of independent directors and written charters addressing specified matters. We may elect to take advantage of these exemptions. In the event that we are not, or subsequently cease to be, a controlled company within the meaning of these rules, we will be required to comply with these provisions after the specified transition periods.

          Although we may be eligible for an exemption from the compensation committee requirements under NYSE rules, we intend to establish a compensation committee composed of at least              independent directors in connection with this offering.

Compensation Committee

          Our compensation committee will be comprised of                      . This committee will establish salaries, incentives and other forms of compensation for officers and directors. The compensation committee will also administer our long-term incentive plan.

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

          Our nominating and corporate governance committee will be comprised of                          . The nominating and corporate governance committee is responsible for making recommendations to the board of directors regarding candidates for directorships and the size and composition of the board. In addition, the nominating and corporate governance committee is responsible for overseeing our corporate governance guidelines and reporting and making recommendations to the board concerning corporate governance matters.

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

          None of our executive officers serve on the board of directors or compensation committee of a company that has an executive officer that serves on our board or compensation committee. No member of our board is an executive officer of a company in which one of our executive officers serves as a member of the board of directors or compensation committee of that company.

Board Role in Risk Oversight

          Our corporate governance guidelines will provide that the board of directors is responsible for reviewing the process for assessing the major risks facing us and the options for their mitigation. This responsibility will be largely satisfied by our audit committee, which is responsible for reviewing and discussing with management and our independent registered public accounting firm our major risk exposures and the policies management has implemented to monitor such exposures, including our financial risk exposures and risk management policies.

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

          This section discusses the material components of the executive compensation program for our executive officers who are named in the "2016 Summary Compensation Table" below. In 2016, our "named executive officers" and their positions were as follows:

          This discussion may contain forward-looking statements that are based on our current plans, considerations, expectations and determinations regarding future compensation programs. Actual compensation programs that we adopt following the completion of this offering may differ materially from the currently planned programs summarized in this discussion. All numbers with respect to share figures and exercise prices in this section are represented giving effect to our 170.4667-for-1 reverse stock split on December 22, 2016, as described in "Business — Recent Developments — Reverse Stock Split," but without giving effect to our intended stock split as described in "Stock Split."


2016 Summary Compensation Table

          The following table sets forth information concerning the compensation of our named executive officers for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016.

Name and Principal Position
  Year     Salary
($)
 
  Bonus
($)
 
  Option awards
($)
 
  All Other
Compensation
($) (2)
 
  Total    

Dale Redman

    2016     250,000     750,000     885,478 (1)   10,800     1,896,278  

Chief Executive Officer

    2015     250,000             10,800     260,800  

Jeffrey Smith

    2016     250,000     500,000     549,028 (1)   10,800     1,309,828  

Chief Financial Officer

    2015     250,000             10,800     260,800  

David Sledge

    2016     250,000     500,000     407,869 (1)   10,800     1,168,669  

Chief Operating Officer

    2015     250,000             10,800     260,800  

(1)
All option awards granted to any named executive officer have been valued based on the fair value of the option awards at the grant dates computed in accordance with FASB ASC 718, and do not represent amounts realized by the named executive officers. We provide information regarding the assumptions used to calculate the value of all option awards granted in 2016 in Note 14 to our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus.

(2)
This column shows the amounts that Messrs. Redman, Smith and Sledge each received in 2015 and 2016 pursuant to our Vehicle Allowance Program.

NARRATIVE TO SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE

2016 Salaries

          The named executive officers receive a base salary to compensate them for services rendered to our company. The base salary payable to each named executive officer is intended to provide a fixed component of compensation reflecting the executive's skill set, experience, role and responsibilities. Each named executive officer's initial base salary was provided in his employment agreement. There were no changes in the base salaries of any of the named executive officers in 2016.

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2016 Bonuses

          Each of the named executive officers received a discretionary bonus payment in 2016, determined by our board of directors. In determining bonus amounts, our board of directors considered our performance during the fiscal year, including the private placement round that was closed prior to the end of 2016, as well as the fact that no bonuses were paid with respect to fiscal year 2015.

Equity Compensation

          We maintain an equity incentive plan, the 2013 Stock Option Plan, which has provided 28 of our employees, including the named executive officers, the opportunity to participate in the equity appreciation of our business through the receipt of options to purchase shares of our common stock. We believe that such stock options function as a compelling retention tool.

          On June 14, 2013, we granted stock options to purchase 482,657 shares of our common stock to each of our named executive officers. Each such stock option has a $5.73 per share exercise price. Such stock options are scheduled to vest in equal annual installments over four years from the date of the grant. The vesting of the stock options is subject to acceleration upon a change of control of the Company if the participant remains employed by the Company. A change of control does not include an initial public offering, and therefore a change of control will not occur in connection with this offering. Additionally, in connection with this offering, on the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, we intend to allow Messrs. Redman, Smith and Sledge to cashlessly exercise the vested portions of their outstanding 2013 options.

          In addition, we granted Mr. Redman 256,783 restricted stock units on September 30, 2013 pursuant to a stand-alone restricted stock unit agreement, which restricted stock units are not subject to the 2013 Stock Option Plan or any equity plan. Each restricted stock unit represents the right to receive one share of common stock of the Company. Pursuant to their original terms, the restricted stock units would only be settled upon a change of control of the Company, whether or not Mr. Redman is an employee, consultant or director on such date. As defined in the agreement, a change of control does not include an initial public offering, and therefore a change of control will not occur in connection with this offering. In connection with this offering, we intend to terminate and liquidate, in accordance with Section 409A of the Code, (i) Mr. Redman's restricted stock units and (ii) stock options granted to various employees other than the named executive officers on December 1, 2013 (but not the stock options granted to our named executive officers in June 2013 as described above). Subject to approval by our board of directors, we will provide Mr. Redman with the 256,783 shares of our common stock subject to his restricted stock units on the first anniversary of this offering. Additionally, we will pay each employee who received an option on December 1, 2013, in exchange for his or her terminated stock option, a cash amount equal to (a) the excess, if any, of the (1) initial public offering price per share of our common stock over (2) $5.73 (the per share exercise price of such option) multiplied by (b) the number of shares of common stock subject to such option, with 50% of such payment payable on the first anniversary of this offering and the remaining 50% of such payment payable on the second anniversary of this offering, subject to such employee's continued employment with us through each applicable payment date. Any such employee whose employment is terminated by us without cause (as determined by our board of directors) prior to the second anniversary of this offering will remain entitled to his or her option cancellation payments on the applicable anniversaries.

          We did not grant any additional stock options in 2014 or 2015, but on July 19, 2016, we granted additional stock options to our named executive officers pursuant to the 2013 Stock Option Plan. These 2016 options were primarily granted in order to prevent the equity ownership of the named executive officers from being diluted as a result of Energy Capital Partners' equity

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contribution to the Company on June 8, 2016. The options were also granted to reward the named executive officers' past contributions to the Company and expected future contributions. This 2016 grant included options to purchase 345,890 shares of our common stock granted to Mr. Redman, options to purchase 214,463 shares of our common stock granted to Mr. Smith and options to purchase 159,324 shares of our common stock granted to Mr. Sledge. All of these 2016 options have a $3.26 per share exercise price. Such stock options are scheduled to vest in five equal semi-annual installments starting on December 31, 2016. The vesting of the stock options is subject to acceleration upon a change of control of the Company if the participant remains employed by the Company, but a change of control does not include a public offering and so, for purposes of the stock options, will not occur in connection with this offering. In connection with this offering, however, we intend to fully accelerate the vesting of the unvested portion of Messrs. Redman, Smith and Sledge's 2016 options.

          Prior to the effective date of this offering, we intend to adopt a 2017 Incentive Award Plan in order to facilitate the grant of cash and equity incentives to directors, employees (including our named executive officers) and consultants of our company and certain of its affiliates and to enable our company and certain of its affiliates to obtain and retain services of these individuals, which is essential to our long-term success. We expect that the 2017 Incentive Award Plan will be effective on the date prior to the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, subject to approval of such plan by our board of directors and our current shareholders. For additional information about the 2017 Incentive Award Plan, please see the section titled "Equity Incentive Plans" below.

Offering Grants to Employees under the 2017 Incentive Award Plan

          In connection with this offering, on the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, we intend to grant to certain of our employees awards of stock options under the Plan at an exercise price equal to the initial public offering price of our common stock with respect to an aggregate of up to                   shares of common stock. The following table shows the numbers of stock options intended to be granted to the named executive officers. The stock options will vest in equal installments upon the first four anniversaries of the date of grant, subject to the named executive officer's continued employment, and will expire upon the tenth anniversary of the date of grant.

Name
  Number of
Stock Options
 
 

Dale Redman

                 

Jeffrey Smith

                 

David Sledge

                 

Other Elements of Compensation

    Retirement Plans

          We currently maintain a 401(k) retirement savings plan for our employees who satisfy certain eligibility requirements. Our named executive officers are eligible to participate in the 401(k) plan on the same terms as other full-time employees, but currently do not participate in the 401(k) plan. The Internal Revenue Code, or the Code, allows eligible employees to defer a portion of their compensation, within prescribed limits, on a pre-tax basis through contributions to the 401(k) plan. Currently, we match contributions made by participants in the 401(k) plan up to a specified percentage of the employee contributions and we may make certain discretionary profit sharing contributions. Both the matching contributions and the profit sharing contributions vest in equal installments over five years of service, with full vesting on retirement, death or disability. We believe

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that offering a vehicle for tax-deferred retirement savings though our 401(k) plan, and making matching contributions and profit sharing contributions that vest over time, add to the overall desirability of our executive compensation package and further incentivize our employees in accordance with our compensation policies. We do not maintain any defined benefit pension plans or deferred compensation plans.

    Employee Benefits and Perquisites

          Health/Welfare Plans.     All of our full-time employees, including our named executive officers, are eligible to participate in our health and welfare plans, including:

    medical, dental and vision benefits;

    medical and dependent care flexible spending accounts;

    short-term and long-term disability insurance; and

    life insurance.

          Vehicle Allowance Program.     In addition, our named executive officers each participate in a vehicle allowance program.

          We believe the benefits and perquisites described above are necessary and appropriate to provide a competitive compensation package to our named executive officers.

    No Tax Gross-Ups

          We do not make gross-up payments to cover our named executive officers' personal income taxes that may pertain to any of the compensation or perquisites paid or provided by our company.

    Employment Agreements

          The Company entered into employment agreements with Messrs. Redman, Smith and Sledge, each dated April 17, 2013, providing for their respective positions as Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, and initial annual base salaries of $250,000 for each such executive officer. The employment agreements provide for an initial two-year term and automatically renew for successive one-year terms unless either party gives notice of non-extension to the other no later than 90 days prior to the expiration of the then-applicable term.

          The employment agreements provide that each executive will be eligible to receive an annual cash bonus in an amount up to 50% of the executive's annual base salary, based upon individual and Company annual performance targets established by the Board in its sole discretion. The employment agreements also provided for the executives' initial stock option grants.

          Pursuant to the employment agreements, upon termination of employment by the Company without Cause or by the executive for Good Reason, each executive will receive the sum of his then current annual base salary and his annual bonus for the immediately preceding calendar year, payable over the year following termination, as well as subsidized COBRA premiums for such period. Each executive will be required to execute a release of claims in favor of the Company in order to receive his severance benefits.

          "Cause" is defined in the employment agreements as (i) the executive's willful failure to substantially perform his duties, (ii) the executive's willful failure to carry out, or comply with, in any material respect any lawful directive of our board of directors, (iii) the executive's commission at any time of any act or omission that results in, or may reasonably be expected to result in, a conviction, a plea of no contest, plea of nolo contendere or imposition of unadjudicated probation for any felony or crime involving moral turpitude; (iv) the executive's unlawful use (including being under

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the influence) or possession of illegal drugs on the Company's premises or while performing the executive's duties and responsibilities; (v) the executive's commission at any time of any act of fraud, embezzlement, misappropriation, misconduct, conversion of assets of the Company or breach of fiduciary duty against the Company or (vi) the executive's material breach of the employment agreement or any other agreement with the Company, subject to certain procedural requirements.

          "Good Reason" is defined in the employment agreements as (i) a material diminution in the executive's authority, duties or responsibilities, (ii) a material diminution in base compensation or (iii) any other action or inaction that constitutes a material breach of the employment agreement by the Company, in each case subject to certain procedural requirements.

          The agreements contain noncompetition covenants that apply through one year following termination of employment and nonsolicitation covenants that apply through three years following termination of employment.

    Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End

          The following table summarizes the number of shares of common stock underlying outstanding equity incentive plan awards for each named executive officer as of December 31, 2016.

    Option Awards     Stock Awards
 

Name
  Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options
Exercisable
 
  Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options
Unexercisable
 
  Option
Exercise
Price ($)
 
  Option
Expiration
Date
 
  Number of
Shares or
Units of Stock
That Have Not
Vested
 
  Market Value
of Shares or
Units of Stock
That Have Not
Vested ($) (4)
 
 

Dale Redman

    361,993 (1)   120,664     5.73     6/14/2023          

                    256,783 (3)   3,723,354  

    69,178 (2)   276,712     3.26     7/19/2026          

Jeffrey Smith

    361,993 (1)   120,664     5.73     6/14/2023          

    42,893 (2)   171,570     3.26     7/19/2026          

David Sledge

    361,993 (1)   120,664     5.73     6/14/2023          

    31,865 (2)   127,459     3.26     7/19/2026          

(1)
On June 14, 2013, Messrs. Redman, Smith and Sledge were each granted 482,657 options to purchase our common stock that vest in equal annual installments on June 14, 2014, June 14, 2015, June 14, 2016 and June 14, 2017.

(2)
On July 19, 2016, Mr. Redman was granted 345,890 options to purchase our common stock, Mr. Smith was granted 214,463 options to purchase our common stock, and Mr. Sledge was granted 159,324 options to purchase our common stock. These grants are currently scheduled to vest in equal installments on December 31, 2016, June 30, 2017, December 31, 2017, June 30, 2018, and December 30, 2018. However, as described under "Narrative to Summary Compensation Table—Equity Compensation," we intend to fully accelerate the vesting of the unvested portion of these grants in connection with this offering.

(3)
On September 30, 2013, Mr. Redman was granted 256,783 restricted stock units that were originally intended to be settled only upon a change of control of the Company. However, as described under "Narrative to Summary Compensation Table—Equity Compensation," in connection with this offering, we intend to terminate and liquidate Mr. Redman's restricted stock units and provide Mr. Redman with the underlying shares on the first anniversary of this offering.

(4)
The amount reported above under the heading "Market Value of Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested" reflects the fair market value of shares of our common stock as of December 31, 2016.

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Director Compensation

          Only one of our directors, Spencer D. Armour, III, received compensation for his director service for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016.

Name
  Fees Earned
or Paid in
Cash ($)
 
  Option
Awards
($) (1)
 
  Total ($)    

Spencer D. Armour, III

    220,000     407,869 (2)   627,869  

(1)
All option awards granted to our non-employee director have been valued based on the fair value of the option awards at the grant dates computed in accordance with FASB ASC 718, and do not represent amounts realized by the non-employee director. We provide information regarding the assumptions used to calculate the value of all option awards granted in 2016 in Note 14 to our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus.

(2)
On July 19, 2016, Mr. Armour was granted 159,324 options to purchase our common stock. This grant was originally scheduled to vest in equal installments on December 31, 2016, June 30, 2017, December 31, 2017, June 30, 2018, and December 30, 2018. These options have a $3.26 exercise price. However, we intend to fully accelerate the vesting of the unvested portion of this grant in connection with this offering. The table below shows the aggregate numbers of option awards (exercisable and unexercisable) held as of December 31, 2016 by Mr. Armour. Mr. Armour did not hold any stock awards as of such date and no other directors held any equity awards as of such date.
Name
  Grant Date   Number of
Securities
Underlying
Options
  Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options
Exercisable
  Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options
Unexercisable
 

Spencer D. Armour, III

  6/14/2013     482,657     361,993     120,664  

  7/19/2016     159,324     31,865     127,459  

Total

        641,981     393,858     248,123  


Narrative to Director Compensation Table

2016 Fees Earned

          Mr. Armour was paid $120,000 in director fees in 2016 to compensate him for his attendance at and contributions to our quarterly board meetings, as well as for counseling us and Energy Capital Partners on various strategic matters with respect to the Company during the year, including capital raising and capital expenditure decisions. Additionally, Mr. Armour earned a $100,000 bonus for the year 2016. Similar to the bonuses of the named executive officers, Mr. Armour's bonus was discretionary and determined by our board of directors. In determining bonus amounts, our board of directors considered our performance during the fiscal year, including the private placement round that was closed prior to the end of 2016, as well as the fact that no bonuses were paid with respect to fiscal year 2015. Considering both his director fees and his 2016 bonus, Mr. Armour earned a total of $220,000 for his services as a non-employee director for the Company.

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Equity Compensation

          Pursuant to the 2013 Stock Option Plan, on June 14, 2013, we granted stock options to purchase 482,657 shares of our common stock to Mr. Armour in his role as a director of the Company. These 2013 options have a $5.73 per share exercise price. Such stock options are scheduled to vest in equal annual installments over four years from the date of the grant. The vesting of the stock options is subject to acceleration upon a change of control of the Company if Mr. Armour remains in the service of the Company. A change of control does not include a public offering, and therefore a change of control will not occur in connection with this offering. Additionally, in connection with this offering, on the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, we intend to allow Mr. Armour to cashlessly exercise the vested portion of his outstanding 2013 options.

          On July 19, 2016, we granted additional stock options to Mr. Armour in his role as a director of the Company pursuant to the 2013 Stock Option Plan. Like the options granted on such date to our named executive officers, these 2016 options were primarily granted in order to prevent Mr. Armour's equity ownership from being diluted as a result of Energy Capital Partners' equity contribution to the Company on June 8, 2016. Pursuant to this 2016 grant, Mr. Armour received options to purchase 159,324 shares of our common stock. These 2016 options have a $3.26 per share exercise price. Pursuant to their original terms, such stock options were scheduled to vest in equal five equal semi-annual installments starting on December 31, 2016. The vesting of the stock options was subject to acceleration upon a change of control of the Company if Mr. Armour remained in the service of the Company. A change of control does not include a public offering, and therefore a change of control, for the purposes of the stock options, will not occur in connection with this offering. In connection with this offering, however, we intend to fully accelerate the vesting of the unvested portion of Mr. Armour's 2016 options.

Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy

          In connection with this offering, we intend to adopt a non-employee director compensation policy that, effective upon the closing of this offering, will be applicable to each of our non-employee directors who is not an affiliate of Energy Capital Partners. Pursuant to this policy, each eligible non-employee director who is not an affiliate of Energy Capital Partners will receive an annual cash retainer of $55,000. The chairperson of the Board will receive an additional annual cash retainer of $15,000. Further, the chairperson of the audit committee will receive an additional annual cash retainer of $15,000, the chairperson of the compensation committee will receive an additional annual cash retainer of $10,000 and the chairperson of the nominating and governance committee will receive an additional $10,000. Each annual retainer will be paid quarterly in arrears.

          Also, pursuant to the non-employee director compensation policy, on the date of any annual meeting of our shareholders, we intend to grant each eligible non-employee director who is not an affiliate of Energy Capital Partners an award of restricted stock units that have a grant date fair value of $100,000. The terms of each such award will be set forth in a written award agreement between each director and us, which will generally provide for vesting after one year of continued service as a director. Any eligible non-employee director who is not an affiliate of Energy Capital Partners and who is elected or appointed mid-year will receive a pro-rated portion of the annual award adjusted to reflect his or her period of service.

          All cash and equity awards granted under the non-employee director compensation policy will be granted under, and subject to the limits of, the Plan.

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Non-Employee Director Stock Ownership Policy

          In connection with this offering, we intend to adopt a non-employee director stock ownership policy that, effective upon the closing of this offering, will be applicable to all of our eligible non-employee directors who are not affiliates of Energy Capital Partners. Pursuant to this policy, each eligible non-employee director who is not an affiliate of Energy Capital Partners is encouraged to hold, on and following the later of the fifth anniversary of (i) the closing and (ii) the non-employee director's election or appointment to the Board, shares of our common stock (valued based on the closing price of our common stock) with a value equal to or in excess of 300% of the non-employee director's annual cash retainer, as such threshold may be amended by our nominating and corporate governance committee from time to time.

Equity Incentive Plans

2013 Stock Option Plan

          We maintain the 2013 Stock Option Plan, as described above. On and after the closing of this offering and following the effectiveness of the 2017 Incentive Award Plan (as described below), no further grants will be made under the 2013 Stock Option Plan.

2017 Incentive Award Plan

          Prior to the effective date of this offering, we intend to adopt the 2017 Incentive Award Plan, or the Plan, subject to approval by our current shareholders, under which we may grant cash and equity incentive awards to eligible employees, consultants and directors in order to attract, motivate and retain the talent for which we compete. The material terms of the Plan, as it is currently contemplated, are summarized below. Our board of directors is still in the process of developing, approving and implementing the Plan and, accordingly, this summary is subject to change.

          Eligibility and Administration.     Our employees, consultants and directors, and employees, consultants and directors of our subsidiaries will be eligible to receive awards under the Plan. The Plan will be administered by our board of directors with respect to awards to non-employee directors and by our compensation committee with respect to other participants, each of which may delegate its duties and responsibilities to committees of our directors and/or officers (referred to collectively as the plan administrator below), subject to certain limitations that may be imposed under Section 162(m) of the Code, Section 16 of the Exchange Act and/or stock exchange rules, as applicable. The plan administrator will have the authority to make all determinations and interpretations under, prescribe all forms for use with, and adopt rules for the administration of, the Plan, subject to its express terms and conditions. The plan administrator will also set the terms and conditions of all awards under the Plan, including any vesting and vesting acceleration conditions.

          Limitation on Awards and Shares Available.     An aggregate of                  shares of our common stock will be available for issuance under awards granted pursuant to the Plan, which shares may be authorized but unissued shares, or shares purchased in the open market. If an award under the Plan is forfeited, expires, is converted to shares of another entity in connection with a spin-off or other similar event or is settled for cash, any shares subject to such award may, to the extent of such forfeiture, expiration, conversion or cash settlement, be used again for new grants under the Plan. However, the following shares may not be used again for grant under the Plan: (1) shares tendered or withheld to satisfy grant or exercise price or tax withholding obligations associated with an award; (2) shares subject to a stock appreciation right, or SAR, that are not issued in connection with the stock settlement of the SAR on its exercise; and (3) shares purchased on the open market with the cash proceeds from the exercise of options.

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          Awards granted under the Plan upon the assumption of, or in substitution for, awards authorized or outstanding under a qualifying equity plan maintained by an entity with which we enter into a merger or similar corporate transaction will not reduce the shares available for grant under the Plan. The maximum number of shares of our common stock that may be subject to one or more awards granted to any participant pursuant to the Plan during any calendar year will be               and the maximum amount that may be paid under a cash award pursuant to the Plan to any one participant during any calendar year period will be $5,000,000; provided that these limitations will not apply until Section 162(m) applies to certain awards under the Plan (as described below). Further, the sum of the grant date fair value of equity-based awards and the amount of any cash compensation granted to a non-employee director during any calendar year will be $400,000.

          Awards.     The Plan will provide for the grant of stock options, including incentive stock options, or ISOs, and nonqualified stock options, or NSOs, stock appreciation rights, or SARS, restricted stock, restricted stock units, or RSUs, other stock or cash based awards and dividend equivalents. No determination has been made as to the types or amounts of awards that will be granted to specific individuals pursuant to the Plan. Certain awards under the Plan may constitute or provide for a deferral of compensation, subject to Section 409A of the Code, which may impose additional requirements on the terms and conditions of such awards. All awards under the Plan will be set forth in award agreements, which will detail all terms and conditions of the awards, including any applicable vesting and payment terms and post-termination exercise limitations. Awards other than cash awards generally will be settled in shares of our common stock, but the plan administrator may provide for cash settlement of any award. A brief description of each award type follows.

    Stock Options.   Stock options provide for the purchase of shares of our common stock in the future at an exercise price set on the grant date. ISOs, by contrast to NSOs, may provide tax deferral beyond exercise and favorable capital gains tax treatment to their holders if certain holding period and other requirements of the Code are satisfied. The exercise price of a stock option may not be less than 100% of the fair market value of the underlying share on the date of grant (or 110% in the case of ISOs granted to certain significant shareholders), except with respect to certain substitute options granted in connection with a corporate transaction. The term of a stock option may not be longer than ten years (or five years in the case of ISOs granted to certain significant shareholders). Vesting conditions determined by the plan administrator may apply to stock options and may include continued service, performance and/or other conditions.

    SARs.   SARs entitle their holder, upon exercise, to receive from us an amount equal to the appreciation of the shares subject to the award between the grant date and the exercise date. The exercise price of a SAR may not be less than 100% of the fair market value of the underlying share on the date of grant (except with respect to certain substitute SARs granted in connection with a corporate transaction) and the term of a SAR may not be longer than ten years. Vesting conditions determined by the plan administrator may apply to SARs and may include continued service, performance and/or other conditions.

    Restricted Stock and RSUs.   Restricted stock is an award of nontransferable shares of our common stock that remain forfeitable unless and until specified conditions are met, and which may be subject to a purchase price. RSUs are contractual promises to deliver shares of our common stock in the future, which may also remain forfeitable unless and until specified conditions are met. Delivery of the shares underlying RSUs may be deferred under the terms of the award or at the election of the participant, if the plan administrator permits such a deferral. Conditions applicable to restricted stock and RSUs may be based on

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      continuing service, the attainment of performance goals and/or such other conditions as the plan administrator may determine.

    Other Stock or Cash Based Awards.   Other stock or cash awards are cash payments, cash bonus awards, stock payments, stock bonus awards or incentive awards paid in cash, shares of our common stock or a combination of both, and may include deferred stock, deferred stock units, retainers, committee fees and meeting based fees.

    Dividend Equivalents.   Dividend equivalents represent the right to receive the equivalent value of dividends paid on shares of our common stock and may be granted alone or in tandem with awards other than stock options or SARs. Dividend equivalents are credited as of dividend record dates during the period between the date an award is granted and the date such award vests, is exercised, is distributed or expires, as determined by the plan administrator. Dividend equivalents may not be paid on awards granted under the Plan unless and until such awards have vested.

          The plan administrator will determine whether any awards are intended to constitute "qualified performance-based compensation," or QPBC, within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code, in which case (unless the award is a stock option or SAR) the applicable performance criteria will be selected from the list below in accordance with the requirements of Section 162(m) of the Code.

          Section 162(m) of the Code imposes a $1 million cap on the compensation deduction that a public company may take in respect of compensation paid to its "covered employees" (which, for emerging growth companies and smaller reporting companies, consists of the Chief Executive Officer and the next two most highly compensated employees, and for all other public companies, includes the Chief Executive Officer and the next three most highly compensated employees other than the Chief Financial Officer), but excludes from the calculation of amounts subject to this limitation any amounts that constitute QPBC. Under current tax law, we do not expect Section 162(m) of the Code to apply to certain awards under the Plan until the earliest to occur of (1) our annual shareholders' meeting at which members of our Board are to be elected in 2021; (2) a material modification of the Plan; (3) an exhaustion of the share supply under the Plan; or (4) the expiration of the Plan. However, QPBC performance criteria may be used with respect to awards that are not intended to constitute QPBC. In addition, the Company may issue awards that are not intended to constitute QPBC even if such awards might be non-deductible as a result of Section 162(m) of the Code.

          In order to constitute QPBC under Section 162(m) of the Code, in addition to certain other requirements, the relevant amounts must be payable only upon the attainment of pre-established, objective performance goals set by our compensation committee and linked to shareholder-approved performance criteria. For purposes of the Plan, one or more of the following performance criteria will be used in setting performance goals applicable to QPBC, and may be used in setting performance goals applicable to other awards: (i) adjusted net earnings or losses (either before or after one or more of the following: (A) interest, (B) taxes, (C) depreciation, (D) amortization and (E) non-cash equity-based compensation expense); (ii) gross or net sales or revenue or sales or revenue growth; (iii) net income (either before or after taxes); (iv) adjusted net income; (v) operating earnings or profit (either before or after taxes); (vi) cash flow (including, but not limited to, operating cash flow and free cash flow); (vii) return on assets; (viii) return on capital (or invested capital) and cost of capital; (ix) return on shareholders' equity; (x) total shareholder return; (xi) return on sales; (xii) gross or net profit or operating margin; (xiii) costs, reductions in costs and cost control measures; (xiv) expenses; (xv) working capital; (xvi) earnings or loss per share; (xvii) adjusted earnings or loss per share; (xviii) price per share or dividends per share (or appreciation in and/or maintenance of such price or dividends); (xix) regulatory achievements or compliance (including, without limitation, regulatory body approval for commercialization of a product); (xx) implementation

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or completion of critical projects; (xxi) market share; (xxii) economic value; (xxiii) productivity; (xxiv) operating efficiency; (xxv) economic value-added; (xxvi) cash flow return on capital; (xxvii) return on net assets; (xxviii) funds from operations; (xxix) funds available for distributions; (xxx) market penetration and geographic business expansion; (xxxi) customer satisfaction/growth; (xxxii) recruitment and retention of personnel; (xxxiii) human resources management; (xxxiv) supervision of litigation and other legal matters; (xxxv) strategic partnerships and transactions; (xxxvi) financial ratios (including those measuring liquidity, activity, profitability or leverage); (xxxvii) financing and other capital raising transactions; (xxxviii) year-end cash; (xxxix) acquisition activity and marketing initiatives; and (xl) safety metrics, any of which may be measured either in absolute terms or as compared to any incremental increase or decrease or as compared to results of a peer group or to market performance indicators or indices.

          The Plan also permits the plan administrator, in its sole discretion, to provide for objectively determinable adjustments to the applicable performance criteria in setting performance goals for QPBC awards. Such adjustments may include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following: (i) items related to a change in Applicable Accounting Standards; (ii) items relating to financing activities; (iii) expenses for restructuring or productivity initiatives; (iv) other non-operating items; (v) items related to acquisitions; (vi) items attributable to the business operations of any entity acquired by the Company during the Performance Period; (vii) items related to the sale or disposition of a business or segment of a business; (viii) items related to discontinued operations that do not qualify as a segment of a business under Applicable Accounting Standards; (ix) items attributable to any stock dividend, stock split, combination or exchange of stock occurring during the Performance Period; (x) any other items of significant income or expense which are determined to be appropriate adjustments; (xi) items relating to unusual or infrequent corporate transactions, events or developments, (xii) items related to amortization of acquired intangible assets; (xiii) items that are outside the scope of the Company's core, on-going business activities; (xiv) items related to acquired in-process research and development; (xv) items relating to changes in tax laws; (xvi) items relating to major licensing or partnership arrangements; (xvii) items relating to asset impairment charges; (xviii) items relating to gains or losses for litigation, arbitration and contractual settlements; (xix) items attributable to expenses incurred in connection with a reduction in force or early retirement initiative; (xx) items relating to foreign exchange or currency transactions and/or fluctuations; or (xxi) items relating to any other unusual or nonrecurring events or changes in Applicable Law, Applicable Accounting Standards or business conditions. For all Awards intended to qualify as Performance-Based Compensation, such determinations shall be made within the time prescribed by, and otherwise in compliance with, Section 162(m) of the Code.

          Certain Transactions.     The plan administrator has broad discretion to take action under the Plan, as well as make adjustments to the terms and conditions of existing and future awards, to prevent the dilution or enlargement of intended benefits and facilitate necessary or desirable changes in the event of certain transactions and events affecting our common stock, such as stock dividends, stock splits, mergers, acquisitions, consolidations and other corporate transactions. In addition, in the event of certain non-reciprocal transactions with our shareholders known as "equity restructurings," the plan administrator will make equitable adjustments to the Plan and outstanding awards. In the event of a change in control of our company (as defined in the Plan), to the extent that the surviving entity declines to continue, convert, assume or replace outstanding awards, all such awards will become fully vested and exercisable in connection with the transaction. Upon or in anticipation of a change of control, the plan administrator may cause any outstanding awards to terminate at a specified time in the future and give the participant the right to exercise such awards during a period of time determined by the plan administrator in its sole discretion. Individual award agreements may provide for additional accelerated vesting and payment provisions.

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          Foreign Participants, Claw-Back Provisions, Transferability, and Participant Payments.     The plan administrator may modify award terms, establish subplans and/or adjust other terms and conditions of awards, subject to the share limits described above, in order to facilitate grants of awards subject to the laws and/or stock exchange rules of countries outside of the United States. All awards will be subject to the provisions of any claw-back policy implemented by our company to the extent set forth in such claw-back policy and/or in the applicable award agreement. With limited exceptions for estate planning, domestic relations orders, certain beneficiary designations and the laws of descent and distribution, awards under the Plan are generally non-transferable prior to vesting, and are exercisable only by the participant. With regard to tax withholding, exercise price and purchase price obligations arising in connection with awards under the Plan, the plan administrator may, in its discretion, accept cash or check, shares of our common stock that meet specified conditions, a "market sell order" or such other consideration as it deems suitable.

          Plan Amendment and Termination.     Our Board may amend or terminate the Plan at any time; however, except in connection with certain changes in our capital structure, shareholder approval will be required for any amendment that increases the number of shares available under the Plan, "reprices" any stock option or SAR, or cancels any stock option or SAR in exchange for cash or another award when the option or SAR price per share exceeds the fair market value of the underlying shares. No award may be granted pursuant to the Plan after the tenth anniversary of the date on which our Board adopts the Plan.

Executive Bonus Plan

          Executive Bonus Plan.     We intend to adopt a Senior Executive Incentive Bonus Plan, or the Executive Bonus Plan. The Executive Bonus Plan will be designed to provide an incentive for superior work and to motivate covered key executives toward even greater achievement and business results, to tie their goals and interests to those of us and our shareholders and to enable us to attract and retain highly qualified executives. The principal anticipated features of the Executive Bonus Plan are summarized below.

          The Executive Bonus Plan is an incentive bonus plan under which certain key executives, including our named executive officers, will be eligible to receive bonus payments with respect to a specified period (for example, our fiscal year). Bonuses will generally be payable under the Executive Bonus Plan upon the attainment of pre-established performance goals. Notwithstanding the foregoing, we may pay bonuses (including, without limitation, discretionary bonuses) to participants under the Executive Bonus Plan based upon such other terms and conditions as the compensation committee may in its discretion determine.

          The performance goals under the Executive Bonus Plan will relate to one or more financial, operational or other metrics with respect to individual or company performance with respect to us or any of our subsidiaries, including, but not limited to, the following possible performance goals: (i) adjusted net earnings or losses (either before or after one or more of the following: (A) interest, (B) taxes, (C) depreciation, (D) amortization and (E) non-cash equity-based compensation expense); (ii) gross or net sales or revenue or sales or revenue growth; (iii) net income (either before or after taxes); (iv) adjusted net income; (v) operating earnings or profit (either before or after taxes); (vi) cash flow (including, but not limited to, operating cash flow and free cash flow); (vii) return on assets; (viii) return on capital (or invested capital) and cost of capital; (ix) return on shareholders' equity; (x) total shareholder return; (xi) return on sales; (xii) gross or net profit or operating margin; (xiii) costs, reductions in costs and cost control measures; (xiv) expenses; (xv) working capital; (xvi) earnings or loss per share; (xvii) adjusted earnings or loss per share; (xviii) price per share or dividends per share (or appreciation in and/or maintenance of such price or dividends); (xix) regulatory achievements or compliance (including, without limitation, regulatory body approval for commercialization of a product); (xx) implementation or completion of critical

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projects; (xxi) market share; (xxii) economic value; (xxiii) productivity; (xxiv) operating efficiency; (xxv) economic value-added; (xxvi) cash flow return on capital; (xxvii) return on net assets; (xxviii) funds from operations; (xxix) funds available for distributions; (xxx) market penetration and geographic business expansion; (xxxi) customer satisfaction/growth; (xxxii) recruitment and retention of personnel; (xxxiii) human resources management; (xxxiv) supervision of litigation and other legal matters; (xxxv) strategic partnerships and transactions; (xxxvi) financial ratios (including those measuring liquidity, activity, profitability or leverage); (xxxvii) financing and other capital raising transactions; (xxxviii) year-end cash; (xxxix) acquisition activity and marketing initiatives; and (xl) safety metrics, any of which may be measured either in absolute terms or as compared to any incremental increase or decrease or as compared to results of a peer group or to market performance indicators or indices.

          The Executive Bonus Plan also permits the plan administrator, in its sole discretion, to provide for objectively determinable adjustments to the applicable performance criteria in setting performance goals. Such adjustments may include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following: (i) items related to a change in Applicable Accounting Standards; (ii) items relating to financing activities; (iii) expenses for restructuring or productivity initiatives; (iv) other non-operating items; (v) items related to acquisitions; (vi) items attributable to the business operations of any entity acquired by the Company during the Performance Period; (vii) items related to the sale or disposition of a business or segment of a business; (viii) items related to discontinued operations that do not qualify as a segment of a business under Applicable Accounting Standards; (ix) items attributable to any stock dividend, stock split, combination or exchange of stock occurring during the Performance Period; (x) any other items of significant income or expense which are determined to be appropriate adjustments; (xi) items relating to unusual or infrequent corporate transactions, events or developments, (xii) items related to amortization of acquired intangible assets; (xiii) items that are outside the scope of the Company's core, on-going business activities; (xiv) items related to acquired in-process research and development; (xv) items relating to changes in tax laws; (xvi) items relating to major licensing or partnership arrangements; (xvii) items relating to asset impairment charges; (xviii) items relating to gains or losses for litigation, arbitration and contractual settlements; (xix) items attributable to expenses incurred in connection with a reduction in force or early retirement initiative; (xx) items relating to foreign exchange or currency transactions and/or fluctuations; or (xxi) items relating to any other unusual or nonrecurring events or changes in Applicable Law, Applicable Accounting Standards or business conditions. For all Awards intended to qualify as Performance-Based Compensation, such determinations shall be made within the time prescribed by, and otherwise in compliance with, Section 162(m) of the Code.

          The Executive Bonus Plan will be administered by the compensation committee. The compensation committee will select the participants in the Executive Bonus Plan and any performance goals to be utilized with respect to the participants, establish the bonus formulas for each participant's annual bonus, and certify whether any applicable performance goals have been met with respect to a given performance period. The Executive Bonus Plan provides that we may amend or terminate the Executive Bonus Plan at any time in our sole discretion. Any amendments to the Executive Bonus Plan will require shareholder approval only to the extent required by applicable law, rule or regulation. The Executive Bonus Plan will expire on the earlier of:

    the material modification of the Executive Bonus Plan; and

    the first shareholders meeting at which members of our board of directors are elected during 2021.

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PRINCIPAL AND SELLING SHAREHOLDERS

          The following table sets forth the beneficial ownership of our common stock that, upon the consummation of this offering, will be owned by:

    each person known to us to beneficially own more than 5% of any class of our outstanding common stock;

    each of our director and director nominees;

    our executive officers;

    all of our directors, director nominees and executive officers as a group; and

    the selling shareholders.

          The underwriters have an option to purchase a maximum of             additional shares.

          The amounts and percentage of shares of common stock beneficially owned are reported on the basis of regulations of the SEC governing the determination of beneficial ownership of securities. Under the rules of the SEC, a person is deemed to be a "beneficial owner" of a security if that person has or shares "voting power," which includes the power to vote or to direct the voting of such security, or "investment power," which includes the power to dispose of or to direct the disposition of such security. In computing the number of shares beneficially owned by a person and the percentage ownership of that person, common stock subject to options or warrants held by that person that are currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days of the date of this prospectus, if any, are deemed outstanding, but are not deemed outstanding for computing the percentage ownership of any other person. Except as indicated by footnote, the persons named in the table below have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of common stock shown as beneficially owned by them, subject to community property laws where applicable.

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          The following table does not include any shares of common stock that directors, director nominees and executive officers may purchase in this offering through the directed share program described under "Underwriting."

                Number of
Shares
of Common
Stock
Offered if the
Underwriters'
Option to
    Number of
Shares
of Common
Stock
Offered if the
Underwriters'
Option to
Purchase
    Shares Beneficially
Owned After this
Offering (1) (Assuming
No Exercise of the
Underwriters'
Option to Purchase
Additional Shares)
    Shares Beneficially
Owned After this
Offering (1) (Assuming
the Underwriters'
Option to Purchase
Additional Shares is
Exercised
in Full)
 

Name of Beneficial
Owner (2)

    Shares Beneficially Owned
Before this Offering
    Purchase
Additional Shares
    Additional Shares
is Exercised
                         

    Number     Percentage     is not Exercised     in Full (7)     Number     Percentage     Number     Percentage
 

Energy Capital Partners (3)

                  %                                   %                       %

Regiment Capital Special Situations Fund III, LP (4)

                                                %                       %

Double Black Diamond Offshore Ltd. (5)

                                      %                 %

Directors/Director Nominees/Executive Officers

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Dale Redman (6)

    1,079,083     2.9 %                                   %                       %

David Sledge (6)

    521,317     1.4 %                                   %                       %

Jeffrey Smith (6)

    762,056     2.1 %                                   %                       %

Mark Howell

                        %                                               %                       %

Spencer D. Armour, III (6)

    521,317     1.4 %                                   %                       %

Schuyler E. Coppedge

                        %                                   %                       %

Stephen Herman

                        %                                   %                       %

Matthew H. Himler

                        %                                   %                       %

Peter Labbat

                        %                                   %                       %

Francesco Ciabatti

                        %                                               %                       %

Alan E. Douglas

                        %                                               %                       %

Christopher Leininger

                        %                                               %                       %

Jack B. Moore

                        %                                               %                       %

All Directors, Director Nominees and Executive Officers as a group (        persons) (6)

   
2,883,773
   
7.4

%
             
       
   
       

%
 
       
   
       

%

Other Selling Shareholders

                                                 

              

                                                 

              

                                                 

*
Less than 1%.

(1)
Share count gives effect to the conversion of the Series A Preferred Shares into common shares in connection with this offering.

(2)
Unless otherwise indicated, the address for each beneficial owners in this table is c/o ProPetro Holding Corp., 1706 S. Midkiff, Bldg. B, Midland, Texas 79701.

(3)
Includes (i) 499,174 shares held by Energy Capital Partners II, LP ("ECP II"), (ii) 16,259,932 shares held by Energy Capital Partners II-A, LP ("II-A"), (iii) 3,404,733 shares held by Energy Capital Partners II-B, LP ("II-B"), (iv) 5,980,733 shares held by Energy Capital Partners II-C (Direct IP), LP ("II-C"), (v) 4,007,413 shares held by Energy Capital Partners II-D, LP ("II-D"), and (vi) 3,179,512 shares held by Energy Capital Partners II (Midland Co-Invest), LP ("ECP Co-Invest"). Each of ECP II, II-A, II-B, II-C and II-D is managed by its general partner, Energy Capital Partners GP II, LP. Energy Capital Partners GP II, LP is managed by its general partner, Energy Capital Partners II, LLC ("Energy Capital Partners"). As a result, each of Energy Capital Partners GP II, LP and Energy Capital Partners may be deemed to share beneficial ownership of the shares held by ECP II, ECP II-A, ECP II-B, ECP II-D. ECP Co-Invest is managed by its general partner, Energy Capital Partners GP II Co-Investment (Midland), LLC, which is managed by its sole member, Energy Capital Partners. Douglas W. Kimmelman, Peter Labbat, Thomas K. Lane, Tyler Reeder and Andrew D. Singer are the managing members of, and Rahman D'Argenio is a partner of, Energy Capital Partners and share the power to direct the voting and disposition of the shares beneficially owned by Energy Capital Partners. Each such individual disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares. The address for Energy Capital Partners and each of the other persons and entities in this footnote is 51 John F. Kennedy Parkway, Suite 200, Short Hills, New Jersey 07078.

(4)
Special Situations Fund III, L.P. ("SSF III") is managed by its general partner, TCW SSF GP, LLC ("SSF GP"). The investment manager for SSF III is TCW Special Situations LLC ("TCW Special Situations"). Voting and investment decisions with respect to the securities held of record by SSF III has been delegated to a management committee designated by TCW Special Situations. The members of the management committee are Richard Miller, James Bold, Suzanne Grosso and Kyle O'Neil. As such, SSF GP, TCW Special Situations and each management committee member may be deemed to share beneficial ownership of the shares beneficially owned by SSF III. Each such entity and individual disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares.

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    TCW Special Situations is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of The TCW Group, Inc., which is majority owned by investment funds affiliated with The Carlyle Group, L.P. ("The Carlyle Group"). The principal business of The Carlyle Group is acting as a private investment firm with affiliated entities that include certain distinct specialized business units that are independently operated including The TCW Group, Inc.

    Entities affiliated with The Carlyle Group may be deemed to share beneficial ownership of the securities reported herein. Information barriers are in place between The TCW Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries, on the one hand (the "TCW Business Unit"), and The Carlyle Group, on the other hand. Therefore, in accordance with Rule 13d-4 under the Exchange Act, The Carlyle Group disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares beneficially owned by the TCW Business Unit reported herein. The TCW Business Unit disclaims beneficial ownership of any shares which may be owned or reported by The Carlyle Group and its affiliates. Neither the TCW Business Unit nor The Carlyle Group and its affiliates are members of a group with each other for purposes of Rule 13d-1 under the Exchange Act with respect to the Shares.

(5)
The investment advisor of Double Black Diamond Offshore Ltd. is Carlson Capital, L.P., and the general partner of Carlson Capital, L.P. is Asgard Investment Corp. II. The sole stockholder of Asgard Investment Corp. II. is Asgard Investment Corp., and Clint D. Carlson is its controlling person. The business address of each person and entity named in this footnote 5 is 2100 McKinney Ave, Suite 1800, Dallas, TX 75201.

(6)
Includes, for each executive officer, director and director nominee, shares of common stock that are issuable pursuant to options that are currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days, including pursuant to options for which the vesting is expected to accelerate in full in connection with this offering.

(7)
To the extent that the underwriters' option to purchase additional shares is not exercised in full, each of Dale Redman, David Sledge, Jeffrey Smith and Spencer D. Armour, III will sell their shares, on a pro rata basis, prior to the sale of shares by any other selling shareholder.

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CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

Procedures for Review, Approval and Ratification of Related Person Transactions

          Our board of directors will adopt a code of business conduct and ethics in connection with the completion of this offering that will provide that the board of directors or its authorized committee will review on at least a quarterly basis all transactions with related persons that are required to be disclosed under SEC rules and, when appropriate, initially authorize or ratify all such transactions. In connection with this offering, we will establish an audit committee consisting solely of independent directors whose functions will be set forth in the audit committee charter. We anticipate that one of the audit committee's functions will be to review and approve all relationships and transactions in which we and our directors, director nominees and executive officers and their immediate family members, as well as holders of more than 5% of any class of our voting securities and their immediate family members, have a direct or indirect material interest. We anticipate that such policy will be a written policy included as part the audit committee charter that will be implemented by the audit committee and in the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that our board of directors will adopt prior to the completion of this offering.

          The code of business conduct and ethics will provide that, in determining whether or not to recommend the initial approval or ratification of a transaction with a related person, the board of directors or its authorized committee should consider all of the relevant facts and circumstances available, including (if applicable) but not limited to: (i) whether there is an appropriate business justification for the transaction; (ii) the benefits that accrue to us as a result of the transaction; (iii) the terms available to unrelated third parties entering into similar transactions; (iv) the impact of the transaction on a director's independence (in the event the related person is a director, an immediate family member of a director or an entity in which a director or an immediate family member of a director is a partner, shareholder, member or executive officer); (v) the availability of other sources for comparable services; (vi) whether it is a single transaction or a series of ongoing, related transactions; and (vii) whether entering into the transaction would be consistent with the code of business conduct and ethics.

          The code of business conduct and ethics described above will be adopted in connection with the completion of this offering and, therefore, the transactions described below were not reviewed under such policy.

Registration Rights Agreements

          We have entered into a registration rights agreement with certain shareholders, including the selling shareholders. Pursuant to the registration rights agreement, we are required to cause a shelf registration statement to be filed as soon as permitted by the applicable securities laws. Also pursuant to the registration rights agreement, certain shareholders have the right to demand we undertake an underwritten offering of such shareholders' shares of our common stock at any time after the first anniversary of the consummation of this offering, in addition to certain "piggyback" rights when we undertake an underwritten offering of shares of our common stock. We have also entered into a registration rights agreement with the holders of our Series A Preferred Shares. Please read "Shares Eligible for Future Sale."

Existing Shareholders Agreement

          We have entered into a shareholders agreement with certain of our shareholders pursuant to which certain shareholders are entitled to nominate directors to our board of directors, in addition to other transfer restrictions and pre-emptive rights with respect to our shares. This shareholders agreement will terminate upon the consummation of this offering.

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Stockholders Agreement

          In connection with this offering, we intend to enter into a new stockholders agreement with Energy Capital Partners that will provide Energy Capital Partners and its affiliates who hold our shares certain rights to designate nominees for election to our board of directors. The stockholders agreement will provide that, subject to compliance with applicable law and stock exchange rules, for so long as Energy Capital Partners and its affiliates beneficially own at least 50% of our common stock then outstanding, it shall be entitled to designate a majority of the directors on our board of directors; for so long as Energy Capital Partners and its affiliates beneficially own at least 30% of our common stock then outstanding, it shall be entitled to designate a number of directors equal to one fewer than a majority of the directors; for so long as Energy Capital Partners and its affiliates beneficially own at least 20% of our common stock then outstanding, it shall be entitled to designate the greater of three directors and 25% of the total number of directors (rounded up to the next whole number); and for so long as Energy Capital Partners and its affiliates beneficially own at least 10% of our common stock then outstanding, it shall be entitled to designate the greater of two directors and 15% of the total number of directors (rounded up to the next whole number); and for so long as Energy Capital Partners and its affiliates beneficially own at least 5% of our common stock then outstanding, it shall be entitled to designate one director.

          Pursuant to the stockholders agreement, our board of directors will initially consist of ten directors, six of which are to be designated by Energy Capital Partners. If, following the consummation of this offering, Energy Capital Partners no longer owns a majority of our outstanding common stock, upon the appointment to our board of a third director that satisfies the independence requirements of the SEC and the NYSE, one of the directors designated by Energy Capital Partners will be removed from the board.

          Energy Capital Partners shall be entitled to designate the replacement for any of its board designees whose board service terminates prior to the end of the director's term regardless of their beneficial ownership at such time. Energy Capital Partners shall also have the right, but not the obligation, to designate at least one of its nominees as a member to each of the committees of our board of directors for so long as it has the right to designate at least one director, subject to compliance with applicable law and stock exchange rules.

          For so long as Energy Capital Partners and its affiliates hold at least 30% of our outstanding common stock, we and our subsidiaries shall not, without the approval of Energy Capital Partners and its affiliates:

          Additionally, for as long as Energy Capital Partners and its affiliates hold at least 10% of our outstanding common stock, any directors designated by Energy Capital Partners will have certain information and access rights to our management, including the right to receive our annual budget, business plan and financial forecasts.

          The stockholders agreement will terminate upon the earliest to occur of (a) the dissolution of the Company, (b) the date on which Energy Capital Partners and its affiliates cease to own any

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outstanding shares of our common stock and (c) the written agreement of the company and Energy Capital Partners.

Indemnification Agreements

          Our bylaws will provide that we will indemnify our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by law. In addition, we intend to enter into separate indemnification agreements with our directors and certain officers. Each indemnification agreement will provide, among other things, for indemnification to the fullest extent permitted by law and our bylaws against any and all expenses, judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement of any claim. The indemnification agreements will provide for the advancement or payment of all expenses to the indemnitee and for the reimbursement to us if it is found that such indemnitee is not entitled to such indemnification under applicable law and our bylaws.

          For the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016, we paid Dale Redman, our Chief Executive Officer, $164,000 and $186,000, respectively, for reimbursement of costs incurred through use of his aircraft.

          We rent certain flowback equipment from PD Properties, an entity jointly owned by Dale Redman. For the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016, we paid $192,000 and $192,000, respectively.

          We lease our corporate headquarters from South Midkiff Partners LLC, a entity owned jointly by Dale Redman, David Sledge, Spencer D. Armour, III and Jeff Smith pursuant to a five-year lease agreement with a five-year extension option requiring a base rent of $72,000 per year. In addition, we lease five properties adjacent to our corporate office from South Midkiff Partners LLC with annual base rents of $30,000, $30,000, $90,000, $90,000, and $180,000.

          Jordan Frosch is a corporate sales manager for our company and the son-in-law of Dale Redman. Mr. Frosch received total compensation of approximately $137,500 in 2016 for his services. His current annual salary is approximately $179,000.

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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

          We are currently organized as a Texas corporation. Prior to the completion of this offering, we intend to change the jurisdiction of our incorporation to the State of Delaware.

          The following description of the anticipated certification of incorporation and bylaws of ProPetro Holding Corp. does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the provisions of applicable law and to our anticipated certificate of incorporation, bylaws and stockholders agreement, which are filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.

Common Stock

          Except as provided by law or in a preferred stock designation, holders of common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters submitted to a vote of the shareholder, will have the exclusive right to vote for the election of directors and do not have cumulative voting rights. Except as otherwise required by law, holders of common stock, are not entitled to vote on any amendment to the certificate of incorporation (including any certificate of designations relating to any series of preferred stock) that relates solely to the terms of any outstanding series of preferred stock if the holders of such affected series are entitled, either separately or together with the holders of one or more other such series, to vote thereon pursuant to the certificate of incorporation (including any certificate of designations relating to any series of preferred stock) or pursuant to the DGCL. Subject to prior rights and preferences that may be applicable to any outstanding shares or series of preferred stock, holders of common stock are entitled to receive ratably in proportion to the shares of common stock held by them such dividends (payable in cash, stock or otherwise), if any, as may be declared from time to time by our board of directors out of funds legally available for dividend payments. All outstanding shares of common stock are fully paid and non-assessable. The holders of common stock have no preferences or rights of conversion, exchange, pre-emption or other subscription rights. There are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to the common stock. In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of our affairs, holders of common stock will be entitled to share ratably in our assets in proportion to the shares of common stock held by them that are remaining after payment or provision for payment of all of our debts and obligations and after distribution in full of preferential amounts to be distributed to holders of outstanding shares of preferred stock, if any.

Preferred Stock

          Our certificate of incorporation authorizes our board of directors, subject to any limitations prescribed by law and in our stockholders agreement, without further stockholder approval, to establish and to issue from time to time one or more classes or series of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share, covering up to an aggregate of 30,000,000 shares of preferred stock. Each class or series of preferred stock will cover the number of shares and will have the powers, preferences, rights, qualifications, limitations and restrictions determined by the board of directors, which may include, among others, dividend rights, liquidation preferences, voting rights, conversion rights, preemptive rights and redemption rights. Except as provided by law or in a preferred stock designation, the holders of preferred stock will not be entitled to vote at or receive notice of any meeting of stockholders.

Series A Preferred Stock

          In connection with the consummation of this offering, all 11,724,134 shares of outstanding Series A Preferred Stock will be automatically converted into shares of common stock at the

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applicable conversion price described in "Recent Events — Convertible Preferred Private Placement."

Anti-Takeover Effects of Provisions of Our Certificate of Incorporation, our Bylaws and Delaware Law

          Some provisions of Delaware law, our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws will contain provisions that could make the following transactions more difficult: acquisitions of us by means of a tender offer, a proxy contest or otherwise or removal of our directors. These provisions may also have the effect of preventing changes in our management. It is possible that these provisions could make it more difficult to accomplish or could deter transactions that stockholders may otherwise consider to be in their best interest or in our best interests, including transactions that might result in a premium over the market price for our shares.

          These provisions are expected to discourage coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids. These provisions are also designed to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to first negotiate with us. We believe that the benefits of increased protection and our potential ability to negotiate with the proponent of an unfriendly or unsolicited proposal to acquire or restructure us outweigh the disadvantages of discouraging these proposals because, among other things, negotiation of these proposals could result in an improvement of their terms.

Delaware Law

          Section 203 of the DGCL prohibits a Delaware corporation, including those whose securities are listed for trading on the NYSE, from engaging in any business combination (as defined in Section 203) with any interested stockholder (as defined in Section 203) for a period of three years following the date that the stockholder became an interested stockholder, unless:

          A corporation may elect not to be subject to Section 203 of the DGCL. We have elected to not be subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the DGCL.

Transfer Agent and Registrar

          The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is                          .

Listing

          We intend to apply to list of our common stock on the NYSE under the symbol "PUMP."

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SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE

          Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our common stock. Future sales of our common stock in the public market, or the availability of such shares for sale in the public market, could adversely affect the market price of our common stock prevailing from time to time. As described below, only a limited number of shares will be available for sale shortly after this offering due to contractual and legal restrictions on resale. Nevertheless, sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market after such restrictions lapse, or the perception that those sales may occur, could adversely affect the prevailing market price of our common stock at such time and our ability to raise equity-related capital at a time and price we deem appropriate.

Sales of Restricted Shares

          Upon completion of this offering, we will have outstanding an aggregate of                  shares of common stock, after giving effect to the                   for 1 stock split of our common stock and including shares of common stock issued upon the automatic conversion of the Series A Preferred Shares upon the consummation of this offering. Of these shares, all of the                  shares of common stock to be sold in this offering (or                  shares assuming the underwriters exercise the option to purchase additional shares in full) will be freely tradable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act, unless the shares are held by any of our "affiliates" as such term is defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act. All remaining shares of common stock will be deemed "restricted securities" as such term is defined under Rule 144. The restricted securities were, or will be, issued and sold by us in private transactions and are eligible for public sale only if registered under the Securities Act or if they qualify for an exemption from registration under Rule 144 or Rule 701 under the Securities Act, which rules are summarized below.

          As a result of the lock-up agreements described below and the provisions of Rule 144 and Rule 701 under the Securities Act, all of the shares of our common stock (excluding the shares to be sold in this offering) will be available for sale in the public market upon the expiration of the lock-up agreements, beginning 180 days after the date of this prospectus (subject to extension) and when permitted under Rule 144 or Rule 701.

Lock-up Agreements

          We, all of our directors and executive officers and holders of substantially all of our outstanding common stock will agree not to sell any common stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of common stock for a period of 180 days from the date of this prospectus, subject to certain exceptions. For a description of these lock-up provisions, please see the section entitled "Underwriting."

Rule 144

          In general, under Rule 144 under the Securities Act as currently in effect, a person (or persons whose shares are aggregated) who is not deemed to have been an affiliate of ours at any time during the three months preceding a sale, and who has beneficially owned restricted securities within the meaning of Rule 144 for a least six months (including any period of consecutive ownership of preceding non-affiliated holders) would be entitled to sell those shares, subject only to the availability of current public information about us. A non-affiliated person who has beneficially owned restricted securities within the meaning of Rule 144 for at least one year would be entitled to sell those shares without regard to the provisions of Rule 144.

          A person (or persons whose shares are aggregated) who is deemed to be an affiliate of ours and who has beneficially owned restricted securities within the meaning of Rule 144 for at least six

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months would be entitled to sell within any three-month period a number of shares that does not exceed the greater of one percent of the then outstanding shares of our common stock or the average weekly trading volume of our common stock reported through NYSE during the four calendar weeks preceding the filing of notice of the sale. Such sales are also subject to certain manner of sale provisions, notice requirements and the availability of current public information about us.

Rule 701

          In general, under Rule 701 under the Securities Act, any of our employees, directors, officers, consultants or advisors who purchases shares from us in connection with a compensatory stock or option plan or other written agreement before the effective date of this offering is entitled to sell such shares 90 days after the effective date of this offering in reliance on Rule 144, without having to comply with the holding period requirement of Rule 144 and, in the case of non-affiliates, without having to comply with the public information, volume limitation or notice filing provisions of Rule 144. The SEC has indicated that Rule 701 will apply to typical stock options granted by an issuer before it becomes subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, along with the shares acquired upon exercise of such options, including exercises after the date of this prospectus.

Stock Issued Under Employee Plans

          We intend to file a registration statement on Form S-8 under the Securities Act to register stock issuable under our 2013 Stock Option Plan and our 2017 Incentive Award Plan. This registration statement on Form S-8 is expected to be filed following the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part and will be effective upon filing. Accordingly, shares registered under such registration statement will be available for sale in the open market following the effective date, unless such shares are subject to vesting restrictions with us, Rule 144 restrictions applicable to our affiliates or the lock-up restrictions described above.

Registration Rights Agreement

          We have entered into a registration rights agreement with certain shareholders, including the selling shareholders. Pursuant to the registration rights agreement, we are required to cause a shelf registration statement to be filed as soon as permitted by the applicable securities laws. Also pursuant to the registration rights agreement, certain shareholders have the right to demand we undertake an underwritten offering of such shareholders' shares of our common stock at any time after the first anniversary of the consummation of this offering. Pursuant to this provision, Energy Capital Partners will have the right to demand up to five underwritten offerings, and Regiment will have the right to demand up to two underwritten offerings, so long as the minimum expected offering price is $15 million. In addition, shareholders have certain "piggyback" rights when we undertake an underwritten offering of shares of our common stock, subject to customary cutbacks.

Preferred Shareholder Registration Rights Agreement

          In connection with the recent sale of Series A Preferred Stock, we have entered into a registration rights agreement with the holders of Series A Preferred Stock. The Series A Preferred Stock will automatically convert in common stock upon the consummation of this offering. Pursuant to this registration rights agreement, we are required to use commercially reasonable efforts to cause a shelf registration statement for the converted common stock to become effective no later than 180 days following the consummation of this offering. Also pursuant to this registration rights agreement, each holder of converted Series A Preferred Stock has the right to demand we undertake an underwritten offering of such shareholders' shares of our common stock at any time

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after the six-month anniversary of the consummation of this offering up to a maximum of five underwritten offerings in the aggregate, each of which must have a minimum expected offering price of $15 million. In addition, holders have certain "piggyback" rights when we undertake an underwritten offering of shares of our common stock, subject to customary cutbacks.

Existing Shareholders Agreement

          We have entered into a shareholders agreement with certain of our shareholders pursuant to which certain shareholders are entitled to nominate directors to our board of directors, in addition to other transfer restrictions and pre-emptive rights with respect to our shares. This shareholders agreement will terminate upon the consummation of this offering.

Stockholders Agreement

          In connection with the consummation of this offering, we will enter into a new stockholders agreement with Energy Capital Partners. Please see "Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions — Stockholders Agreement."

Indemnification Agreements

          Our amended and restated bylaws will provide that we will indemnify our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by law. In addition, we intend to enter into separate indemnification agreements with our directors and certain officers. Each indemnification agreement will provide, among other things, for indemnification to the fullest extent permitted by law and our amended and restated bylaws against any and all expenses, judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement of any claim. The indemnification agreements will provide for the advancement or payment of all expenses to the indemnitee and for the reimbursement to us if it is found that such indemnitee is not entitled to such indemnification under applicable law and our amended and restated bylaws.

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MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES TO NON-U.S. HOLDERS

          The following discussion is a summary of the material U.S. federal income tax consequences to Non-U.S. Holders (as defined below) of the purchase, ownership and disposition of our common stock issued pursuant to this offering, but does not purport to be a complete analysis of all potential tax effects. The effects of other U.S. federal tax laws, such as estate and gift tax laws, and any applicable state, local or non-U.S. tax laws are not discussed. This discussion is based on the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder ("Treasury Regulations"), judicial decisions, and published rulings and administrative pronouncements of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS"), in each case as in effect as of the date hereof. These authorities may change or be subject to differing interpretations. Any such change or differing interpretation may be applied retroactively in a manner that could adversely affect a Non-U.S. Holder of our common stock. We have not sought and will not seek any rulings from the IRS regarding the matters discussed below. There can be no assurance the IRS or a court will not take a contrary position to those discussed below regarding the tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of our common stock.

          This discussion is limited to Non-U.S. Holders that hold our common stock as a "capital asset" within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code (generally, property held for investment). This discussion does not address all U.S. federal income tax consequences relevant to a Non-U.S. Holder's particular circumstances, including the impact of the Medicare contribution tax on net investment income. In addition, it does not address consequences relevant to Non-U.S. Holders subject to special rules, including, without limitation:

          If an entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes holds our common stock, the tax treatment of a partner in the partnership will depend on the status of the partner, the activities of the partnership and certain determinations made at the partner level. Accordingly,

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partnerships holding our common stock and partners in such partnerships should consult their tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences to them.

           THIS DISCUSSION IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TAX ADVICE. INVESTORS SHOULD CONSULT THEIR TAX ADVISORS WITH RESPECT TO THE APPLICATION OF THE U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX LAWS TO THEIR PARTICULAR SITUATIONS AS WELL AS ANY TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE PURCHASE, OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF OUR COMMON STOCK ARISING UNDER THE U.S. FEDERAL ESTATE OR GIFT TAX LAWS OR UNDER THE LAWS OF ANY STATE, LOCAL OR NON-U.S. TAXING JURISDICTION OR UNDER ANY APPLICABLE INCOME TAX TREATY.

Definition of a Non-U.S. Holder

          For purposes of this discussion, a "Non-U.S. Holder" is any beneficial owner of our common stock that is neither a "U.S. person" nor an entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. A U.S. person is any person that, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, is or is treated as any of the following:

Distributions

          As described in the section entitled "Dividend Policy" we do not anticipate declaring or paying dividends to holders of our common stock in the foreseeable future. However, if we do make distributions of cash or property on our common stock, such distributions will constitute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent paid from our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles. Amounts not treated as dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes will constitute a return of capital and first be applied against and reduce a Non-U.S. Holder's adjusted tax basis in its common stock, but not below zero. Any excess will be treated as capital gain and will be treated as described below under "—Sale or Other Taxable Disposition."

          Subject to the discussion below on effectively connected income, dividends paid to a Non-U.S. Holder of our common stock will be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax at a rate of 30% of the gross amount of the dividends (or such lower rate specified by an applicable income tax treaty, provided the Non-U.S. Holder furnishes to us or our paying agent prior to the payment of dividends a valid IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E (or other applicable documentation) certifying qualification for the lower treaty rate). A Non-U.S. Holder that does not timely furnish the required documentation, but that qualifies for a reduced treaty rate, may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld by timely filing an appropriate claim for refund with the IRS. Non-U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding their entitlement to benefits under any applicable income tax treaty.

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          If dividends paid to a Non-U.S. Holder are effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder's conduct of a trade or business within the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, the Non-U.S. Holder maintains a permanent establishment in the United States to which such dividends are attributable), the Non-U.S. Holder will be exempt from the U.S. federal withholding tax described above. To claim the exemption, the Non-U.S. Holder must furnish to the applicable withholding agent a valid IRS Form W-8ECI, certifying that the dividends are effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder's conduct of a trade or business within the United States.

          Any such effectively connected dividends will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net income basis at the regular graduated rates. A Non-U.S. Holder that is a corporation also may be subject to a branch profits tax at a rate of 30% (or such lower rate specified by an applicable income tax treaty) on its effectively connected earnings and profits (as adjusted for certain items), which will include such effectively connected dividends. Non-U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding any applicable tax treaties that may provide for different rules.

Sale or Other Taxable Disposition

          A Non-U.S. Holder will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on any gain realized upon the sale or other taxable disposition of our common stock unless:

          Gain described in the first bullet point above generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net income basis at the regular graduated rates. A Non-U.S. Holder that is a corporation also may be subject to a branch profits tax at a rate of 30% (or such lower rate specified by an applicable income tax treaty) on its effectively connected earnings and profits (as adjusted for certain items), which will include such effectively connected gain.

          A Non-U.S. Holder described in the second bullet point above will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or such lower rate specified by an applicable income tax treaty) on any gain derived from the disposition, which may generally be offset by U.S. source capital losses of the Non-U.S. Holder (even though the individual is not considered a resident of the United States), provided the Non-U.S. Holder has timely filed U.S. federal income tax returns with respect to such losses.

          With respect to the third bullet point above, we believe we currently are not, and do not anticipate becoming, a USRPHC. Because the determination of whether we are a USRPHC depends, however, on the fair market value of our USRPIs relative to the fair market value of our non-U.S. real property interests and our other business assets, there can be no assurance we currently are not a USRPHC or will not become one in the future. Even if we are or were to become a USRPHC, gain arising from the sale or other taxable disposition by a Non-U.S. Holder of our common stock will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax if our common stock is "regularly traded," as defined by applicable Treasury Regulations, on an established securities market, and such Non-U.S. Holder owned, actually and constructively, 5% or less of our common stock

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throughout the shorter of the five-year period ending on the date of the sale or other taxable disposition or the Non-U.S. Holder's holding period. If we were to become a USRPHC and our common stock were not considered to be "regularly traded" on an established securities market during the calendar year in which the relevant disposition by a Non-U.S. holder occurs, such Non-U.S. holder (regardless of the percentage of stock owned) would be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a sale or other taxable disposition of our common stock and a 15% withholding tax would apply to the gross proceeds from such disposition.

          Non-U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding potentially applicable income tax treaties that may provide for different rules.

Information Reporting and Backup Withholding

          Payments of dividends on our common stock will not be subject to backup withholding, provided the applicable withholding agent does not have actual knowledge or reason to know the Non-U.S. Holder is a United States person and the Non-U.S. Holder either certifies its non-U.S. status, such as by furnishing a valid IRS Form W-8BEN, W-8BEN-E or W-8ECI, or otherwise establishes an exemption. However, information returns are required to be filed with the IRS in connection with any dividends on our common stock paid to the Non-U.S. Holder, regardless of whether any tax was actually withheld. In addition, proceeds of the sale or other taxable disposition of our common stock within the United States or conducted through certain U.S.-related brokers generally will not be subject to backup withholding or information reporting if the applicable withholding agent receives the certification described above and does not have actual knowledge or reason to know that such Non-U.S. Holder is a United States person, or the Non-U.S. Holder otherwise establishes an exemption. Proceeds of a disposition of our common stock conducted through a non-U.S. office of a non-U.S. broker generally will not be subject to backup withholding or information reporting.

          Copies of information returns that are filed with the IRS may also be made available under the provisions of an applicable treaty or agreement to the tax authorities of the country in which the Non-U.S. Holder resides or is established.

          Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules may be allowed as a refund or a credit against a Non-U.S. Holder's U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.

Additional Withholding Tax on Payments Made to Foreign Accounts

          Withholding taxes may be imposed under Sections 1471 to 1474 of the Code (such Sections commonly referred to as the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, or "FATCA") on certain types of payments made to non-U.S. financial institutions and certain other non-U.S. entities. Specifically, a 30% withholding tax may be imposed on dividends on, or gross proceeds from the sale or other disposition of, our common stock paid to a "foreign financial institution" or a "non-financial foreign entity" (each as defined in the Code) (including, in some cases, when such foreign financial institution or non-financial foreign entity is acting as an intermediary), unless (1) the foreign financial institution undertakes certain diligence and reporting obligations, (2) the non-financial foreign entity either certifies it does not have any "substantial United States owners" (as defined in the Code) or furnishes identifying information regarding each direct and indirect substantial United States owner, or (3) the foreign financial institution or non-financial foreign entity otherwise qualifies for an exemption from these rules. If the payee is a foreign financial institution and is subject to the diligence and reporting requirements in (1) above, it must enter into an agreement with the U.S. Department of the Treasury requiring, among other things, that it undertake to identify accounts held by certain "specified United States persons" or "United States-owned foreign entities" (each

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as defined in the Code), annually report certain information about such accounts, and withhold 30% on certain payments to non-compliant foreign financial institutions and certain other account holders. Foreign financial institutions located in jurisdictions that have an intergovernmental agreement with the United States governing FATCA may be subject to different rules.

          Under the applicable Treasury Regulations and administrative guidance, withholding under FATCA generally applies to payments of dividends on our common stock, and will apply to payments of gross proceeds from the sale or other disposition of such stock on or after January 1, 2019.

          Prospective investors should consult their tax advisors regarding the potential application of withholding under FATCA to their investment in our common stock.

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UNDERWRITING

          The Company, the selling stockholders and the underwriters named below have entered into an underwriting agreement with respect to the shares being offered. Subject to certain conditions, each underwriter has severally agreed to purchase the number of shares indicated in the following table. Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Barclays Capital Inc. are the representatives of the underwriters.

Underwriters
  Number of
Shares
 
 

Goldman, Sachs & Co. 

       

Barclays Capital Inc. 

       

Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC

       

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

       

Evercore Group L.L.C. 

       

RBC Capital Markets, LLC

       

Piper Jaffray & Co.

       

Raymond James & Associates, Inc. 

       

Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. Securities, Inc. 

       

Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. 

       

Johnson Rice & Company L.L.C. 

       

Total

       

          The underwriters are committed to take and pay for all of the shares being offered, if any are taken, other than the shares covered by the option described below unless and until this option is exercised.

          The underwriters have an option to buy up to an additional             shares from the selling stockholders to cover sales by the underwriters of a greater number of shares than the total number set forth in the table above. They may exercise that option for 30 days. If any shares are purchased pursuant to this option, the underwriters will severally purchase shares in approximately the same proportion as set forth in the table above.

          The following table shows the per share and total underwriting discounts and commissions to be paid to the underwriters by us and the selling stockholders. Such amounts are shown assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the underwriters' option to purchase             additional shares.

    Per Share     Total
 

  Without
Option
Exercise
 
  With
Option
Exercise
 
  Without
Option
Exercise
 
  With
Option
Exercise
 
 

Underwriting Discounts and Commissions paid by us

  $     $     $     $    

Underwriting Discounts and Commissions paid by the selling stockholders

  $     $     $     $    

          The expenses of this offering that have been paid or are payable by us are estimated to be approximately $1.8 million (excluding underwriting discounts and commissions). We have agreed to pay expenses incurred by the selling stockholders in connection with this offering, other than the underwriting discounts and commissions. We have also agreed to reimburse the underwriters for certain of their expenses in an amount up to $             .

          Shares sold by the underwriters to the public will initially be offered at the initial public offering price set forth on the cover of this prospectus. Any shares sold by the underwriters to securities dealers may be sold at a discount of up to $             per share from the initial public offering price.

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After the initial offering of the shares, the representatives may change the offering price and the other selling terms. The offering of the shares by the underwriters is subject to receipt and acceptance and subject to the underwriters' right to reject any order in whole or in part.

          The Company and its officers, directors, and holders of substantially all of the Company's common stock have agreed with the underwriters, subject to certain exceptions, not to dispose of or hedge any of their common stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of common stock, and the Company has agreed not to file a registration statement in respect of any common stock or securities convertible or exchangeable into common stock, during the period from the date of this prospectus continuing through the date 180 days after the date of this prospectus, except with the prior written consent of Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Barclays Capital Inc. This agreement does not apply to any existing employee benefit plans or to the registration of the sale of shares issuable upon conversion of our Series A Preferred Stock, as required by the registration rights agreement with the holders of Series A Preferred Stock. See "Shares Available for Future Sale" for a discussion of certain transfer restrictions.

          Prior to the offering, there has been no public market for the shares. The initial public offering price has been negotiated among the Company and the representatives. Among the factors to be considered in determining the initial public offering price of the shares, in addition to prevailing market conditions, will be the Company's historical performance, estimates of the business potential and earnings prospects of the Company, an assessment of the Company's management and the consideration of the above factors in relation to market valuation of companies in related businesses.

          An application has been made to list our common stock on the NYSE under the symbol "PUMP." In order to meet one of the requirements for listing the common stock on the NYSE, the underwriters have undertaken to sell lots of 100 or more shares to a minimum of 400 beneficial holders.

          In connection with the offering, the underwriters may purchase and sell shares of common stock in the open market. These transactions may include short sales, stabilizing transactions and purchases to cover positions created by short sales. Short sales involve the sale by the underwriters of a greater number of shares than they are required to purchase in the offering, and a short position represents the amount of such sales that have not been covered by subsequent purchases. A "covered short position" is a short position that is not greater than the amount of additional shares for which the underwriters' option described above may be exercised. The underwriters may cover any covered short position by either exercising their option to purchase additional shares or purchasing shares in the open market. In determining the source of shares to cover the covered short position, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of shares available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which they may purchase additional shares pursuant to the option described above. "Naked" short sales are any short sales that create a short position greater than the amount of additional shares for which the option described above may be exercised. The underwriters must cover any such naked short position by purchasing shares in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of the common stock in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in the offering. Stabilizing transactions consist of various bids for or purchases of common stock made by the underwriters in the open market prior to the completion of the offering.

          The underwriters may also impose a penalty bid. This occurs when a particular underwriter repays to the underwriters a portion of the underwriting discount received by it because the representatives have repurchased shares sold by or for the account of such underwriter in stabilizing or short covering transactions.

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          Purchases to cover a short position and stabilizing transactions, as well as other purchases by the underwriters for their own accounts, may have the effect of preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the Company's stock, and together with the imposition of the penalty bid, may stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the market price of the common stock. As a result, the price of the common stock may be higher than the price that otherwise might exist in the open market. The underwriters are not required to engage in these activities and may end any of these activities at any time. These transactions may be effected on the NYSE, in the over-the-counter market or otherwise.

European Economic Area

          In relation to each Member State of the European Economic Area which has implemented the Prospectus Directive (each, a "Relative Member State") an offer to the public of our common shares may not be made in that Relevant Member State, except that an offer to the public in that Relevant Member State of our common shares may be made at any time under the following exemptions under the Prospectus Directive:

provided that no such offer or shares of our common stock shall result in a requirement for the publication by us or any Brazilian placement agent of a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive.

          For the purposes of this provision, the expression an "offer to public" in relation to our common shares in any Relevant Member State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and our common shares to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase our common shares, as the same may be varied in that Member State by any measure implementing the Prospectus Directive in that Member State, the expression "Prospectus Directive" means Directive 2003/71/EC (as amended), including by Directive 2010/73/EU and includes any relevant implementing measure in the Relevant Member State.

          This European Economic Area selling restriction is in addition to any other selling restrictions set out below.

United Kingdom

          In the United Kingdom, this prospectus is only addressed to and directed as qualified investors who are (i) investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the Order); or (ii) high net worth entities and other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated, falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as "relevant persons"). Any investment or investment activity to which this prospectus relates is available only to relevant persons and will only be engaged with relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should not act or relay on this prospectus or any of its contents.

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Canada

          The securities may be sold in Canada only to purchasers purchasing, or deemed to be purchasing, as principal that are accredited investors, as defined in National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions or subsection 73.3(1) of the Securities Act (Ontario), and are permitted clients, as defined in National Instrument 31-103 Registration Requirements, Exemptions, and Ongoing Registrant Obligations. Any resale of the securities must be made in accordance with an exemption form, or in a transaction not subject to, the prospectus requirements of applicable securities laws.

          Securities legislation in certain provinces or territories of Canada may provide a purchaser with remedies for rescission or damages if this offering memorandum (including any amendment thereto) contains a misrepresentation, provided that the remedies for rescission or damages are exercised by the purchaser within the time limit prescribed by the securities legislation of the purchaser's province or territory. The purchaser should refer to any applicable provisions of the securities legislation of the purchaser's province or territory of these rights or consult with a legal advisor.

          Pursuant to section 3A.3 of National Instrument 33-105 Underwriting Conflicts (NI 33-105), the underwriters are not required to comply with the disclosure requirements of NI 33-105 regarding underwriter conflicts of interest in connection with this offering.

Hong Kong

          The shares may not be offered or sold in Hong Kong by means of any document other than (i) in circumstances which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Cap. 32 of the Laws of Hong Kong) ("Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance") or which do not constitute an invitation to the public within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571 of the Laws of Hong Kong) ("Securities and Futures Ordinance"), or (ii) to "professional investors" as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance and any rules made thereunder, or (iii) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a "prospectus" as defined in the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance, and no advertisement, invitation or document relating to the shares may be issued or may be in the possession of any person for the purpose of issue (in each case whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere), which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public in Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the securities laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to shares which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to "professional investors" in Hong Kong as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance and any rules made thereunder.

Singapore

          This prospectus has not been registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, this prospectus and any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of the shares may not be circulated or distributed, nor may the shares be offered or sold, or be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, whether directly or indirectly, to persons in Singapore other than (i) to an institutional investor (as defined under Section 4A of the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore (the "SFA")) under Section 274 of the SFA, (ii) to a relevant person (as defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA) pursuant to Section 275(1) of the SFA, or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A) of the SFA, and in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275 of the

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SFA or (iii) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the SFA, in each case subject to conditions set forth in the SFA.

          Where the shares are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a relevant person which is a corporation (which is not an accredited investor (as defined in Section 4A of the SFA)) the sole business of which is to hold investments and the entire share capital of which is owned by one or more individuals, each of whom is an accredited investor, the securities (as defined in Section 239(1) of the SFA) of that corporation shall not be transferable for 6 months after that corporation has acquired the shares under Section 275 of the SFA except: (1) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the SFA or to a relevant person (as defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA), (2) where such transfer arises from an offer in that corporation's securities pursuant to Section 275(1A) of the SFA, (3) where no consideration is or will be given for the transfer, (4) where the transfer is by operation of law, (5) as specified in Section 276(7) of the SFA, or (6) as specified in Regulation 32 of the Securities and Futures (Offers of Investments) (Shares and Debentures) Regulations 2005 of Singapore ("Regulation 32")

          Where the shares are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a relevant person which is a trust (where the trustee is not an accredited investor (as defined in Section 4A of the SFA)) whose sole purpose is to hold investments and each beneficiary of the trust is an accredited investor, the beneficiaries' rights and interest (howsoever described) in that trust shall not be transferable for 6 months after that trust has acquired the shares under Section 275 of the SFA except: (1) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the SFA or to a relevant person (as defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA), (2) where such transfer arises from an offer that is made on terms that such rights or interest are acquired at a consideration of not less than S$200,000 (or its equivalent in a foreign currency) for each transaction (whether such amount is to be paid for in cash or by exchange of securities or other assets), (3) where no consideration is or will be given for the transfer, (4) where the transfer is by operation of law, (5) as specified in Section 276(7) of the SFA, or (6) as specified in Regulation 32.

Japan

          The securities have not been and will not be registered under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act of Japan (Act No. 25 of 1948, as amended), or the FIEA. The securities may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to or for the benefit of any resident of Japan (including any person resident in Japan or any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan) or to others for reoffering or resale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to or for the benefit of any resident of Japan, except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the FIEA and otherwise in compliance with any relevant laws and regulations of Japan.

Directed Share Program

          At our request, the underwriters have reserved for sale at the initial public offering price up to           of the shares offered hereby (approximately         %) for officers, directors, employees and certain other persons associated with us. The number of shares available for sale to the general public will be reduced to the extent such persons purchase such reserved shares. Any reserved shares not so purchased will be offered by the underwriters to the general public on the same basis as the other shares offered hereby. Any participants in this program shall be prohibited from selling, pledging or assigning any shares sold to them pursuant to this program for a period of        days after the date of this prospectus.

          The Company and the selling shareholders have agreed to indemnify the several underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933.

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          The underwriters and their respective affiliates are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include sales and trading, commercial and investment banking, advisory, investment management, investment research, principal investment, hedging, market making, brokerage and other financial and non-financial activities and services. Certain of the underwriters and their respective affiliates have provided, and may in the future provide, a variety of these services to the issuer and to persons and entities with relationships with the issuer, for which they received or will receive customary fees and expenses.

          In the ordinary course of their various business activities, the underwriters and their respective affiliates, officers, directors and employees may purchase, sell or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade securities, derivatives, loans, commodities, currencies, credit default swaps and other financial instruments for their own account and for the accounts of their customers, and such investment and trading activities may involve or relate to assets, securities and/or instruments of the issuer (directly, as collateral securing other obligations or otherwise) and/or persons and entities with relationships with the issuer. The underwriters and their respective affiliates may also communicate independent investment recommendations, market color or trading ideas and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such assets, securities or instruments and may at any time hold, or recommend to clients that they should acquire, long and/or short positions in such assets, securities and instruments.

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LEGAL MATTERS

          The validity of the shares of common stock offered by this prospectus will be passed upon for us by Latham & Watkins LLP, Houston, Texas. Certain legal matters in connection with this offering will be passed upon for the underwriters by Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., Houston, Texas.

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EXPERTS

          The consolidated financial statements included in this Prospectus have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report appearing herein. Such consolidated financial statements have been so included in reliance upon the report of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

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WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

          We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-1 relating to the shares of common stock offered by this prospectus. This prospectus, which constitutes a part of the registration statement, does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement. For further information regarding us and the shares of common stock offered by this prospectus, we refer you to the full registration statement, including its exhibits and schedules, filed under the Securities Act. The registration statement, of which this prospectus constitutes a part, including its exhibits and schedules, may be inspected and copied at the SEC's Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Copies of the materials may also be obtained from the SEC at prescribed rates by writing to the Public Reference Room. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330.

          The SEC maintains a website at http://www.sec.gov that contains reports, information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. Our registration statement, of which this prospectus constitutes a part, can be downloaded from the SEC's website. After the completion of this offering, we will file with or furnish to the SEC periodic reports and other information. These reports and other information may be inspected and copied at the Public Reference Room maintained by the SEC or obtained from the SEC's website as provided above. Following the completion of this offering, our website will be located at http://www.                    .com. We intend to make our periodic reports and other information filed with or furnished to the SEC available, free of charge, through our website, as soon as reasonably practicable after those reports and other information are electronically filed with or furnished to the SEC. Information on our website or any other website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus and does not constitute a part of this prospectus.

          We intend to furnish or make available to our shareholders annual reports containing our audited financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. We also intend to furnish or make available to our shareholders quarterly reports containing our unaudited interim financial information, including the information required by Form 10-Q, for the first three fiscal quarters of each fiscal year.

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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

          This prospectus contains forward-looking statements. Statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions or that include the words "may," "could," "plan," "project," "budget," "predict," "pursue," "target," "seek," "objective," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," and other expressions that are predictions of or indicate future events and trends and that do not relate to historical matters identify forward-looking statements. Our forward-looking statements include statements about our business strategy, our industry, our future profitability, our expected capital expenditures and the impact of such expenditures on our performance, the costs of being a publicly traded corporation and our capital programs.

          A forward-looking statement may include a statement of the assumptions or bases underlying the forward-looking statement. We believe that we have chosen these assumptions or bases in good faith and that they are reasonable. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. You should also understand that it is not possible to predict or identify all such factors and should not consider the following list to be a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the results contemplated by such forward-looking statements include:

          You should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Although forward-looking statements reflect our good faith beliefs at the time they are made, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including the factors described under "Risk Factors," which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or

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implied by such forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise, unless required by law. These cautionary statements qualify all forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf.

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GLOSSARY OF OIL AND NATURAL GAS TERMS

          Acidizing.     The pumping of acid into the wellbore to remove near-well formation damage and other damaging substances. This procedure commonly enhances production by increasing the effective well radius. When performed at pressures above the pressure required to fracture the formation, the procedure is often referred to as acid fracturing.

          Air drilling.     A drilling technique whereby gases (typically compressed air or nitrogen) are used to cool the drill bit and lift cuttings out of the wellbore, instead of the more conventional use of liquids. The advantages of air drilling are that it is usually much faster than drilling with liquids and it may eliminate lost circulation problems. The disadvantages are the inability to control the influx of formation fluid into the wellbore and the destabilization of the borehole wall in the absence of the wellbore pressure typically provided by liquids

          Blowout.     An uncontrolled flow of reservoir fluids into the wellbore, and sometimes catastrophically to the surface. A blowout may consist of salt water, oil, natural gas or a mixture of these. Blowouts can occur in all types of exploration and production operations, not just during drilling operations. If reservoir fluids flow into another formation and do not flow to the surface, the result is called an underground blowout. If the well experiencing a blowout has significant open-hole intervals, it is possible that the well will bridge over (or seal itself with rock fragments from collapsing formations) down-hole and intervention efforts will be averted.

          Cementing.     To use pressure pumping equipment to deliver a slurry of liquid cement that is pumped down a well between the casing and the borehole. Cementing provides isolation between fluid zones behind the casing to minimize potential damage to hydrocarbon bearing formations or the freshwater aquifers, and provides structural integrity for the casing by securing it to the earth.

          Coiled tubing.     A long, continuous length of pipe wound on a spool. The pipe is straightened prior to pushing into a wellbore and rewound to coil the pipe back onto the transport and storage spool. Depending on the pipe diameter (1 in. to 4 1 / 2 in.) and the spool size, coiled tubing can range from 2,000 ft. to 15,000 ft. (610 m to 4,570 m) or greater length.

          Completion.     A generic term used to describe the assembly of down-hole tubulars and equipment required to enable safe and efficient production from an oil or gas well. The point at which the completion process begins may depend on the type and design of the well.

          Downhole.     Pertaining to or in the wellbore (as opposed to being on the surface).

          Downhole motor.     A drilling motor located in the drill string above the drilling bit powered by the flow of drilling mud. Down-hole motors are used to increase the speed and efficiency of the drill bit or can be used to steer the bit in directional drilling operations. Drilling motors have become very popular because of horizontal and directional drilling applications and the increase of day rates for drilling rigs.

          Drilling rig.     The machine used to drill a wellbore.

          Flowback.     The process of allowing fluids to flow from the well following a treatment, either in preparation for a subsequent phase of treatment or in preparation for cleanup and returning the well to production.

          Frac sand.     A proppant used in the completion and re-completion of unconventional oil and natural gas wells to stimulate and maintain oil and natural gas production through the process of hydraulic fracturing.

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          Frac stage.     A specified portion of the section of the wellbore that is being stimulated through hydraulic fracturing techniques. The average number of frac stages per horizontal well has increased dramatically as hydraulic fracturing has become standard industry practice and as the lateral lengths of horizontal wells has increased.

          Horizontal drilling.     A subset of the more general term "directional drilling," used where the departure of the wellbore from vertical exceeds about 80 degrees. Note that some horizontal wells are designed such that after reaching true 90-degree horizontal, the wellbore may actually start drilling upward. In such cases, the angle past 90 degrees is continued, as in 95 degrees, rather than reporting it as deviation from vertical, which would then be 85 degrees. Because a horizontal well typically penetrates a greater length of the reservoir, it can offer significant production improvement over a vertical well.

          Hydraulic fracturing.     A stimulation treatment routinely performed on oil and gas wells in low permeability reservoirs. Specially engineered fluids are pumped at high pressure and rate into the reservoir interval to be treated, causing a vertical fracture to open. The wings of the fracture extend away from the wellbore in opposing directions according to the natural stresses within the formation. Proppant, such as grains of sand of a particular size, is mixed with the treatment fluid to keep the fracture open when the treatment is complete. Hydraulic fracturing creates high-conductivity communication with a large area of formation and bypasses any damage that may exist in the near-wellbore area.

          Hydrocarbon.     A naturally occurring organic compound comprising hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbons can be as simple as methane, but many are highly complex molecules, and can occur as gases, liquids or solids. Petroleum is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons. The most common hydrocarbons are natural gas, oil and coal.

          Natural gas liquids.     Components of natural gas that are liquid at surface in field facilities or in gas-processing plants. Natural gas liquids can be classified according to their vapor pressures as low (condensate), intermediate (natural gasoline) and high (liquefied petroleum gas) vapor pressure.

          Plugging.     The process of permanently closing oil and gas wells no longer capable of producing in economic quantities. Plugging work can be performed with a well servicing rig along with wireline and cementing equipment; however, this service is typically provided by companies that specialize in plugging work.

          Pressure pumping.     Services that include the pumping of liquids under pressure.

          Producing formation.     An underground rock formation from which oil, natural gas or water is produced. Any porous rock will contain fluids of some sort, and all rocks at considerable distance below the Earth's surface will initially be under pressure, often related to the hydrostatic column of ground waters above the reservoir. To produce, rocks must also have permeability, or the capacity to permit fluids to flow through them.

          Proppant.     Sized particles mixed with fracturing fluid to hold fractures open after a hydraulic fracturing treatment. In addition to naturally occurring sand grains, man-made or specially engineered proppants, such as resin-coated sand or high-strength ceramic materials like sintered bauxite, may also be used. Proppant materials are carefully sorted for size and sphericity to provide an efficient conduit for production of fluid from the reservoir to the wellbore.

          Shale.     A fine-grained, fissile, sedimentary rock formed by consolidation of clay- and silt-sized particles into thin, relatively impermeable layers.

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          Stimulation.     A treatment performed to restore or enhance the productivity of a well. Stimulation treatments fall into two main groups, hydraulic fracturing treatments and matrix treatments. Fracturing treatments are performed above the fracture pressure of the reservoir formation and create a highly conductive flow path between the reservoir and the wellbore. Matrix treatments are performed below the reservoir fracture pressure and generally are designed to restore the natural permeability of the reservoir following damage to the near-wellbore area. Stimulation in shale gas reservoirs typically takes the form of hydraulic fracturing treatments.

          Unconventional resource.     An umbrella term for oil and natural gas that is produced by means that do not meet the criteria for conventional production. What has qualified as "unconventional" at any particular time is a complex function of resource characteristics, the available exploration and production technologies, the economic environment, and the scale, frequency and duration of production from the resource. Perceptions of these factors inevitably change over time and often differ among users of the term. At present, the term is used in reference to oil and gas resources whose porosity, permeability, fluid trapping mechanism, or other characteristics differ from conventional sandstone and carbonate reservoirs. Coalbed methane, gas hydrates, shale gas, fractured reservoirs and tight gas sands are considered unconventional resources.

          Utilization.     The percentage of our fleet in use by our customers at the applicable time or for the applicable period of determination.

          Wellbore.     The physical conduit from surface into the hydrocarbon reservoir.

          Workover.     The process of performing major maintenance or remedial treatments on an oil or gas well. In many cases, workover implies the removal and replacement of the production tubing string after the well has been killed and a workover rig has been placed on location. Through-tubing workover operations, using coiled tubing, snubbing or slickline equipment, are routinely conducted to complete treatments or well service activities that avoid a full workover where the tubing is removed. This operation saves considerable time and expense.

          Zipper frac.     A hydraulic fracturing process where hydraulic fracturing operations are carried out concurrently at two or more parallel horizontal wellbores. In this process, one well holds frac pressure, while the adjacent well is stimulated through hydraulic fracturing. Hydraulic fracturing is alternated between each well, so the fracturing stages are placed opposite each other, resembling the teeth of a zipper.

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INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

ProPetro Holding Corp.

Historical Consolidated Financial Statements

Audited Consolidated Financial Statements for the Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015:

       

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

   
F-2
 

Consolidated Balance Sheets

    F-3  

Consolidated Statements of Operations

    F-4  

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders' Equity

    F-5  

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

    F-6  

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

    F-7  

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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Board of Directors and Shareholders of
ProPetro Holding Corp. and Subsidiary
Midland, Texas

          We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of ProPetro Holding Corp. and Subsidiary (the "Company") as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, and the related consolidated statements of operations, changes in shareholders' equity and cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2016. These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our audits.

          We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. Our audits included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

          In our opinion, such consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2016, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

/s/ DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP    

Houston, Texas
February 22, 2017

 

 

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PROPETRO HOLDING CORP. AND SUBSIDIARY
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2016 AND 2015

  2016     2015    

ASSETS

             

CURRENT ASSETS:

   
 
   
 
 

Cash and cash equivalents

  $ 133,595,602   $ 34,310,323  

Accounts receivable — net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $551,909 and $845,681, respectively

    115,178,992     90,290,905  

Inventories

    4,712,850     8,572,015  

Prepaid expenses

    4,608,862     4,488,180  

Other current assets

    6,683,739     803,828  

Total current assets

    264,780,045     138,465,251  

PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT — Net of accumulated depreciation

    263,861,645     291,838,498  

OTHER NONCURRENT ASSETS:

             

Goodwill

    9,424,999     10,602,147  

Intangible assets — net of amortization

    589,039     877,027  

Deferred revenue rebate — net of amortization

    2,461,669     4,307,921  

Other noncurrent assets

    304,901     363,490  

Total other noncurrent assets

    12,780,608     16,150,585  

TOTAL ASSETS

  $ 541,422,298   $ 446,454,334  

LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY

             

CURRENT LIABILITIES:

   
 
   
 
 

Accounts payable

  $ 129,092,821   $ 87,365,143  

Accrued liabilities

    13,619,471     7,051,915  

Current portion of long-term debt

    16,920,074     16,295,302  

Accrued interest payable

    108,337     76,794  

Total current liabilities

    159,740,703     110,789,154  

DEFERRED INCOME TAXES

   
1,148,470
   
29,120,052
 

LONG-TERM DEBT — Net of deferred loan costs

    159,407,085     236,875,829  

OTHER LONG-TERM LIABILITIES

    116,553     98,068  

Total liabilities

    320,412,811     376,883,103  

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (Note 17)

             

SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY:

   
 
   
 
 

Preferred stock, $0.001 par value — 30,000,000 shares authorized and 11,724,134 and 0 shares issued and outstanding at 2016 and 2015, respectively

    11,724      

Preferred stock, additional paid-in capital

    162,499,450      

Common stock, $0.001 par value — 200,000,000 shares authorized and 36,294,936 and 24,132,871 shares issued and outstanding at 2016 and 2015, respectively

    36,295     24,133  

Common stock, additional paid-in capital

    265,371,527     223,309,211  

Accumulated deficit

    (206,909,509 )   (153,762,113 )

Total shareholders' equity

    221,009,487     69,571,231  

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY

  $ 541,422,298   $ 446,454,334  

   

See notes to consolidated financial statements.

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PROPETRO HOLDING CORP. AND SUBSIDIARY

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2016 AND 2015

  2016     2015    

REVENUE — Total service revenue

  $ 436,920,270   $ 569,617,758  

COSTS AND EXPENSES:

             

Cost of services (exclusive of depreciation and amortization)

    404,140,241     483,337,584  

General and administrative (inclusive of stock-based compensation)

    26,613,123     27,369,740  

Depreciation and amortization

    43,541,679     50,133,993  

Property and equipment impairment expense

    6,305,426     36,609,332  

Goodwill impairment expense

    1,177,148      

Loss on disposal of assets

    22,528,670     21,267,985  

Total costs and expenses

    504,306,287     618,718,634  

OPERATING LOSS

    (67,386,017 )   (49,100,876 )

OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):

             

Interest expense

    (20,386,695 )   (21,641,454 )

Gain on extinguishment of debt

    6,974,805      

Other expense

    (321,071 )   (497,924 )

Total other expense

    (13,732,961 )   (22,139,378 )

LOSS BEFORE INCOME TAXES

    (81,118,978 )   (71,240,254 )

INCOME TAX BENEFIT

    (27,971,582 )   (25,387,570 )

NET LOSS

  $ (53,147,396 ) $ (45,852,684 )

NET LOSS PER COMMON SHARE:

             

Basic

  $ (1.72 ) $ (1.90 )

Diluted

  $ (1.72 ) $ (1.90 )

WEIGHTED AVERAGE COMMON SHARES OUTSTANDING:

             

Basic

    30,887,370     24,132,871  

Diluted

    30,887,370     24,132,871  

   

See notes to consolidated financial statements.

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PROPETRO HOLDING CORP. AND SUBSIDIARY

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2016 AND 2015

  Preferred
Stock
 
  Preferred
Additional
Paid-In
Capital
 
  Common
Stock
 
  Common
Additional
Paid-In
Capital
 
  Accumulated
Deficit
 
  Total    

BALANCE — January 1, 2015

  $   $   $ 24,133   $ 222,070,387   $ (107,909,429 ) $ 114,185,091  

Stock-based compensation cost

                1,238,824         1,238,824  

Net loss

                    (45,852,684 )   (45,852,684 )

BALANCE — December 31, 2015

  $   $   $ 24,133   $ 223,309,211   $ (153,762,113 ) $ 69,571,231  

BALANCE — January 1, 2016

  $   $   $ 24,133   $ 223,309,211   $ (153,762,113 ) $ 69,571,231  

Stock-based compensation cost

                1,649,282         1,649,282  

Additional common equity capitalization

            12,162     40,413,034         40,425,196  

Preferred equity capitalization, net of costs

    11,724     162,499,450                     162,511,174  

Net loss

                    (53,147,396 )   (53,147,396 )

BALANCE — December 31, 2016

  $ 11,724   $ 162,499,450   $ 36,295   $ 265,371,527   $ (206,909,509 ) $ 221,009,487  

   

See notes to consolidated financial statements.

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PROPETRO HOLDING CORP. AND SUBSIDIARY

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2016 and 2015

  2016     2015    

CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:

             

Net loss

  $ (53,147,396 ) $ (45,852,684 )

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities:

             

Depreciation and amortization

    43,541,679     50,133,993  

Gain on extinguishment of debt

    (6,974,805 )    

Property and equipment impairment expense

    6,305,426     36,609,332  

Goodwill impairment expense

    1,177,148      

Deferred income tax benefit

    (27,971,582 )   (23,944,640 )

Amortization of deferred revenue rebate

    1,846,251     1,846,251  

Amortization of deferred debt issuance costs

    2,090,874     1,351,202  

Stock-based compensation

    1,649,282     1,238,824  

Loss on disposal of assets

    22,528,670     21,267,985  

(Gain) loss on interest rate swap

    (205,422 )   260,168  

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

             

Accounts receivable

    (24,888,087 )   67,348,446  

Other current assets

    (562,897 )   8,666  

Inventories

    3,859,165     (622,494 )

Prepaid expenses

    (62,093 )   2,081,537  

Accounts payable

    37,047,563     (23,889,408 )

Accrued liabilities

    4,392,287     (6,294,956 )

Accrued interest

    31,544     (311,500 )

Net cash provided by operating activities

    10,657,607     81,230,722  

CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:

             

Capital expenditures

    (42,831,884 )   (62,855,418 )

Proceeds from sale of assets

    1,144,200     79,045  

Net cash used in investing activities

    (41,687,684 )   (62,776,373 )

CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:

             

Proceeds from borrowings

        60,718,300  

Repayments of borrowings

    (41,295,302 )   (73,781,755 )

Proceeds from insurance financing

    4,126,462     4,105,133  

Repayments of insurance financing

    (4,527,287 )   (6,257,342 )

Extinguishment of debt

    (30,000,000 )    

Payment of debt extinguishment costs

    (525,196 )    

Payment of debt issuance costs

    (139,543 )    

Proceeds from additional common equity capitalization

    40,425,196      

Proceeds from preferred equity capitalization

    169,999,943      

Payment of preferred equity capitalization costs

    (7,488,768 )    

Payment of deferred IPO costs

    (260,149 )    

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

    130,315,356     (15,215,664 )

NET INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS

    99,285,279     3,238,685  

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS — Beginning of year

    34,310,323     31,071,638  

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS — End of year

  $ 133,595,602   $ 34,310,323  

   

See notes to consolidated financial statements.

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PROPETRO HOLDING CORP. AND SUBSIDIARY

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS OF AND FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2016 AND 2015

1. ORGANIZATION AND HISTORY

          ProPetro Holding Corp. ("Holding"), a Texas corporation was formed on April 14, 2007, to serve as a holding company for its wholly owned subsidiary ProPetro Services, Inc. ("Services"), a Texas corporation. Services provide hydraulic fracturing, cementing, acidizing, coil tubing, permian drilling, surface drilling and flowback services to oil and gas producers, located primarily in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming.

          On March 4, 2013, a majority interest in the Company was purchased by Energy Capital Partners ("ECP"), an energy-focused private equity firm (see Note 18).

          On December 22, 2016, the Company restated and amended the Company's Shareholders Agreement and certificate of formation in the state of Texas, approving a reverse stock split, such that each holder of common stock of the Company shall receive one share of common stock for every 170.4667 shares of previous common stock held. In conjunction, the Company amended the amount of authorized shares to 230,000,000, of which 200,000,000 are common and 30,000,000 are preferred.

          Accordingly, any information related to or dependent upon the share or option counts in the comparative 2015 consolidated financial statements and Note 13 Net Loss per Share , Note 14  Stock-Based Compensation , and Note 18 Equity Capitalization have been updated to reflect the effect of the reverse stock split.

          Holding and Services are collectively referred to as the "Company" in the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

          A summary of the significant accounting policies consistently applied in the preparation of the accompanying consolidated financial statements are as follows:

           Principles of Consolidation — The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Holding and its wholly owned subsidiary, Services. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

           Basis of Presentation  — The accompanying consolidated financial statements and related notes have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) and in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP").

           Use of Estimates  — Management is required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Such estimates include, but are not limited to, allowance for doubtful accounts, depreciation of property and equipment, estimates of fair value of property and equipment, estimates related to fair value of reporting units for purposes of assessing goodwill, estimates related to deferred tax assets and liabilities, including any related valuation allowances, and estimates of fair value of stock-based compensation. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

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PROPETRO HOLDING CORP. AND SUBSIDIARY

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS OF AND FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2016 AND 2015 (Continued)

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

           Revenue Recognition  — The Company's services are sold based upon contracts or other agreements with the customer that include fixed or determinable prices and do not include other post-delivery obligations. Revenue for services is recognized as the services are rendered and when collectability is reasonably assured. Rates for services are typically determined per the contract or agreement with customers.

           Pressure Pumping  — Pressure pumping consists of downhole pumping services including hydraulic fracturing, acidizing and cementing. The Company recognizes revenues when services are performed, collection of the receivables is probable, and a price is fixed or determinable. The Company prices services for its pressure pumping by the job, project or day depending on the type of service performed and request from the customer.

           Drilling Services  — Drilling services consists of surface air drilling and permian drilling, whereby we drill a well for a customer to a certain depth using a drilling rig and related equipment. The Company recognizes revenues either on a "turnkey" contract basis, in which a fixed and set price for the job is determinable, on a "daywork" contract basis, in which a stated rate per day is fixed and determinable, or on a "footage" contract basis, in which a rate per feet drilled is fixed and determinable.

           Other Completion & Production Services  — Other completion & production services consists of coil tubing and flowback services whereby the Company recognizes revenues when services are performed either on a per job or per day or hourly rate, collections of receivables are probable, and a price is fixed or determinable.

           Cash and Cash Equivalents  — The Company considers highly liquid investments with initial maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents.

           Accounts Receivable  — Accounts receivables are stated at the amount billed and billable to customers. The Company's allowance for doubtful accounts is based on management's evaluations of the collectability of each accounts receivable based on the customer's payment history and general economic conditions. At December 31, 2016 and 2015, the allowance for doubtful accounts was $0.6 million and $0.8 million, respectively.

           Inventories  — Inventories, which consists only of raw materials, are stated at lower of average cost or market.

           Property and Equipment  — The Company's property and equipment are recorded at cost, less accumulated depreciation.

          Upon sale or retirement of property and equipment, the cost and related accumulated depreciation are removed from the balance sheet and the net amount, less proceeds from disposal, is recognized as a gain or loss in the statement of operations.

          The Company recorded a loss on disposal of assets of $22.5 million and $21.3 million for the years ended December 31 2016 and 2015, respectively. The recorded loss on disposal is primarily attributed to the increased service intensity of pressure pumping activity which has resulted in a shorter useful life and faster replacement of certain components of the pressure pumping equipment.

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PROPETRO HOLDING CORP. AND SUBSIDIARY

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS OF AND FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2016 AND 2015 (Continued)

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

           Depreciation  — Depreciation of property and equipment is provided on the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives:

Vehicles

  1 - 5 years

Equipment

  2 - 20 years

Leasehold improvements

  5 - 20 years

           Impairment of Long-Lived Assets  — In accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 360, Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets , the Company reviews its long-lived assets to be held and used whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying value of those assets may not be recoverable.

          An impairment loss is indicated if the sum of the expected future undiscounted cash flows attributable to the asset group is less than the carrying amount of such asset group. In this circumstance, the Company recognizes an impairment loss for the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset group exceeds the fair value of the asset group. The impairment recorded in 2015 was $36.6 million for property and equipment relating to the permian drilling and acidizing asset groups. The impairment recorded in 2016 was $6.3 million for property and equipment relating to the permian drilling asset group.

          The Company accounts for long-lived assets to be disposed of at the lower of their carrying amount or fair value, less cost to sell once management has committed to a plan to dispose of the assets.

           Goodwill  — Goodwill is the excess of the consideration transferred over the fair value of the tangible and identifiable intangible assets and liabilities recognized. Goodwill is not amortized. We perform an annual impairment test of goodwill as of December 31, or more frequently if circumstances indicate that impairment may exist. The determination of impairment is made by comparing the carrying amount of a reporting unit with its fair value, which is generally calculated using a combination of market and income approaches. If the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds the carrying value, no further testing is performed. If the fair value of the reporting unit is less than the carrying value, the implied fair value of reporting unit goodwill is calculated. The Company then compares the carrying value of goodwill to its implied fair value. In estimating the implied fair value of goodwill at the reporting unit, the Company assigns the fair value of the reporting unit to all of the assets and liabilities associated with the reporting unit as if the reporting unit had been acquired in a business combination. The excess of the fair value of the reporting unit over the amount assigned to the assets and liabilities of the reporting unit is the implied fair value of goodwill. If the carrying amount of goodwill exceeds the implied fair value of goodwill, an impairment loss is recognized for that difference.

          In 2014, we acquired Blackrock Drilling, Inc. ("Blackrock") for $1.8 million. The assets acquired from Blackrock were recorded as $0.6 million of equipment with the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the assets recorded as goodwill of $1.2 million. The acquisition complemented our existing drilling operations. The transaction has been accounted for using the acquisition method of accounting and, accordingly, assets and liabilities assumed were recorded at their fair values as of the acquisition date. Based on our goodwill impairment test as of December 31, 2016, the Company concluded that there was an impairment of goodwill of

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PROPETRO HOLDING CORP. AND SUBSIDIARY

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS OF AND FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2016 AND 2015 (Continued)

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

$1.2 million related to the Blackrock acquisition. No impairment was recorded during the year ended December 31, 2015. Prior to the impairment write-down in the current year, the goodwill related to the Blackrock acquisition of $1.2 million was recorded in the all other reportable segment.

          In 2011, we acquired Technology Stimulation Services, LLC ("TSS") for $24.4 million. The assets acquired from TSS were recorded as $15 million of equipment with the excess of the purchase price over fair value of the assets recorded as goodwill of $9.4 million. The acquisition complemented our existing pressure pumping business. The transaction has been accounted for using the acquisition method of accounting and, accordingly, assets and liabilities assumed were recorded at their fair values as of the acquisition date. Based on our goodwill impairment tests as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, we concluded that the goodwill related to TSS acquisition was determined not to be impaired. The goodwill related to the TSS acquisition of $9.4 million is recorded in the pressure pumping reportable segment.

           Intangible Assets  — Intangible assets with finite useful lives are amortized on a basis that reflects the pattern in which the economic benefits of the intangible assets are realized, which is generally on a straight-line basis over the asset's estimated useful life.

           Income Taxes  — Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method, which requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the consolidated financial statements. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined on the basis of differences between the consolidated financial statements and tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. The effect of a change in tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date.

          We recognize deferred tax assets to the extent that we believe these assets are more likely than not to be realized. In making such a determination, we consider all positive and negative evidence, including future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, projected future taxable income, and the results of recent operations. If we determine that we would be able to realize our deferred tax assets in the future in excess of their net recorded amount, we would make an adjustment to the deferred tax asset valuation allowance, which would reduce the provision for income taxes.

           Advertising Expense  — All advertising costs are expensed as incurred. For the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, advertising expense was $0.4 million and $0.9 million, respectively.

           Deferred Loan Costs  — The Company capitalized certain costs in connection with obtaining its borrowings, including lender, legal, and accounting fees. These costs are being amortized over the term of the related loan using the straight-line method (which approximates the interest method). Deferred loan costs amortization is included in interest expense. Unamortized deferred loan costs associated with loans paid off or refinanced with different lenders are charged off in the period in which such an event occurs. Deferred loan costs are classified as a reduction of long-term debt in the consolidated balance sheet. Amortization of deferred loan costs is recorded as interest expense in the statement of operations, and at December 31, 2016 and 2015, the amount of expense recorded was $2.1 million and $1.4 million, respectively.

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PROPETRO HOLDING CORP. AND SUBSIDIARY

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS OF AND FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2016 AND 2015 (Continued)

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

           Stock Based Compensation  — The Company recognizes the cost of stock-based awards on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of the award, which is usually the vesting period under the fair value method. Total compensation cost is measured on the grant date using fair value estimates.

           Insurance Financing  — The Company annually renews their commercial insurance policies and records a prepaid insurance asset and amortizes it monthly over the coverage period. The Company may choose to finance a portion of the premiums and will make repayments monthly over ten months in equal installments.

           Going Concern  — The Company annually evaluates its ability to continue as a going concern as required by Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2014-15, Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity's Ability to Continue as a Going Concern and if necessary, provides disclosures if there is any substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern.

           Concentration of Credit Risk  — The Company's assets that are potentially subject to concentrations of credit risk are cash and cash equivalents and trade accounts receivable. Cash balances are maintained in financial institutions, which at times exceed federally insured limits. The Company monitors the financial condition of the financial institutions in which accounts are maintained and has not experienced any losses in such accounts. The receivables of the Company are spread over a number of customers, a majority of which are operators and suppliers to the oil and natural gas industries. The Company performs ongoing credit evaluations as to the financial condition of its customers with respect to trade receivables.

           Recently Issued Accounting Standards  — In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) . ASU No. 2014-09 requires entities to recognize revenue to depict transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. ASU No. 2014-09 requires entities to disclose both qualitative and quantitative information that enables users of consolidated financial statements to understand the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers, including disclosure of significant judgments affecting the recognition of revenue. ASU No. 2014-09 was originally effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, using either the retrospective or cumulative effect transition method. On August 12, 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-14, which defers the effective date of the revenue standard, ASU No. 2014-09, by one year for all entities and permits early adoption on a limited basis. The Company believes that the adoption of this guidance will not materially affect the Company's revenue recognition. However, the Company will continue to evaluate and quantify the effect of the adoption of this guidance on its consolidated financial statements.

          On July 22, 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-11, Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory, which requires entities to measure most inventory "at the lower of cost and net realizable value," thereby simplifying the current guidance under which an entity must measure inventory at the lower of cost or market. ASU No. 2015-11 does not apply to inventories that are measured by using either the last-in, first-out method or the retail inventory method. The amendments in ASU No. 2015-11 are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016. The Company is currently evaluating the effect of the adoption of this guidance on the consolidated financial statements.

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PROPETRO HOLDING CORP. AND SUBSIDIARY

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS OF AND FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2016 AND 2015 (Continued)

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

          In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases , a new standard on accounting for leases. The ASU introduces a lessee model that brings most leases on the balance sheet. The new standard also aligns many of the underlying principles of the new lessor model with those in the current accounting guidance as well as the FASB's new revenue recognition standard. However, the ASU eliminates the use of bright-line tests in determining lease classification as required in the current guidance. The ASU also requires additional qualitative disclosures along with specific quantitative disclosures to better enable users of financial statements to assess the amount, timing, and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. The pronouncement is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, including periods within that reporting period, using a modified retrospective approach. Early adoption is permitted. The Company has not completed an evaluation of the impact the pronouncement will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

3. SUPPLEMENTAL CASH FLOWS INFORMATION

    December 31,
2016
    December 31,
2015
 

Supplemental cash flows disclosures

             

Interest paid

  $ 18,248,687   $ 20,531,410  

Income taxes paid

  $ 2,897   $ 1,295,173  

Supplemental disclosure of non-cash activities

             

Capital expenditures included in accounts payable

  $ 3,176,356   $ 8,821,227  

4. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

          Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (i.e., the "exit price") in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date.

          In determining fair value, the Company uses various valuation approaches and establishes a hierarchy for inputs used in measuring fair value that maximizes the use of relevant observable inputs and minimizes the use of unobservable inputs by requiring that the most observable inputs be used, when available. Observable inputs are inputs that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the Company. Unobservable inputs are inputs that reflect the Company's assumptions about the assumptions other market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on the best information available in the circumstances. The hierarchy is broken down into three levels based on the observability of inputs as follows:

          Level 1 — Valuations based on quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Company has the ability to access. Valuation adjustments and block discounts are not applied to Level 1 instruments. Since valuations are based on quoted prices that are readily and regularly available in an active market, valuation of these instruments does not entail a significant degree of judgment.

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PROPETRO HOLDING CORP. AND SUBSIDIARY

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS OF AND FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2016 AND 2015 (Continued)

4. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS (Continued)

          Level 2 — Valuations based on one or more quoted prices in markets that are not active or for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly.

          Level 3 — Valuations based on inputs that are unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement.

          A financial instrument's categorization within the valuation hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The Company's assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment and considers factors specific to the asset or liability.

Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis

          Our financial instruments include cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivables, accounts payable, and a derivative financial instrument. The estimated fair value of our financial instruments — cash and cash equivalent, accounts receivable and accounts payable at December 31, 2016, and 2015 approximates their carrying value as reflected in our consolidated balance sheets because of their short-term nature. We use a derivative financial instrument, an interest rate swap, to manage interest rate risk. Our policies do not permit the use of derivative financial instruments for speculative purposes. We did not designate the interest rate swap as a hedge for accounting purposes. We record all derivatives as of the end of our reporting period in our consolidated balance sheet at fair value, which is based on quoted market prices, which represents a level 1 in the fair value measurement hierarchy. We may be exposed to credit losses in the event of nonperformance by counterparties to the interest rate swap. The counterparty of the interest rate swap is a lender under our term loan and a credible, large institution, and the Company does not believe there is significant or material credit risk upon settling the contract. The fair value of the interest rate swap liability at December 31, 2016 and 2015 was $0.3 million and $0.5 million, respectively. Based on quoted market prices as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, for contracts with similar terms and maturity date, as provided by the counterparty, we recorded a gain of $0.2 million and a loss of $0.3 million, respectively.

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PROPETRO HOLDING CORP. AND SUBSIDIARY

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS OF AND FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2016 AND 2015 (Continued)

4. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS (Continued)

Assets Measured at Fair Value on a Nonrecurring Basis

          Assets measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, are set forth below:

          Estimated fair value measurements        

          Quoted prices in     Signifcant other     Signifcant other        

    Carrying     active market     observable inputs     unobservable     Total gains  

  Value     (Level 1)     (Level 2)     inputs (Level 3)     (losses)    

2016:

                               

Property and equipment, net

  $ 8,700,000       $ 8,700,000         (6,305,426 )

Goodwill

  $ 9,424,999             9,424,999     (1,177,148 )

2015:

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Property and equipment, net

  $ 291,838,498       $ 291,838,498       $ (36,609,332 )

          In 2016, the depressed cash flows and continued decline in utilization of our permian drilling assets were indicative of potential impairment, resulting in the Company comparing the carrying value of the permian drilling assets with its estimated fair value. We determined that the carrying value of the permian drilling assets was greater than its estimated fair value and as such an impairment expense was recorded. In 2016, the non-cash asset impairment charges for permian drilling was $6.3 million, which had a net carrying value of $15.0 million prior to the impairment write-down. In 2015, the non-cash asset impairment charges for permian drilling and acidizing was $28.6 million and $8 million, respectively, aggregating to a total of $36.6 million. In 2015, the permian drilling and acidizing assets groups had a net carrying value of $48.1 million and $15.6 million prior to the impairment write-down. See Note 7, "Impairment of Long-lived Assets."

          The Company generally applies fair value techniques to our reporting units on a nonrecurring basis associated with valuing potential impairment loss related to goodwill. The Company's estimate of the reporting unit fair value was based on a combination of income and market approaches, level 1 and 3, respectively in the fair value hierarchy. The income approach involves the use of a discounted cash flow method, with the cash flow projections discounted at an appropriate discount rate. The market approach involves the use of comparable public companies market multiples in estimating the fair value. Significant assumptions include projected revenue growth, capital expenditures, utilization, gross margins, discount rates, and terminal growth rates, and weight allocation between income and market approaches. If the reporting unit's carrying amount exceeds its fair value, we consider goodwill impaired and perform a second step to measure the amount of the impairment loss. We estimated the fair value as of December 31, 2016 of the surface drilling reporting unit to be $3.8 million and its carrying value was $4.2 million. As a result of the potential impairment with the carrying value exceeding the estimated fair value, we then further determined the implied fair value of the $1.2 million goodwill for the surface drilling reporting unit to be $0. Accordingly, we recorded an impairment loss of $1.2 million. The impairment loss was attributable to the challenging oil and gas market and slow recovery of crude oil prices, all of which adversely

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PROPETRO HOLDING CORP. AND SUBSIDIARY

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS OF AND FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2016 AND 2015 (Continued)

4. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS (Continued)

impacted on our expected future cash flows for the surface drilling reporting unit. There was no impairment of goodwill recorded in 2015.

5. INTANGIBLE ASSETS

          Intangible assets are composed of internally developed software at December 31, 2016 and 2015. Intangible assets are amortized on a straight-line basis with a useful life of five years. Amortization expense included in net loss for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 was $0.3 million. The Company's intangible assets subject to amortization are as follows:

    2016     2015  

Internally developed software

  $ 1,439,941   $ 1,439,941  

Less accumulated amortization

    850,902     562,914  

Intangible assets — net

  $ 589,039   $ 877,027  

          Estimated remaining amortization expense for each of the subsequent fiscal years is expected to be as follows:

Year
    Estimated
Future
Amortization
Expense
 

2017

    287,988  

2018

    287,988  

2019

    13,063  

Total

  $ 589,039  

          The average amortization period remaining is approximately 2.1 years.

6. PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT

          Property and equipment consisted of the following at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively:

    2016     2015  

Equipment and vehicles

  $ 402,640,458   $ 399,084,240  

Leasehold improvements

    4,500,406     5,003,838  

Subtotal

    407,140,864     404,088,078  

Less accumulated depreciation

    143,279,219     112,249,580  

Property and equipment — net

  $ 263,861,645   $ 291,838,498  

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PROPETRO HOLDING CORP. AND SUBSIDIARY

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS OF AND FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2016 AND 2015 (Continued)

7. IMPAIRMENT OF LONG-LIVED ASSETS

          Whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying value of long-lived assets may not be recoverable, the Company reviews the carrying value of long-lived assets, such as property and equipment and other assets to determine if they are recoverable. If any long-lived assets are determined to be unrecoverable, an impairment expense is recorded in the period. Asset recoverability is estimated using undiscounted future net cash flows at the lowest identifiable level, excluding interest expense and one-time other income and expense adjustments. The Company determined the lowest level of identifiable cash flows to be at the asset group level, which consists of hydraulic fracturing, cementing, acidizing, coil tubing, flowback, permian drilling, and surface drilling.

          In 2016, the gradual shift from vertical to horizontal drilling rigs in the Permian Basin has led to the deterioration in utilization of our permian drilling rigs, and we expect undiscounted future cash flows to be lower than the carrying value of the permian drilling assets. Given that the carrying value of the permian drilling assets may not be recoverable, the Company estimated the fair value of the asset group and compared it to its carrying value. Potential impairment exists if the estimated undiscounted future net cash flows for a given asset group is less than the carrying amount of the asset group. The impairment expense is determined by comparing the estimated fair value with the carrying value of the related asset, and any excess amount by which the carrying value exceeds the fair value is recorded as an impairment expense in the period. The estimated fair value of the permian drilling asset group of $8.7 million was determined using the market approach, which represents a level 2 in the fair value measurement hierarchy. Our fair value estimates required us to use significant other observable inputs including assumptions related to replacement cost, among others. An impairment expense of $6.3 million was recorded in 2016 as the carrying value of the permian drilling asset group of $15.0 million was greater than its estimated fair value. All other assets groups were determined to be recoverable.

          In 2015, the asset groups identified to have impairment were permian drilling and acidizing, with estimated fair values of approximately $18.8 million and $6.3 million, respectively. The estimated fair value of the permian drilling and acidizing asset groups was determined using the cost approach, which represents a level 2 in the fair value measurement hierarchy. During the year ended December 31, 2015, the impairment expense for permian drilling and acidizing was $28.6 million and $8 million, respectively.

8. DEFERRED REVENUE REBATE

          In November 2011, the Company acquired certain oilfield fracturing equipment from a customer and agreed to provide future fracturing services to the customer for a period of 78 months in exchange for a 12% $25 million note payable to the customer. The Company recorded the fracturing equipment at its estimated fair value of approximately $13 million and assigned the remaining value of approximately $12 million to a deferred revenue rebate account to be amortized over the customer's 78-month service period. In March 2013, the Company repaid the note payable to the customer. For the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company recorded $1.8 million of amortization as a reduction of revenue.

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PROPETRO HOLDING CORP. AND SUBSIDIARY

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS OF AND FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2016 AND 2015 (Continued)

9. LONG-TERM DEBT

          On September 30, 2013, the Company entered into a term loan in the amount of $220 million with a $40 million revolving credit line. The facility is secured by a first priority lien and security interest in all assets and equity of the Company. The senior secured credit facility carries a 6.25% interest rate, plus Eurodollar Rate with a 1% floor. The term loan is due September 30, 2019, and requires quarterly principal and interest payments. The revolving credit facility matures on September 30, 2018. The loan proceeds were used to pay off 100% of prior debt outstanding, plus any accrued interest due through September 30, 2013. The excess cash proceeds from the term loan, plus the $40 million revolver, were used as needed to fund growth and working capital needs.

          During 2014, the Company additionally entered into certain term notes with the equipment manufacturer of certain fracturing equipment. The interest rate is 9.5% and requires monthly principal and interest payments in 13 installments. The short-term financing allowed the Company to maintain maximum liquidity and make future monthly payments with the cash flow the fracturing equipment generated.

          On November 24, 2015, the Company entered into 36-month financing arrangement for three hydraulic fracturing fleets in the amount of $25 million, and a portion of the proceeds were used to pay off the manufacturer notes, with the remainder being used for additional liquidity.

          The estimated fair value of the term loan at December 31, 2016 was approximately 89% of the carrying value, or $130.6 million, compared to $146.8 million carrying value. The estimated fair value of the term loan at December 31, 2015 was approximately 60% of the carrying value, or $117.2 million, compared to $195.3 million carrying value. The fair value of the revolver and the equipment financing approximates their carrying values.

          Total debt consisted of the following notes at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively:

    2016     2015  

6.25% Term loan due September 2019

  $ 146,750,000   $ 195,250,000  

Revolving credit facility

    13,500,000     38,500,000  

Equipment refinancing

    19,192,838     24,488,140  

Total debt

    179,442,838     258,238,140  

Less deferred loan costs, net of amortization

    3,115,679     5,067,009  

Subtotal

    176,327,159     253,171,131  

Less current portion of long-term debt

    16,920,074     16,295,302  

Total long-term debt, net of deferred loan costs

  $ 159,407,085   $ 236,875,829  

           Covenants  — The Company is required to meet certain affirmative and negative covenants that are considered normal and customary for arrangements of this type, with customary exceptions and materiality qualifiers, including, but not limited to, reporting requirements, insurance, maintenance of collateral, and limitations on additional indebtedness, change of control, transactions with affiliates, and distributions.

          The financial covenant applicable is a maximum leverage ratio of 3.5x EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) to total debt. Effective March 31, 2014, the

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PROPETRO HOLDING CORP. AND SUBSIDIARY

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS OF AND FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2016 AND 2015 (Continued)

9. LONG-TERM DEBT (Continued)

Company was required to be in compliance with these financial covenants. The Company was in compliance with the financial covenant at December 31, 2015.

          In 2015 given the then near-term economic uncertainty and volatility of commodity prices, the Company and its equity sponsor, Energy Capital Partners, engaged the lenders in negotiation to amend the existing credit agreement and negative covenants whereby the leverage ratio covenant was expected to be out of compliance as of March 31, 2016 test date. The amendment and waiver agreement was executed on June 8, 2016. The amended credit agreement key terms included Energy Capital Partners infusing $40 million of additional equity into the Company, $10 million of which was reserved for normal working capital and up to $30 million available to repurchase debt (see Note 18). A minority shareholder also infused $0.425 million alongside Energy Capital Partners to prevent dilution. The amendment and waiver also stated that there shall be no leverage ratio test until June 30, 2017, and any required financial statements past-due were provided within 30 days.

           Gain on Extinguishment of Debt  — following the credit amendment on June 8, 2016, the Company initiated an auction process with the lenders to repurchase a portion of debt for a price of 80 cents, or a 20% discount to par value. The auction settled on June 16, 2016 as the Company repurchased a total amount of $37.5 million of debt for $30 million plus $0.525 million in debt extinguishment auction costs, leading to a gain on extinguishment of debt of $6.975 million.

           Annual Maturities  — Scheduled annual maturities of total debt are as follows at December 31, 2016:

2017

    16,920,074  

2018

    37,772,764  

2019

    124,750,000  

Total

  $ 179,442,838  

          On January 13, 2017, the Company paid down $75 million of the term loan using a portion of the proceeds from the private placement offering (see note 18). The one-time principal payment of $75 million will be applied to the term debt with the remaining principal due upon maturity in 2019.

10. ACCRUED LIABILITIES

          Accrued liabilities consisted of the following at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively:

    2016     2015  

Accrued insurance

    2,900,221     2,778,368  

Accrued payroll and related expenses

    4,728,614     1,256,269  

Other

    5,990,636     3,017,278  

Total

  $ 13,619,471   $ 7,051,915  

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PROPETRO HOLDING CORP. AND SUBSIDIARY

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS OF AND FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2016 AND 2015 (Continued)

11. EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLAN

          The Company has a 401(k) plan whereby all employees with six months of service may contribute up to $15,000 to the plan. The employees vest in the Company contributions to the 401(k) plan 25% per year, beginning in the employee's second year of service, with full vesting occurring after five years of service. The employees are fully vested in their contributions when made. The Company matches employee contributions 20 cents on the dollar up to 10% of gross salary. The Company has reported expense under the plan of $0.2 million for each of the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015.

12. REPORTABLE SEGMENT INFORMATION

          The Company has seven operating segments for which discreet financial information is readily available: hydraulic fracturing, cementing, acidizing, coil tubing, flowback, surface drilling, and permian drilling. These segments represent how the chief operating decision maker (CODM) evaluates performance and allocate resources.

          In accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 280 —  Segment Reporting , the Company has one reportable segment (pressure pumping) comprised of the hydraulic fracturing, cementing, and acidizing operating segments. All other operating segments and corporate administrative expenses are included in the "all other"category in the table below. Inter-segment revenues are not material and were not shown separately in the table below.

          The Company manages and assesses the performance of the reportable segment by its adjusted EBITDA (earnings before other income (expense), interest, taxes, depreciation & amortization, stock-based compensation expense, impairment expense, loss on disposal of assets).

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PROPETRO HOLDING CORP. AND SUBSIDIARY

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS OF AND FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2016 AND 2015 (Continued)

12. REPORTABLE SEGMENT INFORMATION (Continued)

A reconciliation from segment level financial information to the consolidated statement of operations is provided in the table below.

    Pressure
Pumping
    All Other     Total  

Year ended December 31, 2016

                   

Service revenue

  $ 409,014,337   $ 27,905,933   $ 436,920,270  

Adjusted EBITDA

  $ 15,655,202   $ (7,839,014 ) $ 7,816,188  

Depreciation and amortization

  $ 37,281,862   $ 6,259,817   $ 43,541,679  

Property and equipment impairment expense

        6,305,426     6,305,426  

Goodwill impairment expense

      $ 1,177,148   $ 1,177,148  

Capital expenditures

  $ 45,472,835   $ 535,405   $ 46,008,240  

Goodwill

  $ 9,424,999       $ 9,424,999  

Total assets

  $ 501,905,907   $ 39,516,391   $ 541,422,298  

Year ended December 31, 2015

                   

Service revenue

  $ 510,198,128   $ 59,419,630   $ 569,617,758  

Adjusted EBITDA

  $ 62,540,290   $ (2,391,032 ) $ 60,149,258  

Depreciation and amortization

  $ 38,368,650   $ 11,765,343   $ 50,133,993  

Property and equipment impairment expense

  $ 7,979,906   $ 28,629,426   $ 36,609,332  

Capital expenditures

  $ 69,029,321   $ 2,647,324   $ 71,676,645  

Goodwill

  $ 9,424,999   $ 1,177,148   $ 10,602,147  

Total assets

  $ 398,449,448   $ 48,004,886   $ 446,454,334  

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PROPETRO HOLDING CORP. AND SUBSIDIARY

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS OF AND FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2016 AND 2015 (Continued)

12. REPORTABLE SEGMENT INFORMATION (Continued)

Reconciliation of net loss to adjusted EBITDA:

    Total  

Year ended December 31, 2016

       

Net loss

  $ (53,147,396 )

Depreciation and amortization

    43,541,679  

Interest expense

    20,386,695  

Loss on disposal of assets

    22,528,670  

Property and equipment impairment expense

    6,305,426  

Goodwill impairment expense

    1,177,148  

Gain on extinguishment of debt

    (6,974,805 )

Stock-based compensation

    1,649,282  

Other expense

    321,071  

Income tax benefit

    (27,971,582 )

Adjusted EBITDA (see total above)

  $ 7,816,188  

 

    Total  

Year ended December 31, 2015

       

Net loss

  $ (45,852,684 )

Depreciation and amortization

    50,133,993  

Interest expense

    21,641,454  

Loss on disposal of assets

    21,267,985  

Property and equipment impairment expense

    36,609,332  

Stock-based compensation

    1,238,824  

Other expense

    497,924  

Income tax expense

    (25,387,570 )

Adjusted EBITDA (see total above)

  $ 60,149,258  

Major Customers

          For the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company had revenue from four significant customers that accounted for the following percentages of the Company's total revenue:

    2016     2015  

Customer A

    18.0 %   12.5 %

Customer B

    12.5 %   8.8 %

Customer C

    8.7 %   14.2 %

Customer D

    7.0 %   11.1 %

          For the year ended December 31, 2016, pressure pumping made up 96% of Customer A, 99% of Customer B, 100% of Customer C and 99% of Customer D. For the year ended December 31, 2015, pressure pumping made up 99% of Customer A, 100% of Customer B, 88% of Customer C and 99% of Customer D.

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PROPETRO HOLDING CORP. AND SUBSIDIARY

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS OF AND FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2016 AND 2015 (Continued)

13. NET LOSS PER SHARE

          The Company's net loss per share is determined by dividing the net loss relevant to the common stock by the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the year. Diluted net loss per common share uses the same net loss divided by the number of shares that would be outstanding assuming dilutive options and stock are converted (conversion method). The table below shows the calculations for years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015.

    2016     2015  

Numerator (both basic and diluted)

             

Net loss relevant to common stockholders

  $ (53,147,396 ) $ (45,852,684 )

Denominator

             

Denominator for basic earnings (loss) per share

    30,887,370     24,132,871  

Denominator for diluted earnings (loss) per share

    30,887,370     24,132,871  

Basic loss per common share

  $ (1.72 ) $ (1.90 )

Diluted loss per common share

  $ (1.72 ) $ (1.90 )

          The Company also has non-vested restricted stock and stock options as shown in the table below, but have not been included in the above calculation of diluted earnings (loss) per share as it would be anti-dilutive to the calculation above. Additionally, we excluded the preferred stock in the net loss per share calculation because the holders do not have a participating right in the undistributed earnings (loss) of the Company.

 
   
   
 

    2016     2015  

Stock options

    3,204,066     2,404,004  

Preferred stock

    11,712,134      

Non-vested restricted stock

    256,783     256,783  

    15,172,983     2,660,787  

14. STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

           Stock Options — Effective March 4, 2013, the Company adopted the Stock Option Plan of Holding (the "Plan") pursuant to which the Company's Board of Directors may grant stock options or other stock-based awards to key employees, consultants, and directors. The Plan, as amended, is authorized to grant up to 3,204,066 shares of common stock to be issued upon exercise of the options. The Company's share price used to estimate the fair value of the option at the grant date was based on a combination of income and market approaches, which are highly complex and sensitive. The income approach involves the use of a discounted cash flow method, with the cash flow projections discounted at an appropriate discount rate. The market approach involves the use of comparable public companies market multiples in estimating the fair value of the Company's stock. The expected term used to calculate the fair value of all options considers the vesting date and the grant's expiration date. The expected volatility was estimated by considering comparable public companies, and the risk free rate is based on the U.S treasury yield curve as of the grant date. The dividend assumption is based on historical experience. The fair value and estimates will no longer be necessary if the Company goes public because it will rely on the market price to

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PROPETRO HOLDING CORP. AND SUBSIDIARY

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS OF AND FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2016 AND 2015 (Continued)

14. STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION (Continued)

determine the market value of its common stock. Prior to 2015, the Company had granted a total of 2,413,271 options with an exercise price of $5.73 per option, and all options expire 10 years from the date of grant.

          On June 14, 2013, the Company granted 1,930,628 stock option awards to certain key employees and directors that shall vest and become exercisable based upon the achievement of a service requirement. The options vest in 25% increments for each year of continuous service and an option becomes fully vested upon the optionee's completion of the fourth year of service. The contractual term for the options awarded is 10 years. For the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company recognized $1.2 million in compensation expense related to these stock options.

          The fair value of each option award granted is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The fair value of the options was estimated at the date of grant using the following assumptions:

Expected volatility

    45 %

Expected dividends

  $  

Expected term (in years)

    6.25  

Risk free rate

    1.35 %

          On December 1, 2013, the Company granted 482,643 stock option awards to certain key employees that shall vest and become exercisable based upon the achievement of both a service and a performance requirement. The options vest in 25% increments for each year of continuous service and an option becomes fully vested upon a change in control. As of December 31, 2016, the performance requirement was not considered to be probable of achievement for any of the outstanding option awards and 78,939 options were forfeited during the year ended December 31, 2016. Accordingly, the Company has not recognized any compensation expense related to these stock options. The contractual term for the options awarded is 10 years.

          The fair value of each option award granted is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The fair value of the options was estimated at the date of grant using the following assumptions:

Expected volatility

    45 %

Expected dividends

  $  

Expected term (in years)

    6.25  

Risk free rate

    1.83 %

          On July 19, 2016, the Company's Board of Directors authorized and granted 879,001 stock option awards to certain key employees and directors that shall vest and become exercisable based upon the achievement of a service requirement. The options vest in 20% increments for each six months of continuous service with December 2016 being the first vesting period and the options become fully vested as of December 31, 2018. The contractual term for the options awarded is 10 years. For the year ended December 31, 2016, the Company recognized $0.4 million in compensation expense related to these stock options.

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PROPETRO HOLDING CORP. AND SUBSIDIARY

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS OF AND FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2016 AND 2015 (Continued)

14. STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION (Continued)

          The fair value of each option award granted is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The fair value of the options was estimated at the date of grant using the following assumptions:

Expected volatility

    55 %

Expected dividends

  $  

Expected term (in years)

    5.80  

Risk free rate

    1.22 %

          The total stock compensation expense for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 for all stock options was $1.6 million and $1.2 million, respectively. The tax benefit related to the stock compensation expense recorded for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 was $0.6 million and $0.4 million, respectively. The total unrecognized compensation expense as of December 31, 2016 is $2.4 million, and is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of approximately 1.6 years.

          The outstanding options at January 1, 2015 were 2,404,004 as 9,267 options were forfeited in 2014. As of December 31, 2016, none of the options are fully vested. A summary of the stock option activity for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 is presented below.

 
   
   
   
 

  Number
of Shares
 
  Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
 
  Weighted
Average
Grant-Date
Fair Value
 
 

Outstanding at January 1, 2015

    2,404,004     5.73     2.56  

Granted

             

Exercised

             

Forfeited

             

Expired

             

Outstanding at December 31, 2015

    2,404,004     5.73     2.56  

Exercisable at December 31, 2015

    965,314     5.73     2.56  

Outstanding at January 1, 2016

    2,404,004     5.73     2.56  

Granted

    879,001     3.26     2.56  

Exercised

             

Forfeited

    (78,939 )   5.73     2.56  

Expired

             

Outstanding at December 31, 2016

    3,204,066     5.05     2.56  

Exercisable at December 31, 2016

    1,623,771     5.46     2.56  

           Restricted Stock Units — On September 30, 2013, the Company's Board of Directors authorized and granted 256,783 Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) to a key executive. Each RSU represents the right to receive one share of common stock of the Company at par value $0.001 per share. The shares of common stock subject to the RSUs shall be paid to the grantee upon change

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PROPETRO HOLDING CORP. AND SUBSIDIARY

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS OF AND FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2016 AND 2015 (Continued)

14. STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION (Continued)

in control, whether or not grantee is an employee, consultant, or director of the Company on such date. If the grantee ceases to be an employee, consultant, or director of the Company prior to the settlement date, he shall not forfeit any rights with respect to the RSUs and shall be entitled to receive payment on the settlement date. The fair value of the RSUs is measured as the price of the Company's shares on the grant date, which was estimated to be $5.63. The Company's share price used to estimate the fair value of the RSU at the grant date was based on a combination of income and market approaches, which are highly complex and sensitive. The income approach involves the use of a discounted cash flow method, with the cash flow projections discounted at an appropriate discount rate. The market approach involves the use of comparable public companies market multiples in estimating the fair value of the Company's stock. As of December 31, 2016, the RSUs were not vested as the performance requirement was not considered to be probable of achievement. Accordingly, the Company has not recognized any compensation expense related to these RSUs. There have been no additional RSUs granted, vested or forfeited since September 30, 2013.

15. INCOME TAXES

          The components of the provision for income taxes for the year ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 are as follows:

  2016     2015    

Federal:

             

Current

  $   $ (1,092,437 )

Deferred

    (29,082,057 )   (22,176,578 )

    (29,082,057 )   (23,269,015 )

State:

             

Current

        (350,494 )

Deferred

    1,110,475     (1,768,061 )

    1,110,475     (2,118,555 )

Total benefit

  $ (27,971,582 ) $ (25,387,570 )

          Reconciliation between the amounts determined by applying the federal statutory rate of 35% to income tax benefit is as follows:

  2016     2015    

Tax at federal statutory rate

  $ (28,391,642 ) $ (24,934,089 )

State taxes, net of federal benefit

    (215,952 )   (885,226 )

Permanent differences

    498,131     578,837  

Valuation allowance

    878,522      

Other

    (740,641 )   (147,092 )

Total provision

  $ (27,971,582 ) $ (25,387,570 )

          Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for estimated future tax effects of temporary differences between the tax basis of an asset or liability and its reported amount in the consolidated

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PROPETRO HOLDING CORP. AND SUBSIDIARY

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS OF AND FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2016 AND 2015 (Continued)

15. INCOME TAXES (Continued)

financial statements. The significant items giving rise to deferred tax assets (liabilities) at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively are as follows:

  2016     2015    

Deferred Income Tax Assets

             

Accrued liabilities

    334,072     471,223  

Allowance for doubtful accounts

    194,664     300,640  

Goodwill and other intangible assets

    10,953,458   $ 13,021,523  

Stock-based compensation

    1,692,288     1,119,355  

Net operating losses

    49,266,688     29,067,458  

Other

    388,813     388,813  

Noncurrent deferred tax assets

  $ 62,829,983   $ 44,369,012  

Total deferred tax assets

  $ 62,829,983   $ 44,369,012  

Valuation allowance

    (878,522 )    

Total deferred tax assets — net

  $ 61,951,461   $ 44,369,012  

Deferred Income Tax Liabilities

             

Property and equipment

  $ (60,958,408 ) $ (70,621,451 )

Prepaid expenses

    (1,506,831 )   (1,498,531 )

Other

    (634,692 )   (1,369,082 )

Noncurrent deferred tax liabilities

  $ (63,099,931 ) $ (73,489,064 )

Net deferred tax liability

  $ (1,148,470 ) $ (29,120,052 )

          At December 31, 2016, the Company had approximately $175.6 million in net operating loss carryforwards for federal and state income tax purposes, which begin to expire in 2024. Utilization of net operating loss carryforwards may be limited due to past or future ownership changes. For the year ended December 31, 2016, we recorded a net valuation allowance of $0.9 million on the basis of management's reassessment of the amount of its deferred tax assets that are more likely than not to be realized.

          In June 2006, the FASB issued FASB Interpretation (FIN) No. 48, Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes — an interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109 (subsequently codified as ASC 740-10, Income Taxes, Under FASB Statement No. 168, The FASB Accounting Standards Codification and the Hierarchy of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles — a replacement of FASB Statement No. 162 ). ASC 740-10 prescribes a comprehensive model for recognizing, measuring, presenting, and disclosing in the consolidated financial statements tax positions taken or expected to be taken on a tax return, including a decision to file or not to file in a particular jurisdiction.

          The Company evaluated all tax positions and determined that the aggregate exposure under ASC 740-10 did not have a material effect on the consolidated financial statements during the year ended December 31, 2016 or 2015. Therefore, no adjustments have been made to the consolidated financial statements related to the implementation of ASC 740-10. The Company will continue to

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PROPETRO HOLDING CORP. AND SUBSIDIARY

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS OF AND FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2016 AND 2015 (Continued)

15. INCOME TAXES (Continued)

evaluate its tax positions in accordance with ASC 740-10 and will recognize any future effect as a charge to income in the applicable period. Currently, the tax filings for years 2013 to 2015 remain open for examination by taxing authorities.

          Income tax penalties and interest assessments recognized under ASC 740-10 are accrued as a tax expense in the period that the Company's taxes are in an uncertain tax position. Any accrued tax penalties or interest assessments will remain until the uncertain tax position is resolved with the taxing authorities or until the applicable statute of limitations has expired.

16. RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS

          The Company leases its corporate offices from a related party pursuant to a five-year lease agreement with a five-year extension option requiring a base rent of $72,000 per year. The Company also leases five properties adjacent to the corporate office from related parties with annual base rents of $30,000, $30,000, $90,000, $90,000, and $180,000.

          For the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company paid approximately $186,000 and $164,000, respectively, for the use of transportation services from a related party.

          The Company also rents equipment in Elk City, Oklahoma from a related party. For the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company paid $192,000 and $192,000, respectively.

          At December 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company had $0 and $0 in payables, respectively, and approximately $35,000 and $18,000 in receivables, respectively, for related parties for services provided.

          All agreements pertaining to realty property and equipment were entered into during periods where the Company had limited liquidity and related parties secured them on behalf of the Company. All related party transactions are immaterial and have not been separately shown on the face of the financial statements.

          For related party disclosure related to equity transactions with Energy Capital Partners, see Note 18.

17. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

           Operating Lease  — The Company has various operating leases for office space and certain property and equipment. For the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company recorded operating lease expense of $1.4 million for each of the periods. Required remaining lease payments for each fiscal year are as follows:

2017

    471,416  

2018

    426,416  

2019

    366,416  

2020

    343,916  

2021 and thereafter

    773,812  

Total

  $ 2,381,976  

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PROPETRO HOLDING CORP. AND SUBSIDIARY

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS OF AND FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2016 AND 2015 (Continued)

17. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (Continued)

           Contingent Liabilities  — The Company may be subject to various legal actions, claims, and liabilities arising in the ordinary course of business. In the opinion of management, the ultimate disposition of these matters will not have a materially adverse effect on the Company's financial position, results of operations, or liquidity.

18. EQUITY CAPITALIZATION

Common Stock

          At December 31, 2015, ECP and its related affiliates held 20,992,383 of the 24,132,871 outstanding common shares of the Company.

          Per the amended credit agreement executed on June 8, 2016 (see Note 9), the majority shareholder, Energy Capital Partners, and its related affiliates along with other shareholders infused $40.425 million of equity into the Company and the Company issued 12,418,847 additional shares of stock. On June 8, 2016, 12,288,224 shares of stock were issued followed by 130,622 on July 13, 2016. As of December 31, 2016, the Company has 36,294,936 common shares outstanding and ECP and its related affiliates hold 33,331,494, increasing ECP ownership interest to 91.8%. The remaining outstanding common shares of the Company are held by management and two prior lenders to the Company.

Convertible Preferred Stock

          On December 27, 2016, the Company completed a private placement offering of $170 million, issuing 11,724,134 shares of Series A nonparticipating convertible preferred stock, par value $.001 per share. Costs associated with the offering were approximately $7 million, resulting in net proceeds to the Company of $163 million.

          As of December 31, 2016, 11,724,134 shares of Series A convertible preferred stock were issued and outstanding, convertible into common stock at the conversion price per the private placement agreement. Upon a qualifying initial public offering, the Series A Preferred Shares will automatically convert into common stock at a conversion price equal to the lesser of $14.50 per Series A Preferred Share or 90% of the initial public offering price of the common stock. The Company has retained investment bankers with the intention of an initial public offering.

          Each share of series A convertible preferred stock is entitled to accrue dividends at the rate of 7% per annum, beginning July 1, 2017. Accrued dividends are payable, in cash or kind, in arrears at a date that is 30 days after the end of each month. Upon the occurrence of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, series A preferred stockholders will be entitled to receive an amount equal to the liquidation preference thereon, in preference to the common stockholders, and before any payment or distribution is made on, any junior stock.

          Each share of series A preferred stock is entitled to a number of votes per share on an as-converted basis equal to the number of shares of common stock into which such shares of series A preferred stock is convertible.

******

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ProPetro Holding Corp.

             Shares

Prospectus

                          , 2017

Goldman, Sachs & Co.

Barclays



Credit Suisse

J.P. Morgan



Evercore ISI

RBC Capital Markets

Simmons & Company International
Energy Specialists of Piper Jaffray



Raymond James

Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co.

Deutsche Bank Securities

Johnson Rice & Company L.L.C.

           Through and including                           , 2017 (the 25th day after the date of this prospectus), all dealers effecting transactions in these securities, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to a dealer's obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as an underwriter and with respect to an unsold allotment or subscription.

   


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Part II

Information Not Required in Prospectus

Item 13.    Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution

          Set forth below are the expenses (other than underwriting discounts and the structuring fee) expected to be incurred in connection with the issuance and distribution of the securities registered hereby. With the exception of the SEC registration fee, the FINRA filing fee and                          listing fee, the amounts set forth below are estimates.

SEC registration fee

  $ 39,986  

FINRA filing fee

  $ 52,250  

NYSE listing fee

                  *

Printing and engraving expenses

                  *

Fees and expenses of legal counsel

                  *

Accounting fees and expenses

                  *

Transfer agent and registrar fees

                  *

Miscellaneous

                  *

Total

  $               *

*
To be filed by amendment.

Item 14.    Indemnification of Directors and Officers

          We are currently organized as a Texas Corporation. In connection with the completion of this offering, we intend to change the jurisdiction of our incorporation to the State of Delaware, and we will file a certificate of incorporation with the State of Delaware.

          Our certificate of incorporation will provide that a director will not be liable to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL. In addition, if the DGCL is amended to authorize the further elimination or limitation of the liability of directors, then the liability of a director of the corporation, in addition to the limitation on personal liability provided for in our certificate of incorporation, will be limited to the fullest extent permitted by the amended DGCL. Our bylaws will provide that the corporation will indemnify, and advance expenses to, any officer or director to the fullest extent authorized by the DGCL.

          Section 145 of the DGCL provides that a corporation may indemnify directors and officers as well as other employees and individuals against expenses, including attorneys' fees, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement in connection with specified actions, suits and proceedings whether civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative, other than a derivative action by or in the right of the corporation, if they acted in good faith and in a manner they reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe their conduct was unlawful. A similar standard is applicable in the case of derivative actions, except that indemnification extends only to expenses, including attorneys' fees, incurred in connection with the defense or settlement of such action and the statute requires court approval before there can be any indemnification where the person seeking indemnification has been found liable to the corporation. The statute provides that it is not exclusive of other indemnification that may be granted by a corporation's certificate of incorporation, bylaws, disinterested director vote, stockholder vote, agreement or otherwise.

          Our certificate of incorporation will also contain indemnification rights for our directors and our officers. Specifically, our certificate of incorporation will provide that we shall indemnify our officers and directors to the fullest extent authorized by the DGCL. Further, we may maintain insurance on

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behalf of our officers and directors against expense, liability or loss asserted incurred by them in their capacities as officers and directors.

          We have obtained directors' and officers' insurance to cover our directors, officers and some of our employees for certain liabilities.

          We will enter into written indemnification agreements with our directors and executive officers. Under these proposed agreements, if an officer or director makes a claim of indemnification to us, either a majority of the independent directors or independent legal counsel selected by the independent directors must review the relevant facts and make a determination whether the officer or director has met the standards of conduct under Delaware law that would permit (under Delaware law) and require (under the indemnification agreement) us to indemnify the officer or director.

          The underwriting agreement provides for indemnification by the underwriters of us and our officers and directors, and by us of the underwriters, for certain liabilities arising under the Securities Act or otherwise in connection with this offering.

Item 15.    Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

          During the past three years, we have issued unregistered securities to a limited number of persons, as described below. None of these transactions involved any underwriters, underwriting discounts or commissions or any public offering. We believe that each of these transactions was exempt from the registration requirements pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act, Regulation D or Regulation S promulgated thereunder or Rule 701 of the Securities Act. All share and price information included in this section does not reflect the impact of the expected split of our common stock to be effected after the effective date of this registration statement and prior to the completion of this offering.

          In June and July 2016, we issued 12,418,847 additional shares (after giving effect to the December 22, 2016 reverse stock split) of common stock to certain investment funds managed by Energy Capital Partners and a minority shareholder for $40.425 million. We used the proceeds from the private offering for working capital purposes and to repay indebtedness under our term loan.

          In July 2016, pursuant to our 2013 Stock Option Plan, we granted stock options to Spencer D. Armour, III and our named executive officers as set forth below. All of these 2016 options have a $3.26 per share exercise price. Such stock options are scheduled to vest in five equal semi-annual installments starting on December 31, 2016. In connection with this offering, we intend to fully accelerate the vesting of the unvested portion of these stock options.

Dale Redman - 345,890
Jeffrey Smith - 214,463
David Sledge - 159,324
Spencer D. Armour, III - 159,324

          Effective as of December 27, 2016, we completed a private placement of 11,724,134 shares of our Series A Convertible Preferred stock, par value $0.001 (the "Series A Preferred Shares") to certain "accredited investors" (as defined in Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended). We believe that the private offering of Series A Preferred Shares was exempt from the registration requirements pursuant to Rule 506 under Regulation D. We received net proceeds of approximately $163 million.

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Item 16.    Exhibits

          The following documents are filed as exhibits to this registration statement:

Exhibit
number
 
  Description  
  1.1   Form of Underwriting Agreement (including form of Lock-up Agreement)
        
  3.1   Form of Certificate of Incorporation of ProPetro Holding Corp.
        
  3.2   Form of Certificate of Amendment of the Certificate of Incorporation of ProPetro Holding Corp.
        
  3.3   Form of Bylaws of ProPetro Holding Corp.
        
  4.1   Specimen Stock Certificate
        
  4.2   Registration Rights Agreement, dated March 4, 2013, by and among ProPetro Holding Corp. and the parties thereto
        
  4.3   Registration Rights Agreement, dated December 27, 2016, by and among ProPetro Holding Corp. and the investors listed on Schedule A thereto
        
  4.4   Form of Stockholders Agreement
        
  5.1   Form of opinion of Latham & Watkins LLP as to the legality of the securities being registered
        
  10.1   Form of Indemnification Agreement
        
  10.2   Form of Credit Agreement
        
  10.3 †# Employment Agreement, dated April 17, 2013, by and between ProPetro Holding Corp. and Dale Redman
        
  10.4 †# Employment Agreement, dated April 17, 2013, by and between ProPetro Holding Corp. and David Sledge
        
  10.5 †# Employment Agreement, dated April 17, 2013, by and between ProPetro Holding Corp. and Jeffrey Smith
        
  10.6 †# Stock Option Plan of ProPetro Holding Corp., dated March 4, 2013
        
  10.7 †# First Amendment to the Stock Option Plan of ProPetro Holding Corp., dated June 14, 2013
        
  10.8 †# Second Amendment to the Stock Option Plan of ProPetro Holding Corp., dated December 2, 2016
        
  10.9 †# Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement, dated June 14, 2013, by and between ProPetro Holding Corp. and Dale Redman
        
  10.10 †# Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement, dated June 14, 2013, by and between ProPetro Holding Corp. and David Sledge
        
  10.11 †# Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement, dated June 14, 2013, by and between ProPetro Holding Corp. and Jeffrey Smith
        
  10.12 †# Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement, dated June 14, 2013, by and between ProPetro Holding Corp. and Spencer D. Armour, III
 
   

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Exhibit
number
 
  Description  
  10.13 †# Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement, dated July 19, 2016, by and between ProPetro Holding Corp. and Dale Redman
        
  10.14 †# Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement, dated July 19, 2016, by and between ProPetro Holding Corp. and David Sledge
        
  10.15 †# Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement, dated July 19, 2016, by and between ProPetro Holding Corp. and Jeffrey Smith
        
  10.16 †# Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement, dated July 19, 2016, by and between ProPetro Holding Corp. and Spencer D. Armour, III
        
  10.17 # Restricted Stock Unit Grant Notice and Restricted Stock Unit Agreement, dated September 30, 2013, by and between ProPetro Holding Corp. and Dale Redman
        
  10.18 # Form of ProPetro Holding Corp. 2017 Incentive Award Plan
        
  10.19 # Form of ProPetro Holding Corp. Senior Executive Incentive Bonus Plan
        
  10.20 # Form of ProPetro Holding Corp. Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy
        
  10.21 # Form of ProPetro Holding Corp. Director Stock Ownership Policy
        
  10.22 # Form of ProPetro Holding Corp. 2017 Incentive Award Plan Stock Option Grant Notice and Stock Option Agreement
        
  10.23 # Form of ProPetro Holding Corp. Amendment to Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement
        
  10.24 # Amendment to Employment Agreement, by and between ProPetro Holding Corp. and Dale Redman
        
  10.25 # Employment Agreement, dated February 17, 2017, by and between ProPetro Holding Corp. and Mark Howell
        
  21.1 List of Subsidiaries of ProPetro Holding Corp.
        
  23.1   Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP
        
  23.2   Consent of Latham & Watkins LLP (contained in Exhibit 5.1)
        
  23.3   Consent of Prospective Director (Ciabatti)
        
  23.4   Consent of Prospective Director (Douglas)
        
  23.5   Consent of Prospective Director (Moore)
        
  23.6   Consent of Prospective Director (Leininger)
        
  24.1 Powers of Attorney (contained on the signature page to this Registration Statement)

*
To be filed by amendment.

Previously filed.

#
Compensatory plan, contract or arrangement.

Item 17.    Undertakings

          The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to provide to the underwriters at the closing specified in the underwriting agreement certificates in such denominations and registered in such names as required by the underwriters to permit prompt delivery to each purchaser.

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          Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

          The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that,

              (1)     For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.

              (2)     For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

              (3)     That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser, each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use.

              (4)     That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

                (a)     Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;

                (b)     Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;

                (c)     The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and

                (d)     Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

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SIGNATURES

          Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Houston, Texas, on February 23, 2017.

  ProPetro Holding Corp.



 

By:

 

/s/ DALE REDMAN

      Name:   Dale Redman

      Title:   Chief Executive Officer

          Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated on February 23, 2017.

Signature
 
Title
   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
/s/ DALE REDMAN

Dale Redman
  Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer)    

/s/ JEFFREY SMITH

Jeffrey Smith

 

Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)

 

 

*

Spencer D. Armour, III

 

Director

 

 

*

Schuyler E. Coppedge

 

Director

 

 

*

Stephen Herman

 

Director

 

 

*

Matthew H. Himler

 

Director

 

 

*

Peter Labbat

 

Director

 

 

*

 

Jeffrey Smith hereby signs this Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on behalf of the indicated persons for whom he is attorney-in-fact on February 23, 2017, pursuant to powers of attorney previously filed as Exhibit 24.1 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 of ProPetro Holding Corp. filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 8, 2017.

*By:

 

/s/ JEFFREY SMITH

Jeffrey Smith
Attorney-in-fact

 

 

 

 

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EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit
number
 
  Description  
  1.1   Form of Underwriting Agreement (including form of Lock-up Agreement)
        
  3.1   Form of Certificate of Incorporation of ProPetro Holding Corp.
        
  3.2   Form of Certificate of Amendment of the Certificate of Incorporation of ProPetro Holding Corp.
        
  3.3   Form of Bylaws of ProPetro Holding Corp.
        
  4.1   Specimen Stock Certificate
        
  4.2   Registration Rights Agreement, dated March 4, 2013, by and among ProPetro Holding Corp. and the parties thereto
        
  4.3   Registration Rights Agreement, dated December 27, 2016, by and among ProPetro Holding Corp. and the investors listed on Schedule A thereto
        
  4.4   Form of Stockholders Agreement
        
  5.1   Form of opinion of Latham & Watkins LLP as to the legality of the securities being registered
        
  10.1   Form of Indemnification Agreement
        
  10.2   Form of Credit Agreement
        
  10.3 †# Employment Agreement, dated April 17, 2013, by and between ProPetro Holding Corp. and Dale Redman
        
  10.4 †# Employment Agreement, dated April 17, 2013, by and between ProPetro Holding Corp. and David Sledge
        
  10.5 †# Employment Agreement, dated April 17, 2013, by and between ProPetro Holding Corp. and Jeffrey Smith
        
  10.6 †# Stock Option Plan of ProPetro Holding Corp., dated March 4, 2013
        
  10.7 †# First Amendment to the Stock Option Plan of ProPetro Holding Corp., dated June 14, 2013
        
  10.8 †# Second Amendment to the Stock Option Plan of ProPetro Holding Corp., dated December 2, 2016
        
  10.9 †# Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement, dated June 14, 2013, by and between ProPetro Holding Corp. and Dale Redman
        
  10.10 †# Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement, dated June 14, 2013, by and between ProPetro Holding Corp. and David Sledge
        
  10.11 †# Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement, dated June 14, 2013, by and between ProPetro Holding Corp. and Jeffrey Smith
        
  10.12 †# Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement, dated June 14, 2013, by and between ProPetro Holding Corp. and Spencer D. Armour, III
        
  10.13 †# Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement, dated July 19, 2016, by and between ProPetro Holding Corp. and Dale Redman
        
  10.14 †# Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement, dated July 19, 2016, by and between ProPetro Holding Corp. and David Sledge
 
   

Table of Contents

Exhibit
number
 
  Description  
  10.15 †# Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement, dated July 19, 2016, by and between ProPetro Holding Corp. and Jeffrey Smith
        
  10.16 †# Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement, dated July 19, 2016, by and between ProPetro Holding Corp. and Spencer D. Armour, III
        
  10.17 # Restricted Stock Unit Grant Notice and Restricted Stock Unit Agreement, dated September 30, 2013, by and between ProPetro Holding Corp. and Dale Redman
        
  10.18 # Form of ProPetro Holding Corp. 2017 Incentive Award Plan
        
  10.19 # Form of ProPetro Holding Corp. Senior Executive Incentive Bonus Plan
        
  10.20 # Form of ProPetro Holding Corp. Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy
        
  10.21 # Form of ProPetro Holding Corp. Director Stock Ownership Policy
        
  10.22 # Form of ProPetro Holding Corp. 2017 Incentive Award Plan Stock Option Grant Notice and Stock Option Agreement
        
  10.23 # Form of ProPetro Holding Corp. Amendment to Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement
        
  10.24 # Amendment to Employment Agreement, by and between ProPetro Holding Corp. and Dale Redman
        
  10.25 # Employment Agreement, dated February 17, 2017, by and between ProPetro Holding Corp. and Mark Howell
        
  21.1 List of Subsidiaries of ProPetro Holding Corp.
        
  23.1   Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP
        
  23.2   Consent of Latham & Watkins LLP (contained in Exhibit 5.1)
        
  23.3   Consent of Prospective Director (Ciabatti)
        
  23.4   Consent of Prospective Director (Douglas)
        
  23.5   Consent of Prospective Director (Moore)
        
  23.6   Consent of Prospective Director (Leininger)
        
  24.1 Powers of Attorney (contained on the signature page to this Registration Statement)

*
To be filed by amendment.

Previously filed.

#
Compensatory plan, contract or arrangement.



Exhibit 1.1

 

ProPetro Holding Corp.

 

·  ] Shares of Common Stock,

 

par value $0.001 per share

 

Form of Underwriting Agreement

 

March [  ·  ], 2017

 

Goldman, Sachs & Co.,

Barclays Capital Inc.

 

As representatives of the several Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto,

 

 

c/o Goldman, Sachs & Co.,

200 West Street,

New York, New York 10282

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

ProPetro Holding Corp., a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated in this agreement (this “ Agreement ”), to issue and sell to the Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the “ Underwriters ”) an aggregate of [ · ] shares and, at the election of the Underwriters (the “ Option ”), up to [ · ] additional shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share (“ Stock ”), of the Company and the stockholders of the Company named in Schedule II hereto (the “ Selling Stockholders ”) propose, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to sell to the Underwriters an aggregate of [ · ] shares and, at the election of the Underwriters, up to [ · ] additional shares of Stock.  The aggregate of [ · ] shares of Stock to be sold by the Company and the Selling Stockholders is herein called the “ Firm Shares ” and the aggregate of [ · ] additional shares of Stock to be sold by the Selling Stockholders is herein called the “ Optional Shares ”.  The Firm Shares and the Optional Shares that the Underwriters elect to purchase pursuant to Section 2 hereof are herein collectively called the “ Shares ”.

 

1.                                     (a)                                The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each of the Underwriters that:

 

(i)                                   A registration statement on Form S–1 (File No. 333-215940) (the “ Initial Registration Statement ”) in respect of the Shares has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ Commission ”); the Initial Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, each in the form heretofore delivered to you and, excluding exhibits thereto, to you for each of the other Underwriters, have been declared effective by the Commission in such form; other than a registration statement, if any, increasing the size of the offering (a “ Rule 462(b) Registration Statement ”), filed pursuant to Rule 462(b)

 



 

under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ Act ”), which became effective upon filing, no other document with respect to the Initial Registration Statement has heretofore been filed with the Commission; and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Initial Registration Statement, any post-effective amendment thereto or the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission (any preliminary prospectus included in the Initial Registration Statement or filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(a) under the Act is hereinafter called a “ Preliminary Prospectus ”; the various parts of the Initial Registration Statement and the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, including all exhibits thereto and including the information contained in the form of final prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act in accordance with Section 5(a) hereof and deemed by virtue of Rule 430A under the Act to be part of the Initial Registration Statement at the time it was declared effective, each as amended at the time such part of the Initial Registration Statement became effective or such part of the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, became or hereafter becomes effective, are hereinafter collectively called the “ Registration Statement ”; the Preliminary Prospectus relating to the Shares that was included in the Registration Statement immediately prior to the Applicable Time (as defined in Section 1(a)(iii) hereof) is hereinafter called the “ Pricing Prospectus ”; such final prospectus, in the form first filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act, is hereinafter called the “ Prospectus ”; and any “ issuer free writing prospectus ” as defined in Rule 433 under the Act relating to the Shares is hereinafter called an “ Issuer Free Writing Prospectus ”);

 

(ii)                               No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and each Preliminary Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and did not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through Goldman, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein (it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 9(c) hereof);

 

(iii)                           [any oral or written communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on Section 5(d) of the Act is hereinafter called a “ Section 5(d) Communication ”; and any Section 5(d) Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Act is hereinafter called a “ Section 5(d) Writing ”;]

 

2



 

(iv)                           For the purposes of this Agreement, the “ Applicable Time ” is ___:___ __m (Eastern time) on the date of this Agreement; the Pricing Prospectus, as supplemented by the information listed on Schedule III(c) hereto, taken together (collectively, the “ Pricing Disclosure Package ”), as of the Applicable Time, did not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus listed on Schedule III(a) hereto does not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus and each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus [and each Section 5(d) Writing listed on Schedule III(b) hereto,] each as supplemented by and taken together with the Pricing Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time, did not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to statements or omissions made in an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus [or Section 5(d) Writing] in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through Goldman, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein  (it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 9(c) hereof);

 

(v)                               No documents were filed with the Commission since the Commission’s close of business on the business day immediately prior to the date of this Agreement and prior to the execution of this Agreement, except as set forth on Schedule III(b) hereto;

 

(vi)                           The Registration Statement conforms, and the Prospectus and any further amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus will conform, in all material respects to the applicable requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and do not and will not, as of the applicable effective date as to each part of the Registration Statement and as of the applicable filing date as to the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through Goldman, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein (it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 9(c) hereof);

 

(vii)                       Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the Pricing Prospectus any material loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, other than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus; and, since the respective

 

3



 

dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Pricing Prospectus, there has not been any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the business, properties, general affairs, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries or the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under, or consummate the transaction contemplated by, this Agreement (any of the foregoing, a “ Material Adverse Effect ”), otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus;

 

(viii)                   The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property and good and marketable title to all personal property owned by them, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects except such as are described in the Pricing Prospectus or such as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its subsidiaries; and any real property and buildings held under lease by the Company and its subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with such exceptions as are not material and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the Company and its subsidiaries;

 

(ix)                           The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, with power and authority to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the Pricing Prospectus, and has been duly qualified as a foreign corporation for the transaction of business and is in good standing under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which it owns or leases properties or conducts any business so as to require such qualification, except where the failure to be duly qualified or in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and each subsidiary of the Company has been, as the case may be, (A) duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation or (B) duly formed and is validly existing as a limited liability company in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its formation, except, in each case, where the failure to be duly qualified or in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;

 

(x)                               The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Pricing Prospectus and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company, including the Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholders, have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable and conform to the description of the Stock contained in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and all of the issued shares of capital stock of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims (“ Liens ”), except (A)

 

4



 

Liens under the Credit and Guaranty Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2013, among the Company, Deutsche Bank AG New York Branch as Administrative Agent, Barclays Bank PLC, as Syndication Agent, and the lenders from time to time party thereto (the “ Credit Facility ”) and (B) as disclosed in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus;

 

(xi)                           The Shares to be issued and sold by the Company to the Underwriters have been duly and validly authorized and, when issued and delivered against payment therefor as provided herein, will be duly and validly issued and fully paid and non-assessable and will conform to the description of the Stock contained in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus;

 

(xii)                       The issue and sale of the Shares to be sold by the Company and the execution, delivery and compliance by the Company with this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated will not conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, (A) any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, (B) the certificate of incorporation, by-laws, certificate of formation, limited liability company agreement or other organizational document (the “ Organizational Documents ”), as the case may be, of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or (C) any statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties, except in the case of clause (A) as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and no consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any such court or governmental agency or body is required for the issue of the Shares to be sold by the Company and the sale of the Shares or the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except for the registration under the Act of the Shares, and such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, registrations or qualifications as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Shares by the Underwriters;

 

(xiii)                   Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of (A) its Organizational Documents or (B) in default in the performance or observance of any material obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties may be bound, except in the case of clause (B) for any such default that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect;

 

(xiv)                   The statements set forth in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus under the caption “ Description of Capital Stock ”, insofar as they purport to constitute a summary of the terms of the Stock, and under the caption “ Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences to Non-U.S. Holders ”, insofar

 

5



 

as they purport to describe the provisions of the laws and documents referred to therein, are accurate, complete, and fair;

 

(xv)                       Other than as set forth in the Pricing Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries or, to the Company’s knowledge, any officer or director of the Company, is a party or of which any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or, to the Company’s knowledge, any officer or director of the Company, is the subject which, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries (or such officer or director), would individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or threatened by others;

 

(xvi)                   from the time of initial confidential submission of a registration statement relating to the Shares with the Commission (or, if earlier, the first date on which a Section 5(d) Communication was made) through the date hereof, the Company has been and is an “ emerging growth company ” as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Act (an “ Emerging Growth Company ”);

 

(xvii)               The Company and each of its subsidiaries are not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Shares and the application of the proceeds thereof, will not be an “ investment company ”, as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “ Investment Company Act ”);

 

(xviii)           At the time of filing the Initial Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or any offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) under the Securities Act) of the Shares, and at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an “ ineligible issuer ”, as defined in Rule 405 under the Act;

 

(xix)                   Deloitte & Touche LLP (“ Deloitte ”), who have certified certain financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, are independent public accountants as required by the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder;

 

(xx)                       The Company maintains a system of internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “ Exchange Act ”)) that complies with the requirements of the Exchange Act and has been designed by the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, or under their supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, the Company’s internal control over financial

 

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reporting is effective and the Company is not aware of any material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting. The Company’s internal control over financial reporting is sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences . The Company has taken all necessary actions to ensure that, upon the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, it will be in compliance with all provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or implementing the provisions thereof (the “ Sarbanes-Oxley Act ”) that are then in effect and with which the Company is required to comply as of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, and is actively taking steps to ensure that it will be in compliance with other provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act not currently in effect, upon the effectiveness of such provisions, or which will become applicable to the Company at all times after the effectiveness of the Registration Statement;

 

(xxi)                   Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the Pricing Prospectus, there has been no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially and adversely affected, or is reasonably likely to materially and adversely affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting;

 

(xxii)               The Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act; such disclosure controls and procedures have been designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company and its subsidiaries is made known to the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer by others within those entities; and such disclosure controls and procedures are effective in all material respects to perform the functions for which they were established;

 

(xxiii)           This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company;

 

(xxiv)           None of the Company, any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made or taken an act in furtherance of an offer, promise or authorization of any direct or indirect unlawful payment to any foreign or domestic government official or employee from corporate funds, including of any government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in

 

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an official capacity for or on behalf of the foregoing, or any political party, party official or candidate for political office; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 , as amended (the “ FCPA ”), the Bribery Act 2010 of the United Kingdom (the “ UK Bribery Act ”), any applicable law or regulation implementing the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions (the “ OECD Anti-Bribery Convention ”) or any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption law; or (iv) made any bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment, or offered, agreed, requested or promised to make any such payment or taken an act in furtherance of any unlawful bribe or other unlawful benefit, including, without limitation, any rebate, payoff, influence, benefit, kickback or other unlawful or improper payment or benefit. The Company and its subsidiaries have instituted, maintain and enforce, and will continue to maintain and enforce policies and procedures designed to promote and ensure compliance with all applicable anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws;

 

(xxv)               The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including those of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries (collectively, the “ Money Laundering Laws ”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened;

 

(xxvi)           (A) None of the Company, any of its subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently (i) the subject or the target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. Government, including, without limitation, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (the “ Treasury Department ”), or the U.S. Department of State and including, without limitation, the designation as a “specially designated national” or “blocked person,” the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury, the United Nations Security Council, or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “ Sanctions ”), (ii) is not located, organized or resident in any country or territory that is the subject or target of Sanctions nor does any business with or involving the government of, or any person or project located in, any country targeted by any Sanctions or (iii) supports or facilitates any such business or project; (B) the Company is not controlled (within the meaning of the executive orders or regulations promulgating Sanctions) by any government or person that is the subject or target of Sanctions; (C)  the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Shares hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary,

 

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joint venture partner or other person or entity (i) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business with any person, or in any country or territory, that, at the time of such funding, is the subject or target of Sanctions or (ii) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions; and (D) the Company has implemented and maintains adequate internal controls and procedures to monitor and audit transactions that are reasonably designed to detect and prevent any use of the proceeds from the offering of the Shares hereunder or any other action that is inconsistent with any of the Company’s representations and obligations under this paragraph. For the past five years, the Company and its subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in and are not now knowingly engaged in any dealings or transactions with any person that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject or target of, or in any country or territory that is the subject or target of, Sanctions;

 

(xxvii)       Each “employee benefit plan” (within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ ERISA ”)) for which the Company or any member of its “Controlled Group” (defined as any organization which is a member of a controlled group of corporations within the meaning of Section 414 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “ Code ”) or 4001 of ERISA) would have any liability (each a “ Plan ”) (i) complies in form with the requirements of all applicable statutes, rules and regulations including ERISA and the Code, and has been maintained and administered in substantial compliance with its terms and with the requirements of all applicable statutes, rules and regulations including ERISA and the Code; (ii) with respect to each Plan subject to Title IV of ERISA or Section 302 of ERISA or Sections 412 and 430 of the Code (a) no “reportable event” (within the meaning of Section 4043(c) of ERISA) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur, (b) no failure to satisfy the minimum funding standard (within the meaning of Section 302 of ERISA or Sections 412 and 430 of the Code), whether or not waived, has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur, (c) the fair market value of the assets under each Plan (excluding for these purposes accrued but unpaid contributions) exceeds the present value of all benefits accrued under such Plan (determined based on those assumptions used to fund such Plan) and (d) neither the Company nor any member of its Controlled Group has incurred, or reasonably expects to incur, any liability under Title IV of ERISA in respect of a Plan (including a “multiemployer plan”, within the meaning of Section 4001(c)(3) of ERISA); (iii) each Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified and nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which would cause the loss of such qualification; and (iv) no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred with respect to any Plan excluding transactions to which a statutory or administrative prohibited transaction exemption applies;

 

(xxviii)   Except as disclosed in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company and its subsidiaries (A) are in compliance with any and all applicable foreign, federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and safety (to the extent related to exposure to

 

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hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants, or contaminants), or the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata) or wildlife, including, without limitation, laws and regulations imposing liability or standards of conduct concerning, or relating to the release or threatened release of, any pollutants, chemicals, contaminants, solid or hazardous wastes, materials, substances, any petroleum or petroleum products, or any polychlorinated biphenyls or radioactive materials (collectively, “ Hazardous Materials ”) or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport, arrangement for disposal or transport, release, threatened release or handling of, or exposure to, Hazardous Materials (collectively, “ Environmental Laws ”), (B) have received and are in compliance with all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses as they are currently being conducted and as they are proposed to be conducted on each Time of Delivery (as defined in Section 4 hereof), (C) have not received written notice of any actual or potential liability under any Environmental Law and (D) are not a party to, nor are their operations the subject of, any pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened action, suit or proceeding relating to any alleged violation of any Environmental Law or relating to any actual or alleged release or threatened release or cleanup at any location of any hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, except in each case of clause (A) through (D), to the extent such matters would be reasonably likely to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has been notified in writing that they are currently named as a “potentially responsible party” under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, be reasonably likely to result in a Material Adverse Effect;

 

(xxix)           In the ordinary course of its business, the Company periodically reviews the effect of Environmental Laws on the business, operations and properties of the Company and its subsidiaries, in the course of which it identifies and evaluates associated costs and liabilities (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure of properties or compliance with Environmental Laws, or any permit, license or approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties).  On the basis of such review, the Company has concluded that such reasonably anticipated associated costs and liabilities would not have a Material Adverse Effect, except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus;

 

(xxx)               (A) Except as disclosed in the Pricing Prospectus, there are no persons with registration rights or other similar rights to have any securities registered pursuant to the Registration Statement or otherwise registered by the Company under the Act except as have been validly waived or complied with and (B) the holders of outstanding shares of the Company’s capital stock are not entitled to preemptive or other rights to subscribe for the Shares that have not been complied with or otherwise effectively waived;

 

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(xxxi)           Any statistical, industry-related and market-related data included in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate and, to the extent required, the Company has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources where applicable;

 

(xxxii)       The Company and its subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the business in which it is engaged; and the Company has no reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business;

 

(xxxiii)   The Company and its subsidiaries have filed all foreign, federal, state and local tax returns that are required to be filed or have obtained or requested extensions thereof, except where the failure so to file would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, and has paid all taxes (including, without limitation, any estimated taxes) required to be paid and any other assessment, fine or penalty, to the extent that any of the foregoing is due and payable, except for any such tax, assessment, fine or penalty that is currently being contested in good faith by appropriate actions and for which adequate reserves have been established in accordance with GAAP and except for such taxes, assessments, fines or penalties the nonpayment of which would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect;

 

(xxxiv)   The Company and its subsidiaries have no off-balance sheet arrangements (as defined in Regulation S-K Item 303(a)(4)(ii)) that may have a material current or future effect on the Company’s financial condition, changes in financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus;

 

(xxxv)       The Company has not sold or issued any shares of Stock during the six-month period preceding the date of the Prospectus, including any sales pursuant to Rule 144A or Regulation D of the Act, other than (i) shares issued pursuant to employee benefit plans, stock option plans or other employee compensation plans or pursuant to outstanding options, rights or warrants, or (ii) as disclosed in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus;

 

(xxxvi)   The Company has not and, to its knowledge, no one acting on its behalf has, (i) taken and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action which is designed to or which has constituted or which would reasonably be expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company or any of its subsidiaries to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares or result in a violation of Regulation M under the Exchange Act, (ii) sold, bid for, purchased, or paid anyone any compensation for soliciting purchases of, the Shares, or (iii) paid or agreed to pay to any person any compensation for

 

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soliciting another to purchase any other securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries other than as contemplated in this Agreement;

 

(xxxvii)           There are no relationships or related-party transactions involving the Company, any of the subsidiaries or consolidated affiliated entities, or any other person required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus which have not been described as required;

 

(xxxviii)                                           No material labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is threatened, that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect;

 

(xxxix)   Except as described in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or other like payment in connection with this offering;

 

(xl)                           Neither the issuance, sale and delivery of the Shares nor the application of the proceeds thereof by the Company as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus will violate Regulation T, U or X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or any other regulation of such Board of Governors;

 

(xli)                       There are no debt securities or preferred stock of, or guaranteed by, the Company that are rated by a “nationally recognized statistical rating organization,” as such term is defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act.

 

(xlii)                   No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed by the Company without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed by the Company other than in good faith;

 

(xliii)               Each of the Company and its subsidiaries possesses all licenses, certificates, authorizations and permits issued by, and has made all declarations and filings with, the appropriate federal, state or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies which are necessary for the ownership of its properties or the conduct of its businesses as presently conducted, except where failure to have such licenses, certificates, authorizations and permits would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.  None of the Company or its subsidiaries have received notification of any revocation or modification of any such license, certificate, authorization or permit or currently intend to not renew any such license, certificate, authorization or permit which, if subject to an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and

 

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(xliv)               the Company and its subsidiaries own, possess or can acquire on commercially reasonable terms adequate rights to use all patents, patent applications, trademarks, service marks, trade names, trademark registrations, service mark registrations, copyrights, licenses, know-how, software, systems and technology (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures) necessary for the conduct of their businesses in the manner and subject to such qualifications described in the Pricing Prospectus and have no reason to believe that the conduct of their business will conflict with, and the Company and its subsidiaries have not received any notice of any claim of conflict with, any such rights of others.

 

(b)                               Each of the Selling Stockholders severally represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each of the Underwriters and the Company that:

 

(i)                                   All consents, approvals, authorizations and orders necessary for the execution and delivery by such Selling Stockholder of this Agreement and the Power of Attorney and the Custody Agreement hereinafter referred to, and for the sale and delivery of the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder, have been obtained; and such Selling Stockholder has full right, power and authority to enter into this Agreement, the Power of Attorney and the Custody Agreement and to sell, assign, transfer and deliver the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder;

 

(ii)                               The sale of the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder and the compliance by such Selling Stockholder with this Agreement, the Power of Attorney and the Custody Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein and therein contemplated will not (A) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any statute, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument to which such Selling Stockholder is a party or by which such Selling Stockholder is bound or to which any of the property or assets of such Selling Stockholder is subject, (B) result in any violation of the provisions of the Selling Stockholders’ Organizational Documents, or  (C) result in the violation of any statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over such Selling Stockholder or any of its subsidiaries or any property or assets of such Selling Stockholder, except for such conflicts, breaches, violations defaults, in the case of clause (A) as would not reasonably be expected to impair in any material respect the ability of such Selling Stockholder to perform its obligations under this Agreement, the Power of Attorney and the Custody Agreement; and no consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any such court or governmental body or agency is required for the performance by such Selling Stockholder of its obligations under this Agreement, the Power of Attorney and the Custody Agreement and the consummation by such Selling Stockholder of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the Power of Attorney and the Custody Agreement in connection with the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder, except the registration under the Act of the

 

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Shares, and such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, registrations or qualifications as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Shares by the Underwriters;

 

(iii)                           Such Selling Stockholder has, and immediately prior to each Time of Delivery such Selling Stockholder will have, good and valid title to the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder at such Time of Delivery, free and clear of all Liens; and, upon delivery of such Shares and payment therefor pursuant hereto, good and valid title to such Shares, free and clear of all Liens, will pass to the several Underwriters;

 

(iv)                           On or prior to the date of the Pricing Prospectus, such Selling Stockholder has executed and delivered to the Underwriters a lock-up agreement substantially in the form of Annex III hereto;

 

(v)                               Such Selling Stockholder has not taken and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action that is designed to or that has constituted or might reasonably be expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares;

 

(vi)                           To the extent that any statements or omissions made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto are made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Selling Stockholder pursuant to Items 7 and 11(m) of Form S–1 expressly for use therein, such Registration Statement and Preliminary Prospectus did, and the Prospectus and any further amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus will, when they become effective or are filed with the Commission, as the case may be, conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by such Selling Stockholder consists of (A) the legal name, address and the number of shares of Common Stock owned by such Selling Stockholder and (B) the other information with respect to such Selling Stockholder (excluding percentages) which appear in the table (and corresponding footnotes) under the caption “Principal and Selling Shareholders” (with respect to each Selling Stockholder, the “ Selling Stockholder Information ”);

 

(vii)                       In order to document the Underwriters’ compliance with the reporting and withholding provisions of the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 with respect to the transactions herein contemplated, such Selling Stockholder will deliver to you prior to or at the First Time of Delivery (as defined in Section 4 hereof) a properly completed and executed United States Treasury Department Form W-9 (or other applicable form or statement specified by Treasury Department regulations in lieu thereof);

 

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(viii)                   Certificates in negotiable form representing all of the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder have been placed in custody under a Custody Agreement, in the form heretofore furnished to you (the “ Custody Agreement ”), duly executed and delivered by such Selling Stockholder to [Name of Custodian], as custodian (the “ Custodian ”), and such Selling Stockholder has duly executed and delivered a Power of Attorney, in the form heretofore furnished to you (the “ Power of Attorney ”), appointing the persons indicated in Schedule II hereto, and each of them, as such Selling Stockholder’s attorneys-in-fact (the “ Attorneys-in-Fact ”) with authority to execute and deliver this Agreement on behalf of such Selling Stockholder, to determine the purchase price to be paid by the Underwriters to the Selling Stockholders as provided in Section 2 hereof, to authorize the delivery of the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder and otherwise to act on behalf of such Selling Stockholder in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Custody Agreement;

 

(ix)                           The Shares represented by the certificates held in custody for such Selling Stockholder under the Custody Agreement are subject to the interests of the Underwriters hereunder; the arrangements made by such Selling Stockholder for such custody, and the appointment by such Selling Stockholder of the Attorneys-in-Fact by the Power of Attorney, are to that extent irrevocable; the obligations of the Selling Stockholders hereunder shall not be terminated by operation of law, whether by the death or incapacity of any individual Selling Stockholder or, in the case of an estate or trust, by the death or incapacity of any executor or trustee or the termination of such estate or trust, or in the case of a partnership or corporation, by the dissolution of such partnership or corporation, or by the occurrence of any other event; if any individual Selling Stockholder or any such executor or trustee should die or become incapacitated, or if any such estate or trust should be terminated, or if any such partnership or corporation should be dissolved, or if any other such event should occur, before the delivery of the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder, certificates representing the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Selling Stockholders in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement and of the Custody Agreements; and actions taken by the Attorneys-in-Fact pursuant to the Powers of Attorney shall be as valid as if such death, incapacity, termination, dissolution or other event had not occurred, regardless of whether or not the Custodian, the Attorneys-in-Fact, or any of them, shall have received notice of such death, incapacity, termination, dissolution or other event;

 

(x)                               Such Selling Stockholder is not prompted by any material non-public information concerning the Company or any of its subsidiaries that is not disclosed in the Pricing Prospectus to sell its Shares pursuant to this Agreement;

 

(xi)                           Such Selling Stockholder has not, nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of such Selling Stockholder, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of such Selling Stockholder or any of its subsidiaries (i) used any corporate funds for any

 

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unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made or taken an act in furtherance of an offer, promise or authorization of any direct or indirect unlawful payment to any foreign or domestic government official or employee from corporate funds, including of any government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of the foregoing, or any political party, party official or candidate for political office; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the FCPA, the UK Bribery Act, any applicable law or regulation implementing the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention or any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption law; or (iv) made any bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment, or offered, agreed, requested or promised to make any such payment or taken an act in furtherance of any unlawful bribe or other unlawful benefit, including, without limitation, any rebate, payoff, influence, benefit, kickback or other unlawful or improper payment or benefit;

 

(xii)                       Such Selling Stockholder and its subsidiaries have conducted their businesses at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Money Laundering Laws and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving such Selling Stockholder or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Selling Stockholder, threatened; and

 

(xiii)                   (A) Such Selling Stockholder is currently not, nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of such Selling Stockholder, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of such Selling Stockholder or any of its subsidiaries (i) the subject or the target of any Sanctions, (ii) located, organized or resident in any country or territory that is the subject or target of Sanctions nor does any business with or involving the government of, or any person or project located in, any country targeted by any Sanctions or (iii) supports or facilitates any such business or project; (B) such Selling Stockholder is not controlled (within the meaning of the executive orders or regulations promulgating Sanctions) by any government or person that is the subject or target of Sanctions; (C) such Selling Stockholder will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Shares hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity (i) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business with any person, or in any country or territory, that, at the time of such funding, is the subject or target of Sanctions or (ii) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions; and (D) such Selling Stockholder has implemented and maintains adequate internal controls and procedures to monitor and audit transactions that are reasonably designed to detect and prevent any use of the proceeds from the offering of the Shares hereunder or any other action that is inconsistent with any of such Selling Stockholder’s representations and obligations under this paragraph. For the past five years, such Selling

 

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Stockholder and its subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in and are not now knowingly engaged in any dealings or transactions with any person that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject or target of, or in any country or territory that is the subject or target of, Sanctions.

 

2.                                     Subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, (a) the Company and each of the Selling Stockholders agree, severally and not jointly, to sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company and each of the Selling Stockholders, at a purchase price per share of $ . . . . . . . , the number of Firm Shares (to be adjusted by you so as to eliminate fractional shares) determined by multiplying the aggregate number of Firm Shares to be sold by the Company and each of the Selling Stockholders as set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule II hereto by a fraction, the numerator of which is the aggregate number of Firm Shares to be purchased by such Underwriter as set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto and the denominator of which is the aggregate number of Firm Shares to be purchased by all of the Underwriters from the Company and all of the Selling Stockholders hereunder and (b) in the event and to the extent that the Underwriters shall exercise the election to purchase Optional Shares as provided below, the Selling Stockholders, as and to the extent indicated in Schedule II hereto agree, severally and not jointly, to sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from each of the Selling Stockholders, at the purchase price per share set forth in clause (a) of this Section 2, that portion of the number of Optional Shares as to which such election shall have been exercised (to be adjusted by you so as to eliminate fractional shares) determined by multiplying such number of Optional Shares by a fraction, the numerator of which is the maximum number of Optional Shares which such Underwriter is entitled to purchase as set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto and the denominator of which is the maximum number of Optional Shares that all of the Underwriters are entitled to purchase hereunder.

 

The Selling Stockholders, as and to the extent indicated in Schedule II hereto, hereby grant, severally and not jointly, to the Underwriters the right to purchase at their election up to . . . . . . . Optional Shares, at the purchase price per share set forth in the paragraph above, for the sole purpose of covering sales of shares in excess of the number of Firm Shares, provided that the purchase price per Optional Share shall be reduced by an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Firm Shares but not payable on the Optional Shares.  Any such election to purchase Optional Shares shall be made in accordance with the procedures as set forth in Schedule II hereto initially with respect to the Optional Shares to be sold by certain officers and directors of the Company and then among the Selling Stockholders, on the other hand.  Any such election to purchase Optional Shares may be exercised only by written notice from you to the Attorneys-in-Fact, given within a period of 30 calendar days after the date of this Agreement and setting forth the aggregate number of Optional Shares to be purchased and the date on which such Optional Shares are to be delivered, as determined by you but in no event earlier than the First Time of Delivery or, unless you and the Attorneys-in-Fact otherwise agree in writing, earlier than two or later than ten business days after the date of such notice.

 

3.                                     Upon the authorization by you of the release of the Firm Shares, the several Underwriters propose to offer the Firm Shares for sale upon the terms and conditions set forth in the Prospectus.

 

4.                                     (a)                                The Shares to be purchased by each Underwriter hereunder, in definitive form, and in such authorized denominations and registered in such names as Goldman, Sachs & Co. may request upon at least forty-eight hours’ prior notice to the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall be

 

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delivered by or on behalf of the Company and the Selling Stockholders to Goldman, Sachs & Co., through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company (“ DTC ”), for the account of such Underwriter, against payment by or on behalf of such Underwriter of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer of federal (same-day) funds to the accounts specified by the Company and the Custodian to Goldman, Sachs & Co. at least forty-eight hours in advance.  The Company and the Selling Stockholders will cause the certificates representing the Shares to be made available for checking and packaging at least twenty-four hours prior to the Time of Delivery with respect thereto at the office of DTC or its designated custodian (the “ Designated Office ”). The time and date of such delivery and payment shall be, with respect to the Firm Shares, 9:30 a.m., New York time, on ............., 2017 or such other time and date as Goldman, Sachs & Co., the Company and the Attorneys-in-Fact may agree upon in writing, and, with respect to the Optional Shares, 9:30 a.m., New York time, on the date specified by Goldman, Sachs & Co. in each written notice given by Goldman, Sachs & Co. of the Underwriters’ election to purchase such Optional Shares, or such other time and date as Goldman, Sachs & Co., the Company and the Attorneys-in-Fact may agree upon in writing.  Such time and date for delivery of the Firm Shares is herein called the “ First Time of Delivery ”, each such time and date for delivery of the Optional Shares, if not the First Time of Delivery, is herein called the “ Second Time of Delivery ”, and each such time and date for delivery is herein called a “ Time of Delivery ”.

 

(b)                               The documents to be delivered at each Time of Delivery by or on behalf of the parties hereto pursuant to Section 8 hereof, including the cross receipt for the Shares and any additional documents requested by the Underwriters pursuant to Section 8(l) hereof will be delivered at the offices of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., 1001 Fannin Street, Suite 2500, Houston, Texas 77002 (the “ Closing Location ”), and the Shares will be delivered at the Designated Office, all at such Time of Delivery.  A meeting will be held at the Closing Location at ....... p.m., New York City time, on the New York Business Day next preceding such Time of Delivery, at which meeting the final drafts of the documents to be delivered pursuant to the preceding sentence will be available for review by the parties hereto.  For the purposes of this Section 4, “ New York Business Day ” shall mean each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which is not a day on which banking institutions in New York are generally authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

 

5.                                     The Company agrees with each of the Underwriters:

 

(a)                                To prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by you and to file such Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act not later than the Commission’s close of business on the second business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement, or, if applicable, such earlier time as may be required by Rule 430A(a)(3) under the Act; to make no further amendment or any supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus prior to the last Time of Delivery that has been disapproved by you promptly after reasonable notice thereof; to advise you, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the time when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus has been filed and to furnish you with copies thereof; to file promptly all material required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act; to advise you, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or other prospectus in respect of the Shares, of the suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any request by the Commission

 

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for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or for additional information; and, in the event of the issuance of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or other prospectus or suspending any such qualification, to promptly use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal of such order;

 

(b)                               Promptly from time to time to take such action as you may reasonably request to qualify the Shares for offering and sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as you may request and to comply with such laws so as to permit the continuance of sales and dealings therein in such jurisdictions for as long as may be necessary to complete the distribution of the Shares, provided that in connection therewith the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction;

 

(c)                                Prior to 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the New York Business Day next succeeding the date of this Agreement and from time to time, to furnish the Underwriters with written and electronic copies of the Prospectus in New York City in such quantities as you may reasonably request, and, if the delivery of a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Act) is required at any time prior to the expiration of nine months after the time of issue of the Prospectus in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares and if at such time any event shall have occurred as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made when such Prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Act) is delivered, not misleading, or, if for any other reason it shall be necessary during such same period to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to comply with the Act, to notify you and upon your request to prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter and to any dealer in securities as many written and electronic copies as you may from time to time reasonably request of an amended Prospectus or a supplement to the Prospectus which will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance; and in case any Underwriter is required to deliver a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Act) in connection with sales of any of the Shares at any time nine months or more after the time of issue of the Prospectus, upon your request but at the expense of such Underwriter, to prepare and deliver to such Underwriter as many written and electronic copies as you may request of an amended or supplemented Prospectus complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Act;

 

(d)                               To make generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable, but in any event not later than sixteen months after the effective date of the Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c) under the Act), an earnings statement of the Company and its subsidiaries (which need not be audited) complying with Section 11(a) of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (including, at the option of the Company, Rule 158 under the Act);

 

(e)                                During the period beginning from the date hereof and continuing to and including the date 180 days after the date of the Prospectus (the “ Company Lock-Up Period ”), not to (i) offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, grant any option to purchase, make

 

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any short sale or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, or file with the Commission a registration statement under the Act relating to, any securities of the Company that are substantially similar to the Shares, including but not limited to any options or warrants to purchase shares of Stock or any securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for, or that represent the right to receive, Stock or any such substantially similar securities (other than the filing of a registration statement solely in respect of the resale of Stock underlying the Company’s Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, as required by that Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of December 27, 2016, by among the Company and the investors party thereto), or publicly disclose the intention to make any offer, sale, pledge, disposition or filing or (ii) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Stock or any such other securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise ((other than (A) any Shares to be sold hereunder, (B) pursuant to the Company ’s stock option plan existing on, or upon the conversion or exchange of convertible or exchangeable securities outstanding as of, the date of this Agreement, (C) the issuance by the Company of Stock or securities convertible into, exchangeable for or representing the right to receive Stock in connection with the acquisition by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of the securities, business, technology, property or other assets of another person or entity or pursuant to an employee benefit plan assumed by the Company in connection with any such acquisition or (D) the filing of any registration statement on Form S-8 relating to securities granted or to be granted pursuant to the Company’s equity incentive plans that are described in the Pricing Prospectus or any assumed employee benefit plan contemplated by clause (C); provided that the aggregate number of shares of Stock that the Company may sell or issue or agree to sell or issue pursuant to clause (C) shall not exceed 10% of the total number of shares of Stock of the Company outstanding immediately following the completion of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; and, provided, further, that in the case of clause (C) each recipient of such securities shall execute and deliver to the Representatives, on or prior to the issuance of such securities, a lock-up agreement substantially to the effect as set forth in Annex III hereto)), in each case, without the prior written consent of Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Barclays Capital Inc. ; if Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Barclays Capital Inc., in their sole discretion, agree to release or waive the restrictions in lock-up letters pursuant to Section 1(b)(iv) or Section 8(j) hereof, in each case for an officer or director of the Company, and provides the Company with notice of the impending release or waiver at least three business days before the effective date of the release or waiver, the Company agrees to announce the impending release or waiver by a press release substantially in the form of Annex III hereto through a major news service at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver;

 

(f)                                 To furnish to its stockholders as soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal year an annual report (including a balance sheet and statements of income, stockholders ‘ equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries certified by independent public accountants) and, as soon as practicable after the end of each of the first three quarters of each fiscal year (beginning with the fiscal quarter ending after the effective date of the Registration Statement), to make available to its stockholders consolidated summary financial information of the Company and its subsidiaries for such quarter in reasonable detail;

 

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(g)                                During a period of three years from the effective date of the Registration Statement, to furnish to you copies of all reports or other communications (financial or other) furnished to stockholders, and to deliver to you (i) as soon as they are available, copies of any reports and financial statements furnished to or filed with the Commission or any national securities exchange on which any class of securities of the Company is listed; and (ii) such additional information concerning the business and financial condition of the Company as you may from time to time reasonably request (such financial statements to be on a consolidated basis to the extent the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries are consolidated in reports furnished to its stockholders generally or to the Commission);

 

(h)                               To use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement in the manner specified in the Pricing Prospectus under the caption “ Use of Proceeds ”;

 

(i)                                   To use its best efforts to list for trading, subject to official notice of issuance, the Shares on the New York Stock Exchange (the “ Exchange ”);

 

(j)                                   To file with the Commission such information on Form 10-Q or Form 10-K as may be required by Rule 463 under the Act;

 

(k)                               If the Company elects to rely upon Rule 462(b) under the Act (“ Rule 462(b) ”), the Company shall file a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement with the Commission in compliance with Rule 462(b) by 10:00 p.m., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this Agreement, and the Company shall at the time of filing either pay to the Commission the filing fee for the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement or give irrevocable instructions for the payment of such fee pursuant to Rule 3a(c) of the Commission’s Informal and Other Procedures (16 CFR 202.3a); and

 

(l)                                   Upon request of any Underwriter, to furnish, or cause to be furnished, to such Underwriter an electronic version of the Company’s trademarks, servicemarks and corporate logo for use on the website, if any, operated by such Underwriter for the purpose of facilitating the on-line offering of the Shares (the “License”); provided , however , that the License shall be used solely for the purpose described above, is granted without any fee and may not be assigned or transferred; and

 

(m)                           To promptly notify you if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the later of (i) completion of the distribution of the Shares within the meaning of the Act and (ii) completion of the 180-day restricted period referred to in Section 5(e) hereof.

 

6.                                     (a)                                The Company represents and agrees that, without the prior consent of Goldman, Sachs & Co., it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 under the Act; each Selling Stockholder represents and agrees that, without the prior consent of the Company and Goldman, Sachs & Co., it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute a “free writing prospectus”; and each Underwriter represents and agrees that, without the prior consent of the Company and Goldman, Sachs & Co., it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute a “free

 

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writing prospectus”; any such free writing prospectus the use of which has been consented to by the Company and Goldman, Sachs & Co. is listed on Schedule III(a) hereto;

 

(b)                               The Company represents and agrees that (i) it has not engaged in, or authorized any other person to engage in, any Section 5(d) Communications, other than Section 5(d) Communications with the prior consent of Goldman, Sachs & Co. with entities that are qualified institutional buyers as defined in Rule 144A under the Act or institutions that are accredited investors as defined in Rule 501(a) under the Act; and (ii) it has not distributed, or authorized any other person to distribute, any Section 5(d) Writings, other than those distributed with the prior consent of Goldman, Sachs & Co. that are listed on Schedule III(b) hereto; and the Company reconfirms that the Underwriters have been authorized to act on its behalf in engaging in Section 5(d) Communications;

 

(c)                                The Company has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 under the Act applicable to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission or retention where required and legending; and the Company represents that it has satisfied and agrees that it will satisfy the conditions under Rule 433 under the Act to avoid a requirement to file with the Commission any electronic road show;

 

(d)                               The Company agrees that if at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or Section 5(d) Writing any event occurred or occurs as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or Section 5(d) Writing would conflict with the information in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances then prevailing, not misleading, the Company will give prompt notice thereof to Goldman, Sachs & Co. and, if requested by Goldman, Sachs & Co., will prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, Section 5(d) Writing or other document which will correct such conflict, statement or omission; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions in an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through Goldman, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein.

 

7.                                     The Company and each of the Selling Stockholders covenant and agree with one another and with the several Underwriters that (a) the Company and such Selling Stockholder will pay or cause to be paid a pro rata share (based on the number of Shares to be sold by the Company and such Selling Stockholder hereunder, with the number to be sold by [ · ] and [ · ] to be included, for purposes of this clause (a), in the number of Shares to be sold by the Company) of the following: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Company’s counsel and accountants in connection with the registration of the Shares under the Act and all other expenses in connection with the preparation, printing, reproduction and filing of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and amendments and supplements thereto and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers; (ii) the cost of printing or producing any Agreement among Underwriters, this Agreement, the Blue Sky Memorandum, closing documents (including any compilations thereof) and any other documents in connection with the offering, purchase, sale and delivery of the Shares; (iii) all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Shares for offering and sale under state securities laws as provided in Section 5(b) hereof, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky survey; and (iv) all fees and expenses in connection with listing the Shares on the Exchange; and (v) the filing fees incident to, and the fees and disbursements of counsel for the

 

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Underwriters in connection with, any required review by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“ FINRA ”) of the terms of the sale of the Shares (up to $20,000); (b) the Company will pay or cause to be paid: (i) the cost of preparing stock certificates; if applicable (ii) the cost and charges of any transfer agent or registrar, and (iii) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder which are not otherwise specifically provided for in this Section; and (c) such Selling Stockholder will pay or cause to be paid all costs and expenses incident to the performance of such Selling Stockholder’s obligations hereunder which are not otherwise specifically provided for in this Section, including (i) any fees and expenses of counsel for such Selling Stockholder, (ii) such Selling Stockholder’s pro rata share of the fees and expenses of the Attorneys-in-Fact and the Custodian, and (iii) all expenses and taxes incident to the sale and delivery of the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder to the Underwriters hereunder.  In connection with clause (c)(iii) of the preceding sentence, Goldman, Sachs & Co. agrees to pay New York State stock transfer tax, and the Selling Stockholder agrees to reimburse Goldman, Sachs & Co. for associated carrying costs if such tax payment is not rebated on the day of payment and for any portion of such tax payment not rebated. It is understood, however, that the Company shall bear, and the Selling Stockholders shall not be required to pay or to reimburse the Company for, the cost of any other matters not directly relating to the sale and purchase of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement, and that, except as provided in this Section, and Sections 9 and 12 hereof, the Underwriters will pay all of their own costs and expenses, including the fees of their counsel, stock transfer taxes on resale of any of the Shares by them, and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may make and that the Underwriters shall be responsible for 50% of the cost of any chartered plane, jet, private aircraft, other aircraft or other transportation chartered in connection with any “road show” presentation to investors undertaken in connection with the offering.

 

8.                                     The obligations of the Underwriters hereunder, as to the Shares to be delivered at each Time of Delivery, shall be subject, in their discretion, to the condition that all representations and warranties and other statements of the Company and the Selling Stockholders herein are, at and as of such Time of Delivery, true and correct, the condition that the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall have performed all of its and their obligations hereunder theretofore to be performed, and the following additional conditions:

 

(a)                                The Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by the rules and regulations under the Act and in accordance with Section 5(a) hereof; all material required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act shall have been filed with the Commission within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by Rule 433 under the Act; if the Company has elected to rely upon Rule 462(b) under the Act, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement shall have become effective by 10:00 p.m., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this Agreement; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission no stop order suspending or preventing the use of the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; and all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission shall have been complied with to your reasonable satisfaction;

 

(b)                               Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., counsel for the Underwriters, shall have furnished to you such written opinion or opinions (a form of such opinion is attached as Annex I(a)  hereto), dated such Time of Delivery, in form and substance satisfactory to

 

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you, with respect to the matters covered in paragraphs (i), (ii), (vii), (xi) and (xiii) of subsection (c) below as well as such other related matters as you may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received such papers and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters;

 

(c)                                Latham & Watkins LLP, counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to you their written opinion, substantially in the form attached as Annex I(b)  hereto, dated such Time of Delivery [, in form and substance satisfactory to you].

 

(d)                               The respective counsel for each of the Selling Stockholders, as indicated in Schedule II hereto, each shall have furnished to you their written opinion with respect to each of the Selling Stockholders for whom they are acting as counsel, substantially in the form attached as Annex I(c)  hereto, dated such Time of Delivery [, in form and substance satisfactory to you].

 

(e)                                On the date of the Prospectus at a time prior to the execution of this Agreement, at 9:30 a.m., New York City time, on the effective date of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement filed subsequent to the date of this Agreement and also at each Time of Delivery, Deloitte shall have furnished to you a letter or letters, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof, in form and substance satisfactory to you;

 

(f)                                 (i) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries shall have sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the Pricing Prospectus any loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus, and (ii) since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Pricing Prospectus there shall not have been any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any change or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the general affairs, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus, the effect of which, in any such case described in clause (i) or (ii), is in your judgment so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Shares being delivered at such Time of Delivery on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus;

 

(g)                                On or after the Applicable Time there shall not have occurred any of the following: (i) a suspension or material limitation in trading in securities generally on the Exchange; (ii) a suspension or material limitation in trading in the Company’s securities on the Exchange; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities declared by either federal or New York or Texas State authorities or a material disruption in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States; (iv) the outbreak or escalation of hostilities involving the United States or the declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war; or (v) the occurrence of any other calamity or crisis or any change in financial, political or economic conditions in the United States or elsewhere, if the effect of any such event specified in clause (iv) or (v) in your judgment makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering

 

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or the delivery of the Shares being delivered at such Time of Delivery on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus;

 

(h)                               The Shares to be sold at such Time of Delivery shall have been duly listed, subject to official notice of issuance, on the Exchange;

 

(i)                                   The Company shall have obtained and delivered to the Underwriters executed copies of an agreement from each stockholder of the Company listed on Schedule IV hereto, substantially to the effect set forth in Annex III hereto in form and substance satisfactory to you;

 

(j)                                   The Company shall have complied with the provisions of Section 5(c) hereof with respect to the furnishing of prospectuses on the New York Business Day next succeeding the date of this Agreement; and

 

(k)                               The Company and the Selling Stockholders shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to you at such Time of Delivery certificates of officers of the Company and of the Selling Stockholders, respectively, satisfactory to you as to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company and the Selling Stockholders, respectively, herein at and as of such Time of Delivery, as to the performance by the Company and the Selling Stockholders of all of their respective obligations hereunder to be performed at or prior to such Time of Delivery, as to such other matters as you may reasonably request, and the Company shall have furnished or caused to be furnished certificates as to the matters set forth in subsections (a) and (f) of this Section 8.

 

9.                                     (a)                                The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Underwriter may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act, or any Section 5(d) Writing, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and will reimburse each Underwriter for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Underwriter in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred; provided , however , that the Company shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or any Section 5(d) Writing, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through Goldman, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information consists of the following: the information contained in the tenth, eleventh and twelfth paragraphs under the caption “Underwriting” in the Preliminary Prospectus.

 

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(b)                               Each of [insert names of appropriate Selling Stockholders], will, severally and not jointly, indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Underwriter may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Selling Stockholder expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Selling Stockholder consists of the following information: each Selling Stockholder’s name and corresponding share amounts set forth in the table of Principal and Selling Shareholders in the Registration Statement and Final Prospectus under the heading “Principal and Selling Stockholders” and each Selling Stockholder’s address; and will reimburse each Underwriter for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Underwriter in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred; provided , however , that such Selling Stockholder shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or any Section 5(d) Writing, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through Goldman, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein. The aggregate liability of each Selling Stockholder under this subsection (b) shall be limited to an amount equal to the aggregate gross proceeds from the offering of such Selling Stockholder’s Shares purchased under this Agreement.

 

(c)                                Each Underwriter will indemnify and hold harmless the Company and each Selling Stockholder against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Company or such Selling Stockholder may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or any Section 5(d) Writing, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or any Section 5(d) Writing, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Underwriter through Goldman, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information consists of the following: the information contained in the tenth, eleventh and twelfth paragraphs under the caption “Underwriting” in the Preliminary Prospectus, and will reimburse the Company and each Selling Stockholder for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company or such Selling Stockholder in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred.

 

26



 

(d)                               Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under subsection (a), (b) or (c) of this Section 9 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under such subsection, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the omission so to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party otherwise than under such subsection.  In case any such action shall be brought against any indemnified party and it shall notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party (who shall not, except with the consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party), and, after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to such indemnified party under such subsection for any legal expenses of other counsel or any other expenses, in each case subsequently incurred by such indemnified party, in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation.  No indemnifying party shall, without the written consent of the indemnified party, effect the settlement or compromise of, or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to, any pending or threatened action or claim in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified party is an actual or potential party to such action or claim) unless such settlement, compromise or judgment (i) includes an unconditional release of the indemnified party from all liability arising out of such action or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

 

(e)                                If the indemnification provided for in this Section 9 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a), (b) or (c) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Shares.  If, however, the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by applicable law or if the indemnified party failed to give the notice required under subsection (d) above, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to such amount paid or payable by such indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company and the Selling Stockholders on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.  The relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus.  The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or the Selling Stockholders on the one hand or the Underwriters on the other and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection (e), the requirement of each Selling Stockholder to contribute pursuant to this paragraph shall be limited to an amount equal to the Net Proceeds received by such Selling Stockholder less any amounts that such

 

27



 

Selling Stockholder is obligated to pay under paragraph (b) above. The Company, each of the Selling Stockholders and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this subsection (d) were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this subsection (e).  The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to above in this subsection (e) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim.  Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection (e), no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Shares underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.  No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.  The Underwriters’ obligations in this subsection (e) to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint.

 

(f)                                 The obligations of the Company and the Selling Stockholders under this Section 9 shall be in addition to any liability which the Company and the Selling Stockholders may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each officer and director of each Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Act and each broker-dealer affiliate of any Underwriter; and the obligations of the Underwriters under this Section 9 shall be in addition to any liability which the respective Underwriters may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each officer and director of the Company (including any person who, with his or her consent, is named in the Registration Statement as about to become a director of the Company) and to each person, if any, who controls the Company or any Selling Stockholder within the meaning of the Act.

 

10.                             (a)                                If any Underwriter shall default in its obligation to purchase the Shares that it has agreed to purchase hereunder at a Time of Delivery, you may in your discretion arrange for you or another party or other parties to purchase such Shares on the terms contained herein.  If within thirty-six hours after such default by any Underwriter you do not arrange for the purchase of such Shares, then the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall be entitled to a further period of thirty-six hours within which to procure another party or other parties satisfactory to you to purchase such Shares on such terms.  In the event that, within the respective prescribed periods, you notify the Company and the Selling Stockholders that you have so arranged for the purchase of such Shares, or the Company or a Selling Stockholder notifies you that it has so arranged for the purchase of such Shares, you or the Company or the Selling Stockholders shall have the right to postpone (such) Time of Delivery for a period of not more than seven days, in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be made necessary in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any other documents or arrangements, and the Company agrees to file promptly any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which in your opinion may thereby be made necessary.  The term “Underwriter” as used in this Agreement shall include any person substituted under this Section with like effect as if such person had originally been a party to this Agreement with respect to such Shares.

 

(b)                               If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you, the Company and the Selling Stockholders as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate number of such Shares which remains unpurchased does not exceed

 

28



 

one-eleventh of the aggregate number of all the Shares to be purchased at such Time of Delivery, then the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the number of Shares which such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder at such Time of Delivery and, in addition, to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase its pro rata share (based on the number of Shares which such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder) of the Shares of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.

 

(c)                                If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you, the Company and the Selling Stockholders as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate number of such Shares which remains unpurchased exceeds one-eleventh of the aggregate number of all of the Shares to be purchased at such Time of Delivery, or if the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall not exercise the right described in subsection (b) above to require non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, then this Agreement (or, with respect to a Second Time of Delivery, the obligations of the Underwriters to purchase and of the Selling Stockholders to sell the Optional Shares shall thereupon terminate, without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Selling Stockholders, except for the expenses to be borne by the Company, the Selling Stockholders and the Underwriters as provided in Section 7 hereof and the indemnity and contribution agreements in Section 9 hereof; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.

 

11.                             The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company, the Selling Stockholders and the several Underwriters, as set forth in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them, respectively, pursuant to this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation (or any statement as to the results thereof) made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any controlling person of any Underwriter, or the Company, or any of the Selling Stockholders, or any officer or director or controlling person of the Company, or any controlling person of any Selling Stockholder, and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Shares.

 

12.                             If this Agreement shall be terminated pursuant to Section 10 hereof, neither the Company nor the Selling Stockholders shall then be under any liability to any Underwriter except as provided in Sections 7 and 9 hereof; but, if for any other reason any Shares are not delivered by or on behalf of the Company and the Selling Stockholders as provided herein, the Company and each of the Selling Stockholders pro rata (based on the number of Shares to be sold by the Company and such Selling Stockholder hereunder), with the number of Shares to be sold by [ · ] and [ · ] to be included, for purposes of this Section, in the number of Shares to be sold by the Company, will reimburse the Underwriters through you for all out-of-pocket expenses approved in writing by you, including fees and disbursements of counsel, reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in making preparations for the purchase, sale and delivery of the Shares not so delivered, but the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall then be under no further liability to any Underwriter except as provided in Sections 7 and 9 hereof.

 

13.                             In all dealings hereunder, you shall act on behalf of each of the Underwriters, and the parties hereto shall be entitled to act and rely upon any statement, request, notice or agreement on behalf of any Underwriter made or given by you jointly or by Goldman, Sachs & Co. on behalf of you as the representatives; and in all dealings with any Selling Stockholder hereunder, you and the Company shall be entitled to act and rely upon any statement, request, notice or agreement on behalf of such Selling Stockholder made or given by any or all of the Attorneys-in-Fact for such Selling Stockholder.

 

29


 

In accordance with the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)), the Underwriters are required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies their respective clients, including the Company and the Selling Stockholders, which information may include the name and address of their respective clients, as well as other information that will allow the Underwriters to properly identify their respective clients.

 

All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in writing, and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to Goldman, Sachs & Co., 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282, Attention: Registration Department; if to any Selling Stockholder shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to counsel for such Selling Stockholder at its address set forth in Schedule II hereto; if to the Company shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to the address of the Company set forth on the cover of the Registration Statement, Attention: Secretary; and if to any stockholder that has delivered a lock-up letter described in Section 8(i) hereof shall be delivered or sent by mail to his or her respective address provided in Schedule IV hereto or such other address as such stockholder provides in writing to the Company; provided, however, that any notice to an Underwriter pursuant to Section 9(d) hereof shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to such Underwriter at its address set forth in its Underwriters’ Questionnaire or telex constituting such Questionnaire, which address will be supplied to the Company or the Selling Stockholders by you on request; provided further that notices under subsection 5(e) shall be in writing, and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to you as you at Goldman, Sachs & Co., 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282, Attention: Control Room.  Any such statements, requests, notices or agreements shall take effect upon receipt thereof.

 

14.                             This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure solely to the benefit of, the Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Stockholders and, to the extent provided in Sections 9 and 11 hereof, the officers and directors of the Company and each person who controls the Company, any Selling Stockholder or any Underwriter, and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, and no other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement.  No purchaser of any of the Shares from any Underwriter shall be deemed a successor or assign by reason merely of such purchase.

 

15.                             Time shall be of the essence of this Agreement.  As used herein, the term “business day” shall mean any day when the Commission’s office in Washington, D.C. is open for business.

 

16.                             The Company and the Selling Stockholders acknowledge and agree that (i) the purchase and sale of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company and the Selling Stockholders, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other, (ii) in connection therewith and with the process leading to such transaction each Underwriter is acting solely as a principal and not the agent or fiduciary of the Company or any Selling Stockholder, (iii) no Underwriter has assumed an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company or any Selling Stockholder with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company or any Selling Stockholder on other matters) or any other obligation to the Company or any Selling Stockholder except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, and (iv) the Company and each Selling Stockholder has consulted its own legal and financial advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.  The Company and each Selling Stockholder agrees that it will not claim that the Underwriters, or any of them, has rendered advisory

 

30



 

services of any nature or respect, or owes a fiduciary or similar duty to the Company or any Selling Stockholder, in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto.

 

17.                             This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Company, the Selling Stockholders and the Underwriters, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter hereof.

 

18.                             THIS AGREEMENT AND ANY MATTERS RELATED TO THIS TRANSACTION SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICT OF LAWS THAT WOULD RESULT IN THE APPLICATION OF ANY LAW OTHER THAN THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.  The Company agrees that any suit or proceeding arising in respect of this agreement or our engagement will be tried exclusively in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York or, if that court does not have subject matter jurisdiction, in any state court located in The City and County of New York, Borough of Manhattan, and the Company agrees to submit to the jurisdiction of, and to venue in, such courts.

 

19.                             The Company, each Selling Stockholder and each of the Underwriters hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

20.                             This Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties hereto in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument.

 

21.                             Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Company and the Selling Stockholders are authorized to disclose to any persons the U.S. federal and state income tax treatment and tax structure of the potential transaction and all materials of any kind (including tax opinions and other tax analyses) provided to the Company and the Selling Stockholders relating to that treatment and structure, without the Underwriters imposing any limitation of any kind. However, any information relating to the tax treatment and tax structure shall remain confidential (and the foregoing sentence shall not apply) to the extent necessary to enable any person to comply with securities laws. For this purpose, “tax structure” is limited to any facts that may be relevant to that treatment.

 

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign and return to us one for the Company and each of the Representatives plus one for each counsel and the Custodian counterparts hereof, and upon the acceptance hereof by you, on behalf of each of the Underwriters, this letter and such acceptance hereof shall constitute a binding agreement among each of the Underwriters, the Company and each of the Selling Stockholders.  It is understood that your acceptance of this letter on behalf of each of the Underwriters is pursuant to the authority set forth in a form of Agreement among Underwriters, the form of which shall be submitted to the Company and the Selling Stockholders for examination, upon request, but without warranty on your part as to the authority of the signers thereof.

 

Any person executing and delivering this Agreement as Attorney-in-Fact for a Selling Stockholder represents by so doing that he has been duly appointed as Attorney-in-Fact by such Selling Stockholder pursuant to a validly existing and binding Power of Attorney that authorizes such Attorney-in-Fact to take such action.

 

31



 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

ProPetro Holding Corp.

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

[Names of Selling Stockholders]

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

 

 

As Attorney-in-Fact acting on behalf of each of the Selling Stockholders named in Schedule II to this Agreement.

 

 

Accepted as of the date hereof

 

 

 

in ____________ ___ :

 

 

 

Goldman , Sachs & Co.

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

Barclays Capital Inc.

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

 

On behalf of each of the
Underwriters

 

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]

 



 

SCHEDULE I

 

 

 

 

Number of
Optional

 

 

 

 

 

Shares to be

 

 

 

Total Number of

 

Purchased if

 

 

 

Firm Shares

 

Maximum Option

 

Underwriter

 

to be Purchased

 

Exercised

 

Goldman, Sachs & Co.

 

 

 

 

 

Barclays Capital Inc.

 

 

 

 

 

Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC

 

 

 

 

 

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

 

 

 

 

 

Evercore Group L.L.C.

 

 

 

 

 

Piper Jaffray & Co.

 

 

 

 

 

RBC Capital Markets, LLC

 

 

 

 

 

Raymond James & Associates, Inc.

 

 

 

 

 

Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. Securities, Inc.

 

 

 

 

 

Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Johnson Rice & Company L.L.C.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Schedule I

 



 

SCHEDULE II

 

 

 

 

Number of
Optional

 

 

 

 

 

Shares to be

 

 

 

Total Number of

 

Sold if

 

 

 

Firm Shares

 

Maximum Option

 

 

 

to be Sold

 

Exercised(a)

 

The Company

 

 

 

 

 

The Selling Stockholder(s):

 

 

 

 

 

Dale Redman(b)

 

 

 

 

 

Jeff Smith(c)

 

 

 

 

 

David Sledge(d)

 

 

 

 

 

Spencer Armour(e)

 

 

 

 

 

Energy Capital Partners(f)

 

 

 

 

 

Energy Capital Partners Co-Invest(g)

 

 

 

 

 

Regiment(h)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

(a)                      In the event the Option is exercised for less than the maximum number of Optional Shares reflected in the table above, such Option will be settled in the following order of priority:

 

·                   First, with respect to Optional Shares to be sold by Messrs. Redman, Smith, Sledge and Armour, in proportion to the maximum number of Optional Shares to be sold by each such Selling Stockholder as set forth in the table above, until each such Selling Stockholder has sold the maximum number of Optional Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder; and

 

·                   Second, with respect to Optional Shares to be sold by each other Selling Stockholder, in proportion to the maximum number of Optional Shares to be sold by each such Selling Stockholder as set forth in the table above, until each such Selling Stockholder has sold the maximum number of Optional Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder.

 

(b)                      This Selling Stockholder is represented by [Name and Address of Counsel] and has appointed [Names of Attorneys-in-Fact (not less than two)] , and each of them, as the Attorneys-in-Fact for such Selling Stockholder.

 

(c)                       This Selling Stockholder is represented by [Name and Address of Counsel] and has appointed [Names of Attorneys-in-Fact (not less than two)] , and each of them, as the Attorneys-in-Fact for such Selling Stockholder.

 

(d)                      This Selling Stockholder is represented by [Name and Address of Counsel] and has appointed [Names of Attorneys-in-Fact (not less than two)] , and each of them, as the Attorneys-in-Fact for such Selling Stockholder.

 

(e)                       This Selling Stockholder is represented by [Name and Address of Counsel] and has appointed [Names of Attorneys-in-Fact (not less than two)] , and each of them, as the Attorneys-in-Fact for such Selling Stockholder.

 

Schedule II

 



 

(f)                        This Selling Stockholder is represented by [Name and Address of Counsel] and has appointed [Names of Attorneys-in-Fact (not less than two)] , and each of them, as the Attorneys-in-Fact for such Selling Stockholder.

 

(g)                       This Selling Stockholder is represented by [Name and Address of Counsel] and has appointed [Names of Attorneys-in-Fact (not less than two)] , and each of them, as the Attorneys-in-Fact for such Selling Stockholder.

 

(h)                      This Selling Stockholder is represented by [Name and Address of Counsel] and has appointed [Names of Attorneys-in-Fact (not less than two)] , and each of them, as the Attorneys-in-Fact for such Selling Stockholder.

 

2


 

SCHEDULE III

 

 

(a)                    Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses not included in the Pricing Disclosure Package

 

Electronic Roadshow dated [   ]

 

(b)                   Additional documents incorporated by reference

 

[None]

 

(c)                    Information other than the Pricing Prospectus that comprise the Pricing Disclosure Package

 

The initial public offering price per share for the Shares is $ . . . . . . .

 

The number of Shares purchased by the Underwriters is [ . . . ].

 

[Add any other pricing disclosure.]

 

Schedule III



 

SCHEDULE IV

 

Lock-Up Agreements

 

Name of Stockholder

Address

Energy Capital Partners II, LP

51 JFK Parkway, Suite 200, Short Hills, NJ 07078

Energy Capital Partners II-A, LP

51 JFK Parkway, Suite 200, Short Hills, NJ 07078

Energy Capital Partners II-B, LP

51 JFK Parkway, Suite 200, Short Hills, NJ 07078

Energy Capital Partners II-C (Direct IP), LP

51 JFK Parkway, Suite 200, Short Hills, NJ 07078

Energy Capital Partners II-D, LP

51 JFK Parkway, Suite 200, Short Hills, NJ 07078

Energy Capital Partners II (Midland Co-Invest), LP

51 JFK Parkway, Suite 200, Short Hills, NJ 07078

Regiment Capital Special Situations Fund III, LP

1251 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 4700, New York, NY 10020

Dale Redman

1706 S. Midkiff, Bldg. B, Midland, TX 79701

David Sledge

1706 S. Midkiff, Bldg. B, Midland, TX 79701

Jeffrey Smith

1706 S. Midkiff, Bldg. B, Midland, TX 79701

Spencer D. Armour

1706 S. Midkiff, Bldg. B, Midland, TX 79701

Schuyler Coppedge

51 JFK Parkway, Suite 200, Short Hills, NJ 07078

Stephen Herman

51 JFK Parkway, Suite 200, Short Hills, NJ 07078

Matthew H. Himler

51 JFK Parkway, Suite 200, Short Hills, NJ 07078

Peter Labbat

51 JFK Parkway, Suite 200, Short Hills, NJ 07078

Mark Howell

1706 S. Midkiff, Bldg. B, Midland, TX 79701

Francesco Ciabatta

1706 S. Midkiff, Bldg. B, Midland, TX 79701

Alan E. Douglas

1706 S. Midkiff, Bldg. B, Midland, TX 79701

Jack B. Moore

1706 S. Midkiff, Bldg. B, Midland, TX 79701

Christopher Leininger

51 JFK Parkway, Suite 200, Short Hills, NJ 07078

 

Schedule IV



 

ANNEX I(a)

 

FORM OF OPINION OF
COUNSEL FOR THE UNDERWRITERS

 

[To be provided to the Underwriters]

 



 

ANNEX I(b)

 

FORM OF OPINION OF
COUNSEL FOR THE COMPANY

 

[To be provided to the Underwriters]

 



 

ANNEX I(c)

 

FORM OF OPINION OF
COUNSEL FOR THE SELLING STOCKHOLDERS

 

[To be provided to the Underwriters]

 



 

ANNEX II

 

[FORM OF PRESS RELEASE]

 

[Company]

 

[Date]

 

(“ [Company] ”) announced today that Goldman, Sachs & Co., the lead book-running manager in the recent public sale of       shares of the Company’s common stock, is [waiving] [releasing] a lock-up restriction with respect to     shares of the Company’s common stock held by [certain officers or directors] [an officer or director] of the Company.   The [waiver] [release] will take effect on      , 20    , and the shares may be sold on or after such date.

 

This press release is not an offer for sale of the securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction where such offer is prohibited , and such securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the United States Securities Act of 1933 , as amended.

 

Annex II


 

ANNEX III

 

 

[FORM OF LOCK-UP AGREEMENT]

 

 

PROPETRO HOLDING CORP.

 

 

Lock-Up Agreement

 

 

[Date]

 

Goldman, Sachs & Co.

Barclays Capital Inc.

 

As representatives of the several Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto,

 

 

c/o Goldman, Sachs & Co.

200 West Street

New York, NY  10282-2198

 

Re:  ProPetro Holding Corp. - Lock-Up Agreement

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

The undersigned understands that you, as representatives (the “ Representatives ”), propose to enter into an Underwriting Agreement on behalf of the several Underwriters named in Schedule I to such agreement (collectively, the “ Underwriters ”), with ProPetro Holding Corp., a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), and certain selling stockholders named in Schedule II to such agreement (the “ Selling Stockholders ”), providing for a public offering of common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “ Stock ”) of the Company (the “ Shares ”) pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-1 (the “ Registration Statement ”) to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ SEC ”).

 

In consideration of the agreement by the Underwriters to offer and sell the Shares, and of other good and valuable consideration the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the undersigned agrees that, during the period specified in the following paragraph (the “ Stockholder Lock-Up Period ”), the undersigned will not offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, grant any option to purchase, make any short sale or otherwise dispose of any shares of Stock of the Company, or any options or warrants to purchase any shares of Stock of the Company, or any securities convertible into, exchangeable for or that represent the right to receive shares of Stock of the Company, whether now owned or hereinafter acquired, owned directly by the undersigned (including holding as a custodian) or with respect to which the undersigned has beneficial ownership within the rules and regulations of the SEC (collectively the “ Undersigned’s Shares ”). The foregoing restriction is expressly agreed to preclude the undersigned from engaging in any hedging or other transaction which is designed to or which reasonably could be expected to lead to or result in a sale or disposition of the Undersigned’s Shares even

 

Annex III – Page 1



 

if such Shares would be disposed of by someone other than the undersigned. Such prohibited hedging or other transactions would include without limitation any short sale or any purchase, sale or grant of any right (including without limitation any put or call option) with respect to any of the Undersigned’s Shares or with respect to any security that includes, relates to, or derives any significant part of its value from such Shares.

 

The Stockholder Lock-Up Period will commence on the date of this Lock-Up Agreement and continue for 180 days after the public offering date set forth on the final prospectus used to sell the Shares pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement; provided , however , that if (1) during the last 17 days of the Stockholder Lock-Up Period, the Company releases earnings results or announces material news or a material event or (2) prior to the expiration of the Stockholder Lock-Up Period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 15-day period following the last day of the Stockholder Lock-Up Period, then in each case the Stockholder Lock-Up Period will be automatically extended until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the date of release of the earnings results or the announcement of the material news or material event, as applicable, unless Goldman, Sachs & Co. waives, in writing, such extension.

 

The undersigned hereby acknowledges that the Company has agreed in Section 5(e) of the Underwriting Agreement to provide written notice of any event that would result in an extension of the Stockholder Lock-Up Period pursuant to this paragraph to the undersigned (in accordance with Section 13 of the Underwriting Agreement) and agrees that any such notice properly delivered will be deemed to have been given to, and received by, the undersigned.  The undersigned hereby further agrees that, prior to engaging in any transaction or taking any other action that is subject to the terms of this provision during the period from the date hereof to and including the 34th day following the expiration of the Stockholder Lock-Up Period, it will give notice thereof to the Company and will not consummate such transaction or take any such action unless it has received written confirmation from the Company that the Stockholder Lock-Up Period (as it may have been extended pursuant to this paragraph) has expired.

 

If the undersigned is an officer or director of the Company, (1) the undersigned further agrees that the foregoing restrictions shall be equally applicable to any issuer-directed Shares the undersigned may purchase in the offering, (2) Goldman, Sachs & Co. agrees that, at least three business days before the effective date of any release or waiver of the foregoing restrictions in connection with a transfer of Stock, Goldman, Sachs & Co. will notify the Company of the impending release or waiver, and (3) the Company has agreed in Section 5(e)(ii) of the Agreement to announce the impending release or waiver by press release through a major news service at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver.  Any release or waiver granted by Goldman, Sachs & Co. hereunder to any such officer or director shall only be effective two business days after the publication date of such press release.  The provisions of this paragraph will not apply if (a) the release or waiver is effected solely to permit a transfer not for consideration and (b) the transferee has agreed in writing to be bound by the same terms described in this letter to the extent and for the duration that such terms remain in effect at the time of the transfer.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the undersigned may transfer the Undersigned’s Shares (i) pursuant to the terms of the Underwriting Agreement, (ii) as a bona fide gift or gifts, provided that the donee or donees thereof agree to be bound in writing by the restrictions set forth herein, (iii) by will or by intestacy, provided that such transferee or transferees thereof agree to be bound in writing by the restrictions set forth herein, (iv) to any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned, provided that the trustee of the trust agrees to be bound in writing

 

Annex III – Page 2



 

by the restrictions set forth herein, and provided further that any such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value, (v) for bona fide tax planning purposes, provided that the transferee or transferees agree to be bound in writing by the restrictions set forth herein, (vi) to the undersigned’s direct or indirect affiliates (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended), including without limitation its direct and indirect stockholders, members, and partners and its direct and indirect subsidiaries, or to any investment fund or other entity controlled or managed by, or under the common control or management with, the undersigned, provided that such affiliate, partner, former partner, member, former member, investment fund or other entity controlled or managed by, or under the common control or management with, the undersigned agrees to be bound in writing by the restrictions set forth herein, or (vii) with the prior written consent of Goldman, Sachs & Co. on behalf of the Underwriters.  For purposes of this Lock-Up Agreement, “immediate family” shall mean any relationship by blood, marriage or adoption, not more remote than first cousin.  In addition, notwithstanding the foregoing, if the undersigned is a corporation, the corporation may transfer the capital stock of the Company to any wholly-owned subsidiary of such corporation; provided , however , that in any such case, it shall be a condition to the transfer that the transferee execute an agreement stating that the transferee is receiving and holding such capital stock subject to the provisions of this Agreement and there shall be no further transfer of such capital stock except in accordance with this Agreement, and provided further that any such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value.  The undersigned now has, and, except as contemplated by clause (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi) or (vii) above, for the duration of this Lock-Up Agreement will have, good and marketable title to the Undersigned’s Shares, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, and claims whatsoever.  The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of the Undersigned’s Shares except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions. [Add for management: Additionally, the restrictions under this agreement shall not prohibit the sale or disposition of Common Stock to satisfy tax withholding and other obligations in connection with the exercise of stock options awarded under the Long Term Incentive Plan].

 

The undersigned understands that the Company and the Underwriters are relying upon this Lock-Up Agreement in proceeding toward consummation of the offering.  The undersigned further understands that this Lock-Up Agreement is irrevocable and shall be binding upon the undersigned’s heirs, legal representatives, successors, and assigns.

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exact Name of Shareholder

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Authorized Signature

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Title

 

Annex III – Page 3




Exhibit 3.1

 

FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

OF

PROPETRO HOLDING CORP.

 

ProPetro Holding Corp., a corporation formed and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware (the “ Corporation ”), hereby certifies as follows:

 

1.                                     The name of the Corporation is “ProPetro Holding Corp.” The Corporation was originally formed by the filing of a Certificate of Formation with the Office of the Secretary of State of the State of Texas on May 14, 2007.

 

2.                                     The Corporation converted from a Texas corporation into a Delaware corporation pursuant to a valid Plan of Conversion dated February [  ·  ], 2017 and the filing of a valid Certificate of Conversion and this Certificate of Incorporation (this “ Certificate of Incorporation ”) with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on February [  ·  ], 2017 in accordance with the provisions of Sections 103 and 265 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “ DGCL ”).

 

3.                                     This Certificate of Incorporation shall become effective at 8:00 a.m. (Eastern Time) on February [  ·  ], 2017 (the “ Effective Time ”).

 

4.                                     The text of this Certificate of Incorporation hereby reads as follows:

 

FIRST :                              The name of the Corporation is ProPetro Holding Corp. (the “ Corporation ”).

 

SECOND :        The address of the Corporation’s registered office in the State of Delaware is 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, County of New Castle, Delaware, 19801, and the name of its registered agent at such address is The Corporation Trust Company.

 

THIRD :                        The purpose of the Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “ DGCL ”), as it now exists or may hereafter be amended and supplemented.

 

FOURTH :         The Corporation is authorized to issue two classes of stock to be designated, respectively, “ Common Stock ” and “ Preferred Stock .”  The total number of shares of capital stock which the Corporation shall have authority to issue is 230,000,000.  The total number of shares of Common Stock that the Corporation is authorized to issue is 200,000,000, having a par value of $0.001 per share, and the total number of shares of Preferred Stock that the corporation is authorized to issue is 30,000,000, having a par value of $0.001 per share. Subject to the terms of that certain Shareholders Agreement, dated March 4, 2013, as amended, and any other stockholders agreement binding on the Corporation, whether or not in effect on the date hereof and as amended from time to time in accordance therewith (each, a “ Stockholders Agreement ”), the board of directors of the Corporation (the “ Board of Directors ”) may, in its discretion, issue from time to time

 

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authorized but unissued shares or treasury shares of the Corporation to such person or persons, and for such consideration, as the Board of Directors may determine.

 

FIFTH :      The designations and the powers, privileges and rights, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof in respect of each class of capital stock of the Corporation are as follows:

 

A.         COMMON STOCK .

 

1.             General .                   The voting, dividend, liquidation, conversion and stock split rights of the holders of the Common Stock are subject to and qualified by the rights of the holders of the Preferred Stock of any series as may be designated by the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “ Board of Directors ”) upon any issuance of the Preferred Stock of any series.

 

2.             Voting .                        Each holder of Common Stock shall be entitled to one (1) vote for each share of Common Stock held by such holder.  Each holder of Common Stock shall be entitled to notice of any stockholders’ meeting in accordance with the Bylaws of the Corporation (as in effect at the time in question) (the “ Bylaws ”) and applicable law on all matters put to a vote of the stockholders of the Corporation. No holder of Common Stock shall be entitled to exercise any right of cumulative voting.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, except as otherwise required by law, holders of Common Stock, as such, shall not be entitled to vote on any amendment to this Certificate of Incorporation (including any certificate of designations relating to any series of Preferred Stock) that relates solely to the terms of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock if the holders of such affected series are entitled, either separately or together with the holders of one or more other such series, to vote thereon pursuant to this Certificate of Incorporation (including any certificate of designations relating to any series of Preferred Stock) or pursuant to the DGCL (or any successor provision thereto).

 

The number of authorized shares of Common Stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the voting power of the outstanding shares of stock of the Corporation (the “ Voting Stock ”) entitled to vote thereon, irrespective of the provisions of Section 242(b)(2) of the DGCL.

 

3.             Dividends . Subject to the rights of any holders of any shares of Preferred Stock which may from time to time come into existence and be outstanding, the holders of Common Stock shall be entitled to the payment of dividends when and as declared by the Board of Directors in accordance with applicable law and to receive other distributions from the Corporation.  Any dividends declared by the Board of Directors to the holders of the then outstanding Common Stock shall be paid to the holders thereof pro rata in accordance with the number of shares of Common Stock held by each such holder as of the record date of such dividend.

 

4.             Liquidation . Subject to the rights of any holders of any shares of Preferred Stock which may from time to time come into existence and be outstanding, in the event of any

 

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liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary, the funds and assets of the Corporation that may be legally distributed to the Corporation’s stockholders shall be distributed among the holders of the then outstanding Common Stock pro rata in accordance with the number of shares of Common Stock held by each such holder.

 

5.             No Preemptive or Subscription Rights . No holder of Common Stock shall be entitled to preemptive or subscription rights.

 

B.          PREFERRED STOCK

 

Preferred Stock may be issued from time to time in one or more series, each of such series to have such terms as stated or expressed herein and in the resolution or resolutions providing for the issue of such series adopted by the Board of Directors as hereinafter provided.

 

Authority is hereby expressly granted to and vested in the Board of Directors from time to time to issue the Preferred Stock in one or more series, and in connection with the creation of any such series, by adopting a resolution or resolutions providing for the issuance of the shares thereof and by filing a certificate of designations relating thereto in accordance with the DGCL to determine and fix the number of shares of such series and such voting powers, full or limited, or no voting powers, and such designations, preferences and relative participating, optional or other special rights, and qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, including without limitation thereof, dividend rights, conversion rights, redemption privileges and liquidation preferences, as shall be stated and expressed in such resolutions, all to the fullest extent now or hereafter permitted by the DGCL and any applicable Stockholders Agreement.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the resolution or resolutions providing for the issuance of any series of Preferred Stock may provide that such series shall be superior or rank equally or be junior to any other series of Preferred Stock to the extent permitted by law.

 

The number of authorized shares of Preferred Stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon, irrespective of the provisions of Section 242(b)(2) of the DGCL.

 

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SIXTH :                                             Subject to any applicable Stockholders Agreement, the total number of directors of the Corporation shall be determined from time to time exclusively by resolution of the Board of Directors. Except as otherwise required by law and subject to any applicable Stockholders Agreement and the rights of any holders of any shares of Preferred Stock, which may from time to time come into existence and be outstanding, any vacancies and newly created directorships shall be filled exclusively by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Board of Directors then in office, even if less than a quorum. No decrease in the number of directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent director. Unless and except to the extent that the Bylaws so provide, the election of directors need not be by written ballot. Subject to any applicable Stockholders Agreement and the rights of any holders of any shares of Preferred Stock which may from time to time come into existence and be outstanding, any director may only be removed with cause, upon the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66-2/3% of the Voting Stock entitled to vote thereon.

 

SEVENTH :                   Special meetings of stockholders of the Corporation may be called only by the Board of Directors pursuant to a resolution approved by the Board of Directors; provided, however, that for so long as the ECP Stockholders (as defined in the Stockholders Agreement) collectively continue to beneficially own at least 20% of the Voting Stock, the ECP Stockholders may call a special meeting. Special meetings may not be called by any other person or persons. Business transacted at any special meeting of stockholders shall be limited to the purposes stated in the notice.

 

EIGHTH :                                In furtherance and not in limitation of the rights, powers, privileges and discretionary authority granted or conferred by the DGCL or other statutes or laws of the State of Delaware, the Board of Directors is expressly authorized to make, alter, amend or repeal the Bylaws whether adopted by them or otherwise, without any action on the part of the stockholders, but the stockholders may make new bylaws or alter, amend or repeal the Bylaws (i) in addition to any other vote otherwise required by law, prior to the date the ECP Stockholders cease to beneficially own in aggregate at least 50% of the Voting Stock entitled to vote thereon, by a majority of the Voting Stock entitled to vote thereon (the “ Trigger Date ”), and (ii) in addition to any other vote otherwise require by law, from and after the Trigger Date, by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66-2/3% of the Voting Stock entitled to vote thereon. The Corporation may in its Bylaws confer powers upon its Board of Directors in addition to the foregoing and in addition to the powers and authorities expressly conferred upon the Board of Directors by applicable law.

 

NINTH : The Corporation is authorized to indemnify, and to advance expenses to, each current, former or prospective director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation to the fullest extent permitted by Section 145 of the DGCL as it now exists or may hereafter be amended (but, in the case of any such amendment, only to the extent such amendment permits the Corporation to provide broader rights than permitted prior thereto). To the fullest extent permitted by the laws of the State of Delaware as it now exists or may hereafter be amended (but, in the case of any such amendment, only to the extent such amendment permits the

 

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Corporation to provide broader rights than permitted prior thereto), no director shall be liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director. No amendment to, or modification or repeal of, this Article Ninth shall adversely affect any right or protection of a director or of any officer, employee or agent of the Corporation existing hereunder with respect to any act or omission occurring prior to such amendment, modification or repeal.

 

The Corporation may maintain insurance, at its expense, to protect itself and any current, former or prospective director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation or another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, enterprise or nonprofit entity against any expense, liability or loss, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such expense, liability or loss under the DGCL. To the extent that the Corporation maintains any policy or policies providing such insurance, each such current, former or prospective director or officer, and each such agent or employee to which rights to indemnification have been granted as provided in the Bylaws or elsewhere, shall be covered by such policy or policies in accordance with its or their terms to the maximum extent of the coverage thereunder for any such current, former or prospective director, officer, employee or agent.

 

TENTH : The Corporation shall, through the Bylaws or otherwise, to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as the same exists or may hereafter be amended and supplemented (but, in the case of any such amendment, only to the extent such amendment permits the Corporation to provide broader rights than permitted prior thereto), indemnify, advance expenses and hold harmless any person who was or is a director or officer of the Corporation or its subsidiaries. The Corporation may, by action of the Board of Directors, provide rights to indemnification and to advancement of expenses to such other employees or agents of the Corporation or its subsidiaries to such extent and to such effect as the Board of Directors shall determine to be appropriate and authorized by the DGCL. Any amendment, repeal or modification of this Article Tenth shall not adversely affect any rights or protection existing hereunder immediately prior to such repeal or modification.

 

ELEVENTH : In recognition and anticipation that (i) the principals, officers, members, managers and/or employees of the ECP Stockholders or their respective Affiliated Companies (as defined below) may serve as directors or officers of the Corporation, (ii) the ECP Stockholders and their respective Affiliated Companies engage and may continue to engage in the same or similar activities or related lines of business as those in which the Corporation, directly or indirectly, may engage and/or other business activities that overlap with or compete with those in which the Corporation, directly or indirectly, may engage, and (iii) that the Corporation and its Affiliated Companies may engage in material business transactions with the ECP Stockholders and their respective Affiliated Companies, and that the Corporation is expected to benefit therefrom, the provisions of this Article Eleventh are set forth to regulate and define the conduct of certain affairs of the Corporation as they may involve the ECP Stockholders and/or their respective Affiliated Companies and/or their respective principals, officers, members, managers and/or employees, including any of the foregoing who serve as officers or directors of the Corporation (collectively, the “ Covered Persons ”), and the powers, rights, duties and liabilities of the Corporation and its officers, directors and stockholders in connection therewith. As used in this Certificate of

 

5



 

Incorporation, “ Affiliated Companies ” shall mean (a) in respect of any of the ECP Stockholders , any entity that controls, is controlled by or under common control with such ECP Stockholder (other than the Corporation and any entity that is controlled by the Corporation) and any investment funds managed by Energy Capital Partners and (b) in respect of the Corporation, any company controlled by the Corporation.

 

To the fullest extent permitted by law, none of the ECP Stockholders, any of their respective Affiliated Companies or any of their respective Covered Persons shall have any fiduciary duty to refrain from (A) carrying on and conduct, whether directly, or as a partner in any partnership, or as a joint venturer in any joint venture, or as an officer, director or stockholder of any corporation, or as a participant in any syndicate, pool, trust or association, any business of any kind, nature or description, whether or not such business is competitive with or in the same or similar lines of business as the Corporation or its Affiliated Companies, (B) doing business with any client, customer, vendor or lessor of any of the Corporation or its Affiliated Companies, or (C) making investments in any kind of property in which the Corporation may make investments. In the event that any of the ECP Stockholders, any of their respective Affiliated Companies or any of their respective Covered Persons acquires knowledge of a potential transaction or matter which may constitute a corporate opportunity for both (1) (a) the Covered Person, in his or her capacity with any of the ECP Stockholders or any of their respective Affiliated Companies, or (b) any of the ECP Stockholders or any of their respective Affiliated Companies and (2) the Corporation or its Affiliated Companies, none of the ECP Stockholders, any of their respective Affiliated Companies or any of their respective Covered Persons shall have any duty to offer or communicate information regarding such corporate opportunity to the Corporation or its Affiliated Companies. To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Corporation and its Affiliated Companies hereby renounce any interest or expectancy of the Corporation and its Affiliated Companies in such corporate opportunity and waive any claim against each of the ECP Stockholders, each of their respective Affiliated Companies and each of their respective Covered Persons and shall indemnify each of the ECP Stockholders, each of their respective Affiliated Companies and each of their respective Covered Persons against any claim that any ECP Stockholder, any of its respective Affiliated Companies or any of its respective Covered Persons is liable to the Corporation, its Affiliated Companies or its stockholders for breach of any fiduciary duty, as a director, officer or stockholder of the Corporation or its Affiliated Companies, solely by reason of the fact that any ECP Stockholder, any of its respective Affiliated Companies or any of its respective Covered Persons (x) pursues or acquires any corporate opportunity for its own account or the account of any affiliate, (y) directs, recommends, sells, assigns, or otherwise transfers such corporate opportunity to another person or (z) does not communicate information regarding such corporate opportunity to the Corporation or its Affiliated Companies. The Corporation shall pay in advance any expenses incurred in defense of such claim as provided in this Article Eleventh.

 

To the fullest extent permitted by law, no potential transaction or business opportunity may be deemed to be a potential corporate opportunity of the Corporation or its Affiliated Companies unless (i) the Corporation and its Affiliated Companies would be permitted to undertake such transaction or opportunity in accordance with this Certificate of Incorporation, (ii) the Corporation and its Affiliated Companies at such time have sufficient financial resources to undertake such transaction or opportunity and (iii) such transaction or opportunity would be in the same or similar line of business in which the Corporation and its Affiliated Companies are

 

6



 

then engaged or a line of business that is reasonably related to, or a reasonable extension of, such line of business.

 

No Covered Person will be liable to the Corporation or its Affiliated Companies or stockholders for breach of any duty (at law or in equity, contractual or otherwise) by reason of any activities or omissions of the types referred to in this Article Eleventh.

 

Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in any shares of capital stock of the Corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to the provisions of this Article Eleventh.

 

For purposes of this Article Eleventh, the Corporation and its Affiliated Companies shall not be deemed Affiliated Companies of any of the ECP Stockholders.

 

This Article Eleventh may not be amended, modified or repealed without the prior written consent of each of the ECP Stockholders.

 

TWELFTH : Any action required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the Corporation must be effected at a duly called annual or special meeting of stockholders and, subject to the next sentence, may not be effected by any consent or consents in writing by stockholders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, until the Trigger Date, any action required or permitted to be taken at any annual or special meeting of stockholders of the Corporation may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, if (A) a consent or consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, are signed by the holders of outstanding shares of the relevant class(es) or series of stock of the Corporation representing not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares of stock of the Corporation then issued and outstanding (other than treasury stock) entitled to vote thereon were present and voted and (B) the action to be taken and the taking of the action by written consent are approved by the Board of Directors, including the directors designated by the ECP Stockholders.

 

THIRTEENTH :                                         The Delaware Court of Chancery shall be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation to the Corporation or the Corporation’s stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim against the Corporation arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or this Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws, or (iv) any action asserting a claim against the Corporation governed by the internal affairs doctrine, in each such case subject to said Court of Chancery having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants therein.  Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of capital stock of the Corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the provisions of this Article Thirteenth.

 

FOURTEENTH : From time to time, any of the provisions of this Certificate of Incorporation may be amended, altered, changed or repealed, and other provisions authorized by the laws of the State of Delaware at the time in force may be added or inserted in the manner and at the time prescribed by said laws, and all rights at any time conferred upon the stockholders of

 

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the Corporation by this Certificate of Incorporation are granted subject to the provisions of this Article Fourteenth. The Corporation reserves the right to amend, alter, change or repeal any provision contained in this Certificate of Incorporation, in the manner now or hereafter prescribed by statute, and all rights conferred upon stockholders herein are granted subject to this reservation. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Certificate of Incorporation, and notwithstanding the fact that a lesser percentage or separate class vote may be specified by law or otherwise, but in addition to any affirmative vote of the holders of any particular class or series of the capital stock required by law or otherwise, no provision of this Certificate of Incorporation may be altered, amended or repealed in any respect, nor may any provision of this Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws inconsistent therewith be adopted, unless in addition to any other vote required by this Certificate of Incorporation or otherwise required by law, such alteration, amendment, repeal or adoption is approved, (i) prior to the Trigger Date, by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding Voting Stock entitled to vote thereon, and (ii) from and after the Trigger Date, by the holders of at least 66-2/3% of the outstanding Voting Stock entitled to vote thereon.

 

FIFTEENTH : The Corporation elects not to be governed by Section 203 of the DGCL.

 

[ Signature Page to Follow .]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has executed this Certificate of Incorporation on this [  ·  ]th day of [  ·  ], 2017.

 

 

 

ProPetro Holding Corp.

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Dale Redman

 

 

Chief Executive Officer

 

[ Signature Page to ProPetro Holding Corp. Certificate of Incorporation ]

 




Exhibit 3.2

 

FORM OF

CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT
OF THE

CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

OF

PROPETRO HOLDING CORP.

 

ProPetro Holding Corp., a corporation formed and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware (the “ Corporation ”), hereby certifies as follows:

 

FIRST :      The board of directors of the Corporation duly adopted the following resolutions in accordance with the provisions of Section 141 and Section 242 of the Delaware General Corporation Law:

 

RESOLVED , that the board of directors hereby declares it advisable and in the best interests of the Corporation that Article Sixteenth of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, dated [  ·  ], 2017, be added to read as follows:

 

SIXTEENTH : As of [  ·  ] Eastern Standard Time on [  ·  ], 2017 (the “ Stock Split Effective Time ”), each then-outstanding share of Common Stock (“ Old Common Stock ”) shall be automatically converted into [  ·  ] validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable shares of Common Stock without any further action by the Corporation or the holder of such shares of Old Common Stock (the “ Common Stock Split ”). Each stock certificate representing shares of Old Common Stock shall thereafter represent a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the same number of shares of Old Common Stock previously represented by such stock certificate, multiplied by [  ·  ] and rounded down to the nearest whole number; provided, however, that each person holding of record a stock certificate or certificates that represented shares of Old Common Stock shall receive, upon surrender of such certificate or certificates, a new certificate or certificates evidencing and representing the number of whole shares of Common Stock to which such person is entitled as a result of the Common Stock Split based on the aggregate number of shares of Old Common Stock held by such person. No fractional interest in a share of Common Stock shall be deliverable upon the Common Stock Split, and stockholders who otherwise would have been entitled to receive any fractional interest in a share of Common Stock, in lieu of receipt of such fractional interest, shall be entitled to receive from the Corporation an amount in cash equal to the fair value of such fractional interest as of the Stock Split Effective Time.’”

 

SECOND : This amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation has been duly adopted by a majority of the directors of the Corporation in accordance with the provisions of Section 242 of the Delaware General Corporation Law.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused this certificate to be signed this [  ·  ]th day of [  ·  ], 2017.

 

 

 

ProPetro Holding Corp.

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Dale Redman

 

 

Chief Executive Officer

 

 

[ Signature Page to Certificate of Amendment of the Certificate of Incorporation of ProPetro Holding Corp. ]

 




Exhibit 3.3

 

FORM OF BYLAWS

 

OF

 

PROPETRO HOLDING CORP.

 

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE I

 

Meetings of Stockholders

 

Section 1.01.  Annual Meetings .  If required by applicable law, an annual meeting of stockholders of ProPetro Holding Corp. (the “ Corporation ”) shall be held for the election of directors at such date, time and place, if any, either within or without the State of Delaware, as may be designated by resolution of the Board of Directors from time to time. The Board of Directors may postpone, reschedule or cancel any annual meeting of stockholders previously scheduled by the Board of Directors.

 

Section 1.02.  Special Meetings .  Special meetings of stockholders for any purpose or purposes may be called only in the manner provided in the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, dated [  ·  ], 2017 (as the same may be further amended, restated, amended and restated or otherwise modified from time to time, the “ Certificate of Incorporation ”).  Business transacted at any special meeting of stockholders shall be limited to the purposes stated in the notice.  The Board of Directors may postpone, reschedule or cancel any special meeting of stockholders previously scheduled by the Board of Directors.

 

Section 1.03.  Place of Meeting .  The Board of Directors or the Chairperson of the Board of Directors, as the case may be, may designate the place of meeting for any annual meeting or for any special meeting of the stockholders called by the Board of Directors or the Chairperson of the Board of Directors.  If no designation is so made, the place of meeting shall be the principal executive offices of the Corporation.

 

Section 1.04.  Notice of Meetings .  Whenever stockholders are required or permitted to take any action at a meeting, a notice of the meeting shall be given that shall state the place, if any, date and hour of the meeting, the means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxy holders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such meeting, the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting (if such date is different from the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting) and, in the case of a special meeting, the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called.  Unless otherwise provided by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, the notice of any meeting shall be given not less than ten (10) nor more than sixty (60) days before the date of the meeting to each stockholder entitled to vote at the meeting as of the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting.  If mailed, such notice shall be deemed to be given when deposited in the United States mail, postage prepaid, directed to the stockholder at such stockholder’s address as it appears on the records of the Corporation.

 



 

Section 1.05.  Adjournments .  Any meeting of stockholders, annual or special, may adjourn from time to time to reconvene at the same or some other place, and notice need not be given of any such adjourned meeting if the time and place thereof are announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken.  At the adjourned meeting, the Corporation may transact any business which might have been transacted at the original meeting.  If the adjournment is for more than thirty (30) days, a notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at the meeting.  If after the adjournment a new record date for determination of stockholders entitled to vote is fixed for the adjourned meeting, the Board of Directors shall fix as the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of such adjourned meeting the same or an earlier date as that fixed for determination of stockholders entitled to vote at the adjourned meeting, and shall give notice of the adjourned meeting to each stockholder of record as of the record date so fixed for notice of such adjourned meeting. If mailed, such notice shall be deemed to be given when deposited in the United States mail, postage prepaid, directed to the stockholder at such stockholder’s address as it appears on the records of the Corporation.

 

Section 1.06.  Quorum .  Except as otherwise provided by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, at each meeting of stockholders, the presence in person or by proxy of the holders of a majority in voting power of the outstanding shares of stock entitled to vote at the meeting shall be necessary and sufficient to constitute a quorum, except that when specified business is to be voted on by a class or series of stock voting as a class, the holders of a majority in voting power of the outstanding shares of such class or series shall constitute a quorum of such class or series for the transaction of business.  In the absence of a quorum, the stockholders so present may, by a majority in voting power thereof, adjourn the meeting from time to time in the manner provided in Section 1.05 of these Bylaws until a quorum shall attend.  Shares of its own stock belonging to the Corporation or to another entity, if a majority of the shares or other capital stock entitled to vote in the election of directors, managers, general partner or other oversight board vested with the authority to direct the management of such other entity is held, directly or indirectly, by the Corporation, shall neither be entitled to vote nor be counted for quorum purposes; provided, however, that the foregoing shall not limit the right of the Corporation or any subsidiary of the Corporation to vote shares of stock held by it in a fiduciary capacity.

 

Section 1.07.  Organization .  Meetings of stockholders shall be presided over by the Chairperson of the board of directors of the Corporation (the “ Board of Directors ”), if any, or in his or her absence by the Vice Chairperson of the Board of Directors, if any, or in his or her absence by the Chief Executive Officer, or in his or her absence by any officer, or in the absence of the foregoing persons by a chairperson designated by the Board of Directors, or in the absence of such designation by a chairperson chosen at the meeting.  The Secretary shall act as secretary of the meeting, but in his or her absence the chairperson of the meeting may appoint any person to act as secretary of the meeting.

 

Section 1.08.  Voting; Proxies .  Except as otherwise provided by or pursuant to the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, each stockholder entitled to vote at any meeting of stockholders shall be entitled to one vote for each share of stock held by such stockholder which has voting power upon the matter in question. At all meetings of stockholders, a stockholder may vote by proxy executed in writing (or in such manner prescribed by the

 

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General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware) by the stockholder, or by his or her duly authorized attorney in fact. A proxy shall be irrevocable if it states that it is irrevocable and if, and only as long as, it is coupled with an interest sufficient in law to support an irrevocable power. A stockholder may revoke any proxy which is not irrevocable by attending the meeting and voting in person or by delivering to the Secretary of the Corporation a revocation of the proxy or a new proxy bearing a later date. Voting at meetings of stockholders need not be by written ballot. Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, at all meetings of stockholders for the election of directors at which a quorum is present a plurality of the votes cast shall be sufficient to elect such directors. All other elections and questions presented to the stockholders at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall, unless otherwise provided by the Certificate of Incorporation, these Bylaws, the rules or regulations of any stock exchange applicable to the Corporation, or applicable law or pursuant to any regulation applicable to the Corporation or its securities, be decided by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority in voting power of the shares of stock of the Corporation which are present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote thereon.

 

Section 1.09                 Notice of Business To Be Brought Before a Meeting .

 

(a)                                At an annual meeting of the stockholders, only such business shall be conducted as shall have been properly brought before the meeting.  To be properly brought before an annual meeting, business must be (i) specified in a notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the Board of Directors, (ii) if not specified in a notice of meeting, otherwise brought before the meeting by the Board of Directors or the Chairperson of the Board of Directors or (iii) otherwise properly brought before the meeting by a stockholder present in person who (A) (1) was a beneficial owner of shares of the Corporation both at the time of giving the notice provided for in this Section 1.09 and at the time of the meeting, (2) is entitled to vote at the meeting, and (3) has complied with this Section 1.09 in all applicable respects or (B) properly made such proposal in accordance with Rule 14a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (as so amended and inclusive of such rules and regulations, the “Exchange Act”).  The foregoing clause (iii) shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to propose business to be brought before an annual meeting of the stockholders.  The only matters that may be brought before a special meeting are the matters specified in the notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the Board of Directors, and stockholders shall not be permitted to propose business to be brought before a special meeting of the stockholders.  For purposes of this Section 1.09, “present in person” shall mean that the stockholder proposing that the business be brought before the annual meeting of the Corporation, or, if the proposing stockholder is not an individual, a qualified representative of such proposing stockholder, appear at such annual meeting.  A “qualified representative” of such proposing stockholder shall be, if such proposing stockholder is (i) a general or limited partnership, any general partner or person who functions as a general partner of the general or limited partnership or who controls the general or limited partnership, (ii) a corporation or a limited liability company, any officer or person who functions as an officer of the corporation or limited liability company or any officer, director, general partner or person who functions as an officer, director or general partner of any entity ultimately in control of the corporation or limited liability company or (iii) a trust, any trustee of such trust.  Stockholders seeking to nominate persons for election to the Board of Directors must comply with Section 1.10 and Section 1.11, and this Section 1.09 shall not be applicable to nominations except as expressly provided in Section 1.10 and Section 1.11.

 

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(b)                           Without qualification, for business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder, the stockholder must (i) provide Timely Notice (as defined below) thereof in writing and in proper form to the Secretary and (ii) provide any updates or supplements to such notice at the times and in the forms required by this Section 1.09.  To be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be delivered to, or mailed and received at, the principal executive offices of the Corporation not less than ninety (90) days nor more than one hundred twenty (120) days prior to the one-year anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting; provided, however, that if the date of the annual meeting is more than thirty (30) days before or more than sixty (60) days after such anniversary date, notice by the stockholder to be timely must be so delivered, or mailed and received, not later than the ninetieth (90th) day prior to such annual meeting or, if later, the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public disclosure of the date of such annual meeting was first made (such notice within such time periods, “Timely Notice”).  In no event shall any adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting or the announcement thereof commence a new time period for the giving of Timely Notice as described above.

 

(c)                                To be in proper form for purposes of this Section 1.09, a stockholder’s notice to the Secretary shall set forth:

 

(i)                                   as to each Proposing Person (as defined below), (A) the name and address of such Proposing Person (including, if applicable, the name and address that appear on the Corporation’s books and records); and (B) the class or series and number of shares of the Corporation that are, directly or indirectly, owned of record or beneficially owned (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) by such Proposing Person, except that such Proposing Person shall in all events be deemed to beneficially own any shares of any class or series of the Corporation as to which such Proposing Person has a right to acquire beneficial ownership at any time in the future (the disclosures to be made pursuant to the foregoing clauses (A) and (B) are referred to as “Stockholder Information”);

 

(ii)                               as to each Proposing Person, (A) the full notional amount of any securities that, directly or indirectly, underlie any “derivative security” (as such term is defined in Rule 16a-1(c) under the Exchange Act) that constitutes a “call equivalent position” (as such term is defined in Rule 16a-1(b) under the Exchange Act) (“Synthetic Equity Position”) and that is, directly or indirectly, held or maintained by such Proposing Person with respect to any shares of any class or series of shares of the Corporation; provided that, for the purposes of the definition of “Synthetic Equity Position,” the term “derivative security” shall also include any security or instrument that would not otherwise constitute a “derivative security” as a result of any feature that would make any conversion, exercise or similar right or privilege of such security or instrument becoming determinable only at some future date or upon the happening of a future occurrence, in which case the determination of the amount of securities into which such security or instrument would be convertible or exercisable shall be made assuming that such security or instrument is immediately convertible or exercisable at the time of such determination; and, provided, further, that any Proposing Person satisfying the requirements of Rule 13d-1(b)(1) under the Exchange Act (other than a Proposing Person that so satisfies Rule 13d-1(b)(1) under the Exchange Act solely by reason of Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(E)) shall not be deemed to hold or maintain the notional amount of any securities that underlie a Synthetic Equity Position held by such Proposing Person as a hedge with respect to a bona fide derivatives trade or position of such

 

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Proposing Person arising in the ordinary course of such Proposing Person’s business as a derivatives dealer, (B) any rights to dividends on the shares of any class or series of shares of the Corporation owned beneficially by such Proposing Person that are separated or separable from the underlying shares of the Corporation, (C) any material pending or threatened legal proceeding in which such Proposing Person is a party or material participant involving the Corporation or any of its officers or directors, or any affiliate of the Corporation, (D) any other material relationship between such Proposing Person, on the one hand, and the Corporation or any affiliate of the Corporation, on the other hand, (E) any direct or indirect material interest in any material contract or agreement of such Proposing Person with the Corporation or any affiliate of the Corporation (including, in any such case, any employment agreement, collective bargaining agreement or consulting agreement)  and (F) any other information relating to such Proposing Person that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filing required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies or consents by such Proposing Person in support of the business proposed to be brought before the meeting pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act (the disclosures to be made pursuant to the foregoing clauses (A) through (E) are referred to as “Disclosable Interests”); provided, however, that Disclosable Interests shall not include any such disclosures with respect to the ordinary course business activities of any broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee who is a Proposing Person solely as a result of being the stockholder directed to prepare and submit the notice required by these Bylaws on behalf of a beneficial owner; and

 

(iii)                           as to each item of business that the stockholder proposes to bring before the annual meeting, (A) a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the annual meeting, the reasons for conducting such business at the annual meeting and any material interest in such business of each Proposing Person, (B) the text of the proposal or business (including the text of any resolutions proposed for consideration), and (C) a reasonably detailed description of all agreements, arrangements and understandings (x) between or among any of the Proposing Persons or (y) between or among any Proposing Person and any other record or beneficial holder(s) or persons(s) who have a right to acquire beneficial ownership at any time in the future of the shares of any class or series of the Corporation or any other person or entity (including their names) in connection with the proposal of such business by such stockholder; and (D) any other information relating to such item of business that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filing required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies in support of the business proposed to be brought before the meeting pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act; provided, however, that the disclosures required by this paragraph (iii) shall not include any disclosures with respect to any broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee who is a Proposing Person solely as a result of being the stockholder directed to prepare and submit the notice required by these Bylaws on behalf of a beneficial owner.

 

For purposes of this Section 1.09, the term “Proposing Person” shall mean (i) the stockholder providing the notice of business proposed to be brought before an annual meeting, (ii) the beneficial owner or beneficial owners, if different, on whose behalf the notice of the business proposed to be brought before the annual meeting is made, and (iii) any participant (as defined in paragraphs (a)(ii)-(vi) of Instruction 3 to Item 4 of Schedule 14A) with such stockholder in such solicitation or associate (within the meaning of Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act for purposes of these Bylaws) of such stockholder or beneficial owner.

 

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(d)                              A Proposing Person shall update and supplement its notice to the Corporation of its intent to propose business at an annual meeting, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided in such notice pursuant to this Section 1.09 shall be true and correct as of the record date for notice of the meeting and as of the date that is ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and such update and supplement shall be delivered to, or mailed and received by, the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than five (5) business days after the record date for notice of the meeting (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of such record date), and not later than eight (8) business days prior to the date for the meeting or, if practicable, any adjournment or postponement thereof (and, if not practicable, on the first practicable date prior to the date to which the meeting has been adjourned or postponed) (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof).

 

(e)                                Notwithstanding anything in these Bylaws to the contrary and subject to Section 1.10 and Section 1.11, no business shall be conducted at an annual meeting that is not properly brought before the meeting in accordance with this Section 1.09.  The presiding officer of the meeting shall, if the facts warrant, determine that the business was not properly brought before the meeting in accordance with this Section 1.09, and if he or she should so determine, he or she shall so declare at the meeting, and any such business not properly brought before the meeting shall not be transacted.

 

(f)                                 This Section 1.09 is expressly intended to apply to any business proposed to be brought before an annual meeting of stockholders other than any proposal made in accordance with Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act and included in the Corporation’s proxy statement.  In addition to the requirements of this Section 1.09 with respect to any business proposed to be brought before an annual meeting, each Proposing Person shall comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act with respect to any such business.  Nothing in this Section 1.09 shall be deemed to affect the rights of stockholders to request inclusion of proposals in the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act.

 

(g)                               For purposes of these Bylaws, “public disclosure” shall mean disclosure in a press release reported by a national news service or in a document publicly filed by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Sections 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.

 

Section 1.10                 Notice of Nominations for Election to the Board of Directors .

 

(a)                                Nominations of any person for election to the Board of Directors at an annual meeting or at a special meeting (but only if the election of directors is a matter specified in the notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the person calling such special meeting) may be made at such meeting only (i) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors, including by any committee or persons authorized to do so by the Board of Directors or these Bylaws, or (ii) by a stockholder present in person (A) who was a beneficial owner of shares of the Corporation both at the time of giving the notice provided for in this Section 1.10 and at the time of the meeting, (B) is entitled to vote at the meeting, and (C) has complied with this Section 1.10 and Section 1.11 as to such notice and nomination.  For purposes of this Section 1.10, “present in person” shall mean that the stockholder proposing that the business be brought before the meeting of the Corporation, or, if the proposing stockholder is not an individual, a qualified

 

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representative of such stockholder, appear at such meeting.  A “qualified representative” of such proposing stockholder shall be, if such proposing stockholder is (x) a general or limited partnership, any general partner or person who functions as a general partner of the general or limited partnership or who controls the general or limited partnership, (y) a corporation or a limited liability company, any officer or person who functions as an officer of the corporation or limited liability company or any officer, director, general partner or person who functions as an officer, director or general partner of any entity ultimately in control of the corporation or limited liability company or (z) a trust, any trustee of such trust.  The foregoing clause (ii) shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to make any nomination of a person or persons for election to the Board of Directors at an annual meeting or special meeting.

 

(b)                               (i)  Without qualification, for a stockholder to make any nomination of a person or persons for election to the Board of Directors at an annual meeting, the stockholder must (A) provide Timely Notice thereof in writing and in proper form to the Secretary of the Corporation, (B) provide the information, agreements and questionnaires with respect to such stockholder and its candidate for nomination as required to be set forth by this Section 1.10 and Section 1.11 and (C) provide any updates or supplements to such notice at the times and in the forms required by this Section 1.10 and Section 1.11.

 

(ii)  Without qualification, if the election of directors is a matter specified in the notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the person calling a special meeting, then for a stockholder to make any nomination of a person or persons for election to the Board of Directors at a special meeting, the stockholder must (A) provide timely notice thereof in writing and in proper form to the Secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive offices of the Corporation, (B) provide the information with respect to such stockholder and its candidate for nomination as required by this Section 1.10 and Section 1.11 and (C) provide any updates or supplements to such notice at the times and in the forms required by this Section 1.10.  To be timely, a stockholder’s notice for nominations to be made at a special meeting must be delivered to, or mailed and received at, the principal executive offices of the Corporation not earlier than the one hundred twentieth (120th) day prior to such special meeting and not later than the ninetieth (90th) day prior to such special meeting or, if later, the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public disclosure (as defined in Section 1.09) of the date of such special meeting was first made.

 

(iii)  In no event shall any adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting or special meeting or the announcement thereof commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above.

 

(c)                                To be in proper form for purposes of this Section 1.10, a stockholder’s notice to the Secretary shall set forth:

 

(i)                                   As to each Nominating Person (as defined below), the Stockholder Information (as defined in Section 1.09(c)(i), except that for purposes of this Section 1.10 the term “Nominating Person” shall be substituted for the term “Proposing Person” in all places it appears in Section 1.09(c)(i));

 

(ii)                               As to each Nominating Person, any Disclosable Interests (as defined in Section 1.09(c)(ii), except that for purposes of this Section 1.10 the term “Nominating Person” shall be substituted for the term “Proposing Person” in all places it

 

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appears in Section 1.09(c)(ii) and the disclosure with respect to the business to be brought before the meeting in Section 1.09(c)(ii) shall be made with respect to the election of directors at the meeting); and

 

(iii)                           As to each candidate whom a Nominating Person proposes to nominate for election as a director, (A) all information with respect to such candidate for nomination that would be required to be set forth in a stockholder’s notice pursuant to this Section 1.10 and Section 1.11 if such candidate for nomination were a Nominating Person, (B) all information relating to such candidate for nomination that is required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for election of directors in a contested election pursuant to Section 14(a) under the Exchange Act (including such candidate’s written consent to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected), (C) a description of any direct or indirect material interest in any material contract or agreement between or among any Nominating Person, on the one hand, and each candidate for nomination or his or her respective associates or any other participants in such solicitation, on the other hand, including, without limitation, all information that would be required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 under Regulation S-K if such Nominating Person were the “registrant” for purposes of such rule and the candidate for nomination were a director or executive officer of such registrant (the disclosures to be made pursuant to the foregoing clauses (A) through (C) are referred to as “Nominee Information”), and (D) a completed and signed questionnaire, representation and agreement as provided in Section 1.11(a).

 

For purposes of this Section 1.10, the term “Nominating Person” shall mean (i) the stockholder providing the notice of the nomination proposed to be made at the meeting, (ii) the beneficial owner or beneficial owners, if different, on whose behalf the notice of the nomination proposed to be made at the meeting is made, and (iii) any associate of such stockholder or beneficial owner or any other participant in such solicitation.

 

(d)                              A stockholder providing notice of any nomination proposed to be made at a meeting shall further update and supplement such notice, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided in such notice pursuant to this Section 1.10 shall be true and correct as of the record date for notice of the meeting and as of the date that is ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and such update and supplement shall be delivered to, or mailed and received by, the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than five (5) business days after the record date for notice of the meeting (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of such record date), and not later than eight (8) business days prior to the date for the meeting or, if practicable, any adjournment or postponement thereof (and, if not practicable, on the first practicable date prior to the date to which the meeting has been adjourned or postponed) (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof).

 

(e)                                In addition to the requirements of this Section 1.10 with respect to any nomination proposed to be made at a meeting, each Nominating Person shall comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act with respect to any such nominations.

 

Section 1.11. Additional Requirements For Valid Nomination of Candidates To Serve as Director and, If Elected, To Be Seated as Directors.

 

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(a)                                To be eligible to be a candidate for election as a director of the Corporation at an annual or special meeting, a candidate must be nominated in the manner prescribed in Section 1.10 and the candidate for nomination, whether nominated by the Board of Directors or by a stockholder of record, must have previously delivered (in accordance with the time period prescribed for delivery in a notice to such candidate given by or on behalf of the Board of Directors), to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation, (i) a completed written questionnaire (in a form provided by the Corporation) with respect to the background, qualifications, stock ownership and independence of such proposed nominee and (ii) a written representation and agreement (in form provided by the Corporation) that such candidate for nomination (A) is not and, if elected as a director during his or her term of office, will not become a party to (1) any agreement, arrangement or understanding with, and has not given and will not give any commitment or assurance to, any person or entity as to how such proposed nominee, if elected as a director of the Corporation, will act or vote on any issue or question (a “Voting Commitment”) or (2) any Voting Commitment that could limit or interfere with such proposed nominee’s ability to comply, if elected as a director of the Corporation, with such proposed nominee’s fiduciary duties under applicable law, (B) is not, and will not become a party to, any agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person or entity other than the Corporation with respect to any direct or indirect compensation or reimbursement for service as a director that has not been disclosed therein and (C) if elected as a director of the Corporation, will comply with all applicable corporate governance, conflict of interest, confidentiality, stock ownership and trading and other policies and guidelines of the Corporation applicable to directors and in effect during such person’s term in office as a director (and, if requested by any candidate for nomination, the Secretary of the Corporation shall provide to such candidate for nomination all such policies and guidelines then in effect);

 

(b)                               The Board of Directors may also require any proposed candidate for nomination as a director to furnish such other information as may reasonably be requested by the Board of Directors in writing prior to the meeting of stockholders at which such candidate’s nomination is to be acted upon in order for the Board of Directors to determine the eligibility of such candidate for nomination to be an independent director of the Corporation in accordance with the Corporation’s Corporate Governance Guidelines.

 

(c)                                No candidate shall be eligible for nomination as a director of the Corporation unless such candidate for nomination and the Nominating Person seeking to place such candidate’s name in nomination has complied with Section 1.10 and this Section 1.11, as applicable.  The presiding officer at the meeting shall, if the facts warrant, determine that a nomination was not properly made in accordance with Section 1.10 and this Section 1.11, and if he or she should so determine, he or she shall so declare such determination at the meeting, the defective nomination shall be disregarded and any ballots cast for the candidate in question (but in the case of any form of ballot listing other qualified nominees, only the ballots case for the nominee in question) shall be void and of no force or effect.

 

(d)                              Notwithstanding anything in these Bylaws to the contrary, no candidate for nomination shall be eligible to be seated as a director of the Corporation unless nominated and elected in accordance with this Section 1.11.

 

Section 1.12                 Effect of Other Rights .  Nothing in these Bylaws shall be deemed to limit the exercise, the method or timing of the exercise of, the rights of any person granted by

 

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the Corporation to nominate directors (including pursuant to that certain stockholders agreement, dated as of [  ·  ], 2017, by and among the Corporation and the other persons party thereto (as it may be amended from time to time, the “ Stockholders Agreement ”)), which rights may be exercised without compliance with the provisions of Sections 1.10 and 1.11.

 

Section 1.13.  Fixing Date for Determination of Stockholders of Record .

 

(a)                                In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to notice of any meeting of stockholders or any adjournment thereof, the Board of Directors may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board of Directors, and which record date shall, unless otherwise required by law, not be more than sixty (60) nor less than ten (10) days before the date of such meeting.  If the Board of Directors so fixes a date, such date shall also be the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at such meeting unless the Board of Directors determines, at the time it fixes such record date, that a later date on or before the date of the meeting shall be the date for making such determination.  If no record date is fixed by the Board of Directors, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall be at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which notice is given, or, if notice is waived, at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which the meeting is held.  A determination of stockholders of record entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall apply to any adjournment of the meeting; provided, however, that the Board of Directors may fix a new record date for determination of stockholders entitled to vote at the adjourned meeting, and in such case shall also fix as the record date for stockholders entitled to notice of such adjourned meeting the same or an earlier date as that fixed for determination of stockholders entitled to vote in accordance herewith at the adjourned meeting.

 

(b)                               In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment of any rights, or entitled to exercise any rights in respect of any change, conversion or exchange of stock or for the purpose of any other lawful action, the Board of Directors may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted, and which record date shall not be more than sixty (60) days prior to such other action.  If no such record date is fixed, the record date for determining stockholders for any such purpose shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board of Directors adopts the resolution relating thereto.

 

(c)                                Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation, in order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to express consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting, the Board of Directors may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board of Directors, and which record date shall not be more than ten (10) days after the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board of Directors.  If no record date for determining stockholders entitled to express consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting is fixed by the Board of Directors, (i) when no prior action of the Board of Directors is required by law, the record date for such purpose shall be the first date on which a signed written consent setting forth the action taken or proposed to be taken is delivered to the Corporation in accordance with applicable law, and (ii) if prior action by the Board of

 

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Directors is required by law, the record date for such purpose shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board of Directors adopts the resolution taking such prior action.

 

Section 1.14.  List of Stockholders Entitled to Vote .  The officer who has charge of the stock ledger of the Corporation shall prepare and make, at least ten (10) days before every meeting of stockholders, a complete list of the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting (provided, however, if the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote is less than ten (10) days before the date of the meeting, the list shall reflect the stockholders entitled to vote as of a date that is no more than the tenth day before the meeting date), arranged in alphabetical order, and showing the address of each stockholder and the number of shares registered in the name of each stockholder as of the record date (or such other date).  Such list shall be open to the examination of any stockholder, for any purpose germane to the meeting at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting (i) on a reasonably accessible electronic network, provided that the information required to gain access to such list is provided with the notice of meeting or (ii) during ordinary business hours at the principal executive offices of the Corporation.  If the meeting is to be held at a place, then a list of stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting shall be produced and kept at the time and place of the meeting during the whole time thereof and may be examined by any stockholder who is present.  If the meeting is to be held solely by means of remote communication, then the list shall also be open to the examination of any stockholder during the whole time of the meeting on a reasonably accessible electronic network, and the information required to access such list shall be provided with the notice of the meeting.  Except as otherwise provided by law, the stock ledger shall be the only evidence as to who are the stockholders entitled to examine the list of stockholders required by this Section 1.14 or to vote in person or by proxy at any meeting of stockholders.

 

Section 1.15.  Action By Written Consent of Stockholders .

 

(a)                                Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation, any action required or permitted to be taken at any annual or special meeting of the stockholders, subject to the next sentence, may not be effected by any consent or consents in writing by stockholders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, until such time as the Principal Stockholders (as defined in the Stockholders Agreement) and their affiliates collectively cease to beneficially own at least 50% of the voting power of the outstanding shares of stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (the “ Trigger Date ”), any action required or permitted to be taken at any annual or special meeting of stockholders of the Corporation may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, if (A) a consent or consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, are signed by the holders of outstanding shares of the relevant class(es) or series of stock of the Corporation representing not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares of stock of the Corporation then issued and outstanding (other than treasury stock) entitled to vote thereon were present and voted and (B) the action to be taken and the taking of the action by written consent are approved by the Board of Directors, including the directors designated by each of the Principal Stockholders.

 

(b)                               So long as stockholders of the Corporation have the right to act by written consent in accordance with this Section 1.15, the following provisions shall apply:

 

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(i)                                   For the purpose of determining the stockholders entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting as may be permitted by the Certificate of Incorporation or the certificate of designation relating to any outstanding class or series of preferred stock, the Board of Directors may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date on which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board of Directors, and which record date shall not be more than ten (10) (or the maximum number permitted by applicable law) days after the date on which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board of Directors. Any stockholder of record seeking to have the stockholders authorize or take action by written consent shall, by written notice to the Secretary of the Corporation, request that the Board of Directors fix a record date, which notice shall include the text of any proposed resolutions. If no record date has been fixed by the Board of Directors pursuant to this Section 1.15(b) or otherwise within ten (10) days of receipt of a valid request by a stockholder, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting, when no prior action by the Board of Directors is required pursuant to applicable law, shall be the first date on which a signed written consent setting forth the action taken or proposed to be taken is delivered to the Corporation pursuant to Section 1.15(b); provided , however , that if prior action by the Board of Directors is required by applicable law, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting shall in such an event be at the close of business on the day on which the Board of Directors adopts the resolution taking such prior action.

 

(ii)                               Every written consent shall bear the date of signature of each stockholder who signs the consent, and no written consent shall be effective to take the corporate action referred to therein unless written consents signed by a sufficient number of stockholders to take such action are delivered to the Corporation, in the manner required by this Section 1.15(b), within sixty (60) (or the maximum number permitted by applicable law) days of the date of the earliest dated consent delivered to the Corporation in the manner required by this Section 1.15. A written record of the information upon which the person making such determination relied shall be made and kept in the records of the proceedings of the stockholders. Any such consent shall be inserted in the minute book as if it were the minutes of a meeting of stockholders. Prompt notice of the taking of the corporate action without a meeting by less than unanimous written consent shall, to the extent required by law, be given to those stockholders who have not consented in writing and who, if the action had been taken at a meeting, would have been entitled to notice of the meeting if the record date for notice of such meeting had been the date that written consents signed by a sufficient number of holders to take the action were delivered to the Corporation.

 

Section 1.16.  Inspectors of Election .  The Corporation may, and shall if required by law, in advance of any meeting of stockholders, appoint one or more inspectors of election, who may be employees of the Corporation, to act at the meeting or any adjournment thereof and to make a written report thereof.  The Corporation may designate one or more persons as alternate inspectors to replace any inspector who fails to act.  In the event that no inspector so appointed or designated is able to act at a meeting of stockholders, the person presiding at the meeting shall appoint one or more inspectors to act at the meeting.  Each inspector, before entering upon the discharge of his or her duties, shall take and sign an oath to execute faithfully the duties of inspector with strict impartiality and according to the best of his or her ability.  The inspector or inspectors so appointed or designated shall (a) ascertain the number of shares of capital stock of the Corporation outstanding and the voting power of each such share, (b)

 

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determine the shares of capital stock of the Corporation represented at the meeting and the validity of proxies and ballots, (c) count all votes and ballots, (d) determine and retain for a reasonable period a record of the disposition of any challenges made to any determination by the inspectors, and (e) certify their determination of the number of shares of capital stock of the Corporation represented at the meeting and such inspectors’ count of all votes and ballots. Such certification and report shall specify such other information as may be required by law.  In determining the validity and counting of proxies and ballots cast at any meeting of stockholders of the Corporation, the inspectors may consider such information as is permitted by applicable law.  No person who is a candidate for an office at an election may serve as an inspector at such election.

 

Section 1.17.  Conduct of Meetings .  The date and time of the opening and the closing of the polls for each matter upon which the stockholders will vote at a meeting shall be announced at the meeting by the person presiding over the meeting.  The Board of Directors may adopt by resolution such rules and regulations for the conduct of the meeting of stockholders as it shall deem appropriate.  Except to the extent inconsistent with such rules and regulations as adopted by the Board of Directors, the person presiding over any meeting of stockholders shall have the right and authority to convene and (for any or no reason) to adjourn the meeting, to prescribe such rules, regulations and procedures and to do all such acts as, in the judgment of such presiding person, are appropriate for the proper conduct of the meeting.  Such rules, regulations or procedures, whether adopted by the Board of Directors or prescribed by the presiding person of the meeting, may include, without limitation, the following: (a) the establishment of an agenda or order of business for the meeting; (b) rules and procedures for maintaining order at the meeting and the safety of those present; (c) limitations on attendance at or participation in the meeting to stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, their duly authorized and constituted proxies or such other persons as the presiding person of the meeting shall determine; (d) restrictions on entry to the meeting after the time fixed for the commencement thereof; and (e) limitations on the time allotted to questions or comments by participants.  The presiding person at any meeting of stockholders, in addition to making any other determinations that may be appropriate to the conduct of the meeting, shall, if the facts warrant, determine and declare to the meeting that a matter or business was not properly brought before the meeting and if such presiding person should so determine, such presiding person shall so declare at the meeting and any such matter or business not properly brought before the meeting shall not be transacted or considered.  Unless and to the extent determined by the Board of Directors or the person presiding over the meeting, meetings of stockholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with the rules of parliamentary procedure.

 

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ARTICLE II

 

Board of Directors

 

Section 2.01.  Number; Qualifications .  The Board of Directors shall consist of one or more members, the number thereof to be determined from time to time by resolution of the Board of Directors.  Directors need not be stockholders.

 

Section 2.02.  Election; Resignation; Vacancies .  The Board of Directors shall initially consist of Dale Redman, Spencer D. Armour, III, Schuyler E. Coppedge, Stephen Herman, Matthew H. Himler, and Peter L. Labbat, and following the listing of shares of our common stock on a national securities exchange, Francesco Ciabatti, Alan E. Douglas, Christopher Leininger and Jack B. Moore will join the Board of Directors, and subject to the Stockholders Agreement, each of the aforementioned directors shall hold office until the first annual meeting of stockholders or until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified. At the first annual meeting of the stockholders and at each annual meeting thereafter, the stockholders shall elect directors, each of whom shall hold office for a term of one year or until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified, subject to such director’s earlier death, resignation, disqualification or removal.  Any director may resign at any time upon notice to the Corporation.  Except as otherwise required by law or the Stockholders Agreement and subject to the rights of the holders of any series of preferred stock then outstanding, unless the Board of Directors otherwise determines, newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the authorized number of directors or any vacancies on the Board of Directors resulting from the death, resignation, retirement, disqualification, removal from office or other cause shall be filled only by a majority vote of the directors then in office and entitled to vote thereon, though less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director entitled to vote thereon, and not by the stockholders.  Subject to the Stockholders Agreement, any director so chosen shall hold office until the next election of directors and until his successor shall be elected and qualified.  Subject to the Stockholders Agreement and any rights of the holders of any series of preferred stock to elect additional directors under specified circumstances, any director may be removed only with cause, upon the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66-2/3 % of the voting power of the outstanding shares of stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generall y for the election of directors.

 

Section 2.03.  Regular Meetings .  Regular meetings of the Board of Directors may be held at such places within or without the State of Delaware and at such times as the Board of Directors may from time to time determine.

 

Section 2.04.  Special Meetings .  Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be held at any time or place within or without the State of Delaware whenever called by the Chief Executive Officer or by any member of the Board of Directors.  Notice of a special meeting of the Board of Directors shall be given by the person or persons calling the meeting at least twenty-four hours before the special meeting.

 

Section 2.05.  Telephonic Meetings Permitted .  Members of the Board of Directors, or any committee designated by the Board of Directors, may participate in a meeting thereof by means of conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and participation in a meeting pursuant to this by-law shall constitute presence in person at such meeting.

 

Section 2.06.  Quorum; Vote Required for Action .  At all meetings of the Board of Directors, the directors entitled to cast a majority of the votes of the whole Board of Directors

 

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shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.  Except in cases in which the Certificate of Incorporation, these Bylaws or applicable law otherwise provides, a majority of the votes entitled to be cast by the directors present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Board of Directors.

 

Section 2.07.  Organization .  Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be presided over by the Chairperson of the Board of Directors, if any, or in his or her absence by the Vice Chairperson of the Board of Directors, if any, or in his or her absence by the President and Chief Executive Officer, or in his or her absence by a chairperson chosen at the meeting.  The Secretary shall act as secretary of the meeting, but in his or her absence the chairperson of the meeting may appoint any person to act as secretary of the meeting.

 

Section 2.08.  Action by Unanimous Consent of Directors .  Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board of Directors, or of any committee thereof, may be taken without a meeting if all members of the Board of Directors or such committee, as the case may be, consent thereto in writing or by electronic transmission and the writing or writings or electronic transmissions are filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board of Directors or committee in accordance with applicable law.

 

Section 2.09.  Compensation of Directors.   Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, the Board of Directors shall have the authority to fix the compensation of directors.  The directors may be paid their expenses, if any, of attendance at each meeting of the Board of Directors and may be paid a fixed sum for attendance at each meeting of the Board of Directors or a stated salary or other compensation (which compensation may be paid in the form of cash, equity awards or any combination thereof) as a director.  No such payment shall preclude any director from serving the Corporation in any other capacity and receiving compensation therefor.  Members of special or standing committees may be allowed like compensation for attending committee meetings.  Any director of the Corporation may decline any or all such compensation payable to such director in his or her discretion.

 

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ARTICLE III

 

Committees of the Board of Directors

 

Section 3.01.  Committees .  The Board of Directors may designate one or more committees, each committee to consist of one or more of the directors of the Corporation.  Subject to the Stockholders Agreement, the Board of Directors may designate one or more directors as alternate members of any committee, who may replace any absent or disqualified member at any meeting of the committee.  In the absence or disqualification of a member of the committee, the member or members thereof present at any meeting and not disqualified from voting, whether or not he, she or they constitute a quorum, may unanimously appoint another member of the Board of Directors to act at the meeting in place of any such absent or disqualified member.  Any such committee, to the extent permitted by law and to the extent provided in the resolution of the Board of Directors, shall have and may exercise all the powers and authority of the Board of Directors in the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation, and may authorize the seal of the Corporation to be affixed to all papers which may require it.

 

Section 3.02.  Committee Rules .  Unless the Board of Directors otherwise provides, each committee designated by the Board of Directors may make, alter and repeal rules for the conduct of its business.  In the absence of such rules each committee shall conduct its business in the same manner as the Board of Directors conducts its business pursuant to Article II of these Bylaws.

 

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ARTICLE IV

 

Officers

 

Section 4.01.  Officers; Election; Qualifications; Term of Office; Resignation; Removal; Vacancies .  The Board of Directors shall elect a Chief Executive Officer and Secretary, and it may, if it so determines, choose a Chairperson of the Board of Directors and a Vice Chairperson of the Board of Directors from among its members.  The Board of Directors may also choose one or more Executive Vice Presidents, on or more Vice Presidents, one or more Assistant Secretaries, a Treasurer and one or more Assistant Treasurers and such other officers as it shall from time to time deem necessary or desirable.  Each such officer shall hold office until the first meeting of the Board of Directors after the annual meeting of stockholders next succeeding his or her election, and until his or her successor is elected and qualified or until his or her earlier resignation or removal.  Any officer may resign at any time upon written notice to the Corporation.  The Board of Directors may remove any officer with or without cause at any time, but such removal shall be without prejudice to the contractual rights of such officer, if any, with the Corporation.  Any number of offices may be held by the same person.  Any vacancy occurring in any office of the Corporation by death, resignation, removal or otherwise may be filled for the unexpired portion of the term by the Board of Directors at any regular or special meeting.

 

Section 4.02.  Powers and Duties of Officers .  The officers of the Corporation shall have such powers and duties in the management of the Corporation as may be prescribed in a resolution by the Board of Directors and, to the extent not so provided, as generally pertain to their respective offices, subject to the control of the Board of Directors.  The Board of Directors may require any officer, agent or employee to give security for the faithful performance of his or her duties.

 

Section 4.03.  Appointing Attorneys and Agents; Voting Securities of Other Entities .  Unless otherwise provided by resolution adopted by the Board of Directors, the Chairperson of the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer or the Secretary may from time to time appoint an attorney or attorneys or agent or agents of the Corporation, in the name and on behalf of the Corporation, to cast the votes which the Corporation may be entitled to cast as the holder of stock or other securities in any other Corporation or other entity, any of whose stock or other securities may be held by the Corporation, at meetings of the holders of the stock or other securities of such other corporation or other entity, or to consent in writing, in the name of the Corporation as such holder, to any action by such other corporation or other entity, and may instruct the person or persons so appointed as to the manner of casting such votes or giving such consents, and may execute or cause to be executed in the name and on behalf of the Corporation and under its corporate seal or otherwise, all such written proxies or other instruments as he or she may deem necessary or proper.  Any of the rights set forth in this Section 4.03 which may be delegated to an attorney or agent may also be exercised directly by the Chairperson of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer or the Secretary.

 

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ARTICLE V

 

Stock

 

Section 5.01.  Certificates . The shares of the Corporation shall be represented by certificates, provided that the Board of Directors may provide by resolution or resolutions that some or all of any or all classes or series of stock shall be uncertificated shares.  Any such resolution shall not apply to shares represented by a certificate until such certificate is surrendered to the Corporation.  Every holder of stock represented by certificates shall be entitled to have a certificate signed by or in the name of the Corporation by the Chairperson or Vice Chairperson of the Board of Directors, if any, or the Chief Executive Officer, or the Chief Financial Officer, or the Secretary, or by a Treasurer or an Assistant Treasurer, or an Assistant Secretary, of the Corporation certifying the number of shares owned by such holder in the Corporation.  Any of or all the signatures on the certificate may be a facsimile.  In case any officer, transfer agent or registrar who has signed or whose facsimile signature has been placed upon a certificate shall have ceased to be such officer, transfer agent or registrar before such certificate is issued, it may be issued by the Corporation with the same effect as if such person were such officer, transfer agent or registrar at the date of issue.

 

Section 5.02.  Lost, Stolen or Destroyed Stock Certificates; Issuance of New Certificates .  The Corporation may issue a new certificate of stock in the place of any certificate theretofore issued by it, alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed, and the Corporation may require the owner of the lost, stolen or destroyed certificate, or such owner’s legal representative, to give the Corporation a bond sufficient to indemnify it against any claim that may be made against it on account of the alleged loss, theft or destruction of any such certificate or the issuance of such new certificate.

 

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ARTICLE VI

 

Indemnification and Advancement of Expenses

 

Section 6.01.  Right to Indemnification .  The Corporation shall indemnify and hold harmless, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law as it presently exists or may hereafter be amended (but, in the case of any such amendment, only to the extent that such amendment permits the Corporation to provide broader indemnification rights than permitted prior thereto) , any person (a “Covered Person”) who was or is made or is threatened to be made a party or is otherwise involved (including involvement, without limitation, as a witness) in any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (a “proceeding”), by reason of the fact that he or she, or a person for whom he or she is the legal representative, is or was a director or officer of the Corporation or, while a director or officer of the Corporation, is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or nonprofit entity, including service with respect to employee benefit plans and whether the basis of such proceeding is alleged action in an official capacity as a director or office r or in any other capacity while serving as a director or officer , against all liability and loss suffered and expenses (including attorneys’ fees and related disbursements, judgments, fines, excise taxes, penalties and amounts paid or to be paid in settlement ) reasonably incurred by such Covered Person, and such indemnification shall continue as to an indemnitee who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of the indemnitee’s heirs, executors and administrators .  Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, except as otherwise provided in Section 6.03, the Corporation shall be required to indemnify a Covered Person in connection with a proceeding (or part thereof) commenced by such Covered Person only if the commencement of such proceeding (or part thereof) by the Covered Person was authorized in the specific case by the Board of Directors of the Corporation. The right to indemnification conferred in this Article VI shall be a contract right.

 

Section 6.02.  Advancement of Expenses .  The Corporation shall, to the fullest extent not prohibited by applicable law, pay the expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by a Covered Person in defending any proceeding in advance of its final disposition, provided, however, that, to the extent required by law, such payment of expenses in advance of the final disposition of the proceeding shall be made only upon receipt of an undertaking by the Covered Person to repay all amounts advanced if it should be ultimately determined that the Covered Person is not entitled to be indemnified under this Article VI or otherwise.

 

Section 6.03.  Claims .  If a claim for indemnification (following the final disposition of such proceeding) or advancement of expenses under this Article VI is not paid in full within thirty days after a written claim therefor by the Covered Person has been received by the Corporation, the Covered Person may file suit to recover the unpaid amount of such claim and, if successful in whole or in part, shall be entitled to be paid the expense of prosecuting such claim to the fullest extent permitted by law.  In any such action, the Corporation shall have the burden of proving that the Covered Person is not entitled to the requested indemnification or advancement of expenses under applicable law.

 

Section 6.04.             Service for Subsidiaries . Any person serving as a director, officer, partner, member, trustee, administrator, employee or agent of another corporation or of a

 

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partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or nonprofit entity, including service with respect to employee benefit plans or other enterprise, at least 50% of whose equity interests are owned by the Corporation (a “ subsidiary ” for purposes of this Article VI) shall be conclusively presumed to be serving in such capacity at the request of the Corporation.

 

Section 6.05.             Reliance . Persons who after the date of the adoption of this provision become or remain directors or officers of the Corporation or who, while a director or officer of the Corporation, become or remain a director, officer, employee or agent of a subsidiary, shall be conclusively presumed to have relied on the rights to indemnity, advancement of expenses and other rights contained in this Article VI in entering into or continuing such service. The rights to indemnification and to the advancement of expenses conferred in this Article VI shall apply to claims made against an indemnitee arising out of acts or omissions which occurred or occur both prior and subsequent to the adoption hereof.

 

Section 6.06.  Nonexclusivity of Rights .  The rights conferred on any Covered Person by this Article VI shall not be exclusive of any other rights which such Covered Person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, provision of the Certificate of Incorporation, these Bylaws, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise.

 

Section 6.07.  Other Sources .  The Corporation shall (a) be the indemnitor of first resort (i.e., its obligations to a Covered Person shall be primary and any obligation of other entities or persons with respect to which a director or officer may have rights to indemnification, advancement of expenses and/or insurance  for the same liability, loss or expenses incurred by such Covered Person (the “ Secondary Indemnitors ”), is secondary), and (b) subject always to the provisions of Section 6.02, be required to advance the full amount of expenses actually and reasonably incurred by a Covered Person and shall be liable for the full amount of all liabilities, losses and expenses as required by the terms of this Article VI, without regard to any rights a Covered Person may have against any Secondary Indemnitor.  Except as set forth in this Section 6.07, the Corporation’s obligation, if any, to indemnify or to advance expenses to any Covered Person who was or is serving at its request as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or nonprofit entity shall be reduced by any amount such Covered Person may collect as indemnification or advancement of expenses from such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or non-profit enterprise.

 

Section 6.08.  Amendment or Repeal .  Any right to indemnification or to advancement of expenses of any Covered Person arising hereunder shall not be eliminated or impaired by an amendment to or repeal of these Bylaws after the occurrence of the act or omission that is the subject of the proceeding for which indemnification or advancement of expenses is sought.

 

Section 6.09.  Other Indemnification and Advancement of Expenses .  This Article VI shall not limit the right of the Corporation, to the extent and in the manner permitted by law, to indemnify and to advance expenses to persons other than Covered Persons when and as authorized by appropriate corporate action.

 

Section 6.10.             Savings Clause . If this Article VI or any portion hereof shall be invalidated on any ground by any court of competent jurisdiction, then the Corporation shall

 

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nevertheless indemnify and advance expenses to each person entitled to indemnification under this Article VI as to all expense, liability and loss (including attorneys’ fees and related disbursements, judgments, fines, excise taxes, penalties and amounts paid or to be paid in settlement) actually and reasonably incurred or suffered by such person and for which indemnification and advancement of expenses is available to such person pursuant to this Article VI to the fullest extent permitted by any applicable portion of this Article VI that shall not have been invalidated and to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.

 

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ARTICLE VII

 

Miscellaneous

 

Section 7.01.  Fiscal Year .  The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be determined by resolution of the Board of Directors.

 

Section 7.02.  Seal .  The corporate seal shall have the name of the Corporation inscribed thereon and shall be in such form as may be approved from time to time by the Board of Directors.

 

Section 7.03.  Manner of Notice .  Except as otherwise provided herein or permitted by applicable law, notices to directors and stockholders shall be in writing and delivered personally or mailed to the directors or stockholders at their addresses appearing on the books of the Corporation.  Without limiting the manner by which notice otherwise may be given effectively to stockholders, and except as prohibited by applicable law, any notice to stockholders given by the Corporation under any provision of applicable law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws shall be effective if given by a single written notice to stockholders who share an address if consented to by the stockholders at that address to whom such notice is given.  Any such consent shall be revocable by the stockholder by written notice to the Corporation.  Any stockholder who fails to object in writing to the Corporation, within 60 days of having been given written notice by the Corporation of its intention to send the single notice permitted under this Section 7.03, shall be deemed to have consented to receiving such single written notice.  Notice to directors may be given by telecopier, telephone or other means of electronic transmission.

 

Section 7.04.  Waiver of Notice of Meetings of Stockholders, Directors and Committees .  Any waiver of notice, given by the person entitled to notice, whether before or after the time stated therein, shall be deemed equivalent to notice.  Attendance of a person at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except when the person attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting, at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened.  Neither the business to be transacted at nor the purpose of any regular or special meeting of the stockholders, directors or members of a committee of directors need be specified in a waiver of notice.

 

Section 7.05.  Form of Records .  Any records maintained by the Corporation in the regular course of its business, including its stock ledger, books of account and minute books, may be kept on, or by means of, or be in the form of, any information storage device or method, provided that the records so kept can be converted into clearly legible paper form within a reasonable time.

 

Section 7.06.  Amendment of Bylaws .  In furtherance and not in limitation of the rights, powers, privileges and discretionary authority granted or conferred by the DGCL or other statutes or laws of the State of Delaware, the Board of Directors is expressly authorized to make, alter, amend or repeal the Bylaws whether adopted by them or otherwise, without any action on the part of the stockholders, but the stockholders may make new bylaws or alter, amend or repeal the Bylaws (i) in addition to any other vote otherwise required by law, prior to the Trigger Date, by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the voting power of the outstanding shares

 

22



 

of stock of the Corporation, and (ii) in addition to any other vote otherwise require by law, from and after the Trigger Date, by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66-2/3% of the voting power of the outstanding shares of stock of the Corporation.

 

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Exhibit 4.1

 

SPECIMEN SPECIMEN C O M M O N S T O C K ProPetro Holding CorP. INCORPORATED UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE SEE REVERSE FOR CERTAIN DEFINITIONS this Certifies that: SPECIMEN is the owner of FULLY PAID AND NON-ASSESSABLE SHARES OF COMMON STOCK OF $0.001 PAR VALUE EACH OF ProPetro Holding CorP. transferable on the books of the Corporation in person or by attorney upon surrender of this certificate duly endorsed or assigned. This certificate and the shares represented hereby are subject to the laws of the State of Delaware, and to the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Corporation, as now or hereafter amended. This certificate is not valid until countersigned by the Transfer Agent. WITNESS the facsimile seal of the Corporation and the facsimile signatures of its duly authorized officers. DateD: CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER COUNTERSIGNED AND REGISTERED: AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY, LLC BROOKLYN, NY TRANSFER AGENT AND REGISTRAR BY: AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE CUSIP SHARES N U M B E R

GRAPHIC

 


THE CORPORATION WILL FURNISH TO ANY STOCKHOLDER, UPON REQUEST AND WITHOUT CHARGE, A FULL STATEMENT OF THE DESIGNA-TIONS, RELATIVE RIGHTS, PREFERENCES AND LIMITATIONS OF THE SHARES OF EACH CLASS AND SERIES AUTHORIZED TO BE ISSUED, SO FAR AS THE SAME HAVE BEEN DETERMINED, AND OF THE AUTHORITY, IF ANY, OF THE BOARD TO DIVIDE THE SHARES INTO CLASSES OR SERIES AND TO DETERMINE AND CHANGE THE RELATIVE RIGHTS, PREFERENCES AND LIMITATIONS OF ANY CLASS OR SERIES. SUCH REQUEST MAY BE MADE TO THE SECRETARY OF THE CORPORATION OR TO THE TRANSFER AGENT NAMED ON THIS CERTIFICATE. The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of this certificate, shall be construed as though they were written out in full according to applicable laws or regulations: TEN COM TEN ENT JT TEN - - - as tenants in common as tenants by the entireties as joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants in common UNIF GIFT MIN ACT - ....................Custodian.................... (Cust) (Minor) under Uniform Gifts to Minors Act................... (State) Additional abbreviations may also be used though not in the above list. For Value Received, hereby sell, assign and transfer unto PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY OR OTHER IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE (PLEASE PRINT OR TYPEWRITE NAME AND ADDRESS, INCLUDING ZIP CODE, OF ASSIGNEE) Shares of the stock represented by the within Certificate, and do hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint Attorney to transfer the said stock on the books of the within named Corporation with full power of substitution in the premises. Dated NOTICE: THE SIGNATURE(S) TO THIS ASSIGNMENT MUST CORRESPOND WITH THE NAME(S) AS WRITTEN UPON THE FACE OF THE CERTIFICATE, IN EVERY PARTICULAR, WITHOUT ALTERATION OR ENLARGEMENT OR ANY CHANGE WHATSOEVER. Signature(s) Guaranteed By The Signature(s) must be guaranteed by an eligible guarantor institution (Banks, Stockbrokers, Savings and Loan Associations and Credit Unions with membership in an approved Signature Guarantee Medallion Program), pursuant to SEC Rule 17Ad-15. COLUMBIA PRINTING SERVICES, LLC - www.stockinformation.com

GRAPHIC

 



Exhibit 4.2

 

EXECUTION VERSION

 

REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

 

by and among

 

PROPETRO HOLDING CORP.,

 

EXISTING STOCKHOLDERS,

 

MANAGEMENT STOCKHOLDERS,

 

ENERGY CAPITAL PARTNERS II, LP,

 

ENERGY CAPITAL PARTNERS II-A, LP,

 

ENERGY CAPITAL PARTNERS II-B, LP,

 

ENERGY CAPITAL PARTNERS II-C (DIRECT IP), LP,

 

and

 

ENERGY CAPITAL PARTNERS II-D, LP

 



 

Table of Contents

 

 

 

Page

 

 

 

ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS

 

 

 

Section 1.1

Definitions

1

 

 

 

ARTICLE II REGISTRATION RIGHTS

 

 

 

Section 2.1

Shelf Registration

4

Section 2.2

Piggyback Registration

5

Section 2.3

Demand Offering

7

Section 2.4

Sale Procedures

8

Section 2.5

Cooperation by Holders

11

Section 2.6

Restrictions on Public Sale by Holders of Registrable Securities

11

Section 2.7

Expenses

11

Section 2.8

Indemnification

12

Section 2.9

Rule 144 Reporting

14

Section 2.10

Transfer or Assignment of Registration Rights

14

Section 2.11

Limitation on Subsequent Registration Rights

15

Section 2.12

Aggregation of Registrable Securities

15

 

 

 

ARTICLE III MISCELLANEOUS

 

 

 

Section 3.1

Communications

15

Section 3.2

Successor and Assigns

16

Section 3.3

Assignment of Rights

16

Section 3.4

Recapitalization, Exchanges, etc. Affecting the Shares

17

Section 3.5

Specific Performance

17

Section 3.6

Counterparts

17

Section 3.7

Headings

17

Section 3.8

Governing Law

17

Section 3.9

Severability of Provisions

17

Section 3.10

Entire Agreement

17

Section 3.11

Amendment

17

Section 3.12

Termination

18

Section 3.13

No Presumption

18

 



 

REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

 

THIS REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this “ Agreement ”) is made and entered into as of March 4, 2013 by and among ProPetro Holding Corp., a Texas corporation (the Company ”), Regiment Capital Special Situations Fund III, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (“ Regiment ”), Dale Redman, Jeffrey Smith and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, a Delaware limited liability corporation (“ JP Morgan ”) (Regiment, Dale Redman, Jeffrey Smith and JP Morgan, each individually, an “ Existing Stockholder ” and collectively, the “ Existing Stockholders ”), each of the Management Stockholders (as defined in the Shareholders Agreement) who becomes a party to this Agreement by entering into a joinder agreement, attached hereto as Exhibit A (each individually, a “ Management Stockholder ,” and collectively, the “ Management Stockholders ”), Energy Capital Partners II, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“ ECP II ”), Energy Capital Partners II-A, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“ ECP II-A ”), Energy Capital Partners II-B, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“ ECP II-B ”), Energy Capital Partners II-C (Direct IP), LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“ ECP II-C ”), Energy Capital Partners II-D, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“ ECP II-D ” and, collectively with ECP II, ECP II-A, ECP II-B and ECP II-C, the “ ECP Funds ”).

 

WHEREAS, the Company, the Redeemed Stockholders (as defined therein), the Redeemed Stockholder Representative (as defined therein), Regiment and the ECP Funds have entered into that certain Transaction Agreement, dated as of the date hereof (the “ Transaction Agreement ”);

 

WHEREAS, the Company, the ECP Funds, Regiment, the Existing Stockholders, and the Management Stockholders have entered into that certain Shareholders Agreement, dated as of the date hereof (the “ Shareholders Agreement ”); and

 

WHEREAS, the Company now desires to provide to certain of its stockholders rights to registration under the Securities Act (as defined below) of the Registrable Securities (as defined below), upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises, mutual promises, agreements and covenants contained in this Agreement and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereby agree as follows:

 

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS

 

Section 1.1      Definitions . The terms set forth below are used herein as so defined:

 

Accepting Holders ” has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.3(a) of this Agreement.

 

Affiliate ” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with, such Person where “control” shall have the meaning given such term under Rule 405 of the Securities Act; provided that, in no event shall the Company, any of its subsidiaries or any Management Stockholder be considered an Affiliate of any of the ECP Funds.

 



 

Agreement ” has the meaning specified therefor in the introductory paragraph of this Agreement.

 

Business Day ” means any day that is not Saturday, Sunday or other day when banks are required or permitted to be closed in the State of Texas.

 

Commission ” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Common Stock ” means the shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company and any stock into which such Common Stock may thereafter be converted or exchanged.

 

Company ” has the meaning set forth in the preamble of this Agreement.

 

Demand Offering ” has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.3(a) of this Agreement.

 

Demand Request ” has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.3(a) of this Agreement.

 

ECP II ” has the meaning set forth in the preamble to this Agreement.

 

ECP II-A ” has the meaning set forth in the preamble to this Agreement.

 

ECP II-B ” has the meaning set forth in the preamble to this Agreement.

 

ECP II-C ” has the meaning set forth in the preamble to this Agreement.

 

ECP II-D ” has the meaning set forth in the preamble to this Agreement.

 

ECP Funds ” has the meaning set forth in the preamble to this Agreement.

 

Effectiveness Period ” has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.1(a) of this Agreement.

 

Exchange Act ” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.

 

Existing Stockholder ” has the meaning set forth in the preamble of this Agreement.

 

Holder ” means any ECP Fund, Existing Stockholder, Management Stockholder or any Transferee that is a record holder of any Registrable Securities.

 

Included Registrable Securities ” has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.2(a) of this Agreement.

 

Initiating Holders ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.3(a) of this Agreement.

 

2



 

IPO ” means the Company’s first Underwritten Offering that is filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and declared effective under the Securities Act.

 

Losses ” has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.8(a) of this Agreement.

 

Management Stockholder ” has the meaning set forth in the preamble of this Agreement.

 

Managing Underwriter ” or “ Managing Underwriters ” means, with respect to any Underwritten Offering, the book running lead manager of such Underwritten Offering.

 

Person ” means any individual, corporation, company, voluntary association, partnership, joint venture, trust, limited liability company, unincorporated organization, government or any agency, instrumentality or political subdivision thereof, or any other form of entity.

 

Piggyback Registration ” has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.2(a) of this Agreement.

 

Regiment ” has the meaning specified therefor in the preambles of this Agreement.

 

Registrable Securities ” means any shares of Common Stock held at any time by any of the ECP Funds, the Existing Stockholders or the Management Stockholders, and any Common Stock or other securities of the Company or any successor entity which may be issued or distributed in respect of the Registrable Securities by way of stock dividend or stock split or other distribution, recapitalization, merger, conversion or reclassification; provided , however , that any such securities will cease to be Registrable Securities when (i) a Registration Statement with respect to the sale by the Holder of such securities shall have become effective under the Securities Act and such securities shall have been disposed of in accordance with such Registration Statement, (ii) such securities shall have been distributed to the public pursuant to Rule 144 (or any successor provision) under the Securities Act or (iii) such securities shall have ceased to be outstanding.

 

Registration Expenses ” has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.7(a ) of this Agreement.

 

Registration Statement ” means a registration statement under the Securities Act to permit the resale of the Registrable Securities, including a Shelf Registration Statement.

 

Requesting Holders ” has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.3(a) of this Agreement.

 

Securities Act ” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.

 

Selling Expenses ” has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.7(a) of this Agreement.

 

3


 

 

Selling Holder ” means a Holder who is selling Registrable Securities pursuant to a registration statement.

 

Shareholders ” has the meaning specified therefor in the introductory paragraph of this Agreement.

 

Shelf Registration Statement ” means a registration statement under the Securities Act to permit the resale of the Registrable Securities from time to time as permitted by Rule 415 of the Securities Act (or any similar provision then in force under the Securities Act).

 

Transaction Agreement ” has the meaning set forth in the recitals of this Agreement.

 

Transferee ” has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.10 of this Agreement.

 

Underwritten Offering ” means an offering (including an offering pursuant to a Shelf Registration Statement) in which shares of Common Stock or other equity securities of the Company are sold to an underwriter on a firm commitment basis for reoffering to the public or an offering that is a “bought deal” with one or more investment banks.

 

ARTICLE II

REGISTRATION RIGHTS

 

Section 2.1      Shelf Registration .

 

(a)        Shelf Registration . Following the consummation of a IPO, the Company shall file a Shelf Registration Statement, and the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause such Shelf Registration Statement to become effective as soon as permitted pursuant to applicable securities Law. A Shelf Registration Statement filed pursuant to this Section 2.1(a) shall be on such appropriate registration form of the Commission as shall be selected by the Company; provided , however , that if a prospectus supplement will be used in connection with the marketing of an Underwritten Offering from the Shelf Registration Statement and the Managing Underwriter at any time shall notify the Company that, in the sole judgment of such Managing Underwriter, inclusion of detailed information to be used in such prospectus supplement is of material importance to the success of the Underwritten Offering of such Registrable Securities, the Company shall include such information in the prospectus unless it has determined, upon advice of counsel, that such information would violate the rules and regulations of the Commission or would cause such prospectus supplement to contain an untrue statement of a material fact or to omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading. The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Shelf Registration Statement filed pursuant to this Section 2.1(a) to be continuously effective under the Securities Act until the earlier of (i) all Registrable Securities covered by the Shelf Registration Statement have been distributed in the manner set forth and as contemplated in the Shelf Registration Statement or (ii) there are no longer any Registrable Securities outstanding (the “ Effectiveness Period ”). The Shelf Registration Statement when declared effective (including the documents incorporated therein by reference) will comply as to form in all material respects with all applicable requirements of the

 

4



 

Securities Act and the Exchange Act and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.

 

(b)        Delay Rights . Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Company may, upon written notice to any Selling Holder whose Registrable Securities are included in the Shelf Registration Statement, suspend such Selling Holder’s use of any prospectus which is a part of the Shelf Registration Statement (in which event the Selling Holder shall discontinue sales of the Registrable Securities pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement) if (i) the Company is pursuing an acquisition, merger, reorganization, disposition or other similar transaction and the Company determines in good faith that the Company’s ability to pursue or consummate such a transaction would be materially and adversely affected by any required disclosure of such transaction in the Shelf Registration Statement, (ii) the Company has experienced some other material non-public event the disclosure of which at such time, in the good faith judgment of the Company, would be materially detrimental to the Company or its business prospects or (iii) the Company is required under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act to file with the Commission any report or other document necessitating a post-effective amendment to the Shelf Registration Statement; provided , however , in no event shall any delay pursuant to (i) or (ii) hereto exceed sixty (60) days in any one hundred-eighty (180) day period or ninety (90) days in any twelve-month period. Upon the disclosure of such information, the termination of the condition described above or the effectiveness of such post-effective amendment, the Company shall provide prompt notice to the Selling Holders whose Registrable Securities are included in the Shelf Registration Statement, shall promptly terminate any suspension of sales it has put into effect and shall take such other actions reasonably necessary to permit registered sales of Registrable Securities as contemplated in this Agreement.

 

Section 2.2      Piggyback Registration .

 

(a)        Participation . If the Company at any time proposes to (i) register any equity securities for its own account for sale to the public in an Underwritten Offering or (ii) otherwise file any registration statement with the Commission relating to any Underwritten Offering of equity securities other than (x) a registration statement on Form S-8 (or any successor form) relating solely to employee benefit plans or (y) a registration statement on Form S-4 (or any successor form) relating solely to a Rule 145 transaction, then, as soon as practicable following the engagement of counsel to the Company to prepare the documents to be used in connection with an Underwritten Offering, the Company shall give notice of such proposed Underwritten Offering to the Holders, and such notice shall offer the Holders the opportunity to include in such Underwritten Offering such number of Registrable Securities (the Included Registrable Securities ”) as each such Holder may request in writing ( a “ Piggyback Registration ). The notice required to be provided in this Section 2.2(a) to each of the Holders shall be provided on a Business Day pursuant to Section 3.1 hereof. Each such Holder shall then have fifteen (15) Business Days in the case of notice sent before the IPO has occurred, or ten (10) Business Days in the case of notice sent after the IPO has occurred, to request inclusion of Registrable Securities in the Underwritten Offering. If no request for inclusion from a Holder is received within the specified time, such Holder shall have no further right to participate in such Piggyback Registration. If, at any time after giving written notice of its intention to undertake an Underwritten Offering and prior to the closing of such Underwritten Offering, the Company shall

 

5



 

determine for any reason not to undertake or to delay such Underwritten Offering, the Company may, at its election, give written notice of such determination to the Selling Holders and, (1) in the case of a determination not to undertake such Underwritten Offering, shall be relieved of its obligation to sell any Included Registrable Securities in connection with such terminated Underwritten Offering, and (2) in the case of a determination to delay such Underwritten Offering, shall be permitted to delay offering any Included Registrable Securities for the same period as the delay in the Underwritten Offering. Any Selling Holder shall have the right to withdraw such Selling Holder’s request for inclusion of such Selling Holder’s Registrable Securities in such offering by giving written notice to the Company of such withdrawal prior to the time of pricing of such offering.

 

(b)        Priority of Piggyback Registration . If the Managing Underwriter or Underwriters of any proposed Underwritten Offering of equity securities included in a Piggyback Registration advises the Company that the total amount of equity securities which the Selling Holders and any other Persons intend to include in such offering exceeds the number which can be sold in such offering without being likely to have an adverse effect on the price, timing or distribution of the equity securities offered or the market for the equity securities, then the equity securities to be included in such Underwritten Offering shall include the number of Registrable Securities that such Managing Underwriter or Underwriters advises the Company can be sold without having such adverse effect, with such number to be allocated:

 

(i)         first , to the Company, up to the number of equity securities sought to be sold by the Company in such Underwritten Offering; and

 

(ii)        second , pro rata among the Selling Holders who have requested participation in the Piggyback Registration (based, for each such Selling Holder, on the percentage derived by dividing (A) the number of Registrable Securities proposed to be sold by such Selling Holder in such Piggyback Registration by (B) the aggregate number of Registrable Securities proposed to be sold by all Selling Holders in the Piggyback Registration).

 

(c)        General Procedures . In connection with any Underwritten Offering under Section 2.2 of this Agreement, the Company shall be entitled to select the Managing Underwriter or Underwriters. In connection with an Underwritten Offering under Section 2.2 hereof, each Selling Holder and the Company shall enter into an underwriting agreement with the Managing Underwriter or Underwriters which contains such representations, covenants, indemnities and other rights and obligations as are customary in underwriting agreements for firm commitment offerings of equity securities. No Selling Holder may participate in such Underwritten Offering unless such Selling Holder agrees to sell its Registrable Securities on the basis provided in such underwriting agreement and completes and executes all questionnaires, powers of attorney, indemnities and other documents reasonably required under the terms of such underwriting agreement. Each Selling Holder may, at its option, require that any or all of the representations and warranties by, and the other agreements on the part of, the Company to and for the benefit of such underwriters also be made to and for such Selling Holder’s benefit and that any or all of the conditions precedent to the obligations of such underwriters under such underwriting agreement also be conditions precedent to its obligations. No Selling Holder shall be required to make any representations or warranties to or agreements with the Company or the underwriters other than representations, warranties or agreements regarding such Selling Holder and its ownership of the

 

6



 

securities being registered on its behalf and its intended method of distribution and any other representation required by law. If any Selling Holder disapproves of the terms of an underwriting, such Selling Holder may elect to withdraw therefrom by notice to the Company and the Managing Underwriter; provided , however , that such withdrawal must be made prior to the pricing of such Underwritten Offering to be effective. No such withdrawal or abandonment shall affect the Company’s obligation to pay Registration Expenses.

 

Section 2.3      Demand Offering .

 

(a)        Demand Offering Rights . Subject to the conditions of this Section 2.3 , at any time after the first anniversary of the closing of the IPO, each of the ECP Fund Holders and Regiment (such ECP Holder or Regiment that initiates a Demand Request, the “ Initiating Holder ”) may request (a “ Demand Request ”) that the Company undertake an Underwritten Offering (a “ Demand Offering ”), the anticipated aggregate offering price, net of underwriting discounts and commissions, of which is in excess of $15,000,000. Following receipt of a Demand Request, the Company shall within ten (10) days of the receipt thereof, give written notice of such request to all other Holders in accordance with Section 3.1 of this Agreement. Such other Holders shall have up to ten (10) Business Days from the mailing of such notice by the Company to request inclusion of Registrable Securities in the Demand Offering, and, upon receipt of the request from such other Holders, the Company shall, subject to the limitations of Section 2.3(a)(i) , use its best efforts to effect as soon as possible following the receipt of the notice from all such other Holders (“ Accepting Holders ” and together with the Initiating Holders, the “ Requesting Holders ”), to undertake and effect such Demand Offering.

 

(i)         Underwritten Offerings . The underwriter for a Demand Offering will be selected by the Initiating Holder and shall be reasonably acceptable to the Company. The right of any Holder to include his, her or its Registrable Securities in such Demand Offering shall be conditioned upon such Holder’s participation in such Demand Offering and the inclusion of such Holder’s Registrable Securities in the Demand Offering to the extent provided herein. The Company shall enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the underwriter or underwriters selected for such Demand Offering. No Accepting Holder may participate in such Demand Offering unless such Accepting Holder agrees to sell its Registrable Securities on the basis provided in such underwriting agreement and completes and executes all questionnaires, powers of attorney, indemnities and other documents reasonably required under the terms of such underwriting agreement. If any Accepting Holder disapproves of the terms of an underwriting, such Selling Holder may elect to withdraw therefrom by notice to the Company, the Initiating Holder and the Managing Underwriter; provided , however , that such withdrawal must be made prior to the pricing of such Demand Offering to be effective.

 

(b)        Priority of Demand Offering . If the Managing Underwriter or Underwriters of any proposed Demand Offering of Registrable Securities advises the Company and the Initiating Holder that the total amount of Registrable Securities that the Requesting Holders intend to include in such Demand Offering exceeds the number which can be sold in such offering without being likely to have an adverse effect on the price, timing or distribution of the Registrable Securities offered or the market for the Registrable Securities, then the Registrable Securities to be included in such Demand Offering shall include the number of Registrable Securities that such Managing Underwriter or Underwriters advises the Company

 

7



 

can be sold without having such adverse effect, with such number to be allocated (i) first , pro rata among the Initiating Holder and its Affiliates (based, for each such Initiating Holder and such Affiliate, on the percentage derived by dividing (1) the number of Registrable Securities proposed to be sold by such Initiating Holder or such Affiliate in such offering by (2) the aggregate number of Registrable Securities proposed to be sold by the Initiating Holders and all of its Affiliates in the Demand Offering), and (ii) second , pro rata among the remaining Accepting Holders (based, for each such remaining Accepting Holder, on the percentage derived by dividing (1) the number of Registrable Securities proposed to be sold by such remaining Accepting Holder in such offering by (2) the aggregate number of Registrable Securities proposed to be sold by all such remaining Accepting Holders in the Demand Offering). For the avoidance of doubt, no other Person may participate in such Demand Offering unless the Initiating Holder and its Affiliates are able to include in such Underwritten Offering 100% of the Registrable Securities requested to be included in the Demand Offering by such Initiating Holder and such Affiliates.

 

(c)        Number of Demand Offerings . The ECP Fund Holders may make five (5) Demand Offerings pursuant to this Section 2.3 . Regiment may make two (2) Demand Offerings pursuant to this Section 2.3 .

 

(d)       Demand Delay Rights . Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Company may furnish to the Requesting Holders, within 30 days of the Demand Request, a notice delaying the Demand Offering if (i) the Company is pursuing an acquisition, merger, reorganization, disposition or other similar transaction and the Company determines in good faith that the Company’s ability to pursue or consummate such a transaction would be materially and adversely affected by any required disclosure of such transaction in the registration statement for the Demand Offering or (ii) the Company has experienced some other material non-public event the disclosure of which at such time, in the good faith judgment of the Company, would be materially detrimental to the Company or its business prospects; provided , however , in no event shall any delay pursuant hereto exceed ninety (90) days or be utilized more than once in any twelve-month period.

 

Section 2.4      Sale Procedures . In connection with its obligations contained in Sections 2.1 , 2.2 and 2.3 , the Company will, as expeditiously as possible:

 

(a)        prepare and file with the Commission such amendments and supplements to the Shelf Registration Statement and the prospectus used in connection therewith as may be necessary to keep the Shelf Registration Statement effective for the Effectiveness Period and as may be necessary to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act with respect to the disposition of all securities covered by the Shelf Registration Statement;

 

(b)        furnish to each Selling Holder (i) as far in advance as reasonably practicable before filing the Shelf Registration Statement or any other registration statement contemplated by this Agreement or any supplement or amendment thereto, upon request, copies of reasonably complete drafts of all such documents proposed to be filed (including exhibits and each document incorporated by reference therein to the extent then required by the rules and regulations of the Commission), and provide each such Selling Holder the opportunity to object to any information pertaining to such Selling Holder and its plan of distribution that is contained

 

8


 

therein and make the corrections reasonably requested by such Selling Holder with respect to such information prior to filing the Shelf Registration Statement or such other registration statement and the prospectus included therein or any supplement or amendment thereto, and (ii) such number of copies of the Shelf Registration Statement or such other registration statement and the prospectus included therein and any supplements and amendments thereto as such Persons may reasonably request in order to facilitate the public sale or other disposition of the Registrable Securities covered by such Shelf Registration Statement or other registration statement;

 

(c)          if applicable, use its commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify the Registrable Securities covered by the Shelf Registration Statement or any other registration statement contemplated by this Agreement under the securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Selling Holders or, in the case of an Underwritten Offering, the Managing Underwriter, shall reasonably request; provided , that the Company will not be required to qualify generally to transact business in any jurisdiction where it is not then required to so qualify or to take any action which would subject it to general service of process in any such jurisdiction where it is not then so subject;

 

(d)          promptly notify each Selling Holder and each underwriter, at any time when a prospectus relating thereto is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, of (i) the filing of the Shelf Registration Statement or any other registration statement contemplated by this Agreement or any prospectus included therein or any amendment or supplement thereto, and, with respect to such Shelf Registration Statement or any other registration statement or any post-effective amendment thereto, when the same has become effective and (ii) any written comments from the Commission with respect to any filing referred to in clause (i) and any written request by the Commission for amendments or supplements to the Shelf Registration Statement or any other registration statement contemplated by this Agreement or any prospectus included therein or any amendment or supplement thereto;

 

(e)          immediately notify each Selling Holder and each underwriter, at any time when a prospectus relating thereto is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, of (i) the happening of any event as a result of which the prospectus contained in the Shelf Registration Statement or any other registration statement contemplated by this Agreement or any supplemental amendment thereto, includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances then existing, (ii) the issuance or threat of issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Shelf Registration Statement or any other registration statement contemplated by this Agreement, or the initiation of any proceedings for that purpose, or (iii) the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of any Registrable Securities for sale under the applicable securities or blue sky laws of any jurisdiction. Following the provision of such notice, the Company agrees to as promptly as practicable amend or supplement the prospectus or prospectus supplement or take other appropriate action so that the prospectus or prospectus supplement does not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances then existing and to take such other action as is necessary to remove a stop order, suspension, threat thereof or proceedings related thereto;

 

9



 

(f)           upon request and subject to appropriate confidentiality obligations, furnish to each Selling Holder copies of any and all transmittal letters or other correspondence with the Commission or any other governmental agency or self-regulatory body or other body having jurisdiction (including any domestic or foreign securities exchange) relating to such offering of Registrable Securities;

 

(g)          in the case of an Underwritten Offering, furnish upon request, (i) an opinion of counsel for the Company, dated the date of the closing under the underwriting agreement, and (ii) a “cold comfort” letter, dated the date of the closing under the underwriting agreement, in each case, signed by the independent public accountants who have certified the Company’s financial statements included or incorporated by reference into the applicable registration statement, and each of the opinion and the “cold comfort” letter shall be in customary form and covering substantially the same matters with respect to such registration statement (and the prospectus included therein any supplement thereto) and as are customarily covered in opinions of issuer’s counsel and in accountants’ letters delivered to the underwriters in Underwritten Offerings of securities;

 

(h)          otherwise use its commercially reasonable efforts to comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the Commission, and make available to its security holders, as soon as reasonably practicable, an earnings statement covering the period of at least 12 months, but not more than 18 months, beginning with the first full calendar month after the effective date of such registration statement, which earnings statement shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 promulgated thereunder;

 

(i)           make available to the appropriate representatives of the Managing Underwriter and Selling Holders access to such information and the Company personnel as is reasonable and customary to enable such parties to establish a due diligence defense under the Securities Act; provided that the Company need not disclose any information to any such representative unless and until such representative has entered into a confidentiality agreement with the Company;

 

(j)           cause all such Registrable Securities registered pursuant to this Agreement to be listed on each securities exchange or nationally recognized quotation system on which similar securities issued by the Company are then listed;

 

(k)          use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Registrable Securities to be registered with or approved by such other governmental agencies or authorities as may be necessary by virtue of the business and operations of the Company to enable the Selling Holders to consummate the disposition of such Registrable Securities;

 

(l)           provide a transfer agent and registrar for all Registrable Securities covered by such registration statement not later than the effective date of such registration statement; and

 

(m)         enter into customary agreements and take such other actions as are reasonably requested by the Selling Holders or the underwriters, if any, in order to expedite or facilitate the disposition of such Registrable Securities.

 

10



 

Each Selling Holder, upon receipt of notice from the Company of the happening of any event of the kind described in subsection (e) of this Section 2.4 , shall forthwith discontinue disposition of the Registrable Securities until such Selling Holder’s receipt of the copies of the supplemented or amended prospectus contemplated by subsection (e) of this Section 2.4 or until it is advised in writing by the Company that the use of the prospectus may be resumed, and has received copies of any additional or supplemental filings incorporated by reference in the prospectus, and, if so directed by the Company, such Selling Holder will, or will request the Managing Underwriter or underwriters, if any, to deliver to the Company (at the Company’s expense) all copies in their possession or control, other than permanent file copies then in such Selling Holder’s possession, of the prospectus and any prospectus supplement covering such Registrable Securities current at the time of receipt of such notice.

 

Section 2.5      Cooperation by Holders . The Company shall have no obligation to include in any Registration Statement Registrable Securities of a Holder, in a Piggyback Registration Registrable Securities of a Selling Holder or in a Demand Offering an Accepting Holder who has failed to timely furnish such information which, in the opinion of counsel to the Company, is reasonably required in order for the registration statement or prospectus supplement, as applicable, to comply with the Securities Act.

 

Section 2.6      Restrictions on Public Sale by Holders of Registrable Securities . Each Holder of Registrable Securities who is included in any Registration Statement agrees not to effect any public sale or distribution of the Registrable Securities during (a) the one year period beginning on the date of the closing of the IPO and (b) the 30 calendar day period beginning on the date of a prospectus supplement filed with the Commission with respect to the pricing of an Underwritten Offering other than the IPO, or other prospectus (including any free writing prospectus) containing the terms of the pricing of such Underwritten Offering; provided that the duration of the foregoing restrictions shall be no longer than the duration of the shortest restriction generally imposed by the underwriters on the officers or directors or any other shareholder of the Company on whom a restriction is imposed.

 

Section 2.7      Expenses .

 

(a)         Certain Definitions . “ Registration Expenses ” means all expenses incident to the Company’s performance under or compliance with this Agreement to effect the registration of Registrable Securities in a Shelf Registration pursuant to Section 2.1 , a Piggyback Registration pursuant to Section 2.2 , a Demand Offering pursuant to Section 2.3 and the disposition of such securities, including, without limitation, all registration, filing, securities exchange listing fees, all registration, filing, qualification and other fees and expenses of complying with securities or blue sky laws, fees of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., transfer taxes and fees of transfer agents and registrars, all word processing, duplicating and printing expenses, the fees and disbursements of counsel and independent public accountants for the Company, including the expenses of any special audits or “cold comfort” letters required by or incident to such performance and compliance. Except as otherwise provided in this Section 2.7 hereof, the Company shall not be responsible for legal fees incurred by Holders in connection with the exercise of such Holders’ rights hereunder. In addition, the Company shall not be responsible for any “ Selling Expenses ,” which means all underwriting

 

11



 

discounts and selling commissions and transfer taxes allocable to the sale of the Registrable Securities.

 

(b)          Expenses . The Company will pay all reasonable Registration Expenses in connection with a Piggyback Registration or Underwritten Offering (including any Demand Offerings), whether or not any sale is made pursuant to the Piggyback Registration or Underwritten Offering (including any Demand Offering). Each Selling Holder shall pay all Selling Expenses allocated (on a pro rata basis) to such Selling Holder in connection with any sale of its Registrable Securities hereunder.

 

Section 2.8      Indemnification .

 

(a)          By the Company . In the event of a registration of any Registrable Securities under the Securities Act pursuant to this Agreement, the Company will indemnify and hold harmless each Selling Holder thereunder, its directors, officers, employees, attorneys, advisors, Affiliates and managers, and each underwriter, pursuant to the applicable underwriting agreement with such underwriter, of Registrable Securities thereunder and each Person, if any, who controls such Selling Holder or underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, against any losses, claims, damages, expenses or liabilities (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses) (collectively, “ Losses ”), joint or several, to which such Selling Holder or underwriter or controlling Person may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, insofar as such Losses (or actions or proceedings, whether commenced or threatened, in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in the Shelf Registration Statement or any other registration statement contemplated by this Agreement, any preliminary prospectus or final prospectus contained therein, or any free writing prospectus related thereto, or any amendment or supplement thereof, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of a prospectus, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, and will reimburse each such Selling Holder, its directors and officers, each such underwriter and each such controlling Person for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such Loss or actions or proceedings; provided, however, that the Company will not be liable in any such case if and to the extent that any such Loss arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission so made in conformity with information furnished by such Selling Holder, such underwriter or such controlling Person in writing specifically for use in the Shelf Registration Statement or other registration statement contemplated by this Agreement, any preliminary prospectus or final prospectus contained therein, or any free writing prospectus related thereto, or any amendment or supplement thereof, as applicable. Such indemnity shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of such Selling Holder or any such director, officer or controlling Person, and shall survive the transfer of such securities by such Selling Holder.

 

(b)          By Each Selling Holder . Each Selling Holder agrees severally and not jointly to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, officers, employees, advisors, attorneys and Affiliates and each Person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act or of the Exchange Act to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from

 

12



 

the Company to the Selling Holders, but only with respect to information regarding such Selling Holder furnished in writing by or on behalf of such Selling Holder expressly for inclusion in the Shelf Registration Statement or prospectus supplement relating to the Registrable Securities, or any amendment or supplement thereto; provided , however , that notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, the liability of each Selling Holder shall not be greater in amount than the dollar amount of the proceeds (net of any Selling Expenses) received by such Selling Holder from the sale of the Registrable Securities giving rise to such indemnification.

 

(c)          Third Party Claims . Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party hereunder of notice of the commencement of any action (including any action brought by a governmental entity), such indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party hereunder, notify the indemnifying party in writing thereof, but the omission to so notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party other than under this Section 2.8 . The indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate in and, to the extent it shall wish, to assume and undertake the defense thereof with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party and, after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume and undertake the defense thereof, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to such indemnified party under this Section 2.8 for any legal expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation and of liaison with counsel so selected; provided , however , that, (i) if the indemnifying party has failed to assume the defense and employ counsel or (ii) if the defendants in any such action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and counsel to the indemnified party shall have concluded that there may be reasonable defenses available to the indemnified party that are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, or if the interests of the indemnified party reasonably may be deemed to conflict with the interests of the indemnifying party, then the indemnified party shall have the right to select a separate counsel and to assume such legal defense and otherwise to participate in the defense of such action, with the reasonable expenses and fees of such separate counsel and other reasonable expenses related to such participation to be reimbursed (subject to the limits on indemnification set forth in the proviso of Section 2.8(b)  hereof) by the indemnifying party as incurred. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the indemnifying party shall not settle any indemnified claim without the consent of the indemnified party, unless the settlement thereof imposes no liability or obligation on, includes a complete release from liability of, and does not contain any admission of wrong doing by, the indemnified party.

 

(d)          Contribution . If the indemnification provided for in this Section 2.8 is held by a court or government agency of competent jurisdiction to be unavailable to the Company or any Selling Holder or is insufficient to hold them harmless in respect of any Losses, then each such indemnifying party, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such Losses in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of such Selling Holder on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such Losses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations; provided , however , that, notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, in no event shall such Selling Holder be required to contribute an aggregate amount in excess of the dollar amount of proceeds (net of Selling Expenses) received by such Selling Holder from the sale of

 

13


 

Registrable Securities giving rise to such indemnification. The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and each Selling Holder on the other shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact has been made by, or relates to, information supplied by such party, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The parties hereto agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this paragraph were to be determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in the first sentence of this paragraph. No Person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any Person who is not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

 

(e)         Other Indemnification . The provisions of this Section 2.8 shall be in addition to any other rights to indemnification or contribution which an indemnified party may have pursuant to law, equity, contract or otherwise.

 

Section 2.9      Rule 144 Reporting . With a view to making available the benefits of certain rules and regulations of the Commission that may permit the sale of the Registrable Securities to the public without registration, the Company agrees, at all times at which the Company has securities registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act, to use its commercially reasonable efforts to:

 

(a)          Make and keep public information regarding the Company available, as those terms are understood and defined in Rule 144 of the Securities Act;

 

(b)          File with the Commission in a timely manner all reports and other documents required of the Company under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act; and

 

(c)          So long as a Holder owns any Registrable Securities, furnish to such Holder forthwith upon request a copy of the most recent annual or quarterly report of the Company, and such other reports and documents so filed as such Holder may reasonably request in availing itself of any rule or regulation of the Commission allowing such Holder to sell any such securities without registration.

 

Section 2.10    Transfer or Assignment of Registration Rights . The rights to cause the Company to register Registrable Securities granted to the Holders by the Company under this Article II may be transferred or assigned by each such Holder to one or more transferee(s) or assignee(s) of such Registrable Securities (a “ Transferee ”), who (a) are Permitted Transferees (as defined in the Shareholders Agreement) of such Holder, or (b) hold, collectively with its or their Affiliates, after giving effect to such transfer or assignment, at least 50% of the Registrable Securities of all Holders as of such date. The Company shall be given written notice prior to any said transfer or assignment, stating the name and address of each such transferee and identifying the securities with respect to which such registration rights are being transferred or assigned, and each such transferee shall assume in writing responsibility for its obligations of such Holder under this Agreement.

 

14



 

Section 2.11 Limitation on Subsequent Registration Rights . Subject to Section 2.10 , from and after the date hereof, the Company shall not, without the prior written consent of (a) (i) the ECP Funds and (ii) a majority of the then outstanding Registrable Securities (other than those held by the ECP Funds), enter into any agreement with any current or future holder of any securities of the Company that would allow such current or future holder to require the Company to include securities in any registration statement filed by the Company on a basis that is superior to the rights granted to any Management Stockholder hereunder and (b) a majority of the then outstanding Registrable Securities (including those held by the ECP Funds), enter into any agreement with any current or future holder of any securities of the Company that would allow such current or future holder to require the Company to include securities in any registration statement filed by the Company on a basis that is in parity with the rights granted to any Management Stockholder hereunder. If the Company enters into any agreement (other than this Agreement) with any current or future holder of any securities of the Company for the inclusion of securities in any registration statement filed by the Company, the Holders shall have a right to be a party to such agreement.

 

Section 2.12 Aggregation of Registrable Securities . All Registrable Securities held or acquired by Persons who are Affiliates of one another shall be aggregated together for the purpose of determining the availability of any rights under this Agreement.

 

ARTICLE III

MISCELLANEOUS

 

Section 3.1 Communications . All notices and other communications provided for or permitted hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given and received when delivered by overnight courier or hand delivery, when sent by telecopy, or five (5) days after mailing if sent by registered or certified mail (return receipt requested) postage prepaid, to the parties at the following addresses (or at such other address for any party as shall be specified by like notices; provided that notices of a change of address shall be effective only upon receipt thereof):

 

(a)         if to ProPetro Holding Corp., to:

 

 

ProPetro Holding Corp.

 

1706 South Midkiff Road

 

Midland, Texas 79701

 

Attention: Chief Executive Officer

 

Facsimile: (432) 688-3976

 

 

 

With a copy to:

 

 

 

Energy Capital Partners, LLC

 

11943 El Camino Real, Suite 220

 

San Diego, California 92130

 

Attention: Christopher Leininger

 

Facsimile: (858) 703-4401

 

15



 

 

And to:

 

 

 

 

 

Latham & Watkins LLP

 

 

885 Third Avenue

 

 

New York, NY 10022-4834

 

 

Attention:

David A. Kurzweil

 

 

Paul Kukish

 

Facsimile:

(212) 751-4864

 

(b)        if to any ECP Fund, to:

 

 

c/o Energy Capital Partners, LLC

 

11943 El Camino Real, Suite 220

 

San Diego, California 92130

 

Attention: Christopher Leininger

 

Facsimile: (858) 703-4401

 

 

 

With a copy to:

 

 

 

Energy Capital Partners, LLC

 

51 John F. Kennedy Parkway, Suite 200

 

Short Hills, NJ 07078

 

Attention: Christopher Leininger

 

Facsimile: (973) 671-6101

 

 

 

And to:

 

 

 

Latham & Watkins LLP

 

885 Third Avenue

 

New York, NY 10022-4834

 

Attention: David A. Kurzweil and Paul Kukish

 

Facsimile: (212) 751-4864

 

(c)         If to an Existing Stockholder, to the address set forth on the Existing Stockholder’s signature page hereto.

 

(d)        If to a Management Stockholder, to the address set forth on the Management Stockholder’s signature page hereto.

 

Section 3.2      Successor and Assigns . This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors and assigns of each of the parties, including subsequent Holders of Registrable Securities to the extent permitted herein.

 

Section 3.3      Assignment of Rights . All or any portion of the rights and obligations of the Holders under this Agreement may be transferred or assigned by such Holder in accordance with Section 2.10 hereof.

 

16



 

Section 3.4      Recapitalization, Exchanges, etc. Affecting the Shares . The provisions of this Agreement shall apply to the full extent set forth herein with respect to any and all capital stock of the Company or any successor or assign of the Company (whether by merger, consolidation, sale of assets or otherwise) which may be issued in respect of, in exchange for or in substitution of, the Registrable Securities, and shall be appropriately adjusted for combinations, recapitalizations and the like occurring after the date of this Agreement.

 

Section 3.5      Specific Performance . Damages in the event of breach of this Agreement by a party hereto may be difficult, if not impossible, to ascertain, and it is therefore agreed that each such Person, in addition to and without limiting any other remedy or right it may have, will have the right to an injunction or other equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction, enjoining any such breach, and enforcing specifically the terms and provisions hereof, and each of the parties hereto hereby waives any and all defenses it may have on the ground of lack of jurisdiction or competence of the court to grant such an injunction or other equitable relief. The existence of this right will not preclude any such Person from pursuing any other rights and remedies at law or in equity which such Person may have.

 

Section 3.6      Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and by different parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which counterparts, when so executed and delivered, shall be deemed to be an original and all of which counterparts, taken together, shall constitute but one and the same Agreement.

 

Section 3.7      Headings . The headings in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not limit or otherwise affect the meaning hereof.

 

Section 3.8      Governing Law . The laws of the State of Texas shall govern this Agreement without regard to principles of conflict of laws.

 

Section 3.9      Severability of Provisions . Any provision of this Agreement which is prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions hereof or affecting or impairing the validity or enforceability of such provision in any other jurisdiction.

 

Section 3.10    Entire Agreement . This Agreement is intended by the parties as a final expression of their agreement and intended to be a complete and exclusive statement of the agreement and understanding of the parties hereto in respect of the subject matter contained herein or therein. There are no restrictions, promises, warranties or undertakings, other than those set forth or referred to herein or therein with respect to the rights granted by the Company set forth herein or therein. This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings between the parties with respect to such subject matter.

 

Section 3.11    Amendment . This Agreement may be amended only by means of a written amendment signed by the Company and the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities held by the ECP Funds; provided, however, that no such amendment shall adversely and disproportionately affect the rights or obligations of any Holder hereunder without the consent of

 

17



 

such Holder and any amendment that establishes new rights for, or enhances existing rights of, any Holder shall apply to all Holders (on a proportionate basis).

 

Section 3.12    Termination . The registration rights granted under this Agreement will terminate at such time as there shall no longer be any Registrable Securities.

 

Section 3.13    No Presumption . In the event any claim is made by a party relating to any conflict, omission, or ambiguity in this Agreement, no presumption or burden of proof or persuasion shall be implied by virtue of the fact that this Agreement was prepared by or at the request of a particular party or its counsel.

 

[ Signature Pages Follow ]

 

18


 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have executed this Agreement on the date first written above.

 

 

PROPETRO HOLDING CORP.

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Dale Redman

 

Name:

Dale Redman

 

Title:

Chief Executive Officer and President

 

SIGNATURE PAGE TO REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

 



 

 

ENERGY CAPITAL PARTNERS II, LP

 

 

 

 

By:

Energy Capital Partners GP II, LP, its general partner

 

 

 

 

By:

Energy Capital Partners II, LLC, its general partner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Peter Labbat

 

Name:

Peter Labbat

 

Title:

Managing Member

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ENERGY CAPITAL PARTNERS II-A, LP

 

 

 

 

By:

Energy Capital Partners GP II, LP, its general partner

 

 

 

 

By:

Energy Capital Partners II, LLC, its general partner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Peter Labbat

 

Name:

Peter Labbat

 

Title:

Managing Member

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ENERGY CAPITAL PARTNERS II-B, LP

 

 

 

 

By:

Energy Capital Partners GP II, LP, its general partner

 

 

 

 

By:

Energy Capital Partners II, LLC, its general partner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Peter Labbat

 

Name:

Peter Labbat

 

Title:

Managing Member

 

SIGNATURE PAGE TO REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

 



 

 

ENERGY CAPITAL PARTNERS II-C
(DIRECT IP), LP

 

 

 

 

By:

Energy Capital Partners GP II, LP, its general partner

 

 

 

 

By:

Energy Capital Partners II, LLC, its general partner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Peter Labbat

 

Name:

Peter Labbat

 

Title:

Managing Member

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ENERGY CAPITAL PARTNERS II-D, LP

 

 

 

 

By:

Energy Capital Partners GP II, LP, its general partner

 

 

 

 

By:

Energy Capital Partners II, LLC, its general partner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Peter Labbat

 

Name:

Peter Labbat

 

Title:

Managing Member

 

SIGNATURE PAGE TO REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

 



 

 

EXISTING STOCKHOLDERS:

 

 

 

REGIMENT CAPITAL SPECIAL SITUATIONS FUND III, L.P., as an Existing Stockholder

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Richard Miller

 

Name:

Richard Miller

 

Title:

Authorized Signatory

 

SIGNATURE PAGE TO REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

 


 

 

JEFFREY SMITH, as an Existing Stockholder

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Jeffrey Smith

 

 

SIGNATURE PAGE TO REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

 



 

 

DALE REDMAN, as an Existing Stockholder

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Dale Redman

 

SIGNATURE PAGE TO REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

 



 

 

J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC, as an
Existing Stockholder

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Andrew C. Faherty

 

Name:

Andrew C. Faherty

 

Title:

Authorized Signatory

 

SIGNATURE PAGE TO REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

 



 

EXHIBIT A

 

FORM OF SIGNATURE PAGE TO

THE REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

 

By execution of this signature page,                                        hereby agrees to become a party to, be bound by the obligations of, and receive the benefits of, that certain Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of March 4, 2013, by and among ProPetro Holding Corp., a Texas corporation (the “ Company ”), Energy Capital Partners II, LP, a Delaware limited partnership, Energy Capital Partners II-A, LP, a Delaware limited partnership, Energy Capital Partners II-B, LP, a Delaware limited partnership, Energy Capital Partners II-C (Direct IP), LP, a Delaware limited partnership, Energy Capital Partners II-D, LP, a Delaware limited partnership, Regiment Capital Special Situations Fund III, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, and each of the stockholders who becomes a party hereto from time to time in accordance with the terms hereof as a result of the exercise by such stockholder of vested options to purchase the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share, and certain other parties named therein, as amended from time to time thereafter.

 

 

 

 

[Name of Management Stockholder]
Residence Address:

 

 

 

 

 

[ signatures continue on following page ]

 

A- 1



 

 

Accepted:

 

 

 

PROPETRO HOLDING CORP.

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

A- 2




Exhibit 4.3

 

Execution Version

 

 

 

 

REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

 

by and among

 

PROPETRO HOLDING CORP.,

 

and

 

THE INVESTORS NAMED ON SCHEDULE A HERETO

 



 

Table of Contents

 

 

 

Page

 

 

 

ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS

 

 

 

Section 1.1

Definitions

1

 

 

 

ARTICLE II REGISTRATION RIGHTS

 

 

 

Section 2.1

Shelf Registration

4

Section 2.2

Piggyback Registration

6

Section 2.3

Demand Offering

8

Section 2.4

Sale Procedures

9

Section 2.5

Cooperation by Holders

13

Section 2.7

Restrictions on Public Sale by Holders of Registrable Securities

13

Section 2.8

Expenses

13

Section 2.9

Indemnification

14

Section 2.10

Rule 144 Reporting and Compliance

16

Section 2.11

Transfer or Assignment of Registration Rights

17

Section 2.12

Limitation on Subsequent Registration Rights

17

Section 2.13

Aggregation of Registrable Securities

17

 

 

 

ARTICLE III MISCELLANEOUS

 

 

 

Section 3.1

Communications

18

Section 3.2

Successor and Assigns

18

Section 3.3

Assignment of Rights

18

Section 3.4

Recapitalization, Exchanges, etc. Affecting the Shares

18

Section 3.5

Specific Performance

19

Section 3.6

Counterparts

19

Section 3.7

Headings

19

Section 3.8

Governing Law

19

Section 3.9

Severability of Provisions

19

Section 3.10

Entire Agreement

19

Section 3.11

Amendment

19

Section 3.12

Termination

20

Section 3.13

No Presumption

20

Section 3.14

Further Assurances

20

 



 

REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

 

THIS REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this “ Agreement ”) is made and entered into effective as of December 27, 2016 by and among ProPetro Holding Corp., a Texas corporation (the “ Company ”), and each of the Persons set forth on Schedule A hereto (collectively, the “ Investors ”).

 

WHEREAS, the Company and the Investors have entered into that certain Series A Convertible Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement, dated effective as of the date hereof (the “ Purchase Agreement ”); and

 

WHEREAS, the Company now desires to provide the Investors certain rights to registration under the Securities Act (as defined below) of the Registrable Securities (as defined below), upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises, mutual promises, agreements and covenants contained in this Agreement and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereby agree as follows:

 

ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS

 

Section 1.1     Definitions .  The terms set forth below are used herein as so defined:

 

Accepting Holders ” has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.3(a)  of this Agreement.

 

Affiliate ” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with, such Person where “control” shall have the meaning given such term under Rule 405 of the Securities Act; provided, however, that, in no event shall (a) the Company or any of its subsidiaries be considered an Affiliate of any Investor and (b) any Investor be considered an Affiliate of any other Investor. For the avoidance of doubt, any Persons (other than portfolio companies), that are directly or indirectly managed or controlled by the same fund manager (or fund managers that are Affiliates) shall be deemed to be Affiliates.

 

Agreement ” has the meaning specified therefor in the introductory paragraph of this Agreement.

 

Business Day ” means any day that is not Saturday, Sunday or other day when banks are required or permitted to be closed in the State of Texas.

 

Commission ” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Common Stock ” means the shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company and any stock into which such Common Stock may thereafter be converted or exchanged.

 



 

Common Stock Price ” means the volume weighted average closing price of a share of Common Stock, as reported on the national securities exchange on which the Common Stock trades, for the ten trading days immediately preceding the date of determination.

 

Company ” has the meaning set forth in the preamble of this Agreement.

 

Delay Liquidated Damages has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.1(c)(ii)  of this Agreement.

 

Demand Offering ” has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.3(a)  of this Agreement.

 

Demand Request ” has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.3(a)  of this Agreement.

 

Effectiveness Period ” has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.1(a)  of this Agreement.

 

Exchange Act ” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.

 

Existing Registration Rights Agreement ” means that certain Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of March 4, 2013, by and among the Company and each of the other parties identified on the signature pages thereto (such parties thereto, the “ Existing Shareholders ”).

 

Existing Shareholder ” has the meaning specified therefor in the definition of “Existing Registration Rights Agreement”.

 

Holder ” means any Investor or any Transferee that is a record holder of any Registrable Securities.

 

In-Kind Amount has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.1(c)(iii)  of this Agreement.

 

Included Registrable Securities ” has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.2(a)  of this Agreement.

 

Initiating Holders ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.3(a)  of this Agreement.

 

IPO ” means the Company’s first Underwritten Offering that is pursuant to a registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and declared effective under the Securities Act.

 

Liquidated Damages has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.1(c)(i)  of this Agreement.

 

Losses ” has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.8(a)  of this Agreement.

 

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Managing Underwriter ” or “ Managing Underwriters ” means, with respect to any Underwritten Offering, the book running lead manager of such Underwritten Offering.

 

Person ” means any individual, corporation, company, voluntary association, partnership, joint venture, trust, limited liability company, unincorporated organization, government or any agency, instrumentality or political subdivision thereof, or any other form of entity.

 

Piggyback Registration ” has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.2(a)  of this Agreement.

 

Purchase Agreement ” has the meaning set forth in the recitals of this Agreement.

 

Registrable Securities ” means any shares of Common Stock held at any time by any of the Investors or Transferees, and any Common Stock or other securities of the Company or any successor entity which may be issued or distributed in respect of the Registrable Securities by way of stock dividend or stock split or other distribution, recapitalization, merger, consolidation, business combination, conversion, reorganization, reclassification or similar transaction; provided , however , that any such securities will cease to be Registrable Securities when (i) a Registration Statement with respect to the sale by the Holder of such securities shall have become effective under the Securities Act and such securities shall have been disposed of in accordance with such Registration Statement, (ii) such securities shall have been distributed to the public pursuant to Rule 144 (or any successor provision) under the Securities Act or (iii) such securities shall have ceased to be outstanding.

 

Registration Expenses ” has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.7(a)  of this Agreement.

 

Registration Statement ” means a registration statement under the Securities Act to permit the resale of the Registrable Securities, including a Shelf Registration Statement.

 

Requesting Holders ” has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.3(a)  of this Agreement.

 

Securities Act ” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.

 

Selling Expenses ” has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.7(a)  of this Agreement.

 

Selling Holder ” means a Holder who is selling Registrable Securities pursuant to a registration statement.

 

Shareholders ” has the meaning specified therefor in the introductory paragraph of this Agreement.

 

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Shelf Registration Statement ” means a registration statement under the Securities Act to permit the resale of the Registrable Securities from time to time as permitted by Rule 415 of the Securities Act (or any similar provision then in force under the Securities Act).

 

Transferee ” has the meaning specified therefor in Section 2.10 of this Agreement.

 

Underwritten Offering ” means a public offering (including an offering pursuant to a Shelf Registration Statement) in which shares of Common Stock are sold to an underwriter on a firm commitment basis for reoffering to the public or an offering that both (i) includes Common Stock being sold on a secondary basis and not being newly issued by the Company in connection with such offering and (ii) is a “bought deal” with one or more investment banks.

 

ARTICLE II
REGISTRATION RIGHTS

 

Section 2.1     Shelf Registration .

 

(a)        Shelf Registration .  The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to (i) prepare and file a Registration Statement following the consummation of an IPO to permit the public resale of Registrable Securities and (ii) cause such Registration Statement to become effective no later than 180 days following the consummation of the IPO (the “ Effectiveness Deadline ”). A Registration Statement filed pursuant to this Section  2.1(a)  shall be on such appropriate registration form of the Commission as shall be selected by the Company.   The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Registration Statement filed pursuant to this Section  2.1(a)  to be continuously effective under the Securities Act until the earliest of (i) all Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement have been distributed in the manner set forth and as contemplated in the Registration Statement , (ii) there are no longer any Registrable Securities outstanding and (iii) five years following the IPO (the “ Effectiveness Period ”).  The Registration Statement, when declared effective (including the documents incorporated therein by reference), will comply as to form in all material respects with all applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.

 

(b)        Delay Rights .  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Company may, upon written notice to any Selling Holder whose Registrable Securities are included in the Registration Statement , suspend such Selling Holder ’s use of any prospectus which is a part of the Registration Statement (in which event the Selling Holder shall discontinue sales of the Registrable Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement ) if (i) the Company is pursuing an acquisition, merger, reorganization, disposition or other similar transaction and the Company determines, in good faith, that the Company ’s ability to pursue or consummate such a transaction would be materially and adversely affected by any required disclosure of such transaction in the Registration Statement , (ii) the Company has experienced some other material non-public event the disclosure of which at such time, in the good faith judgment of the

 

4



 

Company , would be materially detrimental to the Company or its business prospects or (iii) the Company is required under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act to file with the Commission any report or other document necessitating a post-effective amendment to the Shelf Registration Statement ; provided , however , in no event shall any delay pursuant to clause (i) or (ii) hereto exceed 60 days in any 180-day period or 90 days in any 12-month period.  Upon the disclosure of such information, the termination of the condition described above or the effectiveness of such post-effective amendment, the Company shall provide prompt notice to the Selling Holders whose Registrable Securities are included in the Registration Statement , shall promptly terminate any suspension of sales it has put into effect and shall take such other actions reasonably necessary to permit registered sales of Registrable Securities as contemplated in this Agreement .

 

(c)        Failure To Become Effective or Excessive Delay; Liquidated Damages .

 

(i)         If a Registration Statement required by Section 2.1(a)  is not effective before the expiration of the Effectiveness Deadline, then each Holder shall be entitled to a payment (with respect to each Registrable Security held by such Holder), as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, of 0.25% of the Common Stock Price per 30-day period, that shall accrue daily (the “ Liquidated Damages ”), until such time as such Registration Statement becomes effective or is declared effective or the Registrable Securities, as applicable, covered by such Registration Statement cease to be Registrable Securities.

 

(ii)        If (A) the Holders shall be prohibited from selling their Registrable Securities under the Registration Statement as a result of a suspension pursuant to Section 2.1(b)  of this Agreement in excess of the periods permitted therein or (B) the Registration Statement is filed and becomes or is declared effective but, during the Effectiveness Period, shall thereafter cease to be effective or fail to be usable for its intended purpose without being succeeded within 30 days by a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or a subsequent Registration Statement that becomes or is declared effective, a supplement to the prospectus or a report filed with the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act that is incorporated by reference therein (other than to the extent permitted by Section 2.1(b)(iii) ), then, until the suspension is lifted or such amendment, supplement or report is filed with the SEC and, as applicable, becomes or is declared effective, but not including any day on which a suspension is lifted, if applicable, then each Holder shall be entitled to a payment (with respect to each Registrable Security) from the Company, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, of 0.25% of the Common Stock Price per 30-day period, that shall accrue daily (the “ Delay Liquidated Damages ”). For purposes of this Section 2.1(c)(ii) , a suspension shall be deemed lifted on the date that either (A) notice that the suspension has been lifted or (B) a post-effective amendment or supplement to the prospectus or report that is incorporated by reference therein, is filed with the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act and, as applicable, has been declared or has become effective, and in each case is delivered to the Holders pursuant to Section 3.1 of this Agreement.

 

(iii)       The Liquidated Damages and Delay Liquidated Damages shall be paid to each Holder, with respect to each Registrable Security owned by such Holder, in cash within ten Business Days of the end of each such 30-day period as applicable. Any payments made pursuant to this Section 2.1(c)  shall constitute the Holders’ exclusive remedy for such events; provided , however , if the Company certifies that it is unable to pay Liquidated Damages

 

5



 

or Delay Liquidated Damages in cash because such payment would result in a breach under a credit facility or other debt instrument, then the Company may pay such Liquidated Damages or Delay Liquidated Damages (the “ In-Kind Amount ”) in kind, in the form of the issuance of additional Common Stock. Upon any issuance of Common Stock as Liquidated Damages or Delay Liquidated Damages, the Company shall promptly (A) prepare and file an amendment to such Registration Statement prior to its effectiveness adding such Common Stock to such Registration Statement as additional Registrable Securities and (B) prepare and file a supplemental listing application with the exchange on which the Common Stock is then-listed and traded to list such additional Common Stock. The determination of the number of shares of Common Stock to be issued as Liquidated Damages or Delay Liquidated Damages shall be equal to the In-Kind Amount divided by the Common Stock Price as of the trading day immediately preceding the date on which the Liquidated Damages or Delay Liquidated Damages payment is due. Any Liquidated Damages and Delay Liquidated Damages due under this Section 2.1(c)  shall be paid to the Holders in immediately available funds, except for any In-Kind Amount, and to the extent the Common Stock are settled through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company, the Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to deliver the In-Kind Amount through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company to the account of the participant of The Depository Trust Company designated by such Holder.

 

(d)       Nothing in this Agreement shall affect the rights that any Existing Stockholder may have under the Existing Registration Rights Agreement.

 

Section 2.2     Piggyback Registration .

 

(a)        Participation .  Following the consummation of an IPO, if the Company at any time proposes to (i) register any equity securities for its own account for sale to the public in an Underwritten Offering or (ii) otherwise file any registration statement with the Commission relating to any Underwritten Offering of equity securities other than (x) a registration statement on Form  S-8 (or any successor form) relating solely to employee benefit plans or (y) a registration statement on Form  S-4 (or any successor form) relating solely to a Rule 145 transaction, then, as soon as practicable following the engagement of counsel to the Company to prepare the documents to be used in connection with an Underwritten Offering , the Company shall give not less than 10 Business Days’ notice (or two Business Days in connection with any overnight or bought Underwritten Offering) (including, but not limited to, notice by electronic mail) of such proposed Underwritten Offering to the Holders. Such notice shall offer the Holders the opportunity to include in such Underwritten Offering such number of Registrable Securities (the “ Included Registrable Securities ”) as each such Holder may request in writing (a “ Piggyback Registration ”). The notice required to be provided in this Section  2.2(a)  to each of the Holders shall be provided on a Business Day pursuant to Section  3.1 hereof.  Each such Holder shall then have eight Business Days (or 36 hours in connection with any overnight or bought Underwritten Offering) to request inclusion of Registrable Securities in the Underwritten Offering .  If no request for inclusion from a Holder is received within the specified time, such Holder shall have no further right to participate in such Piggyback Registration .  If, at any time after giving written notice of its intention to undertake an Underwritten Offering and prior to the closing of such Underwritten Offering , the Company shall determine for any reason not to undertake or to delay such Underwritten Offering , the Company may, at its election, give written notice of such determination to the Selling Holders and, (1) in the case of a determination not to

 

6



 

undertake such Underwritten Offering , shall be relieved of its obligation to sell any Included Registrable Securities in connection with such terminated Underwritten Offering , and (2) in the case of a determination to delay such Underwritten Offering , shall be permitted to delay offering any Included Registrable Securities for the same period as the delay in such Underwritten Offering .  Any Selling Holder shall have the right to withdraw such Selling Holder ’s request for inclusion of such Selling Holder ’s Registrable Securities in such offering by giving written notice to the Company of such withdrawal prior to the time of pricing of such offering.

 

(b)        Priority of Piggyback Registration .  If the Managing Underwriter or Underwriters of any proposed Underwritten Offering of equity securities included in a Piggyback Registration advises the Company that the total amount of equity securities which the Selling Holders and any other Persons, including pursuant to the Existing Registration Rights Agreement, intend to include in such offering exceeds the number which can be sold in such offering without being likely to have an adverse effect on the price, timing or distribution of the equity securities offered or the market for the equity securities, then the equity securities to be included in such Underwritten Offering shall include the number of Registrable Securities that such Managing Underwriter or Underwriters advises the Company can be sold without having such adverse effect, with such number to be allocated:

 

(i)         first , to the Company, up to the number of equity securities sought to be sold by the Company in such Underwritten Offering; and

 

(ii)        second , pro rata among the Selling Holders who have requested participation in the Piggyback Registration and any Existing Shareholders with registration rights pursuant to the Existing Registration Rights Agreement based, for each such Selling Holder or other Existing Shareholder , on the percentage derived by dividing (A) in the case of any Selling Holder, the number of Registrable Securities proposed to be sold by such Selling Holder in such Piggyback Registration, or in the case of any Existing Shareholder, the number of shares of Common Stock proposed to be sold by such Existing Shareholder in accordance with the terms of the Existing Registration Rights Agreement, by (B) the aggregate number of Registrable Securities proposed to be sold by all Selling Holders in the Piggyback Registration and the number of shares of Common Stock proposed to be sold by all Existing Shareholders pursuant to the piggyback registration rights under the Existing Registration Rights Agreement ).

 

(c)        General Procedures .  In connection with any Underwritten Offering under Section 2.2 of this Agreement , the Company shall be entitled to select the Managing Underwriter or Underwriters.  In connection with an Underwritten Offering under Section  2.2 hereof, each Selling Holder and the Company shall enter into an underwriting agreement with the Managing Underwriter or Underwriters which contains such representations, covenants, indemnities and other rights and obligations as are customary in underwriting agreements for firm commitment offerings of equity securities. No Selling Holder may participate in such Underwritten Offering unless such Selling Holder agrees to sell its Registrable Securities on the basis provided in such underwriting agreement and completes and executes all questionnaires, powers of attorney, indemnities and other documents reasonably required under the terms of such underwriting agreement .  Each Selling Holder may, at its option, require that any or all of the representations and warranties by, and the other agreements on the part of, the Company to and for the benefit of such underwriters also be made to and for such Selling Holder ’s benefit and that any or all of the

 

7



 

conditions precedent to the obligations of such underwriters under such underwriting agreement also be conditions precedent to its obligations.  No Selling Holder shall be required to make any representations or warranties to or agreements with the Company or the underwriters other than representations, warranties or agreements regarding such Selling Holder and its ownership of the securities being registered on its behalf and its intended method of distribution and any other representation required by law.  If any Selling Holder disapproves of the terms of an underwriting, such Selling Holder may elect to withdraw therefrom by notice to the Company and the Managing Underwriter ; provided , however , that such withdrawal must be made prior to the pricing of such Underwritten Offering to be effective.  No such withdrawal or abandonment shall affect the Company ’s obligation to pay Registration Expenses .

 

Section 2.3     Demand Offering .

 

(a)        Demand Offering Rights .  Subject to the conditions of this Section  2.3 , at any time after the six-month anniversary of the closing of the IPO, each Holder (or one or more Holders) (such Holder(s) that initiate(s) a Demand Request, the “ Initiating Holder(s) ”) may request (a “ Demand Request ”) that the Company undertake an Underwritten Offering (a “ Demand Offering ”), the anticipated aggregate offering price, net of underwriting discounts and commissions, of which is in excess of $15,000,000.  Following receipt of a Demand Request , the Company shall, within ten days of the receipt thereof, give written notice of such request to all other Holders in accordance with Section 3.1 of this Agreement .  Such other Holders shall have up to ten Business Days from the mailing of such notice by the Company to request inclusion of Registrable Securities in the Demand Offering , and, upon receipt of the request from such other Holders , the Company shall, subject to the limitations of Section 2.3(a)(i) , use its best efforts to, as soon as possible following the receipt of the notice from all such other Holders (“ Accepting Holders ” and together with the Initiating Holders , the “ Requesting Holders ”), undertake and effect such Demand Offering .

 

(i)         Underwritten Offerings .  The underwriter for a Demand Offering will be selected by the Initiating Holder and shall be reasonably acceptable to the Company .  The right of any Holder to include its Registrable Securities in such Demand Offering shall be conditioned upon such Holder ’s participation in such Demand Offering and the inclusion of such Holder ’s Registrable Securities in the Demand Offering to the extent provided herein. The Company shall enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the underwriter or underwriters selected for such Demand Offering .  No Accepting Holder may participate in such Demand Offering unless such Accepting Holder agrees to sell its Registrable Securities on the basis provided in such underwriting agreement and completes and executes all questionnaires, powers of attorney, indemnities and other documents reasonably required under the terms of such underwriting agreement . If any Accepting Holder disapproves of the terms of an underwriting, such Selling Holder may elect to withdraw therefrom by notice to the Company, the Initiating Holder and the Managing Underwriter ; provided , however , that such withdrawal must be made prior to the pricing of such Demand Offering to be effective.

 

(b)        Priority of Demand Offering .  If the Managing Underwriter or Underwriters of any proposed Demand Offering of Registrable Securities advises the Company and the Initiating Holder(s) that the total amount of Registrable Securities that the Requesting Holders intend to include in such Demand Offering exceeds the number which can be sold in

 

8


 

such offering without being likely to have an adverse effect on the price, timing or distribution of the Registrable Securities offered or the market for the Registrable Securities, then the Registrable Securities to be included in such Demand Offering shall include the number of Registrable Securities that such Managing Underwriter or Underwriters advises the Company can be sold without having such adverse effect, with such number to be allocated (i)  first , pro rata among the Initiating Holder(s) and their Affiliates (based, for each such Initiating Holder and such Affiliate, on the percentage derived by dividing (1) the number of Registrable Securities proposed to be sold by such Initiating Holder or such Affiliate in such offering by (2) the aggregate number of Registrable Securities proposed to be sold by the Initiating Holders and all of their Affiliates in the Demand Offering) and (ii)  second , pro rata among, collectively, the remaining Accepting Holders and Existing Shareholders exercising piggyback registration rights under the Existing Registration Rights Agreement (based, for each such remaining Accepting Holder or Existing Shareholder, as applicable, on the percentage derived by dividing (1) the number of Registrable Securities proposed to be sold by such remaining Accepting Holder in such offering, or number of shares of Common Stock proposed to be sold by such Existing Shareholder by (2) the aggregate number of Registrable Securities proposed to be sold by all such remaining Accepting Holders, and shares of Common Stock proposed to be sold by all Existing Shareholders, in the Demand Offering). For the avoidance of doubt, no other Person may participate in such Demand Offering unless the Initiating Holder and its Affiliates are able to include in such Underwritten Offering 100% of the Registrable Securities requested to be included in the Demand Offering by such Initiating Holder and such Affiliates.

 

(c)        Number of Demand Offerings .  The Company shall not be obligated to make more than five Demand Offerings in the aggregate for all Holders pursuant to this Section 2.3 ; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to make any more than three such Demand Offerings in any 12-month period.

 

(d)       Demand Delay Rights .  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Company may furnish to the Requesting Holders , within 30 days of the Demand Request , a notice delaying the Demand Offering if (i) the Company is pursuing an acquisition, merger, reorganization, disposition or other similar transaction and the Company determines in good faith that the Company ’s ability to pursue or consummate such a transaction would be materially and adversely affected by any required disclosure of such transaction in the registration statement for the Demand Offering or (ii) the Company has experienced some other material non-public event the disclosure of which at such time, in the good faith judgment of the Company , would be materially detrimental to the Company or its business prospects.

 

Section 2.4     Sale Procedures .  In connection with its obligations contained in Sections 2.1 , 2.2 and 2.3 , the Company will, as expeditiously as possible:

 

(a)        prepare and file with the Commission such amendments and supplements to the Registration Statement and the prospectus used in connection therewith as may be necessary to keep the Registration Statement effective for the Effectiveness Period and as may be necessary to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act with respect to the disposition of all securities covered by the Registration Statement ;

 

9



 

(b)        furnish to each Selling Holder (i) as far in advance as reasonably practicable and at least five Business Days before filing the Registration Statement or any other registration statement contemplated by this Agreement or any supplement or amendment thereto, upon request, copies of reasonably complete drafts of all such documents proposed to be filed (including exhibits and each document incorporated by reference therein to the extent then required by the rules and regulations of the Commission ), and provide each such Selling Holder the opportunity to object to any information pertaining to such Selling Holder and its plan of distribution that is contained therein and make the corrections reasonably requested by such Selling Holder with respect to such information prior to filing the Registration Statement or such other registration statement and the prospectus included therein or any supplement or amendment thereto, and (ii) such number of copies of the Registration Statement or such other registration statement and the prospectus included therein and any supplements and amendments thereto as such Persons may reasonably request in order to facilitate the public sale or other disposition of the Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement or other registration statement ;

 

(c)        if applicable, (i)  use its commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify the Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement or any other registration statement contemplated by this Agreement under the securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Selling Holders or, in the case of an Underwritten Offering , the Managing Underwriter , shall reasonably request, (ii) keep such registration or qualification in effect for so long as the applicable Registration Statement remains in effect, and (iii) use its commercially reasonable efforts to do any and all other customary acts and things which may be reasonably necessary or advisable for the Company to do to enable Selling Holders to consummate the disposition in such jurisdictions of the Registrable Securities owned by such Selling Holders pursuant to the applicable plan of distribution that is contained in the applicable Registration Statement; provided , that the Company will not be required to qualify generally to transact business in any jurisdiction where it is not then required to so qualify or to take any action which would subject it to general service of process in any such jurisdiction where it is not then so subject;

 

(d)       promptly notify each Selling Holder and each underwriter, at any time when a prospectus relating thereto is required to be delivered under the Securities Act , of (i)  the filing of the Registration Statement or any other registration statement contemplated by this Agreement or any prospectus included therein or any amendment or supplement thereto, and, with respect to such Registration Statement or any other registration statement or any post-effective amendment thereto, when the same has become effective and (ii) any written comments from the Commission with respect to any filing referred to in clause  (i)  and any written request by the Commission for amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or any other registration statement contemplated by this Agreement or any prospectus included therein or any amendment or supplement thereto;

 

(e)        promptly notify each Selling Holder and each underwriter, at any time when a prospectus relating thereto is required to be delivered under the Securities Act , of (i) the happening of any event as a result of which the prospectus contained in the Registration Statement or any other registration statement contemplated by this Agreement or any supplemental amendment thereto, includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not

 

10



 

misleading in the light of the circumstances then existing, (ii) the issuance or threat of issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any other registration statement contemplated by this Agreement , or the initiation of any proceedings for that purpose, or (iii) the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of any Registrable Securities for sale under the applicable securities or blue sky laws of any jurisdiction.  Following the provision of such notice, the Company agrees to as promptly as practicable amend or supplement the prospectus, prospectus supplement or any applicable free writing prospectus or take other appropriate action so that the prospectus, prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus does not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances then existing and to take such other action as is necessary to remove a stop order, suspension, threat thereof or proceedings related thereto;

 

(f)        upon request and subject to appropriate confidentiality obligations, furnish to each Selling Holder copies of any and all transmittal letters or other correspondence with the Commission or any other governmental agency or self-regulatory body or other body having jurisdiction (including any domestic or foreign securities exchange) relating to such offering of Registrable Securities ;

 

(g)        in the case of an Underwritten Offering , furnish upon request, (i) an opinion of counsel for the Company , dated the date of the closing under the underwriting agreement , and (ii) a customary “comfort” letter, dated the date of the closing under the underwriting agreement , in each case, signed by the independent public accountants who have certified the Company ’s financial statements included or incorporated by reference into the applicable registration statement , and each of the opinion and the “cold comfort” letter shall be in customary form and covering substantially the same matters with respect to such registration statement (and the prospectus included therein any supplement thereto) and as are customarily covered in opinions of issuer’s counsel and in accountants’ letters delivered to the underwriters in Underwritten Offerings of securities;

 

(h)        otherwise use its commercially reasonable efforts to comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the Commission , and make available to its security holders, as soon as reasonably practicable, an earnings statement covering the period of at least 12 months, but not more than 18 months, beginning with the first full calendar month after the effective date of such registration statement , which earnings statement shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 promulgated thereunder;

 

(i)         make available to the appropriate representatives of the Managing Underwriter and Selling Holders reasonable access to such information and the Company personnel as is reasonable and customary to enable such parties to establish a due diligence defense under the Securities Act ; provided that the Company need not disclose any information to any such representative unless and until such representative has entered into a confidentiality agreement with the Company ;

 

(j)         use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause all such Registrable Securities registered pursuant to this Agreement to be listed on each securities exchange or

 

11



 

nationally recognized quotation system on which similar securities issued by the Company are then listed;

 

(k)        within the deadlines specified by the Securities Act, make all required filing fee payments in respect of any Registration Statement or prospectus used under this Agreement (and any offering covered thereby) ;

 

(l)         provide a transfer agent and registrar for all Registrable Securities covered by such registration statement not later than the effective date of such registration statement ;

 

(m)       promptly notify in writing the Selling Holders and the sales or placement agent, if any, therefor when such Registration Statement or related prospectus or free writing prospectus or any prospectus amendment or supplement or post-effective amendment has been filed, and, with respect to any such Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment, when the same has become effective;

 

(n)        (i) prepare and file with the Commission such amendments and supplements to each Registration Statement as may be necessary to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act, including post-effective amendments to each Registration Statement as may be necessary to keep such Registration Statement continuously effective for the applicable time period required hereunder; (ii) cause the related prospectus to be supplemented by any required prospectus supplement, and as so supplemented to be filed pursuant to Rule 424 (or any similar provisions then in force) promulgated under the Securities Act; (iii) comply, as to itself, with the provisions of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and any applicable securities exchange or other recognized trading market with respect to the disposition of all securities covered by such Registration Statement during such period in accordance with the intended methods of disposition by the sellers thereof set forth in such Registration Statement as so amended or in such prospectus as so supplemented; and (iv) provide additional information related to each Registration Statement as is reasonable and requested by, and to the extent reasonable, obtain any required approval necessary from, the Commission or any federal or state governmental authority; and

 

(o)        enter into customary agreements and take such other actions as are customary or reasonably requested by the Selling Holders or the underwriters, if any, in order to expedite or facilitate the disposition of such Registrable Securities .

 

Each Selling Holder, upon receipt of notice from the Company of the happening of any event of the kind described in subsection (e) of this Section 2.4 , shall forthwith discontinue disposition of the Registrable Securities pursuant to a Registration Statement until such Selling Holder’s receipt of the copies of the supplemented or amended prospectus contemplated by subsection (e) of this Section 2.4 or until it is advised in writing by the Company that the use of the prospectus may be resumed, and has received copies of any additional or supplemental filings incorporated by reference in the prospectus, and, if so directed by the Company, such Selling Holder will, or will request the Managing Underwriter or underwriters, if any, to deliver to the Company (at the Company’s expense) all copies in their possession or control, other than permanent file copies then in such Selling Holder’s possession, of the prospectus, any prospectus

 

12



 

supplement and any free writing prospectus covering such Registrable Securities current at the time of receipt of such notice.

 

Section 2.5     Cooperation by Holders .  Any Holder or Holders of Registrable Securities included in any registration statement shall promptly furnish to the Company such information regarding such Holder or Holders and the distribution proposed by such Holder or Holders as the Company may reasonably request and as shall be required in connection with any registration, qualification or compliance referred to herein. The Company shall have no obligation to include in any Registration Statement Registrable Securities of a Holder, in a Piggyback Registration Registrable Securities of a Selling Holder or in a Demand Offering an Accepting Holder who has failed to timely furnish such information which, in the opinion of counsel to the Company, is reasonably required in order for the registration statement or prospectus supplement, as applicable, to comply with the Securities Act.

 

Section 2.7     Restrictions on Public Sale by Holders of Registrable Securities .  Each Holder of Registrable Securities who is included in any Registration Statement agrees not to effect any public sale or distribution of the Registrable Securities during the 30 calendar day period beginning on the date of a prospectus supplement filed with the Commission with respect to the pricing of an Underwritten Offering in which such Holder is participating other than the IPO, or other prospectus (including any free writing prospectus) containing the terms of the pricing of such Underwritten Offering; provided that the duration of the foregoing restriction shall be no longer than the duration of the shortest restriction generally imposed by the underwriters on the officers or directors or any other shareholder of the Company on whom a restriction is imposed.

 

Section 2.8     Expenses .

 

(a)        Certain Definitions .  “ Registration Expenses ” means all expenses incident to the Company ’s performance under or compliance with this Agreement to effect the registration of Registrable Securities in a Registration pursuant to Section  2.1 , a Piggyback Registration pursuant to Section  2.2 , a Demand Offering pursuant to Section  2.3 and the disposition of such securities, including, without limitation, all registration, filing, securities exchange listing fees, all registration, filing, qualification and other fees and expenses of complying with securities or blue sky laws, fees of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, transfer taxes and fees of transfer agents and registrars, all word processing, duplicating and printing expenses, the fees and disbursements of counsel and independent public accountants for the Company , including the expenses of any special audits or “comfort” letters required by or incident to such performance and compliance.  Except as otherwise provided in this Section  2.8 , the Company shall not be responsible for legal fees incurred by Holders in connection with the exercise of such Holders ’ rights hereunder.  In addition, the Company shall not be responsible for any “ Selling Expenses ,” which means all underwriting discounts and selling commissions and transfer taxes allocable to the sale of the Registrable Securities .

 

(b)        Expenses .  The Company will pay all reasonable Registration Expenses in connection with a Piggyback Registration or Underwritten Offering (including any Demand Offerings) , whether or not any sale is made pursuant to the Piggyback Registration or Underwritten Offering (including any Demand Offering) .  Each Selling Holder shall pay all

 

13



 

Selling Expenses allocated (on a pro rata basis) to such Selling Holder in connection with any sale of its Registrable Securities hereunder.

 

Section 2.9     Indemnification .

 

(a)        By the Company .  In the event of a registration of any Registrable Securities under the Securities Act pursuant to this Agreement , the Company will indemnify and hold harmless each Selling Holder thereunder, its directors, officers, employees, attorneys, advisors, Affiliates and managers, and each underwriter, pursuant to the applicable underwriting agreement with such underwriter, of Registrable Securities thereunder and each Person , if any, who controls such Selling Holder or underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act , against any losses , claims, damages, expenses or liabilities (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses) (collectively, “ Losses ”), joint or several, to which such Selling Holder or underwriter or controlling Person may become subject under the Securities Act , the Exchange Act or otherwise, insofar as such Losses (or actions or proceedings, whether commenced or threatened, in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in the Registration Statement or any other registration statement contemplated by this Agreement , any preliminary prospectus or final prospectus contained therein, or any free writing prospectus related thereto, or any amendment or supplement thereof, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of a prospectus, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, and will reimburse each such Selling Holder , its directors and officers, each such underwriter and each such controlling Person for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such Loss or actions or proceedings; provided , however , that the Company will not be liable in any such case if and to the extent that any such Loss arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission so made in conformity with information furnished by such Selling Holder , such underwriter or such controlling Person in writing specifically for use in the Registration Statement or other registration statement contemplated by this Agreement , any preliminary prospectus or final prospectus contained therein, or any free writing prospectus related thereto, or any amendment or supplement thereof, as applicable.  Such indemnity shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of such Selling Holder or any such director, officer or controlling Person , and shall survive the transfer of such securities by such Selling Holder .

 

(b)        By Each Selling Holder .  Each Selling Holder agrees severally and not jointly to indemnify and hold harmless the Company , its directors, officers, employees, advisors, attorneys and Affiliates and each Person , if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act or of the Exchange Act to the same extent and subject to the same limitations as the foregoing indemnity from the Company to the Selling Holders , but only with respect to information regarding such Selling Holder furnished in writing by or on behalf of such Selling Holder expressly for inclusion in the Registration Statement or prospectus supplement relating to the Registrable Securities , or any amendment or supplement thereto; provided , however , that notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, the liability of each Selling Holder shall not be greater in amount than the dollar amount of the proceeds (net

 

14



 

of any Selling Expenses ) received by such Selling Holder from the sale of the Registrable Securities giving rise to such indemnification.

 

(c)        Third Party Claims .  Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party hereunder of notice of the commencement of any action (including any action brought by a governmental entity), such indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party hereunder, notify the indemnifying party in writing thereof, but the omission to so notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party other than under this Section  2.8 , except to the extent such indemnifying party has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) by such failure.   In any action brought against any indemnified party for which a claim of indemnification may be made against the indemnifying party, such indemnified party shall promptly notify the indemnifying party of the commencement of such action; provided, that the failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve the indemnifying party from any liability that it may have under this Section 2.8 , except to the extent such indemnifying party has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) by such failure. The indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate in and, to the extent it shall wish, to assume and undertake the defense thereof with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party and, after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume and undertake the defense thereof, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to such indemnified party under this Section  2.8 for any legal expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation and of liaison with counsel so selected; provided , however , that, (i) if the indemnifying party has failed to assume the defense and employ counsel or (ii) if the defendants in any such action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and counsel to the indemnified party shall have concluded that there may be reasonable defenses available to the indemnified party that are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, or if the interests of the indemnified party reasonably may be deemed to conflict with the interests of the indemnifying party, then the indemnified party shall have the right to select a separate counsel and to assume such legal defense and otherwise to participate in the defense of such action, with the reasonable expenses and fees of such separate counsel and other reasonable expenses related to such participation to be reimbursed (subject to the limits on indemnification set forth in the proviso of Section 2.8(b)  hereof) by the indemnifying party as incurred.  Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement , the indemnifying party shall not settle any indemnified claim without the consent of the indemnified party, unless the settlement thereof imposes no liability or obligation on, includes a complete release from liability of, and does not contain any admission of wrong doing by, the indemnified party.

 

(d)       Contribution .  If the indemnification provided for in this Section  2.8 is held by a court or government agency of competent jurisdiction to be unavailable to the Company or any Selling Holder or is insufficient to hold them harmless in respect of any Losses, then each such indemnifying party, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such Losses in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of such Selling Holder on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such Losses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations; provided ,

 

15



 

however , that, notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, in no event shall such Selling Holder be required to contribute an aggregate amount in excess of the dollar amount of proceeds (net of Selling Expenses ) received by such Selling Holder from the sale of Registrable Securities giving rise to such indemnification.  The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and each Selling Holder on the other shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact has been made by, or relates to, information supplied by such party, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.  The parties hereto agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this paragraph were to be determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in the first sentence of this paragraph.  No Person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act ) shall be entitled to contribution from any Person who is not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

 

(e)        Other Indemnification .  The provisions of this Section  2.8 shall be in addition to any other rights to indemnification or contribution which an indemnified party may have pursuant to law, equity, contract or otherwise.

 

Section 2.10   Rule 144 Reporting and Compliance .  With a view to making available the benefits of certain rules and regulations of the Commission that may permit the sale of the Registrable Securities to the public without registration, the Company agrees, at all times at which the Company has securities registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act, to use its commercially reasonable efforts to:

 

(a)        make and keep public information regarding the Company available, as those terms are understood and defined in Rule 144 of the Securities Act, at all times after the effective date of the Registration Statement filed by the Company for the IPO ;

 

(b)        file with the Commission in a timely manner all reports and other documents required of the Company under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act (at all times after the Company has become subject to such reporting requirements) ; and

 

(c)        so long as a Holder owns any Registrable Securities , furnish to such Holder forthwith upon request (i) to the extent accurate, a written statement by the Company that it has complied with the reporting requirements of Rule 144 (at any time after 90 days after the effective date of the Registration Statement filed by the Company for the IPO), and (ii) unless otherwise available via the Commission’s EDGAR filing system, a copy of the most recent annual or quarterly report of the Company , and such other reports and documents so filed as such Holder may reasonably request in availing itself of any rule or regulation of the Commission allowing such Holder to sell any such securities without registration; and

 

(d)       assist each Investor with the removal of any legends required under Rule 144 under the Securities Act, including with respect to any opinions required thereby, provided that the Company’s obligations hereunder are subject to the reasonable determination of the Company and the Company’s counsel that any such legend removal complies with the Securities Act.

 

16



 

(e)        If requested by any Holder, not disclose to such Holder or its advisors or representatives any material nonpublic information (including, if requested, notices pursuant to Section 2.2), unless prior to disclosure of such information the Company identifies such information as being material nonpublic information and provides the Holders, such advisors and representatives with the opportunity to accept or refuse to accept such material nonpublic information for review and any Holder wishing to obtain such information enters into an appropriate confidentiality agreement with the Company with respect thereto.

 

Section 2.11   Transfer or Assignment of Registration Rights .  The rights to cause the Company to register Registrable Securities granted to the Holders by the Company under this Article II may be transferred or assigned by each such Holder to one or more transferee(s) or assignee(s) of such Registrable Securities (a “ Transferee ”), provided that (i) such transfer or assignment is to an Affiliate of such Holder, (ii) the transfer or assignment is of Registrable Securities with an aggregate value of at least $25,000,000 (determined based on the Common Stock Price) or (iii) such transferring Holder, together with its Affiliates, transfers 100% of the Registrable Securities collectively held by such Holder and its Affiliates.  The Company shall be given written notice prior to any said transfer or assignment, stating the name and address of each such transferee and identifying the securities with respect to which such registration rights are being transferred or assigned, and each such transferee shall assume in writing responsibility for its obligations of such Holder under this Agreement.

 

Section 2.12   Limitation on Subsequent Registration Rights .  Subject to Section 2.10 , from and after the date hereof, the Company shall not, without the prior written consent of a majority of the then outstanding Registrable Securities, (a) enter into any agreement with any current or future holder of any securities of the Company that would allow such current or future holder to require the Company to include securities in any registration statement filed by the Company on a basis that is superior to the rights granted to any Holder hereunder and (b) enter into any agreement with any current or future holder of any securities of the Company that would allow such current or future holder to require the Company to include securities in any registration statement filed by the Company on a basis that is in parity with the rights granted to any Holder hereunder.  If the Company enters into any agreement (other than this Agreement) with any current or future holder of any securities of the Company for the inclusion of securities in any registration statement filed by the Company, the Holders shall have a right to be a party to such agreement.

 

Section 2.13   Aggregation of Registrable Securities .  All Registrable Securities held or acquired by Persons who are Affiliates of one another shall be aggregated together for the purpose of determining the availability of any rights under this Agreement.

 

Section 2.14   Depository Trust Company Settlement Eligibility .   To the extent reasonably requested by any Investor and if permitted by applicable law and the rules and regulations of the Depository Trust Company, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to make any Registrable Securities eligible for settlement through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company.

 

17


 

ARTICLE III
MISCELLANEOUS

 

Section 3.1     Communications .  All notices and other communications provided for or permitted hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given and received when delivered by overnight courier or hand delivery, when sent by telecopy, or five (5) days after mailing if sent by registered or certified mail (return receipt requested) postage prepaid, to the parties at the following addresses (or at such other address for any party as shall be specified by like notices; provided that notices of a change of address shall be effective only upon receipt thereof):

 

(a)        if to ProPetro Holding Corp., to:

 

ProPetro Holding Corp.
1706 S. Midkiff, Bldg. B

Midland, Texas 79701
Attention: Chief Executive Officer
Facsimile:  (432) 688-3976

 

With a copy to:

 

Energy Capital Partners, LLC

11943 El Camino Real, Suite 220

San Diego, California 92130

Attention: Christopher Leininger

Facsimile:  (858) 703-4401

 

And to:

 

Latham & Watkins LLP
811 Main Street, Suite 3700
Houston, TX 77002
Attention:  Ryan J. Maierson and Thomas G. Brandt
Facsimile:  (713) 546-5401

 

(b)        if to any Investor , to the address for such Investor set forth on Schedule A :

 

Section 3.2     Successor and Assigns .  This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the permitted successors and assigns of each of the parties, including subsequent Holders of Registrable Securities to the extent permitted herein.

 

Section 3.3     Assignment of Rights .  All or any portion of the rights and obligations of the Holders under this Agreement may be transferred or assigned by such Holder in accordance with Section 2.11 hereof.

 

Section 3.4     Recapitalization, Exchanges, etc. Affecting the Shares .  The provisions of this Agreement shall apply to the full extent set forth herein with respect to any and all capital stock of the Company or any successor or assign of the Company (whether by merger,

 

18



 

consolidation, sale of assets or otherwise) which may be issued in respect of, in exchange for or in substitution of, the Registrable Securities, and shall be appropriately adjusted for combinations, stock splits, recapitalizations and the like occurring after the date of this Agreement.

 

Section 3.5     Specific Performance .  Damages in the event of breach of this Agreement by a party hereto may be difficult, if not impossible, to ascertain, and it is therefore agreed that each such Person, in addition to and without limiting any other remedy or right it may have, will have the right to an injunction or other equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction, enjoining any such breach, and enforcing specifically the terms and provisions hereof, and each of the parties hereto hereby waives any and all defenses it may have on the ground of lack of jurisdiction or competence of the court to grant such an injunction or other equitable relief.  The existence of this right will not preclude any such Person from pursuing any other rights and remedies at law or in equity which such Person may have.

 

Section 3.6     Counterparts .  This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and by different parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which counterparts, when so executed and delivered, shall be deemed to be an original and all of which counterparts, taken together, shall constitute but one and the same Agreement.

 

Section 3.7     Headings .  The headings in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not limit or otherwise affect the meaning hereof.

 

Section 3.8     Governing Law .  The laws of the State of Texas shall govern this Agreement without regard to principles of conflict of laws.

 

Section 3.9     Severability of Provisions .  Any provision of this Agreement which is prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions hereof or affecting or impairing the validity or enforceability of such provision in any other jurisdiction.

 

Section 3.10   Entire Agreement .  This Agreement is intended by the parties as a final expression of their agreement and intended to be a complete and exclusive statement of the agreement and understanding of the parties hereto in respect of the subject matter contained herein or therein.  There are no restrictions, promises, warranties or undertakings, other than those set forth or referred to herein or therein with respect to the rights granted by the Company set forth herein or therein.  This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings between the parties with respect to such subject matter.

 

Section 3.11   Amendment .  This Agreement may be amended only by means of a written amendment signed by the Company and the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities; provided , however , that no such amendment shall adversely and disproportionately affect the rights or obligations of any Holder hereunder without the consent of such Holder and any amendment that establishes new rights for, or enhances existing rights of, any Holder shall apply to all Holders (on a proportionate basis).

 

19



 

Section 3.12   Termination .  The registration rights granted under this Agreement will terminate at such time as there shall no longer be any Registrable Securities.

 

Section 3.13   No Presumption .  In the event any claim is made by a party relating to any conflict, omission, or ambiguity in this Agreement, no presumption or burden of proof or persuasion shall be implied by virtue of the fact that this Agreement was prepared by or at the request of a particular party or its counsel.

 

Section 3.14   Further Assurances . The Company and each of the Holders shall cooperate with each other and shall take such further action and shall execute and deliver such further documents as may be reasonably requested by any other party in order to carry out the provisions and purposes of this Agreement.

 

[ Signature Pages Follow ]

 

20


 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Registration Rights Agreement as of the date hereof.

 

 

PROPETRO HOLDING CORP.

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Jeffrey D. Smith

 

 

Name: Jeffrey D. Smith

 

 

Title: CFO

 

Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement

 



 

 

ADAGE CAPITAL PARTNERS, LP

 

 

 

By: Adage Capital Partners GP, LLC, its
General Partner

 

 

 

By: Adage Capital Advisors, LLC, its Managing Member

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Dan Lehan

 

 

Name: Dan Lehan

 

 

Title:   COO

 

Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement

 



 

 

Arosa Opportunistic Fund LP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Jeff Baisley

 

 

Name: Jeff Baisley

 

 

Title:   Chief Operating Officer of Investment
Manager

 

Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement

 


 

 

 

DOUBLE BLACK DIAMOND OFFSHORE LTD.

 

 

 

By: Carlson Capital, L.P., its investment advisor

 

 

 

By: Asgard Investment Corp. II, its general partner

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Clint D. Carlson

 

 

Name: Clint D. Carlson

 

 

Title:  President

 

 

Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement

 



 

 

Encompass Capital E&P Master Fund L.P.

 

 

 

By: Encompass Capital Advisors LLC, its Investment Manager

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Larry Kassman

 

 

Name: Larry Kassman

 

 

Title: Chief Financial Officer

 

Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement

 



 

 

Encompass Capital Master Fund L.P.

 

 

 

By: Encompass Capital Advisors LLC, its Investment Manager

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Larry Kassman

 

 

Name: Larry Kassman

 

 

Title:  Chief Financial Officer

 

Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement

 



 

 

HARTREE PARTNERS, LP

 

 

 

 

 

By: Hartree Partners GP, LLC,

 

its General Partner

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Stephen M. Semlitz

 

 

Name: Stephen M. Semlitz

 

 

Title: Managing Director

 

Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement

 


 

 

JM COX RESOURCES, L.P.

 

 

 

By: JM Cox Family Management, LLC,

 

its General Partner

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Adam Rubinson

 

 

Name: Adam Rubinson

 

 

Title: Vice President

 

 

 

 

 

 

JM COX LEGACY L.P.

 

 

 

 

By: JM Cox Legacy Management, LLC,

 

its General Partner

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Adam Rubinson

 

 

Name: Adam Rubinson

 

 

Title: Vice President

 

 

 

 

 

 

JOHN AND MAURINE COX FOUNDATION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Adam Rubinson

 

 

Name: Adam Rubinson

 

 

Title: Director

 

Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement

 



 

 

[INVESTOR]

 

MMF Moore ET Investments, LP

By: Moore Capital Management, LP

It’s: Investment Manager

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Kerrill O’Mahony

 

 

Name: Kerrill O’Mahony

 

 

Title:  Global Head of Operations

 

Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement

 


 

 

Schedule A
Investor Name, Notice and Contact Information

 

1.             Adage Capital Partners, L.P.

200 Clarendon St. 52nd Floor

Boston, MA  02116

Attn: Dan Lehan, COO

 

2.             MMF Moore ET Investments, LP

Eleven Times Square

New York, NY 10036

Attn: General Counsel

 

3.             Encompass Capital Master Fund L.P.

Attn: Larry Kassman

200 Park Avenue, 11 th  Floor

New York, NY 10166

 

4.             Encompass Capital E&P Master Fund L.P

Attn: Larry Kassman

200 Park Avenue, 11 th  Floor

New York, NY 10166

 

5.             John & Maurine Cox Foundation

400 W. Wall St.

Midland, TX 79701

Attn: Adam Rubinson

 

6.             JM Cox Resources, L.P.

400 W. Wall St.

Midland, TX 79701

Attn: Adam Rubinson

 

7.             JM Cox Legacy L.P.

400 W. Wall St.

Midland, TX 79701

Attn: Adam Rubinson

 

8.             Arosa Opportunistic Fund LP

c/o Arosa Capital Management

120 West 45th St., Suite 3700

New York, NY 10036

Attn: General Counsel

 

9.             Double Black Diamond Offshore Ltd.

c/o Carlson Capital, L.P.

2100 McKinney Avenue, Suite 1800

Dallas, Texas 75201

Attn: Legal Department

 

10.     Hartree Partners, LP

1185 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10036

Attn: Charles Cerria

 

A- 23




Exhibit 4.4

 

FORM OF STOCKHOLDERS AGREEMENT

 

STOCKHOLDERS AGREEMENT (this “ Agreement ”), dated as of [  ·  ], 2017, by and among PROPETRO HOLDING CORP., a Delaware corporation (the “ Corporation ”), and each of the stockholders listed on Schedule A hereto.  This Agreement shall become effective (the “ Effective Date ”) upon the closing of the IPO (as defined below).

 

WHEREAS, in order to set forth certain understandings between the Corporation and the ECP Stockholders (as defined below), including with respect to certain governance matters, the ECP Stockholders and the Corporation wish to enter into this Agreement in accordance with the terms set forth herein.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises and of the mutual consents and obligations hereinafter set forth, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:

 

Section 1         Definitions; Interpretation .

 

(a)        Definitions .  As used herein, the following terms shall have the following respective meanings:

 

Affiliate ” means as to any Person, any other Person or entity who directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by or is under common control with such Person; provided that the term “Affiliate” shall not include at any time any portfolio companies of the ECP Stockholders.  As used in this definition, the term “control,” including the correlative terms “controlling,” “controlled by” and “under common control with,” means possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of management or policies (whether through ownership of securities or any partnership or other ownership interest, by contract or otherwise) of a Person.

 

Agreement ” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

Annual Budget ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3(a) .

 

Beneficially Own ” means that a specified person has or shares the right, directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, to vote shares of capital stock of the Corporation.

 

Board ” means the board of directors of the Corporation.

 

Business Day ” means a day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or day on which banking institutions in New York City, New York are not required to be open.

 

Change of Control ” means (i) the sale or disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Corporation and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis to any person or group (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended), other than to the ECP Stockholders or their respective Affiliates; (ii) any transaction or series of related transactions (including, but not limited to, a merger or consolidation) that results in any person or group (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,

 



 

as amended), other than the ECP Stockholders and their respective Affiliates, acquiring shares of Common Stock or other equity interest of the Company that represent more than 50% of the total voting power of the Company (or any resulting company after such transaction); or (iii) a “Change of Control” as defined in any of the Corporation’s or its Subsidiaries’ existing credit agreements.

 

Common Stock ” means the common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Corporation and any stock into which such Stock may hereafter be changed or for which such Common Stock may be exchanged, and shall also include any Common Stock of the Corporation of any class hereafter authorized.

 

Corporation ” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

ECP Stockholder ” means any of Energy Capital Partners II, LP, Energy Capital Partners II-A, LP, Energy Capital Partners II-B, LP, Energy Capital Partners II-C, LP, Energy Capital Partners II-D, LP, Energy Capital Partners (Midland Co-Invest), LP and each of their respective Affiliates that owns any shares of Stock in the Corporation.

 

IPO ” means an initial public offering of the shares of Common Stock in a firm commitment underwriting effected by the Corporation pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-1.

 

Person ” means any natural person, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, firm, association, trust, government, governmental agency or other entity, whether acting in an individual, fiduciary or other capacity.

 

SEC ” means the Securities and Exchange Commission or any successor governmental agency.

 

Stock ” means (i) the outstanding shares of Common Stock, (ii) any additional shares of Common Stock that may be issued in the future and (iii) any shares of capital stock of the Corporation into which such shares may be converted or for which such shares may be exchanged.

 

Subsidiary ” means, with respect to any Person, any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture or other legal entity of which such Person (either above or through or together with any other Subsidiary) owns, directly or indirectly, more than 50% of the stock or other equity interests the holders of which are generally entitled to vote for the election of the board of directors or other governing body of such corporation or other legal entity.

 

Any capitalized term used in any Section of this Agreement that is not defined in this Section 1 shall have the meaning ascribed to it in such other Section.

 

(b)        Rules of Construction .  For all purposes of this Agreement, unless otherwise expressly provided:

 

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(i)         the headings and captions of this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not define, limit or otherwise affect any of the terms hereof;

 

(ii)        the term “including” is not limiting and means “including without limitation”; and

 

(iii)       whenever the context requires, the gender of all words used herein shall include the masculine, feminine and neuter, and the number of all words shall include the singular and plural.

 

Section 2         Board of Directors .

 

(a)        Initial Composition of the Board . The Board is initially comprised of 10 directors, (A) six of which were designated by the ECP Stockholders, Francesco Ciabatti, Schuyler E. Coppedge, Stephen Herman, Matthew H. Himler, Peter L. Labbat, and Christopher Leininger, (B) one of which is the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, Dale Redman, and (C) the remainder of which are Spencer D. Armour, III, Alan E. Douglas and Jack B. Moore. If at any time beginning on or following the Effective Date the ECP Stockholders no longer collectively Beneficially Own at least 50% of the Corporation’s outstanding Common Stock, upon the appointment to the Board of a third director that satisfies the applicable independence requirements of the SEC and any stock exchange on which the Company’s Common Stock is listed, (a) the ECP Stockholders shall request that the Corporation remove, and the Corporation shall take all actions necessary to remove promptly, one director designated by the ECP Stockholders and (b) the Board shall remain comprised of 10 directors.

 

(b)        Nomination of Directors .  From and after the Effective Date, for as long as the ECP Stockholders collectively Beneficially Own the percentages of Common Stock set forth below, the ECP Stockholders shall have the right to nominate for election to the Board such number of directors that is equal to:

 

(i)         such number of directors that would constitute a majority of the number of directors that the Corporation would have if there were no vacancies on the Board, so long as the ECP Stockholders collectively beneficially own at least 50% of the outstanding Common Stock;

 

(ii)        such number of directors equal to one director fewer than that number that would constitute a majority of the number of directors that the Corporation would have if there were no vacancies on the Board, so long as the ECP Stockholders collectively Beneficially Own at least 30% of the outstanding Common Stock but less than 50% of the outstanding Common Stock;

 

(iii)       the greater of (A) three directors and (B) 25% of the total number of directors that constitute the Board (rounded up to the next whole number), so long as the ECP Stockholders collectively beneficially own at least 20% of the outstanding Common Stock but less than 30% of the outstanding Common Stock;

 

(iv)       the greater of (A) two directors and (B) 15% of the total number of directors that constitute the Board (rounded up to the next whole number), so long as the ECP Stockholders collectively beneficially own at least 10% of the outstanding Common Stock but less than 20% of the outstanding Common Stock; and

 

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(v)        one director, so long as the ECP Stockholders collectively beneficially own at least 5% of the outstanding Common Stock but less than 10% of the outstanding Common Stock.

 

(c)        Election of Directors .  The Corporation shall take all action within its power to cause all nominees nominated pursuant to Section 2(b)  to be included in the slate of nominees recommended by the Board to the Corporation’s stockholders for election as directors at each annual meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation (and/or in connection with any election by written consent) and the Corporation shall use all reasonable best efforts to cause the election of each such nominee, including (i) voting or providing a written consent or proxy with respect to the Company Shares, and  soliciting proxies in favor of the election of such nominees, (ii) causing the adoption of stockholders’ resolutions and amendments to the organizational documents of the Company, (iii) executing agreements and instruments, and (iv) making, or causing to be made, with governmental, administrative or regulatory authorities, all filings, registrations or similar actions that are required to achieve such result.

 

(d)       Replacement of Directors .  In the event that a vacancy is created at any time by the death, disability, retirement, resignation or removal (with or without cause) of a director nominated by the ECP Stockholders pursuant to Section 2(b)  or designated by the ECP Stockholders pursuant to this Section 2(d) , or in the event of the failure of any such nominee to be elected, the ECP Stockholders shall have the right to designate a replacement to fill such vacancy.  The Corporation shall take all action within its power to cause such vacancy to be filled by the replacement so designated by the ECP Stockholders, and the Board shall promptly elect such designee to the Board.  Upon the written request of the ECP Stockholders, the Corporation shall take all actions necessary to remove, with or without cause, any director previously nominated by the ECP Stockholders pursuant to Section 2(b)  or designated by the ECP Stockholders pursuant to this Section 2(d) , and to elect any replacement director designated by the ECP Stockholders as provided in the first sentence of this Section 2(d) .

 

(e)        Committees .  So long as the ECP Stockholders have the right to nominate at least one director for election to the Board pursuant to Section 2(b)  above, the Corporation shall take all action within its power to cause each committee of the Board to include in its membership at least one of the ECP Stockholders’ nominees, except to the extent that such membership would violate applicable securities laws or stock exchange or stock market rules.

 

(f)        No Limitation .  The provisions of this Section 2 are intended to provide the ECP Stockholders with the minimum Board representation rights set forth herein.  Nothing in this Agreement shall prevent the Corporation from having a greater number of nominees or designees of the ECP Stockholders on the Board than otherwise provided herein.  In addition, nothing in this Section 2  shall be construed to prevent the ECP Stockholders from having a lesser number of nominees or designees than otherwise provided herein or pursuant to applicable law and the Corporation’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws.

 

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(g)        Laws and Regulations .  Nothing in this Section 2 shall be deemed to require that any party hereto, or any Affiliate thereof, act or be in violation of any applicable provision of law, regulation, legal duty or requirement or stock exchange or stock market rule.

 

Section 3         Information and Access Rights.

 

(a)        Available Financial Information .  Upon the written request of any director nominated by the ECP Stockholders pursuant to Section 2(d), the Corporation will deliver, or will cause to be delivered, to such director an annual budget, a business plan and financial forecasts for the Corporation for the fiscal year of the Corporation (collectively, the “ Annual Budget ”), as soon as reasonably practicable after the approval thereof by the Board, in such manner and form as approved by the Board, which shall include at least a projection of income and a projected cash flow statement for each fiscal quarter in such fiscal year and a projected balance sheet as of the end of each fiscal quarter in such fiscal year, in each case prepared in reasonable detail, with appropriate presentation and discussion of the principal assumptions upon which such budgets and projections are based, and which shall be accompanied by the statement of the Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer or equivalent officer of the Corporation to the effect that such budget and projections are based on reasonable and good faith estimates and assumptions made by the management of the Corporation for the respective periods covered thereby. To the extent that there has been any material changes to the Annual Budget provided to any director pursuant to this Section 3(a), the Corporation will deliver, or will cause to be delivered, to such director a revised Annual Budget taking into account such material changes as soon as practicable after such changes have been approved by the Board.

 

(b)        Other Information . Upon the written request of any director nominated by the ECP Stockholders pursuant to Section 2(b) or as designated by the ECP Stockholders pursuant to Section 2(d), the Corporation will deliver, or will cause to be delivered, to such director such other information and data (including such information and reports made available to any lender of the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries under any credit agreement or otherwise) with respect to the Corporation and each of its Subsidiaries and any such other information concerning the Corporation’s business or financial condition and the Corporation’s management as may be reasonably requested by any ECP Stockholder, including such information as may be necessary to comply with regulatory, tax or other governmental filings.

 

(c)        Access . The Corporation shall, and shall cause its Subsidiaries, officers, directors, employees, auditors, legal counsel and other agents to (a) afford each of the directors nominated by ECP Stockholders pursuant to Section 2(b) or designated by the ECP Stockholders pursuant to Section 2(d), during normal business hours and upon reasonable notice, access to the Corporation’s and its Subsidiaries’ officers, employees, auditors, legal counsel, properties, offices and other facilities and books and records, and (b) afford each of the directors nominated by the ECP Stockholders pursuant to Section 2(b) or designated by the ECP Stockholders pursuant to Section 2(d) the opportunity to discuss the affairs, finances and accounts of the Corporation and its Subsidiaries with their respective officers from time to time as any such director may reasonably request.

 

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(d)       The rights to information and access set forth in Sections 3(a)  through (c)  above shall terminate at such time as the ECP Stockholders shall cease to collectively Beneficially Own at least 10% of the outstanding Common Stock.

 

Section 4         Certain Actions .

 

(a)        Subject to the provisions of Section 4(b) , without the approval of the ECP Stockholders, the Corporation shall not, and (to the extent applicable) shall not permit any Subsidiary of the Corporation to:

 

(i)         enter into or agree to undertake any transaction that would constitute a Change of Control;

 

(ii)        issue additional Stock of the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries, other than (A) any award under any stockholder-approved equity compensation plan or (B) any intra-company issuance among the Corporation and its Subsidiaries; or

 

(iii)       change the size of the Board.

 

(b)        The approval rights set forth in Section 5(a)  above shall terminate at such time as the ECP Stockholders no longer collectively Beneficially Own at least 30% of the outstanding Common Stock.

 

Section 5         Duration of Agreement .

 

This Agreement shall terminate automatically upon the first to occur of the following:  (a) the dissolution of the Corporation (unless the Corporation continues to exist after such dissolution as a limited liability company or in another form, whether incorporated in Delaware or another jurisdiction); (b) the date on which ECP Stockholders cease to collectively Beneficially Own any outstanding Common Stock; and (c) upon written agreement by the Corporation and the ECP Stockholders.

 

Section 6         Severability .

 

If any provision of this Agreement shall be determined to be illegal and unenforceable by any court of law, the remaining provisions shall be severable and enforceable in accordance with their terms.

 

Section 7         Governing Law; Jurisdiction .

 

(a)        This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to its choice or conflict of law provisions or rules.

 

(b)        Any suit, action or proceeding seeking to enforce any provision of, or based on any matter arising out of or in connection with, this Agreement may be brought

 

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against any of the parties in any federal court located in the State of Delaware or any Delaware state court, including the Delaware Chancery Courts located in Wilmington, Delaware, and each of the parties hereby consents to the exclusive jurisdiction of such court (and of the appropriate appellate courts) in any such suit, action or proceeding and waives any objection to venue laid therein. Process in any such suit, action or proceeding may be served on any party anywhere in the world, whether within or without the jurisdiction of any such court. Without limiting the foregoing, each of the parties agrees that service of process upon such party at the address referred to in Section 13, together with written notice of such service to such party, shall be deemed effective service of process upon such party.

 

Section 8         Jury Trial .

 

BECAUSE DISPUTES ARISING IN CONNECTION WITH COMPLEX FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS ARE MOST QUICKLY AND ECONOMICALLY RESOLVED BY AN EXPERIENCED AND EXPERT PERSON AND THE PARTIES WISH APPLICABLE STATE AND FEDERAL LAWS TO APPLY (RATHER THAN ARBITRATION RULES), THE PARTIES DESIRE THAT THEIR DISPUTES BE RESOLVED BY A JUDGE APPLYING SUCH APPLICABLE LAWS.  THEREFORE, TO ACHIEVE THE BEST COMBINATION OF THE BENEFITS OF THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM AND/OR ARBITRATION, THE PARTIES HERETO WAIVE ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION, SUIT OR PROCEEDING BROUGHT TO ENFORCE OR DEFEND ANY RIGHT OR REMEDIES UNDER THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY DOCUMENTS ENTERED INTO IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT AND THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREIN.

 

Section 9         Stock Dividends, Etc.

 

The provisions of this Agreement shall apply to any and all shares of capital stock of the Corporation or any successor or assignee of the Corporation (whether by merger, consolidation, sale of assets or otherwise) which may be issued in respect of, in exchange for or in substitution for the shares of Stock, by reason of any stock dividend, split, reverse split, combination, recapitalization, reclassification, merger, consolidation or otherwise in such a manner and with such appropriate adjustments as to reflect the intent and meaning of the provisions hereof and so that the rights, privileges, duties and obligations hereunder shall continue with respect to the capital stock of the Corporation as so changed.

 

Section 10       Benefits of Agreement .

 

This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto, and each of their respective successors and assigns.  Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, no Person not a party to this Agreement, as a third-party beneficiary or otherwise, shall be entitled to enforce any rights or remedies under this Agreement.

 

Section 11       Notices .

 

All notices or other communications which are required or permitted hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been given if (a) personally delivered or sent by

 

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facsimile, (b) sent by nationally recognized overnight courier or (c) sent by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, addressed as follows:

 

(i)         If to the Corporation, to:

 

ProPetro Holding Corp.

1706 S. Midkiff, Bldg. B

Midland, Texas 79701

Attn: Dale Redman

Facsimile: (432) 688-0012

 

with copies (which shall not constitute notice) to:

 

Latham & Watkins LLP
811 Main Street, Suite 3700
Houston, Texas 77002
Attn:  Ryan Maierson; Thomas Brandt
Facsimile:  (713) 546-5401

 

(ii)        If to any of the ECP Stockholders, to:

 

Energy Capital Partners, LLC
11943 El Camino Real, Suite 220
San Diego, California 92130
Facsimile: (858) 703-4401
Attention: Christopher Leininger

 

with copies (which shall not constitute notice) to:

 

Latham & Watkins LLP
811 Main Street, Suite 3700
Houston, Texas 77002
Attn:  Ryan Maierson; Thomas Brandt
Facsimile:  (713) 546-5401

 

(iii)       Any such communication shall be deemed to have been received (a) when delivered, if personally delivered or sent by facsimile, (b) the next Business Day after delivery, if sent by nationally recognized, overnight courier and (c) on the third Business Day following the date on which the piece of mail containing such communication is posted, if sent by first-class mail.

 

Section 12       Modification; Waiver.

 

This Agreement may be amended, modified or supplemented only by a written instrument duly executed by the Corporation and the ECP Stockholders.  No course of dealing between the Corporation or its Subsidiaries and the ECP Stockholders (or any of them) or any delay in exercising any rights hereunder will operate as a waiver of any rights of any party to this Agreement.  The failure of any party to enforce any of the provisions of this Agreement will in

 

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no way be construed as a waiver of such provisions and will not affect the right of such party thereafter to enforce each and every provision of this Agreement in accordance with its terms.

 

Section 13       Entire Agreement .

 

Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, this Agreement constitutes the entire agreement among the parties pertaining to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous agreements and understandings of the parties in connection therewith, from and after the completion of the IPO.

 

Section 14       Specific Performance .

 

Each party to this Agreement acknowledges that a remedy at law for any breach or attempted breach of this Agreement will be inadequate, agrees that each other party to this Agreement shall be entitled to specific performance and injunctive and other equitable relief in case of any such breach or attempted breach, and further agrees to waive (to the extent legally permissible) any legal conditions required to be met for the obtaining of any such injunctive or other equitable relief (including posting any bond in order to obtain equitable relief).

 

Section 15       Counterparts .

 

This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, and each such counterpart shall be deemed to be an original instrument, but all such counterparts taken together shall constitute but one agreement.

 

Section 16       Further Assurances .

 

Each party hereto shall do and perform or cause to be done and performed all such further acts and things and shall execute and deliver all such other agreements, certificates, instruments and other documents as any other party hereto reasonably may request in order to carry out the provisions of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

Section 17       Director and Officer Actions .

 

No director or officer of the Corporation shall be personally liable to the Corporation or any ECP Stockholder as a result of any acts or omissions taken under this Agreement in good faith.

 

[ Signature Page to Follow ]

 

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The parties have signed this agreement as of the date first written above.

 

 

PROPETRO HOLDING CORP.

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 



 

 

STOCKHOLDERS:

 

 

 

 

 

ENERGY CAPITAL PARTNERS II, LP

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

 

 

ENERGY CAPITAL PARTNERS II-A, LP

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

 

 

ENERGY CAPITAL PARTNERS II-B, LP

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

 

 

ENERGY CAPITAL PARTNERS II-C, LP

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

 

 

ENERGY CAPITAL PARTNERS II-D, LP

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

 

 

ENERGY CAPITAL PARTNERS (MIDLAND CO-INVEST), LP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 



 

Schedule A

 

Stockholders

 

 

 

ENERGY CAPITAL PARTNERS II, LP
ENERGY CAPITAL PARTNERS II-A, LP
ENERGY CAPITAL PARTNERS II-B, LP
ENERGY CAPITAL PARTNERS II-C, LP
ENERGY CAPITAL PARTNERS II-D, LP
ENERGY CAPITAL PARTNERS (MIDLAND CO-INVEST), LP

 




Exhibit 5.1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

·  ] , 2017

 

811 Main Street, Suite 3700

 

Houston, TX 77002

 

Tel: +1.713.546.5400 Fax: +1.713.546.5401

 

www.lw.com

 

 

 

FIRM / AFFILIATE OFFICES

 

Barcelona

Moscow

 

Beijing

Munich

 

Boston

New York

 

Brussels

Orange County

 

Century City

Paris

 

Chicago

Riyadh

 

Dubai

Rome

 

Düsseldorf

San Diego

 

Frankfurt

San Francisco

 

Hamburg

Seoul

 

Hong Kong

Shanghai

 

Houston

Silicon Valley

 

London

Singapore

 

Los Angeles

Tokyo

 

Madrid

Washington, D.C.

 

Milan

 

 

ProPetro Holding Corp.

1706 S. Midkiff, Bldg. B

Midland, Texas 79701

 

Re:       Initial Public Offering of Shares of Common Stock of ProPetro Holding Corp.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We have acted as special counsel to ProPetro Holding Corp., a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), in connection with the proposed issuance of up to                      shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share (“ Common Stock ”), up to                      shares of which are being offered by the Company (the “ Company Shares ”) and up to                      shares of which are being offered by certain selling stockholders of the Company (the “ Selling Stockholder Shares ,” and together with the Company Shares, the “ Shares ”).  The Shares are included in a registration statement on Form S-1 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ Act ”), initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ Commission ”) on February 8, 2017 (Registration No. 333-215940) (as amended, the “ Registration Statement ”).  The term “Shares” shall include any additional shares of Common Stock registered by the Company pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Act in connection with the offering contemplated by the Registration Statement.  This opinion is being furnished in connection with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Act, and no opinion is expressed herein as to any matter pertaining to the contents of the Registration Statement or related Prospectus, other than as expressly stated herein with respect to the issuance of the Shares.

 

As such counsel, we have examined such matters of fact and questions of law as we have considered appropriate for purposes of this letter.  With your consent, we have relied upon certificates and other assurances of officers of the Company and others as to factual matters without having independently verified such factual matters.  We are opining herein as to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “ DGCL ”), and we express no opinion with respect to any other laws.

 

Subject to the foregoing and the other matters set forth herein, it is our opinion that, as of the date hereof:

 



 

·  ], 2017

Page 2

 

GRAPHIC

 

1.         When the Company Shares shall have been duly registered on the books of the transfer agent and registrar therefor in the name or on behalf of the purchasers and have been issued by the Company against payment therefor (not less than par value) in the circumstances contemplated by the form of underwriting agreement most recently filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, the issue and sale of the Company Shares will have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company, and the Company Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.  In rendering the foregoing opinion, we have assumed that the Company will comply with all applicable notice requirements regarding uncertificated shares provided in the DGCL.

 

2.         The Selling Stockholder Shares have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company and are validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

 

This opinion is for your benefit in connection with the Registration Statement and may be relied upon by you and by persons entitled to rely upon it pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Act.  We consent to your filing this opinion as an exhibit to the Company’s Registration Statement dated          and to the reference to our firm in the Prospectus under the heading “Legal Matters.”  We further consent to the incorporation by reference of this letter and consent into any registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) with respect to the Shares.  In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

 

 

Very truly yours,

 




Exhibit 10.1

 

FORM OF INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT

 

This Indemnification Agreement (“ Agreement ”) is made as of February [  ·  ], 2017 by and between ProPetro Holding Corp., a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), and [  ·  ] (“ Indemnitee ”).

 

RECITALS

 

WHEREAS, highly competent persons have become more reluctant to serve publicly-held corporations as directors or in other capacities unless they are provided with adequate protection through insurance or adequate indemnification against inordinate risks of claims and actions against them arising out of their service to and activities on behalf of the corporation;

 

WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company (the “ Board ”) has determined that, in order to attract and retain qualified individuals, the Company will maintain on an ongoing basis, at its sole expense, liability insurance to protect persons serving the Company and its subsidiaries from certain liabilities;

 

WHEREAS, directors, officers, and other persons in service to corporations or business enterprises are being increasingly subjected to expensive and time-consuming litigation relating to, among other things, matters that traditionally would have been brought only against the Company or business enterprise itself;

 

WHEREAS, the Company’s certificate of incorporation (the “ Certificate of Incorporation ”) and bylaws (the “ Bylaws ”) require indemnification of the officers and directors of the Company.  Indemnitee may also be entitled to indemnification pursuant to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (“ DGCL ”).  The Certificate of Incorporation, the Bylaws and the DGCL expressly provide that the indemnification provisions set forth therein are not exclusive, and thereby contemplate that contracts may be entered into between the Company and members of the board of directors, officers and other persons with respect to indemnification;

 

WHEREAS, the Board has determined that the increased difficulty in attracting and retaining qualified individuals to serve as directors and officers is detrimental to the best interests of the Company’s stockholders and that the Company should act to assure such persons that there will be increased certainty of such protection in the future;

 

WHEREAS, it is reasonable, prudent and necessary for the Company contractually to obligate itself to indemnify, and to advance expenses on behalf of, such persons to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law so that they will serve or continue to serve the Company free from undue concern that they will not be so indemnified;

 

WHEREAS, this Agreement is a supplement to and in furtherance of the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws and any resolutions adopted pursuant thereto, and shall not be deemed a substitute therefor, nor to diminish or abrogate any rights of Indemnitee thereunder;

 

WHEREAS, Indemnitee does not regard the protection available under the Bylaws and insurance as adequate in the present circumstances, and may not be willing to serve as an officer

 



 

or director without adequate protection, and the Company desires Indemnitee to serve in such capacity.  Indemnitee is willing to serve, continue to serve and to take on additional service for or on behalf of the Company on the condition that Indemnitee be so indemnified;

 

[WHEREAS, Indemnitee has certain rights to indemnification and/or insurance provided by the ECP Stockholders (as defined below) or affiliates of the ECP Stockholders that Indemnitee and the ECP Stockholders intend to be secondary to the primary obligation of the Company to indemnify Indemnitee as provided herein, with the Company’s acknowledgment of and agreement to the foregoing being a material condition to Indemnitee’s willingness to serve as a director or in any other capacity for the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any Enterprise (as defined below);] 1 and

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the covenants contained herein, the Company and Indemnitee do hereby covenant and agree as follows:

 

Section 1.                                 Services to the Company.   Indemnitee agrees to serve as [a director] [an officer] of the Company.  Indemnitee may at any time and for any reason resign from such position (subject to any other contractual obligation or any obligation imposed by operation of law), in which event the Company shall have no obligation under this Agreement to continue Indemnitee in such position.  This Agreement shall not be deemed an employment contract between the Company (or any of its subsidiaries or any Enterprise) and Indemnitee.  Indemnitee specifically acknowledges that Indemnitee’s employment with the Company (or any of its subsidiaries or any Enterprise), if any, is at will, and the Indemnitee may be discharged at any time for any reason, with or without cause, except as may be otherwise provided in any written employment contract between Indemnitee and the Company (or any of its subsidiaries or any Enterprise), other applicable formal severance policies duly adopted by the Board, or, with respect to service as a director or officer of the Company, by the Certificate of Incorporation, the Bylaws and the DGCL.  The foregoing notwithstanding, this Agreement shall continue in force after Indemnitee has ceased to serve as [an officer] [a director] of the Company.

 

Section 2.                                 Definitions.    As used in this Agreement:

 

(a)                                Board ” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals.

 

(b)                               Bylaws ” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals.

 

(c)                                A “ Change in Control ” shall be deemed to occur upon the earliest to occur after the date of this Agreement of any of the following events:

 

(i)                                   Acquisition of Stock by Third Party.  Any Person (as defined below) (other than any Beneficial Owner (as defined below) as of the date of this Agreement) is or becomes the Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing fifteen percent (15%) or more of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities;

 

 


 

1                                           NTD: Bracketed provisions apply only to directors nominated by the ECP Stockholders.

 

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(ii)                               Change in Board of Directors.  During any period of two (2) consecutive years (not including any period prior to the execution of this Agreement), individuals who at the beginning of such period constitute the Board, and any new director (other than a director designated by a Person who has entered into an agreement with the Company to effect a transaction described in Sections 2(a)(i), 2(a)(iii) or 2(a)(iv)) whose election by the Board or nomination for election by the Company’s stockholders was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the directors then still in office who either were directors at the beginning of the period or whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved or who was otherwise nominated by the ECP Stockholders or any of their affiliates, cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the members of the Board;

 

(iii)                           Corporate Transactions.  The effective date of a merger or consolidation of the Company with any other entity, other than a merger or consolidation which would result in the voting securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior to such merger or consolidation continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into voting securities of the surviving entity) more than 50% of the combined voting power of the voting securities of the surviving entity outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation and with the power to elect at least a majority of the board of directors or other governing body of such surviving entity;

 

(iv)                           Liquidation.  The approval by the stockholders of the Company of a complete liquidation of the Company or an agreement or series of agreements for the sale or disposition by the Company of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets or, if such approval is not required, the decision by the Board to proceed with such a liquidation, sale, or disposition in one transaction or a series of related transactions; and

 

(v)                               Other Events.  There occurs any other event of a nature that would be required to be reported in response to Item 6(e) of Schedule 14A of Regulation 14A (or a response to any similar item on any similar schedule or form) promulgated under the Exchange Act (as defined below), whether or not the Company is then subject to such reporting requirement.

 

For purposes of this Section 2(c), the following terms shall have the following meanings:

 

(A)                           Exchange Act ” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

(B)                            Person ” shall have the meaning as set forth in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act; provided, however, that Person shall exclude (i) the Company, (ii) any trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company, and (iii) any corporation owned, directly or indirectly, by the stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock of the Company.

 

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(C)                            Beneficial Owner ” shall have the meaning given to such term in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act; provided, however, that Beneficial Owner shall exclude any Person otherwise becoming a Beneficial Owner by reason of the stockholders of the Company approving a merger of the Company with another entity.

 

(d)                              Certificate of Incorporation ” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals.

 

(e)                                Corporate Status ” shall describe the status of a person who is or was a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company or of any Enterprise.

 

(f)                                 Delaware Court ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.

 

(g)                               DGCL ” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals.

 

(h)                               Disinterested Director ” shall mean a director of the Company who is not and was not a party to the Proceeding in respect of which indemnification is sought by Indemnitee.

 

(i)                                   ECP Stockholder ” shall mean any of Energy Capital Partners II, LP, Energy Capital Partners II-A, LP, Energy Capital Partners II-B, LP, Energy Capital Partners II-C, LP, Energy Capital Partners II-D, LP, Energy Capital Partners (Midland Co-Invest), LP and each of their respective affiliates that owns any shares of stock in the Company.

 

(j)                                   Enterprise ” shall mean the Company and any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise of which Indemnitee is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary.

 

(k)                               Expenses ” shall include all reasonable, direct and indirect costs, including attorneys’ fees, retainers, court costs, transcript costs, fees of experts and other professionals, witness fees, travel expenses, duplicating costs, printing and binding costs, telephone charges, postage, delivery service fees, out-of-pocket expenses and all other disbursements or expenses of the types customarily incurred in connection with prosecuting, defending, preparing to prosecute or defend, investigating, being or preparing to be a witness in, or otherwise participating in, a Proceeding (as defined below), or, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, successfully establishing a right to indemnification under this Agreement, whether in whole or part.  Expenses also shall include Expenses incurred in connection with any appeal resulting from any Proceeding and any federal, state, local or foreign taxes imposed on Indemnitee as a result of the actual or deemed receipt of any payments under this Agreement, including without limitation the premium, security for, and other costs relating to any cost bond, supersedeas bond, or other appeal bond or its equivalent.  Expenses, however, shall not include amounts paid in settlement by Indemnitee or the amount of judgments or fines against Indemnitee.

 

(l)                                   Fund Indemnitors ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 14(c).

 

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(m)                           Independent Counsel ” shall mean a law firm, or a member of a law firm, that is experienced in matters of corporate law and neither presently is, nor in the past five years has been, retained to represent:  (i) the Company or Indemnitee in any matter material to either such party (other than with respect to matters concerning the Indemnitee under this Agreement, or of other indemnitees under similar indemnification agreements), or (ii) any other party to the Proceeding giving rise to a claim for indemnification hereunder.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the term “Independent Counsel” shall not include any person who, under the applicable standards of professional conduct then prevailing, would have a conflict of interest in representing either the Company or Indemnitee in an action to determine Indemnitee’s rights under this Agreement.  The Company agrees to pay the reasonable fees and expenses of the Independent Counsel referred to above and to fully indemnify such counsel against any and all Expenses, claims, Liabilities and damages arising out of or relating to this Agreement or its engagement pursuant hereto.

 

(n)                               Liabilities ” means all claims, liabilities, damages, losses, judgments (including pre- and post-judgment interest), orders, fines, penalties and other amounts payable in connection with, arising out of, or in respect of or relating to any Proceeding, including, without limitation, amounts paid in settlement in any Proceeding and all costs and Expenses in complying with any judgment, order or decree issued or entered in connection with any Proceeding or any settlement agreement, stipulation or consent decree entered into or issued in settlement of any Proceeding.

 

(o)                               The term “ Proceeding ” shall include any actual, threatened, pending or completed action, suit, arbitration, alternate dispute resolution mechanism, investigation, inquiry, administrative hearing or any other actual, threatened, pending or completed proceeding, and any appeal thereof, whether brought by or in the right of the Company or otherwise and whether of a civil, criminal, administrative or investigative nature, in which Indemnitee was, is or will be involved as a party or otherwise by reason of the Corporate Status of Indemnitee, by reason of any action taken by Indemnitee or of any action or inaction on Indemnitee’s part while acting in such Corporate Status, in each case whether or not serving in such capacity at the time any Liability or Expense is incurred for which indemnification, reimbursement, or advancement of Expenses can be provided under this Agreement. If the Indemnitee believes in good faith that a given situation may lead to or culminate in the institution of a Proceeding, this shall be considered a Proceeding under this paragraph.

 

(p)                               Reference to “other enterprise” shall include employee benefit plans; references to “fines” shall include any excise tax assessed with respect to any employee benefit plan; references to “serving at the request of the Company” shall include any service as a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer, employee or agent with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants or beneficiaries; and a person who acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan shall be deemed to have acted in manner “not opposed to the best interests of the Company” as referred to in this Agreement.

 

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Section 3.                                 Indemnity in Third-Party Proceedings .  The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee in accordance with the provisions of this Section 3 if Indemnitee is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or a participant in any Proceeding, other than a Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor.  Pursuant to this Section 3, Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses and Liabilities actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee’s behalf in connection with such Proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein, if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company and, in the case of a criminal proceeding had no reasonable cause to believe that Indemnitee’s conduct was unlawful.

 

Section 4.                                 Indemnity in Proceedings by or in the Right of the Company.    The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee in accordance with the provisions of this Section 4 if Indemnitee is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or a participant in any Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor.  Pursuant to this Section 4, Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses and Liabilities actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee’s behalf in connection with such Proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein, if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company.  No indemnification for Expenses or Liabilities shall be made under this Section 4 in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which Indemnitee shall have been finally adjudged by a court to be liable to the Company, unless and only to the extent that the Delaware Court of Chancery (the “ Delaware Court ”) or any court in which the Proceeding was brought shall determine upon application that such indemnification may be made.

 

Section 5.                                 Indemnification for Expenses of a Party Who is Wholly or Partly Successful . Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement, to the extent that Indemnitee is a party to (or a participant in) and is successful, on the merits or otherwise, in any Proceeding or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, in whole or in part, the Company shall indemnify Indemnitee against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in connection therewith.  If Indemnitee is not wholly successful in such Proceeding but is successful, on the merits or otherwise, as to one or more but less than all claims, issues or matters in such Proceeding, the Company shall indemnify Indemnitee against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or on his behalf in connection with each successfully resolved claim, issue or matter.  If the Indemnitee is not wholly successful in such Proceeding, the Company also shall indemnify Indemnitee against all Expenses reasonably incurred in connection with a claim, issue or matter related to any claim, issue or matter on which the Indemnitee was successful.  For purposes of this Section 5 and without limitation, the termination of any claim, issue or matter in such a Proceeding by dismissal, with or without prejudice, shall be deemed to be a successful result as to such claim, issue or matter.

 

Section 6.                                 Indemnification For Expenses of a Witness.   Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, to the extent that Indemnitee is, by reason of Indemnitee’s Corporate Status, a witness in any Proceeding to which Indemnitee is not a party, Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee’s behalf in connection therewith.

 

Section 7.                                 Additional Indemnification.

 

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(a)                                Notwithstanding any limitation in Sections 3, 4, 5 or 6, the Company shall indemnify Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law if Indemnitee is a party to or threatened to be made a party to any Proceeding (including a Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor) against all reasonable Expenses and Liabilities actually incurred by Indemnitee in connection with the Proceeding.

 

(b)                               For purposes of Section 7(a), the meaning of the phrase “to the fullest extent permitted by law” shall include, but not be limited to:

 

(i)                                   to the fullest extent permitted by the provision of the DGCL that authorizes or contemplates additional indemnification by agreement, or the corresponding provision of any amendment to or replacement of the DGCL, and

 

(ii)                               to the fullest extent authorized or permitted by any amendments to or replacements of the DGCL adopted after the date of this Agreement that increase the extent to which a corporation may indemnify its officers and directors.

 

Section 8.                                 Exclusions.   Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement, the Company shall not be obligated under this Agreement to make any indemnity in connection with any claim made against Indemnitee:

 

(a)                                for an accounting of profits made from the purchase and sale (or sale and purchase) by Indemnitee of securities of the Company within the meaning of Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act or similar provisions of state statutory law or common law; or

 

(b)                               in connection with any Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) initiated by Indemnitee, including any Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) initiated by Indemnitee against the Company or its directors, officers, employees or other indemnitees, unless (i) the Board authorized the Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) prior to its initiation, (ii) the Company provides the indemnification, in its sole discretion, pursuant to the powers vested in the Company under applicable law or (iii) the Proceeding is one to enforce Indemnitee’s rights under this Agreement.

 

Section 9.                                 Advances of Expenses.    Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, the Company shall advance the Expenses incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee’s behalf in connection with any Proceeding within thirty (30) days after the receipt by the Company of a statement or statements requesting such advances from time to time, whether prior to or after final disposition of any Proceeding.  Advances shall be unsecured and interest free.  Advances shall be made without regard to Indemnitee’s ability to repay the Expenses and without regard to Indemnitee’s ultimate entitlement to indemnification under the other provisions of this Agreement.  Advances shall include any and all reasonable Expenses incurred pursuing an action to enforce this right of advancement, including Expenses incurred preparing and forwarding statements to the Company to support the advances claimed.  The Indemnitee shall qualify for advances upon the execution and delivery to the Company of this Agreement which shall constitute an undertaking providing that the Indemnitee undertakes to repay the advance to the extent that it is ultimately determined that Indemnitee is not entitled to

 

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be indemnified by the Company.  This Section 9 shall not apply to any claim made by Indemnitee for which indemnity is excluded pursuant to Section 8.

 

Section 10.                         Procedure for Notification and Defense of Claim.

 

(a)                                To obtain indemnification under this Agreement, Indemnitee shall submit to the Company a written request, including therein or therewith such documentation and information as is reasonably available to Indemnitee and is reasonably necessary to determine whether and to what extent Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, not later than thirty (30) days after receipt by Indemnitee of notice of the commencement of any Proceeding.  The omission to notify the Company will not relieve the Company from any liability which it may have to Indemnitee otherwise than under this Agreement.  The Secretary of the Company shall, promptly upon receipt of such a request for indemnification, advise the Board in writing that Indemnitee has requested indemnification.

 

(b)                               The Company will be entitled to participate in the Proceeding at its own expense.

 

Section 11.                         Procedure Upon Application for Indemnification.

 

(a)                                Upon written request by Indemnitee for indemnification pursuant to the first sentence of Section 10(a), a determination, if required by applicable law, with respect to Indemnitee’s entitlement thereto shall be made in the specific case:  (i) if a Change in Control shall have occurred, by Independent Counsel in a written opinion to the Board, a copy of which shall be delivered to Indemnitee; or (ii) if a Change in Control shall not have occurred, at the sole discretion of Indemnitee, (A) by a majority vote of the Disinterested Directors, even though less than a quorum of the Board, (B) by a committee of Disinterested Directors designated by a majority vote of the Disinterested Directors, even though less than a quorum of the Board, (C) by Independent Counsel in a written opinion to the Board, a copy of which shall be delivered to Indemnitee or (D) by the stockholders of the Company; and, if it is so determined that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, payment to Indemnitee shall be made within ten (10) days after such determination.  Indemnitee shall cooperate with the person, persons or entity making such determination with respect to Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification, including providing to such person, persons or entity upon reasonable advance request any documentation or information which is not privileged or otherwise protected from disclosure and which is reasonably available to Indemnitee and reasonably necessary to such determination.  Any Expenses (including attorneys’ fees and disbursements) incurred by Indemnitee in so cooperating with the person, persons or entity making such determination shall be borne by the Company (irrespective of the determination as to Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification) and the Company hereby indemnifies and agrees to hold Indemnitee harmless therefrom.

 

(b)                               In the event the determination of entitlement to indemnification is to be made by Independent Counsel pursuant to Section 11(a) hereof, the Independent Counsel shall be selected as provided in this Section 11(b).  If a Change in Control shall not have occurred, the Independent Counsel shall be selected by the Board, and the Company shall give written notice to Indemnitee advising him of the identity of the Independent Counsel so selected.  If a Change in Control shall have occurred, the Independent Counsel shall be selected by Indemnitee (unless

 

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Indemnitee shall request that such selection be made by the Board, in which event the preceding sentence shall apply), and Indemnitee shall give written notice to the Company advising it of the identity of the Independent Counsel so selected.  In either event, Indemnitee or the Company, as the case may be, may, within ten (10) days after such written notice of selection shall have been given, deliver to the Company or to Indemnitee, as the case may be, a written objection to such selection; provided, however, that such objection may be asserted only on the ground that the Independent Counsel so selected does not meet the requirements of “Independent Counsel” as defined in Section 2 of this Agreement, and the objection shall set forth with particularity the factual basis of such assertion.  Absent a proper and timely objection, the person so selected shall act as Independent Counsel.  If such written objection is so made and substantiated, the Independent Counsel so selected may not serve as Independent Counsel unless and until such objection is withdrawn or a court has determined that such objection is without merit.  If, within twenty (20) days after submission by Indemnitee of a written request for indemnification pursuant to Section 10(a) hereof, no Independent Counsel shall have been selected and not objected to, either the Company or Indemnitee may petition a court of competent jurisdiction for resolution of any objection which shall have been made by the Company or Indemnitee to the other’s selection of Independent Counsel and/or for the appointment as Independent Counsel of a person selected by the court or by such other person as the court shall designate, and the person with respect to whom all objections are so resolved or the person so appointed shall act as Independent Counsel under Section 11(a) hereof.  Upon the due commencement of any judicial proceeding or arbitration pursuant to Section 13(a) of this Agreement, Independent Counsel shall be discharged and relieved of any further responsibility in such capacity (subject to the applicable standards of professional conduct then prevailing).

 

(c)                                Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, no determination as to entitlement to indemnification under this Agreement shall be required to be made prior to the final disposition of the Proceeding; provided that, in the absence of any such determination with respect to such Proceeding, the Company shall pay all Liabilities and advance Expenses with respect to such Proceeding as if the Company had determined the Indemnitee to be entitled to indemnification and advancement of Expenses with respect to such Proceeding.

 

Section 12.                         Presumptions and Effect of Certain Proceedings.

 

(a)                                In making a determination with respect to entitlement to indemnification hereunder, the person or persons or entity making such determination shall presume that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification under this Agreement. Anyone seeking to overcome this presumption shall have the burden of proof and the burden of persuasion by clear and convincing evidence in connection with the making by any person, persons or entity of any determination contrary to that presumption.  Neither the failure of the Company (including by its directors or Independent Counsel) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of any action pursuant to this Agreement that indemnification is proper in the circumstances because Indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct, nor an actual determination by the Company (including by its directors or Independent Counsel) that Indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall be a defense to the action or create a presumption that Indemnitee has not met the applicable standard of conduct.

 

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(b)                               If the person, persons or entity empowered or selected under Section 11 of this Agreement to determine whether Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification shall not have made a determination within sixty (60) days after receipt by the Company of the request therefor, the requisite determination of entitlement to indemnification shall be deemed to have been made and Indemnitee shall be entitled to such indemnification, absent (i) a misstatement by Indemnitee of a material fact, or an omission of a material fact necessary to make Indemnitee’s statement not materially misleading, in connection with the request for indemnification, or (ii) a prohibition of such indemnification under applicable law; provided, however, that such 60-day period may be extended for a reasonable time, not to exceed an additional thirty (30) days, if the person, persons or entity making the determination with respect to entitlement to indemnification in good faith  requires such additional time for the obtaining or evaluating of documentation and/or information relating thereto; and provided, further, that the foregoing provisions of this Section 12(b) shall not apply (i) if the determination of entitlement to indemnification is to be made by the stockholders pursuant to Section 11(a) of this Agreement and if (A) within fifteen (15) days after receipt by the Company of the request for such determination the Board has resolved to submit such determination to the stockholders for their consideration at an annual meeting thereof to be held within seventy five (75) days after such receipt and such determination is made thereat, or (B) a special meeting of stockholders is called within fifteen (15) days after such receipt for the purpose of making such determination, such meeting is held for such purpose within sixty (60) days after having been so called and such determination is made thereat, or (ii) if the determination of entitlement to indemnification is to be made by Independent Counsel pursuant to Section 11(a) of this Agreement.

 

(c)                                The termination of any Proceeding or of any claim, issue or matter therein, by judgment, order, settlement or conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not (except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement) of itself adversely affect the right of Indemnitee to indemnification or create a presumption that Indemnitee did not act in good faith and in a manner which he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company or, with respect to any criminal Proceeding, that Indemnitee had reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful. Anyone seeking to overcome this presumption shall have the burden of proof and the burden of persuasion by clear and convincing evidence.

 

(d)                              Reliance as Safe Harbor .  For purposes of any determination of good faith, Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted in good faith if Indemnitee’s action is based on the records or books of account of the Enterprise, including financial statements, or on information supplied to Indemnitee by the officers, directors, managers, employees, agents or representatives of the Enterprise in the course of their duties, or on the advice of legal counsel for the Enterprise or on information or records given or reports made to the Enterprise by an independent certified public accountant or by an appraiser or other expert selected with the reasonable care by  the Enterprise.  The provisions of this Section 12(d) shall not be deemed to be exclusive or to limit in any way the other circumstances in which the Indemnitee may be deemed to have met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in this Agreement.

 

(e)                                Actions of Others .  The knowledge and/or actions, or failure to act, of any director, officer, agent or employee of the Enterprise shall not be imputed to Indemnitee for purposes of determining the right to indemnification under this Agreement.

 

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Section 13.                         Remedies of Indemnitee.

 

(a)                                In the event that (i) a determination is made pursuant to Section 11 of this Agreement that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification under this Agreement, (ii) advancement of Expenses is not timely made pursuant to Section 9 of this Agreement, (iii) no determination of entitlement to indemnification shall have been made pursuant to Section 11(a) of this Agreement within forty-five (45) days after receipt by the Company of the request for indemnification, (iv) payment of indemnification is not made pursuant to Section 5 or 6 or the last sentence of Section 11(a) of this Agreement within ten (10) days after receipt by the Company of a written request therefor, or (v) payment of indemnification pursuant to Section 3, 4 or 7 of this Agreement is not made within ten (10) days after a determination has been made that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, Indemnitee shall be entitled to an adjudication by a court of his entitlement to such indemnification or advancement of Expenses.  Alternatively, Indemnitee, at his option, may seek an award in arbitration to be conducted by a single arbitrator pursuant to the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association.  Indemnitee shall commence such proceeding seeking an adjudication or an award in arbitration within one hundred eighty (180) days following the date on which Indemnitee first has the right to commence such proceeding pursuant to this Section 13(a); provided, however, that the foregoing clause shall not apply in respect of a proceeding brought by Indemnitee to enforce his rights under Section 5 of this Agreement.  The Company shall not oppose Indemnitee’s right to seek any such adjudication or award in arbitration.

 

(b)                               In the event that a determination shall have been made pursuant to Section 11(a) of this Agreement that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification, any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 13 shall be conducted in all respects as a de novo trial, or arbitration, on the merits and Indemnitee shall not be prejudiced by reason of that adverse determination.  In any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 13 the Company shall have the burden of proving Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification or advancement of Expenses, as the case may be.

 

(c)                                If a determination shall have been made pursuant to Section 11(a) of this Agreement that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, the Company shall be bound by such determination in any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 13, absent (i) a misstatement by Indemnitee of a material fact, or an omission of a material fact necessary to make Indemnitee’s statement not materially misleading, in connection with the request for indemnification, or (ii) a prohibition of such indemnification under applicable law.

 

(d)                              The Company shall be precluded from asserting in any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 13 that the procedures and presumptions of this Agreement are not valid, binding and enforceable and shall stipulate in any such court or before any such arbitrator that the Company is bound by all the provisions of this Agreement.

 

(e)                                The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee against any and all Expenses and, if requested by Indemnitee, shall (within ten (10) days after receipt by the Company of a written request therefore) advance such expenses to Indemnitee, which are incurred by Indemnitee in connection with any action brought by Indemnitee for indemnification or advance of Expenses from the Company under this Agreement or under any directors’ and officers’

 

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liability insurance policies maintained by the Company, regardless of whether Indemnitee ultimately is determined to be entitled to such indemnification, advancement of Expenses or insurance recovery, as the case may be.

 

Section 14.                         Non-exclusivity; Survival of Rights; Insurance; [Primacy of Indemnification;] Subrogation.

 

(a)                                The rights of indemnification and to receive advancement of Expenses as provided by this Agreement shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which Indemnitee may at any time be entitled under applicable law, the Certificate of Incorporation, the Bylaws, any agreement, a vote of stockholders or a resolution of directors, or otherwise.  No amendment, alteration or repeal of this Agreement or of any provision hereof shall limit or restrict any right of Indemnitee under this Agreement in respect of any action taken or omitted by such Indemnitee in his Corporate Status prior to such amendment, alteration or repeal.  To the extent that a change in Delaware law, whether by statute or judicial decision, permits greater indemnification or advancement of Expenses than would be afforded currently under the Bylaws and this Agreement, it is the intent of the parties hereto that Indemnitee shall enjoy by this Agreement the greater benefits so afforded by such change.  No right or remedy herein conferred is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every other right and remedy shall be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise.  The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other right or remedy.

 

(b)                               The Company shall, if commercially reasonable, obtain and maintain in effect during the entire period for which the Company is obligated to indemnify Indemnitee under this Agreement, one or more policies of insurance with reputable insurance companies to provide the directors and officers of the Company with coverage for losses from wrongful acts and omissions and to ensure the Company’s performance of its indemnification obligations under this Agreement. Indemnitee shall be covered by such policy or policies in accordance with its or their terms to the maximum extent of the coverage available for any such director, officer, employee or agent under such policy or policies.  In all such policies, Indemnitee shall be named as an insured in such a manner as to provide Indemnitee with the same rights and benefits as are accorded to the most favorably insured of the Company’s directors and officers. At the time of the receipt of a notice of a claim pursuant to the terms hereof, the Company shall give prompt notice of the commencement of such proceeding to the insurers in accordance with the procedures set forth in the respective policies.  The Company shall thereafter take all necessary or desirable action to cause such insurers to pay, on behalf of the Indemnitee, all amounts payable as a result of such proceeding in accordance with the terms of such policies.

 

(c)                                [The Company hereby acknowledges that Indemnitee has certain rights to indemnification, advancement of expenses and/or insurance provided by the ECP Stockholders and certain of the ECP Stockholders’ affiliates that, directly or indirectly, (i) are controlled by, (ii) control or (iii) are under common control with, the ECP Stockholders (collectively, the “ Fund Indemnitors ”). The Company hereby agrees (i) that it is the indemnitor of first resort (i.e., its obligations to Indemnitee are primary and any obligation of the Fund Indemnitors to advance Expenses or to provide indemnification for the same Liabilities or Expenses incurred by

 

12



 

Indemnitee is secondary), (ii) that it shall be required to advance the full amount of Expenses actually incurred by Indemnitee and shall be liable for the full amount of all Liabilities and Expenses as required by the terms of this Agreement and the Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws (or any other agreement between the Company and Indemnitee), without regard to any rights Indemnitee may have against the Fund Indemnitors, and (iii) that it irrevocably waives, relinquishes and releases the Fund Indemnitors from any and all claims against the Fund Indemnitors for contribution, subrogation or any other recovery of any kind in respect thereof. The Company further agrees that no advancement or payment by the Fund Indemnitors on behalf of Indemnitee with respect to any claim for which Indemnitee has sought indemnification from the Company shall affect the foregoing and the Fund Indemnitors shall have a right of contribution and/or be subrogated to the extent of such advancement or payment to all of the rights of recovery of Indemnitee against the Company. The Company and Indemnitee agree that the Fund Indemnitors are express third party beneficiaries of the terms of this Section 14(c).]

 

(d)                              [Except as provided in Section 14(c) above], in the event of any payment under this Agreement, the Company shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of Indemnitee [(other than against the Fund Indemnitors)], who shall execute all papers required and take all action necessary to secure such rights, including execution of such documents as are necessary to enable the Company to bring suit to enforce such rights.

 

(e)                                [Except as provided in Section 14(c) above], the Company shall not be liable under this Agreement to make any payment of amounts otherwise indemnifiable (or for which advancement is provided) hereunder if and to the extent that Indemnitee has otherwise actually received such payment under any insurance policy, contract, agreement or otherwise.

 

(f)                                 [Except as provided in Section 14(c) above], the Company’s obligation to indemnify or advance Expenses hereunder to Indemnitee who is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or agent of any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise shall be reduced by any amount Indemnitee has actually received as indemnification or advancement of expenses from such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise.

 

Section 15.                         Duration of Agreement.   This Agreement shall continue until and terminate upon the later of: (a) ten (10) years after the date that Indemnitee shall have ceased to serve in any Corporate Status or (b) one (1) year after the final termination of any Proceeding (including any rights of appeal thereto) in respect of which Indemnitee is granted rights of indemnification or advancement of Expenses hereunder and of any Proceeding commenced by Indemnitee pursuant to Section 13 of this Agreement relating thereto (including any rights of appeal thereto).  This Agreement shall be binding upon the Company and its successors and assigns and shall inure to the benefit of Indemnitee and his heirs, executors and administrators.

 

Section 16.                         Severability.   If any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable for any reason whatsoever: (a) the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement (including without limitation, each portion of any Section of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not in any way

 

13



 

be affected or impaired thereby and shall remain enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law; (b) such provision or provisions shall be deemed reformed to the extent necessary to conform to applicable law and to give the maximum effect to the intent of the parties hereto; and (c) to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitation, each portion of any Section of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifested thereby. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, this Agreement is intended to confer upon Indemnitee indemnification rights to the fullest extent permitted by applicable laws. In the event any provision hereof conflicts with any applicable law, such provision shall be deemed modified, consistent with the aforementioned intent, to the extent necessary to resolve such conflict.

 

Section 17.                         Enforcement.

 

(a)                                The Company expressly confirms and agrees that it has entered into this Agreement and assumed the obligations imposed on it hereby in order to induce Indemnitee to serve as a director or officer of the Company, and the Company acknowledges that Indemnitee is relying upon this Agreement in serving as a director or officer of the Company.

 

(b)                               Without limiting any of the rights of Indemnitee under the Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws as they may be amended from time to time, this Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, oral, written and implied, between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof.

 

Section 18.                         Modification and Waiver.   No supplement, modification, waiver or amendment of this Agreement shall be binding unless executed in writing by the parties thereto.  No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions of this Agreement nor shall any waiver constitute a continuing waiver.

 

Section 19.                         Notice by Indemnitee.   Indemnitee agrees promptly to notify the Company in writing upon being served with any summons, citation, subpoena, complaint, indictment, information or other document relating to any Proceeding or matter which may be subject to indemnification or advancement of Expenses covered hereunder.  The failure of Indemnitee to so notify the Company shall not relieve the Company of any obligation which it may have to the Indemnitee under this Agreement or otherwise.

 

Section 20.                         Notices.    All notices, requests, demands and other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given (a) if delivered by hand and receipted for by the party to whom said notice or other communication shall have been directed, (b) when sent by confirmed electronic or facsimile if sent during normal business hours of the recipient, and if not so confirmed, then, on the next business day, (c) if mailed by certified or registered mail with postage prepaid, on the third business day after the date on which it is so mailed, or (d) if sent via a nationally recognized overnight courier, specifying next day delivery, with written verification of receipt, on the next business day after the date on which it is so mailed:

 

14



 

(a)                                If to Indemnitee, at the address indicated on the signature page of this Agreement, or such other address as Indemnitee shall provide to the Company.

 

(b)                               If to the Company to

 

ProPetro Holding Corp.
1706 S. Midkiff, Bldg. B
Midland, Texas 79701

Attn: [_______________]

 

or to any other address as may have been furnished to Indemnitee by the Company.

 

Section 21.                         Contribution.   To the fullest extent permissible under applicable law, if the indemnification provided for in this Agreement is unavailable to Indemnitee for any reason whatsoever, the Company, in lieu of indemnifying Indemnitee, shall contribute to the amount incurred by Indemnitee, whether for judgments, fines, penalties, excise taxes, amounts paid or to be paid in settlement and/or for Expenses, in connection with any claim relating to an indemnifiable event under this Agreement, in such proportion as is deemed fair and reasonable in light of all of the circumstances of such Proceeding in order to reflect (i) the relative benefits received by the Company and Indemnitee as a result of the event(s) and/or transaction(s) giving cause to such Proceeding; and/or (ii) the relative fault of the Company (and its directors, officers, employees and agents) and Indemnitee in connection with such event(s) and/or transaction(s).

 

Section 22.                         Applicable Law and Consent to Jurisdiction.   This Agreement and the legal relations among the parties shall be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to its conflict of laws rules. Except with respect to any arbitration commenced by Indemnitee pursuant to Section 10(a) of this Agreement, the Company and Indemnitee hereby irrevocably and unconditionally (i) agree that any action or proceeding arising out of or in connection with this Agreement shall be brought only in the Delaware Court, and not in any other state or federal court in the United States of America or any court in any other country, (ii) consent to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Delaware Court for purposes of any action or proceeding arising out of or in connection with this Agreement, (iii) appoint, to the extent such party is not otherwise subject to service of process in the State of Delaware, irrevocably [______________] as its agent in the State of Delaware as such party’s agent for acceptance of legal process in connection with any such action or proceeding against such party with the same legal force and validity as if served upon such party personally within the State of Delaware, (iv) waive any objection to the laying of venue of any such action or proceeding in the Delaware Court, and (v) waive, and agree not to plead or to make, any claim that any such action or proceeding brought in the Delaware Court has been brought in an improper or inconvenient forum.

 

Section 23.                         Identical Counterparts.   This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same Agreement.  Only one such counterpart signed by the party against whom enforceability is sought needs to be produced to evidence the existence of this Agreement.

 

15



 

Section 24.                         Miscellaneous.   Use of the masculine pronoun shall be deemed to include usage of the feminine pronoun where appropriate.  The headings of the paragraphs of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not be deemed to constitute part of this Agreement or to affect the construction thereof.

 

[ Signature pages to follow. ]

 

16



 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be signed as of the day and year first above written.

 

 

 

PROPETRO HOLDING CORP.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

Name:

Dale Redman

 

Officer:

Chief Executive Officer

 

 

[ Signature Page to Indemnification Agreement ]

 



 

INDEMNITEE

 

 

 

By:

 

 

Name:    [  ·  ]

 

 

[ Signature Page to Indemnification Agreement ]

 




Exhibit 10.2

 

FORM OF

CREDIT AGREEMENT

 

Dated as of [               ], 2017

 

among

 

PROPETRO HOLDING CORP.,
as Holdings,

 

PROPETRO SERVICES, INC.,
as the Borrower,

 

THE SEVERAL LENDERS
FROM TIME TO TIME PARTY HERETO,

 

BARCLAYS BANK PLC,
as the Agent, the Collateral Agent, a Letter of Credit Issuer and the Swingline Lender,

 

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A. and
[                           ],
as the Co-Syndication Agents,

 

[                             ] and
[                           ],
as the Co-Documentation Agents

 

and

 

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.,
as a Letter of Credit Issuer

 

 

BARCLAYS BANK PLC and
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.,
as the Joint Lead Arrangers

 

and

 

BARCLAYS BANK PLC,
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.,
GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA,
CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) LLC and
RBC CAPITAL MARKETS LLC
1 ,
as Joint Bookrunners

 


1                                            RBC Capital Markets is a brand name for the capital markets activities of Royal Bank of Canada and its affiliates.

 



 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

 

Page

 

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE I

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DEFINITIONS

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.1

Defined Terms

 

1

1.2

Accounting Terms

 

55

1.3

Interpretive Provisions

 

56

1.4

Classification of Loans and Borrowings

 

57

1.5

[Reserved]

 

57

1.6

Rounding

 

57

1.7

Times of Day

 

57

1.8

Timing of Payment or Performance

 

57

1.9

Currency Equivalents Generally

 

57

 

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE II

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LOANS AND LETTERS OF CREDIT

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.1

Credit Facilities

 

58

2.2

Revolving Loans

 

58

2.3

Letters of Credit

 

58

2.4

Loan Administration

 

62

2.5

Reserves

 

63

2.6

Incremental Credit Extension

 

64

2.7

Extensions of Revolving Loans and Revolving Credit Commitments

 

66

2.8

Defaulting Lenders

 

68

 

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE III

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INTEREST AND FEES

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.1

Interest

 

70

3.2

Continuation and Conversion Elections

 

70

3.3

Maximum Interest Rate

 

71

3.4

Closing Fees and Other Fees

 

71

3.5

Unused Line Fee

 

72

3.6

Letter of Credit Fees

 

72

 

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE IV

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PAYMENTS AND PREPAYMENTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.1

Payments and Prepayments

 

72

4.2

Out-of-Formula Condition

 

72

4.3

Mandatory Prepayments

 

72

4.4

Termination or Reductions of Facilities

 

73

4.5

LIBOR Loan Prepayments

 

73

4.6

Payments by the Borrower

 

73

4.7

Apportionment, Application and Reversal of Payments

 

73

4.8

Indemnity for Returned Payments

 

74

4.9

Agent’s and Lenders’ Books and Records

 

74

 

- ii-



 

 

 

 

Page

 

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE V

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TAXES, YIELD PROTECTION AND ILLEGALITY

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.1

Taxes

 

75

5.2

Illegality

 

77

5.3

Increased Costs and Reduction of Return

 

77

5.4

Funding Losses

 

78

5.5

Inability to Determine Rates

 

78

5.6

Certificates of Agent

 

78

5.7

Survival

 

79

5.8

Assignment of Commitments Under Certain Circumstances

 

79

 

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE VI

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BOOKS AND RECORDS; FINANCIAL INFORMATION; NOTICES

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.1

Books and Records

 

79

6.2

Financial Information

 

79

6.3

Notices to the Agent

 

81

6.4

Collateral Reporting

 

83

 

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE VII

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GENERAL WARRANTIES AND REPRESENTATIONS

 

 

 

 

 

 

7.1

Authorization, Validity, and Enforceability of this Agreement and the Loan Documents

 

83

7.2

Validity and Priority of Security Interest

 

84

7.3

Organization and Qualification

 

84

7.4

Subsidiaries

 

84

7.5

Financial Statements and Borrowing Base Certificate

 

84

7.6

Solvency

 

85

7.7

Property

 

85

7.8

Intellectual Property

 

85

7.9

Litigation

 

85

7.10

Labor Disputes

 

85

7.11

Environmental Laws

 

85

7.12

No Violation of Law

 

86

7.13

No Default

 

86

7.14

ERISA Compliance

 

86

7.15

Taxes

 

86

7.16

Investment Company Act

 

86

7.17

Use of Proceeds

 

86

7.18

Margin Regulations

 

86

7.19

No Material Adverse Change

 

86

7.20

Full Disclosure

 

87

7.21

Government Authorization

 

87

7.22

Anti-Terrorism Laws

 

87

7.23

FCPA

 

87

7.24

Sanctioned Persons

 

87

7.25

Designation of Senior Debt

 

87

 

- iii-



 

 

 

 

Page

 

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE VIII

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AFFIRMATIVE AND NEGATIVE COVENANTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

8.1

Taxes

 

88

8.2

Legal Existence and Good Standing

 

88

8.3

Compliance with Law; Maintenance of Licenses

 

88

8.4

Maintenance of Property, Inspection; Field Examinations

 

88

8.5

Insurance

 

89

8.6

Environmental Laws

 

90

8.7

Compliance with ERISA

 

90

8.8

Dispositions

 

90

8.9

Mergers, Consolidations, etc.

 

90

8.10

Distributions

 

92

8.11

Investments

 

94

8.12

Debt

 

94

8.13

Prepayments of Debt

 

97

8.14

Transactions with Affiliates

 

97

8.15

Business Conducted

 

99

8.16

Liens

 

99

8.17

Restrictive Agreements

 

99

8.18

[Sale and Leaseback Transactions

 

100

8.19

Fiscal Year

 

100

8.20

Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio

 

101

8.21

[Reserved]

 

101

8.22

Additional Obligors; Covenant to Give Security

 

101

8.23

Cash Management; Cash Dominion

 

102

8.24

Use of Proceeds

 

103

8.25

Further Assurances

 

103

8.26

Designation of Subsidiaries

 

103

8.27

Passive Holding Company; Etc.

 

103

8.28

Amendments to Certain Documents

 

105

8.29

[Certain Post-Closing Obligations

 

105

 

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE IX

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONDITIONS OF LENDING

 

 

 

 

 

 

9.1

Conditions Precedent to Effectiveness of Agreement and Making of Loans on the Closing Date

 

105

9.2

Conditions Precedent to Each Loan

 

107

 

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE X

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DEFAULT; REMEDIES

 

 

 

 

 

 

10.1

Events of Default

 

107

10.2

Remedies

 

109

10.3

Application of Funds

 

110

10.4

Permitted Holders’ Right to Cure

 

111

 

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE XI

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TERM AND TERMINATION

 

 

 

 

 

 

11.1

Term and Termination

 

112

 

- iv-



 

 

 

 

Page

 

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE XII

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AMENDMENTS; WAIVERS; PARTICIPATIONS; ASSIGNMENTS; SUCCESSORS

 

 

 

 

 

 

12.1

Amendments and Waivers

 

112

12.2

Assignments; Participations

 

114

 

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE XIII

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE APPOINTED AGENTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

13.1

Appointment and Authorization

 

116

13.2

Delegation of Duties

 

116

13.3

Liability of Appointed Agents

 

116

13.4

Reliance by Appointed Agent

 

117

13.5

Notice of Default

 

117

13.6

Credit Decision

 

117

13.7

Indemnification

 

117

13.8

Appointed Agents in Individual Capacity

 

118

13.9

Successor Agents

 

118

13.10

Collateral Matters

 

118

13.11

Restrictions on Actions by Lenders; Sharing of Payments

 

119

13.12

Agency for Perfection

 

120

13.13

Payments by Agent to Lenders

 

120

13.14

Settlement

 

120

13.15

Letters of Credit; Intra-Lender Issues

 

122

13.16

Concerning the Collateral and the Related Loan Documents

 

124

13.17

Field Examination and Appraisal; Disclaimer by Lenders

 

124

13.18

Relation Among Lenders

 

124

13.19

Arrangers; Co-Syndication Agents; Co-Documentation Agents

 

125

13.20

The Register

 

125

13.21

Secured Cash Management Agreements and Secured Hedge Agreements

 

126

 

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE XIV

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MISCELLANEOUS

 

 

 

 

 

 

14.1

No Waivers; Cumulative Remedies

 

126

14.2

Severability

 

126

14.3

Governing Law; Choice of Forum; Service of Process

 

127

14.4

WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL

 

127

14.5

Survival of Representations and Warranties

 

127

14.6

Other Security and Guarantees

 

127

14.7

Fees and Expenses

 

128

14.8

Notices

 

128

14.9

Binding Effect

 

128

14.10

Indemnity of the Agent, the Collateral Agent and the Lenders

 

129

14.11

Limitation of Liability

 

129

14.12

Final Agreement

 

129

14.13

Counterparts; Facsimile Signatures

 

130

14.14

Captions

 

130

14.15

Right of Setoff

 

130

14.16

Confidentiality

 

130

14.17

Conflicts with Other Loan Documents

 

131

14.18

No Fiduciary Relationship

 

131

 

- v-



 

 

 

 

Page

 

 

 

 

14.19

Judgment Currency

 

131

14.20

USA PATRIOT Act

 

131

14.21

Acknowledgement and Consent to Bail-In of EEA Financial Institutions

 

132

 

EXHIBITS AND SCHEDULES

 

EXHIBIT A

FORM OF BORROWING BASE CERTIFICATE

EXHIBIT B

FORM OF NOTICE OF BORROWING

EXHIBIT C

FORM OF NOTICE OF CONTINUATION/CONVERSION

EXHIBIT D

FORM OF COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE

EXHIBIT E

FORM OF ASSIGNMENT AND ACCEPTANCE AGREEMENT

EXHIBIT F

PERFECTION CERTIFICATE

EXHIBIT G

FORM OF SOLVENCY CERTIFICATE

EXHIBIT H

FORM OF CLOSING CERTIFICATE

EXHIBIT I

FORM OF INTERCOMPANY SUBORDINATED NOTE

EXHIBIT J-1

FORM OF U.S. TAX COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE (For Foreign Lenders That Are Not Partnerships For U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)

EXHIBIT J-2

FORM OF U.S. TAX COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE (For Foreign Participants That Are Not Partnerships For U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)

EXHIBIT J-3

FORM OF U.S. TAX COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE (For Foreign Participants That Are Partnerships For U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)

EXHIBIT J-4

FORM OF U.S. TAX COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE (For Foreign Lenders That Are Partnerships For U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)

EXHIBIT K

FORM OF REVOLVING NOTE

EXHIBIT L

FORM OF INTERCREDITOR AGREEMENT

SCHEDULE 1.1

LENDERS’ COMMITMENTS

SCHEDULE 1.2

GUARANTORS

SCHEDULE 1.4

UNRESTRICTED SUBSIDIARIES

SCHEDULE 1.5

CLOSING DATE SECURITY DOCUMENTS

SCHEDULE 6.4

COLLATERAL REPORTING

SCHEDULE 7.4

SUBSIDIARIES

SCHEDULE 7.9

LITIGATION

SCHEDULE 7.11

ENVIRONMENTAL LAW

SCHEDULE 7.15

TAXES

SCHEDULE 8.11

PERMITTED INVESTMENTS

SCHEDULE 8.12

DEBT

SCHEDULE 8.14

AFFILIATE TRANSACTIONS

SCHEDULE 8.16

LIENS

SCHEDULE 8.23

DEPOSIT ACCOUNTS

SCHEDULE 8.29

CERTAIN POST-CLOSING OBLIGATIONS

 

- vi-


 

CREDIT AGREEMENT

 

CREDIT AGREEMENT , dated as of March [   ], 2017, among PROPETRO HOLDING CORP. , a [Texas] 2  corporation (“ Holdings ,” as hereinafter further defined), PROPETRO SERVICES, INC. , a Texas corporation (the “ Borrower ,” as hereinafter further defined) and the Lenders (as hereinafter defined) and Letter of Credit Issuers (as hereinafter defined) from time to time party hereto and BARCLAYS BANK PLC , as the Agent, the Collateral Agent and the Swingline Lender.

 

RECITALS:

 

WHEREAS, capitalized terms used and not defined in the preamble and these recitals shall have the respective meanings set forth for such terms in Section 1.1 hereof;

 

WHEREAS, the Borrower has requested that, immediately upon the satisfaction in full (or waiver) of the applicable conditions precedent set forth in Section 9.1 below, the Lenders and Letter of Credit Issuers extend credit to the Borrower in the form of an asset-based revolving credit facility in an initial aggregate principal amount of $150,000,000 of Revolving Credit Commitments (the “ Revolving Credit Facility ”);

 

WHEREAS, the Lenders have indicated their willingness to extend such credit and the Letter of Credit Issuers have indicated their willingness to issue Letters of Credit, in each case on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth below;

 

WHEREAS, in connection with the foregoing and as an inducement for the Lenders and the Letter of Credit Issuers to extend the credit contemplated hereunder, the Borrower has agreed to secure all of its Obligations by granting to the Collateral Agent, for the benefit of the Secured Parties, a first priority lien (such priority subject to certain Liens permitted hereunder) on substantially all of its assets (except as otherwise set forth in the definition of “Collateral and Guarantee Requirement” or in the Loan Documents), including a pledge of all of the Stock of each of its Subsidiaries (other than any Excluded Stock); and

 

WHEREAS, in connection with the foregoing and as an inducement for the Lenders and the Letter of Credit Issuers to extend the credit contemplated hereunder, each Guarantor has agreed to guarantee all of its Obligations and to secure its guarantees by granting to the Collateral Agent, for the benefit of the Secured Parties, a first priority lien (such priority subject to certain Liens permitted hereunder) on substantially all of its assets (except as otherwise set forth in the definition of “Collateral and Guarantee Requirement” or in the Loan Documents), including a pledge of all of the Stock of each of their respective Subsidiaries (other than any Excluded Stock).

 

AGREEMENT:

 

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

 

ARTICLE I

 

DEFINITIONS

 

1.1          Defined Terms .  As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings specified below unless the context otherwise requires:

 

Account Debtor ” means each Person obligated in any way on or in connection with an Account.

 

Accounts ” means, with respect to each Obligor, all of such Obligor’s now owned or hereafter acquired or arising accounts, as defined in the UCC, including any rights to payment of a monetary obligation for the sale or

 


2   NTD: It is anticipated that Holdings will be reorganized in Delaware prior to closing.

 



 

lease of goods or rendition of services, whether or not they have been earned by performance.

 

Acquired EBITDA ” means, with respect to any Acquired Entity or Business or any Converted Restricted Subsidiary for any period, the amount for such period of Consolidated EBITDA of such Acquired Entity or Business or any Converted Restricted Subsidiary (determined as if references to the Borrower and the Restricted Subsidiaries in the definition of the term “Consolidated EBITDA” were references to such Acquired Entity or Business or any Converted Restricted Subsidiary and its subsidiaries that will become Restricted Subsidiaries), all as determined on a consolidated basis for such Acquired Entity or Business or any Converted Restricted Subsidiary in accordance with GAAP.

 

Acquired Entity or Business ” has the meaning specified in the definition of the term “Consolidated EBITDA.”

 

Additional Lender ” has the meaning specified in Section 2.6(d) .

 

Adjustment Date ” means the first day of each April, July, October and January, as applicable.

 

Affiliate ” means, as to any Person, any other Person which, directly or indirectly, is in control of, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such Person.  A Person shall be deemed to control another Person if the controlling Person possesses, directly or indirectly, the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of the other Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract, or otherwise.  The terms “controlling” and “controlled” shall have meanings correlative thereto.

 

Agent ” means Barclays, in its capacity as the administrative agent for the Lenders under this Agreement, or any successor agent appointed in accordance with this Agreement and the other Loan Documents.

 

Agent Advances ” has the meaning specified in Section 2.4(g) .

 

Agent-Related Persons ” means the Agent and the Collateral Agent, together with their respective Affiliates, and the respective officers, directors, employees, agents, controlling persons, advisors and other representatives, successors and permitted assigns of the Agent and the Collateral Agent and their respective Affiliates.

 

Aggregate Revolver Outstandings ” means, at any date of determination and without duplication, the sum of (a) the unpaid principal balance of Revolving Loans, (b) one hundred percent (100%) of the aggregate undrawn face amount of all outstanding Letters of Credit and (c) the aggregate amount of any Unpaid Drawings in respect of Letters of Credit.

 

Agreement ” means this Credit Agreement.

 

Agreement Date ” means the date of this Agreement.

 

Anti-Terrorism Laws ” means the USA PATRIOT Act and any Executive Order administered by the U.S. Treasury Department Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), and other laws and regulations relating to anti-money laundering or economic sanctions, including without limitation all published economic sanctions imposed, administered or enforced from time to time by the U.S. Department of State and OFAC.

 

Applicable Entities ” has the meaning specified in Section 14.18 .

 

Applicable Margin ” means a percentage per annum equal to (a) until the end of the first full Fiscal Quarter completed after the Closing Date, (i) for LIBOR Rate Loans, 2.00%, and (ii) for Base Rate Loans, 1.00% and (b) thereafter, the following percentages per annum, based upon Average Historical Availability as of the most recent Adjustment Date:

 

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Average Historical Availability

 

Applicable Margin for
LIBOR Rate Loans

 

Applicable Margin
for Base Rate Loans

> 66.7%

 

1.75%

 

0.75%

< 66.7% but > 33.3%

 

2.00%

 

1.00%

< 33.3%

 

2.25%

 

1.25%

 

The Applicable Margin shall be adjusted quarterly in accordance with the table above on each Adjustment Date for the period beginning on such Adjustment Date based upon the Average Historical Availability as the Agent shall determine in good faith within ten (10) Business Days after such Adjustment Date (with any such change, for the avoidance of doubt, being given retroactive effect to the Adjustment Date) and the Agent shall notify the Borrower promptly after such determination.  Any increase or decrease in the Applicable Margin resulting from a change in the Average Historical Availability shall become effective on the Adjustment Date.

 

Applicable Unused Line Fee Margin ” means, for any day, a percentage per annum equal to (a) initially, 0.375% per annum and (b) following the end of the first Fiscal Quarter ending after the Closing Date, the following percentages per annum, based upon Average Revolving Loan Utilization as of the most recent Adjustment Date:

 

Average Revolving Loan Utilization

 

Applicable Unused Line Fee
Margin

< 50%

 

0.375%

> 50%

 

0.250%

 

Appointed Agents ” has the meaning specified in Section 13.1 .

 

Approved Account Bank ” means a financial institution at which any Obligor maintains an Approved Deposit Account.

 

Approved Deposit Account ” means each Deposit Account in respect of which an Obligor shall have entered into a Deposit Account Control Agreement, other than with respect to any Designated Account.

 

Approved Fund ” means any Person (other than a natural person) that is engaged in making, holding or investing in extensions of credit in its ordinary course of business and is administered or managed by a Lender, an entity that administers or manages a Lender, or an Affiliate of either.

 

Approved Securities Account ” means each Securities Account in respect of which any Obligor shall have entered into a Securities Account Control Agreement.

 

Approved Securities Intermediary ” means a securities intermediary at which any Obligor maintains an Approved Securities Account.

 

Arrangers ” means (x) Barclays and JPMorgan in their capacities as joint lead arrangers of the Revolving Credit Facility and (y) Barclays, JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and RBC Capital Markets LLC in their capacities as joint bookrunners of the Revolving Credit Facility.

 

Assignee ” has the meaning specified in Section 12.2(a) .

 

Assignment and Acceptance ” means an assignment and acceptance agreement entered into by one or more Lenders and/or Letter of Credit Issuers and Eligible Assignees (with the consent of any party whose consent is required by Section 12.2(a) ), and accepted by the Agent, in substantially the form of Exhibit E or any other form approved by the Agent.

 

Attorney Costs ” means and includes all reasonable and documented or invoiced fees, expenses and other charges of Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP and, if necessary, a single firm of local counsel in each relevant jurisdiction

 

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or otherwise retained with the Borrower’s consent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed).

 

Availability ” means, at any time (a) the lesser of (i) the Maximum Revolver Amount and (ii) the Borrowing Base, minus (b) the sum of the Aggregate Revolver Outstandings.

 

Available Equity Amount ” means, at any time (the “ Available Equity Amount Reference Time ”), an amount equal to, without duplication, (a) the amount of any capital contributions or other equity issuances (or issuances of Debt that have been converted into or exchanged for Qualified Stock) (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the initial public offering by Holdings on or around the Closing Date) received as cash equity by the Borrower and applied for usage no later than 270 days after receipt of such amounts, but excluding all proceeds from the issuance of Disqualified Stock and Cure Amounts, plus (b) the aggregate amount of all dividends, returns, interests, profits, distributions, income and similar amounts (in each case, to the extent made in cash or Cash Equivalents) received by the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary on Investments made using the Available Equity Amount during the period from and including the Business Day immediately following the Closing Date through and including the Available Equity Amount Reference Time, minus (c) the sum, without duplication, and, without taking into account the proposed portion of the Available Equity Amount calculated above to be used at the applicable Available Equity Amount Reference Time, of:

 

(i)            the aggregate amount of any Investments made by the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary using the Available Equity Amount after the Closing Date and prior to the Available Equity Amount Reference Time;

 

(ii)           the aggregate amount of any Distributions made by the Borrower using the Available Equity Amount after the Closing Date and prior to the Available Equity Amount Reference Time; and

 

(iii)          the aggregate amount expended on prepayments, purchases, redemptions, defeasements and satisfaction in respect of Junior Debt made by the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary using the Available Equity Amount after the Closing Date and prior to the Available Equity Amount Reference Time;

 

provided that during a Cash Dominion Period (A) the Available Equity Amount shall not be available to be used and (B) the period of time for use set forth in clause (a) above shall be tolled until after such Cash Dominion Period.

 

Available Equity Amount Reference Time ” has the meaning specified in the definition of “Available Equity Amount.”

 

Average Historical Availability ” means, at any Adjustment Date, the average daily Availability for the three-month period immediately preceding such Adjustment Date, divided by the Maximum Credit at such time.

 

Average Revolving Loan Utilization ” means, at any Adjustment Date, the average daily Aggregate Revolver Outstandings (excluding any Aggregate Revolver Outstandings resulting from any outstanding Swingline Loans) for the three-month period immediately preceding such Adjustment Date (or, if less, the period from the Closing Date to such Adjustment Date), divided by the Maximum Revolver Amount at such time.

 

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.

 

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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.

 

Bank Product Reserve ” means a reserve equal to the aggregate amount of Obligations in respect of any Noticed Hedge, up to the Swap Termination Value thereunder, as specified by the applicable Hedge Bank in writing to the Agent and acknowledged by the Borrower, which amount may be increased with respect to any existing Secured Hedge Agreement at any time by further written notice from such Hedge Bank to the Agent and acknowledged by the Borrower (which shall at all times include a reserve for the aggregate Swap Termination Values for all Noticed Hedges outstanding at that time).

 

Bankruptcy Code ” means Title 11 of the United State Code, as amended, or any similar federal or state law for the relief of debtors.

 

Barclays ” means Barclays Bank PLC and its successors.

 

Base Rate ” means for any day a fluctuating rate per annum equal to the highest of (a) the Federal Funds Rate (which, if negative, shall be deemed to be 0.00%) plus ½ of 1%, (b) the rate of interest quoted in the print edition of The Wall Street Journal , Money Rates Section, as the prime rate in effect from time to time and (c) LIBOR Rate for a one month interest period as determined on such day, plus 1.0%.  The “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 Agent) or any similar release by the Federal Reserve Board (as determined by the Agent).

 

Base Rate Loan ” means any Loan during any period for which it bears interest based on the Base Rate, and all Agent Advances and Swingline Loans.

 

Basel III ” means, collectively, those certain agreements on capital requirements, leverage ratios and liquidity standards contained in “Basel III:  A Global Regulatory Framework for More Resilient Banks and Banking Systems,” “Basel III:  International Framework for Liquidity Risk Measurement, Standards and Monitoring,” and “Guidance for National Authorities Operating the Countercyclical Capital Buffer,” each as published by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision in December 2010 (as revised from time to time), and as implemented by a Lender’s primary U.S. federal banking regulatory authority or primary non-U.S. financial regulatory authority, as applicable.

 

Book Value ” means book value as determined in accordance with GAAP.

 

Borrower ” means ProPetro Services, Inc. and any Successor Borrower, if applicable.

 

Borrowing ” means a borrowing hereunder consisting of Loans of one Type and Class made on the same day by Lenders to the Borrower (or by the Swingline Lender, in the case of a Borrowing consisting of Swingline Loans, or by the Agent, in the case of a Borrowing consisting of an Agent Advance, by a Letter of Credit Issuer, in the case of the issuance of a Letter of Credit hereunder).

 

Borrowing Base ” means, at any time, an amount in Dollars equal to:

 

(a)           85% of the Book Value of all Eligible Accounts of the Obligors; minus

 

(b)           the amount of all Reserves from time to time established by the Agent in accordance with Section 2.5 .

 

The initial Borrowing Base shall be as set forth in the Borrowing Base Certificate delivered on the Closing Date.

 

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The Borrowing Base at any time shall be determined by reference to the most recent Borrowing Base Certificate delivered to the Agent pursuant to Section 6.4 , as adjusted to give effect to Reserves following such delivery established pursuant to Section 2.5 .

 

Borrowing Base Certificate ” means a certificate by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower, substantially in the form of Exhibit A (or another form reasonably acceptable to the Agent) setting forth the calculation of the Borrowing Base, including a calculation of each component thereof, all in such detail as shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Agent, as adjusted pursuant to Section 2.5 of this Agreement.  All calculations of the Borrowing Base in connection with the preparation of any Borrowing Base Certificate shall originally be made by the Borrower and certified to the Agent; provided , that the Agent shall have the right to review and adjust, in the exercise of its Reasonable Credit Judgment, any such calculation to the extent that such calculation is not in accordance with this Agreement, provided , further , that the Agent shall provide the Borrower prior written notice of any such adjustment.

 

Business Day ” means (a) any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or a day on which banks in New York, New York are required or permitted to be closed, and (b) with respect to all notices, determinations, fundings and payments in connection with the LIBOR Rate or LIBOR Loans, any day that is a Business Day pursuant to clause (a)  above and that is also a day on which trading in Dollars is carried on by and between banks in the London interbank market.

 

Capital Adequacy Regulation ” means any guideline, request or directive of any central bank or other Governmental Authority, or any other Law, whether or not having the force of law, in each case, regarding capital adequacy of any bank or of any corporation controlling a bank.

 

Capital Expenditures ” means, with respect to any Person for any period, the sum of (a) the aggregate of all expenditures incurred by such Person and its consolidated Subsidiaries during such period for purchases of property, plant and equipment or similar items which, in accordance with GAAP (other than repairs in the ordinary course), are or should be included in the statement of cash flows of such Person and its consolidated Subsidiaries during such period, net of (b) proceeds received by the Borrower or its Restricted Subsidiaries from dispositions of property, plant and equipment or similar items reflected in the statement of cash flows of such Person and its consolidated Subsidiaries during such period; provided that the term “Capital Expenditures” shall not include:

 

(i)            expenditures made in connection with the replacement, substitution, restoration or repair of assets to the extent financed from insurance proceeds or compensation awards paid on account of a Casualty Event,

 

(ii)           the purchase price of equipment that is purchased simultaneously with the trade-in of existing equipment to the extent that the gross amount of such purchase price is reduced by the credit granted by the seller of such equipment for the equipment being traded in at such time,

 

(iii)          the purchase of property, plant or equipment to the extent financed with the proceeds of dispositions of assets outside the ordinary course of business,

 

(iv)          expenditures that constitute any part of consolidated lease expense to the extent relating to operating leases,

 

(v)           any expenditures made as payments of the consideration for a Permitted Acquisition (or Investments similar to those made for a Permitted Acquisition) and expenditures made in connection with the Transactions, and

 

(vi)          expenditures to the extent the Borrower or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries has received reimbursement in cash from a Person that is not an Affiliate of any of the Obligors and for which neither the Borrower nor any of its Restricted Subsidiaries has provided or is required to provide or incur, directly or indirectly, any consideration or obligation to such Person or any other Person.

 

Capital Lease ” means, as applied to any Person, all leases of property that have been or should be, in

 

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accordance with GAAP, recorded as capitalized leases on the balance sheet of such Person.

 

Capital Lease Obligation ” means, with respect to any Capital Lease of any Person, the amount of the obligation of the lessee thereunder that, in accordance with GAAP, would appear on a balance sheet of such lessee in respect of such Capital Lease.

 

Cash Dominion Period ” means (a) any period commencing from the date that Availability shall have been less than the greater of (i) 10.0% of the Maximum Credit and (ii) $12,000,000, for five (5) consecutive Business Days and ending on the date on which Availability shall have been at least the greater of (i) 10.0% of the Maximum Credit and (ii) $12,000,000 for twenty (20) consecutive calendar days or (b) upon the occurrence of a Specified Event of Default, the period that such Specified Event of Default shall be continuing.

 

Cash Equivalents ” means:

 

(1)           United States dollars or Canadian dollars;

 

(2)           (a) euro, pounds sterling or any national currency of any participating member state of the EMU or (b) other currencies held by the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries from time to time in the ordinary course of business;

 

(3)           securities issued or directly and fully and unconditionally guaranteed or insured by the U.S. federal government or any country that is a member state of the EMU or any agency or instrumentality thereof the securities of which are unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation of such government with maturities of 12 months or less from the date of acquisition;

 

(4)           certificates of deposit, time deposits and eurodollar time deposits with maturities of one year or less from the date of acquisition, bankers’ acceptances with maturities not exceeding one year and overnight bank deposits, in each case with any commercial bank having capital and surplus of not less than $100.0 million in the case of U.S. banks or other U.S. financial institutions and $100.0 million (or the U.S. dollar equivalent as of the date of determination) in the case of non-U.S. banks or other non-U.S. financial institutions;

 

(5)           repurchase obligations for underlying securities of the types described in clauses (3) and (4) entered into with any financial institution meeting the qualifications specified in clause (4) above;

 

(6)           commercial paper rated at least P-2 by Moody’s or at least A-2 by S&P and in each case maturing within 12 months after the date of creation thereof;

 

(7)           marketable short-term money market and similar securities having a rating of at least P-2 or A-2 from either Moody’s or S&P, respectively and in each case maturing within 12 months after the date of creation thereof;

 

(8)           investment funds investing 90% of their assets in securities of the types described in clauses (1) through (7) above and (9) through (12) below;

 

(9)           securities issued or directly and fully and unconditionally guaranteed by any state, commonwealth or territory of the United States or any political subdivision or taxing authority of any such state, commonwealth or territory or any public instrumentality thereof or any political subdivision or taxing authority of any such state, commonwealth or territory or any public instrumentality thereof having maturities of not more than 12 months from the date of acquisition thereof and, at the time of acquisition;

 

(10)         readily marketable direct obligations issued or directly and fully and unconditionally guaranteed by any foreign government or any political subdivision or public instrumentality thereof, in each case (other than in the case of such securities issued or guaranteed by any participating member state of the EMU) having a rating equal to or higher than Baa3 (or the equivalent) by Moody’s and BBB- (or the

 

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equivalent) by S&P with maturities of 12 months or less from the date of acquisition;

 

(11)         Debt or Preferred Stock issued by Persons with a rating of “A” or higher from S&P or “A2” or higher from Moody’s with maturities of 12 months or less from the date of acquisition; and

 

(12)         Investments with average maturities of 12 months or less from the date of acquisition in money market funds rated AAA- (or the equivalent thereof) or better by S&P or Aaa3 (or the equivalent thereof) or better by Moody’s.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, Cash Equivalents shall include amounts denominated in currencies other than those set forth in clauses (1) and (2) above, provided that such amounts are converted into any currency listed in clauses (1) and (2) as promptly as practicable and in any event within ten Business Days following the receipt of such amounts.

 

Cash Management Bank ” means any Person that was a Lender, the Agent, any Arranger or any Affiliate of the foregoing at the time it provided or incurred any Cash Management Obligations or any Person that shall have become a Lender, the Agent or an Affiliate of a Lender, the Agent at any time after it has provided or incurred any Cash Management Obligations.

 

Cash Management Document ” means any certificate, agreement or other document executed by any Obligor or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries in respect of the Cash Management Obligations of any such Person.

 

Cash Management Obligation ” means, as applied to any Person, any direct or indirect liability, contingent or otherwise, of such Person in respect of cash management or related services (including treasury, depository, return item, overdraft, controlled disbursement, credit, merchant store value or debit card, purchase card, e-payables services, electronic funds transfer, interstate depository network, automatic clearing house transfer (including the ACH processing of electronic funds transfers through the Federal Reserve Fedline system) and other cash management arrangements) provided by any Cash Management Bank, including obligations for the payment of fees, interest, charges, expenses, attorneys’ fees and disbursements in connection therewith.

 

Cash Receipts ” has the meaning specified in Section 8.23(c) .

 

Casualty Event ” means any event that gives rise to the receipt by the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary of any insurance proceeds or condemnation awards in respect of any equipment, fixed assets or Real Estate (including any improvements thereon) to replace or repair such equipment, fixed assets or Real Estate.

 

CFC ” means a “controlled foreign corporation” within the meaning of Section 957 of the Code.

 

Change in Law ” means the occurrence, after the Closing Date, of any of the following:  (a) the adoption of any law, rule, regulation or treaty, (b) any change in any law, rule, regulation or treaty or in the administration or interpretation thereof by any Governmental Authority or (c) the making or issuance of any request, rule, guideline or directive (whether or not having the force of law) by any Governmental Authority; provided that, notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, (x) the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and all requests, rules, guidelines or directives thereunder or issued in connection therewith (but solely to the extent the relevant increased costs would have been included if they had been imposed under applicable increased cost provisions) and (y) Basel III and all requests, rules, guidelines or directives thereunder or issued in connection therewith (but solely to the extent the relevant increased costs would have been included if they had been imposed under applicable increased cost provisions), shall in each case be deemed to be a “Change in Law,” regardless of the date enacted, adopted or issued.

 

Change of Control ” means and will be deemed to have occurred if:

 

(a)           any Person, entity or “group” (within the meaning of Section 13(d) or 14(d) of the Exchange Act, but excluding any employee benefit plan of such Person, entity or “group” and their respective Subsidiaries and any Person or entity acting in its capacity as trustee, agent or other fiduciary or administrator

 

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of any such plan), other than the Permitted Holders, shall at any time have acquired direct or indirect beneficial ownership (as defined in SEC Rules 13(d)-3 and 13(d)-5 under the Exchange Act) of Voting Stock with the power to elect a majority of the members of the Board of Directors of Holdings (or, for the avoidance of doubt, any New Holdings or Successor Holdings); and/or

 

(b)           the failure of Holdings (or, for the avoidance of doubt, any New Holdings or Successor Holdings), directly or indirectly through wholly owned subsidiaries, to own beneficially and of record, all of the Stock of the Borrower; and/or

 

(c)           Continuing Directors shall not constitute at least a majority of the Board of Directors of Holdings; and/or

 

(d)           a “change of control” or any comparable term under any document governing any Material Indebtedness consisting of Debt for Borrowed Money.

 

Charter Documents ” means, with respect to any Person, the certificate or articles of incorporation or organization, memoranda of association, by-laws or operating agreement, and other organizational or governing documents of such Person.

 

Chattel Paper ” means all of the Obligors’ now owned or hereafter acquired chattel paper, as defined in the UCC, including electronic chattel paper.

 

Class ” when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the Loans comprising such Borrowing, are Revolving Loans, Extended Revolving Loans (of the same Extension Series and any related swing line loans thereunder) or Swingline Loans, and, when used in reference to any Commitment, refers to whether such Commitment is a Revolving Credit Commitment, an Extended Revolving Credit Commitment (of the same Extension Series and any related swing line commitment thereunder) or a Swingline Commitment and when used in reference to any Lender, refers to whether such Lender has a Loan or Commitment of such Class.  A FILO Tranche may be treated as a separate Class of Loans or Commitments under this Agreement.

 

Closing Date ” means the later of the Agreement Date and the first date on which all of the applicable conditions set forth in Section 9.1 have been fulfilled (or waived in writing by the Agent and the Arrangers).

 

Co-Documentation Agents ” means each of JPMorgan and [               ], each in its capacity as a co-documentation agent under this Agreement.

 

Co-Syndication Agents ” means each of [             ] and [               ], each in its capacity as a co-syndication agent under this Agreement.

 

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

 

Collateral ” means the Stock of the Borrower and each directly wholly-owned Restricted Subsidiary of the Borrower or any Guarantor, all of the Obligors’ personal property, the Mortgaged Properties, if any, and all other assets of any Person, in each case from time to time subject to the Collateral Agent’s Liens securing payment or performance of any Obligations; provided , however , that at no time shall the term “Collateral” include any Excluded Assets.

 

Collateral Agent ” means Barclays, in its capacity as the collateral agent for the Secured Parties, or any successor collateral agent appointed in accordance with this Agreement and the other Loan Documents.

 

Collateral Agent’s Liens ” means the Liens on the Collateral granted to the Collateral Agent, for the benefit of the Secured Parties, pursuant to the Security Documents and securing the Obligations.

 

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Collateral and Guarantee Requirement ” means, at any time, the requirement that:

 

(a)           the Collateral Agent shall have received each Security Document required to be delivered on the Closing Date pursuant to Section 9.1(a)(ii)  or, after the Closing Date, pursuant to Sections 8.22 , 8.23 and 8.29 at such time required by such Security Documents or such section to be delivered in each case, duly executed by each Obligor thereto;

 

(b)           all Obligations shall have been unconditionally guaranteed by each Restricted Subsidiary (other than any Excluded Subsidiary) including as of the Closing Date those that are listed on Schedule 1.2 ;

 

(c)           the Obligations and the Guarantees shall have been secured pursuant to the Security Agreement by a security interest in (i) all the Stock of the Borrower and (ii) all Stock (other than Excluded Stock) held directly by the Borrower or any Guarantor in any Wholly Owned Subsidiary (and, in each case, the Collateral Agent shall have received certificates or other instruments representing all such Stock (if any), together with undated stock powers or other instruments of transfer with respect thereto endorsed in blank, if applicable);

 

(d)           except to the extent otherwise provided hereunder or under any Security Document, the Obligations and the Guarantees shall have been secured by a perfected security interest (to the extent such security interest may be perfected by (v) delivering certificated securities or instruments, (w) filing personal property financing statements, (x) making any necessary filings with the United States Patent and Trademark Office or United States Copyright Office and (y) control (to the extent required by Section 8.23 )) in substantially all tangible and intangible personal property of the Borrower and each Guarantor (including, without limitation, accounts receivable, inventory, equipment, investment property, Intellectual Property, intercompany notes, contracts, instruments, chattel paper and documents, letter of credit rights, commercial tort claims, cash, deposit accounts, securities and commodity accounts, other General Intangibles, books and records related to the foregoing and, in each case, proceeds of the foregoing), in each case to the extent, and with the priority, required by the Security Documents and in the event the Borrower incurs any secured Debt in the form of a term loan or notes pursuant to Section 8.12(q)(x) , (A) any such security interests in the Collateral shall be subject to the terms of the Intercreditor Agreement, (B) the Obligations and the Guarantees shall be secured by second-priority Mortgages on any Real Estate pledged or mortgaged to secure such Debt (solely to the extent such Real Estate is pledged as “collateral” to secure such Debt) and (C) the priority of the Collateral Agent’s security interest on the Current Asset Collateral and the Fixed Asset Collateral, respectively, shall be as set forth in the Intercreditor Agreement;

 

(e)           none of the Collateral shall be subject to any Liens other than Permitted Liens;

 

(f)            solely to the extent (i) the Borrower has incurred secured Debt in the form of a term loan or notes pursuant to Section 8.12(q)(x) and (ii)  such Real Estate is pledged as “collateral” to secure such Debt, the Collateral Agent shall have received (i) counterparts of a Mortgage with respect to any Real Estate required to be delivered pursuant to Section 8.22 (the “ Mortgaged Properties ”) duly executed and delivered by the record owner of such property, (ii) a title insurance policy for such property or the equivalent or other form (if applicable) available in each applicable jurisdiction insuring the Lien of each such Mortgage as a valid Lien on the property described therein, free of any other Liens except Permitted Liens, together with such endorsements, coinsurance and reinsurance as the Collateral Agents may reasonably request, (iii) either an existing survey together with a no change affidavit sufficient for the title insurance company to remove the standard survey exception and issue the survey related endorsements or a new ALTA survey in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Collateral Agent, (iv) existing abstracts and existing appraisals, (v) opinions addressed to the Collateral Agent and the Secured Parties from (a) local counsel in each jurisdiction where the Mortgaged Property is located with respect to the enforceability and perfection of the Mortgages and other matters customarily included in such opinions and (b) counsel for the Borrower regarding due authorization, execution and delivery of the Mortgages, in each case, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent, (vi) a “Life-of Loan” Federal Emergency Management Agency Standard Flood Hazard Determination with respect to each Mortgaged Property (together with a notice about special flood hazard area status and flood disaster assistance duly executed by the Borrower and the applicable Obligor)  and, if the area in which any improvements located on any Mortgaged

 

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Property is designated a “flood hazard area” in any Flood Insurance Rate Map published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (or any successor agency), copies of (a) the insurance policies required by Section 8.5 , (b) declaration pages relating thereto, (c) flood insurance in an amount and form that would be considered sufficient under the Flood Insurance Laws and otherwise, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent and (vii) such other documents as the Collateral Agent may reasonably request with respect to such Mortgaged Property;

 

(g)           (i) except with respect to intercompany Debt, if any, Debt for Borrowed Money in a principal amount in excess of $2,500,000 (individually) is owing to any Obligor and such Debt is evidenced by a promissory note, the Collateral Agent shall have received such promissory note, together with undated instruments of transfer with respect thereto endorsed in blank and (ii) with respect to intercompany Debt, all Debt of the Borrower and each of its Restricted Subsidiaries that is owing to any Obligor (or Person required to become an Obligor) shall be evidenced by the Subordinated Intercompany Note, and the Collateral Agent shall have received such Subordinated Intercompany Note duly executed by the Borrower, each such Restricted Subsidiary and each such other Obligor, together with undated instruments of transfer with respect thereto endorsed in blank;

 

The foregoing definition shall not require the creation or perfection of pledges of, or security interests in, or the obtaining of title insurance or surveys with respect to, particular assets if and for so long as the Agent and the Borrower agree in writing that the cost of creating or perfecting such pledges or security interests in such assets or obtaining title insurance or surveys in respect of such assets shall be excessive in view of the benefits to be obtained by the Secured Parties therefrom.

 

The Agent may grant extensions of time for the provision or perfection of security interests in, or the obtaining of title insurance and surveys with respect to, particular assets (including extensions beyond the Closing Date for the perfection of security interests in the assets of the Obligors on such date) where it reasonably determines, in consultation with the Borrower, that provision or perfection cannot be accomplished without undue effort or expense by the time or times at which it would otherwise be required by this Agreement or the Security Documents.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this definition or anything in this Agreement or any other Loan Document to the contrary, (a) with respect to leases of Real Estate entered into by any Obligor, such Obligor shall not be required to take any action with respect to creation or perfection of security interests with respect to such leases (including requirements to deliver landlord lien waivers, estoppel and collateral access letters), (b) Liens required to be granted from time to time pursuant to the Collateral and Guarantee Requirement shall be subject to exceptions and limitations set forth in the Security Documents, (c) the Collateral and Guarantee Requirement shall not apply to any of the following assets:  (i) any fee-owned Real Estate (unless, in each case, it has been pledged or mortgaged as Fixed Assets Collateral) and any leasehold interests in Real Estate; provided that no Equipment attached or affixed to or located on such Real Estate to the extent such Equipment constitutes a fixture shall be excluded from Collateral, unless such Equipment otherwise constitutes an Excluded Asset under any other subclause of this clause (c) , (ii) any governmental licenses or state or local franchises, charters or authorizations, to the extent a security interest in any such licenses, franchise, charter or authorization would be prohibited or restricted thereby (including any legally effective prohibition or restriction) after giving effect to the applicable anti-assignment clauses of the UCC and applicable Laws, other than the proceeds and receivables thereof the assignment of which is expressly deemed effective under the UCC or any similar applicable laws notwithstanding such prohibition, (iii) assets and personal property for which a pledge thereof or a security interest therein is prohibited by applicable Laws (including any legally effective requirement to obtain the consent of any Governmental Authority), (iv) Excluded Stock (other than Stock that are Excluded Stock solely as a result of having been issued by Immaterial Subsidiaries), (v) assets and personal property to the extent a security interest in such assets would result in material adverse tax consequences as reasonably determined, in writing, by the Borrower in consultation with the Agent, (vi) any intent-to-use trademark application prior to the filing and acceptance of a “Statement of Use” or “Amendment to Allege Use” with respect thereto, to the extent, if any, that, and solely during the period, if any, in which, the grant of a security interest therein would impair the validity or enforceability of such intent-to-use trademark application under applicable federal Law, (vii) any lease, license, contract or other agreements or any property (including personal property) subject to a purchase money security interest, Capital Lease Obligation or similar arrangements, in each case to the extent permitted under the Loan Documents, to the extent that a pledge thereof or a security interest therein would violate or invalidate such lease, license, contract or agreement, purchase money, Capital Lease or similar

 

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arrangement, or create a right of termination in favor of any other party thereto (other than the Borrower or a Guarantor) after giving effect to the applicable anti-assignment clauses of the UCC and applicable Laws, other than the proceeds and receivables thereof the assignment of which is expressly deemed effective under the UCC or any similar applicable Laws notwithstanding such prohibition, and (viii) any assets as to which the Agent and the Borrower reasonably agree in writing that the cost of obtaining a security interest or perfection thereof is excessive in relation to the benefit to the Lenders of the security to be afforded thereby (the assets excluded pursuant to this clause (c) , collectively, the “ Excluded Assets ”; provided that notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, Excluded Assets shall not include any proceeds, replacements or substitutions of Collateral (unless such proceeds, replacements or substitutions otherwise constitute Excluded Assets), (d) control agreements shall not be required with respect to any deposit accounts, securities accounts or commodities accounts except to the extent set forth in Section 8.23 , (e) share certificates of Immaterial Subsidiaries and non-Subsidiaries shall not be required to be delivered, (f) no perfection actions shall be required with respect to (i) motor vehicles and other Titled Goods and letter of credit rights, except to the extent perfection is accomplished solely by the filing of a UCC financing statement (it being understood that no actions shall be required to perfect a security interest in letter of credit rights, other than the filing of a UCC financing statement) and (ii) commercial tort claims with an individual value of less than $2,500,000, (g) promissory notes to the extent evidencing Debt in a principal amount less than $2,500,000, and (h) no actions in any non-U.S. jurisdiction or required by the Laws of any non-U.S. jurisdiction shall be required to be taken to create any security interests in assets located or titled outside of the U.S. or to perfect or make enforceable any security interests in any such assets (it being understood that there shall be no Security Document (or other security agreements or pledge agreements) governed under the laws of any non-U.S. jurisdiction).

 

Commitment ” means, (a) with respect to each Lender (to the extent applicable), such Lender’s Revolving Credit Commitment, Extended Revolving Credit Commitment or a Revolving Credit Commitment Increase or any combination thereof (as the context requires), (b) with respect to the applicable Swingline Lender, or swingline lender under any Extended Revolving Credit Commitments, its Swingline Commitment or swingline commitment, as applicable and (c) with respect to each Letter of Credit Issuer, such Letter of Credit Issuer’s L/C Commitment.

 

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

 

Compliance Certificate ” means a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit D or in such other form as may be reasonably satisfactory to the Agent.

 

Concentration Account ” has the meaning specified in Section 8.23(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.

 

Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization Expense ” means, with respect to any Person for any period, the total amount of depreciation and amortization expense, including the amortization of deferred financing fees or costs, debt issuance costs, commissions, fees and expenses, capitalized expenditures, customer acquisition costs and incentive payments, conversion costs and contract acquisition costs, of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period on a consolidated basis and otherwise determined in accordance with GAAP.

 

Consolidated EBITDA ” means, with respect to any Person for any period, the Consolidated Net Income of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period; plus

 

(a)           the following in each case to the extent deducted (and not added back) in computing Consolidated Net Income (other than clause (a)(10) below), but without duplication:

 

(1)           Distributions made by the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries pursuant to Section 8.10(g)(i) during such period and provision for taxes based on income or profits or capital gains, including, without limitation, foreign, federal, state, provincial, franchise, excise, value added and similar taxes and foreign withholding taxes of such Person paid or accrued during such

 

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period, including any penalties and interest relating to such taxes or arising from any tax examinations and any payments to any Parent Entity in respect of such taxes; plus

 

(2)           total interest expense and other financing expense (including breakage costs, premiums or consent fees and including the amortization of original issue discount); plus

 

(3)           Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization Expense of such Person for such period; plus

 

(4)           any fees, expenses or charges incurred in connection with any issuance of debt or equity securities, any refinancing transaction or any amendment or other modification of any debt instrument to the extent consummated in accordance with the terms of the Loan Documents including (i) such fees, expenses or charges related to the Transactions, and (ii) any amendment,  modification or waiver in connection with this Agreement or any instrument governing any other Debt; plus

 

(5)           any fees (including legal and investment banking fees), transfer or mortgage recording Taxes and other out-of-pocket costs and expenses of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries (including expenses of third parties paid or reimbursed such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries) incurred as a result of the transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents or any Disposition of Property permitted hereunder; plus

 

(6)           any fees and expenses incurred by such Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries solely in connection with any Permitted Acquisition (whether or not consummated); plus

 

(7)           any impairment charge or asset write-off pursuant to GAAP and the amortization of intangibles arising pursuant to GAAP; plus

 

(8)           payments made or accrued in such period pursuant to Section 8.14(i) ; plus

 

(9)           any losses from the early extinguishment of Debt (including Hedge Agreements or other derivative instruments); plus

 

(10)         the amount of “run rate” cost savings, operating expense reductions and other synergies (x) projected by the Borrower in good faith to be realized as a result of specified actions taken, actions with respect to which substantial steps have been taken or actions that are expected to be taken (which cost savings, operating expense reductions or synergies shall be calculated on a Pro Forma Basis as though such cost savings, operating expense reductions or synergies had been realized on the first day of the applicable Test Period), net of the amount of actual benefits realized during such period from such actions; provided that (A) such cost savings, operating expense reductions or synergies are reasonably identifiable and factually supportable, (B) such cost savings, operating expense reductions or synergies do not exceed, when combined with the amount of any Pro Forma Adjustment made pursuant to clause (d) below, 20% of Consolidated EBITDA for such Test Period (prior to giving effect to any increase in Consolidated EBITDA pursuant to this clause (10) or clause (d) below) and (C) such actions have been taken, such actions with respect to which substantial steps have been taken or such actions are expected to be taken within twelve (12) months after the date of determination to take such action; provided , further , that the adjustments pursuant to this clause (10) may be incremental to (but not duplicative of) Pro Forma Adjustments made pursuant to clause (d) below; or (y) that would be permitted to be included in pro forma financial statements prepared in accordance with Regulation S-X under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended; plus

 

(11)         any non-cash compensation expense recorded from grants of stock appreciation or similar rights, stock options, restricted stock or other rights to officers, directors or employees; plus

 

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(12)         any non-cash losses or charges, including any write offs, write downs, expenses, losses or items for such period decreasing Consolidated Net Income for such period; plus

 

(13)         proceeds from property or business interruption insurance received or reasonably expected to be received (to the extent not reflected as revenue or income in Consolidated Net Income and to the extent that the related loss was deducted in the determination of Consolidated Net Income); plus

 

(14)         all Restructuring Costs and any other extraordinary, unusual or non-recurring expenses, losses or charges incurred; plus

 

(15)         any non-cash loss attributable to the mark-to-market movement in the valuation of Hedge Agreements (to the extent the cash impact resulting from such loss has not been realized) or other derivative instruments pursuant to GAAP;

 

minus

 

(b)           the sum of the amounts for such period, solely to the extent included in Consolidated Net Income, without duplication,

 

(1)           any non-cash gain increasing Consolidated Net Income of such Person for such period, other than the accrual of revenues in the ordinary course of business,

 

(2)           any non-cash gain attributable to the mark-to-market movement in the valuation of Hedge Agreements (to the extent the cash impact resulting from such gain has not been realized) or other derivate instruments pursuant to GAAP;

 

(3)           any gains from the early extinguishment of Debt (including Hedge Agreements or other derivative instruments);  and

 

(4)           any extraordinary, unusual or non-recurring gains increasing Consolidated Net Income for such period;

 

provided that, to the extent non-cash gains are deducted pursuant to this clause (b) for any previous period and not otherwise added back to Consolidated EBITDA, Consolidated EBITDA shall be increased by the amount of any cash receipts (or any netting arrangements resulting in reduced cash expenses) in respect of such non-cash gains received in subsequent periods to the extent not already included therein;

 

plus or minus, as applicable, without duplication

 

(c)           any net gain or loss resulting in such period from currency translation gains or losses related to currency remeasurements of Debt, intercompany balances and other balance sheet items, plus or minus, as the case may be; and

 

plus

 

(d)           in accordance with the definition of “Pro Forma Basis,” an adjustment equal to the amount, without duplication of any amount otherwise included in any other clause of the definition of “Consolidated EBITDA,” of the Pro Forma Adjustment shall be added to (or subtracted from) Consolidated EBITDA (including the portion thereof occurring prior to the relevant Specified Transaction and/or Specified Restructuring) as specified in a certificate from a Responsible Officer of the Borrower delivered to the Agent (for further delivery to the Lenders),

 

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in each case, as determined on a consolidated basis for Holdings, the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries in accordance with GAAP; provided that,

 

(i)            there shall be included in determining Consolidated EBITDA for any period, without duplication, the Acquired EBITDA of any Person, property, business or asset acquired by the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary during such period (other than any Unrestricted Subsidiary) to the extent not subsequently sold, transferred or otherwise Disposed of during such period (but not including the Acquired EBITDA of any related Person, property, business or assets to the extent not so acquired) (each such Person, property, business or asset acquired, including pursuant to the Transactions or pursuant to a transaction consummated prior to the Closing Date, and not subsequently so Disposed of, an “ Acquired Entity or Business ”), and the Acquired EBITDA of any Unrestricted Subsidiary that is converted into a Restricted Subsidiary during such period (each, a “ Converted Restricted Subsidiary ”), in each case based on the Acquired EBITDA of such Acquired Entity or Business or any Converted Restricted Subsidiary for such period (including the portion thereof occurring prior to such acquisition or conversion) determined on a historical Pro Forma Basis; and

 

(ii)           there shall be excluded in determining Consolidated EBITDA for any period the Disposed EBITDA of any Person, property, business or asset sold, transferred or otherwise Disposed of, closed or classified as discontinued operations by Holdings, the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary to the extent not subsequently reacquired, reclassified or continued, in each case, during such period (each such Person (other than an Unrestricted Subsidiary), property, business or asset so sold, transferred or otherwise Disposed of, closed or classified, a “ Sold Entity or Business ”), and the Disposed EBITDA of any Restricted Subsidiary that is converted into an Unrestricted Subsidiary during such period (each, a “ Converted Unrestricted Subsidiary ”), in each case based on the Disposed EBITDA of such Sold Entity or Business or Converted Unrestricted Subsidiary for such period (including the portion thereof occurring prior to such sale, transfer, disposition, closure, classification or conversion) determined on a historical Pro Forma Basis.

 

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein and subject to adjustments as provided in clauses (i) and (ii) of the immediately preceding proviso with respect to acquisitions and dispositions occurring prior to, on and following the Closing Date and other adjustments as contemplated in the definitions of “Pro Forma Basis” and “Pro Forma Effect”, including as provided under clause (a)(10) above or [clause (d)] above or in the definition of “Pro Forma Adjustment”, Consolidated EBITDA shall be deemed to be, $[  ·  ], $[  ·  ] and $[  ·  ], respectively, for the Fiscal Quarters ended June 30, 2016, September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2016.

 

Consolidated Interest Expense ” means cash interest expense (including that attributable to Capital Leases), net of cash interest income of Holdings, the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries with respect to all outstanding Debt of Holdings, the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries, including all commissions, discounts and other fees and charges owed with respect to letters of credit and bankers’ acceptance financing and net cash costs (less net cash payments) under Hedge Agreements, but excluding, for the avoidance of doubt:

 

(a)           capitalized interest whether paid or accrued and the amortization of original issue discount resulting from the issuance of Debt at less than par;

 

(b)           amortization of deferred financing costs, debt issuance costs, commissions, fees and expenses;

 

(c)           any expenses resulting from discounting of Debt in connection with the application of recapitalization accounting or purchase accounting;

 

(d)           penalties or interest related to taxes and any other amounts of non-cash interest resulting from the effects of acquisition method accounting or pushdown accounting;

 

(e)           the accretion or accrual of, or accrued interest on, discounted liabilities during such period;

 

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(f)            non-cash interest expense attributable to the movement of the mark-to-market valuation of obligations under Hedge Agreements or other derivative instruments pursuant to FASB Accounting Standards Codification No. 815-Derivatives and Hedging;

 

(g)          any one-time cash costs associated with breakage in respect of Hedge Agreements for interest rates;

 

(h)          all non-recurring interest expense consisting of liquidated damages for failure to timely comply with registration rights obligations;

 

(i)           expensing of bridge, arrangement, structuring, commitment or other financing fees; and

 

(j)           any other non-cash interest expense,

 

all calculated on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.

 

Consolidated Net Income ” means, with respect to any Person for any period, without duplication, the aggregate of (a) the Net Income, attributable to such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period, on a consolidated basis, and otherwise determined in accordance with GAAP (adjusted to exclude the equity interests in any Unrestricted Subsidiary owned by such Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries); plus (b) the amount of distributions received in Cash by such Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries from any Subsidiary (including any Unrestricted Subsidiary) for such period, to the extent not already included in clause (a) above minus (c) (i) the cumulative effect of a change in accounting principles and changes as a result of the adoption or modification of accounting policies during such period, (ii) the income (or loss) of any Person (other than a Restricted Subsidiary of such Person) in which any other Person (other than such Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries) has a joint interest, except to the extent of the amount of dividends or other distributions actually paid to such Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries by such Person during such period, (iii) the income (or loss) of any Person accrued prior to the date it becomes a Restricted Subsidiary of such Person or is merged into or consolidated with such Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or that Person’s assets are acquired by such Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (except as may be required in connection with the calculation of a covenant or test on a pro forma basis), (iv) the income of any Restricted Subsidiary of such Person to the extent that the declaration or payment of dividends or similar distributions by that Restricted Subsidiary of that income is not at the time permitted by operation of the terms of its charter or any agreement, instrument, judgment, decree, order, statute, rule or governmental regulation applicable to that Restricted Subsidiary, (v) any after-Tax gains or losses attributable to Dispositions of Property permitted under this Agreement, in each case other than in the ordinary course of business (as determined in good faith by the Borrower) or returned surplus assets of any Pension Plan, (vi) any net after-Tax gains or losses from disposed, abandoned, transferred, closed or discontinued operations and any net after-Tax gains or losses on disposal of disposed, abandoned, transferred, closed or discontinued operations, (vii) any losses and expenses with respect to liability or casualty events to the extent covered by insurance or indemnification and actually reimbursed or so long as the Borrower has made a determination that there exists reasonable evidence that such amount will in fact be reimbursed by the insurer or indemnifying party and only to the extent that such amount is (a) not denied by the applicable carrier or indemnifying party in writing within 180 days and (b) in fact reimbursed within 365 days of the date of such evidence (with a deduction for any amount so added back to the extent not so reimbursed within 365 days) and (viii) (to the extent not included in sub-clauses (i) through (vii) above) any net extraordinary gains or net extraordinary losses.

 

In addition, to the extent not already accounted for in the Consolidated Net Income of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the foregoing, Consolidated Net Income shall include (without duplication) (i) the amount of proceeds received during such period from business interruption insurance in respect of insured claims for such period, (ii) the amount of proceeds as to which the Borrower has determined there is reasonable evidence it will be reimbursed by the insurer in respect of such period from business interruption insurance (with a deduction for any amounts so added back to the extent denied by the applicable carrier in writing within 180 days or not so reimbursed within 365 days) and (iii) reimbursements received of any expenses and charges that are covered by indemnification or other reimbursement provisions in connection with any Permitted Investment or any sale, conveyance, transfer or other disposition of assets permitted hereunder.

 

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Consolidated Parties ” means Holdings, the Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries whose financial statements are consolidated with the Borrower’s financial statements in accordance with GAAP.

 

Consolidated Total Assets ” means, as of any date of determination, the total amount of all assets of Holdings, the Borrower and the Restricted Subsidiaries, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP as of such date.

 

Consolidated Total Debt ” means, as of any date of determination, (a) the aggregate principal amount of indebtedness of Holdings, the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries outstanding on such date, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP (but excluding the effects of any discounting of indebtedness resulting from the application of purchase accounting in connection with the Transactions, any Permitted Acquisition or Investments similar to those made for Permitted Acquisitions), consisting of Debt for Borrowed Money, Unpaid Drawings, Capital Lease Obligations and third party debt obligations evidenced by promissory notes or similar instruments, minus (b) the aggregate amount of domestic cash and Cash Equivalents on the consolidated balance sheet of Holdings, the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries on such date, excluding cash and Cash Equivalents that are listed as “restricted” on the consolidated balance sheet of Holdings, the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries as of such date. It is understood that to the extent the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary incurs any Debt and receives the proceeds of such Debt, for purposes of determining any incurrence test under this Agreement and whether the Borrower is in compliance on a Pro Forma Basis with any such test, the proceeds of such incurrence shall not be considered cash or Cash Equivalents for purposes of any “netting” pursuant to clause (b)  of this definition.

 

Contaminant ” means any waste, pollutant, hazardous substance, toxic substance, hazardous waste, special waste, petroleum or petroleum-derived substance or waste, friable asbestos, polychlorinated biphenyls (“ PCBs ”), or any other substance, waste or material regulated under Environmental Law.

 

Continuation/Conversion Date ” means the date on which a Loan is converted into or continued as a LIBOR Loan.

 

Continuing Director ” means, at any date, an individual (a) who is a member of the Board of Directors of Holdings on the Closing Date, (b) who, as at such date, has been a member of such Board of Directors for at least the 12 preceding months, (c) who has been nominated or designated to be a member of such Board of Directors, directly or indirectly, by the Permitted Holders or Persons nominated or designated by the Permitted Holders or (d) who has been nominated or designated to be, or designated as, a member of such Board of Directors by a majority of the other Continuing Directors then in office.

 

Converted Restricted Subsidiary ” has the meaning specified in the definition of “Consolidated EBITDA.”

 

Converted Unrestricted Subsidiary ” has the meaning specified in the definition of “Consolidated EBITDA.”

 

Corrective Extension Agreement ” has the meaning specified in Section 2.7(e) .

 

Covenant Trigger Period ” means any period (a) commencing on the date upon which Availability is less than the greater of (i) 10.0% of the Maximum Credit and (ii) $12,000,000 and (b) ending on the date upon which Availability shall have been at least equal to the greater of (i) 10.0% of the Maximum Credit and (ii) $12,000,000 for a period of thirty (30) consecutive calendar days.

 

Credit Card Accounts Receivables ” means each “payment intangible” (as defined in the UCC) together with all income, payments and proceeds thereof, owed by a Credit Card Issuer or Credit Card Processor to an Obligor resulting from charges by a customer of an Obligor on credit or debit cards issued by such Credit Card Issuer in connection with the sale of Inventory by an Obligor, or services performed by an Obligor, in each case in the ordinary course of its business.

 

Credit Card Issuer ” shall mean any person who issues or whose members issue credit or debit cards, including, without limitation, MasterCard or VISA bank credit or debit cards or other bank credit or debit cards issued

 

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through MasterCard International, Inc., Visa, U.S.A., Inc. or Visa International and American Express, Discover, Diners Club, Carte Blanche and other non-bank credit or debit cards, including, without limitation, credit or debit cards issued by or through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc., and Novus Services, Inc. and other issuers approved by the Collateral Agent.

 

Credit Card Processor ” shall mean any servicing or processing agent or any factor or financial intermediary who facilitates, services, processes or manages the credit authorization, billing transfer and/or payment procedures with respect to any Obligor’s sales transactions involving credit card or debit card purchases by customers using credit cards or debit cards issued by any Credit Card Issuer.

 

Cure Amount has the meaning specified in Section 10.4(a) .

 

Cure Deadline has the meaning specified in Section 10.4(a) .

 

Cure Right has the meaning specified in Section 10.4(a) .

 

Current Asset Collateral ” means (i) Accounts and Chattel Paper (in each case, other than to the extent constituting identifiable proceeds of Fixed Asset Collateral), and Credit Card Accounts Receivables; (ii) Deposit Accounts (and all balances, cash, checks and other negotiable instruments, funds and other evidences of payment held therein) and Securities Accounts (and all balances, cash, checks, securities, securities entitlements, financial assets and instruments (whether negotiable or otherwise), funds and other evidences of payment held therein), other than a Deposit Account or Securities Account containing exclusively identifiable proceeds of Fixed Asset Collateral; (iii) all Inventory; (iv) to the extent evidencing, governing, securing or otherwise reasonably related to any of the foregoing assets described in clauses (i) through (iii), all Documents, General Intangibles, Instruments, Investment Property (other than equity interests in Subsidiaries), Commercial Tort Claims, Letters of Credit, Letter-of-Credit Rights and Supporting Obligations; provided , however, that to the extent any of the foregoing also evidence, govern, secure or otherwise reasonably relate to any Fixed Asset Collateral only that portion that evidences, governs, secures or primarily relates to Current Asset Collateral shall constitute Current Asset Collateral; provided , further , that the foregoing shall not include any Intellectual Property; (v) all books, records and documents related to the foregoing (including databases, customer lists and other records, whether tangible or electronic, which contain any information relating to any of the foregoing); and (vi) all Proceeds and products of any or all of the foregoing in whatever form received, including proceeds of business interruption and other insurance and claims against third parties.  For purposes of this definition, capitalized terms used but not defined elsewhere in this Agreement shall have the meanings set forth in Articles 8 or 9 of the UCC.

 

Debt ” means, without duplication, all

 

(a)           indebtedness for borrowed money (excluding any obligations arising from warranties as to inventory in the ordinary course of business) and all obligations evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes, loan agreements or other similar instruments;

 

(b)           the deferred purchase price of property or services (other than trade accounts payable, liabilities or accrued expenses in the ordinary course of business) to the extent the same would be required to be shown as a long-term liability on a balance sheet prepared in accordance with GAAP;

 

(c)           all obligations and liabilities of any Person secured by any Lien on an Obligor’s or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries’ property, even if such Obligor or Restricted Subsidiary shall not have assumed or become liable for the payment thereof; provided , however , that all such obligations and liabilities which are limited in recourse to such property shall be included in Debt only to the extent of the book value of such property as would be shown on a balance sheet of the Consolidated Parties prepared in accordance with GAAP or, if higher, the Fair Market Value of such property;

 

(d)           all obligations or liabilities created or arising under any Capital Lease or conditional sale or other title retention agreement with respect to property used or acquired by a Borrower or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, even if the rights and remedies of the lessor, seller or lender thereunder are limited to

 

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repossession of such property; provided , however , that all such obligations and liabilities which are limited in recourse to such property shall be included in Debt only to the extent of the book value of such property as would be shown on a balance sheet of the Consolidated Parties prepared in accordance with GAAP or, if higher, the Fair Market Value of such property;

 

(e)           the present value (discounted at the Base Rate) of lease payments due under synthetic leases;

 

(f)            the maximum amount (after giving effect to any prior drawings or reductions which may have been reimbursed) of all letters of credit (including standby and commercial), banker’s acceptances, bank guaranties, surety bonds, performance bonds and similar instruments issued or created by or for the account of such Person;

 

(g)           all net obligations of any Person in respect of Hedge Agreements;

 

(h)           all obligations of such Person in respect of Disqualified Stock; and

 

(i)            all obligations and liabilities under Guaranties in respect of obligations of the type described in any of clauses (a)  through (g)  above;

 

provided that Debt shall not include (i) prepaid or deferred revenue arising in the ordinary course of business, (ii) purchase price holdbacks in respect of Permitted Acquisitions (or Investments similar to Permitted Acquisitions) arising in the ordinary course of business in respect of a portion of the purchase prices of an asset to satisfy unperformed obligations of the seller of such asset or (iii) earn out obligations in connection with a Permitted Acquisition (or an Investment similar to a Permitted Acquisition) unless such obligations become a liability on the balance sheet of such Person in accordance with GAAP and are not paid after becoming due and payable and (iv) Guaranties incurred (other than with respect to Debt) in the ordinary course of business.

 

For all purposes hereof, the Debt of any Person shall (A) include the Debt of any partnership or joint venture (other than a joint venture that is itself a corporation or limited liability company) in which such Person is a general partner or a joint venturer, except to the extent such Person’s liability for such Debt is otherwise limited and only to the extent such Debt would be included in the calculation of Consolidated Total Debt and (B) in the case of Holdings, the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries, exclude all intercompany Debt having a term not exceeding 364 days (inclusive of any roll-over or extensions of terms) and made in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice.  The amount of any net obligation under any Hedge Agreement on any date shall be deemed to be the Swap Termination Value thereof as of such date.

 

Debt for Borrowed Money ” of any Person at any time means, on a consolidated basis, the sum of all debt for borrowed money of such Person at such time.

 

Default ” means any event or circumstance which, with the giving of notice, the lapse of time, or both, would (if not cured, waived, or otherwise remedied during such time) constitute an Event of Default.

 

Default Rate ” means a fluctuating per annum interest rate at all times equal to the sum of (a) the otherwise applicable Interest Rate plus (b) two percent (2.00%) per annum.  Each Default Rate shall be adjusted simultaneously with any change in the applicable Interest Rate.

 

Defaulting Lender ” means any Lender whose acts or failure to act, whether directly or indirectly, cause it to meet any part of the definition of “Lender Default.”

 

Deposit Account Control Agreement ” has the meaning specified in Section 8.23(a) .

 

Deposit Accounts ” means all “deposit accounts” as such term is defined in the UCC and all accounts with a deposit function maintained at a financial institution, now or hereafter held in the name of the Borrower or any Guarantor.

 

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Designated Account ” has the meaning specified in Section 2.4(b) .

 

Designated Non-Cash Consideration ” means the Fair Market Value of non-cash consideration received by the Borrower or its Restricted Subsidiaries in connection with a Disposition pursuant to clause (t)  of the definition of “Permitted Dispositions” that is designated as “Designated Non-Cash Consideration” pursuant to a certificate of a Responsible Officer of the Borrower delivered to the Agent, setting forth the basis of such valuation (which amount will be reduced by (i) the Fair Market Value of the portion of the non-cash consideration converted to cash within 180 days following the consummation of the applicable Disposition and (ii) the amount of Cash Equivalents received in connection with a subsequent sale of such Designated Non-Cash Consideration).

 

Disposed EBITDA ” means, with respect to any Sold Entity or Business or any Converted Unrestricted Subsidiary for any period, the amount for such period of Consolidated EBITDA of such Sold Entity or Business or such Converted Unrestricted Subsidiary (determined as if references to the Borrower and the Restricted Subsidiaries in the definition of the term “Consolidated EBITDA” (and in the component financial definitions used therein) were references to such Sold Entity or Business and its Subsidiaries or to such Converted Unrestricted Subsidiary and its Subsidiaries), all as determined on a consolidated basis for such Sold Entity or Business or such Converted Unrestricted Subsidiary.

 

Disposition ” or “ Dispose ” means the sale, lease, assignment, transfer or other disposition (including any transaction contemplated by Section 8.18 and any sale of Stock) of any property by any Person; provided that “Disposition” and “Dispose” shall not be deemed to include any Casualty Event or any issuance by Holdings (or any Parent Entity) of any of its Stock to another Person.

 

Disqualified Lenders ” means (a) such Persons that have been specified in writing to the Agent and the Arrangers (i) on or prior to the Closing Date or (ii) after the Closing Date with the consent of the Agent as being “Disqualified Lenders,” (b) those Persons who are competitors of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries that are separately identified in writing by the Borrower from time to time to the Agent and (c) in the case of each of clauses (a)  and (b) , any of their Affiliates (which, for the avoidance of doubt, shall not include any bona fide debt investment funds that are affiliates of the Persons referenced in clause (b) above) that are either (i) identified in writing to the Agent by the Borrower from time to time or (ii) readily identifiable solely on the basis of such Affiliate’s name; provided that no such updates to the list shall be deemed to retroactively disqualify any parties that have previously acquired an assignment or participation interest in respect of Loans from continuing to hold or vote such previously acquired assignments and participations on the terms set forth herein for Lenders that are not Disqualified Lenders.

 

Disqualified Stock ” means that portion of any Stock which, by its terms (or by the terms of any security into which it is convertible or for which it is exchangeable at the option of the holder thereof), or upon the happening of any event (other than an event which would constitute a Change of Control or as a result of a Disposition of assets or Casualty Event), matures (excluding any maturity as the result of an optional redemption by the issuer thereof) or is mandatorily redeemable, pursuant to a sinking fund obligation or otherwise, or is redeemable at the sole option of the holder thereof (except, in each case, upon the occurrence of a Change of Control or as a result of a Disposition of assets or Casualty Event) on or prior to the six-month anniversary of the Stated Termination Date; provided that, if such Stock is issued pursuant to any plan for the benefit of employees of Holdings (or any Parent Entity thereof), the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or by any such plan to such employees, such Stock shall not constitute Disqualified Stock solely because it may be required to be repurchased by Holdings (or any Parent Entity thereof), the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in order to satisfy applicable statutory or regulatory obligations.

 

Distressed Person ” has the meaning specified in the definition of “Lender-Related Distress Event.”

 

Distribution ” means (a) the payment or making of any dividend or other distribution of property in respect of Stock or other Stock (or any options or warrants for, or other rights with respect to, such stock or other Stock) of any Person, other than distributions in Stock or other Stock (or any options or warrants for such stock or other Stock) of any class other than Disqualified Stock, or (b) the direct or indirect redemption or other acquisition by any Person of any Stock or other Stock (or any options or warrants for such stock or other Stock) of such Person or any direct or indirect shareholder or other equity holder of such Person.

 

Documents ” means all “documents” as such term is defined in the UCC, including bills of lading, warehouse

 

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receipts or other documents of title, now owned or hereafter acquired by any Obligor.

 

DOL ” means the United States Department of Labor or any successor department or agency.

 

Dollar ” and “ $ ” mean dollars in the lawful currency of the United States.  Unless otherwise specified, all payments under this Agreement shall be made in Dollars.

 

Domestic Subsidiary ” means any Subsidiary of the Borrower that is organized under the laws of the United States, any State of the United States or the District of Columbia.

 

EEA Financial Institution ” means (a) any credit institution or investment firm established in any EEA Member Country which is subject to the supervision of an EEA Resolution Authority, (b) any entity established in an EEA Member Country which is a parent of an institution described in clause (a) of this definition, or (c) any financial institution established in an EEA Member Country which is a subsidiary of an institution described in clauses (a) or (b) of this definition and is subject to consolidated supervision with its parent.

 

EEA Member Country ” means any member state 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 degree) having responsibility for the resolution of any EEA Financial Institution.

 

Eligible Accounts ” means, as of any date of determination, the aggregate amount of all Accounts created by the Obligors in the ordinary course of the Obligors’ business, and in any event including rights to payment, that arise out of each Obligor’s sale of goods or rendition of services or the lease or rental of goods by such Obligor, that comply with each of the representations and warranties respecting Eligible Accounts made in the Loan Documents, and that are not excluded as ineligible by virtue of one or more of the excluding criteria set forth below.  In determining the amount to be included, Eligible Accounts shall be calculated net of customer deposits, finance charges, and unapplied cash.  Eligible Accounts shall not include the following:

 

(a)           Accounts that are past due for more than 60 days or that the Account Debtor has failed to pay within 90 days of original invoice date,

 

(b)           Accounts owed by an Account Debtor (or its Affiliates) where 50% or more of all Accounts owed by that Account Debtor (or its Affiliates) are deemed ineligible under clause (a) above,

 

(c)           Accounts with respect to which the Account Debtor is an Affiliate of an Obligor or an employee or agent of Borrower or any Affiliate of Borrower, except for an Account Debtor that is a portfolio company owned by Sponsor; provided that (i) such Account is on arm’s-length terms and arises in the ordinary course of business of such Obligor and such Affiliate and is administered in accordance with the customary collection and credit policies of Borrower and (ii) the aggregate amount of all such Accounts included in the calculation of Eligible Accounts shall not exceed 10% of the Eligible Accounts,

 

(d)           Accounts arising in a transaction wherein goods are placed on consignment or are sold pursuant to a guaranteed sale, a sale or return, a sale on approval, a bill and hold, or any other terms by reason of which the payment by the Account Debtor may be conditional,

 

(e)           Accounts that are not payable in Dollars,

 

(f)            Accounts with respect to which the Account Debtor either (i) does not maintain its chief executive office in the United States, or (ii) is not organized under the laws of the United States or any state or territory thereof, or (iii) is the government of any foreign country or sovereign state, or of any state, province, municipality, or other political subdivision thereof, or of any department, agency, public corporation, or other instrumentality thereof, unless (A) the Account is supported by an irrevocable letter of credit

 

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reasonably satisfactory to the Agent (as to form, substance, and issuer or domestic confirming bank) that has been delivered to the Agent and is directly drawable by the Agent, or (B) the Account is covered by credit insurance in form, substance, and amount, and by an insurer, reasonably satisfactory to the Agent,

 

(g)           Accounts with respect to which the Account Debtor is (i) the United States or any department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States (exclusive, however, of Accounts with respect to which the Obligors have complied, to the reasonable satisfaction of the Agent, with the Assignment of Claims Act, 31 USC §3727) or (ii) any State (or political subdivision) of the United States,

 

(h)           Accounts with respect to which the Account Debtor is a creditor of Borrower, has or has asserted a right of setoff, or has disputed its obligation to pay all or any portion of the Account, to the extent of such claim, right of setoff, or dispute,

 

(i)            Accounts with respect to an Account Debtor whose total obligations owing to Borrower exceed 25% (such percentage, as applied to a particular Account Debtor, being subject to reduction by the Agent in its Reasonable Credit Judgment if the creditworthiness of such Account Debtor deteriorates) of all Eligible Accounts, to the extent of the obligations owing by such Account Debtor in excess of such percentage,

 

(j)            Accounts with respect to which the Account Debtor is subject to an Insolvency Proceeding, is not Solvent, has gone out of business, or as to which Borrower has received notice of an imminent Insolvency Proceeding or a material impairment of the financial condition of such Account Debtor,

 

(k)           Accounts, the collection of which, the Agent, in its Reasonable Credit Judgment, believes to be doubtful by reason of the Account Debtor’s financial condition,

 

(l)            Accounts that are not subject to a first priority perfected Lien in favor of the Collateral Agent,

 

(m)          Accounts that are subject to a Lien other than the Lien of the Collateral Agent (except for Permitted Liens that do not have priority over the Lien in favor of the Collateral Agent),

 

(n)           Accounts with respect to which (i) the goods giving rise to such Account have not been shipped and billed to the Account Debtor, or (ii) the services giving rise to such Account have not been performed and billed to the Account Debtor,

 

(o)           Accounts with respect to which the Account Debtor is a Sanctioned Person or Sanctioned Entity,

 

(p)           Accounts that represent the right to receive progress payments or other advance billings that are due prior to the completion of performance by Borrower of the subject contract for goods or services,

 

(q)           Accounts with respect to which the Account Debtor’s obligation does not constitute its legal, valid and binding obligation, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, except as enforcement may be limited by equitable principles or by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, or similar laws relating to or limiting creditors’ rights generally, and

 

(r)            Accounts owned or generated by any Person or business which is acquired by an Obligor in connection with a Permitted Acquisition (or similar Investment), until such time as the Agent has either (i) completed a customary due diligence investigation as to such Accounts and such Person, which investigation may, at the discretion of the Agent, include a Field Examination and must be commenced no later than 15 days after a request by the Borrower is made to so undertake such investigation to the Agent and completed no later than 30 days after such commencement, and the Agent are satisfied with the results thereof in its Reasonable Credit Judgment or (ii) determined that such a due diligence investigation is not

 

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necessary, except, that, up to $5,000,000 of such Accounts that are otherwise Eligible Accounts may be considered Eligible Accounts.

 

Eligible Assignee ” means (a) a commercial bank, commercial finance company or other asset based lender, having total assets in excess of $2,000,000,000 and that extends credit or buys commercial loans in the ordinary course of business; (b) any Lender listed on the signature page of this Agreement; (c) any Affiliate of any Lender and (d) any Approved Fund; provided , that, in any event, “Eligible Assignee” shall not include (i) any natural Person, (ii) Holdings or the Borrower or any Affiliate thereof, or (iii) so long as the list of Disqualified Lenders (including any updates thereto) has been made available to all Lenders, any Disqualified Lender (other than any Disqualified Lender otherwise agreed to by the Borrower in a writing delivered to the Agent).

 

EMU ” means economic and monetary union as contemplated in the Treaty on European Union.

 

Engagement Letter ” means the Engagement Letter, dated as of February 20, 2017, among Barclays and the Borrower, with respect to the payment of certain fees and other matters in connection with this Agreement.

 

Environment ” shall mean ambient air, indoor air, surface water, groundwater, drinking water, land surface, sediments, and subsurface strata and natural resources such as wetlands, flora and fauna.

 

Environmental Laws ” means all applicable Laws in connection with pollution, protection of the Environment, including Releases, threats of Releases, or to health and safety (to the extent such health and safety laws relate to exposure to Contaminants)

 

Equipment ” means all of each Obligor’s now owned or hereafter acquired machinery, equipment, furniture, furnishings, fixtures, and other tangible personal property (except Inventory), including embedded software, service and delivery vehicles with respect to which a certificate of title has been issued, aircraft, dies, tools, jigs, molds and office equipment, as well as all of such types of property leased by any Obligor, and all of each Obligor’s rights and interests with respect thereto under such leases (including, without limitation, options to purchase); together with all present and future additions and accessions thereto, replacements therefor, component and auxiliary parts and supplies used or to be used in connection therewith, and all substitutes for any of the foregoing, and all manuals, drawings, instructions, warranties and rights with respect thereto; wherever any of the foregoing is located.

 

ERISA ” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as the same may be amended from time to time and any final regulations promulgated and the rulings issued thereunder.

 

ERISA Affiliate ” means any trade or business (whether or not incorporated) which is a member of a group of trades or businesses under common control with the Borrower within the meaning of Section 414(c) of the Code (or any member of an affiliated service group within the meaning of Sections 414(m) and (o) of the Code of which the Borrower is a member).

 

ERISA Event ” means (a) a Reportable Event with respect to a Pension Plan; (b) any failure by a Pension Plan to satisfy the minimum funding standard (within the meaning of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA) applicable to such Pension Plan, in each case 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 a Pension Plan; (d) a determination that a Pension Plan is in “ at-risk ” status (as defined in Section 303(i)(4) of ERISA or Section 430(i)(4) of the Code); (e) a withdrawal by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from a Pension Plan subject to Section 4063 of ERISA during a plan year in which it was a substantial employer (as defined in Section 4001(a)(2) of ERISA) or a cessation of operations which is treated as such a withdrawal under Section 4062(e) of ERISA; (f) a complete or partial withdrawal by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from a Multi-employer Plan or notification that a Multi-employer Plan is insolvent or in reorganization (within the meaning of Title IV of ERISA) or in “endangered” or “critical” status (within the meaning of Section 432 of the Code or Section 305 of ERISA); (g) the filing of a notice of intent to terminate, the treatment of a Plan amendment as a termination under Section 4041 or 4041A of ERISA, or the commencement of proceedings by the PBGC to terminate a Pension Plan or Multi-employer Plan; (h) the occurrence of an event or condition which would reasonably be expected to constitute grounds under Section 4042 of ERISA for the termination of, or the appointment of a trustee to administer, any Pension Plan or Multi-employer Plan; (i) the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries engages in a non-

 

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exempt “prohibited transaction” with respect to which the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries is a “disqualified person” (within the meaning of Section 4975 of the Code), or with respect to which the Borrower or any such Subsidiary could otherwise be liable; or (j) the imposition of any Lien under Section 430(k) of the Code or pursuant to Section 303(k) or Section 4068 of ERISA with respect to any Pension Plan, or any liability under Title IV of ERISA, other than for PBGC premiums due but not delinquent under Section 4007 of ERISA, upon the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate.

 

EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule ” means the document described as such and published by the Loan Market Association (or any successor Person) as in effect from time to time.

 

Event of Default ” has the meaning specified in Section 10.1 .

 

Exchange Act ” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

Excluded Accounts ” means all Deposit Accounts into which solely Excluded Funds are deposited, other than any Designated Account.

 

Excluded Assets ” has the meaning specified in the definition of “Collateral and Guarantee Requirement.”

 

Excluded Funds ” means all amounts (i) solely for the purpose of payroll, employee wages and benefits, payment of taxes and escrow arrangements and fiduciary arrangements for the benefit of third parties (other than the Obligors and their subsidiaries) and (ii) other amounts, not to exceed $2,000,000 in the aggregate.

 

Excluded Stock ” means:

 

(a)           any Stock with respect to which the Agent and the Borrower agree, in writing (each acting reasonably), that the cost of pledging such Stock shall be excessive in view of the benefits to be obtained by the Secured Parties therefrom,

 

(b)           solely in the case of any pledge of Stock of any CFC or FSHCO to secure the Obligations, any Stock that is Voting Stock of such CFC or FSHCO in excess of 65% of the outstanding Stock that is Voting Stock of such CFC or FSHCO,

 

(c)           any Stock to the extent, and for so long as, the pledge thereof would be prohibited by any applicable Law (including any legally effective requirement to obtain the consent of any Governmental Authority unless such consent has been obtained),

 

(d)           any Margin Stock and Stock of any Person (other than any Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary) to the extent, and for so long as, the pledge of such Stock would be prohibited by, or create an enforceable right of termination in favor of any other party thereto (other than Holdings, the Borrower or any Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary of the Borrower) under, the terms of any Organization Document, joint venture agreement or shareholders’ agreement applicable to such Person after giving effect to the applicable anti-assignment clauses of the UCC and applicable law,

 

(e)           the Stock of any Immaterial Subsidiary or Unrestricted Subsidiary, and

 

(f)            any Stock of any Subsidiary to the extent that the pledge of such Stock would result in material adverse tax consequences to Holdings, the Borrower or any Subsidiary as reasonably determined by the Borrower in consultation with the Agent, and confirmed in writing by notice to the Agent.

 

Excluded Subsidiary ” means:

 

(a)           any Subsidiary that is not a Wholly Owned Subsidiary or is a joint venture on any date such Subsidiary would otherwise be required to become a Guarantor pursuant to the requirements of

 

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Section 8.22 (for so long as such Subsidiary remains a non-Wholly Owned Subsidiary),

 

(b)           any Subsidiary that is restricted or prohibited by (x) subject to clause (g)  below, applicable Law or (y) contractual obligation from guaranteeing the Obligations (and for so long as such restriction or prohibition is in effect); provided that in the case of clause (y) , such contractual obligation existed on the Closing Date or, with respect to any Subsidiary acquired by the Borrower or a Restricted Subsidiary after the Closing Date (and so long as such contractual obligation was not incurred in contemplation of such acquisition), on the date such Subsidiary is so acquired,

 

(c)           (i) any Foreign Subsidiary, (ii) any Domestic Subsidiary that is (A) a FSHCO or (B) a direct or indirect Subsidiary of a Foreign Subsidiary that is a CFC, or (iii) any other Subsidiary for which the provision of a Guaranty would result in a material adverse tax consequence to Holdings, the Borrower or any Subsidiary (as reasonably determined by the Borrower in writing in consultation with the Agent),

 

(d)           any Immaterial Subsidiary ( provided that the Borrower shall not be permitted to exclude Immaterial Subsidiaries from guaranteeing the Obligations to the extent that (i) the aggregate amount of gross revenue for all Immaterial Subsidiaries excluded by this clause (d)  exceeds 7.5% of the consolidated gross revenues of the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries that are not otherwise Excluded Subsidiaries by virtue of any other clauses of this definition except for this clause (d)  as of the last day of the Test Period most recently ended on or prior to the date of determination or (ii) the aggregate amount of total assets for all Immaterial Subsidiaries excluded by this clause (d)  exceeds 7.5% of the aggregate amount of Consolidated Total Assets (measured as of any date of determination based upon the Section 6.2 Financials most recently delivered on or prior to such date) of the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries that are not otherwise Excluded Subsidiaries by virtue of any other clauses of this definition except for this clause (d)  as of the last day of the Test Period most recently ended on or prior to the date of determination),

 

(e)           any other Subsidiary with respect to which, in the reasonable judgment of the Agent and the Borrower, the cost of providing a Guaranty shall be excessive in view of the benefits to be obtained by the Lenders therefrom,

 

(f)            each Unrestricted Subsidiary, and

 

(g)           any Subsidiary that would require any consent, approval, license or authorization from any Governmental Authority to provide a Guaranty unless such consent, approval, license or authorization has been received, or is received after commercially reasonable efforts (including if requested by the Agent to do so) by the Borrower and/or such Subsidiary to obtain the same

 

Excluded Swap Obligation ” means, with respect to any Obligor or Holdings, any obligation (a “ Swap Obligation ”) to pay or perform under any agreement, contract, or transaction that constitutes a “swap” within the meaning of section 1a(47) of the Commodity Exchange Act, if, and to the extent that, all or a portion of the guarantee of such Obligor of, or the grant by such Obligor or Holdings of a security interest to secure, such Swap Obligation (or any guarantee thereof) is or becomes illegal under the Commodity Exchange Act or any rule, regulation, or order of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (or the application or official interpretation of any thereof) (i) by virtue of such Obligor’s or Holding’s failure to constitute an “eligible contract participant,” as defined in the Commodity Exchange Act and the regulations thereunder (determined after giving effect to any applicable keep well, support, or other agreement for the benefit of such Obligor or Holdings and any and all applicable guarantees of such Obligor’s Swap Obligations by other Obligors), at the time the guarantee of (or grant of such security interest by, as applicable) such Obligor or Holdings becomes or would become effective with respect to such Swap Obligation or (ii) in the case of a Swap Obligation that is subject to a clearing requirement pursuant to section 2(h) of the Commodity Exchange Act, because such Obligor or Holdings is a “financial entity,” as defined in section 2(h)(7)(C) of the Commodity Exchange Act, at the time the guarantee of (or grant of such security interest by, as applicable) such Obligor or Holdings becomes or would become effective with respect to such Swap Obligation or (b) any other Swap Obligation designated as an “Excluded Swap Obligation” of such Obligor or Holdings as specified in any agreement between the relevant Obligors and Hedge Bank applicable to such Swap Obligations.  If a Swap Obligation arises under a Master Agreement governing more than one swap, such exclusion shall apply only to the portion of such Swap Obligation that is attributable to the swap for which such guarantee or security interest is or becomes

 

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excluded in accordance with the first sentence of this definition.

 

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 under any Loan Document, (a) Taxes imposed on (or measured by) the Recipient’s net income (however denominated), franchise Taxes imposed in lieu of net income 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 pursuant to a law in effect on the date on which (i) such Lender acquired its interest in the applicable Commitment or, in the case of an applicable interest in a Loan not funded pursuant to a prior Commitment, such Lender acquires such interest in such Loan (provided that this clause (b)(i) shall not apply to an assignee pursuant to an assignment request by the Borrower under Section 5.8 or the acquisition of a participation pursuant to Section 13.11 ) or (ii) such Lender changes its lending office, except in each case to the extent that, pursuant to Section 5.1 , amounts with respect to such Taxes were payable either to such Lender’s assignor immediately before such Lender acquired its interest in the applicable 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 5.1(d) , and (d) any Taxes imposed under FATCA.

 

Existing Credit Agreement ” means the Credit Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2013 (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time prior to the Closing Date), by and among Holdings, the Borrower, the lenders from time to time party thereto, Deutsche Bank AG New York Branch, as agent, and the other parties thereto.

 

Existing Debt Refinancing ” means the repayment in full of all principal, accrued and unpaid interest, fees, premium, if any, and other amounts outstanding under the Existing Credit Agreement, other than contingent obligations not then due and payable and that by their terms survive the termination of the Existing Credit Agreement, the termination of all commitments to extend credit thereunder and the termination and/or release of any security interests and guarantees in connection therewith.

 

Existing Revolving Credit Class ” has the meaning specified in Section 2.7(a) .

 

Existing Revolving Credit Commitments ” has the meaning specified in Section 2.7(a) .

 

Existing Revolving Loans ” has the meaning specified in Section 2.7(a) .

 

Extended Revolving Credit Commitments ” has the meaning specified in Section 2.7(a) .

 

Extended Revolving Credit Facility ” means each Class of Extended Revolving Credit Commitments established pursuant to Section 2.7 .

 

Extended Revolving Loans ” has the meaning specified in Section 2.7(a) .

 

Extending Lender ” has the meaning specified in Section 2.7(b) .

 

Extension Agreement ” has the meaning specified in Section 2.7(c) .

 

Extension Date ” has the meaning specified in Section 2.7(d) .

 

Extension Election ” has the meaning specified in Section 2.7(b) .

 

Extension Request ” has the meaning specified in Section 2.7(a) .

 

Extension Series ” means all Extended Revolving Credit Commitments that are established pursuant to the same Extension Agreement (or any subsequent Extension Agreement to the extent such Extension Agreement

 

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expressly provides that the Extended Revolving Credit Commitments provided for therein are intended to be a part of any previously established Extension Series) and that provide for the same interest margins, extension fees, if any, and amortization schedule.

 

Fair Market Value ” means, with respect to any asset or group of assets on any date of determination, the value of the consideration obtainable in a sale of such asset at such date of determination assuming a sale by a willing seller to a willing purchaser dealing at arm’s length and arranged in an orderly manner over a reasonable period of time having regard to the nature and characteristics of such asset, as determined in good faith by the Borrower.

 

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 and any agreements entered into pursuant to current Section 1471(b)(1) of the Code (or any amended or successor version described above) and any intergovernmental agreements (or related legislation or official administrative rules or practices) implementing the foregoing.

 

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

 

Federal Reserve Board ” means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or any successor thereto.

 

Field Examination ” has the meaning specified in Section 8.4(d) .

 

FILO Tranche ” has the meaning specified in Section 2.6(c)(ii) .

 

Financed Capital Expenditures ” means, with respect to any Person and for any period, Capital Expenditures made by such Person during such period that are financed with the net proceeds of any incurrence of Debt (other than Loans) or received from any disposition of assets, from any Casualty Event or from any issuance of Stock including the proceeds from the initial public offering by Holdings on or about the Agreement Date (other than Disqualified Stock or any other issuance of Stock which increases any available basket hereunder).

 

Financial Covenant ” means the covenant set forth in Section 8.20 .

 

Financial Statements ” means, according to the context in which it is used, the financial statements referred to in Sections 6.2 and Section 7.5 .

 

Fiscal Quarter ” means the period commencing on January 1 in any Fiscal Year and ending on the next succeeding March 31, the period commencing on April 1 in any Fiscal Year and ending on the next succeeding June 30, the period commencing on July 1 in any Fiscal Year and ending on the next succeeding September 30, or the period commencing on October 1 in any Fiscal Year and ending on the next succeeding December 31, as the context may require.

 

Fiscal Year ” means Holdings’, the Borrower’s, the Guarantors’ and/or their Subsidiaries’ fiscal year for financial accounting purposes.  As of the Agreement Date, the current Fiscal Year of the Consolidated Parties will end on December 31, 2017.

 

Fixed Asset Collateral ” means (i) Equipment and Fixtures; (ii) Real Estate; (iii) Intellectual Property; (iv) equity interests in all direct and indirect Subsidiaries of the Borrower; (v) all other assets of any Obligor, whether real, personal or mixed not constituting Current Asset Collateral; (vi) to the extent evidencing, governing, securing or otherwise reasonably related to any of the foregoing, all Documents, General Intangibles, Instruments, Commercial Tort Claims, Letters of Credit, Letter of Credit Rights and Supporting Obligations; provided , however, that to

 

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the extent any of the foregoing also evidence, govern, secure or otherwise reasonably relate to any Current Asset Collateral only that portion that evidences, governs, secures or primarily relates to Fixed Asset Collateral shall constitute Fixed Asset Collateral; (vii) all books, records and documents related to the foregoing (including databases, customer lists and other records, whether tangible or electronic, which contain any information relating to any of the foregoing); and (viii) all Proceeds and products of any or all of the foregoing in whatever form received, including proceeds of business interruption and other insurance and claims against third parties.  For purposes of this definition, capitalized terms used but not defined elsewhere in this Agreement shall have the meanings set forth in Articles 8 or 9 of the UCC.

 

Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio ” means, as of any date of determination, the ratio of (a) (i) Consolidated EBITDA of Holdings, the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries for the Test Period most recently ended on or prior to such date of determination minus (ii) Unfinanced Capital Expenditures made by Holdings, the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries during such Test Period, to (b) the Fixed Charges of Holdings, the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such Test Period; provided that, for purposes of calculating the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio for any period ending prior to the first anniversary of the Closing Date, Consolidated Interest Expense shall be an amount equal to actual Consolidated Interest Expense from the Closing Date through the date of determination multiplied by a fraction the numerator of which is 365 and the denominator of which is the number of days from the Closing Date through the date of determination.

 

In calculating the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio for purposes of determining whether the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio test described in clause (b)  of the definition of “Specified Conditions” has been satisfied, as of such date, the amount of Fixed Charges included in clause (b)  above shall include, without duplication of any payments already constituting Fixed Charges, the amount of any Specified Payment actually made on such date of determination.

 

Fixed Charges ” means, as of any date of determination, the sum, determined on a consolidated basis, of (a) the Consolidated Interest Expense of Holdings, the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries paid in the Test Period most recently ended on or prior to such date of determination, plus (b) scheduled payments of principal (including any scheduled payment of principal resulting from the requirement to make a payment as a result of the accumulation of excess cash flow) on Debt for Borrowed Money of Holdings, the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries (other than payments by Holdings, the Borrower or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to Holdings, Borrower or to any of such Restricted Subsidiaries) paid in cash during such Test Period and the principal component of Debt attributable to Capital Leases paid in cash during such Test Period, plus (c) cash Taxes actually paid in such Test Period, plus (d) any Distribution made in cash pursuant to Section 8.10(j)(i) during such Test Period.

 

Flood Insurance Laws ” means, collectively, (i) the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 as now or hereafter in effect or any successor statute thereto, (ii) the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973 as now or hereafter in effect or any successor statue thereto, (iii) the National Flood Insurance Reform Act of 1994 as now or hereafter in effect or any successor statute thereto, (iv) the Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2004 as now or hereafter in effect or any successor statute thereto and (v) Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 as now or hereafter in effect or any successor statute thereto.

 

Foreign Subsidiary ” means any Subsidiary of the Borrower that is formed under the laws of a jurisdiction other than the United States, a state of the United States or the District of Columbia.

 

FSHCO ” means any direct or indirect Subsidiary that has no material assets other than Stock of one or more direct or indirect Foreign Subsidiaries that are CFCs.

 

Full Payment ” or “ Full Payment of the Obligations ” means, with respect to any Obligations (other than contingent indemnification obligations or other contingent obligation for which no claim has been made or asserted, Hedge Obligations not then due and payable and Cash Management Obligations not then due and payable), (a) the full and indefeasible cash payment thereof, including any interest, fees and other charges accruing during an Insolvency Proceeding (whether or not allowed in the proceeding), (b) if such Obligations arise from Letters of Credit or if such Obligations consist of indemnification or similar obligations for which a claim has been made or asserted, the cash collateralization thereof as provided herein or otherwise acceptable to the Agent (or delivery of a standby letter of credit reasonably acceptable to the Agent, in the amount of required cash collateral) and (c) the termination or

 

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expiration of all Commitments.

 

Funding Date ” means the date on which a Borrowing occurs.

 

GAAP ” means generally accepted accounting principles and practices set forth from time to time in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and statements and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (or agencies with similar functions of comparable stature and authority within the U.S. accounting profession), which are applicable to the circumstances from time to time.

 

General Intangibles ” means all of each Obligor’s now owned or hereafter acquired “ general intangibles ” as defined in the UCC, choses in action and causes of action and all other intangible personal property of each Obligor of every kind and nature (other than Accounts), including, without limitation, all contract rights, payment intangibles, Intellectual Property, corporate or other business records, blueprints, plans, specifications, registrations, licenses, franchises, Tax refund claims, any funds which may become due to any Obligor in connection with the termination of any Plan or other employee benefit plan or any rights thereto and any other amounts payable to any Obligor from any Plan or other employee benefit plan, rights and claims against carriers and shippers, rights to indemnification, business interruption insurance and proceeds thereof, property, casualty or any similar type of insurance and any proceeds thereof, proceeds of insurance covering the lives of key employees on which any Obligor is beneficiary, rights to receive dividends, distributions, cash, Instruments and other property in respect of or in exchange for pledged Stock or Investment Property and any letter of credit, guarantee, claim, security interest or other security held by or granted to any Obligor.

 

Governmental Authority ” means any nation or government, any state, territorial or other political subdivision thereof, any central bank (or similar monetary or regulatory authority) thereof and any governmental entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, regulatory or administrative functions of or pertaining to government.

 

Guarantee Agreement ” means the Guarantee Agreement, dated as of the Agreement Date, among the Guarantors for the benefit of the Secured Parties.

 

Guarantors ” means (a) the Borrower, other than with respect to its own Obligations, (b) each Restricted Subsidiary, whether now existing or hereafter created or acquired (other than any Excluded Subsidiary) that is a party to the Guarantee Agreement and (c) each other Person, who, in a writing accepted by the Agent, guarantees payment or performance in whole or in part of the Obligations.  There are no Guarantors as of the Agreement Date (other than the Borrower to the extent set forth in clause (a)).

 

Guaranty ” means, with respect to any Person, all obligations of such Person which in any manner directly or indirectly guarantee or assure, or in effect guarantee or assure, the payment or performance of any indebtedness, dividend or other monetary obligations of any other Person (the “ guaranteed monetary obligations ”), or assure or in effect assure the holder of the guaranteed monetary obligations against loss in respect thereof, including any such obligations incurred through an agreement, contingent or otherwise:  (a) to purchase the guaranteed monetary obligations or any property constituting security therefor; (b) to advance or supply funds for the purchase or payment of the guaranteed monetary obligations or to maintain a working capital or other balance sheet condition; or (c) to lease property or to purchase any debt or equity securities or other property or services; provided that the term “Guaranty” shall not include endorsements for collection or deposit, in either case in the ordinary course of business, or customary and reasonable indemnity obligations in effect on the Closing Date or entered into in connection with any acquisition or Disposition of assets permitted under this Agreement (other than such obligations with respect to Debt).  The amount of any Guaranty shall be deemed to be an amount equal to the stated or determinable amount of the related primary obligation, or portion thereof, in respect of which such Guaranty is made or, if not stated or determinable, the maximum reasonably anticipated liability in respect thereof as determined by the guaranteeing Person in good faith.

 

Hedge Agreement ” means (a) any and all rate swap transactions, basis swaps, credit derivative transactions, forward rate transactions, commodity swaps, commodity options, forward commodity contracts, equity or equity index swaps or options, bond or bond price or bond index swaps or options or forward bond or forward bond price or forward bond index transactions, interest rate options, forward foreign exchange transactions, cap

 

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transactions, floor transactions, collar transactions, currency swap transactions, cross-currency rate swap transactions, currency options, spot contracts, or any other similar transactions or any combination of any of the foregoing (including any options to enter into any of the foregoing), whether or not any such transaction is governed by or subject to any master agreement, and (b) any and all transactions of any kind, and the related confirmations, which are subject to the terms and conditions of, or governed by, any form of master agreement published by the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc., any International Foreign Exchange Master Agreement, or any other master agreement (any such master agreement, together with any related schedules, a “ Master Agreement ”), including any such obligations or liabilities under any Master Agreement.

 

Hedge Bank ” means any Person that that is a counterparty to a Secured Hedge Agreement with an Obligor or one of its Restricted Subsidiaries, in its capacity as such, and that either (i) is a Lender, the Agent, an Arranger or an Affiliate of the foregoing at the time it enters into such a Secured Hedge Agreement, or on the Closing Date is party to a Hedge Agreement with an Obligor or any Restricted Subsidiary permitted under Section 8.12 on the Closing Date, in its capacity as a party thereto or (ii) becomes a Lender, the Agent or an Affiliate of a Lender or the Agent after it has entered into a Hedge Agreement permitted by Section 8.12 with any Obligor or any Restricted Subsidiary.

 

Hedge Obligations ” means, with respect to any Person, the obligations of such Person under Hedge Agreements.

 

Historical Financial Statements ” means audited consolidated balance sheets of the Borrower and its consolidated subsidiaries as at the end of, and related statements of income and cash flows of the Borrower and its consolidated subsidiaries for, the three most recently completed Fiscal Years ended December 31, 2016.

 

Holdings ” means (i) Holdings (as defined in the preamble to this Agreement) or (ii) any other Person or Persons (the “ New Holdings ”) that is a Subsidiary of (or are Subsidiaries of) Holdings or of any Parent Entity of Holdings (or the previous New Holdings, as the case may be) but not the Borrower (the “ Previous Holdings ”); provided that (a) such New Holdings directly owns 100% of the Stock of the Borrower, (b) the New Holdings shall expressly assume all the obligations of the Previous Holdings under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents pursuant to a supplement hereto or thereto in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agent, (c) the New Holdings shall have delivered to the Agent a certificate of a Responsible Officer stating that such substitution and any supplements to the Loan Documents preserve the enforceability of the Guarantee Agreement and the perfection and priority of the Collateral Agent’s Liens, (d) if reasonably requested by the Agent, an opinion of counsel in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agent shall be delivered by the Borrower to the Agent to the effect that, without limitation, such substitution does not breach or result in a default under this Agreement or any other Loan Document, (e) all Stock of the Borrower and substantially all of the other assets of the Previous Holdings are contributed or otherwise transferred to such New Holdings and pledged to secure the Obligations and (f) no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing at the time of such substitution and such substitution does not result in any Default or Event of Default or material tax liability to any Lender (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any Letter of Credit Issuer and any Swingline Lender); provided , further , that if each of the foregoing is satisfied, the Previous Holdings shall be automatically released from all its obligations under the Loan Documents and any reference to “Holdings” in the Loan Documents shall be meant to refer to the “New Holdings.”

 

Immaterial Subsidiary ” means, at any date of determination, any Restricted Subsidiary of the Borrower (a) whose total assets (when combined with the assets of such Restricted Subsidiary’s Subsidiaries, after eliminating intercompany obligations) at the last day of the Test Period most recently ended on or prior to such determination date were an amount equal to or less than 5.0% of Consolidated Total Assets at such date and (b) whose gross revenues (when combined with the revenues of such Restricted Subsidiary’s Subsidiaries, after eliminating intercompany obligations) for such Test Period were an amount equal to or less than 5.0% of the consolidated gross revenues of the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such Test Period, in each case determined in accordance with GAAP.

 

Incremental Agreement ” has the meaning specified in Section 2.6(e) .

 

Incremental Facility Closing Date ” has the meaning specified in Section 2.6(e) .

 

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Incremental Revolving Credit Commitment Increase Lender ” has the meaning specified in Section 2.6(f)(ii) .

 

Indemnified Person ” has the meaning specified in Section 14.10 .

 

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

 

Insolvency Proceeding ” means any proceeding commenced by or against any Person under any provision of the Bankruptcy Code or under any other state, federal or foreign bankruptcy or insolvency law, assignments for the benefit of creditors, formal or informal moratoria, compositions, extensions generally with all or substantially all creditors, or proceedings seeking reorganization, arrangement, or other similar relief.

 

Instruments ” means all instruments as such term is defined in Article 9 of the UCC, now owned or hereafter acquired by any Obligor.

 

Intellectual Property ” has the meaning specified in the Security Agreement.

 

Intercreditor Agreement ” means an intercreditor agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit L hereto.

 

Interest Expense ” means, with respect to any Person for any period, the sum, without duplication, of:

 

(1)           consolidated interest expense of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period, to the extent such expense was deducted (and not added back) in computing Consolidated Net Income (including (a) amortization of original issue discount or premium resulting from the issuance of Debt at less than or greater than par, as applicable, other than with respect to Debt issued in connection with the Transactions, (b) all commissions, discounts and other fees and charges owed with respect to letters of credit or bankers acceptances, (c) non-cash interest payments (but excluding any non-cash interest expense attributable to the movement in the mark to market valuation of Hedge Obligations or other derivative instruments pursuant to GAAP), (d) the interest component of Capital Lease Obligations and (e) net payments, if any, pursuant to interest rate Hedge Obligations with respect to Debt, and excluding:

 

(i)            any payments with respect to make-whole premiums or other breakage costs of any Debt, including, without limitation, any Debt issued in connection with the Transactions,

 

(ii)           any one-time cash costs associated with breakage in respect of Hedge Agreements for interest rates,

 

(iii)          penalties and interest relating to taxes,

 

(iv)          non-cash interest expense attributable to movement in mark- to-market valuation of Hedge Obligations or other derivatives (in each case, permitted hereunder and under GAAP),

 

(v)           accretion or accrual of discounted liabilities not constituting Debt,

 

(vi)          interest expense attributable to a Parent Entity resulting from push-down accounting,

 

(vii)         any expense resulting from the discounting of Debt in connection with the application of recapitalization or purchase accounting,

 

(viii)        any “additional interest” owing pursuant to a registration rights agreement with respect to securities,

 

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(ix)          amortization of deferred financing fees, debt issuance costs, commissions, fees and expenses, and original issue discount with respect to Debt issued in connection with the Transactions or any intercompany Debt, and

 

(x)           any expensing of bridge, commitment and other financing fees; plus

 

(2)           consolidated capitalized interest of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period, whether paid or accrued; less

 

(3)           interest income for such period.

 

For purposes of this definition, interest on a Capital Lease Obligation shall be deemed to accrue at an interest rate reasonably determined by such Person to be the rate of interest implicit in such Capital Lease Obligation in accordance with GAAP.

 

Interest Period ” means, as to any LIBOR Loan, the period commencing on the Funding Date of such Loan or on the Continuation/Conversion Date on which the Loan is converted into or continued as a LIBOR Loan, and ending on the date one, two, three or six months thereafter or (if available from all the Lenders making or holding such Loan as determined by such Lenders in good faith) 12 months or a period shorter than one month thereafter, as selected by the Borrower in its Notice of Borrowing or Notice of Continuation/Conversion, provided that:

 

(a)           if any Interest Period would otherwise end on a day that is not a Business Day, that Interest Period shall be extended to the following Business Day unless the result of such extension would be to carry such Interest Period into another calendar month, in which event such Interest Period shall end on the preceding Business Day;

 

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

 

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

 

Interest Rate ” means each or any of the interest rates, including the Default Rate, set forth in Section 3.1 .

 

Inventory ” means all of each Obligor’s now owned or hereafter acquired “Inventory” as defined in the UCC, and shall also include, without limitation, all: (a) goods which (i) are leased by a Person as lessor, (ii) are held by a Person for sale or lease or to be furnished under a contract of service, (iii) are furnished by a Person under a contract of service, or (iv) consist of raw materials, work in process, or materials used or consumed in a business; (b) goods of said description in transit; (c) goods of said description which are returned, repossessed or rejected; and (d) packaging, advertising and shipping materials related to any of the foregoing.

 

Investment ” in any Person means (a) the acquisition (whether for cash, property, services, assumption of Debt, securities or otherwise, but exclusive of the acquisition of inventory, supplies, equipment and other assets used or consumed in the ordinary course of business of the Borrower or the applicable Subsidiary and Capital Expenditures) of assets, shares of Stock, bonds, notes, debentures, partnerships, joint ventures or other ownership interests or other securities of such Person, (b) any advance, loan or other extension of credit (other than in connection with leases of Equipment or leases or sales of Inventory on credit in the ordinary course of business and excluding, in the case, of the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries, intercompany loans, advances, or Debt having a term not exceeding 364 days (inclusive of any roll-over or extensions of terms) and made in the ordinary course of business) to such Person, or (c) any other capital contribution to, or investment in, such Person, including, without limitation, any obligation incurred for the benefit of such Person, but excluding (i) commission, travel, and similar advances to officers and employees of such Person made in the ordinary course of business, and (ii) bona fide Accounts arising in the ordinary course of business.  It is further understood and agreed that for purposes of determining the value of any Investment outstanding for purposes hereof, such amount shall be deemed to be the amount of such Investment

 

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when made, purchased or acquired less all dividends, returns, interests, profits, distributions, income and similar amounts received in respect of such Investment (not to exceed the original amount invested).

 

Investment Property ” means all of each Obligor’s now owned or hereafter acquired “ investment property ” as defined in the UCC, and includes all right title and interest of each Obligor in and to any and all:  (a) securities whether certificated or uncertificated; (b) securities entitlements; (c) securities accounts; (d) commodity contracts; or (e) commodity accounts.

 

Investors ” means the Sponsor and the entities designated on Schedule [   ] .

 

Interpolated Rate ” means, in relation to the LIBOR Rate, the rate which results from interpolating on a linear basis between:

 

(a)                                              the applicable LIBOR Rate for the longest period (for which that LIBO Rate is available) which is less than the Interest Period of that Loan; and

 

(b)                                              the applicable LIBOR Rate for the shortest period (for which that LIBO Rate is  available) which exceeds the Interest Period of that Loan,

 

each as of approximately 11:00 a.m. (London, England time) two Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period of that Loan. “ IRS ” means the Internal Revenue Service and any Governmental Authority succeeding to any of its principal functions under the Code.

 

JPMorgan ” means JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and its successors.

 

Junior Debt ” means any junior lien secured Debt for Borrowed Money, unsecured Debt for Borrowed Money incurred pursuant to Section 8.12(q)(y) or subordinated Debt for Borrowed Money, in each case incurred by an Obligor and owing to a Person that is not an Obligor or any Subsidiary thereof.

 

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

 

L/C Commitment ” means, with respect to any Letter of Credit Issuer at any time, the amount set forth opposite such Letter of Credit Issuer’s name on Schedule 1.1 hereto under the caption “L/C Commitment” or, if such Letter of Credit Issuer has entered into one or more Assignment and Acceptances, set forth in such Letter of Credit Issuer in the Register maintained by the Agent as such Letter of Credit Issuer’s “L/C Commitment.”

 

Lender ” means (a) the Persons listed on Schedule 1.1 , (b) any other Person that shall become a party hereto as a “lender” pursuant to Section 12.2 and (c) each Person that becomes a party hereto as a “lender” pursuant to the terms of Section 2.6 , in each case other than a Person who ceases to hold any outstanding Loans, participations in Letters of Credit or Swingline Loans or any Commitment and shall include the Agent to the extent of any Agent Advance outstanding and the Swingline Lender to the extent of any Swingline Loan outstanding.

 

Lender Default ” means (a) the refusal (in writing) or failure of any Lender to make available its portion of any incurrence of Loans or participations in Letters of Credit or Swingline Loans, which refusal or failure is not cured within one Business Day after the date of such refusal or failure, (b) the failure of any Lender to pay over to the Agent, any Letter of Credit Issuer, the Swingline Lender or any other Lender any other amount required to be paid by it hereunder within one Business Day of the date when due, (c) a Lender has notified the Borrower or the Agent that it does not intend or expect to comply with any of its funding obligations or has made a public statement to that effect with respect to its funding obligations under this Agreement, (d) the failure by a Lender to confirm in a

 

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manner reasonably satisfactory to the Agent that it will comply with its obligations under this Agreement, (e) any Lender or a direct or indirect parent company of each Lender becoming subject to a Bail-In Action or (f) a Distressed Person has admitted in writing that it is insolvent or such Distressed Person becomes subject to a Lender-Related Distress Event.

 

Lender-Related Distress Event ” means, with respect to any Lender, that such Lender or any Person that directly or indirectly controls such Lender (each, a “ Distressed Person ”), as the case may be, is or becomes subject to a voluntary or involuntary case with respect to such Distressed Person under any debt relief law, or a custodian, conservator, receiver or similar official is appointed for such Distressed Person or any substantial part of such Distressed Person’s assets, or such Distressed Person or any person that directly or indirectly controls such Distressed Person is subject to a forced liquidation or winding up, or such Distressed Person makes a general assignment for the benefit of creditors or is otherwise adjudicated as, or determined by any governmental authority having regulatory authority over such Distressed Person or its assets to be, insolvent or bankrupt; provided that a Lender-Related Distress Event shall not be deemed to have occurred solely by virtue of the ownership or acquisition of any Stock in any Lender or any Person that directly or indirectly controls such Lender by a governmental authority or an instrumentality thereof; provided , further , that such ownership interest does not result in or provide 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 permit such person (or such governmental authority or instrumentality) to reject, repudiate, disavow or disaffirm any contract or agreements made by such person or its parent entity.  .

 

Letter of Credit ” has the meaning specified in Section 2.3(a) .

 

Letter of Credit Fee ” has the meaning specified in Section 3.6 .

 

Letter of Credit Issuer ” means (a) Barclays, JPMorgan or any of their respective Subsidiaries or Affiliates and (b) any other Lender (or any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates) that becomes an Letter of Credit Issuer in accordance with Section 2.3(h) ; in the case of each of clause (a)  or (b)  above, in its capacity as an issuer of Letters of Credit hereunder, or any successor issuer of Letters of Credit hereunder.  In the event that there is more than one Letter of Credit Issuer at any time, references herein and in the other Loan Documents to the Letter of Credit Issuer shall be deemed to refer to the Letter of Credit Issuer in respect of the applicable Letter of Credit or to all Letter of Credit Issuers, as the context requires.

 

Letter of Credit Subfacility ” means $25,000,000.

 

LIBOR ” has the meaning specified in the definition of “LIBOR Rate.”

 

LIBOR Interest Payment Date ” means, with respect to a LIBOR Loan, the Termination Date and the last day of each Interest Period applicable to such Loan and, with respect to each Interest Period of more than three months, each three-month anniversary of the commencement of such Interest Period for such LIBOR Loan.

 

LIBOR Loan ” means a Loan during any period in which it bears interest based on the LIBOR Rate.

 

LIBOR Rate ” means:

 

(a)           for any Interest Period with respect to a LIBOR Loan, the rate per annum equal to (i) the rate per annum determined by the Agent to be the offered rate which appears on the page of the Reuters Screen which displays the London interbank offered rate administered by ICE Benchmark Administration Limited (such page currently being the LIBOR01 page) (the “ LIBOR ”) for deposits (for delivery on the first day of such Interest Period) with a term equivalent to such Interest Period in Dollars, determined as of approximately 11:00 a.m. (London, England time), two Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period, or (ii) in the event the rate referenced in the preceding clause (i) does not appear on such page or service or if such page or service shall cease to be available, the rate determined by the Agent to be the offered rate on such other page or other service which displays the LIBOR for deposits (for delivery on the first day of such Interest Period) with a term equivalent to such Interest Period in Dollars, determined as of approximately 11:00 a.m. (London, England time) two Business Days prior to the commencement of

 

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such Interest Period; provided that if the LIBOR is quoted under either of the preceding clauses (i) or (ii), but there is no such quotation for the Interest Period elected, the LIBOR shall be equal to the Interpolated Rate; and provided , further , that if any such rate determined pursuant to the preceding clauses (i) or (ii) is below zero, the LIBOR Rate will be deemed to be zero; and

 

(b)           for any interest calculation with respect to a Base Rate Loan on any date, the rate per annum equal to (i) LIBOR, at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time determined on such date for Dollar deposits being delivered in the London interbank market for a term of one month commencing that day or (ii) in the event the rate referenced in the preceding clause (i) does not appear on such page or service or if such page or service shall cease to be available, the rate determined by the Agent to be the offered rate on such other page or other service which displays LIBOR for deposits (for delivery on the date of determination) with a term equal to one month, determined at the date and time of determination.

 

Lien ” means:  (a) any interest in property securing an obligation owed to, or a claim by, a Person other than the owner of the property, whether such interest is based on the common law, statute, or contract, and including a security interest, charge, claim, priority or lien arising from a mortgage, deed of trust, encumbrance, pledge, hypothecation, deemed trust, assignment, deposit arrangement, security agreement, conditional sale or trust receipt or the interest of a vendor or lessor under a capital lease, consignment or title retention agreement; and (b) to the extent not included under clause (a) , any reservation, exception, encroachment, easement, servitude right-of-way, restriction, lease or other title exception or encumbrance affecting property (and for clarity, including exclusive licenses (but not non-exclusive licenses) granted in Intellectual Property).

 

Loan Documents ” means this Agreement, the Guarantee Agreement, the Security Documents, the Notes, the Engagement Letter, any Intercreditor Agreement and any other agreements, instruments, and documents heretofore, now or hereafter evidencing, securing or guaranteeing any of the Obligations or any of the Collateral, in each case to which one or more Obligors is a party.

 

Loans ” means, collectively, all loans and advances provided for in Article II , including any Revolving Loans, or Extended Revolving Loans, as applicable.

 

Losses ” has the meaning specified in Section 14.10 .

 

Management Investors ” means the members of management, directors, officers and employees of Holdings (or any Parent Entity thereof), the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries who are (directly or indirectly through one or more investment vehicles) investors in Holdings or any Parent Entity as of the Closing Date.

 

Margin Stock ” means “margin stock” as such term is defined in Regulation T, U or X of the Federal Reserve Board.

 

Master Agreement ” has the meaning specified in the definition of “Hedge Agreement.”

 

Material Adverse Effect ” means (a) a material adverse change in, or a material adverse effect upon, the operations, business or financial condition of  the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries, taken as a whole; (b) a material impairment of the ability of the Borrower and the other Obligors (taken as a whole) to perform their payment obligations under the Loan Documents; or (c) a material adverse effect upon the legality, validity, binding effect or enforceability against any Obligor of any Loan Document to which it is a party.

 

Material Indebtedness ” means Debt (other than the Obligations) of any one or more of the Borrower and the Restricted Subsidiaries in an aggregate principal amount exceeding $25,000,000.  For purposes of determining Material Indebtedness, the “principal amount” of the obligations in respect of any Hedge Agreement at any time shall be the Swap Termination Value thereof.

 

Maximum Credit ” means, at any time, the lesser of (i) the Maximum Revolver Amount in effect at such time and (ii) the Borrowing Base at such time.

 

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Maximum Rate ” has the meaning specified in Section 3.3 .

 

Maximum Revolver Amount ” means, at any time, the aggregate Revolving Credit Commitments at such time, as the same may be increased from time to time in accordance with Section 2.6 or reduced from time to time in accordance with Section 4.4(b) ; provided that the Maximum Revolver Amount shall not at any time exceed $200,000,000.  As of the Agreement Date, the Maximum Revolver Amount is $150,000,000.  Anything contained herein to the contrary notwithstanding, upon termination of the Revolving Credit Commitments, the Maximum Revolver Amount shall automatically be reduced to zero.

 

Moody’s ” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc., or any successor thereto.

 

Mortgage ” means, collectively, the deeds of trust, trust deeds, debentures, deeds of hypothec and mortgages creating and evidencing a Lien on a Mortgaged Property made by any Obligor in favor or for the benefit of the Collateral Agent on behalf of the Secured Parties in the form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Collateral Agent and the Borrower that are executed and delivered pursuant to Section 9.1(a)(ii)  (if applicable) and Section 8.22 .

 

Mortgaged Properties ” has the meaning specified in paragraph (f)  of the definition of “Collateral and Guarantee Requirement.”

 

Multi-employer Plan ” means a “multi-employer plan” as defined in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA which is or was at any time during the current year or the immediately preceding six (6) years contributed to by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate or with respect to which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate has any ongoing obligation with respect to withdrawal liability (within the meaning of Title IV of ERISA).

 

Net Income ” means, with respect to any Person, the net income (loss) attributable to such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP and before any reduction in respect of Preferred Stock dividends.

 

New Holdings ” has the meaning specified in the definition of “Holdings.”

 

Non-Consenting Lender ” has the meaning specified in Section 12.1(b) .

 

Non-Extension Notice Date ” has the meaning specified in Section 2.3(b) .

 

Note ” means a promissory note of the Borrower payable to any Lender or its registered assigns, in substantially the form of Exhibit K hereto, evidencing the aggregate Debt of the Borrower to such Lender resulting from the Loans made by such Lender.

 

Notice of Borrowing ” has the meaning specified in Section 2.4(a) .

 

Notice of Continuation/Conversion ” has the meaning specified in Section 3.2(b) .

 

Noticed Hedge ” means Secured Hedge Obligations in respect of which the notice delivered to the Agent by the applicable Hedge Bank and the Borrower confirms that such Secured Hedge Agreement shall be deemed a “Noticed Hedge” hereunder for all purposes, including the application of Bank Product Reserves and Section 10.3 , so long as the establishment of a Bank Product Reserve with respect to such Secured Hedge Obligation would not result in the Borrower exceeding the Maximum Credit; provided that such designation shall be made within ten (10) Business Days of (i) the Closing Date if such Secured Hedge Agreement is in place on the Closing Date or (ii) the date such Secured Hedge Agreement is entered into if such Secured Hedge Agreement is not in place on the Closing Date; provided , further , that, if the amount of Secured Hedge Obligations arising under such Secured Hedge Agreement is increased in accordance with the definition of “Secured Hedge Obligation,” then such Secured Hedge Obligations shall only constitute a Noticed Hedge to the extent that a Bank Product Reserve can be established with respect to such Secured Hedge Agreement without exceeding the then-current Availability.

 

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Obligations ” means all present and future loans, advances, liabilities, obligations, covenants, duties, and debts owing by the Obligors or Restricted Subsidiaries, or any of them, to the Agent, any Letter of Credit Issuer, any Lender, any Secured Party and/or any Indemnified Person, arising under or pursuant to this Agreement, any of the other Loan Documents, Secured Cash Management Agreements and Secured Hedge Agreements, whether or not evidenced by any note, or other instrument or document, whether arising from an extension of credit, opening of a letter of credit, acceptance, loan, guaranty, indemnification or otherwise, whether direct or indirect, absolute or contingent, due or to become due, primary or secondary, as principal or guarantor, and including all principal, interest, charges, expenses, fees, attorneys’ fees, Attorney Costs, filing fees and any other sums chargeable to any of the Borrower or any other Obligor hereunder or under any of the other Loan Documents.  “Obligations” include, without limitation, (a) all debts, liabilities, and obligations now or hereafter arising from or in connection with the Letters of Credit, (b) all Secured Hedge Obligations (other than with respect to any Obligor’s Hedge Obligations that constitute Excluded Swap Obligations) and Cash Management Obligations and (c) all interest, fees and other amounts that accrue or would accrue after commencement of any Insolvency Proceeding against any Obligor, whether or not allowed in such proceeding.

 

Obligors ” means, collectively, the Borrower, each Guarantor, and any other Person that now or hereafter is primarily or secondarily liable for any of the Obligations and/or grants the Collateral Agent a Lien in any Collateral as security for any of the Obligations.

 

OFAC ” has the meaning specified in Section 7.24(a) .

 

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

 

Original Currency ” has the meaning specified in Section 14.19 .

 

Originating Lender ” has the meaning specified in Section 12.2(e) .

 

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, documentary, intangible, recording, filing, excise or property Taxes, charges or similar levies which arise from any payment made hereunder or from the execution, delivery, performance, enforcement or registration of, from the receipt or perfection of a security interest under or otherwise with respect to, this Agreement or any other Loan Documents, except any such Taxes that are Other Connection Taxes imposed with respect to an assignment (other than an assignment made pursuant to Section 5.8(c) ).

 

Out-of-Formula Condition ” has the meaning specified in Section 4.2 .

 

Parent Entity ” means any Person that is a direct or indirect parent company (which may be organized as, among other things, a partnership) of Holdings and/or the Borrower, as applicable.  For the avoidance of doubt, any Person that is formed to effect a public offering of common Stock that directly or indirectly owns a majority of the voting Stock of Holdings will be deemed a Parent Entity of Holdings.

 

Participant ” means any Person who shall have been granted the right by any Lender to participate in the financing provided by such Lender under this Agreement, and who shall have entered into a participation agreement

 

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in form and substance satisfactory to such Lender.

 

Participant Register ” has the meaning specified in Section 13.20(b) .

 

PBGC ” means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, or any Governmental Authority succeeding to the functions thereof.

 

Pension Plan ” means a pension plan (as defined in Section 3(2) of ERISA) subject to Title IV of ERISA or Section 412 of the Code, other than a Multi-employer Plan, which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate sponsors, maintains, or to which it makes, is making, or is obligated to make contributions, or has made contributions at any time during the immediately preceding five (5) plan years.

 

Perfection Certificate ” means the Perfection Certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit F .

 

Permitted Acquisition ”  means any acquisition, by merger, consolidation, amalgamation or otherwise, by the Borrower or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries of assets (including any assets constituting a business unit, line of business or division) or Stock, so long as (a) such acquisition and all transactions related thereto shall be consummated in all material respects in accordance with all applicable Laws, (b) if such acquisition involves the acquisition of Stock of a Person that upon such acquisition would become a Subsidiary, such acquisition shall result in the issuer of such Stock becoming a Restricted Subsidiary (unless otherwise designated as an Unrestricted Subsidiary pursuant to Section 8.26 ) and, to the extent required by the Collateral and Guarantee Requirement, a Guarantor, (c) to the extent required by the Collateral and Guarantee Requirement, such acquisition shall result in the Collateral Agent, for the benefit of the Secured Parties, being granted a security interest in any Stock or any assets so acquired, (d) both immediately prior to and after giving effect to such acquisition, no Event of Default under any of Sections 10.1(a) , (e) , (f)  or (g)  shall have occurred and be continuing; and (e) immediately after giving effect to such acquisition, the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries shall be in compliance with Section 8.15 .

 

Permitted Acquisition Consideration ” means, in connection with any Permitted Acquisition, the aggregate amount (as valued at the Fair Market Value of such Permitted Acquisition at the time such Permitted Acquisition is made) of, without duplication:  (a) the purchase consideration for such Permitted Acquisition, whether payable at or prior to the consummation of such Permitted Acquisition or deferred for payment at any future time, whether or not any such future payment is subject to the occurrence of any contingency, and including any and all payments representing the purchase price and any assumptions of Debt and/or Guaranties, “earn-outs” and other agreements to make any payment the amount of which is, or the terms of payment of which are, in any respect subject to or contingent upon the revenues, income, cash flow or profits (or the like) of any Person or business and (b) the aggregate amount of Debt incurred in connection with such Permitted Acquisition; provided in each case, that any such future payment that is subject to a contingency shall be considered Permitted Acquisition Consideration only to the extent of the reserve, if any, required under GAAP (as determined at the time of the consummation of such Permitted Acquisition) to be established in respect thereof by Holdings, the Borrower or its Restricted Subsidiaries.

 

Permitted Debt ” has the meaning specified in Section 8.12 .

 

Permitted Disposition ” means:

 

(a)           Dispositions, rentals or other disposals of Equipment and Inventory and other assets (including allowing any registrations or any applications for registration of any immaterial Intellectual Property to lapse or go abandoned in the ordinary course of business) in the ordinary course of business and sales of Equipment and Inventory to buyers in the ordinary course of business;

 

(b)           Dispositions of obsolete, surplus, damaged or worn-out property or property that is no longer necessary, used or useful in the business of the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries;

 

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

 

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property is actually promptly purchased);

 

(d)           the use, transfer or Disposition of cash and Cash Equivalents pursuant to any transaction not prohibited by the terms of the Loan Documents;

 

(e)           sales, discounting or forgiveness of Accounts in connection with the collection, settlement or compromise thereof;

 

(f)            any Disposition, license, sublicense, abandonment or lapse of Intellectual Property which does not materially interfere with the business of the Borrower or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, taken as a whole;

 

(g)           Dispositions constituting Permitted Distributions, Permitted Investments (other than pursuant to clause (p)  of the definition of “Permitted Investments”), transactions permitted by Section 8.9 or Permitted Liens;

 

(h)           any sale or issuance of Stock by a Restricted Subsidiary of the Borrower to the Borrower or another Subsidiary of the Borrower;

 

(i)            Dispositions of property for aggregate consideration of less than $1,000,000 with respect to any individual transaction; provided that the aggregate amount of such Dispositions excluded by this clause (i)  shall not exceed $5,000,000 during any Fiscal Year.

 

(j)            the leasing or subleasing of assets of the Borrower or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries not materially interfering with the business of the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries, taken as a whole;

 

(k)           Dispositions pursuant to transactions permitted under Section 8.18 ;

 

(l)            Dispositions of non-core assets acquired in connection with Permitted Acquisitions or similar Investments that are not used in the business of the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries;

 

(m)          leases, subleases, licenses or sublicenses, in each case in the ordinary course of business and which do not materially interfere with the business of the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries, taken as a whole;

 

(n)           transfers of property subject to Casualty Events upon receipt of the net proceeds of such Casualty Event;

 

(o)           Dispositions of Investments in joint ventures to the extent required by, or made pursuant to customary buy/sell arrangements between, the joint venture parties set forth in joint venture arrangements and similar binding arrangements;

 

(p)           the unwinding of any Hedge Agreement pursuant to its terms;

 

(q)           the Disposition of the Stock in, Debt of, or other securities issued by, an Unrestricted Subsidiary;

 

(r)            Dispositions of property or assets to the Borrower or to a Restricted Subsidiary; provided that, if the transferor of such property is an Obligor (i) the transferee thereof must either be an Obligor or (ii) such transaction must constitute a Permitted Investment;

 

(s)            the settlement, release or surrender of litigation claims in the ordinary course of business;

 

(t)            Dispositions not otherwise permitted pursuant to this definition, if such Disposition shall

 

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be for Fair Market Value; provided that (i) with respect to any Disposition pursuant to this clause (t)  for a purchase price in excess of $5,000,000, the Borrower or a Restricted Subsidiary shall receive not less than 75% of such consideration in the form of cash or Cash Equivalents; provided , further , that, for purposes of determining what constitutes cash and Cash Equivalents under this clause (t) , (A) any liabilities (as shown on the Borrower’s or such Restricted Subsidiary’s most recent balance sheet provided hereunder or in the footnotes thereto) of the Borrower or such Restricted Subsidiary, other than liabilities that are by their terms subordinated to the payment in cash of the Obligations, that are assumed by the transferee with respect to the applicable Disposition and for which the Borrower and all of its Restricted Subsidiaries shall have been validly released by all applicable creditors in writing shall be deemed to be cash, (B) any securities received by the Borrower or such Restricted Subsidiary from such transferee that are converted by the Borrower or such Restricted Subsidiary into cash (to the extent of the cash received) within 180 days following the closing of the applicable Disposition shall be deemed to be cash and (C) any Designated Non-Cash Consideration received by the Borrower or such Restricted Subsidiary in respect of the applicable Disposition of property that is not Current Asset Collateral or Inventory having an aggregate Fair Market Value, taken together with all other Designated Non-Cash Consideration received pursuant to this clause (C)  that is outstanding at the time such Designated Non-Cash Consideration is received, not in excess of the greater of (x) $15,000,000 and (y) 1.5% of Consolidated Total Assets (measured as of the date such Disposition is made based upon the Section 6.2 Financials most recently delivered on or prior to such date) at the time of the receipt of such Designated Non-Cash Consideration, with the Fair Market Value of each item of Designated Non-Cash Consideration being measured at the time received and without giving effect to subsequent changes in value, shall be deemed to be cash,  and (ii) the Borrower shall deliver an updated Borrowing Base Certificate if more than 5.0% of the assets included in the most recent calculation of the Borrowing Base are being disposed of pursuant to this clause (t) ; provided   further that any such Distribution shall not cause the aggregate amount of all outstanding Loans to exceed the then-current Availability; and

 

(u)           Dispositions to any Restricted Subsidiary that is not an Obligor; provided that the aggregate amount of Dispositions pursuant to this clause (u)  shall not exceed the greater of (x) $15,000,000 and 3.0% of Consolidated Total Assets (measured as of the date such Disposition is made based upon the Section 6.2 Financials most recently delivered on or prior to such date).

 

Permitted Distributions ” has the meaning specified in Section 8.10 .

 

Permitted Holder Group ” means any “group” (within the meaning of Rule 13d-5 of the Exchange Act) owning Stock having the power to vote or direct the voting for the election of directors of Holdings (or any Parent Entity thereof) if a majority of such Stock owned by the group is owned by Permitted Holders.

 

Permitted Holders ” means each of the Investors, the Management Investors and any group (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or Section 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act or any successor provision) of which any of the foregoing are members; provided , that, in the case of such group and without giving effect to the existence of such group or any other group, such Investors and Management Investors, collectively, have beneficial ownership, directly or indirectly of more than 50% of the total voting power of the Voting Stock of Holdings or any Parent Entity.

 

Permitted Investments ” means:

 

(a)           Investments by the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary in assets constituting Cash Equivalents at the time such Investment was made;

 

(b)           (i) Investments existing on the Agreement Date and identified in Schedule 8.11 to this Agreement; and (ii) Investments consisting of any modification, replacement, renewal, reinvestment or extension of any Investment permitted by clause (b)(i)  existing on the Agreement Date; provided that the aggregate amount of the Investments permitted pursuant to this clause (b)  is not increased from the aggregate amount of such Investments on the Agreement Date except pursuant to the terms of such Investment as of the Agreement Date or as otherwise permitted by Section 8.11 ;

 

(c)           Investments by any Obligor in any other Obligor;

 

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(d)           Investments by any Restricted Subsidiary which is not an Obligor in the Borrower or any other Restricted Subsidiary;

 

(e)           Investments by any Obligor in any Restricted Subsidiary which is not an Obligor; provided that the aggregate amount of Investments made and then-outstanding pursuant to this clause (e) , shall not exceed, at the time of the making of such Investment and after giving Pro Forma Effect thereto, the greater of (x) $15,000,000 and (y) 3.0% of Consolidated Total Assets as of the last day of the Test Period most recently ended on or prior to the date such Investments was made (measured as of the date such Investment was made based upon the Section 6.2 Financials most recently delivered on or prior to such date);

 

(f)            Investments in the nature of pledges or deposits with respect to leases or utilities provided to third parties in the ordinary course of business;

 

(g)           Deposit Accounts maintained in the ordinary course of business;

 

(h)           Investments constituting Hedge Agreements entered into in the ordinary course of business and for non-speculative purposes;

 

(i)            Investments (including debt obligations and Stock) received in connection with the bankruptcy or reorganization of Account Debtors, suppliers and customers or in settlement of delinquent obligations of, or other disputes with, Account Debtors, customers and suppliers arising in the ordinary course of business or upon the foreclosure with respect to any secured Investment or other transfer of title with respect to any secured Investment;

 

(j)            loans or advances to officers, directors, partners, members and employees of Holdings (or any Parent Entity), the Borrower or its Restricted Subsidiaries (i) for reasonable and customary business-related travel, entertainment, relocation and analogous ordinary business purposes, (ii) in connection with such Person’s purchase of Stock of Holdings (or any Parent Entity or the Borrower) ( provided that the amount of such loans and advances shall be contributed to the Borrower in cash as common equity (or any other form of equity reasonably satisfactory to the Agent or used to satisfy Tax obligations relating to proceeds received by such Person in connection with the Transactions, which proceeds are used for the purchase of such Stock), (iii) relating to indemnification of any officers, directors or employees in respect of liabilities relating to their serving in any such capacity, and any reimbursement of any such officer, director or employee of expenses relating to the claims giving rise to such indemnification and (iv) for purposes not described in the foregoing clauses (i) , (ii)  and (iii) , in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $10,000,000;

 

(k)           Permitted Acquisitions; provided that, unless the Specified Conditions are then met, the aggregate amount of Permitted Acquisition Consideration relating to all such Permitted Acquisitions made or provided and then-outstanding by the Borrower or any Guarantor to acquire any Restricted Subsidiary that does not become a Guarantor or merge, consolidate or amalgamate into the Borrower or a Guarantor or any assets that shall not, immediately after giving effect to such Permitted Acquisition, be owned by the Borrower or a Guarantor, shall not exceed, at the time of the making of such Investment and after giving Pro Forma Effect thereto, the greater of (x) $15,000,000 and (y) 3.0% of Consolidated Total Assets as of the last day of the Test Period most recently ended on or prior to the date such Investment was made (measured as of the date such Investment was made based upon the Section 6.2 Financials most recently delivered on or prior to such date);

 

(l)            any Investment to the extent that the consideration therefor is Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) of Holdings (or any Parent Entity);

 

(m)          Guaranties of the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary in respect of leases (other than Capital Leases) or of other obligations that do not constitute Debt, in each case entered into in the ordinary course of business;

 

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(n)           Investments in the ordinary course of business consisting of endorsements for collection or deposit and customary trade arrangements with customers in the ordinary course of business;

 

(o)           Investments consisting of extensions of credit in the nature of accounts receivable or notes receivable arising from the grant of trade credit in the ordinary course of business, and Investments received in satisfaction or partial satisfaction thereof from financially troubled Account Debtors and other credits to suppliers in the ordinary course of business;

 

(p)           Investments consisting of Liens, Debt, fundamental changes, Dispositions (other than pursuant to clause (g)  of the definition of “Permitted Dispositions”) and Distributions permitted under this Agreement; provided , however , that no Investments may be made solely pursuant to this clause (p) ;

 

(q)           Investments in cash, and in negotiable instruments deposited or to be deposited for collection in the ordinary course of business;

 

(r)            promissory notes and other non-cash consideration received in connection with Permitted Dispositions;

 

(s)            advances of payroll payments to employees, directors, consultants, independent contractors or other service providers or other advances of salaries or compensation to employees, directors, partners, members, consultants, independent contractors or other service providers, in each case in the ordinary course of business;

 

(t)            Investments made to acquire, purchase, repurchase or retire Stock of Holdings (or any Parent Entity thereof) or the Borrower owned by any employee stock ownership plan or similar plan of Holdings (or any Parent Entity thereof) the Borrower, or any Subsidiary;

 

(u)           contributions to a “rabbi” trust for the benefit of employees, directors, partners, members, consultants, independent contractors or other service providers or other grantor trust subject to claims of creditors in the case of a bankruptcy of the Borrower (or any Parent Entity thereof);

 

(v)           Investments held by any Person acquired by the Borrower or a Restricted Subsidiary after the Closing Date or of any Person merged into the Borrower or merged, amalgamated or consolidated with a Restricted Subsidiary in accordance with Section 8.9 after the Closing Date to the extent that such Investments were not made in contemplation of or in connection with such acquisition, merger, amalgamate or consolidation and were in existence on the date of such acquisition, amalgamation, merger or consolidation;

 

(w)          Restricted Subsidiaries of the Borrower may be established or created if the Borrower and such Restricted Subsidiary comply with the requirements of Section 8.22 , if applicable; provided that in each case, to the extent such new Restricted Subsidiary is created solely for the purpose of consummating a transaction pursuant to an acquisition permitted by this Agreement, and such new Restricted Subsidiary at no time holds any assets or liabilities other than any merger consideration contributed to it contemporaneously with the closing of such transactions, such new Restricted Subsidiary shall not be required to take the actions set forth in Section 8.22 until the respective acquisition is consummated (at which time the surviving entity of the respective transaction shall be required to so comply in accordance with the provisions thereof);

 

(x)           to the extent that they constitute Investments, purchases and acquisitions of inventory, supplies, materials or equipment or purchases, acquisitions, licenses or leases of other assets, Intellectual Property, or other rights, in each case in the ordinary course of business;

 

(y)           [reserved];

 

(z)           intercompany Investments, reorganizations and related activities in connection with tax

 

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planning and reorganization activities so long as after giving effect to any such activities, the Collateral Agent’s Liens, taken as a whole, would not be impaired;

 

(aa)         asset purchases (including purchases of Inventory, supplies and materials), in each case in the ordinary course of business;

 

(bb)         any Investment in a non-Obligor to the extent such Investment is substantially contemporaneously repaid in full with a dividend or other distribution in like kind as such Investment from such non-Obligor;

 

(cc)         any Investments in an amount not to exceed the Available Equity Amount at such time;

 

(dd)         any Investments (including Investments in minority investments, Investments in Unrestricted Subsidiaries and Investments in joint ventures or similar entities that do not constitute Restricted Subsidiaries); provided that the aggregate amount of such Investments made and then-outstanding pursuant to this clause (dd) measured at the time of the making of such Investment and after giving Pro Forma Effect thereto shall not exceed the greater of (x) $15,000,000 and (y) 3.0% of Consolidated Total Assets as of the last day of the Test Period most recently ended on or prior to the date such Investment was made (measured as of the date such Investment was made based upon the Section 6.2 Financials most recently delivered on or prior to such date); and

 

(ee)         any other Investments, so long as the Specified Conditions shall have been satisfied.

 

For purposes of determining compliance with this definition, in the event that any Investment meets the criteria of more than one of the types of Permitted Investments described in the above clauses, the Borrower, in its sole discretion, may classify and reclassify such Investment and only be required to include the amount and type of such Investment in one of such clauses.

 

Permitted Liens ” means, with respect to the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries, the Liens listed below:

 

(a)           Liens for Taxes that (i) are not delinquent or the nonpayment of which in the aggregate would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, or (ii) are being contested in good faith and by the appropriate proceedings and for which adequate reserves have been established in accordance with GAAP (or other applicable accounting principles);

 

(b)           the Collateral Agent’s Liens;

 

(c)           (i) Liens consisting of deposits or pledges (or letters of credit issued) made in the ordinary course of business in connection with, or to secure payment of, obligations under worker’s compensation, unemployment insurance, social security and other similar laws, (ii) Liens consisting of pledges and deposits in the ordinary course of business securing liability for reimbursement or indemnification obligations of (including obligations in respect of letters of credit or bank guarantees for the benefit of) insurance carriers providing property, casualty or liability insurance to the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary, (iii) Liens incurred or deposits made to secure the performance of bids, tenders, trade contracts, governmental contracts, leases or purchase, supply or other contracts (other than for the repayment of Debt for Borrowed Money) or to secure indemnity, performance or other similar bonds for the performance of bids, tenders or contracts (other than for the repayment of Debt for Borrowed Money) or to secure statutory or regulatory obligations (other than Liens arising under ERISA), surety, stay, customs and appeal bonds, performance bonds and other obligations of a like nature (including those to secure health, safety and environmental obligations) incurred in the ordinary course of business;

 

(d)           Liens securing the claims or demands of materialmen, mechanics, carriers, warehousemen, landlords and other like Persons, provided that if any such Lien arises from the nonpayment of any such claims or demands when due, such claims or demands would not reasonably be expected to have a

 

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Material Adverse Effect or are being Properly Contested;

 

(e)           Liens securing Capital Leases and purchase money Debt to the extent such Capital Leases or purchase money Debt are permitted in Section 8.12 ; provided that (i) such Liens attach concurrently with or within two hundred and seventy (270) days after the acquisition, construction, repair, replacement, lease or improvement (as applicable) of the property subject to such Liens, (ii) such Liens do not at any time encumber any property other than the property financed by such Debt, replacements thereof and additions and accessions to such property and the proceeds and the products thereof and customary security deposits, and (iii) with respect to Capital Leases, such Liens do not at any time extend to or cover any assets (except for additions and accessions to such assets, replacements and products thereof and customary security deposits) other than the assets subject to such Capital Leases; provided that individual financings of equipment provided by one creditor may be cross-collateralized to other financings of equipment provided by such creditor;

 

(f)            (i) Liens constituting encumbrances in the nature of reservations, exceptions, encroachments, easements, zoning, rights of way, covenants running with the land, and other similar title ordinary course exceptions or encumbrances affecting any Real Estate; provided that they do not, in the aggregate, materially interfere with its use in the ordinary conduct of the Borrower’s and its Subsidiaries’ business taken as a whole, (ii) mortgages, Liens, security interests, restrictions, encumbrances or any other matters of record that have been placed by any developer, landlord or other third party on Real Estate over which the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary has easement rights (but does not own) or on any leased Real Estate and subordination or similar agreements relating thereto, and (iii) any condemnation or eminent domain proceedings affecting any Real Estate;

 

(g)           Liens arising from any judgment, decree or order of any court or other Governmental Authority or any attachments in connection with court proceedings; provided that the attachment or enforcement of such Liens do not constitute an Event of Default hereunder;

 

(h)           licenses, sublicenses, leases or subleases on the property covered thereby (including Intellectual Property) granted to other Persons and not materially interfering with the ordinary conduct of the business of the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole;

 

(i)            any interest or title of a lessor, sublessor, licensee or licensor under any lease, sublease, sublicense or license agreement not prohibited by this Agreement;

 

(j)            Liens (i) on inventory or goods and proceeds securing the obligations in respect of bankers’ acceptances issued or created to facilitate the purchase, shipment or storage of such inventory or other goods of the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary  in the ordinary course of its business, (ii) that are contractual rights of set-off, (iii) relating to purchase orders and other agreements entered into with customers or suppliers of the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary in the ordinary course of business, or (iv) in favor of customs and revenue authorities arising as a matter of law to secure the payment of customs duties in connection with the importation of goods in the ordinary course of business;

 

(k)           Liens (i) of a collection bank (including those arising under Section 4-210 of the UCC) on the items in the course of collection, (ii) in favor of a banking or other financial institution arising as a matter of law encumbering deposits or other funds maintained with a financial institution (including the right of set-off) and which are within the general parameters customary in the banking industry and (iii) attaching to commodity trading accounts, or other commodity brokerage accounts incurred in the ordinary course of business;

 

(l)            Liens attaching solely to cash earnest money deposits in connection with any letter of intent or purchase agreement in connection with a Permitted Acquisition or other Permitted Investment;

 

(m)          Liens arising from precautionary UCC filings;

 

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(n)           Liens on insurance proceeds or unearned premiums incurred in the ordinary course of business in connection with the financing of insurance premiums;

 

(o)           Liens identified on Schedule 8.16 ; provided that (i) such Lien does not extend to any other property or asset of the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary other than (A) after acquired property that is affixed or incorporated into the property covered by such Lien or financed by Permitted Debt and (B) the proceeds and products thereof and (ii) such Lien shall secure only those obligations that it secures on the Agreement Date and any Refinancing Debt incurred to Refinance such Permitted Debt;

 

(p)           Liens securing Refinancing Debt to the extent such Liens are permitted in the definition of “Refinancing Debt”;

 

(q)           Liens existing on property at the time of its acquisition or existing on the property of any Person at the time such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary (other than by designation as a Restricted Subsidiary pursuant to Section 8.26 ), in each case after the Closing Date; provided that (i) such Lien was not created in contemplation of such acquisition or such Person becoming a Restricted Subsidiary, (ii) such Lien does not extend to or cover any other assets or property (other than the proceeds or products thereof and other than after-acquired property subjected to a Lien securing Debt and other obligations incurred prior to such time and which Debt and other obligations are permitted hereunder that require, pursuant to their terms at such time, a pledge of after-acquired property, it being understood that such requirement shall not be permitted to apply to any property to which such requirement would not have applied but for such acquisition) and (iii) the Debt is Permitted Debt and is not incurred in contemplation of such acquisition or in connection with such Person becoming a Restricted Subsidiary;

 

(r)            Liens securing Debt permitted under Section 8.12(q)(x) ;

 

(s)            Liens on property of a Subsidiary that is not an Obligor securing Debt of such Subsidiary that is not an Obligor pursuant to Section 8.12(p) ;

 

(t)            deposits in the ordinary course of business to secure liabilities to insurance carriers, lessors, utilities and other service providers or any seller of goods;

 

(u)           [reserved];

 

(v)           any encumbrance or restriction (including pursuant to put and call agreements or buy/sell arrangements) with respect to the Stock of any joint venture or similar arrangements pursuant to the joint venture or similar agreement with respect to such joint venture or similar arrangement;

 

(w)          Liens (i) on cash advances in favor of the seller of any property to be acquired in a Permitted Investment to be applied against the purchase price for such Investment and (ii) consisting of an agreement to Dispose of any property in a Permitted Disposition, in each case, solely to the extent such Investment or Disposition, as the case may be, would have been permitted on the date of the creation of such Lien;

 

(x)           Liens arising out of conditional sale, title retention, consignment or similar arrangements for sale of goods entered into by the Borrower or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business;

 

(y)           Liens that are contractual rights of set-off (i) relating to the establishment of depository relations with banks or other financial institutions not given in connection with the incurrence of Debt, (ii) relating to pooled deposit or sweep accounts of the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary to permit satisfaction of overdraft or similar obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business of the Borrower or its Restricted Subsidiaries or (iii) relating to purchase orders and other agreements entered into with customers of the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary in the ordinary course of business;

 

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(z)           any zoning or similar law or right reserved to or vested in any Governmental Authority to control or regulate the use of any real property that does not materially interfere with the ordinary conduct of the business of the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary;

 

(aa)         Liens on specific items of inventory or other goods and the proceeds thereof securing such Person’s obligations in respect of documentary letters of credit issued for the account of such Person to facilitate the purchase, shipment or storage of such inventory or goods;

 

(bb)         ground leases in respect of real property on which facilities owned or leased by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries are located;

 

(cc)         Liens securing Debt or other obligations of the Borrower or a Restricted Subsidiary in favor of the Borrower or any Guarantor and Liens securing Debt or other obligations of any Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Guarantor in favor of any Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Guarantor;

 

(dd)         Liens on securities that are the subject of repurchase agreements constituting Cash Equivalents permitted as Permitted Investments;

 

(ee)         Liens on Stock in joint ventures (other than Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiaries); provided that any such Lien is in favor of a creditor or partner of such joint venture;

 

(ff)          Liens on cash and Cash Equivalents used to satisfy or discharge Debt; provided such satisfaction or discharge is permitted hereunder;

 

(gg)         Liens given to a public utility or any municipality or governmental or other public authority when required by such utility or other authority in connection with the ordinary conduct of the business of the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary; provided that such Liens do not materially interfere with the ordinary conduct of the business of the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary, taken as whole;

 

(hh)         servicing agreements, development agreements, site plan agreements, subdivision agreements and other agreements with Governmental Authorities pertaining to the use or development of any of the real property of the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary; provided same do not materially interfere with the ordinary conduct of the business of the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary, taken as whole, including, without limitation, any obligations to deliver letters of credit and other security as required; and

 

(ii)           the right reserved to or vested in any Governmental Authority by any statutory provision or by the terms of any lease, license, franchise, grant or permit of the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary, to terminate any such lease, license, franchise, grant or permit, or to require annual or other payments as a condition to the continuance thereof;

 

(jj)           Liens securing Hedge Agreements submitted for clearing in accordance with applicable Law;

 

(kk)         Liens to secure transactions permitted by Section 8.18 so long as (i) such Lien attaches only to the assets sold in connection with such transaction and the proceeds thereof (but not any proceeds arising from the rental, leasing or subleasing of such assets by Borrower or its Subsidiaries), and (ii) such Lien only secures the Debt that was incurred to acquire the assets leased in connection therewith or any Refinancing Debt in respect thereof; and

 

(ll)           other Liens; provided that at the time of the incurrence thereof and after giving Pro Forma Effect thereto and the use of proceeds thereof, the aggregate outstanding amount of Debt and other obligations secured by Liens incurred under this clause (ll) and then-outstanding shall not exceed the greater of (x) $30,000,000 and (y) 5.5% of Consolidated Total Assets (measured as of the date such Lien was incurred based upon the Section 6.2 Financials most recently delivered on or prior to such date); provided , further , that if such Liens are consensual and are on the Collateral (other than cash and Cash Equivalents),

 

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the holders of the Debt or other obligations secured thereby (or a representative or trustee on their behalf) shall have entered into the Intercreditor Agreement or another intercreditor agreement reasonably acceptable to the Borrower and the Collateral Agent providing that the Liens on the Current Asset Collateral securing such Debt or other obligations shall rank junior to the Liens on the assets of the Obligors in favor of the Secured Parties.

 

For purposes of determining compliance with this definition, in the event that any Lien meets the criteria of more than one of the types of Permitted Liens described in the above clauses, the Borrower, in its sole discretion, may classify and reclassify such Lien and only be required to include the amount and type of such Lien in one of such clauses.

 

Person ” means any individual, sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company, unlimited liability company, joint venture, trust, unincorporated organization, association, corporation, Governmental Authority, or any other entity.

 

Plan ” means any employee benefit plan (as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA) which the Borrower sponsors or maintains or to which the Borrower or a Subsidiary of the Borrower makes, is making, or is obligated to make contributions.

 

Post-Transaction Period ” means, with respect to any Specified Transaction, the period beginning on the date on which such Specified Transaction is consummated and ending on the last day of the twelfth month immediately following the date on which such Specified Transaction is consummated.

 

Preferred Stock ” means, as applied to the Stock of any Person, the Stock of any class or classes (however designated) that is preferred with respect to the payment of dividends, or as to the distribution of assets upon any voluntary or involuntary liquidation or dissolution of such Person, over shares of Stock of any other class of such Person.

 

Previous Holdings ” has the meaning specified in the definition of “Holdings.”

 

Pro Forma Adjustment ” means, for any Test Period that includes all or any part of a Fiscal Quarter included in any Post-Transaction Period, with respect to the Acquired EBITDA of the applicable Acquired Entity or Business or Converted Restricted Subsidiary or the Consolidated EBITDA of the Borrower, (a) the pro forma increase or decrease (for the avoidance of doubt net of any such increase or decrease actually realized) in such Acquired EBITDA or such Consolidated EBITDA, as the case may be, projected by the Borrower in good faith as a result of (a) actions taken, actions with respect to which substantial steps have been taken or actions that are expected to be taken prior to or during such Post-Transaction Period, for the purposes of realizing reasonably identifiable cost savings, operating expense reductions or costs or other synergies or (b) any additional costs, expenses or charges, accruals or reserves incurred prior to or during such Post-Transaction Period with the combination of the operations of such Acquired Entity or Business or Converted Restricted Subsidiary with the operations of the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries or otherwise in connection with, as a result of or related to such Specified Transaction or Specified Restructuring; provided that (i) so long as such actions are taken or expected to be taken prior to or during such Post-Transaction Period or such costs are incurred prior to or during such Post-Transaction Period, as applicable, for purposes of projecting such pro forma increase or decrease to such Acquired EBITDA or such Consolidated EBITDA, as the case may be, it may be assumed that such cost savings, operating expense reductions or costs or other synergies will be realizable during the entirety of such Test Period, or such additional costs, as applicable, will be incurred during the entirety of such Test Period and (ii) such Pro Forma Adjustments, when aggregated with any addbacks made pursuant to clause (a)(10)  of the definition of “Consolidated EBITDA,” shall not be in excess of 20% of Consolidated EBITDA (provided, such cap will not apply to any amounts relating to amounts that would be permitted to be included in pro forma financial statements prepared in accordance with Regulation S-X under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended) (prior to giving effect to any increase in Consolidated EBITDA pursuant to this clause (ii)  or clause (a)(10)  of the definition of “Consolidated EBITDA”) in any Test Period.

 

Pro Forma Basis ” and “ Pro Forma Effect ” mean, with respect to compliance with any test, financial ratio or covenant hereunder for an applicable period of measurement, for any Specified Transactions or Specified Restructurings that have been made during any applicable Test Period or, if applicable, subsequent to such Test Period

 

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and prior to or simultaneously with the events for which any such calculation is made, shall be calculated on a pro forma basis assuming that (A) to the extent applicable, the Pro Forma Adjustment shall have been made and (B) all Specified Transactions and the following transactions in connection therewith shall be deemed to have occurred as of the first day of the applicable period of measurement (as of the last date in the case of a balance sheet item) in such test or covenant:  (a) income statement items (whether positive or negative) attributable to the property or Person subject to such Specified Transaction, (i) in the case of a Disposition of all or substantially all Stock in any Subsidiary of the Borrower or any division, product line, or facility used for operations of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, shall be excluded, and (ii) in the case of a Permitted Acquisition or Investment described in the definition of “Specified Transaction,” shall be included, (b) Refinancing of Debt, and (c) any Debt incurred by the Borrower or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries in connection therewith and if such Debt has a floating or formula rate, shall have an implied rate of interest for the applicable period for purposes of this definition determined by utilizing the rate which is or would be in effect with respect to such Debt as at the relevant date of determination; provided that, without limiting the application of the Pro Forma Adjustment pursuant to (A) above, the foregoing pro forma adjustments may be applied to any such test, ratio or covenant solely to the extent that such adjustments are consistent with the definition of “Consolidated EBITDA” and give effect to events (including operating expense reductions) that are (as determined by the Borrower in good faith) (i) (x) directly attributable to such transaction, (y) expected to have a continuing impact on the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries and (z) reasonably identifiable or (ii) otherwise consistent with the definition of “Pro Forma Adjustment”.

 

Pro Rata Share ” means, with respect to a Lender, a fraction (expressed as a percentage), the numerator of which is the aggregate amount of such Lender’s Revolving Credit Commitments and the denominator of which is the sum of the amounts of all of the Lenders’ Revolving Credit Commitments, or if no Revolving Credit Commitments are outstanding, a fraction (expressed as a percentage), (x) the numerator of which is the sum (without duplication) of the aggregate amount of the Revolving Loans owed to such Lender plus such Lender’s participation in the aggregate undrawn face amount of all outstanding Letters of Credit, plus such Lender’s participation in the aggregate amount of any Unpaid Drawings in respect of Letters of Credit and (y) the denominator of which is the sum (without duplication) of the aggregate amount of the Revolving Loans owed to the Lenders, plus the aggregate undrawn face amount of all outstanding Letters of Credit, plus the aggregate amount of any Unpaid Drawings in respect of Letters of Credit, in each case giving effect to a Lender’s participation in Swingline Loans and Agent Advances.

 

Properly Contested ” means, in the case of any Debt or other obligation of the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary that is not paid as and when due or payable by reason of such Person’s bona fide dispute concerning its liability to pay the same or concerning the amount thereof, (a) such Debt or other obligation is being properly contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings promptly instituted and diligently conducted; (b) such Person has established appropriate reserves for the contested Debt or other obligation in conformity with GAAP; and (c) will not result in any impairment of the enforceability, validity or priority of the Collateral Agent’s Liens.

 

Proposed Change ” has the meaning specified in Section 12.1(b) .

 

Qualified Stock ” means any Stock that is not Disqualified Stock.

 

Real Estate ” means all of each Obligor’s and each of its Restricted Subsidiaries’ now or hereafter owned or leased estates in real property, including, without limitation, all fees, leaseholds and future interests, together with all of each Obligor’s and each of its Restricted Subsidiaries’ now or hereafter owned or leased interests in the improvements thereon, the fixtures attached thereto and the easements appurtenant thereto.

 

Reasonable Credit Judgment ” means the Agent’s reasonable credit judgment (from the perspective of an asset-based lender) in establishing reserves, exercised in good faith in accordance with customary business practices for similar asset based lending facilities, (i) to reflect the impediments to the Collateral Agent’s ability to realize upon the Current Asset Collateral included in the Borrowing Base, (ii) to reflect claims and liabilities that will need to be satisfied in connection with the realization upon the Current Asset Collateral included in the Borrowing Base or (iii) to reflect criteria, events, conditions, contingencies or risks which adversely affect, or are reasonably likely to adversely affect, any component of the Borrowing Base, the Collateral or the validity or enforceability of this Agreement or the other Loan Documents or any material remedies of the Secured Parties hereunder or thereunder.  Any Reserve established or modified by the Agent shall have a reasonable relationship to circumstances, conditions,

 

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events or contingencies which are the basis for such Reserve, as reasonably determined, without duplication, by the Agent in good faith; provided that circumstances, conditions, events or contingencies existing or arising prior to the Closing Date and, in each case, disclosed in writing in any Field Examination delivered to the Agent in connection herewith or otherwise known to the Agent prior to the Closing Date, shall not be the basis for any establishment of any Reserves after the Closing Date, unless such circumstances, conditions, events or contingencies shall have changed in a material respect since the Closing Date.

 

Recipient ” means (a) the Agent, (b) any Lender and (c) any other recipient of any payment made by or on behalf of the Obligors under this Agreement or any of the Loan Documents, as applicable.

 

Refinance ,” “ Refinanced ” and “ Refinancing ” each has the meaning specified in the definition of the term “Refinancing Debt.”

 

Refinanced Debt ” has the meaning specified in the definition of the term “Refinancing Debt.”

 

Refinancing Debt ” means with respect to any Debt (the “ Refinanced Debt ”), any Debt incurred in exchange for or as a replacement of (including by entering into alternative financing arrangements in respect of such exchange or replacement (in whole or in part), by adding or replacing lenders, creditors, agents, the Borrower and/or guarantors, or, after the original instrument giving rise to such Debt has been terminated, by entering into any credit agreement, loan agreement, note purchase agreement, indenture or other agreement), or the net proceeds of which are to be used for the purpose of modifying, extending, refinancing, renewing, replacing, redeeming, repurchasing, defeasing, amending, supplementing, restructuring, repaying or refunding (collectively to “ Refinance ” or a “ Refinancing ” or “ Refinanced ”), such Refinanced Debt (or previous refinancing thereof constituting Refinancing Debt); provided that (a) the principal amount (or accreted value, if applicable) of such Refinancing Debt does not exceed the principal amount (or accreted value, if applicable) of the Refinanced Debt except by an amount equal to unpaid accrued interest and premium (including applicable prepayment penalties) thereof plus fees and expenses reasonably incurred in connection therewith plus an amount equal to any existing commitment unutilized and letters of credit undrawn thereunder, (b) any Liens securing such Refinancing Debt shall have the same collateral priority as the Liens securing the Refinanced Debt, (c) no Obligor that was not previously liable for the repayment of such Refinanced Debt is or is required to become liable for the Refinancing Debt (except that any Obligor may be added as an additional direct or contingent obligor in respect of such Refinancing Debt), (d) such extension, refinancing, refunding, replacement or renewal does not result in the Refinancing Debt having a shorter Weighted Average Life to Maturity than the Refinanced Debt, and (e) if the Refinanced Debt was subordinated in right of payment to any of the Obligations, then the terms and conditions of the Refinancing Debt shall include subordination terms and conditions that are no less favorable to the Lenders in all material respects as those that were applicable to the Refinanced Debt.

 

Register ” has the meaning specified in Section 13.20(a) .

 

Release ” means a release, spill, emission, leaking, pumping, injection, deposit, disposal, discharge, dispersal, leaching or migration of a Contaminant into or through the Environment or within, from or into any building, structure, facility or fixture.

 

Report ” and “ Reports ” each has the meaning specified in Section 13.17(a).

 

Reportable Event ” means any of the events set forth in Section 4043(c) of ERISA or the regulations thereunder, other than any such event for which the 30-day notice requirement under ERISA has been waived in regulations issued by the PBGC.

 

Required Lenders ” means, at any time, Lenders having Commitments representing at least 50.1% of the aggregate Commitments at such time; provided , however , that if any Lender shall remain a Defaulting Lender, the term “ Required Lenders ” means Lenders having Commitments representing at least 50.1% of the aggregate Commitments at such time (excluding the Commitment of any such Lender that is a Defaulting Lender); provided   further , however , that if the Commitments have been terminated, the term “ Required Lenders ” means Lenders holding Loans (including Swingline Loans) representing at least 50.1% of the aggregate principal amount of Loans (including

 

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Swingline Loans) outstanding at such time (excluding Loans of any such Lender that is a Defaulting Lender).

 

Required Reimbursement Date ” has the meaning specified in Section 2.3(e) .

 

Requirement of Law ” means, as to any Person, any law (statutory or common), treaty, rule or regulation or determination of an arbitrator or of a Governmental Authority, in each case applicable to or binding upon the Person or any of its property or to which the Person or any of its property is subject.

 

Reserves ” means reserves that limit the availability of credit hereunder, consisting of reserves against Availability and Eligible Accounts and any other reserves permitted under this Agreement, in each case, established by the Agent from time to time in the Agent’s Reasonable Credit Judgment in accordance with Section 2.5 of this Agreement.

 

Responsible Officer ” means the President, any Vice President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, legal counsel, or any other executive or financial officer of Holdings, the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary, or any other officer having substantially the same authority and responsibility; or, with respect to compliance with financial covenants and the preparation of the Borrowing Base Certificate, the president, chief financial officer or the treasurer  or assistant treasurer of the Borrower, or any other officer having substantially the same authority and responsibility.

 

Restricted Subsidiary ” means each Subsidiary of the Borrower other than an Unrestricted Subsidiary.

 

Restructuring Costs ” means any non-recurring, unusual and other one-time costs (including but not limited to legal and consulting fees) incurred by the Borrower or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries in connection with its business, operations and structure in respect of plant closures, facility shutdowns, plant “moth-balling” or consolidation of assets located at any leased or fee-owned facilities, relocation or elimination of facilities, offices or operations, information technology integration, headcount reductions, salary continuation, termination, relocation and training of employees, severance costs, retention payments, bonuses, benefits and payroll taxes and other costs incurred in connection with the foregoing.

 

Revolving Credit Borrowing ” means a Borrowing comprised of Revolving Loans.

 

Revolving Credit Commitment ” means, at any date for any Lender, the obligation of such Lender to make Revolving Loans and to purchase participations in Letters of Credit pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, which shall not exceed the aggregate principal amount set forth on Schedule 1.1 under the heading “Revolving Credit Commitment” or on the signature page of the Assignment and Acceptance, Incremental Agreement or Extension Agreement, as applicable, by which it became a Lender, as modified from time to time pursuant to the terms of this Agreement or to give effect to any applicable Assignment and Acceptance, Incremental Agreement or Extension Agreement; and “ Revolving Credit Commitments ” means the aggregate principal amount of the Revolving Credit Commitments of all Lenders, the maximum amount of which shall be the Maximum Revolver Amount.

 

Revolving Credit Commitment Increase ” has the meaning specified in Section 2.6(a) .

 

Revolving Credit Facility ” has the meaning specified in the recitals to this Agreement.

 

Revolving Credit Lender ” means a Lender with a Revolving Credit Commitment or an outstanding Revolving Loan.

 

Revolving Loans ” means the revolving loans made pursuant to Section 2.2 , each Agent Advance and Swingline Loan.

 

S&P ” means Standard & Poor’s Ratings Service, a Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC business, or any successor thereto.

 

Sanctioned Entity ” means (a) a country or a government of a country, (b) an agency of the government of

 

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a country, (c) an organization directly or indirectly controlled by a country or its government or (d) a Person resident in or determined to be resident in a country, in each case, that is subject to a country sanctions program administered and enforced by OFAC.

 

Sanctioned Person ” means a person or entity named or a person or entity owned 50% or more by a person or entity on any of the lists of designated sanctioned persons maintained by OFAC or the United States Department of State, including the list of Specially Designated Nationals .

 

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

 

Second Currency ” has the meaning specified in Section 14.19 .

 

Section 6.2 Financials ” means the Financial Statements delivered, or required to be delivered, pursuant to Section 6.2(a)  or 6.2(b) .

 

Secured Cash Management Agreement ” means any Cash Management Document that is entered into by and between the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary and a Cash Management Bank and designated in writing by the Cash Management Bank and such Person to the Agent as a “Secured Cash Management Agreement.”

 

Secured Hedge Agreement ” means any Hedge Agreement permitted under Section 8.12 that is entered into by and between any Obligor or any Restricted Subsidiary and any Hedge Bank and designated in writing by the Hedge Bank and such Obligor to the Agent as a “Secured Hedge Agreement.”  Such designation in writing by the Hedge Bank and the applicable Obligor (or any subsequent written notice by the Hedge Bank to the Agent) may further designate with the consent of the Borrower any Secured Hedge Agreement as being a “Noticed Hedge” as defined under this Agreement.

 

Secured Hedge Obligations ” means obligations under any Secured Hedge Agreement up to the maximum amount (in the case of any Hedge Bank other than Barclays and its Affiliates so long as Barclays is the Agent) reasonably specified by such Hedge Bank and any Obligor or any Restricted Subsidiary in writing to the Agent, which amount may be established or increased (by further written notice to the Agent from time to time) as long as Aggregate Revolver Outstandings would not exceed the Maximum Revolver Amount as a result of the establishment of a Bank Product Reserve for such amount.

 

Secured Parties ” means, collectively, the Agent, the Collateral Agent, the Lenders, each Letter of Credit Issuer, the Indemnified Persons, the Cash Management Banks and the Hedge Banks.

 

Securities Accounts ” means all “securities accounts” as such term is defined in the UCC.

 

Securities Account Control Agreement ” means an effective securities account control agreement with an Approved Securities Intermediary, in each case in the form set forth as an exhibit to the Security Agreement or otherwise in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agent.

 

Securities Act ” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

Security Agreement ” means, the Security Agreement, dated as of the Agreement Date, among Holdings, the Borrower, each of the Guarantors from time to time party thereto, and the Collateral Agent, for the benefit of the Secured Parties.

 

Security Documents ” means the Security Agreement, any Mortgage and any other agreements, instruments, and documents heretofore, now or hereafter securing any of the Obligations.

 

Senior Secured Net Leverage Ratio ” means, as of any date of determination, the ratio of (a) Consolidated Total Debt that is secured by a Lien on any assets or property of Holdings, the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary

 

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as of the last day of the Test Period most recently ended on or prior to the date of determination to (b) Consolidated EBITDA of Holdings, the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such Test Period.

 

Settlement ” and “ Settlement Date ” have the meanings specified in Section 13.14(a)(i) .

 

Significant Subsidiary ” means, at any date of determination, (a) any Restricted Subsidiary whose total assets (when combined with the assets of such Restricted Subsidiary’s Subsidiaries after eliminating intercompany obligations) at the last day of the Test Period most recently ended on or prior to such date of determination were equal to or greater than 10% of the Consolidated Total Assets at such date, (b) any Restricted Subsidiary whose gross revenues (when combined with the gross revenues of such Restricted Subsidiary’s Subsidiaries after eliminating intercompany obligations) for such Test Period were equal to or greater than 10% of the consolidated gross revenues of the Borrower and the Restricted Subsidiaries for such Test Period, in each case determined in accordance with GAAP or (c) each other Restricted Subsidiary that, when such Restricted Subsidiary’s total assets or gross revenues (when combined with the total assets or gross revenues of such Restricted Subsidiary’s Subsidiaries after eliminating intercompany obligations) are aggregated with each other Restricted Subsidiary (when combined with the total assets or gross revenues of such Restricted Subsidiary’s Subsidiaries after eliminating intercompany obligations) that would constitute a “Significant Subsidiary” under clause (a)  or (b)  above.

 

Sold Entity or Business ” has the meaning specified in the definition of the term “Consolidated EBITDA.”

 

Solvent ” or “ Solvency ” means, at the time of determination:

 

(a)           each of the Fair Value and the Present Fair Saleable Value of the assets of a Person and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole exceed their Stated Liabilities and Identified Contingent Liabilities; and

 

(b)           such Person and its Subsidiaries taken as whole do not have Unreasonably Small Capital; and

 

(c)           such Person and its Subsidiaries taken as whole can pay their Stated Liabilities and Identified Contingent Liabilities as they mature.

 

Defined terms used in the foregoing definition shall have the meanings set forth in the solvency certificate delivered on the Closing Date pursuant to Section 9.1(a)(v) .

 

Specified Conditions ” means, at any time of determination, that (a) no Specified Event of Default exists or would arise as a result of the making of the subject Specified Payment, (b) after giving Pro Forma Effect to such Specified Payment, the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio as of the end of the most recently ended Test Period (regardless of whether a Covenant Trigger Period is then in effect) shall be greater than or equal to 1.0 to 1.0 calculated as if such Specified Payment (if applicable to such calculation) had been made as of the first day of such Test Period; provided , however , that the condition set forth in clause (b)  shall not be applicable if Availability after giving Pro Forma Effect to such Specified Payment is as of the date of such Specified Transaction and during 30 calendar days prior to such Specified Payment in excess of the greater of (x) 20.0% of the Maximum Credit and (y) $20,000,000, (c) Availability after giving Pro Forma Effect to such Specified Payment is as of the date of such Specified Transaction and during 30 calendar days prior to such Specified Payment in excess of the greater of (x) 15.0% of the Maximum Credit and (y) $15,000,000 and (d) the Borrower shall have delivered a certificate of a Responsible Officer, to the Agent stating that the conditions contained in the foregoing clauses (a) , (b)  and (c)  have been satisfied.

 

Specified Event of Default ” means the occurrence of and continuance of any Event of Default under (a)  Section 10.1(b) , to the extent related to the inaccuracy of any Borrowing Base Certificate delivered under this Agreement, (b) any of Sections 10.1(a) , (e) , (f)  or (g) , (c)  Section 10.1(c)(ii) , (d)  Section 10.1(c)(iii)  or (e)  Section 10.1(c)(i)  (related to Section 8.23 only).

 

Specified Payment ” means (a) any Permitted Acquisition, (b) Distributions made pursuant to Section 8.10(j)(i) , (c) Investments made pursuant to clause (ee) of the definition of “Permitted Investments,” (d) Debt incurred pursuant to Section 8.12(s)  and (e) payments in respect of Junior Debt made pursuant to Section 8.13(vi) .

 

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Specified Restructuring ” means any restructuring or other strategic initiative (including cost saving initiative) of the Borrower or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries after the Closing Date and not in the ordinary course and described in reasonable detail in a certificate of a Responsible Officer delivered by the Borrower to the Agent.

 

Specified Transaction ” means, with respect to any period, any Investment, Disposition, incurrence of Debt, Refinancing of Debt, Distribution, Subsidiary designation, Revolving Credit Commitment Increase, creation of Extended Revolving Credit Commitments or other event that by the terms of the Loan Documents requires compliance on a “Pro Forma Basis” with a test or covenant hereunder or requires such test or covenant to be calculated on a “Pro Forma Basis” or after giving “Pro Forma Effect” thereto.

 

Sponsor ” means Energy Capital Partners, LLC and each of its Affiliates and any funds, partnerships or other investment vehicles managed or controlled by it or its Affiliates, but not including, however, any of their operating portfolio companies.

 

Stated Termination Date ” means, with respect to the Revolving Credit Facility, [            ], 2022 and, with respect to any Extended Revolving Credit Facility, the maturity date set forth in the Extension Agreement related thereto.

 

Stock ” means all shares, options, warrants, general or limited partnership interests, membership interests or other equivalents (regardless of how designated) of or in a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, unlimited liability company or equivalent entity whether voting or nonvoting, including common stock, preferred stock or any other “equity security” (as such term is defined in Rule 3a11-1 of the General Rules and Regulations promulgated by the SEC under the Exchange Act).

 

Subordinated Debt ” means any Debt subordinated in right of payment to, or required under the Loan Documents to be subordinated in right of payment to, any Debt under the Loan Documents, except any Debt that is subject to Lien subordination but not payment subordination.

 

Subordinated Intercompany Note ” means the Intercompany Subordinated Note, dated as of the Closing Date, substantially in the form of Exhibit I executed by Holdings, the Borrower and each Restricted Subsidiary of the Borrower.

 

Subsidiary ” of a Person means any corporation, association, partnership, limited liability company, unlimited liability company, joint venture or other business entity of which more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting stock or other Stock (in the case of Persons other than corporations), is owned or controlled directly or indirectly by the Person, or one or more of the Subsidiaries of the Person, or a combination thereof.  Unless the context otherwise clearly requires, references herein to a “Subsidiary” refer to a Subsidiary of the Borrower.

 

Successor Borrower ” has the meaning specified in Section 8.9(a) .

 

Successor Holdings ” has the meaning specified in Section 8.27(b) .

 

Supermajority Lenders ” means, at any time, Lenders having Commitments representing at least 66 2/ 3 % of the aggregate Commitments at such time; provided however , that if any Lender shall remain a Defaulting Lender, the term “Supermajority Lenders” means Lenders having Commitments representing at least 66 2/ 3 % of the aggregate Commitments at such time (excluding the Commitment of any such Lender that is a Defaulting Lender); provided   further , however , that if the Commitments have been terminated, the term “Supermajority Lenders” means Lenders holding Loans (including Swingline Loans) representing at least 66 2/ 3 % of the aggregate principal amount of Loans (including Swingline Loans) outstanding at such time (excluding Loans of any such Lender that is a Defaulting Lender).

 

Supporting Letter of Credit ” has the meaning specified in Section 2.3(g) .

 

Swap Termination Value ” means, in respect of any one or more Hedge Agreements, after taking into account the effect of any legally enforceable netting agreement relating to such Hedge Agreements, (a) for any date on

 

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or after the date such Hedge Agreements have been closed out and termination value(s) determined in accordance therewith, such termination value(s), and (b) for any date prior to the date referenced in clause (a) , the amount(s) determined as the mark to market value(s) for such Hedge Agreements, as determined based upon one or more mid-market or other readily available quotations provided by any recognized dealer in such Hedge Agreements (which may include a Lender or any Affiliate of a Lender).

 

Swingline Commitment ” means the Commitment of the Swingline Lender to make loans pursuant to Section 2.4(f) .

 

Swingline Lender ” means Barclays or any successor financial institution agreed to by the Agent, in its capacity as provider of Swingline Loans.

 

Swingline Loan ” and “ Swingline Loans ” have the meanings specified in Section 2.4(f) .

 

Swingline Sublimit ” has the meaning specified in Section 2.4(f) .

 

Tax Group ” has the meaning specified in Section 8.10(g)(i) .

 

Taxes ” means all present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties, deductions, assessments, fees, charges or withholdings (including interest, penalties and additions to tax with respect thereto) imposed by any Governmental Authority.

 

Termination Date ” means the earliest to occur of (a) the Stated Termination Date, (b) the date the Commitments are terminated either by the Borrower pursuant to Section 4.4 or by the Required Lenders pursuant to Section 10.2 , and (c) the date this Agreement is otherwise terminated for any reason whatsoever pursuant to the terms of this Agreement.

 

Test Period ” means, at any date of determination, the most recently completed four consecutive fiscal quarters of the Borrower ending on or prior to such date for which financial statements have been (or were required to have been) delivered pursuant to Section 6.2(a)  or 6.2(b) ; provided that prior to the first date financial statements have been delivered pursuant to Section 6.2(a)  or 6.2(b) , the Test Period in effect shall be the period of four consecutive fiscal quarters of the Borrower ended December 31, 2016.

 

Titled Goods ” means vehicles and similar items that are (a) subject to certificate-of-title statutes or regulations under which a security interest in such items are perfected by an indication on the certificates of title of such items (in lieu of filing of financing statements under the UCC) or (b) evidenced by certificates of ownership or other registration certificates issued or required to be issued under the laws of any jurisdiction.

 

Total Net Leverage Ratio ” means, as of any date of determination, the ratio of (a) Consolidated Total Debt as of the last day of the Test Period most recently ended on or prior to the date of determination to (b) Consolidated EBITDA of Holdings, the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such Test Period.

 

Transactions ” means, collectively, (a) the entering into of the Loan Documents and funding of the Loans on the Closing Date and the consummation of the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, (b) the Existing Debt Refinancing, (c) the consummation of the initial public offering of the common stock of Holdings and (d) the payment of fees and expenses in connection therewith.

 

Type ” means any type of a Loan determined with respect to the interest option applicable thereto, which shall be a LIBOR Loan or a Base Rate Loan.

 

U.S. Person ” means any Person that is a “United States Person” as defined in Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code.

 

U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate ” has the meaning specified in Section 5.1(d)(ii)(C) .

 

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UCC ” means the Uniform Commercial Code, as in effect from time to time, of the State of New York or of any other state the laws of which are required as a result thereof to be applied in connection with the issue of perfection of security interests.

 

Unfinanced Capital Expenditures ” means, with respect to any Person and for any period, Capital Expenditures made by such Person during such period that are not Financed Capital Expenditures.

 

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

 

Unpaid Drawings ” has the meaning specified in Section 2.3(e) .

 

Unrestricted Subsidiary ” means (i) each Subsidiary of the Borrower listed on Schedule 1.4 , (ii) any Subsidiary of the Borrower designated by the Board of Directors of the Borrower as an Unrestricted Subsidiary pursuant to Section 8.26 subsequent to the Closing Date and (iii) any Subsidiary of an Unrestricted Subsidiary.

 

Unused Letter of Credit Subfacility ” means an amount equal to the Letter of Credit Subfacility minus the sum of (a) the aggregate undrawn amount of all outstanding Letters of Credit plus , without duplication, (b) the aggregate Unpaid Drawings obligations with respect to a Letters of Credit.

 

Unused Line Fee ” has the meaning specified in Section 3.5 .

 

USA PATRIOT Act ” means The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (Title III of Pub. L. No. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)), as amended or modified from time to time.

 

Voting Stock ” means, with respect to any Person, shares of such Person’s Stock having the right to vote for the election of members of the Board of Directors of such Person under ordinary circumstances.

 

Weighted Average Life to Maturity ” means, when applied to any Debt at any date, the number of years obtained by dividing:  (i) the sum of the products obtained by multiplying (a) the amount of each then remaining installment, sinking fund, serial maturity or other required payments of principal, including payment at final maturity, in respect thereof, by (b) the number of years (calculated to the nearest one-twelfth) that will elapse between such date and the making of such payment by (ii) the then-outstanding principal amount of such Debt.

 

Wholly Owned ” means, with respect to a Subsidiary of a Person, a Subsidiary of such Person all of the outstanding Stock of which (other than (x) director’s qualifying shares and (y) shares issued to foreign nationals to the extent required by applicable Law) are owned by such Person and/or by one or more wholly owned Subsidiaries of such Person.

 

Withholding Agent ” means any Obligor, any Agent and, in the case of any U.S. federal withholding tax, any other withholding agent.

 

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.

 

1.2           Accounting Terms .

 

(a)            All accounting terms not specifically or completely defined herein shall be construed in conformity with, and all financial data (including financial ratios and other financial calculations) required to be submitted pursuant to this Agreement shall be prepared in conformity with, GAAP, applied in a manner consistent with that used in preparing the Historical Financial Statements, except as otherwise specifically prescribed herein; provided, however, that if the Borrower notifies the Agent that the Borrower requests an amendment to any provision hereof to eliminate the effect of any change occurring after the Closing Date in GAAP or in the application thereof on the

 

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operation of such provision (or if the 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.

 

(b)            Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, for purposes of determining compliance with any test or covenant contained in this Agreement with respect to any period during which any Specified Transaction or Specified Restructuring occurs, the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio, the Total Net Leverage Ratio and the Senior Secured Net Leverage Ratio shall be calculated with respect to such period and such Specified Transaction or Specified Restructuring on a Pro Forma Basis.

 

(c)            Where reference is made to “Holdings, the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis” or similar language, such consolidation shall not include any Subsidiaries of the Borrower other than Restricted Subsidiaries.

 

(d)            Notwithstanding any other provision contained herein, (i) all terms of an accounting or financial nature used herein shall be construed, and all computations of amounts and ratios referred to herein shall be made, without giving effect to any election under the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s Accounting Standards Codification No. 825—Financial Instruments, or any successor thereto (including pursuant to the Accounting Standards Codification), to value any Debt of Holdings, the Borrower or any Subsidiary at “fair value” as defined therein and (ii) all leases and obligations under any leases of any Person that are or would be characterized as operating leases and/or operating lease obligations in accordance with GAAP as of December 31, 2016 (whether or not such operating leases and/or operating lease obligations were in effect on such date) shall continue to be accounted for as operating leases and/or operating lease obligations (and not as Capital Leases and/or Capital Lease Obligations) for purposes of this Agreement regardless of any change in GAAP following the date that would otherwise require such obligations to be recharacterized as Capital Leases and/or Capital Lease Obligations.

 

(e)            For the avoidance of doubt, notwithstanding any classification under GAAP of any Person or business in respect of which a definitive agreement for the Disposition thereof has been entered into as discontinued operations, the Net Income of such Person or business shall not be excluded from the calculation of Net Income until such Disposition shall have been consummated.

 

1.3           Interpretive Provisions .

 

(a)            The meanings of defined terms are equally applicable to the singular and plural forms of the defined terms.

 

(b)            The words “hereof,” “herein,” “hereunder” and similar words refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Agreement; and Subsection, Section, Schedule and Exhibit references are to this Agreement unless otherwise specified.

 

(c)            The term “documents” includes any and all instruments, documents, agreements, certificates, indentures, notices and other writings, however evidenced.

 

(i)          The term “including” is not limiting and means “including without limitation.”

 

(ii)         In the computation of periods of time from a specified date to a later specified date, the word “from” means “from and including,” the words “to” and “until” each mean “to but excluding” and the word “through” means “to and including.”

 

(iii)        The word “or” is not exclusive.

 

(iv)        Any reference to any Person shall be constructed to include such Person’s successors or assigns (subject to any restrictions on assignment set forth herein) and, in the case of any Governmental

 

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Authority, any other Governmental Authority that shall have succeeded to any or all of the functions thereof.

 

(v)         Whenever the context may require, any pronoun shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter forms.

 

(vi)        The word “will” shall be construed to have the same meaning as the word “shall.”

 

(vii)       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.

 

(d)            Unless otherwise expressly provided herein, (a) references to Organization Documents, Charter Documents, agreements (including the Loan Documents) and other contractual obligations shall be deemed to include all subsequent amendments, restatements, amendment and restatements, extensions, supplements and other modifications thereto, but only to the extent that such amendments, restatements, amendment and restatements, extensions, supplements and other modifications are permitted by this Agreement; and (b) references to any applicable Law shall include all statutory and regulatory provisions consolidating, amending, replacing, supplementing or interpreting such applicable Law.

 

(e)            The captions and headings of this Agreement and other Loan Documents are for convenience of reference only and shall not affect the interpretation of this Agreement.

 

(f)             This Agreement and other Loan Documents may use several different limitations, tests or measurements to regulate the same or similar matters.  All such limitations, tests and measurements are cumulative and shall each be performed in accordance with their terms.

 

1.4           Classification of Loans and Borrowings .  For purposes of this Agreement, Loans may be classified and referred to by Class ( e.g. , a “Revolving Loan”) or by Type ( e.g ., a “LIBOR Loan”) or by Class and Type ( e.g ., a “Revolving LIBOR Loan”).  Borrowings also may be classified and referred to by Class ( e.g ., a “Revolving Borrowing”) or by Type ( e.g ., a “LIBOR Borrowing”) or by Class and Type ( e.g ., a “Revolving LIBOR Borrowing”).

 

1.5           [Reserved] .

 

1.6           Rounding .  Any financial ratios required to be maintained or complied with by the Borrower pursuant to this Agreement (or required to be satisfied in order for a specific action to be permitted under this Agreement) shall be calculated by dividing the appropriate component by the other component, carrying the result to one place more than the number of places by which such ratio is expressed herein and rounding the result up or down to the nearest number (with a rounding-up if there is no nearest number).

 

1.7           Times of Day .  Unless otherwise specified, all references herein to times of day shall be references to New York City (daylight or standard, as applicable).

 

1.8           Timing of Payment or Performance .  When the payment of any obligation or the performance of any covenant, duty or obligation is stated to be due or performance required on a day which is not a Business Day, the date of such payment (other than as described in the definition of “Interest Period”) or performance shall extend to the immediately succeeding Business Day.

 

1.9           Currency Equivalents Generally .

 

(a)            For purposes of any determination under any provision of this Agreement requiring the use of a current exchange rate, all amounts incurred or proposed to be incurred in currencies other than Dollars shall be translated into Dollars at currency exchange rates then in effect on the date of such determination; provided , however , that (x) for purposes of determining compliance with respect to the amount of any Debt, Investment, Disposition, Distribution or payment of Junior Debt in a currency other than Dollars, no Default or Event of Default shall be

 

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deemed to have occurred solely as a result of changes in rates of exchange occurring after the time such Debt or Investment is incurred or Disposition, Distribution of payment of Junior Debt is made, (y) for purposes of determining compliance with any Dollar-denominated restriction on the incurrence of Debt, if such Debt is incurred to Refinance other Debt denominated in a foreign currency, and such Refinancing would cause the applicable Dollar-denominated restriction to be exceeded if calculated at the relevant currency exchange rate in effect on the date of such Refinancing, such Dollar-denominated restriction shall be deemed not to have been exceeded so long as the principal amount of such Refinanced Debt does not exceed the principal amount of such Debt being Refinanced, except by an amount equal to the accrued interest and premium thereon plus other amounts paid and fees and expenses incurred in connection with such Refinancing plus an amount equal to any existing commitment unutilized and letters of credit undrawn thereunder and (z) for the avoidance of doubt, the foregoing provisions of this Section 1.9 shall otherwise apply to such Sections, including with respect to determining whether any Debt or Investment may be incurred or Disposition, Distribution or payment of Junior Debt may be made at any time under such Sections.  For purposes of the Financial Covenant, amounts in currencies other than Dollars shall be translated into Dollars at the applicable exchange rates used in preparing the most recently delivered Section 6.2 Financials.

 

(b)            Each provision of this Agreement shall be subject to such reasonable changes of construction as the Agent may from time to time specify with the Borrower’s consent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld) to appropriately reflect a change in currency of any country and any relevant market conventions or practices relating to such change in currency.

 

ARTICLE II

 

LOANS AND LETTERS OF CREDIT

 

2.1           Credit Facilities .  Subject to all of the terms and conditions of this Agreement, (i) the Lenders agree to make Revolving Loans to the Borrower on the Closing Date and at any time and from time to time prior to the Termination Date, in an aggregate principal amount outstanding not in excess of the Maximum Revolver Amount, (ii) the Swingline Lender agrees to extend credit to the Borrower, at any time and from time to time prior to the Termination Date, in the form of Swingline Loans, in an aggregate principal amount at any time outstanding not in excess of the Swingline Sublimit, and (iii) the Letter of Credit Issuers agree to issue Letters of Credit on behalf of the Borrower, in an aggregate face amount at any time outstanding not in excess of the Letter of Credit Subfacility.  The proceeds of the Revolving Loans and the Swingline Loans are to be used solely to finance ongoing working capital needs and for other general corporate purposes (including Permitted Acquisitions and other Permitted Investments, Permitted Distributions and the repayment or prepayment of Debt, in each case to the extent not prohibited pursuant to the terms hereof) of the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries.  Each Loan made pursuant to this Agreement shall be made in Dollars.

 

2.2           Revolving Loans .  Subject to all of the terms and conditions of this Agreement, each Lender severally, but not jointly or jointly and severally, agrees, upon the Borrower’s request from time to time on any Business Day during the period from the Closing Date to the Termination Date, to make Revolving Loans in Dollars to the Borrower in amounts not to exceed such Lender’s Pro Rata Share of then-current Availability.  The Lenders, however, in their unanimous discretion, may elect to make Revolving Loans or issue or arrange to have issued Letters of Credit in excess of the Borrowing Base on one or more occasions, but if they do so, neither the Agent nor the Lenders shall be deemed thereby to have changed the limits of the Borrowing Base or to be obligated to exceed such limits on any other occasion.  If any such Borrowing would exceed Availability, the Lenders may refuse to make or may otherwise restrict the making of Revolving Loans as the Lenders determine until such excess has been eliminated, subject to the Agent’s authority, in its sole discretion, to make Agent Advances pursuant to the terms of Section 2.4(g) .

 

2.3           Letters of Credit .

 

(a)            Agreement to Issue .  Subject to all of the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Letter of Credit Issuers agree to issue for the account of the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Borrower one or more standby letters of credit denominated in Dollars (each, a “ Letter of Credit ” and, collectively, the “ Letters of Credit ”) and to amend, renew or extend Letters of Credit previously issued by such Letter of Credit Issuer (unless

 

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otherwise provided below); provided that the Borrower shall be the applicant, and be jointly and severally liable, with respect to any Letter of Credit issued for the account of a Restricted Subsidiary.

 

(b)    Amounts; Outside Expiration Date .  The Letter of Credit Issuers shall not have any obligation to issue any Letter of Credit at any time if (i) the maximum aggregate amount of the requested Letter of Credit for the term of such Letter of Credit (including any increases in amount referenced therein) is greater than the Unused Letter of Credit Subfacility at such time; (ii) the maximum undrawn amount of the requested Letter of Credit would exceed the then-current Availability; or (iii) such Letter of Credit has an expiration date later than 12 months after the date of issuance (subject to customary evergreen or automatic renewal provisions reasonably acceptable to such Letter of Credit Issuer, which may provide for renewal for additional period of up to 12 months); provided that in no event shall any Letter of Credit have an expiration date later than the date that is five (5) Business Days prior to the Stated Termination Date or such later date to the extent such Letter of Credit has been cash collateralized in an amount to be agreed with the applicable Letter of Credit Issuer or backstopped with another letter of credit for such period after the Termination Date in a manner mutually and reasonably agreed between the applicable Letter of Credit Issuer and the Borrower.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Letter of Credit Issuer shall be required to issue any Letter of Credit if the aggregate maximum amount of all Letters of Credit issued by such Letter of Credit Issuer would exceed its L/C Commitment.  With respect to any Letter of Credit which contains any “evergreen” or automatic renewal or extension provision, if such Letter of Credit permits the applicable Letter of Credit Issuer to prevent any extension by giving notice to the beneficiary thereof no later than a date (the “ Non-Extension Notice Date ”), once any such Letter of Credit has been issued, the Lenders shall be deemed to have authorized such Letter of Credit Issuer to permit extensions of such Letter of Credit to an expiry date not later than the date that is five (5) Business Days prior to the Stated Termination Date, unless the Agent shall have received written notice from the Required Lenders declining to consent to any such extension at least thirty (30) days prior to the Non-Extension Notice Date; provided that no Lender may decline to consent to any such extension if all of the requirements of this Section 2.3 are met and no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing.

 

(c)            Other Conditions .  In addition to the conditions precedent contained in Article IX , the obligation of the Letter of Credit Issuers to issue any applicable Letter of Credit is subject to the following conditions precedent having been satisfied:

 

(i)          the Borrower shall have delivered to the applicable Letter of Credit Issuer, at least three (3) Business Days (or such shorter period as the applicable Letter of Credit Issuer may agree) in advance of the proposed date of issuance of any Letter of Credit, an application in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such Letter of Credit Issuer for the issuance of the Letter of Credit and such other documents as may be reasonably required pursuant to the terms thereof, and the form of the proposed Letter of Credit shall be reasonably satisfactory to the applicable Letter of Credit Issuer; and

 

(ii)         as of the date of issuance, no order of any court, arbitrator or Governmental Authority shall purport by its terms to enjoin or restrain the applicable Letter of Credit Issuer from issuing letters of credit of the type and in the amount of the proposed Letter of Credit, and no Law applicable to the applicable Letter of Credit Issuer and no request or directive (whether or not having the force of Law) from any Governmental Authority with jurisdiction over such Letter of Credit Issuer shall prohibit, or request that the proposed Letter of Credit Issuer refrain from, the issuance of letters of credit generally or the issuance of such Letters of Credit.

 

(d)            Issuance of Letters of Credit .

 

(i)            Request for Issuance .  The Borrower shall deliver an application signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Letter of Credit Issuer to the Agent and the applicable Letter of Credit Issuer of a requested Letter of Credit at least three (3) Business Days (or such shorter period as the applicable Letter of Credit Issuer may agree) prior to the proposed issuance date.  Such application shall specify the original face amount of the Letter of Credit requested, the Business Day of issuance of such requested Letter of Credit, whether such Letter of Credit may be drawn in a single or in partial draws, the Business Day on which the requested Letter of Credit is to expire, the purpose for which such Letter of Credit is to be issued, and the beneficiary of the requested Letter of Credit.  The Borrower shall attach to such application the proposed draw conditions to be included in the form of the Letter of Credit.

 

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(ii)            Responsibilities of the Agent; Issuance .  As of the Business Day immediately preceding the requested issuance date of each Letter of Credit, the Agent shall determine the amount of the Unused Letter of Credit Subfacility and the then-current Availability as of such date.  If (A) the aggregate amount of the requested Letter of Credit for the term of such Letter of Credit (including any increases in amount referenced therein) is less than the Unused Letter of Credit Subfacility and (B) the amount of such requested Letter of Credit would not exceed the then-current Availability, the Agent shall inform the applicable Letter of Credit Issuer that it may issue the requested Letter of Credit on the requested issuance date so long as the other conditions to such issuance set forth in this Agreement are met.

 

(iii)            No Extensions or Amendment .  Except in the case of Letters of Credit subject to evergreen or automatic renewal provisions, no Letter of Credit Issuer shall be required to extend, renew or amend any Letter of Credit issued pursuant hereto unless the requirements of this Section 2.3 are met as though a new Letter of Credit were being requested and issued.

 

(e)            Payments Pursuant to Letters of Credit .  The Borrower hereby agrees to reimburse the applicable Letter of Credit Issuer in Dollars with respect to any drawing or disbursement by such Letter of Credit Issuer under any Letter of Credit, by making payment, whether with its own funds, with the proceeds of Revolving Loans or any other source, to the Agent for the account of the applicable Letter of Credit Issuer in immediately available funds, (with respect to each such amount so paid under a Letter of Credit until reimbursed, an “ Unpaid Drawing ”) (i) within one Business Day of the date of such drawing or disbursement if the applicable Letter of Credit Issuer provides notice to the Borrower of such drawing or disbursement prior to 11:00 a.m. (New York City time) on such prior Business Day after the date of such drawing or disbursement or (ii) if such notice is received after such time, on the next Business Day following the date of receipt of such notice (such required date for reimbursement under clause (i) or (ii), as applicable (the “ Required Reimbursement Date ”), with interest on the amount so paid or disbursed by such applicable Letter of Credit Issuer, from and including the date of such drawing or disbursement to but excluding the Required Reimbursement Date, at the per annum rate for each day equal to the applicable rate described in Section 3.1(a)(i) ; provided that, notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, with respect to any Letter of Credit, unless the Borrower shall have notified the Agent and the applicable Letter of Credit Issuer prior to 11:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the Required Reimbursement Date that the Borrower intends to reimburse such Letter of Credit Issuer for the amount of such drawing or disbursement with funds other than the proceeds of Revolving Loans, each drawing under any Letter of Credit shall constitute a request by the Borrower to the Agent for a Borrowing of a Base Rate Loan in the amount of such drawing and, to the extent such Base Rate Loan is made, the Borrower’s obligation to make such payment shall be discharged and replaced by the resulting Base Rate Loan.

 

(f)             Indemnification; Exoneration; Power of Attorney .

 

(i)            Indemnification .  In addition to amounts payable as elsewhere provided in this Section 2.3, the Borrower agrees to protect, indemnify, pay and save the applicable Letter of Credit Issuer harmless from and against any and all claims, demands, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, charges and reasonable and documented or invoiced out-of-pocket expenses (including reasonable Attorney Costs) which such Letter of Credit Issuer may incur or be subject to as a consequence, direct or indirect, of the issuance of any Letter of Credit, except that the foregoing indemnity shall not apply to such Letter of Credit Issuer to the extent of acts or omissions arises out of gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct of such Letter of Credit Issuer (as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction in a final and non-appealable decision).  The Borrower’s obligations under this Section shall survive payment of all other Obligations and termination of this Agreement.

 

(ii)            Assumption of Risk by the Borrower .  As among the Borrower, the Revolving Credit Lenders, the applicable Letter of Credit Issuer and the Agent, the Borrower assumes all risks of the acts and omissions of, or misuse of any of the Letters of Credit by, the respective beneficiaries of such Letters of Credit.  In furtherance and not in limitation of the foregoing, the Lenders, the applicable Letter of Credit Issuer and the Agent shall not be responsible for (except in the case of any such Person (but not with respect to any other Person), to the extent arising out of the gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct of such Person (as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction in a final and non-appealable decision) in connection with any of the following):  (A) the form, validity, sufficiency, accuracy, genuineness or legal effect of any document submitted by any Person in connection with the application for and issuance of and presentation of drafts with respect to any of the Letters of Credit, even if it should

 

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prove to be in any or all respects invalid, insufficient, inaccurate, fraudulent or forged; (B) the validity or sufficiency of any instrument transferring or assigning or purporting to transfer or assign any Letter of Credit or the rights or benefits thereunder or proceeds thereof, in whole or in part, which may prove to be invalid or ineffective for any reason; (C) the failure of the beneficiary of any Letter of Credit to comply duly with conditions set forth in any separate agreement with the Borrower that are required in order to draw upon such Letter of Credit; (D) errors, omissions, interruptions, or delays in transmission or delivery of any messages, by mail, cable, telegraph, telex or otherwise, whether or not they be in cipher; (E) errors in interpretation of technical terms; (F) any loss or delay in the transmission or otherwise of any document required in order to make a drawing under any Letter of Credit or of the proceeds thereof; (G) the misapplication by the beneficiary of any Letter of Credit of the proceeds of any drawing under such Letter of Credit; (H) any consequences arising from causes beyond the control of the Revolving Credit Lenders, the applicable Letter of Credit Issuer or the Agent, including any act or omission, whether rightful or wrongful, of any present or future de jure or de facto Governmental Authority; or (I) the applicable Letter of Credit Issuer’s honor of a draw for which the draw or any certificate fails to comply in any material respect with the terms of the Letter of Credit;  provided that this assumption is not intended to, and shall not, preclude the Borrower’s pursuing such rights and remedies as it may have against the beneficiary or transferee at Law or under any other agreement.  None of the foregoing shall affect, impair or prevent the vesting of any rights or powers of the Agent or any Revolving Credit Lender under this Section 2.3(f) .

 

(iii)           Exoneration .  Without limiting the foregoing, no action or omission whatsoever by the Agent, a Letter of Credit Issuer or any Revolving Credit Lender shall result in any liability of the Agent, such Letter of Credit Issuer or any Revolving Credit Lender to the Borrower (except as provided in the immediately succeeding clause (iv)), or relieve the Borrower of any of its obligations hereunder to any such Person.

 

(iv)           Rights Against Letter of Credit Issuer .  Nothing contained in this Agreement is intended to limit the Borrower’s rights or claims, if any, under Law or otherwise, against any Letter of Credit Issuer which arise as a result of the letter of credit application and related documents executed by such Letter of Credit Issuer or which arise as a result of such Letter of Credit Issuer’s willful misconduct, gross negligence or bad faith (as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction in a final and non-appealable decision).

 

(v)            Account Party .  The Borrower hereby authorizes and directs any Letter of Credit Issuer to name the Borrower as the “Account Party” in the Letters of Credit and to deliver to the Agent all instruments, documents and other writings and property received by the applicable Letter of Credit Issuer pursuant to the Letters of Credit, and to accept and rely upon the Agent’s instructions and agreements with respect to all matters arising in connection with the Letters of Credit or the applications therefor.

 

(g)            Supporting Letter of Credit .  If, notwithstanding the provisions of Section 2.3(b)  and Section 11.1 , any Letter of Credit is outstanding upon the termination of this Agreement, then upon such termination the Borrower shall (i) deposit with the Agent, for the ratable benefit of the Agent, the applicable Letter of Credit Issuer and the Revolving Credit Lenders, with respect to each Letter of Credit then outstanding, a standby letter of credit (a “ Supporting Letter of Credit ”) in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agent, issued by an issuer reasonably satisfactory to the Agent, in an amount equal to 103% (or such lesser amount as the Agent and such Letter of Credit Issuer shall agree but not less than 100%) of the sum of the greatest amount for which such Letter of Credit may be drawn plus any fees and expenses then due and owing with such Letter of Credit, under which Supporting Letter of Credit the Agent is entitled to draw amounts necessary to reimburse the Agent, such Letter of Credit Issuer and the Revolving Credit Lenders for payments to be made by the Agent, such Letter of Credit Issuer and such Revolving Credit Lenders under such Letter of Credit and any fees and expenses then due and owing or to become due and owing with such Letter of Credit, or (ii) cash collateralize each Letter of Credit then outstanding, in an amount equal to 103% (or such lesser amount as the Agent and such Letter of Credit Issuer shall agree) of the sum of the greatest amount for which such Letter of Credit may be drawn plus any fees and expenses then due and owing with such Letter of Credit, in a manner reasonably satisfactory to the Agent.  Such Supporting Letter of Credit or cash collateral shall be held by the Agent, for the ratable benefit of the Agent, the applicable Letter of Credit Issuer and the Revolving Credit Lenders, as security for, and to provide for the payment of, the aggregate undrawn amount of such Letters of Credit remaining outstanding.

 

(h)            Addition of a Letter of Credit Issuer .  A Lender (or any of its Subsidiaries or affiliates) may become an additional Letter of Credit Issuer hereunder pursuant to a written agreement among the Borrower, the

 

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Agent and such Lender.  The Agent shall notify the Revolving Credit Lenders of any such additional Letter of Credit Issuer.

 

2.4           L oan Administration .

 

(a)            Procedure for Borrowing .

 

(i)            Each Borrowing by the Borrower shall be made upon the Borrower’s written notice delivered to the Agent in the form of a notice of borrowing substantially in the form of Exhibit B (“ Notice of Borrowing ”), which must be received by the Agent prior to (w) 12:00 noon (New York City time) three (3) Business Days prior to the requested Funding Date, in the case of LIBOR Loans, (x) 1:00 p.m. (New York City time) one (1) Business Day prior to the requested Funding Date, in the case of Base Rate Loans on any Funding Date and (y) 10:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the Funding Date, in the case of Swingline Loans, specifying:

 

(A)           whether such Borrowing is to be a LIBOR Borrowing or a Base Rate Borrowing (and if not specified, it shall be deemed a request for a Base Rate Borrowing);

 

(B)           the amount of the Borrowing, which (x) in the case of a LIBOR Loan, must equal or exceed $1,000,000 (and increments of $1,000,000 in excess of such amount) and (y) in the case of a Base Rate Loan, must equal or exceed $1,000,000 (and increments of $1,000,000 in excess of such amount);

 

(C)           the requested Funding Date, which must be a Business Day; and

 

(D)           in the case of a request for LIBOR Loans, the duration of the initial Interest Period to be applicable thereto (and if not specified, it shall be deemed a request for an Interest Period of one month).

 

(ii)            At the election of the Agent or the Required Lenders, the Borrower shall have no right to request a LIBOR Loan while an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing.

 

(b)            Reliance upon Authority .  On or prior to the Closing Date, the Borrower shall deliver to the Agent a notice setting forth the account of the Borrower (such account, together with any replacement account, the “ Designated Account ”) to which the Agent is authorized to transfer the proceeds of the Loans requested hereunder unless otherwise directed in writing by the Borrower.  The Borrower may designate a replacement account from time to time by written notice to the Agent.  The Agent is entitled to rely conclusively on any Person’s request for Revolving Loans on behalf of the Borrower, so long as the proceeds thereof are to be transferred to the Designated Account or to another account designated by the Borrower in writing.  The Agent has no duty to verify the identity of any individual representing himself or herself as a person authorized by the Borrower to make such requests on its behalf.

 

(c)            No Liability .  The Agent shall not incur any liability to the Borrower as a result of acting upon any notice referred to in Section 2.4(a)  or (b) , which the Agent believes in good faith to have been given by an officer or other person duly authorized by the Borrower to request Loans on its behalf.  The crediting of Loans to the Designated Account conclusively establishes the obligation of the Borrower to repay such Loans as provided herein.

 

(d)            Borrower’s Election .  Promptly after receipt of a Notice of Borrowing for a Revolving Base Rate Loan, the Borrower shall elect to have the terms of Section 2.4(e)  or the terms of Section 2.4(f)  apply to such requested Borrowing.  If the condition in Section 2.4(f)(i)(C)  is not satisfied, the terms of Section 2.4(e)  shall apply to the requested Borrowing.

 

(e)            Making of Revolving Loans .  If the Borrower elects to have the terms of this Section 2.4(e)  apply to a requested Revolving Credit Borrowing of a Base Rate Loan or if the Agent receives a Notice of Borrowing for a LIBOR Loan, then, promptly after receipt of the Notice of Borrowing with respect to such Revolving Base Rate Loan or Revolving LIBOR Loan, the Agent shall notify the Revolving Credit Lenders by telecopy, telephone or e-mail of the requested Borrowing.  Each Revolving Credit Lender shall transfer its Pro Rata Share of the requested Borrowing to the Agent in immediately available funds, to the account from time to time designated by the Agent,

 

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not later than 12:00 noon (New York City time) on the applicable Funding Date; provided that on the Closing Date, such funds may be made available at such earlier time as may be agreed among the relevant Lenders, the Borrower and the Agent for the purpose of consummating the Transactions.  After the Agent’s receipt of all such amounts from the Lenders, the Agent shall make the aggregate of such amounts available to the Borrower on the applicable Funding Date by transferring same day funds to the account(s) designated by the Borrower; provided , however , that the amount of Revolving Loans so made on any date shall not exceed the then-current Availability on such date.

 

(f)             Making of Swingline Loans .

 

(i)            If the Borrower elects to have the terms of this Section 2.4(f)  apply to a requested Revolving Credit Borrowing of a Base Rate Loan, the Swingline Lender shall make a Revolving Loan in the amount of that Borrowing available to the Borrower on the applicable Funding Date by transferring same day funds to the Designated Account or such other account(s) as may be designated by the Borrower in writing.  Each Revolving Loan made solely by the Swingline Lender pursuant to this Section 2.4(f)  is herein referred to as a “ Swingline Loan ,” and such Revolving Loans are collectively referred to as the “ Swingline Loans .”  Each Swingline Loan shall be subject to all the terms and conditions applicable to other Revolving Loans except that all payments thereon (including interest) shall be payable to the Swingline Lender solely for its own account.  The Agent shall not request the Swingline Lender to make any Swingline Loan if (A) the Agent has received written notice from any Lender that one or more of the applicable conditions precedent set forth in Article IX will not be satisfied on the requested Funding Date for the applicable Borrowing, (B) the requested Borrowing would exceed then-current Availability on that Funding Date (as reasonably determined by the Agent), or (C) such Swingline Loan would cause the aggregate outstanding principal balance of all Swingline Loans to exceed $15,000,000 (the “ Swingline Sublimit ”).

 

(ii)            The Swingline Loans shall be secured by the Collateral Agent’s Liens in and to the Collateral and shall constitute Base Rate Loans and Obligations hereunder.

 

(g)            Agent Advances .

 

(i)            Subject to the limitations set forth below, the Agent is authorized by the Borrower and the Revolving Credit Lenders, from time to time in the Agent’s sole discretion, upon notice to the Revolving Credit Lenders, (A) after the occurrence of a Default or an Event of Default, or (B) at any time that any of the other conditions precedent set forth in Article IX have not been satisfied, to make Base Rate Loans to the Borrower on behalf of the Lenders in an aggregate principal amount outstanding at any time not to exceed 10% of the Borrowing Base ( provided that the making of any such Loan does not cause the Aggregate Revolver Outstandings to exceed the Maximum Revolver Amount) which the Agent, in its good faith judgment, deems necessary or desirable (1) to preserve or protect the Collateral, or any portion thereof, (2) to enhance the likelihood of, or maximize the amount of, repayment of the Loans and other Obligations (including through Base Rate Loans for the purpose of enabling the Borrower and its Subsidiaries to meet their payroll and associated Tax obligations), and/or (3) to pay any other amount chargeable to the Borrower pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, including costs, fees and expenses as described in Section 14.7 (any of such advances are herein referred to as “ Agent Advances ”); provided , that the Required Lenders may at any time revoke the Agent’s authorization to make Agent Advances.  Any such revocation must be in writing and shall become effective prospectively upon the Agent’s receipt thereof.

 

(ii)            The Agent Advances shall be secured by the Collateral Agent’s Liens in and to the Collateral and shall constitute Base Rate Loans and Obligations hereunder.

 

(h)            Notice Irrevocable .  Other than any Notice of Borrowing for a Base Rate Loan made on or prior to the Closing Date, any Notice of Borrowing made pursuant to Section 2.4(a)  shall be irrevocable.  The Borrower shall be bound to borrow the funds requested therein in accordance therewith.

 

2.5           Reserves .  The Agent may establish Reserves or change (including by decreasing the amount of) any of the Reserves, in the exercise of its Reasonable Credit Judgment; provided that such Reserves shall not be established or changed except upon not less than five (5) Business Days’ notice to the Borrower (unless an Event of Default exists and is continuing in which event such notice (which may be oral) may be given at any time prior to the establishment or change and shall not be subject to the five (5) Business Day notice requirement); provided further , that no such prior notice shall be required for any changes to any Reserves resulting solely by virtue of mathematical

 

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calculations of the amount of the Reserves in accordance with the methodology of calculation previously utilized.  The Agent will be available during such period to discuss any such proposed Reserve or change with the Borrower and without limiting the right of the Agent to establish or change such Reserves in the Agent’s Reasonable Credit Judgment, the Borrower may take such action as may be required so that the event, condition or matter that is the basis for such Reserve no longer exists, in a manner and to the extent reasonably satisfactory to the Agent.  The amount of any Reserve established by the Agent pursuant to the first sentence of this Section 2.5 shall have a reasonable relationship as determined by the Agent in its Reasonable Credit Judgment to the event, condition or other matter that is the basis for the Reserve.  In the event that the Agent has determined to establish or change a Reserve pursuant to the first sentence of this Section 2.5 and the Reserve amount to be so established or as modified is inconsistent with the Reserve amount determined by the Agent, then the greater Reserve amount so determined shall apply.  Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, a Reserve shall not be established to the extent that such Reserve would be duplicative of any specific item excluded as ineligible in the definition of “Eligible Account” or of any then-existing Reserve.  The establishment of any Reserve with respect to any obligation, charge, liability, debt or otherwise shall in no event grant any rights or be deemed to have granted any rights in such reserved amount to the holder of such obligation, charge, liability or debt or any other Person (except as explicitly set forth hereunder), but shall solely be viewed as amounts reserved to protect the interests of the Secured Parties hereunder and under the other Loan Documents.

 

2.6           Incremental Credit Extension .

 

(a)            The Borrower may at any time or from time to time after the Closing Date, by written notice delivered to the Agent, request one or more increases in the amount under any Class of Revolving Credit Commitments (each such increase, a “ Revolving Credit Commitment Increase ”).

 

(b)            Each Revolving Credit Commitment Increase shall be in an aggregate principal amount that is not less than $5,000,000 ( provided that such amount may be less than $5,000,000 if such amount represents all remaining availability under the limit set forth below) (and in minimum increments of $5,000,000 in excess thereof), and the aggregate amount of Revolving Credit Commitment Increases (after giving Pro Forma Effect thereto and the use of the proceeds thereof) incurred pursuant to this Section 2.6(b)   plus the aggregate principal amount of Revolving Credit Commitments hereunder shall not exceed $200,000,000.

 

(c)            (i)  The Revolving Credit Commitment Increases shall be treated the same as the Revolving Credit Commitments (except that the maturity date thereof shall be no earlier than the initial Stated Termination Date for the Revolving Credit Facility) and shall be considered to be part of the Revolving Credit Commitments (it being understood that, if required to consummate a Revolving Credit Commitment Increase, the interest rate margins, rate floors and undrawn commitment fees on the Revolving Credit Commitments may be increased and additional upfront or similar fees may be payable to the lenders providing the Revolving Credit Commitment Increase without any requirement to pay such fees to any then-existing Lenders).

 

(ii)            The Revolving Credit Commitment Increases may be in the form of a separate “first-in, last-out” or “last-out” tranche (the “ FILO Tranche ”) with interest rate margins, rate floors, upfront fees, funding discounts, advance rates, premiums, unused fees and original issue discounts to be agreed between the Borrower and the applicable Lenders providing such Revolving Credit Commitment Increases, and with other terms reasonably satisfactory to the Agent (it being understood to the extent that any financial maintenance covenant is added for the benefit of any FILO Tranche, no consent shall be required from the Agent or any Lender to the extent that such financial maintenance covenant is also added for the benefit of the Revolving Credit Facility) and to be agreed upon (which, for the avoidance of doubt, shall not require any adjustment to the Applicable Margin of other Loans pursuant to clause (i)  above) among the Borrower and the Lenders providing the FILO Tranche so long as (1) any loans and related obligations in respect of the FILO Tranche are not be guaranteed by any Person other than the Guarantors and shall rank equal (or, at the option of the Borrower, junior) in right of priority to the Collateral Agent’s Liens; (2) as between (x) the Revolving Credit Facility (other than the FILO Tranche) and (y) the FILO Tranche, all proceeds from the liquidation or other realization of the Collateral shall be applied, first to obligations owing under, or with respect to, the Revolving Credit Facility (other than the FILO Tranche) and second to the FILO Tranche; (3) no Borrower may prepay Loans under the FILO Tranche or terminate or reduce the commitments in respect thereof at any time that other Revolving Loans (including Swingline Loans) and/or Unpaid Drawings (unless cash collateralized or otherwise provided for in a manner reasonably satisfactory to the Agent) are outstanding; (4) the Required Lenders

 

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(calculated as including the FILO Tranche) shall, subject to the terms of the Intercreditor Agreement, control exercise of remedies in respect of the Collateral; and (5) no changes affecting the priority status of the Revolving Credit Facility (other than the FILO Tranche) vis-à-vis the FILO Tranche may be made without the consent of each of the Lenders under the Revolving Credit Facility (other than the FILO Tranche).

 

(d)            Each notice from the Borrower pursuant to this Section 2.6 shall be given in writing and shall set forth the requested amount and proposed terms of the relevant Revolving Credit Commitment Increase.  Revolving Credit Commitment Increases may be provided subject to the prior written consent of the Borrower, by any existing Lender (it being understood that no existing Lender will have an obligation to make a portion of any Revolving Credit Commitment Increase) or by any other bank, financial institution, other institutional lender or other investor (any such other bank, financial institution or other investor being called an “ Additional Lender ”); provided that (i) each existing Lender shall be offered the opportunity to participate in the relevant Revolving Credit Commitment Increase (other than in the case of a FILO Tranche) on a pro rata basis based on such Lender’s Revolving Credit Commitment prior to such Revolving Credit Commitment Increase and (ii) the Agent, the Swingline Lender and each Letter of Credit Issuer shall have consented (in each case, not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) to such Lender’s or Additional Lender’s providing such Revolving Credit Commitment Increase if such consent would be required under Section 12.2 for an assignment of Loans and/or Commitments to such Lender or Additional Lender.

 

(e)            Commitments in respect of a Revolving Credit Commitment Increase, including under a FILO Tranche, shall become Commitments under this Agreement pursuant to an amendment (an “ Incremental Agreement ”) to this Agreement and, as appropriate, the other Loan Documents, executed the Borrower, each Lender agreeing to provide such Commitment, if any, each Additional Lender, if any, and the Agent.  The Incremental Agreement may, subject to Section 2.6(c) , without the consent of any other Lenders, effect such amendments to this Agreement and the other Loan Documents as may be necessary or advisable in the reasonable opinion of the Borrower and the Agent to effect the provisions of this Section 2.6 .  The effectiveness of any Incremental Agreement shall be subject to the satisfaction on the date thereof (each, an “ Incremental Facility Closing Date ”) and the occurrence of any extension of credit thereunder shall be subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 9.2(a) (provided that, in connection with a Permitted Acquisition or other similar Investment permitted hereunder, compliance with clause (ii)  thereof shall instead be limited to compliance with no Event of Default under Section 10.1(a) , (c) , (e) , (f) , (g)  having occurred and being in continuance), and such other conditions as the parties thereto shall agree.  The Borrower will use the proceeds of the loans under any Revolving Credit Commitment Increase for any purpose not prohibited by this Agreement.

 

(f)             (i)  Except as set forth under clause (d)  above, the Borrower shall not be obligated to offer any existing Lender the opportunity to provide any Revolving Credit Commitment Increase.

 

(ii)            Upon each increase in the Revolving Credit Commitments pursuant to this Section 2.6 , other than in connection with a FILO Tranche, each Revolving Credit Lender immediately prior to such increase will automatically and without further act be deemed to have assigned to each Lender providing a portion of the Revolving Credit Commitment Increase (each, an “ Incremental Revolving Credit Commitment Increase Lender ”) in respect of such increase, and each such Incremental Revolving Credit Commitment Increase Lender will automatically and without further act be deemed to have assumed, a portion of such Lender’s participations hereunder in outstanding Letters of Credit and Swingline Loans such that, after giving effect to each such deemed assignment and assumption of participations, the percentage of the aggregate outstanding (A) participations hereunder in Letters of Credit and (B) participations hereunder in Swingline Loans held by each Revolving Credit Lender (including each such Incremental Revolving Credit Commitment Increase Lender) will equal the percentage of the aggregate Revolving Credit Commitments represented by such Lender’s Revolving Credit Commitment.  If, on the date of such increase, there are any Revolving Loans outstanding, such Revolving Loans shall on or prior to the effectiveness of such Revolving Credit Commitment Increase be prepaid from the proceeds of additional Revolving Loans made hereunder (reflecting such increase in Revolving Credit Commitments), which prepayment shall be accompanied by accrued interest on the Revolving Loans being prepaid and any costs incurred by any Lender in accordance with Section 5.4 .  The Agent and the Lenders hereby agree that the minimum borrowing, pro   rata borrowing and pro   rata payment requirements contained elsewhere in this Agreement shall not apply to the transactions effected pursuant to the immediately preceding sentence or pursuant to a FILO Tranche.

 

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(g)            This Section 2.6 shall supersede any provisions in Section 2.4(e)  or 12.1 to the contrary.  For the avoidance of doubt, any provisions of this Section 2.6 may be amended with the consent of the Required Lenders; provided no such amendment shall require any Lender to provide any Revolving Credit Commitment Increase without such Lender’s consent.

 

2.7           Extensions of Revolving Loans and Revolving Credit Commitments .

 

(a)            The Borrower may at any time and from time to time request that all or a portion of the Revolving Credit Commitments of any Class and/or the Extended Revolving Credit Commitments of any Class (and, in each case, including any previously extended Revolving Credit Commitments), existing at the time of such request (each, an “ Existing Revolving Credit Commitment ” and any related revolving credit loans under any such facility, “ Existing Revolving Loans ”; each Existing Revolving Credit Commitment and related Existing Revolving Loans together being referred to as an “ Existing Revolving Credit Class ”) be converted or exchanged to extend the termination date thereof and the scheduled maturity date(s) of any payment of principal with respect to all or a portion of any principal amount of Existing Revolving Loans related to such Existing Revolving Credit Commitments (any such Existing Revolving Credit Commitments which have been so extended, “ Extended Revolving Credit Commitments ” and any related revolving credit loans, “ Extended Revolving Loans ”) and to provide for other terms consistent with this Section 2.7 .  Prior to entering into any Extension Agreement with respect to any Extended Revolving Credit Commitments, the Borrower shall provide written notice to the Agent (who shall provide a copy of such notice to each of the Lenders of the applicable Class of Existing Revolving Credit Commitments, with such request offered equally to all Lenders of such Class) (an “ Extension Request ”) setting forth the proposed terms of the Extended Revolving Credit Commitments to be established thereunder, which terms shall be similar to those applicable to the Existing Revolving Credit Commitments from which they are to be extended (the “ Specified Existing Revolving Credit Commitment Class ”) except that (w) all or any of the final maturity dates of such Extended Revolving Credit Commitments may be delayed to later dates than the final maturity dates of the Existing Revolving Credit Commitments of the Specified Existing Revolving Credit Commitment Class, (x)(A) the interest rates, interest margins, rate floors, upfront fees, funding discounts, original issue discounts and prepayment premiums with respect to the Extended Revolving Credit Commitments may be different than those for the Existing Revolving Credit Commitments of the Specified Existing Revolving Credit Commitment Class and/or (B) additional fees and/or premiums may be payable to the Lenders providing such Extended Revolving Credit Commitments in addition to or in lieu of any of the items contemplated by the preceding clause (A)  and (y)(1) the undrawn revolving credit commitment fee rates with respect to the Extended Revolving Credit Commitments may be different than those for the Specified Existing Revolving Credit Commitment Class and (2) the Extension Agreement may provide for other covenants and terms that apply to any period after the Termination Date; provided that notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 2.7 , or otherwise, (I) the borrowing and repayment (other than in connection with a permanent repayment and termination of commitments) of the Extended Revolving Loans under any Extended Revolving Credit Commitments shall be made on a pro   rata basis with any borrowings and repayments of the Existing Revolving Loans of the Specified Existing Revolving Credit Commitment Class (the mechanics for which may be implemented through the applicable Extension Agreement and may include technical changes related to the borrowing and repayment procedures of the Specified Existing Revolving Credit Commitment Class), (II) assignments and participations of Extended Revolving Credit Commitments and Extended Revolving Loans shall be governed by the assignment and participation provisions set forth in Section 12.2 and (III) subject to the applicable limitations set forth in Section 4.4(a)  and (b) , permanent repayments of Extended Revolving Loans (and corresponding permanent reduction in the related Extended Revolving Credit Commitments) shall be permitted as may be agreed between the Borrower and the Lenders thereof.  No Lender shall have any obligation to agree to have any of its Loans or Revolving Credit Commitments of any Existing Revolving Credit Class converted or exchanged into Extended Revolving Loans or Extended Revolving Credit Commitments pursuant to any Extension Request.  Any Extended Revolving Credit Commitments of any Extension Series shall constitute a separate Class of revolving credit commitments from Existing Revolving Credit Commitments of the Specified Existing Revolving Credit Commitment Class and from any other Existing Revolving Credit Commitments (together with any other Extended Revolving Credit Commitments so established on such date).

 

(b)            The Borrower shall provide the applicable Extension Request to the Agent at least ten (10) Business Days (or such shorter period as the Agent may determine in its sole discretion) prior to the date on which Lenders under the Existing Revolving Credit Class are requested to respond, and shall agree to such procedures, if any, as may be established by, or acceptable to, the Agent, in each case acting reasonably, to accomplish the purpose of this

 

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Section 2.7 .  Any Lender (an “ Extending Lender ”) wishing to have all or a portion of its Revolving Credit Commitments (or any earlier Extended Revolving Credit Commitments) of an Existing Revolving Credit Class subject to such Extension Request converted or exchanged into Extended Revolving Credit Commitments shall notify the Agent (an “ Extension Election ”) on or prior to the date specified in such Extension Request of the amount of its Revolving Credit Commitments (and/or any earlier-extended Extended Revolving Credit Commitments) which it has elected to convert or exchange into Extended Revolving Credit Commitments (subject to any minimum denomination requirements imposed by the Agent).  In the event that the aggregate amount of Revolving Credit Commitments (and any earlier-extended Extended Revolving Credit Commitments) subject to Extension Elections exceeds the amount of Extended Revolving Credit Commitments requested pursuant to the Extension Request, Revolving Credit Commitments, or earlier-extended Extended Revolving Credit Commitments, as applicable, subject to Extension Elections shall be converted to or exchanged to Extended Revolving Credit Commitments on a pro rata basis (subject to such rounding requirements as may be established by the Agent) based on the amount of Revolving Credit Commitments and earlier-extended Extended Revolving Credit Commitments included in each such Extension Election or as may be otherwise agreed to in the applicable Extension Agreement.  Notwithstanding the conversion of any Existing Revolving Credit Commitment into an Extended Revolving Credit Commitment, unless expressly agreed by the holders of each affected Existing Revolving Credit Commitment of the Specified Existing Revolving Credit Commitment Class, such Extended Revolving Credit Commitment shall not be treated more favorably than all Existing Revolving Credit Commitments of the Specified Existing Revolving Credit Commitment Class for purposes of the obligations of a Revolving Credit Lender in respect of Swingline Loans under Section 2.4 and Letters of Credit under Section 2.3 , except that the applicable Extension Agreement may provide that the maturity date for the Swingline Loans and/or the last day for issuing Letters of Credit may be extended and the related obligations to make Swingline Loans and issue Letters of Credit may be continued (pursuant to mechanics to be specified in the applicable Extension Agreement) so long as the applicable Swingline Lender and/or the applicable Letter of Credit Issuer have consented to such extensions (it being understood that no consent of any other Lender shall be required in connection with any such extension).

 

(c)            Extended Revolving Credit Commitments shall be established pursuant to an amendment (an “ Extension Agreement ”) to this Agreement (which, except to the extent expressly contemplated by the second sentence of this Section 2.7(c)  and notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in Section 12.1 , shall not require the consent of any Lender other than the Extending Lenders with respect to the Extended Revolving Credit Commitments established thereby) executed by the Obligors, the Agent and the Extending Lenders.  In connection with any Extension Agreement, the Borrower shall deliver an opinion of counsel reasonably acceptable to the Agent (i) as to the enforceability of such Extension Agreement, this Agreement as amended thereby, and such of the other Loan Documents (if any) as may be amended thereby (in the case of such other Loan Documents as contemplated by the immediately preceding sentence) and covering customary matters and (ii) to the effect that such Extension Agreement, including the Extended Revolving Credit Commitments provided for therein, does not breach or result in a default under the provisions of Section 12.1 of this Agreement.

 

(d)            Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, on any date on which any Class of Existing Revolving Credit Commitments is converted or exchanged to extend the related scheduled maturity date(s) in accordance with Section 2.7(a)  above (an “ Extension Date ”), in the case of the Existing Revolving Credit Commitments of each Extending Lender under any Specified Existing Revolving Credit Commitment Class, the aggregate principal amount of such Existing Revolving Credit Commitments shall be deemed reduced by an amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of Extended Revolving Credit Commitments so converted or exchanged by such Lender on such date, and such Extended Revolving Credit Commitments shall be established as a separate Class of revolving credit commitments from the Specified Existing Revolving Credit Commitment Class and from any other Existing Revolving Credit Commitments (together with any other Extended Revolving Credit Commitments so established on such date) and if, on any Extension Date, any Existing Revolving Loans of any Extending Lender are outstanding under the Specified Existing Revolving Credit Commitment Class, such Existing Revolving Loans (and any related participations) shall be deemed to be converted or exchanged to Extended Revolving Loans (and related participations) of the applicable Class in the same proportion as such Extending Lender’s Specified Existing Revolving Credit Commitments Class to Extended Revolving Credit Commitments of such Class.

 

(e)            In the event that the Agent determines in its sole discretion that the allocation of the Extended Revolving Credit Commitments of a given Extension Series, in each case to a given Lender was incorrectly determined

 

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as a result of manifest administrative error in the receipt and processing of an Extension Election timely submitted by such Lender in accordance with the procedures set forth in the applicable Extension Agreement, then the Agent, the Borrower and such affected Lender may (and hereby are authorized to), in their sole discretion and without the consent of any other Lender, enter into an amendment to this Agreement and the other Loan Documents (each, a “ Corrective Extension Agreement ”) within 30 days following the effective date of such Extension Agreement, as the case may be, which Corrective Extension Agreement shall (i) provide for the conversion or exchange and extension of Existing Revolving Credit Commitments (and related exposure) in such amount as is required to cause such Lender to hold Extended Revolving Credit Commitments (and related exposure) of the applicable Extension Series into which such other Loans or commitments were initially converted or exchanged, as the case may be, in the amount such Lender would have held had such administrative error not occurred and had such Lender received the minimum allocation of the applicable Loans or Commitments to which it was entitled under the terms of such Extension Agreement, in the absence of such error, (ii) be subject to the satisfaction of such conditions as the Agent, the Borrower and such Lender may agree (including conditions of the type required to be satisfied for the effectiveness of an Extension Agreement described in Section 2.7(c) ), and (iii) effect such other amendments of the type (with appropriate reference and nomenclature changes) described in the second sentence of Section 2.7(c) .

 

(f)             No conversion or exchange of Loans or Commitments pursuant to any Extension Agreement in accordance with this Section 2.7 shall constitute a voluntary or mandatory payment or prepayment for purposes of this Agreement.

 

(g)            This Section 2.7 shall supersede any provisions in Section 2.4(e)  or Section 12.1 to the contrary.  For the avoidance of doubt, any of the provisions of this Section 2.7 may be amended with the consent of the Required Lenders; provided that no such amendment shall require any Lender to provide any Extended Revolving Credit Commitments without such Lender’s consent.

 

2.8           Defaulting Lenders .  Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, if any Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender, then for so long as such Lender is a Defaulting Lender:

 

(a)            the Unused Line Fee shall cease to accrue on any of the Revolving Credit Commitments of such Defaulting Lender pursuant to Section 3.5 .

 

(b)            the Commitments and Loans of such Defaulting Lender shall not be included in determining whether all Lenders or the Required Lenders have taken or may take any action hereunder (including any consent to any amendment, waiver or other modification pursuant to Section 12.1 ); provided that any waiver, amendment or modification requiring the consent of all Lenders or each affected Lender which affects such Defaulting Lender disproportionately when compared to the other affected Lenders, or increases or extends the Commitment of such Defaulting Lender, shall require the consent of such Defaulting Lender.

 

(c)            any payment of principal, interest, fees or other amounts received by the Agent for the account of that Defaulting Lender (whether voluntary or mandatory, at maturity, pursuant to Section 10.2 or Section 10.3 or otherwise), shall be applied at such time or times as may be determined by the Agent as follows:  first , to the payment of any amounts owing by that Defaulting Lender to the 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 that Defaulting Lender has failed to fund its portion thereof as required by this Agreement, as determined by the Agent; third , 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 that Defaulting Lender as a result of that Defaulting Lender’s breach of its obligations under this Agreement; fourth , so long as no Default or Event of Default exists, to the payment of any amounts owing to any Obligor as a result of any judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction obtained by any Obligor against that Defaulting Lender as a result of that Defaulting Lender’s breach of its obligations under this Agreement; and fifth , to that Defaulting Lender or as otherwise directed by a court of competent jurisdiction; provided that, if such payment is a payment of the principal amount of any Loans, such payment shall be applied solely to pay the relevant Loans of the relevant non-Defaulting Lenders on a pro rata basis prior to being applied in the manner set forth in this clause (c) .

 

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(d)            if any Swingline Loans are outstanding or Letters of Credit issued at the time such Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender then:

 

(i)            all or any part of such Defaulting Lender’s participations in such Swingline Loans and/or Letters of Credit shall be reallocated among the non-Defaulting Lenders in accordance with their respective Pro Rata Shares but only to the extent (x) the sum of all non-Defaulting Lenders’ Aggregate Revolver Outstandings does not exceed the lesser of the total of all non-Defaulting Lenders’ Revolving Credit Commitments and the Borrowing Base as of such date and (y) no such non-Defaulting Lender’s Aggregate Revolver Outstandings shall exceed such Lender’s Revolving Credit Commitment at such time;

 

(ii)            if the reallocation described in clause (i)  above cannot, or can only partially, be effected, the Borrower shall within three (3) Business Days following notice by the Agent (x)  first , prepay such Swingline Loans and (y)  second , cash collateralize for the benefit of the Letter of Credit Issuer only the Borrower’s obligations corresponding to such Defaulting Lender’s participations in Letters of Credit (after giving effect to any partial reallocation pursuant to clause (i)  above) for so long as such participations in Letters of Credit are outstanding;

 

(iii)            if the Borrower cash collateralizes any portion of such Defaulting Lender’s Obligations pursuant to clause (ii)  above, the Borrower shall not be required to pay any fees to such Defaulting Lender pursuant to Section 3.6 with respect to such Defaulting Lender’s participations in Letters of Credit during the period such participations in Letters of Credit are cash collateralized;

 

(iv)            if the participations in Letters of Credit of the non-Defaulting Lenders are reallocated pursuant to clause (i) above, then the fees payable to the Lenders pursuant to Sections 3.5 and 3.6 shall be adjusted in accordance with such non-Defaulting Lenders’ Pro Rata Shares; and

 

(v)             if all or any portion of such Defaulting Lender’s participations in Letters of Credit is neither reallocated nor cash collateralized pursuant to clause (i)  or (ii)  above, then, without prejudice to any rights or remedies of the Letter of Credit Issuers or any other Lender hereunder, all letter of credit fees payable under Section 3.6 with respect to such Defaulting Lender’s participations in Letters of Credit shall be payable to the applicable Letter of Credit Issuer until and to the extent that such participations in Letters of Credit are reallocated and/or cash collateralized.

 

(e)            so long as (i) such Lender is a Defaulting Lender and (ii) a reallocation pursuant to clauses (d)(i)  or (d)(ii) above cannot be effectuated, the Swingline Lender shall not be required to fund any Swingline Loan and the Letter of Credit Issuers shall not be required to issue, amend or increase any Letter of Credit, unless it has received assurances reasonably satisfactory to it that non-Defaulting Lenders will cover the related exposure and/or cash collateral will be provided by the Borrower in accordance with this Section 2.8 , and participating interests in any newly made Swingline Loan or any newly issued or increased Letter of Credit shall be allocated among non-Defaulting Lenders in a manner consistent with this Section 2.8 (and such Defaulting Lender shall not participate therein).

 

(f)             In the event that the Agent, the Borrower, the Swingline Lender and the Letter of Credit Issuers each agrees that a Defaulting Lender has adequately remedied all matters that caused such Lender to be a Defaulting Lender, then the obligations and participations of the Revolving Credit Lenders shall be readjusted to reflect the inclusion of such Lender’s Revolving Credit Commitment and on such date such Lender shall purchase at par such of the Loans of the other Revolving Credit Lenders (other than Swingline Loans) as the Agent shall determine may be necessary in order for such Lender to hold such Loans in accordance with its Pro Rata Share; provided that no adjustments will be made retroactively with respect to fees accrued or payments made by or on behalf of the Borrower while that Lender was a Defaulting Lender; provided , further , that, except to the extent otherwise expressly agreed by the affected parties and subject to Section 14.21 , no change hereunder from Defaulting Lender will constitute a waiver or release of any claim of any party hereunder arising from such Lender’s having been a Defaulting Lender.

 

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ARTICLE III

 

INTEREST AND FEES

 

3.1           Interest .

 

(a)            Interest Rates .  All outstanding Loans to the Borrower shall bear interest on the unpaid principal amount thereof (including, to the extent permitted by law, on interest thereon not paid when due) from the date made until paid in full in cash at a rate determined by reference to the Base Rate or the LIBOR Rate plus the Applicable Margin, but not to exceed the Maximum Rate.  If at any time Loans are outstanding with respect to which the Borrower has not delivered to the Agent a notice specifying the basis for determining the interest rate applicable thereto in accordance herewith, those Loans shall be treated as Base Rate Loans until notice to the contrary has been given to the Agent in accordance with this Agreement and such notice has become effective.  Except as otherwise provided herein, the Loans shall bear interest as follows:

 

(i)       For all Base Rate Loans, at a fluctuating per annum rate equal to the Base Rate plus the Applicable Margin; and

 

(ii)      For all LIBOR Loans, at a fluctuating per annum rate equal to the LIBOR Rate plus the Applicable Margin.

 

Each change in the Base Rate (or any component thereof) shall be reflected in the interest rate applicable to Base Rate Loans as of the effective date of such change.  All computations of interest for Base Rate Loans when the Base Rate is determined by the “ prime rate ” shall be made on the basis of a year of 365 or 366 days, as the case may be, and actual days elapsed.  All other computations of fees and interest shall be made on the basis of a 360-day year and actual days elapsed (which results in more fees or interest, as applicable, being paid than if computed on the basis of a 365-day year).  On the last Business Day of each calendar quarter hereafter and on the Termination Date, the Borrower shall pay to the Agent, for the ratable benefit of the Lenders ( provided that all interest on applicable Swingline Loans shall be for the benefit of the Swingline Lender and all interest on Agent Advances shall be for the benefit of the Agent), interest accrued to the first day of such calendar quarter (or accrued to the Termination Date in the case of a payment on the Termination Date) on all Base Rate Loans in arrears.  The Borrower shall pay to the Agent, for the ratable benefit of the Lenders, interest on all LIBOR Loans in arrears on each LIBOR Interest Payment Date.

 

(b)            Default Rate .  During the continuance of any Specified Event of Default, if the Borrower shall default in the payment of the principal of or interest on any Loan or any other amount becoming due hereunder, by acceleration or otherwise, or under any other Loan Document, the Borrower shall on demand from time to time pay interest, to the extent permitted by Law, on such defaulted amount to but excluding the date of actual payment (after as well as before judgment) (A) in the case of overdue principal, at the Default Rate, and (B) in all other cases, at a rate per annum equal to the rate that would be applicable to a Base Rate Loan plus 2.00%.

 

3.2           Continuation and Conversion Elections .

 

(a)            The Borrower may ( provided that the Borrowing of LIBOR Loans is then permitted under Section 2.4(a)(ii) ):

 

(i)          elect, as of any Business Day, to convert any Base Rate Loans other than Agent Advances and Swingline Loans (or any part thereof in an amount not less than $1,000,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof) into LIBOR Loans; and

 

(ii)         elect, as of the last day of the applicable Interest Period, to continue any LIBOR Loans having Interest Periods expiring on such day (or any part thereof in an amount not less than $1,000,000, or that is in an integral multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof);

 

provided , that if at any time the aggregate amount of LIBOR Loans in respect of any Borrowing is reduced, by payment,

 

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prepayment, or conversion of part thereof to be less than $1,000,000, such LIBOR Loans shall automatically convert into Base Rate Loans; provided   further that if the Notice of Continuation/Conversion shall fail to specify the duration of the Interest Period, such Interest Period shall be one month.

 

(b)            The Borrower shall deliver a notice of continuation/conversion substantially in the form of Exhibit C (a “ Notice of Continuation/Conversion ”) to the Agent not later than, (x) 1:00 p.m. (New York City time) at least three (3) Business Days in advance of the Continuation/Conversion Date if the Loans are to be converted into or continued as LIBOR Loans and specifying:

 

(i)          the proposed Continuation/Conversion Date;

 

(ii)         the aggregate principal amount of Loans to be converted or continued;

 

(iii)        the Type of Loans resulting from the proposed conversion or continuation; and

 

(iv)        the duration of the requested Interest Period, provided , however , the Borrower may not select an Interest Period that ends after the Stated Termination Date.

 

(c)            If, upon the expiration of any Interest Period applicable to any LIBOR Loans, the Borrower fails to select timely a new Interest Period to be applicable to such LIBOR Loans, the Borrower shall be deemed to have elected to convert such LIBOR Loans into Base Rate Loans effective as of the expiration date of such Interest Period.  If any Event of Default exists, at the election of the Agent or the Required Lenders, all LIBOR Loans shall be converted into Base Rate Loans as of the expiration date of each applicable Interest Period.

 

(d)            The Agent will promptly notify each Lender of its receipt of a Notice of Continuation/Conversion.  All conversions and continuations shall be made ratably according to the respective outstanding principal amounts of the Loans with respect to which the notice was given held by each Lender.

 

(e)            There may not be more than 15 (fifteen) different LIBOR Loans in effect hereunder at any time (which number may be increased or adjusted by agreement between the Borrower and the Agent in connection with any Revolving Credit Commitment Increase or the creation of any Extended Revolving Credit Commitment Facility).

 

3.3           Maximum Interest Rate .  In no event shall any interest rate provided for hereunder exceed the maximum rate legally chargeable under applicable law with respect to loans of the Type provided for hereunder (the “ Maximum Rate ”).  If, in any month, any interest rate, absent such limitation, would have exceeded the Maximum Rate, then the interest rate for that month shall be the Maximum Rate, and, if in future months, that interest rate would otherwise be less than the Maximum Rate, then that interest rate shall remain at the Maximum Rate until such time as the amount of interest paid hereunder equals the amount of interest which would have been paid if the same had not been limited by the Maximum Rate.  In the event that, upon payment in full of the Obligations, the total amount of interest paid or accrued under the terms of this Agreement is less than the total amount of interest which would, but for this Section 3.3 , have been paid or accrued if the interest rate otherwise set forth in this Agreement had at all times been in effect, then the Borrower shall, to the extent permitted by applicable law, pay the Agent, for the account of the applicable Lenders, an amount equal to the excess of (a) the lesser of (i) the amount of interest which would have been charged if the Maximum Rate had, at all times, been in effect or (ii) the amount of interest which would have accrued had the interest rate otherwise set forth in this Agreement, at all times, been in effect over (b) the amount of interest actually paid or accrued under this Agreement.  If a court of competent jurisdiction determines that the Agent and/or any Lender has received interest and other charges hereunder in excess of the Maximum Rate, such excess shall be deemed received on account of, and shall automatically be applied to reduce, the Obligations other than interest, and if there are no Obligations outstanding, the Agent and/or such Lender shall refund to the Borrower such excess.

 

3.4           Closing Fees and Other Fees .  The Borrower agrees to pay the Agent, the Collateral Agent and each of the Arrangers, as applicable, all fees due and payable on any date required for payment of a fee.

 

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3.5           Unused Line Fee .  On the first Business Day of each calendar quarter and on the Termination Date, the Borrower agrees to pay to the Agent, for the account of the Revolving Credit Lenders, an unused line fee (the “ Unused Line Fee ”) equal to the Applicable Unused Line Fee Margin per annum times the amount by which the average daily Maximum Revolver Amount exceeded the sum of the average daily outstanding amount of Revolving Loans (other than Swingline Loans) and the average daily undrawn face amount of outstanding Letters of Credit, during the immediately preceding calendar quarter or shorter period if calculated for the first calendar quarter hereafter or on the Termination Date.  All principal payments received by the Agent shall be deemed to be credited immediately upon receipt for purposes of calculating the Unused Line Fee pursuant to this Section 3.5 .  Upon receipt thereof, the Agent shall distribute the Unused Line Fee to the Revolving Credit Lenders ratably based on their Pro Rata Shares of the Revolving Credit Commitments.

 

3.6           Letter of Credit Fees .  The Borrower agrees to pay (i) to the Agent, for the account of the Revolving Credit Lenders, in accordance with their respective Pro Rata Shares, for each Letter of Credit, a fee (the “ Letter of Credit Fee ”) equal to, on a per annum basis, the Applicable Margin for LIBOR Loans, (ii) to each Letter of Credit Issuer, for its own account, a fronting fee of one-eighth of one percent (0.125%) per annum of the undrawn face amount of each Letter of Credit issued by such Letter of Credit Issuer, and (iii) to each Letter of Credit Issuer, any out-of-pocket costs, fees and expenses incurred by such Letter of Credit Issuer in connection with the application for, processing of, issuance of, or amendment to any Letter of Credit.  The Letter of Credit Fee and fronting fee shall be payable quarterly in arrears on the last Business Day of each calendar quarter in which a Letter of Credit is outstanding and on the Termination Date.

 

ARTICLE IV

 

PAYMENTS AND PREPAYMENTS

 

4.1           Payments and Prepayments .

 

(a)            The Borrower shall repay the outstanding principal balance of the Revolving Loans, plus all accrued but unpaid interest thereon, on the Termination Date.

 

(b)            The Borrower may, upon notice to the Agent, at any time or from time to time voluntarily prepay the Loans in whole or in part without premium or penalty (but subject to Section 5.4 ); provided that (i) such notice must be received by the Agent not later than 1:00 p.m. (New York City time) (A) three (3) Business Days prior to any date of prepayment of LIBOR Loans and (B) one (1) Business Day prior to any date of prepayment of Base Rate Loans; provided , further , that, in respect of Swingline Loans, the Borrower may deliver such notice to the Agent not later than 1:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the date of prepayment of such Swingline Loans and (ii) each prepayment shall be in a principal amount of $1,000,000 or a whole multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof or, if less, the entire principal amount thereof then outstanding.  Each such notice shall specify the date and amount of such prepayment and the Type(s) of Loans to be prepaid and, if LIBOR Loans are to be prepaid, the Interest Period(s) of such Loans.  The Agent will promptly notify each Lender of its receipt of each such notice, and of the amount of such Lender’s ratable portion of such prepayment (based on such Lender’s Pro Rata Share).

 

4.2           Out-of-Formula Condition .  The Borrower shall immediately pay to the Agent, for the account of the Lenders and/or to cash collateralize Letters of Credit pursuant to Section 2.3(g) , upon demand, the amount, if any, by which the amount of the Aggregate Revolver Outstandings exceeds at any time the lesser of (i) the Maximum Revolver Amount and (ii) the then-current Borrowing Base (any such condition being an “ Out-of-Formula Condition ”), except that no such payment shall be required if the Out-of-Formula Condition is created solely as a result of an Agent Advance.

 

4.3           Mandatory Prepayments .

 

(a)            (i)  At all times after the occurrence and during the continuance of a Cash Dominion Period and notification thereof by the Agent to the Borrower, on each Business Day, the Agent shall apply all same day funds (other than Excluded Funds) credited to the Concentration Account and all amounts received pursuant to this Section 4.3(a)  to one or more accounts maintained by the Agent or such other account as directed by the Agent and subject

 

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to the terms of any Intercreditor Agreement then in effect, all amounts received in such account shall be applied by Agent in accordance with Section 4.3(a)(ii)  below.

 

(ii)            Except as otherwise provided in Section 10.3 , a ll amounts required to be paid pursuant to Section 4.3(a)(i)  shall be applied by the Agent as follows:  (A)  first , to the prepayment in full of Agent Advances, (B)  second , to the prepayment in full of the Swingline Loans, (C)  third , to cash collateralize Letters of Credit, (D)  fourth , to the prepayment in full of the Revolving Base Rate Loans and (E)  fifth , to the prepayment in full of the Revolving LIBOR Loans.

 

(b)            No payment or prepayment made pursuant to this Section 4.3 shall, or shall be deemed to, effect or reduce any Commitment of any Lender or the aggregate Commitments of the Lenders.

 

4.4           Termination or Reductions of Facilities .

 

(a)            The Borrower may terminate this Agreement, upon at least three (3) Business Days’ notice to the Agent (who will distribute such notice to the Lenders), upon Full Payment of the Obligations and payment of amounts (if any) due under Section 5.4 .  Such notice may provide that such termination is contingent upon consummation of a contemplated refinancing or another transaction.

 

(b)            The Borrower may from time to time permanently reduce the Revolving Credit Commitments (and the Maximum Revolver Amount), as the case may be, on a pro rata basis based on the applicable Lenders’ respective Pro Rata Shares, upon at least three (3) Business Days’ prior written notice to the Agent, which notice shall specify the amount of the reduction.  Each reduction shall be in a minimum amount of $5,000,000 or an increment of $1,000,000 in excess thereof.  If after giving effect to any reduction of the Revolving Credit Commitments, the Letter of Credit Subfacility or the Swingline Sublimit shall exceed the Revolving Credit Commitments at such time, each such subfacility or sublimit, as the case may be, shall be automatically reduced by the amount of such excess and such reduction shall be accompanied by such payment (if any) as may be required to be made such that after giving effect to such payment the relevant aggregate Letters of Credit or Swingline Loans do not exceed the applicable subfacility or sublimit as so reduced.  Each reduction in the Revolving Credit Commitments shall be accompanied by such payment (if any) as may be required to avoid an Out-of-Formula Condition.  It being understood and agreed that the Borrower may allocate any termination or reduction of Commitments among Classes of Commitments at its direction.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Borrower may rescind or postpone any notice of termination of the Revolving Credit Commitments if such termination would have resulted from a refinancing of all of the applicable Commitments, which refinancing shall not be consummated or otherwise shall be delayed.

 

4.5           LIBOR Loan Prepayments .  In connection with any prepayment, if any LIBOR Loans are prepaid prior to the expiration date of the Interest Period applicable thereto, the Borrower shall comply with Section 5.4 .

 

4.6           Payments by the Borrower .

 

(a)            All payments to be made by the Borrower under this Agreement or the other Loan Documents shall be made without set-off, recoupment or counterclaim.  Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all payments by the Borrower shall be made to the Agent for the account of the Lenders entitled thereto, at the account designated by the Agent and shall be made in Dollars and in immediately available funds, no later than 2:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the date specified herein.  Any payment received by the Agent after such time shall be deemed (for purposes of calculating interest only) to have been received on the following Business Day and any applicable interest shall continue to accrue.

 

(b)            Subject to the provisions set forth in the definition of “Interest Period,” whenever any payment is due on a day other than a Business Day, such payment shall be due on the following Business Day, and such extension of time shall in such case be included in the computation of interest or fees, as the case may be.

 

4.7           Apportionment, Application and Reversal of Payments .  Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, principal and interest payments shall be apportioned ratably among the Lenders to which such payment is owed (according to the unpaid principal balance of the Loans to which such payments owed are held by each such

 

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Lender) and payments of the fees shall, as applicable, be apportioned ratably (or other applicable share as provided herein) among the Lenders to which such payment is owed, except for fees payable solely to the Agent, any Arranger or the applicable Letter of Credit Issuer.  Whenever any payment received by the Agent under this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents is insufficient to pay in full all amounts due and payable to the Agent and the Lenders under or in respect of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents on any date, such payment shall be distributed by the Agent and applied by the Agent and the Lenders in the order of priority set forth in Section 10.3 .  If the Agent receives funds for application to the Obligations of the Obligors under or in respect of the Loan Documents under circumstances for which the Loan Documents do not specify the manner in which such funds are to be applied, the Agent may, but shall not be obligated to, elect to distribute such funds to each of the Lenders in accordance with such Lender’s Pro Rata Share of the Aggregate Revolver Outstandings at such time, in repayment or prepayment of such of the outstanding Loans or other Obligations then owing to such Lender.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, unless so directed by the Borrower, or unless an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, neither the Agent nor any Lender shall apply any payments which it receives to any LIBOR Loan, except (a) on the expiration date of the Interest Period applicable to any such LIBOR Loan or (b) in the event, and only to the extent, that there are no outstanding Base Rate Loans and, in such event, the Borrower shall pay LIBOR breakage losses in accordance with Section 5.4 .

 

4.8           Indemnity for Returned Payments .  If after receipt of any payment which is applied to the payment of all or any part of the Obligations under this Agreement or the other Loan Documents, the Agent, any Lender, or any other Secured Party is for any reason compelled to surrender such payment or proceeds to any Person because such payment or application of proceeds is invalidated, declared fraudulent, set aside, determined to be void or voidable as a preference, impermissible setoff, or a diversion of trust funds, or for any other reason, then such Obligations or part thereof intended to be satisfied shall be revived and continued and this Agreement shall continue in full force as if such payment or proceeds had not been received by the Agent, such Lender, or such other Secured Party, and the Borrower shall be liable to pay to the Agent, the Lenders, or such other Secured Party and hereby do indemnify the Agent, the Lenders, or such other Secured Party and hold the Agent, the Lenders, or such other Secured Party harmless for the amount of such payment or proceeds surrendered.  The provisions of this Section 4.8 shall be and remain effective notwithstanding any release of Collateral or guarantors, cancellation or return of Loan Documents, or other contrary action which may have been taken by the Agent, any Lender, or such other Secured Party in reliance upon such payment or application of proceeds, and any such contrary action so taken shall be without prejudice to the Agent’s, the Lenders’, or such other Secured Party’s rights under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents and shall be deemed to have been conditioned upon such payment or application of proceeds having become final and irrevocable.  The provisions of this Section 4.8 shall survive the repayment of the Obligations and termination of this Agreement.

 

4.9           Agent’s and Lenders’ Books and Records .  The Agent shall record the principal amount of the Loans owing to each Lender, the undrawn face amount of all applicable outstanding Letters of Credit and the aggregate amount of Unpaid Drawings obligations outstanding with respect to the Letters of Credit from time to time on its books.  In addition, each Lender may note the date and amount of each payment or prepayment of principal of such Lender’s Loans in its books and records.  Failure by the Agent or any Lender to make such notation shall not affect the obligations of the Borrower with respect to the Loans or the Letters of Credit.  The Borrower agrees that the Agent’s and each Lender’s books and records showing the Obligations and the transactions pursuant to this Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall be admissible in any action or proceeding arising therefrom, and shall constitute rebuttably presumptive proof thereof (absent manifest error), irrespective of whether any Obligation is also evidenced by a promissory note or other instrument.  Such statement shall be deemed correct, accurate, and binding on the Borrower and an account stated (absent manifest error and except for reversals and reapplications of payments made as provided in Section 4.7 and corrections of errors discovered by the Agent), unless the Borrower notifies the Agent in writing to the contrary within 30 days after such statement is rendered.  In the event a timely written notice of objections is given by the Borrower, only the items to which exception is expressly made will be considered to be disputed by the Borrower.

 

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ARTICLE V

 

TAXES, YIELD PROTECTION AND ILLEGALITY

 

5.1          Taxes .

 

(a)           Payments Free of Taxes .  Unless otherwise required by applicable Law, all payments by or on behalf of an Obligor to a Lender or the Agent under this Agreement or any other Loan Document shall be made free and clear of, and without deduction or withholding for, any Taxes.  If any applicable Withholding Agent shall be required by any applicable Law (as determined in the good faith discretion of such Withholding Agent) to deduct or withhold any Tax from any payment to a Recipient under this Agreement or any Loan Document, then (i) such Withholding Agent shall 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 (ii) if such Tax is an Indemnified Tax, then the sum payable by the applicable Obligor shall be increased as necessary so that after all such required deductions and withholdings are made (including deductions and withholdings applicable to additional sums payable under this Section 5.1) the applicable Lender (or, in the case of a payment made to the Agent for its own account, the Agent) receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such deductions or withholdings been made. In addition, the Borrower shall pay all Other Taxes when due.

 

(b)           Indemnification by Obligors .  The Obligors agree jointly and severally to indemnify and hold harmless each Lender and the Agent for the full amount of Indemnified Taxes (including any Indemnified Taxes imposed by any jurisdiction on amounts payable under this Section 5.1 ) paid or payable by any Lender or the Agent and any reasonable and documented or invoiced out-of-pocket expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such Indemnified Taxes were correctly or legally asserted. Payment under this indemnification shall be made within 30 days after the date such Lender or the Agent makes written demand therefor in accordance with Section 5.6 .

 

(c)           Evidence of Payments .  As soon as practicable after the date of any payment by an Obligor of Taxes to a Governmental Authority pursuant to this Section 5.1 , the relevant Obligor shall furnish the Agent the original or a certified copy of a receipt evidencing payment thereof, or other evidence of payment reasonably satisfactory to the Agent.

 

(d)           Status of Lenders .  Any Lender that is entitled to an exemption from or reduction of withholding Tax with respect to any payments made under any Loan Document shall deliver to the Borrower and Agent, at the time or times reasonably requested by the Borrower or Agent, such properly completed and executed documentation reasonably requested by the Borrower or 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 Agent, shall deliver such other documentation prescribed by applicable Law or reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Agent as will enable the Borrower or the Agent to determine whether or not such Lender is subject to backup withholding or information reporting requirements.  Each Lender agrees that if any documentation it previously delivered expires or becomes obsolete or inaccurate in any respect, it shall update such documentation or promptly notify the Borrower and the Agent in writing of its legal ineligibility to do so.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing,

 

(i)             any Lender that is a U.S. Person shall deliver to the Borrower and the 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 Agent), two duly executed originals of IRS Form W-9 certifying that such Lender is exempt from U.S. federal backup withholding Tax;

 

(ii)            any Lender that is not a U.S. Person shall, to the extent it is legally eligible to do so, deliver to the Borrower and the Agent on or prior to the date on which such non-U.S. Person becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of the Borrower or the Agent), whichever of the following is applicable:

 

(A)          two duly executed originals of IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E claiming the benefits of an income Tax treaty to which the United States is a party;

 

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(B)          two duly executed originals of IRS Form W-8ECI;

 

(C)          in the case of a Lender claiming the benefits of the exemption for portfolio interest under Section 881(c) of the Code, (x) two duly executed copies of a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit J-1 to the effect that (A) 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 and (B) the interest payments in question are not effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business conducted by such Lender (a “ U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate ”) and (y) two duly executed originals of IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E; or

 

(D)          to the extent a Lender is not the beneficial owner (for example, where the Lender is a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes or a participating Lender), two duly executed originals of IRS Form W-8IMY, accompanied by IRS Form W-8ECI, IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E, a U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit J-2 or Exhibit J-3 , IRS Form W-9, and/or other certification documents from each beneficial owner, as applicable; provided , that if the Lender is a partnership and not a participating Lender and one or more direct or indirect partners of such Lender are claiming the portfolio interest exemption, such Lender may provide a U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit J-4 on behalf of each such direct and indirect partner;

 

(iii)           any Lender that is not a U.S. Person shall deliver to the Borrower and the Agent (in such number of copies as shall be requested by the recipient) 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 Agent), executed originals 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 applicable Withholding Agent to determine the withholding or deduction required to be made; and

 

(iv)           if any payment made to a Lender under any Loan Document would be subject to 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 Agent at the time or times prescribed by Law and at such time or times reasonably requested by the Borrower or the 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 Agent as may be necessary for the Borrower and the Agent to comply with their obligations under FATCA, to determine whether such Lender has complied with such Lender’s obligations under FATCA and to determine the amount, if any, to deduct and withhold from such payment.  Solely for purposes of this clause (iv) , “FATCA” shall include any amendments made to FATCA after the date of this Agreement.

 

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 5.1(d), a Lender shall not be required to deliver any documentation pursuant to this Section 5.1(d) that it is not legally eligible to deliver. Each Lender hereby authorizes the Agent to deliver to the Obligors and to any successor Agent any documentation provided by such Lender to the Agent pursuant to this Section 5.1(d).

 

(e)           Treatment of Certain Refunds .  If any party determines, in its reasonable discretion, that it has received a refund of any Taxes as to which it has been indemnified pursuant to this Section 5.1 (including by the payment of additional amounts pursuant to this Section 5.1 ), 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 5.1 with respect to the Taxes giving rise to such refund), net of all reasonable and documented or invoiced 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 Section 5.1(e)  (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 Section

 

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5.1(e) , in no event will the indemnified party be required to pay any amount to an indemnifying party pursuant to this Section 5.1(e)  the payment of which 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 giving rise to such refund had never been paid.  This Section 5.1(e)  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.

 

(f)            The Agent shall provide the Borrower with two duly completed original copies of, if it is a U.S. Person, IRS Form W-9 certifying that it is exempt from U.S. federal backup withholding, and, if it is not a U.S. Person, (1) IRS Form W-8ECI with respect to payments to be received by it as a beneficial owner and (2) IRS Form W-8IMY (together with required accompanying documentation) with respect to payments to be received by it on behalf of the Lenders, certifying that, for such purpose, it is a U.S. branch that has agreed to be treated as a U.S. person for U.S. federal tax purposes.  Notwithstanding any other provision of this clause (f) , the Agent shall not be required to deliver any documentation that such Agent is not legally eligible to deliver as a result of a Change in Law after the Agreement Date.

 

(g)           Definitions .  For purposes of this Section 5.1 , the term “Lender” includes any Letter of Credit Issuer and the Swingline Lender.

 

5.2          Illegality .

 

(a)           If as a result of any Change in Law occurring after the later of the Agreement Date or the date that a Lender became a party to this Agreement, has made it unlawful, or any central bank or other Governmental Authority has asserted after such date that it is unlawful, for such Lender or its applicable lending office to make LIBOR Loans, then, on notice thereof by that Lender to the Borrower through the Agent, any obligation of that Lender to make LIBOR Loans shall be suspended until that Lender notifies the Agent and the Borrower that the circumstances giving rise to such determination no longer exist.

 

(b)           If a Lender determines that, as a result of a Change in Law occurring after the later of the Agreement Date and the date such Lender became a party hereto, it is unlawful to maintain any LIBOR Loan, the Borrower shall, upon its receipt of notice of such fact and demand from such Lender (with a copy to the Agent), prepay in full such LIBOR Loans of that Lender then outstanding, together with interest accrued thereon and amounts required under Section 5.4 , either on the last day of the Interest Period, if that Lender may lawfully continue to maintain such LIBOR Loans to such day, or immediately, if that Lender may not lawfully continue to maintain such LIBOR Loans.  If the Borrower is required to so prepay any LIBOR Loans, then concurrently with such prepayment, the Borrower shall borrow from the affected Lender, in the amount of such repayment, a Base Rate Loan.

 

5.3          Increased Costs and Reduction of Return .

 

(a)           If any Lender determines that due to any Change in Law occurring after the later of the Agreement Date or the date such Lender became a party to this Agreement, there shall be any increase in the cost to such Lender of agreeing to make or making, funding, continuing, converting to or maintaining any LIBOR Loans (other than any increase in cost resulting from (i) Indemnified Taxes, (ii) Taxes described in clauses (b)  through (d)  of the definition of “Excluded Taxes”, or (iii) Connection Income Taxes), then, subject to clause (c)  of this Section 5.3 , the Borrower shall be liable for, and shall from time to time, upon demand (with a copy of such demand to be sent to the Agent), pay to the Agent for the account of such Lender, additional amounts as are sufficient to compensate such Lender for such increased costs.

 

(b)           If any Lender shall have determined that due to any Change in Law in respect of any Capital Adequacy Regulation occurring after the later of the Agreement Date or the date such Lender became a party to this Agreement that affects or would affect the amount of capital or liquidity required or expected to be maintained by such Lender or any corporation or other entity controlling such Lender and such Lender (taking into consideration such Lender’s or such corporation’s or other entity’s policies with respect to capital adequacy and such Lender’s desired return on capital) determines that the amount of such capital or liquidity is required to be increased as a consequence of its Commitments, loans, credits or obligations under this Agreement, then, upon demand of such Lender

 

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to the Borrower through the Agent, subject to clause (c)  of this Section 5.3 , the Borrower shall pay to such Lender, from time to time as specified by such Lender, additional amounts sufficient to compensate such Lender for such increase.

 

(c)           Failure or delay on the part of any Lender to demand compensation pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 5.3 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 the foregoing provisions of this Section 5.3 for any increased costs incurred or reductions suffered more than six months prior to the date that such Lender notifies the Borrower of the event giving rise to such increased costs or reductions and of such Lender’s intention to claim compensation therefor (except that, if the event giving rise to such increased costs or reductions is retroactive, then the six-month period referred to above shall be extended to include the period of retroactive effect thereof).  Notwithstanding any other provision herein, no Lender shall demand compensation pursuant to this Section 5.3 if it shall not at the time be the general policy or practice of such Lender to demand such compensation in similar circumstances for similarly situated borrowers under comparable provisions of other credit agreements, if any.

 

5.4          Funding Losses .  The Borrower shall reimburse each Lender and hold each Lender harmless from any loss or expense which such Lender may sustain or incur as a consequence of:

 

(a)            the failure of the Borrower to borrow a LIBOR Loan after the Borrower has given (or is deemed to have given) a Notice of Borrowing;

 

(b)            the failure of the Borrower to continue a LIBOR Loan or convert a Loan into a LIBOR Loan after the Borrower has given (or is deemed to have given) a Notice of Continuation/Conversion; or

 

(c)            the prepayment or other payment (including after acceleration thereof) of any LIBOR Loans on a day that is not the last day of the relevant Interest Period (including, without limitation, any payment in respect thereof pursuant to Section 2.6(f)(ii)  or 5.8 ),

 

including any loss or expense arising from the liquidation or reemployment of funds obtained by it to maintain its LIBOR Loans (but not in respect of lost profits) or from fees payable to terminate the deposits from which such funds were obtained.

 

5.5          Inability to Determine Rates .  If the Agent determines that for any reason adequate and reasonable means do not exist for determining the LIBOR for any requested Interest Period with respect to a proposed LIBOR Loan or that the LIBOR Rate for any requested Interest Period with respect to a proposed LIBOR Loan does not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to the Lenders of funding such LIBOR Loan, the Agent will promptly so notify the Borrower and each Lender thereof.  Thereafter, the obligation of the Lenders to make or maintain LIBOR Loans hereunder shall be suspended until the Agent revokes such notice in writing.  Upon receipt of such notice, the Borrower may revoke any Notice of Borrowing or Notice of Continuation/Conversion then submitted by any of them.  If the Borrower does not revoke such notice, the Lenders shall make, convert or continue the Loans, as proposed by the Borrower, in the amount specified in the applicable notice submitted by the Borrower, but such Loans shall be made, converted or continued as Base Rate Loans instead of LIBOR Loans.

 

5.6          Certificates of Agent .  If the Agent or any Lender claims reimbursement or compensation under this Article V , the Agent or the affected Lender shall determine the amount thereof and shall deliver to the Borrower (with a copy to the Agent) a certificate setting forth in reasonable detail the amount payable to the Agent or the affected Lender, and such certificate shall be conclusive and binding on the Borrower in the absence of manifest error; provided that, except for compensation under Section 5.1 , the Borrower shall not be obligated to pay the Agent or such Lender any compensation attributable to any period prior to the date that is ninety (90) days prior to the date on which the Agent or such Lender first gave notice to the Borrower of the circumstances entitling such Lender to compensation.  The Borrower shall pay the Agent or such Lender the amount shown as due on any such certificate within 10 Business Days after receipt thereof.

 

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5.7          Survival .  The agreements and obligations of the Borrower and each Recipient in this Article V shall survive the payment of all other Obligations and termination of this Agreement.

 

5.8          Assignment of Commitments Under Certain Circumstances .  In the event (a) any Lender requests compensation pursuant to Section 5.3 , (b) any Lender delivers a notice described in Section 5.2 , (c) any Obligor is required to pay additional amounts to any Lender or any Governmental Authority on account of any Lender pursuant to Section 5.1 , (d) any Lender is, or becomes an Affiliate of a Person that is, engaged in the business in which the Borrower is engaged or (e) any Lender is a Defaulting Lender, the Borrower may, at its sole expense and effort (including with respect to the processing fee referred to in Section 12.2(a) ), upon notice to such Lender and the Agent, require such Lender to transfer and assign, without recourse (in accordance with and subject to the restrictions contained in Section 12.2 ), all of its interests, rights and obligations under the Loan Documents to an Eligible Assignee that shall assume such assigned obligations (which assignee may be another Lender, if a Lender accepts such assignment); provided that (i) such assignment shall not conflict with any Law or order of any court or other Governmental Authority having jurisdiction, (ii) except in the case of clause (d)  or (e)  above, no Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, (iii) the Borrower or such assignee shall have paid to such Lender in immediately available funds an amount equal to the sum of 100% of the principal of and interest accrued to the date of such payment on the outstanding Loans of such Lender, plus all fees and other amounts accrued for the account of such Lender hereunder (including any amounts under Sections 5.1 , 5.2 , 5.3 and 5.4 ), (iv) such assignment is consummated within 180 days after the date on which the Borrower’s right under this Section 5.8 arises, and (v) if the consent of the Agent, any Letter of Credit Issuer or the Swingline Lender is required pursuant to Section 12.2 , such consents are obtained; provided , further , that if prior to any such assignment the circumstances or event that resulted in such Lender’s request or notice under Section 5.2 or 5.3 or demand for additional amounts under Section 5.1 , as the case may be, shall cease to exist or become inapplicable for any reason, or if such Lender shall waive its rights in respect of such circumstances or event under Section 5.1 , 5.2 or 5.3 , as the case may be, then such Lender shall not thereafter be required to make such assignment hereunder.  In the event that a replaced Lender does not execute an Assignment and Acceptance pursuant to Section 12.2 within two Business Days after receipt by such replaced Lender of notice of replacement pursuant to this Section 5.8 and presentation to such replaced Lender of an Assignment and Acceptance evidencing an assignment pursuant to this Section 5.8 , the Borrower shall be entitled (but not obligated), upon receipt by the replaced Lender of all amounts required to be paid under this Section 5.8 , to execute such an Assignment and Acceptance on behalf of such replaced Lender, and any such Assignment and Acceptance so executed by the Borrower, the replacement Lender and, to the extent required pursuant to Section 12.2 , the Agent, shall be effective for purposes of this Section 5.8 and Section 12.2 .

 

ARTICLE VI

 

BOOKS AND RECORDS; FINANCIAL INFORMATION; NOTICES

 

6.1          Books and Records .  Holdings shall maintain, and shall cause the Borrower and each of its Restricted Subsidiaries to maintain, at all times, proper books and records and accounts prepared in conformity with GAAP consistently applied in respect of all material financial transactions and matters involving all material assets, business and activities of Holdings, the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries, taken as a whole.  The Borrower shall maintain, and shall cause each of its Restricted Subsidiaries to maintain, at all times books and records pertaining to the Collateral in such detail, form and scope as is consistent in all material respects with good business practice or consistent with past practice.

 

6.2          Financial Information .  The Borrower shall promptly furnish to the Agent (for further distribution to each Lender):

 

(a)            As soon as available, but in any event not later than ninety (90) days after the close of each Fiscal Year (commencing with the Fiscal Year ending December 31, 2017), consolidated audited balance sheets, income statements and cash flow statements of the Consolidated Parties and, if different, Holdings, the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries, for such Fiscal Year, and the accompanying notes thereto, setting forth in each case in comparative form figures for and as of the end of the previous Fiscal Year (or, in lieu of such audited financial statements of Holdings, the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries, a detailed reconciliation, reflecting such financial information for Holdings, the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries, on the one hand, and the Consolidated Parties, on the other hand), all in reasonable detail,

 

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fairly presenting in all material respects the financial position and the results of operations of the Consolidated Parties (and, if applicable, Holdings, the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries) as at the date thereof and for the Fiscal Year then ended, and prepared in accordance with GAAP in all material respects.  Such consolidated statements shall be certified, reported on without a “going concern” or like qualification (other than (x) with respect to, or resulting from, the upcoming maturity of the Loans hereunder or (y) a prospective default under the Financial Covenant), or qualification arising out of the scope of the audit, by a firm of independent registered public accountants of recognized national standing selected by the Borrower.  During a Covenant Trigger Period, such certified statements shall be delivered together with a certificate of such accounting firm stating that in the course of its regular audit of the business of the Consolidated Parties, which audit was conducted in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards, such accounting firm has obtained no knowledge of any Event of Default under Section 10.1 (solely arising from a breach of the Financial Covenant) that has occurred and is continuing or, if in the opinion of such accounting firm such an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, a statement as to the nature thereof (which certificate may be limited to the extent required by accounting rules or guidelines or customary internal policy of such accounting firm).  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the obligations in this Section 6.2(a)  may be satisfied with respect to financial information of the Consolidated Parties by furnishing (A) the applicable financial statements of Holdings (or any Parent Entity of Holdings) or (B) the Borrower’s or Holdings’ (or any Parent Entity thereof), as applicable, Form 10-K filed with the SEC; provided that, with respect to each of clauses (A)  and (B)  above, (i) to the extent such information relates to Holdings (or such Parent Entity), such information is accompanied by consolidating information that explains in reasonable detail the differences between the information relating to Holdings (or such Parent Entity), on the one hand, and the information relating to the Consolidated Parties on a standalone basis, on the other hand and (ii) to the extent such information is in lieu of information required to be provided under the first sentence of this Section 6.2(a) , such statements shall be certified, reported on without a “going concern” or like qualification (other than (x) with respect to, or resulting from, the upcoming maturity of the Loans hereunder or (y) a prospective default under the Financial Covenant), or qualification arising out of the scope of the audit, by a firm of independent registered public accountants of recognized national standing selected by Holdings (or such Parent Entity).  In addition, together with the Financial Statements required to be delivered pursuant to this Section 6.2(a)  but only to the extent required under SEC rules, the Borrower shall deliver a customary “management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations” with respect to the periods covered by such Financial Statements in substantially the form filed with the SEC.

 

(b)            As soon as available, but in any event not later than forty-five (45) days after the end of each of the first three Fiscal Quarters of each Fiscal Year, consolidated unaudited balance sheets of the Consolidated Parties and, if different, Holdings, the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries, as at the end of such Fiscal Quarter, and consolidated unaudited income statements and cash flow statements for the Consolidated Parties, and, if different from Holdings, the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such Fiscal Quarter and for the period from the beginning of the Fiscal Year to the end of such Fiscal Quarter, setting forth, in each case, in reasonable detail, in comparative form, the figures for and as of the corresponding period in the prior Fiscal Year (or, in lieu of such Financial Statements of Holdings, the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries, a detailed reconciliation, reflecting such financial information for Holdings, the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries, on the one hand, and the Consolidated Parties on the other hand), and prepared in all material respects in conformity with GAAP consistently applied, subject to changes resulting from normal year-end audit adjustments and to the absence of footnotes and certified by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower as being complete and correct in all material respects in conformity with GAAP, prepared in reasonable detail in accordance with GAAP in all material respects consistently applied and fairly presenting in all material respects the Consolidated Parties’ (and, if applicable, Holdings, the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries’) financial position as at the dates thereof and their results of operations for the periods then ended, subject to changes resulting from normal year-end audit adjustments and to the absence of footnotes.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the obligations in this Section 6.2(b)  may be satisfied with respect to financial information of the Consolidated Parties by furnishing (A) the applicable Financial Statements of Holdings (or any Parent Entity thereof) or (B) the Borrower’s or Holdings’ (or any Parent Entity thereof), as applicable, Form 10-Q filed with the SEC; provided that, with respect to each of clauses (A)  and (B) , to the extent such information relates to Holdings (or any such Parent Entity), such information is accompanied by consolidating information that explains in reasonable detail the differences

 

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between the information relating to Holdings (or such Parent Entity), on the one hand, and the information relating to the Consolidated Parties on a standalone basis, on the other hand.  In addition, together with the Financial Statements required to be delivered pursuant to this Section 6.2(b)  but only to the extent required under SEC rules, the Borrower shall deliver a customary “management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations” with respect to the periods covered by such Financial Statements in substantially the form filed with the SEC.

 

(c)            Concurrently with the delivery of the annual audited Financial Statements pursuant to Section 6.2(a)  (commencing with the Fiscal Year ending December 31, 2017) and the quarterly Financial Statements pursuant to Section 6.2(b)  (commencing with the Fiscal Quarter ending March 31, 2017), a duly completed Compliance Certificate signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower  and, if a Covenant Trigger Period is then in effect, demonstrate compliance with Section 8.20 .

 

(d)            As soon as available, but in any event not later than the date of delivery of the annual audited Financial Statements pursuant to Section 6.2(a)  (commencing with the date of delivery of such Financial Statements for the Fiscal Year ending December 31, 2017), annual forecasts (to include forecasted consolidated balance sheets, income statements and cash flow statements, Borrowing Base and Availability) for Holdings, the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries as at the end of and for each Fiscal Quarter of such Fiscal Year.

 

(e)            Subject to applicable Laws and confidentiality restrictions, promptly upon the filing thereof, copies of all reports, if any, to or other documents filed by the Borrower or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries with the SEC under the Exchange Act or any other similar regulatory or Governmental Authority of any jurisdiction, and all material reports, notices, or statements sent or received by the Borrower or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to or from the holders of any Debt of the Borrower or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries registered under the Securities Act of 1933 or any other similar Laws in any jurisdiction (other than, in each such case, amendments to any registration statement (to the extent such registration statement, in the form it becomes effective, is delivered to the Agent for further delivery to the Lenders), exhibits to any registration statement and, if applicable, any registration statements on Form S-8 and other than any filing filed confidentially with the SEC or any analogous Governmental Authority in any relevant jurisdiction).

 

(f)             Subject to applicable Laws and confidentiality restrictions set forth in this Agreement, such additional information as the Agent may from time to time reasonably request regarding the financial condition of the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole.

 

In addition, the Borrower shall, annually, at a time mutually agreed with the Agent that is promptly after the delivery of the information required to be delivered pursuant to Section 6.2(a) , participate in a conference call with Lenders to discuss the financial condition and results of operations of the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries for the most recently-ended Fiscal Year.

 

Documents required to be delivered pursuant to Section 6.2(a) , (b)  and (e)  (to the extent any such documents are included in materials otherwise filed with the SEC or any similar regulator or Governmental Authority of any jurisdiction) may be delivered electronically and if so delivered, shall be deemed to have been delivered on the date on which such documents are posted on the Borrower’s behalf on an Internet or intranet website, if any, to which each Lender and the Agent have access (whether a commercial, third-party website or whether sponsored by the Agent); provided that the Borrower shall notify the Agent (by telecopier or electronic mail) of the posting of any such documents and shall deliver paper copies of such documents to the Agent or any Lender that requests such paper copies.

 

6.3          Notices to the Agent .  The Borrower shall notify the Agent (for further distribution to the Lenders) in writing of the following matters at the following times:

 

(a)           Promptly, and in any event within five (5) Business Days, after a Responsible Officer becoming aware of any Default or Event of Default.

 

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(b)            Promptly, and in any event within five (5) Business Days, after a Responsible Officer becoming aware of any action, suit, or proceeding, by any Person, or any investigation by a Governmental Authority, in each case affecting the Borrower or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries and which would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(c)            Promptly, and in any event within five (5) Business Days, after a Responsible Officer becoming aware of any violation of any Law (including any Environmental Law), statute, regulation, or ordinance of a Governmental Authority affecting the Borrower or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, which, in any case, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(d)            Any change in any Obligor’s state of incorporation or organization, name as it appears in the state of its incorporation or other organization, type of entity, organizational identification number, or form of organization, each as applicable, in each case at least no later than ten (10) Business Days (or such longer period to which the Agent may agree in its discretion) after the occurrence of any such change.

 

(e)            Promptly, and in any event within fifteen (15) Business Days, after a Responsible Officer of the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate knows that an ERISA Event has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur, that, alone or with another ERISA Event that has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, and any action taken (or threatened in writing) by the IRS, the DOL, the PBGC or the Multiemployer Plan sponsor with respect thereto.

 

(f)            Upon reasonable request, with respect to any Multi-employer Plan, (A) any documents described in Section 101(k) of ERISA that the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate may request and (B) any notices described in Section 101(l) of ERISA that the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate may request; provided that if the Borrower or ERISA Affiliate has not requested such documents or notices from the administrator or sponsor of the applicable Multi-employer Plan, the Borrower or ERISA Affiliate shall promptly make a request for such documents or notices from such administrator or sponsor and shall provide copies of such documents and notices promptly after receipt thereof.

 

(g)           Within fifteen (15) Business Days after the occurrence of the assumption or establishment of any new Pension Plan or Multi-employer Plan, or the commencement of contributions to any Pension Plan or Multi-employer Plan, to which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate was not previously contributing, which in any event could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(h)           Promptly, and in any event within five (5) Business Days, after a Responsible Officer becoming aware of any event or circumstance which would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(i)            Unless otherwise publicly disclosed in an annual or quarterly report filed by the Borrower or any Parent Entity with the SEC under the Exchange Act, promptly after any material change in accounting policies or financial reporting practices (including as a result of a change in GAAP or the application thereof) by the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary thereof .

 

(j)            Promptly, and in any event within five (5) Business Days, after a Responsible Officer becoming aware of any action, suit or proceeding pursuant to which a holder of any Lien on any Accounts of an Obligor makes a claim for conversion with respect to any such Accounts and the Accounts that are the subject of such claim have a Fair Market Value in excess of $2,500,000 .

 

Each notice given under this Section 6.3 shall be accompanied by a statement of a Responsible Officer describing the subject matter thereof in reasonable detail and setting forth the action that the Borrower, applicable Subsidiary, or ERISA Affiliate has taken or proposes to take with respect thereto.

 

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6.4          Collateral Reporting .

 

(a)           The Borrower will furnish to the Agent (for further distribution to each Lender) a Borrowing Base Certificate prepared as of the last Business Day of each calendar month (commencing with the calendar month ending [January 31], 2017) and delivered to the Agent (for further distribution to the Lenders) by the close of business on the 20th calendar day of the following calendar month.  The Borrower acknowledges and agrees that while a Cash Dominion Period is in effect, the Borrower will furnish to the Agent (for further distribution to each Lender) Borrowing Base Certificates prepared as of the last Business Day of each calendar week during such Cash Dominion Period and delivered to the Agent (for further distribution to the Lenders) by the close of business on the Wednesday of the following week (with any such weekly Borrowing Base Certificate to be computed according to a method reasonably specified by the Agent after consultation with the Borrower).

 

(b)           The Borrower will furnish to the Agent (and the Agent shall further distribute to each Lender that has made a request for such information through the Agent), in such detail as the Agent shall reasonably request, as soon as reasonably practical following the Agent’s request from time to time, such reports as to the Accounts of the Obligors as the Agent shall reasonably request from time to time.

 

(c)           The Borrower will furnish to the Agent (and the Agent shall further distribute to each Lender that has made a request for such information through the Agent) on a monthly basis, a detailed month-end report of the Obligors’ accounts receivable aging and a detailed month-end report of the Obligors’ accounts payable aging, in each case by the close of business on the 20 th  calendar day of the following calendar month.

 

(d)           If any of the Borrower’s or Guarantor’s records or reports of the Accounts are prepared by an accounting service or other agent, such Obligor hereby authorizes such service or agent to deliver such records, reports, and related documents to the Agent.

 

(e)           The Borrower will furnish to the Agent (and the Agent shall further distribute to each Lender that has made a request for such information through the Agent) each of the reports set forth on Schedule 6.4 at the times specified therein.

 

ARTICLE VII

 

GENERAL WARRANTIES AND REPRESENTATIONS

 

Holdings and the Borrower each warrants and represents to the Agent and the Lenders on the Closing Date and on the date of each Borrowing that :

 

7.1          Authorization, Validity, and Enforceability of this Agreement and the Loan Documents .  Each Obligor party to this Agreement and the other Loan Documents has the power and authority to execute, deliver and perform this Agreement and the other Loan Documents to which it is a party, to incur the Obligations, and to grant the Collateral Agent’s Liens.  Each Obligor party to this Agreement and the other Loan Documents has taken all necessary corporate, limited liability company or partnership, as applicable, action (including obtaining approval of its shareholders, if necessary) to authorize its execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents to which it is a party.  This Agreement and the other Loan Documents to which it is a party have been duly executed and delivered by each Obligor party thereto, and constitute the legal, valid and binding obligations of each such Obligor, enforceable against it in accordance with their respective terms, subject to the effects of bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, winding up, moratorium and other similar Laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally and general equitable principles (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at Law) and an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.  Each Obligor’s execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents to which it is a party, do not (x) conflict with, or constitute a violation or breach of, the terms of (a) any contract, mortgage, lease, agreement, indenture, or instrument to which such Obligor or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries is a party or which is binding upon it, (b) any Requirement of Law applicable to such Obligor or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, or (c) any Charter Documents of such Obligor or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, in each case, in any respect that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or (y) result in the imposition of any Lien (other than the Liens created by the Security

 

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Documents) upon the property of such Obligor or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries by reason of any of the foregoing.

 

7.2          Validity and Priority of Security Interest .  Upon execution and delivery thereof by the parties thereto, the applicable Security Documents will be effective to create legal and valid Liens on all the applicable Collateral in favor of the Collateral Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties, subject to the effects of bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, winding up, moratorium and other similar Laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally, general equitable principles (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at Law) and an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing and, upon the taking of such actions set forth in the Security Documents, but subject to any exceptions to the taking of any actions as set forth therein or in the definition of “Collateral and Guarantee Requirement”, such Liens (a) constitute perfected Liens on all of the applicable Collateral, (b) have priority over all other Liens on the Collateral, subject to Permitted Liens and the provisions of any Intercreditor Agreement then in existence, and (c) are enforceable against each Obligor granting such Liens.

 

7.3          Organization and Qualification .  Each Obligor (a) is duly organized and validly existing in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, (b) is duly qualified as a foreign corporation, partnership or limited liability company, as applicable, and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the failure to be so qualified and in good standing would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, and (c) has all requisite power and authority to conduct its business and to own its property, except where the failure to have such power and authority would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

7.4          Subsidiaries Schedule 7.4 is a correct and complete list of each and all of Holdings’ Subsidiaries as of the Agreement Date, the jurisdiction of their organization and the direct or indirect ownership interest of Holdings therein.  Each Restricted Subsidiary (a) is duly organized and validly existing in good standing (to the extent such concept is applicable to any such Subsidiary) under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, (b) is duly qualified as a foreign corporation, partnership or limited liability company, as applicable, and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the failure to be so qualified and in good standing would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, and (c) has all requisite power and authority to conduct its business and to own its property, except where the failure to have such power and authority would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

7.5          Financial Statements and Borrowing Base Certificate .

 

(a)           Holdings has delivered to the Agent (for further distribution to the Lenders) the Historical Financial Statements.  The Historical Financial Statements, including the schedules and notes thereto, if any, have been prepared in reasonable detail in accordance with GAAP consistently applied throughout the periods covered thereby (except as approved by a Responsible Officer of Holdings, and disclosed in any such schedules and notes or otherwise disclosed to the Agent prior to the Agreement Date) and present fairly, in all material respects, the Consolidated Parties’ financial position as at the dates thereof and their results of operations for the periods then ended, subject, in the case of such unaudited Financial Statements, to changes resulting from normal year-end  audit adjustments and to the absence of footnotes.

 

(b)           [Reserved].

 

(c)           The latest Borrowing Base Certificate furnished to the Agent pursuant to Section 6.4(a)  presents accurately and fairly in all material respects the Borrowing Base and the calculation thereof as at the date thereof.

 

Each Lender and the Agent hereby acknowledges and agrees that Holdings, the Borrower and its Subsidiaries may be required to restate the Historical Financial Statements as the result of the implementation of changes in GAAP or the interpretation thereof, and that such restatements will not result in a Default under the Loan Documents (including any effect on any conditions required to be satisfied on the Closing Date) to the extent that the restatements do not reveal any material omission, misstatement or other material inaccuracy in the reported information from actual results for any relevant prior period.

 

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7.6          Solvency .  On the Closing Date after giving effect to the Transactions, Holdings and its Subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, are Solvent.

 

7.7          Property .  Except with respect to Intellectual Property, each Obligor and each of its Restricted Subsidiaries has good and defensible title in fee simple to, or valid leasehold interests in, or easements or other limited property interests in, all property necessary in the ordinary conduct of its business, free and clear of all Liens except for minor defects in title that do not materially interfere with its ability to conduct its business or to utilize such assets for their intended purposes and Permitted Liens and except where the failure to have such title or other interest could not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.

 

7.8          Intellectual Property .  The conduct of the businesses of Holdings, the Borrower and each of its Restricted Subsidiaries (including their use of Intellectual Property) does not infringe upon, misappropriate or violate the Intellectual Property of any other Person, and no other Person is infringing or violating their own Intellectual Property, in each case except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  Holdings, the Borrower and each of its Restricted Subsidiaries owns or is licensed or otherwise has the right to use all Intellectual Property that is used or held for use in or is otherwise reasonably necessary for the operation of its businesses as presently conducted, except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

7.9          Litigation .  Except as set forth on Schedule 7.9 , there is no pending, or to Holdings’ or the Borrower’s knowledge, threatened, action, suit, proceeding, or counterclaim by any Person, or to Holdings’ or the Borrower’s knowledge, investigation by any Governmental Authority, which, in any case, has a reasonable likelihood of being adversely determined and if so adversely determined, either (a) would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or (b) relates directly to any of the Loan Documents.

 

7.10        Labor Disputes .  There is no strike, work stoppage, unfair labor practice claim, or other labor dispute pending or, to Holdings’ or the Borrower’s knowledge, reasonably expected to be commenced against Holdings or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, which, individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

7.11        Environmental Laws .  Except as set forth on Schedule 7.11 and except for any matters that, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect:

 

(a)            Holdings, the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries and each of their respective facilities, locations and operations are and to the Borrower’s knowledge within the past three (3) years  have been in compliance with all Environmental Laws.

 

(b)            Each of Holdings, the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries have obtained all permits under Environmental Laws necessary for their current facilities and operations, all such permits are valid and in full force and effect, each of Holdings, the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries are in compliance with all terms and conditions of such permits and none of such permits are, since the Closing Date, subject to any pending proceedings or other actions (or to Borrower’s knowledge, any threatened proceedings or other actions) for modification or revocation of such permits.

 

(c)            (i) Neither Holdings, the Borrower nor any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, nor to Holdings’ or the Borrower’s knowledge any of its predecessors in interest with respect to the Real Estate, has stored, treated or released any Contaminant at any location, and (ii) neither Holdings nor any Restricted Subsidiary nor any of the presently owned or leased Real Estate or presently conducted operations, nor, to any of Holdings’ or the Borrower’s knowledge, its previously owned or leased Real Estate or prior operations, is subject to any pending proceeding or other action for, and neither Borrower nor Holdings has any knowledge of any threatened proceeding or reasonable basis for any claim or liability arising out of or in connection with any Environmental Law (including from any Release or threatened Release of a Contaminant).

 

(d)            None of the present or, to Holdings or the Borrower’s knowledge, former operations, and none of the real estate interests of Holdings or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, is subject to any investigation

 

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by any Governmental Authority against or involving Holdings or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries evaluating whether any remedial action is needed to respond to a Release or threatened Release of a Contaminant.

 

7.12        No Violation of Law .  Neither Holdings nor any of its Restricted Subsidiaries is in violation of any Law, judgment, order or decree applicable to it, where such violation would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

7.13        No Default .  No Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing.

 

7.14        ERISA Compliance .  Except as would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect:

 

(a)            Each Plan is in compliance with the applicable provisions of ERISA, the Code and other federal or state law or other applicable law.  The Borrower, each Guarantor and each ERISA Affiliate, as applicable, has made all required contributions to any Pension Plan subject to Section 412 or 430 of the Code or Section 302 or 303 of ERISA or other applicable laws when due, and no application for a funding waiver or an extension of any amortization period (pursuant to Section 412 of the Code, or otherwise) has been made with respect to any Pension Plan.

 

(b)            There are no pending or, to the best knowledge of Holdings and the other Obligors, threatened, claims, actions or lawsuits, or action by any Governmental Authority, with respect to any Plan.

 

(c)            (i) No ERISA Event has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur, (ii) neither the Borrower nor any ERISA Affiliate has incurred, or reasonably expects to incur, any liability (and no event has occurred which, with the giving of notice under Section 4219 of ERISA, would result in liability) under Section 4201 or 4243 of ERISA with respect to a Multi-employer Plan and (iii) neither the Borrower nor any ERISA Affiliate has engaged in a transaction that could be subject to Section 4069 or 4212(c) of ERISA.

 

7.15        Taxes .  Holdings, the Borrower and each of its Restricted Subsidiaries have filed all material Tax returns required to be filed by them, and have paid all Taxes and other governmental charges levied or imposed upon them or their properties, income or assets otherwise due and payable by them (including in their capacity as a withholding agent), other than Taxes (i) the failure of which to pay, in the aggregate, would not have a Material Adverse Effect or (ii) that are being contested in good faith and by the appropriate proceedings and for which adequate reserves have been established in accordance with GAAP .  There are no current, pending or proposed Tax deficiencies, assessments or other claims against Holdings or any Restricted Subsidiary that would reasonably be expected to, in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

7.16        Investment Company Act .  None of Holdings, or any Restricted Subsidiary of Holdings, is an “Investment Company,” or a company “controlled” by an “Investment Company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

7.17        Use of Proceeds .  The proceeds of the Loans are to be used solely to finance ongoing working capital needs and for other general corporate purposes (including Permitted Acquisitions and other Permitted Investments, Permitted Distributions and the repayment or prepayment of Debt, in each case to the extent not prohibited pursuant to the terms hereof) of the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries.

 

7.18        Margin Regulations .  As of the Closing Date, none of the Collateral is comprised of any Margin Stock.  No Obligor is engaged, principally or as one of its important activities, in the business of purchasing or carrying Margin Stock (within the meaning of Regulation U issued by the Federal Reserve Board), or extending credit for the purpose of purchasing or carrying Margin Stock, and no proceeds of any Borrowings will be used for any purpose that violates Regulation U or Regulation X of Federal Reserve Board.

 

7.19        No Material Adverse Change .  No Material Adverse Effect has occurred since the Closing Date.

 

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7.20        Full Disclosure .  None of the information or data (taken as a whole) heretofore or contemporaneously furnished by Holdings, the Borrower, any of their respective Restricted Subsidiaries or any of their respective authorized representatives in writing to the Agent, the Collateral Agent, any Arranger or any Lender on or before the Closing Date for purposes of or in connection with this Agreement or any transaction contemplated herein contained any untrue statement of material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary to make such information and data (taken as a whole) not materially misleading at such time (after giving effect to all supplements so furnished prior to such time) in light of the circumstances under which such information or data was furnished; it being understood and agreed that for purposes of this Section 7.20 , such information and data shall not include projections (including financial estimates, forecasts and other forward-looking information), pro forma financial information or information of a general economic or general industry nature.  The projections contained in the information and data referred to in this Section 7.20 were prepared in good faith based upon assumptions believed by Holdings and the Borrower to be reasonable at the time made and at the time delivered; it being recognized by the Agent, the Collateral Agent and the Lenders that such projections are as to future events and are not to be viewed as facts, the projections are subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond the control of Holdings, the Borrower and the Restricted Subsidiaries, that no assurance can be given that any particular projections will be realized and that actual results during the period or periods covered by any such projections may differ from the projected results and such differences may be material.

 

7.21        Government Authorization .  No approval, consent, exemption, authorization, or other action by, or notice to, or filing with, any Governmental Authority or other Person is necessary or required in connection with the execution, delivery or performance by, or enforcement against, Holdings or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, other than (i) those that have been obtained or made and are in full force and effect, (ii) those required to perfect the Liens created pursuant to the Security Documents, and (iii) where failure to obtain, effect or make any such approval, consent, exemption, authorization, or other action, notice or filing would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

7.22        Anti-Terrorism Laws .

 

(a)           None of Holdings, the Borrower nor any of its Restricted Subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of Holdings, the Borrower or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, any of their respective officers, directors, or employees is in violation of any applicable Anti-Terrorism Law, or engages in any transaction that attempts to violate, or otherwise evades or avoids (or has the purpose of evading or avoiding) any prohibitions set forth in any applicable Anti-Terrorism Law.

 

(b)           The use of proceeds of the Loans will not violate any applicable Anti-Terrorism Laws.

 

7.23        FCPA .  No part of the proceeds of the Loans will be used, directly, or, to the knowledge of the Borrower, indirectly, for any payments to any governmental official or employee, political party, official of a political party, candidate for political office, or anyone else acting in an official capacity, in order to obtain, retain or direct business or obtain any improper advantage, in violation of the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or other applicable anti-corruption laws.

 

7.24        Sanctioned Persons .

 

(a)           None of Holdings, the Borrower nor any Restricted Subsidiary nor, to the knowledge of Holdings, the Borrower or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, any officer, director or employee thereof is currently the target of any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (“ OFAC ”) of the U.S. Treasury Department or the U.S. Department of State.

 

(b)           The Borrower will not to its knowledge, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the Loans in any manner that will result in a violation by any Lender of any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC or the U.S. Department of State.

 

7.25        Designation of Senior Debt .  The Obligations are “Designated Senior Debt” (or any similar term) under the terms of the documentation governing any Subordinated Debt.

 

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ARTICLE VIII

 

AFFIRMATIVE AND NEGATIVE COVENANTS

 

The Borrower and each other Obligor (limited, in the case of Holdings, to Section 8.27 ) covenant to the Agent and each Lender that, from and after the Agreement Date, so long as any of the Commitments are outstanding and until Full Payment of the Obligations:

 

8.1          Taxes .  The Borrower shall, and shall cause each of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, (a) file when due all material Tax returns that it is required to file and (b) pay, or provide for the payment of, when due, all material Taxes (including all Indemnified Taxes required to be paid by it under Section 5.1 ) imposed upon it or upon its property, income and franchises (including in its capacity as a withholding agent); provided , however , neither the Borrower nor any of its Restricted Subsidiaries need pay any Tax described in this Section 8.1 as long as (i) such Tax is being contested in good faith and by the appropriate proceedings and adequate reserves have been established for such Tax in accordance with GAAP  or (ii) the failure to pay any such Tax would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

8.2          Legal Existence and Good Standing .  The Borrower shall, and shall cause each of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, maintain (a) its legal existence and good standing in its jurisdiction of organization, and (b) its qualification and good standing in all other jurisdictions necessary or desirable in the ordinary course of business of the Borrower or such Restricted Subsidiary except, in the case of either clause (a)  (other than with respect to the Borrower) or clause (b)  of this Section 8.2 , in such cases where the failure to maintain its existence, qualification or good standing would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; provided , however , that the Borrower and the Restricted Subsidiaries may consummate any transaction permitted under any of Section 8.8 , 8.9 or 8.11 .

 

8.3          Compliance with Law; Maintenance of Licenses .  The Borrower shall comply, and shall take all reasonable action to cause each of its Restricted Subsidiaries to comply, with all Requirements of Law of any Governmental Authority having jurisdiction over it or its business (including the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act, all Anti-Terrorism Laws, all Environmental Laws, Laws administered by OFAC and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder), except where noncompliance would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  The Borrower shall, and shall cause each of its Restricted Subsidiaries to take all reasonable action to, obtain and maintain all licenses, permits, franchises, and governmental authorizations necessary to own its property and to conduct its business, except where the failure to so obtain and maintain such licenses, permits, franchises, and governmental authorizations would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

8.4          Maintenance of Property, Inspection; Field Examinations .

 

(a)           The Borrower shall, and shall cause each of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, maintain all of its material property necessary and useful in the conduct of its business, taken as a whole, in good operating condition and repair (or, in the case of Inventory, in saleable, useable or rentable condition), ordinary wear and tear and Casualty Events excepted, except, in each case, to the extent the failure to do so would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(b)           The Borrower shall, and shall cause each of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, permit representatives and independent contractors of the Agent and/or the Collateral Agent (at the expense of the Borrower) to visit and inspect any of the Borrower’s or any of their Restricted Subsidiaries’ properties (to the extent it is within such Person’s control to permit such inspection), to examine the Borrower’s and its Restricted Subsidiaries’ corporate, financial and operating records, and make copies thereof or abstracts therefrom, to examine and audit the Collateral (to the extent it is within such Person’s control to permit such examination and audit and subject to the limitations otherwise set forth in this Section 8.4 ), and to discuss the Borrower’s and its Restricted Subsidiaries’ affairs, finances and accounts with their respective directors, officers and independent public accountants, at such reasonable times during normal business hours, upon reasonable advance notice to the Borrower (and subject, in the case of any such meetings or advice from such independent public accountants, to such accountants’ customary policies and procedures); provided , however , excluding any such visits and inspections during the continuation of an Event of Default

 

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and without in any way limiting the rights of the Agent and/or the Collateral Agent set forth in Sections 8.4(c)  and (d)  below, neither the Agent nor the Collateral Agent shall exercise such rights more often than once during any calendar year absent the existence of an Event of Default at the Borrower’s expense; and provided , further , that when an Event of Default exists, the Agent and the Collateral Agent (or any of their respective representatives or independent contractors) may do any of the foregoing at the expense of the Borrower at any time during normal business hours and upon reasonable advance notice.  The Agent and the Collateral Agent shall give the Borrower the opportunity to participate in any discussions with the Borrower’s or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries’ independent public accountants.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Article VI , none of Holdings, the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary will be required to disclose, permit the inspection, examination or making copies or abstracts of, or discussion of, any document, information or other matter (i) that constitutes non-financial trade secrets or non-financial proprietary information, (ii) in respect of which disclosure to the Agent, the Collateral Agent or any Lender (or their respective representatives or contractors) is prohibited by applicable Law or any binding agreement or (iii) that is subject to attorney-client or similar privilege or constitutes attorney work product. The Agent and the Collateral Agent may carry out investigations and reviews of each Obligor ’s property at the reasonable expense of the Borrower (including field audits conducted by the Agent and the Collateral Agent) (each, a “ Field Examination ”) and, absent the continuance of an Event of Default, during each period of twelve (12) consecutive calendar months commencing on or after the Agreement Date, the Agent and the Collateral Agent may, collectively, carry out, at the Borrower’s expense, one (1) Field Examination (it being  agreed and acknowledged that the Field Examination conducted by [Hilco] 3  and delivered to the Agent on or prior to the Agreement Date shall constitute the Field Examination for the twelve (12) months ending on the anniversary of the Agreement Date); provided , however , that notwithstanding the foregoing limitation, (i) at any time on or after the date on which Availability has been less than the greater of (A) $12,500,000 and (B) 15.0% of the Maximum Credit, in either case, for five (5) consecutive Business Days, the Agent and the Collateral Agent may, collectively, carry out, at the Borrower’ expense, two (2) Field Examinations during any such period, and (ii) at any time during the continuation of an Event of Default, the Agent and/or the Collateral Agent may carry out, at the Borrower’s expense, Field Examinations as frequently as determined by the Agent and/or the Collateral Agent in their respective reasonable discretion.

 

8.5          Insurance .

 

(a)           The Borrower shall, and shall cause each of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, shall maintain with financially sound and reputable insurance companies, insurance on (or self-insure in such amounts and against such risks) all property material to the business of the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, in at least such amounts and against at least such risks (but including, in any event, public liability, casualty, hazard, theft, product liability and business interruption) as are customarily insured against by companies of established reputation engaged in the same or similar business and in the same general area as the Borrower and the Restricted Subsidiaries, all as determined in good faith by the Borrower or such Restricted Subsidiaries.

 

(b)           For any Mortgaged Property of the Obligors which is, at any time, located within an area that has been identified by a Governmental Authority (including, by the Federal Emergency Management Agency) as a special flood hazard area, the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries shall also (i) maintain, or cause to be maintained, with a financially sound and reputable insurer, flood insurance in an amount satisfactory to the Agent and otherwise sufficient to comply with all applicable rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to the Flood Insurance Laws, and (ii) deliver to the Agent evidence of such compliance in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Collateral Agent, including, without limitation, evidence of annual renewals of such insurance.  Each such insurance policy shall (i) indicate which Mortgaged Properties are located in a special flood hazard area and state the corresponding flood zone designation and, for each Mortgaged Property, the number of buildings located at such Mortgaged Property, (ii) indicate the flood insurance coverage and the deductible relating thereto, (iii) include a statement of values relating to all properties insured by the insurance policy, and (iv) be otherwise in form and substance satisfactory to the Collateral Agent.  Each flood insurance policy shall provide that the insurer will give the Agent 45 days written notice of cancellation or non-renewal.

 

 

 

 


3   NTD:  Hilco’s full legal name to be inserted.

 

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(c)                                   The Borrower shall cause the Collateral Agent, for the ratable benefit of the Collateral Agent and the other Secured Parties, to be named as secured parties or mortgagees and additional loss payees or additional insureds, as applicable, in a manner reasonably acceptable to the Collateral Agent, under all insurance policies required to be maintained by the Obligors under clauses (a)  and (b)  above.  Each such policy of insurance shall contain a clause or endorsement requiring the insurer to give not less than thirty days prior written notice to the Collateral Agent in the event of cancellation of the policy for any reason whatsoever and, if obtainable, a clause or endorsement stating that the interest of the Collateral Agent shall not be impaired or invalidated by any act or neglect of any Obligor or the owner of any Real Estate for purposes more hazardous than are permitted by such policy.  If the Obligors fail to procure any such material insurance or to pay the premium therefor when due, during the continuance of an Event of Default and after providing written notice thereof to the Borrower, the Agent may, and at the direction of the Required Lenders shall, do so from the proceeds of Revolving Loans on a pro rata basis.

 

8.6                                Environmental Laws .  The Borrower shall, and shall take all commercially reasonable action to cause each of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, conduct its business in compliance with all Environmental Laws, except where such noncompliance would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  The Borrower shall, and shall take all commercially reasonable action to cause each of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, pursue commercially reasonable efforts to respond to any material non-compliance with Environmental Laws.

 

8.7                                Compliance with ERISA .  The Borrower shall, and shall cause each of its ERISA Affiliates and Subsidiaries to: (a) maintain each Plan in compliance with the applicable provisions of ERISA and the Code; and (b) not cause an ERISA Event to occur with respect to a Pension Plan or Multi-employer Plan which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate sponsors, maintains, or to which it makes, is making, or is obligated to make contributions, except in the case of each of clauses (a) and (b), to the extent such failure to do so would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

8.8                                Dispositions .  The Borrower shall not, and shall not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, Dispose of any of its property, business or assets, except for Permitted Dispositions.

 

8.9                                Mergers, Consolidations, etc .  Except for Permitted Dispositions and Permitted Investments, the Borrower shall not, and shall not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, merge, amalgamate or consolidate, or Dispose of all or substantially all of its business units, assets and properties, or wind up, liquidate or dissolve, except:

 

(a)                                  any Subsidiary of the Borrower or any other Person (other than Holdings) may be merged, amalgamated or consolidated with or into the Borrower or the Borrower may Dispose of all or substantially all of its business units, assets and other properties; provided that (i) the Borrower shall be the continuing or surviving Person or, in the case of a merger, amalgamation or consolidation where the Borrower is not the continuing or surviving Person, the Person formed by or surviving any such merger, amalgamation or consolidation (if other than the Borrower) or in connection with a Disposition of all or substantially all of the Borrower’s assets, the transferee of such assets or properties, in each case shall be an entity organized or existing under the laws of the United States, any state thereof, the District of Columbia or any territory thereof (the Borrower or such Person, as the case may be, being herein referred to as the “ Successor Borrower ”), (ii) the Successor Borrower (if other than the Borrower) shall expressly assume all the obligations of the Borrower under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents pursuant to a supplement hereto or thereto in form reasonably satisfactory to the Agent, and (iii) if such merger, amalgamation, consolidation or Disposition involves the Borrower and a Person that, prior to the consummation of such merger, amalgamation, consolidation, or Disposition, is not a Restricted Subsidiary of the Borrower (A) no Event of Default under any of Section 10.1(a) , (e) , (f)  or (g)  has occurred and is continuing on the date of such merger, amalgamation, consolidation or Disposition or would result from the consummation of such merger, amalgamation, consolidation or Disposition, (B) each Guarantor, unless it is the other party to such merger, amalgamation, consolidation or Disposition or unless the Successor Borrower is the Borrower, shall have confirmed by a supplement to the Guarantee Agreement that its guarantee shall apply to the Successor Borrower’s obligations under this Agreement, (C) each Guarantor, unless it is the other party to such merger, amalgamation, consolidation or Disposition or unless the Successor Borrower is the Borrower, shall have by a supplement to the Security Documents to which it is a party confirmed that its obligations thereunder shall apply to the Successor Borrower’s obligations under this Agreement, (D) the Borrower

 

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shall have delivered to the Agent an officer’s certificate stating that such merger, amalgamation, consolidation or Disposition and any supplements to the Loan Documents preserve the enforceability of the Guarantee Agreement and the perfection of the Collateral Agent’s Liens, (E) if reasonably requested by the Agent, the Borrower shall be required to deliver to the Agent an opinion of counsel to the effect that such merger, amalgamation, consolidation or Disposition does not breach or result in a default under this Agreement or any other Loan Document and (F) such merger, amalgamation, consolidation or Disposition shall comply with all the conditions set forth in the definition of the term “Permitted Acquisition” or otherwise constitutes a Permitted Investment; provided , further , that, if the foregoing are satisfied, the Successor Borrower (if other than the Borrower) will succeed to, and be substituted for, the Borrower under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents ( provided , further , that, in the event of a Disposition of all or substantially all of the Borrower’s assets or property to a Successor Borrower (which is not the Borrower) as set forth above and notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in this Agreement or the other Loan Documents, if the original Borrower retains any assets or property other than immaterial assets or property after such Disposition, such original Borrower shall remain obligated as a co-Borrower along with the Successor Borrower hereunder);

 

(b)                                  any Subsidiary of the Borrower or any other Person (other than Holdings) may be merged, amalgamated or consolidated with or into any one or more Restricted Subsidiaries of the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary may Dispose of all or substantially all of its business units, assets and other properties; provided that, (i) in the case of any merger, amalgamation, consolidation or Disposition involving one or more Restricted Subsidiaries, (A) a Restricted Subsidiary shall be the continuing or surviving corporation or the transferee of such assets or (B) the Borrower shall take all steps necessary to cause the Person formed by or surviving any such merger, amalgamation, consolidation or Disposition (if other than a Restricted Subsidiary) to become a Restricted Subsidiary, (ii) in the case of any merger, amalgamation, consolidation or Disposition involving one or more Guarantors, a Guarantor shall be the continuing or surviving Person or the Person formed by or surviving any such merger, amalgamation, consolidation or the transferee of such assets (in each case, if other than such Guarantor) shall execute a “Guaranty Supplement” referred to in the Guarantee Agreement and a “Security Agreement Supplement” referred to in the Security Agreement, in order for the surviving or continuing Person or such transferee to become a Guarantor and (iii) if such merger, amalgamation, consolidation or Disposition involves a Restricted Subsidiary and a Person that, prior to the consummation of such merger, amalgamation, consolidation or Disposition, is not a Restricted Subsidiary of the Borrower, (A) no Event of Default under any of Section 10.1(a) , (e) , (f)  or (g)  has occurred and is continuing on the date of such merger, amalgamation, consolidation or Disposition or would result from the consummation of such merger, amalgamation, consolidation or Disposition, (B) the Borrower shall have delivered to the Agent a certificate of a Responsible Officer stating that such merger, amalgamation, consolidation or Disposition and any supplements to any Loan Document preserve the enforceability of the Guarantee Agreement and the perfection and priority of the Collateral Agent’s Liens and (C) such merger, amalgamation, consolidation or Disposition shall comply with all the conditions set forth in the definition of the term “Permitted Acquisition” or otherwise constitutes a Permitted Investment;

 

(c)                                   any Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Guarantor may (i) merge, amalgamate or consolidate with or into any other Restricted Subsidiary and (ii) Dispose of any or all of its assets (upon voluntary liquidation or otherwise) to the Borrower, a Guarantor or any other Restricted Subsidiary of the Borrower;

 

(d)                                  any Guarantor may (i) merge, amalgamate or consolidate with or into any other Restricted Subsidiary that is a Guarantor, (ii) merge, amalgamate or consolidate with or into any other Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Guarantor; provided that, if such Guarantor is not the surviving Person, such merger, amalgamation or consolidation shall be deemed to be an “Investment” and shall be only permitted if it constitutes a Permitted Investment and (iii) Dispose of any or all of its assets (upon voluntary liquidation or otherwise) to the Borrower or any other Restricted Subsidiary that is a Guarantor;

 

(e)                                   any Restricted Subsidiary may liquidate or dissolve if (x) the Borrower determines in good faith that such liquidation or dissolution is in the best interests of the Borrower and is not materially disadvantageous to the Lenders and (y) to the extent such Restricted Subsidiary is a Guarantor, any assets or business not otherwise Disposed of or transferred in accordance with Section 8.8 or Section 8.11 , or, in

 

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the case of any such business, discontinued, shall be transferred to, or otherwise owned or conducted by, the Borrower or another Restricted Subsidiary that is a Guarantor after giving effect to such liquidation or dissolution; and

 

(f)                                    the Borrower and the Restricted Subsidiaries may consummate a merger, dissolution, liquidation, consolidation or Disposition, the purpose of which is to effect a Permitted Disposition.

 

8.10                         Distributions .  The Borrower shall not, and shall not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, make any Distribution, other than the following (collectively, “ Permitted Distributions ”):

 

(a)                                  each Restricted Subsidiary may make Distributions to the Borrower and to other Restricted Subsidiaries (and, in the case of a Distribution by a non-Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary, to the Borrower and any other Restricted Subsidiary and to each other owner of Stock of such Restricted Subsidiary on a pro rata basis based on their relative ownership interests of the relevant class of Stock);

 

(b)                                  (i) the Borrower may (or may make Distributions to permit any Parent Entity to) redeem in whole or in part any of its Stock for another class of its (or such Parent Entity’s) Stock or rights to acquire its Stock or with proceeds from substantially concurrent equity contributions or issuances of new Stock; provided that any terms and provisions material to the interests of the Lenders, when taken as a whole, contained in such other class of Stock are at least as advantageous to the Lenders as those contained in the Stock redeemed thereby and (ii) the Borrower may declare and make any Distribution payable solely in the Stock (other than Disqualified Stock not otherwise permitted by Section 8.12 ) of such Person;

 

(c)                                   [reserved];

 

(d)                                  to the extent constituting Distributions, the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries may enter into and consummate transactions expressly permitted by any provision of Section 8.11 (other than pursuant to clause (p)  of the definition of “Permitted Investments” or Sections 8.14(c) , (g)  and (i) );

 

(e)                                   repurchases of Stock in the ordinary course of business in the Borrower (or any Parent Entity) or any Restricted Subsidiary deemed to occur upon exercise, vesting and/or settlement of Stock if such Stock represents a portion of the exercise price thereof or any portion of required withholding or similar taxes due upon the exercise, vesting and/or settlement thereof;

 

(f)                                    so long as no Default or Event of Default shall be continuing, the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary may pay (or make Distributions to allow any Parent Entity to pay) for the repurchase, retirement or other acquisition or retirement for value of Stock of it or any Parent Entity (or any options or warrants or stock appreciation or similar rights issued with respect to any of such Stock) held by any future, present or former employee, director, officer or other individual service provider (or any Affiliates, spouses, former spouses, other immediate family members, successors, executors, administrators, heirs, legatees or distributees of any of the foregoing) of the Borrower (or any Parent Entity) or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries pursuant to any employee, management or director equity plan, employee, management or director stock option plan or any other employee, management or director benefit plan or any agreement (including any stock option or stock appreciation or similar rights plan, any management, director and/or employee stock ownership or equity-based incentive plan, stock subscription plan, employment termination agreement or any other employment agreements or equity holders’ agreement) with any employee, director, officer or other individual service provider of the Borrower (or any Parent Entity) or any Restricted Subsidiary; provided that any such payments, do not exceed $10,000,000, in any Fiscal Year, plus (ii) all net proceeds obtained by any Parent Entity (and contributed to the Borrower) or the Borrower during such calendar year from the sale or issuance of such Stock to other present or former officers, employees, directors and other individual service provider in connection with any plans or agreements set forth above in this clause (f)   plus (iii) all net proceeds obtained from any key-man life insurance policies received by the Borrower during such calendar year; provided that any unused portion of the preceding basket calculated pursuant to clauses (i)  through (iii)  above for any Fiscal Year may be carried forward to the next two (2) succeeding Fiscal Years up to a maximum of $15,000,000 in the aggregate in any Fiscal Year; provided , further , that cancellation of Debt owing to the Borrower (or any Parent Entity) or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries

 

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from employees, directors, officers or other individual service providers of the Borrower, any of the Borrower’s Parent Entity or any of the Borrower’s Restricted Subsidiaries in connection with a repurchase of Stock of any of the Borrower’s Parent Entity will not be deemed to constitute a Distribution for purposes of this covenant or any other provision of this Agreement;

 

(g)                                   the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries may make Distributions to any Parent Entity of the Borrower:

 

(i)                                 the proceeds of which will be used to pay, for any taxable period for which the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries is a member of a combined, consolidated or similar tax group for U.S. federal, state, local or foreign Tax purposes of which a direct or indirect parent of the Borrower is the common parent (a “ Tax Group ”), the portion of any consolidated, combined or similar Tax liability of such Tax Group for such taxable period attributable to the income or operations of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries; provided that (x) no such payments shall exceed the Tax liability that would have been imposed on the Borrower and/or the applicable Subsidiaries had such entity(ies) paid such Taxes on a stand-alone basis (or as a stand-alone group)and (y) any such payments attributable to an Unrestricted Subsidiary shall be limited to the amount of any cash paid by such Unrestricted Subsidiary to the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary for such purpose;

 

(ii)                                 the proceeds of which shall be used to pay such Parent Entity’s operating costs and expenses incurred in the ordinary course of business, other overhead costs and expenses and fees (including administrative, legal, accounting and similar expenses provided by third parties as well as trustee, directors and general partner fees) which are reasonable and customary and incurred in the ordinary course of business and attributable to the ownership or operations of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries (including any reasonable and customary indemnification claims made by directors or officers of Parent Entity attributable to the direct or indirect ownership or operations of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries) and fees and expenses otherwise due and payable by the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary and permitted to be paid by the Borrower or such Restricted Subsidiary under this Agreement not to exceed $5,000,000 in any Fiscal Year;

 

(iii)                                  the proceeds of which shall be used to pay franchise and excise taxes, and other fees and expenses, required to maintain its (or any of its direct or indirect parents’) existence;

 

(iv)                                to finance any Permitted Acquisition or similar Investment; provided that (A) such Distribution shall be made substantially concurrently with the closing of such Investment and (B) the Borrower or such Parent Entity shall, immediately following the closing thereof, cause all property acquired (whether assets or Stock) to be held by or contributed to the Borrower or a Restricted Subsidiary;

 

(v)                                the proceeds of which shall be used to pay customary costs, fees and expenses (other than to Affiliates) related to any unsuccessful Stock or Debt offering, Refinancing, issuance or incurrence transaction or any Disposition, acquisition or Investment  permitted by this Agreement; and

 

(vi)                                the proceeds of which shall be used to pay customary salary, compensation, bonus and other benefits payable to officers, employees, consultants and other service providers of any Parent Entity or partner of the Borrower to the extent such salaries, compensation, bonuses and other benefits are attributable to the ownership or operation of the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries ;

 

(h)                                  the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary may pay any dividend or distribution within sixty (60) consecutive calendar days after the date of declaration thereof, if at the date of declaration such payment would have complied with the provisions of this Agreement;

 

(i)                                      the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary may (a) pay cash in lieu of fractional Stock in

 

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connection with any dividend, split or combination thereof or any Permitted Acquisition (or other similar Investment) and (b) honor any conversion request by a holder of convertible Debt and make cash payments in lieu of fractional shares in connection with any such conversion and may make payments on convertible Debt in accordance with its terms;

 

(j)                                     in addition to the foregoing Distributions (i) the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary may make additional Distributions so long as the Specified Conditions shall have been satisfied with respect thereto at the time of such Distributions, (ii) the Borrower may make additional Distributions in an aggregate amount not to exceed an amount equal to the Available Equity Amount at the time such Distributions are paid and (iii) so long as no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing or would result therefrom, the Borrower may make additional Distributions, measured at the time made, in an aggregate amount not to exceed $5,000,000; and

 

(k)                                  the Borrower may pay (or may make Distributions to allow any Parent Entity to) Distributions in an amount equal to withholding or similar taxes payable or expected to be payable by any present or former employee, director, manager, consultant or other service provider (or its Affiliates, or any of their respective estates or immediate family members) and any repurchases of Stock in consideration of such payments including deemed repurchases in connection with the exercise of Stock options.

 

8.11                         Investments .  The Borrower shall not, and shall not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, make any Investment, except Permitted Investments.

 

8.12                         Debt .  The Borrower shall not, and shall not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, incur or maintain any Debt, other than the following Debt (collectively, “ Permitted Debt ”):

 

(a)                                  Debt of the Borrower and any of its Restricted Subsidiaries under the Loan Documents (including pursuant to Sections 2.6 and 2.7 );

 

(b)                                  Debt (i) described on Schedule 8.12 and any Refinancing Debt in respect thereof and (ii) that is intercompany Debt outstanding on the Agreement Date;

 

(c)                                   (i)  Capital Leases and purchase money Debt incurred to finance the acquisition, construction, repair, replacement, lease or improvement of any Equipment held for sale or lease or any fixed or capital assets (whether pursuant to a loan, a Capital Lease or otherwise and (ii) any Refinancing Debt incurred to Refinance such Debt; provided that, at the time of incurrence and after giving Pro Forma Effect thereto and the use of the proceeds thereof, the aggregate principal amount of Debt incurred under this clause (c)  and then-outstanding of the Borrower as at the last day of the Test Period ended on or prior to the date that such Debt was incurred shall not exceed the greater of (x) $50,000,000 and (y) 9.0% of Consolidated Total Assets (measured as of the date such Debt was incurred based upon the Section 6.2 Financials most recently delivered on or prior to such date of incurrence);

 

(d)                                  Debt of (A) any Restricted Subsidiary that is not an Obligor owing to another Restricted Subsidiary that is not an Obligor, (B) any of Restricted Subsidiary that is not an Obligor owing to any Obligor; provided that the aggregate amount of Debt incurred under this clause (d)(B ) is permitted to be incurred as an Investment pursuant to Section 8.11 or (C) any Obligor that is owing to any Restricted Subsidiary that is not an Obligor; provided that the Debt incurred under this clause (d)(C ) shall be subject to the Subordinated Intercompany Note;

 

(e)                                   Debt incurred under Hedge Agreements entered into by a Borrower or Restricted Subsidiary;

 

(f)                                    Guaranties by the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries in respect of Debt of the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary otherwise permitted under this Agreement; provided that (i) if the Debt being guaranteed is Subordinated Debt, such Guaranties shall be subordinated in right of payment to the Guaranty of the Obligations on terms at least as favorable to the Lenders as those contained in the subordination

 

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of such Subordinated Debt and (ii) no Guaranty by any Restricted Subsidiary of any Debt of a Obligor shall be permitted unless such Restricted Subsidiary shall have also provided a Guaranty of the Obligations;

 

(g)                                   (i) Debt arising from the honoring by a bank or other financial institution of a check, draft or similar instrument drawn against insufficient funds; provided that such Debt is extinguished within five Business Days of its incurrence and (ii) customer deposits and advance payments received in the ordinary course of business from customers for goods and services purchased or rented in the ordinary course of business;

 

(h)                                  Debt of any Obligor owing to any other Obligor;

 

(i)                                      Debt of any Obligor or Restricted Subsidiary in respect of (i) performance bonds, completion guarantees, surety bonds, appeal bonds, bid bonds, bankers’ acceptances, warehouse receipts, letters of credit or other similar bonds, instruments or obligations, in each case provided in the ordinary course of business, including Debt evidenced by letters of credit issued in the ordinary course of business to support the insurance or self insurance (to the extent such self insurance is permitted hereunder) obligations of any Obligor or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (including to secure workers’ compensation claims, health, disability or other employee benefits or property, casualty or liability insurance or self-insurance or other Debt with respect to reimbursement-type obligations), but excluding any of the foregoing issued in respect of or to secure Debt for Borrowed Money; (ii)  Debt owed to any Person providing workers’ compensation, health, disability or other employee benefits or property, casualty, liability, or other insurance to any Obligor or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, so long as the amount of such Debt is not in excess of the amount of the unpaid cost of, and shall be incurred only to defer the cost of, such insurance for the year in which such Debt is incurred and such Debt is outstanding only during such year, (iii) Cash Management Obligations and other Debt in respect of netting services, ACH arrangements, overdraft protection and other arrangements arising under standard business terms of any bank at which any Obligor or any Restricted Subsidiary maintains an overdraft, cash pooling or other similar facility or in connection with Deposit Accounts incurred in the ordinary course or (iv) Debt consisting of accommodation Guaranties for the benefit of trade creditors of any Obligor or any Subsidiary issued by such obligor or Subsidiary in the ordinary course of business;

 

(j)                                     other Debt incurred under this clause (j)  and then outstanding in an aggregate principal amount, measured at the time of incurrence and after giving Pro Forma Effect thereto and the use of the proceeds thereof, not to exceed the greater of (x) $25,000,000 and (y) 4.5% of Consolidated Total Assets as of the last day of the Test Period most recently ended on or prior to the date such Debt was incurred (measured as of the date such Debt was incurred based upon the Section 6.2 Financials most recently delivered on or prior to such date of incurrence);

 

(k)                                  Debt (x) representing deferred compensation, severance and health and welfare retirement benefits to current and former employees, directors, consultants, partners, members, contract providers, independent contractors or other service providers of Holdings (or any Parent Entity thereof), the Borrower and the Restricted Subsidiaries incurred in the ordinary course of business or (y) consisting of indemnities, obligations in respect of earnouts or other purchase price adjustments, or similar obligations created, incurred or assumed in connection with Permitted Acquisitions, other Investments and the Disposition of any business, assets or Stock permitted hereunder, other than Guaranties incurred by any Person acquiring all or any portion of such business, assets or Stock for the purpose of financing such acquisition;

 

(l)                                      Debt consisting of (x) obligations of Holdings (or any Parent Entity thereof), the Borrower or the Restricted Subsidiaries under deferred compensation arrangements to their employees, directors, partners, members, consultants, independent contractors or other service providers, (y) other similar arrangements incurred by such Persons in connection with Permitted Acquisitions or (z) any other Investment permitted under Section 8.11 ;

 

(m)                              Debt consisting of promissory notes issued by the Borrower or its Restricted Subsidiaries to their current or former officers, directors, partners, members, and employees and their respective spouses,

 

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former spouses, successors, executors, administrators, heirs, legatees or distributees to finance the retirement, acquisition, repurchase, purchase or redemption of Stock of Holdings (or any Parent Entity or the Borrower) in each case permitted by Section 8.10 ;

 

(n)                                  Debt consisting of (i) the financing of insurance premiums or (ii) take or pay obligations entered into in the ordinary course of business;

 

(o)                                  (i) Debt incurred by an Obligor or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries pursuant to transactions permitted under Section 8.18 and (ii) any Refinancing Debt incurred to Refinance such Debt; provided that the aggregate amount of Debt incurred under this clause (o) shall not exceed the greater of (x) $25,000,000 and (y) 4.5% of Consolidated Total Assets as of the last day of the Test Period most recently ended on or prior to the date such Debt was incurred (measured as of the date such Debt was incurred based upon the Section 6.2 Financials most recently delivered on or prior to such date of incurrence).

 

(p)                                  Debt of any Restricted Subsidiary that is not an Obligor incurred under this clause (p) ; provided that (i) such Debt is not guaranteed by any Obligor, (ii) the holder of such Debt does not have, directly or indirectly, any recourse to any Obligor, whether by reason of representations or warranties, agreement of the parties, operation of law or otherwise, (iii) such Debt is not secured by any assets other than assets of such Restricted Subsidiary and its Subsidiaries and (iv) the aggregate amount of Debt incurred under this clause (p)  shall not exceed the greater of (x) $10,000,000 and 2.0% of Consolidated Total Assets (measured as of the date such Debt was incurred based upon the Section 6.2 financials most recently delivered on or prior to such date of incurrence);

 

(q)                                  Debt of the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary; so long as (x) in the case of secured Debt, at the time of incurrence thereof and after giving Pro Forma Effect thereto and the use of proceeds thereof, the Borrower would be in compliance with a Senior Secured Net Leverage Ratio, calculated on a Pro Forma Basis as of the last date of the Test Period most recently ended on or prior to the incurrence of such secured Debt, that is no greater than 4.50:1.00 and (y) in the case of unsecured Debt, at the time of incurrence thereof and after giving Pro Forma Effect thereto and the use of proceeds thereof, the Borrower would be in compliance with a Total Net Leverage Ratio, calculated on a Pro Forma Basis as of the last date of the Test Period most recently ended on or prior to the incurrence of such unsecured Debt, that is no greater than 6.00:1.00; provided that (A) any secured Debt incurred pursuant to clause (x)  hereof may only be secured by a first priority security interest in the Fixed Asset Collateral and any fee-owned real property and/or a second priority security interest in the Current Asset Collateral and (B) the holder of such Debt (or an agent or representative in respect thereof) shall have entered into the Intercreditor Agreement or another customary intercreditor agreement in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent and the Borrower;

 

(r)                                     [reserved];

 

(s)                                    Guaranties incurred in the ordinary course of business in respect of obligations to suppliers, customers, franchisees, lessors, licensees, sublicensees or distribution partners;

 

(t)                                     (i) unsecured Debt in respect of obligations of the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary to pay the deferred purchase price of goods or services or progress payments in connection with such goods and services; provided that such obligations are incurred in connection with open accounts extended by suppliers on customary trade terms in the ordinary course of business and not in connection with the borrowing of money and (ii) unsecured Debt in respect of intercompany obligations of the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary in respect of accounts payable incurred in connection with goods sold or services rendered in the ordinary course of business and not in connection with the borrowing of money;

 

(u)                                  Debt arising from the taking of deposits by a Restricted Subsidiary that constitutes a regulated bank; and

 

(v)                                  all premiums (if any), interest (including post-petition interest), fees, expenses, charges

 

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and additional or contingent int erest on obligations described in clauses (a)  through (u)  above.

 

For purposes of determining compliance with this Section 8.12 , in the event that an item of Debt meets the criteria of more than one of the types of Debt described in the above clauses, the Borrower, in its sole discretion, may classify and reclassify or later divide, classify or reclassify such item of Debt (or any portion thereof) and will only be required to include the amount and type of such Debt in one or more of the above clauses.

 

The accrual of interest, the accretion of accreted value and the payment of interest in the form of additional Debt shall not be deemed to be an incurrence of Debt for purposes of this Section 8.12 .

 

8.13                         Prepayments of Debt .  The Borrower shall not, and shall not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, voluntarily prepay, redeem, purchase, defease or otherwise satisfy prior to the scheduled maturity thereof in any manner, or make any payment in violation of any subordination terms of, any principal outstanding in respect of any Junior Debt, except (i) regularly scheduled repayments, purchases or redemptions of Junior Debt and regularly scheduled payments of interest, fees, expenses and premiums on any such Junior Debt, (ii) any prepayments, redemptions, purchases, defeasances or other satisfactions of any Junior Debt in connection with any Refinancing thereof with any Refinancing Debt, (iii) any prepayments, redemptions, purchases, defeasances or other satisfactions of any Junior Debt required as a result of any Disposition of any property securing such Junior Debt to the extent that such security is permitted under this Agreement and such prepayment is permitted under the terms of any intercreditor or subordination provisions with respect thereto, (iv) the conversion of any Junior Debt to Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) of Holdings, the Borrower or any Parent Entity, (v) prepayments, redemptions, purchases, defeasances and other satisfactions of any Junior Debt in an aggregate amount not to exceed the Available Equity Amount at such time, (vi) prepayments, redemptions, purchases, defeasances and other satisfactions (including, without limitation, any payments in respect of make-whole premiums) of Junior Debt so long as the Specified Conditions have been satisfied at the time of such prepayment, redemption, purchase, defeasances or other satisfaction and (vii) prepayments, redemptions, purchases, defeasances and other satisfactions of Junior Debt in an aggregate amount not to exceed $5,000,000.

 

8.14                         Transactions with Affiliates .  Except as set forth below, the Borrower shall not, and shall not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, sell, transfer, distribute, or pay any money or property, including, but not limited to, any fees or expenses of any nature (including, but not limited to, any fees or expenses for management services), to any Affiliate, or lend or advance money or property to any Affiliate, or invest in (by capital contribution or otherwise) or purchase or repurchase any Stock or Debt, or any property, of any Affiliate, or become liable on any Guaranty of the Debt, dividends, or other obligations of any Affiliate, in each case, involving aggregate payments or consideration in excess of $1,000,000.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the following shall be permitted:

 

(a)                                  transactions between or among Holdings, the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary or any entity that becomes a Restricted Subsidiary as a result of such transaction;

 

(b)                                  transactions on terms substantially as favorable to the Borrower or such Restricted Subsidiary as would be obtainable by the Borrower or such Restricted Subsidiary at the time in a comparable arm’s-length transaction with a Person other than an Affiliate;

 

(c)                                   the consummation of the initial public offering of Holdings (including the issuance of Stock to any officer, director, employee, consultant or other service provider of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or any Parent Entity in connection therewith) and the payment of fees and expenses in connection therewith;

 

(d)                                  Permitted Distributions;

 

(e)                                   loans and other transactions by and among the Borrower and/or one or more Subsidiaries to the extent permitted under this Article VIII ;

 

(f)                                    employment, compensation, severance or termination arrangements between any Parent Entity, the Borrower or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries and their respective officers, employees and consultants

 

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(including management and employee benefit plans or agreements, subscription agreements or similar agreements pertaining to the repurchase of equity interests held by officers, employees and consultants pursuant to put/call rights or similar rights with current or former employees, officers, directors consultants and stock option or incentive plans (including equity-based incentive plans) and other compensation arrangements) in the ordinary course of business and transactions pursuant to management equity plans, stock option plans and other employee benefit plans, agreements and arrangements;

 

(g)                                   the payment of (x) customary fees to  directors, officers, managers, employees, consultants and other service providers of the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries or any Parent Entity in the ordinary course of business to the extent attributable to the ownership or operation of the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries and (y) reasonable out of pocket costs to, and indemnities provided on behalf of, directors, officers, managers, employees, consultants, partners, members and other service providers of the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries or any Parent Entity in the ordinary course of business to the extent attributable to the ownership or operation of the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries;

 

(h)                                  transactions pursuant to permitted agreements in existence on the Closing Date and set forth on Schedule 8.14 or any amendment thereto to the extent such an amendment, taken as a whole, is not adverse to the Lenders in any material respect;

 

(i)                                      customary payments by the Borrower and any Restricted Subsidiaries to the Sponsor made for any financial advisory, financing, underwriting or placement services or in respect of other investment banking activities (including in connection with acquisitions or divestitures), which payments are approved, as applicable pursuant to requirements of law or the relevant constituent documents of the Borrower or such Restricted Subsidiary, by the majority of the members of the Board of Directors or a majority of the disinterested members of the Board of Directors of the Borrower in good faith and such payments shall not exceed 1% of the transaction value for each such transaction;

 

(j)                                     transactions entered into by an Unrestricted Subsidiary with an Affiliate prior to the redesignation of any such Unrestricted Subsidiary as a Restricted Subsidiary pursuant to the definition of “Unrestricted Subsidiary”;

 

(k)                                  the issuance or transfer of Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) of Holdings (or any Parent Entity) to any Permitted Holder or to any former, current or future director, manager, officer, partner, member, employee, consultant or other service provider (or any Affiliate of any of the foregoing) of Holdings (or any Parent Entity), the Borrower, any of the Restricted Subsidiaries or any direct or indirect parent thereof; and

 

(l)                                      any issuance of Stock, or other payments, awards or grants in cash, securities, Stock or otherwise pursuant to, or the funding of, employment arrangements, compensation arrangements, stock options and stock ownership plans, and other employee benefit plans approved by the Board of Directors of any Parent Entity of the Borrower or the Borrower, as the case may be;

 

(m)                              transactions with Wholly Owned Subsidiaries for the purchase or sale of goods, products, parts and services entered into in the ordinary course of business in a manner consistent with prudent business practice followed by companies in the industry of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries;

 

(n)                                  transactions with joint ventures for the purchase or sale of goods, equipment and services entered into in the ordinary course of business and in a manner consistent with prudent business practice followed by companies in the industry of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries; and

 

(o)                                  to the extent permitted by Section 8.10(g)(i) , payments by any Parent Entity of the Borrower, the Borrower and the Restricted Subsidiaries pursuant to Tax sharing agreements among any such Parent Entity, the Borrower and the Restricted Subsidiaries on customary terms; provided that payments by Borrower and the Restricted Subsidiaries under any such Tax sharing agreements shall not exceed the excess (if any) of the amount they would pay on a standalone basis over the amount they actually pay to Governmental

 

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Authorities.

 

For purposes of this Section 8.14 , any transaction with any Affiliate shall be deemed to have satisfied the standard set forth in clause (b)  if such transaction is approved by a majority of the Disinterested Directors of the board of directors of the Borrower or such Subsidiary, as applicable. “ Disinterested Director ” shall mean, with respect to any Person and transaction, a member of the board of directors of such Person who does not have any material direct or indirect financial interest in or with respect to such transaction.

 

8.15                         Business Conducted .  The Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) shall not engage at any time in any line of business other than the lines of business of the same general type currently conducted by it and businesses incidental to, reasonably related or ancillary thereto.

 

8.16                         Liens .  The Borrower shall not, and shall not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, create, incur, assume, or permit to exist any Lien on any property now owned or hereafter acquired by any of them, except Permitted Liens.

 

8.17                         Restrictive Agreements .  The Borrower shall not, and shall not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, enter into, incur or permit to exist any agreement or other arrangement that prohibits, restricts or imposes any condition upon (i) the ability of the Borrower or any Guarantor to create, incur, assume or suffer to exist Liens on property of such Person for the benefit of the Secured Parties with respect to the Obligations or under the Loan Documents or (ii) the ability of any Restricted Subsidiary of the Borrower that is not a Guarantor to pay dividends or other Distributions with respect to any of its Stock; provided that the foregoing shall not apply to:

 

(a)                                  restrictions and conditions imposed by (A) Law, (B) any Loan Document, (C) with respect to clause (ii) above, the documentation governing Debt incurred pursuant to Section 8.12(q) , (D) with respect to clause (ii)  above, any documentation related to any Permitted Debt, and (E) with respect to clause (ii) above, any documentation governing any Refinancing Debt incurred to Refinance any such Debt referenced in clauses (B)  through (D)  above;

 

(b)                                  customary restrictions and conditions existing on the Closing Date or to any extension, renewal, amendment, modification or replacement thereof, except to the extent any such amendment, modification or replacement expands the scope of any such restriction or condition;

 

(c)                                   restrictions and conditions contained in agreements relating to the sale of a Subsidiary or any assets pending such Disposition; provided that such restrictions and conditions apply only to the Subsidiary or assets that is or are to be Disposed and such Disposition is permitted hereunder;

 

(d)                                  customary restrictions in leases, subleases, licenses, sublicenses and other contracts so long as such restrictions relate solely to the assets subject thereto;

 

(e)                                   restrictions imposed by any agreement relating to secured Debt permitted by this Agreement to the extent such restriction applies only to specific property securing such Debt and not all assets;

 

(f)                                    any restrictions or conditions set forth in any agreement in effect at any time any Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary (but not any modification or amendment expanding the scope of any such restriction or condition); provided that such agreement was not entered into in contemplation of such Person becoming a Restricted Subsidiary and the restriction or condition set forth in such agreement does not apply to the Borrower or any other Restricted Subsidiary;

 

(g)                                   restrictions or conditions in any Permitted Debt that is incurred or assumed by a Subsidiary that is not a Guarantor to the extent such restrictions or conditions are no more restrictive than the restrictions and conditions in the Loan Documents or, in the case of Subordinated Debt, are market terms at the time of issuance or, in the case of any such Debt of any such Person, are imposed solely on such non-Guarantor and its Subsidiaries;

 

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(h)                                  restrictions on cash, Cash Equivalents or other deposits imposed by agreements entered into in the ordinary course of business (or other restrictions on such cash, Cash Equivalents or deposits constituting Liens permitted hereunder);

 

(i)                                      customary provisions in joint venture agreements and other similar agreements applicable to joint ventures constituting Permitted Investments and applicable solely to such joint venture and entered into in the ordinary course of business;

 

(j)                                     negative pledges and restrictions on Liens in favor of any holder of Debt permitted under clauses (c) , (p)  and (q)  of Section 8.12 , but solely to the extent any negative pledge relates to the property financed by or the subject of such Debt;

 

(k)                                  customary provisions restricting assignment, transfer or sub-letting of any agreement entered into in the ordinary course of business;

 

(l)                                      customary net worth provisions contained in Real Estate leases entered into by Subsidiaries of the Borrower, so long as the Borrower has determined in good faith that such net worth provisions could not reasonably be expected to impair the ability of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries to meet their ongoing obligation;

 

(m)                              provisions restricting the granting of a security interest in Intellectual Property contained in licenses or sublicenses by the Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries of such Intellectual Property, which licenses and sublicenses were entered into in the ordinary course of business (in which case such restriction shall relate only to such Intellectual Property);

 

(n)                                  restrictions or conditions contained in any trading, netting, operating, construction, service, supply, purchase, sale or other agreement to which the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary is a party entered into in the ordinary course of business; provided that such agreement prohibits the encumbrance of solely the property or assets of the Borrower or such Restricted Subsidiary that are the subject of such agreement, the payment rights arising thereunder or the proceeds thereof and does not extend to any other asset or property of the Borrower or such Restricted Subsidiary or the assets or property of another Restricted Subsidiary; and

 

(o)                                  restrictions and conditions imposed by any extension, renewal, amendment, restatement, modification, increase, supplement, refunding, refinancing or replacement of the contracts, instruments or obligations referred to in clauses (a)  through (n)  above; provided that such extension, renewal, amendment, restatement, modification, increase, supplement, refunding, refinancing or replacement is, in the good faith judgment of the Borrower, not materially more restrictive with respect to such restriction or condition taken as a whole than those prior to such extension, renewal, amendment, restatement, modification, increase, supplement, refunding, refinancing or replacement.

 

8.18                         Sale and Leaseback Transactions .  The Borrower shall not, and shall not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly, enter into any arrangement with any Person providing for the Borrower or such Restricted Subsidiary to lease or rent property that the Borrower or such Restricted Subsidiary has sold or will sell or otherwise transfer to such Person, unless (i) such transfers are transfers of property (real or personal), equipment or other fixed or capital assets, (ii) such transfer occurs within ninety (90) days after the acquisition of such property by the Borrower or any such Restricted Subsidiary, (iii) the Specified Conditions have been satisfied or (iv) such transfer would be permitted under clause (t)  of the definition of “Permitted Dispositions.”

 

8.19                         Fiscal Year .  The Borrower shall not, and shall cause its Restricted Subsidiaries not to, change their Fiscal Year end date from December 31; provided , however , that the Borrower may, and may cause any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, upon written notice to, and consent by, the Agent, change the Fiscal Year end date convention specified above to any other Fiscal Year end date reporting convention reasonably acceptable to the Agent, in which case the Borrower and the Agent will, and are hereby authorized by the Lenders to, make any adjustments to this Agreement that are necessary in order to reflect such change.

 

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8.20                         Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio .  The Borrower will not permit the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio for any Test Period to be less than 1.0 to 1.0; provided that such Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio will only be tested on the date any Covenant Trigger Period commences (as of the last day of the Test Period ending on or immediately prior to the date on which such Covenant Trigger Period shall have commenced) and shall continue to be tested as of the last day of each Test Period thereafter until such Covenant Trigger Period is no longer continuing.

 

8.21                         [ Reserved ].

 

8.22                         Additional Obligors; Covenant to Give Security .  At the Borrower’s expense, the Borrower shall, and shall cause each of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, take all action necessary or reasonably requested by the Collateral Agent to ensure that the Collateral and Guarantee Requirement (subject to the limitations set forth therein and in the Security Documents) continues to be satisfied, including:

 

(i)                                      upon the formation or acquisition of any new direct or indirect Wholly Owned Domestic Subsidiary (in each case, other than an Excluded Subsidiary) by any Obligor, the designation in accordance with Section 8.26 of any existing direct or indirect Wholly Owned Subsidiary as a Restricted Subsidiary (in each case, other than an Excluded Subsidiary), or any Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary ceasing to be an Excluded Subsidiary, within thirty (30) days (or, in the case of Mortgages, ninety (90) days) after such formation, acquisition, designation or occurrence or such longer period as the Collateral Agent may agree in its reasonable discretion:

 

(A)                                causing each such Restricted Subsidiary that is required to become a Guarantor under the Collateral and Guarantee Requirement to furnish to the Collateral Agent a description of any Real Estate owned by such Restricted Subsidiary and required to become subject to a Mortgage in detail reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent;

 

(B)                                causing each such Restricted Subsidiary that is required to become a Guarantor pursuant to the Collateral and Guarantee Requirement to duly execute and deliver to the Agent and the Collateral Agent (x) a “Guaranty Agreement Supplement” referred to in the Guarantee Agreement guaranteeing the Obligations under the Loan Documents and (y) Mortgages on any Real Estate required to be mortgaged pursuant to the Collateral and Guarantee Requirement, a “Security Agreement Supplement” referred to in the Security Agreement and any required Intellectual Property security agreements and other security agreements and documents or joinders or supplements thereto (consistent with the Security Agreement and other Security Documents in effect on the Closing Date), as reasonably requested by and in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent, in each case of this clause (y) , granting the Collateral Agent’s Liens required by the Collateral and Guarantee Requirement;

 

(C)                                delivering, and causing each such Restricted Subsidiary that is, or is required to become, a Guarantor pursuant to the Collateral and Guarantee Requirement to deliver, any and all certificates representing Stock (other than Excluded Stock and only to the extent certificated) that are required to be pledged pursuant to the Collateral and Guarantee Requirement, accompanied by undated stock powers or other appropriate instruments of transfer executed in blank (or any other documents customary under local Law) and instruments evidencing the Debt held by such Restricted Subsidiary and required to be pledged pursuant to the Collateral and Guarantee Requirement (including the execution of the Subordinated Intercompany Note), indorsed in blank to the Collateral Agent;

 

(D)                                taking and causing such Restricted Subsidiary and each direct or indirect parent of such Restricted Subsidiary that is required to become a Guarantor pursuant to the Collateral and Guarantee Requirement to take whatever action (including the recording of Mortgages and of any Intellectual Property security agreements, the filing of financing statements and delivery of share and membership interest certificates, if any) may be necessary in the reasonable opinion of the Collateral Agent to vest in the Collateral Agent (or in any representative of the Collateral Agent designated by it) valid and perfected Liens required by the Collateral and Guarantee Requirement, enforceable against all third parties in accordance with their terms; and

 

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(E)                                 causing each such Restricted Subsidiary that is required to become a Guarantor pursuant to the Collateral and Guarantee Requirement to duly execute and deliver to the Agent opinions, certificates and other documents, as reasonably requested by and in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agent (it being understood and agreed that any opinions, certificates and other documents that are consistent with those delivered by the Obligors on the Closing Date shall be deemed to be in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agent).

 

(ii)                                   not later than ninety (90) days after the acquisition by any Obligor of any Real Estate (or such longer period as the Collateral Agent may agree to in writing in its discretion) that is required to be provided as Collateral pursuant to the Collateral and Guarantee Requirement, which property would not be automatically subject to another Lien pursuant to pre-existing Security Documents, causing such property to be subject to a Lien and Mortgage in favor of the Collateral Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties and taking, or causing the relevant Obligor to take, such actions as shall be necessary or reasonably requested by the Collateral Agent to grant and perfect or record such Lien, in each case to the extent required by, and subject to the limitations and exceptions of, the Collateral and Guarantee Requirement and otherwise complying with the requirements of the Collateral and Guarantee Requirement.

 

8.23                         Cash Management; Cash Dominion .

 

(a)                                  Each Obligor shall enter into, as soon as possible after the Closing Date, an effective account control agreement (a “ Deposit Account Control Agreement ”) with each account bank, in each case in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agent, with respect to (i) each U.S. domestic Deposit Account in which funds of any of the Obligors from any Cash Receipts of the Obligors are deposited (including those existing as of the Closing Date and listed on Schedule 8.23) , and (ii) the Designated Account into which the proceeds of the Loans are deposited (but in any event, excluding all Excluded Accounts); provided , further , that, (i) if on or prior to ninety (90) days after the Closing Date (or such longer period following such date as the Agent may agree in its sole discretion), the Borrower shall not have entered into a Deposit Account Control Agreement with respect to any such Deposit Account or the Designated Account, such Deposit Account shall be closed and all funds therein transferred to a Deposit Account at the Agent or the Collateral Agent, an Affiliate of the Agent or the Collateral Agent, or another financial institution that has executed a Deposit Account Control Agreement prior to the expiration of such 90-day period and (ii) the Borrower shall enter into a Deposit Account Control Agreement with respect to any such Deposit Account, or any new Designated Account, which is established after the Closing Date, substantially concurrently with such establishment (or within such longer period as the Collateral Agent may agree in its discretion) but in any event prior to a deposit of any funds in such account.  Notwithstanding anything in this section to the contrary, the provisions of this Section 8.23(a)  shall not apply to any Deposit Account acquired by an Obligor in connection with a Permitted Acquisition (or similar Investment) prior to the date that is ninety (90) days (or such later date as the Agent may agree) following the consummation of such Permitted Acquisition (or similar Investment).

 

(b)                                  Each Obligor shall deposit, or cause to be deposited and instruct all Account Debtors to deposit, in an Approved Deposit Account promptly upon receipt all Cash Receipts received by any Obligor from any other Person.

 

(c)                                   Each Deposit Account Control Agreement shall require (without further consent of the Obligors), and the Obligors shall cause, after the occurrence and during the continuance of a Cash Dominion Period and subject to the Intercreditor Agreement, the ACH or wire transfer no less frequently than daily (and whether or not there are then any outstanding Obligations) to the concentration account maintained by and in the name of the Borrower at Barclays Bank PLC, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association or another bank reasonably acceptable to the Agent and the Collateral Agent, which concentration account is under the sole dominion and control of the Collateral Agent (the “ Concentration Account ”), of all cash receipts and collections set forth below, other than amounts constituting Excluded Funds (collectively, the “ Cash Receipts ”):

 

(i)                                      all available cash proceeds otherwise received from the Disposition of Equipment or non-ordinary course sales of Inventory of the Borrower and the Guarantors;

 

(ii)                                   all proceeds of Accounts; and

 

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(iii)                                the contents of each Approved Deposit Account (in each case, net of any minimum balance as may be required to be kept therein by the institution at which such Deposit Account is maintained).

 

(d)                                  During the continuance of a Cash Dominion Period, the Concentration Account shall at all times be under the sole dominion and control of the Collateral Agent.  The Obligors hereby acknowledge and agree that, during the continuance of a Cash Dominion Period, (i) the Obligors have no right of withdrawal from the Concentration Account, (ii) the funds on deposit in the Concentration Account shall at all times be collateral security for all of the Obligations and (iii) the funds on deposit in the Concentration Account shall be applied as provided in this Agreement, including pursuant to Section 4.3 .  In the event that, notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 8.23 , during the continuation of any Cash Dominion Period, any Obligor receives or otherwise has dominion and control of any Cash Receipts, such Cash Receipts shall be held in trust by such Obligor for the Collateral Agent, shall not be commingled with any of such Obligor’s other funds or deposited in any account of such Obligor and shall, not later than the Business Day after receipt thereof, be deposited into the Concentration Account or dealt with in such other fashion as such Obligor may be instructed by the Collateral Agent.

 

(e)                                   So long as no Cash Dominion Period is continuing, the Obligors may direct, and shall have sole control over, the manner of disposition of funds in the Approved Deposit Accounts.  The Agent and the other Secured Parties hereby acknowledge and agree that so long as no Cash Dominion Period is continuing the Obligors shall have the right to withdraw all funds remaining on deposit in any Concentration Account and the Collateral Agent shall no longer be permitted to direct any account bank under any Deposit Account Control Agreement to ACH or wire transfer any Cash Receipts into any Concentration Account.

 

(f)                                    Any amounts received in the Concentration Account at any time after the Full Payment of the Obligations shall be remitted to the operating account of the Obligors maintained with the Agent or Collateral Agent or to an operating account otherwise designated by the Borrower.

 

(g)                                   Upon the Borrower’s request, the Collateral Agent shall promptly furnish written notice to each Approved Account Bank of any termination of a Cash Dominion Period.

 

8.24                         Use of Proceeds .  The Borrower shall use the proceeds of the Loans in the manner set forth in Section 7.17 .

 

8.25                         Further Assurances .  Subject to any limitations and exceptions set forth in the Security Documents and in the definition of “Collateral and Guarantee Requirement”, the Borrower shall, and shall cause each of the other Obligors to, promptly execute and deliver, or cause to be promptly executed and delivered, to the Collateral Agent, such documents and agreements, and shall promptly take or cause to be taken such actions, as the Collateral Agent may, from time to time, reasonably request to grant, preserve, protect or perfect the Liens created or intended to be created by the Security Documents or the validity or priority of any such Lien.

 

8.26                         Designation of Subsidiaries .  The Board of Directors of the Borrower may at any time designate any Restricted Subsidiary as an Unrestricted Subsidiary or any Unrestricted Subsidiary as a Restricted Subsidiary by notice to the Agent; provided that, in each case, (i) no Default or Event of Default is then continuing or would result therefrom and (ii) the Borrower and the Restricted Subsidiaries shall be in compliance on a Pro Forma Basis with a Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio, as such ratio is calculated as of the last day of the Test Period most recently ended on or prior to the date of such designation, as if such designation and any related transactions had occurred on the first day of such Test Period, of not less than 1.00:1.00.  The designation of any Restricted Subsidiary as an Unrestricted Subsidiary after the Closing Date shall constitute an Investment by the Borrower therein at the date of designation in an amount equal to the Fair Market Value of the Borrower’s investment therein.  The designation of any Unrestricted Subsidiary as a Restricted Subsidiary shall constitute the incurrence at the time of designation of any Debt or Liens of such Subsidiary existing at such time.

 

8.27                         Passive Holding Company; Etc .

 

(a)                                  Holdings will not conduct, transact or otherwise engage in any business or operations other than (i) the ownership and/or acquisition of the Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Borrower, (ii) the maintenance

 

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of its legal existence, including the ability to incur fees, costs and expenses relating to such maintenance and to open and maintain bank accounts, (iii) to the extent applicable, participating in tax, accounting and other administrative matters as a member of the consolidated group that includes Holdings and the Borrower, (iv) the performance of its obligations under and in connection with the Loan Documents and any documents relating to other Permitted Debt, (v) any public offering of its common Stock or any other issuance or registration of its Stock for sale or resale not prohibited by this Agreement, including the costs, fees and expenses related thereto, (vi) any transaction that Holdings is permitted to enter into or consummate under this Agreement and any transaction between Holdings and the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary permitted under this Agreement, including (A) making any dividend or distribution or other transaction similar to a Distribution not prohibited by Section 8.10 (or the making of a loan to its Parent Entities in lieu of any such permitted Distribution or other distribution or other transaction similar to a Distribution) or holding any cash received in connection with Distributions made by the Borrower in accordance with Section 8.10 pending application thereof by Holdings in the manner contemplated by Section 8.10 (including the redemption in whole or in part of any of its Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) in exchange for another class of Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) or rights to acquire its Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) or with proceeds from substantially concurrent equity contributions or issuances of new shares of its Stock (other than Disqualified Stock)), (B) making any Investment to the extent (1) payment therefor is made solely with the Stock of Holdings (other than Disqualified Stock), the proceeds of Distribution received from the Borrower and/or proceeds of the issuance of, or contribution in respect of, the Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) of Holdings and (2) any property (including Stock) acquired in connection therewith is contributed to the Borrower or a Guarantor (or, if otherwise constituting Permitted Investments, a Restricted Subsidiary) or the Person formed or acquired in connection therewith is merged or consolidated with the Borrower or a Restricted Subsidiary and (C) the (w) provision of Guaranties in the ordinary course of business in respect of obligations of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to suppliers, customers, franchisees, lessors, licensees, sublicensees or distribution partners; provided , for the avoidance of doubt, that such Guaranty shall not be in respect of Debt for Borrowed Money, (x) incurrence of Debt of Holdings contemplated by Section 8.12 , (y) incurrence of Guaranties and the performance of its other obligations in respect of Debt incurred pursuant to Section 8.12 and (z) granting of Liens to the extent the Debt contemplated by subclause (y) is permitted to be secured under Section 8.16 or Liens imposed by operation of law, (vii) incurring fees, costs and expenses relating to overhead and general operating including professional fees for legal, tax and accounting issues and paying taxes, (viii) providing indemnification to officers and directors and as otherwise permitted in this Agreement, (ix) activities incidental to the consummation of the Transactions, (x) organizational activities incidental to Permitted Acquisitions or similar Investments consummated by the Borrower or a Subsidiary, including the formation of acquisition vehicle entities and intercompany loans and/or investments incidental to such Permitted Acquisitions or similar Investments in each case consummated substantially contemporaneously with the consummation of the applicable Permitted Acquisitions or similar Investments, (xi) the making of any loan to any officers or directors not prohibited by Section 8.11 , the making of any Investment in the Borrower or any Subsidiary Guarantor or, to the extent otherwise allowed under Section 8.11 , a Restricted Subsidiary, (xii) the entry into customary shareholder agreements, and (xiii) activities incidental to the businesses or activities described in clauses (i)  to (xii)  of this Section 8.27 .

 

(b)                                  Holdings will not consummate any merger, consolidation or amalgamation, or liquidate, wind up or dissolve itself (or suffer any liquidation or dissolution), or Dispose all or substantially all of its assets and properties, except that Holdings may merge, amalgamate or consolidate with or into any other Person (other than the Borrower) or otherwise Dispose of all or substantially all of its assets and property; provided that (i) Holdings shall be the continuing or surviving Person of such merger, amalgamation or consolidation or, in the case of a merger, amalgamation or consolidation where Holdings is not the continuing or surviving Person or where Holdings has been liquidated or in connection with a Disposition of all or substantially all of its assets, in any such case, the Person formed by or surviving any such merger, amalgamation or consolidation or the Person into which Holdings has been liquidated or to which Holdings has transferred such assets shall be an entity organized or existing under the laws of the United States, any state thereof, the District of Columbia or any territory thereof (Holdings or such Person, as the case may be, being herein referred to as the “ Successor Holdings ”), (ii) the Successor Holdings (if other than Holdings) shall expressly assume all the obligations of Holdings under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents pursuant to a supplement hereto or thereto in form reasonably satisfactory to the Agent, (iii) each Guarantor, unless it is the other party to such merger, amalgamation, consolidation, liquidation or Disposition or unless the Successor Holdings is Holdings, shall have by a supplement to the Guarantee Agreement confirmed that its Guaranty shall apply to the Successor Holdings’ obligations under this Agreement, (iv) each Guarantor, unless it is the other party to such merger, amalgamation, consolidation, liquidation or Disposition or unless the Successor Holdings is Holdings,

 

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shall have by a supplement to the Security Agreement confirmed that its obligations thereunder shall apply to the Successor Holdings’ obligations under this Agreement, (v) Holdings shall have delivered to the Agent an officer’s certificate stating that such merger, amalgamation, consolidation, liquidation or Disposition and any supplements to the Loan Documents preserve the enforceability of the Guarantee Agreement and the perfection of the Collateral Agent’s Liens, (vi) the Successor Holdings shall, immediately following such merger, amalgamation, consolidation, liquidation or Disposition, directly or indirectly, own all Subsidiaries owned by Holdings immediately prior to such merger, amalgamation, consolidation, liquidation or Disposition and (vii) if reasonably requested by the Agent, an opinion of counsel shall be required to be provided to the effect that such merger, amalgamation, consolidation, liquidation, or Disposition does not breach or result in a default under this Agreement or any other Loan Document; provided , further , that if the foregoing are satisfied, the Successor Holdings (if other than Holdings) will succeed to, and be substituted for, Holdings under this Agreement.

 

8.28                         Amendments to Certain Documents .  The Borrower shall not, and shall not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, amend, modify or change in any manner that is materially adverse to the interests of the Lenders any term or condition of the documentation governing the Junior Debt or any Charter Document of the Borrower or any Subsidiary that is a Guarantor.

 

8.29                         Certain Post-Closing Obligations .  As promptly as practicable, and in any event within the time periods after the Closing Date specified in Schedule 8.29 or such later date as the Agent reasonably agrees to in writing, including to reasonably accommodate circumstances unforeseen on the Closing Date, the Borrower and each other Obligor shall deliver the documents or take the actions specified in Schedule 8.29 , in each case except to the extent otherwise agreed by the Agent pursuant to its authority as set forth in the definition of the term “Collateral and Guarantee Requirement.”

 

ARTICLE IX

 

CONDITIONS OF LENDING

 

9.1                                Conditions Precedent to Effectiveness of Agreement and Making of Loans on the Closing Date .  The effectiveness of this Agreement, the obligation of the Lenders to make any Loans on the Closing Date, and the obligation of the Letter of Credit Issuers to issue any Letter of Credit on the Closing Date, are subject to the satisfaction (or waiver in writing by the Agent and the Arrangers) of the following conditions precedent:

 

(a)                                  The Agent’s receipt of the following, each of which shall be originals or facsimiles (followed promptly by originals) unless otherwise specified, each properly executed by a Responsible Officer of the signing Obligor:

 

(i)                                      executed counterparts of this Agreement and the Guarantee Agreement;

 

(ii)                                   each Security Document set forth on Schedule 1.5 (including the delivery of documents and instruments necessary to satisfy the Collateral and Guarantee Requirement) required to be executed on the Closing Date as indicated on such schedule, duly executed by each Obligor thereto, together with (except as provided in such Security Documents):

 

(A)                                certificates, if any, representing the pledged Stock referred to therein for the Borrower and Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiaries (other than Excluded Stock) organized under the laws of the United States and not constituting Immaterial Subsidiaries and  accompanied by undated stock powers executed in blank and instruments evidencing the pledged debt referred to therein endorsed in blank;

 

(B)                                evidence that all financing statements under the Uniform Commercial Code have been filed or are otherwise in a form appropriate for filing; and

 

(C)                                arrangements reasonably satisfactory to the Agent shall have been made for the execution, delivery and filing of such Security Documents; and

 

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(D)                                an executed Perfection Certificate and lien searches reasonably satisfactory to the Agent;

 

(iii)                                certificates substantially in the form of Exhibit H for Holdings and the Borrower which attach (A) resolutions or other equivalent action documentation, (B) incumbency certificates, (C) Organization Documents and (D) good standing certificates;

 

(iv)                               an opinion from Latham & Watkins LLP, counsel to the Obligors, addressed to the Agent and the Lenders as of the Closing Date;

 

(v)                                  a certificate, in the form of Exhibit G , attesting to the Solvency of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries (on a consolidated basis) on the Closing Date after giving effect to the Transactions, from the Chief Financial Officer of the Borrower;

 

(vi)                               a Notice of Borrowing relating to the initial Borrowing (if any); and

 

(vii)                            a copy of, or a certificate as to coverage under, the insurance policies required by Section 8.5 and the applicable provisions of the Security Documents.

 

(b)                                  All fees and expenses required to be paid hereunder or pursuant to the Engagement Letter, in the case of expenses, to the extent invoiced at least three (3) Business Days prior to the Closing Date (except as otherwise agreed by the Borrower) shall, substantially concurrently with the initial Borrowing, have been paid (which amounts may, at the Borrower’s option, be offset against the proceeds of the Loans borrowed on the Closing Date).

 

(c)                                   Prior to or simultaneously with the initial Borrowing, the initial public offering of the common stock of Holdings shall have been consummated.

 

(d)                                  The Arrangers shall have received the Historical Financial Statements.

 

(e)                                   Prior to or simultaneously with the initial Borrowing, the Existing Debt Refinancing shall have been consummated.

 

(f)                                    Availability on the Closing Date shall not be less than $70,000,000.

 

(g)                                   The Agent and the Arrangers shall have received at least three (3) Business Days prior to the Closing Date all documentation and other information about the Borrower and the Guarantors as has been reasonably requested in writing at least ten (10) Business Days prior to the Closing Date by the Agent and the Arrangers that they reasonably determine is required by United States regulatory authorities under applicable “know your customer” and anti-money laundering rules and regulations, including without limitation the USA PATRIOT Act.

 

(h)                                  Since December 31, 2016, there has not been any fact, change, event, circumstance, effect, development or occurrence which, individually or in the aggregate with any other facts, changes, events, circumstances, effects, developments or occurrences, has had, or would reasonably be expected to have, a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(i)                                      The Borrower shall have delivered to the Agent a Borrowing Base Certificate for the month ending [January 31], 2017.

 

(j)                                     The Agent shall have completed a field examination at least three (3) Business Days prior to the Closing Date.

 

(k)                                  The Agent shall have received the consolidated audited balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement of the Consolidated Parties and, if different, Holdings, the Borrower and its Restricted

 

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Subsidiaries for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2016.

 

9.2                                Conditions Precedent to Each Loan .  The obligation of the Lenders to make each Loan (including on the Closing Date), and the obligation of the Letter of Credit Issuers to issue any Letter of Credit shall be subject to the conditions precedent that on and as of the date of any such extension of credit:

 

(a)                                  The following statements shall be true, and the acceptance by the Borrower of any extension of credit shall be deemed to be a statement to the effect set forth in clauses (i)  and (ii)  with the same effect as the delivery to the Agent and the Lenders of a certificate signed by a Responsible Officer, dated the date of such extension of credit, stating that:

 

(i)                                 the representations and warranties contained in this Agreement and the other Loan Documents are true and correct in all material respects (and any representation and warranty that is qualified as to materiality or Material Adverse Effect is true and correct in all respects) on and as of the date of such extension of credit as though made on and as of such date, other than any such representation or warranty which relates to a specified prior date, in which case such representations and warranties were true and correct in all material respects as of such prior date, and except to the extent the Agent and the Lenders have been notified in writing by the Borrower that any representation or warranty is not correct in all material respects (or that any representation and warranty that is qualified as to materiality or Material Adverse Effect is not correct in all respects) and the Required Lenders have explicitly waived in writing compliance with such representation or warranty;

 

(ii)                                 no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, or would result from such extension of credit; and

 

(iii)                                  the Borrowing or issuance of the Letter of Credit is in compliance with the provisions of Article II .

 

(b)                                  No such Borrowing or issuance of the Letter of Credit shall exceed the then-current Availability.

 

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, the foregoing conditions precedent in this Section 9.2 are not conditions to any Lender participating in or reimbursing the Swingline Lender or the Agent for such Lender’s Pro Rata Share of any applicable Swingline Loan or Agent Advance made in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.4(f)  or Section 2.4(g) , as applicable.

 

ARTICLE X

 

DEFAULT; REMEDIES

 

10.1                         Events of Default .  It shall constitute an event of default (“ Event of Default ”) if any one or more of the following shall occur for any reason:

 

(a)                                  any failure by the Borrower to pay:  (i) the principal of any of the Loans when due, whether upon demand or otherwise, or the reimbursement of any Letter of Credit issued pursuant to this Agreement when the same is due and payable; or (ii) any interest, fee or other amount owing hereunder or under any of the other Loan Documents within five (5) Business Days after the due date therefor, whether upon demand or otherwise;

 

(b)                                  any representation or warranty made or deemed made by Holdings or the Borrower in this Agreement or by any Obligor in any of the other Loan Documents or any certificate furnished by any Obligor at any time to the Agent, the Collateral Agent or any Lender pursuant to the Loan Documents shall prove to be untrue in any material respect as of the date on which made, deemed made, or furnished;

 

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(c)                                   any default shall occur in the observance or performance of any of the covenants and agreements contained in:

 

(i)                                 Section 6.3(a) , Section 8.2(a)  (with respect to the maintenance of the Borrower’s existence only), Section 8.8 , Section 8.9 , Section 8.10 , Section 8.11 , Section 8.12 , Section 8.13 , Section 8.14 , Section 8.16 , Section 8.17 , Section 8.18 , Section 8.23 (and, other than during a Cash Dominion Period, such default continues for five (5) Business Days after receipt by the Borrower of written notice thereof by the Agent or the Required Lenders), Section 8.24 , Section 8.27 and Section 8.28 ;

 

(ii)                                 Section 8.20 ; provided that an Event of Default shall not occur under this clause (ii) until the expiration of the Cure Deadline for the applicable Test Period for which the Borrower was not in compliance with such Financial Covenant;

 

(iii)                                  Section 6.4(a)  and such default continues for five (5) Business Days (or two (2) Business Days during any Cash Dominion Period) after receipt by the Borrower of written notice thereof by the Agent or the Required Lenders; or

 

(iv)                                any other provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document and such default shall continue for thirty (30) days after receipt by the Borrower of written thereof by the Agent or the Required Lenders;

 

(d)                                  any default shall occur with respect to any Debt (other than the Obligations) of any Obligor or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries in an outstanding principal amount which constitutes Material Indebtedness, or under any agreement or instrument under or pursuant to which any such Debt may have been issued, created, assumed, or guaranteed by any Obligor or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, and such default shall continue for more than the period of grace, if any, therein specified, if the effect thereof (with or without the giving of notice) is to accelerate, or to permit the holders of any such Debt to accelerate, the maturity of any such Debt; or any such Debt shall be declared due and payable or be required to be prepaid (other than by a regularly scheduled required prepayment) prior to the stated maturity thereof; or any such Debt shall not be paid in full upon the scheduled maturity thereof; provided that this clause (d)  shall not apply to (x) termination events or equivalent events not constituting events of default pursuant to the terms of any Hedge Agreement and (y) Debt that becomes due or as to which an offer to prepay is required to be made as a result of the voluntary Disposition of the property or assets securing such Debt, if such Disposition is permitted hereunder and under the documents providing for such Debt and (z) any Debt permitted to exist or be incurred under the terms of this Agreement that is required to be repurchased, prepaid, defeased, redeemed or satisfied (or as to which an offer to repurchase, prepay, defease, redeem or satisfy is required to be made) in connection with any asset sale event, casualty or condemnation event, change of control (without limiting the rights of the Agent and the Lenders under Section 10.1(l)  below), excess cash flow or other customary provision in such Debt giving rise to such requirement to offer, prepay, redeem, defease or satisfy in the absence of any default thereunder;

 

(e)                                   Holdings, the Borrower or any Significant Subsidiary shall (i) file a voluntary petition in bankruptcy or file a voluntary petition, proposal, notice of intent to file a proposal or an answer or otherwise commence any action or proceeding seeking reorganization, arrangement or readjustment of its debts or for any other relief under the federal Bankruptcy Code, as amended, or under any other bankruptcy or insolvency act or Law, state,  or federal, now or hereafter existing, or consent to, approve of, or acquiesce in, any such petition, action or proceeding; (ii) apply for or acquiesce in the appointment of a receiver, assignee, liquidator, sequestrator, custodian, monitor, trustee or similar officer for it or for all or any part of its property; or (iii) make an assignment for the benefit of creditors;

 

(f)                                    an involuntary petition shall be filed or an action or proceeding otherwise commenced seeking reorganization, arrangement, consolidation or readjustment of the debts of Holdings, the Borrower or any Significant Subsidiary for any other relief under the federal Bankruptcy Code, as amended, or under any other bankruptcy or insolvency act or Law, state or federal, now or hereafter existing, and such petition or proceeding shall not be dismissed within sixty (60) days after the filing or commencement thereof or an

 

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order of relief shall be entered with respect thereto;

 

(g)                                   (i) a receiver, interim receiver, assignee, liquidator, sequestrator, custodian, monitor, trustee or similar officer for Holdings, the Borrower or any Significant Subsidiary or for all or any material part of such Person’s property shall be appointed or (ii) a warrant of attachment, execution or similar process shall be issued against any material part of the property of Holdings, the Borrower or any Significant Subsidiary and such warrant or similar process shall not be vacated, discharged, stayed or bonded pending appeal within sixty (60) days after the entry thereof;

 

(h)                                  this Agreement, the Guarantee Agreement,  any Security Document or any Intercreditor Agreement shall be terminated (other than in accordance with its terms or the terms hereof or thereof), revoked or declared void or invalid or unenforceable or challenged by any Obligor;

 

(i)                                      one or more monetary  judgments, orders, decrees or arbitration awards is entered against any Holdings, the Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary involving in the aggregate for all Obligors and Restricted Subsidiaries liability as to any single or related or unrelated series of transactions, incidents or conditions, in excess of $25,000,000 (except to the extent covered by insurance through an insurer who does not deny or dispute coverage), and the same shall remain unsatisfied, unbonded, unvacated and unstayed pending appeal for a period of sixty (60) days after the entry thereof;

 

(j)                                     for any reason, any Lien on any Collateral having a Fair Market Value in excess of $15,000,000 ceases to be, or is not, valid, perfected and prior to all other Liens (subject to (A) the terms of the Collateral and Guarantee Requirement and (B) Permitted Liens) or is terminated, revoked or declared void other than (i) as a result of a release of Collateral permitted by Section 13.10 or in accordance with the terms of the relevant Security Document, (ii) in connection with the Full Payment of the Obligations or (iii) any loss of perfection (x) that results from the failure of the Collateral Agent to (A) maintain possession of certificates, promissory notes or other instruments delivered to it representing securities or other assets pledged under the Security Documents or (B) file and maintain proper UCC financing statements or similar filings (including continuation statements) or (y) as to Collateral consisting of real property, to the extent such real property is covered by a title insurance policy and such insurer has not denied coverage;

 

(k)                                  (i) an ERISA Event shall occur which has resulted or could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect or (ii) an Obligor or any ERISA Affiliate shall fail to pay when due, after the expiration of any applicable grace period, any installment payment with respect to its withdrawal liability under Section 4201 of ERISA under a Multi-employer Plan which has resulted or could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; or

 

(l)                                      there occurs a Change of Control.

 

10.2                         Remedies .

 

(a)                                  If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Agent may, in its discretion, and shall, at the direction of the Required Lenders, do one or more of the following at any time or times and in any order, without notice to or demand on the Borrower:

 

(i)                   reduce the Maximum Revolver Amount or the advance rates against Eligible Accounts used in computing the Borrowing Base, or reduce one or more of the other elements used in computing the Borrowing Base, in each case to the extent determined by the Agent or the Required Lenders, as the case may be;

 

(ii)                restrict the amount of or refuse to make Loans;

 

(iii)             instruct the Letter of Credit Issuers to restrict or refuse to provide Letters of Credit;

 

(iv)            terminate the Commitments;

 

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(v)               declare the Loans to be immediately due and payable; provided , however , that upon the occurrence of any Event of Default described in Section 10.1(e) , 10.1(f) , or 10.1(g)  with respect to the Borrower, the Commitments shall automatically and immediately expire and terminate and all Loans shall automatically become immediately due and payable without notice or demand of any kind;

 

(vi)            require the Obligors to cash collateralize all outstanding Letters of Credit; and

 

(vii)         pursue its other rights and remedies under the Loan Documents and applicable Law.

 

(b)                                  If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing:  (i) the Agent shall have, for the benefit of the respective Secured Parties, in addition to all other rights of the Agent and the Lenders, the rights and remedies of a secured party under the Loan Documents or the UCC; (ii) the Agent may, at any time, take possession of the respective Collateral and keep it on the Obligors’ premises, at no cost to the Agent or any Lender, or remove any part of it to such other place or places as the Agent may desire, or the Borrower shall, and shall cause their Restricted Subsidiaries to, upon the Agent’s demand, at the Borrower’s cost, assemble the Collateral and make it available to the Agent at a place reasonably convenient to the Agent; and (iii) the Agent may sell and deliver any Collateral at public or private sales, for cash, upon credit or otherwise, at such prices and upon such terms as the Agent deems advisable, in its sole discretion, and may, if the Agent deems it reasonable, postpone or adjourn any sale of any Collateral by an announcement at the time and place of sale or of such postponed or adjourned sale without giving a new notice of sale.  Without in any way requiring notice to be given in the following manner, each Obligor agrees that any notice by the Agent of sale, disposition or other intended action hereunder or in connection herewith, whether required by the UCC or otherwise, shall constitute reasonable notice to the Borrower if such notice is mailed by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, or is delivered personally against receipt, at least ten (10) days prior to such action to the Borrower at the address specified in or pursuant to Section 14.8 .  If any Collateral is sold on terms other than payment in full at the time of sale, no credit shall be given against the Obligations until the Agent or the Lenders receive payment, and if the buyer defaults in payment, the Agent may resell the Collateral without further notice to the Borrower or any other Obligor. In the event the Agent seeks to take possession of all or any portion of the Collateral by judicial process, the Borrower and each other Obligor irrevocably waives:  (A) the posting of any bond, surety or security with respect thereto which might otherwise be required; (B) any demand for possession prior to the commencement of any suit or action to recover the Collateral; and (C) any requirement that the Agent retain possession and not dispose of any Collateral until after trial or final judgment.  The Borrower and the other Obligors agree that the Agent has no obligation to preserve rights to the Collateral or marshal any Collateral for the benefit of any Person.

 

10.3                         Application of Funds .  Subject to any Intercreditor Agreement in effect, if the circumstances described in Section 4.7 have occurred, or after the exercise of remedies provided for in Section 10.2 or under any other Loan Document (or after the Commitments have automatically been terminated, the Loans have automatically become immediately due and payable as set forth in Section 10.2 and the Letters of Credit have automatically been required to be cash collateralized, in each case as set forth in Section 10.2 ), including in any bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding, any amounts received on account of the Obligations shall be applied by the Agent in the following order:

 

First , to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting fees, indemnities, expenses and other amounts (other than principal and interest, but including Attorney Costs payable under Section 14.7 ) payable to the Agent and/or the Collateral Agent in its capacity as such (other than in connection with Cash Management Obligations or Obligations in respect of Secured Hedge Agreements);

 

Second , to pay interest due in respect of all Agent Advances until paid in full;

 

Third , to pay the principal of all Agent Advances until paid in full;

 

Fourth , to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting fees, indemnities and other amounts (other than principal and interest) payable to the Lenders (including Attorney Costs payable under Section 14.7 ), ratably among them in proportion to the amounts described in this clause Fourth payable to them (other than in connection with Cash Management Obligations or Obligations in respect of Secured Hedge Agreements);

 

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Fifth , to pay interest accrued in respect of the Swingline Loans until paid in full;

 

Sixth , to pay the principal of all Swingline Loans until paid in full;

 

Seventh , to pay interest accrued in respect of the Revolving Loans (other than Agent Advances or Swingline Loans) until paid in full;

 

Eighth , ratably (i) to pay the principal of all Revolving Loans (other than Agent Advances and Swingline Loans) until paid in full, (ii) to the Agent, to be held by the Agent, for the benefit of the Letter of Credit Issuers, as cash collateral in an amount up to 103% of the maximum drawable amount of any outstanding Letters of Credit and (iii) to pay any Obligations under Noticed Hedges (in an amount not to exceed the Bank Product Reserves);

 

Ninth , ratably to pay (i) any amounts owing with respect to any Obligations in respect of Secured Hedge Agreements (other than Noticed Hedges), until paid in full, (ii) any amounts owing with respect to any Obligations in respect of the unreserved portion of a Noticed Hedge, until paid in full, and (iii) any amounts owing with respect to Cash Management Obligations, in each case, until paid in full;

 

Tenth , to the payment of all other Obligations of the Obligors that are due and payable to the Agent and the other Secured Parties (other than any Defaulting Lenders) on such date, ratably based upon the respective aggregate amounts of all such Obligations owing to the Agent and the other Secured Parties (other than any Defaulting Lenders) on such date, until paid in full;

 

Eleventh , ratably to pay any amounts owing with respect to any Obligations in respect of any FILO Tranche, until paid in full;

 

Twelfth , ratably to pay any Obligations owed to Defaulting Lenders, until paid in full; and

 

Last , the balance, if any, after all of the Obligations have been indefeasibly paid in full, to the Borrower or as otherwise required by Law.

 

Amounts used to cash collateralize the aggregate undrawn amount of Letters of Credit pursuant to clause Eighth above shall be applied to satisfy drawings under such Letters of Credit as they occur.  If any amount remains on deposit as cash collateral after all Letters of Credit have either been fully drawn or expired, such remaining amount shall be applied to the other Obligations, if any, in the order set forth above and, if no Obligations remain outstanding, to the Borrower.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, no amounts received from any Guarantor shall be applied to any Excluded Swap Obligations of such Guarantor.

 

10.4                         Permitted Holders’ Right to Cure .

 

(a)                                  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in Section 10.1(c) , in the event that the Borrower fails to comply with the requirement of the Financial Covenant, any of the Permitted Holders, Holdings or any other Person designated by the Borrower shall have the right, during the period beginning at the end of the last Fiscal Quarter of the applicable Test Period and until the later of (i) the tenth (10th) Business Day after the date on which Financial Statements with respect to the Test Period in which such covenant is being measured are required to be delivered pursuant to Section 6.2 and (ii) the tenth (10th) Business Day after the beginning of a Covenant Trigger Period (such later date, the “ Cure Deadline ”), to make a direct or indirect equity investment in the Borrower in cash in the form of common Stock (or other Stock reasonably acceptable to the Agent) (the “ Cure Right ”), and upon the receipt by the Borrower of net proceeds pursuant to the exercise of the Cure Right (the “ Cure Amount ”), the Financial Covenant shall be recalculated, giving effect to a pro forma increase to Consolidated EBITDA for such Test Period in an amount equal to such Cure Amount; provided that such pro forma adjustment to Consolidated EBITDA shall be given solely for the purpose of determining the existence of a Default or an Event of Default under the Financial Covenant with respect to any Test Period that includes the Fiscal Quarter for which such Cure Right was exercised and not for any other purpose under any Loan Document.

 

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(b)                                  If, after the receipt of the Cure Amounts and the recalculations pursuant to clause (a)  above, the Borrower shall then be in compliance with the requirements of the Financial Covenant during such Test Period, the Borrower shall be deemed to have satisfied the requirements of the Financial Covenant as of the relevant date of determination with the same effect as though there had been no failure to comply therewith at such date, and the applicable Default that had occurred shall be deemed cured; provided that (i) the Cure Right may be exercised on no more than five (5) occasions, (ii) in each four Fiscal Quarter period, there shall be at least two Fiscal Quarters in respect of which no Cure Right is exercised, (iii) with respect to any exercise of the Cure Right, the Cure Amount shall be no greater than the amount required to cause the Borrower to be in compliance with the Financial Covenant, (iv) all Cure Amounts shall be disregarded for purposes of determining any baskets, with respect to the covenants contained in the Loan Documents or the usage of the Available Equity Amount and (v) there shall be no pro forma reduction in Debt (by netting or otherwise) with the proceeds of any Cure Amount for determining compliance with the Financial Covenant for the Fiscal Quarter for which such Cure Amount is deemed applied.

 

(c)                                   Prior to the Cure Deadline, neither the Agent, the Collateral Agent nor any Lender shall exercise any rights or remedies under Article X (or under any other Loan Document available during the continuance of any Default or Event of Default) solely on the basis of any actual or purported failure to comply with the Financial Covenant unless such failure is not cured by the Cure Deadline (it being understood that this sentence shall not have any effect on the rights and remedies of the Lenders with respect to any other Default or Event of Default pursuant to any other provision of any Loan Document other than breach of the Financial Covenant).

 

ARTICLE XI

 

TERM AND TERMINATION

 

11.1                         Term and Termination .  The term of this Agreement shall end on the Stated Termination Date unless sooner terminated in accordance with the terms hereof.  The Agent upon direction from the Required Lenders may terminate this Agreement without notice upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default.  Upon the effective date of termination of this Agreement for any reason whatsoever, all Obligations (other than contingent obligations not then due and payable, Obligations under Secured Hedge Agreements and Cash Management Obligations) (including all unpaid principal, accrued and unpaid interest and any amounts due under Section 5.4 ) shall become immediately due and payable and the Borrower shall immediately arrange, with respect to all Letters of Credit then outstanding, for (a) the cancellation and return thereof, or (b) the cash collateralization thereof or issuance of Supporting Letters of Credit with respect thereto in accordance with Section 2.3(g) .  Notwithstanding the termination of this Agreement, until Full Payment of all Obligations, the Borrower shall remain bound by the terms of this Agreement and shall not be relieved of any of its Obligations hereunder or under any other Loan Document, and the Agent, the Collateral Agent and the Lenders shall retain all their rights and remedies hereunder (including the Collateral Agent’s Liens in and all rights and remedies with respect to all then-existing and after-arising Collateral).

 

ARTICLE XII

 

AMENDMENTS; WAIVERS; PARTICIPATIONS; ASSIGNMENTS; SUCCESSORS

 

12.1                         Amendments and Waivers .

 

(a)                                  (i) Except as otherwise specifically set forth in this Agreement, no amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, and no consent with respect to any departure by the Borrower or other Obligor therefrom, shall be effective unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the Required Lenders (or by the Agent with the consent of the Required Lenders) and the Obligors party thereto and then any such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the specific purpose for which given;

 

(ii)                                 Notwithstanding the foregoing, no such waiver, amendment, or consent shall be effective to modify eligibility criteria, or sublimits contained in the definition of “Borrowing Base” or “Eligible Accounts” or any successor or related definition, in each case that would have the effect of increasing the Borrowing Base unless it is consented to in writing by the Supermajority Lenders and the Borrower;

 

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(iii)                                  Notwithstanding the foregoing, no such waiver, amendment, or consent shall be effective with respect to the following, unless consented to in writing by all Lenders (or the Agent with the consent of all Lenders) and the Borrower:

 

(A)                                increase any of the advance rates set forth in the definition of “ Borrowing Base ” or add any new classes of eligible assets to such definition;

 

(B)                                amend this Section 12.1 or any provision of this Agreement providing for consent or other action by all Lenders;

 

(C)                                release all or substantially all of the value of the Guarantors with respect to their Obligations owing under the Guarantee Agreement other than as permitted by Section 13.10 ;

 

(D)                                subject to any Intercreditor Agreement then in effect, release all or substantially all of the Collateral other than as permitted by Section 13.10 ;

 

(E)                                 change the voting percentages included in the definitions of “Required Lenders” or “Supermajority Lenders”; or

 

(F)                                  amend the definition of “Pro Rata Share” or Section 4.7 .

 

(iv)                                Notwithstanding the foregoing, no such waiver, amendment, or consent shall be effective with respect to the following, unless consented to in writing by all adversely affected Lenders (or the Agent with the consent of all adversely affected Lenders) and the Borrower:

 

(A)                                increase or extend any Commitment of any Lender (other than as contemplated in Section 2.6 or 2.7 );

 

(B)                                postpone or delay any date fixed by this Agreement or any other Loan Document for any (i) scheduled payment of principal, interest or fees or (ii) other amounts due to the Lenders (or any of them) hereunder or under any other Loan Document;

 

(C)                                reduce the principal of, or the rate of interest specified herein (other than waivers of the Default Rate) on any Loan, or any fees or other amounts payable hereunder or under any other Loan Document;

 

(D)                                amend the “default waterfall” set forth in Section 10.3 ; or

 

(E)                                 extend the expiration date of any Letter of Credit beyond the Stated Termination Date.

 

It is understood that a waiver of any condition precedent or the waiver of any Default, Event of Default or mandatory prepayment or commitment reduction under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall not give rise to an all affected Lender vote pursuant to this clause (iv) .

 

(v)                                Notwithstanding the foregoing, no such waiver, amendment, or consent shall be effective to increase the obligations or adversely affect the rights of the Agent, the Collateral Agent, the Swingline Lender, any Letter of Credit Issuer or any Arranger without the consent of the party adversely affected thereby;

 

provided , however , that (A) the Agent may, in its sole discretion and notwithstanding the limitations contained in clause (ii)  or (iii)(A)  above and any other terms of this Agreement, make applicable Agent Advances in accordance with Section 2.4(g) ; (B)  Schedule 1.1 hereto (Lenders’ Commitments) may be amended from time to time by the Agent alone to reflect assignments of Commitments in accordance herewith and changes in Commitments in accordance with Section 2.6 or 2.7 ; (C) no amendment or waiver shall be made to Section 13.20 or to any other provision of any Loan Document as such provisions relate to the rights and obligations of any Arranger without the written consent of such Arranger, (D) the Engagement Letter may be amended or waived in a writing signed by the Borrower

 

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and Barclays and [(E) the Fee Letter may be amended or waived in a writing signed by the Borrower and each of the Arrangers].  Further, notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in Section 12.1 , if the Agent and the Borrower shall have jointly identified an obvious error or any error or omission of a technical or immaterial nature, in each case, in any provision of the Loan Documents, then the Agent and the Borrower shall be permitted to amend such provision and such amendment shall become effective without any further action or consent of any other party to any Loan Document if the same is not objected to in writing by the Required Lenders within five (5) Business Days following receipt of notice thereof.

 

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, no Defaulting Lender shall have any right to approve or disapprove any amendment, waiver or consent hereunder, except that (i) the Commitment of such Lender may not be increased or extended and (ii) the accrued and unpaid amount of any principal, interest or fees payable to such Lender shall not be reduced, in either case, without the consent of such Lender.

 

(b)                                  If, in connection with any proposed amendment, waiver or consent (a “ Proposed Change ”) requiring the consent of the Supermajority Lenders, all Lenders or all affected Lenders, the consent of Required Lenders is obtained, but the consent of other Lenders is not obtained (any such Lender whose consent is not obtained being referred to as a “ Non-Consenting Lender ”), then, so long as the Agent is not a Non-Consenting Lender, at the Borrower’s request (and if applicable, payment by the Borrower of the processing fee referred to in Section  12.2(a) ), the Agent or an Eligible Assignee shall have the right (but not the obligation), to purchase from the Non-Consenting Lenders, and the Non-Consenting Lenders agree that they shall sell, all of the Non-Consenting Lenders’ interests, rights and obligations under the Loan Documents, in accordance with the procedures set forth in clauses (i)  through (v)  in the proviso to Section 5.8 and the last sentence in Section 5.8 , as if each such Non-Consenting Lender is an assignor Lender thereunder.

 

12.2                         Assignments; Participations .

 

(a)                                  Any Lender may, with the written consent of (i) the Agent, (ii) the Swingline Lender and the Letter of Credit Issuers, and (iii) so long as no Event of Default under any of Section 10.1(a) , (e) , (f)  or (g)   has occurred and is continuing, the Borrower (in each case, which consents shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed), assign and delegate to one or more Eligible Assignees ( provided that (x) no such consent shall be required in connection with any assignment to a then-existing Lender and (y) such consent shall be deemed to have been given if the Borrower has not responded within ten (10) Business Days of receipt of a written request for consent; provided , further , that no such consent shall be required in connection with any assignments between Goldman Sachs Bank USA and Goldman Sachs Lending Partners LLC) (each an “ Assignee ”) all, or any ratable part of all, of the Loans, the Commitments and the other rights and obligations of such Lender hereunder, in a minimum amount of $5,000,000, or an integral multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof ( provided that an amount less than the minimum amount of $5,000,000 may be assigned if agreed to by the Borrower and the Agent, or if such amount represents all of the Loans, the Commitments and the other rights and obligations of the Lender hereunder) ( provided , further that no such minimum amount shall apply to any assignment to an Approved Fund or to a Lender or to an Affiliate of a Lender); provided , however , that (A) written notice of such assignment, together with payment instructions, addresses and related information with respect to the Assignee, shall be given to the Borrower and the Agent by such Lender and the Assignee; (B) such Lender and its Assignee shall deliver to the Borrower and the Agent an Assignment and Acceptance; and (C) the assignor Lender or Assignee shall pay to the Agent a processing fee in the amount of $3,500; provided , further , that the Agent may elect to waive such processing fee in its sole discretion.

 

(b)                                  From and after the date that the Agent has received an executed Assignment and Acceptance, the Agent has received payment of the above-referenced processing fee and the Agent has recorded such assignment in the Register as provided in Section 13.20 herein, (i) the Assignee thereunder shall be a party hereto and, to the extent that rights and obligations, including, but not limited to, the obligation to participate in Letters of Credit, have been assigned to it pursuant to such Assignment and Acceptance, shall have the rights and obligations of a Lender under the Loan Documents, and (ii) the assignor Lender shall, to the extent that rights and obligations hereunder and under the other Loan Documents have been assigned by it pursuant to such Assignment and Acceptance, relinquish its rights and be released from its obligations under this Agreement (and in the case of an Assignment and Acceptance covering all or the remaining portion of an assignor Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement, such assignor Lender shall cease to be a party hereto).

 

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(c)                                   By executing and delivering an Assignment and Acceptance, the assignor Lender thereunder and the Assignee thereunder confirm to and agree with each other and the other parties hereto as follows:  (i) other than as provided in such Assignment and Acceptance, such assignor Lender makes no representation or warranty and assumes no responsibility with respect to any statements, warranties or representations made in or in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document or the execution, legality, validity, enforceability, genuineness, sufficiency or value of this Agreement or any other Loan Document furnished pursuant hereto or the attachment, perfection, or priority of any Lien granted by any Obligor to the Agent or any Lender in the applicable Collateral; (ii) such assignor Lender makes no representation or warranty and assumes no responsibility with respect to the financial condition of any Obligor or the performance or observance by any Obligor of any of its obligations under this Agreement or any other Loan Document furnished pursuant hereto; (iii) such Assignee confirms that it has received a copy of this Agreement, together with such other documents and information as it has deemed appropriate to make its own credit analysis and decision to enter into such Assignment and Acceptance; (iv) such Assignee will, independently and without reliance upon the Agent, such assignor Lender or any other Lender, 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 this Agreement; (v) such Assignee appoints and authorizes the Agent to take such action as agent on its behalf and to exercise such powers under this Agreement as are delegated to the Agent by the terms hereof, together with such powers, including the discretionary rights and incidental powers, as are reasonably incidental thereto; and (vi) such Assignee agrees that it will perform in accordance with their terms all of the obligations which by the terms of this Agreement are required to be performed by it as a Lender.

 

(d)                                  Immediately upon satisfaction of the requirements of Section 12.2(a) , this Agreement shall be deemed to be amended to the extent, but only to the extent, necessary to reflect the addition of the Assignee and the resulting adjustment of the Commitments arising therefrom.  Each Commitment allocated to each Assignee shall reduce the applicable Commitment of the assignor Lender pro tanto .

 

(e)                                   Any Lender may at any time sell to one or more commercial banks, financial institutions, or other Persons not Affiliates of the Borrower (a “ Participant ”), in each case that is not a Disqualified Lender so long as the list of Disqualified Lenders shall have been made available to all Lenders, participating interests in any Loans, any Commitment of that Lender and the other interests of that Lender (the “ Originating Lender ”) hereunder and under the other Loan Documents; provided , however , that (i) the Originating Lender’s obligations under this Agreement shall remain unchanged, (ii) the Originating Lender shall remain solely responsible for the performance of such obligations, (iii) the Borrower and the Agent shall continue to deal solely and directly with the Originating Lender in connection with the Originating Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, and (iv) no Lender shall transfer or grant any participating interest under which the Participant has rights to approve any amendment to, or any consent or waiver with respect to, this Agreement or any other Loan Document except the matters set forth in Sections 12.1(a)(iii)(C)  and (D)  and Section 12.1(a)(iv) , and all amounts payable by the Borrower hereunder shall be determined as if such Lender had not sold such participation; except that, if amounts outstanding under this Agreement are due and unpaid, or shall have become due and payable upon the occurrence of an Event of Default, each Participant shall be deemed to have the right of set-off in respect of its participating interest in amounts owing under this Agreement to the same extent and subject to the same limitation as if the amount of its participating interest were owing directly to it as a Lender under this Agreement. Subject to paragraph (g)  of this Section 12.2 , the Borrower agrees that each Participant shall be entitled to the benefits of Sections 5.1 , 5.2 and 5.3, subject to the requirements and limitations of such Sections (including Sections 5.1(d) ) and Sections 5.6 and 5.8, to the same extent as if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to paragraph (a)  of this Section 12.2 (provided that any documentation required to be provided pursuant to Section 5.1(d)  shall be provided solely to the Originating Lender and provided further, for the avoidance of doubt, that if the Originating Lender is not a U.S. Person, such Lender shall include a copy of such documentation as an exhibit to its IRS Form W-8IMY in accordance with Section 5.1(d)(ii)(D) ).

 

(f)                                    Notwithstanding any other provision in this Agreement, any Lender may at any time create a security interest in, or pledge, all or any portion of its rights under and interest in this Agreement (including its Note, if any) in favor of any Federal Reserve Bank or any other central bank having jurisdiction over such Lender in accordance with Regulation A of the FRB or U.S. Treasury Regulation 31 CFR §203.14, and such Federal Reserve Bank may enforce such pledge or security interest in any manner permitted under applicable law.

 

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(g)                                   A Participant shall not be entitled to receive any greater payment under Section 5.1 or 5.3 than the Originating Lender would have been entitled to receive with respect to the participating interest sold to such Participant, unless the sale of the participating interest to such Participant is made with the Borrower’s prior written consent and such Participant agrees to be subject to the provisions of Section 5.8 as though it were a Lender, or to the extent that such entitlement to a greater payment results from a Change in Law after the Participant became a Participant.

 

ARTICLE XIII

 

THE APPOINTED AGENTS

 

13.1                         Appointment and Authorization .  Each Lender hereby designates and appoints the Agent and the Collateral Agent (collectively, the “ Appointed Agents ”) as its agents under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents and each Lender hereby irrevocably authorizes each Appointed Agent, in its respective capacity, to take such action on its behalf under the provisions of this Agreement and each other Loan Document and to exercise such powers and perform such duties as are expressly delegated to it by the terms of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, together with such powers as are reasonably incidental thereto.  Each Appointed Agent agrees to act as such on the express conditions contained in this Article XIII .  The provisions of this Article XIII (other than Sections 13.9 13.10(a)  and 13.10(b) ) are solely for the benefit of the Appointed Agents and the Lenders, and the Borrower shall have no rights as third party beneficiaries of any of the provisions contained herein.  Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary contained elsewhere in this Agreement or in any other Loan Document, each Appointed Agent shall not have any duties or responsibilities, except those expressly set forth herein, nor shall any Appointed Agent have or be deemed to have any fiduciary relationship with any Lender, and no implied covenants, functions, responsibilities, duties, obligations or liabilities shall be read into this Agreement or any other Loan Document or otherwise exist against any Appointed Agent.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing sentence, the use of the term “agent” in this Agreement with reference to any Appointed Agent is not intended to connote any fiduciary or other implied (or express) obligations arising under agency doctrine of any applicable law.  Instead, such term is used merely as a matter of market custom, and is intended to create or reflect only an administrative relationship between independent contracting parties.  Except as expressly otherwise provided in this Agreement, each Appointed Agent shall have and may use its sole discretion with respect to exercising or refraining from exercising any discretionary rights or taking or refraining from taking any actions which such Appointed Agent is expressly entitled to take or assert under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, including (a) the determination of the applicability of ineligibility criteria with respect to the calculation of the Borrowing Base, (b) the making of Agent Advances pursuant to Section 2.4(g)  and (c) the exercise of remedies pursuant to Section 10.2 , and any action so taken or not taken shall be deemed consented to by the Lenders.

 

13.2                         Delegation of Duties .  Each Appointed Agent may execute any of its duties under this Agreement or any other Loan Document by or through agents, employees or attorneys-in-fact and shall be entitled to advice of counsel concerning all matters pertaining to such duties.  Each Appointed Agent shall not be responsible for the negligence or misconduct of any agent or attorney in fact that it selects as long as such selection was made without gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.

 

13.3                         Liability of Appointed Agents .  None of the Agent-Related Persons shall (a) be liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken by any of them under or in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document or the transactions contemplated hereby (except for its own gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct (as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction in a final and non-appealable decision)), (b) be responsible in any manner to any of the Lenders for any recital, statement, representation or warranty made by any Obligor or any Subsidiary or Affiliate of any Obligor, or any officer thereof, contained in this Agreement or in any other Loan Document, or in any certificate, report, statement or other document referred to or provided for in, or received by any Appointed Agent under or in connection with, this Agreement or any other Loan Document, or the validity, effectiveness, genuineness, enforceability or sufficiency of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, or the perfection or priority of any Lien or security interest created or purported to be created under the Collateral Documents, or for any failure of any Obligor or any other party to any Loan Document to perform its obligations hereunder or thereunder or (c) be responsible or have any liability for, or have any duty to ascertain, inquire into, monitor or enforce, compliance with the provisions hereof relating to Disqualified Lenders; further, without limiting the generality of the foregoing clause (c) , no Agent-Related Person shall (x) be obligated to ascertain, monitor or inquire as to

 

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whether any Lender or Participant or prospective Lender or Participant is a Disqualified Lender or (y) have any liability with respect to or arising out of any assignment or participation of Loans, or disclosure of confidential information, to any Disqualified Lender.  No Agent-Related Person shall be under any obligation to any Lender to ascertain or to inquire as to the observance or performance of any of the agreements contained in, or conditions of, this Agreement or any other Loan Document, or to inspect the properties, books or records of any Obligor or any of their Subsidiaries or Affiliates.

 

13.4                         Reliance by Appointed Agent .  Each Appointed Agent shall be entitled to rely, and shall be fully protected in relying, upon any writing, resolution, notice, consent, certificate, affidavit, letter, telegram, facsimile, telex or telephone message, statement or other document or conversation believed by it to be genuine and correct and to have been signed, sent or made by the proper Person or Persons, and upon advice and statements of legal counsel (including counsel to any Obligor), independent accountants and other experts selected by such Appointed Agent.  Each Appointed Agent shall be fully justified in failing or refusing to take any action under this Agreement or any other Loan Document unless it shall first receive such advice or concurrence of the Required Lenders as it deems appropriate and, if it so requests, it shall first be indemnified to its satisfaction by the Lenders against any and all liability and expense which may be incurred by it by reason of taking or continuing to take any such action.  Each Appointed Agent shall in all cases be fully protected in acting, or in refraining from acting, under this Agreement or any other Loan Document in accordance with a request or consent of the Required Lenders (or the Supermajority Lenders, all Lenders or all affected Lenders if so required by Section 12.1 ) and such request and any action taken or failure to act pursuant thereto shall be binding upon all of the Lenders.

 

13.5                         Notice of Default .  The Agent shall not be deemed to have knowledge or notice of the occurrence of any Default or Event of Default, unless the Agent shall have received written notice from a Lender or the Borrower referring to this Agreement, describing such Default or Event of Default and stating that such notice is a “notice of default.”  The Agent will notify the Lenders of its receipt of any such notice.  The Agent shall take such action with respect to such Default or Event of Default as may be requested by the Required Lenders in accordance with Article X ; provided , however , that unless and until the Agent has received any such request, the Agent may (but shall not be obligated to) take such action, or refrain from taking such action, with respect to such Default or Event of Default as it shall deem advisable.

 

13.6                         Credit Decision .  Each Lender acknowledges that none of the Agent-Related Persons has made any representation or warranty to it, and that no act by any Appointed Agent hereinafter taken, including any review of the affairs of the Borrower and its Affiliates, shall be deemed to constitute any representation or warranty by any Agent-Related Person to any Lender.  Each Lender represents to each Appointed Agent that it has, independently and without reliance upon any Agent-Related Person and based on such documents and information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own appraisal of, and investigation into, the business, prospects, operations, property, financial and other condition and creditworthiness of the Obligors and their Affiliates, and all applicable bank regulatory laws relating to the transactions contemplated hereby, and made its own decision to enter into this Agreement and to extend credit to the Borrower.  Each Lender also represents that it will, independently and without reliance upon any Agent-Related Person and based on such documents and information as it shall deem appropriate at the time, continue to make its own credit analysis, appraisals and decisions in taking or not taking action under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, and to make such investigations as it deems necessary to inform itself as to the business, prospects, operations, property, financial and other condition and creditworthiness of the Obligors and their Affiliates.  Except for notices, reports and other documents expressly herein required to be furnished to the Lenders by the Agent, the Agent shall not have any duty or responsibility to provide any Lender with any credit or other information concerning the business, prospects, operations, property, financial and other condition or creditworthiness of the Obligors or any of their Affiliates which may come into the possession of any of the Agent-Related Persons.

 

13.7                         Indemnification .  Whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby are consummated, the Lenders shall indemnify upon demand the Agent-Related Persons (to the extent not reimbursed by or on behalf of the Borrower and without limiting the obligation of the Borrower to do so), ratably in accordance with their respective Pro Rata Shares, from and against any and all Losses as such term is defined in Section 14.11 ; provided , however , that no Lender shall be liable for the payment to such Agent-Related Persons of any portion of such Losses to the extent resulting from such Person’s gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct (as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction in a final and non-appealable decision); provided , further , that any action taken by any Agent-Related Person at the request of the Required Lenders shall not constitute gross negligence, bad faith or willful

 

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misconduct.  Without limitation of the foregoing, each Lender shall ratably reimburse the Agent upon demand for its share of any costs or out-of-pocket expenses (including Attorney Costs) incurred by the Agent in connection with the preparation, execution, delivery, administration, modification, amendment or enforcement (whether through negotiations, legal proceedings or otherwise) of, or legal advice in respect of rights or responsibilities under, this Agreement, any other Loan Document, or any document contemplated by or referred to herein, to the extent that the Agent is not reimbursed for such expenses by or on behalf of the Borrower.  The undertaking in this Section 13.7 shall survive the payment of all Obligations hereunder and the resignation or replacement of the Agent.

 

13.8                         Appointed Agents in Individual Capacity .  Each Appointed Agent and its Affiliates may make loans to, issue letters of credit for the account of, accept deposits from, acquire Stock in and generally engage in any kind of banking, trust, financial advisory, underwriting or other business with the Obligors and their Subsidiaries and Affiliates as though such Appointed Agent was not an Appointed Agent hereunder and without notice to or consent of the Lenders.  Each Appointed Agent and its Affiliates may receive information regarding the Obligors, their Affiliates and Account Debtors (including information that may be subject to confidentiality obligations in favor of the Obligors or such Affiliates) and the Lenders hereby acknowledge that each Appointed Agent shall be under no obligation to provide such information to them.  With respect to its Loans, each Appointed Agent shall have the same rights and powers under this Agreement as any other Lender and may exercise the same as though it were not an Appointed Agent, and the terms “Lender” and “Lenders” include each Appointed Agent in its individual capacity.

 

13.9                         Successor Agents .  Each Appointed Agent may resign as an Appointed Agent upon at least 30 days’ prior notice to the Lenders and the Borrower.  In the event any Appointed Agent sells all of its Loans and/or Commitments as part of a sale, transfer or other disposition by such Appointed Agent of substantially all of its loan portfolio, such Appointed Agent shall resign as an Appointed Agent and such purchaser or transferee shall become the successor Appointed Agent hereunder.  In the event that an Appointed Agent becomes a Defaulting Lender, such Appointed Agent may be removed at the reasonable request of the Borrower and the Required Lenders.  Subject to the foregoing, if an Appointed Agent resigns or is removed under this Agreement, the Required Lenders (with the prior consent of the Borrower, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld and such consent not to be required if an Event of Default under any of Section 10.1(a) , (e) , (f)  or (g)  has occurred and is continuing) shall appoint from among the Lenders a successor agent, which successor agent shall be a Lender or a commercial bank, commercial finance company or other asset based lender having total assets in excess of $5,000,000,000.  If no successor agent is appointed prior to the effective date of the resignation of any Appointed Agent, such Appointed Agent may appoint, after consulting with the Lenders and the Borrower (but without the need for the consent of the Borrower), a successor agent from among the Lenders.  Upon the acceptance of its appointment as successor agent hereunder, such successor agent shall succeed to all the rights, powers and duties of the retiring Appointed Agent and the term “Appointed Agent” shall mean such successor agent and the retiring Appointed Agent’s appointment, powers and duties as an Appointed Agent shall be terminated.  After any retiring Appointed Agent’s resignation hereunder as an Appointed Agent, the provisions of this Article XIII and Section 14.10 shall continue to inure to its benefit as to any actions taken or omitted to be taken by it while it was an Appointed Agent under this Agreement.

 

13.10                  Collateral Matters .

 

(a)                                  The Lenders (and each other Secured Party by their acceptance of the benefits of the Loan Documents shall be deemed to) hereby irrevocably authorize the Collateral Agent (and if applicable, any subagent appointed by the Collateral Agent under Section 13.2 or otherwise), and the Collateral Agent’s Liens upon any Collateral shall be automatically released (i) upon Full Payment of the Obligations; (ii) constituting property being disposed of to a Person that is not an Obligor; (iii) constituting property in which the Obligors owned no interest at the time the Lien was granted or at any time thereafter; (iv) constituting property leased to an Obligor under a lease which has expired or been terminated in a transaction permitted under this Agreement; (v) to the extent the property constituting such Collateral is owned by any Guarantor, upon the release of such Guarantor from its obligations under the Guarantee Agreement (in accordance with the second succeeding sentence and  the Guarantee Agreement); (vi) as required by the Collateral Agent to effect any sale, transfer or other Disposition of Collateral in connection with any exercise of remedies of the Collateral Agent pursuant to the Security Documents and (vii) to the extent such Collateral otherwise becomes an Excluded Stock or an Excluded Asset.  Except provided above, the Collateral Agent will not release any of the Collateral Agent’s Liens without the prior written authorization of the Required Lenders (or such other percentage of Lenders whose consent is required in accordance with Section 12.1 ); provided

 

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that, in addition to the foregoing, the Collateral Agent may, in its discretion, release such Collateral Agent’s Liens on Collateral valued in the aggregate not in excess of $2,500,000 during each Fiscal Year without the prior written authorization of any Lender, so long as all proceeds received in connection with such release are applied to the Obligations in accordance with Section 4.7 and, after giving effect to the application of such proceeds and the updating of the Borrowing Base, as the case may be, to reflect the deletion of any assets subject to such release, Availability shall be no less than the Availability immediately prior to such release.  Upon request by the Collateral Agent or the Borrower at any time, subject to the Borrower having certified to the Collateral Agent that the disposition is made in compliance with Section 8.8 (which the Collateral Agent may rely conclusively on any such certificate, without further inquiry), the Lenders will confirm in writing the Collateral Agent’s authority to release any applicable Collateral Agent’s Liens upon particular types or items of Collateral pursuant to this Section 13.10 .  In addition, the Lenders hereby irrevocably authorize (x) the Collateral Agent to subordinate any Lien on any property granted to or held by the Collateral Agent under any Loan Document to the holder of any Lien on such property that is permitted by Section 8.12(c)  and (y) the Agent to release automatically any Guarantor from its obligations under the Guarantee Agreement if such Person ceases to be a Restricted Subsidiary as a result of a transaction permitted under this Agreement or such Person otherwise becomes an Excluded Subsidiary, in each case, solely to the extent such Subsidiary ceasing to constitute a Restricted Subsidiary or otherwise becoming an Excluded Subsidiary is not prohibited by this Agreement.  Upon request by any Appointed Agent at any time, the Required Lenders will confirm in writing such Appointed Agent’s authority to release or subordinate its interest in particular types or items of property, or to release any Guarantor from its obligations pursuant to this Section 13.10(a) .

 

(b)                                  Upon receipt by any Appointed Agent of any authorization required pursuant to Section 13.10(a)  from the Lenders of such Appointed Agent’s authority to release or subordinate the applicable Collateral Agent’s Liens upon particular types or items of Collateral, or to release any Guarantor from its obligations under the Guarantee Agreement, and upon at least three (3) Business Days’ prior written request by the Borrower, such Appointed Agent shall (and is hereby irrevocably authorized by the Lenders and the other Secured Parties to) execute such documents as may be necessary to evidence the release of such Collateral Agent’s Liens upon such Collateral or to subordinate its interest therein, or to release such Guarantor from its obligations under the Guarantee Agreement; provided , however , that (i) such Appointed Agent shall not be required to execute any such document on terms which, in such Appointed Agent’s opinion, would expose such Appointed Agent to liability or create any obligation or entail any consequence other than the release of such Liens without recourse or warranty, and (ii) such release shall not in any manner discharge, affect or impair the Obligations or any Liens (other than those expressly being released) upon (or obligations of the Obligors in respect of) all interests retained by the Obligors, including the proceeds of any sale, all of which shall continue to constitute part of such Collateral.

 

(c)                                   The Collateral Agent shall have no obligation whatsoever to any of the Lenders to assure that the Collateral exists or is owned by the Obligors or is cared for, protected or insured or has been encumbered, or that the applicable Collateral Agent’s Liens have been properly or sufficiently or lawfully created, perfected, protected or enforced or are entitled to any particular priority, or to exercise at all or in any particular manner or under any duty of care, disclosure or fidelity, or to continue exercising, any of the rights, authorities and powers granted or available to the Collateral Agent pursuant to any of the Loan Documents, it being understood and agreed that in respect of the Collateral, or any act, omission or event related thereto, the Collateral Agent may act in any manner it may deem appropriate, in its sole discretion, given the Collateral Agent’s own interest in the Collateral in its capacity as one of the Lenders and that the Collateral Agent shall have no other duty or liability whatsoever to any Lender as to any of the foregoing.

 

13.11                  Restrictions on Actions by Lenders; Sharing of Payments .

 

(a)                                  Each of the Lenders agrees that it shall not, without the express consent of the Required Lenders, and that it shall, to the extent it is lawfully entitled to do so, upon the request of the Required Lenders, set off against the Obligations, any amounts owing by such Lender to any Obligor or any accounts of any Obligor now or hereafter maintained with such Lender.  Each of the Lenders further agrees that it shall not, unless specifically requested to do so by any Appointed Agent, take or cause to be taken any action to enforce its rights under this Agreement or against any Obligor, including the commencement of any legal or equitable proceedings, to foreclose any Lien on, or otherwise enforce any security interest in, any of the applicable Collateral.

 

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(b)                                  Except as may be expressly permitted by this Agreement, if at any time or times any Lender shall receive (i) by payment, foreclosure, setoff or otherwise, any proceeds of Collateral or any payments with respect to the Obligations of any Obligor to such Lender arising under, or relating to, this Agreement or the other Loan Documents, except for any such proceeds or payments received by such Lender from the Agent pursuant to the terms of this Agreement or to which such Lender is otherwise entitled to receive directly pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, or (ii) payments from the Agent in excess of such Lender’s ratable portion of all such distributions by the Agent, such Lender shall promptly (A) turn the same over to the Agent, in kind, and with such endorsements as may be required to negotiate the same to the Agent, or in same day funds, as applicable, for the account of all of the Lenders and for application to the Obligations in accordance with the applicable provisions of this Agreement, or (B) purchase, without recourse or warranty, an undivided interest and participation in the Obligations owed to the other Lenders so that such excess payment received shall be applied ratably as among the Lenders in accordance with their Commitments; provided , however , that (A) if all or part of such excess payment received by the purchasing party is thereafter recovered from it, those purchases of participations shall be rescinded in whole or in part, as applicable, and the applicable portion of the purchase price paid therefor shall be returned to such purchasing party, but without interest except to the extent that such purchasing party is required to pay interest in connection with the recovery of the excess payment and (B) the provisions of this paragraph shall not be construed to apply to (x) any payment made by the Borrower or any other Obligor  pursuant to and in accordance with the express terms of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, (y) any payment obtained by a Lender as consideration for the assignment of or sale of a participation in any of its Loans, Commitments or participations in a Letter of Credit or Swingline Loans to any Assignee or Participant or (z) any disproportionate payment obtained by a Lender of any Class as a result of the extension by Lenders of the maturity date or expiration date of some but not all Loans or Commitments of that Class or any increase in the Applicable Margin (or other pricing term, including any fee, discount or premium) in respect of Loans or Commitments of Lenders that have consented to any such extension to the extent such transaction is permitted hereunder.

 

13.12                  Agency for Perfection .  Each Lender hereby appoints each other Lender as agent for the purpose of perfecting the Lenders’ security interest in assets which, in accordance with the UCC or under other applicable law, as applicable may be perfected by possession.  Should any Lender (other than the Collateral Agent) obtain possession of any such Collateral, such Lender shall notify the Collateral Agent thereof, and, promptly upon the Collateral Agent’s request therefor, shall deliver such Collateral to the Collateral Agent or in accordance with the Collateral Agent’s instructions.

 

13.13                  Payments by Agent to Lenders .  All payments to be made by the Agent to the applicable Lenders shall be made by bank wire transfer or internal transfer of immediately available funds to each such Lender pursuant to wire transfer instructions delivered in writing to the Agent on or prior to the Agreement Date (or if such Lender is an Assignee, on the applicable Assignment and Acceptance), or pursuant to such other wire transfer instructions as each party may designate for itself by written notice to the Agent.  Concurrently with each such payment, the Agent shall identify whether such payment (or any portion thereof) represents principal, interest or fees on the Loans or otherwise.  Unless the Agent receives notice from the Borrower prior to the date on which any payment is due to the Lenders that the Borrower will not make such payment in full as and when required, the Agent may assume that the Borrower have made such payment in full to the Agent on such date in immediately available funds and the Agent may (but shall not be so required), in reliance upon such assumption, distribute to each such Lender on such due date an amount equal to the amount then due such Lender.  If and to the extent the Borrower has not made such payment in full to the Agent, each applicable Lender shall repay to the Agent on demand such amount distributed to such Lender, together with interest thereon at the Federal Funds Rate for each day from the date such amount is distributed to such Lender until the date repaid.

 

13.14                  Settlement .

 

(a)                                  Each Lender’s funded portion of the applicable Loans is intended by the applicable Lenders to be equal at all times to such Lender’s Pro Rata Share of the outstanding applicable Loans.  Notwithstanding such agreement, the Agent, the Swingline Lender, and the other applicable Lenders agree (which agreement shall not be for the benefit of or enforceable by the Borrower) that in order to facilitate the administration of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, settlement among them as to the applicable Loans (including the applicable Swingline Loans and the applicable Agent Advances) shall take place on a periodic basis in accordance with the following provisions:

 

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(i)                                      The Agent shall request settlement (“ Settlement ”) with the applicable Lenders at least once every week, or on a more frequent basis at the Agent’s election, (A) on behalf of the Swingline Lender, with respect to each applicable outstanding Swingline Loan, (B) for itself, with respect to each applicable Agent Advance, and (C) with respect to collections received, in each case, by notifying the Lenders of such requested Settlement by telecopy or other electronic transmission, no later than 12:00 noon (New York City time) on the date of such requested Settlement (the “ Settlement Date ”).  Each Lender (other than the Swingline Lender, in the case of applicable Swingline Loans and the Agent in the case of applicable Agent Advances) shall transfer the amount of such Lender’s Pro Rata Share of the outstanding principal amount of the applicable Swingline Loans and the applicable Agent Advances with respect to each Settlement to the Agent, to the Agent’s account, not later than 2:00 p.m. (New York City time), on the Settlement Date applicable thereto.  Settlements shall occur during the continuation of a Default or an Event of Default and whether or not the applicable conditions precedent set forth in Article IX have then been satisfied.  Such amounts made available by the applicable Lenders to the Agent shall be applied against the amounts of the applicable Swingline Loan or Agent Advance and, together with the portion of such Swingline Loan or Agent Advance representing the Swingline Lenders’ Pro Rata Share thereof, shall cease to constitute Swingline Loans or Agent Advances, but shall constitute Revolving Loans of such Lenders.  If any such amount is not transferred to the Agent by any Lender on the Settlement Date applicable thereto, the Agent shall be entitled to recover such amount on demand from such Lender together with interest thereon at the Federal Funds Rate, the first three (3) days from and after the Settlement Date and thereafter at the Interest Rate then applicable to Base Rate Loans, (A) on behalf of the Swingline Lender, with respect to each outstanding Swingline Loan, and (B) for itself, with respect to each applicable Agent Advance.

 

(ii)                                   Notwithstanding the foregoing, not more than one (1) Business Day after demand is made by the Agent (whether before or after the occurrence of a Default or an Event of Default and regardless of whether the Agent has requested a Settlement with respect to an applicable Swingline Loan or applicable Agent Advance), each other applicable Lender (A) shall irrevocably and unconditionally purchase and receive from the Swingline Lender or the Agent, as applicable, without recourse or warranty, an undivided interest and participation in such Swingline Loan or Agent Advance equal to such Lender’s Pro Rata Share of such Swingline Loan or Agent Advance and (B) if Settlement has not previously occurred with respect to such Swingline Loans or Agent Advances, upon demand by the Agent, as applicable, shall pay to the Swingline Lender or the Agent, as applicable, as the purchase price of such participation an amount equal to one-hundred percent (100%) of such Lender’s Pro Rata Share of such Swingline Loans or Agent Advances.  If such amount is not in fact made available to the Agent by any applicable Lender, the Agent shall be entitled to recover such amount on demand from such Lender together with interest thereon at the Federal Funds Rate for the first three (3) days from and after such demand and thereafter at the Interest Rate then applicable to Base Rate Loans, (A) on behalf of the Swingline Lender, with respect to each outstanding Swingline Loan, and (B) for itself, with respect to each applicable Agent Advance.

 

(iii)                                Notwithstanding any provisions of Section 2.4(f)  to the contrary, from and after the date, if any, on which any Lender purchases an undivided interest and participation in any applicable Swingline Loan or applicable Agent Advance pursuant to clause (ii)  above, the Agent shall promptly distribute to such Lender, such Lender’s Pro Rata Share of all payments of principal and interest and all proceeds of Collateral received by the Agent in respect of such Swingline Loan or Agent Advance.

 

(iv)                               Between Settlement Dates, the Agent, to the extent no applicable Agent Advances are outstanding, may pay over to the Swingline Lender any payments received by the Agent, which in accordance with the terms of this Agreement would be applied to the reduction of the applicable Loans, for application to the Swingline Lender’s Loans including applicable Swingline Loans.  If, as of any Settlement Date, collections received since the then immediately preceding Settlement Date have been applied to the Swingline Lender’s Loans (other than to applicable Swingline Loans or applicable Agent Advances in which such Lender has not yet funded its purchase of a participation pursuant to clause (ii)  above), as provided for in the previous sentence, the Swingline Lender shall pay to the Agent for the accounts of the applicable Lenders, to be applied to the applicable outstanding Loans of such Lenders, an amount such that each Lender shall, upon receipt of such amount, have, as of such Settlement Date, its Pro Rata Share of the applicable Loans.  During the period between Settlement Dates, the Swingline Lender with respect to applicable Swingline Loans, the Agent with respect to applicable Agent Advances, and each Lender with respect

 

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to the applicable Loans other than applicable Swingline Loans and applicable Agent Advances, shall be entitled to interest at the applicable rate or rates payable under this Agreement on the actual average daily amount of funds employed by the Agent and the other Lenders, respectively.

 

(v)                                  Unless the Agent has received written notice from the Required Lenders to the contrary, the Agent may assume that the applicable conditions precedent set forth in Article IX have been satisfied.

 

(b)                                  Lenders’ Failure to Perform .  All Loans (other than Swingline Loans and Agent Advances) shall be made by the Lenders simultaneously and in accordance with their Pro Rata Shares thereof.  It is understood that (i) no Lender shall be responsible for any failure by any other Lender to perform its obligation to make any applicable Loans hereunder, nor shall any applicable Commitment of any Lender be increased or decreased as a result of any failure by any other Lender to perform its obligation to make any Loans hereunder, (ii) no failure by any Lender to perform its obligation to make any Loans hereunder shall excuse any other Lender from its obligation to make any Loans hereunder, and (iii) the obligations of each Lender hereunder shall be several, not joint and several.

 

(c)                                   Defaulting Lenders .  Unless the Agent receives notice from a Lender on or prior to the Closing Date or, with respect to any Borrowing after the Closing Date, at least one Business Day prior to the date of such Borrowing, that such Lender will not make available as and when required hereunder to the Agent that Lender’s Pro Rata Share of a Borrowing, the Agent may assume that each such Lender has made such amount available to the Agent in immediately available funds on the Funding Date.  Furthermore, the Agent may, in reliance upon such assumption, make available to the Borrower on such date a corresponding amount.  If any Lender has not transferred its full Pro Rata Share to the Agent in immediately available funds, and the Agent has transferred the corresponding amount to the Borrower, on the Business Day following such Funding Date such Lender shall make such amount available to the Agent, together with interest at the Federal Funds Rate for that day.  A notice by the Agent submitted to any Lender with respect to amounts owing shall be conclusive, absent manifest error.  If each Lender’s full Pro Rata Share is transferred to the Agent as required, the amount transferred to the Agent shall constitute that Lender’s applicable Loan for all purposes of this Agreement.  If that amount is not transferred to the Agent on the Business Day following the Funding Date, the Agent will notify the Borrower of such failure to fund and, upon demand by the Agent, the  Borrower shall pay such amount to the Agent for the Agent’s account, together with interest thereon for each day elapsed since the date of such Borrowing, at a rate per annum equal to the Interest Rate applicable at the time to the applicable Loans comprising that particular Borrowing.  The failure of any Lender to make any applicable Loan on any Funding Date shall not relieve any other Lender of its obligation hereunder to make an applicable Loan on that Funding Date.  No Lender shall be responsible for any other Lender’s failure to advance such other Lender’s Pro Rata Share of any Borrowing.

 

13.15                  Letters of Credit; Intra-Lender Issues .

 

(a)                                  Notice of Letter of Credit Balance .  On each Settlement Date, the Agent shall notify each Lender of the issuance of all Letters of Credit since the prior Settlement Date.  In addition, upon the reasonable request of a Lender from time to time, the Agent shall provide such Lender with a list of the then-outstanding Letters of Credit.

 

(b)                                  Participations in Letters of Credit .

 

(i)                                      Purchase of Participations .  Immediately upon issuance of any Letter of Credit in accordance with Section 2.3(d) , each Lender shall be deemed to have irrevocably and unconditionally purchased and received without recourse or warranty, an undivided interest and participation equal to such Lender’s Pro Rata Share of the face amount of such Letter of Credit in connection with the issuance or acceptance of such Letter of Credit (including all obligations of the Borrower with respect thereto, and any security therefor or guaranty pertaining thereto).

 

(ii)                                   Sharing of Reimbursement Obligation Payments .  Whenever the Agent receives a payment from the Borrower on account of reimbursement obligations in respect of a Letter of Credit as to which the Agent has previously received for the account of the applicable Letter of Credit Issuer thereof payment from a Lender, the Agent shall promptly pay to such Lender such Lender’s applicable Pro Rata Share of such payment from the Borrower.  Each such payment shall be made by the Agent on the next Settlement Date.

 

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(iii)                                Documentation .  Upon the request of any applicable Lender, the Agent shall furnish to such Lender copies of any Letter of Credit, reimbursement agreements executed in connection therewith, applications for any Letter of Credit, and such other documentation relating to such Letter of Credit as may reasonably be requested by such Lender.

 

(iv)                               Obligations Irrevocable .  The obligations of each applicable Lender to make payments to the Agent with respect to any applicable Letter of Credit or with respect to their participation therein or with respect to the Revolving Loans made as a result of a drawing under a Letter of Credit and the obligations of the Borrower for whose account the Letter of Credit was issued to make payments to the Agent, for the account of the applicable Lenders, shall be irrevocable and shall not be subject to any qualification or exception whatsoever, including any of the following circumstances:

 

(A)                                any lack of validity or enforceability of this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents;

 

(B)                                the existence of any claim, setoff, defense or other right which the Borrower may have at any time against a beneficiary named in a Letter of Credit or any transferee of any Letter of Credit (or any Person for whom any such transferee may be acting), any Lender, the Agent, the applicable Letter of Credit Issuer, or any other Person, whether in connection with this Agreement, any applicable Letter of Credit, the transactions contemplated herein or any unrelated transactions (including any underlying transactions between the Borrower or any other Person and the beneficiary named in any Letter of Credit);

 

(C)                                any draft, certificate or any other document presented under the Letter of Credit proving to be forged, fraudulent, invalid or insufficient in any respect or any statement therein being untrue or inaccurate in any respect;

 

(D)                                the surrender or impairment of any security for the performance or observance of any of the terms of any of the Loan Documents;

 

(E)                                 the occurrence of any Default or Event of Default; or

 

(F)                                  the failure of the Borrower to satisfy the applicable conditions precedent set forth in Article IX .

 

(c)                                   Recovery or Avoidance of Payments; Refund of Payments In Error .  In the event any payment by or on behalf of the Borrower received by the Agent with respect to any Letter of Credit and distributed by the Agent to the applicable Lenders on account of their respective participations therein is thereafter set aside, avoided or recovered from the Agent or the applicable Letter of Credit Issuer in connection with any receivership, liquidation or bankruptcy proceeding, the Lenders shall, upon demand by the Agent, pay to the Agent their respective applicable Pro Rata Shares of such amount set aside, avoided or recovered, together with interest at the rate required to be paid by the Agent or the applicable Letter of Credit Issuer upon the amount required to be repaid by it.  Unless the Agent receives notice from the Borrower prior to the date on which any payment is due to the applicable Lenders that the Borrower will not make such payment in full as and when required, the Agent may assume that the Borrower have made such payment in full to the Agent on such date in immediately available funds and the Agent may (but shall not be so required), in reliance upon such assumption, distribute to each applicable Lender on such due date an amount equal to the amount then due such applicable Lender.  If and to the extent the Borrower have not made such payment in full to the Agent, each Lender shall repay to the Agent on demand such amount distributed to such Lender, together with interest thereon at the Federal Funds Rate for each day from the date such amount is distributed to such Lender until the date repaid.

 

(d)                                  Indemnification by Lenders .  To the extent not reimbursed by the Borrower and without limiting the obligations of the Borrower hereunder, the Lenders agree to indemnify the applicable Letter of Credit Issuer ratably in accordance with their respective Pro Rata Shares, for any and all liabilities, obligations, losses, damages, penalties, actions, judgments, suits, costs, expenses (including attorneys’ fees) or disbursements of any kind and nature whatsoever that may be imposed on, incurred by or asserted against such Letter of Credit Issuer in any way

 

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relating to or arising out of any Letter of Credit or the transactions contemplated thereby or any action taken or omitted by such Letter of Credit Issuer under any Letter of Credit or any Loan Document in connection therewith; provided that no Lender shall be liable for any of the foregoing to the extent it arises from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of the Person to be indemnified (as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction in a final and non-appealable decision).  Without limitation of the foregoing, each  Lender agrees to reimburse the applicable Letter of Credit Issuer promptly upon demand for its Pro Rata Share of any costs or expenses payable by the Borrower to such Letter of Credit Issuer, to the extent that such Letter of Credit Issuer is not promptly reimbursed for such costs and expenses by the Borrower.  The agreement contained in this Section 13.15(c)  and (d)  shall survive payment in full of all other Obligations.

 

13.16                  Concerning the Collateral and the Related Loan Documents .  Each Lender authorizes and directs each Appointed Agent to enter into the other Loan Documents, including any Intercreditor Agreement, for the ratable benefit and obligation of the Appointed Agents and the Lenders.  Each Lender agrees that any action taken by any Appointed Agent or the Required Lenders, as applicable, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement or the other Loan Documents, and the exercise by any Appointed Agent or the Required Lenders, as applicable, of their respective powers set forth therein or herein, together with such other powers that are reasonably incidental thereto, shall be binding upon all of the Lenders.  The Lenders acknowledge that the Loans, applicable Agent Advances, applicable Swingline Loans, Bank Products (including all Hedge Agreements) and all interest, fees and expenses hereunder constitute one Debt, secured equally by all of the applicable Collateral, subject to the order of distribution set forth in Section 10.2 .

 

13.17                  Field Examination; Disclaimer by Lenders .  By signing this Agreement, each Lender:

 

(a)                                  is deemed to have requested that an Appointed Agent furnish such Lender, promptly after it becomes available, a copy of each Field Examination (each, a “ Report ” and collectively, “ Reports ”) prepared by or on behalf of any Appointed Agent;

 

(b)                                  expressly agrees and acknowledges that each Appointed Agent (i) makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of any Report and (ii) shall not be liable for any information contained in any Report;

 

(c)                                   expressly agrees and acknowledges that the Reports are not comprehensive audits or examinations, that any Appointed Agent or other party performing any audit or examination will inspect only specific information regarding the Obligors and will rely significantly upon the Obligors’ books and records, as well as on representations of Obligors’ personnel;

 

(d)                                  agrees to keep all Reports confidential and strictly for its internal use, and not to distribute except to its participants, or use any Report in any other manner; and

 

(e)                                   without limiting the generality of any other indemnification provision contained in this Agreement, agrees:  (i) to hold each Appointed Agent and any such other Person preparing a Report harmless from any action the indemnifying Lender may take or conclusion the indemnifying Lender may reach or draw from any Report in connection with any loans or other credit accommodations that the indemnifying Lender has made or may make to the Borrower, or the indemnifying Lender’s participation in, or the indemnifying Lender’s purchase of, a loan or loans of the Borrower; and (ii) to pay and protect, and indemnify, defend and hold each Appointed Agent and any such other Person preparing a Report harmless from and against, the claims, actions, proceedings, damages, costs, expenses and other amounts (including Attorney Costs) incurred by such Appointed Agent and any such other Person preparing a Report as the direct or indirect result of any third parties who might obtain all or part of any Report through the indemnifying Lender.

 

13.18                  Relation Among Lenders .  The Lenders are not partners or co-venturers, and no Lender shall be liable for the acts or omissions of, or (except as otherwise set forth herein in the case of the Appointed Agents) authorized to act for, any other Lender.

 

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13.19                  Arrangers; Co-Syndication Agents; Co-Documentation Agents .

 

(a)                                  Each of the parties to this Agreement acknowledges that, other than any rights and duties explicitly assigned to the Arrangers under this Agreement, the Arrangers do not have any obligations hereunder and shall not be responsible or accountable to any other party hereto for any action or failure to act hereunder.  Without limiting the foregoing, no Arranger shall have or be deemed to have any fiduciary relationship with any Lender.  Each Lender acknowledges that it has not relied, and will not rely, on the Arrangers in deciding to enter into this Agreement or in taking or not taking action hereunder.

 

(b)                                  No Lender identified on the facing page of this Agreement as a “Co-Syndication Agent” or a “Co-Documentation Agent” shall have any right, power, obligation, liability, responsibility or duty under this Agreement other than those applicable to all Lenders as such.  Without limiting the foregoing, no Lender identified as a “Co-Syndication Agent” or a “Co-Documentation Agent” shall have or be deemed to have any fiduciary relationship with any Lender.  Each Lender acknowledges that it has not relied, and will not rely, on any of the Lenders so identified in deciding to enter into this Agreement or in taking or not taking action hereunder.

 

13.20                  The Register .

 

(a)                                  The Agent shall maintain a register (each, a “ Register ”), which shall include a master account and a subsidiary account for each applicable Lender and in which accounts (taken together) shall be recorded (i) the date and amount of each Borrowing made hereunder, the Type of each Loan comprising such Borrowing and any Interest Period applicable thereto, (ii) the effective date and amount of each Assignment and Acceptance delivered to and accepted by it and the parties thereto, (iii) the amount of any principal or interest due and payable or to become due and payable from the Borrower to each Lender hereunder or under the notes payable by the Borrower to such Lender, and (iv) the amount of any sum received by the Agent from the Borrower or any other Obligor and each Lender’s ratable share thereof.  Each Register shall be available for inspection by the Borrower or any applicable Lender (with respect to its own Loans and Commitments only) at the office of the Agent referred to in Section 14.8 at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice.  Any failure of the Agent to record in the applicable Register, or any error in doing so, shall not limit or otherwise affect the obligation of the Borrower hereunder (or under any Loan Document) to pay any amount owing with respect to the Loans or provide the basis for any claim against the Agent.  The Loans and Letters of Credit are registered obligations and the right, title and interest of any Lender and their assignees in and to such Loans and Letters of Credit as the case may be, shall be transferable only upon notation of such transfer in the applicable Register.  Upon the request of any Lender made through the Agent, the Borrower shall execute and deliver to such Lender (through the Agent) a Note payable to such Lender, which shall evidence such Lender’s Loans in addition to such accounts or records.  Each Lender may attach schedules to its Note and endorse thereon the date, Type (if applicable), amount and maturity of its Loans and payments with respect thereto.  Solely for purposes of this Section 13.20 , the Agent shall be the Borrower’s agent for purposes of maintaining the applicable Register (but the Agent shall have no liability whatsoever to the Borrower or any other Person on account of any inaccuracies contained in the applicable Register).  The Obligors and the Agent intend that the Loans and Letters of Credit will be treated as at all times maintained in “registered form” within the meaning of Sections 163(f), 871(h)(2) and 881(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code and any related regulations (and any other relevant or successor provisions of the Internal Revenue Code or such regulations).

 

(b)                                  In the event that any Lender sells participations in any Loan, Commitment or other interest of such Lender hereunder or under any other Loan Document, such Lender, acting solely for this purpose as a non-fiduciary agent of the Borrower, shall maintain a register on which it enters the name of all Participants in the Loans held by it and the principal amount (and related interest thereon) of the portion of the Loans or Commitments which are the subject of the participation (the “ Participant Register ”).  A Loan or Commitment  may be participated in whole or in part only by registration of such participation on the Participant Register (and each note shall expressly so provide).  Any participation of such Loans or Commitments may be effected only by the registration of such participation on the Participant Register.  No Lender shall have any obligation to disclose all or any portion of the Participant Register to any Person (including the identity of any Participant or any information relating to a Participant’s interest in any Commitments, Loans, Letters of Credit or its other obligations under any Loan Document) except to the extent that such disclosure is necessary to establish that such Commitment, Loan, Letter of Credit or other obligation is in registered form under Section 45.103-1(c) of the United States Treasury Regulations.  The entries in the Participant Register shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

 

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(c)                                   Each Register shall be maintained by the Agent as a non-fiduciary agent of the Borrower.  Each Register shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

 

13.21                  Secured Cash Management Agreements and Secured Hedge Agreements .  Except as otherwise expressly set forth herein or in the Guarantee Agreement or any Security Document, no Cash Management Bank or Hedge Bank that obtains the benefits of any Guaranty or any Collateral by virtue of the provisions hereof or of the Guarantee Agreement or any Security Document shall have any right to notice of any action or to consent to, direct or object to any action hereunder or under any other Loan Document or otherwise in respect of the Collateral (including the release or impairment of any Collateral) other than in its capacity as a Lender and, in such case, only to the extent expressly provided in the Loan Documents.  Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article XIII to the contrary, the Agent shall not be required to verify the payment of, or that other satisfactory arrangements have been made with respect to, Obligations arising under Secured Cash Management Agreements and Secured Hedge Agreements unless the Agent has received written notice of such Obligations, together with such supporting documentation as the Agent may request, from the applicable Cash Management Bank or Hedge Bank, as the case may be.

 

13.22                  Withholding Taxes .  To the extent required by any applicable Law, the Agent may deduct or withhold from any payment to any Lender an amount equivalent to any applicable withholding Tax.  If the Internal Revenue Service or any other Governmental Authority asserts a claim that the Agent did not properly withhold Tax from amounts paid to or for the account of any Lender for any reason (including because the appropriate form was not delivered or was not properly executed or because such Lender failed to notify the Agent of a change in circumstance that rendered the exemption from, or reduction of, withholding Tax ineffective), such Lender shall indemnify and hold harmless the Agent fully for all amounts paid, directly or indirectly, by the Agent as Tax or otherwise, including any penalties, additions to Tax or interest and together with all expenses (including legal expenses, allocated internal costs and out-of-pocket expenses) incurred, whether or not such Tax was 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 shall be conclusive absent manifest error.  Each Lender hereby authorizes the Agent to set-off and apply any and all amounts at any time owing to such Lender under this Agreement or any other Loan Document against any amount due the Agent under this Section 13.22 .  The agreements in this Section 13.22 shall survive the resignation and/or replacement of the Agent, any assignment of rights by, or the replacement of, a Lender, the termination of this Agreement and the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all other obligations.  For the avoidance of doubt, (1) the term “Lender” shall, for purposes of this Section 13.22 , include any Letter of Credit Issuer and any Swingline Lender and (2) this Section 13.22 shall not limit or expand the obligations of the Borrower or any Guarantor under Section 5.1 or any other provision of this Agreement.

 

ARTICLE XIV

 

MISCELLANEOUS

 

14.1                         No Waivers; Cumulative Remedies .  No failure by any Appointed Agent or any Lender to exercise any right, remedy, or option under this Agreement or any present or future supplement hereto, or in any other Loan Documents, or delay by any Appointed Agent or any Lender in exercising the same, will operate as a waiver thereof.  No waiver by any Appointed Agent or any Lender will be effective unless it is in writing, and then only to the extent specifically stated.  No waiver by any Appointed Agent or the Lenders on any occasion shall affect or diminish any Appointed Agent’s and each Lender’s rights thereafter to require strict performance by the Obligors of any provision of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents.  Each Appointed Agent’s and each Lender’s rights under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents will be cumulative and not exclusive of any other right or remedy which the Appointed Agent or any Lender may have.

 

14.2                         Severability .  The illegality or unenforceability of any provision of this Agreement or any Loan Document or any instrument or agreement required hereunder shall not in any way affect or impair the legality or enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement or any instrument or agreement required hereunder.

 

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14.3                         Governing Law; Choice of Forum; Service of Process .

 

(a)                                  THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE INTERPRETED AND THE RIGHTS AND LIABILITIES OF THE PARTIES HERETO DETERMINED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

 

(b)                                  ANY LEGAL ACTION OR PROCEEDING WITH RESPECT TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT SHALL BE BROUGHT IN THE COURTS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK OR OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA LOCATED IN NEW YORK COUNTY, AND BY EXECUTION AND DELIVERY OF THIS AGREEMENT, EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO CONSENTS, FOR ITSELF AND IN RESPECT OF ITS PROPERTY, TO THE EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF THOSE COURTS.  EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY OBJECTION, INCLUDING ANY OBJECTION TO THE LAYING OF VENUE OR BASED ON THE GROUNDS OF FORUM NON CONVENIENCE, WHICH IT MAY NOW OR HEREAFTER HAVE TO THE BRINGING OF ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING IN SUCH JURISDICTION IN RESPECT OF THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY LOAN DOCUMENT.  NOTWITHSTANDING THE FOREGOING:  (i) THE AGENT SHALL HAVE THE RIGHT TO BRING ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING AGAINST THE BORROWER, ANY GUARANTOR OR ANY COLLATERAL IN THE COURTS OF ANY OTHER JURISDICTION THE AGENT DEEMS NECESSARY OR APPROPRIATE IN ORDER TO REALIZE ON THE COLLATERAL OR OTHER SECURITY FOR THE OBLIGATIONS AND (ii) EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO ACKNOWLEDGES THAT ANY APPEALS FROM THE COURTS DESCRIBED IN THE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING SENTENCE MAY HAVE TO BE HEARD BY A COURT LOCATED OUTSIDE THOSE JURISDICTIONS.

 

(c)                                   EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO HEREBY WAIVES PERSONAL SERVICE OF ANY AND ALL PROCESS UPON IT AND CONSENTS THAT ALL SUCH SERVICE OF PROCESS MAY BE MADE BY REGISTERED MAIL (RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED) DIRECTED TO THE APPLICABLE ADDRESS SET FORTH IN SECTION 14.8 AND SERVICE SO MADE SHALL BE DEEMED TO BE COMPLETED FIVE (5) DAYS AFTER THE SAME SHALL HAVE BEEN SO DEPOSITED IN THE MAILS POSTAGE PREPAID.

 

14.4                         WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL .  EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO IRREVOCABLY WAIVES THEIR RESPECTIVE RIGHTS TO A TRIAL BY JURY OF ANY CLAIM OR CAUSE OF ACTION BASED UPON OR ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT, THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS, OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY, IN ANY ACTION, PROCEEDING OR OTHER LITIGATION OF ANY TYPE BROUGHT BY ANY OF THE PARTIES AGAINST ANY OTHER PARTY OR ANY AGENT-RELATED PERSON, PARTICIPANT OR ASSIGNEE, WHETHER WITH RESPECT TO CONTRACT CLAIMS, TORT CLAIMS, OR OTHERWISE.  EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO AGREES THAT ANY SUCH CLAIM OR CAUSE OF ACTION SHALL BE TRIED BY A COURT TRIAL WITHOUT A JURY. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, THE PARTIES FURTHER AGREE THAT THEIR RESPECTIVE RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY IS WAIVED BY OPERATION OF THIS SECTION AS TO ANY ACTION, COUNTERCLAIM OR OTHER PROCEEDING WHICH SEEKS, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, TO CHALLENGE THE VALIDITY OR ENFORCEABILITY OF THIS AGREEMENT OR THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS OR ANY PROVISION HEREOF OR THEREOF.  THIS WAIVER SHALL APPLY TO ANY SUBSEQUENT AMENDMENTS, RENEWALS, SUPPLEMENTS OR MODIFICATIONS TO THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS.

 

14.5                         Survival of Representations and Warranties .  All of the Borrower’s and other Obligors’ representations and warranties contained in this Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall survive the execution, delivery, and acceptance thereof by the parties, notwithstanding any investigation by the Agent or the Lenders or their respective agents.

 

14.6                         Other Security and Guarantees .  The Agent may, without notice or demand and without affecting the Borrower’s or any Obligor’s obligations hereunder, from time to time:  (a) take from any Person and hold collateral (other than the Collateral) for the payment of all or any part of the Obligations and exchange, enforce or release such collateral or any part thereof; and (b) accept and hold any endorsement or guaranty of payment of all or any part of the Obligations and release or substitute any such endorser or guarantor, or any Person who has given any

 

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Lien in any other collateral as security for the payment of all or any part of the Obligations, or any other Person in any way obligated to pay all or any part of the Obligations.

 

14.7                         Fees and Expenses .  Except for the costs and expenses relating to Field Examinations, which shall be covered by Section 8.4 , the Borrower agrees (a) if the Closing Date occurs, to pay or reimburse the Agent, the Collateral Agent and the Arrangers (without duplication) for all reasonable and documented or invoiced out-of-pocket costs and expenses associated with the syndication of the Revolving Credit Facility and the preparation, execution and delivery, administration, amendment, modification, waiver and/or enforcement of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, and any amendment, waiver, consent or other modification of the provisions hereof and thereof (whether or not the transactions contemplated thereby are consummated), such costs and expenses to be limited in the case of legal costs and expenses to the Attorney Costs) and (b) to pay or reimburse the Agent and the Collateral Agent for all reasonable and documented or invoiced out-of-pocket costs and expenses incurred in connection with the enforcement of any rights or remedies under this Agreement or the other Loan Documents (such costs and expenses to be limited in the case of legal costs and expenses to the Attorney Costs).  Subject to the limitations above, the foregoing costs and expenses shall include all reasonable and documented or invoiced search, filing, recording and title insurance charges and fees related thereto, all reasonable and documented or invoiced costs and expenses in connection with the opening and maintenance of the Concentration Account.  The agreements in this Section 14.7 shall survive the Termination Date and repayment of all other Obligations.  All amounts due under this Section 14.7 shall be paid within twenty (20) Business Days of receipt by the Borrower of an invoice relating thereto setting forth such expenses in reasonable detail.

 

14.8                         Notices .  Except as otherwise provided herein, all notices, demands and requests that any party is required or elects to give to any other shall be in writing, or by a telecommunications device capable of creating a written record, and any such notice shall become effective (a) upon personal delivery thereof, including, but not limited to, delivery by overnight mail and courier service, (b) four (4) days after it shall have been mailed by United States mail, first class, certified or registered, with postage prepaid, or (c) in the case of notice by such a telecommunications device, when properly transmitted, in each case addressed to the party to be notified as follows:

 

If to the Agent:

 

BARCLAYS BANK PLC

 

 

745 Seventh Avenue

 

 

New York, NY 10019

 

 

Attention: Marguerite Sutton

 

 

Email: marguerite.sutton@barclays.com

 

 

Telecopy No.: 212-526-5115

 

 

 

If to the Borrower:

 

PROPETRO SERVICES, INC.

 

 

1706 South Midkiff Road

 

 

Midland, TX 79701

 

 

Attention: Jeff Smith

 

 

Email: jeff.smith@propetroservices.com

 

 

Facsimile No.: 432-688-3976

 

 

 

If to a Lender or Letter of Credit Issuer:

 

To the address of such Lender or Letter of Credit Issuer set forth on the signature page hereto or on the Assignment and Acceptance for such Lender, as applicable

 

or to such other address as each party may designate for itself by like notice.  Failure or delay in delivering copies of any notice, demand, request, consent, approval, declaration or other communication to the persons designated above to receive copies shall not adversely affect the effectiveness of such notice, demand, request, consent, approval, declaration or other communication.

 

14.9                         Binding Effect .  The provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the respective representatives, successors, and assigns of the parties hereto.  The rights and benefits of the Agent and the Lenders hereunder shall, if such Persons so agree, inure to any party acquiring any interest in the Obligations or any part thereof.

 

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14.10                  Indemnity of the Agent, the Collateral Agent and the Lenders .  The Borrower agrees to defend, indemnify and hold all Agent-Related Persons, each Arranger, the Co-Syndication Agents, the Co-Documentation Agents and each Lender (without duplication) and each of their respective Affiliates, officers, directors, employees, agents, controlling persons, advisors and other representatives, successors and permitted assigns of the foregoing (each, an “ Indemnified Person ”) harmless from and against any and all losses, claims, costs, damages and liabilities (collectively, “ Losses ”) of any kind or nature and the reasonable and documented or invoiced out-of-pocket fees and expenses incurred in connection with investigating, responding to or defending any of the foregoing (such expenses, in the case of legal expenses, to be limited to the reasonable fees, disbursements and other charges of a single firm of counsel for all Indemnified Persons, taken as a whole, and, if necessary, of a single firm of local counsel in each appropriate jurisdiction (which may include a single firm of special counsel acting in multiple jurisdictions) for all Indemnified Persons taken as a whole (and, in the case of an actual or perceived conflict of interest, where the Indemnified Person(s) affected by such conflict notifies the Borrower of the existence of such conflict and thereafter retains its own counsel, by such other firm of counsel for such affected Indemnified Person)) of any such Indemnified Person arising out of or relating to any claim, litigation, investigation or other proceeding or any actual or alleged Release or threat of Release of any Contaminant at any facility or location currently or formerly owned or operated by Holdings or the Borrower or any liability under Environmental Laws relating in any way to Holdings or the Borrower (including any inquiry or investigation of the foregoing) (regardless of whether such Indemnified Person is a party thereto or whether or not such action, claim, litigation or proceeding was brought by the Borrower, its equity holders, affiliates or creditors or any other third Person) that relates to the Transactions, including the financing contemplated hereby and the use of proceeds hereof; provided that no Indemnified Person will be indemnified for any Loss or related expense to the extent it has resulted from (i) the gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct of such Indemnified Person or any of its Affiliates or any of the officers, directors, employees, agents, controlling persons, advisors or other representatives, successors or permitted assigns of any of the foregoing (as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction in a final and non-appealable decision), (ii) a material breach of the obligations under this Agreement or the other Loan Documents of such Indemnified Person or any of such Indemnified Person’s Affiliates or any of the officers, directors, employees, agents, controlling persons, advisors or other representatives, successors or permitted assigns of any of the foregoing (as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction in a final and non-appealable decision) or (iii) any claim, litigation, investigation or other proceeding that does not arise from any act or omission by the Borrower or any of its Affiliates and that is brought by any Indemnified Person against any other Indemnified Person; provided that the Agent, the Collateral Agent and the Arrangers to the extent fulfilling their respective roles as an agent or arranger under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents and in their capacities as such, shall remain indemnified in respect of such proceedings to the extent that none of the exceptions set forth in any of clauses (i)  and (ii)  of the immediately preceding proviso applies to such person at such time.  The agreements in this Section shall survive payment of all other Obligations.  For the avoidance of doubt, this Section 14.10 shall not apply to Taxes other than Taxes that represent liabilities, obligations, losses or damages, with respect to a non-Tax claim.

 

14.11                  Limitation of Liability .  Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary, (i) no Indemnified Person shall be liable for any damages arising from the use by others of information or other materials obtained through internet, electronic, telecommunications or other information transmission systems, except to the extent that such damages have resulted from the willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence of such Indemnified Person or any of such Indemnified Person’s affiliates or any of its or their respective officers, directors, employees, agents, controlling persons, advisors or other representatives, successors or permitted assigns (as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction in a final and non-appealable decision) and (ii) none of the Borrower, the other Obligors or any of their respective Subsidiaries or Affiliates, or any Indemnified Person shall be liable for any indirect, special, punitive or consequential damages (including, without limitation, any loss of profits, business or anticipated savings) in connection with this Agreement, the other Loan Documents, the Transactions (including the use of proceeds hereof), or with respect to any activities related to this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, including the preparation of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents; provided that nothing in this Section 14.11 shall limit the Borrower’s indemnity and reimbursement obligations set forth in Section 14.10 to the extent that such indirect, special, punitive or consequential damages are included in any claim by a third party unaffiliated with the applicable Indemnified Person with respect to which the applicable Indemnified Person is entitled to indemnification as set forth in Section 14.10 .

 

14.12                  Final Agreement .  This Agreement and the other Loan Documents are intended by the parties hereto to be the final, complete, and exclusive expression of the agreement between them.  This Agreement supersedes

 

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any and all prior oral or written agreements relating to the subject matter hereof, [except for the fee provisions in Section [  ] of the Engagement Letter].

 

14.13                  Counterparts; Facsimile Signatures .  This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, and by the Agent, the Collateral Agent, the Letter of Credit Issuers, each Lender and the Borrower in separate counterparts, each of which shall be an original, but all of which shall together constitute one and the same agreement; signature pages may be detached from multiple separate counterparts and attached to a single counterpart so that all signature pages are physically attached to the same document.  This Agreement and the other Loan Documents may be executed by facsimile or other electronic communication and the effectiveness of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents and signatures thereon shall have the same force and effect as manually signed originals and shall be binding on all parties thereto.  The Agent may require that any such documents and signatures be confirmed by a manually-signed original thereof, provided that the failure to request or deliver the same shall not limit the effectiveness of any facsimile signature.

 

14.14                  Captions .  The captions contained in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only, are without substantive meaning and should not be construed to modify, enlarge, or restrict any provision.

 

14.15                  Right of Setoff .  In addition to any rights and remedies of the Lenders provided by Law, if an Event of Default is then continuing or the Loans have been accelerated prior to the Stated Termination Date, each Lender is authorized at any time and from time to time, without prior notice to the Borrower or any Guarantor, any such notice being waived by each Obligor 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 by, and other indebtedness at any time owing by, such Lender or any Affiliate of such Lender to or for the credit or the account of the Borrower or any Guarantor against any and all Obligations then due and owing by an Obligor under this Agreement or any other Loan Document to such Lender, now or hereafter existing, irrespective of whether or not the Agent or such Lender shall have made demand under this Agreement or any Loan Document.  Each Lender agrees promptly to notify the Borrower and the Agent after any such set-off and application made by such Lender; provided , however , that the failure to give such notice shall not affect the validity of such set-off and application.  NOTWITHSTANDING THE FOREGOING, NO LENDER SHALL EXERCISE ANY RIGHT OF SET-OFF, BANKER’S LIEN, OR THE LIKE AGAINST ANY DEPOSIT ACCOUNT OR PROPERTY OF THE BORROWER OR ANY GUARANTOR HELD OR MAINTAINED BY SUCH LENDER WITHOUT THE PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE REQUIRED LENDERS.

 

14.16                  Confidentiality .  Each Lender, each Letter of Credit Issuer and the Agent severally agrees to treat confidentially and not publish, disclose or otherwise divulge any non-public information provided to any of them or any of their Affiliates by or on behalf of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or in connection with this Agreement, the other Loan Documents or the Transactions; provided that nothing herein shall prevent such Person from disclosing any such information (a) pursuant to the order of any court or administrative agency or in any pending legal, judicial or administrative proceeding, or otherwise as required by applicable law, rule or regulation, or compulsory legal process based on the reasonable advice of counsel (in which case such Person agrees (except with respect to any audit or examination conducted by bank accountants or any self-regulatory authority or Governmental Authority exercising examination or regulatory authority), to the extent practicable and not prohibited by applicable Law, rule or regulation, to inform you promptly thereof prior to disclosure), (b) upon the request or demand of any regulatory authority having jurisdiction or purporting to have jurisdiction over such Person or any of its Affiliates (in which case such Person agrees (except with respect to any audit or examination conducted by bank accountants or any regulatory authority exercising examination or regulatory authority), to the extent practicable and not prohibited by applicable Law, rule or regulation, to inform you promptly thereof prior to disclosure), (c) to the extent that such information becomes publicly available other than by reason of improper disclosure by such Person or any of its Affiliates or any related parties thereto (including any of the persons referred to in clause (f) below) in violation of any confidentiality obligations owing to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates, (d) to the extent that such information is or was received by such Person from a third party that is not, to such Person’s knowledge, subject to contractual or fiduciary confidentiality obligations owing to the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates, (e) to the extent that such information is independently developed by such Person or its Affiliates without the use of any confidential information and without violating the terms of this Agreement, (f) to such Person’s Affiliates and to its and their respective directors, officers, employees, legal counsel, independent auditors, professionals and other experts or agents who need to know such information in connection with this Agreement and who are informed

 

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of the confidential nature of such information or who are subject to customary confidentiality obligations of professional practice (with such Person, to the extent within its control, responsible for such person’s compliance with this Section 14.16 ), (g) for purposes of establishing a “due diligence” defense and (h) to potential or prospective Lenders, Participants or Assignees and to any direct or indirect contractual counterparty to any swap or derivative transaction relating to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, in each case who agree to be bound by the terms of this paragraph (or language substantially similar to this paragraph); provided that, for purposes of this clause (h) , (i) the disclosure of any such information to any Lenders, hedge providers, Participants or Assignees, or prospective Lenders, hedge providers, Participants or Assignees referred to above shall be made subject to the acknowledgment and acceptance by such Lender, hedge provider, Participant or Assignee, or prospective Lender, hedge provider, Participant or Assignee that such information is being disseminated on a confidential basis (on substantially the terms set forth in this paragraph or as is otherwise reasonably acceptable to the Borrower and such Person) in accordance with the standard syndication processes of the Agent or customary market standards for dissemination of such type of information, which shall in any event require “click through” or other affirmative actions on the part of recipient to access such information and (ii) no such disclosure shall be made by such Person to any person that is at such time a Disqualified Lender.

 

14.17                  Conflicts with Other Loan Documents .  Unless otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement (or in another Loan Document by specific reference to the applicable provision contained in this Agreement), if any provision contained in this Agreement conflicts with any provision of any other Loan Document, the provision contained in this Agreement shall govern and control.

 

14.18                  No Fiduciary Relationship .  Each Obligor acknowledges and agrees that, (i) in connection with all aspects of each transaction contemplated by this Agreement, the Obligors, on the one hand, and the Appointed Agents, the Arrangers, the Lenders and each of their Affiliates through which they may be acting (collectively, the “ Applicable Entities ”), on the other hand, have an arms-length business relationship that creates no fiduciary duty on the part of any Applicable Entity, and each Obligor expressly disclaims any fiduciary relationship, (ii) the Applicable Entities may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of such Obligor, and no Applicable Entity has any obligation to disclose any of such interests to such Obligor and (iii) such Obligor has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it has deemed appropriate. Each Obligor further acknowledges and agrees that such Obligor is responsible for making its own independent judgment with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the process leading thereto, and agrees that it will not claim that the Applicable Entities have rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owe a fiduciary or similar duty to such Obligor or its affiliates, in connection with such transactions or the process leading thereto.

 

14.19                  Judgment Currency .  If for the purpose of obtaining judgment in any court it is necessary to convert an amount due hereunder in the currency in which it is due (the “ Original Currency ”) into another currency (the “ Second Currency ”), the rate of exchange applied shall be that at which, in accordance with normal banking procedures, the Agent could purchase in the New York foreign exchange market, the Original Currency with the Second Currency on the date two (2) Business Days preceding that on which judgment is given.  Each Obligor agrees that its obligation in respect of any Original Currency due from it hereunder shall, notwithstanding any judgment or payment in such other currency, be discharged only to the extent that, on the Business Day following the date the Agent receives payment of any sum so adjudged to be due hereunder in the Second Currency, the Agent may, in accordance with normal banking procedures, purchase, in the New York foreign exchange market, the Original Currency with the amount of the Second Currency so paid; and if the amount of the Original Currency so purchased or could have been so purchased is less than the amount originally due in the Original Currency, each Obligor agrees as a separate obligation and notwithstanding any such payment or judgment to indemnify the Agent against such loss.  The term “rate of exchange” in this Section 14.19 means the spot rate at which the Agent, in accordance with normal practices, is able on the relevant date to purchase the Original Currency with the Second Currency, and includes any premium and costs of exchange payable in connection with such purchase.

 

14.20                  USA PATRIOT Act .  Each Lender that is subject to the Act (as hereinafter defined) and the Agent (for itself and not on behalf of any Lender) hereby notifies each Obligor that pursuant to the requirements of the USA PATRIOT Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)) (the “ Act ”), it is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each Obligor, which information includes the name and address of each Obligor and other information that will allow such Lender or the Agent, as applicable, to identify each Obligor

 

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in accordance with the Act.  Each Obligor shall, promptly following a request by the Agent or any Lender, provide all documentation and other information that the Agent or such Lender requests in order to comply with its ongoing obligations under applicable “know your customer” an anti-money laundering rules and regulations, including the Act.

 

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

 

(a)                                  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, to the extent such liability is unsecured, 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:

 

(i)                   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

 

(ii)                the effects of any Bail-In Action on any such liability, including, if applicable:

 

(A)                                a reduction in full or in part or cancellation of any such liability;

 

(B)                                a conversion of all, or a portion of, such liability into shares or other instruments of ownership in such EEA Financial Institution, its parent undertaking, or a bridge institution that may be issued to it or otherwise conferred on it, and that such shares or other instruments of ownership will be accepted by it in lieu of any rights with respect to any such liability under this Agreement or any other Loan Document; or

 

(C)                                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.

 

[Remainder of Page Left Blank]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have entered into this Agreement on the date first above written.

 

 

PROPETRO HOLDING CORP., as Holdings

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

S- 1



 

 

PROPETRO SERVICES, INC., as the Borrower

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notice Details for Purposes of Section 14.8:

 

 

 

Address: [                    ]

 

Attn: [                    ]

 

Email: [                    ]

 

Telecopy No.: [                    ]

 

S- 2



 

 

BARCLAYS BANK PLC, as the Agent, the Collateral Agent, a Letter of Credit Issuer, the Swingline Lender and a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

S- 3



 

 

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.,

 

as a Letter of Credit Issuer and a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

S- 4



 

 

[                    ], as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

Address: [                    ]

 

Attn: [                    ]

 

Telecopy No.: [                    ]

 

S- 5

 



 

Schedule 1.1

Lenders’ Commitments

 

Lender

 

Commitment

 

Applicable

 

 

 

 

Percentage

Barclays Bank PLC

 

[                   ]

 

[            ]

JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.

 

[                   ]

 

[            ]

Goldman Sachs Bank USA LLC

 

[                   ]

 

[            ]

Credit Suisse AG, Cayman Islands Branch

 

[                   ]

 

[            ]

Royal Bank of Canada

 

[                   ]

 

[            ]

Total

 

$150,000,000.00

 

100%

 




Exhibit 10.17

 

PROPETRO HOLDING CORP.

 

Restricted Stock Unit Grant Notice

 

ProPetro Holding Corp., a Texas corporation (the “ Company ”) hereby grants you, Dale Redman (“ Grantee ”), the number of Restricted Stock Units set forth below (the “ Restricted Stock Units ” or “ RSUs ”).  The Restricted Stock Units are subject to all of the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the Restricted Stock Unit Agreement attached hereto as Appendix A (the “ Restricted Stock Unit Agreement ”), which is incorporated herein by reference.  Unless otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms shall have the defined meanings ascribed to them in the Restricted Stock Unit Agreement.

 

Each Restricted Stock Unit represents the right to receive one share of common stock of the Company, par value $0.001 per share (“ Common Stock ”) in accordance with the Vesting Schedule.  The principal features of this award are as follows:

 

Date of Grant :

September 30, 2013

 

 

Number of RSUs :

43,773,113

 

 

Vesting Date :

Subject to the terms of the Restricted Stock Unit Agreement, the RSUs shall vest and the shares of Common Stock subject to the RSUs shall be paid to the Grantee upon a Change in Control, whether or not Grantee is an employee, consultant or director of the Company on such date.

 

Your signature below indicates your agreement and understanding that this award is subject to all of the terms and conditions contained in the Restricted Stock Unit Agreement.  By your signature below, you hereby agree to accept as final, binding and conclusive all decisions or interpretations of the Board of Directors of the Company on any questions arising under this Grant Notice and the Restricted Stock Unit Agreement.

 

 

PROPETRO HOLDING CORP.

 

GRANTEE

 

 

 

/s/ Jeffrey Smith

 

 

/s/ Dale Redman

By: Jeffrey Smith

 

Dale Redman

Its: Secretary

 

 

Date: September 30, 2013

 

Date: September 30, 2013

 



 

APPENDIX A

 

RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AGREEMENT

 

1.                                     Grant .  Pursuant to the Restricted Stock Unit Grant Notice (the “ Grant Notice ”) to which this Restricted Stock Unit Agreement is attached (this “ Agreement ”), ProPetro Holding Corp. (the “ Company ”) has granted to the individual set forth in the Grant Notice (the “ Grantee ”) an award of the number of Restricted Stock Units set forth in the Grant Notice (the “ Restricted Stock Units ” or “ RSUs ”), subject to all of the terms and conditions in this Agreement.  Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to them in paragraph 18 of this Agreement.

 

2.                                     Payment .

 

(a)                                The Restricted Stock Units entitle the Grantee to receive an equal number of whole shares of Common Stock on the Vesting Date, as set forth in the Grant Notice.

 

(b)                               If the Grantee ceases to be an employee, consultant or director of the Company prior to the Vesting Date, he shall not forfeit any rights with respect to the unvested RSUs and shall be entitled to receive payment with respect thereto, if any, on the Vesting Date.

 

(c)                                Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Company shall be entitled to require payment by Grantee of any sums required by applicable law to be withheld with respect to the grant of RSUs or the issuance of shares of Common Stock.  Such payment shall be made in cash or a form of consideration acceptable to the Company which may, in the sole discretion of the Board, include (i) cash, (ii) a deduction from other compensation payable to Grantee, (iii) the withholding of shares of Common Stock having a Fair Market Value equal to the statutory minimum withholding obligation or (iv) the tendering by Grantee of shares of Common Stock held by the Grantee for at least six months on the date of surrender and having a Fair Market Value equal to the withholding obligations.  The Company shall not be obligated to deliver any new certificate representing shares of Common Stock to Grantee or Grantee’s legal representative unless and until Grantee or Grantee’s legal representative shall have paid or otherwise satisfied in full the amount of all federal, state and local taxes applicable to the taxable income of Grantee resulting from the grant of the RSUs or the issuance of shares of Common Stock.

 

3.                                     Rights as Stockholder .  The Grantee shall not have any of the rights or privileges of a stockholder of the Company in respect of any shares of Common Stock deliverable hereunder unless and until certificates representing such shares of Common Stock will have been issued, recorded on the records of the Company or its transfer agents or registrars, and delivered to the Grantee.

 

4.                                     No Effect on Service .  The Grantee’s service with the Company is subject to the terms of that certain employment agreement entered into on April 17, 2013 by and between the Grantee and the Company (the “ Employment Agreement ”).  Neither the RSUs nor this Agreement confers upon the Grantee any additional right to continue to be an employee of the Company or

 

1



 

any of its subsidiaries or interferes in any way with the rights of the Company or any of its subsidiaries under the Employment Agreement.

 

5.                                     Grant is Not Transferable .  This grant and the rights and privileges conferred hereby will not be transferred, assigned, pledged or hypothecated in any way (whether by operation of law or otherwise) and will not be subject to sale under execution, attachment or similar process.  Upon any attempt to transfer, assign, pledge, hypothecate or otherwise dispose of this grant, or any right or privilege conferred hereby, or upon any attempted sale under any execution, attachment or similar process, this grant and the rights and privileges conferred hereby immediately will become null and void.

 

6.                                     Binding Agreement .  Subject to the limitation on the transferability of this grant contained herein, this Agreement will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the heirs, legatees, legal representatives, successors and assigns of the parties hereto.

 

7.                                     Additional Conditions to Issuance of Stock .  If at any time the Company will determine, in its discretion, that the listing, registration or qualification of the shares of Common Stock upon any securities exchange or under any state or federal law, or the consent or approval of any governmental regulatory authority is necessary or desirable as a condition to the issuance of shares of Common Stock to the Grantee (or his estate), such issuance will not occur unless and until such listing, registration, qualification, consent or approval will have been effected or obtained free of any conditions not acceptable to the Company.  The Company will make all reasonable efforts to meet the requirements of any such state or federal law or securities exchange and to obtain any such consent or approval of any such governmental authority.

 

8.                                     Administrative Authority .  The Board will have the power to interpret this Agreement and to adopt such rules for the administration, interpretation and application of this Agreement as are consistent herewith and to interpret or revoke any such rules.  All actions taken and all interpretations and determinations made by the Board in good faith will be final and binding upon Grantee, the Company and all other interested persons.  No member of the Board will be personally liable for any action, determination or interpretation made in good faith with respect to this Agreement.

 

9.                                     Captions .  Captions provided herein are for convenience only and are not to serve as a basis for interpretation or construction of this Agreement.

 

10.                             Agreement Severable .  In the event that any provision in this Agreement will be held invalid or unenforceable, such provision will be severable from, and such invalidity or unenforceability will not be construed to have any effect on, the remaining provisions of this Agreement.

 

11.                             Transfer Restrictions .

 

(a)                                Market Standoff Agreement .  Grantee hereby agrees that if so requested by the Company or any representative of the underwriters (the “ Managing Underwriter ”) in connection with any registration of the offering of any securities of the Company under the Securities Act,

 

2



 

Grantee shall not sell or otherwise transfer any shares of Common Stock or other securities of the Company during the 180-day period (or such longer period as may be requested in writing by the Managing Underwriter and agreed to in writing by the Company) (the “ Market Standoff Period ”) following the effective date of a registration statement of the Company filed under the Securities Act; provided, however, that such restriction shall apply only to the first registration statement of the Company to become effective under the Securities Act that includes securities to be sold on behalf of the Company to the public in an underwritten public offering under the Securities Act.  The Company may impose stop-transfer instructions with respect to securities subject to the foregoing restrictions until the end of such Market Standoff Period and these restrictions shall be binding on any transferee of such shares of Common Stock.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the 180-day period may be extended for up to such number of additional days as is deemed necessary by the Company or the Managing Underwriter to continue coverage by research analysts in accordance with NASD Rule 2711 or any successor rule.

 

(b)                               Securities Laws Compliance .  Grantee agrees and acknowledges that Grantee will not transfer in any manner the Common Stock issued pursuant to this Agreement unless (i) the transfer is pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act, or the rules and regulations in effect thereunder or (ii) counsel for the Company shall have reasonably concluded that no such registration is required because of the availability of an exemption from registration under the Securities Act.

 

(c)                                Legend .  Any certificate representing the Common Stock issued pursuant to this Agreement shall bear the following legend, in addition to any other legend required by law or otherwise:

 

“THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “ SECURITIES ACT ”), AND HAVE BEEN ACQUIRED FOR INVESTMENT AND NOT WITH A VIEW TO, OR IN CONNECTION WITH, THE SALE OR DISTRIBUTION THEREOF.  NO SUCH SALE OR DISTRIBUTION MAY BE EFFECTED WITHOUT AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT RELATED THERETO OR PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND, AT THE COMPANY’S OPTION, AN OPINION OF COUNSEL IN A FORM SATISFACTORY TO THE COMPANY THAT SUCH REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT.”

 

12.                             Adjustments upon Changes in Capitalization Subject to any required action by the Board, the number of RSUs and the number of shares of Common Stock under lying the RSUs shall be proportionally and equitably adjusted for any increase or decrease in the number of issued shares of Common Stock resulting from a subdivision or consolidation, stock dividend, amalgamation, spin-off, arrangement or consolidation, combination or reclassification of the shares of Common Stock.  Additionally, in the event of any other increase or decrease in the number of issued shares of Common Stock effected without consideration by the Company, the number of RSUs and the number of shares of Common Stock under lying the RSUs may be

 

3



 

adjusted for any increase or decrease in the number of issued shares of Common Stock resulting therefrom.

 

13.                             Amendment .  The provisions of this Agreement may be amended or waived only by written agreement between the Company and the Grantee, and no course of conduct or failure or delay in enforcing the provisions of this Agreement will affect the validity, binding effect or enforceability of this Agreement.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may amend, terminate or revoke this Agreement in any respect to the extent determined necessary or desirable by the Company in its discretion to comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code and the Department of Treasury regulations and other guidance promulgated thereunder.  Grantee expressly understands and agrees that no additional consent of Grantee shall be required in connection with such amendment, termination or revocation.

 

14.                             Successors and Assigns .  The Company may assign any of its rights under this Agreement to single or multiple assignees, and the RSUs shall inure to the benefit of the successors and assigns of the Company.  Subject to the restrictions on transfer herein set forth, this Agreement shall be binding upon Grantee and Grantee’s heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns.

 

15.                             Tax Consequences .  The Grantee has reviewed with the Grantee’s own tax advisors the federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences of this investment and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.  The Grantee is relying solely on such advisors and not on any statements or representations of the Company or any of its agents.  The Grantee understands that the Grantee (and not the Company) shall be responsible for the Grantee’s own tax liability that may arise as a result of this investment or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

16.                             Investment Representations .  In connection with the grant of RSUs and the issuance of shares of Common Stock under this Agreement, the Grantee represents to the Company the following:

 

(a)                                The Grantee is aware of the Company’s business affairs and financial condition and has acquired sufficient information about the Company to reach an informed and knowledgeable decision to acquire the RSUs and any shares of Common Stock issuable thereunder.  The Grantee is acquiring the RSUs and any shares of Common Stock issuable thereunder for investment for the Grantee’s own account only and not with a view to, or for resale in connection with, any “distribution” thereof within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ Securities Act ”).  Grantee is an “accredited investor” as defined in Regulation D under the Securities Act.

 

(b)                               The Grantee understands that the RSUs and any shares of Common Stock issuable thereunder have not been registered under the Securities Act by reason of a specific exemption therefrom, which exemption depends upon, among other things, the bona fide nature of the Grantee’s investment intent as expressed herein.

 

(c)                                The Grantee further acknowledges and understands that the RSUs and any shares of Common Stock issuable thereunder must be held indefinitely unless they are subsequently

 

4



 

registered under the Securities Act or an exemption from such registration is available.  The Grantee further acknowledges and understands that the Company is under no obligation to register the RSUs or any shares of Common Stock issuable thereunder.  The Grantee understands that the certificate evidencing any shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to the RSUs will be imprinted with a legend which prohibits the transfer of the shares of Common Stock unless they are registered or such registration is not required in the opinion of counsel satisfactory to the Company.

 

17.                             No Impact on other Rights This grant of the RSUs is voluntary, the value of which is an extraordinary item of compensation outside the scope of the Grantee’s normal employment and compensation rights, if any.  As such, the RSUs are not part of normal or expected compensation for purposes of calculating any severance, resignation, redundancy, end of service payments, bonuses, long-service awards, pensions or retirement benefits or similar payments unless specifically and otherwise provided  in the plans or agreements governing such compensation.  This grant of the RSUs is a one-time benefit and does not create any contractual or other right to receive any other grant of RSUs or other similar equity based compensation awards in the future.  Future grants, if any, will be at the sole discretion of the Company, including, but not limited to, the timing of the grant, the form of award, number of shares of Common Stock subject to an award, vesting, and exercise provisions, as relevant.

 

18.                             Definitions .  For purposes of this Agreement, unless the context otherwise requires, the following defined terms shall have the respective meanings set forth below:

 

(a)                                Board ” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

(b)                               Change in Control ” shall mean (x)(i) a merger or consolidation of the Company with or into any other corporation or other entity or Person, (ii) a sale, lease, exchange or other transfer in one transaction or a series of related transactions of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets, or (iii) any other transaction, including the sale by the Company of new shares of its Common Stock or a transfer of existing shares of Common Stock, the result of which is that a third party that is not an Affiliate of the Company or its shareholders (or a group of third parties not affiliated with the Company or its shareholders) immediately prior to such transaction acquires or holds Common Stock of the Company representing a majority of the Company’s outstanding voting power immediately following such transaction; provided that the following events shall not constitute a “Change in Control”: (A) a transaction (other than a sale of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets) in which the holders of the voting securities of the Company immediately prior to the merger or consolidation hold, directly or indirectly, at least a majority of the voting securities in the successor corporation or its parent immediately after the merger or consolidation; (B) a sale, lease, exchange or other transaction in one transaction or a series of related transactions of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets to an Affiliate of the Company; (C) an initial public offering of any of the Company’s securities; (D) a reincorporation of the Company solely to change its jurisdiction; or (E) a transaction undertaken for the primary purpose of creating a holding company that will be owned in substantially the same proportion by the Persons who held the Company’s securities immediately before such transaction, provided that (y) if an event or transaction described in (x) constitutes a payment event that provides for the deferral of compensation and is subject to Section 409A of

 

5



 

the Code, such transaction or event shall not  be a Change in Control hereunder unless it also constitutes a “change in control event,” as defined in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(5) to the extent required by Section 409A.

 

(c)                                Code ” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or any successor statute or statutes thereto.  Reference to any particular Code section shall include any successor section.

 

(d)                              Fair Market Value ” means, as of any date, the value of a share of Common Stock determined as follows:

 

(i)                                   the closing price of a share of Common Stock on the principal exchange on which such shares are then trading, if any (or as reported on any composite index which includes such principal exchange), on the most recent trading day prior to such determination date; or

 

(ii)                               if Common Stock is not traded on an exchange, the mean between the closing representative bid and asked prices for a share of Common Stock on the most recent trading day prior to such determination date as reported by Nasdaq or, if Nasdaq is not then in existence, by its successor quotation system; or

 

(iii)                           if Common Stock is not publicly traded on an exchange and not quoted on Nasdaq or a successor quotation system, the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined in good faith by the Board in its sole discretion.

 

19.                             General Provisions .

 

(a)                                This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of Texas.  This Agreement represents the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the RSUs and any shares of Common Stock issuable thereunder and may only be modified or amended in writing signed by both parties.

 

(b)                               Any notice, demand or request required or permitted to be given by either the Company or the Grantee pursuant to the terms of this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed given when delivered personally or deposited in the U.S. mail, First Class with postage prepaid, and addressed to the parties at the addresses of the parties set forth at the end of this Agreement or such other address as a party may request by notifying the other in writing.

 

(c)                                Either party’s failure to enforce any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall not in any way be construed as a waiver of any such provision or provisions, nor prevent that party thereafter from enforcing each and every other provision of this Agreement.  The rights granted both parties herein are cumulative and shall not constitute a waiver of either party’s right to assert all other legal remedies available to it under the circumstances.

 

(d)                              The Grantee agrees upon request to execute any further documents or instruments necessary or desirable to carry out the purposes or intent of this Agreement.

 

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(e)                                Grantee has reviewed this Agreement in its entirety, has had an opportunity to obtain the advice of counsel prior to executing this Agreement and fully understands all provisions of this Agreement.

 

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Exhibit 10.18

 

FORM OF PROPETRO HOLDING CORP.
2017 INCENTIVE AWARD PLAN

 

ARTICLE 1.

 

PURPOSE

 

The purpose of the ProPetro Holding Corp. 2017 Incentive Award Plan (as it may be amended or restated from time to time, the “ Plan ”) is to promote the success and enhance the value of ProPetro Holding Corp. (the “ Company ”) by linking the individual interests of the members of the Board, Employees, and Consultants to those of Company stockholders and by providing such individuals with an incentive for outstanding performance to generate superior returns to Company stockholders. The Plan is further intended to provide flexibility to the Company in its ability to motivate, attract, and retain the services of members of the Board, Employees, and Consultants upon whose judgment, interest, and special effort the successful conduct of the Company’s operation is largely dependent.

 

ARTICLE 2.

 

DEFINITIONS AND CONSTRUCTION

 

Wherever the following terms are used in the Plan they shall have the meanings specified below, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The singular pronoun shall include the plural where the context so indicates.

 

2.1          “ Administrator ” shall mean the entity that conducts the general administration of the Plan as provided in Article 12. With reference to the duties of the Committee under the Plan which have been delegated to one or more Persons pursuant to Section 12.6, or as to which the Board has assumed, the term “Administrator” shall refer to such Person(s) unless the Committee or the Board has revoked such delegation or the Board has terminated the assumption of such duties.

 

2.2          “ Applicable Accounting Standards ” shall mean Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the United States, International Financial Reporting Standards or such other accounting principles or standards as may apply to the Company’s financial statements under United States federal securities laws from time to time.

 

2.3          “ Applicable Law ” shall mean any applicable law, including without limitation: (a) provisions of the Code, the Securities Act, the Exchange Act and any rules or regulations thereunder; (b) corporate, securities, tax or other laws, statutes, rules, requirements or regulations, whether federal, state, local or foreign; and (c) rules of any securities exchange or automated quotation system on which the Shares are listed, quoted or traded.

 

2.4          “ Automatic Exercise Date ” shall mean, with respect to an Option or a Stock Appreciation Right, the last business day of the applicable Option Term or Stock Appreciation Right Term that was initially established by the Administrator for such Option or Stock Appreciation Right ( e.g. , the last business day prior to the tenth anniversary of the date of grant

 



 

of such Option or Stock Appreciation Right if the Option or Stock Appreciation Right initially had a ten-year Option Term or Stock Appreciation Right Term, as applicable).

 

2.5          “ Award ” shall mean an Option, a Stock Appreciation Right, a Restricted Stock award, a Restricted Stock Unit award, an Other Stock or Cash Based Award or a Dividend Equivalent award, which may be awarded or granted under the Plan.

 

2.6          “ Award Agreement ” shall mean any written notice, agreement, terms and conditions, contract or other instrument or document evidencing an Award, including through electronic medium, which shall contain such terms and conditions with respect to an Award as the Administrator shall determine consistent with the Plan.

 

2.7          “ Award Limit ” shall mean with respect to Awards that shall be payable in Shares or in cash, as the case may be, the respective limit set forth in Section 3.2.

 

2.8          “ Board ” shall mean the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

2.9          “ Change in Control ” shall mean and includes each of the following:

 

(a)        A transaction or series of transactions (other than an offering of Common Stock to the general public through a registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission) whereby any Person directly or indirectly acquires beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Exchange Act) of securities of the Company possessing more than 30% of the total combined voting power of the Company’s securities outstanding immediately after such acquisition; provided , however , that the following acquisitions shall not constitute a Change in Control: (i) any acquisition by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; (ii) any acquisition by an employee benefit plan maintained by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, (iii) any acquisition which complies with Sections 2.9(c)(i), 2.9(c)(ii) and 2.9(c)(iii); or (iv) in respect of an Award held by a particular Holder, any acquisition by the Holder or any group of Persons including the Holder (or any entity controlled by the Holder or any group of Persons including the Holder); or

 

(b)        The Incumbent Directors cease for any reason to constitute a majority of the Board;

 

(c)        The consummation by the Company (whether directly involving the Company or indirectly involving the Company through one or more intermediaries) of (x) a merger, consolidation, reorganization, or business combination, (y) a sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets in any single transaction or series of related transactions or (z) the acquisition of assets or stock of another entity, in each case other than a transaction:

 

(i)         which results in the Company’s voting securities outstanding immediately before the transaction continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into voting securities of the Company or the Person that, as a result of the transaction, controls, directly or indirectly, the Company or owns, directly or indirectly, all or substantially all of the Company’s assets or otherwise succeeds to the business of the Company (the Company or such Person, the “ Successor Entity ”)), or ECP or any of its affiliates

 

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beneficially owning, directly or indirectly, at least a majority of the combined voting power of the Successor Entity’s outstanding voting securities immediately after the transaction, and

 

(ii)        after which no Person beneficially owns voting securities representing 50% or more of the combined voting power of the Successor Entity; provided , however , that no Person shall be treated for purposes of this Section 2.9(c)(ii) as beneficially owning 50% or more of the combined voting power of the Successor Entity solely as a result of the voting power held in the Company prior to the consummation of the transaction; and

 

(iii)       after which at least a majority of the members of the board of directors (or the analogous governing body) of the Successor Entity were Board members at the time of the Board’s approval of the execution of the initial agreement providing for such transaction; or

 

(d)       The date which is 10 business days prior to the completion of a liquidation or dissolution of the Company.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a Change in Control constitutes a payment event with respect to any Award (or any portion of an Award) that provides for the deferral of compensation that is subject to Section 409A, to the extent required to avoid the imposition of additional taxes under Section 409A, the transaction or event described in subsection (a), (b), (c) or (d) with respect to such Award (or portion thereof) shall only constitute a Change in Control for purposes of the payment timing of such Award if such transaction also constitutes a “change in control event,” as defined in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(5).

 

The Board shall have full and final authority, which shall be exercised in its sole discretion, to determine conclusively whether a Change in Control has occurred pursuant to the above definition, the date of the occurrence of such Change in Control and any incidental matters relating thereto; provided that any exercise of authority in conjunction with a determination of whether a Change in Control is a “change in control event” as defined in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(5) shall be consistent with such regulation.

 

2.10        “ Code ” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, together with the regulations and official guidance promulgated thereunder, whether issued prior or subsequent to the grant of any Award.

 

2.11        “ Committee ” shall mean the Compensation Committee of the Board, or another committee or subcommittee of the Board or the Compensation Committee of the Board described in Article 12 hereof.

 

2.12        “ Common Stock ” shall mean the common stock of the Company, par value $0.001 per share.

 

2.13        “ Company ” shall have the meaning set forth in Article 1.

 

2.14        “ Consultant ” shall mean any consultant or adviser engaged to provide services to the Company or any Subsidiary who qualifies as a consultant or advisor under the applicable

 

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rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission for registration of shares on a Form S-8 Registration Statement.

 

2.15        “ Covered Employee ” shall mean any Employee who is, or could become, a “covered employee” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code.

 

2.16        “ Director ” shall mean a member of the Board, as constituted from time to time.

 

2.17        “ Director Limit ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.6.

 

2.18        “ Dividend Equivalent ” shall mean a right to receive the equivalent value (in cash or Shares) of dividends paid on Shares, awarded under Section 10.2.

 

2.19        “ DRO ” shall mean a “domestic relations order” as defined by the Code or Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to time, or the rules thereunder.

 

2.20        “ ECP ” shall mean Energy Capital Partners, a private equity firm, or any funds managed by Energy Capital Partners.

 

2.21        “ Effective Date ” shall mean the day prior to the Public Trading Date.

 

2.22        “ Eligible Individual ” shall mean any Person who is an Employee, a Consultant or a Non-Employee Director, as determined by the Administrator.

 

2.23        “ Employee ” shall mean any officer or other employee (as determined in accordance with Section 3401(c) of the Code and the Treasury Regulations thereunder) of the Company or of any Subsidiary.

 

2.24        “ Equity Restructuring ” shall mean a nonreciprocal transaction between the Company and its stockholders, such as a stock dividend, stock split, spin-off, rights offering or recapitalization through a large, nonrecurring cash dividend, that affects the number or kind of Shares (or other securities of the Company) or the share price of Common Stock (or other securities) and causes a change in the per-share value of the Common Stock underlying outstanding Awards.

 

2.25        “ Exchange Act ” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time.

 

2.26        “ Expiration Date ” shall have the meaning given to such term in Section 13.1(c).

 

2.27        “ Fair Market Value ” shall mean, as of any given date, the value of a Share determined as follows:

 

(a)        If the Common Stock is (i) listed on any established securities exchange (such as the New York Stock Exchange, the NASDAQ Capital Market, the NASDAQ Global Market and the NASDAQ Global Select Market), (ii) listed on any national market system or (iii) quoted or traded on any automated quotation system, its Fair Market Value shall be the

 

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closing sales price for a Share as quoted on such exchange or system for such date or, if there is no closing sales price for a Share on the date in question, the closing sales price for a Share on the last preceding date for which such quotation exists, as reported in The Wall Street Journal or such other source as the Administrator deems reliable;

 

(b)        If the Common Stock is not listed on an established securities exchange, national market system or automated quotation system, but the Common Stock is regularly quoted by a recognized securities dealer, its Fair Market Value shall be the mean of the high bid and low asked prices for such date or, if there are no high bid and low asked prices for a Share on such date, the high bid and low asked prices for a Share on the last preceding date for which such information exists, as reported in The Wall Street Journal or such other source as the Administrator deems reliable; or

 

(c)        If the Common Stock is neither listed on an established securities exchange, national market system or automated quotation system nor regularly quoted by a recognized securities dealer, its Fair Market Value shall be established by the Administrator in good faith.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, with respect to any Award granted after the effectiveness of the Company’s registration statement relating to its initial public offering and prior to the Public Trading Date, the Fair Market Value shall mean the initial public offering price of a Share as set forth in the Company’s final prospectus relating to its initial public offering filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

2.28        “ Greater Than 10% Stockholder” shall mean an individual then owning (within the meaning of Section 424(d) of the Code) more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or any subsidiary corporation (as defined in Section 424(f) of the Code) or parent corporation thereof (as defined in Section 424(e) of the Code).

 

2.29        “ Holder ” shall mean a Person who has been granted an Award.

 

2.30        “ Incentive Stock Option ” shall mean an Option that is intended to qualify as an incentive stock option and conforms to the applicable provisions of Section 422 of the Code.

 

2.31        “ Incumbent Directors ’ shall mean for any period of 12 consecutive months, individuals who, at the beginning of such period, constitute the Board together with any new Director(s) (other than a Director designated by a Person who shall have entered into an agreement with the Company to effect a transaction described in Section 2.9(a) or 2.9(c)) whose election or nomination for election to the Board was approved by a vote of at least a majority (either by a specific vote or by approval of the proxy statement of the Company in which such Person is named as a nominee for Director without objection to such nomination) of the Directors then still in office who either were Directors at the beginning of the 12-month period or whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved.  No individual initially elected or nominated as a director of the Company as a result of an actual or threatened election contest with respect to Directors or as a result of any other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies by or on behalf of any Person other than the Board shall be an Incumbent Director.

 

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2.32        “ Non-Employee Director ” shall mean a Director of the Company who is not an Employee.

 

2.33        “ Non-Employee Director Equity Compensation Policy ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.6.

 

2.34        “ Non-Qualified Stock Option ” shall mean an Option that is not an Incentive Stock Option or which is designated as an Incentive Stock Option but does not meet the applicable requirements of Section 422 of the Code.

 

2.35        “ Option ” shall mean a right to purchase Shares at a specified exercise price, granted under Article 6. An Option shall be either a Non-Qualified Stock Option or an Incentive Stock Option; provided , however , that Options granted to Non-Employee Directors and Consultants shall only be Non-Qualified Stock Options.

 

2.36        “ Option Term ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6.4.

 

2.37        “ Organizational Documents ” shall mean, collectively, (a) the Company’s articles of incorporation, certificate of incorporation, bylaws or other similar organizational documents relating to the creation and governance of the Company, and (b) the Committee’s charter or other similar organizational documentation relating to the creation and governance of the Committee.

 

2.38        “ Other Stock or Cash Based Award ” shall mean a cash payment, cash bonus award, stock payment, stock bonus award, performance award or incentive award that is paid in cash, Shares or a combination of both, awarded under Section 10.1, which may include, without limitation, deferred stock, deferred stock units, retainers, committee fees, and meeting-based fees.

 

2.39        “ Performance-Based Compensation ” shall mean any compensation that is intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” as described in Section 162(m)(4)(C) of the Code.

 

2.40        “ Performance Criteria ” shall mean the criteria (and adjustments) that the Administrator selects for an Award for purposes of establishing the Performance Goal or Performance Goals for a Performance Period, determined as follows:

 

(a)        The Performance Criteria that shall be used to establish Performance Goals are limited to the following: (i) adjusted net earnings or losses (either before or after one or more of the following: (A) interest, (B) taxes, (C) depreciation, (D) amortization and (E) non-cash equity-based compensation expense); (ii) gross or net sales or revenue or sales or revenue growth; (iii) net income (either before or after taxes); (iv) adjusted net income; (v) operating earnings or profit (either before or after taxes); (vi) cash flow (including, but not limited to, operating cash flow and free cash flow); (vii) return on assets; (viii) return on capital (or invested capital) and cost of capital; (ix) return on stockholders’ equity; (x) total stockholder return; (xi) return on sales; (xii) gross or net profit or operating margin; (xiii) costs, reductions in costs and cost control measures; (xiv) expenses; (xv) working capital; (xvi) earnings or loss per share; (xvii) adjusted earnings or loss per share; (xviii) price per share or dividends per share (or

 

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appreciation in and/or maintenance of such price or dividends); (xix) regulatory achievements or compliance (including, without limitation, regulatory body approval for commercialization of a product); (xx) implementation or completion of critical projects; (xxi) market share; (xxii) economic value; (xxiii) productivity; (xxiv) operating efficiency; (xxv) economic value-added; (xxvi) cash flow return on capital; (xxvii) return on net assets; (xxviii) funds from operations; (xxix) funds available for distributions; (xxx) market penetration and geographic business expansion; (xxxi) customer satisfaction/growth; (xxxii) recruitment and retention of personnel; (xxxiii) human resources management; (xxxiv) supervision of litigation and other legal matters; (xxxv) strategic partnerships and transactions; (xxxvi) financial ratios (including those measuring liquidity, activity, profitability or leverage); (xxxvii) financing and other capital raising transactions; (xxxviii) year-end cash; (xxxix) acquisition activity and marketing initiatives; and (xl) safety metrics, any of which may be measured either in absolute terms or as compared to any incremental increase or decrease or as compared to results of a peer group or to market performance indicators or indices.

 

(b)        The Administrator, in its sole discretion, may provide that one or more objectively determinable adjustments shall be made to one or more of the Performance Goals. Such adjustments may include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following: (i) items related to a change in Applicable Accounting Standards; (ii) items relating to financing activities; (iii) expenses for restructuring or productivity initiatives; (iv) other non-operating items; (v) items related to acquisitions; (vi) items attributable to the business operations of any entity acquired by the Company during the Performance Period; (vii) items related to the sale or disposition of a business or segment of a business; (viii) items related to discontinued operations that do not qualify as a segment of a business under Applicable Accounting Standards; (ix) items attributable to any stock dividend, stock split, combination or exchange of stock occurring during the Performance Period; (x) any other items of significant income or expense which are determined to be appropriate adjustments; (xi) items relating to unusual or infrequent corporate transactions, events or developments, (xii) items related to amortization of acquired intangible assets; (xiii) items that are outside the scope of the Company’s core, on-going business activities; (xiv) items related to acquired in-process research and development; (xv) items relating to changes in tax laws; (xvi) items relating to major licensing or partnership arrangements; (xvii) items relating to asset impairment charges; (xviii) items relating to gains or losses for litigation, arbitration and contractual settlements; (xix) items attributable to expenses incurred in connection with a reduction in force or early retirement initiative; (xx) items relating to foreign exchange or currency transactions and/or fluctuations; or (xxi) items relating to any other unusual or nonrecurring events or changes in Applicable Law, Applicable Accounting Standards or business conditions. For all Awards intended to qualify as Performance-Based Compensation, such determinations shall be made within the time prescribed by, and otherwise in compliance with, Section 162(m) of the Code.

 

2.41        “ Performance Goals ” shall mean, for a Performance Period, one or more goals established in writing by the Administrator for the Performance Period based upon one or more Performance Criteria. Depending on the Performance Criteria used to establish such Performance Goals, the Performance Goals may be expressed in terms of overall Company performance or the performance of a Subsidiary, division, business unit, or an individual. The achievement of each Performance Goal shall be determined, to the extent applicable, with reference to Applicable Accounting Standards.

 

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2.42        “ Performance Period ” shall mean one or more periods of time, which may be of varying and overlapping durations, as the Administrator may select, over which the attainment of one or more Performance Goals will be measured for the purpose of determining a Holder’s right to, vesting of, and/or the payment in respect of, an Award.

 

2.43        “ Permitted Transferee ” shall mean, with respect to a Holder, any “family member” of the Holder, as defined in the General Instructions to Form S-8 Registration Statement under the Securities Act (or any successor form thereto), or any other transferee specifically approved by the Administrator after taking into account Applicable Law.

 

2.44        “ Person ” shall mean any “person” or related “group” of “persons” (as such terms are used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act).

 

2.45        “ Plan ” shall have the meaning set forth in Article 1.

 

2.46        “ Program ” shall mean any program adopted by the Administrator pursuant to the Plan containing the terms and conditions intended to govern a specified type of Award granted under the Plan and pursuant to which such type of Award may be granted under the Plan.

 

2.47        “ Public Trading Date ” shall mean the first date upon which Common Stock is listed (or approved for listing) upon notice of issuance on any securities exchange or designated (or approved for designation) upon notice of issuance as a national market security on an interdealer quotation system.

 

2.48        “ Restricted Stock ” shall mean Common Stock awarded under Article 8 that is subject to certain restrictions and may be subject to risk of forfeiture or repurchase.

 

2.49        “ Restricted Stock Units ” shall mean the right to receive Shares awarded under Article 9.

 

2.50        “ Section 409A ” shall mean Section 409A of the Code and the Department of Treasury regulations and other interpretive guidance issued thereunder, including, without limitation, any such regulations or other guidance that may be issued after the Effective Date.

 

2.51        “ Securities Act ” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

2.52        “ Shares ” shall mean shares of Common Stock.

 

2.53        “ Stock Appreciation Right ” shall mean an Award entitling the Holder (or other Person entitled to exercise pursuant to the Plan) to exercise all or a specified portion thereof (to the extent then exercisable pursuant to its terms) and to receive from the Company an amount determined by multiplying the difference obtained by subtracting the exercise price per share of such Award from the Fair Market Value on the date of exercise of such Award by the number of Shares with respect to which such Award shall have been exercised, subject to any limitations the Administrator may impose.

 

2.54        “ SAR Term ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6.4.

 

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2.55        “ Subsidiary ” shall mean any entity (other than the Company), whether domestic or foreign, in an unbroken chain of entities beginning with the Company if each of the entities other than the last entity in the unbroken chain beneficially owns, at the time of the determination, securities or interests representing at least fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of securities or interests in one of the other entities in such chain.

 

2.56        “ Substitute Award ” shall mean an Award granted under the Plan in connection with a corporate transaction, such as a merger, combination, consolidation or acquisition of property or stock, in any case, upon the assumption of, or in substitution for, outstanding equity awards previously granted by a company or other entity; provided , however , that in no event shall the term “Substitute Award” be construed to refer to an award made in connection with the cancellation and repricing of an Option or Stock Appreciation Right.

 

2.57        “ Termination of Service ” shall mean:

 

(a)        As to a Consultant, the time when the engagement of a Holder as a Consultant to the Company or a Subsidiary is terminated for any reason, with or without cause, including, without limitation, by resignation, discharge, death or retirement, but excluding terminations where the Consultant simultaneously commences or remains in employment or service with the Company or any Subsidiary.

 

(b)        As to a Non-Employee Director, the time when a Holder who is a Non-Employee Director ceases to be a Director for any reason, including, without limitation, a termination by resignation, failure to be elected, death or retirement, but excluding terminations where the Holder simultaneously commences or remains in employment or service with the Company or any Subsidiary.

 

(c)        As to an Employee, the time when the employee-employer relationship between a Holder and the Company or any Subsidiary is terminated for any reason, including, without limitation, a termination by resignation, discharge, death, disability or retirement; but excluding terminations where the Holder simultaneously commences or remains in employment or service with the Company or any Subsidiary.

 

The Administrator, in its sole discretion, shall determine the effect of all matters and questions relating to any Termination of Service, including, without limitation, whether a Termination of Service has occurred, whether a Termination of Service resulted from a discharge for cause and all questions of whether particular leaves of absence constitute a Termination of Service; provided , however , that, with respect to Incentive Stock Options, unless the Administrator otherwise provides in the terms of any Program, Award Agreement or otherwise, or as otherwise required by Applicable Law, a leave of absence, change in status from an employee to an independent contractor or other change in the employee-employer relationship shall constitute a Termination of Service only if, and to the extent that, such leave of absence, change in status or other change interrupts employment for the purposes of Section 422(a)(2) of the Code and the then-applicable regulations and revenue rulings under said Section. For purposes of the Plan, a Holder’s employee-employer relationship or consultancy relations shall be deemed to be terminated in the event that the Subsidiary employing or contracting with such

 

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Holder ceases to remain a Subsidiary following any merger, sale of stock or other corporate transaction or event (including, without limitation, a spin-off).

 

ARTICLE 3.

 

SHARES SUBJECT TO THE PLAN

 

3.1       Number of Shares .

 

(a)        Subject to Sections 3.1(b) and 13.2, the aggregate number of Shares which may be issued or transferred pursuant to Awards (including, without limitation, Incentive Stock Options) under the Plan is [                        ]. Any Shares distributed pursuant to an Award may consist, in whole or in part, of authorized and unissued Common Stock, treasury Common Stock or Common Stock purchased on the open market.

 

(b)        If any Shares subject to an Award are forfeited or expire, are converted to shares of another Person in connection with a spin-off or other similar event, or such Award is settled for cash (in whole or in part) (including Shares repurchased by the Company under Section 8.4 at the same price paid by the Holder), the Shares subject to such Award shall, to the extent of such forfeiture, expiration, conversion or cash settlement, again be available for future grants of Awards under the Plan.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the following Shares shall not be added to the Shares authorized for grant under Section 3.1(a) and shall not be available for future grants of Awards: (i) Shares tendered by a Holder or withheld by the Company in payment of the exercise price of an Option; (ii) Shares tendered by the Holder or withheld by the Company to satisfy any tax withholding obligation with respect to an Award; (iii) Shares subject to a Stock Appreciation Right that are not issued in connection with the stock settlement of the Stock Appreciation Right on exercise thereof; and (iv) Shares purchased on the open market by the Company with the cash proceeds received from the exercise of Options. The payment of Dividend Equivalents in cash in conjunction with any outstanding Awards shall not be counted against the Shares available for issuance under the Plan. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 3.1(b), no Shares may again be optioned, granted or awarded if such action would cause an Incentive Stock Option to fail to qualify as an incentive stock option under Section 422 of the Code.

 

(c)        Substitute Awards shall not reduce the Shares authorized for grant under the Plan, except as may be required by reason of Section 422 of the Code. Additionally, in the event that a company acquired by the Company or any Subsidiary or with which the Company or any Subsidiary combines has shares available under a pre-existing plan approved by its stockholders and not adopted in contemplation of such acquisition or combination, the shares available for grant pursuant to the terms of such pre-existing plan (as adjusted, to the extent appropriate, using the exchange ratio or other adjustment or valuation ratio or formula used in such acquisition or combination to determine the consideration payable to the holders of common stock of the entities party to such acquisition or combination) may be used for Awards under the Plan and shall not reduce the Shares authorized for grant under the Plan; provided that Awards using such available Shares shall not be made after the date awards or grants could have been made under the terms of the pre-existing plan, absent the acquisition or combination, and

 

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shall only be made to individuals who were not employed by or providing services to the Company or its Subsidiaries immediately prior to such acquisition or combination.

 

3.2          Limitation on Number of Shares Subject to Awards . Notwithstanding any provision in the Plan to the contrary, and subject to Section 13.2, the maximum aggregate number of Shares with respect to one or more Awards that may be granted to any one Person during any calendar year shall be [                          ] and the maximum aggregate amount of cash that may be paid in cash to any one Person during any calendar year with respect to one or more Awards payable in cash shall be $5,000,000; provided , however , that the foregoing limitations shall not apply prior to the Public Trading Date and, following the Public Trading Date, the foregoing limitations shall not apply until the earliest of: (a) the first material modification of the Plan (including any increase in the number of Shares reserved for issuance under the Plan in accordance with Section 3.1); (b) the issuance of all of the Shares reserved for issuance under the Plan; (c) the expiration of the Plan; (d) the first meeting of stockholders at which members of the Board are to be elected that occurs after the close of the third calendar year following the calendar year in which occurred the first registration of an equity security of the Company under Section 12 of the Exchange Act; or (e) such other date, if any, on which the “reliance period” described under U.S. Treasury Regulation 1.162-27(f)(2) expires pursuant to Section 162(m) of the Code and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. To the extent required by Section 162(m) of the Code, Shares subject to Awards which are canceled shall continue to be counted against the Award Limit.

 

3.3          Award Vesting Limitations .  Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan to the contrary, but subject to Section 13.2 of the Plan, Awards granted under the Plan shall vest no earlier than the first anniversary of the date the Award is granted; provided , however , that, notwithstanding the foregoing, Awards that result in the issuance of an aggregate of up to 5% of the shares of Common Stock available pursuant to Section 3.1(a) may be granted to any one or more Eligible Individuals without respect to and/or administered without regard for this minimum vesting provision. No Award Agreement shall be permitted to reduce or eliminate the requirements of this Section 3.3. Nothing in this Section 3.3 shall preclude the Administrator from taking action, in its sole discretion, to accelerate the vesting of any Award in connection with or following a Holder’s death, disability, Termination of Service or the consummation of a Change in Control.

 

ARTICLE 4.

 

GRANTING OF AWARDS

 

4.1          Participation . The Administrator may, from time to time, select from among all Eligible Individuals, those to whom an Award shall be granted and shall determine the nature and amount of each Award, which shall not be inconsistent with the requirements of the Plan. Except for any Non-Employee Director’s right to Awards that may be required pursuant to the Non-Employee Director Equity Compensation Policy as described in Section 4.6, no Eligible Individual or other Person shall have any right to be granted an Award pursuant to the Plan and neither the Company nor the Administrator is obligated to treat Eligible Individuals, Holders or any other Persons uniformly. Participation by each Holder in the Plan shall be voluntary and

 

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nothing in the Plan or any Program shall be construed as mandating that any Eligible Individual or other Person shall participate in the Plan.

 

4.2          Award Agreement . Each Award shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement that sets forth the terms, conditions and limitations for such Award as determined by the Administrator in its sole discretion (consistent with the requirements of the Plan and any applicable Program). Award Agreements evidencing Awards intended to qualify as Performance-Based Compensation shall contain such terms and conditions as may be necessary to meet the applicable provisions of Section 162(m) of the Code. Award Agreements evidencing Incentive Stock Options shall contain such terms and conditions as may be necessary to meet the applicable provisions of Section 422 of the Code.

 

4.3          Limitations Applicable to Section 16 Persons . Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, the Plan, and any Award granted or awarded to any individual who is then subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, shall be subject to any additional limitations set forth in any applicable exemptive rule under Section 16 of the Exchange Act (including Rule 16b-3 of the Exchange Act and any amendments thereto) that are requirements for the application of such exemptive rule. To the extent permitted by Applicable Law, the Plan and Awards granted or awarded hereunder shall be deemed amended to the extent necessary to conform to such applicable exemptive rule.

 

4.4          At-Will Service . Nothing in the Plan or in any Program or Award Agreement hereunder shall confer upon any Holder any right to continue in the employ of, or as a Director or Consultant for, the Company or any Subsidiary, or shall interfere with or restrict in any way the rights of the Company and any Subsidiary, which rights are hereby expressly reserved, to discharge any Holder at any time for any reason whatsoever, with or without cause, and with or without notice, or to terminate or change all other terms and conditions of employment or engagement, except to the extent expressly provided otherwise in a written agreement between the Holder and the Company or any Subsidiary.

 

4.5          Foreign Holders . Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan or applicable Program to the contrary, in order to comply with the laws in countries other than the United States in which the Company and its Subsidiaries operate or have Employees, Non-Employee Directors or Consultants, or in order to comply with the requirements of any foreign securities exchange or other Applicable Law, the Administrator, in its sole discretion, shall have the power and authority to: (a) determine which Subsidiaries shall be covered by the Plan; (b) determine which Eligible Individuals outside the United States are eligible to participate in the Plan; (c) modify the terms and conditions of any Award granted to Eligible Individuals outside the United States to comply with Applicable Law (including, without limitation, applicable foreign laws or listing requirements of any foreign securities exchange); (d) establish subplans and modify exercise procedures and other terms and procedures, to the extent such actions may be necessary or advisable; provided , however , that no such subplans and/or modifications shall increase the share limitation contained in Section 3.1, the Award Limit or the Director Limit; and (e) take any action, before or after an Award is made, that it deems advisable to obtain approval or comply with any necessary local governmental regulatory exemptions or approvals or listing requirements of any foreign securities exchange.

 

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4.6          Non-Employee Director Awards .

 

(a)        Non-Employee Director Equity Compensation Policy .  The Administrator, in its sole discretion, may provide that Awards granted to Non-Employee Directors shall be granted pursuant to a written nondiscretionary formula established by the Administrator (the “ Non-Employee Director Equity Compensation Policy ”), subject to the limitations of the Plan. The Non-Employee Director Equity Compensation Policy shall set forth the type of Award(s) to be granted to Non-Employee Directors, the number of Shares to be subject to Non-Employee Director Awards, the conditions on which such Awards shall be granted, become exercisable and/or payable and expire, and such other terms and conditions as the Administrator shall determine in its sole discretion. The Non-Employee Director Equity Compensation Policy may be modified by the Administrator from time to time in its sole discretion.

 

(b)        Director Limit .  Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in the Plan or in the Non-Employee Director Equity Compensation Policy, the sum of the grant date fair value of equity-based Awards (other than any equity-based Awards granted in connection with the Company’s initial public offering), and the amount of any cash-based Awards granted to a Non-Employee Director during any calendar year shall not exceed $400,000 (the “ Director Limit ”).

 

ARTICLE 5.

 

PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO AWARDS INTENDED TO QUALIFY AS PERFORMANCE-BASED COMPENSATION

 

5.1          Purpose . The Administrator may, in its sole discretion, (a) determine whether an Award is intended to qualify as Performance-Based Compensation and (b) at any time after any such determination, alter such intent for any or no reason. If the Administrator, in its sole discretion, decides to grant an Award that is intended to qualify as Performance-Based Compensation (other than an Option or Stock Appreciation Right), then the provisions of this Article 5 shall control over any contrary provision contained in the Plan or any applicable Program; provided that, if after such decision the Administrator alters such intention for any reason, the provisions of this Article 5 shall no longer control over any other provision contained in the Plan or any applicable Program. The Administrator, in its sole discretion, may (i) grant Awards to Eligible Individuals that are based on Performance Criteria or Performance Goals or any such other criteria and goals as the Administrator shall establish, but that do not satisfy the requirements of this Article 5 and that are not intended to qualify as Performance-Based Compensation and (ii) subject any Awards intended to qualify as Performance-Based Compensation to additional conditions and restrictions unrelated to any Performance Criteria or Performance Goals (including, without limitation, continued employment or service requirements) to the extent such Awards otherwise satisfy the requirements of this Article 5 with respect to the Performance Criteria and Performance Goals applicable thereto.  Unless otherwise specified by the Administrator at the time of grant, the Performance Criteria with respect to an Award intended to be Performance-Based Compensation payable to a Covered Employee shall be determined on the basis of Applicable Accounting Standards.

 

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5.2          Procedures with Respect to Performance-Based Awards . To the extent necessary to comply with the requirements of Section 162(m)(4)(C) of the Code, with respect to any Award which is intended to qualify as Performance-Based Compensation, no later than 90 days following the commencement of any Performance Period or any designated fiscal period or period of service (or such earlier time as may be required under Section 162(m) of the Code), the Administrator shall, in writing, (a) designate one or more Eligible Individuals, (b) select the Performance Criteria applicable to the Performance Period, (c) establish the Performance Goals, and amounts of such Awards, as applicable, which may be earned for such Performance Period based on the Performance Criteria, and (d) specify the relationship between Performance Criteria and the Performance Goals and the amounts of such Awards, as applicable, to be earned by each Covered Employee for such Performance Period. Following the completion of each Performance Period, the Administrator shall certify in writing whether and the extent to which the applicable Performance Goals have been achieved for such Performance Period. In determining the amount earned under such Awards, the Administrator (i) shall, unless otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, have the right to reduce or eliminate the amount payable at a given level of performance to take into account additional factors that the Administrator may deem relevant, including the assessment of individual or corporate performance for the Performance Period, but (ii) shall in no event have the right to increase the amount payable for any reason.

 

5.3          Payment of Performance-Based Awards . Unless otherwise provided in the applicable Program or Award Agreement and only to the extent otherwise permitted by Section 162(m) of the Code, as to an Award that is intended to qualify as Performance-Based Compensation, the Holder must be employed by the Company or a Subsidiary throughout the Performance Period. Unless otherwise provided in the applicable Program or Award Agreement, a Holder shall be eligible to receive payment pursuant to such Awards for a Performance Period only if and to the extent the Performance Goals for such Performance Period are achieved.

 

5.4          Additional Limitations . Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan and except as otherwise determined by the Administrator, any Award which is granted to an Eligible Individual and is intended to qualify as Performance-Based Compensation shall be subject to any additional limitations set forth in Section 162(m) of the Code or any regulations or rulings issued thereunder that are requirements for qualification as Performance-Based Compensation, and the Plan and the applicable Program and Award Agreement shall be deemed amended to the extent necessary to conform to such requirements.

 

ARTICLE 6.

 

GRANTING OF OPTIONS AND STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS

 

6.1          Granting of Options and Stock Appreciation Rights to Eligible Individuals . The Administrator is authorized to grant Options and Stock Appreciation Rights to Eligible Individuals from time to time, in its sole discretion, on such terms and conditions as it may determine, which shall not be inconsistent with the Plan.

 

6.2          Qualification of Incentive Stock Options . The Administrator may grant Options intended to qualify as Incentive Stock Options only to employees of the Company, any of the Company’s present or future “parent corporations” or “subsidiary corporations” as defined in

 

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Sections 424(e) or (f) of the Code, respectively, and any other entities the employees of which are eligible to receive Incentive Stock Options under the Code. No Person who qualifies as a Greater Than 10% Stockholder may be granted an Incentive Stock Option unless such Incentive Stock Option conforms to the applicable provisions of Section 422 of the Code. To the extent that the aggregate fair market value of stock with respect to which “incentive stock options” (within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code, but without regard to Section 422(d) of the Code) are exercisable for the first time by a Holder during any calendar year under the Plan, and all other plans of the Company and any parent corporation or subsidiary corporation thereof (as defined in Section 424(e) and 424(f) of the Code, respectively), exceeds $100,000, the Options shall be treated as Non-Qualified Stock Options to the extent required by Section 422 of the Code. The rule set forth in the immediately preceding sentence shall be applied by taking Options and other “incentive stock options” into account in the order in which they were granted and the fair market value of stock shall be determined as of the time the respective options were granted. Any interpretations and rules under the Plan with respect to Incentive Stock Options shall be consistent with the provisions of Section 422 of the Code.  Neither the Company nor the Administrator shall have any liability to a Holder, or any other Person, (a) if an Option (or any part thereof) which is intended to qualify as an Incentive Stock Option fails to qualify as an Incentive Stock Option or (b) for any action or omission by the Company or the Administrator that causes an Option not to qualify as an Incentive Stock Option, including without limitation, the conversion of an Incentive Stock Option to a Non-Qualified Stock Option or the grant of an Option intended as an Incentive Stock Option that fails to satisfy the requirements under the Code applicable to an Incentive Stock Option.

 

6.3          Option and Stock Appreciation Right Exercise Price . The exercise price per Share subject to each Option and Stock Appreciation Right shall be set by the Administrator, but shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date the Option or Stock Appreciation Right, as applicable, is granted (or, as to Incentive Stock Options, on the date the Option is modified, extended or renewed for purposes of Section 424(h) of the Code). In addition, in the case of Incentive Stock Options granted to a Greater Than 10% Stockholder, such price shall not be less than 110% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date the Option is granted (or the date the Option is modified, extended or renewed for purposes of Section 424(h) of the Code). Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of an Option or Stock Appreciation Right that is a Substitute Award, the exercise price per share of the Shares subject to such Option or Stock Appreciation Right, as applicable, may be less than the Fair Market Value per share on the date of grant; provided that the exercise price of any Substitute Award shall be determined in accordance with the applicable requirements of Section 424 and 409A of the Code.

 

6.4          Option and SAR Term . The term of each Option (the “ Option Term ”) and the term of each Stock Appreciation Right (the “ SAR Term ”) shall be set by the Administrator in its sole discretion; provided , however , that the Option Term or SAR Term, as applicable, shall not be more than (a) ten (10) years from the date the Option or Stock Appreciation Right, as applicable, is granted to an Eligible Individual (other than, in the case of Incentive Stock Options, a Greater Than 10% Stockholder), or (b) five (5) years from the date an Incentive Stock Option is granted to a Greater Than 10% Stockholder. Except as limited by the requirements of Section 409A or Section 422 of the Code and regulations and rulings thereunder or the first sentence of this Section 6.4 and without limiting the Company’s rights under Section 11.7, the

 

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Administrator may extend the Option Term of any outstanding Option or the SAR Term of any outstanding Stock Appreciation Right, and may extend the time period during which vested Options or Stock Appreciation Rights may be exercised, in connection with any Termination of Service of the Holder or otherwise, and may amend, subject to Section 11.7 and 13.1, any other term or condition of such Option or Stock Appreciation Right relating to such Termination of Service of the Holder or otherwise.

 

6.5          Option and SAR Vesting .  The period during which the right to exercise, in whole or in part, an Option or Stock Appreciation Right vests in the Holder shall be set by the Administrator and set forth in the applicable Award Agreement, subject to Section 3.3. Unless otherwise determined by the Administrator in the Award Agreement, the applicable Program or by action of the Administrator following the grant of the Option or Stock Appreciation Right, (a) no portion of an Option or Stock Appreciation Right which is unexercisable at a Holder’s Termination of Service shall thereafter become exercisable and (b) the portion of an Option or Stock Appreciation Right that is unexercisable at a Holder’s Termination of Service shall automatically expire thirty (30) days following such Termination of Service.

 

6.6          Substitution of Stock Appreciation Rights .  The Administrator may provide in the applicable Program or Award Agreement evidencing the grant of an Option that the Administrator, in its sole discretion, shall have the right to substitute a Stock Appreciation Right for such Option at any time prior to or upon exercise of such Option; provided that such Stock Appreciation Right shall be exercisable with respect to the same number of Shares for which such substituted Option would have been exercisable, and shall also have the same exercise price, vesting schedule and remaining term as the substituted Option.

 

ARTICLE 7.

 

EXERCISE OF OPTIONS AND STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS

 

7.1          Exercise and Payment . An exercisable Option or Stock Appreciation Right may be exercised in whole or in part. However, an Option or Stock Appreciation Right shall not be exercisable with respect to fractional Shares and the Administrator may require that, by the terms of the Option or Stock Appreciation Right, a partial exercise must be with respect to a minimum number of Shares. Payment of the amounts payable with respect to Stock Appreciation Rights pursuant to this Article 7 shall be in cash, Shares (based on its Fair Market Value as of the date the Stock Appreciation Right is exercised), or a combination of both, as determined by the Administrator.

 

7.2          Manner of Exercise . Except as set forth in Section 7.3, all or a portion of an exercisable Option or Stock Appreciation Right shall be deemed exercised upon delivery of all of the following to the Secretary of the Company, the stock plan administrator of the Company or such other Person designated by the Administrator, or his, her or its office, as applicable:

 

(a)        A written or electronic notice complying with the applicable rules established by the Administrator stating that the Option or Stock Appreciation Right, or a portion thereof, is exercised. The notice shall be signed or otherwise acknowledged electronically by the

 

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Holder or other Person then entitled to exercise the Option or Stock Appreciation Right or such portion thereof;

 

(b)        Such representations and documents as the Administrator, in its sole discretion, deems necessary or advisable to effect compliance with Applicable Law;

 

(c)        In the event that the Option shall be exercised pursuant to Section 11.3 by any Person or Persons other than the Holder, appropriate proof of the right of such Person or Persons to exercise the Option or Stock Appreciation Right, as determined in the sole discretion of the Administrator; and

 

(d)       Full payment of the exercise price and applicable withholding taxes for the Shares with respect to which the Option or Stock Appreciation Right, or portion thereof, is exercised, in a manner permitted by the Administrator in accordance with Sections 11.1 and 11.2.

 

7.3          Expiration of Option Term or SAR Term: Automatic Exercise of In-The-Money Options and Stock Appreciation Rights . Unless otherwise provided by the Administrator in an Award Agreement or otherwise or as otherwise directed by an Option or Stock Appreciation Rights Holder in writing to the Company, each vested and exercisable Option and Stock Appreciation Right outstanding on the Automatic Exercise Date with an exercise price per Share that is less than the Fair Market Value per Share as of such date shall automatically and without further action by the Option or Stock Appreciation Rights Holder or the Company be exercised on the Automatic Exercise Date. In the sole discretion of the Administrator, payment of the exercise price of any such Option shall be made pursuant to Section 11.1(b) or 11.1(c) and the Company or any Subsidiary shall be entitled to deduct or withhold an amount sufficient to satisfy all taxes associated with such exercise in accordance with Section 11.2. Unless otherwise determined by the Administrator, this Section 7.3 shall not apply to an Option or Stock Appreciation Right if the Holder of such Option or Stock Appreciation Right incurs a Termination of Service on or before the Automatic Exercise Date. For the avoidance of doubt, no Option or Stock Appreciation Right with an exercise price per Share that is equal to or greater than the Fair Market Value per Share on the Automatic Exercise Date shall be exercised pursuant to this Section 7.3.

 

7.4          Notification Regarding Disposition . The Holder shall give the Company prompt written or electronic notice of any disposition of Shares acquired by exercise of an Incentive Stock Option which occurs within (a) two years from the date of granting (including the date the Option is modified, extended or renewed for purposes of Section 424(h) of the Code) such Option to such Holder, or (b) one year after the date of transfer of such Shares to such Holder. Such notice shall specify the date of such disposition or other transfer and the amount realized, in cash, other property, assumption of indebtedness or other consideration, by the Holder in such disposition or other transfer.

 

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ARTICLE 8.

 

AWARD OF RESTRICTED STOCK

 

8.1       Award of Restricted Stock . The Administrator is authorized to grant Restricted Stock to Eligible Individuals, and shall determine the terms and conditions, including the restrictions applicable to each award of Restricted Stock, which terms and conditions shall not be inconsistent with the Plan or any applicable Program, and may impose such conditions on the issuance of such Restricted Stock as it deems appropriate. The Administrator shall establish the purchase price, if any, and form of payment for Restricted Stock; provided , however , that if a purchase price is charged, such purchase price shall be no less than the par value, if any, of the Shares to be purchased, unless otherwise permitted by Applicable Law. In all cases, legal consideration shall be required for each issuance of Restricted Stock to the extent required by Applicable Law.

 

8.2          Rights as Stockholders . Subject to Section 8.4, upon issuance of Restricted Stock, the Holder shall have, unless otherwise provided by the Administrator, all the rights of a stockholder with respect to said Shares, subject to the restrictions in the Plan, any applicable Program and/or the applicable Award Agreement, including the right to receive all dividends and other distributions paid or made with respect to the Shares to the extent such dividends and other distributions have a record date that is on or after the date on which the Holder to whom such Shares are granted becomes the record holder of such Restricted Stock; provided , however , that, in the sole discretion of the Administrator, any extraordinary distributions with respect to the Shares may be subject to the restrictions set forth in Section 8.3.

 

8.3          Restrictions . All shares of Restricted Stock (including any shares received by Holders thereof with respect to shares of Restricted Stock as a result of stock dividends, stock splits or any other form of recapitalization) shall be subject to such restrictions and vesting requirements as the Administrator shall provide in the applicable Program or Award Agreement, subject to Section 3.3. By action taken after the Restricted Stock is issued, the Administrator may, on such terms and conditions as it may determine to be appropriate, accelerate the vesting of such Restricted Stock by removing any or all of the restrictions imposed by the terms of the applicable Program or Award Agreement.

 

8.4          Repurchase or Forfeiture of Restricted Stock . Except as otherwise determined by the Administrator, if no price was paid by the Holder for the Restricted Stock, upon a Termination of Service during the applicable restriction period, the Holder’s rights in unvested Restricted Stock then subject to restrictions shall lapse, and such Restricted Stock shall be surrendered to the Company and cancelled without consideration on the date of such Termination of Service. If a price was paid by the Holder for the Restricted Stock, upon a Termination of Service during the applicable restriction period, the Company shall have the right to repurchase from the Holder the unvested Restricted Stock then subject to restrictions at a cash price per share equal to the price paid by the Holder for such Restricted Stock or such other amount as may be specified in the applicable Program or Award Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, except as otherwise provided by Section 3.3, the Administrator, in its sole discretion, may provide that upon certain events, including, without limitation, a Change in Control, the Holder’s death, retirement or disability or any other specified Termination of

 

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Service or any other event, the Holder’s rights in unvested Restricted Stock then subject to restrictions shall not lapse, such Restricted Stock shall vest and cease to be forfeitable and, if applicable, the Company shall cease to have a right of repurchase.

 

8.5          Section 83(b) Election . If a Holder makes an election under Section 83(b) of the Code to be taxed with respect to the Restricted Stock as of the date of transfer of the Restricted Stock rather than as of the date or dates upon which the Holder would otherwise be taxable under Section 83(a) of the Code, the Holder shall be required to deliver a copy of such election to the Company promptly after filing such election with the Internal Revenue Service along with proof of the timely filing thereof with the Internal Revenue Service.

 

ARTICLE 9.

 

AWARD OF RESTRICTED STOCK UNITS

 

9.1          Grant of Restricted Stock Units . The Administrator is authorized to grant Awards of Restricted Stock Units to any Eligible Individual selected by the Administrator in such amounts and subject to such terms and conditions as determined by the Administrator.

 

9.2          Term . Except as otherwise provided herein, the term of a Restricted Stock Unit award shall be set by the Administrator in its sole discretion.

 

9.3          Purchase Price . The Administrator shall specify the purchase price, if any, to be paid by the Holder to the Company with respect to any Restricted Stock Unit award; provided , however , that the value of the consideration shall not be less than the par value of a Share, unless otherwise permitted by Applicable Law.

 

9.4          Vesting of Restricted Stock Units . At the time of grant, the Administrator shall specify the date or dates on which the Restricted Stock Units shall become fully vested and nonforfeitable, and may specify such conditions to vesting as it deems appropriate, including, without limitation, vesting based upon the Holder’s duration of service to the Company or any Subsidiary, one or more Performance Criteria, Company performance, individual performance or other specific criteria, in each case on a specified date or dates or over any period or periods, as determined by the Administrator, subject to Section 3.3.

 

9.5          Maturity and Payment . At the time of grant, the Administrator shall specify the maturity date applicable to each grant of Restricted Stock Units, which shall be no earlier than the vesting date or dates of the Award and may be determined at the election of the Holder (if permitted by the applicable Award Agreement); provided that, except as otherwise determined by the Administrator, and subject to compliance with Section 409A, in no event shall the maturity date relating to each Restricted Stock Unit occur following the later of (a) the 15 th  day of the third month following the end of the calendar year in which the applicable portion of the Restricted Stock Unit vests; and (b) the 15 th  day of the third month following the end of the Company’s fiscal year in which the applicable portion of the Restricted Stock Unit vests. On the maturity date, the Company shall, in accordance with the applicable Award Agreement and subject to Section 11.4(f), transfer to the Holder one unrestricted, fully transferable Share for each Restricted Stock Unit scheduled to be paid out on such date and not previously forfeited, or in the sole discretion of the Administrator, an amount in cash equal to the Fair Market Value of

 

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such Shares on the maturity date or a combination of cash and Common Stock as determined by the Administrator.

 

9.6          Payment upon Termination of Service . An Award of Restricted Stock Units shall be payable only while the Holder is an Employee, a Consultant or a member of the Board, as applicable; provided , however , that the Administrator, in its sole discretion, may provide (in an Award Agreement or otherwise) that a Restricted Stock Unit award may be paid subsequent to a Termination of Service in certain events, including a Change in Control, the Holder’s death, retirement or disability or any other specified Termination of Service.

 

ARTICLE 10.

 

AWARD OF OTHER STOCK OR CASH BASED AWARDS AND DIVIDEND EQUIVALENTS

 

10.1        Other Stock or Cash Based Awards .  The Administrator is authorized to (a) grant Other Stock or Cash Based Awards, including awards entitling a Holder to receive Shares or cash to be delivered immediately or in the future, to any Eligible Individual and (b) determine whether such Other Stock or Cash Based Awards shall be Performance-Based Compensation. Subject to the provisions of the Plan and any applicable Program, the Administrator shall determine the terms and conditions of each Other Stock or Cash Based Award, including the term of the Award, any exercise or purchase price, performance goals, including the Performance Criteria, transfer restrictions, vesting conditions and other terms and conditions applicable thereto, which shall be set forth in the applicable Award Agreement, subject to Section 3.3. Other Stock or Cash Based Awards may be paid in cash, Shares, or a combination of cash and Shares, as determined by the Administrator, and may be available as a form of payment in the settlement of other Awards granted under the Plan, as stand-alone payments, as a part of a bonus, deferred bonus, deferred compensation or other arrangement, and/or as payment in lieu of compensation to which an Eligible Individual is otherwise entitled.

 

10.2        Dividend Equivalents . Dividend Equivalents may be granted by the Administrator, either alone or in tandem with another Award, based on dividends declared on the Common Stock, to be credited as of dividend payment dates during the period between the date the Dividend Equivalents are granted to a Holder and the date such Dividend Equivalents terminate or expire, as determined by the Administrator. Such Dividend Equivalents shall be converted to cash or additional Shares by such formula and at such time and subject to such restrictions and limitations as may be determined by the Administrator. In addition, Dividend Equivalents with respect to an Award with performance-based vesting that are based on dividends paid prior to the vesting of such Award shall be paid out to the Holder only to the extent that the performance-based vesting conditions are subsequently satisfied and the Award vests. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Dividend Equivalents shall be payable with respect to Options or Stock Appreciation Rights.

 

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ARTICLE 11.

 

ADDITIONAL TERMS OF AWARDS

 

11.1        Payment . The Administrator shall determine the method or methods by which payments by any Holder with respect to any Awards granted under the Plan shall be made, including, without limitation: (a) cash or check, (b) Shares (including, in the case of payment of the exercise price of an Award, Shares issuable pursuant to the exercise of the Award) held for any minimum period of time as may be established by the Administrator having a Fair Market Value on the date of delivery equal to the aggregate payments required, (c) delivery of a written or electronic notice that the Holder has placed a market sell order with a broker acceptable to the Company with respect to Shares then issuable upon exercise or vesting of an Award, and that the broker has been directed to pay a sufficient portion of the net proceeds of the sale to the Company in satisfaction of the aggregate payments required; provided that payment of such proceeds is then made to the Company upon settlement of such sale, (d) other form of legal consideration acceptable to the Administrator in its sole discretion, or (e) any combination of the above permitted forms of payment. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan to the contrary, no Holder who is a Director or an “executive officer” of the Company within the meaning of Section 13(k) of the Exchange Act shall be permitted to make payment with respect to any Awards granted under the Plan, or continue any extension of credit with respect to such payment, with a loan from the Company or a loan arranged by the Company in violation of Section 13(k) of the Exchange Act.

 

11.2        Tax Withholding . The Company or any Subsidiary shall have the authority and the right to deduct or withhold, or require a Holder to remit to the Company, an amount sufficient to satisfy federal, state, local and foreign taxes (including the Holder’s FICA, employment tax or other social security contribution obligation) required by law to be withheld with respect to any taxable event concerning a Holder arising as a result of the Plan or any Award. The Administrator may, in its sole discretion and in satisfaction of the foregoing requirement, or in satisfaction of such additional withholding obligations as a Participant may have elected, allow a Holder to satisfy such obligations by any payment means described in Section 11.1 hereof, including without limitation, by allowing such Holder to elect to have the Company or any Subsidiary withhold Shares otherwise issuable under an Award (or allow the surrender of Shares). The number of Shares that may be so withheld or surrendered shall be no greater than the number of Shares that have a fair market value on the date of withholding or repurchase equal to the aggregate amount of such liabilities based on the maximum statutory withholding rates in such Participant’s applicable jurisdiction for federal, state, local and foreign income tax and payroll tax purposes that are applicable to such taxable income. The Administrator shall determine the fair market value of the Shares, consistent with applicable provisions of the Code, for tax withholding obligations due in connection with a broker-assisted cashless Option or Stock Appreciation Right exercise involving the sale of Shares to pay the Option or Stock Appreciation Right exercise price or any tax withholding obligation.

 

11.3        Transferability of Awards .

 

(a)        Except as otherwise provided in Sections 11.3(b) and 11.3(c):

 

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(i)         No Award under the Plan may be sold, pledged, assigned or transferred in any manner other than (A) by will or the laws of descent and distribution or (B) subject to the consent of the Administrator, pursuant to a DRO, unless and until such Award has been exercised or the Shares underlying such Award have been issued, and all restrictions applicable to such Shares have lapsed;

 

(ii)        No Award or interest or right therein shall be liable for or otherwise subject to the debts, contracts or engagements of the Holder or the Holder’s successors in interest or shall be subject to disposition by transfer, alienation, anticipation, pledge, hypothecation, encumbrance, assignment or any other means whether such disposition be voluntary or involuntary or by operation of law by judgment, levy, attachment, garnishment or any other legal or equitable proceedings (including bankruptcy) unless and until such Award has been exercised, or the Shares underlying such Award have been issued, and all restrictions applicable to such Shares have lapsed, and any attempted disposition of an Award prior to satisfaction of these conditions shall be null and void and of no effect, except to the extent that such disposition is permitted by Section 11.3(a)(i); and

 

(iii)       During the lifetime of the Holder, only the Holder may exercise any exercisable portion of an Award granted to such Holder under the Plan, unless it has been disposed of pursuant to a DRO.  After the death of the Holder, any exercisable portion of an Award may, prior to the time when such portion becomes unexercisable under the Plan or the applicable Program or Award Agreement, be exercised by the Holder’s personal representative or by any Person empowered to do so under the deceased Holder’s will or under the then-applicable laws of descent and distribution.

 

(b)        Notwithstanding Section 11.3(a), the Administrator, in its sole discretion, may determine to permit a Holder or a Permitted Transferee of such Holder to transfer an Award other than an Incentive Stock Option (unless such Incentive Stock Option is intended to become a Nonqualified Stock Option) to any one or more Permitted Transferees of such Holder, subject to the following terms and conditions: (i) an Award transferred to a Permitted Transferee shall not be assignable or transferable by the Permitted Transferee other than (A) to another Permitted Transferee of the applicable Holder or (B) by will or the laws of descent and distribution or, subject to the consent of the Administrator, pursuant to a DRO; (ii) an Award transferred to a Permitted Transferee shall continue to be subject to all the terms and conditions of the Award as applicable to the original Holder (other than the ability to further transfer the Award to any Person other than another Permitted Transferee of the applicable Holder); and (iii) the Holder (or transferring Permitted Transferee) and the receiving Permitted Transferee shall execute any and all documents requested by the Administrator, including, without limitation documents to (A) confirm the status of the transferee as a Permitted Transferee, (B) satisfy any requirements for an exemption for the transfer under Applicable Law and (C) evidence the transfer.  In addition, and further notwithstanding Section 11.3(a), hereof, the Administrator, in its sole discretion, may determine to permit a Holder to transfer Incentive Stock Options to a trust that constitutes a Permitted Transferee if, under Section 671 of the Code and other Applicable Law, the Holder is considered the sole beneficial owner of the Incentive Stock Option while it is held in the trust.

 

(c)        Notwithstanding Section 11.3(a), a Holder may, in the manner determined by the Administrator, designate a beneficiary to exercise the rights of the Holder and to receive

 

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any distribution with respect to any Award upon the Holder’s death. A beneficiary, legal guardian, legal representative, or other Person claiming any rights pursuant to the Plan is subject to all terms and conditions of the Plan and any Program or Award Agreement applicable to the Holder and any additional restrictions deemed necessary or appropriate by the Administrator. If the Holder is married or a domestic partner in a domestic partnership qualified under Applicable Law and resides in a community property state, a designation of a Person other than the Holder’s spouse or domestic partner, as applicable, as the Holder’s beneficiary with respect to more than 50% of the Holder’s interest in the Award shall not be effective without the prior written or electronic consent of the Holder’s spouse or domestic partner. If no beneficiary has been designated or survives the Holder, payment shall be made to the Person entitled thereto pursuant to the Holder’s will or the laws of descent and distribution. Subject to the foregoing, a beneficiary designation may be changed or revoked by a Holder at any time; provided that the change or revocation is delivered in writing to the Administrator prior to the Holder’s death.

 

11.4        Conditions to Issuance of Shares .

 

(a)        The Administrator shall determine the methods by which Shares shall be delivered or deemed to be delivered to Holders. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Company shall not be required to issue or deliver any certificates or make any book entries evidencing Shares pursuant to the exercise of any Award, unless and until the Administrator has determined, with advice of counsel, that the issuance of such Shares is in compliance with Applicable Law and the Shares are covered by an effective registration statement or applicable exemption from registration. In addition to the terms and conditions provided herein, the Administrator may require that a Holder make such reasonable covenants, agreements and representations as the Administrator, in its sole discretion, deems advisable in order to comply with Applicable Law.

 

(b)        All share certificates delivered pursuant to the Plan and all Shares issued pursuant to book entry procedures are subject to any stop-transfer orders and other restrictions as the Administrator deems necessary or advisable to comply with Applicable Law. The Administrator may place legends on any share certificate or book entry to reference restrictions applicable to the Shares (including, without limitation, restrictions applicable to Restricted Stock).

 

(c)        The Administrator shall have the right to require any Holder to comply with any timing or other restrictions with respect to the settlement, distribution or exercise of any Award, including a window-period limitation, as may be imposed in the sole discretion of the Administrator.

 

(d)       No fractional Shares shall be issued and the Administrator, in its sole discretion, shall determine whether cash shall be given in lieu of fractional Shares or whether such fractional Shares shall be eliminated by rounding down.

 

(e)        The Company, in its sole discretion, may (i) retain physical possession of any stock certificate evidencing Shares until any restrictions thereon shall have lapsed and/or (ii) require that the stock certificates evidencing such Shares be held in custody by a designated

 

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escrow agent (which may but need not be the Company) until the restrictions thereon shall have lapsed, and that the Holder deliver a stock power, endorsed in blank, relating to such Shares.

 

(f)        Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, unless otherwise determined by the Administrator or required by Applicable Law, the Company shall not deliver to any Holder certificates evidencing Shares issued in connection with any Award and instead such Shares shall be recorded in the books of the Company (or, as applicable, its transfer agent or stock plan administrator).

 

11.5        Forfeiture and Claw-Back Provisions . All Awards (including any proceeds, gains or other economic benefit actually or constructively received by a Holder upon any receipt or exercise of any Award or upon the receipt or resale of any Shares underlying the Award and any payments of a portion of an incentive-based bonus pool allocated to a Holder) shall be subject to the provisions of any claw-back policy implemented by the Company, including, without limitation, any claw-back policy adopted to comply with the requirements of Applicable Law, including, without limitation, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and any rules or regulations promulgated thereunder, whether or not such claw-back policy was in place at the time of grant of an Award, to the extent set forth in such claw-back policy and/or in the applicable Award Agreement.

 

11.6        Prohibition on Repricing . Subject to Section 13.2, the Administrator shall not, without the approval of the stockholders of the Company, (a) authorize the amendment of any outstanding Option or Stock Appreciation Right to reduce its price per Share, or (b) cancel any Option or Stock Appreciation Right in exchange for cash or another Award when the Option or Stock Appreciation Right price per Share exceeds the Fair Market Value of the underlying Shares. Furthermore, for purposes of this Section 11.6, except in connection with a corporate transaction involving the Company (including, without limitation, any stock dividend, stock split, extraordinary cash dividend, recapitalization, reorganization, merger, consolidation, split-up, spin-off, combination or exchange of shares), the terms of outstanding Awards may not be amended to reduce the exercise price per Share of outstanding Options or Stock Appreciation Rights or cancel outstanding Options or Stock Appreciation Rights in exchange for cash, other Awards or Options or Stock Appreciation Rights with an exercise price per Share that is less than the exercise price per Share of the original Options or Stock Appreciation Rights without the approval of the stockholders of the Company.

 

11.7        Amendment of Awards .  Subject to Applicable Law, the Administrator may amend, modify or terminate any outstanding Award, including but not limited to, substituting therefor another Award of the same or a different type, changing the date of exercise or settlement, and converting an Incentive Stock Option to a Non-Qualified Stock Option.  The Holder’s consent to such action shall be required unless (a) the Administrator determines that the action, taking into account any related action, would not materially and adversely affect the Holder, or (b) the change is otherwise permitted under the Plan (including, without limitation, under Section 13.2 or 13.10).

 

11.8        Data Privacy .  As a condition of receipt of any Award, each Holder explicitly and unambiguously consents to the collection, use and transfer, in electronic or other form, of personal data as described in this Section 11.8 by and among, as applicable, the Company and its

 

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Subsidiaries for the exclusive purpose of implementing, administering and managing the Holder’s participation in the Plan.  The Company and its Subsidiaries may hold certain personal information about a Holder, including but not limited to, the Holder’s name, home address and telephone number, date of birth, social security or insurance number or other identification number, salary, nationality, job title(s), any shares of stock held in the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and details of all Awards, in each case, for the purpose of implementing, managing and administering the Plan and Awards (the “ Data ”).  The Company and its Subsidiaries may transfer the Data amongst themselves as necessary for the purpose of implementation, administration and management of a Holder’s participation in the Plan, and the Company and its Subsidiaries may each further transfer the Data to any third parties assisting the Company and its Subsidiaries in the implementation, administration and management of the Plan.  These recipients may be located in the Holder’s country, or elsewhere, and the Holder’s country may have different data privacy laws and protections than the recipients’ country.  Through acceptance of an Award, each Holder authorizes such recipients to receive, possess, use, retain and transfer the Data, in electronic or other form, for the purposes of implementing, administering and managing the Holder’s participation in the Plan, including any requisite transfer of such Data as may be required to a broker or other third party with whom the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or the Holder may elect to deposit any Shares.  The Data related to a Holder will be held only as long as is necessary to implement, administer, and manage the Holder’s participation in the Plan.  A Holder may, at any time, view the Data held by the Company with respect to such Holder, request additional information about the storage and processing of the Data with respect to such Holder, recommend any necessary corrections to the Data with respect to the Holder or refuse or withdraw the consents herein in writing, in any case without cost, by contacting his or her local human resources representative.  The Company may cancel the Holder’s ability to participate in the Plan and, in the Administrator’s discretion, the Holder may forfeit any outstanding Awards if the Holder refuses or withdraws his or her consents as described herein.  For more information on the consequences of refusal to consent or withdrawal of consent, Holders may contact their local human resources representative.

 

ARTICLE 12.

 

ADMINISTRATION

 

12.1        Administrator . The Committee shall administer the Plan (except as otherwise permitted herein). To the extent necessary to comply with Rule 16b-3 of the Exchange Act, and with respect to Awards that are intended to be Performance-Based Compensation, including Options and Stock Appreciation Rights, then the Committee shall take all action with respect to such Awards, and the individuals taking such action shall consist solely of two or more Non-Employee Directors, each of whom is intended to qualify as both a “non-employee director” as defined by Rule 16b-3 of the Exchange Act or any successor rule and an “outside director” for purposes of Section 162(m) of the Code. Additionally, to the extent required by Applicable Law, each of the individuals constituting the Committee shall be an “independent director” under the rules of any securities exchange or automated quotation system on which the Shares are listed, quoted or traded. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any action taken by the Committee shall be valid and effective, whether or not members of the Committee at the time of such action are later determined not to have satisfied the requirements for membership set forth in this Section 12.1 or the Organizational Documents.  Except as may otherwise be provided in the Organizational

 

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Documents or as otherwise required by Applicable Law, (a) appointment of Committee members shall be effective upon acceptance of appointment, (b) Committee members may resign at any time by delivering written or electronic notice to the Board and (c) vacancies in the Committee may only be filled by the Board.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) the full Board, acting by a majority of its members in office, shall conduct the general administration of the Plan with respect to Awards granted to Non-Employee Directors and, with respect to such Awards, the term “Administrator” as used in the Plan shall be deemed to refer to the Board and (ii) the Board or Committee may delegate its authority hereunder to the extent permitted by Section 12.6.

 

12.2        Duties and Powers of Administrator . It shall be the duty of the Administrator to conduct the general administration of the Plan in accordance with its provisions. The Administrator shall have the power to interpret the Plan, all Programs and Award Agreements, and to adopt such rules for the administration, interpretation and application of the Plan and any Program as are not inconsistent with the Plan, to interpret, amend or revoke any such rules and to amend the Plan or any Program or Award Agreement; provided that the rights or obligations of the Holder of the Award that is the subject of any such Program or Award Agreement are not materially and adversely affected by such amendment, unless the consent of the Holder is obtained or such amendment is otherwise permitted under Section 11.5 or Section 13.10. In its sole discretion, the Board may at any time and from time to time exercise any and all rights and duties of the Committee in its capacity as the Administrator under the Plan except with respect to matters which under Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act or any successor rule, or Section 162(m) of the Code, or any regulations or rules issued thereunder, or the rules of any securities exchange or automated quotation system on which the Shares are listed, quoted or traded are required to be determined in the sole discretion of the Committee.

 

12.3        Action by the Administrator . Unless otherwise established by the Board, set forth in any Organizational Documents or as required by Applicable Law, a majority of the Administrator shall constitute a quorum and the acts of a majority of the members present at any meeting at which a quorum is present, and acts approved in writing by all members of the Administrator in lieu of a meeting, shall be deemed the acts of the Administrator. Each member of the Administrator is entitled to, in good faith, rely or act upon any report or other information furnished to that member by any officer or other employee of the Company or any Subsidiary, the Company’s independent certified public accountants, or any executive compensation consultant or other professional retained by the Company to assist in the administration of the Plan.

 

12.4        Authority of Administrator . Subject to the Organizational Documents, any specific designation in the Plan and Applicable Law, the Administrator has the exclusive power, authority and sole discretion to:

 

(a)        Designate Eligible Individuals to receive Awards;

 

(b)        Determine the type or types of Awards to be granted to each Eligible Individual (including, without limitation, any Awards granted in tandem with another Award granted pursuant to the Plan);

 

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(c)        Determine the number of Awards to be granted and the number of Shares to which an Award will relate;

 

(d)       Determine the terms and conditions of any Award granted pursuant to the Plan, including, but not limited to, the exercise price, grant price, purchase price, any Performance Criteria or performance criteria, any reload provision, any restrictions or limitations on the Award, any schedule for vesting, lapse of forfeiture restrictions or restrictions on the exercisability of an Award, and accelerations or waivers thereof, and any provisions related to non-competition and claw-back and recapture of gain on an Award, based in each case on such considerations as the Administrator in its sole discretion determines;

 

(e)        Determine whether, to what extent, and under what circumstances an Award may be settled in, or the exercise price of an Award may be paid in cash, Shares, other Awards, or other property, or an Award may be canceled, forfeited, or surrendered;

 

(f)        Prescribe the form of each Award Agreement, which need not be identical for each Holder;

 

(g)        Decide all other matters that must be determined in connection with an Award;

 

(h)        Establish, adopt, or revise any Programs, rules and regulations as it may deem necessary or advisable to administer the Plan;

 

(i)         Interpret the terms of, and any matter arising pursuant to, the Plan, any Program or any Award Agreement;

 

(j)         Make all other decisions and determinations that may be required pursuant to the Plan or as the Administrator deems necessary or advisable to administer the Plan; and

 

(k)        Accelerate wholly or partially the vesting or lapse of restrictions of any Award or portion thereof at any time after the grant of an Award, subject to whatever terms and conditions it selects and Section 3.3 and Section 13.2.

 

12.5        Decisions Binding . The Administrator’s interpretation of the Plan, any Awards granted pursuant to the Plan, any Program or any Award Agreement and all decisions and determinations by the Administrator with respect to the Plan are final, binding and conclusive on all Persons.

 

12.6        Delegation of Authority . The Board or Committee may from time to time delegate to a committee of one or more members of the Board or one or more officers of the Company the authority to grant or amend Awards or to take other administrative actions pursuant to this Article 12; provided , however , that in no event shall an officer of the Company be delegated the authority to grant Awards to, or amend Awards held by, the following individuals: (a) individuals who are subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, (b) Covered Employees with respect to Awards intended to constitute Performance Based Compensation, or (c) officers of the Company (or Directors) to whom authority to grant or amend Awards has been delegated hereunder; provided , further , that any delegation of administrative authority shall only be

 

27



 

permitted to the extent it is permissible under any Organizational Documents and Applicable Law (including, without limitation, Section 162(m) of the Code). Any delegation hereunder shall be subject to the restrictions and limits that the Board or Committee specifies at the time of such delegation or that are otherwise included in the applicable Organizational Documents, and the Board or Committee, as applicable, may at any time rescind the authority so delegated or appoint a new delegatee. At all times, the delegatee appointed under this Section 12.6 shall serve in such capacity at the pleasure of the Board or the Committee, as applicable, and the Board or the Committee may abolish any committee at any time and re-vest in itself any previously delegated authority.

 

ARTICLE 13.

 

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

 

13.1        Amendment, Suspension or Termination of the Plan .

 

(a)        Except as otherwise provided in Section 13.1(b), the Plan may be wholly or partially amended or otherwise modified, suspended or terminated at any time or from time to time by the Board; provided that, except as provided in Section 11.5 and Section 13.10, no amendment, suspension or termination of the Plan shall, without the consent of the Holder, materially and adversely affect any rights or obligations under any Award theretofore granted or awarded, unless the Award itself otherwise expressly so provides.

 

(b)        Notwithstanding Section 13.1(a), the Board may not, except as provided in Section 13.2, take any of the following actions without approval of the Company’s stockholders given within twelve (12) months before or after such action: (i) increase the limit imposed in Section 3.1 on the maximum number of Shares which may be issued under the Plan or the Award Limit, (ii) reduce the price per share of any outstanding Option or Stock Appreciation Right granted under the Plan or take any action prohibited under Section 11.6, or (iii) cancel any Option or Stock Appreciation Right in exchange for cash or another Award in violation of Section 11.6.

 

(c)        No Awards may be granted or awarded during any period of suspension or after termination of the Plan, and notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, in no event may any Award be granted under the Plan after the tenth (10 th ) anniversary of the earlier of (i) the date on which the Plan was adopted by the Board or (ii) the date the Plan was approved by the Company’s stockholders (such anniversary, the “ Expiration Date ”). Any Awards that are outstanding on the Expiration Date shall remain in force according to the terms of the Plan, the applicable Program and the applicable Award Agreement.

 

13.2        Changes in Common Stock or Assets of the Company, Acquisition or Liquidation of the Company and Other Corporate Events .

 

(a)        In the event of any stock dividend, stock split, combination or exchange of shares, merger, consolidation or other distribution (other than normal cash dividends) of Company assets to stockholders, or any other change affecting the shares of the Company’s stock or the share price of the Company’s stock other than an Equity Restructuring, the

 

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Administrator may make equitable adjustments, if any, to reflect such change with respect to: (i) the aggregate number and kind of Shares that may be issued under the Plan (including, but not limited to, adjustments of the limitations in Section 3.1 on the maximum number and kind of Shares which may be issued under the Plan, and adjustments of the Award Limit ); (ii) t he number and kind of Shares (or other securities or property) subject to outstanding Awards; (iii) the terms and conditions of any outstanding Awards (including, without limitation, any applicable performance targets or criteria with respect thereto); (iv) the grant or exercise price per share for any outstanding Awards under the Plan; and (v) the number and kind of Shares (or other securities or property) for which automatic grants are subsequently to be made to new and continuing Non-Employee Directors pursuant to Section 4.6 . Any adjustment affecting an Award intended as Performance-Based Compensation shall be made consistent with the requirements of Section 162(m) of the Code unless otherwise determined by the Administrator.

 

(b)        In the event of any transaction or event described in Section 13.2(a) or any unusual or nonrecurring transactions or events affecting the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, or the financial statements of the Company or any Subsidiary, or of changes in Applicable Law or Applicable Accounting Standards, the Administrator, in its sole discretion, and on such terms and conditions as it deems appropriate, either by the terms of the Award or by action taken prior to the occurrence of such transaction or event, is hereby authorized to take any one or more of the following actions whenever the Administrator determines that such action is appropriate in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be made available under the Plan or with respect to any Award under the Plan, to facilitate such transactions or events or to give effect to such changes in Applicable Law or Applicable Accounting Standards:

 

(i)         To provide for the termination of any such Award in exchange for an amount of cash and/or other property with a value equal to the amount that would have been attained upon the exercise of such Award or realization of the Holder’s rights (and, for the avoidance of doubt, if as of the date of the occurrence of the transaction or event described in this Section 13.2 the Administrator determines in good faith that no amount would have been attained upon the exercise of such Award or realization of the Holder’s rights, then such Award may be terminated by the Company without payment);

 

(ii)        To provide that such Award be assumed by the successor or survivor corporation, or a parent or subsidiary thereof, or shall be substituted for by similar options, rights or awards covering the stock of the successor or survivor corporation, or a parent or subsidiary thereof, with appropriate adjustments as to the number and kind of shares and applicable exercise or purchase price, in all cases, as determined by the Administrator;

 

(iii)       To make adjustments in the number and type of Shares of the Company’s stock (or other securities or property) subject to such Award, and/or in the terms and conditions of (including the grant or exercise price), and the criteria included in, outstanding Awards and Awards which may be granted in the future;

 

(iv)       To provide that such Award shall be exercisable or payable or fully vested with respect to all Shares covered thereby, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Plan or the applicable Program or Award Agreement;

 

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(v)        To replace such Award with other rights or property selected by the Administrator; and/or

 

(vi)       To provide that the Award cannot vest, be exercised or become payable after such event.

 

(c)        In connection with the occurrence of any Equity Restructuring, and notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Sections 13.2(a) and 13.2(b):

 

(i)         The number and type of securities subject to each outstanding Award and the exercise price or grant price thereof, if applicable, shall be equitably adjusted (and the adjustments provided under this Section 13.2(c)(i) shall be nondiscretionary and shall be final and binding on the affected Holder and the Company); and/or

 

(ii)        The Administrator shall make such equitable adjustments, if any, as the Administrator, in its sole discretion, may deem appropriate to reflect such Equity Restructuring with respect to the aggregate number and kind of Shares that may be issued under the Plan (including, but not limited to, adjustments of the limitation in Section 3.1 on the maximum number and kind of Shares which may be issued under the Plan, and adjustments of the Award Limit).

 

(d)       In the event an Award continues in effect or is assumed or an equivalent Award substituted, and a Holder incurs a Termination of Service without “cause” (as such term is defined in the sole discretion of the Administrator, or as set forth in the Award Agreement relating to such Award) upon or within twelve (12) months immediately following a Change in Control, then such Holder shall be fully vested in such continued, assumed or substituted Award.

 

(e)        In the event that the successor corporation in a Change in Control refuses to assume or substitute for an Award (or any portion thereof), the Administrator may cause (i) any or all of such Award (or portion thereof) to terminate in exchange for cash, rights or other property pursuant to Section 13.2(b)(i) or (ii) any or all of such Award (or portion thereof) to become fully exercisable immediately prior to the consummation of such transaction and all forfeiture restrictions on any or all of such Award to lapse. If any such Award is exercisable in lieu of assumption or substitution in the event of a Change in Control, the Administrator shall notify the Holder that such Award shall be fully exercisable for a period of fifteen (15) days from the date of such notice, contingent upon the occurrence of the Change in Control, and such Award shall terminate upon the expiration of such period.

 

(f)        For the purposes of this Section 13.2, an Award shall be considered assumed if, following the Change in Control, the Award confers the right to purchase or receive, for each Share subject to the Award immediately prior to the Change in Control, the consideration (whether stock, cash, or other securities or property) received in the Change in Control by holders of Common Stock for each Share held on the effective date of the transaction (and if holders were offered a choice of consideration, the type of consideration chosen by the holders of a majority of the outstanding Shares); provided , however , that if such consideration received in the Change in Control was not solely common stock of the successor corporation or its parent, the Administrator may, with the consent of the successor corporation, provide for the

 

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consideration to be received upon the exercise of the Award, for each Share subject to an Award, to be solely common stock of the successor corporation or its parent equal in fair market value to the per-share consideration received by holders of Common Stock in the Change in Control.

 

(g)        The Administrator, in its sole discretion, may include such further provisions and limitations in any Award, agreement or certificate, as it may deem equitable and in the best interests of the Company that are not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan.

 

(h)        Unless otherwise determined by the Administrator, no adjustment or action described in this Section 13.2 or in any other provision of the Plan shall be authorized to the extent it would (i) with respect to Awards which are granted to Covered Employees and are intended to qualify as Performance-Based Compensation, cause such Awards to fail to so qualify as Performance-Based Compensation, (ii) cause the Plan to violate Section 422(b)(1) of the Code, (iii) result in short-swing profits liability under Section 16 of the Exchange Act or violate the exemptive conditions of Rule 16b-3 of the Exchange Act, or (iv) cause an Award to fail to be exempt from or comply with Section 409A.

 

(i)         The existence of the Plan, any Program, any Award Agreement and/or the Awards granted hereunder shall not affect or restrict in any way the right or power of the Company or the stockholders of the Company to make or authorize any adjustment, recapitalization, reorganization or other change in the Company’s capital structure or its business, any merger or consolidation of the Company, any issue of stock or of options, warrants or rights to purchase stock or of bonds, debentures, preferred or prior preference stocks the rights of which are superior to or affect the Common Stock or the rights thereof or that are convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock, or the dissolution or liquidation of the Company, or any sale or transfer of all or any part of its assets or business, or any other corporate act or proceeding, whether of a similar character or otherwise.

 

(j)         In the event of any pending stock dividend, stock split, combination or exchange of shares, merger, consolidation or other distribution (other than normal cash dividends) of Company assets to stockholders, or any other change affecting the Shares or the share price of the Common Stock including any Equity Restructuring, for reasons of administrative convenience, the Administrator, in its sole discretion, may refuse to permit the exercise of any Award during a period of up to thirty (30) days prior to the consummation of any such transaction.

 

13.3        Approval of Plan by Stockholders . The Plan shall be submitted for the approval of the Company’s stockholders within twelve (12) months after the date of the Board’s initial adoption of the Plan.

 

13.4        No Stockholders Rights . Except as otherwise provided herein or in an applicable Program or Award Agreement, a Holder shall have none of the rights of a stockholder with respect to Shares covered by any Award until the Holder becomes the record owner of such Shares.

 

13.5        Paperless Administration . In the event that the Company establishes, for itself or using the services of a third party, an automated system for the documentation, granting or

 

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exercise of Awards, such as a system using an internet website or interactive voice response, then the paperless documentation, granting or exercise of Awards by a Holder may be permitted through the use of such an automated system.

 

13.6        Effect of Plan upon Other Compensation Plans . The adoption of the Plan shall not affect any other compensation or incentive plans in effect for the Company or any Subsidiary. Nothing in the Plan shall be construed to limit the right of the Company or any Subsidiary: (a) to establish any other forms of incentives or compensation for Employees, Directors or Consultants of the Company or any Subsidiary, or (b) to grant or assume options or other rights or awards otherwise than under the Plan in connection with any proper corporate purpose including without limitation, the grant or assumption of options in connection with the acquisition by purchase, lease, merger, consolidation or otherwise, of the business, stock or assets of any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, firm or association.

 

13.7        Compliance with Laws . The Plan, the granting and vesting of Awards under the Plan and the issuance and delivery of Shares and the payment of money under the Plan or under Awards granted or awarded hereunder are subject to compliance with all Applicable Law (including but not limited to state, federal and foreign securities law and margin requirements), and to such approvals by any listing, regulatory or governmental authority as may, in the opinion of counsel for the Company, be necessary or advisable in connection therewith. Any securities delivered under the Plan shall be subject to such restrictions, and the Person acquiring such securities shall, if requested by the Company, provide such assurances and representations to the Company as the Company may deem necessary or desirable to assure compliance with all Applicable Law. The Administrator, in its sole discretion, may take whatever actions it deems necessary or appropriate to effect compliance with Applicable Law, including, without limitation, placing legends on share certificates and issuing stop-transfer notices to agents and registrars.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the Administrator may not take any actions hereunder, and no Awards shall be granted, that would violate Applicable Law. To the extent permitted by Applicable Law, the Plan and Awards granted or awarded hereunder shall be deemed amended to the extent necessary to conform to Applicable Law.

 

13.8        Titles and Headings, References to Sections of the Code or Exchange Act . The titles and headings of the Sections in the Plan are for convenience of reference only and, in the event of any conflict, the text of the Plan, rather than such titles or headings, shall control. References to sections of the Code or the Exchange Act shall include any amendment or successor thereto.

 

13.9        Governing Law . The Plan and any Programs and Award Agreements hereunder shall be administered, interpreted and enforced under the internal laws of the State of Delaware without regard to conflicts of laws thereof or of any other jurisdiction.

 

13.10      Section 409A . To the extent that the Administrator determines that any Award granted under the Plan is subject to Section 409A, the Plan, the Program pursuant to which such Award is granted and the Award Agreement evidencing such Award shall incorporate the terms and conditions required by Section 409A. In that regard, to the extent any Award under the Plan or any other compensatory plan or arrangement of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is subject to Section 409A, and such Award or other amount is payable on account of a

 

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Participant’s Termination of Service (or any similarly defined term), then (a) such Award or amount shall only be paid to the extent such Termination of Service qualifies as a “separation from service” as defined in Section 409A, and (b) if such Award or amount is payable to a “specified employee” as defined in Section 409A then to the extent required in order to avoid a prohibited distribution under Section 409A, such Award or other compensatory payment shall not be payable prior to the earlier of (i) the expiration of the six-month period measured from the date of the Participant’s Termination of Service, or (ii) the date of the Participant’s death.   To the extent applicable, the Plan, the Program and any Award Agreements shall be interpreted in accordance with Section 409A. Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, in the event that following the Effective Date the Administrator determines that any Award may be subject to Section 409A, the Administrator may (but is not obligated to), without a Holder’s consent, adopt such amendments to the Plan and the applicable Program and Award Agreement or adopt other policies and procedures (including amendments, policies and procedures with retroactive effect), or take any other actions, that the Administrator determines are necessary or appropriate to (A) exempt the Award from Section 409A and/or preserve the intended tax treatment of the benefits provided with respect to the Award, or (B) comply with the requirements of Section 409A and thereby avoid the application of any penalty taxes under Section 409A. The Company makes no representations or warranties as to the tax treatment of any Award under Section 409A or otherwise.  The Company shall have no obligation under this Section 13.10 or otherwise to take any action (whether or not described herein) to avoid the imposition of taxes, penalties or interest under Section 409A with respect to any Award and shall have no liability to any Holder or any other Person if any Award, compensation or other benefits under the Plan are determined to constitute non-compliant, “nonqualified deferred compensation” subject to the imposition of taxes, penalties and/or interest under Section 409A.

 

13.11      Unfunded Status of Awards . The Plan is intended to be an “unfunded” plan for incentive compensation. With respect to any payments not yet made to a Holder pursuant to an Award, nothing contained in the Plan or any Program or Award Agreement shall give the Holder any rights that are greater than those of a general creditor of the Company or any Subsidiary.

 

13.12      Indemnification . To the extent permitted under Applicable Law and the Organizational Documents, each member of the Administrator shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Company from any loss, cost, liability, or expense that may be imposed upon or reasonably incurred by such member in connection with or resulting from any claim, action, suit, or proceeding to which he or she may be a party or in which he or she may be involved by reason of any action or failure to act pursuant to the Plan and against and from any and all amounts paid by him or her in satisfaction of judgment in such action, suit, or proceeding against him or her; provided he or she gives the Company an opportunity, at its own expense, to handle and defend the same before he or she undertakes to handle and defend it on his or her own behalf. The foregoing right of indemnification shall not be exclusive of any other rights of indemnification to which such Persons may be entitled pursuant to the Organizational Documents, as a matter of law, or otherwise, or any power that the Company may have to indemnify them or hold them harmless.

 

13.13      Relationship to other Benefits . No payment pursuant to the Plan shall be taken into account in determining any benefits under any pension, retirement, savings, profit sharing,

 

33



 

group insurance, welfare or other benefit plan of the Company or any Subsidiary except to the extent otherwise expressly provided in writing in such other plan or an agreement thereunder.

 

13.14      Expenses . The expenses of administering the Plan shall be borne by the Company and its Subsidiaries.

 

* * * * *

 

34



 

I hereby certify that the foregoing Plan was duly adopted by the Board of Directors of ProPetro Holding Corp. on                                  , 2017.

 

* * * * *

 

I hereby certify that the foregoing Plan was approved by the stockholders of ProPetro Holding Corp. on                                    , 2017.

 

Executed on this              day of                          , 2017.

 

 

 

 

Corporate Secretary

 




Exhibit 10.19

 

FORM OF PROPETRO HOLDING CORP.

SENIOR EXECUTIVE INCENTIVE BONUS PLAN

 

1.             Purpose

 

This Senior Executive Incentive Bonus Plan (the “ Bonus Plan ”) is intended to provide an incentive for superior work and to motivate eligible executives of ProPetro Holding Corp. (the “ Company ”) and its subsidiaries toward even higher achievement and business results, to tie their goals and interests to those of the Company and its stockholders and to enable the Company to attract and retain highly qualified executives. The Bonus Plan is for the benefit of Covered Employees (as defined below).

 

2.             Administration

 

The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “ Compensation Committee ”) shall have the sole discretion and authority to administer and interpret the Bonus Plan.

 

3.             Eligibility and Participation

 

The Compensation Committee shall select the persons eligible to participate in the Bonus Plan, which may include, without limitation, the executives of the Company and its subsidiaries who are or, as determined in the sole discretion of the Compensation Committee, may become “covered employees” (as defined in Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “ Code ”)) of the Company and its subsidiaries for the applicable taxable year of the Company (such selected persons, the “ Covered Employees ”).

 

4.             Bonus Determinations

 

(a)                                A Covered Employee may receive a bonus payment under the Bonus Plan based upon the attainment of performance objectives which are established by the Compensation Committee and relate to financial, operational or other metrics with respect to the Company or any of its subsidiaries (the “ Performance Goals ”), including but not limited to:  (i) adjusted net earnings or losses (either before or after one or more of the following: (A) interest, (B) taxes, (C) depreciation, (D) amortization and (E) non-cash equity-based compensation expense); (ii) gross or net sales or revenue or sales or revenue growth; (iii) net income (either before or after taxes); (iv) adjusted net income; (v) operating earnings or profit (either before or after taxes); (vi) cash flow (including, but not limited to, operating cash flow and free cash flow); (vii) return on assets; (viii) return on capital (or invested capital) and cost of capital; (ix) return on stockholders’ equity; (x) total stockholder return; (xi) return on sales; (xii) gross or net profit or operating margin; (xiii) costs, reductions in costs and cost control measures; (xiv) expenses; (xv) working capital; (xvi) earnings or loss per share; (xvii) adjusted earnings or loss per share; (xviii) price per share or dividends per share (or appreciation in and/or maintenance of such price or dividends); (xix) regulatory achievements or compliance (including, without limitation, regulatory body approval for commercialization of a product); (xx) implementation or completion of critical projects; (xxi) market share; (xxii) economic value; (xxiii) productivity; (xxiv) operating efficiency; (xxv) economic value-added; (xxvi) cash flow return on capital; (xxvii) return on net assets; (xxviii) funds from operations; (xxix) funds available for

 

1



 

distributions; (xxx) market penetration and geographic business expansion; (xxxi) customer satisfaction/growth; (xxxii) recruitment and retention of personnel; (xxxiii) human resources management; (xxxiv) supervision of litigation and other legal matters; (xxxv) strategic partnerships and transactions; (xxxvi) financial ratios (including those measuring liquidity, activity, profitability or leverage); (xxxvii) financing and other capital raising transactions; (xxxviii) year-end cash; (xxxix) acquisition activity and marketing initiatives; and (xl) safety metrics, any of which may be measured either in absolute terms or as compared to any incremental increase or decrease or as compared to results of a peer group or to market performance indicators or indices.

 

(b)                               Except as otherwise set forth in this Section 4(b):  (i) any bonuses paid to Covered Employees under the Bonus Plan shall be based upon objectively determinable bonus formulas that tie such bonuses to one or more performance objectives relating to the Performance Goals; (ii) bonus formulas for Covered Employees shall be adopted in each performance period by the Compensation Committee (generally, for performance periods of one year or more, no later than 90 days after the commencement of the performance period to which the Performance Goals relate); and (iii) no bonuses shall be paid to Covered Employees unless and until the Compensation Committee makes a certification with respect to the attainment of the performance objectives.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may pay bonuses (including, without limitation, discretionary bonuses) to Covered Employees under the Bonus Plan based upon such other terms and conditions as the Compensation Committee may in its sole discretion determine.

 

(c)                                The payment of a bonus to a Covered Employee with respect to a performance period shall be conditioned upon the Covered Employee’s employment by the Company on the last day of the performance period; provided , however , that the Compensation Committee may make exceptions to this requirement, in its sole discretion, including, without limitation, in the case of a Covered Employee’s termination of employment, retirement, death or disability.

 

5.             Forfeiture and Claw-Back Provisions

 

The Compensation Committee may provide that any bonuses paid under the Bonus Plan shall be subject to the provisions of any claw-back policy implemented by the Company, including, without limitation, any claw-back policy adopted to comply with the requirements of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and any rules, regulations or interpretations thereunder, to the extent set forth in such claw-back policy.

 

6.             Other Provisions

 

(a)                                Neither the establishment of the Bonus Plan nor the selection of any individual as a Covered Employee shall give any individual any right to be retained in the employ of the Company or any subsidiary thereof, or any right whatsoever under the Bonus Plan other than to receive bonus payments awarded by the Compensation Committee.

 

(b)                               No member of the Board of Directors of the Company or the Compensation Committee shall be liable to any individual in respect of the Bonus Plan for any act or omission of such member, any other member, or any officer, agent or employee of the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

 

2



 

(c)                                The Company and its subsidiaries shall be entitled to withhold such amounts as may be required by federal, state or local law from all bonus payments under the Bonus Plan.

 

(d)                              To the extent not preempted by federal law, the Bonus Plan shall be governed and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law thereof or any other jurisdiction.

 

(e)                                The Bonus Plan is intended to meet the requirements of Section 409A of the Code and will be interpreted and construed in accordance with Section 409A of the Code and Department of Treasury Regulations and other interpretive guidance issued thereunder, including without limitation any such regulations or other guidance that may be issued after the Effective Date (as defined below) (collectively, “ Section 409A ”).  Each bonus payable pursuant to the Bonus Plan shall be intended to comply with, or be exempt from, the requirements of Section 409A such that the bonus will not be subject to any penalty tax imposed under Section 409A and, unless otherwise determined by the Compensation Committee, each bonus under the Bonus Plan shall be paid subject to the applicable Covered Employee’s continued employment through the date of payment of such bonus.  Notwithstanding any provision of the Bonus Plan to the contrary, in the event that following the Effective Date the Company determines that any provision of the Bonus Plan could otherwise cause any person to be subject to the penalty taxes imposed under Section 409A, the Company may adopt such amendments to the Bonus Plan or adopt other policies and procedures (including amendments, policies and procedures with retroactive effect), or take any other actions, that the Company determines are necessary or appropriate to comply with the requirements of Section 409A and thereby avoid the application of any penalty taxes under Section 409A.  Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, in no event shall any liability for failure to comply with the requirements of Section 409A be transferred from a Covered Employee or any other person to the Company or any of its affiliates, employees or agents pursuant to the terms of the Bonus Plan or otherwise.

 

7.             Amendment and Termination

 

The Board of Directors of the Company reserves the right to amend or terminate the Bonus Plan at any time in its sole discretion.  Any amendments to the Bonus Plan shall require stockholder approval only to the extent required by any applicable law, rule or regulation.

 

8.             Stockholder Approval

 

No bonuses shall be paid under the Bonus Plan unless and until the Company’s stockholders shall have approved the Bonus Plan.  The Bonus Plan will be submitted for the approval of the Company’s stockholders after the initial adoption of the Bonus Plan by the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

9.             Term of Bonus Plan

 

The Bonus Plan shall become effective as of the day immediately prior to the first date upon which common stock of the Company is listed (or approved for listing) upon notice of issuance on any securities exchange or designated (or approved for designation) upon notice of issuance as a national market security on an interdealer quotation system (the “ Effective Date ”).  The Bonus Plan shall expire on the earliest to occur of: (a) the first material modification of the

 

3



 

Bonus Plan (as defined in Treasury Regulation Section 1.162-27(h)(1)(iii)); (b) the first meeting of the Company’s stockholders at which members of the Board of Directors of the Company are to be elected that occurs after the close of the third calendar year following the calendar year in which occurred the first registration of an equity security of the Company under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; or (c) such other date, if any, on which the “reliance period” described under Treasury Regulation 1.162-27(f)(2) expires pursuant to the terms of Section 162(m) of the Code, and the rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder.  The Bonus Plan is intended to be subject to the relief set forth in Treasury Regulation Section 1.162-27(f)(1) and shall be interpreted accordingly.

 

 

*  *  *  *  *

 

4



 

I hereby certify that the Bonus Plan was duly authorized, approved and adopted by the Board of Directors of ProPetro Holding Corp. as of [_____], 2017, effective as of the Effective Date.

 

I hereby certify that the Bonus Plan was approved by the stockholders of ProPetro Holding Corp.  as of [_____], 2017.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Name]

 

 

 

[Title]

 




Exhibit 10.20

 

FORM OF PROPETRO HOLDING CORP.

 

NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTOR COMPENSATION POLICY

 

Non-employee members of the board of directors (the “ Board ”) of ProPetro Holding Corp. (the “ Company ”) shall be eligible to receive cash and equity compensation as set forth in this Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy (this “ Policy ”).  The cash and equity compensation described in this Policy shall be paid or be made, as applicable, automatically and without further action of the Board, to each member of the Board who is not an employee of the Company or any parent or subsidiary of the Company and who is not an affiliate of Energy Capital Partners (each, a “ Non-Employee Director ”) who may be eligible to receive such cash or equity compensation, unless such Non-Employee Director declines the receipt of such cash or equity compensation by written notice to the Company.  This Policy shall become effective immediately after the effectiveness of the Company’s initial public offering (the date of such effectiveness, the “ Effective Date ”) and shall remain in effect until it is revised or rescinded by further action of the Board. This Policy may be amended, modified or terminated by the Board at any time in its sole discretion and if such an initial public offering does not occur on or prior to December 31, 2017 this Policy shall be void ab initio .   The terms and conditions of this Policy shall supersede any prior cash and/or equity compensation arrangements for service as a member of the Board between the Company and any of its Non-Employee Directors and between any subsidiary of the Company and any of its non-employee directors.  No Non-Employee Director shall have any rights hereunder, except with respect to restricted stock units granted pursuant to this Policy.

 

1.                                     Annual Retainers .  Non-Employee Directors shall be granted the retainers described below.

 

(a)                                Annual Retainers .  Each Non-Employee Director shall receive an annual retainer of $55,000 for service on the Board.

 

(b)                               Additional Annual Retainers .  In addition, a Non-Employee Director shall receive the following annual retainers:

 

(i)                                   Chairperson of the Board .  A Non-Employee Director serving as Chairperson of the Board shall receive an additional annual retainer of $15,000 for such service.

 

(ii)                               Audit Committee .   A Non-Employee Director serving as Chairperson of the Audit Committee shall receive an additional annual retainer of $15,000 for such service.

 

(iii)                           Compensation Committee .  A Non-Employee Director serving as Chairperson of the Compensation Committee shall receive an additional annual retainer of $10,000 for such service.

 

(iv)                           Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee .   A Non-Employee Director serving as Chairperson of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee shall receive an additional annual retainer of $10,000 for such service.

 

(c)                                Payment of Retainers .  The annual retainers described in Sections 1(a) and 1(b) shall be earned on a quarterly basis based on a calendar quarter and shall be paid in arrears by the Company not later than the fifteenth day following the end of each calendar quarter.  In the event a Non-Employee Director does not serve as a Non-Employee Director, or in the applicable positions described in Section 1(b), for an entire calendar quarter, such Non-Employee Director shall receive a prorated portion

 



 

of the retainer(s) otherwise payable to such Non-Employee Director for such calendar quarter pursuant to Section 1(b), with such prorated portion determined by multiplying such otherwise payable retainer(s) by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of days during which the Non-Employee Director serves as a Non-Employee Director or in the applicable positions described in Section 1(b) during the applicable calendar quarter and the denominator of which is the number of days in the applicable calendar quarter.

 

2.                                     Equity Compensation .  Non-Employee Directors shall be granted the equity awards described below.

 

(a)                                Annual Awards .  Each Non-Employee Director who (i) serves on the Board as of the date of any annual meeting of the Company’s stockholders (an “ Annual Meeting ”) after the Effective Date and (ii) will continue to serve as a Non-Employee Director immediately following such Annual Meeting shall be automatically granted, on the date of such Annual Meeting, restricted stock units with respect to a number of shares of the Company’s common stock (the “ Common Stock ”) that have an aggregate fair value on the date of grant (based on the closing price per share of the Common Stock on the date of such annual meeting (or the last preceding trading day if the date of the annual meeting is not a trading day)) of $100,000.  The awards described in this Section 2(a) shall be referred to as the “ Annual Awards .”  For the avoidance of doubt, a Non-Employee Director elected for the first time to the Board at an Annual Meeting shall receive only an Annual Award in connection with such election, and shall not receive any Initial Award on the date of such Annual Meeting as well.

 

(b)                               Initial Awards .  Except as otherwise determined by the Board, each Non-Employee Director who is initially elected or appointed to the Board after the Effective Date on any date other than the date of an Annual Meeting shall be automatically granted, on the date of such Non-Employee Director’s initial election or appointment (such Non-Employee Director’s “ Start Date ”), an award of restricted stock units with respect to a number of shares of Common Stock that have an aggregate fair value on such Non-Employee Director’s Start Date (based on the closing price per share of the Common Stock on such Start Date (or the last preceding trading day if such Start Date is not a trading day)) equal to the product of (i) $100,000 and (ii) a fraction, the numerator of which is (x) 365 minus (y) the number of days in the period beginning on the date of the Annual Meeting immediately preceding such Non-Employee Director’s Start Date (or, if no such Annual Meeting has occurred, the Effective Date) and ending on such Non-Employee Director’s Start Date and the denominator of which is 365.  The awards described in this Section 2(b) shall be referred to as “ Initial Awards . ”  For the avoidance of doubt, no Non-Employee Director shall be granted more than one Initial Award.

 

(c)                                Termination of Employment of Employee Directors .  Members of the Board who are employees of the Company or any parent or subsidiary of the Company who subsequently terminate their employment with the Company and any parent or subsidiary of the Company and remain on the Board will not receive an Initial Award pursuant to Section 2(b) above, but to the extent that they are otherwise eligible, will be eligible to receive, after termination from service with the Company and any parent or subsidiary of the Company, Annual Awards as described in Section 2(a) above.

 

(d)                               Vesting of Awards Granted to Non-Employee Directors .  Each Annual Award and Initial Award shall vest and become exercisable on the earlier of (i) the day immediately preceding the date of the first Annual Meeting following the date of grant and (ii) the first anniversary of the date of grant, subject to the Non-Employee Director continuing in service through the applicable vesting date.  No portion of an Annual Award or Initial Award that is unvested or unexercisable at the time of a Non-Employee Director’s termination of service on the Board shall become vested and exercisable thereafter.  All of a Non-Employee Director’s Annual Awards and Initial Awards shall vest in full immediately prior to the occurrence of a Change in Control (as defined in the Equity Plan (as defined below)), to the extent outstanding at such time.

 



 

3.                                     General .  The annual retainers and equity awards described herein shall be granted under and shall be subject to the terms and provisions, including the limitations on the numbers of shares and cash that may be granted to Non-Employee Directors each calendar year, of the Company’s 2017 Incentive Award Plan or any other applicable Company equity incentive plan then-maintained by the Company (such plan, as may be amended from time to time, the “ Equity Plan ”).  The equity awards shall be granted subject to the execution and delivery of award agreements, including attached exhibits, in substantially the forms previously approved by the Board.  All numbers of shares determined hereunder shall be rounded down to the nearest whole share and subject to adjustment as provided in the Equity Plan.

 

* * * * *

 




Exhibit 10.21

 

FORM OF PROPETRO HOLDING CORP.

 

DIRECTOR STOCK OWNERSHIP POLICY
(as of _______ __, 2017)

 

Purpose

 

This Non-Employee Director Stock Ownership Policy (the “ Policy ”) of ProPetro Holding Corp. (the “ Company ”), together with the equity awards granted to certain members of the board of directors of the Company (the “ Board ”) pursuant to the Company’s Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy, as may be amended from time to time (the “ Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy ”), is designed to align the interests of members of the Board with the interests of the Company’s common stockholders.  This Policy shall become effective upon the consummation of an initial public offering of the Company’s common stock and if such an initial public offering does not occur on or prior to December 31, 2017 this policy shall be void ab initio.

 

Eligibility

 

This Policy shall apply to all members of the Board who are not employees of the Company or its subsidiaries and who is not an affiliate of Energy Capital Partners (each, a “ Non-Employee Director ”).

 

Share Retention Policy

 

Each Non-Employee Director is encouraged to hold shares of the Company’s common stock (“ Common Stock ”) and at all times make good faith progress towards holding, on and following the later of the later of the fifth anniversary of (i) the date hereof and (ii) the Non-Employee Director’s election or appointment to the Board, Qualifying Shareholdings (as defined herein) equal to or in excess of the Non-Employee Director’s equity threshold, as described under “Equity Threshold” below, as such threshold may be amended by the Company’s Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee (the “ Committee ”) from time to time.

 

Equity Threshold

 

Each Non-Employee Director’s equity threshold is an amount equal to 300% of the Non-Employee Director’s annual cash retainer (as set forth in Section 1(a) of the Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy).

 

The Company uses the closing price per share of the Common Stock on the applicable measurement date to determine the number of Qualifying Shareholdings required to meet the equity threshold.

 



 

Qualifying Shareholdings

 

Securities that qualify in determining whether a Non-Employee Director has satisfied the shareholding requirements of this Policy (“ Qualifying Shareholdings ”) include:  (i) issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock held beneficially or of record by the Non-Employee Director that are not subject to transfer or other restrictions; (ii) issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock held by a Qualifying Trust (as defined below); (iii) issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock held by a 401(k) or other qualified pension or profit-sharing plan for the benefit of the Non-Employee Director (whether denominated in shares or units);  and (iv) shares of Common Stock underlying vested Company time-based restricted stock units; provided that the number of shares of Common Stock underlying restricted stock units constituting Qualifying Shareholdings shall equal the number of shares of Common Stock that would be deliverable upon exercise or settlement in full of the respective awards, less a number of shares of Common Stock with a value equal to any applicable income and employment taxes, utilizing an assumed tax rate equal to 40% (the “ Tax Amount ”).  The Company uses the closing price per share of Common Stock on the applicable measurement date to determine the number of shares needed to satisfy the Tax Amount.

 

For purposes of the foregoing paragraph, “ beneficial ownership ” shall mean the ownership or sharing, directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship, or otherwise, of (i) voting power which includes the power to vote, or to direct the voting of, such security; and/or (ii) investment power which includes the power to dispose, or to direct the disposition, of such security. “ Qualifying Trust ” means a trust created for the benefit of the Non-Employee Director, the Non-Employee Director’s spouse, or members of the Non-Employee Director’s immediate family.

 

Qualifying Shareholdings Reporting

 

Each Non-Employee Director shall report in such Non-Employee Director’s annual Director and Officer Questionnaire (“ D&O Questionnaire ”) his or her Qualifying Shareholdings as of the date the D&O Questionnaire is completed and, in the case of newly appointed Non-Employee Directors, such information shall also be reported in such Non-Employee Director’s initial D&O Questionnaire.

 

Remedies for Non-Compliance

 

The Committee has the authority to review each Non-Employee Director’s compliance (or progress towards compliance) with this Policy from time to time and, in its sole discretion, to impose such conditions, restrictions or limitations on any Non-Employee Director as the Committee determines to be necessary or appropriate in order to achieve the purposes of this Policy.  For example, the Committee may mandate that a Non-Employee Director retain (and not transfer) all or a portion of any shares delivered to the Non-Employee Director through the Company’s equity plans or otherwise restrict the Non-Employee Director’s transfer of previously owned shares.

 

Undue Hardship

 

- 2 -



 

There may be instances in which this Policy would place a severe hardship on a Non-Employee Director or prevent the Non-Employee Director from complying with a court order, such as a divorce settlement, or other legal requirement.  In these instances, the Non-Employee Director must submit a request in writing to the Committee or its designee that summarizes the circumstances and describes the extent to which an exemption is being requested.  The Committee or its designee will make the final decision as to whether an exemption will be granted.  If such a request is granted in whole or part, the Committee or its designee will work with the Non-Employee Director to develop an alternative stock ownership plan that reflects both the intention of this Policy and the Non-Employee Director’s individual circumstances.

 

Administration

 

This Policy is administered and interpreted by the Committee.  The Committee retains the authority to make exceptions to or waivers of the Policy based upon changes in circumstances or to otherwise amend or alter the Policy as it may determine appropriate.  The Committee will review each Non-Employee Director’s compliance efforts with respect to this Policy no less than annually and will review this Policy from time to time as the Committee deems necessary or appropriate.

 

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Exhibit 10.22

 

FORM OF PROPETRO HOLDING CORP.
2017 INCENTIVE AWARD PLAN

 

STOCK OPTION GRANT NOTICE AND

STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

 

ProPetro Holding Corp., a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), pursuant to its 2017 Incentive Award Plan, as amended from time to time (the “ Plan ”), hereby grants to the holder listed below (“ Participant ”) an option to purchase the number of Shares set forth below (the “ Option ”).  The Option is subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Stock Option Grant Notice (the “ Grant Notice ”), the Stock Option Agreement attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “ Agreement ”) and the Plan, each of which is incorporated herein by reference.  Unless otherwise defined herein, the terms defined in the Plan shall have the same defined meanings in this Grant Notice and the Agreement.

 

Participant:

 

_______________________

Grant Date:

 

_______________________

Exercise Price Per Share:

 

$_________

Total Exercise Price:

 

$_________

Total Number of Shares Subject to Option:

 

__________

Expiration Date:

 

__________, 2027

Type of Option:

 

o Incentive Stock Option o Non-Qualified Stock Option

Vesting Schedule:

 

_______________________

 

By Participant’s signature below, Participant agrees to be bound by the terms and conditions of the Plan, the Agreement and the Grant Notice.  Participant has reviewed the Agreement, the Plan and the Grant Notice in their entirety, has had an opportunity to obtain the advice of counsel prior to executing the Grant Notice and fully understands all provisions of the Grant Notice, the Agreement and the Plan.  Participant hereby agrees to accept as binding, conclusive and final all decisions or interpretations of the Administrator upon any questions arising under the Plan, the Grant Notice or the Agreement.  In connection with the grant of the Option, Participant shall cause his or her spouse, civil union partner or registered domestic partner, if any, to execute the consent attached hereto as Exhibit B as soon as practicable following the Grant Date.

 

PROPETRO HOLDING CORP.

PARTICIPANT

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

By:

 

Print Name:

[_____________]

Print Name:

 

Title:

[_____________]

 

 



 

EXHIBIT A

TO STOCK OPTION GRANT NOTICE

 

STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

 

Pursuant to the Grant Notice to which this Agreement is attached, the Company has granted to Participant an Option under the Plan to purchase the number of Shares set forth in the Grant Notice.

 

ARTICLE I.
GENERAL

 

1.1       Defined Terms .  Capitalized terms not specifically defined herein shall have the meanings specified in the Plan or the Grant Notice. For purposes of this Agreement,

 

(a)        “ Cause ” shall mean a Company Group Member having “Cause” to terminate Participant’s employment or services, as such term is defined in any relevant employment agreement between Participant and a Company Group Member; provided that, in the absence of such agreement containing such definition, a Company Group Member shall have “Cause” to terminate Participant’s employment or services upon: (i) Participant’s willful failure to substantially perform his or her duties for a Company Group Member (other than any such failure resulting from Participant’s Disability); (ii) Participant’s willful failure to carry out, or comply with, in any material respect any lawful directive of the Board; (iii) Participant’s commission at any time of any act or omission that results in, or may reasonably be expected to result in, a conviction, plea of no contest, plea of nolo contendere, or imposition of unadjudicated probation for any felony or crime involving moral turpitude; (iv) Participant’s unlawful use (including being under the influence) or possession of illegal drugs on a Company Group Member’s premises or while performing Participant’s duties and responsibilities for a Company Group Member; (v) Participant’s commission at any time of any act of fraud, embezzlement, misappropriation, misconduct, conversion of assets of a Company Group Member, or breach of fiduciary duty against a Company Group Member (or any predecessor thereto or successor thereof); or (vi) Participant’s material breach of this Agreement or any other agreements with any Company Group Member (including, without limitation, any breach of the restrictive covenants of any such agreement); and which, in the case of clauses (i), (ii) and (vi), continues beyond thirty (30) days after any Company Group Member has provided Participant written notice of such failure or breach (to the extent that, in the reasonable judgment of the Board, such failure or breach can be cured by Participant).  Whether or not an event giving rise to “Cause” occurs will be determined by the Board in its sole discretion.

 

(b)        “ Cessation Date ” shall mean the date of Participant’s Termination of Service (regardless of the reason for such termination).

 

(c)        “ CIC Qualifying Termination ” shall mean Termination of Service of Participant by the applicable Company Group Member without Cause upon or within twelve (12) months immediately following a Change in Control.

 

(d)        “ Company Group ” shall mean the Company and its Subsidiaries.

 

(e)        “ Company Group Member ” shall mean each member of the Company Group.

 

(f)        “ Disability ” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in any relevant employment agreement between Participant and a Company Group Member; provided that, in the absence of such agreement containing such definition, “Disability” shall mean Participant’s inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment

 

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that can be expected to result in death or that can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than twelve (12) months.

 

(g)        “ Retirement ” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in any relevant employment agreement between Participant and a Company Group Member; provided that, in the absence of such agreement containing such definition, “Retirement” shall mean termination of Participant’s employment by Participant on or following his or her attainment of both (i) age 60 and (ii) ten years of services with the Company Group (together with all predecessors thereto).

 

(h)        “ Trade Secrets and Confidential Information ” means information that is not generally known to the public and that is used, developed or obtained by any Company Group Member in connection with its business, including, but not limited to, information, observations and data obtained by Participant while employed by or providing services to any Company Group Member or any affiliate thereof concerning (i) the business or affairs of the Company Group Members (or such affiliates), (ii) products or services, (iii) fees, costs and pricing structures, (iv) designs, (v) analyses, (vi) drawings, photographs and reports, (vii) computer software, including operating systems, applications and program listings, (viii) flow charts, manuals and documentation, (ix) data bases, (x) accounting and business methods, (xi) inventions, devices, new developments, methods and processes, whether patentable or unpatentable and whether or not reduced to practice, (xii) customers and clients and customer or client lists, (xiii) other copyrightable works, (xiv) all production methods, processes, technology and trade secrets, and (xv) all similar and related information in whatever form.  Trade Secrets and Confidential Information will not include any information that has been published (other than a disclosure by Participant in breach of this Agreement) in a form generally available to the public prior to the date Participant proposes to disclose or use such information.  Trade Secrets and Confidential Information will not be deemed to have been published merely because individual portions of the information have been separately published, but only if all material features comprising such information have been published in combination.

 

(i)         “ Work Product ” means all inventions, innovations, improvements, technical information, systems, software developments, methods, designs, analyses, drawings, reports, service marks, trademarks, trade names, logos and all similar or related information (whether patentable or unpatentable, copyrightable, registerable as a trademark, reduced to writing, or otherwise) that relates to the Company Group’s actual or anticipated business, research and development or existing or future products or services and which are conceived, developed or made by Participant (whether or not during usual business hours, whether or not by the use of the facilities of the Company Group, and whether or not alone or in conjunction with any other Person) while employed by, or providing services to, any Company Group Member (including those conceived, developed or made prior to the date of Participant’s employment by or services with any Company Group Member) together with all patent applications, letters patent, trademark, trade name and service mark applications or registrations, copyrights and reissues thereof that may be granted for or upon any of the foregoing.

 

1.2       Incorporation of Terms of Plan .  The Option is subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and the Plan, each of which is incorporated herein by reference.  In the event of any inconsistency between the Plan and this Agreement, the terms of the Plan shall control.

 

ARTICLE II.
GRANT OF OPTION

 

2.1       Grant of Option .  In consideration of Participant’s past and/or continued employment with or service to any Company Group Member and for other good and valuable consideration, effective as of the grant date set forth in the Grant Notice (the “ Grant Date ”), the Company has granted to

 

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Participant the Option to purchase any part or all of an aggregate number of Shares set forth in the Grant Notice, upon the terms and conditions set forth in the Grant Notice, the Plan and this Agreement, subject to adjustment as provided in Section 13.2 of the Plan.

 

2.2       Exercise Price .  The exercise price per Share of the Shares subject to the Option (the “ Exercise Price ”) shall be as set forth in the Grant Notice.

 

2.3       Consideration to the Company .  In consideration of the grant of the Option by the Company, Participant agrees to render faithful and efficient services to any Company Group Member. Nothing in the Plan, the Grant Notice or this Agreement shall confer upon Participant any right to continue in the employ or service of any Company Group Member or shall interfere with or restrict in any way the rights of the Company Group, which rights are hereby expressly reserved, to discharge or terminate the services of Participant at any time for any reason whatsoever, with or without Cause, except to the extent expressly provided otherwise in a written agreement between any Company Group Member and Participant.

 

ARTICLE III.
PERIOD OF EXERCISABILITY

 

3.1       Commencement of Exercisability .

 

(a)        Subject to Participant’s continued employment with or service to a Company Group Member on each applicable vesting date and subject to Sections 3.2 , 3.3 , 6.9 and 6.14 hereof, the Option shall become vested and exercisable in such amounts and at such times as are set forth in the Grant Notice.

 

(b)        Notwithstanding the Grant Notice or the provisions of Sections 3.1(a)  and (c) , (i) in the event of a CIC Qualifying Termination, the Option shall become vested and exercisable in full on the Cessation Date and (ii) in the event of Participant’s Termination of Service by reason of Participant’s death, Retirement or Disability, the portion of the Option that would have become vested and exercisable had Participant remained employed until the first anniversary of the Cessation Date shall immediately vest and become exercisable as of the Cessation Date.

 

(c)        Unless otherwise determined by the Administrator or as set forth in a written agreement between Participant and the Company, any portion of the Option that has not become vested and exercisable on or prior to the Cessation Date (including, without limitation, pursuant to Section 3.1(b)  or any employment or similar agreement by and between Participant and the Company) shall be forfeited on the Cessation Date and shall not thereafter become vested or exercisable.

 

3.2       Duration of Exercisability .  The installments provided for in the vesting schedule set forth in the Grant Notice are cumulative.  Each such installment that becomes vested and exercisable pursuant to the vesting schedule set forth in the Grant Notice shall remain vested and exercisable until it becomes unexercisable under Section 3.3 hereof. Once the Option becomes unexercisable, it shall be forfeited immediately.

 

3.3       Expiration of Option .  The Option may not be exercised to any extent by anyone after the first to occur of the following events:

 

(a)        The expiration date set forth in the Grant Notice;

 

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(b)        Except as the Administrator may otherwise approve, the expiration of twelve (12) months from the date of Participant’s Termination of Service by reason of Participant’s death, Retirement or Disability;

 

(c)        Except as the Administrator may otherwise approve, immediately upon Participant’s Termination of Service for Cause; and

 

(d)        Except as the Administrator may otherwise approve, the expiration of ninety (90) days from the date of Participant’s Termination of Service for any other reason.

 

3.4       Tax Withholding .  Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement:

 

(a)        The Company Group has the authority to deduct or withhold, or require Participant to remit to the applicable Company Group Member, an amount sufficient to satisfy any applicable federal, state, local and foreign taxes (including the employee portion of any FICA obligation) required by Applicable Law to be withheld with respect to any taxable event arising pursuant to this Agreement.  The Company Group may withhold or Participant may make such payment in one or more of the forms specified below:

 

(i)         by cash or check made payable to the Company Group Member with respect to which the withholding obligation arises;

 

(ii)        by the deduction of such amount from other compensation payable to Participant;

 

(iii)       with respect to any withholding taxes arising in connection with the exercise of the Option, with the consent of the Administrator, by requesting that the Company withhold a net number of Shares issuable upon the exercise of the Option having a then current Fair Market Value not exceeding the amount necessary to satisfy the withholding obligation of the Company Group based on the maximum statutory withholding rates in Participant’s applicable jurisdictions for federal, state, local and foreign income tax and payroll tax purposes that are applicable to such taxable income;

 

(iv)       with respect to any withholding taxes arising in connection with the exercise of the Option, with the consent of the Administrator, by tendering to the Company vested Shares held for such period of time as may be required by the Administrator in order to avoid adverse accounting consequences and having a then current Fair Market Value not exceeding the amount necessary to satisfy the withholding obligation of the Company Group based on the maximum statutory withholding rates in Participant’s applicable jurisdictions for federal, state, local and foreign income tax and payroll tax purposes that are applicable to such taxable income;

 

(v)        with respect to any withholding taxes arising in connection with the exercise of the Option, through the delivery of a notice that Participant has placed a market sell order with a broker acceptable to the Company with respect to Shares then issuable to Participant pursuant to the Option, and that the broker has been directed to pay a sufficient portion of the net proceeds of the sale to the Company Group Member with respect to which the withholding obligation arises in satisfaction of such withholding taxes; provided that payment of such proceeds is then made to the applicable Company Group Member at such time as may be required by the Administrator, but in any event not later than the settlement of such sale; or

 

(vi)       in any combination of the foregoing.

 

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(b)        With respect to any withholding taxes arising in connection with the Option, in the event Participant fails to provide timely payment of all sums required pursuant to Section 3.4(a) , the Company shall have the right and option, but not the obligation, to treat such failure as an election by Participant to satisfy all or any portion of Participant’s required payment obligation pursuant to Section 3.4(a)(ii)  or Section 3.4(a)(iii)  above, or any combination of the foregoing as the Company may determine to be appropriate. The Company shall not be obligated to deliver any certificate representing Shares issuable with respect to the exercise of the Option to, or to cause any such Shares to be held in book-entry form by, Participant or his or her legal representative unless and until Participant or his or her legal representative shall have paid or otherwise satisfied in full the amount of all federal, state, local and foreign taxes applicable with respect to the taxable income of Participant resulting from the exercise of the Option or any other taxable event related to the Option.

 

(c)        In the event any tax withholding obligation arising in connection with the Option will be satisfied under Section 3.4(a)(iii) , then the Company may elect to instruct any brokerage firm determined acceptable to the Company for such purpose to sell on Participant’s behalf a whole number of Shares from those Shares then issuable upon the exercise of the Option as the Company determines to be appropriate to generate cash proceeds sufficient to satisfy the tax withholding obligation and to remit the proceeds of such sale to the Company Group Member with respect to which the withholding obligation arises.  Participant’s acceptance of this Option constitutes Participant’s instruction and authorization to the Company and such brokerage firm to complete the transactions described in this Section 3.4(c) , including the transactions described in the previous sentence, as applicable.  The Company may refuse to issue any Shares to Participant until the foregoing tax withholding obligations are satisfied, provided that no payment shall be delayed under this Section 3.4(c)  if such delay will result in a violation of Section 409A.

 

(d)        Participant is ultimately liable and responsible for all taxes owed in connection with the Option, regardless of any action any Company Group Member takes with respect to any tax withholding obligations that arise in connection with the Option.  No Company Group Member makes any representation or undertaking regarding the treatment of any tax withholding in connection with the awarding, vesting or exercise of the Option or the subsequent sale of Shares.  The Company Group does not commit and is under no obligation to structure the Option to reduce or eliminate Participant’s tax liability.

 

ARTICLE IV.
EXERCISE OF OPTION

 

4.1          Person Eligible to Exercise .  During the lifetime of Participant, only Participant may exercise the Option or any portion thereof.  After the death of Participant, any exercisable portion of the Option may, prior to the time when the Option becomes unexercisable under Section 3.3 hereof, be exercised by Participant’s personal representative or by any Person empowered to do so under the deceased Participant’s will or under the then Applicable Laws of descent and distribution.

 

4.2          Partial Exercise .  Subject to Section 6.2 , any exercisable portion of the Option or the entire Option, if then wholly exercisable, may be exercised in whole or in part at any time prior to the time when the Option or portion thereof becomes unexercisable under Section 3.3 hereof.

 

4.3          Manner of Exercise .  The Option, or any exercisable portion thereof, may be exercised solely by delivery to the Secretary of the Company (or any third party administrator or other Person designated by the Company), during regular business hours, of all of the following prior to the time when the Option or such portion thereof becomes unexercisable under Section 3.3 hereof.

 

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(a)        An exercise notice in a form specified by the Administrator, stating that the Option or portion thereof is thereby exercised, such notice complying with all applicable rules established by the Administrator;

 

(b)        The receipt by the Company of full payment for the Shares with respect to which the Option or portion thereof is exercised, in such form of consideration permitted under Section 4.4 hereof that is acceptable to the Administrator;

 

(c)        The payment of any applicable withholding tax in accordance with Section 3.4 ;

 

(d)        Any other written representations or documents as may be required in the Administrator’s sole discretion to effect compliance with Applicable Law; and

 

(e)        In the event the Option or portion thereof shall be exercised pursuant to Section 4.1 hereof by any Person or Persons other than Participant, appropriate proof of the right of such Person or Persons to exercise the Option.

 

Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, the Administrator shall have the right to specify all conditions of the manner of exercise, which conditions may vary by country and which may be subject to change from time to time.

 

4.4          Method of Payment .  Payment of the Exercise Price shall be by any of the following, or a combination thereof, at the election of Participant:

 

(a)        Cash or check;

 

(b)        With the consent of the Administrator, surrender of vested Shares (including, without limitation, Shares otherwise issuable upon exercise of the Option) held for such period of time as may be required by the Administrator in order to avoid adverse accounting consequences and having a Fair Market Value on the date of delivery equal to the aggregate Exercise Price of the Option or exercised portion thereof;

 

(c)        Through the delivery of a notice that Participant has placed a market sell order with a broker acceptable to the Company with respect to Shares then issuable upon exercise of the Option, and that the broker has been directed to pay a sufficient portion of the net proceeds of the sale to the Company in satisfaction of the Exercise Price; provided that payment of such proceeds is then made to the Company at such time as may be required by the Administrator, but in any event not later than the settlement of such sale; or

 

(d)        Any other form of legal consideration acceptable to the Administrator.

 

4.5          Conditions to Issuance of Shares .  The Company shall not be required to issue or deliver Shares purchased upon the exercise of the Option or portion thereof prior to fulfillment of all of the following conditions: (a) the admission of such Shares to listing on all stock exchanges on which such Shares are then listed, (b) the completion of any registration or other qualification of such Shares under any state or federal law or under rulings or regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission or other governmental regulatory body, which the Administrator shall, in its absolute discretion, deem necessary or advisable, (c) the obtaining of any approval or other clearance from any state or federal governmental agency which the Administrator shall, in its absolute discretion, determine to be necessary or advisable, (d) the receipt by the Company of full payment for such Shares, which may be in one or more of the forms of consideration permitted under Section 4.4 hereof, and (e) the receipt of full payment

 

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of any applicable withholding tax in accordance with Section 3.4 by the Company Group Member with respect to which the applicable withholding obligation arises.

 

4.6          Rights as Stockholder .  Neither Participant nor any Person claiming under or through Participant will have any of the rights or privileges of a stockholder of the Company in respect of any Shares purchasable upon the exercise of any part of the Option unless and until certificates representing such Shares (which may be in book-entry form) will have been issued and recorded on the records of the Company or its transfer agents or registrars and delivered to Participant (including through electronic delivery to a brokerage account).  No adjustment will be made for a dividend or other right for which the record date is prior to the date of such issuance, recordation and delivery, except as provided in Section 13.2 of the Plan.  Except as otherwise provided herein, after such issuance, recordation and delivery, Participant will have all the rights of a stockholder of the Company with respect to such Shares, including, without limitation, the right to receipt of dividends and distributions on such Shares.

 

ARTICLE V.
RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS

 

5.1       Restriction on Competition .  Participant hereby agrees that Participant shall not, at any time during the Noncompetition Restricted Period, directly or indirectly engage in, have any interest in (including, without limitation, through the investment of capital or lending of money or property), or manage, operate or otherwise render any services to, any Person (whether on his own or in association with others, as a principal, director, officer, employee, agent, representative, partner, member, security holder, consultant, advisor, independent contractor, owner, investor, participant or in any other capacity) that engages in (either directly or through any Subsidiary or Affiliate thereof) any business or activity, within any of the states or territories within the United States or any other country, territory or state in which the Company Group operates, (i) that creates, designs, invents, engineers, develops, sources, markets, manufactures, distributes or sells any product or provides any service that may be used as a substitute for or otherwise competes with any product or service of the Company Group, or (ii) which the Company Group or any of its Affiliates has taken active steps to engage in or acquire, but only if Participant directly or indirectly engages in, has any interest in (including, without limitation, through the investment of capital or lending of money or property), or manages, operates or otherwise renders any services in connection with, such business or activity (whether on his own or in association with others, as a principal, director, officer, employee, agent, representative, partner, member, security holder, consultant, advisor, independent contractor, owner, investor, participant or in any other capacity).  Notwithstanding the foregoing, Participant shall be permitted to acquire a passive stock or equity interest in such a business; provided that such stock or other equity interest acquired is not more than five percent (5%) of the outstanding interest in such business.

 

5.2       Non-Solicitation .  Participant hereby agrees that Participant shall not, at any time during the Nonsolicitation Restricted Period, directly or indirectly, either for Participant or on behalf of any other Person, (i) recruit or otherwise solicit or induce any employee, customer or supplier of the Company Group to terminate his, her or its employment or arrangement with the Company Group, or otherwise change his, her or its relationship with the Company Group, or (ii) hire, or cause to be hired, any person who was employed by the Company Group at any time during the twelve (12)-month period immediately prior to date of Participant’s Termination of Service or who thereafter becomes employed by the Company Group.

 

5.3       Confidentiality .  Except as Participant reasonably and in good faith determines to be required in the faithful performance of Participant’s duties for the Company Group or in accordance with Section 5.5 , Participant shall, during the Participant’s period of service with the Company Group and after the Cessation Date, maintain in confidence and shall not directly or indirectly, use, disseminate, disclose

 

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or publish, for Participant’s benefit or the benefit of any other Person, any confidential or proprietary information or trade secrets of or relating to the Company Group, including, without limitation, information with respect to the Company Group’s operations, processes, protocols, products, inventions, business practices, finances, principals, vendors, suppliers, customers, potential customers, marketing methods, costs, prices, contractual relationships, regulatory status, compensation paid to employees or other terms of employment (“ Proprietary Information ”), or deliver to any Person, any document, record, notebook, computer program or similar repository of or containing any such Proprietary Information.  Participant’s obligation to maintain and not use, disseminate, disclose or publish, or use for Participant’s benefit or the benefit of any other Person, any Proprietary Information after the Cessation Date will continue so long as such Proprietary Information is not, or has not by legitimate means become, generally known and in the public domain (other than by means of Participant’s direct or indirect disclosure of such Proprietary Information) and continues to be maintained as Proprietary Information by the Company Group.  The parties hereby stipulate and agree that as between them, the Proprietary Information identified herein is important, material and affects the successful conduct of the businesses of the Company Group (and any successor or assignee of the Company Group).  In accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1833, the Company hereby notifies Participant that, notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, (a) Participant shall not be in breach of this Section 5.3 and shall not be held criminally or civilly liable under any  federal or state trade secret law (i) for the disclosure of a trade secret that is made in confidence to a federal, state or local government official or to an attorney solely for the purpose of reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law, or (ii) for the disclosure of a trade secret that is made in a complaint or other document filed in a lawsuit or other proceeding, if such filing is made under seal, and (b) if Participant files a lawsuit for retaliation by the Company Group for reporting a suspected violation of law, Participant may disclose a trade secret to Participant’s attorney, and may use trade secret information in the court proceeding, if  Participant files any document containing the trade secret under seal, and does not disclose the trade secret, except pursuant to court order.

 

5.4       Return of Company Group Property .  Upon Participant’s Termination of Service for any reason, Participant will promptly deliver to the Company Group (i) all correspondence, drawings, manuals, letters, notes, notebooks, reports, programs, plans, proposals, financial documents, or any other documents that are Proprietary Information, including all physical and digital copies thereof, and (ii) all other Company Group property (including, without limitation, any personal computer or wireless device and related accessories, keys, credit cards and other similar items) which is in his or her possession, custody or control.

 

5.5       Response to Subpoena; Whistleblower Protection .  Participant may respond to a lawful and valid subpoena or other legal process but shall give the Company Group the earliest possible notice thereof, and shall, as much in advance of the return date as possible, make available to the Company Group and its counsel the documents and other information sought, and shall assist such counsel in resisting or otherwise responding to such process.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, no provision of this Agreement shall be interpreted so as to impede Participant (or any other individual) from reporting possible violations of federal law or regulation to any governmental agency or entity, including but not limited to the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Congress, and any agency Inspector General, or making other disclosures under the whistleblower provisions of federal law or regulation. Participant does not need the prior authorization of the Company Group to make any such reports or disclosures and Participant shall not be not required to notify the Company Group that such reports or disclosures have been made.

 

5.6       Non-Disparagement .  Participant agrees not to disparage the Company Group, any of its products or practices, or any of its directors, officers, agents, representatives, partners, members, equity holders or Affiliates, either orally or in writing, at any time; provided that Participant may confer in confidence with Participant’s legal representatives and make truthful statements as required by law.

 

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5.7                             Restrictions Upon Subsequent Employment .  Prior to accepting other employment or any other service relationship during the Noncompetition Restricted Period, Participant shall provide a copy of this Article V to any recruiter who assists Participant in obtaining other employment or any other service relationship and to any employer or other Person with which Participant discusses potential employment or any other service relationship.

 

5.8                             Enforcement .  In the event the terms of this Article V shall be determined by any court of competent jurisdiction to be unenforceable by reason of its extending for too great a period of time or over too great a geographical area or by reason of its being too extensive in any other respect, it will be interpreted to extend only over the maximum period of time for which it may be enforceable, over the maximum geographical area as to which it may be enforceable, or to the maximum extent in all other respects as to which it may be enforceable, all as determined by such court in such action.  Any breach or violation by Participant of the provisions of this Article V shall toll the running of any time periods set forth in this Article V for the duration of any such breach or violation.

 

5.9                             Forfeiture Upon Violation .  Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement that may provide to the contrary, in the event of Participant’s violation of any restrictive covenant within this Article V or any other agreement by and between Participant and any Company Group Member, as determined by the Company, in its sole discretion, then (a) the Option shall immediately be terminated and forfeited in its entirety and (b) Participant shall pay to the Company in cash any financial gain Participant realized from exercising all or a portion of the Option during the 12-month period immediately preceding (or at any time after) the date of such violation.  For purposes of this Section 5.9 , “financial gain” shall equal the sum of (x) any excess of the greater of (i) the Fair Market Value per Share on the date of exercise and (ii) the Fair Market Value per Share as of the time of Participant’s sale of such Shares, if any, over the Exercise Price, multiplied by the number of Shares purchased pursuant to the exercise (without reduction for any Shares surrendered) and (y) any and all dividends paid to Participant with respect to the Shares purchased pursuant to the exercise.  By accepting this Option, Participant hereby acknowledges, agrees and authorizes the Company to reduce any amounts owed by any Company Group Member (including amounts owed as wages or other compensation, fringe benefits, or vacation pay, as well as any other amounts owed to Participant by any Company Group Member), by the amounts Participant owes to the Company under this Section 5.9 .  To the extent such amounts are not recovered by the Company through such set-off, Participant agrees to pay such amounts immediately to the Company upon demand.  This right of set-off is in addition to any other remedies the Company may have against Participant for Participant’s breach of this Agreement or any other agreement.  Participant’s obligations under this Section 5.9 shall be cumulative (but not duplicative) of any similar obligations Participant may have pursuant to this Agreement or any other agreement with any Company Group Member.

 

5.10                     Injunctive Relief .  Participant recognizes and acknowledges that a breach of the covenants contained in this Article V will cause irreparable damage to the Company Group and its goodwill, the exact amount of which will be difficult or impossible to ascertain, and that the remedies at law for any such breach will be inadequate.  Accordingly, Participant agrees that in the event of a breach of any of the covenants contained in this Article V , in addition to any other remedy which may be available at law or in equity, the Company Group will be entitled to specific performance and injunctive relief.

 

5.11                     Special Definition .  As used in this Article V , the following terms shall have the ascribed meanings:

 

(a)                                Affiliate ” shall mean shall mean, with respect to any Person, any other Person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with, such Person where “control” shall have the meaning given such term under Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

 

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(b)                               Noncompetition Restricted Period ” shall mean the period from the Grant Date through the first (1st) anniversary of the Cessation Date.

 

(c)                                Nonsolicitation Restricted Period ” shall mean the period from the Grant Date through the second (2nd) anniversary of the Cessation Date.

 

ARTICLE VI.
OTHER PROVISIONS

 

6.1                             Administration .  The Administrator shall have the power to interpret the Plan, the Grant Notice and this Agreement and to adopt such rules for the administration, interpretation and application of the Plan, the Grant Notice and this Agreement as are consistent therewith and to interpret, amend or revoke any such rules.  All actions taken and all interpretations and determinations made by the Administrator will be final and binding upon Participant, the Company and all other interested Persons.  To the extent allowable pursuant to Applicable Law, no member of the Committee or the Board will be personally liable for any action, determination or interpretation made with respect to the Plan, the Grant Notice or this Agreement.

 

6.2                             Whole Shares .  The Option may only be exercised for whole Shares.

 

6.3                             Option Not Transferable .  Subject to Section 4.1 hereof, the Option may not be sold, pledged, assigned or transferred in any manner other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution, unless and until the Shares underlying the Option have been issued, and all restrictions applicable to such Shares have lapsed.  Neither the Option nor any interest or right therein or part thereof shall be liable for the debts, contracts or engagements of Participant or his or her successors in interest or shall be subject to disposition by transfer, alienation, anticipation, pledge, encumbrance, assignment or any other means whether such disposition be voluntary or involuntary or by operation of law by judgment, levy, attachment, garnishment or any other legal or equitable proceedings (including bankruptcy), and any attempted disposition thereof shall be null and void and of no effect, except to the extent that such disposition is permitted by the preceding sentence. Notwithstanding the foregoing, with the consent of the Administrator, if the Option is a Non-Qualified Stock Option, it may be transferred to Permitted Transferees pursuant to any conditions and procedures the Administrator may require.

 

6.4                             Adjustments .  The Administrator may accelerate the vesting of all or a portion of the Option in such circumstances as it, in its sole discretion, may determine.  Participant acknowledges that the Option is subject to adjustment, modification and termination in certain events as provided in this Agreement and the Plan, including Section 13.2 of the Plan.

 

6.5                             Notices .  Any notice to be given under the terms of this Agreement to the Company shall be addressed to the Company in care of the Secretary of the Company at the Company’s principal office, and any notice to be given to Participant shall be addressed to Participant at Participant’s last address reflected on the Company’s records.  By a notice given pursuant to this Section 6.5 , either party may hereafter designate a different address for notices to be given to that party.  Any notice shall be deemed duly given when sent via email or when sent by certified mail (return receipt requested) and deposited (with postage prepaid) in a post office or branch post office regularly maintained by the United States Postal Service.

 

6.6                             Titles .  Titles are provided herein for convenience only and are not to serve as a basis for interpretation or construction of this Agreement.

 

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6.7                             Governing Law .   The laws of the State of Delaware shall govern the interpretation, validity, administration, enforcement and performance of the terms of this Agreement regardless of the law that might be applied under principles of conflicts of laws.

 

6.8                             Conformity to Securities Laws .  Participant acknowledges that the Plan, the Grant Notice and this Agreement are intended to conform to the extent necessary with all Applicable Laws, including, without limitation, the provisions of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, and any and all regulations and rules promulgated thereunder by the Securities and Exchange Commission and state securities laws and regulations.  Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Plan shall be administered, and the Option is granted and may be exercised, only in such a manner as to conform to Applicable Law.  To the extent permitted by Applicable Law, the Plan, the Grant Notice and this Agreement shall be deemed amended to the extent necessary to conform to Applicable Law.

 

6.9                             Amendment, Suspension and Termination .  To the extent permitted by the Plan, this Agreement may be wholly or partially amended or otherwise modified, suspended or terminated at any time or from time to time by the Administrator or the Board , provided that, except as may otherwise be provided by the Plan, no amendment, modification, suspension or termination of this Agreement shall adversely affect the Option in any material way without the prior written consent of Participant.

 

6.10                     Successors and Assigns .  The Company may assign any of its rights under this Agreement to single or multiple assignees, and this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of the successors and assigns of the Company.  Subject to the restrictions on transfer set forth in Section 6.3 and the Plan, this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the heirs, legatees, legal representatives, successors and assigns of the parties hereto.

 

6.11                     Limitations Applicable to Section 16 Persons .  Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan or this Agreement, if Participant is subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, the Plan, the Option, the Grant Notice and this Agreement shall be subject to any additional limitations set forth in any applicable exemptive rule under Section 16 of the Exchange Act (including any amendment to Rule 16b-3 of the Exchange Act) that are requirements for the application of such exemptive rule.  To the extent permitted by Applicable Law, this Agreement shall be deemed amended to the extent necessary to conform to such applicable exemptive rule.

 

6.12                     Not a Contract of Employment .  Nothing in this Agreement or in the Plan shall confer upon Participant any right to continue to serve as an employee or other service provider of any Company Group Member or shall interfere with or restrict in any way the rights of the Company Group, which rights are hereby expressly reserved, to discharge or terminate the services of Participant at any time for any reason whatsoever, with or without Cause, except to the extent expressly provided otherwise in a written agreement between a Company Group Member and Participant.

 

6.13                     Entire Agreement .  The Plan, the Grant Notice and this Agreement (including any exhibit hereto) constitute the entire agreement of the parties and supersede in their entirety all prior undertakings and agreements of the Company and Participant with respect to the subject matter hereof, subject to the last sentence of Section 5.9 hereof.

 

6.14                     Section 409A .  This Award is not intended to constitute “nonqualified deferred compensation” within the meaning of Section 409A.  However, notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, the Grant Notice or this Agreement, if at any time the Administrator determines that this Award (or any portion thereof) may be subject to Section 409A, the Administrator shall have the right in its sole discretion (without any obligation to do so or to indemnify Participant or any other Person for failure to do so) to adopt such amendments to the Plan, the Grant Notice or this Agreement, or adopt other policies

 

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and procedures (including amendments, policies and procedures with retroactive effect), or take any other actions, as the Administrator determines are necessary or appropriate for this Award either to be exempt from the application of Section 409A or to comply with the requirements of Section 409A.

 

6.15                     Agreement Severable .  In the event that any provision of the Grant Notice or this Agreement is held invalid or unenforceable, such provision will be severable from, and such invalidity or unenforceability will not be construed to have any effect on, the remaining provisions of the Grant Notice or this Agreement.

 

6.16                     Limitation on Participant’s Rights .  Participation in the Plan confers no rights or interests other than as herein provided.  This Agreement creates only a contractual obligation on the part of the Company as to amounts payable and shall not be construed as creating a trust.  Neither the Plan nor any underlying program, in and of itself, has any assets.  Participant shall have only the right to receive Shares as a general unsecured creditor with respect to the Option, as and when exercised pursuant to the terms hereof.

 

6.17                     Counterparts .  The Grant Notice may be executed in one or more counterparts, including by way of any electronic signature, subject to Applicable Law, each of which shall be deemed an original and all of which together shall constitute one instrument.

 

6.18                     Broker-Assisted Sales .  In the event of any broker-assisted sale of Shares in connection with the payment of withholding taxes as provided in Section 3.4(a)(v)  or Section 3.4(c)  or the payment of the Exercise Price as provided in Section 4.4(c) : (a) any Shares to be sold through a broker-assisted sale will be sold on the day the tax withholding obligation or exercise of the Option, as applicable, occurs or arises, or as soon thereafter as practicable; (b) such Shares may be sold as part of a block trade with other participants in the Plan in which all participants receive an average price; (c) Participant will be responsible for all broker’s fees and other costs of sale, and Participant agrees to indemnify and hold the Company harmless from any losses, costs, damages, or expenses relating to any such sale; (d) to the extent the proceeds of such sale exceed the applicable tax withholding obligation or Exercise Price, the Company agrees to pay such excess in cash to Participant as soon as reasonably practicable; (e) Participant acknowledges that the Company or its designee is under no obligation to arrange for such sale at any particular price, and that the proceeds of any such sale may not be sufficient to satisfy the applicable tax withholding obligation or Exercise Price; and (f) in the event the proceeds of such sale are insufficient to satisfy the applicable tax withholding obligation, Participant agrees to pay immediately upon demand to the Company Group Member with respect to which the withholding obligation arises an amount in cash sufficient to satisfy any remaining portion of the applicable Company Group Member’s withholding obligation.

 

6.19                     Incentive Stock Options .  Participant acknowledges that to the extent the aggregate Fair Market Value of Shares (determined as of the time the option with respect to the Shares is granted) with respect to which Incentive Stock Options, including this Option (if applicable), are exercisable for the first time by Participant during any calendar year exceeds $100,000 or if for any other reason such Incentive Stock Options do not qualify or cease to qualify for treatment as “incentive stock options” under Section 422 of the Code, such Incentive Stock Options shall be treated as Non-Qualified Stock Options.  Participant further acknowledges that the rule set forth in the preceding sentence shall be applied by taking the Option and other stock options into account in the order in which they were granted, as determined under Section 422(d) of the Code and the Treasury Regulations thereunder.  Participant also acknowledges that an Incentive Stock Option exercised more than three (3) months after Participant’s Termination of Service, other than by reason of death or disability, will be taxed as a Non-Qualified Stock Option.

 

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6.20                     Notification of Disposition .  If this Option is designated as an Incentive Stock Option, Participant shall give prompt written notice to the Company of any disposition or other transfer of any Shares acquired under this Agreement if such disposition or transfer is made (a) within two (2) years from the Grant Date or (b) within one (1) year after the transfer of such Shares to Participant.  Such notice shall specify the date of such disposition or other transfer and the amount realized, in cash, other property, assumption of indebtedness or other consideration, by Participant in such disposition or other transfer.

 

* * * *

 

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EXHIBIT B
TO OPTION AWARD GRANT NOTICE

 

PARTNER CONSENT

 

As the undersigned spouse, registered domestic partner or civil union partner (each, a “ Partner ”) of Participant, I hereby acknowledge that I have read that certain Stock Option Agreement by and between my Partner and the Company and dated as of [_____] (the “ Agreement ”), and that I understand its contents.  I am aware that the Agreement imposes certain restrictions on the transfer of the Shares subject to my Partner’s Option.  I agree that my Partner’s interest in the Option and the Shares subject to such Option are subject to the Agreement and any interest I may have in such Option and the Shares subject to such Option shall be irrevocably bound by the Agreement and further that my community property interest, if any, shall be similarly bound by the Agreement.

 

I am aware that the legal, financial and other matters contained in the Agreement are complex and I am free to seek advice with respect thereto from independent counsel.  I have either sought such advice or determined after carefully reviewing the Agreement and the Plan that I will waive such right.

 

Capitalized terms used in this consent and not defined herein shall have the meanings given to such terms in the Agreement.

 

Dated: ________________

 

 

 

Partner Signature

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Partner Name

 

 

B- 1




Exhibit 10.23

 

FORM OF PROPETRO HOLDING CORP.

 

AMENDMENT TO NON-QUALIFIED STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

 

This Amendment (this “ Amendment ”), dated and effective as of [_____], 2017 (the “ Effective Date ”), is made by and between ProPetro Holding Corp., a Texas corporation (the “ Company ”) and [_____], an [employee / director] of the Company (the “ Optionee ”).  The Company and the Optionee are parties to that certain Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement, dated July 19, 2016 (the “ Stock Option Agreement ”), pursuant to which the Company granted the Optionee an option (the “ Option ”) under the Stock Option Plan of ProPetro Holding Corp. (the “ Plan ”) to purchase [_____] shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share, at an exercise price of $0.0190955 per share .  Any term capitalized but not defined in this Amendment shall have the meaning set forth the Plan or in the Stock Option Agreement.

 

WHEREAS, the Option was originally scheduled to become exercisable in five equal semi-annual installments starting on December 31, 2016, subject to continued employment or provision of services by the Optionee to the Company through the applicable exercisability dates;

 

WHEREAS, the Company contemplates undergoing an initial public offering of its Common Stock (the “ Contemplated IPO ”); and

 

WHEREAS, in connection with the Contemplated IPO, the Company and the Optionee desire to amend the terms of the Stock Option Agreement to provide that the Option will become fully exercisable as of the Effective Date, as provided herein.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements set forth herein, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:

 

1.          Amendment .  Notwithstanding Section 3 of the Stock Option Agreement, the unexercisable portion of the Option shall become exercisable as of the Effective Date, and the Option is hereby fully exercisable.

 

2.          Entire Agreement .  The Stock Option Agreement, as amended by this Amendment, contains the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter thereof and hereof.  Except as amended hereby, all of the terms, provisions and conditions of the Stock Option Agreement are hereby ratified and confirmed and shall remain in full force and effect pursuant to their terms.

 

3.          Counterparts .  The parties may execute this Amendment in one or more counterparts, all of which together shall constitute but one Amendment.

 

[signature page follows]

 



 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company and the Optionee have duly executed this Amendment as of the date first written above.

 

 

PROPETRO HOLDING CORP.

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

 

[Name]

 

[Optionee]

 

[Title]

 

 

 

 

[Signature Page to Option Agreement Amendment]

 




Exhibit 10.24

 

 

Amendment to Employment Agreement

 

WHEREAS, ProPetro Holding Corp., a Texas corporation (the “ Company ”), entered into an Employment Agreement, dated April 17, 2013 (the “ Agreement ”), with Dale Redman (the “ Executive ”).

 

WHEREAS, pursuant to the Agreement, the Company employs the Executive to perform services as the Chief Executive Officer of the Company (the “ CEO ”).

 

WHEREAS, Section 2(c) of the Agreement mistakenly refers to the Executive serving subject to the direction of the CEO and reporting to the CEO.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that, sub clauses (i) and (ii) of Section 2(c) of the Agreement are hereby deleted in their entirety and respectively replaced with the following:

 

“(i) shall serve as the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, with responsibilities, duties and authority customary for such positions, subject to direction by the Board of Directors of the Company;”

 

“(ii) shall report to the Board of Directors of the Company;”

 

 

 

 

PROPETRO HOLDING CORP.

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Jeffrey D. Smith

 

 

Name:

Jeffrey D. Smith

 

 

Title:

CFO

 

 

 

 

 

DALE REDMAN

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Dale Redman

 




Exhibit 10.25

 

 

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

 

This Employment Agreement (the “ Agreement ”), entered into on February 17, 2017, with employment effective as of March 13, 2017 (the “ Effective Date ”), is made by and between Mark Howell (the “ Executive ”) and ProPetro Holding Corp., a Texas corporation (together with any of its subsidiaries and Affiliates as may employ the Executive from time to time, and any successor(s) thereto, the “ Company ”).

 

RECITALS

 

A.                                 The Company desires to assure itself of the services of the Executive by engaging the Executive to perform services under the terms hereof.

 

B.                                  The Executive desires to provide services to the Company on the terms herein provided.

 

AGREEMENT

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing, and for other good and valuable consideration, including the respective covenants and agreements set forth below, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

1.                                     Certain Definitions .

 

(a)                                Affiliate ” shall mean, with respect to any Person, any other Person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with, such Person where “control” shall have the meaning given such term under Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to time.

 

(b)                               Agreement ” shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble hereto.

 

(c)                                Annual Base Salary ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(a).

 

(d)                              Annual Bonus ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(b).

 

(e)                                Board ” shall mean the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

(f)                                 The Company shall have “ Cause ” to terminate the Executive’s employment hereunder upon: (i) the Executive’s willful failure to substantially perform the duties set forth herein (other than any such failure resulting from the Executive’s Disability); (ii) the Executive’s willful failure to carry out, or comply with, in any material respect any lawful directive of the Board; (iii) the Executive’s commission at any time of any act or omission that results in, or may reasonably be expected to result in, a conviction, plea of no contest, plea of nolo contendere, or imposition of unadjudicated probation for any felony or crime involving moral turpitude; (iv) the Executive’s unlawful use (including being under the influence) or possession of illegal drugs on the Company’s premises or while performing the Executive’s duties and responsibilities hereunder; (v) the Executive’s commission at any time of any act of fraud, embezzlement, misappropriation, misconduct, conversion of assets of the Company, or

 



 

breach of fiduciary duty against the Company (or any predecessor thereto or successor thereof); or (vi) the Executive’s material breach of this Agreement or any other agreements with the Company (including, without limitation, any breach of the restrictive covenants of any such agreement); and which, in the case of clauses (i), (ii) and (vi), continues beyond thirty (30) days after the Company has provided the Executive written notice of such failure or breach (to the extent that, in the reasonable judgment of the Board, such failure or breach can be cured by the Executive).  Whether or not an event giving rise to “Cause” occurs will be determined by the Board in its sole discretion.

 

(g)                               Code ” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

 

(h)                               Committee ” shall mean the Compensation Committee of the Board, or if no such committee exists, the Board.

 

(i)                                   Common Stock ” shall mean the common stock of ProPetro Holding Corp., par value $0.001 per share.

 

(j)                                   Company ” shall, except as otherwise provided in Section 6(i), have the meaning set forth in the preamble hereto.

 

(k)                               Date of Termination ” shall mean (i) if the Executive’s employment is terminated due to the Executive’s death, the date of the Executive’s death; (ii) if the Executive’s employment is terminated due to the Executive’s Disability, the date determined pursuant to Section 4(a)(ii); (iii) if the Executive’s employment is terminated pursuant to Section 4(a)(iii)-(vi), either the date indicated in the Notice of Termination or the date specified by the Company pursuant to Section 4(b), whichever is earlier; or (iv) if the Executive’s employment is terminated pursuant to Section 4(a)(vii)-(viii), the date immediately following the expiration of the then-current Term.

 

(l)                                   Disability ” shall mean the Executive’s inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment that can be expected to result in death or that can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than twelve (12) months.

 

(m)                           Effective Date ” shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble hereto.

 

(n)                               Executive ” shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble hereto.

 

(o)                               Extension Term ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(b).

 

(p)                               First Payment Date ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(b).

 

(q)                               The Executive shall have “ Good Reason ” to terminate the Executive’s employment hereunder within six (6) months after the occurrence of one or more of the following conditions without the Executive’s consent: (i) a material diminution in the Executive’s authority, duties, or responsibilities, as described herein; (ii) a material diminution in the Executive’s base compensation, as described herein; or (iii) any other action or inaction that constitutes a material breach of this Agreement by the Company; and which, in the case of any of

 

2



 

the foregoing, continues beyond thirty (30) days after the Executive has provided the Company written notice that the Executive believes in good faith that such condition giving rise to such claim of Good Reason has occurred, so long as such notice is provided within ninety (90) days after the initial existence of such condition.

 

(r)                                  Initial Term ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(b).

 

(s)                                 Installment Payments ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(b).

 

(t)                                  Noncompetition Restricted Period ” shall mean the period from the Effective Date through the first (1st) anniversary of the Date of Termination.

 

(u)                               Nonsolicitation Restricted Period ” shall mean the period from the Effective Date through the third (3 rd ) anniversary of the Date of Termination.

 

(v)                               Notice of Termination ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(b).

 

(w)                           Performance Targets ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(b).

 

(x)                               Person ” shall mean any individual, natural person, corporation (including any non-profit corporation), general partnership, limited partnership, limited liability partnership, joint venture, estate, trust, company (including any company limited by shares, limited liability company or joint stock company), incorporated or unincorporated association, governmental authority, firm, society or other enterprise, organization or other entity of any nature.

 

(y)                               Proprietary Information ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(c).

 

(z)                                Section 409A ” shall mean Section 409A of the Code and the Department of Treasury regulations and other interpretive guidance issued thereunder, including without limitation any such regulations or other guidance that may be issued after the Effective Date.

 

(aa)                         Severance Payment ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(b).

 

(bb)                       Severance Period ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(b).

 

(cc)                         Term ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(b).

 

2.                                     Employment .

 

(a)                                In General .  The Company shall employ the Executive and the Executive shall enter the employ of the Company, for the period set forth in Section 2(b), in the position set forth in Section 2(c), and upon the other terms and conditions herein provided.

 

(b)                               Term of Employment .  The initial term of employment under this Agreement (the “Initial Term”) shall be for the period beginning on the Effective Date and ending on the second (2 nd ) anniversary thereof, unless earlier terminated as provided in Section 4; provided that, notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the Effective Date shall not occur, and the Initial Term shall not begin, unless and until the Executive has successfully

 

3



 

completed a background check and has completed all necessary employment documentation, in each case in accordance with the Company’s hiring policies.  The Initial Term shall automatically be extended for successive one (1) year periods (each, an “ Extension Term ” and, collectively with the Initial Term, the “ Term ”), unless either party hereto gives notice of non-extension to the other no later than ninety (90) days prior to the expiration of the then-applicable Term.

 

(c)                                Position and Duties .  During the Term, the Executive: (i) shall serve as the General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of the Company, with responsibilities, duties and authority customary for such position, subject to direction by the Chief Financial Officer of the Company; (ii) shall report to the Chief Financial Officer of the Company; (iii) shall devote substantially all the Executive’s working time and efforts to the business and affairs of the Company and its subsidiaries; and (iv) agrees to observe and comply with the Company’s rules and policies as adopted by the Company from time to time.

 

3.                                     Compensation and Related Matters .

 

(a)                                Annual Base Salary .  During the Term, the Executive shall receive a base salary at a rate of $250,000 per annum, which shall be paid in accordance with the customary payroll practices of the Company, subject to review by the Board in its sole discretion (the “ Annual Base Salary ”).

 

(b)                               Annual Bonus .  With respect to each calendar year that ends during the Term, commencing with calendar year 2017, the Executive shall be eligible to receive an annual cash bonus (the “ Annual Bonus ”), based upon individual and Company annual performance targets (the “ Performance Targets ”) established by the Board in its sole discretion and on terms commensurate with those that apply to other public company executive officers.  The amount of the Annual Bonus shall be based upon the Executive’s and the Company’s attainment of the Performance Targets, as determined by the Board (or any authorized committee of the Board) in its sole discretion.  Each such Annual Bonus shall be payable on such date as is determined by the Board in its sole discretion, but in any event on or prior to March 15 of the calendar year immediately following the calendar year with respect to which such Annual Bonus relates.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, no bonus shall be payable with respect to any calendar year unless the Executive remains continuously employed with the Company during the period beginning on the Effective Date and ending on December 31 of such year.

 

(c)                                Equity Awards .  During the Term, the Executive shall be eligible to receive equity awards on a basis commensurate with other public company executive officers.

 

(d)                              Benefits; Paid-Time Off .  The Executive shall be eligible to participate in employee benefit plans, programs and arrangements of the Company, as in effect from time to time (including, without limitation, medical, dental and life insurance, a 401(k) plan and paid-time off and holiday policies).

 

(e)                                Business Expenses .  During the Term, the Company shall reimburse the Executive for all reasonable, documented, out-of-pocket travel and other business expenses incurred by the Executive in the performance of the Executive’s duties to the Company in

 

4



 

accordance with the Company’s applicable expense reimbursement policies and procedures, as in effect from time to time.

 

(f)                                 Relocation .  The Executive shall relocate to within 60 miles of Midland, Texas (the “ Midland Area ”) no later than the Effective Date.  The Company shall pay or reimburse the Executive for all reasonable expenses incurred in connection with such relocation, including moving costs.  In addition, the Company will reimburse the Executive for reasonable temporary living expenses incurred by him in the Midland Area through June 2017.  The Company will also reimburse the Executive for his reasonable travel expenses for business class flights between the Midland Area and Indianapolis until the Executive’s immediate family is relocated to the Midland Area.

 

4.                                     Termination The Executive’s employment hereunder may be terminated by the Company or the Executive, as applicable, without any breach of this Agreement, only under the following circumstances:

 

(a)                                Circumstances

 

(i)                                   Death .  The Executive’s employment hereunder shall terminate upon the Executive’s death.

 

(ii)                               Disability .  If the Executive incurs a Disability, the Company may give the Executive written notice of its intention to terminate the Executive’s employment.  In that event, the Executive’s employment with the Company shall terminate, effective on the later of the thirtieth (30th) day after receipt of such notice by the Executive or the date specified in such notice; provided that within the thirty (30) day period following receipt of such notice, the Executive shall not have returned to full-time performance of the Executive’s duties hereunder.

 

(iii)                           Termination for Cause .  The Company may terminate the Executive’s employment for Cause.

 

(iv)                           Termination without Cause .  The Company may terminate the Executive’s employment without Cause.

 

(v)                               Resignation for Good Reason .  The Executive may resign from the Executive’s employment for Good Reason.

 

(vi)                           Resignation without Good Reason .  The Executive may resign from the Executive’s employment without Good Reason.

 

(vii)                       Non-Extension of Term by the Company .  The Company may give notice of non-extension to the Executive pursuant to Section 2(b).  For the avoidance of doubt, non-extension of the Term by the Company shall not constitute termination by the Company without Cause.

 

(viii)                   Non-Extension of Term by the Executive .  The Executive may give notice of non-extension to the Company pursuant to Section 2(b).

 

5



 

(b)                               Notice of Termination .  Any termination of the Executive’s employment by the Company or by the Executive under this Section 4 (other than a termination pursuant to Section 4(a)(i) above) shall be communicated by a written notice to the other party hereto (a “ Notice of Termination ”): (i) indicating the specific termination provision in this Agreement relied upon, (ii) except with respect to a termination pursuant to Sections 4(a)(iv), (vi), (vii) or (viii), setting forth in reasonable detail the facts and circumstances claimed to provide a basis for termination of the Executive’s employment under the provision so indicated, and (iii) specifying a Date of Termination, which, if submitted by the Executive, shall be at least thirty (30) days following the date of such notice; provided , however , that a Notice of Termination delivered by the Company pursuant to Section 4(a)(ii) shall not be required to specify a Date of Termination, in which case the Date of Termination shall be determined pursuant to Section 4(a)(ii); and provided , further , that in the event that the Executive delivers a Notice of Termination (other than a Notice of Termination under Section 4(a)(viii) above) to the Company, the Company may, in its sole discretion, accelerate the Date of Termination to any date that occurs following the date of Company’s receipt of such Notice of Termination (even if such date is prior to the date specified in such Notice of Termination).  A Notice of Termination submitted by the Company (other than a Notice of Termination under Section 4(a)(ii) or Section 4(a)(vii) above) may provide for a Date of Termination on the date the Executive receives the Notice of Termination, or any date thereafter elected by the Company in its sole discretion.  The failure by the Company or the Executive to set forth in the Notice of Termination any fact or circumstance which contributes to a showing of Cause or Good Reason shall not waive any right of the Company or the Executive hereunder or preclude the Company or the Executive from asserting such fact or circumstance in enforcing the Company’s or the Executive’s rights hereunder.

 

5.                                     Company Obligations Upon Termination of Employment .

 

(a)                                In General .  Upon a termination of the Executive’s employment for any reason, the Executive (or the Executive’s estate) shall be entitled to receive: (i) any portion of the Executive’s Annual Base Salary through the Date of Termination not theretofore paid, (ii) any expenses owed to the Executive under Section 3(e) and (iii) any amount arising from the Executive’s participation in, or benefits under, any employee benefit plans, programs or arrangements under Section 3(d), which amounts shall be payable in accordance with the terms and conditions of such employee benefit plans, programs or arrangements.  Any Annual Bonus earned for any calendar year completed prior to the Date of Termination, but unpaid prior to such date, shall be paid on or prior to March 15 of the calendar year immediately following such completed calendar year with respect to which such Annual Bonus was earned.  Any equity awards granted to the Executive shall continue to be governed by the terms and conditions of the applicable plans and agreements.  Except as otherwise set forth in Section 5(b) below, the payments and benefits described in this Section 5(a) shall be the only payments and benefits payable in the event of the Executive’s termination of employment for any reason.

 

(b)                               Severance Payment

 

(i)                                   In the event of the Executive’s termination of employment (1) by the Company without Cause pursuant to Section 4(a)(iv) or (2) by the Executive’s resignation for Good Reason pursuant to Section 4(a)(v), then, in addition to the payments and benefits described in Section 5(a) above, the Company shall, during the

 

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period beginning on the Date of Termination and ending on the first (1st) anniversary of the Date of Termination (the “ Severance Period ”), pay to the Executive an amount (the “ Severance Payment ”) equal to the sum of (A) the Annual Base Salary for the year in which the Date of Termination occurs, and (B) the Annual Bonus paid to the Executive in respect of the calendar year immediately preceding the year in which the Date of Termination occurs; provided that, in the case of such a termination prior to January 1, 2018, the amount in the foregoing clause (B) shall instead be the target Annual Bonus for calendar year 2017, prorated based on the number of days that the Executive is employed by the Company during the period beginning on the Effective Date and ending on December 31, 2017, and in the case of such a termination in 2019, the amount in the foregoing clause (B) shall be annualized.  The Company shall subsidize the Executive’s COBRA premiums with respect to continued coverage under the Company’s health plans so that the Executive will pay the same premium as that of an active employee of the Company for health coverage for the duration of the Severance Period; provided that such subsidies will cease as of the date, if any, that the Executive becomes covered under the group health plans of another employer.

 

(ii)                               The Severance Payment shall be in lieu of notice or any other severance benefits to which the Executive might otherwise be entitled.  Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, (A) no portion of the Severance Payment shall be paid unless, on or prior to the thirtieth (30 th ) day following the Date of Termination, the Executive timely executes a general waiver and release of claims agreement in the Company’s customary form (which release shall be delivered by the Company to the Executive within seven (7) days after the Date of Termination and shall not require the Executive to release or waive any vested benefits or claims that arise for the first time after the Effective Date), and such release shall not have been revoked by the Executive prior to the expiration of the period (if any) during which any portion of such release is revocable under applicable law, and (B) as of the first date on which the Executive violates any covenant contained in Section 6, any remaining unpaid portion of the Severance Payment shall thereupon be forfeited.  Subject to the provisions of Section 8, the Severance Payment shall be paid in equal installments during the Severance Period, at the same time and in the same manner as the Annual Base Salary would have been paid had the Executive remained in active employment during the Severance Period, in accordance with the Company’s normal payroll practices in effect on the Date of Termination; provided that any installment that would otherwise have been paid prior to the first normal payroll payment date occurring on or after the thirtieth (30th) day following the Date of Termination (such payroll date, the “ First Payment Date ”) shall instead be paid on the First Payment Date.  For purposes of Section 409A (including, without limitation, for purposes of Section 1.409A-2(b)(2)(iii) of the Department of Treasury Regulations), the Executive’s right to receive the Severance Payment in the form of installment payments (the “ Installment Payments ”) shall be treated as a right to receive a series of separate payments and, accordingly, each Installment Payment shall at all times be considered a separate and distinct payment.

 

(c)                                The provisions of this Section 5 shall supersede in their entirety any severance payment provisions in any severance plan, policy, program or other arrangement maintained by the Company.

 

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6.                                     Restrictive Covenants .

 

(a)                                The Executive hereby agrees that the Executive shall not, at any time during the Noncompetition Restricted Period, directly or indirectly engage in, have any interest in (including, without limitation, through the investment of capital or lending of money or property), or manage, operate or otherwise render any services to, any Person (whether on his own or in association with others, as a principal, director, officer, employee, agent, representative, partner, member, security holder, consultant, advisor, independent contractor, owner, investor, participant or in any other capacity) that engages in (either directly or through any subsidiary or Affiliate thereof) any business or activity, within any of the states or territories within the United States or any other country, territory or state in which the Company or any of its subsidiaries operate, (i) that creates, designs, invents, engineers, develops, sources, markets, manufactures, distributes or sells any product or provides any service that may be used as a substitute for or otherwise competes with any product or service of the Company or any entity owned by the Company, or (ii) which the Company or any of its Affiliates has taken active steps to engage in or acquire, but only if the Executive directly or indirectly engages in, has any interest in (including, without limitation, through the investment of capital or lending of money or property), or manages, operates or otherwise renders any services in connection with, such business or activity (whether on his own or in association with others, as a principal, director, officer, employee, agent, representative, partner, member, security holder, consultant, advisor, independent contractor, owner, investor, participant or in any other capacity).  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Executive shall be permitted to acquire a passive stock or equity interest in such a business; provided that such stock or other equity interest acquired is not more than five percent (5%) of the outstanding interest in such business.

 

(b)                               The Executive hereby agrees that the Executive shall not, at any time during the Nonsolicitation Restricted Period, directly or indirectly, either for himself or on behalf of any other Person, (i) recruit or otherwise solicit or induce any employee, customer or supplier of the Company to terminate its employment or arrangement with the Company, or otherwise change its relationship with the Company, or (ii) hire, or cause to be hired, any person who was employed by the Company at any time during the twelve (12)-month period immediately prior to the Date of Termination or who thereafter becomes employed by the Company.

 

(c)                                Except as the Executive reasonably and in good faith determines to be required in the faithful performance of the Executive’s duties hereunder or in accordance with Section 6(e), the Executive shall, during the Term and after the Date of Termination, maintain in confidence and shall not directly or indirectly, use, disseminate, disclose or publish, for the Executive’s benefit or the benefit of any other Person, any confidential or proprietary information or trade secrets of or relating to the Company, including, without limitation, information with respect to the Company’s operations, processes, protocols, products, inventions, business practices, finances, principals, vendors, suppliers, customers, potential customers, marketing methods, costs, prices, contractual relationships, regulatory status, compensation paid to employees or other terms of employment (“ Proprietary Information ”), or deliver to any Person, any document, record, notebook, computer program or similar repository of or containing any such Proprietary Information.  The Executive’s obligation to maintain and not use, disseminate, disclose or publish, or use for the Executive’s benefit or the benefit of any other Person, any Proprietary Information after the Date of Termination will continue so long as

 

8



 

such Proprietary Information is not, or has not by legitimate means become, generally known and in the public domain (other than by means of the Executive’s direct or indirect disclosure of such Proprietary Information) and continues to be maintained as Proprietary Information by the Company.  The parties hereby stipulate and agree that as between them, the Proprietary Information identified herein is important, material and affects the successful conduct of the businesses of the Company (and any successor or assignee of the Company).

 

(d)                              Upon termination of the Executive’s employment with the Company for any reason, the Executive will promptly deliver to the Company (i) all correspondence, drawings, manuals, letters, notes, notebooks, reports, programs, plans, proposals, financial documents, or any other documents that are Proprietary Information, including all physical and digital copies thereof, and (ii) all other Company property (including, without limitation, any personal computer or wireless device and related accessories, keys, credit cards and other similar items) which is in his possession, custody or control.

 

(e)                                The Executive may respond to a lawful and valid subpoena or other legal process but shall give the Company the earliest possible notice thereof, and shall, as much in advance of the return date as possible, make available to the Company and its counsel the documents and other information sought, and shall assist such counsel in resisting or otherwise responding to such process.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, no provision of this Agreement shall be interpreted so as to impede the Executive (or any other individual) from reporting possible violations of federal law or regulation to any governmental agency or entity, including but not limited to the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Congress, and any agency Inspector General, or making other disclosures under the whistleblower provisions of federal law or regulation.  The Executive does not need the prior authorization of the Company to make any such reports or disclosures and the Executive shall not be not required to notify the Company that such reports or disclosures have been made.

 

(f)                                 The Executive agrees not to disparage the Company, any of its products or practices, or any of its directors, officers, agents, representatives, partners, members, equity holders or Affiliates, either orally or in writing, at any time; provided that the Executive may confer in confidence with the Executive’s legal representatives and make truthful statements as required by law.

 

(g)                               Prior to accepting other employment or any other service relationship during the Noncompetition Restricted Period, the Executive shall provide a copy of this Section 6 to any recruiter who assists the Executive in obtaining other employment or any other service relationship and to any employer or other Person with which the Executive discusses potential employment or any other service relationship.

 

(h)                               In the event the terms of this Section 6 shall be determined by any court of competent jurisdiction to be unenforceable by reason of its extending for too great a period of time or over too great a geographical area or by reason of its being too extensive in any other respect, it will be interpreted to extend only over the maximum period of time for which it may be enforceable, over the maximum geographical area as to which it may be enforceable, or to the maximum extent in all other respects as to which it may be enforceable, all as determined by

 

9



 

such court in such action.  Any breach or violation by the Executive of the provisions of this Section 6 shall toll the running of any time periods set forth in this Section 6 for the duration of any such breach or violation.

 

(i)                                   As used in this Section 6, the term “Company” shall include the Company and any parent, affiliated, related and/or direct or indirect subsidiary entity thereof.

 

7.                                     Injunctive Relief The Executive recognizes and acknowledges that a breach of the covenants contained in Section 6 will cause irreparable damage to the Company and its goodwill, the exact amount of which will be difficult or impossible to ascertain, and that the remedies at law for any such breach will be inadequate.  Accordingly, the Executive agrees that in the event of a breach of any of the covenants contained in Section 6, in addition to any other remedy which may be available at law or in equity, the Company will be entitled to specific performance and injunctive relief.

 

8.                                     Section 409A .

 

(a)                                General .  The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that, to the extent applicable, this Agreement shall be interpreted in accordance with, and incorporate the terms and conditions required by, Section 409A.  Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, in the event that the Company determines that any amounts payable hereunder will be immediately taxable to the Executive under Section 409A, the Company reserves the right to (without any obligation to do so or to indemnify the Executive for failure to do so) (i) adopt such amendments to this Agreement or adopt such other policies and procedures (including amendments, policies and procedures with retroactive effect) that it determines to be necessary or appropriate to preserve the intended tax treatment of the benefits provided by this Agreement, to preserve the economic benefits of this Agreement and to avoid less favorable accounting or tax consequences for the Company and/or (ii) take such other actions it determines to be necessary or appropriate to exempt the amounts payable hereunder from Section 409A or to comply with the requirements of Section 409 A and thereby avoid the application of penalty taxes thereunder.  Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, no provision of this Agreement shall be interpreted or construed to transfer any liability for failure to comply with the requirements of Section 409A from the Executive or any other individual to the Company or any of its Affiliates, employees or agents.

 

(b)                               Separation from Service under Section 409A; 409A Compliance .  Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary: (i) no termination or other similar payments and benefits hereunder shall be payable unless the Executive’s termination of employment constitutes a “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 1.409A-1 (h) of the Department of Treasury Regulations; (ii) if the Executive is deemed at the time of the Executive’s separation from service to be a “specified employee” for purposes of Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code, to the extent delayed commencement of any portion of any termination or other similar payments and benefits to which the Executive may be entitled hereunder (after taking into account all exclusions applicable to such payments or benefits under Section 409A) is required in order to avoid a prohibited distribution under Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code, such portion of such payments and benefits shall not be provided to the Executive prior to the earlier of (x) the expiration of the six (6)-month period measured

 

10



 

from the date of the Executive’s “separation from service” with the Company (as such term is defined in the Department of Treasury Regulations issued under Section 409A) or (y) the date of the Executive’s death; provided that upon the earlier of such dates, all payments and benefits deferred pursuant to this Section 8(b)(ii) shall be paid in a lump sum to the Executive, and any remaining payments and benefits due hereunder shall be provided as otherwise specified herein; (iii) the determination of whether the Executive is a “specified employee” for purposes of Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code as of the time of the Executive’s separation from service shall be made by the Company in accordance with the terms of Section 409A (including, without limitation, Section 1.409A-1(i) of the Department of Treasury Regulations and any successor provision thereto); (iv) to the extent that any installment payments under this Agreement are deemed to constitute “nonqualified deferred compensation” within the meaning of Section 409A, for purposes of Section 409A (including, without limitation, for purposes of Section 1.409A- 2(b)(2)(iii) of the Department of Treasury Regulations), each such payment that the Executive may be eligible to receive under this Agreement shall be treated as a separate and distinct payment; (v) to the extent that any reimbursements or corresponding in-kind benefits provided to the Executive under this Agreement are deemed to constitute “deferred compensation” under Section 409A, such reimbursements or benefits shall be provided reasonably promptly, but in no event later than December 31 of the year following the year in which the expense was incurred, and in any event in accordance with Section 1.409A-3(i)(l)(iv) of the Department of Treasury Regulations; and (vi) the amount of any such payments or expense reimbursements in one calendar year shall not affect the expenses or in-kind benefits eligible for payment or reimbursement in any other calendar year, other than an arrangement providing for the reimbursement of medical expenses referred to in Section 105(b) of the Code, and the Executive’s right to such payments or reimbursement of any such expenses shall not be subject to liquidation or exchange for any other benefit.

 

9.                                     Assignment and Successors The Company may assign its rights and obligations under this Agreement to any entity, including any successor to all or substantially all the assets of the Company, by merger or otherwise, and may assign or encumber this Agreement and its rights hereunder as security for indebtedness of the Company and its Affiliates.  The Executive may not assign the Executive’s rights or obligations under this Agreement to any individual or entity.  This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Company, the Executive and their respective successors, assigns, personnel and legal representatives, executors, administrators, heirs, distributees, devisees, and legatees, as applicable.

 

10.                             Governing Law This Agreement shall be governed, construed, interpreted and enforced in accordance with the substantive laws of the State of Texas, without giving effect to any principles of conflicts of law, whether of the State of Texas or any other jurisdiction, and where applicable, the laws of the United States, that would result in the application of the laws of any other jurisdiction.

 

11.                             Validity The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision of this Agreement, which shall remain in full force and effect.

 

12.                             Notices Any notice, request, claim, demand, document and other communication hereunder to any party hereto shall be effective upon receipt (or refusal of receipt) and shall be in

 

11



 

writing and delivered personally or sent by telex, telecopy, or certified or registered mail, postage prepaid, to the following address (or at any other address as any patty hereto shall have specified by notice in writing to the other party hereto):

 

(a)                                If to the Company:

 

1706 Midkiff, Building B

Midland, TX 79702

Telephone: (432) 688-0012

Attention: Jeff Smith

Facsimile: (432) 688-3976

 

With a copy to:

 

Energy Capital Partners, LLC
11943 El Camino Real, Suite 220
San Diego, California 92130
Attention: Chris Leininger
Facsimile: (858) 703-4401

 

(b)                               If to the Executive, at the address set forth on the signature page hereto.

 

13.                             Counterparts This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all of which together will constitute one and the same Agreement.

 

14.                             Entire Agreement The terms of this Agreement (together with any other agreements and instruments contemplated hereby or referred to herein) are intended by the parties hereto to be the final expression of their agreement with respect to the employment of the Executive by the Company and may not be contradicted by evidence of any prior or contemporaneous agreement (including, without limitation, any term sheet or offer letter).  The terms of this Agreement supersede all prior agreements, oral and written between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof, which the parties acknowledge and agree are hereby terminated and canceled. The parties hereto further intend that this Agreement shall constitute the complete and exclusive statement of its terms and that no extrinsic evidence whatsoever may be introduced in any judicial, administrative, or other legal proceeding to vary the terms of this Agreement.

 

15.                             Amendments; Waivers This Agreement may not be modified, amended, or terminated except by an instrument in writing, signed by the Executive and a duly authorized officer of the Company and approved by the Board, which expressly identifies the amended provision of this Agreement.  By an instrument in writing similarly executed and approved by the Board, the Executive or a duly authorized officer of the Company may waive compliance by the other party or parties hereto with any provision of this Agreement that such other party was or is obligated to comply with or perform; provided , however , that such waiver shall not operate as a waiver of, or estoppel with respect to, any other or subsequent failure to comply or perform.  No failure to exercise and no delay in exercising any right, remedy, or power hereunder shall

 

12



 

preclude any other or further exercise of any other right, remedy, or power provided herein or by law or in equity.

 

16.                             No Inconsistent Actions The parties hereto shall not voluntarily undertake or fail to undertake any action or course of action inconsistent with the provisions or essential intent of this Agreement.  Furthermore, it is the intent of the parties hereto to act in a fair and reasonable manner with respect to the interpretation and application of the provisions of this Agreement.

 

17.                             Construction This Agreement shall be deemed drafted equally by both of the parties hereto.  Its language shall be construed as a whole and according to its fair meaning.  Any presumption or principle that the language is to be construed against any party hereto shall not apply.  The headings in this Agreement are only for convenience and are not intended to affect construction or interpretation.  Any references to paragraphs, subparagraphs, sections or subsections are to those parts of this Agreement, unless the context clearly indicates to the contrary.  Also, unless the context clearly indicates to the contrary, (a) the plural includes the singular and the singular includes the plural; (b) “and” and “or” are each used both conjunctively and disjunctively; (c) “any,” “all,’’ “each,” or “every” means “any and all,’’ and “each and every”; (d) “includes” and “including” are each “without limitation”; (e) “herein,’’ “hereof,” “hereunder” and other similar compounds of the word “here” refer to the entire Agreement and not to any particular paragraph, subparagraph, section or subsection; and (f) all pronouns and any variations thereof shall be deemed to refer to the masculine, feminine, neuter, singular or plural as the identity of the entities or persons referred to may require.

 

18.                             Arbitration Any dispute or controversy based on, arising under or relating to this Agreement shall be settled exclusively by final and binding arbitration, conducted before a single neutral arbitrator in Dallas, Texas in accordance with the Employment Arbitration Rules and Mediation Procedures of the American Arbitration Association (the “AAA”) then in effect.  Arbitration may be compelled, and judgment may be entered on the arbitration award in any court having jurisdiction; provided , however , that the Company shall be entitled to seek a restraining order or injunction in any court of competent jurisdiction to prevent any continuation of any violation of the provisions of Section 6, and the Executive hereby consents that such restraining order or injunction may be granted without requiring the Company to post a bond.  Only individuals who are (a) lawyers engaged full-time in the practice of law and (b) on the AAA roster of arbitrators shall be selected as an arbitrator.  Within twenty (20) days of the conclusion of the arbitration hearing, the arbitrator shall prepare written findings of fact and conclusions of law.  Each party shall bear its own costs and attorneys’ fees in connection with an arbitration; provided that the Company shall bear the cost of the arbitrator and the AAA’s administrative fees.

 

19.                             Enforcement If any provision of this Agreement is held to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable under present or future laws effective during the term of this Agreement, such provision shall be fully severable; this Agreement shall be construed and enforced as if such illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision had never comprised a portion of this Agreement; and the remaining provisions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and shall not be affected by the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision or by its severance from this Agreement.  Furthermore, in lieu of such illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision there shall

 

13



 

be added automatically as part of this Agreement a provision as similar in terms to such illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision as may be possible and be legal, valid and enforceable.

 

20.                             Withholding The Company shall be entitled to withhold from any amounts payable under this Agreement, any federal, state, local or foreign withholding or other taxes or charges which the Company is required to withhold.  The Company shall be entitled to rely on an opinion of counsel if any questions as to the amount or requirement of withholding shall arise.

 

21.                             Absence of Conflicts; Executive Acknowledgement; Confidentiality The Executive hereby represents that from and after the Effective Date the performance of the Executive’s duties hereunder will not breach any other agreement to which the Executive is a party.  The Executive acknowledges that the Executive has read and understands this Agreement, is fully aware of its legal effect, has not acted in reliance upon any representations or promises made by the Company other than those contained in writing herein, and has entered into this Agreement freely based on the Executive’s own judgment.  The Executive agrees not to disclose the terms or existence of this Agreement to any Person unless the Company agrees to such disclosure in advance and in writing; provided that the Executive may, without such permission, make such disclosures as are required by applicable law, including disclosures to taxing agencies, and disclose the terms of this Agreement to the Executive’s attorney(s), accountant(s), tax advisor(s), and other professional service provider(s), and to members of the Executive’s immediate family, as reasonably necessary; provided , further , that the Executive instructs such person(s) that the terms of this Agreement are strictly confidential and are not to be revealed to anyone else except as required by applicable law.

 

22.                             Survival The expiration or termination of the Term shall not impair the rights or obligations of any party hereto which shall have accrued prior to such expiration or termination (including, without limitation, pursuant to the provisions of Section 6 hereof).

 

[Signature pages follow]

 

14



 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement on the date and year first above written.

 

 

PROPETRO HOLDING CORP.

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Jeffrey D. Smith

 

 

Name: Jeffrey D. Smith

 

 

Title: CFO

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MARK HOWELL

 

 

 

/s/ Mark Howell

 

 

 

Residence Address:

 

Signature Page to the Employment Agreement

 




Exhibit 23.1

 

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

We consent to the use in this Registration Statement on Form S-1 of our report dated February 22, 2017 relating to the consolidated financial statements of ProPetro Holding Corp. and Subsidiary appearing in the prospectus, which is part of this Registration Statement.

 

We also consent to the reference to us under the heading “Experts” in such prospectus.

 

DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP

 

Houston, Texas

 

February 22, 2017

 




Exhibit 23.3

 

Consent of Prospective Director

 

Pursuant to Rule 438 of Regulation C promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), in connection with the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (the “Registration Statement”) of ProPetro Holding Corp., the undersigned hereby consents to being named and described as a person who will become a director of ProPetro Holding Corp. in the Registration Statement and any amendment or supplement to any prospectus included in such Registration Statement, any amendment to such Registration Statement or any subsequent Registration Statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act and to the filing or attachment of this consent with such Registration Statement and any amendment or supplement thereto.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this consent as of the 20 th day of February, 2017.

 

 

 

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 



 

/s/ Francesco Ciabatti

 

Francesco Ciabatti

 

 




Exhibit 23.4

 

Consent of Prospective Director

 

Pursuant to Rule 438 of Regulation C promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), in connection with the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (the “Registration Statement”) of ProPetro Holding Corp., the undersigned hereby consents to being named and described as a person who will become a director of ProPetro Holding Corp. in the Registration Statement and any amendment or supplement to any prospectus included in such Registration Statement, any amendment to such Registration Statement or any subsequent Registration Statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act and to the filing or attachment of this consent with such Registration Statement and any amendment or supplement thereto.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this consent as of the 20 day of February, 2017.

 

 

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 



 

/s/ Alan E. Douglas

 

Alan E. Douglas

 

 




Exhibit 23.5

 

Consent of Prospective Director

 

Pursuant to Rule 438 of Regulation C promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), in connection with the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (the “Registration Statement”) of ProPetro Holding Corp., the undersigned hereby consents to being named and described as a person who will become a director of ProPetro Holding Corp. in the Registration Statement and any amendment or supplement to any prospectus included in such Registration Statement, any amendment to such Registration Statement or any subsequent Registration Statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act and to the filing or attachment of this consent with such Registration Statement and any amendment or supplement thereto.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this consent as of the 20th day of February, 2017.

 

 

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 



 

/s/ Jack B. Moore

 

Jack B. Moore

 

 


 



Exhibit 23.6

 

Consent of Prospective Director

 

Pursuant to Rule 438 of Regulation C promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), in connection with the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (the “Registration Statement”) of ProPetro Holding Corp., the undersigned hereby consents to being named and described as a person who will become a director of ProPetro Holding Corp. in the Registration Statement and any amendment or supplement to any prospectus included in such Registration Statement, any amendment to such Registration Statement or any subsequent Registration Statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act and to the filing or attachment of this consent with such Registration Statement and any amendment or supplement thereto.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this consent as of the 21 st day of February, 2017.

 

 

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 



 

/s/ Christopher M. Leininger

 

Christopher M. Leininger