Table of Contents

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 10-Q

 

(Mark One)

 

x   QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2017

 

OR

 

o   TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the transition period from             to

 

Commission File No. 1-2189

 

ABBOTT LABORATORIES

 

An Illinois Corporation

 

 

 

I.R.S. Employer Identification No.

 

 

 

 

36-0698440

 

100 Abbott Park Road

Abbott Park, Illinois 60064-6400

 

Telephone:  (224) 667-6100

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (l) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of l934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes x   No o

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 229.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).  Yes x   No o

 

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

 

Large Accelerated Filer x

 

Accelerated Filer o

 

 

 

Non-Accelerated Filer o

 

Smaller reporting company o

(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)

 

 

 

 

Emerging growth company o

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  o

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).  Yes o   No x

 

As of September 30, 2017, Abbott Laboratories had 1,740,600,687 common shares without par value outstanding.

 

 

 



Table of Contents

 

Abbott Laboratories

 

Table of Contents

 

 

Page

Part I - Financial Information

 

 

 

Item 1. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

 

 

 

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Earnings

3

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income

4

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet

5

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows

6

Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

7

 

 

Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

21

 

 

Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

30

 

 

Item 4. Controls and Procedures

30

 

 

Part II - Other Information

 

 

 

Item 1. Legal Proceedings

30

 

 

Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds

31

 

 

Item 6. Exhibits

31

 

 

Signature

33

 

2



Table of Contents

 

Abbott Laboratories and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Earnings

(Unaudited)

(dollars in millions except per share data; shares in thousands)

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

Nine Months Ended

 

 

 

September 30

 

September 30

 

 

 

2017

 

2016

 

2017

 

2016

 

Net sales

 

$

6,829

 

$

5,302

 

$

19,801

 

$

15,520

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cost of products sold, excluding amortization of intangible assets

 

2,857

 

2,285

 

9,074

 

6,712

 

Amortization of intangible assets

 

501

 

140

 

1,415

 

429

 

Research and development

 

562

 

352

 

1,622

 

1,079

 

Selling, general and administrative

 

2,099

 

1,628

 

6,655

 

5,063

 

Total operating cost and expenses

 

6,019

 

4,405

 

18,766

 

13,283

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating earnings

 

810

 

897

 

1,035

 

2,237

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest expense

 

218

 

117

 

658

 

278

 

Interest (income)

 

(36

)

(22

)

(89

)

(75

)

Net foreign exchange loss (gain)

 

(6

)

9

 

(34

)

497

 

Other expense (income), net

 

8

 

972

 

(1,157

)

999

 

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before taxes

 

626

 

(179

)

1,657

 

538

 

Taxes on earnings (loss) from continuing operations

 

65

 

178

 

440

 

240

 

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations

 

561

 

(357

)

1,217

 

298

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earnings from discontinued operations, net of tax

 

42

 

28

 

88

 

288

 

Gain on sale of discontinued operations, net of tax

 

 

 

 

16

 

Net earnings from discontinued operations, net of tax

 

42

 

28

 

88

 

304

 

Net Earnings (Loss)

 

$

603

 

$

(329

)

$

1,305

 

$

602

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic Earnings (Loss) Per Common Share —

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Continuing operations

 

$

0.32

 

$

(0.24

)

$

0.70

 

$

0.20

 

Discontinued operations

 

0.02

 

0.02

 

0.05

 

0.21

 

Net earnings (loss)

 

$

0.34

 

$

(0.22

)

$

0.75

 

$

0.41

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diluted Earnings (Loss) Per Common Share —

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Continuing operations

 

$

0.32

 

$

(0.24

)

$

0.69

 

$

0.20

 

Discontinued operations

 

0.02

 

0.02

 

0.05

 

0.20

 

Net earnings (loss)

 

$

0.34

 

$

(0.22

)

$

0.74

 

$

0.40

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash Dividends Declared Per Common Share

 

$

0.265

 

$

0.26

 

$

0.795

 

$

0.78

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Average Number of Common Shares Outstanding Used for Basic Earnings Per Common Share

 

1,743,757

 

1,476,366

 

1,737,310

 

1,476,351

 

Dilutive Common Stock Options

 

10,399

 

 

8,866

 

6,329

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Average Number of Common Shares Outstanding Plus Dilutive Common Stock Options

 

1,754,156

 

1,476,366

 

1,746,176

 

1,482,680

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outstanding Common Stock Options Having No Dilutive Effect

 

282

 

12,103

 

282

 

5,445

 

 

The accompanying notes to the condensed consolidated financial statements are an integral part of this statement.

 

3



Table of Contents

 

Abbott Laboratories and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income

(Unaudited)

(dollars in millions)

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

Nine Months Ended

 

 

 

September 30

 

September 30

 

 

 

2017

 

2016

 

2017

 

2016

 

Net Earnings (Loss)

 

$

603

 

$

(329

)

$

1,305

 

$

602

 

Foreign currency translation gain adjustments

 

285

 

89

 

1,106

 

406

 

Net actuarial gains (losses) and amortization of net actuarial (losses) and prior service (cost) and credits, net of taxes of $11 and $34 in 2017 and $8 and $5 in 2016

 

23

 

15

 

86

 

(14

)

Unrealized gains (losses) on marketable equity securities, net of taxes of $2 and $62 in 2017 and $(28) and $(28) in 2016

 

(136

)

613

 

(54

)

(143

)

Net (losses) for derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges and other, net of taxes of $(10) and $(49) in 2017 and $(7) and $(31) in 2016

 

(38

)

(27

)

(140

)

(124

)

Other comprehensive income

 

134

 

690

 

998

 

125

 

Comprehensive Income

 

$

737

 

$

361

 

$

2,303

 

$

727

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

September 30,
2017

 

December 31,
2016

 

Supplemental Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) Information, net of tax:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cumulative foreign currency translation (loss) adjustments

 

 

 

 

 

$

(3,711

)

$

(4,959

)

Net actuarial (losses) and prior service cost and credits

 

 

 

 

 

(2,192

)

(2,284

)

Cumulative unrealized gains (losses) on marketable equity securities

 

 

 

 

 

(123

)

(69

)

Cumulative (losses) gains on derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges and other

 

 

 

 

 

(90

)

49

 

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)

 

 

 

 

 

$

(6,116

)

$

(7,263

)

 

The accompanying notes to the condensed consolidated financial statements are an integral part of this statement.

 

4



Table of Contents

 

Abbott Laboratories and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet

(Unaudited)

(dollars in millions)

 

 

 

September 30,
2017

 

December 31,
2016

 

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

Current Assets:

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

$

11,012

 

$

18,620

 

Short-term investments

 

187

 

155

 

Trade receivables, less allowances of $279 in 2017 and $250 in 2016

 

4,800

 

3,248

 

Inventories:

 

 

 

 

 

Finished products

 

2,273

 

1,624

 

Work in process

 

456

 

294

 

Materials

 

754

 

516

 

Total inventories

 

3,483

 

2,434

 

Prepaid expenses and other receivables

 

1,895

 

1,806

 

Current assets held for disposition

 

 

513

 

Total Current Assets

 

21,377

 

26,776

 

Investments

 

1,386

 

2,947

 

Property and equipment, at cost

 

14,698

 

12,366

 

Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization

 

7,479

 

6,661

 

Net property and equipment

 

7,219

 

5,705

 

Intangible assets, net of amortization

 

18,578

 

4,539

 

Goodwill

 

22,066

 

7,683

 

Deferred income taxes and other assets

 

1,565

 

2,263

 

Non-current assets held for disposition

 

57

 

2,753

 

 

 

$

72,248

 

$

52,666

 

Liabilities and Shareholders’ Investment

 

 

 

 

 

Current Liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

Short-term borrowings

 

$

211

 

$

1,322

 

Trade accounts payable

 

1,858

 

1,178

 

Salaries, wages and commissions

 

1,103

 

752

 

Other accrued liabilities

 

3,617

 

2,581

 

Dividends payable

 

462

 

391

 

Income taxes payable

 

180

 

188

 

Current portion of long-term debt

 

504

 

3

 

Current liabilities held for disposition

 

 

245

 

Total Current Liabilities

 

7,935

 

6,660

 

Long-term debt

 

23,310

 

20,681

 

Post-employment obligations, deferred income taxes and other long-term liabilities

 

8,785

 

4,549

 

Non-current liabilities held for disposition

 

 

59

 

Commitments and Contingencies

 

 

 

 

 

Shareholders’ Investment:

 

 

 

 

 

Preferred shares, one dollar par value Authorized — 1,000,000 shares, none issued

 

 

 

Common shares, without par value Authorized — 2,400,000,000 shares
Issued at stated capital amount — Shares: 2017: 1,964,324,771; 2016: 1,707,475,455

 

23,118

 

13,027

 

Common shares held in treasury, at cost — Shares: 2017: 223,724,084; 2016: 234,606,250

 

(10,290

)

(10,791

)

Earnings employed in the business

 

25,320

 

25,565

 

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)

 

(6,116

)

(7,263

)

Total Abbott Shareholders’ Investment

 

32,032

 

20,538

 

Noncontrolling Interests in Subsidiaries

 

186

 

179

 

Total Shareholders’ Investment

 

32,218

 

20,717

 

 

 

$

72,248

 

$

52,666

 

 

The accompanying notes to the condensed consolidated financial statements are an integral part of this statement.

 

5



Table of Contents

 

Abbott Laboratories and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows

(Unaudited)

(dollars in millions)

 

 

 

Nine Months Ended September 30

 

 

 

2017

 

2016

 

Cash Flow From (Used in) Operating Activities:

 

 

 

 

 

Net earnings

 

$

1,305

 

$

602

 

Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to net cash from operating activities -

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation

 

763

 

605

 

Amortization of intangible assets

 

1,415

 

429

 

Share-based compensation

 

338

 

263

 

Impact of currency devaluation

 

 

481

 

Amortization of inventory step-up

 

840

 

 

Gain on sale of businesses

 

(1,163

)

(25

)

Mylan N.V. equity investment adjustment

 

 

947

 

Trade receivables

 

(169

)

(116

)

Inventories

 

39

 

(152

)

Other, net

 

562

 

(1,001

)

Net Cash From Operating Activities

 

3,930

 

2,033

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash Flow From (Used in) Investing Activities:

 

 

 

 

 

Acquisitions of property and equipment

 

(790

)

(802

)

Acquisitions of businesses and technologies, net of cash acquired

 

(13,027

)

(73

)

Proceeds from business dispositions

 

5,442

 

25

 

Proceeds from the sale of Mylan N.V. shares

 

1,977

 

 

Sales (Purchases) of other investment securities, net

 

(98

)

(982

)

Other

 

30

 

34

 

Net Cash (Used in) Investing Activities

 

(6,466

)

(1,798

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash Flow From (Used in) Financing Activities:

 

 

 

 

 

Net (repayments of) short-term debt and other

 

(1,424

)

(682

)

Repayments of long-term debt

 

(2,508

)

(11

)

Payment of debt issuance costs

 

(8

)

(170

)

Payment of contingent consideration

 

(13

)

(25

)

Purchases of common shares

 

(106

)

(522

)

Proceeds from stock options exercised

 

275

 

206

 

Dividends paid

 

(1,385

)

(1,153

)

Net Cash (Used in) Financing Activities

 

(5,169

)

(2,357

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents

 

97

 

(379

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Decrease in Cash and Cash Equivalents

 

(7,608

)

(2,501

)

Cash and Cash Equivalents, Beginning of Year

 

18,620

 

5,001

 

Cash and Cash Equivalents, End of Period

 

$

11,012

 

$

2,500

 

 

The accompanying notes to the condensed consolidated financial statements are an integral part of this statement.

 

6



Table of Contents

 

Abbott Laboratories and Subsidiaries

 

Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

 

September 30, 2017

 

(Unaudited)

 

Note 1 — Basis of Presentation

 

The accompanying unaudited, condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared pursuant to rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and, therefore, do not include all information and footnote disclosures normally included in audited financial statements.  However, in the opinion of management, all adjustments (which include only normal adjustments) necessary to present fairly the results of operations, financial position and cash flows have been made.  It is suggested that these statements be read in conjunction with the financial statements included in Abbott’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016.  The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the parent company and subsidiaries, after elimination of intercompany transactions.

 

In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-09,  Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting . ASU 2016-09 modifies several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the accounting for income taxes and classification on the statement of cash flows. Abbott adopted the standard in the first quarter of 2017 and the following changes were made to the presentation of Abbott’s financial statements:

 

·                   All excess tax benefits or tax deficiencies are now recognized as income tax benefit or expense as applicable. Previously, Abbott recorded the benefits to Shareholders’ Investment. The tax benefit recorded in Abbott’s Condensed Consolidated Statement of Earnings for the third quarter and first nine months of 2017 were $29 million and $92 million, respectively. The standard does not permit retrospective presentation of this benefit in prior years.

 

·                   The tax benefit or deficiency is required to be classified as an operating activity in the statement of cash flows. Previously, it was required to be classified within financing activities. Abbott has adopted this standard on a prospective basis and has not revised the classification of the excess tax benefit in the prior year’s Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows.

 

Note 2 — Discontinued Operations

 

On February 27, 2015, Abbott completed the sale of its developed markets branded generics pharmaceuticals business to Mylan Inc. (Mylan) for 110 million shares (or approximately 22%) of a newly formed entity (Mylan N.V.) that combined Mylan’s existing business and Abbott’s developed markets branded generics pharmaceuticals business.  Mylan N.V. is publicly traded.  The shareholder agreement with Mylan N.V. included voting and other restrictions that prevented Abbott from exercising significant influence over the operating and financial policies of Mylan N.V.

 

In April 2015, Abbott sold 40.25 million of the 110 million ordinary shares of Mylan N.V.   As a result of this sale, Abbott’s ownership interest in Mylan N.V. decreased to approximately 14%.

 

In the first nine months of 2017, Abbott sold 51 million ordinary shares of Mylan N.V. and received $1.977 billion in proceeds.  Abbott recorded an immaterial pre-tax gain in the first nine months of 2017, which was recognized in the Other expense (income), net line of the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Earnings.  As a result of these share sales, Abbott’s ownership interest in Mylan N.V. decreased from approximately 14% to 3.4%.

 

On February 10, 2015, Abbott completed the sale of its animal health business to Zoetis Inc.  Abbott received cash proceeds of $230 million and reported an after-tax gain on the sale of approximately $130 million in the first quarter of 2015. In the first quarter of 2016, Abbott received an additional $25 million of proceeds related to the expiration of a holdback agreement associated with the sale of this business and reported an after-tax gain on the sale of discontinued operations of $16 million.

 

On January 1, 2013, Abbott completed the separation of AbbVie Inc. (AbbVie), which was formed to hold Abbott’s research-based proprietary pharmaceuticals business. Abbott has retained all liabilities for all U.S. federal and foreign income taxes on income prior to the separation, as well as certain non-income related taxes attributable to AbbVie’s business prior to the separation. AbbVie generally will be liable for all other taxes attributable to its business. Earnings from discontinued operations, net of tax of $88 million and $288 million in the first nine months of 2017 and 2016, respectively, were driven primarily by the recognition of net tax benefits as a result of the resolution of various tax positions related to AbbVie’s operations for years prior to the separation.

 

7



Table of Contents

 

Abbott Laboratories and Subsidiaries

 

Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

September 30, 2017

 

(Unaudited)

 

Note 3 — Assets and Liabilities Held for Disposition

 

In September 2016, Abbott announced that it entered into a definitive agreement to sell Abbott Medical Optics (AMO), its vision care business, to Johnson & Johnson for $4.325 billion in cash, subject to customary purchase price adjustments for cash, debt and working capital. The decision to sell AMO reflects Abbott’s proactive shaping of its portfolio in line with its strategic priorities. In February 2017, Abbott completed the sale of AMO to Johnson & Johnson and recognized a pre-tax gain of $1.163 billion including working capital adjustments, which was reported in the Other expense (income), net line of the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Earnings in the first nine months of 2017. Abbott recorded an after-tax gain of $728 million in the first nine months of 2017 related to the sale of AMO.

 

The operating results of AMO up to the date of sale continued to be included in Earnings (loss) from continuing operations as they did not qualify for reporting as discontinued operations. For the three months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, the AMO earnings before taxes included in Abbott’s consolidated earnings were nil and $2 million, respectively. For the first nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, the AMO losses before taxes included in Abbott’s consolidated earnings were $18 million and $42 million, respectively. The following assets and liabilities of this business were reported as held for disposition in Abbott’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2016:

 

(in millions)

 

December 31,
2016

 

Trade receivables, net

 

$

222

 

Total inventories

 

240

 

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

 

51

 

Current assets held for disposition

 

513

 

Net property and equipment

 

247

 

Intangible assets, net of amortization

 

529

 

Goodwill

 

1,966

 

Deferred income taxes and other assets

 

11

 

Non-current assets held for disposition

 

2,753

 

Total assets held for disposition

 

$

3,266

 

 

 

 

 

Trade accounts payable

 

$

71

 

Salaries, wages, commissions and other accrued liabilities

 

174

 

Current liabilities held for disposition

 

245

 

Post-employment obligations, deferred income taxes and other long-term liabilities

 

59

 

Total liabilities held for disposition

 

$

304

 

 

Note 4 — Supplemental Financial Information

 

Shares of unvested restricted stock that contain non-forfeitable rights to dividends are treated as participating securities and are included in the computation of earnings per share under the two-class method.  Under the two-class method, net earnings are allocated between common shares and participating securities. Earnings (loss) from continuing operations allocated to common shares for the three months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 were $558 million and $(357) million, respectively, and for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 were $1.211 billion and $297 million, respectively.  Net earnings (loss) allocated to common shares for the three months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 were $601 million and $(329) million, respectively, and for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 were $1.299 billion and $600 million, respectively.

 

On September 30, 2016, Abbott recorded expense of $947 million to adjust its holding of Mylan N.V. ordinary shares due to a decline in the fair value of the securities which was considered by Abbott to be other than temporary. The adjustment reflected Mylan N.V.’s share price as of September 30, 2016 and was included in the Other expense (income), net line of the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Earnings for 2016.

 

The Other, net line in Net cash from operating activities in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows for the first nine months of 2017 and 2016 includes the effects of contributions to defined benefit plans of $335 million and $540 million, respectively, and to the post-employment medical and dental benefit plans of $11 million and $9 million, respectively. The first nine months of 2017 also includes the impact of improved working capital management and approximately $435 million of tax expense related to business dispositions, which has not yet been paid, and is taxed at a discrete tax rate.  The first nine months of 2016 also includes the non-cash impact of approximately $539 million of net tax benefits primarily associated with the resolution of various tax positions

 

8



Table of Contents

 

Abbott Laboratories and Subsidiaries

 

Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

September 30, 2017

 

(Unaudited)

 

from prior years, as well as cash taxes paid of approximately $140 million related to the disposition of businesses. The foreign currency loss related to Venezuela in the first nine months of 2016 reduced Abbott’s cash by approximately $410 million and is shown on the Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents line within the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows.

 

Since January 2010, Venezuela has been designated as a highly inflationary economy under U.S. GAAP.  In 2014 and 2015, the government of Venezuela operated multiple mechanisms to exchange bolivars into U.S. dollars. These mechanisms included the CENCOEX, SICAD, and SIMADI rates, which stood at 6.3, 13.5, and approximately 200, respectively, at December 31, 2015. In 2015, Abbott continued to use the CENCOEX rate of 6.3 Venezuelan bolivars to the U.S. dollar to report the results, financial position, and cash flows related to its operations in Venezuela since Abbott continued to qualify for this exchange rate to pay for the import of various products into Venezuela.

 

On February 17, 2016, the Venezuelan government announced that the three-tier exchange rate system would be reduced to two rates renamed the DIPRO and DICOM rates.  The DIPRO rate is the official rate for food and medicine imports and was adjusted from 6.3 to 10 bolivars per U.S. dollar.  The DICOM rate is a floating market rate published daily by the Venezuelan central bank, which at the end of the first quarter of 2016 was approximately 263 bolivars per U.S. dollar.  As a result of decreasing government approvals to convert bolivars to U.S. dollars to pay for intercompany accounts, as well as the accelerating deterioration of economic conditions in the country, Abbott concluded that it was appropriate to move to the DICOM rate at the end of the first quarter of 2016.  As a result, Abbott recorded a foreign currency exchange loss of $481 million in the first nine months of 2016 to revalue its net monetary assets in Venezuela.  Abbott is continuing to use the DICOM rate to report the results of operations and to remeasure net monetary assets for Venezuela at the end of each quarter.  As of September 30, 2017, Abbott’s Venezuelan operations represented less than 0.01% of Abbott’s consolidated assets and any additional foreign currency losses related to Venezuela are not expected to be material.

 

The components of long-term investments as of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 are as follows:

 

Long-term Investments

 

September 30,

 

December 31,

 

(in millions)

 

2017

 

2016

 

Equity securities

 

$

1,300

 

$

2,906

 

Other

 

86

 

41

 

Total

 

$

1,386

 

$

2,947

 

 

As discussed in Note 2, in the first nine months of 2017, Abbott sold 51 million ordinary shares of Mylan N.V., thereby reducing Abbott’s investment in equity securities by approximately $2 billion.

 

Abbott’s equity securities as of September 30, 2017, include approximately $353 million of investments in mutual funds that are held in a rabbi trust and were acquired as part of the St. Jude Medical, Inc. (St. Jude Medical) business acquisition. These investments, which are specifically designated as available for the purpose of paying benefits under a deferred compensation plan, are not available for general corporate purposes and are subject to creditor claims in the event of insolvency.

 

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Abbott Laboratories and Subsidiaries

 

Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

September 30, 2017

 

(Unaudited)

 

Note 5 — Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

 

The changes in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of income taxes, are as follows:

 

 

 

Three Months Ended September 30

 

 

 

Cumulative Foreign

Currency Translation

Adjustments

 

Net Actuarial

Losses and Prior

Service Costs and

Credits

 

Cumulative

Unrealized Gains

(Losses) on

Marketable Equity

Securities

 

Cumulative Gains

(Losses) on

Derivative

Instruments

Designated as

Cash Flow Hedges

 

(in millions)

 

2017

 

2016

 

2017

 

2016

 

2017

 

2016

 

2017

 

2016

 

Balance at June 30

 

$

(3,996

)

$

(4,512

)

$

(2,215

)

$

(1,987

)

$

13

 

$

(691

)

$

(52

)

$

(33

)

Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications

 

285

 

89

 

 

 

(136

)

(362

)

(44

)

(30

)

Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income

 

 

 

23

 

15

 

 

975

 

6

 

3

 

Net current period comprehensive income (loss)

 

285

 

89

 

23

 

15

 

(136

)

613

 

(38

)

(27

)

Balance at September 30

 

$

(3,711

)

$

(4,423

)

$

(2,192

)

$

(1,972

)

$

(123

)

$

(78

)

$

(90

)

$

(60

)

 

 

 

Nine Months Ended September 30

 

 

 

Cumulative Foreign

Currency Translation

Adjustments

 

Net Actuarial

Losses and Prior

Service Costs and

Credits

 

Cumulative

Unrealized Gains

(Losses) on

Marketable Equity

Securities

 

Cumulative Gains

(Losses) on

Derivative

Instruments

Designated as

Cash Flow Hedges

 

(in millions)

 

2017

 

2016

 

2017

 

2016

 

2017

 

2016

 

2017

 

2016

 

Balance at December 31, 2016 and 2015

 

$

(4,959

)

$

(4,829

)

$

(2,284

)

$

(1,958

)

$

(69

)

$

65

 

$

49

 

$

64

 

Impact of business dispositions

 

142

 

 

6

 

 

 

 

1

 

 

Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications

 

1,106

 

406

 

 

(62

)

47

 

(1,118

)

(151

)

(77

)

Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income

 

 

 

86

 

48

 

(101

)

975

 

11

 

(47

)

Net current period comprehensive income (loss)

 

1,106

 

406

 

86

 

(14

)

(54

)

(143

)

(140

)

(124

)

Balance at September 30

 

$

(3,711

)

$

(4,423

)

$

(2,192

)

$

(1,972

)

$

(123

)

$

(78

)

$

(90

)

$

(60

)

 

Reclassified amounts for foreign currency translation are recorded in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Earnings as Net foreign exchange loss (gain); gains (losses) on marketable equity securities as Other expense (income), net and cash flow hedges as Cost of products sold.  Net actuarial losses and prior service cost are included as a component of net periodic benefit plan costs; see Note 13 for additional details.

 

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Abbott Laboratories and Subsidiaries

 

Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

September 30, 2017

 

(Unaudited)

 

Note 6 — Business Acquisitions

 

On January 4, 2017, Abbott completed the acquisition of St. Jude Medical, a global medical device manufacturer, for approximately $23.6 billion, including approximately $13.6 billion in cash and approximately $10 billion in Abbott common shares, which represented approximately 254 million shares of Abbott common stock, based on Abbott’s closing stock price on the acquisition date. As part of the acquisition, approximately $5.9 billion of St. Jude Medical’s debt was assumed, repaid or refinanced by Abbott.  The transaction provides expanded opportunities for future growth and is an important part of the company’s ongoing effort to develop a strong, diverse portfolio of devices, diagnostics, nutritionals and branded generic pharmaceuticals.  The combined company will compete in nearly every area of the cardiovascular market, as well as in the neuromodulation market.

 

Under the terms of the agreement, for each St. Jude Medical common share, St. Jude Medical shareholders received $46.75 in cash and 0.8708 of an Abbott common share.  At an Abbott stock price of $39.36, which reflects the closing price on January 4, 2017, this represented a value of approximately $81 per St. Jude Medical common share and total purchase consideration of $23.6 billion.  The cash portion of the acquisition was funded through a combination of medium and long-term debt issued in November 2016 and a $2.0 billion 120-day senior unsecured bridge term loan facility which was subsequently repaid.

 

The preliminary allocation of the fair value of the St. Jude Medical acquisition is shown in the table below. The allocation of the fair value of the acquisition will be finalized when the valuation is completed and differences between the preliminary and final allocation could be material.

 

(in billions)

 

 

 

Acquired intangible assets, non-deductible

 

$

15.4

 

Goodwill, non-deductible

 

14.9

 

Acquired net tangible assets

 

3.1

 

Deferred income taxes recorded at acquisition

 

(4.5

)

Net debt

 

(5.3

)

Total preliminary allocation of fair value

 

$

23.6

 

 

The goodwill is primarily attributable to expected synergies from combining operations, as well as intangible assets that do not qualify for separate recognition. The acquired tangible assets consist primarily of trade accounts receivable of approximately $1.2 billion, inventory of approximately $1.7 billion, other current assets of $207 million, property and equipment of approximately $1.5 billion, and other long-term assets of $471 million. The acquired tangible liabilities consist of trade accounts payable and other current liabilities of approximately $1.1 billion and other non-current liabilities of approximately $850 million.

 

In the first nine months of 2017, consolidated Abbott results include $4.4 billion of sales and a pre-tax loss of approximately $1.2 billion related to the St. Jude Medical acquisition, including approximately $1.0 billion of intangible amortization and $840 million of inventory step-up amortization. The pre-tax loss excludes acquisition, integration and restructuring-related costs.

 

In 2016, Abbott and St. Jude Medical agreed to sell certain businesses to Terumo Corporation for approximately $1.12 billion.  The sale included the St. Jude Medical Angio-Seal™ and Femoseal™ vascular closure and Abbott’s Vado® Steerable Sheath businesses. The sale closed on January 20, 2017 and no gain or loss was recorded in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Earnings.

 

On October 3, 2017, Abbott acquired Alere Inc. (Alere), a diagnostic device and service provider, for $51.00 per common share in cash, which equated to a purchase price of approximately $4.6 billion.  As part of the acquisition, Abbott tendered for Alere’s preferred shares for a total value of approximately $0.7 billion.  In addition, approximately $2.96 billion of Alere’s debt was assumed and subsequently repaid.  The transaction establishes Abbott as a leader in point of care testing, expands Abbott’s global diagnostics presence and provides access to new products, channels and geographies. Abbott utilized a combination of cash on hand and debt to fund the acquisition. See Note 10 — Debt and Lines of Credit for further details regarding the debt utilized for the acquisition. As the acquisition of Alere was completed after September 30, 2017, Abbott’s consolidated financial statements do not include the financial condition or the operating results of Alere in any of the periods presented herein.

 

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Table of Contents

 

Abbott Laboratories and Subsidiaries

 

Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

September 30, 2017

 

(Unaudited)

 

The preliminary allocation of the fair value of the Alere acquisition is shown in the table below. The allocation of the fair value of the acquisition will be finalized when the valuation is completed and differences between the preliminary and final allocation could be material.

 

(in billions)

 

 

 

Acquired intangible assets, non-deductible

 

$

3.3

 

Goodwill, non-deductible

 

4.1

 

Acquired net tangible assets

 

1.0

 

Deferred income taxes recorded at acquisition

 

(0.5

)

Net debt

 

(2.6

)

Preferred stock

 

(0.7

)

Total preliminary allocation of fair value

 

$

4.6

 

 

The goodwill is primarily attributable to expected synergies from combining operations as well as intangible assets that do not qualify for separate recognition. The acquired tangible assets consist primarily of trade accounts receivable of approximately $425 million, inventory of approximately $440 million, other current assets of $213 million, property and equipment of approximately $480 million, and other long-term assets of $147 million. The acquired tangible liabilities consist of trade accounts payable and other current liabilities of approximately $570 million and other non-current liabilities of approximately $160 million.

 

In the third quarter of 2017, Alere entered into agreements to sell its Triage MeterPro cardiovascular and toxicology business and the assets and liabilities related to its B-type Natriuretic Peptide assay business run on Beckman Coulter analyzers to Quidel Corporation (Quidel).  The transactions with Quidel reflect a total purchase price of $400 million payable at the close of the transaction, $240 million payable in six annual installments beginning approximately six months after the close of the transaction, and contingent consideration with a maximum value of $40 million. In the third quarter of 2017, Alere entered into an agreement with Siemens Diagnostics Holding II B.V. (Siemens) to sell its subsidiary, Epocal Inc., for approximately $200 million. Alere agreed to divest these businesses in connection with the review by the Federal Trade Commission and the European Commission of Abbott’s agreement to acquire Alere. The sale to Quidel closed on October 6, 2017 and the sale to Siemens closed on October 31, 2017.

 

If the acquisitions of St. Jude Medical and Alere had occurred at the beginning of 2016, unaudited pro forma consolidated net sales would have been approximately $21.6 billion and the unaudited pro forma consolidated net loss from continuing operations would have been approximately $875 million for the first nine months of 2016. This includes amortization of approximately $955 million of inventory step-up and $1.3 billion of intangibles related to St. Jude Medical and Alere. For the third quarter of 2016, unaudited pro forma consolidated net sales would have been approximately $7.3 billion and the unaudited pro forma consolidated net loss from continuing operations would have been approximately $490 million. This includes amortization of approximately $20 million of inventory step-up and $425 million of intangibles related to St. Jude Medical and Alere.

 

For the first nine months of 2017, unaudited pro forma consolidated net sales would have been approximately $21.3 billion and unaudited pro forma consolidated net earnings from continuing operations would have been approximately $1.6 billion, which includes $225 million of intangible amortization related to Alere. For the third quarter of 2017, unaudited pro forma consolidated net sales would have been approximately $7.3 billion and unaudited pro forma consolidated net earnings from continuing operations would have been approximately $515 million, which includes $75 million of intangible amortization related to Alere. The unaudited pro forma consolidated net earnings from continuing operations for the third quarter and first nine months of 2017 exclude inventory step-up amortization related to St. Jude Medical of approximately $20 million and $840 million, respectively, which was recorded in 2017 but included in the 2016 unaudited pro forma results noted in the paragraph above. The unaudited pro forma information is not necessarily indicative of the consolidated results of operations that would have been realized had the St. Jude Medical and Alere acquisitions been completed as of the beginning of 2016, nor is it meant to be indicative of future results of operations that the combined entity will experience.

 

On July 17, 2017, Abbott commenced a tender offer to purchase for cash the 1.77 million outstanding shares of Alere’s Series B Convertible Perpetual Preferred Stock at a price of $402 per share, plus accrued but unpaid dividends to, but not including, the settlement date of the tender offer. This tender offer was subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, including Abbott’s acquisition of Alere and upon there being validly tendered (and not properly withdrawn) at the expiration date of the tender offer that number of shares of Preferred Stock that equaled at least a majority of the Preferred Stock issued and outstanding at the expiration of the tender offer.  The tender offer expired on October 3, 2017.  All conditions to the offer were satisfied and Abbott accepted for payment the 1.748 million shares of Preferred Stock that were validly tendered (and not properly withdrawn).  Payment of the offer price for such shares has been made in the fourth quarter of 2017.

 

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Abbott Laboratories and Subsidiaries

 

Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

September 30, 2017

 

(Unaudited)

 

Note 7  — Goodwill and Intangible Assets

 

The total amount of goodwill reported was $22.1 billion at September 30, 2017 and $7.7 billion at December 31, 2016. Goodwill increased by $14.9 billion during the first nine months of 2017 due to the completion of the St. Jude Medical acquisition, partially offset by a decrease of $1.1 billion due to the sale of certain businesses to Terumo Corporation. Foreign currency translation adjustments increased goodwill by approximately $578 million in the first nine months of 2017. The amount reported at December 31, 2016 excludes goodwill reported in non-current assets held for disposition. In the first nine months of 2017, approximately $2.0 billion of goodwill was included as part of the net assets sold in the AMO divestiture. The amount of goodwill related to reportable segments at September 30, 2017 was $3.2 billion for the Established Pharmaceutical Products segment, $286 million for the Nutritional Products segment, $416 million for the Diagnostic Products segment, and $17.2 billion for the Cardiovascular and Neuromodulation Products segment.  The Cardiovascular and Neuromodulation Products segment includes the amount previously reported under Abbott’s Vascular Products segment as well as the goodwill related to the St. Jude Medical acquisition. There was no significant reduction of goodwill relating to impairments.

 

The gross amount of amortizable intangible assets, primarily product rights and technology was $22.4 billion as of September 30, 2017 and $10.4 billion as of December 31, 2016, and accumulated amortization was $7.5 billion as of September 30, 2017 and $6.2 billion as of December 31, 2016. The gross amount of amortizable intangible assets increased by $11.5 billion during the first nine months of 2017 due to the completion of the St. Jude Medical acquisition.  Foreign currency translation adjustments increased intangible assets by $157 million during the first nine months of 2017.  The December 31, 2016 amounts exclude net intangible assets reported in non-current assets held for disposition. As part of the sale of AMO in the first nine months of 2017, approximately $529 million of net intangible assets were included in the net assets sold.

 

Indefinite-lived intangible assets, which relate to in-process research and development acquired in a business combination, were approximately $3.7 billion and $349 million as of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively. Indefinite-lived intangible assets increased by $3.9 billion due to the completion of the St. Jude Medical acquisition. In the first nine months of 2016, Abbott recorded an impairment of a $59 million in-process research and development project related to a non-reportable segment. Abbott’s estimated annual amortization expense for intangible assets is approximately $1.9 billion in 2017, $2.1 billion in 2018, $2.0 billion in 2019, $1.8 billion in 2020 and $1.8 billion in 2021. Amortizable intangible assets are amortized over 2 to 20 years (weighted average 11 years). These amounts do not include amortization expense associated with the intangible assets acquired as part of the Alere acquisition, which closed on October 3, 2017.

 

Note 8 — Restructuring Plans

 

In 2017, Abbott management approved restructuring plans as part of the integration of the acquisition of St. Jude Medical into the cardiovascular and neuromodulation segment to leverage economies of scale and reduce costs. In the first nine months of 2017, charges of approximately $162 million, including one-time employee termination benefits were recorded as Selling, general and administrative expense.  Abbott also assumed restructuring liabilities of approximately $20 million as part of the St Jude Medical acquisition.  The following summarizes the activity for the first nine months of 2017 related to these actions and the status of the related accrual as of September 30, 2017:

 

(in millions)

 

 

 

Liabilities assumed as part of business acquisition

 

$

20

 

Restructuring charges recorded in 2017

 

162

 

Payments and other adjustments

 

(112

)

Accrued balance at September 30, 2017

 

$

70

 

 

From 2014 to 2017, Abbott management approved plans to streamline operations in order to reduce costs and improve efficiencies in various Abbott businesses including the vascular, nutritional and established pharmaceuticals businesses. In the first nine months of 2017, charges of approximately $87 million were recognized, of which approximately $4 million is recorded in Cost of products sold, approximately $76 million is recorded in Research and development and approximately $7 million as Selling, general and administrative expense. The following summarizes the activity for the first nine months of 2017 related to these restructuring actions and the status of the related accrual as of September 30, 2017:

 

(in millions)

 

 

 

Accrued balance at December 31, 2016

 

$

66

 

Restructuring charges recorded in 2017

 

87

 

Payments and other adjustments

 

(27

)

Accrued balance at September 30, 2017

 

$

126

 

 

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Table of Contents

 

Abbott Laboratories and Subsidiaries

 

Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

September 30, 2017

 

(Unaudited)

 

Note 9 — Incentive Stock Programs

 

In connection with the completion of the St. Jude Medical acquisition in the first quarter of 2017, unvested St. Jude Medical stock options and restricted stock units were assumed by Abbott and converted into Abbott options and restricted stock units (as applicable) of substantially equivalent value, in accordance with the merger agreement. The number of shares underlying the converted options was 7,364,571 at a weighted average exercise price of $30.50.  The number of restricted stock units converted was 2,324,500 at a weighted average grant date fair value of $37.69.

 

In the first nine months of 2017, Abbott granted 4,985,970 stock options, 580,203 restricted stock awards and 7,001,737 restricted stock units under its incentive stock programs.  At September 30, 2017, approximately 170 million shares were reserved for future grants. This reserve reflects the shares authorized by Abbott’s shareholders in April 2017.  Information regarding the number of options outstanding and exercisable at September 30, 2017 is as follows:

 

 

 

Outstanding

 

Exercisable

 

Number of shares

 

38,381,732

 

22,782,532

 

Weighted average remaining life ( years )

 

5.8

 

4.5

 

Weighted average exercise price

 

$

36.36

 

$

34.34

 

Aggregate intrinsic value ( in millions )

 

$

652

 

$

433

 

 

The total unrecognized share-based compensation cost at September 30, 2017 amounted to approximately $328 million which is expected to be recognized over the next three years.

 

Note 10 — Debt and Lines of Credit

 

In the first quarter of 2017, as part of the acquisition of St. Jude Medical, Abbott’s long-term debt increased due to the assumption of outstanding debt previously issued by St. Jude Medical.  Abbott exchanged certain St. Jude Medical debt obligations with an aggregate principal amount of approximately $2.9 billion for debt issued by Abbott which consists of:

 

 

 

Principal Amount

 

2.00% Senior Notes due 2018

 

$

473.8 million

 

2.80% Senior Notes due 2020

 

$

483.7 million

 

3.25% Senior Notes due 2023

 

$

818.4 million

 

3.875% Senior Notes due 2025

 

$

490.7 million

 

4.75% Senior Notes due 2043

 

$

639.1 million

 

 

Following this exchange, approximately $194.2 million of existing St. Jude Medical notes remain outstanding across the five series of existing notes which have the same coupons and maturities as those listed above. There were no significant costs associated with the exchange of debt.

 

In addition, during the first quarter of 2017, Abbott assumed and subsequently repaid the following St. Jude Medical debt obligations:

 

Term loan due 2020

 

$

2.3 billion

 

Yen-denominated notes due 2017 and 2020

 

$

179 million

 

Yen-denominated credit facilities

 

$

55 million

 

Commercial paper borrowings

 

$

220 million

 

 

On January 4, 2017, as part of funding the cash portion of the St. Jude Medical acquisition, Abbott borrowed $2.0 billion under a 120-day senior unsecured bridge term loan facility.  This facility was repaid during the first quarter of 2017.

 

During the first nine months of 2017, Abbott issued 364-day yen-denominated debt, of which $195 million was outstanding at September 30, 2017. Abbott also paid off a $479 million yen-denominated short-term debt.

 

In February 2016, Abbott obtained a commitment for a 364-day senior unsecured bridge term loan facility for an amount not to exceed $9 billion in conjunction with its pending acquisition of Alere. This commitment, which was automatically extended for up to 90 days on January 29, 2017, expired on April 30, 2017 and was not renewed since Abbott did not need this bridge facility to finance the Alere acquisition. The fees associated with the bridge facilities were recognized in interest expense.

 

14



Table of Contents

 

Abbott Laboratories and Subsidiaries

 

Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

September 30, 2017

 

(Unaudited)

 

On July 31, 2017, Abbott entered into a 5-year term loan agreement that allowed Abbott to borrow up to $2.8 billion on an unsecured basis for the acquisition of Alere.  On October 3, 2017, Abbott borrowed $2.8 billion under this term loan agreement to finance the acquisition of Alere, to repay certain indebtedness of Abbott and Alere, and to pay fees and expenses in connection with the acquisition.  Borrowings under the term loan will bear interest based on a Eurodollar rate, plus an applicable margin based on Abbott’s credit ratings.

 

On October 3, 2017 Abbott borrowed $1.7 billion of revolving loans under its unused lines of credit.  Proceeds from such borrowing were used to finance the acquisition of Alere, to repay certain indebtedness of Abbott and Alere, and to pay fees and expenses in connection with the acquisition.  These lines of credit are part of a 2014 revolving credit agreement that provides Abbott with the ability to borrow up to $5 billion on an unsecured basis.  Advances under the revolving credit agreement, including the $1.7 billion borrowing in October 2017, will mature and be payable on July 10, 2019.  The $1.7 billion borrowing will bear interest based on a Eurodollar rate, plus an applicable margin based on Abbott’s credit ratings.  Prior to October 3, 2017, no amounts were previously drawn under the revolving credit agreement.

 

Note 11 — Financial Instruments, Derivatives and Fair Value Measures

 

Certain Abbott foreign subsidiaries enter into foreign currency forward exchange contracts to manage exposures to changes in foreign exchange rates for anticipated intercompany purchases by those subsidiaries whose functional currencies are not the U.S. dollar.  These contracts, with gross notional amounts totaling $3.6 billion at September 30, 2017 and $2.6 billion at December 31, 2016 are designated as cash flow hedges of the variability of the cash flows due to changes in foreign exchange rates and are recorded at fair value.   Accumulated gains and losses as of September 30, 2017 will be included in Cost of products sold at the time the products are sold, generally through the next twelve to eighteen months.  The amount of hedge ineffectiveness was not significant in 2017 and 2016.

 

Abbott enters into foreign currency forward exchange contracts to manage currency exposures for foreign currency denominated third-party trade payables and receivables, and for intercompany loans and trade accounts payable where the receivable or payable is denominated in a currency other than the functional currency of the entity.  For intercompany loans, the contracts require Abbott to sell or buy foreign currencies, primarily European currencies including the British pound, in exchange for primarily U.S. dollars and other European currencies.  For intercompany and trade payables and receivables, the currency exposures are primarily the U.S. dollar and European currencies.  At September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, Abbott held the gross notional amount of $16.3 billion and $14.9 billion, respectively, of such foreign currency forward exchange contracts.

 

In March 2017, Abbott repaid its $479 million foreign denominated short-term debt which was designated as a hedge of the net investment in a foreign subsidiary. At December 31, 2016, the value of this short-term debt was $454 million and changes in the fair value of the debt up through the date of repayment due to changes in exchange rates were recorded in Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax.

 

Abbott is a party to interest rate hedge contracts totaling approximately $4.0 billion at September 30, 2017 and $5.5 billion at December 31, 2016 to manage its exposure to changes in the fair value of fixed-rate debt. In the second quarter of 2017, Abbott unwound approximately $1.5 billion in interest rate swaps relating to the 2.00% Note due in 2020 and the 2.55% Note due in 2022. The proceeds received were not significant.  These contracts are designated as fair value hedges of the variability of the fair value of fixed-rate debt due to changes in the long-term benchmark interest rates.  The effect of the hedge is to change a fixed-rate interest obligation to a variable rate for that portion of the debt.  Abbott records the contracts at fair value and adjusts the carrying amount of the fixed-rate debt by an offsetting amount.  The amount of hedge ineffectiveness was not significant in 2017 and 2016.

 

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Table of Contents

 

Abbott Laboratories and Subsidiaries

 

Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

September 30, 2017

 

(Unaudited)

 

The following table summarizes the amounts and location of certain derivative financial instruments as of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016:

 

 

 

Fair Value - Assets

 

Fair Value - Liabilities

 

(in millions)

 

Sept. 30,
2017

 

Dec. 31,
2016

 

Balance Sheet Caption

 

Sept. 30,
2017

 

Dec. 31,
2016

 

Balance Sheet Caption

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest rate swaps designated as fair value hedges

 

$

 

$

 8

 

Deferred income taxes and other assets

 

$

53

 

$

74

 

Post-employment obligations, deferred income taxes and other long-term liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Foreign currency forward exchange contracts:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hedging instruments

 

23

 

99

 

Prepaid expenses and other receivables

 

111

 

15

 

Other accrued liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Others not designated as hedges

 

197

 

177

 

Prepaid expenses and other receivables

 

118

 

67

 

Other accrued liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Debt designated as a hedge of net investment in a foreign subsidiary

 

 

 

n/a

 

 

454

 

Short-term borrowings

 

 

 

$

220

 

$

284

 

 

 

$

282

 

$

610

 

 

 

 

The following table summarizes the activity for foreign currency forward exchange contracts designated as cash flow hedges, debt designated as a hedge of net investment in a foreign subsidiary and certain other derivative financial instruments, as well as the amounts and location of income (expense) and gain (loss) reclassified into income for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016.  The amount of hedge ineffectiveness was not significant in 2017 and 2016 for these hedges.

 

 

 

Gain (loss) Recognized in Other
Comprehensive Income (loss)

 

Income (expense) and Gain (loss)
Reclassified into Income

 

 

 

 

 

Three Months
Ended Sept. 30

 

Nine Months
Ended Sept. 30

 

Three Months
Ended Sept. 30

 

Nine Months
Ended Sept. 30

 

Income Statement

 

(in millions)

 

2017

 

2016

 

2017

 

2016

 

2017

 

2016

 

2017

 

2016

 

Caption

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Foreign currency forward exchange contracts designated as cash flow hedges

 

$

(57

)

$

(45

)

$

(202

)

$

(96

)

$

(7

)

$

5

 

$

(14

)

$

59

 

Cost of products sold

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Debt designated as a hedge of net investment in a foreign subsidiary

 

 

(6

)

(25

)

(83

)

n/a

 

n/a

 

n/a

 

n/a

 

n/a

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest rate swaps designated as fair value hedges

 

n/a

 

n/a

 

n/a

 

n/a

 

(1

)

(50

)

13

 

95

 

Interest expense

 

 

Gains of $26 million and losses of $5 million were recognized in the three months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively, related to foreign currency forward exchange contracts not designated as a hedge. Losses of $16 million and gains of $16 million were recognized in the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively, related to foreign currency forward exchange contracts not designated as a hedge. These amounts are reported in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Earnings on the Net foreign exchange loss (gain) line.

 

The interest rate swaps are designated as fair value hedges of the variability of the fair value of fixed-rate debt due to changes in the long-term benchmark interest rates.  The hedged debt is marked to market, offsetting the effect of marking the interest rate swaps to market.

 

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Table of Contents

 

Abbott Laboratories and Subsidiaries

 

Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

September 30, 2017

 

(Unaudited)

 

The carrying values and fair values of certain financial instruments as of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 are shown in the following table. The carrying values of all other financial instruments approximate their estimated fair values.  The counterparties to financial instruments consist of select major international financial institutions.  Abbott does not expect any losses from nonperformance by these counterparties.

 

 

 

September 30, 2017

 

December 31, 2016

 

(in millions)

 

Carrying
Value

 

Fair
Value

 

Carrying
Value

 

Fair
Value

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Investment Securities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Equity securities

 

$

1,300

 

$

1,300

 

$

2,906

 

$

2,906

 

Other

 

86

 

86

 

41

 

42

 

Total Long-term Debt

 

(23,814

)

(25,166

)

(20,684

)

(21,147

)

Foreign Currency Forward Exchange Contracts:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Receivable position

 

220

 

220

 

276

 

276

 

(Payable) position

 

(229

)

(229

)

(82

)

(82

)

Interest Rate Hedge Contracts:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Receivable position

 

 

 

8

 

8

 

(Payable) position

 

(53

)

(53

)

(74

)

(74

)

 

The fair value of the debt was determined based on significant other observable inputs, including current interest rates.

 

The following table summarizes the bases used to measure certain assets and liabilities at fair value on a recurring basis in the   balance sheet:

 

 

 

 

 

Basis of Fair Value Measurement

 

(in millions)

 

Outstanding
Balances

 

Quoted
Prices in
Active
Markets

 

Significant
Other
Observable
Inputs

 

Significant
Unobservable
Inputs

 

September 30, 2017:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Equity securities

 

$

992

 

$

992

 

$

 

$

 

Foreign currency forward exchange contracts

 

220

 

 

220

 

 

Total Assets

 

$

1,212

 

$

992

 

$

220

 

$

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fair value of hedged long-term debt

 

$

3,940

 

$

 

$

3,940

 

$

 

Foreign currency forward exchange contracts

 

229

 

 

229

 

 

Interest rate swap derivative financial instruments

 

53

 

 

53

 

 

Contingent consideration related to business combinations

 

130

 

 

 

130

 

Total Liabilities

 

$

4,352

 

$

 

$

4,222

 

$

130

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December 31, 2016:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Equity securities

 

$

2,676

 

$

2,676

 

$

 

$

 

Interest rate swap derivative financial instruments

 

8

 

 

8

 

 

Foreign currency forward exchange contracts

 

276

 

 

276

 

 

Total Assets

 

$

2,960

 

$

2,676

 

$

284

 

$

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fair value of hedged long-term debt

 

$

5,413

 

$

 

$

5,413

 

$

 

Interest rate swap derivative financial instruments

 

74

 

 

74

 

 

Foreign currency forward exchange contracts

 

82

 

 

82

 

 

Contingent consideration related to business combinations

 

136

 

 

 

136

 

Total Liabilities

 

$

5,705

 

$

 

$

5,569

 

$

136

 

 

Equity securities are principally comprised of Mylan N.V. ordinary shares.  The fair value of the Mylan equity securities was determined based on the value of the publicly-traded ordinary shares. In the first nine months of 2017, Abbott sold 51 million ordinary shares of Mylan N.V which had a value of approximately $2 billion.  As a result of this sale, Abbott’s ownership interest in Mylan N.V. decreased from approximately 14% to 3.4%.  The fair value of debt was determined based on the face value of the debt adjusted for the fair value of the interest rate swaps, which is based on a discounted cash flow analysis. The fair value of foreign currency forward exchange contracts is determined using a market approach, which utilizes values for comparable derivative instruments.  The

 

17



Table of Contents

 

Abbott Laboratories and Subsidiaries

 

Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

September 30, 2017

 

(Unaudited)

 

fair value of the contingent consideration was determined based on an independent appraisal adjusted for the time value of money and other changes in fair value.

 

Note 12 — Litigation and Environmental Matters

 

Abbott has been identified as a potentially responsible party for investigation and cleanup costs at a number of locations in the United States and Puerto Rico under federal and state remediation laws and is investigating potential contamination at a number of company-owned locations. Abbott has recorded an estimated cleanup cost for each site for which management believes Abbott has a probable loss exposure. No individual site cleanup exposure is expected to exceed $4 million, and the aggregate cleanup exposure is not expected to exceed $10 million.

 

Abbott is involved in various claims and legal proceedings, and Abbott estimates the range of possible loss for its legal proceedings and environmental exposures to be from approximately $40 million to $45 million. The recorded accrual balance at September 30, 2017 for these proceedings and exposures was approximately $45 million. This accrual represents management’s best estimate of probable loss, as defined by FASB ASC No. 450, “Contingencies.” Within the next year, legal proceedings may occur that may result in a change in the estimated loss accrued by Abbott. While it is not feasible to predict the outcome of all such proceedings and exposures with certainty, management believes that their ultimate disposition should not have a material adverse effect on Abbott’s financial position, cash flows, or results of operations.

 

Note 13 — Post-Employment Benefits

 

Retirement plans consist of defined benefit, defined contribution, and medical and dental plans.  Net cost recognized in continuing operations for the three months and nine months ended September 30 for Abbott’s major defined benefit plans and post-employment medical and dental benefit plans is as follows:

 

 

 

Defined Benefit Plans

 

Medical and Dental Plans

 

 

 

Three Months
Ended Sept. 30

 

Nine Months
Ended Sept. 30

 

Three Months
Ended Sept. 30

 

Nine Months
Ended Sept. 30

 

(in millions)

 

2017

 

2016

 

2017

 

2016

 

2017

 

2016

 

2017

 

2016

 

Service cost - benefits earned during the period

 

$

71

 

$

66

 

$

213

 

$

200

 

$

6

 

$

7

 

$

19

 

$

20

 

Interest cost on projected benefit obligations

 

72

 

72

 

215

 

218

 

12

 

11

 

34

 

33

 

Expected return on plan assets

 

(154

)

(142

)

(459

)

(426

)

(9

)

(9

)

(25

)

(26

)

Net amortization of:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Actuarial loss, net

 

41

 

34

 

123

 

97

 

6

 

4

 

18

 

13

 

Prior service cost (credit)

 

 

 

 

 

(11

)

(12

)

(34

)

(34

)

Net cost - continuing operations

 

$

30

 

$

30

 

$

92

 

$

89

 

$

4

 

$

1

 

$

12

 

$

6

 

 

In the first nine months of 2017, Abbott recognized a $10 million curtailment gain related to the disposition of AMO.

 

Abbott funds its domestic defined benefit plans according to IRS funding limitations.  International pension plans are funded according to similar regulations.  In the first nine months of 2017 and 2016, $335 million and $540 million, respectively, were contributed to defined benefit plans and $11 million and $9 million, respectively, were contributed to the post-employment medical and dental benefit plans.

 

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Table of Contents

 

Abbott Laboratories and Subsidiaries

 

Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

September 30, 2017

 

(Unaudited)

 

Note 14 — Taxes on Earnings

 

Taxes on earnings from continuing operations reflect the estimated annual effective rates and include charges for interest and penalties.  In the first nine months of 2017, taxes on earnings from continuing operations include $435 million of tax expense related to the gain on the sale of the AMO business, which is taxed at a discrete tax rate.  Earnings from discontinued operations, net of tax, of $88 million for the first nine months of 2017 primarily reflects the recognition of net tax benefits as a result of the resolution of various tax positions related to prior years, which decreases the gross amount of unrecognized tax benefits by approximately $80 million.  In the first nine months of 2016, taxes on earnings from continuing operations includes the impact of a net tax benefit of approximately $250 million as a result of the resolution of various tax positions from prior years, partially offset by the unfavorable impact of non-deductible foreign exchange losses related to Venezuela and the adjustment of the Mylan N.V. equity investment, as well as the recognition of deferred taxes associated with the sale of AMO.  Earnings from discontinued operations, net of tax, in the first nine months of 2016 reflects the recognition of $289 million of net tax benefits primarily as a result of the resolution of various tax positions related to prior years. The conclusion of these tax matters decreased the gross amount of unrecognized tax benefits by approximately $546 million in 2016.

 

Tax authorities in various jurisdictions regularly review Abbott’s income tax filings.  Abbott believes that it is reasonably possible that the recorded amount of gross unrecognized tax benefits may decrease between $200 million and $350 million, including cash adjustments, within the next twelve months as a result of concluding various domestic and international tax matters. In the U.S., Abbott’s federal income tax returns are settled through 2013 and St. Jude Medical’s federal income tax returns are settled through 2013 except for one item.

 

Note 15 — Subsequent Event

 

On October 3, 2017, Abbott completed the acquisition of Alere Inc. The transaction establishes Abbott as a global leader in the point of care diagnostics market and expands the opportunities for future growth in the global diagnostics market.  See Note 6 to the condensed consolidated financial statements for additional information regarding this acquisition.

 

19



Table of Contents

 

Abbott Laboratories and Subsidiaries

 

Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

September 30, 2017

 

(Unaudited)

 

Note 16 — Segment Information

 

Abbott’s principal business is the discovery, development, manufacture and sale of a broad line of health care products.  Abbott’s products are generally sold directly to retailers, wholesalers, hospitals, health care facilities, laboratories, physicians’ offices and government agencies throughout the world.  On January 4, 2017, Abbott completed the acquisition of St. Jude Medical. Beginning with the first quarter of 2017, Abbott’s cardiovascular and neuromodulation business includes the results of its historical Vascular Products segment and the results of the businesses acquired from St. Jude Medical from the date of acquisition.

 

Abbott’s reportable segments are as follows:

 

Established Pharmaceutical Products — International sales of a broad line of branded generic pharmaceutical products.

 

Nutritional Products — Worldwide sales of a broad line of adult and pediatric nutritional products.

 

Diagnostic Products — Worldwide sales of diagnostic systems and tests for blood banks, hospitals, commercial laboratories and alternate-care testing sites.  For segment reporting purposes, the Core Laboratories Diagnostics, Molecular Diagnostics, Point of Care and Ibis diagnostic divisions are aggregated and reported as the Diagnostic Products segment.

 

Cardiovascular and Neuromodulation Products  — Worldwide sales of rhythm management, electrophysiology, heart failure, vascular, structural heart and neuromodulation products.

 

Non-reportable segments include AMO through the date of sale and Diabetes Care.

 

Abbott’s underlying accounting records are maintained on a legal entity basis for government and public reporting requirements.  Segment disclosures are on a performance basis consistent with internal management reporting.  Intersegment transfers of inventory are recorded at standard cost and are not a measure of segment operating earnings.  The cost of some corporate functions and the cost of certain employee benefits are charged to segments at predetermined rates that approximate cost.  Remaining costs, if any, are not allocated to segments.  In addition, intangible asset amortization is not allocated to operating segments, and intangible assets and goodwill are not included in the measure of each segment’s assets.  As a result of the acquisition of St. Jude Medical, the total assets of the Cardiovascular and Neuromodulation segment increased from $1.425 billion at December 31, 2016 to $5.202 billion at September 30, 2017.  The following segment information has been prepared in accordance with the internal accounting policies of Abbott, as described above, and is not presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles applied to the consolidated financial statements.

 

 

 

Net Sales to External Customers

 

Operating Earnings

 

 

 

Three Months

 

Nine Months

 

Three Months

 

Nine Months

 

 

 

Ended Sept. 30

 

Ended Sept. 30

 

Ended Sept. 30

 

Ended Sept. 30

 

(in millions)

 

2017

 

2016

 

2017

 

2016

 

2017

 

2016

 

2017

 

2016

 

Established Pharmaceutical Products

 

$

1,171

 

$

1,012

 

$

3,142

 

$

2,880

 

$

271

 

$

211

 

$

591

 

$

551

 

Nutritional Products

 

1,768

 

1,755

 

5,141

 

5,166

 

403

 

438

 

1,146

 

1,148

 

Diagnostic Products

 

1,279

 

1,213

 

3,710

 

3,557

 

353

 

301

 

975

 

856

 

Cardiovascular and Neuromodulation Products

 

2,224

 

708

 

6,587

 

2,175

 

682

 

249

 

1,990

 

786

 

Total Reportable Segments

 

6,442

 

4,688

 

18,580

 

13,778

 

1,709

 

1,199

 

4,702

 

3,341

 

Other

 

387

 

614

 

1,221

 

1,742

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Sales

 

$

6,829

 

$

5,302

 

$

19,801

 

$

15,520

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Corporate functions and benefit plans costs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(129

)

(107

)

(326

)

(282

)

Non-reportable segments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

89

 

105

 

209

 

155

 

Net interest expense

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(182

)

(95

)

(569

)

(203

)

Share-based compensation (a)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(75

)

(49

)

(338

)

(263

)

Amortization of intangible assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(501

)

(140

)

(1,415

)

(429

)

Other, net (b)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(285

)

(1,092

)

(606

)

(1,781

)

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before taxes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

626

 

$

(179

)

$

1,657

 

$

538

 

 


(a)          Approximately 50 percent of the annual net cost of share-based awards will typically be recognized in the first quarter due to the timing of the granting of share-based awards.

 

(b)          Other, net for the nine months ended September 30, 2017, includes the gain on the sale of the AMO business. Other, net for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, includes inventory step-up amortization, restructuring charges and integration costs associated with the acquisition of St. Jude Medical.  Other, net for the nine months ended September 30, 2016, includes the $947 million adjustment of the Mylan equity investment and $481 million of foreign currency loss related to operations in Venezuela.

 

20



Table of Contents

 

Item 2.  Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

 

Financial Review - Results of Operations

 

Abbott’s revenues are derived primarily from the sale of a broad line of health care products under short-term receivable arrangements. Patent protection and licenses, technological and performance features, and inclusion of Abbott’s products under a contract most impact which products are sold; price controls, competition and rebates most impact the net selling prices of products; and foreign currency translation impacts the measurement of net sales and costs. Abbott’s primary products are nutritional products, branded generic pharmaceuticals, diagnostic testing products and cardiovascular and neuromodulation products.

 

The following table details sales by reportable segment for the three months and nine months ended September 30.  Percent changes are versus the prior year and are based on unrounded numbers.

 

 

 

Net Sales to External Customers

 

(in millions)

 

Three Months
Ended
Sept. 30,
2017

 

Three Months
Ended
Sept. 30,
2016

 

Total
Change

 

Impact of
Foreign
Exchange

 

Total Change
Excl. Foreign
Exchange

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Established Pharmaceutical Products

 

$

1,171

 

$

1,012

 

15.7

%

1.4

%

14.3

%

Nutritional Products

 

1,768

 

1,755

 

0.8

 

 

0.8

 

Diagnostic Products

 

1,279

 

1,213

 

5.4

 

0.2

 

5.2

 

Cardiovascular and Neuromodulation Products

 

2,224

 

708

 

214.1

 

1.0

 

213.1

 

Total Reportable Segments

 

6,442

 

4,688

 

37.4

 

0.5

 

36.9

 

Other

 

387

 

614

 

(36.9

)

1.3

 

(38.2

)

Net Sales

 

$

6,829

 

$

5,302

 

28.8

 

0.6

 

28.2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total U.S.

 

$

2,313

 

$

1,645

 

40.6

 

 

40.6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total International

 

$

4,516

 

$

3,657

 

23.5

 

0.9

 

22.6

 

 

 

 

Net Sales to External Customers

 

(in millions)

 

Nine Months
Ended
Sept. 30,
2017

 

Nine Months
Ended
Sept. 30,
2016

 

Total
Change

 

Impact of
Foreign
Exchange

 

Total Change
Excl. Foreign
Exchange

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Established Pharmaceutical Products

 

$

3,142

 

$

2,880

 

9.1

%

1.1

%

8.0

%

Nutritional Products

 

5,141

 

5,166

 

(0.5

)

(0.6

)

0.1

 

Diagnostic Products

 

3,710

 

3,557

 

4.3

 

(0.8

)

5.1

 

Cardiovascular and Neuromodulation Products

 

6,587

 

2,175

 

202.9

 

(0.4

)

203.3

 

Total Reportable Segments

 

18,580

 

13,778

 

34.8

 

(0.3

)

35.1

 

Other

 

1,221

 

1,742

 

(29.9

)

(0.4

)

(29.5

)

Net Sales

 

$

19,801

 

$

15,520

 

27.6

 

(0.3

)

27.9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total U.S.

 

$

6,997

 

$

4,831

 

44.8

 

 

44.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total International

 

$

12,804

 

$

10,689

 

19.8

 

(0.4

)

20.2

 

 

Note: In order to compute results excluding the impact of exchange rates, current year U.S. dollar sales are multiplied or divided, as appropriate, by the current year average foreign exchange rates and then those amounts are multiplied or divided, as appropriate, by the prior year average foreign exchange rates.

 

21



Table of Contents

 

Net sales growth in the third quarter and first nine months of 2017 was driven by the acquisition of St. Jude Medical, Inc. (St. Jude Medical) which was completed on January 4, 2017, as well as growth in the Established Pharmaceutical Products and Diagnostic Products segments, excluding the impact of foreign exchange. Beginning in the first quarter of 2017, Abbott’s cardiovascular and neuromodulation business included the results of its historical Vascular Products segment and the results of the businesses acquired from St. Jude Medical from the date of acquisition. The decrease in the Other category for the third quarter and first nine months of 2017 reflects the sale of the Abbott Medical Optics (AMO) segment to Johnson & Johnson, partially offset by double-digit growth in Abbott’s Diabetes Care business. The AMO segment was included in Abbott’s results as a non-reportable segment up to February 27, 2017.  Excluding the St. Jude Medical acquisition, AMO results and the impact of foreign exchange, total net sales increased 6.0 percent, U.S. sales increased 0.1 percent and international sales increased 8.7 percent in the third quarter of 2017. Excluding the St. Jude Medical acquisition, AMO results and the impact of foreign exchange, total net sales increased 4.1 percent, U.S. sales increased 2.0 percent and international sales increased 5.0 percent in the first nine months of 2017.

 

The table below provides detail by sales category for the nine months ended September 30.  Percent changes are versus the prior year and are based on unrounded numbers.

 

(in millions)

 

Sept. 30,
2017

 

Sept. 30,
2016

 

Total
Change

 

Impact of
Foreign
Exchange

 

Total Change
Excl. Foreign
Exchange

 

Established Pharmaceutical Products —

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Key Emerging Markets

 

$

2,413

 

$

2,135

 

13.0

%

1.4

%

11.6

%

Other Emerging Markets

 

729

 

745

 

(2.3

)

0.2

 

(2.5

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nutritionals —

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

International Pediatric Nutritionals

 

1,562

 

1,664

 

(6.1

)

(1.0

)

(5.1

)

U.S. Pediatric Nutritionals

 

1,327

 

1,242

 

6.8

 

 

6.8

 

International Adult Nutritionals

 

1,317

 

1,278

 

3.0

 

(1.1

)

4.1

 

U.S. Adult Nutritionals

 

935

 

982

 

(4.8

)

 

(4.8

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diagnostics —

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Core Laboratory

 

2,964

 

2,840

 

4.3

 

(1.1

)

5.4

 

Molecular

 

341

 

339

 

0.6

 

0.5

 

0.1

 

Point of Care

 

405

 

378

 

7.3

 

(0.1

)

7.4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cardiovascular and Neuromodulation —

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rhythm Management

 

1,574

 

 

n/m

 

n/m

 

n/m

 

Electrophysiology

 

1,001

 

10

 

n/m

 

n/m

 

n/m

 

Heart Failure

 

471

 

 

n/m

 

n/m

 

n/m

 

Vascular

 

2,158

 

1,905

 

13.3

 

(0.4

)

13.7

 

Structural Heart

 

793

 

260

 

205.5

 

(0.3

)

205.8

 

Neuromodulation

 

590

 

 

n/m

 

n/m

 

n/m

 

 

Key Emerging Markets for the Established Pharmaceutical Products business include India, Russia, Brazil and China, along with several other markets that represent the most attractive long-term growth opportunities for Abbott’s branded generics product portfolio.  Excluding the effect of foreign exchange, sales in the Key Emerging Markets increased 11.6 percent compared to the first nine months of 2016. Strong growth in Russia, China, and several countries across Latin America was partially offset by the impact associated with implementation of a new Goods and Services Tax (GST) system in India during the second quarter of 2017. Excluding the impact of GST, sales in Key Emerging Markets would have grown 13.2 percent in the first nine months of 2017.  The 2.3 percent decrease in Other Emerging Markets in the first nine months of 2017 primarily reflects the unfavorable impact of Venezuelan operations.  Excluding Venezuela and the effect of foreign exchange, sales in Other Emerging Markets increased 4.1 percent versus the first nine months of 2016.

 

Excluding the effect of foreign exchange, International Pediatric Nutritional sales decreased 5.1 percent in the first nine months of 2017.  Challenging conditions in the infant formula market in various emerging markets negatively impacted international performance.  In the U.S., above-market Pediatric sales growth of 6.8 percent was led by the continued momentum of several recently launched infant formula products as well as growth of the PediaSure ® toddler brand. Excluding the effect of foreign exchange, International Adult Nutritional sales increased 4.1 percent compared to the first nine months of 2016 led by continued market growth across priority geographies while U.S. Adult Nutritional sales decreased 4.8 percent due to competitive and market dynamics.

 

Excluding the effect of foreign exchange, the 5.1 percent increase in Diagnostics sales was primarily driven by share gains in the Core Laboratory and Point of Care markets in the U.S. and higher sales to various international markets.  During the quarter, Abbott continued the international roll-out of its recently launched Alinity systems for the core laboratory, including “Alinity c” for clinical chemistry, “Alinity i” for immunoassay diagnostics and “Alinity s” for blood and plasma screening.

 

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Excluding the effect of foreign exchange, the 203.3 percent increase in the Cardiovascular and Neuromodulation Products segment was driven by the acquisition of St. Jude Medical which was completed on January 4, 2017. Excluding the impact of the acquisition as well as the impact of foreign exchange, sales in the Cardiovascular and Neuromodulation Products segment were essentially flat in the first nine months of 2017 versus the prior year as lower coronary stent sales and the comparison impact from the favorable 2016 resolution of a third-party royalty agreement were offset by higher Structural Heart and endovascular sales.

 

The gross profit margin percentage for Abbott was 50.8 percent for the third quarter of 2017 compared to 54.3 percent for the third quarter of 2016.  The gross profit margin percentage was 47.0 percent for the first nine months of 2017 compared to 54.0 percent for the first nine months of 2016. The decrease primarily reflects higher intangible amortization expense and inventory step-up amortization related to the St. Jude Medical acquisition.

 

Research and development expenses increased by $210 million, or 59.3 percent, in the third quarter of 2017, and increased by $543 million, or 50.3 percent, in the first nine months of 2017, due primarily to the addition of the acquired St. Jude Medical business.  For the nine months ended September 30, 2017, research and development expenditures totaled $718 million for the Cardiovascular and Neuromodulation Products segment, $382 million for the Diagnostic Products segment, $119 million for the Established Pharmaceutical Products segment and $142 million for the Nutritional Products segment.

 

Selling, general and administrative expenses for the third quarter and first nine months of 2017 increased 28.9 percent and 31.5 percent, respectively, due primarily to the addition of the acquired St. Jude Medical business as well as the incremental expenses to integrate St. Jude Medical with Abbott’s existing vascular business, partially offset by the impact of cost improvement initiatives across various functions and businesses.

 

On September 30, 2016, Abbott recorded expense of $947 million to adjust its holding of Mylan N.V. ordinary shares due to a decline in the fair value of the securities which was considered by Abbott to be other than temporary. The adjustment reflected Mylan N.V.’s share price as of September 30, 2016 and was included in the Other expense (income), net line of the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Earnings for 2016.

 

In April 2017, Abbott received a warning letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) related to its manufacturing facility in Sylmar, CA which was acquired by Abbott on January 4, 2017 as part of the acquisition of St. Jude Medical.  This facility manufactures implantable cardioverter defibrillators, cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators, and monitors.  The warning letter relates to the FDA’s observations from an inspection of this facility.  Abbott has prepared a comprehensive plan of corrective actions which has been provided to the FDA. Execution of the plan is progressing.

 

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Business Acquisitions

 

On January 4, 2017, Abbott completed the acquisition of St. Jude Medical, a global medical device manufacturer, for approximately $23.6 billion, including approximately $13.6 billion in cash and approximately $10 billion in Abbott common shares, which represented approximately 254 million shares of Abbott common stock, based on Abbott’s closing stock price on the acquisition date. As part of the acquisition, approximately $5.9 billion of St. Jude Medical’s debt was assumed, repaid or refinanced by Abbott.  The transaction provides expanded opportunities for future growth and is an important part of the company’s ongoing effort to develop a strong, diverse portfolio of devices, diagnostics, nutritionals and branded generic pharmaceuticals.  The combined company will compete in nearly every area of the cardiovascular market, as well as in the neuromodulation market.

 

Under the terms of the agreement, for each St. Jude Medical common share, St. Jude Medical shareholders received $46.75 in cash and 0.8708 of an Abbott common share.  At an Abbott stock price of $39.36, which reflects the closing price on January 4, 2017, this represented a value of approximately $81 per St. Jude Medical common share and total purchase consideration of $23.6 billion.  The cash portion of the acquisition was funded through a combination of medium and long-term debt issued in November 2016 and a $2.0 billion 120-day senior unsecured bridge term loan facility which was subsequently repaid.

 

The preliminary allocation of the fair value of the St. Jude Medical acquisition is shown in the table below. The allocation of the fair value of the acquisition will be finalized when the valuation is completed and differences between the preliminary and final allocation could be material.

 

(in billions)

 

 

 

Acquired intangible assets, non-deductible

 

$

15.4

 

Goodwill, non-deductible

 

14.9

 

Acquired net tangible assets

 

3.1

 

Deferred income taxes recorded at acquisition

 

(4.5

)

Net debt

 

(5.3

)

Total preliminary allocation of fair value

 

$

23.6

 

 

The goodwill is primarily attributable to expected synergies from combining operations, as well as intangible assets that do not qualify for separate recognition. The acquired tangible assets consist primarily of trade accounts receivable of approximately $1.2 billion, inventory of approximately $1.7 billion, other current assets of $207 million, property and equipment of approximately $1.5 billion, and other long-term assets of $471 million. The acquired tangible liabilities consist of trade accounts payable and other current liabilities of approximately $1.1 billion and other non-current liabilities of approximately $850 million.

 

In the first nine months of 2017, consolidated Abbott results include $4.4 billion of sales and a pre-tax loss of approximately $1.2 billion related to the St. Jude Medical acquisition, including approximately $1.0 billion of intangible amortization and $840 million of inventory step-up amortization. The pre-tax loss excludes acquisition, integration and restructuring-related costs.

 

In 2016, Abbott and St. Jude Medical agreed to sell certain businesses to Terumo Corporation for approximately $1.12 billion.  The sale included the St. Jude Medical Angio-Seal™ and Femoseal™ vascular closure and Abbott’s Vado® Steerable Sheath businesses. The sale closed on January 20, 2017 and no gain or loss was recorded in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Earnings.

 

On October 3, 2017, Abbott acquired Alere Inc. (Alere), a diagnostic device and service provider, for $51.00 per common share in cash, which equated to a purchase price of approximately $4.6 billion.  As part of the acquisition, Abbott tendered for Alere’s preferred shares for a total value of approximately $0.7 billion.  In addition, approximately $2.96 billion of Alere’s debt was assumed and subsequently repaid.  The transaction establishes Abbott as a leader in point of care testing, expands Abbott’s global diagnostics presence and provides access to new products, channels and geographies. Abbott utilized a combination of cash on hand and debt to fund the acquisition. See Note 10 — Debt and Lines of Credit for further details regarding the debt utilized for the acquisition. As the acquisition of Alere was completed after September 30, 2017, Abbott’s consolidated financial statements do not include the financial condition or the operating results of Alere in any of the periods presented herein.

 

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The preliminary allocation of the fair value of the Alere acquisition is shown in the table below. The allocation of the fair value of the acquisition will be finalized when the valuation is completed and differences between the preliminary and final allocation could be material.

 

(in billions)

 

 

 

Acquired intangible assets, non-deductible

 

$

3.3

 

Goodwill, non-deductible

 

4.1

 

Acquired net tangible assets

 

1.0

 

Deferred income taxes recorded at acquisition

 

(0.5

)

Net debt

 

(2.6

)

Preferred stock

 

(0.7

)

Total preliminary allocation of fair value

 

$

4.6

 

 

The goodwill is primarily attributable to expected synergies from combining operations as well as intangible assets that do not qualify for separate recognition. The acquired tangible assets consist primarily of trade accounts receivable of approximately $425 million, inventory of approximately $440 million, other current assets of $213 million, property and equipment of approximately $480 million, and other long-term assets of $147 million. The acquired tangible liabilities consist of trade accounts payable and other current liabilities of approximately $570 million and other non-current liabilities of approximately $160 million.

 

In the third quarter of 2017, Alere entered into agreements to sell its Triage MeterPro cardiovascular and toxicology business and the assets and liabilities related to its B-type Natriuretic Peptide assay business run on Beckman Coulter analyzers to Quidel Corporation (Quidel).  The transactions with Quidel reflect a total purchase price of $400 million payable at the close of the transaction, $240 million payable in six annual installments beginning approximately six months after the close of the transaction, and contingent consideration with a maximum value of $40 million. In the third quarter of 2017, Alere entered into an agreement with Siemens Diagnostics Holding II B.V. (Siemens) to sell its subsidiary, Epocal Inc., for approximately $200 million. Alere agreed to divest these businesses in connection with the review by the Federal Trade Commission and the European Commission of Abbott’s agreement to acquire Alere. The sale to Quidel closed on October 6, 2017 and the sale to Siemens closed on October 31, 2017.

 

If the acquisitions of St. Jude Medical and Alere had occurred at the beginning of 2016, unaudited pro forma consolidated net sales would have been approximately $21.6 billion and the unaudited pro forma consolidated net loss from continuing operations would have been approximately $875 million for the first nine months of 2016. This includes amortization of approximately $955 million of inventory step-up and $1.3 billion of intangibles related to St. Jude Medical and Alere. For the third quarter of 2016, unaudited pro forma consolidated net sales would have been approximately $7.3 billion and the unaudited pro forma consolidated net loss from continuing operations would have been approximately $490 million. This includes amortization of approximately $20 million of inventory step-up and $425 million of intangibles related to St. Jude Medical and Alere.

 

For the first nine months of 2017, unaudited pro forma consolidated net sales would have been approximately $21.3 billion and unaudited pro forma consolidated net earnings from continuing operations would have been approximately $1.6 billion, which includes $225 million of amortization related to Alere. For the third quarter of 2017, unaudited pro forma consolidated net sales would have been approximately $7.3 billion and unaudited pro forma consolidated net earnings from continuing operations would have been approximately $515 million, which includes $75 million of amortization related to Alere. The unaudited pro forma consolidated net earnings from continuing operations for the third quarter and first nine months of 2017 exclude inventory step-up amortization related to St. Jude Medical of approximately $20 million and $840 million, respectively, which was recorded in 2017 but included in the 2016 unaudited pro forma results noted in the paragraph above. The unaudited pro forma information is not necessarily indicative of the consolidated results of operations that would have been realized had the St. Jude Medical and Alere acquisitions been completed as of the beginning of 2016, nor is it meant to be indicative of future results of operations that the combined entity will experience.

 

On July 17, 2017, Abbott commenced a tender offer to purchase for cash the 1.77 million outstanding shares of Alere’s Series B Convertible Perpetual Preferred Stock at a price of $402 per share, plus accrued but unpaid dividends to, but not including, the settlement date of the tender offer. This tender offer was subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, including Abbott’s acquisition of Alere and upon there being validly tendered (and not properly withdrawn) at the expiration date of the tender offer that number of shares of Preferred Stock that equaled at least a majority of the Preferred Stock issued and outstanding at the expiration of the tender offer.  The tender offer expired on October 3, 2017.  All conditions to the offer were satisfied and Abbott accepted for payment the 1.748 million shares of Preferred Stock that were validly tendered (and not properly withdrawn).  Payment of the offer price for such shares has been made in the fourth quarter of 2017.

 

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Table of Contents

 

Restructuring Plans

 

The results for the first nine months of 2017 reflect charges under approved restructuring plans as part of the integration of the acquisition of St. Jude Medical as well as costs related to other actions associated with the company’s plans to streamline various operations. Abbott recorded employee related severance and other charges of approximately $249 million in the first nine months of 2017 related to these initiatives. Approximately $4 million is recognized in Cost of products sold, $76 million is recognized in Research and development and approximately $169 million is recognized in Selling, general and administrative expense.  See Note 8 to the financial statements, “Restructuring Plans,” for additional information regarding these charges.

 

Interest Expense (Income), net

 

Interest expense (income), net increased $87 million in the third quarter of 2017 and $366 million in the first nine months of 2017 compared to 2016 due primarily to the $15.1 billion of debt issued in November 2016 related to the financing of the St. Jude Medical acquisition which closed on January 4, 2017.

 

Taxes on Earnings from Continuing Operations

 

Taxes on earnings from continuing operations reflect the estimated annual effective rates and include charges for interest and penalties.  In the first nine months of 2017, taxes on earnings from continuing operations include $435 million of tax expense related to the gain on the sale of the AMO business, which is taxed at a discrete tax rate.  Earnings from discontinued operations, net of tax, of $88 million for the first nine months of 2017 primarily reflects the recognition of net tax benefits as a result of the resolution of various tax positions related to prior years, which decreases the gross amount of unrecognized tax benefits by approximately $80 million.  In the first nine months of 2016, taxes on earnings from continuing operations includes the impact of a net tax benefit of approximately $250 million as a result of the resolution of various tax positions from prior years, partially offset by the unfavorable impact of non-deductible foreign exchange losses related to Venezuela and the adjustment of the Mylan N.V. equity investment, as well as the recognition of deferred taxes associated with the sale of AMO.  Earnings from discontinued operations, net of tax, in the first nine months of 2016 reflects the recognition of $289 million of net tax benefits primarily as a result of the resolution of various tax positions related to prior years. The conclusion of these tax matters decreased the gross amount of unrecognized tax benefits by approximately $546 million in 2016.

 

Tax authorities in various jurisdictions regularly review Abbott’s income tax filings.  Abbott believes that it is reasonably possible that the recorded amount of gross unrecognized tax benefits may decrease between $200 million and $350 million, including cash adjustments, within the next twelve months as a result of concluding various domestic and international tax matters. In the U.S., Abbott’s federal income tax returns are settled through 2013 and St. Jude Medical’s federal income tax returns are settled through 2013 except for one item.

 

Discontinued Operations

 

On February 27, 2015, Abbott completed the sale of its developed markets branded generics pharmaceuticals business to Mylan Inc. (Mylan) for 110 million shares (or approximately 22%) of a newly formed entity (Mylan N.V.) that combined Mylan’s existing business and Abbott’s developed markets branded generics pharmaceuticals business.  Mylan N.V. is publicly traded.  The shareholder agreement with Mylan N.V. included voting and other restrictions that prevented Abbott from exercising significant influence over the operating and financial policies of Mylan N.V.

 

In April 2015, Abbott sold 40.25 million of its 110 million ordinary shares of Mylan N.V.  As a result of this sale, Abbott’s ownership interest in Mylan N.V. decreased to approximately 14%.

 

In the first nine months of 2017, Abbott sold 51 million ordinary shares of Mylan N.V. and received $1.977 billion in proceeds.  Abbott recorded an immaterial pre-tax gain in the first nine months of 2017, which was recognized in the Other expense (income), net line of the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Earnings.  As a result of these share sales, Abbott’s ownership interest in Mylan N.V. decreased from approximately 14% to 3.4%.

 

On January 1, 2013, Abbott completed the separation of AbbVie Inc. (AbbVie), which was formed to hold Abbott’s research-based proprietary pharmaceuticals business.  Abbott has retained all liabilities for all U.S. federal and foreign income taxes on income prior to the separation, as well as certain non-income related taxes attributable to AbbVie’s business prior to the separation. AbbVie generally will be liable for all other taxes attributable to its business.

 

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Table of Contents

 

Earnings from discontinued operations, net of tax of $88 million and $288 million in the first nine months of 2017 and 2016, respectively, were driven primarily by the recognition of net tax benefits as a result of the resolution of various tax positions related to AbbVie’s operations for years prior to the separation.

 

In the first quarter of 2016, Abbott received an additional $25 million of proceeds related to the expiration of a holdback agreement associated with the sale of the animal health business and reported an after-tax gain on the sale in discontinued operations of $16 million.

 

Assets and Liabilities Held for Disposition

 

In September 2016, Abbott announced that it entered into a definitive agreement to sell AMO, its vision care business, to Johnson & Johnson for $4.325 billion in cash, subject to customary purchase price adjustments for cash, debt and working capital. The decision to sell AMO reflects Abbott’s proactive shaping of its portfolio in line with its strategic priorities. In February 2017, Abbott completed the sale of AMO to Johnson & Johnson and recognized a pre-tax gain of $1.163 billion including working capital adjustments, which was reported in the Other expense (income), net line of the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Earnings in the first nine months of 2017. Abbott recorded an after-tax gain of $728 million in the first nine months of 2017 related to the sale of AMO.

 

The operating results of AMO up to the date of sale continued to be included in Earnings (loss) from continuing operations as they did not qualify for reporting as discontinued operations. For the three months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, the AMO earnings before taxes included in Abbott’s consolidated earnings were nil and $2 million, respectively. For the first nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, the AMO losses before taxes included in Abbott’s consolidated earnings were $18 million and $42 million, respectively. The following assets and liabilities of this business were reported as held for disposition in Abbott’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2016:

 

(in millions)

 

December 31,
2016

 

Trade receivables, net

 

$

222

 

Total inventories

 

240

 

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

 

51

 

Current assets held for disposition

 

513

 

Net property and equipment

 

247

 

Intangible assets, net of amortization

 

529

 

Goodwill

 

1,966

 

Deferred income taxes and other assets

 

11

 

Non-current assets held for disposition

 

2,753

 

Total assets held for disposition

 

$

3,266

 

 

 

 

 

Trade accounts payable

 

$

71

 

Salaries, wages, commissions and other accrued liabilities

 

174

 

Current liabilities held for disposition

 

245

 

Post-employment obligations, deferred income taxes and other long-term liabilities

 

59

 

Total liabilities held for disposition

 

$

304

 

 

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Table of Contents

 

Liquidity and Capital Resources September 30, 2017 Compared with December 31, 2016

 

The reduction of cash and cash equivalents from $18.6 billion at December 31, 2016 to $11.0 billion at September 30, 2017 reflects the use of cash to fund the cash portion of the St. Jude Medical acquisition, repayments of debt, pension contributions, and dividends paid in the first nine months of 2017, partially offset by cash generated from operations and proceeds from the disposition of businesses and the sale of a portion of Abbott’s investment in Mylan ordinary shares.

 

Net cash from operating activities for the first nine months of 2017 totaled $3.9 billion, an increase of $1.9 billion over the prior year due primarily to the favorable impact of improved working capital management, as well as the acquisition of the St. Jude Medical businesses and lower pension contributions. The Other, net line in Net cash from operating activities for the first nine months of 2017 of $562 million includes the impact of improved working capital management and approximately $435 million of tax expense associated with the disposition of businesses, which has not yet been paid. Other net, also includes contributions to defined benefit pension plans of $335 million. Other, net in Net cash from operating activities for the first nine months of 2016 includes contributions to defined benefit pension plans of $540 million as well as approximately $140 million of cash taxes paid related to the disposition of businesses. Other, net in 2016 also includes the non-cash impact of approximately $539 million of net tax benefits primarily associated with the resolution of various tax positions from prior years. The foreign currency loss related to Venezuela in the first nine months of 2016 reduced Abbott’s cash by approximately $410 million and is shown on the Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents line within the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. Abbott expects to fund cash dividends, capital expenditures and its other investments in its businesses with cash flow from operating activities, cash on hand, short-term investments and borrowings.

 

Working capital was $13.4 billion at September 30, 2017 and $20.1 billion at December 31, 2016.  The $6.7 billion decrease in working capital in 2017 is primarily due to the reduction in Cash and cash equivalents which is discussed above and improved working capital management.

 

Since January 2010, Venezuela has been designated as a highly inflationary economy under U.S. GAAP.  In 2014 and 2015, the government of Venezuela operated multiple mechanisms to exchange bolivars into U.S. dollars. These mechanisms included the CENCOEX, SICAD, and SIMADI rates, which stood at 6.3, 13.5, and approximately 200, respectively, at December 31, 2015. In 2015, Abbott continued to use the CENCOEX rate of 6.3 Venezuelan bolivars to the U.S. dollar to report the results, financial position, and cash flows related to its operations in Venezuela since Abbott continued to qualify for this exchange rate to pay for the import of various products into Venezuela.

 

On February 17, 2016, the Venezuelan government announced that the three-tier exchange rate system would be reduced to two rates renamed the DIPRO and DICOM rates.  The DIPRO rate is the official rate for food and medicine imports and was adjusted from 6.3 to 10 bolivars per U.S. dollar.  The DICOM rate is a floating market rate published daily by the Venezuelan central bank, which at the end of the first quarter of 2016 was approximately 263 bolivars per U.S. dollar.  As a result of decreasing government approvals to convert bolivars to U.S. dollars to pay for intercompany accounts, as well as the accelerating deterioration of economic conditions in the country, Abbott concluded that it was appropriate to move to the DICOM rate at the end of the first quarter of 2016.  As a result, Abbott recorded a foreign currency exchange loss of $481 million in the first nine months of 2016 to revalue its net monetary assets in Venezuela.  Abbott is continuing to use the DICOM rate to report the results of operations and to remeasure net monetary assets for Venezuela at the end of each quarter.  As of September 30, 2017, Abbott’s Venezuelan operations represented less than 0.01% of Abbott’s consolidated assets and any additional foreign currency losses related to Venezuela are not expected to be material.

 

At September 30, 2017, Abbott’s long-term debt rating was BBB by Standard & Poor’s Corporation and Baa3 by Moody’s Investors Service. Abbott expects to maintain an investment grade rating. Abbott has readily available financial resources, including lines of credit of $5.0 billion as of September, 30, 2017, which expire in 2019. On October 3, 2017, in connection with the Alere acquisition, Abbott borrowed $1.7 billion under these lines of credit. Abbott’s borrowings will bear interest based on a Eurodollar rate, plus an applicable margin based on Abbott’s credit ratings.

 

In September 2014, the board of directors authorized the repurchase of up to $3.0 billion of Abbott’s common shares from time to time. The 2014 authorization was in addition to the $512 million unused portion of a previous program announced in June 2013. In the first nine months of 2016, Abbott repurchased 10.4 million shares at a cost of $408 million under the program authorized in 2014.

 

On April 27, 2016, the board of directors authorized the issuance and sale for general corporate purposes of up to 75 million common shares that would result in proceeds of up to $3 billion. No shares have been issued under this authorization.

 

In each of the first three quarters of 2017, Abbott declared a quarterly dividend of $0.265 per share on its common shares, which represents an increase of approximately 2% over the $0.26 per share quarterly dividend declared in each of the first three quarters of 2016.

 

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Table of Contents

 

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

 

In August 2017, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2017-12, Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities , which makes changes to the designation and measurement guidance for qualifying hedging relationships and the presentation of hedge results.  The standard becomes effective for Abbott beginning in the first quarter of 2019 and early adoption is permitted. Abbott is currently evaluating the effect that ASU 2017-12 will have on its consolidated financial statements.

 

In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-07, Compensation — Retirement Benefits (Topic 715): Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost which changes the financial statement presentation requirements for pension and other postretirement benefit expense.  While service cost will continue to be reported in the same financial statement line items as other current employee compensation costs, the ASU requires all other components of pension and other postretirement benefit expense to be presented separately from service cost, and outside any subtotal of income from operations. The standard becomes effective for Abbott beginning in the first quarter of 2018 and early adoption is permitted. Abbott is currently evaluating the impact ASU 2017-07 will have on its consolidated financial statements.

 

In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-16,  Income Taxes (Topic 740): Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory , which requires the recognition of the income tax effects of intercompany sales and transfers of assets, other than inventory, in the period in which the transfer occurs. The standard becomes effective for Abbott beginning in the first quarter of 2018 and early adoption is permitted. Abbott is currently evaluating the impact ASU 2016-16 will have on its consolidated financial statements.

 

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases , which requires lessees to recognize assets and liabilities for most leases on the balance sheet. The standard becomes effective for Abbott beginning in the first quarter of 2019 and early adoption is permitted. Adoption requires application of the new guidance for all periods presented. Abbott is currently evaluating the impact the new guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.

 

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, Financial Instruments — Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities , which provides new guidance for the recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure of financial assets and liabilities. The standard becomes effective for Abbott beginning in the first quarter of 2018 and early adoption is permitted. Abbott is currently evaluating the effect, if any, that the standard will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

 

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09,  Revenue from Contracts with Customers , which provides a single comprehensive model for accounting for revenue from contracts with customers and will supersede most existing revenue recognition guidance. The standard becomes effective for Abbott in the first quarter of 2018. Abbott’s revenues are primarily comprised of product sales.  Abbott has made substantial progress in the evaluation of the new standard including a detailed review of Abbott’s revenue streams and contracts.  Based on the work performed to date, Abbott currently does not expect the adoption of the new standard to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.  Abbott is continuing to evaluate the effect that the standard will have on its consolidated financial statements including the new disclosure requirements. Abbott will continue to monitor additional modifications, clarifications or interpretations undertaken by the FASB that may impact Abbott’s current conclusions. Abbott is currently expecting to use the modified retrospective method to adopt this standard.

 

Legislative Issues

 

Abbott’s primary markets are highly competitive and subject to substantial government regulations throughout the world.  Abbott expects debate to continue over the availability, method of delivery, and payment for health care products and services.  It is not possible to predict the extent to which Abbott or the health care industry in general might be adversely affected by these factors in the future.  A more complete discussion of these factors is contained in Item 1, Business, and Item 1A, Risk Factors, in the 2016 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

 

Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 — A Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

 

Under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Abbott cautions investors that any forward-looking statements or projections made by Abbott, including those made in this document, are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Economic, competitive, governmental, technological and other factors that may affect Abbott’s operations are discussed in Item 1A, Risk Factors, in the 2016 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

 

29



Table of Contents

 

PART I.                             FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

Item 3.                                  Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

 

Market Price Sensitive Investments

 

The fair value of the available-for-sale equity securities held by Abbott was approximately $1.0 billion as of September 30, 2017 and $2.7 billion as of December 31, 2016. The decrease is due primarily to the sale of 51 million ordinary shares of Mylan N.V., thereby reducing Abbott’s equity securities by approximately $2.0 billion during the first nine months of 2017. All available-for-sale equity securities are subject to potential changes in market value.  A hypothetical 20 percent decrease in the share prices of these investments would decrease their fair value at September 30, 2017 by approximately $200 million.  Abbott monitors these investments for other than temporary declines in market value, and charges impairment losses to income when an other than temporary decline in value occurs.

 

Item 4.                                  Controls and Procedures

 

(a)          Evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures.  The Chief Executive Officer, Miles D. White, and Chief Financial Officer, Brian B. Yoor, evaluated the effectiveness of Abbott Laboratories’ disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this report, and concluded that Abbott Laboratories’ disclosure controls and procedures were effective to ensure that information Abbott is required to disclose in the reports that it files or submits with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, and to ensure that information required to be disclosed by Abbott in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to Abbott’s management, including its principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

 

(b)          Changes in internal control over financial reporting.  During the quarter ended September 30, 2017, there were no changes in Abbott’s internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act) that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, Abbott’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

PART II.                        OTHER INFORMATION

 

Item 1.                                  Legal Proceedings

 

Abbott is involved in various claims, legal proceedings and investigations, including those described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2017.

 

30



Table of Contents

 

Item 2.          Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds

 

(c)  Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

 

Period

 

(a) Total
Number of
Shares (or
Units)
Purchased

 

(b) Average
Price Paid per
Share (or
Unit)

 

(c) Total Number
of Shares (or
Units) Purchased
as Part of
Publicly
Announced Plans
or Programs

 

(d) Maximum
Number (or
Approximate
Dollar Value) of
Shares (or Units)
that May Yet Be
Purchased Under
the Plans or
Programs

 

July 1, 2017 – July 31, 2017

 

13,770

(1)

$

48.826

 

 

$

925,131,209

(2)

August 1, 2017 – August 31, 2017

 

16,041

(1)

$

49.852

 

 

$

925,131,209

(2)

September 1, 2017 – September 30, 2017

 

16,835

(1)

$

51.901

 

 

$

925,131,209

(2)

Total

 

46,646

(1)

$

50.289

 

 

$

925,131,209

(2)

 


(1)                      These shares include:

 

(i)                    the shares deemed surrendered to Abbott to pay the exercise price in connection with the exercise of employee stock options — 13,770 in July, 1,733 in August, and 2,527 in September; and

 

(ii)                 the shares purchased on the open market for the benefit of participants in the Abbott Laboratories, Limited Employee Stock Purchase Plan — 0 in July, 14,308 in August, and 14,308 in September.

 

These shares do not include the shares surrendered to Abbott to satisfy tax withholding obligations in connection with the vesting of restricted stock or restricted stock units.

 

(2)                  On September 11, 2014, Abbott announced that its board of directors approved the purchase of up to $3 billion of its common shares, from time to time.

 

Item 6.                                  Exhibits

 

Incorporated by reference to the Exhibit Index included herewith.

 

31



Table of Contents

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit No.

 

Exhibit

 

 

 

10.1

 

Term Loan Agreement, dated as of July 31, 2017, by and among Abbott, the lenders from time to time party
thereto, and Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent.

 

 

 

10.2

 

First Amendment to Term Loan Agreement, dated as of September 29, 2017, by and among Abbott, the lenders from time to time party thereto, and Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent.

 

 

 

10.3

 

Five Year Credit Agreement, dated as of July 10, 2014, by and among Abbott, the lenders from time to time party thereto, and Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent.

 

 

 

12

 

Statement re: Computation of ratio of earnings to fixed charges.

 

 

 

31.1

 

Certification of Chief Executive Officer Required by Rule 13a-14(a) (17 CFR 240.13a-14(a)).

 

 

 

31.2

 

Certification of Chief Financial Officer Required by Rule 13a-14(a) (17 CFR 240.13a-14(a)).

 

 

 

Exhibits 32.1 and 32.2 are furnished herewith and should not be deemed to be “filed” under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

 

 

 

32.1

 

Certification of Chief Executive Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

 

 

 

32.2

 

Certification of Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

 

 

 

101

 

The following financial statements and notes from the Abbott Laboratories Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2017, formatted in XBRL: (i) Condensed Consolidated Statement of Earnings; (ii) Condensed Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income; (iii) Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet; (iv) Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows; and (v) Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

32



Table of Contents

 

SIGNATURE

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

 

ABBOTT LABORATORIES

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Brian B. Yoor

 

 

Brian B. Yoor

 

 

Executive Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer

 

 

 

 

 

Date: November 2, 2017

 

 

33


Exhibit 10.1

 

EXECUTION VERSION

 

 

 

 

 

Published Deal CUSIP Number:  00281EAS8

Published Term Loan CUSIP Number:  00281EAT6

 

TERM LOAN AGREEMENT

 

Dated as of July 31, 2017

 

among

 

ABBOTT LABORATORIES

as the Borrower,

 

The Guarantors Referred to Herein,

 

BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,

as Administrative Agent and Lender,

 

and

 

The Other Lenders Party Hereto

 

* * * *

 

MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH INCORPORATED,

MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC. and

BARCLAYS BANK PLC ,

as Joint Lead Arrangers and Joint Bookrunners,

 

MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC. and

BARCLAYS BANK PLC ,

as Syndication Agents

 

 

 

 



 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

Page

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE I

 

 

 

 

 

DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING TERMS

 

 

 

 

SECTION 1.01

Certain Defined Terms

1

 

 

 

SECTION 1.02

Computation of Time Periods

24

 

 

 

SECTION 1.03

Accounting Terms

24

 

 

 

SECTION 1.04

Times of Day

24

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE II

 

 

 

 

 

THE COMMITMENTS AND LOANS

 

 

 

 

SECTION 2.01

The Loans

24

 

 

 

SECTION 2.02

Borrowings, Conversions and Continuations of the Loans

24

 

 

 

SECTION 2.03

Termination or Reduction of Aggregate Commitments

26

 

 

 

SECTION 2.04

Prepayments

26

 

 

 

SECTION 2.05

[Reserved]

27

 

 

 

SECTION 2.06

Repayment of Loans

27

 

 

 

SECTION 2.07

Interest

27

 

 

 

SECTION 2.08

Fees

28

 

 

 

SECTION 2.09

Computation of Interest and Fees

28

 

 

 

SECTION 2.10

Evidence of Debt

29

 

 

 

SECTION 2.11

Payments Generally; Administrative Agent’s Clawback

29

 

 

 

SECTION 2.12

Sharing of Payments

31

 

 

 

SECTION 2.13

[Reserved]

31

 

 

 

SECTION 2.14

Use of Proceeds

31

 



 

SECTION 2.15

Defaulting Lenders

31

 

 

 

SECTION 2.16

Taxes

33

 

 

 

SECTION 2.17

Illegality

38

 

 

 

SECTION 2.18

Inability to Determine Rates

38

 

 

 

SECTION 2.19

Increased Costs; Reserves on Eurodollar Rate Loans

39

 

 

 

SECTION 2.20

Compensation for Losses

41

 

 

 

SECTION 2.21

Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders

41

 

 

 

SECTION 2.22

Survival

42

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE III

 

 

 

 

 

CONDITIONS PRECEDENT

 

 

 

 

SECTION 3.01

Conditions Precedent to Effectiveness

42

 

 

 

SECTION 3.02

Conditions to Funding on the Closing Date

42

 

 

 

SECTION 3.03

Certain Funds Period

44

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE IV

 

 

 

 

 

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

 

 

 

 

SECTION 4.01

Representations and Warranties of the Borrower

44

 

 

 

SECTION 4.02

Representations and Warranties of the Lenders

49

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE V

 

 

 

 

 

COVENANTS

 

 

 

 

SECTION 5.01

Affirmative Covenants

49

 

 

 

SECTION 5.02

Negative Covenants

52

 

 

 

SECTION 5.03

Financial Covenants

59

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE VI

 

 

 

 

 

EVENTS OF DEFAULT

 

 

 

 

SECTION 6.01

Events of Default

59

 

ii



 

SECTION 6.02

Application of Funds

61

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE VII

 

 

 

 

 

THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT

 

 

 

 

SECTION 7.01

Authorization and Action

62

 

 

 

SECTION 7.02

Administrative Agent Individually

62

 

 

 

SECTION 7.03

Duties of Administrative Agent; Exculpatory Provisions

62

 

 

 

SECTION 7.04

Reliance by Administrative Agent

64

 

 

 

SECTION 7.05

Delegation of Duties

64

 

 

 

SECTION 7.06

Resignation of Administrative Agent

64

 

 

 

SECTION 7.07

Non-Reliance on Administrative Agent and Other Lenders

65

 

 

 

SECTION 7.08

Other Agents

65

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE VIII

 

 

 

 

 

MISCELLANEOUS

 

 

 

 

SECTION 8.01

Amendments, Etc.

66

 

 

 

SECTION 8.02

Notices, Etc.

67

 

 

 

SECTION 8.03

No Waiver; Remedies

69

 

 

 

SECTION 8.04

Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver

69

 

 

 

SECTION 8.05

Right of Setoff

71

 

 

 

SECTION 8.06

Binding Effect

71

 

 

 

SECTION 8.07

Assignments and Participations

71

 

 

 

SECTION 8.08

Confidentiality

76

 

 

 

SECTION 8.09

Governing Law

77

 

 

 

SECTION 8.10

Execution in Counterparts

77

 

 

 

SECTION 8.11

Integration

77

 

 

 

SECTION 8.12

Jurisdiction, Etc.

77

 

iii



 

SECTION 8.13

PATRIOT Act Notice

78

 

 

 

SECTION 8.14

No Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility

78

 

 

 

SECTION 8.15

Replacement of Lenders

79

 

 

 

SECTION 8.16

Waiver of Jury Trial

79

 

 

 

SECTION 8.17

Payments Set Aside

79

 

 

 

SECTION 8.18

Acknowledgment and Consent to Bail-In of EEA Financial Institutions

80

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE IX

 

 

 

 

 

GUARANTEE

 

 

 

 

SECTION 9.01

Guarantors

80

 

 

 

SECTION 9.02

Guarantee

81

 

 

 

SECTION 9.03

Guaranty Absolute

81

 

 

 

SECTION 9.04

Waivers

82

 

 

 

SECTION 9.05

Continuing Guaranty

82

 

 

 

SECTION 9.06

Release of Guarantors

83

 

SCHEDULES

 

Schedule I

 

-

 

Administrative Agent’s Office; Certain Addresses for Notices

Schedule 2.01

 

-

 

Commitments and Pro Rata Shares

Schedule 4.01(f)

 

-

 

Legal Proceedings

Schedule 5.02(a)(i)

 

-

 

Existing Debt

Schedule 5.02(b)(ii)

 

-

 

Existing Liens

 

EXHIBITS

 

Exhibit A

 

-

 

Form of Loan Notice

Exhibit B

 

-

 

Form of Assignment and Assumption

Exhibit C

 

-

 

Form of Solvency Certificate

Exhibit D

 

-

 

Form of Note

Exhibits E-1 — E-4

 

-

 

Forms of U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate

Exhibit F

 

-

 

Form of Prepayment Notice

 

iv



 

TERM LOAN AGREEMENT

 

This TERM LOAN AGREEMENT (this “ Agreement ”) is dated as of July 31, 2017, among ABBOTT LABORATORIES, an Illinois corporation (together with its successors and assigns, the “ Borrower ”), each Guarantor from time to time party hereto, each Lender from time to time party hereto (collectively, the “ Lenders ” and each individually, a “ Lender ”), and BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as Administrative Agent and Lender.

 

WHEREAS, the Borrower, pursuant to the Alere Acquisition Agreement (as defined below), intends to acquire (the “ Alere Acquisition ”) all of the outstanding shares of common stock of Alere Inc., a Delaware corporation (“ Alere ” and, together with its Subsidiaries (as defined below), the “ Acquired Business ”), through the merger of Angel Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Borrower (“ Merger Sub ”), with and into Alere, with Alere surviving such merger, for the aggregate cash consideration set forth in the Alere Acquisition Agreement (as defined below).

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual conditions and agreements set forth in this Agreement, and for good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders hereby agree as follows:

 

ARTICLE I

 

DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING TERMS

 

SECTION 1.01     Certain Defined Terms .

 

As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings (such meanings to be equally applicable to both the singular and plural forms of the terms defined):

 

Acquired Business ” has the meaning set forth in the recitals hereto.

 

Administrative Agent ” means Bank of America in its capacity as administrative agent under any of the Loan Documents, or any successor administrative agent.

 

Administrative Agent’s Office ” means the Administrative Agent’s address and, as appropriate, account as set forth on Schedule I, or such other address or account as the Administrative Agent may from time to time notify to the Borrower and the Lenders.

 

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

 

Affiliate ” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person that, directly or indirectly, controls, is controlled by or is under common control with such Person or is a director or officer of such Person.  For purposes of this definition, the term “control” (including the terms “controlling”, “controlled by” and “under common control with”) of a Person means the possession, direct or indirect, of the power to vote 10% or more of the

 

1



 

Voting Stock of such Person or to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such Person, whether through the ownership of Voting Stock, by contract or otherwise.

 

Agent Parties ” has the meaning specified in Section 8.02.

 

Aggregate Commitment ” means the Commitments of all of the Lenders hereunder.  The principal amount of the Aggregate Commitment in effect on the Effective Date is TWO BILLION EIGHT HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS ($2,800,000,000).

 

Agreement ” has the meaning specified in the introductory paragraph hereto.

 

Agreement Value ” means, with respect to any Hedge Agreement at any date of determination, the amount, if any, that would be payable to any bank thereunder in respect of the “agreement value” under such Hedge Agreement if such Hedge Agreement were terminated on such date, calculated as provided in the International Swap Dealers Association, Inc. Code of Standard Wording, Assumptions and Provisions for Swaps, 1986 Edition.

 

Alere ” has the meaning set forth in the recitals hereto.

 

Alere Acquisition ” has the meaning set forth in the recitals hereto.

 

Alere Acquisition Agreement ” means that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of January 30, 2016, as amended by that certain Amendment to Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of April 13, 2017, and by that certain [Amendment No. 2 to Agreement and Plan of Merger](1), dated as of September [  ], 2017 (including, in each case, the exhibits, joinder and schedules thereto), by and among the Borrower, Merger Sub and Alere.

 

Alere Acquisition Agreement Representations ” means the representations made by or with respect to the Acquired Business in the Alere Acquisition Agreement as are material to the interests of the Lenders, but only to the extent that the Borrower has (or a Subsidiary of it has) the right (taking into account any applicable cure provisions) to terminate its (or their) obligations under the Alere Acquisition Agreement, or to decline to consummate the Alere Acquisition pursuant to the Alere Acquisition Agreement, as a result of a breach of such representations in the Alere Acquisition Agreement.

 

Alere Acquisition Date ” means the date of the consummation of the Alere Acquisition.

 

Alere Transactions ” means the Alere Acquisition and the financing transactions in connection therewith, including the entering into and the borrowings under the

 


(1)  NTD: To be conformed to title of amendment.

 

2



 

Facility, the repayment of certain existing indebtedness of the Borrower and Acquired Business and the payment of certain fees and expenses in connection therewith.

 

Applicable Rate ” means, for any Type of Loan at any time, the percentage rate per annum which is applicable at such time with respect to Loans of such Type by reference to the then applicable Debt Ratings of the Borrower as set forth below:

 

 

 

Debt

 

Applicable Rate

 

Level

 

Ratings
(Moody’s/
S&P)

 

Base
Rate
Loans

 

Eurodollar
Rate Loans

 

I

 

> A2/A

 

0 bps

 

87.5 bps

 

II

 

A3/A-

 

0 bps

 

100.0 bps

 

III

 

Baa 1/BBB+

 

12.5 bps

 

112.5 bps

 

IV

 

Baa2/BBB

 

25.0 bps

 

125.0 bps

 

V

 

Baa3/BBB-

 

37.5 bps

 

137.5 bps

 

VI

 

< Ba1/ BB+

 

75.0 bps

 

175.0 bps

 

 

Debt Rating ” means, as of any date of determination, the rating as determined by S&P or Moody’s (collectively, the “ Debt Ratings ”) of the Borrower’s non-credit-enhanced, senior unsecured long-term debt; provided, that (a) if only one of S&P and Moody’s shall have in effect a Debt Rating, the Applicable Rate shall be determined by reference to the available Debt Rating; (b) if neither S&P nor Moody’s shall have in effect a Debt Rating, the Applicable Rate shall be set in accordance with Level VI until such time as either S&P or Moody’s shall have in effect a Debt Rating; (c) if the Debt Ratings established by S&P and Moody’s shall fall within different levels, the Applicable Rate shall be based upon the higher of such Debt Ratings, except that in the event that the lower of such Debt Ratings is more than one level below the higher of such Debt Ratings, the Applicable Rate shall be based upon the level immediately above the lower of such Debt Ratings; (d) if any Debt Rating established by S&P or Moody’s shall be changed, such change shall be effective as of the date on which such change is first announced publicly by the rating agency making such change and (e) if S&P or Moody’s shall change the basis on which Debt Ratings are established, each reference to the Debt Ratings announced by S&P or Moody’s, as the case may be, shall refer to the then equivalent rating by S&P or Moody’s, as the case may be.

 

Approved Fund ” means any Fund that is administered or managed by (a) a Lender, (b) an Affiliate of a Lender or (c) an entity or an Affiliate of an entity that administers or manages a Lender.

 

Assignee Group ” means two or more Eligible Assignees that are Affiliates of one another or two or more Approved Funds managed by the same investment advisor.

 

3



 

Assignment and Assumption ” means an assignment and assumption entered into by a Lender and an Eligible Assignee, and accepted by the Administrative Agent, in substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto.

 

Attorney Costs ” means and includes all reasonable fees, expenses and disbursements of any law firm or other external counsel and, without duplication, the allocated cost of internal legal services and all expenses and disbursements of internal counsel.

 

Attributable Debt ” means (except as otherwise provided in this paragraph), as to any particular lease under which any Person is at the time liable for a term of more than 12 months, at any date as of which the amount thereof is to be determined (the “ determination date ”), the total net amount of rent required to be paid by such Person under such lease during the remaining term thereof (excluding any subsequent renewal or other extension options held by the lessee), discounted from the respective due dates thereof to the determination date at the rate of 8% per annum, compounded monthly.  The net amount of rent required to be paid under any such lease for any such period shall be the aggregate amount of the rent payable by the lessee with respect to such period after excluding amounts required to be paid on account of maintenance and repairs, services, insurance, taxes, assessments, water rates and similar charges and contingent rents (such as those based on sales or monetary inflation).  If (a) any such lease is terminable by the lessee upon the payment of a penalty, (b) the terms of such lease provide that the termination right is not exercisable until after the determination date and (c) the amount of such penalty discounted to the determination date at the rate of 8% per annum compounded monthly is less than the net amount of rentals payable after the time as of which such termination could occur (the “ termination time ”) discounted to the determination date at the rate of 8% per annum compounded monthly, then such discounted penalty amount shall be used instead of such discounted amount of net rentals payable after the termination time in calculating the Attributable Debt for such lease.  If (i) any such lease is terminable by the lessee upon the payment of a penalty, (ii) such termination right is exercisable on the determination date and (iii) the amount of the net rentals payable under such lease after the determination date discounted to the determination date at the rate of 8% per annum compounded monthly is greater than the amount of such penalty, the Attributable Debt for such lease as of such determination date shall be equal to the amount of such penalty.

 

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

 

Bail-In Legislation ” means, with respect to any EEA Member Country implementing Article 55 of Directive 2014/59/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of the European Union, the implementing law for such EEA Member Country from time to time which is described in the EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule.

 

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

 

4



 

Base Rate ” means for any day a fluctuating rate per annum equal to the highest of (a) the Federal Funds Rate plus 1/2 of 1%, (b) the rate of interest in effect for such day as publicly announced from time to time by Bank of America as its “prime rate,” and (c) the Eurodollar Rate plus 1.00%.  The “prime rate” is a rate set by Bank of America based upon various factors including Bank of America’s costs and desired return, general economic conditions and other factors, and is used as a reference point for pricing some loans, which may be priced at, above, or below such announced rate.  Any change in such prime rate announced by Bank of America shall take effect at the opening of business on the day specified in the public announcement of such change.

 

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

 

Borrowed Debt ” means any Debt for money borrowed, including without limitation loans, hybrid securities, debt convertible into Equity Interests and any Debt represented by notes, bonds, debentures or other similar evidences of Debt for money borrowed.

 

Borrower ” has the meaning specified in the introductory paragraph hereto.

 

Borrower Materials ” has the meaning specified in Section 5.01(i).

 

Borrowing ” means a borrowing consisting of simultaneous Loans of the same Type and, in the case of Eurodollar Rate Loans, having the same Interest Period made by each of the Lenders pursuant to Section 2.01.

 

Business Day ” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks are authorized to close under the Laws of, or are in fact closed in, New York City or the state where the Administrative Agent’s Office is located and, if such day relates to any Eurodollar Rate Loan, means any such day on which dealings in Dollar deposits are conducted by and between banks in the London interbank eurodollar market.

 

Cash Management Agreement ” means any agreement to provide cash management services, including treasury, depository, overdraft, credit or debit card, electronic funds transfer and other cash management arrangements in a pooling arrangement.

 

Certain Funds Period has the meaning set forth in Section 3.03.

 

CERCLIS ” means the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Information System maintained by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

 

Change in Law ” means the occurrence, after the date of this Agreement, of any of the following: (a) the adoption or taking effect of any law, rule, regulation or treaty, (b) any change in any law, rule, regulation or treaty or in the administration, interpretation, implementation or application thereof by any Governmental Authority or (c) the making or issuance of any request, rule, guideline or directive (whether or not

 

5



 

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 and (y) all requests, rules, guidelines or directives promulgated by the Bank for International Settlements, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (or any successor or similar authority) or the United States or foreign regulatory authorities, in each case pursuant to Basel III, shall in each case be deemed to be a “Change in Law”, regardless of the date enacted, adopted or issued.

 

Closing Date ” means the date on which the conditions precedent set forth in Section 3.02 have been satisfied (or waived in accordance with Section 8.01).

 

Commitment ” means, as to each Lender, such Lender’s commitment to make a Loan on the Closing Date pursuant to Section 2.01 in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed the amount set forth opposite such Lender’s name in Schedule 2.01 or in the Assignment and Assumption pursuant to which such Lender becomes a party hereto, as applicable, as such amount may be adjusted from time to time in accordance with this Agreement.

 

Commitment Fee ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.08(a).

 

Consolidated ” refers to the consolidation of accounts in accordance with GAAP.

 

Consolidated Debt ” means, as of any date of determination, the aggregate amount of indebtedness for borrowed money, including indebtedness for borrowed money represented by notes, bonds, debentures or other similar evidences of indebtedness for borrowed money, of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a Consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.

 

Consolidated Group ” means the Borrower and its Subsidiaries.

 

Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio ” means, as of the last day of any period of four consecutive fiscal quarters of the Borrower, the ratio of (a) EBITDA for such period to (b) Interest Expense for such period.

 

Consolidated Net Assets ” means, as of any date of determination, the aggregate amount of assets of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries (less applicable reserves and other properly deductible items) after deducting therefrom all current liabilities, as of the last day of the most recent fiscal quarter prior to such date for which financial statements have been furnished to the Lenders pursuant to Section 5.01(i), as set forth in such financial statements (giving pro forma effect to any Material Asset Acquisition or Material Asset Sale of property of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries that has occurred since the end of such fiscal quarter as if such Material Asset Acquisition or Material Asset Sale had occurred on the last day of such fiscal quarter).

 

Consolidated Net Worth ” means, at any date of determination, (a) total assets of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries (including, without limitation, all items that are treated

 

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as intangibles in accordance with GAAP) at such date less (b) total liabilities of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries (including, without limitation, all deferred taxes) at such date, in each case determined on a Consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.

 

Continuing Director ” means, for any period, an individual who is a member of the board of directors of the Borrower on the first day of such period or whose election to the board of directors of the Borrower is approved by a majority of the other Continuing Directors.

 

Debt ” of any Person means, without duplication, (a) all indebtedness of such Person for borrowed money, (b) all obligations of such Person for the deferred purchase price of property or services (other than trade payables incurred in the ordinary course of such Person’s business), (c) all obligations of such Person evidenced by notes, bonds, debentures or other similar instruments, (d) all obligations of such Person created or arising under any conditional sale or other title retention agreement with respect to property acquired by such Person (even though the rights and remedies of the seller or lender under such agreement in the event of default are limited to repossession or sale of such property), (e) all obligations of such Person as lessee under leases that have been or should be, in accordance with GAAP, recorded as capital leases, (f) all obligations, contingent or otherwise, of such Person in respect of acceptances, letters of credit or similar extensions of credit, (g) all obligations of such Person in respect of Hedge Agreements, (h) all Debt of others referred to in clauses (a) through (g) above or clause (i) below directly guaranteed in any manner by such Person, or the payment of which is otherwise provided for by such Person, and (i) all Debt referred to in clauses (a) through (h) above secured by (or for which the holder of such Debt has an existing right, contingent or otherwise, to be secured by) any Lien on property (including, without limitation, accounts and contract rights) owned by such Person, even though such Person has not assumed or become liable for the payment of such Debt.

 

Debt Rating ” has the meaning set forth in the definition of “Applicable Rate”.

 

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

 

Default ” means any Event of Default or any event that would constitute an Event of Default but for the requirement that notice be given or time elapse or both.

 

Default Rate ” means an interest rate equal to (i) the Base Rate plus (ii) the Applicable Rate, if any, applicable to Base Rate Loans plus (iii) 2% per annum; provided , however , that with respect to a Eurodollar Rate Loan, the Default Rate shall be an interest rate equal to the interest rate (including any Applicable Rate) otherwise applicable to such Loan plus 2% per annum, in each case to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Laws.

 

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Defaulting Lender ” means, subject to Section 2.15(b), any Lender that (a) has failed to (i) fund all or any portion of its Loans within two Business Days of the date such Loans were required to be funded hereunder unless such Lender notifies the Administrative Agent and the Borrower in writing that such failure is the result of such Lender’s determination that one or more conditions precedent to funding (each of which conditions precedent, together with any applicable default, shall be specifically identified in such writing) has not been satisfied, or (ii) pay to the Administrative Agent or any other Lender any other amount required to be paid by it hereunder within two Business Days of the date when due, (b) has notified the Borrower or the Administrative Agent in writing that it does not intend to comply with its funding obligations hereunder, or has made a public statement to that effect (unless such writing or public statement relates to such Lender’s obligation to fund a Loan hereunder and states that such position is based on such Lender’s determination that a condition precedent to funding (which condition precedent, together with any applicable default, shall be specifically identified in such writing or public statement) cannot be satisfied), (c) has failed, within three Business Days after written request by the Administrative Agent or the Borrower, to confirm in writing to the Administrative Agent and the Borrower that it will comply with its prospective funding obligations hereunder ( provided that such Lender shall cease to be a Defaulting Lender pursuant to this clause (c) upon receipt of such written confirmation by the Administrative Agent and the Borrower), or (d) has, or has a direct or indirect parent company that has, (i) become the subject of a proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law, (ii) had appointed for it a receiver, custodian, conservator, trustee, administrator, assignee for the benefit of creditors or similar Person charged with reorganization or liquidation of its business or assets, including the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other state or federal regulatory authority acting in such a capacity or (iii) become the subject of a Bail-in Action; provided that a Lender shall not be a Defaulting Lender solely by virtue of (A) the ownership or acquisition of any equity interest in that Lender or any direct or indirect parent company thereof by a Governmental Authority or (B) in the case of a solvent Person, the precautionary appointment of an administrator, guardian or custodian or similar official by a Governmental Authority under or based on the law of the country where such Person is organized if the applicable law of such jurisdiction requires that such appointment not be publicly disclosed, so long as such ownership interest does not result in or provide such Lender with immunity from the jurisdiction of courts within the United States or from the enforcement of judgments or writs of attachment on its assets or permit such Lender (or such Governmental Authority) to reject, repudiate, disavow or disaffirm any contracts or agreements made with such Lender. Any determination by the Administrative Agent that a Lender is a Defaulting Lender under any one or more of clauses (a) through (d) above, and of the effective date of such status, shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest error, and such Lender shall be deemed to be a Defaulting Lender (subject to Section 2.15(b))  as of the date established therefor by the Administrative Agent in a written notice of such determination, which shall be delivered by the Administrative Agent to the Borrower and all Lenders promptly following such determination.

 

Designated Jurisdiction ” means any country, region or territory that is, or has a government that is, subject to comprehensive country-wide economic or financial

 

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sanctions or trade embargoes imposed, administered or enforced by any Person listed in the definition of “Sanctions” (the Designated Jurisdictions as of the Effective Date being Crimea, Cuba, Iran, Syria, Sudan and North Korea).

 

Dollars ” and the “ $ ” means lawful money of the United States.

 

Domestic Subsidiary ” means any Subsidiary of the Borrower substantially all the property of which is located, or substantially all of the business of which is carried on, within the United States (excluding its territories and possessions and Puerto Rico), provided , however , that the term shall not include any Subsidiary of the Borrower which (i) is engaged principally in the financing of operations outside of the United States or in leasing personal property or financing inventory, receivables or other property or (ii) does not own a Principal Domestic Property.

 

EBITDA ” means, for any period, the Consolidated net income of the Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries for such period plus, (A) to the extent deducted in computing such Consolidated net income for such period, the sum (without duplication) of (a) income and franchise tax expense, (b) Interest Expense, (c) depreciation and amortization, (d) net after-tax losses (including all fees and expenses or charges relating thereto) on sales of assets outside of the ordinary course of business and net after-tax losses from discontinued operations, (e) any net after-tax losses (including all fees and expenses or charges relating thereto) on the retirement of debt, (f) (i) non-cash extraordinary, unusual or otherwise non-recurring losses, expenses, fees and charges (including non-cash losses, expenses, fees and charges incurred in connection with any issuance of debt or equity, acquisitions, investments, restructuring activities, asset sales or divestitures permitted hereunder, and any non-cash integration and restructuring costs in connection with the St. Jude Transactions and the transactions contemplated by the Alere Acquisition Agreement (the “ Specified Transactions ”)) and (ii) cash extraordinary, unusual or otherwise non-recurring losses, expenses, fees and charges (including cash losses, expenses, fees and charges incurred in connection with any issuance of debt or equity, acquisitions, investments, restructuring activities, asset sales or divestitures permitted hereunder and any cash integration and restructuring costs in connection with the Specified Transactions) not to exceed 10% of EBITDA for such period, (g) all actual fees and expenses incurred in connection with the Specified Transactions and (h) non-cash stock compensation expense and minus (B) to the extent added in computing such Consolidated net income for such period, (a) net after-tax gains on sale of assets outside the ordinary course of business and net-after tax gains from discontinued operations, (b) any net after-tax gains on the retirement of debt and (c) extraordinary, unusual or otherwise non-recurring gains.

 

If the Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof engages in any Material Asset Acquisition or any Material Asset Sale, during any period in respect of which EBITDA is to be determined hereunder, such EBITDA will be determined on a pro forma basis as if such Material Asset Acquisition or such Material Asset Sale occurred on the first day of the relevant period.  For purposes of this definition, (i) “ Material Asset Sale ” means any disposition of property or series of related dispositions of property that involves consideration (including noncash consideration) with a fair market value in excess of

 

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$750,000,000 and (ii) “ Material Asset Acquisition ” means (x) the Alere Transactions, (y) the St. Jude Transactions and (z) any other acquisition (whether by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) of the assets or property of any other Person that involves consideration (including non-cash consideration) with a fair market value in excess of $750,000,000.

 

EEA Financial Institution ” means (a) any credit institution or investment firm established in any EEA Member Country which is subject to the supervision of an EEA Resolution Authority, (b) any entity established in an EEA Member Country which is a parent of an institution described in clause (a) of this definition, or (c) any financial institution established in an EEA Member Country which is a subsidiary of an institution described in clauses (a) or (b) of this definition and is subject to consolidated supervision with its parent.

 

EEA Member Country ” means any of the member states of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.

 

EEA Resolution Authority ” means any public administrative authority or any Person entrusted with public administrative authority of any EEA Member Country (including any delegee) having responsibility for the resolution of any EEA Financial Institution.

 

Effective Date has the meaning set forth in Section 3.01.

 

Eligible Assignee ” means any Person that meets the requirements to be an assignee under Section 8.07(b)(iii) and (v) (subject to such consents, if any, as may be required under Section 8.07(b)(iii)).

 

Environmental Action ” means any action, suit, demand, demand letter, claim, notice of noncompliance or violation, notice of liability or potential liability, investigation, proceeding, consent order or consent agreement relating in any way to any Environmental Law, Environmental Permit or Hazardous Materials or arising from alleged injury or threat of injury to health, safety or the environment, including, without limitation, (a) by any governmental or regulatory authority for enforcement, cleanup, removal, response, remedial or other actions or damages and (b) by any governmental or regulatory authority or any third party for damages, contribution, indemnification, cost recovery, compensation or injunctive relief.

 

Environmental Law ” means any federal, state, local or foreign statute, law, ordinance, rule, regulation, code, order, judgment, decree or judicial or agency interpretation, policy or guidance relating to pollution or protection of the environment, health, safety or natural resources, including, without limitation, those relating to the use, handling, transportation, treatment, storage, disposal, release or discharge of Hazardous Materials.

 

Environmental Liability ” means any liability, contingent or otherwise (including any liability for damages, costs of environmental remediation, fines, penalties or

 

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indemnities), of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries directly or indirectly resulting from or based upon (a) violation of any Environmental Law, (b) the generation, use, handling, transportation, storage, treatment or disposal of any Hazardous Materials, (c) exposure to any Hazardous Materials, (d) the release or threatened release of any Hazardous Materials into the environment or (e) any contract, agreement or other consensual arrangement pursuant to which liability is assumed or imposed with respect to any of the foregoing.

 

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

 

Equity Interests ” means any shares of capital stock, partnership interests, membership interests in a limited liability company, beneficial interests in a trust or other equity ownership interests in a Person, and any warrants, options or other rights entitling the holder thereof to purchase or acquire any such equity interest.

 

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

 

ERISA Affiliate ” means any Person that for purposes of Title IV of ERISA is a member of the Borrower’s controlled group, or under common control with the Borrower, within the meaning of Section 414 of the Internal Revenue Code.

 

ERISA Event ” means:

 

(a)                                  (i) the occurrence of a reportable event, within the meaning of Section 4043 of ERISA, with respect to any Plan unless the 30-day notice requirement with respect to such event has been waived by the PBGC, or (ii) the requirements of subsection (1) of Section 4043(b) of ERISA (without regard to subsection (2) of such Section) are being met with a contributing sponsor, as defined in Section 4001(a)(13) of ERISA, of a Plan, and an event described in paragraph (9), (10), (11), (12) or (13) of Section 4043(c) of ERISA is reasonably expected to occur with respect to such Plan within the following 30 days;

 

(b)                                  the application for a minimum funding waiver with respect to a Plan;

 

(c)                                   the provision by the administrator of any Plan of a notice of intent to terminate such Plan pursuant to Section 4041(a)(2) of ERISA (including any such notice with respect to a plan amendment referred to in Section 4041(e) of ERISA);

 

(d)                                  the cessation of operations at a facility of the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate in the circumstances described in Section 4062(e) of ERISA;

 

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(e)                                   the withdrawal by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from a Multiple Employer Plan during a plan year for which it was a substantial employer, as defined in Section 4001(a)(2) of ERISA;

 

(f)                                    the conditions for the imposition of a lien under Section 303(k) of ERISA shall have been met with respect to any Plan; or

 

(g)                                   the institution by the PBGC of proceedings to terminate a Plan pursuant to Section 4042 of ERISA, or the occurrence of any event or condition described in Section 4042 of ERISA that could constitute grounds for the termination of, or the appointment of a trustee to administer, a Plan.

 

EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule ” means the EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule published by the Loan Market Association (or any successor Person), as in effect from time to time.

 

Eurocurrency Liabilities ” has the meaning specified in Regulation D of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, as in effect from time to time.

 

Eurodollar Rate ” means,

 

(a)                                  for any Interest Period with respect to a Eurodollar Rate Loan, the rate per annum equal to the London Interbank Offered Rate, or a comparable or successor rate which rate is approved by the Administrative Agent, as published on the applicable Bloomberg screen page (or such other commercially available source providing such quotations as may be designated by the Administrative Agent from time to time) (in such case, the “ LIBOR Rate ”) at or about 11:00 a.m., London time, two (2) Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period, for Dollar deposits (for delivery on the first day of such Interest Period) with a term equivalent to such Interest Period ( provided that if the LIBOR Rate shall be less than zero, such rate shall be deemed zero for purposes of this Agreement);

 

(b)                                  for any interest calculation with respect to a Base Rate Loan on any date, the rate per annum equal to the LIBOR Rate, at or about 11:00 a.m., London time, two (2) Business Days prior to such date for Dollar deposits with a term of one (1) month commencing that day; and

 

(c)                                   if the Eurodollar Rate shall be less than zero, such rate shall be deemed zero for purposes of this Agreement;

 

provided that to the extent a comparable or successor rate is approved by the Administrative Agent in connection herewith, the approved rate shall be applied in a manner consistent with market practice; provided , further that to the extent such market practice is not administratively feasible for the Administrative Agent, such approved rate shall be applied in a manner as otherwise reasonably determined by the Administrative Agent.

 

Eurodollar Rate Loan ” means a Loan that bears interest at a rate based on clause (a) of the definition of “Eurodollar Rate”.

 

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Events of Default ” has the meaning specified in Section 6.01.

 

Excluded Taxes ” means any of the following Taxes imposed on or with respect to any Recipient or required to be withheld or deducted from a payment to a Recipient, (a) Taxes imposed on or measured by net income (however denominated), franchise Taxes, and branch profits Taxes, in each case, (i) imposed as a result of such Recipient being organized under the laws of, or having its principal office or, in the case of any Lender, its Lending Office located in, the jurisdiction imposing such Tax (or any political subdivision thereof) or (ii) that are Other Connection Taxes, (b) in the case of a Lender, U.S. federal withholding Taxes imposed on amounts payable to or for the account of such Lender with respect to an applicable interest in a Loan or Commitment pursuant to a law in effect on the date on which (i) such Lender acquires such interest in the Loan or Commitment (other than pursuant to an assignment request by the Borrower under Section 8.15) or (ii) such Lender changes its Lending Office, except in each case to the extent that, pursuant to Section 2.16(a)(ii), (a)(iii) or (c), amounts with respect to such Taxes were payable either to such Lender’s assignor immediately before such Lender became a party hereto or to such Lender immediately before it changed its Lending Office, (c) Taxes attributable to such Recipient’s failure to comply with Section 2.16(e) and (d) any U.S. federal withholding Taxes imposed pursuant to FATCA.

 

Facility ” means the up to $2,800,000,000 term loan facility established hereunder.

 

FATCA ” means Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Internal Revenue Code, as of the date of this Agreement (or any amended or successor version that is substantively comparable and not materially more onerous to comply with), any current or future regulations or official interpretations thereof, any agreements entered into pursuant to Section 1471(b)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code, any published intergovernmental agreement entered into in connection with the implementation of such Sections of the Internal Revenue Code and any fiscal or regulatory legislation adopted pursuant to such published intergovernmental agreements.

 

Federal Funds Rate ” means, for any day, the rate per annum equal to the weighted average of the rates on overnight Federal funds transactions with members of the Federal Reserve System, as published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on the Business Day next succeeding such day; provided that (a) if such day is not a Business Day, the Federal Funds Rate for such day shall be such rate on such transactions on the next preceding Business Day as so published on the next succeeding Business Day, (b) if no such rate is so published on such next succeeding Business Day, the Federal Funds Rate for such day shall be the average rate (rounded upward, if necessary, to a whole multiple of 1/100 of 1%) charged to Bank of America on such day on such transactions as determined by the Administrative Agent and (c) if the Federal Funds Rate shall be less than zero, such rate shall be deemed zero for purposes of this Agreement.

 

Fee Letter ” means the Amended and Restated Fee Letter dated as of July 27, 2017 among the Borrower, the Lead Arrangers and the Administrative Agent.

 

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Foreign Lender ” means (a) if the Borrower is a U.S. Person, a Lender that is not a U.S. Person, and (b) if the Borrower is not a U.S. Person, a Lender that is resident or organized under the laws of a jurisdiction other than that in which the Borrower is resident for tax purposes.  For purposes of this definition, the United States, each State thereof and the District of Columbia shall be deemed to constitute a single jurisdiction.

 

Fund ” means any Person (other than a natural Person) that is (or will be) engaged in making, purchasing, holding or otherwise investing in commercial loans and similar extensions of credit in the ordinary course of its activities.

 

Funded Debt ” means (i) the Loans and (ii) Debt of the Borrower (other than Debt in respect of the Loans or Debt subordinated in right of payment to the Loans) or Debt of any wholly-owned Domestic Subsidiary, for money borrowed, having a stated maturity of more than 12 months from the date of application of sale/leaseback proceeds or which is extendible at the option of the obligor thereon to a date more than 12 months from the date of such application.

 

GAAP ” has the meaning specified in Section 1.03.

 

Governmental Authority ” means any nation or government, any state or other political subdivision thereof, any agency, authority, instrumentality, regulatory body, court, administrative tribunal, central bank or other entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory or administrative powers or functions of or pertaining to government (including any supra-national bodies such as the European Union or the European Central Bank).

 

Guarantee ” has the meaning specified in Section 9.02.

 

Guaranteed Obligations ” has the meaning specified in Section 9.02.

 

Guarantors ” means after the Effective Date, any Subsidiary of the Borrower that becomes a Guarantor pursuant to Section 9.01; provided that upon the release or discharge of any Subsidiary from its Guarantee in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, such Person shall cease to be a Guarantor; provided , further , that as of the Effective Date, there shall be no Guarantors under this Agreement or any other Loan Document.

 

Hazardous Materials ” means (a) petroleum and petroleum products, byproducts or breakdown products, radioactive materials, asbestos-containing materials, polychlorinated biphenyls and radon gas and (b) any other chemicals, materials or substances designated, classified or regulated as “hazardous” or “toxic” or as a “pollutant” or “contaminant” under any Environmental Law.

 

Hedge Agreements ” means interest rate swap, cap or collar agreements, interest rate future or option contracts, currency swap agreements, currency future or option contracts and other similar agreements.

 

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HSBC Entity ” means any entity containing “Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation” or “HSBC” in its name; Bank of Communications; Hang Seng Bank; or Saudi British Bank.

 

Impacted Loans ” has the meaning specified in Section 2.18.

 

Indemnified Person ” has the meaning specified in Section 8.04(b).

 

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

 

Information ” has the meaning specified in Section 8.08.

 

Information Memorandum ” means the information memorandum dated July 7, 2017 used by the Lead Arrangers in connection with the Alere Transactions.

 

Interest Expense ” means, for any period, the interest expense of the Borrower and its Consolidated Subsidiaries for such period determined on a Consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP, excluding (i) non-cash interest expense attributable to the movement in mark-to-market valuation under Hedge Agreements, (ii) non-cash interest expense attributable to the amortization of gains or losses resulting from the termination of Hedge Agreements prior to or reasonably contemporaneously with the Alere Acquisition Date, (iii) any make whole or prepayment premiums, write offs or Hedge Agreement termination costs and similar premiums and costs related to the Alere Transactions or the St. Jude Transactions, (iv) amortization of deferred financing fees and (v) expensing of bridge or other financing fees of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries.

 

Interest Payment Date ” means, (a) as to any Loan other than a Base Rate Loan, the last day of each Interest Period applicable to such Loan and the Maturity Date; provided , however , that if any Interest Period for a Eurodollar Rate Loan exceeds three months, the respective dates that fall every three months after the beginning of such Interest Period shall also be Interest Payment Dates; and (b) as to any Base Rate Loan, the last Business Day of each March, June, September and December and the Maturity Date.

 

Interest Period ” means, as to each Eurodollar Rate Loan, the period commencing on the date such Eurodollar Rate Loan is disbursed or converted to or continued as a Eurodollar Rate Loan and ending on the date one, two, three or six months thereafter (in each case, subject to availability), as selected by the Borrower in its Loan Notice; provided that:

 

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

 

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month, in which case such Interest Period shall end on the next preceding Business Day;

 

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

 

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

 

Internal Revenue Code ” or the “ Code ” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, and the regulations promulgated and the rulings issued thereunder.

 

IRS ” means the United States Internal Revenue Service.

 

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

 

Lead Arrangers ” means Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (or any other registered broker-dealer wholly-owned by Bank of America Corporation to which all or substantially all of Bank of America Corporation’s or any of its subsidiaries’ investment banking, commercial lending services or related businesses may be transferred following the date of this Agreement), Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Inc. and Barclays Bank PLC.

 

Lenders ” has the meaning specified in the introductory paragraph hereto.

 

Lending Office ” means, as to any Lender, the office or offices of such Lender described as such in such Lender’s Administrative Questionnaire, or such other office or offices as a Lender may from time to time notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent.

 

LIBOR Rate ” has the meaning specified in the definition of Eurodollar Rate.

 

Lien ” means any lien, security interest or other charge or encumbrance of any kind, or any other type of preferential arrangement, including, without limitation, the lien or retained security title of a conditional vendor and any easement, right of way or other encumbrance on title to real property.

 

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Loan ” means any loan made by the Lenders to the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.01.  A Loan may be a Base Rate Loan or a Eurodollar Rate Loan, each of which shall be a “Type” of Loan.

 

Loan Documents ” means this Agreement, any joinder document pursuant to which a Subsidiary of the Borrower joins this Agreement as a Guarantor, the Fee Letter and any Notes, security agreements or other documents entered into in connection herewith.

 

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

 

Loan Parties ” means the Borrower and each Guarantor (if any).

 

Material Adverse Effect ” means a material adverse effect on (a) the financial condition or results of operations of the Borrower or the Borrower and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (b) the rights and remedies of the Administrative Agent or any Lender under this Agreement, taken as a whole, or (c) the ability of the Loan Parties to perform their obligations under this Agreement.

 

Material Asset Acquisition ” has the meaning specified in the definition of “EBITDA”.

 

Material Asset Sale ” has the meaning specified in the definition of “EBITDA”.

 

Material Debt ” means any Debt instrument of any Loan Party evidencing Borrowed Debt (or commitments to provide the same) in excess for any such instrument of $250,000,000 in aggregate principal amount outstanding or committed (including the Revolving Credit Agreement).

 

Maturity Date ” means, as applicable, the earlier of (i) the date that is five (5) years after the Closing Date and (ii) the date on which the maturity of the Loans is accelerated in accordance with the terms hereof, provided , however , if such date is not a Business Day, the next preceding Business Day.

 

Merger Sub ” has the meaning set forth in the recitals hereto.

 

Moody’s ” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (or any successor thereof).

 

Multiemployer Plan ” means a multiemployer plan, as defined in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA, to which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate is making or accruing an obligation to make contributions, or has within any of the preceding five plan years made or accrued an obligation to make contributions.

 

17



 

Multiple Employer Plan ” means a single employer plan, as defined in Section 4001(a)(15) of ERISA, that (a) is maintained for employees of the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate and at least one Person other than the Borrower and the ERISA Affiliates or (b) was so maintained and in respect of which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate could have liability under Section 4064 or 4069 of ERISA in the event such plan has been or were to be terminated.

 

Non-Consenting Lender ” means any Lender that does not approve any consent, waiver or amendment that (a) requires the approval of all Lenders or all affected Lenders in accordance with the terms of Section 8.01 and (b) has been approved by the Required Lenders.

 

Non-Defaulting Lender ” means, at any time, each Lender that is not a Defaulting Lender at such time.

 

Note ” means a promissory note made by the Borrower in favor of a Lender evidencing Loans made by such Lender, substantially in the form of Exhibit D.

 

NPL ” means the National Priorities List under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, as amended from time to time.

 

Obligations ” means all advances to, and debts, liabilities, obligations, covenants and duties of, the Borrower arising under any Loan Document or otherwise with respect to any Loan, whether direct or indirect (including those acquired by assumption), absolute or contingent, due or to become due, now existing or hereafter arising and including interest and fees that accrue after the commencement by or against the Borrower or any Affiliate thereof of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Laws naming such Person as the debtor in such proceeding, regardless of whether such interest and fees are allowed claims in such proceeding.

 

OFAC ” means the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.

 

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.

 

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

 

18



 

imposing such Tax (other than connections arising from such Recipient having executed, delivered, become a party to, performed its obligations under, received payments under, received or perfected a security interest under, engaged in any other transaction pursuant to or enforced any Loan Document, or sold or assigned an interest in any Loan or Loan Document).

 

Other Taxes ” means all present or future stamp, court or documentary, intangible, recording, filing or similar Taxes that arise from any payment made under, from the execution, delivery, performance, enforcement or registration of, from the receipt or perfection of a security interest under, or otherwise with respect to, any Loan Document, except any such Taxes that are Other Connection Taxes imposed with respect to an assignment (other than an assignment made pursuant to Section 2.21).

 

Participant ” has the meaning specified in Section 8.07(d).

 

Participant Register ” has the meaning specified in Section 8.07(d).

 

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. 107-56, signed into law October 26, 2001.

 

Payment Date ” has the meaning specified in Section 2.06.

 

PBGC ” means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (or any successor thereto).

 

Permitted Receivables Facility ” means one or more accounts receivable securitization arrangements which provide for (i) the sale of accounts receivable and any related property by the Borrower and/or any of its Subsidiaries to a financing party or a special purpose vehicle and (ii) if a special purpose vehicle is used in any such arrangements, the granting of a security interest in accounts receivables and any related property by such special purpose vehicle and/or the granting of a security interest by the Borrower or such Subsidiary in any such related property.

 

Permitted Refinancing ” means, with respect to any Debt or other obligation, any replacement, refinancing, refunding, renewal or extension of such Debt or other obligation that does not increase the outstanding principal amount thereof (except in respect of unpaid premiums (if any), unpaid interest (including post-petition interest) and fees, expenses and charges resulting from any such replacement, refinancing, refunding, renewal or extension).

 

Person ” means an individual, partnership, corporation (including a business trust), joint stock company, trust, unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company or other entity, or a government or any political subdivision or agency thereof.

 

Plan ” means a Single Employer Plan or a Multiple Employer Plan.

 

19



 

Platform ” has the meaning specified in Section 5.01(i).

 

Principal Domestic Property ” means any building, structure or other facility, together with the land upon which it is erected and fixtures comprising a part thereof, used primarily for manufacturing, processing, research, warehousing or distribution and located in the United States (excluding its territories and possessions and Puerto Rico) owned or leased by a member of the Consolidated Group the net book value of which on the date as of which the determination is being made exceeds 2% of Consolidated Net Assets, other than any such building structure or other facility or portion of any thereof (a) which is an air or water pollution control facility financed by obligations issued by a State or local governmental unit or (b) which the Chief Executive Officer, any President, the Chief Financial Officer, the Controller or the Treasurer of the Borrower determines in good faith is not of material importance to the total business conducted, or assets owned, by the Consolidated Group taken as a whole.

 

Pro Rata Share ” means, with respect to each Lender at any time, a fraction (expressed as a percentage, carried out to the ninth decimal place), (i) prior to the funding of the Loans on the Closing Date, the numerator of which is the amount of the Commitments of such Lender at such time, subject to adjustment as provided in Section 2.15, and the denominator of which is the amount of the Aggregate Commitments of all Lenders at such time and (ii) on or after the funding of the Loans on the Closing Date, the numerator of which is the amount of the Loans outstanding of such Lender at such time and the denominator of which is the amount of the sum of the Loans of all Lenders outstanding at such time.  The initial Pro Rata Share of each Lender is set forth opposite the name of such Lender on Schedule 2.01 or in the Assignment and Assumption pursuant to which such Lender becomes a party hereto, as applicable.

 

Proceeding ” has the meaning specified in Section 8.04(b).

 

Projections ” shall mean the projections (if any) of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries included in the Information Memorandum and any other projections and any forward looking statements (including statements with respect to booked business) of such entities furnished to the Lenders or the Administrative Agent by or on behalf of the Borrower prior to the Closing Date.

 

Recipient ” means the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any other recipient of any payment to be made by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower hereunder.

 

Register ” has the meaning specified in Section 8.07(c).

 

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

 

Related Person ” means, as to any Indemnified Person, (a) any controlling Person, controlled Affiliate or Subsidiary of such Indemnified Person, (b) the respective directors, officers or employees of such Indemnified Person or any of its Subsidiaries,

 

20



 

controlled Affiliates or controlling Persons and (c) the respective agents and advisors of such Indemnified Person or any of its Subsidiaries, controlled Affiliates or controlling Persons.

 

Removal Effective Date ” has the meaning specified in Section 7.06(b).

 

Required Lenders ” means, at any time, Lenders having a Pro Rata Share representing (i) prior to the funding of the Loans on the Closing Date, more than 50% of the Aggregate Commitments and (ii) on or after the funding of the Loans on the Closing Date, more than 50% in the aggregate of the Loans outstanding; provided that, if there is only one Lender, only the consent of that Lender shall be required.  The Pro Rata Share of any Defaulting Lender and all of its Commitments and/or Loans outstanding shall be disregarded in determining Required Lenders at any time.

 

Resignation Effective Date ” has the meaning specified in Section 7.06(a).

 

Responsible Officer ” means the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the Treasurer, the Controller, any Assistant Treasurer and the General Counsel of the Borrower (or other executive officer of the Borrower performing similar functions), or any other officer of the Borrower responsible for overseeing or reviewing compliance with this Agreement, and solely for purposes of the delivery of incumbency certificates on or prior to the Effective Date , the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Borrower.  Any document delivered hereunder that is signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower shall be conclusively presumed to have been authorized by all necessary corporate, partnership and/or other action on the part of the Borrower and such Responsible Officer shall be conclusively presumed to have acted on behalf of the Borrower.

 

Revolving Credit Agreement ” means the U.S.$5,000,000,000 Five Year Credit Agreement, dated as of July 10, 2014, among the Borrower, the lenders party thereto and the Administrative Agent, as amended, restated or otherwise modified from time to time.

 

S&P ” means Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (or any successor thereof).

 

Sale and Leaseback Transaction ” has the meaning specified in Section 5.02(d).

 

Sanction(s) ” means any economic or trade sanction enacted, imposed, administered or enforced by the United States Government (including, without limitation, the U.S. Department of State and OFAC), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury or other relevant sanctions authority.

 

Significant Subsidiary ” means any Subsidiary of the Borrower that constitutes a “significant subsidiary” under Regulation S-X promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission, as in effect from time to time.

 

Single Employer Plan ” means a single employer plan, as defined in Section 4001(a)(15) of ERISA, that (a) is maintained for employees of the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate and no Person other than the Borrower and the ERISA Affiliates or

 

21



 

(b) was so maintained and in respect of which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate could have liability under Section 4069 of ERISA in the event such plan has been or were to be terminated.

 

Solvent ” means that, on and as of the Closing Date and immediately after giving effect to the consummation of the Alere Transactions, (a) the (i) the fair value of the assets of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, at a fair valuation, will exceed the debts and liabilities, direct, subordinated, contingent or otherwise, of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis; (ii) the present fair saleable value of the property of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis will be greater than the amount that will be required to pay the probable liability of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis on their debts and other liabilities, direct, subordinated, contingent or otherwise, as such debts and other liabilities become absolute and matured; (iii) the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis will be able to pay their debts and liabilities, direct, subordinated, contingent or otherwise, as such debts and liabilities become absolute and matured; and (iv) the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis will not have unreasonably small capital with which to conduct the businesses in which they are engaged as such businesses are now conducted and are proposed to be conducted following the Closing Date and (b) the Borrower does not intend to, and the Borrower does not believe that it or any of its Subsidiaries will, incur debts beyond its ability to pay such debts as they mature, taking into account the timing and amounts of cash to be received by it or any such Subsidiary and the timing and amounts of cash to be payable on or in respect of its debts or the debts of any such Subsidiary.

 

Specified Representations ” mean the representations and warranties under Sections 4.01(a); 4.01(b)(i); 4.01(b)(ii); 4.01(b)(iii)(A); 4.01(b)(iii)(B) (limited to conflicts with any Material Debt and without giving effect to any “material adverse effect” qualification); 4.01(d); 4.01(e); 4.01(g) (with respect to the Borrower only); 4.01(o) (with respect to the Borrower only); 4.01(q)(ii); 4.01(s)(ii) (solely with respect to the Borrower and the PATRIOT Act); and 4.01(t).

 

St. Jude ” means St. Jude Medical, Inc., a Minnesota corporation.

 

St. Jude Acquisition ” means the acquisition of St. Jude by the Borrower on January 4, 2017.

 

St. Jude Transactions ” means the St. Jude Acquisition and the financing transactions in connection therewith, the repayment of certain existing indebtedness of the Borrower and St. Jude and the payment of certain fees and expenses in connection therewith.

 

Subsidiary ” means, with respect to any Person, any corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, trust or estate of which (or in which) more than 50% of (a) the issued and outstanding capital stock having ordinary voting power to elect a majority of the board of directors of such corporation (irrespective of whether at the time capital stock of any other class or classes of such corporation shall or might have

 

22



 

voting power upon the occurrence of any contingency), (b) the interest in the capital or profits of such limited liability company, partnership or joint venture or (c) the beneficial interest in such trust or estate is at the time directly or indirectly owned or controlled by such Person, by such Person and one or more of its other Subsidiaries or by one or more of such Person’s other Subsidiaries.

 

Target Material Adverse Effect ” means a “Material Adverse Effect” (as defined in the Alere Acquisition Agreement as in effect on September [  ], 2017).

 

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

 

Termination Date ” means the earliest to occur of (a) 11:59 p.m. New York City time on [  ](2), (b) the consummation of the Alere Acquisition without the use of the Facility and (c) the date of any termination in accordance with the terms of the Alere Acquisition Agreement of the Borrower’s obligations under the Alere Acquisition Agreement to consummate the Alere Acquisition.

 

Total Capitalization ” means Consolidated Debt plus Consolidated Net Worth.

 

Type ” means, with respect to a Loan, its character as a Base Rate Loan or a Eurodollar Rate Loan.

 

United States ” and “ U.S. ” each means the United States of America.

 

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 2.16(e)(ii)(B)(III).

 

Voting Stock ” means shares of capital stock issued by a corporation, or equivalent interests in any other Person, the holders of which are ordinarily, in the absence of contingencies, entitled to vote for the election of directors (or persons performing similar functions) of such Person, even if the right so to vote has been suspended by the happening of such a contingency.

 

Withdrawal Liability ” has the meaning specified in Part I of Subtitle E of Title IV of ERISA.

 

Write-Down and Conversion Powers ” means, with respect to any EEA Resolution Authority, the write-down and conversion powers of such EEA Resolution Authority from time to time under the Bail-In Legislation for the applicable EEA

 


(2)  NTD:  To match extended outside date in acquisition agreement.

 

23



 

Member Country, which write-down and conversion powers are described in the EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule.

 

SECTION 1.02               Computation of Time Periods .  In this Agreement, in the computation of periods of time from a specified date to a later specified date, the word “from” means “from and including”, the word “through” means “through and including” and each of the words “to” and “until” mean “to but excluding”.

 

SECTION 1.03               Accounting Terms .  Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all accounting terms not specifically defined herein shall be construed in accordance with, and all financial data (including financial calculations) required to be submitted pursuant to this Agreement shall be prepared in conformity with, generally accepted accounting principles as in effect in the United States from time to time (“ GAAP ”).  If at any time any change in GAAP would affect the calculation of any covenant set forth herein and either the Borrower or the Required Lenders shall so request, the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the Borrower shall negotiate in good faith to amend such covenant to preserve the original intent thereof in light of such change in GAAP (subject to the approval of the Required Lenders); provided that, until so amended, (i) such covenant shall continue to be calculated in accordance with GAAP prior to such change and (ii) the Borrower shall provide to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders, concurrently with the delivery of any financial statements or reports with respect to such covenant, statements setting forth a reconciliation between calculations of such covenant made before and after giving effect to such change in GAAP.

 

SECTION 1.04               Times of Day .  Unless otherwise specified, all references herein to times of day shall be references to Central time (daylight or standard, as applicable).

 

ARTICLE II

 

THE COMMITMENTS AND LOANS

 

SECTION 2.01     The Loans .  Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, each Lender severally agrees to make a Loan to the Borrower, in a single drawing on the Closing Date, the proceeds of which shall be used in accordance with Section 2.14; provided that the outstanding principal amount of such Loan made by such Lender shall not exceed such Lender’s Commitment in effect immediately prior to making such Loan.  The Loans shall be made ratably among the Lenders in accordance with their Pro Rata Share of Commitments.  Any amount borrowed under this Section 2.01 and subsequently repaid or prepaid may not be reborrowed.  Each Lender’s  Commitment shall terminate immediately and without further action on the earlier of (i) the Closing Date, after giving effect to the funding of such Lender’s Commitment on the Closing Date and (ii) the Termination Date.  Loans may be Base Rate Loans or Eurodollar Rate Loans, as further provided herein.

 

SECTION 2.02               Borrowings, Conversions and Continuations of the Loans .

 

(a)                                  Each Borrowing, each conversion of Loans from one Type to the other, and each continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be made upon the Borrower’s notice to the Administrative Agent, which may be given by (A) telephone, or (B) a Loan Notice; provided that

 

24



 

any telephonic notice by the Borrower must be confirmed immediately by delivery to the Administrative Agent of a Loan Notice.  Each Loan Notice must be received by the Administrative Agent not later than 12:00 p.m., (i) two Business Days prior to the requested date of any Borrowing of Eurodollar Rate Loans or three Business Days prior to the requested date of any conversion to or continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans or of any conversion of Eurodollar Rate Loans to Base Rate Loans, and (ii) on the requested date of any Borrowing of Base Rate Loans.  Each Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be in a principal amount of $5,000,000 or a whole multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof.  Each Borrowing of or conversion to Base Rate Loans shall be in a principal amount of $500,000 or a whole multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof.  Each Loan Notice shall specify (i) whether the Borrower is requesting a Borrowing, a conversion of Loans from one Type to the other, or a continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans, (ii) the requested date of the Borrowing, conversion or continuation, as the case may be (which shall be a Business Day), (iii) the principal amount of Loans to be borrowed, converted or continued, (iv) the Type of Loans to be borrowed (or to which Type the existing Loans are to be converted), and (v) if applicable, the duration of the Interest Period with respect thereto.  If the Borrower fails to specify a Type of Loan in a Loan Notice or if the Borrower fails to give a timely notice requesting a conversion or continuation, then the applicable Loans shall be made as, or converted to, Base Rate Loans.  Any such automatic conversion to Base Rate Loans shall be effective as of the last day of the Interest Period then in effect with respect to the applicable Eurodollar Rate Loans.  If the Borrower requests a Borrowing of, conversion to, or continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans in any such Loan Notice, but fails to specify an Interest Period, it will be deemed to have specified an Interest Period of one month.  Each Loan Notice requesting a Borrowing on the Closing Date may be revoked (or, in the alternative, be modified to reduce the aggregate amount of such requested Borrowing) by the Borrower by notice to the Administrative Agent at any time prior to 8:00 a.m. on the date designated for such Borrowing in the applicable Loan Notice; provided , that the Borrower shall compensate any Lender upon demand in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.20(b) for any loss, cost or expense incurred by such Lender as a result of any such revocation or modification of a Loan Notice requesting a Borrowing on the Closing Date.

 

(b)                                  Following receipt of a Loan Notice, the Administrative Agent shall promptly notify each Lender of the amount of its Pro Rata Share of the applicable Loans, and if no timely notice of a conversion or continuation is provided by the Borrower, the Administrative Agent shall notify each Lender of the details of any automatic conversion to Base Rate Loans described in the preceding subsection.  In the case of a Borrowing, each Lender shall make the amount of its Loan available to the Administrative Agent in immediately available funds at the Administrative Agent’s Office not later than (i) in the case of Eurodollar Rate Loans, 12:00 p.m. on the Business Day specified in the applicable Loan Notice or (ii) in the case of Base Rate Loans, 2:00 p.m. on the Business Day specified in the applicable Loan Notice.  Upon satisfaction of the applicable conditions set forth in Section 3.02 , the Administrative Agent shall make all funds so received available to the Borrower in like funds as received by the Administrative Agent either by (i) crediting the account of the Borrower on the books of Bank of America with the amount of such funds or (ii) wire transfer of such funds, in each case in accordance with instructions provided to (and reasonably acceptable to) the Administrative Agent by the Borrower.

 

25



 

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

 

(d)                                  The Administrative Agent shall promptly notify the Borrower and the Lenders of the interest rate applicable to any Interest Period for Eurodollar Rate Loans upon determination of such interest rate.  The determination of the Eurodollar Rate by the Administrative Agent shall be conclusive in the absence of manifest error.  At any time that Base Rate Loans are outstanding, the Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and the Lenders of any change in Bank of America’s prime rate used in determining the Base Rate promptly following the public announcement of such change.

 

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

 

SECTION 2.03               Termination or Reduction of Aggregate Commitments.

 

(a)                                  Optional Reductions . The Borrower may, upon notice to the Administrative Agent, terminate the Aggregate Commitments, or from time to time permanently reduce the Aggregate Commitments; provided , that (i) any such notice shall be received by the Administrative Agent not later than 12:00 noon three (3) Business Days prior to the date of such termination or reduction, (ii) any such partial reduction shall be in an aggregate amount of $5,000,000 or any whole multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof or, if less, the Aggregate Commitments and (iii) any such notice may state that such notice is conditioned upon the consummation of another transaction, in which case such notice may be revoked by the Borrower (by notice to the Administrative Agent on or prior to the specified effective date) if such condition is not satisfied. The Administrative Agent will promptly notify the Lenders of any such termination or reduction of the Commitments.

 

SECTION 2.04               Prepayments.

 

(a)                                  The Borrower may, upon notice to the Administrative Agent, at any time or from time to time voluntarily prepay ratably any Loans then outstanding in whole or in part without premium or penalty; provided that such notice must be (i) in substantially the form of Exhibit F hereto (or such other form reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent) and (ii) received by the Administrative Agent not later than 12:00 noon (A) three (3) Business Days prior to any date of prepayment of Eurodollar Rate Loans and (B) on the date of prepayment of Base Rate Loans; (iii) any prepayment of Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be in a principal amount of $5,000,000 or a whole multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof; and (iv) any prepayment of Base Rate Loans shall be in a principal amount of $500,000 or a whole multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof or, in each case, 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 Eurodollar Rate Loans are to be prepaid, the Interest Period(s) of such Loans.  The Administrative Agent will promptly notify each applicable Lender of its receipt of each such notice, and of the amount of such Lender’s Pro Rata Share of such prepayment.  If such notice is

 

26



 

given by the Borrower, the Borrower shall make such prepayment and the payment amount specified in such notice shall be due and payable on the date specified therein; provided , that a notice of prepayment delivered by the Borrower may state that such notice is conditioned upon the consummation of another transaction, in which case such notice may be revoked by the Borrower (by notice to the Administrative Agent on or prior to the specified effective date) if such condition is not satisfied; provided , further that the Borrower shall compensate and hold harmless any Lender from any loss, cost or expense incurred by such Lender in accordance with Section 2.20 as a result of the failure to make such prepayment.  Any prepayment of a Eurodollar Rate Loan shall be accompanied by all accrued interest thereon, together with any additional amounts required pursuant to Section 2.20.

 

SECTION 2.05               [Reserved] .

 

SECTION 2.06               Repayment of Loans .  The Borrower hereby unconditionally promises to repay the outstanding Loans as follows: (a) to the Administrative Agent for the ratable account of each Lender on the last Business Day of the first full calendar quarter following the Closing Date and on the last Business Day of each successive calendar quarter thereafter prior to the Maturity Date (each, a “ Payment Date ”), the applicable percentage determined in accordance with the grid set forth below on the aggregate principal amount of the Loans made on the Closing Date and (b) to the Administrative Agent for the ratable account of the Lenders on the Maturity Date, the remaining outstanding principal amount of Loans made to the Borrower on the Closing Date then outstanding.

 

Amortization Periods

 

Applicable
Percentage
Per Payment Date

 

Each of the first four Payment Dates

 

0.00

%

Each of the fifth through twelfth Payment Dates

 

1.25

%

Each Payment Date thereafter, up to the Maturity Date

 

2.50

%

 

SECTION 2.07               Interest .

 

(a)                                  Subject to the provisions of subsection (b) below, (i) each Eurodollar Rate Loan shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof for each Interest Period at a rate per annum equal to the Eurodollar Rate for such Interest Period plus the Applicable Rate; and (ii) each Base Rate Loan shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof from the applicable borrowing date at a rate per annum equal to the Base Rate plus the Applicable Rate.

 

(b)                                  If any amount payable by the Borrower under any Loan Document is not paid when due (without regard to any applicable grace periods), whether at stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise, such amount shall thereafter bear interest at a fluctuating interest rate per annum at all times equal to the Default Rate to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Laws.  Furthermore, if required by the Required Lenders and after written notice to the

 

27



 

Borrower, while any Event of Default exists, the Borrower shall pay interest on all overdue amounts hereunder at a fluctuating interest rate per annum at all times equal to the Default Rate applicable thereto to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Laws.  Accrued and unpaid interest on past due amounts (including interest on past due interest) shall be due and payable upon demand.

 

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

 

SECTION 2.08               Fees .

 

(a)                                  Commitment Fee . The Borrower shall pay to the Administrative Agent, for the ratable benefit of each Lender (as determined by each Lender’s respective Pro Rata Share of the Aggregate Commitments as in effect from time to time), a commitment fee (the “ Commitment Fee ”) as indicated in the table immediately below equal to the applicable percentage per annum corresponding to the Debt Ratings (giving effect to the Alere Transactions) from time to time, applied to the Aggregate Commitments from time to time remaining, accruing from the Effective Date until the earliest of (A) the Termination Date, (B) the date on which the Borrower voluntarily terminates all of the Commitments hereunder and (C) the Closing Date, payable on such earliest date.

 

Level

 

Debt
Ratings
(Moody’s/
S&P)

 

Commitment Fee

 

I

 

> A2/A

 

8.0 bps

 

II

 

A3/A-

 

10.0 bps

 

III

 

Baa 1/BBB+

 

12.5 bps

 

IV

 

Baa2/BBB

 

15.0 bps

 

V

 

Baa3/BBB-

 

20.0 bps

 

VI

 

< Ba1/ BB+

 

25.0 bps

 

 

(b)                                  Administrative Agency Fee .  The Borrower shall pay to the Administrative Agent, for its own account, the administrative agency fee in the amount and at the time specified in the Fee Letter.

 

SECTION 2.09               Computation of Interest and Fees .  All computations of interest for Base Rate Loans (including Base Rate Loans determined by reference to the Eurodollar 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

 

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computed on the basis of a 365-day year).  Interest shall accrue on each Loan for the day on which the Loan is made, and shall not accrue on a Loan, or any portion thereof, for the day on which the Loan or such portion is paid.  Each determination by the Administrative Agent of an interest rate or fee hereunder shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent manifest error.

 

SECTION 2.10               Evidence of Debt .

 

(a)                                  The Loans made by each Lender shall be evidenced by one or more accounts or records maintained by such Lender and by the Administrative Agent in the ordinary course of business.  The accounts or records maintained by the Administrative Agent and each Lender shall be conclusive absent manifest error of the amount of the Loans made by the Lenders to the Borrower and the interest and payments thereon.  Any failure to so record or any error in doing so shall not, however, limit or otherwise affect the obligation of the Borrower hereunder to pay any amount owing with respect to the Loans.  Upon the request of any Lender made through the Administrative Agent, the Borrower shall execute and deliver to such Lender (through the Administrative Agent) a Note, which shall evidence such Lender’s Loans in addition to such accounts or records.  Each Lender may attach schedules to its Note and endorse thereon the date, Type (if applicable), amount and maturity of its Loans and payments with respect thereto.

 

(b)                                  In the event of any conflict between the Register and a Lender’s records, the records as in the Register shall control in the absence of manifest error.

 

SECTION 2.11               Payments Generally; Administrative Agent’s Clawback .

 

(a)                                  All payments to be made by the Borrower shall be made free and clear of and without condition or deduction for any counterclaim, defense, recoupment or set-off.  Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all payments by the Borrower hereunder shall be made to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the respective Lenders to which such payment is owed, at the Administrative Agent’s Office in Dollars and in immediately available funds not later than 2:00 p.m. on the date specified herein.  The Administrative Agent will promptly distribute to each Lender its Pro Rata Share (or other applicable share as provided herein) of such payment in like funds as received by wire transfer to such Lender’s Lending Office.  All payments received by the Administrative Agent after 2:00 p.m. shall be deemed received on the next succeeding Business Day and any applicable interest or fee shall continue to accrue.  If any payment to be made by the Borrower, other than with respect to the Maturity Date, shall come due on a day other than a Business Day, payment shall be made on the next following Business Day, and such extension of time shall be reflected in computing interest or fees, as the case may be.

 

(b)                                  (i)  Funding by Lenders; Presumption by Administrative Agent .  Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from a Lender prior to the proposed date of any Borrowing of Eurodollar Rate Loans (or, in the case of any Borrowing of Base Rate Loans, prior to 2:00 p.m. on the date of such Borrowing) that such Lender will not make available to the Administrative Agent such Lender’s share of such Borrowing, the Administrative Agent may assume that such Lender has made such share available on such date in accordance with Section

 

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 2.02 (or, in the case of a Borrowing of Base Rate Loans, that such Lender has made such share available in accordance with and at the time required by Section 2.02 ) and may, in reliance upon such assumption, make available to the Borrower a corresponding amount.  In such event, if a Lender has not in fact made its share of the applicable Borrowing available to the Administrative Agent, then the applicable Lender and the Borrower severally agree to pay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand such corresponding amount in immediately available funds with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is made available to the Borrower to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at (A) in the case of a payment to be made by such Lender, the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation, plus any administrative, processing or similar fees customarily charged by the Administrative Agent in connection with the foregoing, and (B) in the case of a payment to be made by the Borrower, the interest rate applicable to Base Rate Loans.  If the Borrower and such Lender shall pay such interest to the Administrative Agent for the same or an overlapping period, the Administrative Agent shall promptly remit to the Borrower the amount of such interest paid by the Borrower for such period.  If such Lender pays its share of the applicable Borrowing to the Administrative Agent, then the amount so paid shall constitute such Lender’s Loan included in such Borrowing.  Any payment by the Borrower shall be without prejudice to any claim the Borrower may have against a Lender that shall have failed to make such payment to the Administrative Agent.

 

(ii)                                   Payments by Borrower; Presumptions by Administrative Agent .  Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from the Borrower prior to the date on which any payment is due to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Lenders hereunder that the Borrower will not make such payment, the Administrative Agent may assume that the Borrower has made such payment on such date in accordance herewith and may, in reliance upon such assumption, distribute to the Lenders the amount due.  In such event, if the Borrower has not in fact made such payment, then each of the Lenders severally agrees to repay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand the amount so distributed to such Lender in immediately available funds with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is distributed to it to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation.

 

A notice of the Administrative Agent to any Lender or the Borrower with respect to any amount owing under this subsection (b) shall be conclusive, absent manifest error.

 

(c)                                   Failure to Satisfy Conditions Precedent .  If any Lender makes available to the Administrative Agent funds for any Loan to be made by such Lender as provided in the foregoing provisions of this Article II , and such funds are not made available to the Borrower by the Administrative Agent because the conditions to the applicable Borrowing set forth in Article III are not satisfied or waived in accordance with the terms hereof, the Administrative Agent shall return such funds promptly (in like funds as received from such Lender) to such Lender, without interest.

 

(d)                                  Obligations of Lenders Several .  The obligations of the Lenders hereunder to make Loans and to make payments pursuant to Section 8.04(c) are several and not joint.  The

 

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failure of any Lender to make any Loan, to fund any such participation or to make any payment under Section 8.04(c) on any date required hereunder shall not relieve any other Lender of its corresponding obligation to do so on such date, and no Lender shall be responsible for the failure of any other Lender to so make its Loan, to purchase its participation or to make its payment under Section 8.04(c).

 

(e)                                   Funding Source . Nothing herein shall be deemed to obligate any Lender to obtain the funds for any Loan in any particular place or manner or to constitute a representation by any Lender that it has obtained or will obtain the funds for any Loan in any particular place or manner.

 

SECTION 2.12               Sharing of Payments .  If, other than as expressly provided elsewhere herein, any Lender shall obtain on account of the Loans made by it, any payment (whether voluntary, involuntary, through the exercise of any right of set-off, or otherwise) in excess of its ratable share (or other share contemplated hereunder) thereof, such Lender shall immediately (a) notify the Administrative Agent of such fact, and (b) purchase from the other Lenders such participations in the Loans made by them as shall be necessary to cause such purchasing Lender to share the excess payment in respect of such Loans or such participations, as the case may be, pro rata with each of them; provided , however , that if all or any portion of such excess payment is thereafter recovered from the purchasing Lender under any of the circumstances described in Section 8.17 (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by the purchasing Lender in its discretion), such purchase shall to that extent be rescinded and each other Lender shall repay to the purchasing Lender the purchase price paid therefor, together with an amount equal to such paying Lender’s ratable share (according to the proportion of (i) the amount of such paying Lender’s required repayment to (ii) the total amount so recovered from the purchasing Lender) of any interest or other amount paid or payable by the purchasing Lender in respect of the total amount so recovered, without further interest thereon.  The Borrower agrees that any Lender so purchasing a participation from another Lender may, to the fullest extent permitted by law, exercise all its rights of payment (including the right of set-off, but subject to Section 8.05) with respect to such participation as fully as if such Lender were the direct creditor of the Borrower in the amount of such participation.  The Administrative Agent will keep records (which shall be conclusive and binding in the absence of manifest error) of participations purchased under this Section 2.12 and will in each case notify the Lenders following any such purchases or repayments.  Each Lender that purchases a participation pursuant to this Section 2.12 shall from and after such purchase have the right to give all notices, requests, demands, directions and other communications under this Agreement with respect to the portion of the Obligations purchased to the same extent as though the purchasing Lender were the original owner of the Obligations purchased.

 

SECTION 2.13               [Reserved] .

 

SECTION 2.14               Use of Proceeds .  The Borrower shall use the proceeds of the Loans to finance the Alere Transactions; provided that no outstanding loans from any HSBC Entity to the Borrower or any of the Borrower’s Subsidiaries shall be repaid with the proceeds of any Loans made by HSBC Bank USA, N.A.

 

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SECTION 2.15               Defaulting Lenders .

 

(a)                                  Adjustments .  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, if any Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender, then, until such time as that Lender is no longer a Defaulting Lender, to the extent permitted by applicable Law:

 

(i)                                      Waivers and Amendments .  Such Defaulting Lender’s right to approve or disapprove any amendment, waiver or consent with respect to this Agreement shall be restricted as set forth in the definition of “Required Lenders” and Section 8.01.

 

(ii)                                   Defaulting Lender Waterfall .  Any payment of principal, interest, fees or other amounts received by the Administrative Agent for the account of such Defaulting Lender (whether voluntary or mandatory, at maturity, pursuant to Article VI or otherwise) or received by the Administrative Agent from a Defaulting Lender pursuant to Section 8.05 shall be applied at such time or times as may be determined by the Administrative Agent as follows: first , to the payment of any amounts owing by such Defaulting Lender to the Administrative Agent hereunder; second , as the Borrower may request (so long as no Default exists), to the funding of any Loan in respect of which such Defaulting Lender has failed to fund its portion thereof as required by this Agreement, as determined by the Administrative Agent; third , if so determined by the Administrative Agent and the Borrower, to be held in a deposit account and released pro rata in order to satisfy such Defaulting Lender’s potential future funding obligations with respect to Loans under this Agreement; fourth , to the payment of any amounts owing to the Lenders as a result of any judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction obtained by any Lender against such Defaulting Lender as a result of such Defaulting Lender’s breach of its obligations under this Agreement; fifth , so long as no Default exists, to the payment of any amounts owing to the Borrower as a result of any judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction obtained by the Borrower against such Defaulting Lender as a result of such Defaulting Lender’s breach of its obligations under this Agreement; and sixth , to such Defaulting Lender or as otherwise directed by a court of competent jurisdiction; provided that if (x) such payment is a payment of the principal amount of any Loans in respect of which such Defaulting Lender has not fully funded its appropriate share, and (y) such Loans were made at a time when the conditions set forth in Section 3.02 were satisfied or waived, such payment shall be applied solely to pay the Loans of all Non-Defaulting Lenders on a pro rata basis prior to being applied to the payment of any Loans of such Defaulting Lender until such time as all Loans are held by the Lenders pro rata in accordance with the Commitments hereunder. Any payments, prepayments or other amounts paid or payable to a Defaulting Lender that are applied (or held) to pay amounts owed by a Defaulting Lender shall be deemed paid to and redirected by such Defaulting Lender, and each Lender irrevocably consents hereto.

 

(iii)                                Certain Fees .  No Defaulting Lender will be entitled to any fees accruing pursuant to Section 2.08(a).

 

(b)                                  Defaulting Lender Cure .  If the Borrower and the Administrative Agent agree in writing in their sole discretion that a Defaulting Lender should no longer be deemed to be a Defaulting Lender, the Administrative Agent will so notify the parties hereto, whereupon as of the effective date specified in such notice and subject to any conditions set forth therein, that Lender will, to the extent applicable, purchase that portion of outstanding Loans of the other

 

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Lenders or take such other actions as the Administrative Agent may determine to be necessary to cause the Loans to be held on a pro rata basis by the Lenders in accordance with their Pro Rata Shares, whereupon that Lender will cease to be a Defaulting Lender; provided that no adjustments will be made retroactively with respect to fees accrued or payments made by or on behalf of the Borrower while that Lender was a Defaulting Lender; and provided , further , that subject to Section 8.18, except to the extent otherwise expressly agreed by the affected parties, no change hereunder from Defaulting Lender to Lender will constitute a waiver or release of any claim of any party hereunder arising from that Lender’s having been a Defaulting Lender.

 

SECTION 2.16               Taxes .

 

(a)                                  Payments Free of Taxes; Obligation to Withhold; Payments on Account of Taxes.

 

(i)                                      Any and all payments by or on account of any obligation of any Loan Party under any Loan Document shall be made without deduction or withholding for any Taxes, except as required by applicable Laws.  If any applicable Laws (as determined in the good faith discretion of the Administrative Agent) require the deduction or withholding of any Tax from any such payment by the Administrative Agent or any Loan Party, then the Administrative Agent or the applicable Loan Party shall be entitled to make such deduction or withholding, upon the basis of the information and documentation to be delivered pursuant to subsection (e) below.

 

(ii)                                   If any Loan Party or the Administrative Agent shall be required by the Code to withhold or deduct any Taxes, including both United States Federal backup withholding and withholding taxes, from any payment, then (A) the Administrative Agent shall withhold or make such deductions as are determined by the Administrative Agent to be required based upon the information and documentation it has received pursuant to subsection (e) below, (B) the Administrative Agent shall timely pay the full amount withheld or deducted to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with the Code, and (C) to the extent that the withholding or deduction is made on account of Indemnified Taxes, the sum payable by the applicable Loan Party shall be increased as necessary so that after any required withholding or the making of all required deductions (including deductions applicable to additional sums payable under this Section 2.16) the applicable Recipient receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such withholding or deduction been made.

 

(iii)                                If any Loan Party or the Administrative Agent shall be required by any applicable Laws other than the Code to withhold or deduct any Taxes from any payment, then (A) the applicable Loan Party or the Administrative Agent, as required by such Laws, shall withhold or make such deductions as are determined by it to be required based upon the information and documentation it has received pursuant to subsection (e) below, (B) the applicable Loan Party or the Administrative Agent, to the extent required by such Laws, shall timely pay the full amount withheld or deducted to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with such Laws, and (C) to the extent that the withholding or deduction is made on account of Indemnified Taxes, the sum payable by the applicable Loan Party shall be increased as necessary so that after any required withholding or the making of all required deductions (including deductions applicable to

 

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additional sums payable under this Section 2.16) the applicable Recipient receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such withholding or deduction been made.

 

(b)                                  Payment of Other Taxes by a Loan Party .  Without limiting the provisions of subsection (a) above, the Loan Parties shall timely pay to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable law, or at the option of the Administrative Agent timely reimburse it for the payment of, any Other Taxes.

 

(c)                                   Tax Indemnifications .  (i)  Each Loan Party shall, and does hereby, jointly and severally indemnify each Recipient, and shall make payment in respect thereof within 30 days after demand therefor, for the full amount of any Indemnified Taxes (including Indemnified Taxes imposed or asserted on or attributable to amounts payable under this Section 2.16) payable or paid by such Recipient or required to be withheld or deducted from a payment to such Recipient, and any penalties, interest and reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such Indemnified Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority.  A certificate as to the amount of such payment or liability delivered to the Borrower by a Lender (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), or by the Administrative Agent on its own behalf or on behalf of a Lender, shall be conclusive absent manifest error.  Each of the Loan Parties shall, and does hereby, jointly and severally indemnify the Administrative Agent, and shall make payment in respect thereof within 30 days after demand therefor, for any amount which a Lender for any reason fails to pay indefeasibly to the Administrative Agent as required pursuant to Section 2.16(c)(ii) below.

 

(ii)                                   Each Lender shall, and does hereby, severally indemnify, and shall make payment in respect thereof within 10 days after demand therefor, ( x ) the Administrative Agent against any Indemnified Taxes attributable to such Lender (but only to the extent that the Loan Parties have not already indemnified the Administrative Agent for such Indemnified Taxes and without limiting the obligation of the Loan Parties to do so), ( y ) the Administrative Agent against any Taxes attributable to such Lender’s failure to comply with the provisions of Section 8.07(d) relating to the maintenance of a Participant Register and ( z ) the Administrative Agent against any Excluded Taxes attributable to such Lender that are payable or paid by the Administrative Agent or any Loan Party in connection with any Loan Document, and any reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority.  A certificate as to the amount of such payment or liability delivered to any Lender by the Administrative Agent shall be conclusive absent manifest error.  Each Lender hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent to set off and apply any and all amounts at any time owing to such Lender under this Agreement or any other Loan Document against any amount due to the Administrative Agent under this clause (ii).

 

(d)                                  Evidence of Payments .  Upon request by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, as the case may be, after any payment of Taxes by any Loan Party or by the Administrative Agent to a Governmental Authority as provided in this Section 2.16, the applicable Loan Party shall deliver to the Administrative Agent or the Administrative Agent shall deliver to the applicable Loan Party, as the case may be, the original or a certified copy of a

 

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receipt issued by such Governmental Authority evidencing such payment, a copy of any return required by Laws to report such payment or other evidence of such payment reasonably satisfactory to the applicable Loan Party or the Administrative Agent, as the case may be.

 

(e)                                   Status of Lenders; Tax Documentation .

 

(i)                                      Any Lender that is entitled to an exemption from or reduction of withholding Tax with respect to payments made under any Loan Document shall deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, at the time or times reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, such properly completed and executed documentation reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent as will permit such payments to be made without withholding or at a reduced rate of withholding.  In addition, any Lender, if reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, shall deliver such other documentation prescribed by applicable law or reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent as will enable the applicable Loan Party or the Administrative Agent to determine whether or not such Lender is subject to backup withholding or information reporting requirements.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the preceding two sentences, the completion, execution and submission of such documentation (other than such documentation set forth in Section 2.16(e)(ii)(A), (ii)(B) and (ii)(D) below) shall not be required if in the Lender’s reasonable judgment such completion, execution or submission would subject such Lender to any material unreimbursed cost or expense or would materially prejudice the legal or commercial position of such Lender.

 

(ii)                                   Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, in the event that any of the Loan Parties is a U.S. Person,

 

(A)                                any Lender that is a U.S. Person shall deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent on or prior to the date on which such Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of the Borrower or the Administrative Agent), executed originals of IRS Form W-9 certifying that such Lender is exempt from U.S. federal backup withholding tax;

 

(B)                                any Foreign Lender shall, to the extent it is legally entitled to do so, deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent (in such number of copies as shall be requested by the recipient) on or prior to the date on which such Foreign Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of the Borrower or the Administrative Agent), whichever of the following is applicable:

 

(I)                                    in the case of a Foreign Lender claiming the benefits of an income tax treaty to which the United States is a party (x) with respect to payments of interest under any Loan Document, executed originals of IRS Form W-8BEN-E (or W-8BEN, as applicable) establishing an exemption from, or reduction of, U.S. federal withholding Tax pursuant to the “interest” article of such

 

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tax treaty and (y) with respect to any other applicable payments under any Loan Document, IRS Form W-8BEN-E (or W-8BEN, as applicable) establishing an exemption from, or reduction of, U.S. federal withholding Tax pursuant to the “business profits” or “other income” article of such tax treaty;

 

(II)                               executed originals of IRS Form W-8ECI;

 

(III)                          in the case of a Foreign Lender claiming the benefits of the exemption for portfolio interest under Section 881(c) of the Code, (x) a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit E-1 to the effect that such Foreign Lender is not a “bank” within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, a “10 percent shareholder” of any of the Loan Parties within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(B) of the Code, or a “controlled foreign corporation” described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code (a “ U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate ”) and (y) executed originals of IRS Form W-8BEN-E (or W-8BEN, as applicable); or

 

(IV)                           to the extent a Foreign Lender is not the beneficial owner, executed originals of IRS Form W-8IMY, accompanied by IRS Form W-8ECI, IRS Form W-8BEN-E (or W-8BEN, as applicable), a U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit E-2 or Exhibit E-3 , IRS Form W-9, and/or other certification documents from each beneficial owner, as applicable; provided that if the Foreign Lender is a partnership and one or more direct or indirect partners of such Foreign Lender are claiming the portfolio interest exemption, such Foreign Lender may provide a U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit E-4 on behalf of each such direct and indirect partner;

 

(C)                                any Foreign Lender shall, to the extent it is legally entitled to do so, deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent (in such number of copies as shall be requested by the recipient) on or prior to the date on which such Foreign Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of the Borrower or the Administrative Agent), executed 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 Borrower or the Administrative Agent to determine the withholding or deduction required to be made; and

 

(D)                                if a payment made to a Lender under any Loan Document would be subject to U.S. federal withholding Tax imposed by FATCA if such Lender were to fail to comply with the applicable reporting requirements of FATCA (including those contained in Section 1471(b) or 1472(b) of the Code, as

 

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applicable), such Lender shall deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent at the time or times prescribed by law and at such time or times reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent such documentation prescribed by applicable law (including as prescribed by Section 1471(b)(3)(C)(i) of the Code) and such additional documentation reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent as may be necessary for the applicable Loan Party and the Administrative Agent to comply with their obligations under FATCA and to determine that such Lender has complied with such Lender’s obligations under FATCA or to determine the amount to deduct and withhold from such payment.  Solely for purposes of this clause (D), “FATCA” shall include any amendments made to FATCA after the date of this Agreement.

 

(iii)                                Each Lender agrees that if any form or certification it previously delivered pursuant to this Section 2.16 expires or becomes obsolete or inaccurate in any respect, it shall update such form or certification or promptly notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent in writing of its legal inability to do so.

 

(f)                                    Treatment of Certain Refunds .  Unless required by applicable Laws, at no time shall the Administrative Agent have any obligation to file for or otherwise pursue on behalf of a Lender or have any obligation to pay to any Lender any refund of Taxes withheld or deducted from funds paid for the account of such Lender.  If any Recipient determines, in its sole discretion, that it has received a refund of any Taxes as to which it has been indemnified by any Loan Party or with respect to which the applicable Loan Party has paid additional amounts pursuant to this Section 2.16, it shall pay to the applicable Loan Party an amount equal to such refund (but only to the extent of indemnity payments made, or additional amounts paid, by the applicable Loan Party under this Section 2.16 with respect to the Taxes giving rise to such refund), net of all out-of-pocket expenses (including Taxes) incurred by such Recipient, and without interest (other than any interest paid by the relevant Governmental Authority with respect to such refund), provided that the applicable Loan Party, upon the request of the Recipient, agrees to repay the amount paid over to the applicable Loan Party (plus any penalties, interest or other charges imposed by the relevant Governmental Authority) to the Recipient in the event the Recipient is required to repay such refund to such Governmental Authority.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this subsection, in no event will the applicable Recipient be required to pay any amount to any Loan Party pursuant to this subsection the payment of which would place the Recipient in a less favorable net after-Tax position than such Recipient would have been in if the Tax subject to indemnification and giving rise to such refund had not been deducted, withheld or otherwise imposed and the indemnification payments or additional amounts with respect to such Tax had never been paid.  This subsection shall not be construed to require any Recipient to make available its tax returns (or any other information relating to its taxes that it deems confidential) to any Loan Party or any other Person.

 

(g)                                   Survival .  Each party’s obligations under this Section 2.16 shall survive the resignation or replacement of the Administrative Agent or any assignment of rights by, or the replacement of, a Lender, the termination of the Commitments and the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all other Obligations.

 

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(h)                                  FATCA .  For purposes of determining withholding Taxes imposed under FATCA, from and after the effective date of the Amendment, the Borrower and the Administrative Agent shall treat (and the Lenders hereby authorize the Administrative Agent to treat) this Agreement as not qualifying as a “grandfathered obligation” within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.1471-2(b)(2)(i).

 

SECTION 2.17               Illegality .  If any Lender determines that any Law has made it unlawful, or that any Governmental Authority has asserted that it is unlawful, for any Lender or its applicable Lending Office to make, maintain or fund Loans whose interest is determined by reference to the Eurodollar Rate, or to determine or charge interest rates based upon the Eurodollar Rate, or any Governmental Authority has imposed material restrictions on the authority of such Lender to purchase or sell, or to take deposits of, Dollars in the London interbank market, then, on notice thereof by such Lender to the Borrower through the Administrative Agent, (i) any obligation of such Lender to make or continue Eurodollar Rate Loans or to convert Base Rate Loans to Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be suspended, and (ii) if such notice asserts the illegality of such Lender making or maintaining Base Rate Loans the interest rate on which is determined by reference to the Eurodollar Rate component of the Base Rate, the interest rate on which Base Rate Loans of such Lender shall, if necessary to avoid such illegality, be determined by the Administrative Agent without reference to the Eurodollar Rate component of the Base Rate, in each case until such Lender notifies the Administrative Agent and the Borrower that the circumstances giving rise to such determination no longer exist.  Upon receipt of such notice, (x) the Borrower shall, upon demand from such Lender (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), prepay or, if applicable, convert all Eurodollar Rate Loans of such Lender to Base Rate Loans (the interest rate on which Base Rate Loans of such Lender shall, if necessary to avoid such illegality, be determined by the Administrative Agent without reference to the Eurodollar Rate component of the Base Rate), either on the last day of the Interest Period therefor, if such Lender may lawfully continue to maintain such Eurodollar Rate Loans to such day, or immediately, if such Lender may not lawfully continue to maintain such Eurodollar Rate Loans and (y) if such notice asserts the illegality of such Lender determining or charging interest rates based upon the Eurodollar Rate, the Administrative Agent shall during the period of such suspension compute the Base Rate applicable to such Lender without reference to the Eurodollar Rate component thereof until the Administrative Agent is advised in writing by such Lender that it is no longer illegal for such Lender to determine or charge interest rates based upon the Eurodollar Rate.  Upon any such prepayment or conversion, the Borrower shall also pay accrued interest on the amount so prepaid or converted.

 

SECTION 2.18               Inability to Determine Rates .  If in connection with any request for a Eurodollar Rate Loan or a conversion to or continuation thereof, (a) the Administrative Agent determines that (i) Dollar deposits are not being offered to banks in the London interbank eurodollar market for the applicable amount and Interest Period of such Eurodollar Rate Loan, or (ii) adequate and reasonable means do not exist for determining the Eurodollar Rate for any requested Interest Period with respect to a proposed Eurodollar Rate Loan or in connection with an existing or proposed Base Rate Loan (in each case with respect to clause (a)(i) above, “ Impacted Loans ”), or (b) the Required Lenders determine that for any reason the Eurodollar Rate for any requested Interest Period with respect to a proposed Eurodollar Rate Loan does not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to such Lenders of funding such Loan, the Administrative Agent will promptly so notify the Borrower and each Lender.  Thereafter, (x) the obligation of

 

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the Lenders to make or maintain Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be suspended (to the extent of the affected Eurodollar Rate Loans or Interest Periods), and (y) in the event of a determination described in the preceding sentence with respect to the Eurodollar Rate component of the Base Rate, the utilization of the Eurodollar Rate component in determining the Base Rate shall be suspended, in each case until the Administrative Agent (upon the instruction of the Required Lenders) revokes such notice.  Upon receipt of such notice, the Borrower may revoke any pending request for a Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans (to the extent of the affected Eurodollar Rate Loans or Interest Periods) or, failing that, will be deemed to have converted such request into a request for a Borrowing of Base Rate Loans in the amount specified therein.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Administrative Agent has made the determination described in clause (a)(i) of this Section 2.18, the Administrative Agent, in consultation with the Borrower and the affected Lenders, may establish an alternative interest rate for the Impacted Loans, in which case, such alternative rate of interest shall apply with respect to the Impacted Loans until (1) the Administrative Agent revokes the notice delivered with respect to the Impacted Loans under clause (a) of the first sentence of this Section 2.18, (2) the Required Lenders notify the Administrative Agent and the Borrower that such alternative interest rate does not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to such Lenders of funding the Impacted Loans, or (3) any Lender determines that any Law has made it unlawful, or that any Governmental Authority has asserted that it is unlawful, for such Lender or its applicable Lending Office to make, maintain or fund Loans whose interest is determined by reference to such alternative rate of interest or to determine or charge interest rates based upon such rate or any Governmental Authority has imposed material restrictions on the authority of such Lender to do any of the foregoing and provides the Administrative Agent and the Borrower written notice thereof.

 

SECTION 2.19               Increased Costs; Reserves on Eurodollar Rate Loans .

 

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

 

(i)                                      impose, modify or deem applicable any reserve, special deposit, compulsory loan, insurance charge or similar requirement against assets of, deposits with or for the account of, or credit extended or participated in by, any Lender (except any reserve requirement contemplated by Section 2.19(e));

 

(ii)                                   subject any Recipient to any Taxes (other than (A) Indemnified Taxes and (B) Taxes described in clauses (b) through (d) of the definition of Excluded Taxes) on its Loans, Loan principal, Commitments, or other obligations, or its deposits, reserves, other liabilities or capital attributable thereto; or

 

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

 

and the result of any of the foregoing shall be to increase the cost to such Lender of making, converting to, continuing or maintaining any Loan the interest on which is determined by reference to the Eurodollar Rate (or of maintaining its obligation to make any such Loan), or to

 

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reduce the amount of any sum received or receivable by such Lender (whether of principal, interest or any other amount) then, upon request of such Lender, the Borrower will pay to such Lender such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender for such additional costs incurred or reduction suffered.

 

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

 

(c)                                   Certificates for Reimbursement; Reimbursement Limitation .  A certificate of a Lender (i) setting forth the amount or amounts necessary to compensate such Lender or its holding company, as the case may be, as specified in subsection (a) or (b) of this Section 2.19 and (ii) stating in reasonable detail the basis for the charges and the method of computation, and delivered to the Borrower shall be conclusive absent manifest error.  The Borrower shall pay such Lender the amount shown as due on any such certificate within thirty days after receipt thereof.  Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Section 2.19, no Lender shall demand compensation for any increased cost, charge or reduction under subsection (a) and (b) of this Section 2.19 if it shall not at the time be the general policy of such Lender to demand such compensation in similar circumstances under comparable provisions of other credit agreements, and each Lender shall in good faith endeavor to allocate increased costs or reductions fairly among all of its affected commitments and loans (whether or not it seeks compensation from all affected borrowers).

 

(d)                                  Delay in Requests .  Failure or delay on the part of any Lender to demand compensation pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.19 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 2.19 for any increased costs incurred or reductions suffered more than three months prior to the date that such Lender notifies the Borrower of the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions and of such Lender’s intention to claim compensation therefor (except that, if the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions is retroactive, then the three-month period referred to above shall be extended to include the period of retroactive effect thereof, such that the three-month period shall commence upon the date of effectiveness of such Change in Law).

 

(e)                                   Reserves on Eurodollar Rate Loans .  The Borrower shall pay to each Lender, as long as such Lender shall be required to maintain reserves with respect to liabilities or assets consisting of or including Eurocurrency funds or deposits (currently known as Eurocurrency Liabilities), additional interest on the unpaid principal amount of each Eurodollar Rate Loan

 

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equal to the actual costs of such reserves allocated to such Loan by such Lender (as determined by such Lender in good faith, which determination shall be conclusive), which shall be due and payable on each date on which interest is payable on such Loan, provided the Borrower shall have received at least 10 days’ prior notice (with a copy to the Administrative Agent) of such additional interest from such Lender.  If a Lender fails to give notice 10 days prior to the relevant Interest Payment Date, but such Lender gives notice within 30 days after such Interest Payment Date, such additional interest shall be due and payable 10 days from receipt of such notice.

 

SECTION 2.20               Compensation for Losses .  Upon demand of any Lender (with a copy to the Administrative Agent) from time to time, the Borrower shall promptly compensate such Lender for and hold such Lender harmless from any loss, cost or expense incurred by it as a result of:

 

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

 

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

 

(c)                                   any assignment of a Eurodollar Rate Loan on a day other than the last day of the Interest Period therefor as a result of a request by the Borrower pursuant to Section 8.15;

 

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

 

For purposes of calculating amounts payable by the Borrower to the Lenders under this Section 2.20, each Lender shall be deemed to have funded each Eurodollar Rate Loan made by it at the Eurodollar Rate for such Loan by a matching deposit or other borrowing in the London interbank eurodollar market for a comparable amount and for a comparable period, whether or not such Eurodollar Rate Loan was in fact so funded.

 

SECTION 2.21               Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders .

 

(a)                                  Designation of a Different Lending Office .  If any Lender requests compensation under Section 2.19, or the Borrower is required to pay any additional amount to any Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to Section 2.16, or if any Lender gives a notice pursuant to Section 2.17, then such Lender shall use reasonable efforts to designate a different Lending Office for funding or booking its Loans hereunder or to assign its rights and obligations hereunder to another of its offices, branches or affiliates, if, in the good faith judgment of such Lender such designation or assignment (i) would eliminate or reduce amounts payable pursuant to Section 2.16 or 2.19, as the case may be, in the future, or eliminate the need for the notice pursuant to Section 2.17, as applicable, and (ii) in each case, would not subject such Lender to any unreimbursed cost or expense and would not otherwise be materially

 

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disadvantageous to such Lender.  The Borrower hereby agrees to pay all reasonable costs and expenses incurred by any Lender in connection with any such designation or assignment.

 

(b)                                  Replacement of Lenders .  If any Lender requests compensation under Section 2.19, or if the Borrower is required to pay any additional amount to any Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to Section 2.16, the Borrower may replace such Lender in accordance with Section 8.15.

 

SECTION 2.22               Survival .  All of the Borrower’s obligations under Section 2.16 through Section 2.21 shall survive termination of all Commitments, repayment of all Obligations hereunder, and resignation of the Administrative Agent.

 

ARTICLE III

 

CONDITIONS PRECEDENT

 

SECTION 3.01               Effective Date .  This Agreement  became effective on July 31, 2017 (such date, the “ Effective Date ”):

 

SECTION 3.02               Conditions to Funding on the Closing Date .  The obligation of each Lender to make a Loan in an amount equal to its Commitment on the Closing Date is subject to the satisfaction (or waiver in accordance with Section 8.01) of the following conditions on or prior to the Termination Date, and no other conditions:

 

(a)                                  The Effective Date shall have occurred.

 

(b)                                  The Administrative Agent shall have received for the Borrower (i) U.S. GAAP audited consolidated balance sheets and related statements of earnings, comprehensive income, shareholders’ equity and cash flows for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2016, December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, and for any subsequent fiscal year ended at least 60 days prior to the Closing Date and (ii) U.S. GAAP unaudited consolidated balance sheets and related statements of earnings, comprehensive income and cash flows for each subsequent fiscal quarter ended at least 40 days before the Closing Date (in each case, except as permitted by the rules promulgated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and subject to normal year-end adjustments and absence of footnotes).  The Borrower’s filing of any required audited financial statements on Form 10-K or required unaudited financial statements on Form 10-Q will satisfy the requirements under clauses (b)(i) or (b)(ii), as applicable, of this paragraph.  The Administrative Agent, on behalf of the Lenders, hereby acknowledges receipt of the financial statements in the foregoing clauses (b)(i) and (b)(ii) for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2016, December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 and the fiscal quarters ended March 31, 2017 and June 30, 2017.

 

(c)                                   The Alere Acquisition shall have been, or shall substantially concurrently be, consummated in accordance with the terms of the Alere Acquisition Agreement as in effect on September [  ], 2017 without giving effect to any amendments, modifications, supplements or waivers by the Borrower thereto or consents

 

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by the Borrower thereunder that are materially adverse to the Lenders without the Lead Arrangers’ prior written consent, it being understood that (i) any decrease in the cash portion of the consideration for the Alere Acquisition that is accompanied by a dollar-for-dollar reduction in Commitments in respect of the Facility of not more than 15% of the total consideration for the Alere Acquisition shall be deemed to be not materially adverse to the Lenders , (ii) any increase in the cash portion of the consideration for the Alere Acquisition that, together with any other increases since July 7, 2017, exceeds 10% of the purchase price shall be deemed to be materially adverse to the Lenders and (iii) any waiver or modification of Sections 8.06(v) and 8.15 of the Alere Acquisition Agreement (as in effect on September [  ], 2017) shall be deemed to be materially adverse to the Lenders.

 

(d)                                  The Administrative Agent shall have received a solvency certificate from the chief financial officer of the Borrower in the form attached hereto as Exhibit C certifying that the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis after giving effect to the Alere Transactions, are Solvent.

 

(e)                                   The Administrative Agent shall have received a favorable opinion letter of (i) John A. Berry, Divisional Vice President, Associate General Counsel and Assistant Secretary of the Borrower and (ii) Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, as New York counsel to the Borrower (or, in each case, such other counsel as may be reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent), in each case in the form agreed on or prior to the Effective Date.

 

(f)                                    Each of the Alere Acquisition Agreement Representations and the Specified Representations shall be true and correct in all material respects as of the Closing Date; provided that any representation and warranty that is qualified as to “materiality,” “Material Adverse Effect” or similar language shall be true and correct (after giving effect to any qualification therein) in all respects as of such date.

 

(g)                                   Since January 30, 2016, there shall not have been any effect, change, event or occurrence that, individually or in the aggregate, has had or would reasonably be expected to have a Target Material Adverse Effect.

 

(h)                                  No Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(a) or Section 6.01(e) of this Agreement with respect to the Borrower exists (after giving pro forma effect to the Alere Acquisition) or would result from the effectiveness of this Agreement.

 

(i)                                      The Administrative Agent shall have received a certificate of a Responsible Officer of the Borrower certifying as to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in clauses (c), (f), (g) and (h) of this Section 3.02.

 

(j)                                     The Administrative Agent (on behalf of the Lead Arrangers and the Lenders) shall have received all fees and invoiced expenses required to be paid on or prior to the Closing Date by the Borrower pursuant this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, and, with respect to expenses, to the extent invoiced to the Borrower at least three (3) Business Days prior to the Closing Date.

 

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(k)                                  The Administrative Agent shall have received a Loan Notice in accordance with Section 2.02(a).

 

(l)                                      The Administrative Agent shall have received, at least three (3) business days prior to the Closing Date, all documentation and other information required by regulatory authorities under applicable “know your customer” and anti-money laundering rules and regulations, including, without limitation, the PATRIOT Act, requested in writing by the Administrative Agent (on behalf of any Lender) at least ten (10) business days prior to the Closing Date.

 

SECTION 3.03               Certain Funds Period .  During the period from and including the date on which counterparts of this Agreement signed by the parties hereto (and counterparts to any other Loan Document entered into concurrently with the Agreement) are delivered to the Administrative Agent to and including the earlier to occur of (x) the Closing Date, after giving effect to the funding of Loans on such date and (y) the Termination Date (such period, the “ Certain Funds Period ”), and notwithstanding (i) that any representation made on such date or on the Effective Date or the Closing Date (excluding the Specified Representations and/or Alere Acquisition Agreement Representations given as a condition to the Closing Date) was incorrect, (ii) any failure by the Borrower to comply with the affirmative covenants, negative covenants and financial covenant, (iii) any provision to the contrary in any Loan Document or otherwise or (iv) that any condition to the occurrence of the Effective Date may subsequently be determined not to have been satisfied, neither the Administrative Agent nor any Lender shall be entitled to (1) cancel any of its Commitments hereunder, (2) rescind, terminate or cancel any Loan Document or exercise any right or remedy or make or enforce any claim under the Loan Documents or otherwise it may have to the extent to do so would prevent, limit or delay the making of its Loan, (3) refuse to participate in making its Loan on the Closing Date; provided that the applicable conditions precedent to the making of the Loan set forth in Section 3.02 have been satisfied, or (4) exercise any right of set-off or counterclaim in respect of its Loan to the extent to do so would prevent, limit or delay the making of its Loan.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, (A) the rights and remedies of the Lenders and the Administrative Agent shall not be limited in the event that any applicable condition precedent set forth in Section 3.02 is not satisfied on the Closing Date and (B) immediately after the expiration of the Certain Funds Period, all of the rights, remedies and entitlements of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders shall be available notwithstanding that such rights were not available prior to such time as a result of the foregoing.

 

ARTICLE IV

 

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

 

SECTION 4.01               Representations and Warranties of the Borrower .  The Borrower represents and warrants to the Administrative Agent and each of the Lenders, on each of the Effective Date (other than with respect to Section 4.01(t)) and the Closing Date (it being understood that the conditions to the Effective Date and Closing Date are solely those set out in Section 3.01 and 3.02, respectively) that:

 

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(a)                                  Each Loan Party is duly organized, validly existing and (to the extent such concept applies to such entity) in good standing under the laws of such Loan Party’s jurisdiction of organization.

 

(b)                                  The execution, delivery and performance by each Loan Party of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents to which such Loan Party is a party, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, (i) are within such Loan Party’s powers, (ii) have been duly authorized by all necessary action, (iii) do not contravene (A) such Loan Party’s charter or by-laws or other organizational documents or (B) any law, regulation or contractual restriction binding on or affecting such Loan Party and (iv) will not result in or require the creation or imposition of any Lien upon or with respect to any of the properties of the Consolidated Group, except, in the case of clause (iii)(B) and (iv), as would not be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(c)                                   No authorization or approval or other action by, and no notice to or filing with, any governmental authority or regulatory body or, except as would not be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, any other third party is required for the due execution, delivery and performance by any Loan Party of this Agreement or the other Loan Documents, as applicable.

 

(d)                                  This Agreement and the other Loan Documents, as applicable, have been duly executed and delivered by each applicable Loan Party.  This Agreement and the other Loan Documents, as applicable, are the legal, valid and binding obligation of the Loan Parties party thereto, enforceable against such Loan Parties in accordance with its terms, except as affected by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and general principles of equity (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) and an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.

 

(e)                                   The Consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as at December 31, 2016 and, if applicable, the last day of each subsequent fiscal year for which the Borrower has most recently filed financial statements on Form 10-K, and the related Consolidated statements of earnings, comprehensive income and cash flows of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for the fiscal year then ended, accompanied by an opinion of Ernst & Young LLP or other independent public accountants of recognized national standing, and, if applicable, the Consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as at March 31, 2017 and, if applicable, the last day of the most recent fiscal quarter ended after such date for which the Borrower has most recently filed financial statements on Form 10-Q subsequent to such fiscal year, and the related Consolidated statements of income and cash flows of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for the year-to-date period then ended, if applicable, duly certified, as applicable, by the Executive Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer of the Borrower, copies of which have been furnished to each Lender, fairly present, in all material respects, the Consolidated financial condition of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as at such dates and the Consolidated results of the operations of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for the periods ended on such dates, all in accordance with

 

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GAAP (subject, in the case of the Consolidated balance sheet included in any Form 10-Q and the related statements of earnings, comprehensive income and cash flows, to the absence of footnotes and year-end audit adjustments); provided that information required to be furnished pursuant to this Section 4.01(e) shall be deemed to have been furnished if such information, or one or more annual or quarterly or other reports or proxy statements containing such information, shall have been posted and be available on the website of the Securities and Exchange Commission at http://www.sec.gov (and a confirming electronic correspondence is delivered or caused to be delivered by the Borrower to the Administrative Agent providing notice of such availability).

 

(f)                                    There is no action, suit, investigation, litigation or proceeding (including, without limitation, any Environmental Action), affecting the Consolidated Group pending or, to the knowledge of the Borrower, threatened before any court, governmental agency or arbitrator that would reasonably be expected to be adversely determined, and if so determined, (a) would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the financial condition or results of operations of the Consolidated Group taken as a whole (other than the litigation set forth on Schedule 4.01(f) attached hereto) or (b) would adversely affect the legality, validity and enforceability of any material provision of this Agreement in any material respect.

 

(g)                                   After giving effect to the Alere Transactions, not more than 25 percent of the value of the assets of the Borrower and of the Consolidated Group, on a Consolidated basis, subject to the provisions of Section 5.02(b), will be margin stock (within the meaning of Regulation U issued by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System).

 

(h)                                  All written information (other than the Projections (if any) and information of a general economic or industry nature) (but only, with respect to written information related to Alere and its Subsidiaries prior to the Closing Date, to the best of the Borrower’s knowledge), taken as a whole, that has been furnished to the Administrative Agent or the Lenders by the Borrower or its representatives in connection with the Alere Transactions is correct in all material respects and does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements contained therein, taken as a whole, not misleading in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made.  The Projections (if any) that have been furnished by the Borrower to any Lenders or the Administrative Agent in connection with the Alere Transactions have been prepared in good faith based upon assumptions believed by the Borrower to be reasonable as of the date when made (it being understood that (i) the Projections (if any) are subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond the Borrower’s control, (ii) the Projections (if any), by their nature, are inherently uncertain and no assurances are being given that the results reflected in the Projections (if any) will be achieved and (iii) actual results may differ from the Projections (if any) and such differences may be material).

 

(i)                                      No ERISA Event has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur with respect to any Plan which would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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(j)                                     As of the last annual actuarial valuation date prior to the Effective Date or Closing Date, as applicable, the Abbott Laboratories Annuity Retirement Plan was not in at-risk status (as defined in Section 430(i)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code) and no other Plan subject to ERISA was in at-risk status (as defined in Section 430(i)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code), and since such annual actuarial valuation date there has been no material adverse change in the funding status of any Plan subject to ERISA that would reasonably be expected to cause such Plan to be in at-risk status (as defined in Section 430(i)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code).

 

(k)                                  Neither the Borrower nor any ERISA Affiliate (i) is reasonably expected to incur any Withdrawal Liability to any Multiemployer Plan or has incurred any such Withdrawal Liability that has not been satisfied in full or (ii) has been notified by the sponsor of a Multiemployer Plan that such Multiemployer Plan is in reorganization (within the meaning of Section 4241 of ERISA), insolvent (within the meaning of Section 4245 of ERISA) or has been determined to be in “endangered” or “critical” status (within the meaning of Section 432 of the Internal Revenue Code or Section 305 of ERISA), and no such Multiemployer Plan is reasonably expected to be in reorganization, insolvent or in “endangered” or “critical” status.  The Borrower is not and will not be (i) an employee benefit plan subject to Title I of ERISA, (ii) a plan or account subject to Section 4975 of the Code; (iii) an entity deemed to hold “plan assets” of any such plans or accounts for purposes of ERISA or the Code; or (iv) a “governmental plan” within the meaning of ERISA.

 

(l)                                      (i) The operations and properties of the Consolidated Group comply in all respects with all applicable Environmental Laws and Environmental Permits except to the extent that the failure to so comply, either individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; (ii) all past non-compliance with such Environmental Laws and Environmental Permits has been resolved without any ongoing obligations or costs except to the extent that such non-compliance, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and (iii) no circumstances exist that would be reasonably expected to (A) form the basis of an Environmental Action against a member of the Consolidated Group or any of its properties that, either individually or in the aggregate, would have a Material Adverse Effect or (B) cause any such property to be subject to any restrictions on ownership, occupancy, use or transferability under any Environmental Law that, either individually or in the aggregate, would have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(m)                              (i) None of the properties currently or formerly owned or operated by a member of the Consolidated Group is listed or proposed for listing on the NPL or on the CERCLIS or any analogous foreign, state or local list or, to the best knowledge of the Borrower, is adjacent to any such property other than such properties of a member of the Consolidated Group that, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; (ii) there are no, and never have been any, underground or aboveground storage tanks or any surface impoundments, septic tanks, pits, sumps or lagoons in which Hazardous Materials are being or have been treated, stored or disposed of on any property currently owned or operated by any member of the Consolidated Group or, to the best knowledge of the Borrower, on any property formerly

 

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owned or operated by a member of the Consolidated Group that, either individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; (iii) there is no asbestos or asbestos-containing material on any property currently owned or operated by a member of the Consolidated Group that, either individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and (iv) Hazardous Materials have not been released, discharged or disposed of on any property currently or formerly owned or operated by a member of the Consolidated Group or, to the best knowledge of the Borrower, on any adjoining property that, either individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(n)                                  No member of the Consolidated Group is undertaking, and no member of the Consolidated Group has completed, either individually or together with other potentially responsible parties, any investigation or assessment or remedial or response action relating to any actual or threatened release, discharge or disposal of Hazardous Materials at any site, location or operation, either voluntarily or pursuant to the order of any governmental or regulatory authority or the requirements of any Environmental Law that, either individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and all Hazardous Materials generated, used, treated, handled or stored at, or transported to or from, any property currently or formerly owned or operated by a member of the Consolidated Group have been disposed of in a manner that, either individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(o)                                  No member of the Consolidated Group is, or is required to register as, an “investment company,” or an “affiliated person” of, or “promoter” or “principal underwriter” for, an “investment company” (each as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended).

 

(p)                                  The Loans and all related obligations of the Borrower under this Agreement rank pari passu with all other unsecured obligations of the Borrower that are not, by their terms, expressly subordinate to the obligations of the Borrower hereunder.

 

(q)                                  (i) The proceeds of the Loans will be used in accordance with Section 2.14 and (ii) the Borrower will not directly or, to the knowledge of the Borrower, indirectly (A) use the proceeds of any Borrowing for any purpose that would breach the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, the UK Bribery Act of 2010, or other similar applicable legislation in other jurisdictions or (B) use the proceeds of any Borrowing, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any Subsidiary, joint venture partner or other individual or entity, to fund any activities of or business with any individual or entity that, at the time of such funding, is (1) the subject of Sanctions or (2) in any Designated Jurisdiction, in each case in violation of Sanctions.

 

(r)                                     Neither the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of senior management of the Borrower, any director, officer, employee or agent of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries is an individual or entity currently the

 

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subject of any Sanctions, and neither the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries is located, organized or resident in a Designated Jurisdiction in violation of any Sanction.

 

(s)                                    The Borrower and its Subsidiaries (i) have conducted their businesses in compliance with applicable anti-corruption laws, except to the extent that failure to so comply would not be reasonably expected to have Material Adverse Effect; and (ii) have instituted and maintained policies and procedures reasonably designed to promote and achieve compliance with such laws and with the PATRIOT Act.

 

(t)                                     The Borrower is Solvent.

 

SECTION 4.02               Representations and Warranties of the Lenders .  Each Lender as of the Closing Date represents and warrants as of the Closing Date to the Administrative Agent, each Lead Arranger and their respective Affiliates, and not, for the avoidance of doubt, for the benefit of the Borrower or any other Loan Party, that such Lender is not and will not be (i) an employee benefit plan subject to Title I of ERISA, (ii) a plan or account subject to Section 4975 of the Code; (iii) an entity deemed to hold “plan assets” of any such plans or accounts for purposes of ERISA or the Code; or (iv) a “governmental plan” within the meaning of ERISA.

 

ARTICLE V

 

COVENANTS

 

SECTION 5.01               Affirmative Covenants .  From and after the Effective Date, so long as any Lender shall have any Commitment hereunder or any Loan shall remain unpaid, the Borrower will:

 

(a)                                  Compliance with Laws, Etc. Comply, and cause each of its Subsidiaries to comply, with all applicable laws, rules, regulations and orders (such compliance to include, without limitation, compliance with ERISA and Environmental Laws), except to the extent that the failure to so comply, either individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(b)                                  Payment of Taxes, Etc. Pay and discharge, or cause to be paid and discharged, before the same shall become delinquent, all taxes, assessments and governmental charges levied or imposed upon a member of the Consolidated Group or upon the income, profits or property of a member of the Consolidated Group, in each case except to the extent that (i) the amount, applicability or validity thereof is being contested in good faith and by proper proceedings or (ii) the failure to pay such taxes, assessments and charges, either individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(c)                                   Maintenance of Insurance .  Maintain, and cause each of its Subsidiaries to maintain, insurance with responsible and reputable insurance companies or associations (or pursuant to self-insurance arrangements) in such amounts and covering such risks as is usually carried by companies engaged in similar businesses and owning similar

 

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properties in the same general areas in which any member of the Consolidated Group operates.

 

(d)                                  Preservation of Existence, Etc.   Do, or cause to be done, all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its (i) existence and (ii) rights (charter and statutory) and franchises; provided , however , that the Borrower may consummate any merger or consolidation permitted under Section 5.02(c); and provided further that the Borrower shall not be required to preserve any such right or franchise if the management of the Borrower shall determine that the preservation thereof is no longer desirable in the conduct of the business of the Borrower and that the loss thereof is not disadvantageous in any material respect to the Lenders.

 

(e)                                   Visitation Rights .  At any reasonable time and from time to time during normal business hours, upon reasonable notice to the Borrower, permit the Administrative Agent or any of the Lenders, or any agents or representatives thereof, to examine and make copies of and abstracts from the records and books of account, and visit the properties, of the Borrower, and to discuss the affairs, finances and accounts of the Borrower and/or any of its Subsidiaries with any of the members of the senior treasury staff of the Borrower.

 

(f)                                    Keeping of Books .  Keep, and cause each of its Subsidiaries to keep, proper books of record and account, in which full and correct entries shall be made of all financial transactions and the assets and business of the Borrower and each such Subsidiary sufficient to permit the preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP.

 

(g)                                   Maintenance of Properties, Etc. Cause all of its properties that are used or useful in the conduct of its business or the business of any of its Subsidiaries to be maintained and kept in good condition, repair and working order and supplied with all necessary equipment, and cause to be made all necessary repairs, renewals, replacements, betterments and improvements thereof, all as in the judgment of the Borrower may be necessary so that the business carried on in connection therewith may be properly and advantageously conducted at all times, except, in each case, where the failure to do so would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(h)                                  Transactions with Affiliates .  Conduct, and cause each of its Subsidiaries to conduct, all material transactions otherwise permitted under this Agreement with any of their Affiliates (excluding the members of the Consolidated Group) on terms that are fair and reasonable and no less favorable to the Borrower or such Subsidiary than it would obtain in a comparable arm’s-length transaction with a Person not an Affiliate; provided that the provisions of this Section 5.01(h) shall not apply to the following:

 

(i)                                      the payment of dividends or other distributions (whether in cash, securities or other property) with respect to any equity interests in a member of the Consolidated Group, or any payment (whether in cash, securities or other property), including any sinking fund or similar deposit, on account of the purchase, redemption, retirement, acquisition, cancellation or termination of any

 

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such equity interests in such Person or any option, warrant or other right to acquire any such equity interests in such Person;

 

(ii)                                   payment of, or other consideration in respect of, compensation to, the making of loans to and payment of fees and expenses of and indemnities to officers, directors, employees or consultants of a member of the Consolidated Group and payment, or other consideration in respect of, directors’ and officers’ indemnities;

 

(iii)                                transactions pursuant to any agreement to which a member of the Consolidated Group is a party on the Effective Date; or

 

(iv)                               transactions with joint ventures for the purchase or sale of property or other assets and services entered into in the ordinary course of business and in a manner consistent with past practices.

 

(i)                                      Reporting Requirements .  Furnish to the Administrative Agent for further distribution to the Lenders:

 

(i)                                      as soon as available and in any event within 50 days after the end of each of the first three quarters of each fiscal year of the Borrower, a Consolidated balance sheet of the Consolidated Group as of the end of such quarter and Consolidated statements of income and cash flows of the Consolidated Group for the period commencing at the end of the previous fiscal year and ending with the end of such quarter, duly certified by the Chief Financial Officer, the Controller or the Treasurer of the Borrower as having been prepared in accordance with GAAP (subject to the absence of footnotes and year-end audit adjustments);

 

(ii)                                   as soon as available and in any event within 100 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Borrower, a copy of the annual audit report for such year for the Consolidated Group, containing a Consolidated balance sheet of the Consolidated Group as of the end of such fiscal year and Consolidated statements of income and cash flows of the Consolidated Group for such fiscal year, in each case accompanied by an unqualified opinion or an opinion reasonably acceptable to the Required Lenders by Ernst & Young LLP or other independent public accountants of recognized national standing;

 

(iii)                                simultaneously with each delivery of the financial statements referred to in subclauses (i)(i) and (i)(ii) of this Section 5.01, a certificate of the Chief Financial Officer, the Controller or the Treasurer of the Borrower as to compliance with the terms of this Agreement and setting forth in reasonable detail the calculations necessary to demonstrate compliance with Section 5.03;

 

(iv)                               as soon as possible and in any event within five days after any Responsible Officer shall have obtained knowledge of the occurrence of each Default continuing on the date of such statement, a statement of the Chief

 

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Financial Officer, the Controller or the Treasurer of the Borrower setting forth details of such Default and the action that the Borrower has taken and proposes to take with respect thereto;

 

(v)                                  promptly after the sending or filing thereof, copies of all reports that the Borrower sends to any of its securityholders, and copies of all reports and registration statements that members of the Consolidated Group file with the Securities and Exchange Commission or any national securities exchange;

 

(vi)                               promptly after a Responsible Officer obtains knowledge of the commencement thereof, notice of all actions, suits, investigations, litigations and proceedings before any court, governmental agency or arbitrator affecting the Consolidated Group of the type described in Section 4.01(f)(b); and

 

(vii)                            such other information respecting the Consolidated Group as any Lender through the Administrative Agent may from time to time reasonably request.

 

Information required to be delivered pursuant to subsections (i), (ii) and (v) of this Section 5.01(i) shall be deemed to have been delivered if such information, or one or more annual or quarterly or other reports or proxy statements containing such information, shall have been posted and be available on the website of the Securities and Exchange Commission at http://www.sec.gov (and a confirming electronic correspondence is delivered or caused to be delivered by the Borrower to the Administrative Agent providing notice of such availability). The Borrower hereby acknowledges that the Administrative Agent and/or the Lead Arrangers will make available to the Lenders materials and/or information provided by or on behalf of the Borrower hereunder (collectively, “ Borrower Materials ”) by posting the Borrower Materials on IntraLinks or another similar secure electronic system (the “ Platform ”).

 

(j)                                     Anti-Corruption Laws .  Maintain policies and procedures with respect to itself and its Subsidiaries reasonably designed to promote and achieve compliance with applicable anti-corruption laws.

 

SECTION 5.02               Negative Covenants .  From and after the Effective Date, so long as any Lender shall have any Commitment hereunder or any Loan shall remain unpaid, the Borrower will not:

 

(a)                                  Non-Guarantor Subsidiary Debt. Permit any Subsidiary which is not a Guarantor to create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Debt, except:

 

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(i)                                      (A) Debt outstanding on the Effective Date and, to the extent any such Debt exceeds $25,000,000 in principal amount, listed on Schedule 5.02(a)(i),(3) and (B) any Permitted Refinancing in respect thereof;

 

(ii)                                   Debt of any Subsidiary to the Borrower or to any other Subsidiary;

 

(iii)                                [Reserved];

 

(iv)                               [Reserved];

 

(v)                                  (A) Debt incurred to finance the acquisition, construction, repair, replacement or improvement of any fixed or capital assets, including any Debt assumed in connection with the acquisition of any such assets or secured by a Lien on any such assets prior to the acquisition thereof; provided , that (i) such Debt is incurred prior to or within two hundred seventy (270) days after such acquisition or the completion of such construction, repair, replacement or improvement, (ii) such acquisition is not of all or substantially all of the assets of, or a business unit, line of business or division of, another Person and (iii) the aggregate principal amount of Debt outstanding under this clause (v) (when taken together, without duplication, with the amount of obligations outstanding secured by Liens pursuant to Section 5.02(b)(xiv)) shall not exceed 1.05% of Consolidated Net Assets at any time, and (B) any Permitted Refinancing in respect thereof;

 

(vi)                               [Reserved];

 

(vii)                            Debt under Hedge Agreements entered into for non-speculative purposes;

 

(viii)                         Debt in respect of bid, performance, surety, stay, customs, appeal or replevin bonds or performance and completion guarantees and similar obligations issued or incurred in the ordinary course of business, including guarantees or obligations of any Subsidiary with respect to letters of credit, bank guarantees or similar instruments supporting such obligation, in each case, not in connection with indebtedness for borrowed money;

 

(ix)                               Debt in respect of judgments, decrees, attachments or awards that do not constitute an Event of Default under Section 6.01(f);

 

(x)                                  Debt incurred pursuant to a Permitted Receivables Facility; provided , however , that the sum of the aggregate net unrecovered investment and the aggregate outstanding advances from the financing parties under such accounts receivable securitization arrangements shall not exceed at any time $500,000,000;

 


(3)  Note to Client:  We’ve assumed no amendment to the debt schedule is necessary (and that it is not worth complicating the amendment marketing process) on account of the upsized Alere SwissCo revolver given the short term nature of that facility.  Please confirm.

 

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(xi)                               Debt consisting of bona fide purchase price adjustments, earn-outs, indemnification obligations, obligations under deferred compensation or similar arrangements and similar items incurred in connection with acquisitions and asset sales;

 

(xii)                            [Reserved];

 

(xiii)                         other Debt in an aggregate amount (when taken together, without duplication, with the amount of obligations of all Subsidiaries secured by Liens pursuant to Section 5.02(b)(xxii)) not to exceed 15% of Consolidated Net Assets at any time; and

 

(xiv)                        all premiums (if any), interest (including post-petition interest), fees, expenses, charges and additional or contingent interest on obligations described in clauses (i) through (xiii) of this Section 5.02(a).

 

(b)                                  Liens .  Create, incur, assume or suffer to exist, or permit any Subsidiary to create, incur, assume or suffer to exist, any Lien upon any of its property or assets, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, other than the following:

 

(i)                                      Liens securing the Obligations;

 

(ii)                                   Liens existing on the Effective Date and, to the extent securing obligations in excess of $25,000,000, listed on Schedule 5.02(b)(ii), and any replacements, renewals or extensions thereof; provided , that (A) such Liens shall not subsequently apply to any other property or assets of the Borrower or any Subsidiary other than (x) after-acquired property that is affixed or incorporated into the property or asset covered by such Lien and (y) proceeds and products thereof and (B) such Liens shall secure only those obligations that it secures on the Effective Date and Permitted Refinancing thereof;

 

(iii)                                Liens on any amounts held by a trustee or other escrow agent under any indenture or other debt agreement issued in escrow pursuant to customary escrow arrangements pending the release thereof, or under any indenture or other debt agreement pursuant to customary discharge, redemption or defeasance provisions;

 

(iv)                               Liens for Taxes not yet delinquent, that remain payable without penalty and that are not overdue for a period of more than sixty (60) days, or which are being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted, if adequate reserves with respect thereto are maintained on the books of the applicable Person in accordance with GAAP;

 

(v)                                  carriers’, warehousemen’s, mechanics’, materialmen’s, repairmen’s or other like Liens arising in the ordinary course of business which are not delinquent for a period of more than 60 days or which are being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted;

 

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(vi)                               pledges or deposits in connection with workers’ compensation,  unemployment insurance and other social security legislation, in each case incurred or made in the ordinary course of business or required by law;

 

(vii)                            pledges or deposits to secure the performance of bids, trade contracts (other than for borrowed money), leases, statutory obligations, surety and appeal bonds, performance bonds and other obligations of a like nature incurred in the ordinary course of business (including deposits to secure letters of credit issued to secure any such obligation);

 

(viii)                         easements, rights-of-way, zoning restrictions and other similar encumbrances required by law or incurred in the ordinary course of business affecting real property which, in the aggregate, are not substantial in amount, and which do not in any case materially detract from the value of the property subject thereto or materially interfere with the ordinary conduct of the business of the applicable Person;

 

(ix)                               Liens securing judgments for the payment of money or securing appeal or other surety bonds related to such judgments that do not constitute and Event of Default;

 

(x)                                  customary rights of setoff upon deposit accounts and securities accounts of cash in favor of banks or other depository institutions and securities intermediaries; provided , that (A) such deposit account or securities account is not a dedicated cash collateral account and is not subject to restrictions against access by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries owning the affected deposit account or other funds maintained with a creditor depository institution in excess of those set forth by regulations promulgated by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of the United States or any foreign regulatory agency performing an equivalent function, and (B) such deposit account or securities account is not intended by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to provide collateral (other than such as is ancillary to the establishment of such deposit account or securities account) to the depository institution;

 

(xi)                               Liens arising under Cash Management Agreement pooling arrangements;

 

(xii)                            any interest or title of a lessor under any lease entered into by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of its business and covering only the assets so leased;

 

(xiii)                         Liens on accounts receivable and related property, in each case subject to a Permitted Receivables Facility and created in connection with such Permitted Receivables Facility;

 

(xiv)                        Liens on fixed or capital assets acquired, constructed, repaired, replaced or improved by the Borrower or any Subsidiary; provided , that (A) such

 

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acquisition is not of all or substantially all of the assets of, or a business unit, line of business or division of, another Person, (B) such security interests secure obligations incurred to fund the acquisition of such assets in an aggregate principal amount (when taken together, without duplication, with the amount of Debt outstanding pursuant to Section 5.02(a)(v)) not to exceed 1.05% of Consolidated Net Assets at any time, and any Permitted Refinancing in respect thereof, (C) such security interests and the obligations secured thereby are incurred prior to or within two hundred seventy (270) days after such acquisition or the completion of such construction, repair or replacement or improvement, (D) the obligations secured thereby do not exceed the cost of acquiring, constructing or improving such fixed or capital assets and (E) such security interests shall not apply to any other property or asset of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, except for accessions to such fixed or capital assets covered by such Lien and the proceeds and products thereof and of the fixed or capital assets financed by such Debt; provided , further , that individual financings of fixed or capital assets provided by one lender may be cross-collateralized to other financings of fixed or capital assets provided by such lender;

 

(xv)                           licenses, operating leases or subleases permitted hereunder granted to other Persons in the ordinary course of business not interfering in any material respect with the business of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries;

 

(xvi)                        Liens arising from precautionary UCC financing statement filings with respect to operating leases or consignment arrangements entered into by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business;

 

(xvii)                     any Lien existing on any property or asset prior to the acquisition thereof by the Borrower or any Subsidiary or existing on any property or asset of any Person that becomes a Subsidiary after the Effective Date prior to the time such Person becomes a Subsidiary; provided , that (A) such Lien is not created in contemplation of or in connection with such acquisition or such Person becoming a Subsidiary, as the case may be, (B) such Lien shall not apply to any other property or asset of the Borrower or any other Subsidiary (other than the proceeds or products of the property or asset covered by such Lien and other than improvements and after-acquired property that is affixed or incorporated into the property or asset covered by such Lien) and (C) such Lien shall secure only those obligations which it secures on the date of such acquisition or the date such Person becomes a Subsidiary, as the case may be, and any Permitted Refinancing in respect of such obligations;

 

(xviii)                  Liens on cash, cash equivalents or other assets securing Debt under Hedge Agreements entered into for non-speculative purposes;

 

(xix)                        Liens on any property or asset of the Borrower or any Subsidiary in favor of any Loan Party and Liens on any property or asset of any Subsidiary of the Borrower that is not a Loan Party in favor of any other Subsidiary of the Borrower that is not a Loan Party;

 

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(xx)                           Liens, pledges or deposits made in the ordinary course of business to secure liability to insurance carriers providing property, casualty or liability insurance to the Borrower or any Subsidiary;

 

(xxi)                        Liens on any property or asset of any Subsidiary that is not a Loan Party securing Debt of such Subsidiary that is otherwise permitted under Section 5.02(a) (other than Section 5.02(a)(xiii)); and

 

(xxii)                     other Liens; provided , that the aggregate principal amount of obligations secured by Liens outstanding pursuant to this clause (xxii) (when taken together, without duplication, with the amount of Debt outstanding pursuant to Section 5.02(a)(xiii)) would not exceed 15% of Consolidated Net Assets at any time.

 

(c)                                   Mergers, Etc. Merge or consolidate with or into, or convey, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of (whether in one transaction or in a series of transactions) all or substantially all of its assets (whether now owned or hereafter acquired) to, any Person, or permit any of its Subsidiaries to do so, except that:

 

(i)                                      any Subsidiary of the Borrower (other than any Loan Party) may merge or consolidate with or into, or dispose of assets to, any other Subsidiary of the Borrower or the Borrower;

 

(ii)                                   any Subsidiary of the Borrower that is a Guarantor may merge or consolidate with or into, or convey, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its assets (whether now owned or hereafter acquired) to, any other Subsidiary of the Borrower or the Borrower ( provided , however , that the surviving entity or such transferee, if not a Guarantor hereunder or the Borrower, shall become a Guarantor hereunder in accordance with Section 9.01);

 

(iii)                                the Borrower and its Subsidiaries may consummate the acquisition of the Acquired Business pursuant to the Alere Acquisition Agreement;

 

(iv)                               the Borrower may merge or consolidate with or into any other Person so long as (A) the Borrower is the surviving Person or (B) the surviving entity shall succeed, by agreement reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Required Lenders, to all of the businesses and operations of the Borrower and shall assume all of the rights and obligations of the Borrower under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents ( provided , however , that no Lender shall be required to lend to a surviving entity that is organized in a foreign jurisdiction that is not reasonably acceptable to such Lender if such Lender is not lending to similarly situated companies in such foreign jurisdiction at such time);

 

(v)                                  any Subsidiary of the Borrower may merge or consolidate with or into, or convey, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its assets (whether now owned or hereafter acquired) to, another Person (other than the Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof) so long as (A) the consideration received

 

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in respect of such merger, consolidation, conveyance, transfer, lease or other disposition is at least equal to the fair market value of such assets and (B) no Material Adverse Effect would reasonably be expected to result from such merger, consolidation, conveyance, transfer, lease or other disposition;

 

provided , in the cases of clause (i), (ii), (iv) and (v) of this Section 5.02(c), that no Default shall have occurred and be continuing at the time of such proposed transaction or would result therefrom.

 

(d)                                  Sales and Leaseback .  Enter into, or permit any Domestic Subsidiary to enter into, any arrangement with any bank, insurance company or other lender or investor (not including any member of the Consolidated Group) or to which any such lender or investor is a party, providing for the leasing by the Borrower or any Domestic Subsidiary for a period, including renewals, in excess of three years of any Principal Domestic Property which has been or is to be sold or transferred, more than 120 days after the acquisition thereof or the completion of construction and commencement of full operation thereof, by the Borrower or any Domestic Subsidiary to such lender or investor or to any person to whom funds have been or are to be advanced by such lender or investor on the security of such Principal Domestic Property (any such arrangement being referred to herein as a “ Sale and Leaseback Transaction ”) unless either:

 

(i)                                      the Borrower or such Domestic Subsidiary could incur indebtedness for borrowed money secured by a Lien pursuant to Section 5.02(b) on the Principal Domestic Property to be leased back in an amount equal to the Attributable Debt with respect to such Sale and Leaseback Transaction at the time the Borrower or such Domestic Subsidiary enters into such Sale and Leaseback Transaction, or

 

(ii)                                   the Borrower, within 120 days after the sale or transfer shall have been made by the Borrower or by such Domestic Subsidiary, applies an amount equal to the greater of (A) the net proceeds of the sale of the Principal Domestic Property sold and leased back pursuant to such Sale and Leaseback Transaction or (B) the fair market value of the Principal Domestic Property so sold and leased back at the time of entering into such Sale and Leaseback Transaction (as determined by any two of the following:  the Chief Executive Officer, any President, the Chief Financial Officer, the Controller or the Treasurer of the Borrower) to the retirement of Funded Debt; provided that the amount to be applied to the retirement of Funded Debt shall be reduced by (1) the principal amount of any Loans paid or prepaid within 120 days after such sale or transfer and (2) the principal amount of such Funded Debt voluntarily retired by the Borrower within 120 days after such sale or transfer. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no retirement referred to in this Section 5.02(d)(ii) may be effected by payment at maturity or pursuant to any mandatory sinking fund payment or any mandatory prepayment provision.

 

(e)                                   Accounting Changes .  Change its fiscal year-end from December 31 of each calendar year.

 

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(f)                                    Change in Nature of Business .  Make any material change in the nature of the business of the Consolidated Group, taken as a whole, from that carried out at the Effective Date; it being understood that this Section 5.02(f) shall not prohibit members of the Consolidated Group from conducting any business or business activities incidental or related to the business of the Borrower, Alere or their Subsidiaries as carried on as of the Effective Date or any business or activity that is reasonably similar or complementary thereto or a reasonable extension, development or expansion thereof or ancillary thereto.

 

(g)                                   Use of Proceeds . Directly or, to the knowledge of the Borrower, indirectly (x) use the proceeds of any Borrowing for any purpose that would breach the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, the UK Bribery Act of 2010, or other similar applicable legislation in other jurisdictions or (y) use the proceeds of any Borrowing, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any Subsidiary, joint venture partner or other individual or entity, to fund any activities of or business with any individual or entity that, at the time of such funding, is (1) the subject of Sanctions or (2) in any Designated Jurisdiction, in each case in violation of Sanctions.

 

SECTION 5.03               Financial Covenants .  Permit, as of the last day of each fiscal quarter of the Borrower (commencing with the first full fiscal quarter-end date occurring after the Closing Date):

 

(a)                                  The ratio of Consolidated Debt to Total Capitalization to exceed 0.60:1.00 .

 

(b)                                  The Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio to be less than 3.00:1.00 .

 

ARTICLE VI

 

EVENTS OF DEFAULT

 

SECTION 6.01               Events of Default .  If, on or after the Effective Date, any of the following events (“ Events of Default ”) shall occur and be continuing:

 

(a)                                  The Borrower shall fail (i) to pay any principal of any Loan when the same becomes due and payable or (ii) to pay any interest on any Loan or make any payment of fees or other amounts payable under this Agreement within five Business Days after the same becomes due and payable; or

 

(b)                                  Any representation or warranty made by the Borrower herein or by any Loan Party (or any Loan Party’s officers) in connection with this Agreement shall prove to have been incorrect in any material respect when made; or

 

(c)                                   (i) The Borrower shall fail to perform or observe any term, covenant or agreement contained in Section 5.01(d)(i), 5.01(i)(iv), 5.02(a), 5.02(b), 5.02(c), 5.02(d), 5.02(f), 5.02(g)(y) (to the extent the use of proceeds would result in a violation of Sanctions by a Lender, the Lead Arrangers or the Administrative Agent) or 5.03 or (ii) the Borrower shall fail to perform or observe any term, covenant or agreement contained

 

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in Section 5.01(e) or clauses (i)-(iii) or (v)-(vii) of Section 5.01(i) if such failure shall remain unremedied for 10 Business Days after written notice thereof shall have been given to the Borrower by the Administrative Agent or any Lender, or (iii) the Borrower shall fail to perform or observe any other term, covenant or agreement contained in this Agreement on its part to be performed or observed if such failure shall remain unremedied for 30 days after written notice thereof shall have been given to the Borrower by the Administrative Agent or any Lender; or

 

(d)                                  A member of the Consolidated Group shall fail to pay any principal of or premium or interest on any Debt that is outstanding in a principal amount, or, in the case of any Hedge Agreement, having a maximum Agreement Value, of at least $250,000,000 in the aggregate (but excluding Debt outstanding hereunder) of such member of the Consolidated Group, when the same becomes due and payable (whether by scheduled maturity, required prepayment, acceleration, demand or otherwise), and such failure shall continue after the applicable grace period, if any, specified in the agreement or instrument relating to such Debt; or any other event shall occur or condition shall exist under any agreement or instrument relating to any such Debt and shall continue after the applicable grace period, if any, specified in such agreement or instrument, if the effect of such event or condition is to accelerate, or to permit the acceleration of, the maturity of such Debt; or any such Debt shall be declared to be due and payable, or required to be prepaid or redeemed, purchased or defeased, or an offer to prepay, redeem, purchase or defease such Debt shall be required to be made, in each case prior to the stated maturity thereof (other than due to any (x) regularly scheduled required prepayment or redemption or (y) prepayment of Debt which is mandatory under the terms of the documentation governing such Debt by reason of the receipt of net cash proceeds of other Debt, of dispositions (including, without limitation, as the result of casualty events and governmental takings) or of equity issuances or by reason of excess cash flow); or

 

(e)                                   The Borrower or any Significant Subsidiary shall generally not pay its debts as such debts become due, or shall admit in writing its inability to pay its debts generally, or shall make a general assignment for the benefit of creditors; or any proceeding shall be instituted by or against the Borrower or any Significant Subsidiary seeking to adjudicate it as bankrupt or insolvent, or seeking liquidation, winding up, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, protection, relief, or composition of it or its debts under any law relating to bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization or relief of debtors, or seeking the entry of an order for relief or the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian or other similar official for it or for any substantial part of its property and, in the case of any such proceeding instituted against it (but not instituted by it), such proceeding shall remain undismissed or unstayed for a period of 60 days; or the Borrower or any Significant Subsidiary shall take any corporate action to authorize any of the actions set forth above in this Section 6.01(e); or

 

(f)                                    Any one or more judgments or orders for the payment of money in excess of $250,000,000 shall be rendered against a member of the Consolidated Group and either (i) enforcement proceedings shall have been commenced by any creditor upon such judgment or order or (ii) there shall be any period of 60 consecutive days during which a stay of enforcement of such judgment or order, by reason of a pending appeal or

 

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otherwise, shall not be in effect; provided , however , that, for purposes of determining whether an Event of Default has occurred under this Section 6.01(f), the amount of any such judgment or order shall be reduced to the extent that (A) such judgment or order is covered by a valid and binding policy of insurance between the defendant and the insurer covering payment thereof and (B) such insurer, which shall be rated at least “A” by A.M. Best Company, has been notified of, and has not disputed the claim made for payment of, such judgment or order; or

 

(g)           (i) Any Person or two or more Persons acting in concert shall have acquired beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 of the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended), directly or indirectly, of Voting Stock of the Borrower (or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for such Voting Stock) representing 30% or more of the combined voting power of all Voting Stock of the Borrower (on a fully diluted basis) or (ii) during any period of up to 24 consecutive months, commencing before or after the date of this Agreement, a majority of the members of the board of directors of the Borrower shall not be Continuing Directors; or

 

(h)           The Borrower or any of its ERISA Affiliates shall incur, or shall be reasonably likely to incur, liability in excess of $250,000,000 in the aggregate as a result of one or more of the following:  (i) the occurrence of any ERISA Event; (ii) the partial or complete withdrawal of the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from a Multiemployer Plan; or (iii) the reorganization or termination of a Multiemployer Plan;

 

then, and in any such event (but subject to Section 3.03), the Administrative Agent shall at the request, or may with the consent, of the Required Lenders, by notice to the Borrower, other than during the Certain Funds Period, declare the Loans, all interest thereon and all other amounts payable under this Agreement to be forthwith due and payable, whereupon the Loans, all such interest and all such amounts shall become and be forthwith due and payable, without presentment, demand, protest or further notice of any kind, all of which are hereby expressly waived by the Borrower; provided , however , that in the event of an actual or deemed entry of an order for relief with respect to the Borrower under the Federal Bankruptcy Code, (A) the Commitment of each Lender shall automatically be terminated and (B) the Loans, all such interest and all such amounts shall automatically become and be due and payable, without presentment, demand, protest or any notice of any kind, all of which are hereby expressly waived by the Borrower.

 

SECTION 6.02     Application of Funds .  After the exercise of remedies provided for in Section 6.01 (or after the Loans have automatically become immediately due and payable as set forth in the last proviso to Section 6.01), any amounts received on account of the Obligations shall, subject to the provisions of Section 2.15, be applied by the Administrative Agent in the following order:

 

First , to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting fees, indemnities, expenses and other amounts (including Attorney Costs and amounts payable under Section 2.16 through Section 2.21) payable to the Administrative Agent in its capacity as such;

 

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Second , 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 and amounts payable under Section 2.16 through Section 2.21), ratably among them in proportion to the amounts described in this clause Second payable to them;

 

Third , to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting accrued and unpaid interest on the Loans and other Obligations, ratably among the Lenders in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause Third payable to them;

 

Fourth , to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting unpaid principal of the Loans, ratably among the Lenders in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause Fourth held by them; 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.

 

ARTICLE VII

 

THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT

 

SECTION 7.01     Authorization and Action .  Each Lender hereby irrevocably appoints Bank of America to act on its behalf as the Administrative Agent hereunder and under the other Loan Documents and authorizes the Administrative Agent to take such actions on its behalf and to exercise such powers as are delegated to the Administrative Agent by the terms hereof or thereof, together with such actions and powers as are reasonably incidental thereto.  The provisions of this Article VII (other than the third sentence of Section 7.04 and Section 7.06) are solely for the benefit of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders, and no Loan Party shall have rights as a third party beneficiary of any of such provisions (other than the third sentence of Section 7.04 and Section 7.06).  It is understood and agreed that the use of the term “agent” herein or in any other Loan Documents (or any other similar term) with reference to the Administrative Agent is not intended to connote any fiduciary or other implied (or express) obligations arising under agency doctrine of any applicable Law. Instead such term is used as a matter of market custom, and is intended to create or reflect only an administrative relationship between contracting parties.

 

SECTION 7.02     Administrative Agent Individually .  The Person serving as the Administrative Agent hereunder shall have the same rights and powers in its capacity as a Lender as any other Lender and may exercise the same as though it were not the Administrative Agent and the term “Lender” or “Lenders” shall, unless otherwise expressly indicated or unless the context otherwise requires, include the Person serving as the Administrative Agent hereunder in its individual capacity as a Lender.  Such Person and its Affiliates may accept deposits from, own securities of, lend money to, act as the financial advisor or in any other advisory capacity for and generally engage in any kind of business with any member of the Consolidated Group or other Affiliate thereof as if such Person were not the Administrative Agent hereunder and without any duty to account therefor to the Lenders.

 

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SECTION 7.03     Duties of Administrative Agent; Exculpatory Provisions .

 

(a)           The Administrative Agent’s duties hereunder and under the other Loan Documents are solely ministerial and administrative in nature, and the Administrative Agent shall not have any duties or obligations except those expressly set forth herein or in any other Loan Document.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Administrative Agent (i) shall not be subject to any fiduciary or other implied duties, regardless of whether a Default has occurred and is continuing, (ii) shall not have any duty to take any discretionary action or exercise any discretionary powers but shall be required to act or refrain from acting (and shall be fully protected in so acting or refraining from acting) upon the written direction of the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be expressly provided for herein or in any other Loan Document); provided that the Administrative Agent shall not be required to take any action that, in its opinion or the opinion of its counsel, may expose the Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates to liability or that is contrary to any Loan Document or applicable law, including for the avoidance of doubt, any action that may be in violation of the automatic stay under any Debtor Relief Law or that may effect a forfeiture, modification or termination of property of a Defaulting Lender in violation of any Debtor Relief Law and (iii) shall not, except as expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents, have any duty to disclose, and shall not be liable for the failure to disclose, any information relating to any Loan Party or any of its Affiliates that is communicated to or obtained by the Person serving as the Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates in any capacity.

 

(b)           The Administrative Agent shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it (i) with the consent or at the request of the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary, or as the Administrative Agent shall believe in good faith shall be necessary, under the circumstances as provided in Section 6.01 or 8.01) or (ii) in the absence of its own gross negligence or willful misconduct as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment. The Administrative Agent shall be deemed not to have knowledge of any Default unless and until the Borrower or any Lender shall have given notice to the Administrative Agent describing such Default.

 

(c)           The Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for or have any duty to ascertain or inquire into (i) any statement, warranty, representation or other information made or supplied in or in connection with this Agreement, any other Loan Document or the Information Memorandum, (ii) the contents of any certificate, report or other document delivered hereunder or thereunder or in connection herewith or therewith or the adequacy, accuracy and/or completeness of the information contained therein, (iii) the performance or observance of any of the covenants, agreements or other terms or conditions set forth herein or therein or the occurrence of any Default, (iv) the validity, enforceability, effectiveness or genuineness of this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any other agreement, instrument or document or (v) the satisfaction of any condition set forth in Article III or elsewhere herein, other than (but subject to the foregoing clause (ii)) to confirm receipt of items expressly required to be delivered to the Administrative Agent.

 

(d)           Nothing in this Agreement or any other Loan Document shall require the Administrative Agent or any of its Related Parties to carry out any “know-your-customer” or other checks in relation to any person on behalf of any Lender, and each Lender confirms to the Administrative Agent that it is solely responsible for any such checks it is required to carry out

 

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and that it may not rely on any statement in relation to such checks made by the Administrative Agent or any of its Related Parties.

 

SECTION 7.04     Reliance by Administrative Agent .  The Administrative Agent shall be entitled to rely upon, and shall not incur any liability for relying upon, any notice, request, certificate, consent, statement, instrument, document or other writing (including any electronic message, Internet or intranet website posting or other distribution) believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed, sent or otherwise authenticated by the proper Person.  The Administrative Agent also may rely upon any statement made to it orally or by telephone and believed by it to have been made by the proper Person, and shall not incur any liability for relying thereon.  In determining compliance with any condition hereunder to the Effective Date or Closing Date, as applicable, each Lender shall be deemed to have consented to, approved or accepted such condition unless an officer of the Administrative Agent responsible for the transactions contemplated hereby shall have received notice to the contrary from such Lender prior to the Effective Date or Closing Date, as applicable. The Administrative Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be counsel for the Borrower), independent accountants and other experts selected by it, and shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it in accordance with the advice of any such counsel, accountants or experts.

 

SECTION 7.05     Delegation of Duties .  The Administrative Agent may perform any and all of its duties and exercise its rights and powers hereunder by or through any one or more sub agents appointed by the Administrative Agent.  The Administrative Agent and any such sub agent may perform any and all of its duties and exercise its rights and powers by or through their respective Related Parties.  Each such sub agent and the Related Parties of the Administrative Agent and each such sub agent shall be entitled to the benefits of all provisions of this Article VII and Section 8.04 (as though such sub-agents were the “Administrative Agent” under this Agreement) as if set forth in full herein with respect thereto.  The Administrative Agent shall not be responsible to any Lender for the negligence or misconduct of any sub-agents except to the extent that a court of competent jurisdiction determines in a final and nonappealable judgment that the Administrative Agent acted with gross negligence or willful misconduct in the selection of such sub-agents.

 

SECTION 7.06     Resignation of Administrative Agent .

 

(a)           The Administrative Agent may at any time give notice of its resignation to the Lenders and the Borrower. Upon receipt of any such notice of resignation, the Required Lenders shall have the right, in consultation with the Borrower, to appoint a successor, which shall be a bank with an office in the United States, or an Affiliate of any such bank with an office in the United States.  If no such successor shall have been so appointed by the Required Lenders and shall have accepted such appointment within 30 days after the retiring Administrative Agent gives notice of its resignation (or such earlier day as shall be agreed by the Required Lenders) (the “ Resignation Effective Date ”), then the retiring Administrative Agent may (but shall not be obligated to), on behalf of the Lenders and in consultation with the Borrower, appoint a successor Administrative Agent meeting the qualifications set forth above. Whether or not a successor has been appointed, such resignation shall become effective in accordance with such notice on the Resignation Effective Date.

 

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(b)           If the Person serving as Administrative Agent is a Defaulting Lender pursuant to clause (d) of the definition thereof, such Person shall automatically and without the taking of any action by any Person, be removed as Administrative Agent on the date that is 30 days following the date such Person became a Defaulting Lender (or such earlier day as shall be agreed by the Required Lenders) (the “ Removal Effective Date ”).  In connection therewith, the Required Lenders, in consultation with the Borrower, shall appoint a successor.  If no such successor shall have been so appointed by the Required Lenders and shall have accepted such appointment on or prior to the Removal Effective Date, then such removal shall nonetheless become effective in accordance with such notice on the Removal Effective Date.

 

(c)           With effect from the Resignation Effective Date or the Removal Effective Date (as applicable) (i) the retiring or removed Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations hereunder and under the other Loan Documents and (ii) except for any indemnity payments owed to the retiring or removed Administrative Agent, all payments, communications and determinations to be made by, to or through the Administrative Agent shall instead be made by or to each Lender directly, until such time, if any, as the Required Lenders appoint a successor Administrative Agent as provided for above. Upon the acceptance of a successor’s appointment as Administrative Agent hereunder, such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all of the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring or removed Administrative Agent (other than any rights to indemnity payments or other amounts owed to the retiring or removed Administrative Agent), and the retiring or removed Administrative Agent shall be discharged from all of its duties and obligations hereunder and under the other Loan Documents (if not already discharged therefrom as provided above in this Section). The fees payable by the Borrower to a successor Administrative Agent shall be the same as those payable to its predecessor unless otherwise agreed between the Borrower and such successor.  After the retiring or removed Administrative Agent’s resignation or removal hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, the provisions of this Article VII and Section 8.04 shall continue in effect for the benefit of such retiring or removed Administrative Agent, its sub agents and their respective Related Parties in respect of any actions taken or omitted to be taken by any of them while the retiring or removed Administrative Agent was acting as Administrative Agent.

 

SECTION 7.07     Non-Reliance on Administrative Agent and Other Lenders .  Each Lender acknowledges that it has, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender or any of their Related Parties and based on such documents and information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Agreement.  Each Lender also acknowledges that it will, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender or any of their Related Parties and based on such documents and information as it shall from time to time deem appropriate, continue to make its own decisions in taking or not taking action under or based upon this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any related agreement or any document furnished hereunder or thereunder.

 

SECTION 7.08     Other Agents .  None of the Lenders identified on the facing page or signature pages of this Agreement as a “joint lead arranger” or “joint book runner” 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, none of the Lenders so identified shall have or be deemed to have any fiduciary relationship with any Lender.  Each

 

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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.

 

ARTICLE VIII

 

MISCELLANEOUS

 

SECTION 8.01     Amendments, Etc.   No amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, and no consent to any departure by any Loan Party therefrom, shall be effective unless in writing signed by the Required Lenders and each Loan Party, and acknowledged by the Administrative Agent, and each such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the specific purpose for which given; provided , however , that no such amendment, waiver or consent shall:

 

(a)           extend or increase the Commitment of any Lender (or reinstate any Commitment terminated pursuant to Section 6.01) without the written consent of such Lender;

 

(b)           postpone any date fixed by this Agreement or any other Loan Document for any payment of principal, interest, fees or other amounts due to the Lenders (or any of them) hereunder or under any other Loan Document without the written consent of each Lender directly affected thereby;

 

(c)           reduce the principal of, or the rate of interest specified herein on any Loan or (subject to clause (iii) of the third proviso to this Section 8.01) any fees or other amounts payable hereunder or under any other Loan Document, without the written consent of each Lender directly affected thereby; provided , however , that only the consent of the Required Lenders shall be necessary to amend the definition of “Default Rate” or to waive any obligation of the Borrower to pay interest at the Default Rate;

 

(d)           change Section 6.02 in a manner that would alter the pro rata sharing of payments required thereby without the written consent of each Lender; or

 

(e)           change any provision of this Section 8.01 or Section 2.12 or the definition of “Required Lenders” or “Pro Rata Share” or any other provision hereof specifying the number or percentage of Lenders required to amend, waive or otherwise modify any rights hereunder or make any determination or grant any consent hereunder, without the written consent of each Lender.

 

and, provided further , that (i) no amendment, waiver or consent shall, unless in writing and signed by the Administrative Agent in addition to the Lenders required above, affect the rights or duties of the Administrative Agent under this Agreement or any other Loan Document; (ii) the Fee Letter may be amended, or rights or privileges thereunder waived, in a writing executed only by the parties thereto; and (iii) any amendment or waiver with respect to Section 8.18 shall require the consent of any Lender that is an EEA Financial Institution. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, no Defaulting Lender shall have any right to approve or disapprove any

 

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amendment, waiver or consent hereunder (and any amendment, waiver or consent which by its terms requires the consent of all Lenders or each affected Lender may be effected with the consent of the applicable Lenders other than Defaulting Lenders), except that (x) the Commitment of any Defaulting Lender may not be increased or extended without the consent of such Lender and (y) any waiver, amendment or modification requiring the consent of all Lenders or each affected Lender that by its terms affects any Defaulting Lender more adversely than other affected Lenders shall require the consent of such Defaulting Lender.

 

SECTION 8.02     Notices, Etc.   (a)  Except in the case of notices and other communications expressly permitted to be given by telephone (and except as provided in subsection (b) below), all notices and other communications provided for hereunder shall be in writing (including telecopier) and mailed, telecopied or delivered, if to the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, to the address, telecopier number, electronic mail address or telephone number specified for such Person on Schedule I; or, as to the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, at such other address as shall be designated by such party in a written notice to the other parties and, as to each other party, at such other address as shall be designated by such party in a written notice to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent. Notices and other communications sent by hand or overnight courier service, or mailed by certified or registered mail, shall be deemed to have been given when received; notices and other communications sent by facsimile shall be deemed to have been given when sent (except that, if not given during normal business hours for the recipient, shall be deemed to have been given at the opening of business on the next Business Day for the recipient).  Notices and other communications delivered through electronic communications to the extent provided in subsection (b) below, shall be effective as provided in such subsection (b).

 

(b)           Electronic Communications .  Notices and other communications to the Lenders hereunder may be delivered or furnished by electronic communication (including e-mail, FpML messaging and Internet or intranet websites) pursuant to procedures approved by the Administrative Agent, provided that the foregoing shall not apply to notices to any Lender pursuant to Article II if such Lender has notified the Administrative Agent that it is incapable of receiving notices under such Article by electronic communication.  The Administrative Agent or the Borrower may, in its discretion, agree to accept notices and other communications to it hereunder by electronic communications pursuant to procedures approved by it, provided that approval of such procedures may be limited to particular notices or communications.

 

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

 

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(c)           THE PLATFORM IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE.”  THE AGENT PARTIES (AS DEFINED BELOW) DO NOT WARRANT THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE BORROWER MATERIALS OR THE ADEQUACY OF THE PLATFORM, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM LIABILITY FOR ERRORS IN OR OMISSIONS FROM THE BORROWER MATERIALS.  NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR FREEDOM FROM VIRUSES OR OTHER CODE DEFECTS, IS MADE BY ANY AGENT PARTY IN CONNECTION WITH THE BORROWER MATERIALS OR THE PLATFORM.  In no event shall the Administrative Agent or any of its Related Parties (collectively, the “ Agent Parties ”) have any liability to any Loan Party or any Lender or any other Person for losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses of any kind (whether in tort, contract or otherwise) arising out of the Borrower’s or the Administrative Agent’s transmission of Borrower Materials or notices through the platform, any other electronic platform or electronic messaging service, or through the Internet, except to the extent that such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by a final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Agent Party; provided , however , that in no event shall any Agent Party have any liability to the Borrower, any other Loan Party or any Lender or any other Person for indirect, special, incidental, consequential or punitive damages (as opposed to direct or actual damages).

 

(d)           Each of the Borrower and the Administrative Agent may change its address, facsimile or telephone number for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to the other parties hereto.  Each Lender may change its address, facsimile or telephone number for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent.  In addition, each Lender agrees to notify the Administrative Agent from time to time to ensure that the Administrative Agent has on record (i) an effective address, contact name, telephone number, facsimile number and electronic mail address to which notices and other communications may be sent and (ii) accurate wire instructions for such Lender.

 

(e)           The Administrative Agent and the Lenders shall be entitled to rely and act upon any notices (including telephonic notices and Loan Notices) reasonably believed to have been given by or on behalf of the Borrower even if (i) such notices were not made in a manner specified herein, were incomplete or were not preceded or followed by any other form of notice specified herein, or (ii) the terms thereof, as understood by the recipient, varied from any confirmation thereof.  The Borrower shall indemnify the Administrative Agent, each Lender and the Related Parties of each of them from all losses, costs, expenses and liabilities resulting from the reasonable reliance by such Person on each notice reasonably believed to have been given by or on behalf of the Borrower.  All telephonic notices to and other telephonic communications with the Administrative Agent may be recorded by the Administrative Agent, and each of the parties hereto hereby consents to such recording.  With respect to notices and other communications hereunder from the Borrower to any Lender, the Borrower shall provide such notices and other communications to the Administrative Agent, and the Administrative Agent shall promptly deliver such notices and other communications to any such Lender in accordance with subsection (b) above or otherwise.

 

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SECTION 8.03     No Waiver; Remedies .  No failure on the part of any Lender or the Administrative Agent to exercise, and no delay in exercising, any right hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof; nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such right preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right.  The remedies herein provided are cumulative and not exclusive of any remedies provided by applicable law.

 

SECTION 8.04     Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver .

 

(a)           Costs and Expenses . The Borrower shall pay upon demand (i) all reasonable and documented or invoiced out-of-pocket fees and expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent and its respective Affiliates (including, but not limited to, the reasonable and documented or invoiced fees, charges and disbursements of counsel which shall be limited to the reasonable and documented or invoiced out-of-pocket fees and other charges of one counsel to the Administrative Agent and its respective Affiliates, and, if necessary, of one local counsel to the Administrative Agent and its respective Affiliates in each relevant jurisdiction, and due diligence expenses), in connection with the syndication of the credit facilities provided for herein, the preparation, negotiation, execution, delivery and administration of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents or any amendments, modifications or waivers of the provisions hereof or thereof (whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby shall be consummated) and (ii) all out of pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent or any Lender (including, but not limited to, the reasonable and documented or invoiced fees, charges and disbursements of counsel which shall be limited to the reasonable and documented or invoiced out-of-pocket fees and other charges of one counsel to the Lenders and the Administrative Agent, and, if necessary, of one local counsel to the Lenders, retained by the Administrative Agent in each relevant jurisdiction (and, solely in the case of an actual or potential conflict of interest, of one additional counsel (and, if reasonably necessary, one additional local counsel in any relevant jurisdiction) for all such affected Lenders), and due diligence expenses), in connection with the enforcement or protection of its rights (A) in connection with this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, including its rights under this Section 8.04, or (B) in connection with the Loans made hereunder, including all such out of pocket expenses incurred during any workout, restructuring or negotiations in respect of such Loans.

 

(b)           Indemnification by the Borrower . The Borrower shall indemnify the Administrative Agent (and any sub-agent thereof) and each Lender, and each Related Party of any of the foregoing Persons and any successors or assigns (each such Person being called an “ Indemnified Person ”) against, and hold each Indemnified Person harmless from, all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and related expenses to which any Indemnified Person may become subject resulting from or in connection with this Agreement, the other Loan Documents, the use of the proceeds under this Agreement, the Alere Transactions or any related transaction, any actual or alleged presence of Hazardous Materials on any property of the Consolidated Group or any Environmental Liability related in any way to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or any claim, litigation, investigation or proceeding relating to any of the foregoing, regardless of whether any Indemnified Person is a party thereto and regardless of whether brought by a third party or by the Borrower or any of its Affiliates (any of the foregoing, a “ Proceeding ”), and shall reimburse each Indemnified Person upon demand for any legal or other expenses incurred in connection with investigating, defending, preparing to defend or participating in any such

 

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Proceeding, provided that (i) the foregoing indemnity will not, as to any Indemnified Person, apply to losses, claims, damages, liabilities or related expenses (A) to the extent they are found by a final, non-appealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction to result from the bad faith, willful misconduct or gross negligence of such Indemnified Person or any of its Related Persons, (B) to the extent resulting from any Proceeding that does not involve an act or omission of the Borrower or any of its Affiliates and that is brought by an Indemnified Person solely against another Indemnified Person, other than claims against any the Administrative Agent or the Lead Arrangers in its capacity in fulfilling its role as an administrative agent or lead arranger under this Agreement or (C) to the extent resulting from a material breach by such Indemnified Person or any Related Person thereof of its obligations hereunder as found by a final, non-appealable judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction and (ii) the Borrower’s obligation to reimburse legal expenses pursuant to this Section 8.04(b) shall be limited to the fees, charges and disbursements of one counsel to all Indemnified Persons (and, if reasonably necessary, one local counsel in any relevant jurisdiction) and, solely in the case of an actual or potential conflict of interest, of one additional counsel (and, if reasonably necessary, one additional local counsel in any relevant jurisdiction) . Without limiting the provisions of Section 2.16(c), this Section 8.04(b) shall not apply with respect to Taxes other than any Taxes that represent losses, claims, damages, etc. arising from any non-Tax claim.

 

(c)           Reimbursement by Lenders . To the extent that the Borrower for any reason fails to indefeasibly pay any amount required under subsection (a) or (b) of this Section 8.04 to be paid by it to the Administrative Agent (or any sub-agent thereof) or any Related Party of any of the foregoing, each Lender severally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent (or any such sub-agent) or such Related Party, as the case may be, such Lender’s Pro Rata Share (determined as of the time that the applicable unreimbursed expense or indemnity payment is sought) of such unpaid amount (including any such unpaid amount in respect of a claim asserted by such Lender), such payment to be made severally among them based on such Lenders’ pro rata share (determined as of the time that the applicable unreimbursed expense or indemnity payment is sought based on each Lender’s Pro Rata Share at such time), provided, further that, the unreimbursed expense or indemnified loss, claim, damage, liability or related expense, as the case may be, was incurred by or asserted against the Administrative Agent (or any such sub-agent) in its capacity as such, or against any Related Party of any of the foregoing acting for the Administrative Agent (or any such sub-agent) in connection with such capacity. The obligations of the Lenders under this subsection (c) are subject to the provisions of Section 2.11(d).

 

(d)           Waiver of Consequential Damages, Etc . To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Borrower shall not assert, and hereby waives, and acknowledges that no other Person shall have, any claim against any Indemnified Person, on any theory of liability, for special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages (as opposed to direct or actual damages) arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of, this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby, the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, any Loan or the use of the proceeds thereof. No Indemnified Person referred to in subsection (b) above shall be liable for any damages arising from the use by unintended recipients of any information or other materials distributed to such unintended recipients by such Indemnified Person through telecommunications, electronic or other information transmission systems in connection with this Agreement or the other Loan Documents or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby other than for direct or actual damages resulting from the gross

 

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negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct of such Indemnified Person as determined by a final and nonappealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction.

 

(e)                                   Payments . All amounts due under this Section 8.04 shall be payable not later than ten Business Days after demand therefor.

 

(f)                                    Survival . The agreements in this Section 8.04 and the indemnity provisions of Section 8.02(e) shall survive the resignation of the Administrative Agent, the replacement of any Lender, the termination of the Commitments and the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all the other Obligations.

 

SECTION 8.05               Right of Setoff .  If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, each Lender and each of their respective Affiliates is hereby authorized at any time and from time to time, without prior notice to any Loan Party, any such notice being waived by such Loan Party, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, to set off and apply any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final, in whatever currency) at any time held and other obligations (in whatever currency) at any time owing by such Lender or any such Affiliate to or for the credit or the account of any Loan Party against any and all of the obligations of such Loan Party now or hereafter existing under this Agreement or any other Loan Document to such Lender, irrespective of whether or not such Lender shall have made any demand under this Agreement or any other Loan Document and although such obligations of such Loan Party may be contingent or unmatured or are owed to a branch or office of such Lender different from the branch or office holding such deposit or obligated on such indebtedness; provided , that in the event that any Defaulting Lender shall exercise any such right of setoff on any amounts due on Obligations hereunder, (x) all amounts so set off shall be paid over immediately to the Administrative Agent for further application in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.15 and, pending such payment, shall be segregated by such Defaulting Lender from its other funds and deemed held in trust for the benefit of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders, and (y) the Defaulting Lender shall provide promptly to the Administrative Agent a statement describing in reasonable detail the Obligations owing to such Defaulting Lender as to which it exercised such right of setoff.  Each Lender agrees to notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent promptly after any such setoff and application, provided that the failure to give such notice shall not affect the validity of such setoff and application.

 

SECTION 8.06               Binding Effect .  This Agreement became effective upon the Effective Date and, thereafter, shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of, and be enforceable by, each Loan Party, the Administrative Agent and each Lender and their respective successors and permitted assigns, except that no Loan Party shall have any right to assign its rights hereunder or any interest herein without the prior written consent of each of the Lenders, and any purported assignment without such consent shall be null and void.

 

SECTION 8.07               Assignments and Participations .

 

(a)                                  Successors and Assigns Generally . The provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby, except that the Borrower may not assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder (except as contemplated by Section 5.02(c)) without the prior

 

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written consent of the Administrative Agent and each Lender and no Lender may assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder except (i) to an assignee in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of this Section 8.07, (ii) by way of participation in accordance with the provisions of subsection (d) of this Section 8.07 or (iii) by way of pledge or assignment of a security interest subject to the restrictions of subsection (e) of this Section 8.07 (and any other attempted assignment or transfer by any party hereto shall be null and void).  Nothing in this Agreement, expressed or implied, shall be construed to confer upon any Person (other than the parties hereto, their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby, Participants to the extent provided in subsection (d) of this Section 8.07 and, to the extent expressly contemplated hereby, the Related Parties of each of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this Agreement.

 

(b)                                  Any Lender may at any time assign to one or more assignees all or a portion of its rights and obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and the Loans); provided that any such assignment shall be subject to the following conditions:

 

(i)  Minimum Amounts .

 

(A) in the case of an assignment of the entire remaining amount of the assigning Lender’s Commitment and the Loans at the time owing to it or contemporaneous assignments to related Approved Funds that equal at least the amount specified in paragraph (b)(i)(B) of this Section 8.07 in the aggregate or in the case of an assignment to a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender or, following the Closing Date, an Approved Fund, no minimum amount need be assigned; and

 

(B) in any case not described in subsection (b)(i)(A) of this Section 8.07, the aggregate amount of the Commitment (which for this purpose includes Loans outstanding thereunder) or, if the Commitment is not then in effect, the principal outstanding balance of the Loans of the assigning Lender subject to each such assignment, determined as of the date the Assignment and Assumption with respect to such assignment is delivered to the Administrative Agent or, if “Trade Date” is specified in the Assignment and Assumption, as of the Trade Date, shall not be less than $10,000,000 unless each of the Administrative Agent and, so long as, with respect to assignments of Loans (but not with respect to assignments of Commitments) no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Borrower otherwise consents in writing (each such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed); provided, however, that concurrent assignments to members of an Assignee Group and concurrent assignments from members of an Assignee Group to a single Eligible Assignee (or to an Eligible Assignee and members of its Assignee Group) will be treated as a single assignment for purposes of determining whether such minimum amount has been met.

 

(ii)  Proportionate Amounts . Each partial assignment shall be made as an assignment of a proportionate part of all the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement with respect to the Loans or the Commitment assigned.

 

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(iii)  Required Consents . No consent shall be required for any assignment except to the extent required by subsection (b)(i)(B) of this Section 8.07 and, in addition:

 

(A) the written consent of the Borrower (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) shall be required unless (1) with respect to assignments of Loans (but not with respect to assignments of Commitments) an Event of Default under Section 6.01(a), (e) or (f) has occurred and is continuing at the time of such assignment or (2) such assignment is to a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender ( provided , that the Borrower’s written consent will be required in the case of an assignment of Commitments to an Affiliate of a Lender prior to the Closing Date)  or, following the Closing Date, an Approved Fund; provided that, if after the Closing Date, the written consent of the Borrower to an assignment is required hereunder, then the Borrower shall be deemed to have given its consent ten Business Days after the date written notice thereof was delivered by the Administrative Agent to the Borrower, unless such consent is expressly refused by the Borrower prior to such tenth Business Day; and

 

(B) the consent of the Administrative Agent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) shall be required if such assignment is to a Person that is not a Lender, an Affiliate of such Lender or an Approved Fund with respect to such Lender.

 

(iv)  Assignment and Assumption . The parties to each assignment shall execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent an Assignment and Assumption, together with a processing and recordation fee in the amount of $3,500; provided, however, that the Administrative Agent may, in its sole discretion, elect to waive such processing and recordation fee in the case of any assignment. The assignee, if it is not a Lender, shall deliver to the Administrative Agent an Administrative Questionnaire.

 

(v)  No Assignment to Certain Persons . No such assignment shall be made (A) to the Borrower or any of the Borrower’s Affiliates or Subsidiaries, or (B) to any Defaulting Lender or any of its Subsidiaries, or any Person who, upon becoming a Lender hereunder, would constitute any of the foregoing Persons described in this clause (B), or (C) to a natural person.

 

(vi)  Certain Additional Payments . In connection with any assignment of rights and obligations of any Defaulting Lender hereunder, no such assignment shall be effective unless and until, in addition to the other conditions thereto set forth herein, the parties to the assignment shall make such additional payments to the Administrative Agent in an aggregate amount sufficient, upon distribution thereof as appropriate (which may be outright payment, purchases by the assignee of participations or subparticipations, or other compensating actions, including funding, with the consent of the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, the applicable pro rata share of Loans previously requested but not funded by the Defaulting Lender, to each of which the applicable assignee and assignor hereby irrevocably consent), to (x) pay and satisfy in full all payment liabilities then owed by such Defaulting Lender to the Administrative Agent or any Lender hereunder (and interest accrued thereon) and (y) acquire (and fund

 

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as appropriate) its full pro rata share of all Loans in accordance with its Pro Rata Share. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that any assignment of rights and obligations of any Defaulting Lender hereunder shall become effective under applicable Law without compliance with the provisions of this paragraph, then the assignee of such interest shall be deemed to be a Defaulting Lender for all purposes of this Agreement until such compliance occurs.

 

Subject to acceptance and recording thereof by the Administrative Agent pursuant to subsection (c) of this Section 8.07, from and after the effective date specified in each Assignment and Assumption, the assignee thereunder shall be a party to this Agreement and, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, have the rights and obligations of a Lender under this Agreement, and the assigning Lender thereunder shall, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, be released from its obligations under this Agreement (and, in the case of an Assignment and Assumption covering all of the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement, such Lender shall cease to be a party hereto) but shall continue to be entitled to the benefits of Sections 2.16, 2.19, 2.20, and 8.04 with respect to facts and circumstances occurring prior to the effective date of such assignment; provided that, except to the extent otherwise expressly agreed by the affected parties, no assignment by a Defaulting Lender will constitute a waiver or release of any claim of any party hereunder arising from the Lender’s having been a Defaulting Lender. Upon request, the Borrower (at its expense) shall execute and deliver a Note to the assignee Lender, at which time any existing Note assigned to such Lender shall be redelivered to the Borrower. Any assignment or transfer by a Lender of rights or obligations under this Agreement that does not comply with this subsection shall be treated for purposes of this Agreement as a sale by such Lender of a participation in such rights and obligations in accordance with subsection (d) of this Section 8.07.

 

(c)                                   Register . The Administrative Agent, acting solely for this purpose as an agent of the Borrower (and such agency being solely for tax purposes), shall maintain at the Administrative Agent’s Office a copy of each Assignment and Assumption delivered to it (or the equivalent thereof in electronic form) and a register for the recordation of the names and addresses of the Lenders, and the Commitments of, and principal amounts (and stated interest) of the Loans owing to, each Lender pursuant to the terms hereof from time to time (the “ Register ”). The entries in the Register shall be conclusive absent manifest error, and the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders shall treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Register pursuant to the terms hereof as a Lender hereunder for all purposes of this Agreement. The Register shall be available for inspection by the Borrower and any Lender, at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice.

 

(d)                                  Participations . Any Lender may at any time, without the consent of, or notice to, the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, sell participations to any Person (other than a natural person, a Defaulting Lender or the Borrower or any of the Borrower’s Affiliates or Subsidiaries) (each, a “ Participant ”) in all or a portion of such Lender’s rights and/or obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and/or the Loans owing to it); provided that (i) such Lender’s obligations under this Agreement shall remain unchanged, (ii) such Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto for the performance of

 

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such obligations and (iii) the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders shall continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in connection with such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, each Lender shall be responsible for the indemnity under Section 8.04(c) without regard to the existence of any participation; provided , however , that, without impacting the indemnification requirement, any Lender may proceed against its Participant in accordance with the underlying participant agreement.

 

Any agreement or instrument pursuant to which a Lender sells such a participation shall provide that such Lender shall retain the sole right to enforce this Agreement and to approve any amendment, modification or waiver of any provision of this Agreement; provided that such agreement or instrument may provide that such Lender will not, without the consent of the Participant, agree to any amendment, waiver or other modification described in the first proviso to Section 8.01 that affects such Participant. The Borrower agrees that each Participant shall be entitled to the benefits of Sections 2.16, 2.19 and 2.20 to the same extent as if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section 8.07 (it being understood that the documentation required under Section 2.16(e) shall be delivered to the Lender who sells the participation) to the same extent as if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section 8.07; provided that such Participant (A) agrees to be subject to the provisions of Sections 2.21 and 8.15 as if it were an assignee under subsection (b) of this Section 8.07 and (B) shall not be entitled to receive any greater payment under Sections 2.16 or 2.19, with respect to any participation, than the Lender from whom it acquired the applicable participation would have been entitled to receive, except to the extent such entitlement to receive a greater payment results from a Change in Law that occurs after the Participant acquired the applicable participation. Each Lender that sells a participation agrees, at the Borrower’s request and expense, to use reasonable efforts to cooperate with the Borrower to effectuate the provisions of Section 2.21 with respect to any Participant. To the extent permitted by law, each Participant also shall be entitled to the benefits of Section 8.05 as though it were a Lender.  Each Lender that sells a participation shall, acting solely for this purpose as a non-fiduciary agent of the Borrower, maintain a register on which it enters the name and address of each Participant and the principal amounts (and stated interest) of each Participant’s interest in the Loans or other obligations under the Loan Documents (the “ Participant Register ”); provided that no Lender shall have any obligation to disclose all or any portion of the Participant Register (including the identity of any Participant or any information relating to a Participant’s interest in any Commitments, Loans or its other obligations under any Loan Document) to any Person except to the extent that such disclosure is necessary to establish that such Commitment, Loan or other obligation is in registered form under Section 5f.103-1(c) of the United States Treasury Regulations. The entries in the Participant Register shall be conclusive absent manifest error, and such Lender shall treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Participant Register as the owner of such participation for all purposes of this Agreement notwithstanding any notice to the contrary. For the avoidance of doubt, the Administrative Agent (in its capacity as Administrative Agent) shall have no responsibility for maintaining a Participant Register.

 

(e)                                   Certain Pledges . Any Lender may at any time pledge or assign a security interest in all or any portion of its rights under this Agreement (including under its Note, if any) to secure obligations of such Lender, including any pledge or assignment to secure obligations to a Federal Reserve Bank or other central bank; provided that no such pledge or assignment shall

 

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release such Lender from any of its obligations hereunder or substitute any such pledgee or assignee for such Lender as a party hereto.

 

(f)                                    Electronic Execution of Assignments and Certain Other Documents .  The words “execute,” “execution,” “signed,” “signature,” and words of like import in or related to any document to be signed in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby (including without limitation Assignment and Assumptions, amendments or other modifications, Loan Notices, waivers and consents) shall be deemed to include electronic signatures, the electronic matching of assignment terms and contract formations on electronic platforms approved by the Administrative Agent, or the keeping of records in electronic form, each of which shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case may be, to the extent and as provided for in any applicable law, including the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, the New York State Electronic Signatures and Records Act, or any other similar state laws based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act; provided that notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary the Administrative Agent is under no obligation to agree to accept electronic signatures in any form or in any format unless expressly agreed to by the Administrative Agent pursuant to procedures approved by it.

 

SECTION 8.08               Confidentiality .  Each of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders agrees to maintain the confidentiality of the Information (as defined below), except that Information may be disclosed (a) to its Affiliates and to its and its Affiliates’ respective managers, administrators, trustees, partners, directors, officers, employees, agents, advisors and other representatives (it being understood that the Persons to whom such disclosure is made will be informed of the confidential nature of such Information and instructed to keep such Information confidential), (b) to the extent required or requested by any regulatory authority purporting to have jurisdiction over it or its Affiliates (including any self-regulatory authority, such as the National Association of Insurance Commissioners), (c) to the extent required by applicable laws or regulations or by any subpoena or similar legal or administrative process, (d) to any other party hereto, (e) in connection with the exercise of any remedies hereunder or any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or the enforcement of rights hereunder or thereunder, (f) subject to an agreement containing provisions substantially the same as those of this Section 8.08, to (i) any assignee of or participant in, or any prospective assignee of or participant in, any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement, (ii) any actual or prospective party (or its managers, administrators, trustees, partners, directors, officers, employees, agents, advisors and other representatives) to any swap or derivative or similar transaction under which payments are to be made by reference to the Borrower and their obligations, this Agreement or payments hereunder, (iii) any rating agency, or (iv) the CUSIP Service Bureau or any similar organization, (g) with the consent of the Borrower, (h) to the extent such Information (x) becomes publicly available other than as a result of a breach of this Section or (y) becomes available to the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any of their respective Affiliates on a non-confidential basis from a source other than the Borrower, (i) to market data collectors or providers of similar services to the banking industry or (j) to service providers engaged by the Administrative Agent or any Lender in connection with the administration of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents (it being understood that the Persons to whom such disclosure is made will be informed of the confidential nature of such Information and instructed to keep such Information confidential) .

 

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For purposes of this Section 8.08, “ Information ” means all information received from the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries relating to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective businesses, other than any such information that is available to the Administrative Agent or any Lender on a non-confidential basis prior to disclosure by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, provided that, in the case of information received from the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries after the Effective Date, such information is clearly identified at the time of delivery as confidential. Any Person required to maintain the confidentiality of Information as provided in this Section shall be considered to have complied with its obligation to do so if such Person has exercised the same degree of care to maintain the confidentiality of such Information as such Person would accord to its own confidential information.

 

SECTION 8.09               Governing Law .  This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York; provided , that (a) the interpretation of Target Material Adverse Effect and whether a Target Material Adverse Effect has occurred, (b) the accuracy of any Alere Acquisition Agreement Representation and whether as a result of a breach thereof the Borrower (or any of its Subsidiaries) has the right (taking into account any applicable cure provisions) to terminate its (or their) obligations under the Alere Acquisition Agreement, or to decline to consummate the Alere Acquisition pursuant to the Alere Acquisition Agreement and (c) whether the Alere Acquisition has been consummated in accordance with the Alere Acquisition Agreement, shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware applicable to contracts executed in and to be performed entirely within that State, regardless of the laws that might otherwise govern under any applicable conflict of laws principles.

 

SECTION 8.10               Execution in Counterparts .  This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and by different parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement.

 

SECTION 8.11               Integration .  This Agreement, together with the other Loan Documents, comprises the complete and integrated agreement of the parties on the subject matter hereof and thereof and supersedes all prior agreements, written or oral, on such subject matter. In the event of any conflict between the provisions of this Agreement and those of any other Loan Document, the provisions of this Agreement shall control; provided that the inclusion of supplemental rights or remedies in favor of the Administrative Agent or the Lenders in any other Loan Document shall not be deemed a conflict with this Agreement. Each Loan Document was drafted with the joint participation of the respective parties thereto and shall be construed neither against nor in favor of any party, but rather in accordance with the fair meaning thereof.

 

SECTION 8.12               Jurisdiction, Etc.   (a)  Each of the Loan Parties and the other parties hereto irrevocably and unconditionally agrees that it will not commence any action, litigation or proceeding of any kind or description, whether in law or equity, whether in contract or in tort or otherwise, against any party hereto or any Related Party of the foregoing in any way relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document or the transactions relating hereto or thereto, in any forum other than the courts of the State of New York sitting in New York County, and of the United States District Court of the Southern District of New York, and any appellate court from any thereof, and each of the Loan Parties and the other parties hereto irrevocably and

 

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unconditionally submits to the jurisdiction of such courts and agrees that all claims in respect of any such action, litigation or proceeding may be heard and determined in such New York State court or, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, in such federal court. Each of the Loan Parties and the other parties hereto agrees that a final judgment in any such action or proceeding shall be conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by law.

 

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

 

(c)                                   Each of the Loan Parties and the other parties hereto irrevocably consents to service of process in the manner provided for notices in Section 8.02(a).  Nothing in this Agreement will affect the right of any party hereto to serve process in any other manner permitted by applicable law.

 

SECTION 8.13               PATRIOT Act Notice .  Each Lender and the Administrative Agent (for itself and not on behalf of any Lender) hereby notifies each Loan Party that pursuant to the requirements of the PATRIOT Act, it is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each Loan Party, which information includes the name and address of each Loan Party and other information that will allow such Lender or the Administrative Agent, as applicable, to identify each Loan Party in accordance with the PATRIOT Act.  Each Loan Party shall provide, to the extent commercially reasonable, such information and take such actions as are reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent or any Lenders in order to assist the Administrative Agent and the Lenders in maintaining compliance with the PATRIOT Act.

 

SECTION 8.14               No Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility .  In its capacity as the Administrative Agent or a Lender, (a) neither the Administrative Agent nor any Lender has any responsibility except as set forth herein and (b) neither the Administrative Agent nor any Lender shall be subject to any fiduciary duties or other implied duties (to the extent permitted by law to be waived).  Each Loan Party agrees that it will not take any position or bring any claim against the Administrative Agent or any Lender that is contrary to the preceding sentence.

 

In connection with all aspects of each transaction contemplated hereby (including in connection with any amendment, waiver or other modification hereof), each Loan Party acknowledges and agrees that:  (i) the arranging and other services regarding this Agreement provided by the Administrative Agent and the Lenders are arm’s-length commercial transactions between the Loan Parties and their respective Affiliates, on the one hand, and the Administrative Agent and the Lenders, on the other hand; (ii) the Administrative Agent and each Lender is and has been acting solely as a principal and, except as expressly agreed in writing by the relevant parties, has not been, is not, and will not be acting as an advisor or agent for any Loan Party or any of its Affiliates, or any other Person; and (iii) the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and each of their respective Affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve

 

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interests that differ from those of the Loan Parties and their Affiliates, and no Administrative Agent or Lender has any obligation to disclose any of such interests to any Loan Party or its Affiliates.

 

SECTION 8.15               Replacement of Lenders .  If the Borrower is entitled to replace a Lender pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.21, or if any Lender is a Defaulting Lender or a Non-Consenting Lender, then the Borrower may, at its sole expense and effort, upon notice to such Lender and the Administrative Agent, require such Lender to assign and delegate, without recourse (in accordance with and subject to the restrictions contained in, and consents required by, Sections 8.07), all of its interests, rights (other than its existing rights to payments pursuant to Sections 2.16 and 2.19) and obligations under this Agreement and the related Loan Documents to an Eligible Assignee that shall assume such obligations (which assignee may be another Lender, if a Lender accepts such assignment), provided that:

 

(a)                                  the Borrower shall have paid to the Administrative Agent the assignment fee (if any) specified in Section 8.07(b) (except as otherwise provided herein);

 

(b)                                  such Lender shall have received payment of an amount equal to 100% of the outstanding principal of its Loans, accrued interest thereon, accrued fees and all other amounts payable to it hereunder and under the other Loan Documents (including any amounts under Section 2.20) from the assignee (to the extent of such outstanding principal and accrued interest and fees) or the Borrower (in the case of all other amounts);

 

(c)                                   in the case of any such assignment resulting from a claim for compensation under Section 2.19 or payments required to be made pursuant to Section 2.16, such assignment will result in a reduction in such compensation or payments thereafter;

 

(d)                                  such assignment does not conflict with applicable Laws; and

 

(e)                                   in the case of an assignment resulting from a Lender becoming a Non-Consenting Lender, the applicable assignee shall have consented to the applicable amendment, waiver or consent.

 

A Lender shall not be required to make any such assignment or delegation if, prior thereto, as a result of a waiver by such Lender or otherwise, the circumstances entitling the Borrower to require such assignment and delegation cease to apply.

 

SECTION 8.16               Waiver of Jury Trial .  Each Loan Party, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders hereby irrevocably waives all right to trial by jury in any action, proceeding or counterclaim (whether based on contract, tort or otherwise) arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the actions of the Administrative Agent or any Lender in the negotiation, administration, performance or enforcement thereof.

 

SECTION 8.17               Payments Set Aside .  To the extent that any payment by or on behalf of any Loan Party is made to the Administrative Agent or any Lender, or the Administrative Agent or any Lender exercises its right of set-off, and such payment or the proceeds of such set-off or any part thereof is subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent

 

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or preferential, set aside or required (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by the Administrative Agent or such Lender in its discretion) to be repaid to a trustee, receiver or any other party, in connection with any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law or otherwise, then (a) to the extent of such recovery, the obligation or part thereof originally intended to be satisfied shall be revived and continued in full force and effect as if such payment had not been made or such set-off had not occurred, and (b) each Lender severally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent upon demand its applicable share (without duplication) of any amount so recovered from or repaid by the Administrative Agent, plus interest thereon from the date of such demand to the date such payment is made at a rate per annum equal to the Federal Funds Rate from time to time in effect.  The obligations of the Lenders under clause (b) of the preceding sentence shall survive the payment in full of the Obligations and the termination of this Agreement.

 

SECTION 8.18               Acknowledgment and Consent to Bail-In of EEA Financial Institutions .  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any Loan Document or in any other agreement, arrangement or understanding among any such parties, each party hereto acknowledges that any liability of any EEA Financial Institution arising under any Loan Document, 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:

 

(a)                                  the application of any Write-Down and Conversion Powers by an EEA Resolution Authority to any such liabilities arising hereunder which may be payable to it by any party hereto that is an EEA Financial Institution; and

 

(b)                                  the effects of any Bail-In Action on any such liability, including, if applicable: (i)  a reduction in full or in part or cancellation of any such liability; (ii) a conversion of all, or a portion of, such liability into shares or other instruments of ownership in such EEA Financial Institution, its parent entity, or a bridge institution that may be issued to it or otherwise conferred on it, and that such shares or other instruments of ownership will be accepted by it in lieu of any rights with respect to any such liability under this Agreement or any other Loan Document; or (iii) the variation of the terms of such liability in connection with the exercise of the Write-Down and Conversion Powers of any EEA Resolution Authority.

 

ARTICLE IX

 

GUARANTEE

 

SECTION 9.01               Guarantors .  Any time after the Effective Date, the Borrower, in consultation with the Administrative Agent, may cause any Subsidiary of the Borrower to guarantee the obligations of the Borrower hereunder by delivering to the Administrative Agent customary joinder documentation reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent, and pursuant to which such Person shall become a “Guarantor” for all purposes under this Agreement and each other Loan Document and shall be bound by all of the obligations and shall have all of the rights of a “Guarantor” under this Agreement and each other Loan Document including, without limitation, providing the guarantee of the Guaranteed Obligations as set forth in this Article IX.

 

80



 

SECTION 9.02               Guarantee .  Upon becoming a Guarantor pursuant to Section 9.01, each Guarantor, on a joint and several basis, unconditionally guarantees (the undertaking of each Guarantor contained in this Article IX being the “ Guarantee ”) the punctual payment when due, whether at stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise, of all Obligations of the Borrower now or hereafter existing under this Agreement, whether for principal, interest, fees, expenses or otherwise, which Obligations shall include such indebtedness, obligations, and liabilities which may be or hereafter become unenforceable or shall be an allowed or disallowed claim under any proceeding or case commenced by or against the Borrower under any Debtor Relief Laws, and shall include interest that accrues after the commencement of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Laws (such obligations, collectively, being the “ Guaranteed Obligations ”), and any and all expenses (including counsel fees and expenses) incurred by the Administrative Agent or the Lenders in enforcing any rights under the Guarantee. Each Guarantee is a guaranty of payment and not of collection.  Upon becoming a Guarantor pursuant to Section 9.01, each Guarantor agrees that, as between each Guarantor and the Administrative Agent, the Guaranteed Obligations may be declared to be due and payable for purposes of the Guarantee notwithstanding any stay, injunction or other prohibition which may prevent, delay or vitiate any declaration as regards the Borrower and that in the event of a declaration or attempted declaration, the Guaranteed Obligations shall immediately become due and payable by Guarantors for purposes of the Guarantee.  Anything contained herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the obligations of each Guarantor hereunder at any time shall be limited to an aggregate amount equal to the largest amount that would not render such Guarantor’s obligations hereunder subject to avoidance as a fraudulent transfer or conveyance under Section 548 of the Bankruptcy Code (Title 11, United States Code) or any comparable provisions of any similar federal or state law.

 

SECTION 9.03               Guaranty Absolute .  Upon becoming a Guarantor pursuant to Section 9.01, each Guarantor guarantees that the Guaranteed Obligations will be paid strictly in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, regardless of any law, regulation or order now or hereafter in effect in any jurisdiction affecting any of such terms or the rights of the Administrative Agent or the Lenders with respect thereto. The liability of each Guarantor under the Guarantee shall be absolute and unconditional irrespective of:

 

(a)                                  any lack of validity, enforceability or genuineness of any provision of this Agreement, any Guaranteed Obligations or any other agreement or instrument relating thereto;

 

(b)                                  any change in the time, manner or place of payment of, or in any other term of, all or any of the Guaranteed Obligations, or any other amendment or waiver of or any consent to departure from this Agreement;

 

(c)                                   any exchange, release or non-perfection of any collateral, or any release or amendment or waiver of or consent to departure from any other guaranty, for all or any of the Guaranteed Obligations;

 

(d)                                  any law or regulation of any jurisdiction or any other event affecting any term of a Guaranteed Obligation; or

 

81



 

(e)                                   any other circumstance which might otherwise constitute a defense available to, or a discharge of, any Guarantor or the Borrower.

 

The Guarantee shall continue to be effective or be reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time any payment of any of the Guaranteed Obligations is rescinded or must otherwise be returned by the Administrative Agent or any Lender upon the insolvency, bankruptcy or reorganization of the Borrower or otherwise, all as though such payment had not been made.

 

SECTION 9.04               Waivers .

 

(a)                                  Upon becoming a Guarantor pursuant to Section 9.01, each Guarantor waives promptness, diligence, notice of acceptance and any other notice with respect to any of the Guaranteed Obligations and the Guarantee and any requirement that the Administrative Agent or any Lender protect, secure, perfect or insure any security interest or lien or any property subject thereto or exhaust any right or take any action against the Borrower or any other Person or any collateral.

 

(b)                                  Upon becoming a Guarantor pursuant to Section 9.01, each Guarantor irrevocably waives any claims or other rights that it may now or hereafter acquire against the Borrower that arise from the existence, payment, performance or enforcement of the obligations of any Guarantor under the Guarantee, including, without limitation, any right of subrogation, reimbursement, exoneration, contribution or indemnification and any right to participate in any claim or remedy of the Administrative Agent or any Lender against the Borrower or any collateral, whether or not such claim, remedy or right arises in equity or under contract, statute or common law, including, without limitation, the right to take or receive from the Borrower, directly or indirectly, in cash or other property or by set-off or in any other manner, payment or security on account of such claim, remedy or right.  If any amount shall be paid to any Guarantor in violation of the preceding sentence at any time prior to the later of the payment in full of the Guaranteed Obligations and all other amounts payable under the Guarantee and the Maturity Date, such amount shall be held in trust for the benefit of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders and shall forthwith be paid to the Administrative Agent to be credited and applied to the Guaranteed Obligations and all other amounts payable under the Guarantee, whether matured or unmatured, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and the Guarantee, or to be held as collateral for any Guaranteed Obligations or other amounts payable under the Guarantee thereafter arising.  Upon becoming a Guarantor pursuant to Section 9.01, each Guarantor acknowledges that it will receive direct and indirect benefits from the financing arrangements contemplated by this Agreement and the Guarantee and that the waiver set forth in this Section 9.04(b) is knowingly made in contemplation of such benefits.

 

SECTION 9.05               Continuing Guaranty .  Each Guarantee is a continuing guaranty and shall (i) remain in full force and effect until payment in full of the Guaranteed Obligations (including any and all Guaranteed Obligations which remain outstanding after the Maturity Date) and all other amounts payable under the Guarantee, (ii) be binding upon each Guarantor and its successors and assigns, and (iii) inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the Lenders, the Administrative Agent and their respective successors, transferees and assigns.

 

82



 

SECTION 9.06               Release of Guarantors .  If (a) in compliance with the terms and provisions of this Agreement, any Guarantor ceases to constitute a Subsidiary of the Borrower or (b) after giving effect to the release of any Guarantor, there is no Default under this Agreement, then such Guarantor shall, in the discretion of the Borrower upon notice in writing to the Administrative Agent, automatically be released from its obligations under this Agreement or any other Loan Document, including the Guarantee set forth in this Article IX, and thereafter such Person shall no longer constitute a Guarantor under this Agreement or any other Loan Documents.

 

At the request of the Borrower, the Administrative Agent shall, at the Borrower’s expense, execute such documents as are necessary to acknowledge any such release in accordance with this Section 9.06, so long as the Borrower shall have provided the Administrative Agent a certificate, signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower, certifying as to satisfaction of the requirements set forth above and the release of such Guarantor’s Guarantee in compliance with this Agreement.

 

[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]

 

83



 

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

 

 

ABBOTT LABORATORIES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Brian B. Yoor

 

Name:

Brian B. Yoor

 

Title:

Executive Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer

 

[Signature Page — Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

BANK   OF   AMERICA,   N.A.,

 

as   Administrative   Agent

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Gerund N. Diamond

 

 

Name:

Gerund N. Diamond

 

 

Title:

Assistant Vice President

 

[Signature Page — Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Darren Merten

 

 

Name:

Darren Merten

 

 

Title:

Vice President

 

[Signature Page — Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

BARCLAYS BANK PLC,

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Ritam Bhalla

 

 

Name:

Ritam Bhalla

 

 

Title:

Director

 

[Signature Page — Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

MORGAN STANLEY BANK, N.A.,

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Michael King

 

 

Name:

Michael King

 

 

Title:

Authorized Signatory

 

[Signature Page — Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

BNP Paribas,

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Christopher Sked

 

 

Name:

Christopher Sked

 

 

Title:

Managing Director

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Ade Adedeji

 

 

Name:

Ade Adedeji

 

 

Title:

Vice President

 

[Signature Page — Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

CITIBANK, N.A.,

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Pranjal Gambhir

 

 

Name:

Pranjal Gambhir

 

 

Title:

Vice President

 

[Signature Page — Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK

 

BRANCH,

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Ming K. Chu

 

 

Name:

Ming K. Chu

 

 

Title:

Director

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Virginia Cosenza

 

 

Name:

Virginia Cosenza

 

 

Title:

Vice President

 

[Signature Page — Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

SOCIETE GENERALE,

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Joseph Moreno

 

 

Name:

Joseph Moreno

 

 

Title:

Managing Director

 

[Signature Page — Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

THE BANK OF TOKYO-MITSUBISHI,

 

UFJ, LTD.,

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Jaime Johnson

 

 

Name:

Jaime Johnson

 

 

Title:

Director

 

[Signature Page — Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

HSBC Bank USA, N.A.,

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Iain Stewart

 

 

Name:

Iain Stewart

 

 

Title:

Managing Director

 

[Signature Page — Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

SANTANDER BANK, N.A.,

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Andres Barbosa

 

 

Name:

Andres Barbosa

 

 

Title:

Executive Director

 

[Signature Page — Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

Standard Chartered Bank,

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Daniel Mattern

 

 

Name:

Daniel Mattern

 

 

Title:

Associate Director

 

[Signature Page — Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA,

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Josh Rosenthal

 

 

Name:

Josh Rosenthal

 

 

Title:

Authorized Signatory

 

[Signature Page — Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

THE NORTHERN TRUST COMPANY,

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ John Lascody

 

 

Name:

John Lascody

 

 

Title:

Vice President

 

[Signature Page — Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

BANCO BILBAO VIZCAYA

 

ARGENTARIA, S.A. NEW YORK

 

BRANCH,

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Diane Gigliotti

 

 

Name:

Diane Gigliotti

 

 

Title:

Director

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Cara Younger

 

 

Name:

Cara Younger

 

 

Title:

Director

 

[Signature Page — Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

ING BANK N.V., DUBLIN BRANCH,

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Sean Hassett

 

 

Name:

Sean Hassett

 

 

Title:

Director

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Cormac Langford

 

 

Name:

Cormac Langford

 

 

Title:

Director

 

[Signature Page — Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

INTESA SANPAOLO BANK

 

LUXEMBOURG S.A.,

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Antonio Greppi

 

 

Name:

Antonio Greppi

 

 

Title:

Head of Corporate & Financial Institutions

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Paolo Enrico Pernice

 

 

Name:

Paolo Enrico Pernice

 

 

Title:

Chief Financial Officer

 

[Signature Page — Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

Mizuho Bank (USA),

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Bertram H. Tang

 

 

Name:

Bertram H. Tang

 

 

Title:

Director & Team Leader

 

[Signature Page — Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

ROYAL BANK OF CANADA,

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Steven T. Bachman

 

 

Name:

Steven T. Bachman

 

 

Title:

Authorized Signatory

 

[Signature Page — Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

Svenska Handelsbanken AB (publ), New

 

York Branch,

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Steve Cox

 

 

Name:

Steve Cox

 

 

Title:

Senior Vice President

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Mark Emmett

 

 

Name:

Mark Emmett

 

 

Title:

Vice President

 

 

[Signature Page — Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

U.S. Bank National Association,

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ David C. Mruk

 

 

Name:

David C. Mruk

 

 

Title:

SVP

 

[Signature Page — Term Loan Agreement]

 


Exhibit 10.2

 

EXECUTION VERSION

 

This FIRST AMENDMENT, dated as of September 29, 2017 (this “ Amendment Agreement ”), to that certain Term Loan Agreement, dated as of July 31, 2017 (as amended from time to time prior to the date hereof, the “ Existing Credit Agreement ”; and the Existing Credit Agreement as amended by the Amendments (as defined below), the “ Amended Credit Agreement ”), by and among Abbott Laboratories, as Borrower (the “ Borrower ”), the lenders party thereto (the “ Lenders ”), and Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent (the “ Administrative Agent ”), is made by and among the Borrower, the Lenders and the Administrative Agent.  Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Amended Credit Agreement (as defined below) and used herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Amended Credit Agreement.

 

WHEREAS, the Effective Date occurred on July 31, 2017;

 

WHEREAS, the Borrower has requested certain amendments to the Existing Credit Agreement;

 

WHEREAS, in order to effect the requested amendments, the Borrower and the Lenders desire to amend, as of the Amendment Effective Date (as defined below), the Existing Credit Agreement, subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:

 

Section 1 .  Amendment of the Existing Credit Agreement.  Each of the parties hereto agrees that, subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 3 below, the Credit Agreement shall be amended to delete the stricken text (indicated textually in the same manner as the following example: stricken text ) and to add the double-underlined text (indicated textually in the same manner as the following example:  double-underlined text ) as set forth in the pages of the Credit Agreement attached as Exhibit A hereto.

 

Section 2 .  Representations and Warranties.  To induce the Administrative Agent and the Lenders to enter into this Amendment Agreement, the Borrower hereby represents and warrants to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders on the date hereof that:

 

(a)   As of the Amendment Effective Date, no event has occurred and is continuing, or shall occur as a result of the occurrence of the Amendment Effective Date, that constitutes a Default.

 

(b)   Each of the representations and warranties of the Borrower set forth in Section 4.01 of the Amended Credit Agreement are true and correct in all material respects on and as of the Amendment Effective Date; provided, that to the extent that such representations and warranties specifically refer to an earlier date, they are true and correct in all material respects as of such earlier date; provided, further, that any representation and warranty that is qualified as to “materiality”, “Material Adverse Effect” or similar language shall be true and correct in all respects on the Amendment Effective Date or on such earlier date, as the case may be.

 



 

Section 3 .  Effectiveness of this Amendment Agreement and the Amended Credit Agreement.  The effectiveness of this Amendment Agreement and the amendment of the Existing Credit Agreement set forth herein are all subject to the Administrative Agent’s (or its counsel’s) receipt of either (x) a counterpart of this Amendment Agreement signed on behalf of the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and each Lender or (y) customary written evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent (which may include telecopy or electronic transmission of a signed signature page of this Amendment Agreement) that such party has signed a counterpart of this Amendment Agreement (the date on which such condition shall first be satisfied, the “ Amendment Effective Date ”).

 

Section 4 .  Effect of Amendment.

 

(a)        Except as expressly set forth herein or in the Amended Credit Agreement, this Amendment Agreement shall not by implication or otherwise limit, impair, constitute a waiver of or otherwise affect the rights and remedies of the Lenders or the Administrative Agent under the Existing Credit Agreement or any other Loan Document and shall not alter, modify, amend or in any way affect any of the terms, conditions, obligations, covenants or agreements contained in the Existing Credit Agreement or any other provision of the Existing Credit Agreement or of any other Loan Document, all of which, subject to the terms of the Amended Credit Agreement, are ratified and affirmed in all respects and shall continue in full force and effect.  Nothing herein shall be deemed to entitle the Borrower to a consent to, or a waiver, amendment, modification or other change of, any of the terms, conditions, obligations, covenants or agreements contained in the Existing Credit Agreement, Amended Credit Agreement or any other Loan Document in similar or different circumstances.

 

(b)        On and after the Amendment Effective Date, each reference to the “Credit Agreement” in any other Loan Document shall be deemed a reference to the Amended Credit Agreement.  This Amendment Agreement shall constitute a “ Loan Document ” for all purposes of the Amended Credit Agreement and the other Loan Documents.

 

Section 5 .  Governing Law.  THIS AMENDMENT AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REGARDLESS OF THE LAWS THAT MIGHT OTHERWISE GOVERN UNDER ANY APPLICABLE CONFLICT OF LAWS PRINCIPLES.

 

Section 6 Counterparts.   This Amendment Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts (and by different parties hereto in separate counterparts), each of which shall constitute an original, but all of which when taken together shall constitute a single contract.  Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Amendment Agreement by telecopy or electronic transmission shall be as effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart hereof.

 

Section 7 Headings .  Section headings in this Amendment Agreement are for convenience of reference only, and shall not govern the interpretation of any of the provisions of this Amendment Agreement.

 

[Remainder of page intentionally blank; signature pages follow]

 

2



 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Amendment Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

 

ABBOTT LABORATORIES

 

 

 

 

 

By:

  /s/ Karen M. Peterson

 

 

Name:  Karen M. Peterson

 

 

Title:    Vice President, Treasurer

 

[Signature Page — First Amendment to Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,

 

as Administrative Agent

 

 

 

By:

  /s/ Gerund Diamond

 

 

Name:  Gerund Diamond

 

 

Title:     Assistant Vice President

 

[Signature Page — First Amendment to Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

By:

  /s/ Darren Merten

 

 

Name: Darren Merten

 

 

Title:   Vice President

 

[Signature Page — First Amendment to Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

Barclays Bank PLC,

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

By:

  /s/ Jake Lam

 

 

Name:  Jake Lam

 

 

Title:    Assistant Vice President

 

[Signature Page — First Amendment to Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

Morgan Stanley Bank, N.A.,

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

By:

  /s/ Alice Lee

 

 

Name: Alice Lee

 

 

Title:   Authorized Signatory

 

[Signature Page — First Amendment to Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

BNP PARIBAS,

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

  /s/ Michael Pearce

 

 

Name:  Michael Pearce

 

 

Title:    Managing Director

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

  /s/ Michael Hoffman

 

 

Name:  Michael Hoffman

 

 

Title:    Director

 

[Signature Page — First Amendment to Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

CITIBANK, N.A.,

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

  /s/ Pranjal Gambhir

 

 

Name: Pranjal Gambhir

 

 

Title:   Vice President

 

[Signature Page — First Amendment to Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH,

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

  /s/ Ming K. Chu

 

 

Name: Ming K. Chu

 

 

Title:   Director

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

  /s/ Virginia Cosenza

 

 

Name: Virginia Cosenza

 

 

Title:   Vice President

 

[Signature Page — First Amendment to Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

SOCIETE GENERALE,

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

  /s/ Joseph Moreno

 

 

Name: Joseph Moreno

 

 

Title:   Managing Director

 

[Signature Page — First Amendment to Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

THE BANK OF TOKYO-MITSUBISHI, UFJ, LTD.,

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

  /s/ Jaime Johnson

 

 

Name: Jaime Johnson

 

 

Title:   Director

 

[Signature Page — First Amendment to Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

HSBC Bank USA, N.A.,

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

  /s/ Roderick Feltzer

 

 

Name: Roderick Feltzer

 

 

Title:  Vice President

 

[Signature Page — First Amendment to Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

SANTANDER BANK, N.A.,

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

  /s/ Andres Barbosa

 

 

Name: Andres Barbosa

 

 

Title:   Executive Director

 

[Signature Page — First Amendment to Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

Standard Chartered Bank,

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

  /s/ Daniel Mattern

 

 

Name: Daniel Mattern

 

 

Title:   Associate Director

 

[Signature Page — First Amendment to Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA,

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

  /s/ Chris Lam

 

 

Name: Chris Lam

 

 

Title:   Authorized Signatory

 

[Signature Page — First Amendment to Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

THE NORTHERN TRUST COMPANY,

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

  /s/ John Lascody

 

 

Name: John Lascody

 

 

Title:   Vice President

 

[Signature Page — First Amendment to Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

BANCO BILBAO VIZCAYA ARGENTARIA, S.A. NEW YORK BRANCH,

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

  /s/ Brian Crowley

 

 

Name: Brian Crowley

 

 

Title:   Managing Director

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

  /s/ Cara Younger

 

 

Name: Cara Younger

 

 

Title:   Director

 

[Signature Page — First Amendment to Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

ING BANK N.V., DUBLIN BRANCH,

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

  /s/ Cormac Langford

 

 

Name: Cormac Langford

 

 

Title:   Director

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

  /s/ Sean Hassett

 

 

Name: Sean Hassett

 

 

Title:   Director

 

[Signature Page — First Amendment to Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

INTESA SANPAOLO BANK LUXEMBOURG S.A.,

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

  /s/ Paolo Enrico Pernice

 

 

Name: Paolo Enrico Pernice

 

 

Title:   Chief Financial Officer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

  /s/ Cristiano Patalocchi

 

 

Name: Cristiano Patalocchi

 

 

Title:   Chief Risk Officer

 

[Signature Page — First Amendment to Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

Mizuho Bank (USA),

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

  /s/ Bertram H. Tang

 

 

Name: Bertram H. Tang

 

 

Title:   Director & Team Leader

 

[Signature Page — First Amendment to Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

ROYAL BANK OF CANADA,

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

  /s/ Steven T. Bachman

 

 

Name: Steven T. Bachman

 

 

Title:   Authorized Signatory

 

[Signature Page — First Amendment to Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

Svenska Handelsbanken AB (publ), New York Branch,

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Mark Emmett

 

 

Name: Mark Emmett

 

 

Title:   Vice President

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Steve Cox

 

 

Name: Steve Cox

 

 

Title:   Senior Vice President

 

[Signature Page — First Amendment to Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

 

U.S. Bank National Association,

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Ryan M. Black

 

 

Name: Ryan M. Black

 

 

Title:   AVP

 

[Signature Page — First Amendment to Term Loan Agreement]

 



 

EXHIBIT A

 



 

St. Jude ” means St. Jude Medical, Inc., a Minnesota corporation.

 

St. Jude Acquisition ” means the acquisition of St. Jude by the Borrower on January 4, 2017.

 

St. Jude Transactions ” means the St. Jude Acquisition and the financing transactions in connection therewith, the repayment of certain existing indebtedness of the Borrower and St. Jude and the payment of certain fees and expenses in connection therewith.

 

Subsidiary ” means, with respect to any Person, any corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, trust or estate of which (or in which) more than 50% of (a) the issued and outstanding capital stock having ordinary voting power to elect a majority of the board of directors of such corporation (irrespective of whether at the time capital stock of any other class or classes of such corporation shall or might have voting power upon the occurrence of any contingency), (b) the interest in the capital or profits of such limited liability company, partnership or joint venture or (c) the beneficial interest in such trust or estate is at the time directly or indirectly owned or controlled by such Person, by such Person and one or more of its other Subsidiaries or by one or more of such Person’s other Subsidiaries.

 

Target Material Adverse Effect ” means a “Material Adverse Effect” (as defined in the Alere Acquisition Agreement as in effect on April 13, 2017).

 

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

 

Termination Date ” means the earliest to occur of (a) 11:59 p.m. New York City time on September 30, October 3, 2017, (b) the consummation of the Alere Acquisition without the use of the Facility and (c) the date of any termination in accordance with the terms of the Alere Acquisition Agreement of the Borrower’s obligations under the Alere Acquisition Agreement to consummate the Alere Acquisition.

 

Total Capitalization ” means Consolidated Debt plus Consolidated Net Worth.

 

Type ” means, with respect to a Loan, its character as a Base Rate Loan or a Eurodollar Rate Loan.

 

United States ” and “ U.S. ” each means the United States of America.

 

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 2.16(e)(ii)(B)(III).

 

23



 

copies of the Organization Documents of the Borrower, and (to the extent such concept applies to such entity) certificates of good standing in the jurisdiction of organization of the Borrower.

 

(e)                                   The Administrative Agent shall have received, at least three (3) Business Days prior to the Effective Date, all documentation and other information required by regulatory authorities under applicable “know your customer” and anti-money laundering rules and regulations, including, without limitation, the PATRIOT Act, requested in writing by the Administrative Agent (on behalf of any Lender) at least ten (10) business days prior to the Effective Date.

 

Promptly upon the occurrence thereof, the Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and the Lenders that the Effective Date has occurred, and such notice shall be conclusive and binding.

 

SECTION 3.02               Conditions to Funding on the Closing Date. The obligation of each Lender to make a Loan in an amount equal to its Commitment on the Closing Date is subject to the satisfaction (or waiver in accordance with Section 8.01) of the following conditions on or prior to the Termination Date, and no other conditions:

 

(a)                                  The Effective Date shall have occurred.

 

(b)                                  The Administrative Agent shall have received for the Borrower (i) U.S. GAAP audited consolidated balance sheets and related statements of earnings, comprehensive income, shareholders’ equity and cash flows for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2016, December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, and for any subsequent fiscal year ended at least 60 days prior to the Closing Date and (ii) U.S. GAAP unaudited consolidated balance sheets and related statements of earnings, comprehensive income and cash flows for each subsequent fiscal quarter ended at least 40 days before the Closing Date (in each case, except as permitted by the rules promulgated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and subject to normal year-end adjustments and absence of footnotes). The Borrower’s filing of any required audited financial statements on Form 10-K or required unaudited financial statements on Form 10-Q will satisfy the requirements under clauses (b)(i) or (b)(ii), as applicable, of this paragraph. The Administrative Agent, on behalf of the Lenders, hereby acknowledges receipt of the financial statements in the foregoing clauses (b)(i) and (b)(ii) for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2016, December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 and the fiscal quarter quarters ended March 31, 2017 and June 30, 2017.

 

(c)                                   The Alere Acquisition shall have been, or shall substantially concurrently be, consummated in accordance with the terms of the Alere Acquisition Agreement as in effect on the Effective Date without giving effect to any amendments, modifications, supplements or waivers by the Borrower thereto or consents by the Borrower thereunder that are materially adverse to the Lenders without the Lead Arrangers’ prior written consent, it being understood that (i) any decrease in the cash portion of the consideration for the Alere Acquisition that is accompanied by a

 

44



 

dollar-for-dollar reduction in Commitments in respect of the Facility of not more than 15% of the total consideration for the Alere Acquisition shall be deemed to be not materially adverse to the Lenders, (ii) any increase in the cash portion of the consideration for the Alere Acquisition that, together with any other increases since July 7, 2017, exceeds 10% of the purchase price shall be deemed to be materially adverse to the Lenders and , (iii) any waiver or modification of Sections 8.06(v) and 8.15 of the Alere Acquisition Agreement (as in effect on April 13, 2017) shall be deemed to be materially adverse to the Lenders and (iv) to the extent constituting an amendment, modification, supplement or waiver by the Borrower to the Alere Acquisition Agreement or a consent by the Borrower thereunder, the Borrower’s election not to terminate or not to seek to terminate the Alere Acquisition Agreement pursuant to Section 7.01(b)(i) of the Alere Acquisition Agreement (as in effect on April 13, 2017) shall be deemed to be not materially adverse to the Lenders.

 

(d)                                       The Administrative Agent shall have received a solvency certificate from the chief financial officer of the Borrower in the form attached hereto as Exhibit C certifying that the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis after giving effect to the Alere Transactions, are Solvent.

 

(e)                                        The Administrative Agent shall have received a favorable opinion letter of (i) John A. Berry, Divisional Vice President, Associate General Counsel and Assistant Secretary of the Borrower and (ii) Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, as New York counsel to the Borrower (or, in each case, such other counsel as may be reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent), in each case in the form agreed on or prior to the Effective Date.

 

(f)                                         Each of the Alere Acquisition Agreement Representations and the Specified Representations shall be true and correct in all material respects as of the Closing Date; provided that any representation and warranty that is qualified as to “materiality,” “Material Adverse Effect” or similar language shall be true and correct (after giving effect to any qualification therein) in all respects as of such date.

 

(g)                                        Since January 30, 2016, there shall not have been any effect, change, event or occurrence that, individually or in the aggregate, has had or would reasonably be expected to have a Target Material Adverse Effect.

 

(h)                                       No Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(a) or Section 6.01(e) of this Agreement with respect to the Borrower exists (after giving pro forma effect to the Alere Acquisition) or would result from the effectiveness of this Agreement.

 

(i)                                           The Administrative Agent shall have received a certificate of a Responsible Officer of the Borrower certifying as to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in clauses (c), (f), (g) and (h) of this Section 3.02.

 

(j)                                          The Administrative Agent (on behalf of the Lead Arrangers and the Lenders) shall have received all fees and invoiced expenses required to be paid on or

 

45


Exhibit 10.3

 

EXECUTION COPY

 

 

 

U.S. $5,000,000,000

 

FIVE YEAR CREDIT AGREEMENT

 

Dated as of July 10, 2014

 

among

 

ABBOTT LABORATORIES
as Borrower,

 

and

 

VARIOUS FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS,
as Lenders,

 

and

 

BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
as Administrative Agent ,

 

and

 

BARCLAYS BANK PLC
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK N.A.
and
MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
as Syndication Agents

 

 

 

MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH INCORPORATED
BARCLAYS BANK PLC
J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC
and
MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Joint Lead Arrangers and Joint Book Runners

 



 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

Page

 

ARTICLE I

 

 

 

 

 

DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING TERMS

 

 

 

 

SECTION 1.01

Certain Defined Terms

1

 

 

 

SECTION 1.02

Computation of Time Periods

15

 

 

 

SECTION 1.03

Accounting Terms

15

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE II

 

 

 

 

 

AMOUNTS AND TERMS OF THE ADVANCES

 

 

 

 

SECTION 2.01

The Advances

16

 

 

 

SECTION 2.02

Making the Advances

16

 

 

 

SECTION 2.03

[Reserved]

18

 

 

 

SECTION 2.04

Fees

18

 

 

 

SECTION 2.05

Termination or Reduction of the Commitments

18

 

 

 

SECTION 2.06

Repayment of Advances

18

 

 

 

SECTION 2.07

Interest on Advances

18

 

 

 

SECTION 2.08

Interest Rate Determination

20

 

 

 

SECTION 2.09

Optional Conversion of Advances

20

 

 

 

SECTION 2.10

Optional Prepayments of Advances

21

 

 

 

SECTION 2.11

Increased Costs

21

 

 

 

SECTION 2.12

Illegality

22

 

 

 

SECTION 2.13

Payments and Computations

22

 

 

 

SECTION 2.14

Taxes

24

 

 

 

SECTION 2.15

Sharing of Payments, Etc.

26

 

 

 

SECTION 2.16

Use of Proceeds

26

 

i



 

SECTION 2.17

Evidence of Debt

26

 

 

 

SECTION 2.18

[Reserved]

27

 

 

 

SECTION 2.19

Defaulting Lenders

27

 

 

 

SECTION 2.20

Mitigation

28

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE III

 

 

 

 

 

CONDITIONS TO EFFECTIVENESS AND LENDING

 

 

 

 

SECTION 3.01

Conditions Precedent to Closing Date

29

 

 

 

SECTION 3.02

Conditions Precedent to Each Borrowing

30

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE IV

 

 

 

 

 

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

 

 

 

 

SECTION 4.01

Representations and Warranties of the Borrower

30

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE V

 

 

 

 

 

COVENANTS OF THE BORROWER

 

 

 

 

SECTION 5.01

Affirmative Covenants

34

 

 

 

SECTION 5.02

Negative Covenants

38

 

 

 

SECTION 5.03

Financial Covenant

41

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE VI

 

 

 

 

 

EVENTS OF DEFAULT

 

 

 

 

SECTION 6.01

Events of Default

41

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE VII

 

 

 

 

 

THE AGENTS

 

 

 

 

SECTION 7.01

Authorization and Action

43

 

 

 

SECTION 7.02

Administrative Agent Individually

43

 

 

 

SECTION 7.03

Duties of Administrative Agent; Exculpatory Provisions

43

 

 

 

SECTION 7.04

Reliance by Administrative Agent

45

 

ii



 

SECTION 7.05

Delegation of Duties

45

 

 

 

SECTION 7.06

Resignation of Administrative Agent

45

 

 

 

SECTION 7.07

Non-Reliance on Administrative Agent and Other Lenders

46

 

 

 

SECTION 7.08

Indemnification

46

 

 

 

SECTION 7.09

Other Agents

47

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE VIII

 

 

 

 

 

MISCELLANEOUS

 

 

 

 

SECTION 8.01

Amendments, Etc.

47

 

 

 

SECTION 8.02

Notices, Etc.

48

 

 

 

SECTION 8.03

No Waiver; Remedies

50

 

 

 

SECTION 8.04

Costs and Expenses

50

 

 

 

SECTION 8.05

Right of Setoff

51

 

 

 

SECTION 8.06

Binding Effect

52

 

 

 

SECTION 8.07

Assignments and Participations

52

 

 

 

SECTION 8.08

Confidentiality

56

 

 

 

SECTION 8.09

Governing Law

57

 

 

 

SECTION 8.10

Execution in Counterparts

57

 

 

 

SECTION 8.11

Electronic Execution of Assignments and Certain Other Documents

57

 

 

 

SECTION 8.12

Jurisdiction, Etc.

57

 

 

 

SECTION 8.13

Patriot Act Notice

58

 

 

 

SECTION 8.14

No Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility

58

 

 

 

SECTION 8.15

Termination of Credit Documents

59

 

 

 

SECTION 8.16

Waiver of Jury Trial

59

 

iii



 

SCHEDULES

 

Schedule I

 

-

 

Commitments

Schedule II

 

-

 

Administrative Agent’s Office; Certain Addresses for Notices

Schedule 4.01(f)

 

-

 

Legal Proceedings

 

EXHIBITS

 

Exhibit A

-

 

Form of Notice of Borrowing

Exhibit B

-

 

Form of Assignment and Acceptance

 

iv



 

FIVE YEAR CREDIT AGREEMENT

 

Dated as of July 10, 2014

 

ABBOTT LABORATORIES, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Illinois (the “ Borrower ”), the Lenders (as defined below) that are parties hereto, and BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., (“ Bank of America ”), as administrative agent (together with any successor thereto appointed pursuant to Article VII, the “ Administrative Agent ”) for the Lenders, agree as follows:

 

ARTICLE I

 

DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING TERMS

 

SECTION 1.01     Certain Defined Terms .

 

As used in this Five Year Credit Agreement (this “ Agreement ”), the following terms shall have the following meanings (such meanings to be equally applicable to both the singular and plural forms of the terms defined):

 

Administrative Agent ” has the meaning specified in the recital of parties to this Agreement.

 

Administrative Agent’s Office ” means the Administrative Agent’s address and, as appropriate, account as set forth on Schedule II, or such other address or account as the Administrative Agent may from time to time notify to the Borrower and the Lenders.

 

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

 

Advance ” means an advance by a Lender to the Borrower as part of a Borrowing and refers to a Base Rate Advance or a Eurodollar Rate Advance (each of which shall be a “ Type ” of Advance).

 

Affiliate ” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person that, directly or indirectly, controls, is controlled by or is under common control with such Person or is a director or officer of such Person.  For purposes of this definition, the term “control” (including the terms “controlling”, “controlled by” and “under common control with”) of a Person means the possession, direct or indirect, of the power to vote 10% or more of the Voting Stock of such Person or to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such Person, whether through the ownership of Voting Stock, by contract or otherwise.

 

Agents ” means, collectively, the Administrative Agent, the Syndication Agents and the Arrangers.

 

1



 

Agreement Value ” means, with respect to any Hedge Agreement at any date of determination, the amount, if any, that would be payable to any bank thereunder in respect of the “agreement value” under such Hedge Agreement if such Hedge Agreement were terminated on such date, calculated as provided in the International Swap Dealers Association, Inc. Code of Standard Wording, Assumptions and Provisions for Swaps, 1986 Edition.

 

Applicable Lending Office ” means, with respect to each Lender, such Lender’s Domestic Lending Office in the case of a Base Rate Advance and such Lender’s Eurodollar Lending Office in the case of a Eurodollar Rate Advance.

 

Applicable Margin ” means, as of any date, a percentage per annum determined by reference to the Public Debt Rating in effect on such date as set forth below:

 

 

 

Public Debt Rating
S&P/Moody’s

 

Applicable Margin
for Eurodollar Rate
Advances

 

Applicable Margin for
Base Rate Advances

 

Level 1:

 

AA-/Aa3 or above

 

0.625

%

0.000

%

Level 2:

 

Less than Level I but at least A+/A1

 

0.750

%

0.000

%

Level 3:

 

Less than Level 2 but at least A/A2

 

0.875

%

0.000

%

Level 4:

 

Less than Level 3 but at least A-/A3

 

1.00

%

0.000

%

Level 5

 

Less than Level 4

 

1.125

%

0.125

%

 

Applicable Percentage ” means, in the case of the commitment fee paid pursuant to Section 2.04(a), as of any date, a percentage per annum determined by reference to the Public Debt Rating in effect on such date as set forth below:

 

 

 

Public Debt Rating
S&P/Moody’s

 

Applicable Percentage

 

Level 1:

 

AA-/Aa3 or above

 

0.060%

 

Level 2:

 

Less than Level I but at least A+/A1

 

0.070%

 

Level 3:

 

Less than Level 2 but at least A/A2

 

0.080%

 

Level 4:

 

Less than Level 3 but at least A-/A3

 

0.100%

 

Level 5

 

Less than Level 4

 

0.125%

 

 

Arrangers ” means Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, Barclays Bank PLC, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, and Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Inc.

 

2



 

Assignment and Acceptance ” means an assignment and acceptance entered into by a Lender and an Eligible Assignee, and accepted by the Administrative Agent, in substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto.

 

Attributable Debt ” means (except as otherwise provided in this paragraph), as to any particular lease under which any Person is at the time liable for a term of more than 12 months, at any date as of which the amount thereof is to be determined (the “ determination date ”), the total net amount of rent required to be paid by such Person under such lease during the remaining term thereof (excluding any subsequent renewal or other extension options held by the lessee), discounted from the respective due dates thereof to the determination date at the rate of 8% per annum, compounded monthly.  The net amount of rent required to be paid under any such lease for any such period shall be the aggregate amount of the rent payable by the lessee with respect to such period after excluding amounts required to be paid on account of maintenance and repairs, services, insurance, taxes, assessments, water rates and similar charges and contingent rents (such as those based on sales or monetary inflation).  If (a) any such lease is terminable by the lessee upon the payment of a penalty, (b) the terms of such lease provide that the termination right is not exercisable until after the determination date and (c) the amount of such penalty discounted to the determination date at the rate of 8% per annum compounded monthly is less than the net amount of rentals payable after the time as of which such termination could occur (the “ termination time ”) discounted to the determination date at the rate of 8% per annum compounded monthly, then such discounted penalty amount shall be used instead of such discounted amount of net rentals payable after the termination time in calculating the Attributable Debt for such lease.  If (i) any such lease is terminable by the lessee upon the payment of a penalty, (ii) such termination right is exercisable on the determination date and (iii) the amount of the net rentals payable under such lease after the determination date discounted to the determination date at the rate of 8% per annum compounded monthly is greater than the amount of such penalty, the Attributable Debt for such lease as of such determination date shall be equal to the amount of such penalty.

 

Bank of America ” has the meaning specified in the recital of parties to this Agreement.

 

Base Rate ” means for any day a fluctuating rate per annum equal to the highest of (a) the Federal Funds Rate plus 1/2 of 1%, (b) the rate of interest in effect for such day as publicly announced from time to time by Bank of America as its “prime rate,” and (c) the Eurodollar Rate plus 1.00%.  The “prime rate” is a rate set by Bank of America based upon various factors including Bank of America’s costs and desired return, general economic conditions and other factors, and is used as a reference point for pricing some loans, which may be priced at, above, or below such announced rate.  Any change in such prime rate announced by Bank of America shall take effect at the opening of business on the day specified in the public announcement of such change.

 

Base Rate Advance ” means an Advance denominated in Dollars that bears interest as provided in Section 2.07(a)(i).

 

3



 

Borrowed Debt ” means any Debt for money borrowed represented by notes, bonds, debentures or other similar evidences of Debt for money borrowed.

 

Borrower ” has the meaning specified in the recital of parties to this Agreement.

 

Borrower Materials ” has the meaning specified in Section 5.01(i).

 

Borrowing ” means a borrowing consisting of simultaneous Advances of the same Type made by each of the Lenders to the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.01.

 

Borrowing Minimum ” means $10,000,000.

 

Borrowing Multiple ” means $1,000,000.

 

Business Day ” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks are authorized to close under the laws of, or are in fact closed in, New York City or Chicago and, if such day relates to any Eurodollar Rate Advance, means any such day on which dealings in Dollar deposits are conducted by and between banks in the London interbank eurodollar market.

 

CERCLIS ” means the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Information System maintained by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

 

Closing Date ” means the date on which each of the conditions set forth in Section 3.01 have been satisfied (or waived in accordance with Section 8.01).

 

Commitment ” means as to any Lender (a) the Dollar amount set forth opposite such Lender’s name on Schedule I hereto, or (b) if such Lender has entered into any Assignment and Acceptance, the Dollar amount set forth for such Lender in the Register maintained by the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 8.07(d), as such amount may be reduced pursuant to Section 2.05.  The aggregate amount of the Commitments is $5,000,000,000 as such may be reduced in accordance with Section 2.05 or 6.01.

 

Commitment Termination Date ” means the earlier of (a) July 10, 2019 and (b) the date on which the Commitments are terminated in accordance with Section 2.05 or 6.01.

 

Consolidated ” refers to the consolidation of accounts in accordance with GAAP.

 

Consolidated Group ” means the Borrower and its Subsidiaries.

 

Consolidated Net Assets ”  means the aggregate amount of assets (less applicable reserves and other properly deductible items) after deducting therefrom all current liabilities, as set forth on the Consolidated balance sheet of the Consolidated Group most recently furnished to the Lenders pursuant to Section 5.01(i)(ii) prior to the time as of which Consolidated Net Assets shall be determined.

 

4



 

Consolidated Net Worth ” means, at any date of determination, (a) total assets of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries (including, without limitation, all items that are treated as intangibles in accordance with GAAP) at such date less (b) total liabilities of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries (including, without limitation, all deferred taxes) at such date, in each case determined on a Consolidated basis.

 

Continuing Director ” means, for any period, an individual who is a member of the board of directors of the Borrower on the first day of such period or whose election to the board of directors of the Borrower is approved by a majority of the other Continuing Directors.

 

Conversion ”, “ Convert ”, or “ Converted ” each refers to a conversion of Advances of one Type into Advances of the other Type pursuant to Section 2.08 or 2.09.

 

Debt ” of any Person means, without duplication, (a) all indebtedness of such Person for borrowed money, (b) all obligations of such Person for the deferred purchase price of property or services (other than trade payables incurred in the ordinary course of such Person’s business), (c) all obligations of such Person evidenced by notes, bonds, debentures or other similar instruments, (d) all obligations of such Person created or arising under any conditional sale or other title retention agreement with respect to property acquired by such Person (even though the rights and remedies of the seller or lender under such agreement in the event of default are limited to repossession or sale of such property), (e) all obligations of such Person as lessee under leases that have been or should be, in accordance with GAAP, recorded as capital leases, (f) all obligations, contingent or otherwise, of such Person in respect of acceptances, letters of credit or similar extensions of credit, (g) all obligations of such Person in respect of Hedge Agreements, (h) all Debt of others referred to in clauses (a) through (g) above or clause (i) below directly guaranteed in any manner by such Person, or the payment of which is otherwise provided for by such Person, and (i) all Debt referred to in clauses (a) through (h) above secured by (or for which the holder of such Debt has an existing right, contingent or otherwise, to be secured by) any Lien on property (including, without limitation, accounts and contract rights) owned by such Person, even though such Person has not assumed or become liable for the payment of such Debt.

 

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

 

Default ” means any Event of Default or any event that would constitute an Event of Default but for the requirement that notice be given or time elapse or both.

 

Defaulting Lender ” means, subject to Section 2.19(b), any Lender that (a) has failed to (i) fund all or any portion of its Advances within two Business Days of the date such Advances were required to be funded hereunder unless such Lender notifies the Administrative Agent and the Borrower in writing that such failure is the result of such

 

5



 

Lender’s determination that one or more conditions precedent to funding (each of which conditions precedent, together with any applicable default, shall be specifically identified in such writing) has not been satisfied, or (ii) pay to the Administrative Agent or any other Lender any other amount required to be paid by it hereunder within two Business Days of the date when due, (b) has notified the Borrower or the Administrative Agent in writing that it does not intend to comply with its funding obligations hereunder, or has made a public statement to that effect (unless such writing or public statement relates to such Lender’s obligation to fund an Advance hereunder and states that such position is based on such Lender’s determination that a condition precedent to funding (which condition precedent, together with any applicable default, shall be specifically identified in such writing or public statement) cannot be satisfied), (c) has failed, within three Business Days after written request by the Administrative Agent or the Borrower, to confirm in writing to the Administrative Agent and the Borrower that it will comply with its prospective funding obligations hereunder ( provided that such Lender shall cease to be a Defaulting Lender pursuant to this clause (c) upon receipt of such written confirmation by the Administrative Agent and the Borrower), or (d) has, or has a direct or indirect parent company that has, (i) become the subject of a proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law, (ii) had appointed for it a receiver, custodian, conservator, trustee, administrator, assignee for the benefit of creditors or similar Person charged with reorganization or liquidation of its business or assets, including the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other state or federal regulatory authority acting in such a capacity or (iii) become an Embargoed Lender; provided that for the avoidance of doubt, a Lender shall not be a Defaulting Lender solely by virtue of (A) the ownership or acquisition of any equity interest in that Lender or any direct or indirect parent company thereof by a governmental authority or (B) in the case of a solvent Person, the precautionary appointment of an administrator, guardian or custodian or similar official by a governmental authority under or based on the law of the country where such Person is organized if the applicable law of such jurisdiction requires that such appointment not be publicly disclosed, in any such case, where such ownership or action, as applicable, does not result in or provide such Lender with immunity from the jurisdiction of courts within the United States or from the enforcement of judgments or writs of attachment on its assets or permit such Lender (or such governmental authority) to reject, repudiate, disavow or disaffirm any contracts or agreements made with such Lender.  Any determination by the Administrative Agent that a Lender is a Defaulting Lender under any one or more of clauses (a) through (d) above shall be conclusive and binding as to such Lender absent manifest error, and such Lender shall be deemed to be a Defaulting Lender (subject to Section 2.19(b)) upon delivery of written notice of such determination to the Borrower and each Lender.

 

Designated Jurisdiction ” means any country or territory that is, or has a government that is, subject to comprehensive country-wide economic or financial sanctions or trade embargoes imposed, administered or enforced by any Person listed in the definition of “Sanctions” (the Designated Jurisdictions as of the date hereof being Cuba, Iran, Syria, Sudan and North Korea).

 

Dollars ” and the “ $ ” sign each means lawful currency of the United States.

 

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Domestic Lending Office ” means, with respect to any Lender, the office of such Lender specified as its “Domestic Lending Office” in its Administrative Questionnaire or in the Assignment and Acceptance, pursuant to which it became a Lender, or such other office of such Lender as such Lender may from time to time specify to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent.

 

Domestic Subsidiary ” means any Subsidiary of the Borrower substantially all the property of which is located, or substantially all of the business of which is carried on, within the United States (excluding its territories and possessions and Puerto Rico), provided , however , that the term shall not include any Subsidiary of the Borrower which (i) is engaged principally in the financing of operations outside of the United States or in leasing personal property or financing inventory, receivables or other property or (ii) does not own a Principal Domestic Property.

 

Eligible Assignee ” means (a) a Lender; (b) an Affiliate of a Lender; (c) a commercial bank organized under the laws of the United States, or any State thereof, and having total assets in excess of $10,000,000,000; (d) a commercial bank organized under the laws of any other country that is a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development or has concluded special lending arrangements with the International Monetary Fund associated with its General Arrangements to Borrow, or a political subdivision of any such country, and having total assets in excess of $10,000,000,000, so long as such bank is acting through a branch or agency located in the country in which it is organized or another country that is described in this clause (d); and (e) any other Person approved by the Administrative Agent and, so long as no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, by the Borrower, such approval not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed; provided , however , that no Defaulting Lender (or Person who would be a Defaulting Lender upon becoming a Lender) nor the Borrower nor any Affiliate of the Borrower shall qualify as an Eligible Assignee.

 

Embargoed Lender ” means any Lender (a) that is the subject of any Sanctions or (b) that is located, organized or resident in any Designated Jurisdiction.

 

Environmental Action ” means any action, suit, demand, demand letter, claim, notice of noncompliance or violation, notice of liability or potential liability, investigation, proceeding, consent order or consent agreement relating in any way to any Environmental Law, Environmental Permit or Hazardous Materials or arising from alleged injury or threat of injury to health, safety or the environment, including, without limitation, (a) by any governmental or regulatory authority for enforcement, cleanup, removal, response, remedial or other actions or damages and (b) by any governmental or regulatory authority or any third party for damages, contribution, indemnification, cost recovery, compensation or injunctive relief.

 

Environmental Law ” means any federal, state, local or foreign statute, law, ordinance, rule, regulation, code, order, judgment, decree or judicial or agency interpretation, policy or guidance relating to pollution or protection of the environment, health, safety or natural resources, including, without limitation, those relating to the use,

 

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handling, transportation, treatment, storage, disposal, release or discharge of Hazardous Materials.

 

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

 

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

 

ERISA Affiliate ” means any Person that for purposes of Title IV of ERISA is a member of the Borrower’s controlled group, or under common control with the Borrower, within the meaning of Section 414 of the Internal Revenue Code.

 

ERISA Event ” means:

 

(a)                                  (i) the occurrence of a reportable event, within the meaning of Section 4043 of ERISA, with respect to any Plan unless the 30-day notice requirement with respect to such event has been waived by the PBGC, or (ii) the requirements of subsection (1) of Section 4043(b) of ERISA (without regard to subsection (2) of such Section) are being met with a contributing sponsor, as defined in Section 4001(a)(13) of ERISA, of a Plan, and an event described in paragraph (9), (10), (11), (12) or (13) of Section 4043(c) of ERISA is reasonably expected to occur with respect to such Plan within the following 30 days;

 

(b)                                  the application for a minimum funding waiver with respect to a Plan;

 

(c)                                   the provision by the administrator of any Plan of a notice of intent to terminate such Plan pursuant to Section 4041(a)(2) of ERISA (including any such notice with respect to a plan amendment referred to in Section 4041(e) of ERISA);

 

(d)                                  the cessation of operations at a facility of the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate in the circumstances described in Section 4062(e) of ERISA;

 

(e)                                   the withdrawal by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from a Multiple Employer Plan during a plan year for which it was a substantial employer, as defined in Section 4001(a)(2) of ERISA;

 

(f)                                    the conditions for the imposition of a lien under Section 303(k) of ERISA shall have been met with respect to any Plan; or

 

(g)                                   the institution by the PBGC of proceedings to terminate a Plan pursuant to Section 4042 of ERISA, or the occurrence of any event or condition described in Section 4042 of ERISA that could constitute grounds for the termination of, or the appointment of a trustee to administer, a Plan.

 

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Eurocurrency Liabilities ” has the meaning specified in Regulation D of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, as in effect from time to time.

 

Eurodollar Lending Office ” means, with respect to any Lender, the office of such Lender specified as its “Eurodollar Lending Office” in its Administrative Questionnaire or in the Assignment and Acceptance pursuant to which it became a Lender (or, if no such office is specified, its Domestic Lending Office), or such other office, branch, subsidiary or affiliate of such Lender as such Lender may from time to time specify to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent.

 

Eurodollar Rate ” means,

 

(a) for any Interest Period with respect to a Eurodollar Rate Advance, the rate per annum equal to (i) the London Interbank Offered Rate (“ LIBOR ”) as published on the applicable Bloomberg screen page (or other comparable commercially available source providing quotations of LIBOR as may be designated by the Administrative Agent from time to time), at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, two Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period, for Dollar deposits (for delivery on the first day of such Interest Period) with a term equivalent to such Interest Period or (ii) if such published rate is not available at such time for any reason, a comparable or successor rate which rate is approved by the Administrative Agent and reported to the Borrower; and

 

(b) for any interest rate calculation with respect to a Base Rate Advance on any date, the rate per annum equal to LIBOR, at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time determined two Business Days prior to such date for Dollar deposits being delivered in the London interbank market for a term of one month commencing that date;

 

provided that to the extent a comparable or successor rate is approved by the Administrative Agent and reported to the Borrower in connection with any rate set forth in this definition, the approved rate shall be applied in a manner consistent with market practice; provided , further that to the extent such market practice is not administratively feasible for the Administrative Agent, such approved rate shall be applied in a manner (x) as otherwise reasonably determined by the Administrative Agent and (y) that is consistent with the manner in which the Administrative Agent is applying such rate to similarly situated borrowers.

 

Eurodollar Rate Advance ” means an Advance denominated in Dollars that bears interest as provided in Section 2.07(a)(ii).

 

Eurodollar Rate Reserve Percentage ” means, with respect to any Lender for any Interest Period for any Eurodollar Rate Advance, the reserve percentage applicable at any time during such Interest Period under regulations issued from time to time by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (or any successor thereto) for determining the actual reserve requirement (including, without limitation, any emergency, supplemental or other marginal reserve requirement) for such Lender with respect to liabilities or assets consisting of or including Eurocurrency Liabilities (or with respect to any other category of liabilities that includes deposits by reference to which the interest

 

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rate on Eurodollar Rate Advances is determined) having a term equal to such Interest Period.

 

Events of Default ” has the meaning specified in Section 6.01.

 

Excluded Taxes ” has the meaning specified in Section 2.14(a).

 

FATCA ” means Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Internal Revenue Code, as of the date of this Agreement (or any amended or successor version that is substantively comparable and not materially more onerous to comply with), any current or future regulations or official interpretations thereof, any agreements entered into pursuant to Section 1471(b)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code, any published intergovernmental agreement entered into in connection with the implementation of such Sections of the Internal Revenue Code and any fiscal or regulatory legislation adopted pursuant to such published intergovernmental agreements.

 

Federal Funds Rate ” means, for any day, the rate per annum equal to the weighted average of the rates on overnight Federal funds transactions with members of the Federal Reserve System arranged by Federal funds brokers on such day, as published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on the Business Day next succeeding such day; provided that (a) if such day is not a Business Day, the Federal Funds Rate for such day shall be such rate on such transactions on the next preceding Business Day as so published on the next succeeding Business Day, and (b) if no such rate is so published on such next succeeding Business Day, the Federal Funds Rate for such day shall be the average rate (rounded upward, if necessary, to a whole multiple of 1/100 of 1%) charged to Bank of America on such day on such transactions as determined by the Administrative Agent.

 

Funded Debt ” means Debt of the Borrower (other than Debt in respect of the Advances or Debt subordinated in right of payment to the Advances) or Debt of any wholly-owned Domestic Subsidiary, for money borrowed, having a stated maturity of more than 12 months from the date of application of sale/leaseback proceeds or which is extendible at the option of the obligor thereon to a date more than 12 months from the date of such application.

 

GAAP ” has the meaning specified in Section 1.03.

 

Hazardous Materials ” means (a) petroleum and petroleum products, byproducts or breakdown products, radioactive materials, asbestos-containing materials, polychlorinated biphenyls and radon gas and (b) any other chemicals, materials or substances designated, classified or regulated as “hazardous” or “toxic” or as a “pollutant” or “contaminant” under any Environmental Law.

 

Hedge Agreements ” means interest rate swap, cap or collar agreements, interest rate future or option contracts, currency swap agreements, currency future or option contracts and other similar agreements.

 

Indemnified Party ” has the meaning specified in Section 8.04(b).

 

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Information ” has the meaning specified in Section 8.08.

 

Information Memorandum ” means the information memorandum dated June 2014 used by the Arranger in connection with the syndication of the Commitments.

 

Initial Lenders ” has the meaning specified in the definition of “Lenders”.

 

Interest Period ” means, for each Eurodollar Rate Advance comprising part of the same Borrowing, the period commencing on the date of such Eurodollar Rate Advance or the date of the Conversion of any Base Rate Advance into such Eurodollar Rate Advance and ending on the last day of the period selected by the Borrower pursuant to the provisions below and, thereafter, with respect to Eurodollar Rate Advances, each subsequent period commencing on the last day of the immediately preceding Interest Period and ending on the last day of the period selected by the Borrower pursuant to the provisions below.  The duration of each such Interest Period shall be one, two, three or six months, as the Borrower may, upon notice received by the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 A.M. (New York City time) on the third Business Day prior to the first day of such Interest Period, select; provided , however , that:

 

(a)                                  the Borrower may not select any Interest Period that ends after the Commitment Termination Date;

 

(b)                                  Interest Periods commencing on the same date for Eurodollar Rate Advances comprising part of the same Borrowing shall be of the same duration (it being understood that the Borrower shall be permitted to make multiple Borrowings consisting of Eurodollar Rate Advances on the same date, each of which may be of different durations);

 

(c)                                   whenever the last day of any Interest Period would otherwise occur on a day other than a Business Day, the last day of such Interest Period shall be extended to occur on the next succeeding Business Day, provided , however , that, if such extension would cause the last day of such Interest Period to occur in the next succeeding calendar month, the last day of such Interest Period shall occur on the immediately preceding Business Day; and

 

(d)                                  whenever the first day of any Interest Period occurs on a day of an initial calendar month for which there is no numerically corresponding day in the calendar month that succeeds such initial calendar month by the number of months equal to the number of months in such Interest Period, such Interest Period shall end on the last Business Day of such succeeding calendar month.

 

Internal Revenue Code ” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, and the regulations promulgated and the rulings issued thereunder.

 

Lenders ” means, collectively, (a) each bank, financial institution and other institutional lender listed on the signature pages hereof (each, an “ Initial Lender ”) and (b) each Eligible Assignee that shall become a party hereto pursuant to Section 8.07(a), (b) and (c).

 

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Lien ” means any lien, security interest or other charge or encumbrance of any kind, or any other type of preferential arrangement, including, without limitation, the lien or retained security title of a conditional vendor and any easement, right of way or other encumbrance on title to real property.

 

Loan Documents ” means this Agreement and any notes, security agreements or other documents entered into in connection herewith.

 

Losses ” has the meaning specified in Section 8.04(b).

 

Material Adverse Effect ” means a material adverse effect on (a) the financial condition or results of operations of the Borrower or the Borrower and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (b) the rights and remedies of the Administrative Agent or any Lender under this Agreement, taken as a whole, or (c) the ability of the Borrower to perform its obligations under this Agreement.

 

Moody’s ” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (or any successor thereof).

 

Multiemployer Plan ” means a multiemployer plan, as defined in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA, to which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate is making or accruing an obligation to make contributions, or has within any of the preceding five plan years made or accrued an obligation to make contributions.

 

Multiple Employer Plan ” means a single employer plan, as defined in Section 4001(a)(15) of ERISA, that (a) is maintained for employees of the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate and at least one Person other than the Borrower and the ERISA Affiliates or (b) was so maintained and in respect of which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate could have liability under Section 4064 or 4069 of ERISA in the event such plan has been or were to be terminated.

 

Non-Defaulting Lender ” means, at any time, a Lender that is not a Defaulting Lender.

 

Notice of Borrowing ” has the meaning specified in Section 2.02(a).

 

NPL ” means the National Priorities List under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, as amended from time to time.

 

OFAC ” means the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.

 

Other Taxes ” has the meaning specified in Section 2.14(b).

 

Patriot Act ” means the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001, Pub. L. 107-56, signed into law October 26, 2001.

 

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PBGC ” means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (or any successor thereto).

 

Person ” means an individual, partnership, corporation (including a business trust), joint stock company, trust, unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company or other entity, or a government or any political subdivision or agency thereof.

 

Plan ” means a Single Employer Plan or a Multiple Employer Plan.

 

Platform ” has the meaning specified in Section 5.01(i).

 

Principal Domestic Property ” means any building, structure or other facility, together with the land upon which it is erected and fixtures comprising a part thereof, used primarily for manufacturing, processing, research, warehousing or distribution and located in the United States (excluding its territories and possessions and Puerto Rico) owned or leased by a member of the Consolidated Group the net book value of which on the date as of which the determination is being made exceeds 2% of Consolidated Net Assets, other than any such building structure or other facility or portion of any thereof (a) which is an air or water pollution control facility financed by obligations issued by a State or local governmental unit or (b) which the Chief Executive Officer, any President, the Chief Financial Officer, the Controller or the Treasurer of the Borrower determines in good faith is not of material importance to the total business conducted, or assets owned, by the Consolidated Group taken as a whole.

 

Projections ” shall mean the projections of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries included in the Information Memorandum and any other projections and any forward looking statements (including statements with respect to booked business) of such entities furnished to the Lenders or the Administrative Agent by or on behalf of the Borrower prior to the Closing Date.

 

Public Debt Rating ” means, as of any date and subject to the provisions of the next succeeding sentence, the lowest rating that has been most recently announced by each of S&P or Moody’s, as the case may be, for any class of non-credit enhanced long-term senior unsecured debt issued by the Borrower.  For purposes of the foregoing:  (a) if only one of S&P and Moody’s shall have in effect a Public Debt Rating, the Applicable Percentage and the Applicable Margin shall be determined by reference to the available rating; (b) if neither S&P nor Moody’s shall have in effect a Public Debt Rating, the Applicable Percentage and the Applicable Margin shall be set in accordance with Level 5 under the definition of Applicable Percentage or Applicable Margin, as the case may be; (c) if the ratings established by S&P and Moody’s shall fall within different levels, the Applicable Percentage and the Applicable Margin shall be based upon the higher of such ratings, except that, in the event that the lower of such ratings is more than one level below the higher of such ratings, the Applicable Percentage and the Applicable Margin shall be based upon the level immediately above the lower of such ratings; (d) if any rating established by S&P or Moody’s shall be changed, such change shall be effective as of the date on which such change is first announced publicly by the rating

 

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agency making such change; and (e) if S&P or Moody’s shall change the basis on which ratings are established, each reference to the Public Debt Rating announced by S&P or Moody’s, as the case may be, shall refer to the then equivalent rating by S&P or Moody’s, as the case may be.

 

Register ” has the meaning specified in Section 8.07(d).

 

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

 

Required Lenders ” means, at any time, Lenders holding more than 50% of the Commitments at such time or, if the Commitments have been terminated at such time pursuant to Section 2.05 or 6.01, Lenders owed more than 50% of the aggregate unpaid principal amount of the Advances owing to Lenders at such time; provided that the Commitment of, and the Advances held or deemed held by, any Defaulting Lender shall be excluded for purposes of making a determination of Required Lenders.

 

Resolutions ” means the resolutions adopted by the board of directors of the Borrower at a meeting held on October 12, 2007.

 

Responsible Officer ” means the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the Treasurer, the Controller, any Assistant Treasurer, the Director, Capital Markets and Global Treasury Operations and the General Counsel of the Borrower (or other executive officer of the Borrower performing similar functions) or any other officer of the Borrower responsible for overseeing or reviewing compliance with this Agreement.

 

S&P ” means Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC (or any successor thereof).

 

Sale and Leaseback Transaction ” has the meaning specified in Section 5.02(c).

 

Sanction(s) ” means any economic or trade sanction enacted, imposed, administered or enforced by the United States Government (including, without limitation, the U.S. Department of State and OFAC), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury or other relevant sanctions authority.

 

Significant Subsidiary ” means any Subsidiary of the Borrower that constitutes a “significant subsidiary” under Regulation S-X promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission, as in effect from time to time.

 

Single Employer Plan ” means a single employer plan, as defined in Section 4001(a)(15) of ERISA, that (a) is maintained for employees of the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate and no Person other than the Borrower and the ERISA Affiliates or (b) was so maintained and in respect of which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate could have liability under Section 4069 of ERISA in the event such plan has been or were to be terminated.

 

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Subsidiary ” means, with respect to any Person, any corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, trust or estate of which (or in which) more than 50% of (a) the issued and outstanding capital stock having ordinary voting power to elect a majority of the board of directors of such corporation (irrespective of whether at the time capital stock of any other class or classes of such corporation shall or might have voting power upon the occurrence of any contingency), (b) the interest in the capital or profits of such limited liability company, partnership or joint venture or (c) the beneficial interest in such trust or estate is at the time directly or indirectly owned or controlled by such Person, by such Person and one or more of its other Subsidiaries or by one or more of such Person’s other Subsidiaries.

 

Syndication Agents ” means Barclays Bank PLC, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Inc.

 

Taxes ” means any and all present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties, deductions, withholdings or other like charges imposed by any governmental authority, including any interest, additions to tax or penalties applicable thereto.

 

2012 Credit Agreement ” means the Five Year Credit Agreement dated as of July 18, 2012 by and among the Borrower, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent and the lenders party thereto.

 

Type ” has the meaning specified in the definition of “ Advance ”.

 

United States ” and “ U.S. ” each means the United States of America.

 

U.S. Subsidiary ” means, with respect to any Person, any Subsidiary of such Person that is organized under the laws of the United States, any State thereof or the District of Columbia.

 

Voting Stock ” means shares of capital stock issued by a corporation, or equivalent interests in any other Person, the holders of which are ordinarily, in the absence of contingencies, entitled to vote for the election of directors (or persons performing similar functions) of such Person, even if the right so to vote has been suspended by the happening of such a contingency.

 

Withdrawal Liability ” has the meaning specified in Part I of Subtitle E of Title IV of ERISA.

 

SECTION 1.02                                       Computation of Time Periods .  In this Agreement, in the computation of periods of time from a specified date to a later specified date, the word “from”  means “from and including”, the word “through” means “through and including” and each of the words “to” and “until” mean “to but excluding”.

 

SECTION 1.03                                       Accounting Terms .  Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all accounting terms not specifically defined herein shall be construed in accordance with, and all financial data (including financial calculations) required to be submitted pursuant to this Agreement shall be prepared in conformity with, generally accepted accounting principles as

 

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in effect in the United States from time to time (“ GAAP ”).  If at any time any change in GAAP would affect the calculation of any covenant set forth herein and either the Borrower or the Required Lenders shall so request, the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the Borrower shall negotiate in good faith to amend such covenant to preserve the original intent thereof in light of such change in GAAP (subject to the approval of the Required Lenders); provided that, until so amended, (i) such covenant shall continue to be calculated in accordance with GAAP prior to such change and (ii) the Borrower shall provide to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders, concurrently with the delivery of any financial statements or reports with respect to such covenant, statements setting forth a reconciliation between calculations of such covenant made before and after giving effect to such change in GAAP.

 

ARTICLE II

 

AMOUNTS AND TERMS OF THE ADVANCES

 

SECTION 2.01                                       The Advances .  Each Lender severally agrees, on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth, to make Advances to the Borrower from time to time on any Business Day during the period from the Closing Date until the Commitment Termination Date in an aggregate amount not to exceed at any time outstanding such Lender’s Commitment.  Each Borrowing shall be in an aggregate amount equal to the Borrowing Minimum or a Borrowing Multiple in excess thereof and shall consist of Advances of the same Type made on the same day by the Lenders ratably according to their respective Commitments.  Within the limits of each Lender’s Commitment, the Borrower may borrow under this Section 2.01, prepay pursuant to Section 2.10 and reborrow under this Section 2.01.

 

SECTION 2.02                                       Making the Advances .  (a)  Each Borrowing shall be made on notice, given not later than (x) 11:00 A.M. (New York City time) on the third Business Day prior to the date of the proposed Borrowing in the case of a Borrowing consisting of Eurodollar Rate Advances or (y) 11:00 A.M. (New York City time) on the date of the proposed Borrowing in the case of a Borrowing consisting of Base Rate Advances, by the Borrower to the Administrative Agent, which shall give to each Lender prompt notice thereof by telecopier or other electronic communication.  Each notice of a Borrowing shall be by (x) telephone or (y) notice in substantially the form of Exhibit A hereto or such other form as may be approved by the Administrative Agent (including any form on an electronic platform or electronic transmission system as shall be approved by the Administrative Agent) (a “ Notice of Borrowing ”), provided that any telephone notice must be confirmed immediately by delivery to the Administrative Agent of a Notice of Borrowing, specifying therein the requested (i) date of such Borrowing (which shall be a Business Day), (ii) Type of Advances comprising such Borrowing, (iii) aggregate amount of such Borrowing (iv) initial Interest Period for such Advance, if such Borrowing is to consist of Eurodollar Rate Advances and (v) account or accounts in which the proceeds of the Borrowing should be credited.  Each Lender shall, before 1:00 P.M. (New York City time) on the date of such Borrowing make available for the account of its Applicable Lending Office to the Administrative Agent at the applicable Administrative Agent’s Office, in same day funds, such Lender’s ratable portion of such Borrowing.  After the Administrative Agent’s receipt of such funds and upon fulfillment of the applicable conditions set forth in Article III, the Administrative Agent will make such funds available to the Borrower in

 

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immediately available funds to the account or accounts specified by the Borrower to the Administrative Agent in the Notice of Borrowing relating to the applicable Borrowing.

 

(b)                                  Anything in Section 2.02(a) to the contrary notwithstanding, (i) the Borrower may not select Eurodollar Rate Advances for any Borrowing if the obligation of the Lenders to make Eurodollar Rate Advances shall then be suspended pursuant to Section 2.08 or 2.12 and (ii) the Eurodollar Rate Advances may not be outstanding as part of more than ten separate Borrowings.

 

(c)                                   Each Notice of Borrowing shall be irrevocable and binding on the Borrower.  In the case of any Borrowing that the related Notice of Borrowing specifies is to be comprised of Eurodollar Rate Advances, the Borrower shall indemnify each Lender against any reasonable loss, cost or expense incurred by such Lender as a result of any failure to fulfill on or before the date specified in such Notice of Borrowing for such Borrowing the applicable conditions set forth in Article III, including, without limitation, any reasonable loss (excluding loss of anticipated profits), cost or expense incurred by reason of the liquidation or reemployment of deposits or other funds acquired by such Lender to fund the Advance to be made by such Lender as part of such Borrowing when such Advance, as a result of such failure, is not made on such date.

 

(d)                                  Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from a Lender prior to the time of any Borrowing that such Lender will not make available to the Administrative Agent such Lender’s ratable portion of such Borrowing, the Administrative Agent may assume that such Lender has made such portion available to the Administrative Agent on the date of such Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.02(a) and the Administrative Agent may, in reliance upon such assumption, make available to the Borrower on such date a corresponding amount.  If and to the extent that any Lender shall not have so made such ratable portion available to the Administrative Agent, such Lender and the Borrower severally agree to pay or to repay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand such corresponding amount and to pay interest thereon, for each day from the date such amount is made available to the Borrower until the date such amount is paid or repaid to the Administrative Agent, at (i) in the case of the Borrower, the higher of (A) the interest rate applicable at the time to Advances comprising such Borrowing and (B) the cost of funds incurred by the Administrative Agent in respect of such amount and (ii) in the case of such Lender, the Federal Funds Rate.  If the Borrower and such Lender shall pay such interest to the Administrative Agent for the same or an overlapping period, the Administrative Agent shall promptly remit to the Borrower the amount of such interest paid by the Borrower for such period.  If such Lender shall pay to the Administrative Agent such corresponding amount, such amount so paid shall constitute such Lender’s Advance as part of such Borrowing for all purposes of this Agreement.  Any payment by the Borrower shall be without prejudice to any claim the Borrower may have against a Lender that shall have failed to make such payment to the Administrative Agent.

 

(e)                                   The failure of any Lender to make the Advance to be made by it as part of any Borrowing shall not relieve any other Lender of its obligation, if any, hereunder to make its Advance on the date of such Borrowing, but no Lender shall be responsible for the failure of any other Lender to make the Advance to be made by such other Lender on the date of any Borrowing.

 

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(f)                                    If any Lender makes available to the Administrative Agent funds for any Advance to be made by such Lender as provided herein, and such funds are not made available to a Borrower by the Administrative Agent because the conditions to such Borrowing are not satisfied or waived in accordance with the terms hereof, the Administrative Agent shall promptly return such funds (in like funds as received from such Lender) to such Lender, without interest.

 

SECTION 2.03                                       [Reserved] .

 

SECTION 2.04                                       Fees .  (a)  Commitment Fee .  The Borrower agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, for the account of each Lender (other than a Defaulting Lender for such time as such Lender is a Defaulting Lender), a commitment fee on the actual daily amount of such Lender’s unused Commitment at a rate per annum equal to the Applicable Percentage, payable in arrears quarterly on the last Business Day of each March, June, September and December, and on the Commitment Termination Date.

 

(b)                                  Additional Fees .  The Borrower shall pay to the Administrative Agent for its own account such fees as may from time to time be agreed between the Borrower and the Administrative Agent.

 

SECTION 2.05                                       Termination or Reduction of the Commitments .  (a)  Ratable Reduction or Termination.  The Borrower shall have the right, upon at least three Business Days’ notice to the Administrative Agent, to terminate in whole or permanently reduce ratably in part the unused portions of the respective Commitments of the Lenders; provided that each partial reduction shall be in an aggregate amount of $10,000,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof; provided further, that the aggregate amount of the Commitments shall not be reduced to an amount that is less than the aggregate principal amount of Advances then outstanding; and provided further that any such notice may state that such notice is conditioned upon the effectiveness of other credit facilities or the consummation of a specific transaction, in which case such notice may be revoked by the Borrower if such condition is not satisfied.

 

(b)                                  Defaulting Lender Commitment Reductions .  The Borrower may terminate the unused amount of the Commitments of any Lender that is a Defaulting Lender upon not less than three Business Days’ prior notice to the Administrative Agent (which shall promptly notify the Lenders thereof), it being understood that notwithstanding such Commitment termination, the provisions of Section 2.19(c) will continue to apply to all amounts thereafter paid by the Borrower for the account of such Defaulting Lender under this Agreement (whether on account of principal, interest, fees, indemnity or other amounts); provided that such termination shall not be deemed to be a waiver or release of any claim the Borrower, the Administrative Agent or any Lender may have against such Defaulting Lender.

 

SECTION 2.06                                       Repayment of Advances .  The Borrower shall repay to the Administrative Agent, for the ratable account of the Lenders on the Commitment Termination Date, the aggregate principal amount of all Advances outstanding on such date.

 

SECTION 2.07                                       Interest on Advances .  (a)  Scheduled Interest.  The Borrower shall pay interest on the unpaid principal amount of each Advance made to it from the date of such Advance until such principal amount shall be paid in full, at the following rates per annum:

 

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(i)                                      Base Rate Advances .  During such periods as such Advance is a Base Rate Advance, a rate per annum equal at all times to the sum of (A) the Base Rate in effect from time to time and (B) the Applicable Margin, payable in arrears quarterly on the last Business Day of each March, June, September and December, during such periods and on the Commitment Termination Date.

 

(ii)                                   Eurodollar Rate Advances .  During such periods as such Advance is a Eurodollar Rate Advance, a rate per annum equal at all times during each Interest Period for such Advance to the sum of (A) the Eurodollar Rate for such Interest Period for such Advance, and (B) the Applicable Margin, payable in arrears on the last day of such Interest Period and, if such Interest Period has a duration of more than three months, on each day that occurs during such Interest Period every three months from the first day of such Interest Period and on the date such Eurodollar Rate Advance shall be Converted or paid in full.

 

(b)                                  Default Interest .  Upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, the Administrative Agent shall, upon the request of the Required Lenders, require the Borrower to pay interest (“ Default Interest ”), which amount shall accrue as of the date of occurrence of the Event of Default, on (i) the unpaid principal amount of each Advance owing to each Lender, payable in arrears on the dates referred to in Section 2.07(a)(i) or 2.07(a)(ii), at a rate per annum equal at all times to 2% per annum above the rate per annum required to be paid on such Advance pursuant to Section 2.07(a)(i) or 2.07(a)(ii) and (ii) to the fullest extent permitted by law, the amount of any interest, fee or other amount payable hereunder that is not paid when due, from the date such amount shall be due until such amount shall be paid in full, payable in arrears on the date such amount shall be paid in full and on demand, at a rate per annum equal at all times to 2% per annum above the rate per annum required to be paid on Base Rate Advances pursuant to Section 2.07(a)(i), provided , however , that following acceleration of the Advances pursuant to Section 6.01, Default Interest shall accrue and be payable hereunder whether or not previously required by the Administrative Agent.

 

(c)                                   Additional Interest on Eurodollar Rate Advances .  The Borrower shall pay to each Lender, so long as and to the extent such Lender shall be required under regulations of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to maintain reserves with respect to liabilities or assets consisting of or including Eurocurrency Liabilities, additional interest on the unpaid principal amount of each Advance of such Lender that is a Eurodollar Rate Advance, from the date of such Advance until such principal amount is paid in full, at an interest rate per annum equal at all times to the remainder obtained by subtracting (a) the Eurodollar Rate for the applicable Interest Period for such Advance from (b) the rate obtained by dividing such Eurodollar Rate by a percentage equal to 100% minus the Eurodollar Rate Reserve Percentage of such Lender for such Interest Period, payable on each date on which interest is payable on such Advance.  Such Lender shall as soon as practicable provide notice to the Administrative Agent and the Borrower of any such additional interest arising in connection with such Advance, which notice shall be conclusive and binding, absent demonstrable error.

 

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SECTION 2.08                                       Interest Rate Determination .  (a)  The Administrative Agent shall give prompt notice to the Borrower and the Lenders of the applicable interest rate determined by the Administrative Agent for purposes of Section 2.07(a)(i) or 2.07(a)(ii).

 

(b)                                  If, with respect to any Eurodollar Rate Advances, the Required Lenders notify the Administrative Agent that (i) they are unable to obtain matching deposits in the London inter-bank market at or about 11:00 A.M. (London time) on the second Business Day before the making of a Borrowing in sufficient amounts to fund their respective Advances as a part of such Borrowing during its Interest Period or (ii) the Eurodollar Rate for any Interest Period for such Advances will not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to the Required Lenders of making, funding or maintaining their respective Eurodollar Rate Advances for such Interest Period, the Administrative Agent shall forthwith so notify the Borrower and the Lenders, whereupon (A) the Borrower will, on the last day of the then existing Interest Period therefor, either (x) prepay such Advances or (y) Convert such Advances into Base Rate Advances and (B) the obligation of the Lenders to make, or to Convert Advances into, Eurodollar Rate Advances shall be suspended until the Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and the Lenders that the circumstances causing such suspension no longer exist.

 

(c)                                   If the Borrower shall fail to select the duration of any Interest Period for any Eurodollar Rate Advances in accordance with the provisions contained in the definition of “ Interest Period ” in Section 1.01, the Administrative Agent will forthwith so notify the Borrower and the Lenders and such Eurodollar Rate Advances will automatically, on the last day of the then existing Interest Period therefor, Convert into Base Rate Advances.

 

(d)                                  On the date on which the aggregate unpaid principal amount of Eurodollar Rate Advances comprising any Borrowing shall be reduced, by payment or prepayment or otherwise, to less than $5,000,000, such Advances shall automatically Convert into Base Rate Advances.

 

(e)                                   Upon the occurrence and during the continuance of any Event of Default, (i) each Eurodollar Rate Advance will automatically, on the last day of the then existing Interest Period therefor, be Converted into a Base Rate Advance (unless the Required Lenders otherwise consent) and (ii) the obligation of the Lenders to make, or to Convert Advances into, Eurodollar Rate Advances shall be suspended.

 

SECTION 2.09                                       Optional Conversion of Advances .  The Borrower may on any Business Day, upon notice given to the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 A.M. (New York City time) on the third Business Day prior to the date of the proposed Conversion and subject to the provisions of Sections 2.08 and 2.12, Convert all Advances of one Type comprising the same Borrowing into Advances of the other Type; provided , however , that any Conversion of Eurodollar Rate Advances into Base Rate Advances shall be made only on the last day of an Interest Period for such Eurodollar Rate Advances, any Conversion of Base Rate Advances into Eurodollar Rate Advances shall be in an amount not less than the minimum amount specified in Section 2.01 and no Conversion of any Advances shall result in more separate Borrowings than permitted under Section 2.02(b).  Each such notice of a Conversion shall, within the restrictions specified above, specify (i) the date of such Conversion (which shall be a Business Day), (ii) the Advances to be Converted, and (iii) if such Conversion is into

 

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Eurodollar Rate Advances, the duration of the initial Interest Period for each such Advance.  Each notice of Conversion shall be irrevocable and binding on the Borrower.

 

SECTION 2.10                                       Optional Prepayments of Advances .  The Borrower may, upon notice to the Administrative Agent stating the proposed date and aggregate principal amount of the proposed prepayment, given not later than 11:00 A.M. (New York City time) on the date (which date shall be a Business Day) of such proposed prepayment, in the case of a Borrowing consisting of Base Rate Advances, and not later than 11:00 A.M. (New York City time) at least two Business Days prior to the date of such proposed prepayment, in the case of a Borrowing consisting of Eurodollar Rate Advances, and if such notice is given, the Borrower shall, prepay the outstanding principal amount of the Advances comprising part of the same Borrowing in whole or ratably in part, and in the case of any Eurodollar Rate Borrowing, together with accrued interest to the date of such prepayment on the principal amount prepaid; provided , however , that (i) each partial prepayment shall be in an aggregate principal amount of the Borrowing Minimum or a Borrowing Multiple in excess thereof and (ii) if any prepayment of a Eurodollar Rate Advance is made on a date other than the last day of an Interest Period for such Eurodollar Rate Advance, the Borrower shall also pay any amount owing pursuant to Section 8.04(c); and provided , further , that, subject to clause (ii) of the immediately preceding proviso, any such notice may state that such notice is conditioned upon the effectiveness of other credit facilities or the consummation of a specific transaction, in which case such notice may be revoked by the Borrower if such condition is not satisfied.

 

SECTION 2.11                                       Increased Costs .  (a)  If, due to either (i) the introduction of or any change in or in the interpretation of any law or regulation or (ii) the compliance with any directive, guideline or request from any central bank or other governmental authority including, without limitation, any agency of the European Union or similar monetary or multinational authority (whether or not having the force of law), in each case after the date hereof (or with respect to any Lender, if later, the date on which such Lender becomes a Lender), there shall be any increase in the cost to any Lender of agreeing to make or making, funding or maintaining Eurodollar Rate Advances (excluding for purposes of this Section 2.11 any such increased costs resulting from (i) Taxes as to which such Lender is indemnified under Section 2.14, (ii) Excluded Taxes, or (iii) Other Taxes), and such Lender is generally charging, or intends to generally charge, such amounts to its customers that are similarly situated to the Borrower and with similar credit facilities, to the extent such Lender has the right under such similar credit facilities to do so (but such Lender shall not be required to disclose any confidential or proprietary information), then the Borrower shall from time to time, upon demand by such Lender (with a copy of such demand to the Administrative Agent), pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of such Lender additional amounts sufficient to compensate such Lender for such increased cost.  A certificate as to such increased cost submitted to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent by such Lender shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent demonstrable error.

 

(b)                                  If any Lender determines that compliance with any law or regulation or any directive, guideline or request from any central bank or other governmental authority including, without limitation, any agency of the European Union or similar monetary or multinational authority (whether or not having the force of law), in each case promulgated or given after the date hereof (or with respect to any Lender, if later, the date on which such Lender

 

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becomes a Lender), affects or would affect the amount of capital or liquidity required or expected to be maintained by such Lender or any corporation controlling such Lender and that the amount of such capital or liquidity is increased by or based upon the existence of such Lender’s commitment to lend hereunder and other commitments of this type, and such Lender is generally charging, or intends to generally charge, such amounts to its customers that are similarly situated to the Borrower and with similar credit facilities, to the extent such Lender has the right under such similar credit facilities to do so (but such Lender shall not be required to disclose any confidential or proprietary information), the Borrower shall, from time to time upon demand by such Lender (with a copy of such demand to the Administrative Agent), pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of such Lender, additional amounts sufficient to compensate such Lender or such corporation in the light of such circumstances, to the extent that such Lender reasonably determines such increase in capital or liquidity to be allocable to the existence of such Lender’s commitment to lend hereunder.  A certificate as to such amounts submitted to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent by such Lender shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent demonstrable error.

 

(c)                                   Notwithstanding anything in this Section 2.11 to the contrary, for purposes of this Section 2.11, (A) the Dodd Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the rules and regulations issued thereunder  or in connection therewith or in implementation thereof, and (B) all requests, rules, guidelines and directions promulgated by the Bank for International Settlements, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (or any similar or successor agency, or the United States or foreign regulatory authorities, in each case, pursuant to Basel III) shall be deemed to have been enacted following the date hereof (or with respect to any Lender, if later, the date on which such Lender becomes a Lender).

 

SECTION 2.12                                       Illegality .  Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, (a) if any Lender shall notify the Administrative Agent that the introduction of or any change in or in the interpretation of any law or regulation makes it unlawful, or any central bank or other governmental authority, including without limitation, any agency of the European Union or similar monetary or multinational authority, asserts that it is unlawful, for such Lender or its Eurodollar Lending Office to perform its obligations hereunder to make Eurodollar Rate Advances or to fund or maintain Eurodollar Rate Advances hereunder, (i) each Eurodollar Rate Advance of such Lender will automatically, upon such notification, be Converted into a Base Rate Advance and (ii) the obligation of such Lender to make Eurodollar Rate Advances or to Convert Advances into Eurodollar Rate Advances shall be suspended until the Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and such Lender that the circumstances causing such suspension no longer exist and (b) if Lenders constituting the Required Lenders so notify the Administrative Agent, (i) each Eurodollar Rate Advance of each Lender will automatically, upon such notification, Convert into a Base Rate Advance and (ii) the obligation of each Lender to make Eurodollar Rate Advances or to Convert Advances into Eurodollar Rate Advances shall be suspended until the Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and each Lender that the circumstances causing such suspension no longer exist.

 

SECTION 2.13                                       Payments and Computations .  (a)  The Borrower shall make each payment required to be made by it under this Agreement not later than 11:00 A.M. (New York City time) on the day when due in Dollars to the Administrative Agent at the applicable Administrative Agent’s Office in same day funds.  The Administrative Agent will promptly

 

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thereafter cause to be distributed like funds relating to the payment of principal or interest or commitment fees ratably (other than amounts payable pursuant to Section 2.02(c), 2.07(c), 2.11, 2.12(i), 2.14, 2.15 or 8.04(c)) to the Lenders for the account of their respective Applicable Lending Offices, and like funds relating to the payment of any other amount payable to any Lender to such Lender for the account of its Applicable Lending Office, in each case to be applied in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.  Upon its acceptance of an Assignment and Acceptance and recording of the information contained therein in the Register pursuant to Section 8.07(c), from and after the effective date specified in such Assignment and Acceptance, the Administrative Agent shall make all payments hereunder in respect of the interest assigned thereby to the assignor for amounts which have accrued to but excluding the effective date of such assignment and to the assignee for amounts which have accrued from and after the effective date of such assignment. All payments to be made by the Borrower shall be made without condition or deduction for any counterclaim, defense, recoupment or setoff.

 

(b)                                  The Borrower hereby authorizes each Lender, if and to the extent payment owed to such Lender is not made when due hereunder, to charge from time to time against any or all of the Borrower’s accounts with such Lender any amount so due.

 

(c)                                   All computations of interest based on the Base Rate shall be made by the Administrative Agent on the basis of a year of 365 or 366 days, as the case may be, and all computations of interest based on the Eurodollar Rate or the Federal Funds Rate (other than determinations of the Base Rate made at any time by reference to the Federal Funds Rate) and of commitment fees shall be made by the Administrative Agent on the basis of a year of 360 days, in each case for the actual number of days (including the first day but excluding the last day) occurring in the period for which such interest or such fees are payable.  Each determination by the Administrative Agent of an interest rate hereunder shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent demonstrable error.

 

(d)                                  Whenever any payment hereunder shall be stated to be due on a day other than a Business Day, such payment shall be made on the next succeeding Business Day, and such extension of time shall in such case be included in the computation of payment of interest or commitment fee, as the case may be; provided , however , that, if such extension would cause payment of interest on or principal of Eurodollar Rate Advances to be made in the next following calendar month, such payment shall be made on the immediately preceding Business Day.

 

(e)                                   Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from the Borrower prior to the date on which any payment is due to the Lenders hereunder that the Borrower will not make such payment in full, the Administrative Agent may assume that the Borrower has made such payment in full to the Administrative Agent on such date and the Administrative Agent may, in reliance upon such assumption, cause to be distributed to each Lender on such due date an amount equal to the amount then due such Lender.  If and to the extent the Borrower shall not have so made such payment in full to the Administrative Agent, each Lender shall repay to the Administrative Agent, following prompt notice thereof, forthwith on demand such amount distributed to such Lender, together with interest thereon, for each day from the date such amount is distributed to such Lender until the date such Lender repays such amount to the Administrative Agent, at the Federal Funds Rate.

 

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SECTION 2.14                                       Taxes .  (a)  Any and all payments by the Borrower hereunder shall be made, in accordance with Section 2.13, free and clear of and without deduction for any and all present or future Taxes, including levies, imposts, deductions, charges and withholdings, and all liabilities with respect thereto, excluding , in the case of each Lender and each Agent, (i) taxes imposed on (or measured by) its overall net income, franchise taxes imposed on it in lieu of net income taxes, and branch profits taxes, in each case only to the extent imposed by the jurisdiction under the laws of which such Lender or such Agent, as the case may be, is organized or any political subdivision thereof, by the jurisdiction of such Lender’s Applicable Lending Office or any political subdivision thereof or as a result of a present or former connection between such Lender and the jurisdiction imposing such Tax (other than connections arising from such Lender 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 Advance or Loan Document), (ii) any branch profits Taxes imposed by the United States, (iii) withholding Tax imposed by the United States on payments by the Borrower to any Lender pursuant to a law in effect at the time a Lender becomes a party to this Agreement (or designates a new Applicable Lending Office) , except to the extent that such Lender (or its assignor, if any) was entitled, at the time of designation of a new Applicable Lending Office (or assignment), to receive additional amounts from the Borrower with respect to such withholding Tax pursuant to this Section 2.14, (iv) any Tax that is imposed by the United States by reason of such recipient’s failure to comply with Section 2.14(e), and (v) any taxes imposed under FATCA, including as a result of such recipient’s failure to comply with Section 2.14(e)(iii) (all such excluded taxes, levies, imposts, deductions, charges, withholdings and liabilities in respect of payments hereunder being hereinafter referred to as “ Excluded Taxes ”).  If the Borrower shall be required by law to deduct any Taxes from or in respect of any sum payable hereunder to any Lender or any Agent, (A) the Borrower shall make such deductions and (B) the Borrower shall pay the full amount deducted to the relevant taxation authority or other authority in accordance with applicable law. If the Borrower shall be required by law to deduct any Taxes other than Excluded Taxes from or in respect of any sum payable hereunder to any Lender or any Agent, the sum payable shall be increased as may be necessary so that after making all required deductions (including deductions applicable to additional sums payable under this Section 2.14) such Lender or such Agent, as the case may be, receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such deductions been made.

 

(b)                                  In addition, without duplication of any other obligation set forth in this Section 2.14, the Borrower, as applicable agrees to pay any present or future stamp and documentary taxes and any other excise or property taxes, charges or similar levies that arise from any payment made hereunder or from the execution, delivery or registration of, or performance under, or otherwise with respect to, this Agreement other than Excluded Taxes (hereinafter referred to as “ Other Taxes ”).

 

(c)                                   Without duplication of any other obligation set forth in this Section 2.14, the Borrower, as applicable shall indemnify each Lender and each Agent for the full amount of Taxes, other than Excluded Taxes, and Other Taxes imposed on or paid by such Lender or such Agent, as the case may be, and any liability (including, without limitation, penalties, interest and expenses) arising therefrom or with respect thereto.  This indemnification shall be made within

 

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30 days from the date such Lender or such Agent, as the case may be, makes written demand therefor.

 

(d)                                  Within 30 days after the date of any payment of Taxes or Other Taxes for which the Borrower is responsible under this Section 2.14, the Borrower shall furnish to the Administrative Agent, at its address as specified pursuant to Section 8.02, the original or a certified copy of a receipt evidencing payment thereof.

 

(e)                                   (i)  Each Lender organized under the laws of a jurisdiction outside the United States shall, on or prior to the date of its execution and delivery of this Agreement in the case of each Initial Lender and on the date of the Assignment and Acceptance pursuant to which it becomes a Lender in the case of each other Lender and from time to time thereafter as prescribed by applicable law or as requested in writing by the Borrower (but only so long as such Lender remains lawfully able to do so), provide each of the Administrative Agent and the Borrower with two original Internal Revenue Service forms W-8BEN or W-8ECI, as appropriate, or any successor or other form prescribed by the Internal Revenue Service, certifying that such Lender is exempt from or entitled to a reduced rate of United States withholding tax on payments pursuant to this Agreement.

 

(ii)                                   Any Lender that is a “United States person” within the meaning of Section 7701(a)(30) of the Internal Revenue Code shall deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent executed originals of Internal Revenue Service Form W-9 or such other documentation or information prescribed by applicable laws or reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent as will enable the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, as the case may be, to determine whether or not such Lender is subject to backup withholding or information reporting requirements.

 

(iii)                                If a payment made to a Lender hereunder would be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax imposed by FATCA if such Lender were to fail to comply with the applicable reporting requirements of FATCA (including those contained in Section 1471(b) or 1472(b) of the Internal Revenue Code, as applicable), such Lender shall deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, at the time or times prescribed by law and at such time or times reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, such documentation prescribed by applicable law (including as prescribed by Section 1471(b)(3)(C)(i) of the Internal Revenue Code) and such additional documentation reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent as may be necessary for the Borrower or the Administrative Agent to comply with its obligations under FATCA, to determine that such Lender has complied with such Lender’s obligations under FATCA or to determine the amount to deduct and withhold from such payment.  Solely for purposes of this Section 2.14(e), “FATCA” shall include any amendments made to FATCA after the date of this Agreement.

 

(f)                                    In the event that an additional payment is made under Section 2.14(a) or 2.14(c) for the account of any Lender and such Lender, in its sole discretion, determines that it has irrevocably received or been granted a credit against, or relief or remission from, or repayment of, any tax paid or payable by it in respect of or calculated with reference to the deduction or withholding giving rise to such additional payment, such Lender shall, to the extent that it determines that it can do so without prejudice to the retention of the amount of such credit,

 

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relief, remission or repayment, pay to the Borrower such amount as such Lender shall, in its reasonable discretion, have determined is attributable to such deduction or withholding and will leave such Lender (after such payment) in no worse position than it would have been had the Borrower not been required to make such deduction or withholding.  Nothing contained in this Section 2.14(f) shall (i) interfere with the right of a Lender to arrange its tax affairs in whatever manner it thinks fit or (ii) oblige any Lender to disclose any information relating to its tax returns, tax affairs or any computations in respect thereof or (iii) require any Lender to take or refrain from taking any action that would prejudice its ability to benefit from any other credits, reliefs, remissions or repayments to which it may be entitled.

 

SECTION 2.15                                       Sharing of Payments, Etc.   Subject to Section 2.19 in the case of a Defaulting Lender, if any Lender shall obtain any payment (whether voluntary, involuntary, through the exercise of any right of setoff, or otherwise) on account of the Advances owing to it (other than pursuant to Section 2.02(c), 2.07(c), 2.11, 2.12(a), 2.14 or 8.04(c)) in excess of its ratable share of payments on account of the Advances obtained by all the Lenders, such Lender shall forthwith purchase from the other Lenders such participations in the Advances owing to them as shall be necessary to cause such purchasing Lender to share the excess payment ratably with each of them; provided , however , that if all or any portion of such excess payment is thereafter recovered from such purchasing Lender, such purchase from each Lender shall be rescinded and such Lender shall repay to the purchasing Lender the purchase price to the extent of such recovery together with an amount equal to such Lender’s ratable share (according to the proportion of (a) the amount of such Lender’s required repayment to (b) the total amount so recovered from the purchasing Lender) of any interest or other amount paid or payable by the purchasing Lender in respect of the total amount so recovered.  The Borrower agrees that any Lender so purchasing a participation from another Lender pursuant to this Section 2.15 may, to the fullest extent permitted by law, exercise all its rights of payment (including the right of setoff) with respect to such participation as fully as if such Lender were the direct creditor of the Borrower in the amount of such participation.

 

SECTION 2.16                                       Use of Proceeds . The proceeds of the Advances shall be available, and the Borrower agrees that it shall use such proceeds, solely for general corporate purposes of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries.

 

SECTION 2.17                                       Evidence of Debt .  (a)  Each Lender shall maintain in accordance with its usual practice an account or accounts evidencing the indebtedness of the Borrower to such Lender resulting from each Advance owing to such Lender from time to time, including the amounts of principal and interest payable and paid to such Lender from time to time hereunder in respect of Advances.

 

(b)                                  The Register maintained by the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 8.07(d) shall include a control account, and a subsidiary account for each Lender, in which accounts (taken together) shall be recorded (i) the date and amount of each Borrowing made hereunder, the Type of Advances comprising such Borrowing and, if appropriate, the Interest Period applicable thereto, (ii) the terms of each Assignment and Acceptance delivered to and accepted by it, (iii) the amount of any principal or interest due and payable or to become due and payable from the Borrower to each Lender hereunder and (iv) the amount of any sum

 

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received by the Administrative Agent from the Borrower hereunder and each Lender’s share thereof.

 

(c)                                   Entries made reasonably and in good faith by the Administrative Agent in the Register pursuant to subsection (b) above, and by each Lender in its account or accounts pursuant to subsection (a) above, shall be prima facie evidence of the amount of principal and interest due and payable or to become due and payable from the Borrower to, in the case of the Register, each Lender and, in the case of such account or accounts, such Lender, under this Agreement, absent manifest error; provided , however , that the failure of the Administrative Agent or such Lender to make an entry, or any finding that an entry is incorrect, in the Register or such account or accounts shall not limit, expand or otherwise affect the obligations of the Borrower under this Agreement.

 

SECTION 2.18                                       [Reserved] .

 

SECTION 2.19                                       Defaulting Lenders .

 

(a)                                  Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, if any Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender, then the following provisions shall apply for so long as such Lender is a Defaulting Lender (it being understood that the determination of whether a Lender is no longer a Defaulting Lender shall be made as described in Section 2.19(b)):

 

(i)                                      such Defaulting Lender will not be entitled to any fees accruing during such period pursuant to Section 2.04(a);

 

(ii)                                   to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, such Lender will not be entitled to vote in respect of amendments and waivers hereunder, and the Commitment and the outstanding Advances of such Lender hereunder will not be taken into account in determining whether the Required Lenders or all of the Lenders, as required, have approved any such amendment or waiver (and the definition of “Required Lenders” will automatically be deemed modified accordingly for the duration of such period); provided that any such amendment or waiver that would increase or extend the term of the Commitment of such Defaulting Lender, extend the date fixed for the payment of principal or interest owing to such Defaulting Lender hereunder, reduce the principal amount of any obligation owing to such Defaulting Lender, reduce the amount of or the rate or amount of interest on any amount owing to such Defaulting Lender or of any fee payable to such Defaulting Lender hereunder, or alter the terms of this proviso, will require the consent of such Defaulting Lender; and

 

(iii)                                the Borrower may, at its sole expense and effort, require such Defaulting Lender to assign and delegate its interests, rights and obligations under this Agreement pursuant to Section 8.07.

 

(b)                                  If the Borrower and the Administrative Agent agree in writing in their discretion that a Lender is no longer a Defaulting Lender, the Administrative Agent will so notify the parties hereto, whereupon as of the effective date specified in such notice and subject to any conditions set forth therein, such Lender will, to the extent applicable, purchase at par such portion of outstanding Advances of the other Lenders and/or make such other adjustments as the

 

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Administrative Agent may determine to be necessary to cause the Advances and unused Commitments to be on a pro rata basis in accordance with their respective Commitments, whereupon such Lender will cease to be a Defaulting Lender and will be a Non-Defaulting Lender; provided that no adjustments will be made retroactively with respect to fees accrued or payments made by or on behalf of the Borrower while such Lender was a Defaulting Lender; and provided , further , that except to the extent otherwise expressly agreed by the affected parties, no change hereunder from Defaulting Lender to Non-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.

 

(c)                                   Any payment of principal, interest, fees or other amounts received by the Administrative Agent hereunder for the account of such Defaulting Lender (whether voluntary or mandatory, at maturity, pursuant to Section 6.01 or otherwise) or received by the Administrative Agent from a Defaulting Lender pursuant to Section 8.05 shall be applied at such time or times as follows:  first , to the payment of any amounts owing by such Defaulting Lender to the Administrative Agent hereunder; second as the Borrower may request (so long as no Default or Event of Default exists), to the funding of any Advance in respect of which such Defaulting Lender has failed to fund its portion thereof as required by this Agreement, as reasonably determined by the Administrative Agent; third , as the  Borrower may request, to be held in a deposit account and released pro rata in order to satisfy such Defaulting Lender’s potential future funding obligations with respect to Advances under this Agreement; fourth , to the payment of any amounts owing to the Lenders as a result of any judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction obtained by any Lender against such Defaulting Lender as a result of such Defaulting Lender’s breach of its obligations under this Agreement; fifth , to the payment of any amounts owing to the Borrower as a result of any judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction obtained by the Borrower against such Defaulting Lender as a result of such Defaulting Lender’s breach of its obligations under this Agreement; and sixth , to such Defaulting Lender or as otherwise directed by a court of competent jurisdiction. Any payments, prepayments or other amounts paid or payable to a Defaulting Lender that are applied (or held) to pay amounts owed by a Defaulting Lender or otherwise pursuant to this Section 2.19(c) shall be deemed paid to and redirected by such Defaulting Lender, and each Lender irrevocably consents hereto.

 

SECTION 2.20                                       Mitigation .  (a)  Each Lender shall promptly notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent of any event of which it has knowledge that will result in, and will use reasonable commercial efforts available to it (and not, in such Lender’s good faith judgment, otherwise disadvantageous to such Lender) to mitigate or avoid, (i) any obligation by the Borrower to pay any amount pursuant to Section 2.11 or 2.14 or (ii) the occurrence of any circumstance described in Section 2.12 (and, if any Lender has given notice of any such event described in clause (i) or (ii) above and thereafter such event ceases to exist, such Lender shall promptly so notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent).  In furtherance of the foregoing, each Lender will designate a different funding office if such designation will avoid (or reduce the cost to the Borrower of) any event described in clause (i) or (ii) of the preceding sentence and such designation will not, in such Lender’s good faith judgment, be otherwise disadvantageous to such Lender.

 

(b)                                  Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, if any Lender fails to notify the Borrower of any event or circumstance which will entitle such Lender to

 

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compensation pursuant to Section 2.11 within 180 days after such Lender obtains knowledge of such event or circumstance, then such Lender shall not be entitled to compensation from the Borrower for any amount arising prior to the date which is 180 days before the date on which such Lender notifies the Borrower of such event or circumstance.

 

ARTICLE III

 

CONDITIONS TO EFFECTIVENESS AND LENDING

 

SECTION 3.01                                       Conditions Precedent to Closing Date .  This Agreement shall become effective on and as of the first date on which the following conditions precedent have been satisfied (or waived in accordance with Section 8.01):

 

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

 

(b)                                  Since December 31, 2013, there shall not have occurred any event or condition that has had or would be reasonably expected to have, either individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(c)                                   All fees due to the Administrative Agent, the Arrangers and the Lenders shall have been paid, and all expenses of the Administrative Agent and the Arrangers that are required to be paid or reimbursed by the Borrower and that have been invoiced at least two Business Days prior to the Closing Date shall have been so paid or reimbursed.

 

(d)                                  On the Closing Date, the following statements shall be true and the Administrative Agent shall have received a certificate of the Borrower, dated the Closing Date, stating that:

 

(i)                                      The representations and warranties contained in Section 4.01 are true and correct in all material respects (or in the case of any representation or warranty that by its terms is qualified by materiality, true and correct) on and as of the Closing Date; and

 

(ii)                                   No event has occurred and is continuing, or shall occur as a result of the occurrence of the Closing Date, that constitutes a Default.

 

(e)                                   The Administrative Agent shall have received on or before the Closing Date, each dated on or about such date:

 

(i)                                      Certified copies of the Resolutions, and of all documents evidencing other necessary corporate action and governmental approvals, if any, with respect to this Agreement;

 

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(ii)                                   A certificate of the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Borrower certifying the names and true signatures of the officers of the Borrower authorized to sign this Agreement and the other documents to be delivered by it hereunder; and

 

(iii)                                A favorable opinion letter from Mayer Brown LLP in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.

 

(f)                                    The 2012 Credit Agreement shall have been terminated in accordance with Section 8.15.

 

(g)                                   To the extent requested by a Lender, delivery of executed promissory notes.

 

(h)                                  To the extent requested by any Lender through the Administrative Agent in writing at least 10 Business Days prior to the Closing Date, the Borrower shall have provided the documentation and other information to the Administrative Agent that is required by regulatory authorities under applicable “know-your-customer” rules and regulations, including the Patriot Act, at least five Business Days prior to the Closing Date.

 

SECTION 3.02                                       Conditions Precedent to Each Borrowing .  The obligation of each Lender to make an Advance on the occasion of each Borrowing shall be subject to the conditions precedent that the Closing Date shall have occurred and on the date of such Borrowing the following statements shall be true (and each of the giving of the applicable Notice of Borrowing and the acceptance by the Borrower of the proceeds of such Borrowing shall constitute a representation and warranty by the Borrower that on the date of such Borrowing such statements are true):

 

(a)                                  the representations and warranties contained in Section 4.01 (other than any such representation and warranty that by its terms refers to a date prior to such Borrowing and the representations and warranties set forth in clause (a) of Section 4.01(f)) are true and correct in all material respects (or in the case of any representation or warranty that by its terms is qualified by materiality, true and correct) as of such date, before and after giving effect to such Borrowing and the application of proceeds therefrom, as though made on and as of such date, and

 

(b)                                  no event has occurred and is continuing, or would result from such Borrowing or from the application of the proceeds therefrom, that constitutes a Default.

 

ARTICLE IV

 

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

 

SECTION 4.01                                       Representations and Warranties of the Borrower .  The Borrower represents and warrants as follows:

 

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(a)                                  The Borrower is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of organization.

 

(b)                                  The execution, delivery and performance by the Borrower of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents to which it is a party, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, (i) are within the Borrower’s corporate powers, (ii) have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action, (iii) do not contravene (A) the Borrower’s charter or by-laws or other organizational documents or (B) any law, regulation or contractual restriction binding on or affecting the Borrower and (iv) will not result in or require the creation or imposition of any Lien upon or with respect to any of the properties of the Consolidated Group (other than Liens created or required to be created pursuant to the terms hereof), except, in the case of clause (iii)(B) and (iv), as would not be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(c)                                   No authorization or approval or other action by, and no notice to or filing with, any governmental authority or regulatory body or, except as would not be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, any other third party is required for the due execution, delivery and performance by the Borrower of this Agreement.

 

(d)                                  This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Borrower.  This Agreement is the legal, valid and binding obligation of the Borrower, enforceable against the Borrower in accordance with its terms, except as affected by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and general principles of equity (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) and an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.

 

(e)                                   The Consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as at December 31, 2013, and the related Consolidated statements of income and cash flows of  the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for the fiscal year then ended, accompanied by an opinion of Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent public accountants, and the Consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as at March 31, 2014, and the related Consolidated statements of income and cash flows of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for the three-months then ended, duly certified by the Executive Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer of the Borrower, copies of which have been furnished to each Lender, fairly present, in all material respects, the Consolidated financial condition of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as at such dates and the Consolidated results of the operations of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for the periods ended on such dates, all in accordance with GAAP (subject, in the case of the Consolidated balance sheet as at March 31, 2014 and the related statements of income and cash flows, to the absence of footnotes and year-end audit adjustments).

 

(f)                                    There is no action, suit, investigation, litigation or proceeding (including, without limitation, any Environmental Action), affecting the Consolidated Group pending or, to the knowledge of the Borrower, threatened before any court, governmental agency or arbitrator that would reasonably be expected to be adversely determined, and if so determined, (a) would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the

 

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financial condition or results of operations of the Consolidated Group taken as a whole (other than the litigation set forth on Schedule 4.01(f) attached hereto) or (b) would adversely affect the legality, validity and enforceability of any material provision of this Agreement in any material respect.

 

(g)                                   Following application of the proceeds of each Advance, not more than 25 percent of the value of the assets of the Borrower and of the Consolidated Group, on a Consolidated basis, subject to the provisions of Section 5.02(a) will be margin stock (within the meaning of Regulation U issued by the Board of  Governors of the Federal Reserve System).

 

(h)                                  All written information (other than the Projections) concerning the Borrower, its Subsidiaries and the transactions contemplated hereby included in the Information Memorandum or otherwise prepared by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries and furnished to the Agents or the Lenders in connection with the negotiation of, or pursuant to the terms of, this Agreement when taken as a whole, was true and correct in all material respects as of the date when furnished by the Borrower and its subsidiaries to the Agents or the Lenders and did not, taken as a whole,  when so furnished contain any untrue statement of a material fact as of any such date or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements contained therein, taken as a whole, not misleading in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made. The Projections and estimates and information of a general economic nature prepared by or on behalf of the Borrower and that have been furnished by the Borrower to any Lenders or the Administrative Agent in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby have been prepared in good faith based upon assumptions believed by the Borrower to be reasonable as of the date of such Projections (it being understood that actual results may vary materially from the Projections).

 

(i)                                      No ERISA Event has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur with respect to any Plan which would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect .

 

(j)                                     As of the last annual actuarial valuation date prior to the Closing Date, the Abbott Laboratories Annuity Retirement Plan was not in at-risk status (as defined in Section 430(i)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code) and no other Plan subject to ERISA was in at-risk status (as defined in Section 430(i)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code), and since such annual actuarial valuation date there has been no material adverse change in the funding status of any Plan subject to ERISA that would reasonably be expected to cause such Plan to be in at-risk status (as defined in Section 430(i)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code).

 

(k)                                  Neither the Borrower nor any ERISA Affiliate (i) is reasonably expected to incur any Withdrawal Liability to any Multiemployer Plan or has incurred any such Withdrawal Liability that has not been satisfied in full or (ii) has been notified by the sponsor of a Multiemployer Plan that such Multiemployer Plan is in reorganization (within the meaning of Section 4241 of ERISA), insolvent (within the meaning of Section 4245 of ERISA) or has been determined to be in “endangered” or “critical’ status

 

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(within the meaning of Section 432 of the Internal Revenue Code or Section 305 of ERISA), and no such Multiemployer Plan is reasonably expected to be in reorganization, insolvent or in “endangered” or “critical” status.

 

(l)                                      (i) The operations and properties of the Consolidated Group comply in all respects with all applicable Environmental Laws and Environmental Permits except to the extent that the failure to so comply, either individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; (ii) all past non-compliance with such Environmental Laws and Environmental Permits has been resolved without any ongoing obligations or costs except to the extent that such non-compliance, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and (iii) no circumstances exist that would be reasonably expected to (A) form the basis of an Environmental Action against a member of the Consolidated Group or any of its properties that, either individually or in the aggregate, would have a Material Adverse Effect or (B) cause any such property to be subject to any restrictions on ownership, occupancy, use or transferability under any Environmental Law that, either individually or in the aggregate, would have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(m)                              (i) None of the properties currently or formerly owned or operated by a member of the Consolidated Group is listed or proposed for listing on the NPL or on the CERCLIS or any analogous foreign, state or local list or, to the best knowledge of the Borrower, is adjacent to any such property other than such properties of a member of the Consolidated Group that, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; (ii) there are no, and never have been any, underground or aboveground storage tanks or any surface impoundments, septic tanks, pits, sumps or lagoons in which Hazardous Materials are being or have been treated, stored or disposed of on any property currently owned or operated by any member of the Consolidated Group or, to the best knowledge of the Borrower, on any property formerly owned or operated by a member of the Consolidated Group that, either individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; (iii) there is no asbestos or asbestos-containing material on any property currently owned or operated by a member of the Consolidated Group that, either individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and (iv) Hazardous Materials have not been released, discharged or disposed of on any property currently or formerly owned or operated by a member of the Consolidated Group or, to the best knowledge of the Borrower, on any adjoining property that, either individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(n)                                  No member of the Consolidated Group is undertaking, and no member of the Consolidated Group has completed, either individually or together with other potentially responsible parties, any investigation or assessment or remedial or response action relating to any actual or threatened release, discharge or disposal of Hazardous Materials at any site, location or operation, either voluntarily or pursuant to the order of any governmental or regulatory authority or the requirements of any Environmental Law that, either individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and all Hazardous Materials generated, used, treated, handled or

 

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stored at, or transported to or from, any property currently or formerly owned or operated by a member of the Consolidated Group have been disposed of in a manner that, either individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(o)                                  No member of the Consolidated Group is an “investment company”, or an “affiliated person” of, or “promoter” or “principal underwriter” for, an “investment company” (each as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended).  Neither the making of any Advances nor the application of the proceeds or repayment thereof by the Borrower, nor the consummation of the other transactions contemplated hereby, will violate any provision of such Act or any rule, regulation or order of the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder.

 

(p)                                  The Advances and all related obligations of the Borrower under this Agreement rank pari passu with all other unsecured obligations of the Borrower that are not, by their terms, expressly subordinate to the obligations of the Borrower hereunder.

 

(q)                                  The proceeds of the Advances will be used in accordance with Section 2.16.

 

(r)                                     Neither the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of senior management of the Borrower, any director, officer, employee or agent of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries is an individual or entity currently the subject of any Sanctions, and neither the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries is located, organized or resident in a Designated Jurisdiction in violation of any Sanctions; provided that if the Borrower or any Subsidiary is located, organized or resident in a jurisdiction that becomes a Designated Jurisdiction after the Closing Date, such Person shall not be included in this representation so long as (i) the Borrower is taking reasonable steps to either obtain appropriate licenses for transacting business in such country or territory or to cause such Person to no longer be located, be organized or be resident in such country or territory and (ii) such Person’s being located, organized or resident in such country or territory (x) will not result in any violation of Sanctions by any Lender, any Arranger or the Administrative Agent and (y) would not be reasonably expected to have Material Adverse Effect.

 

(s)                                    The Borrower and its Subsidiaries (i) have conducted their businesses in compliance with applicable anti-corruption laws, except to the extent that failure to so comply would not be reasonably expected to have Material Adverse Effect; and (ii) have instituted and maintained policies and procedures reasonably designed to promote and achieve compliance with such laws.

 

ARTICLE V

 

COVENANTS OF THE BORROWER

 

SECTION 5.01                                       Affirmative Covenants .  So long as any Advance shall remain unpaid or any Lender shall have any Commitment hereunder, the Borrower will:

 

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(a)                                  Compliance with Laws, Etc.   Comply, and cause each of its Subsidiaries to comply, with all applicable laws, rules, regulations and orders (such compliance to include, without limitation, compliance with ERISA and Environmental Laws), except to the extent that the failure to so comply, either individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(b)                                  Payment of Taxes, Etc .  Pay and discharge, or cause to be paid and discharged, before the same shall become delinquent, all taxes, assessments and governmental charges levied or imposed upon a member of the Consolidated Group or upon the income, profits or property of a member of the Consolidated Group, in each case except to the extent that (i) the amount, applicability or validity thereof is being contested in good faith and by proper proceedings or (ii) the failure to pay such taxes, assessments and charges, either individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(c)                                   Maintenance of Insurance .  Maintain, and cause each of its Subsidiaries to maintain, insurance with responsible and reputable insurance companies or associations (or pursuant to self-insurance arrangements) in such amounts and covering such risks as is usually carried by companies engaged in similar businesses and owning similar properties in the same general areas in which any member of the Consolidated Group operates.

 

(d)                                  Preservation of Existence, Etc .  Do, or cause to be done, all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its (i) existence and (ii) rights (charter and statutory) and franchises; provided , however , that the Borrower may consummate any merger or consolidation permitted under Section 5.02(b); and provided further that the Borrower shall not be required to preserve any such right or franchise if the management of the Borrower shall determine that the preservation thereof is no longer desirable in the conduct of the business of the Borrower and that the loss thereof is not disadvantageous in any material respect to the Lenders.

 

(e)                                   Visitation Rights .  At any reasonable time and from time to time during normal business hours, upon reasonable notice to the Borrower, permit the Administrative Agent or any of the Lenders, or any agents or representatives thereof, to examine and make copies of and abstracts from the records and books of account, and visit the properties, of the Borrower, and to discuss the affairs, finances and accounts of the Borrower and/or any of its Subsidiaries with any of the members of the senior treasury staff of the Borrower.

 

(f)                                    Keeping of Books .  Keep, and cause each of its Subsidiaries to keep, proper books of record and account, in which full and correct entries shall be made of all financial transactions and the assets and business of the Borrower and each such Subsidiary sufficient to permit the preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP.

 

(g)                                   Maintenance of Properties, Etc .  Cause all of its properties that are used or useful in the conduct of its business or the business of any of its Subsidiaries to be

 

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maintained and kept in good condition, repair and working order and supplied with all necessary equipment, and cause to be made all necessary repairs, renewals, replacements, betterments and improvements thereof, all as in the judgment of the Borrower may be necessary so that the business carried on in connection therewith may be properly and advantageously conducted at all times, except, in each case, where the failure to do so would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(h)                                  Transactions with Affiliates .  Conduct, and cause each of its Subsidiaries to conduct, all material transactions otherwise permitted under this Agreement with any of their Affiliates (excluding the members of the Consolidated Group) on terms that are fair and reasonable and no less favorable to the Borrower or such Subsidiary than it would obtain in a comparable arm’s-length transaction with a Person not an Affiliate; provided that the provisions of this Section 5.01(h) shall not apply to the following:

 

(i)                                      the payment of dividends or other distributions (whether in cash, securities or other property) with respect to any equity interests in a member of the Consolidated Group, or any payment (whether in cash, securities or other property), including any sinking fund or similar deposit, on account of the purchase, redemption, retirement, acquisition, cancellation or termination of any such equity interests in such Person or any option, warrant or other right to acquire any such equity interests in such Person;

 

(ii)                                   payment of, or other consideration in respect of, compensation to, the making of loans to and payment of fees and expenses of and indemnities to officers, directors, employees or consultants of a member of the Consolidated Group and payment, or other consideration in respect of, directors’ and officers’ indemnities;

 

(iii)                                transactions pursuant to any agreement to which a member of the Consolidated Group is a party on the date hereof and set forth on Schedule 5.01(h); or

 

(iv)                               transactions with joint ventures for the purchase or sale of property or other assets and services entered into in the ordinary course of business and in a manner consistent with past practices.

 

(i)                                      Reporting Requirements .  Furnish to the Administrative Agent for further distribution to the Lenders:

 

(i)                                      as soon as available and in any event within 50 days after the end of each of the first three quarters of each fiscal year of the Borrower, a Consolidated balance sheet of the Consolidated Group as of the end of such quarter and Consolidated statements of income and cash flows of the Consolidated Group for the period commencing at the end of the previous fiscal year and ending with the end of such quarter, duly certified by the Chief Financial Officer, the Controller or the Treasurer of the Borrower as having been prepared

 

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in accordance with GAAP (subject to the absence of footnotes and year end audit adjustments);

 

(ii)                                   as soon as available and in any event within 100 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Borrower, a copy of the annual audit report for such year for the Consolidated Group, containing a Consolidated balance sheet of the Consolidated Group as of the end of such fiscal year and Consolidated statements of income and cash flows of the Consolidated Group for such fiscal year, in each case accompanied by an unqualified opinion or an opinion reasonably acceptable to the Required Lenders by Deloitte & Touche LLP or other independent public accountants of recognized national standing;

 

(iii)                                simultaneously with each delivery of the financial statements referred to in subclauses (i)(i) and (i)(ii) of this Section 5.01, a certificate of the Chief Financial Officer, the Controller or the Treasurer of the Borrower as to compliance with the terms of this Agreement and setting forth in reasonable detail the calculations necessary to demonstrate compliance with Section 5.03;

 

(iv)                               as soon as possible and in any event within five days after any Responsible Officer shall have obtained knowledge of the occurrence of each Default continuing on the date of such statement, a statement of the Chief Financial Officer, the Controller or the Treasurer of the Borrower setting forth details of such Default and the action that the Borrower has taken and proposes to take with respect thereto;

 

(v)                                  promptly after the sending or filing thereof, copies of all reports that the Borrower sends to any of its securityholders, and copies of all reports and registration statements that members of the Consolidated Group file with the Securities and Exchange Commission or any national securities exchange;

 

(vi)                               promptly after a Responsible Officer obtains knowledge of the commencement thereof, notice of all actions, suits, investigations, litigations and proceedings before any court, governmental agency or arbitrator affecting the Consolidated Group of the type described in Section 4.01(f)(b); and

 

(vii)                            such other information respecting the Consolidated Group as any Lender through the Administrative Agent may from time to time reasonably request.

 

Information required to be delivered pursuant to subsections (i), (ii) and (v) of this Section 5.01(i) shall be deemed to have been delivered if such information, or one or more annual or quarterly or other reports or proxy statements containing such information, shall have been posted and available on the website of the Securities and Exchange Commission at http://www.sec.gov (and a confirming electronic correspondence is delivered or caused to be delivered by the Borrower to the Administrative Agent providing notice of such availability). The Borrower hereby acknowledges that the Administrative Agent and/or the Arranger will make available to the Lenders materials and/or information provided by or on behalf of the

 

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Borrower hereunder (collectively, “ Borrower Materials ”) by posting the Borrower Materials on IntraLinks or another similar secure electronic system (the “ Platform ”).

 

(j)                                     Anti-Corruption Laws.  Maintain policies and procedures with respect to itself and its Subsidiaries reasonably designed to promote and achieve compliance with applicable anti-corruption laws.

 

SECTION 5.02                                       Negative Covenants .  So long as any Advance shall remain unpaid or any Lender shall have any Commitment hereunder, the Borrower will not:

 

(a)                                  Liens, Etc .  Incur, issue, assume or guarantee, or permit any Domestic Subsidiary to incur, issue, assume or guaranty, at any time, any Borrowed Debt secured by a Lien on any Principal Domestic Property of the Borrower or any Domestic Subsidiary, or any shares of stock or Borrowed Debt of any Domestic Subsidiary, without effectively providing that the Advances outstanding at such time (together with, if the Borrower shall so determine, any other Borrowed Debt of the Borrower or such Domestic Subsidiary existing at such time or thereafter created that is not subordinate to the Advances) shall be secured equally and ratably with (or prior to) such secured Borrowed Debt, so long as such secured Borrowed Debt shall be so secured, unless, after giving effect thereto, the aggregate amount of all such secured Borrowed Debt plus the aggregate amount of all Attributable Debt of the Borrower and the Domestic Subsidiaries in respect of Sale and Leaseback Transactions would not exceed 15% of Consolidated Net Assets; provided , however , that this Section 5.02(a) shall not apply to, and there shall be excluded from secured Borrowed Debt in any computation under this Section 5.02(a), Borrowed Debt secured by:

 

(i)                                      Liens on property of, or on any shares of stock or Borrowed Debt of, any Person existing at the time such Person becomes a Domestic Subsidiary;

 

(ii)                                   Liens in favor of the Borrower or any Domestic Subsidiary;

 

(iii)                                Liens on property of the Borrower or a Domestic Subsidiary in favor of the United States or any State thereof, or any department, agency or instrumentality or political subdivision of the United States or any State thereof, or in favor of any other country, or any political subdivision thereof, to secure partial, progress, advance or other payments pursuant to any contract or statute;

 

(iv)                               Liens on property, shares of stock or Borrowed Debt existing at the time of acquisition thereof (including acquisition through merger or consolidation) or to secure the payment of all or any part of the purchase price or construction or improvement cost thereof or to secure any Debt incurred prior to, at the time of, or within 120 days after, the acquisition of such property or shares or Borrowed Debt or the completion of any such construction or improvement for the purpose of financing all or any part of the purchase price or construction or improvement cost thereof;

 

(v)                                  Liens existing on the Closing Date;

 

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(vi)                               Liens incurred in connection with pollution control, industrial revenue or similar financing; and

 

(vii)                            Any extension, renewal or replacement (or successive extensions, renewals or replacements), as a whole or in part, of any Borrowed Debt secured by any Lien referred to in subclauses (i) through (vi) of this Section 5.02(a); provided , that (i) such extension renewal or replacement Lien shall be limited to all or a part of the same property, shares of stock or Debt that secured the Lien extended, renewed or replaced (plus improvements on such property) and (ii) the Borrowed Debt secured by such Lien at such time is not increased.

 

(b)                                  Mergers, Etc .  Merge or consolidate with or into, or convey, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of (whether in one transaction or in a series of transactions) all or substantially all of its assets (whether now owned or hereafter acquired) to, any Person, or permit any of its Subsidiaries to do so, except that:

 

(i)                                      any Subsidiary of the Borrower may merge or consolidate with or into, or dispose of assets to, any other Subsidiary of the Borrower or the Borrower;

 

(ii)                                   the Borrower may merge with any other Person so long as (A) the Borrower is the surviving corporation or (B) the surviving entity shall succeed, by agreement reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Required Lenders, to all of the businesses and operations of the Borrower and shall assume all of the rights and obligations of the Borrower under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents;

 

(iii)                                any Subsidiary of the Borrower may merge or consolidate with or into another Person, convey, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of all or any portion of its assets so long as (A) the consideration received in respect of such merger, consolidation, conveyance, transfer, lease or other disposition is at least equal to the fair market value of such assets and (B) no Material Adverse Effect would reasonably be expected to result from such merger, consolidation, conveyance, transfer, lease or other disposition;

 

provided , in the cases of clause (i), (ii) and (iii) hereof, that no Default shall have occurred and be continuing at the time of such proposed transaction or would result therefrom.

 

(c)                                   Sales and Leaseback .  Enter into, or permit any Domestic Subsidiary to enter into, any arrangement with any bank, insurance company or other lender or investor (not including any member of the Consolidated Group) or to which any such lender or investor is a party, providing for the leasing by the Borrower or any Domestic Subsidiary for a period, including renewals, in excess of three years of any Principal Domestic Property which has been or is to be sold or transferred, more than 120 days after the acquisition thereof or the completion of construction and commencement of full operation thereof, by the Borrower or any Domestic Subsidiary to such lender or investor

 

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or to any person to whom funds have been or are to be advanced by such lender or investor on the security of such Principal Domestic Property (any such arrangement being referred to herein as a “ Sale and Leaseback Transaction ”) unless either:

 

(i)                                      the Borrower or such Domestic Subsidiary could create Borrowed Debt secured by a Lien pursuant to Section 5.02(a) on the Principal Domestic Property to be leased back in an amount equal to the Attributable Debt with respect to such Sale and Leaseback Transaction without equally and ratably securing Advances outstanding at the time the Borrower or such Domestic Subsidiary enters into such Sale and Leaseback Transaction, or

 

(ii)                                   the Borrower, within 120 days after the sale or transfer shall have been made by the Borrower or by such Domestic Subsidiary, applies an amount equal to the greater of (A) the net proceeds of the sale of the Principal Domestic Property sold and leased back pursuant to such Sale and Leaseback Transaction or (B) the fair market value of the Principal Domestic Property so sold and leased back at the time of entering into such Sale and Leaseback Transaction (as determined by any two of the following:  the Chief Executive Officer, any President, the Chief Financial Officer, the Controller or the Treasurer of the Borrower) to the retirement of Funded Debt; provided that the amount to be applied to the retirement of Funded Debt shall be reduced by (1) the principal amount of any Advances paid or prepaid within 120 days after such sale or transfer and (2) the principal amount of such Funded Debt voluntarily retired by the Borrower within 120 days after such sale or transfer.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, no retirement referred to in this Section 5.02(c)(ii) may be effected by payment at maturity or pursuant to any mandatory sinking fund payment or any mandatory prepayment provision.

 

(d)                                  Accounting Changes .  Change its fiscal year-end from December 31 of each calendar year.

 

(e)                                   Change in Nature of Business .  Make any material change in the nature of the business of the Consolidated Group, taken as a whole, from that carried out at the Closing Date; it being understood that this Section 5.02(e) shall not prohibit members of the Consolidated Group from conducting any business or business activities incidental or related to the business of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as carried on as of the Closing Date or any business or activity that is reasonably similar or complementary thereto or a reasonable extension, development or expansion thereof or ancillary thereto.

 

(f)                                    Use of Proceeds .  Directly or indirectly (x) use the proceeds of any Borrowing for any purpose that would breach the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, the UK Bribery Act 2010, or other similar applicable legislation in other jurisdictions or (y) use the proceeds of any Borrowing, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any Subsidiary, joint venture partner or other individual or entity, (i) to fund any activities of or business with any individual or entity that, at the time of such funding, is (A) the subject of Sanctions or (B) in any Designated Jurisdiction, in each case in violation of any Sanctions or (ii) in any other manner that

 

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will result in a violation by any individual or entity (including any individual or entity participating in the financing transaction contemplated by this Agreement, whether as Lender, Arranger, Administrative Agent or otherwise) of Sanctions.

 

SECTION 5.03                                       Financial Covenant .  So long as any Advance shall remain unpaid or any Lender shall have any Commitment hereunder, the Borrower will maintain a Consolidated Net Worth at all times of at least $7,000,000,000.

 

ARTICLE VI

 

EVENTS OF DEFAULT

 

SECTION 6.01                                       Events of Default .  If any of the following events (“ Events of Default ”) shall occur and be continuing:

 

(a)                                  The Borrower shall fail (i) to pay any principal of any Advance when the same becomes due and payable or (ii) to pay any interest on any Advance or make any payment of fees or other amounts payable under this Agreement within five Business Days after the same becomes due and payable; or

 

(b)                                  Any representation or warranty made by the Borrower herein or by the Borrower (or any of its officers) in connection with this Agreement shall prove to have been incorrect in any material respect when made; or

 

(c)                                   (i) The Borrower shall fail to perform or observe any term, covenant or agreement contained in Section 5.01(d)(i), 5.01(i)(iv), 5.02(a), 5.02(b), 5.02(c), 5.02(e), 5.02(f)(y)(ii) (to the extent the use of proceeds would result in a violation of Sanctions by a Lender, an Arranger or the Administrative Agent) or 5.03 or (ii) the Borrower shall fail to perform or observe any term, covenant or agreement contained in Section 5.01(e) or clauses (i)-(iii) or (v)-(vii) of Section 5.01(i) if such failure shall remain unremedied for 10 Business Days after written notice thereof shall have been given to the Borrower by the Administrative Agent or any Lender, or (iii) the Borrower shall fail to perform or observe any other term, covenant or agreement contained in this Agreement on its part to be performed or observed if such failure shall remain unremedied for 30 days after written notice thereof shall have been given to the Borrower by the Administrative Agent or any Lender; or

 

(d)                                  A member of the Consolidated Group shall fail to pay any principal of or premium or interest on any Debt that is outstanding in a principal amount, or, in the case of any Hedge Agreement, having a maximum Agreement Value, of at least $150,000,000 in the aggregate (but excluding Debt outstanding hereunder) of such member of the Consolidated Group, when the same becomes due and payable (whether by scheduled maturity, required prepayment, acceleration, demand or otherwise), and such failure shall continue after the applicable grace period, if any, specified in the agreement or instrument relating to such Debt; or any other event shall occur or condition shall exist under any agreement or instrument relating to any such Debt and shall continue after the applicable grace period, if any, specified in such agreement or instrument, if the effect of

 

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such event or condition is to accelerate, or to permit the acceleration of, the maturity of such Debt; or any such Debt shall be declared to be due and payable, or required to be prepaid or redeemed (other than by a regularly scheduled required prepayment or redemption), purchased or defeased, or an offer to prepay, redeem, purchase or defease such Debt shall be required to be made, in each case prior to the stated maturity thereof; or

 

(e)                                   The Borrower or any Significant Subsidiary shall generally not pay its debts as such debts become due, or shall admit in writing its inability to pay its debts generally, or shall make a general assignment for the benefit of creditors; or any proceeding shall be instituted by or against the Borrower or any Significant Subsidiary seeking to adjudicate it as bankrupt or insolvent, or seeking liquidation, winding up, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, protection, relief, or composition of it or its debts under any law relating to bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization or relief of debtors, or seeking the entry of an order for relief or the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian or other similar official for it or for any substantial part of its property and, in the case of any such proceeding instituted against it (but not instituted by it), such proceeding shall remain undismissed or unstayed for a period of 60 days; or the Borrower or any Significant Subsidiary shall take any corporate action to authorize any of the actions set forth above in this Section 6.01(e); or

 

(f)                                    Any one or more judgments or orders for the payment of money in excess of $150,000,000 shall be rendered against a member of the Consolidated Group and either (i) enforcement proceedings shall have been commenced by any creditor upon such judgment or order or (ii) there shall be any period of 60 consecutive days during which a stay of enforcement of such judgment or order, by reason of a pending appeal or otherwise, shall not be in effect; provided , however , that, for purposes of determining whether an Event of Default has occurred under this Section 6.01(f), the amount of any such judgment or order shall be reduced to the extent that (A) such judgment or order is covered by a valid and binding policy of insurance between the defendant and the insurer covering payment thereof and (B) such insurer, which shall be rated at least “A” by A.M. Best Company, has been notified of, and has not disputed the claim made for payment of, such judgment or order; or

 

(g)                                   (i) Any Person or two or more Persons acting in concert shall have acquired beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 of the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended), directly or indirectly, of Voting Stock of the Borrower (or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for such Voting Stock) representing 30% or more of the combined voting power of all Voting Stock of the Borrower (on a fully diluted basis); or (ii) during any period of up to 24 consecutive months, commencing before or after the date of this Agreement, a majority of the members of the board of directors of the Borrower shall not be Continuing Directors; or

 

(h)                                  The Borrower or any of its ERISA Affiliates shall incur, or shall be reasonably likely to incur, liability in excess of $150,000,000 in the aggregate as a result of one or more of the following:  (i) the occurrence of any ERISA Event; (ii) the partial

 

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or complete withdrawal of the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from a Multiemployer Plan; or (iii) the reorganization or termination of a Multiemployer Plan;

 

then, and in any such event, the Administrative Agent (i) shall at the request, or may with the consent, of the Required Lenders, by notice to the Borrower, declare the obligation of each Lender to make Advances to be terminated, whereupon the same shall forthwith terminate, and (ii) shall at the request, or may with the consent, of the Required Lenders, by notice to the Borrower, declare the Advances, all interest thereon and all other amounts payable under this Agreement to be forthwith due and payable, whereupon the Advances, all such interest and all such amounts shall become and be forthwith due and payable, without presentment, demand, protest or further notice of any kind, all of which are hereby expressly waived by the Borrower; provided , however , that in the event of an actual or deemed entry of an order for relief with respect to the Borrower under the Federal Bankruptcy Code, (A) the obligation of each Lender to make Advances shall automatically be terminated and (B) the Advances, all such interest and all such amounts shall automatically become and be due and payable, without presentment, demand, protest or any notice of any kind, all of which are hereby expressly waived by the Borrower.

 

ARTICLE VII

 

THE AGENTS

 

SECTION 7.01                                       Authorization and Action .  Each Lender hereby irrevocably appoints Bank of America to act on its behalf as the Administrative Agent hereunder and authorizes the Administrative Agent to take such actions on its behalf and to exercise such powers as are delegated to the Administrative Agent by the terms hereof, together with such actions and powers as are reasonably incidental thereto.  The provisions of this Article VII (other than the third sentence of Section 7.04) are solely for the benefit of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders, and the Borrower shall not have rights as a third party beneficiary of any of such provisions (other than the third sentence of Section 7.04).  It is understood and agreed that the use of the term “agent” herein (or any other similar term) with reference to the Administrative Agent is not intended to connote any fiduciary or other implied (or express) obligations arising under agency doctrine of any applicable Law.  Instead such term is used as a matter of market custom, and is intended to create or reflect only an administrative relationship between contracting parties.

 

SECTION 7.02                                       Administrative Agent Individually .  The Person serving as the Administrative Agent hereunder shall have the same rights and powers in its capacity as a Lender as any other Lender and may exercise the same as though it were not the Administrative Agent and the term “Lender” or “Lenders” shall, unless otherwise expressly indicated or unless the context otherwise requires, include the Person serving as the Administrative Agent hereunder in its individual capacity as a Lender.  Such Person and its Affiliates may accept deposits from, own securities of, lend money to, act as the financial advisor or in any other advisory capacity for and generally engage in any kind of business with any member of the Consolidated Group or other Affiliate thereof as if such Person were not the Administrative Agent hereunder and without any duty to account therefor to the Lenders.

 

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SECTION 7.03                                       Duties of Administrative Agent; Exculpatory Provisions .

 

(a)                                  The Administrative Agent’s duties hereunder and under the other Loan Documents are solely ministerial and administrative in nature, and the Administrative Agent shall not have any duties or obligations except those expressly set forth herein or in any other Loan Document.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Administrative Agent (i) shall not be subject to any fiduciary or other implied duties, regardless of whether a Default has occurred and is continuing, (ii) shall not have any duty to take any discretionary action or exercise any discretionary powers but shall be required to act or refrain from acting (and shall be fully protected in so acting or refraining from acting) upon the written direction of the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be expressly provided for herein or in any other Loan Document); provided that the Administrative Agent shall not be required to take any action that, in its opinion or the opinion of its counsel, may expose the Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates to liability or that is contrary to any Loan Document or applicable law, including for the avoidance of doubt, any action that may be in violation of the automatic stay under any Debtor Relief Law or that may effect a forfeiture, modification or termination of property of a Defaulting Lender in violation of any Debtor Relief Law and (iii) shall not, except as expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents, have any duty to disclose, and shall not be liable for the failure to disclose, any information relating to the Borrower or any of its Affiliates that is communicated to or obtained by the Person serving as the Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates in any capacity.

 

(b)                                  The Administrative Agent shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it (i) with the consent or at the request of the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary, or as the Administrative Agent shall believe in good faith shall be necessary, under the circumstances as provided in Section 8.01 or 6.01) or (ii) in the absence of its own gross negligence or willful misconduct as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment.  The Administrative Agent shall be deemed not to have knowledge of any Default or Event of Default unless and until the Borrower or any Lender shall have given notice to the Administrative Agent describing such Default or Event of Default.

 

(c)                                   Neither the Administrative Agent nor any other Agent shall be responsible for or have any duty to ascertain or inquire into (i) any statement, warranty, representation or other information made or supplied in or in connection with this Agreement, any other Loan Document or the Information Memorandum, (ii) the contents of any certificate, report or other document delivered hereunder or thereunder or in connection herewith or therewith or the adequacy, accuracy and/or completeness of the information contained therein, (iii) the performance or observance of any of the covenants, agreements or other terms or conditions set forth herein or therein or the occurrence of any Default, (iv) the validity, enforceability, effectiveness or genuineness of this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any other agreement, instrument or document or (v) the satisfaction of any condition set forth in Article III or elsewhere herein, other than (but subject to the foregoing clause (ii)) to confirm receipt of items expressly required to be delivered to the Administrative Agent.

 

(d)                                  Nothing in this Agreement or any other Loan Document shall require the Administrative Agent or any of its Related Parties to carry out any “know your customer” or other checks in relation to any person on behalf of any Lender, and each Lender confirms to the Administrative Agent that it is solely responsible for any such checks it is required to carry out

 

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and that it may not rely on any statement in relation to such checks made by the Administrative Agent or any of its Related Parties.

 

SECTION 7.04                                       Reliance by Administrative Agent .  The Administrative Agent shall be entitled to rely upon, and shall not incur any liability for relying upon, any notice, request, certificate, consent, statement, instrument, document or other writing (including any electronic message, Internet or intranet website posting or other distribution) believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed, sent or otherwise authenticated by the proper Person.  The Administrative Agent also may rely upon any statement made to it orally or by telephone and believed by it to have been made by the proper Person, and shall not incur any liability for relying thereon.  In determining compliance with any condition hereunder to the Closing Date or the making of any Advance that by its terms must be fulfilled to the satisfaction of a Lender, each Lender shall deemed to have consented to, approved or accepted such condition unless (i) an officer of the Administrative Agent responsible for the transactions contemplated hereby shall have received notice to the contrary from such Lender prior to the Closing Date or the making of such Advance, as applicable, and (ii) in the case of a condition to the making of an Advance, such Lender shall not have made available to the Administrative Agent such Lender’s ratable portion of such Borrowing.  The Administrative Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be counsel for the Borrower), independent accountants and other experts selected by it, and shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it in accordance with the advice of any such counsel, accountants or experts.

 

SECTION 7.05                                       Delegation of Duties .  The Administrative Agent may perform any and all of its duties and exercise its rights and powers hereunder by or through any one or more sub agents appointed by the Administrative Agent.  The Administrative Agent and any such sub agent may perform any and all of its duties and exercise its rights and powers by or through their respective Related Parties.  Each such sub agent and the Related Parties of the Administrative Agent and each such sub agent shall be entitled to the benefits of all provisions of this Article VII and Section 8.04 (as though such sub-agents were the “Administrative Agent” under this Agreement) as if set forth in full herein with respect thereto.  The Administrative Agent shall not be responsible to any Lender for the negligence or misconduct of any sub-agents except to the extent that a court of competent jurisdiction determines in a final and nonappealable judgment that the Administrative Agent acted with gross negligence or willful misconduct in the selection of such sub-agents.

 

SECTION 7.06                                       Resignation of Administrative Agent .

 

(a)                                  The Administrative Agent may at any time give notice of its resignation to the Lenders and the Borrower.  Upon receipt of any such notice of resignation, the Required Lenders shall have the right, in consultation with the Borrower, to appoint a successor, which shall be a bank with an office in the United States, or an Affiliate of any such bank with an office in the United States.  If no such successor shall have been so appointed by the Required Lenders and shall have accepted such appointment within 30 days after the retiring Administrative Agent gives notice of its resignation (or such earlier day as shall be agreed by the Required Lenders) (the “ Resignation Effective Da te”), then the retiring Administrative Agent may (but shall not be obligated to), on behalf of the Lenders and in consultation with the Borrower, appoint a successor Administrative Agent meeting the qualifications set forth above.  Whether or not a

 

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successor has been appointed, such resignation shall become effective in accordance with such notice on the Resignation Effective Date.

 

(b)                                  If the Person serving as Administrative Agent is a Defaulting Lender pursuant to clause (d) of the definition thereof, such Person shall automatically and without the taking of any action by any Person, be removed as Administrative Agent on the date that is 30 days following the date such Person became a Defaulting Lender (or such earlier day as shall be agreed by the Required Lenders) (the “ Removal Effective Date ”).  In connection therewith, the Required Lenders, in consultation with the Borrower, shall appoint a successor.  If no such successor shall have been so appointed by the Required Lenders and shall have accepted such appointment on or prior to the Removal Effective Date, then such removal shall nonetheless become effective in accordance with such notice on the Removal Effective Date.

 

(c)                                   With effect from the Resignation Effective Date or the Removal Effective Date (as applicable) (i) the retiring or removed Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations hereunder and under the other Loan Documents and (ii) except for any indemnity payments owed to the retiring or removed Administrative Agent, all payments, communications and determinations to be made by, to or through the Administrative Agent shall instead be made by or to each Lender directly, until such time, if any, as the Required Lenders appoint a successor Administrative Agent as provided for above.  Upon the acceptance of a successor’s appointment as Administrative Agent hereunder, such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all of the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring or removed Administrative Agent (other than any rights to indemnity payments or other amounts owed to the retiring or removed Administrative Agent), and the retiring or removed Administrative Agent shall be discharged from all of its duties and obligations hereunder and under the other Loan Documents (if not already discharged therefrom as provided above in this Section).  The fees payable by the Borrower to a successor Administrative Agent shall be the same as those payable to its predecessor unless otherwise agreed between the Borrower and such successor.  After the retiring or removed Administrative Agent’s resignation or removal hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, the provisions of this Article VII and Section 8.04 shall continue in effect for the benefit of such retiring or removed Administrative Agent, its sub agents and their respective Related Parties in respect of any actions taken or omitted to be taken by any of them while the retiring or removed Administrative Agent was acting as Administrative Agent.

 

SECTION 7.07                                       Non-Reliance on Administrative Agent and Other Lenders .  Each Lender acknowledges that it has, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender or any of their Related Parties and based on such documents and information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Agreement.  Each Lender also acknowledges that it will, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender or any of their Related Parties and based on such documents and information as it shall from time to time deem appropriate, continue to make its own decisions in taking or not taking action under or based upon this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any related agreement or any document furnished hereunder or thereunder.

 

SECTION 7.08                                       Indemnification .  The Lenders agree to indemnify the Administrative Agent (to the extent not reimbursed by the Borrower), ratably according to the

 

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respective principal amounts of the Advances made by each of them (or, if no Advances are at the time outstanding, ratably according to the respective amounts of their Commitments), from and against any and all liabilities, obligations, losses, damages, penalties, actions, judgments, suits, costs, expenses and disbursements of any kind or nature whatsoever that may be imposed on, incurred by, or asserted against the Administrative Agent in any way relating to or arising out of this Agreement or any action taken or omitted by the Administrative Agent under this Agreement, in each case, acting in the capacity of Administrative Agent; provided that no Lender shall be liable for any portion of such liabilities, obligations, losses, damages, penalties, actions, judgments, suits, costs, expenses or disbursements resulting from the Administrative Agent’s gross negligence or willful misconduct.  Without limitation of the foregoing, each Lender agrees to reimburse the Administrative Agent promptly upon demand for its ratable share of any out-of-pocket expenses (including reasonable counsel fees) incurred by the Administrative 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, to the extent that the Administrative Agent is not promptly reimbursed for such expenses by the Borrower.

 

SECTION 7.09                                       Other Agents .  None of the Lenders identified on the facing page or signature pages of this Agreement as a “joint lead arranger”, “joint book runner”, “syndication agent” or “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, none of the Lenders so identified 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.

 

ARTICLE VIII

 

MISCELLANEOUS

 

SECTION 8.01                                       Amendments, Etc.   No amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement, nor consent to any departure by the Borrower therefrom, shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the Required Lenders and the Borrower and acknowledged by the Administrative Agent, and then such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the specific purpose for which given; provided , however , that no amendment, waiver or consent shall, unless in writing, do any of the following:

 

(a)                                  waive any of the conditions specified in Section 3.01, unless signed by each Lender directly and adversely affected thereby;

 

(b)                                  increase or extend the Commitments of a Lender or subject a Lender to any additional obligations, unless signed by such Lender;

 

(c)                                   reduce the principal of, or stated rate of interest on, the Advances, the stated rate at which any fees hereunder are calculated or any other amounts payable hereunder, unless signed by each Lender directly and  adversely affected thereby;

 

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(d)                                  postpone any date fixed for any payment of principal of, or interest on, the Advances or any fees or other amounts payable hereunder, unless signed by each Lender directly and adversely affected thereby;

 

(e)                                   change the percentage of the Commitments or of the aggregate unpaid principal amount of the Advances, or the number of Lenders, that shall be required for the Lenders or any of them to take any action hereunder, unless signed by all Lenders; and

 

(f)                                    amend this Section 8.01, unless signed by all Lenders.

 

and provided further that no amendment, waiver or consent shall, unless in writing and signed by the Administrative Agent in addition to the Lenders required above to take such action, affect the rights or duties of the Administrative Agent under this Agreement.

 

SECTION 8.02                                       Notices, Etc.   (a)  Except in the case of notices and other communications expressly permitted to be given by telephone (and except as provided in subsection (b)  below), all notices and other communications provided for hereunder shall be in writing (including telecopier) and mailed, telecopied or delivered, if to the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, to the address, telecopier number, electronic mail address or telephone number specified for such Person on Schedule II; or, as to the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, at such other address as shall be designated by such party in a written notice to the other parties and, as to each other party, at such other address as shall be designated by such party in a written notice to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent.  Notices and other communications sent by hand or overnight courier service, or mailed by certified or registered mail, shall be deemed to have been given when received; notices and other communications sent by facsimile shall be deemed to have been given when sent (except that, if not given during normal business hours for the recipient, shall be deemed to have been given at the opening of business on the next Business Day for the recipient).  Notices and other communications delivered through electronic communications to the extent provided in subsection (b)  below, shall be effective as provided in such subsection (b) .

 

(b)                                  Electronic Communications .  Notices and other communications to the Lenders hereunder may be delivered or furnished by electronic communication (including e-mail, FpML messaging and Internet or intranet websites) pursuant to procedures approved by the Administrative Agent, provided that the foregoing shall not apply to notices to any Lender pursuant to Article II if such Lender has notified the Administrative Agent that it is incapable of receiving notices under such Article by electronic communication.  The Administrative Agent or the Borrower may, in its discretion, agree to accept notices and other communications to it hereunder by electronic communications pursuant to procedures approved by it, provided that approval of such procedures may be limited to particular notices or communications.

 

Unless the Administrative Agent otherwise prescribes, (i) notices and other communications sent to an e-mail address shall be deemed received upon the sender’s receipt of an acknowledgement from the intended recipient (such as by the “return receipt requested” function, as available, return e-mail or other written acknowledgement), provided that if such notice or other communication is not sent during the normal business hours of the recipient, such

 

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notice or communication shall be deemed to have been sent at the opening of business on the next business day for the recipient, and (ii) notices or communications posted to an Internet or intranet website shall be deemed received upon the deemed receipt by the intended recipient at its e-mail address as described in the foregoing clause (i) of notification that such notice or communication is available and identifying the website address therefor.

 

(c)                                   THE PLATFORM IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE.”  THE AGENT PARTIES (AS DEFINED BELOW) DO NOT WARRANT THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE BORROWER MATERIALS OR THE ADEQUACY OF THE PLATFORM, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM LIABILITY FOR ERRORS IN OR OMISSIONS FROM THE BORROWER MATERIALS.  NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR FREEDOM FROM VIRUSES OR OTHER CODE DEFECTS, IS MADE BY ANY AGENT PARTY IN CONNECTION WITH THE BORROWER MATERIALS OR THE PLATFORM.  In no event shall the Administrative Agent or any of its Related Parties (collectively, the “ Agent Parties ”) have any liability to the Borrower, any Lender or any other Person for losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses of any kind (whether in tort, contract or otherwise) arising out of the Borrower’s or the Administrative Agent’s transmission of Borrower Materials or notices through the platform, any other electronic platform or electronic messaging service, or through the Internet, except to the extent that such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by a final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Agent Party; provided , however , that in no event shall any Agent Party have any liability to the Borrower, any Lender or any other Person for indirect, special, incidental, consequential or punitive damages (as opposed to direct or actual damages).

 

(d)                                  Each of the Borrower and the Administrative Agent may change its address, facsimile or telephone number for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to the other parties hereto.  Each Lender may change its address, facsimile or telephone number for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent.  In addition, each Lender agrees to notify the Administrative Agent from time to time to ensure that the Administrative Agent has on record (i) an effective address, contact name, telephone number, facsimile number and electronic mail address to which notices and other communications may be sent and (ii) accurate wire instructions for such Lender.

 

(e)                                   The Administrative Agent and the Lenders shall be entitled to rely and act upon any notices (including telephonic notices and Notices of Borrowing) reasonably believed to have been given by or on behalf of the Borrower even if (i) such notices were not made in a manner specified herein, were incomplete or were not preceded or followed by any other form of notice specified herein, or (ii) the terms thereof, as understood by the recipient, varied from any confirmation thereof.  The Borrower shall indemnify the Administrative Agent, each Lender and the Related Parties of each of them from all losses, costs, expenses and liabilities resulting from the reasonable reliance by such Person on each notice reasonably believed to have been given by or on behalf of the Borrower.  All telephonic notices to and other telephonic communications with the Administrative Agent may be recorded by the Administrative Agent, and each of the parties hereto hereby consents to such recording.  With respect to notices and other

 

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communications hereunder from the Borrower to any Lender, the Borrower shall provide such notices and other communications to the Administrative Agent, and the Administrative Agent shall promptly deliver such notices and other communications to any such Lender in accordance with subsection (b) above or otherwise.

 

SECTION 8.03                                       No Waiver; Remedies .  No failure on the part of any Lender or the Administrative Agent to exercise, and no delay in exercising, any right hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof; nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such right preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right.  The remedies herein provided are cumulative and not exclusive of any remedies provided by applicable law.

 

SECTION 8.04                                       Costs and Expenses .  (a)  The Borrower agrees to pay, upon demand, all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket costs and expenses of each Agent in connection with the preparation, execution, delivery, administration, modification and amendment of this Agreement and the other documents to be delivered hereunder, including, (i) all due diligence, syndication (including printing and distribution), duplication and messenger costs and (ii) the reasonable and documented fees and expenses of a single counsel for the Administrative Agent with respect thereto and with respect to advising the Agents as to their respective rights and responsibilities under this Agreement.  The Borrower further agrees to pay, upon demand, all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket costs and expenses of the Agents and the Lenders, if any (including, without limitation, reasonable counsel fees and expenses), in connection with the enforcement (whether through negotiations, legal proceedings or otherwise) of this Agreement and the other documents to be delivered hereunder, including, without limitation, reasonable and documented fees and expenses of counsel for each Agent and each Lender in connection with the enforcement of rights under this Section 8.04(a).

 

(b)                                  The Borrower agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Agent and each Lender and each of their Affiliates and their respective partners, trustees, officers, directors, employees, agents and advisors (each, an “ Indemnified Party ”) from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, penalties, liabilities and expenses ( provided , that, the Borrower’s obligations to the Indemnified Parties in respect of fees and expenses of counsel shall be limited to the reasonable fees and expenses of one counsel for all Indemnified Parties, taken together, (and, if reasonably necessary, one local counsel in any relevant jurisdiction) and, solely in the case of an actual or potential conflict of interest, of one additional counsel for all Indemnified Parties, taken together (and, if reasonably necessary, one local counsel in any relevant jurisdiction) (all such claims, damages, losses, penalties, liabilities and reasonable expenses being, collectively, the “ Losses ”) that may be incurred by or asserted or awarded against any Indemnified Party, in each case arising out of or in connection with or by reason of, or in connection with the preparation for a defense of, any investigation, litigation or proceeding arising out of, related to or in connection with (i) this Agreement, any of the transactions contemplated hereby or the actual or proposed use of the proceeds of the Advances or (ii) the actual or alleged presence of Hazardous Materials on any property of the Consolidated Group or any Environmental Action relating in any way to the Consolidated Group, in each case whether or not such investigation, litigation or proceeding is brought by the Borrower, its directors, shareholders or creditors or an Indemnified Party or any other Person or any Indemnified Party is otherwise a party thereto and whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby are consummated, except to the extent Losses (A) are found in a final, nonappealable judgment by a

 

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court of competent jurisdiction to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Indemnified Party or any of its Affiliates (including any breach of its obligations under this Agreement), (B) result from any dispute between an Indemnified Party and one or more other Indemnified Parties or (C) result from the claims of one or more Lenders solely against one or more other Lenders (and not claims by one or more Lenders against any Agent acting in its capacity as such except, in the case of Losses incurred by any Agent or any Lender as a result of such claims, to the extent such Losses are found in a final, nonappealable judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction to have resulted from such Indemnified Party’s gross negligence or willful misconduct (including any breach of its obligations under this Agreement)) not attributable to any actions of a member of the Consolidated Group and for which the members of the Consolidated Group otherwise have no liability.  The Borrower further agrees that no Indemnified Party shall have any liability (whether direct or indirect, in contract, tort or otherwise) to the Borrower or any of its shareholders or creditors for or in connection with this Agreement or any of the transactions contemplated hereby or the actual or proposed use of the proceeds of the Advances, except to the extent such liability is found in a final nonappealable judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction to have resulted from such Indemnified Party’s gross negligence or willful misconduct (including any breach of its obligations under this Agreement).  In no event, however, shall any Indemnified Party be liable on any theory of liability for any special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages (including, without limitation, any loss of profits, business or anticipated savings).

 

(c)                                   If any payment of principal of, or Conversion of, any Eurodollar Rate Advance is made by the Borrower to or for the account of a Lender other than on the last day of the Interest Period for such Advance, as a result of (i) a payment or Conversion pursuant to Section 2.06, 2.08(d), 2.08(e), 2.10 or 2.12, (ii) acceleration of the maturity of the Advances pursuant to Section 6.01, (iii) a payment by an Eligible Assignee to any Lender other than on the last day of the Interest Period for such Advance upon an assignment of the rights and obligations of such Lender under this Agreement pursuant to Section 8.07 as a result of a demand by the Borrower pursuant to Section 8.07(a) or (iv) for any other reason, the Borrower shall, upon demand by such Lender (with a copy of such demand to the Administrative Agent), pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of such Lender any amounts required to compensate such Lender for any additional reasonable losses, costs or expenses that it may reasonably incur as a result of such payment or Conversion or as a result of any inability to Convert or exchange in the case of Section 2.08 or 2.12, including, without limitation, any reasonable loss (excluding loss of anticipated profits), cost or expense incurred by reason of the liquidation or reemployment of deposits or other funds acquired by any Lender to fund or maintain such Advance.

 

(d)                                  Without prejudice to the survival of any other agreement of the Borrower hereunder, the agreements and obligations of the Borrower contained in Sections 2.11, 2.14 and 8.04 shall survive the payment in full of principal, interest and all other amounts payable hereunder.

 

SECTION 8.05                                       Right of Setoff .  Upon (a) the occurrence and during the continuance of any Event of Default and (b) the making of the request or the granting of the consent specified by Section 6.01 to authorize the Administrative Agent to declare the Advances due and payable pursuant to the provisions of Section 6.01, each Lender and each of its Affiliates is hereby authorized at any time and from time to time, to the fullest extent permitted by

 

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applicable law, to set off and apply any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final) at any time held and other indebtedness at any time owing by such Lender or such Affiliate to or for the credit or the account of the Borrower against any and all of the obligations of the Borrower now or hereafter existing under this Agreement, whether or not such Lender shall have made any demand under this Agreement and although such obligations may be unmatured.  Each Lender agrees promptly to notify the Administrative Agent and the Borrower after any such setoff and application is made by such Lender; provided that the failure to give such notice shall not affect the validity of such setoff and application.  The rights of each Lender and its Affiliates under this Section 8.05 are in addition to other rights and remedies (including, without limitation, other rights of setoff) that such Lender and its Affiliates may have.

 

SECTION 8.06                                       Binding Effect .  This Agreement shall become effective (other than Section 2.01, which shall only become effective upon satisfaction of the applicable conditions precedent set forth in Section 3.01) when it shall have been executed by the Borrower and the Administrative Agent and when the Administrative Agent shall have been notified by each Initial Lender that such Initial Lender has executed it and, thereafter, shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of, and be enforceable by, the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and each Lender and their respective successors and permitted assigns, except that the Borrower shall have no right to assign their rights hereunder or any interest herein without the prior written consent of each of the Lenders, and any purported assignment without such consent shall be null and void.

 

SECTION 8.07                                       Assignments and Participations .  (a)  Each Lender may, with the consent of the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, which consents shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed and, in the case of the Borrower, (A) shall not be required while an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing and (B) shall be deemed given if the Borrower shall not have objected within 10 Business Days following its receipt of notice of such assignment (and, within five days after demand by the Borrower (with a copy of such demand to the Administrative Agent) to (i) any Defaulting Lender, (ii) any Lender that has made a demand for payment pursuant to Section 2.11 or 2.14, (iii) any Lender that has asserted pursuant to Section 2.08(b) or 2.12 that it is impracticable or unlawful for such Lender to make Eurodollar Rate Advances or (iv) any Lender that fails to consent to an amendment or waiver hereunder for which consent of all Lenders (or all affected Lenders) is required and as to which the Required Lenders have given their consent, such Lender will), assign to one or more Persons all or a portion of its rights and obligations under this Agreement (including, without limitation, all or a portion of its Commitment and the Advances owing to it); provided , however , that:

 

(A)                                such consent shall not be required in the case of an assignment to any other Lender or an Affiliate of any Lender, provided that notice thereof shall have been given to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent;

 

(B)                                each such assignment shall be of a constant, and not a varying, percentage of all rights and obligations under this Agreement;

 

(C)                                except in the case of an assignment to a Person that, immediately prior to such assignment, was a Lender or an assignment of all of a Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement, the amount of the

 

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Commitment of the assigning Lender being assigned pursuant to each such assignment (determined as of the date of the Assignment and Acceptance with respect to such assignment) shall in no event be less than $10,000,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof;

 

(D)                                each such assignment shall be to an Eligible Assignee;

 

(E)                                 each such assignment made as a result of a demand by the Borrower pursuant to this Section 8.07(a) shall be arranged by the Borrower with the approval of the Administrative Agent (which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld) and shall be either an assignment of all of the rights and obligations of the assigning Lender under this Agreement or an assignment of a portion of such rights and obligations made concurrently with another such assignment or other such assignments that, in the aggregate, cover all of the rights and obligations of the assigning Lender under this Agreement;

 

(F)                                  no Lender shall be obligated to make any such assignment as a result of a demand by the Borrower pursuant to this Section 8.07(a), (1) so long as a Default shall have occurred and be continuing and (2) unless and until such Lender shall have received one or more payments from one or more Eligible Assignees in an aggregate amount at least equal to the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Advances owing to such Lender, together with accrued interest thereon to the date of payment of such principal amount, and from the Borrower or one or more Eligible Assignees in an aggregate amount equal to all other amounts accrued to such Lender under this Agreement (including, without limitation, any amounts owing under Sections 2.11, 2.14 or 8.04(c)) and (3) if any such Eligible Assignee is not an existing Lender, unless and until the Borrower shall have paid (or caused to be paid) to the Administrative Agent a processing and recordation fee of $3,500; provided , however , that the Administrative Agent may, in its sole discretion, elect to waive such processing and recordation fee in the case of any assignment.  The assignee, if it is not a Lender, shall deliver to the Administrative Agent an Administrative Questionnaire; and

 

(G)                                the parties to each such assignment (other than, except in the case of a demand by the Borrower pursuant to this Section 8.07(a), the Borrower) shall execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent, for its acceptance and recording in the Register, an Assignment and Acceptance and, if such assignment does not occur as a result of a demand by the Borrower pursuant to this Section 8.07(a) (in which case the Borrower shall pay the fee required by subclause (F)(3) of this Section 8.07(a)), a processing and recordation fee of $3,500; provided , however , that the Administrative Agent may, in its sole discretion, elect to waive such processing and recordation fee in the case of any assignment.  The assignee, if it is not a Lender, shall deliver to the Administrative Agent an Administrative Questionnaire.

 

Upon such execution, delivery, acceptance and recording, from and after the effective date specified in each Assignment and Acceptance, (x) the assignee thereunder shall be a party hereto

 

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and, to the extent that rights and obligations hereunder have been assigned to it pursuant to such Assignment and Acceptance, have the rights and obligations of a Lender hereunder and (y) the Lender assignor thereunder shall, to the extent that rights and obligations hereunder have been assigned by it pursuant to such Assignment and Acceptance, relinquish its rights and be released from its obligations under this Agreement, except that such assigning Lender shall continue to be entitled to the benefit of Section 8.04(a) and (b) with respect to matters arising out of the prior involvement of such assigning Lender as a Lender hereunder (and, in the case of an Assignment and Acceptance covering all or the remaining portion of an assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement, such Lender shall cease to be a party hereto).

 

(b)                                  By executing and delivering an Assignment and Acceptance, the Lender assignor 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 assigning 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 the execution, legality, validity, enforceability, genuineness, sufficiency or value of this Agreement or any other instrument or document furnished pursuant hereto;

 

(ii)                                   such assigning Lender makes no representation or warranty and assumes no responsibility with respect to the financial condition of the Borrower or the performance or observance by the Borrower of any of its obligations under this Agreement or any other instrument or document furnished pursuant hereto;

 

(iii)                                such assignee confirms that it has received a copy of this Agreement, together with copies of the financial statements referred to in Section 4.01(e) and 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 any Agent, such assigning 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 confirms that it is an Eligible Assignee;

 

(vi)                               such assignee appoints and authorizes the Administrative Agent to take such action as agent on its behalf and to exercise such powers and discretion under this Agreement as are delegated to the Administrative Agent by the terms hereof, together with such powers and discretion as are reasonably incidental thereto; and

 

(vii)                            such assignee agrees that it will perform in accordance with their terms all of the obligations that by the terms of this Agreement are required to be performed by it as a Lender.

 

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(c)                                   Upon its receipt of an Assignment and Acceptance executed by an assigning Lender and an assignee representing that it is an Eligible Assignee, the Administrative Agent shall, if such Assignment and Acceptance has been completed and is in substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto, (i) accept such Assignment and Acceptance, (ii) record the information contained therein in the Register and (iii) give prompt notice thereof to the Borrower.

 

(d)                                  The Administrative Agent, acting solely for this purpose as the agent of the Borrower, shall maintain at its address referred to in Section 8.02(a) a copy of each Assignment and Acceptance delivered to and accepted by it and a register for the recordation of the names and addresses of the Lenders and the Commitment of, and principal amount (and stated interest) of the Advances owing to, each Lender from time to time (the “ Register ”).  The entries in the Register shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent demonstrable error, and the Borrower, the Agents and the Lenders may treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Register as a Lender hereunder for all purposes of this Agreement.  The Register shall be available for inspection by the Borrower or any Lender at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice.

 

(e)                                   Each Lender may sell participations to one or more banks or other entities (other than the Borrower or any of its Affiliates) in or to all or a portion of its rights and obligations under this Agreement (including, without limitation, all or a portion of its Commitment and the Advances owing to it) without the prior consent of the Administrative Agent or the Borrower; provided , however , that:

 

(i)                                      such Lender’s obligations under this Agreement (including, without limitation, its Commitment) shall remain unchanged;

 

(ii)                                   such Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto for the performance of such obligations;

 

(iii)                                such Lender shall remain the Lender of any such Advance for all purposes of this Agreement;

 

(iv)                               the Borrower, the Agents and the other Lenders shall continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in connection with such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement; and

 

(v)                                  no participant under any such participation shall have any right to approve any amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement, or any consent to any departure by the Borrower herefrom or therefrom, except to the extent that such amendment, waiver or consent would reduce the principal of, or stated rate of interest on, the Advances or the stated rate at which any fees or any other amounts payable hereunder are calculated, in each case to the extent subject to such participation, or postpone any date fixed for any payment of principal of, or interest on, the Advances or any fees or any other amounts payable hereunder, in each case to the extent subject to such participation.

 

Each Lender shall promptly notify the Borrower after any sale of a participation by such Lender pursuant to this Section 8.07(e); provided that the failure of such Lender to give notice to the Borrower as provided in this Section 8.07(e) shall not affect the validity of such participation or

 

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impose any obligations on such Lender or the applicable participant.  Each Lender that sells a participation shall, acting solely for this purpose as a non-fiduciary agent of the Borrower, maintain a register on which it enters the name and address of each participant and the principal amounts (and stated interest) of each participant’s interest in the Advances or other obligations under the Loan Documents (the “ Participant Register ”); provided that no Lender shall have any obligation to disclose all or any portion of the Participant Register (including the identity of any participant or any information relating to a participant’s interest in any commitments, loans, letters of credit or its other obligations under any Loan Document) to any Person except to the extent that such disclosure is necessary to establish that such commitment, loan, letter of credit or other obligation is in registered form under Section 5f.103-1(c) of the United States Treasury Regulations. The entries in the Participant Register shall be conclusive absent manifest error, and such Lender shall treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Participant Register as the owner of such participation for all purposes of this Agreement notwithstanding any notice to the contrary. For the avoidance of doubt, the Administrative Agent (in its capacity as Administrative Agent) shall have no responsibility for maintaining a Participant Register.

 

(f)                                    Any Lender may, in connection with any assignment or participation or proposed assignment or participation pursuant to this Section 8.07, disclose to the assignee or participant or proposed assignee or participant, any information relating to the Borrower furnished to such Lender by or on behalf of the Borrower; provided that, prior to any such disclosure, the assignee or participant or proposed assignee or participant shall agree to preserve the confidentiality of any Information relating to the Borrower received by it from such Lender as more fully set forth in Section 8.08.

 

(g)                                   Notwithstanding any other provision set forth in this Agreement, any Lender may at any time create a security interest in all or any portion of its rights under this Agreement (including, without limitation and the Advances owing to it) to secure obligations of such Lender, including, without limitation, any pledge or assignment to secure obligations in favor of any Federal Reserve Bank in accordance with Regulation A of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or any central bank having jurisdiction over such Lender.

 

SECTION 8.08               Confidentiality .  Each of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders agrees to maintain the confidentiality of the Information (as defined below), except that Information may be disclosed (a) to its Affiliates and to its and its Affiliates’ respective managers, administrators, trustees, partners, directors, officers, employees, agents, advisors and other representatives (it being understood that the Persons to whom such disclosure is made will be informed of the confidential nature of such Information and instructed to keep such Information confidential), (b) to the extent requested by any regulatory authority purporting to have jurisdiction over it or its Affiliates (including any self-regulatory authority, such as the National Association of Insurance Commissioners), (c) to the extent required by applicable laws or regulations or by any subpoena or similar legal process, (d) to any other party hereto, (e) in connection with the exercise of any remedies hereunder or any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or the enforcement of rights hereunder or thereunder, (f) subject to an agreement containing provisions substantially the same as those of this Section, to (i) any assignee of or participant in, or any prospective assignee of or participant in, any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement or (ii) any actual or prospective party (or its managers, administrators, trustees, partners, directors, officers, employees, agents, advisors and other representatives) to

 

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any swap or derivative or similar transaction under which payments are to be made by reference to the Borrower and its obligations, this Agreement or payments hereunder, (iii) any rating agency, or (iv) the CUSIP Service Bureau or any similar organization, (g) with the consent of the Borrower or (h) to the extent such Information (x) becomes publicly available other than as a result of a breach of this Section or (y) becomes available to the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any of their respective Affiliates on a non-confidential basis from a source other than the Borrower.

 

For purposes of this Section, “ Information ” means all information received from the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries relating to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective businesses, other than any such information that is available to the Administrative Agent or any Lender on a non-confidential basis prior to disclosure by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, provided that, in the case of information received from the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries after the date hereof, such information is clearly identified at the time of delivery as confidential.  Any Person required to maintain the confidentiality of Information as provided in this Section shall be considered to have complied with its obligation to do so if such Person has exercised the same degree of care to maintain the confidentiality of such Information as such Person would accord to its own confidential information.

 

SECTION 8.09               Governing Law .  This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.

 

SECTION 8.10               Execution in Counterparts .  This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and by different parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement.

 

SECTION 8.11               Electronic Execution of Assignments and Certain Other Documents .  The words “execute,” “execution,” “signed,” “signature,” and words of like import in or related to this Agreement, any other document to be signed in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby (including without limitation Assignment and Acceptances, Notices of Borrowing, amendments or other modifications, waivers and consents) shall be deemed to include electronic signatures, the electronic matching of assignment terms and contract formations on electronic platforms approved by the Administrative Agent, or the keeping of records in electronic form, each of which shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case may be, to the extent and as provided for in any applicable law, including the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, the New York State Electronic Signatures and Records Act, or any other similar state laws based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act; provided that notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary the Administrative Agent is under no obligation to agree to accept electronic signatures in any form or in any format unless expressly agreed to by the Administrative Agent pursuant to procedures approved by it.

 

SECTION 8.12               Jurisdiction, Etc.   (a)  Each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees that it will not commence any action, litigation or proceeding of any kind or description, whether in law or equity, whether in contract or in tort or

 

57



 

otherwise, against any party hereto or any Related Party of the foregoing in any way relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document or the transactions relating hereto or thereto, in any forum other than the courts of the State of New York sitting in New York County, and of the United States District Court of the Southern District of New York, and any appellate court from any thereof, and each of the parties hereto irrevocably and unconditionally submits to the jurisdiction of such courts and agrees that all claims in respect of any such action, litigation or proceeding may be heard and determined in such New York State court or, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, in such federal court.  Each of the parties hereto agrees that a final judgment in any such action or proceeding shall be conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by law.

 

(b)                                  Each of the parties hereto irrevocably and unconditionally waives, to the fullest extent it may legally and effectively do so, any objection that it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement in any New York State or federal court.  Each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the defense of an inconvenient forum to the maintenance of such action or proceeding in any such court.

 

(c)                                   Each party hereto irrevocably consents to service of process in the manner provided for notices in Section 8.02(a).  Nothing in this Agreement will affect the right of any party hereto to serve process in any other manner permitted by applicable law.

 

SECTION 8.13               Patriot Act Notice .  Each Lender and the Administrative Agent (for itself and not on behalf of any Lender) hereby notifies the Borrower that pursuant to the requirements of the Patriot Act, it is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies the Borrower, which information includes the name and address of the Borrower and other information that will allow such Lender or the Administrative Agent, as applicable, to identify the Borrower in accordance with the Patriot Act.  The Borrower shall provide, to the extent commercially reasonable, such information and take such actions as are reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent or any Lenders in order to assist the Administrative Agent and the Lenders in maintaining compliance with the Patriot Act.

 

SECTION 8.14               No Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility .  In its capacity as an Agent or a Lender, (a) no Agent or Lender has any responsibility except as set forth herein and (b) no Agent or Lender shall be subject to any fiduciary duties or other implied duties (to the extent permitted by law to be waived).  The Borrower agrees that it will not take any position or bring any claim against any Agent or any Lender that is contrary to the preceding sentence.

 

In connection with all aspects of each transaction contemplated hereby (including in connection with any amendment, waiver or other modification hereof), the Borrower acknowledges and agrees that:  (i) the arranging and other services regarding this Agreement provided by the Agents and the Lenders are arm’s-length commercial transactions between the Borrower and its Affiliates, on the one hand, and the Agents and the Lenders, on the other hand; (ii) each Agent and each Lender is and has been acting solely as a principal and, except as expressly agreed in writing by the relevant parties, has not been, is not, and will not be acting as an advisor or agent for the Borrower or any of its Affiliates, or any other Person; and (iii) the Agents, the Lenders and each of their respective Affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of

 

58



 

transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Borrower and its Affiliates, and no Agent or Lender has any obligation to disclose any of such interests to the Borrower or its Affiliates.

 

SECTION 8.15               Termination of Credit Documents .  The Borrower and each applicable Lender agree that concurrently with the effectiveness of this Agreement, the commitment amounts under the 2012 Credit Agreement shall automatically reduce to zero and the 2012 Credit Agreement shall terminate, without any notice or other action of any kind and notwithstanding any notice or other requirement contained therein; provided that (a) the Borrower shall have paid all amounts then payable under the 2012 Credit Agreement; and (b) any provision of the 2012 Credit Agreement that by its terms survives termination thereof shall continue in full force and effect.  Each Lender that is a party to the 2012 Credit Agreement hereby waives any requirement of prior notice thereunder in respect of any prepayment or termination of the commitments under such agreement.

 

SECTION 8.16               Waiver of Jury Trial .  Each of the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders hereby irrevocably waives all right to trial by jury in any action, proceeding or counterclaim (whether based on contract, tort or otherwise) arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the actions of the Administrative Agent or any Lender in the negotiation, administration, performance or enforcement thereof.

 

[SIGNATURE PAGES FOLLOW]

 

59



 

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

 

 

ABBOTT LABORATORIES

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Valentine Yien

 

 

Name:

Valentine Yien

 

 

Title:

Vice President, Treasurer

 

[Signature Page to Abbott Five Year Credit Agreement]

 



 

 

BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,

 

as Administrative Agent

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Roberto Salazar

 

 

Name:

Roberto Salazar

 

 

Title:

Vice President

 

 

 

BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Robert LaPorte

 

 

Name:

Robert LaPorte

 

 

Title:

Director

 

 

 

BARCLAYS BANK PLC, as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Ritam Bhalla

 

 

Name:

Ritam Bhalla

 

 

Title:

Director

 

 

 

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.,

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Olivier Lopez

 

 

Name:

Olivier Lopez

 

 

Title:

Associate

 

 

 

MORGAN STANLEY BANK, N.A.., as a

 

Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Michael King

 

 

Name:

Michael King

 

 

Title:

Authorized Signatory

 

[Signature Page to Abbott Five Year Credit Agreement]

 



 

 

BNP PARIBAS, as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Michael Hoffman

 

 

Name:

Michael Hoffman

 

 

Title:

Vice President

 

 

By:

/s/ Todd Grossnickle

 

 

Name:

Todd Grossnickle

 

 

Title:

Vice President

 

 

 

DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK

 

BRANCH, as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Ming K. Chu

 

 

Name:

Ming K. Chu

 

 

Title:

Vice President

 

 

By:

/s/ Virginia Cosenza

 

 

Name:

Virginia Cosenza

 

 

Title:

Vice President

 

 

 

SOCIÉTÉ GÉNÉRALE, as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Joseph Moreno

 

 

Name:

Joseph Moreno

 

 

Title:

Managing Director

 

 

THE BANK OF TOKYO-MITSUBISHI

 

UFJ, LTD., as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Jaime Sussman

 

 

Name:

Jaime Sussman

 

 

Title:

Authorized Signatory

 

 

THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND

 

PLC, as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ William McGinty

 

 

Name:

William McGinty

 

 

Title:

Director

 

[Signature Page to Abbott Five Year Credit Agreement]

 



 

 

HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL

 

ASSOCIATION, as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Thomas A. Foley

 

 

Name:

Thomas A. Foley

 

 

Title:

Managing Director

 

 

 

SANTANDER BANK, N.A., as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ William Maag

 

 

Name:

William Maag

 

 

Title:

Senior Vice President

 

 

 

STANDARD CHARTERED BANK, as a

 

Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Felipe Macia

 

 

Name:

Felipe Macia

 

 

Title:

Managing Director

 

 

 

Syndications, Americas

 

 

By:

/s/ Hsing H. Huang

 

 

Name:

Hsing H. Huang

 

 

Title:

Associate Director

 

 

 

Standard Chartered Bank NY

 

 

 

GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA, as a

 

Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Rebecca Kratz

 

 

Name:

Rebecca Kratz

 

 

Title:

Authorized Signatory

 

 

 

THE NORTHERN TRUST COMPANY, as

 

a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Fiyaz Khan

 

 

Name:

Fiyaz Khan

 

 

Title:

Vice President

 

[Signature Page to Abbott Five Year Credit Agreement]

 



 

 

BANCO BILBAO VIZCAYA

 

ARGENTARIA, S.A., as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Brian Crowley

 

 

Name:

Brian Crowley

 

 

Title:

Managing Director

 

 

By:

/s/ Nurys Maleki

 

 

Name:

Nurys Maleki

 

 

Title:

Vice President

 

 

 

Global Trade Finance

 

 

 

ING BANK N.V. DUBLIN BRANCH, as a

 

Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Emma Condon-Kraeft

 

 

Name:

Emma Condon-Kraeft

 

 

Title:

Vice President

 

 

By:

/s/ Aidan Neill

 

 

Name:

Aidan Neill

 

 

Title:

Director

 

 

 

INTESA SANPAOLO S.P.A., NEW YORK

 

BRANCH, as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ John J. Michalisin

 

 

Name:

John J. Michalisin

 

 

Title:

First Vice President

 

 

By:

/s/ William S. Denton

 

 

Name:

William S. Denton

 

 

Title:

Global Relationship Manager

 

 

 

MIZUHO BANK, LTD., as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Bertram H. Tang

 

 

Name:

Bertram H. Tang

 

 

Title:

Authorized Signatory

 

[Signature Page to Abbott Five Year Credit Agreement]

 



 

 

ROYAL BANK OF CANADA, as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Scott MacVicar

 

 

Name:

Scott MacVicar

 

 

Title:

Authorized Signatory

 

 

SVENSKA HANDELSBANKEN AB

 

(PUBL), as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Mark Emmett

 

 

Name:

Mark Emmett

 

 

Title:

Vice President

 

 

By:

/s/ Ken Murakami

 

 

Name:

Ken Murakami

 

 

Title:

Treasurer

 

 

 

U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,

 

as a Lender

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Kathleen D. Schurr

 

 

Name:

Kathleen D. Schurr

 

 

Title:

Vice President

 

[Signature Page to Abbott Five Year Credit Agreement]

 


Exhibit 12

 

Abbott Laboratories and Subsidiaries

 

Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges

 

(Unaudited)

 

(dollars in millions)

 

 

 

Nine Months Ended

 

 

 

September 30, 2017

 

Earnings from Continuing Operations

 

$

1,217

 

Add (deduct):

 

 

 

Taxes on earnings

 

440

 

Capitalized interest cost, net of amortization

 

(8

)

Noncontrolling interests

 

16

 

 

 

 

 

Earnings from Continuing Operations, as adjusted

 

1,665

 

 

 

 

 

Fixed Charges:

 

 

 

Interest on long-term and short-term debt

 

658

 

Capitalized interest cost

 

19

 

Rental expense representative of an interest factor

 

85

 

 

 

 

 

Total Fixed Charges

 

762

 

 

 

 

 

Total adjusted earnings available for payment of fixed charges

 

$

2,427

 

 

 

 

 

Ratio of earnings to fixed charges

 

3.2

 

 

NOTE:   For the purpose of calculating this ratio, (i) earnings from continuing operations have been calculated by adjusting earnings for taxes on earnings; interest expense; capitalized interest cost, net of amortization; noncontrolling interests; and the portion of rentals representative of the interest factor, (ii) Abbott considers one-third of rental expense to be the amount representing return on capital, and (iii) fixed charges comprise total interest expense, including capitalized interest and such portion of rentals.

 

1


Exhibit 31.1

 

Certification of Chief Executive Officer

Required by Rule 13a-14(a) (17 CFR 240.13a-14(a))

 

I, Miles D. White, certify that:

 

1.              I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Abbott Laboratories;

 

2.                                       Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

 

3.                                       Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of Abbott as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

 

4.                                       Abbott’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for Abbott and have:

 

a)              Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to Abbott, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

 

b)              Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

 

c)               Evaluated the effectiveness of Abbott’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

 

d)              Disclosed in this report any change in Abbott’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during Abbott’s most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, Abbott’s internal control over financial reporting; and

 

5.                                       Abbott’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to Abbott’s auditors and the audit committee of Abbott’s board of directors:

 

a)              All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect Abbott’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

 

b)              Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in Abbott’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

Date: November 2, 2017

/s/ Miles D. White

 

Miles D. White

 

Chairman of the Board and

 

Chief Executive Officer

 


Exhibit 31.2

 

Certification of Chief Financial Officer

Required by Rule 13a-14(a) (17 CFR 240.13a-14(a))

 

I, Brian B. Yoor, certify that:

 

1.                                       I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Abbott Laboratories;

 

2.                                       Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

 

3.                                       Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of Abbott as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

 

4.                                       Abbott’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for Abbott and have:

 

a)              Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to Abbott, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

 

b)              Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

 

c)               Evaluated the effectiveness of Abbott’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

 

d)              Disclosed in this report any change in Abbott’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during Abbott’s most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, Abbott’s internal control over financial reporting; and

 

5.                                       Abbott’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to Abbott’s auditors and the audit committee of Abbott’s board of directors:

 

a)              All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect Abbott’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

 

b)              Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in Abbott’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

Date: November 2, 2017

/s/ Brian B. Yoor

 

Brian B. Yoor

 

Executive Vice President, Finance

 

and Chief Financial Officer

 


Exhibit 32.1

 

Certification Pursuant To

18 U.S.C. Section 1350

As Adopted Pursuant To

Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

 

In connection with the Quarterly Report of Abbott Laboratories (the “Company”) on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2017 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Report”), I, Miles D. White, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350, as adopted pursuant to § 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:

 

(1)          The Report fully complies with the requirements of section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

 

(2)          The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

 

/s/ Miles D. White

 

Miles D. White

 

Chairman of the Board and

 

Chief Executive Officer

 

November 2, 2017

 

 

A signed original of this written statement required by Section 906 has been provided to Abbott Laboratories and will be retained by Abbott Laboratories and furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.

 


Exhibit 32.2

 

Certification Pursuant To

18 U.S.C. Section 1350

As Adopted Pursuant To

Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

 

In connection with the Quarterly Report of Abbott Laboratories (the “Company”) on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2017 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Report”), I, Brian B. Yoor, Executive Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350, as adopted pursuant to § 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:

 

(1)          The Report fully complies with the requirements of section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

 

(2)          The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

 

/s/ Brian B. Yoor

 

Brian B. Yoor

 

Executive Vice President, Finance

 

and Chief Financial Officer

 

November 2, 2017

 

 

A signed original of this written statement required by Section 906 has been provided to Abbott Laboratories and will be retained by Abbott Laboratories and furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.