UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (date of earliest event reported) – June 3, 2010 (May 27, 2010)

 

 

COOPER-STANDARD HOLDINGS INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   333-123708   20-1945088

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(Commission

File Number)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification Number)

 

39550 Orchard Hill Place Drive, Novi, Michigan   48375
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (248) 596-5900

 

 

Check the appropriate box below in the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (See General Instruction A.2 below):

 

¨ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

¨ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4c))

 

 

 


Item 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement

General

As previously disclosed, on August 3, 2009, Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc. (the “Company”) and each of its direct and indirect wholly-owned U.S. subsidiaries (collectively, the “Debtors”) filed voluntary petitions for relief under chapter 11 of title 11 of the United States Code (the “Bankruptcy Code”) in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (the “Bankruptcy Court”). On March 26, 2010, the Debtors filed with the Bankruptcy Court the Second Amended Plan of Reorganization (the “Plan”) and the corresponding First Amended Disclosure Statement for the Plan. On May 12, 2010, the Bankruptcy Court entered an order (the “Confirmation Order”) confirming the Plan.

On May 27, 2010 (the “Effective Date”), the Debtors consummated their reorganization through a series of transactions contemplated by the Plan and the Plan became effective pursuant to its terms. In accordance with the Plan, the Debtors entered into the following material agreements.

Supplemental Indenture and Senior Notes due 2018

As previously disclosed in a Current Report on Form 8-K dated May 17, 2010, on the Effective Date, Cooper-Standard Automotive Inc. (“CSA U.S.” or the “U.S. Borrower”) assumed all of the obligations as the issuer under the $450 million 8  1 / 2 % Senior Notes due 2018 (the “New Notes”) and the indenture relating thereto, and the Company and each of CSA U.S.’s direct and indirect wholly-owned restricted U.S. subsidiaries guaranteed CSA U.S.’s obligations under the New Notes pursuant to a Supplemental Indenture, dated as of the Effective Date, among CSA U.S., the Company, the subsidiaries of CSA U.S. set forth on the signature page thereto and U.S. Bank National Association as trustee under the indenture. This summary is generalized, does not purport to be complete and, as such, subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to the provisions of the supplemental indenture, which is attached as Exhibit 4.1 to this report and incorporated herein by reference.

New Notes Registration Rights Agreement Joinder

As previously disclosed in a Current Report on Form 8-K dated May 17, 2010, on the Effective Date, the Company and CSA U.S. assumed the obligations under the registration rights agreement related to the New Notes pursuant to a Joinder Agreement, dated as of May 27, 2010, executed by the Company, CSA U.S. and each of CSA U.S.’s direct and indirect wholly-owned restricted U.S. subsidiaries. This summary is generalized, does not purport to be complete and, as such, subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to the provisions of the joinder agreement, which is attached as Exhibit 4.2 to this report and incorporated herein by reference.

Senior ABL Facility

On the Effective Date, the Company, the U.S. Borrower, Cooper-Standard Automotive Canada Limited (“CSA Canada” or the “Canadian Borrower” and, together with the U.S. Borrower, the “Borrowers”) and certain subsidiaries of the U.S. Borrower entered into a senior secured asset-based revolving credit facility (the “Senior ABL Facility”) with certain lenders, Bank of America, N.A., as agent (the “Agent”) for such lenders, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, as syndication agent, and Banc of America Securities LLC, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., UBS Securities LLC and Barclays Capital, as joint lead arrangers and bookrunners. The following is a summary of the material terms of the Senior ABL Facility. The summary is generalized, does not purport to be complete and, as such, subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to the provisions of the loan and security agreement governing the Senior ABL Facility, which is attached as Exhibit 10.1 to this report and incorporated herein by reference.

General . The Senior ABL Facility provides for an aggregate revolving loan availability of up to $125 million, subject to borrowing base availability, including a $45 million letter of credit sub-facility and a $20 million swing line sub-facility. The Senior ABL Facility also provides for an uncommitted $25 million incremental loan facility, for a potential total Senior ABL Facility of $150 million (if requested by the Borrowers and the lenders agree to fund such increase). No consent of any lender (other than those participating in the increase) is required to effect any such increase.


Maturity . May 27, 2014.

Use of Proceeds . There were no borrowings made under the Senior ABL Facility on the Effective Date. After the Effective Date, proceeds from the Senior ABL Facility may be used by the Borrowers to pay certain unsecured claims, administrative expenses and administrative claims as contemplated by the Plan, to issue commercial and standby letters of credit, to finance ongoing working capital needs and for general corporate purposes.

Borrowing Base . Loan (and letter of credit) availability under the Senior ABL Facility is subject to a borrowing base, which at any time is limited to the lesser of: (A) the maximum facility amount (subject to certain adjustments) and (B) (i) up to 85% of eligible accounts receivable; plus (ii) up to the lesser of 70% of eligible inventory or 85% of the appraised net orderly liquidation value of eligible inventory; minus reserves established by the Agent. The accounts receivable portion of the borrowing base is subject to certain formulaic limitations (including concentration limits). The inventory portion of the borrowing base is limited to eligible inventory, as determined by an independent appraisal. The borrowing base is also subject to certain reserves, which are established by the Agent (which may include changes to the advance rates indicated above). Loan availability under the Senior ABL Facility is apportioned, as follows: $100 million to the U.S. Borrower and $25 million to the Canadian Borrower.

Guarantees; Security . The obligations of the U.S. Borrower under the Senior ABL Facility and cash management arrangements and interest rate, foreign currency or commodity swaps entered into by the U.S. Borrower and its subsidiaries, in each case with the lenders and their affiliates (collectively, “Additional ABL Secured Obligations”) are guaranteed on a senior secured basis by the Company and all of its U.S. subsidiaries (other than CS Automotive LLC), and the obligations of the Canadian Borrower under the Senior ABL Facility and Additional ABL Secured Obligations of the Canadian Borrower and its Canadian subsidiaries are guaranteed on a senior secured basis by the Company, all of the Canadian subsidiaries of the Canadian Borrower and all of the Company’s U.S. subsidiaries. The U.S. Borrower guarantees the Additional ABL Secured Obligations of its subsidiaries and the Canadian Borrower guarantees the Additional ABL Secured Obligations of its Canadian subsidiaries. The obligations under the Senior ABL Facility and related guarantees are secured by a first priority lien on all of each Borrower’s and each guarantor’s existing and future personal property consisting of accounts receivable, payment intangibles, inventory, documents, instruments, chattel paper and investment property, certain money, deposit accounts and securities accounts and certain related assets and proceeds of the foregoing.

Interest . Borrowings under the Senior ABL Facility bear interest at a rate equal to, at the Borrowers’ option:

 

   

in the case of borrowings by the U.S. Borrower, LIBOR or the base rate plus , in each case, an applicable margin; or

 

   

in the case of borrowings by the Canadian Borrower, BA rate, Canadian prime rate or Canadian base rate plus, in each case, an applicable margin.

The initial applicable margin is 3.5% with respect to the LIBOR or BA-based borrowings and 2.5% with respect to base rate, Canadian prime rate and Canadian base rate borrowings. The applicable margin is subject, in each case, to quarterly performance pricing adjustments commencing six months after the closing date.

Fees . In addition to paying interest on outstanding principal under the Senior ABL Facility, the Borrowers are required to pay a fee in respect of committed but unutilized commitments equal to 0.50% per annum when usage of the Senior ABL Facility (as apportioned between the U.S. and Canadian facilities) is greater than 50% and 0.75% per annum when usage of the Senior ABL Facility is equal to or less than 50%. The Borrowers are also required to pay a fee on outstanding letters of credit under the Senior ABL Facility at a rate equal to the applicable margin in respect of LIBOR and BA-based borrowings plus a fronting fee at a rate of 0.125% per annum to the issuer of such letters of credit, together with customary issuance and other letter of credit fees. The Senior ABL Facility also requires the payment of customary agency and administrative fees.

Voluntary Prepayments . The Borrowers are able to voluntarily reduce the unutilized portion of the commitment amount and repay outstanding loans, in each case, in whole or in part, at any time without premium or penalty (other than customary breakage and related reemployment costs with respect to repayments of LIBOR-based borrowings).


Covenants; Events of Default . The Senior ABL Facility includes affirmative and negative covenants that will impose substantial restrictions on the Company’s financial and business operations, including its ability to incur and secure debt, make investments, sell assets, pay dividends or make acquisitions. The Senior ABL Facility also includes a requirement to maintain a monthly fixed charge coverage ratio of no less than 1.1 to 1.0 when availability under the Senior ABL Facility is less than specified levels. The Senior ABL Facility also contains various events of default that are customary for comparable facilities.

Equity Registration Rights Agreement

In connection with the equity commitment agreement, on the Effective Date, the Company entered into a registration rights agreement (the “Equity Registration Rights Agreement”) with the Backstop Purchasers (as defined below) and certain other holders of registrable securities. Registrable securities will consist of any shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), and Preferred Stock (as defined below), any warrants to purchase Common Stock issued pursuant to the Plan and any shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of Preferred Stock or upon exercise of warrants that are beneficially owned by the Backstop Purchasers and such other holders. Registrable securities will cease to be registrable securities under certain circumstances and upon the happening of certain events, such as upon their sale under a registration statement or pursuant to Rule 144.

The Equity Registration Rights Agreement gives the Backstop Purchasers and such other holders certain registration rights, including demand registration, shelf registration and piggyback registration rights. Any Backstop Purchaser or such other holder that owned at least 5% of the outstanding Common Stock (on a fully diluted basis) as of the Effective Date and continues to own 5% of the outstanding Common Stock (on a fully diluted basis) (each, a “demand holder”) will have certain rights to demand the registration of its registrable securities on a registration statement, which may be a shelf registration, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on an underwritten or non-underwritten basis. Prior to an initial public offering of the Company, demand holders holding at least 35% of the outstanding registrable securities or any Backstop Purchaser that owns at least 7.5% of the outstanding Common Stock (on a fully diluted basis) may make an initial demand registration, so long as the total offering price of the shares to be sold in the offering exceeds $75 million in the aggregate. After the Company’s initial public offering, any demand holder may make a demand registration so long as the total offering price of the shares to be sold in the offering exceeds, in the case of a registration on Form S-1, $50 million in the aggregate or, in the case of a registration on Form S-3, $20 million in the aggregate. The Company will not be required to effect more than two demand registrations in any 12-month period. In addition, the Company will not be required to effect a demand registration if within the 12-month period preceding the date of a request for a demand registration the Company has effected one demand registration and another registration statement has been declared effective within the 12-month period preceding such demand request and at least $20 million of the then outstanding registrable securities were entitled to be included in such registration. The Company will also not be required to effect a demand registration during certain suspension periods as set forth in the Equity Registration Rights Agreement. The Company is not required to conduct more than 12 underwritten demand registrations in total or more than eight demand registrations for the Backstop Purchasers on a Form S-1. In addition to the above demand rights, demand holders may request the Company to file a shelf registration for the continuous offering of the registrable securities, and whenever the Company proposes to file a registration statement and registrable securities may be included in such registration, the holders of registrable securities may exercise piggyback registration rights.

The Equity Registration Rights Agreement will also provide, subject to certain exceptions, that any holder party to the agreement that holds 5% or more of the outstanding shares of the Common Stock (on a fully diluted basis) will be restricted from selling or otherwise disposing of any of the Company’s securities held by such holder for the seven days prior to and the 180-day period following the date of pricing the Company’s underwritten initial public offering and the seven days prior to and the 90-day period following the date of pricing any other underwritten offering by the Company.

This summary is generalized, does not purport to be complete and, as such, subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to the provisions of the Equity Registration Rights Agreement, which is attached as Exhibit 4.3 to this report and incorporated herein by reference.


Nomination Agreements

The Company entered on the Effective Date into separate Director Nomination Agreements with (i) Barclays Capital Inc. (“Barclays”), (ii) Silver Point Capital L.P., on behalf of its affiliates and related funds (“Silver Point”), (iii) Oak Hill Advisors L.P., on behalf of certain funds and separate accounts that it manages (“Oak Hill”), and (iv) Capital Research and Management Company, as investment advisor to certain funds it manages, TCW Shared Opportunity Fund IV, L.P., TCW Shared Opportunity Fund IVB, L.P., TCW Shared Opportunity Fund V, L.P., TD High Yield Income Fund, and Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC, as investment manager on behalf of multiple clients (such entities together referred to as the “Designating Parties” and together with Barclays, Silver Point and Oak Hill, the “Stockholders” or the “Backstop Purchasers”) (each such agreement, the “Nomination Agreement” and together, the “Nomination Agreements”). Each of the Nomination Agreements will continue to be in effect until the earlier of (i) termination of such agreement at the election of the applicable nominating parties, (ii) immediately prior to the annual meeting of stockholders of the Company held during the calendar year 2013 and (iii) the applicable nominating parties together with their respective Affiliates (as defined in the Nomination Agreements) no longer Beneficially Own (as defined in the Nomination Agreements) in the aggregate 7.5% or greater of the issued and outstanding New Common Stock (assuming the conversion of all outstanding shares of New Preferred Stock).

Pursuant to the Designating Parties and Barclays’ Nomination Agreements, each of the Designating Parties, acting together, and Barclays has the right to nominate one independent member of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) and, such nominee will be selected in reasonable consultation with (but without the need for the approval of) the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Korn/Ferry International, or such other executive search firm that is mutually acceptable to such Stockholder and the Company, so long as a committee of Independent Directors (as defined in such Nomination Agreements) determines that the respective Stockholder’s nominee will be nominated for election to the Board. As of the Effective Date, Larry Jutte is the Designating Parties’ nominee and David J. Mastrocola is Barclay’s nominee.

Pursuant to Silver Point and Oak Hill’s Nomination Agreements, Silver Point has the right to nominate one member of the Board (subject to the consent of Barclays if such member nominated by Silver Point is not independent) and Oak Hill has the right to nominate one member of the Board. In addition, each of Silver Point and Oak Hill has the right to appoint one observer to the Board in addition to the member of the Board nominated by each of them. As of the Effective Date, Orlando A. Bustos is Silver Point’s nominee and Glenn August is Oak Hill’s nominee.

Each of the members of the Board will serve in accordance with applicable federal and state laws, the Third Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, the Certificate of Designations for the 7% Cumulative Participating Convertible Preferred Stock and the Amended and Restated By-Laws. A nominee to the Board pursuant to each of the Nomination Agreements will be entitled to compensation paid to other non-employee members of the Board; provided, that, with respect to the Nomination Agreement with Oak Hill, if the nominee is an employee of Oak Hill or its Affiliate, at the option of Oak Hill and subject to the approval of the Board, such compensation (or its economic equivalent) will instead be paid to Oak Hill or its Affiliates. In accordance with the terms of Oak Hill’s Nomination Agreement, Oak Hill elected to receive such compensation, which was approved by the Board, and Oak Hill or its Affiliates will be receiving the compensation described above (including the equity grants pursuant to substantially similar terms) in lieu of Glenn R. August.

The foregoing description of the Nomination Agreements does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full texts of the agreements, copies of which are attached as Exhibits 10.2, 10.3, 10.4 and 10.5, respectively, to this report and incorporated herein by reference.

Warrant Agreement

Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc. (the “Company”) entered into a warrant agreement (the “Warrant Agreement”), dated as of the Effective Date, with Computershare Inc. and Computershare Trust Company, N.A., collectively as warrant agent. As of the Effective Date, the Company issued warrants (the “Warrants”) to purchase, subject to the terms of the Warrant Agreement, up to an aggregate of 2,419,753 million shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company (the “New Common Stock”) (of which warrants to purchase 725,926 shares of New Common Stock were issued to holders of prepetition senior subordinated note claims and warrants to purchase 1,693,827 shares of New Common Stock were issued to the Backstop Purchasers), subject to adjustment in accordance with the Warrant Agreement. Each Warrant entitles its holder to purchase one share of New Common Stock at an initial exercise price of $27.33 per share, as may be adjusted from time to time in accordance with the


Warrant Agreement, including in the case of, among others, dividends or distributions of the New Common Stock, subdivisions, combinations or reclassifications of the outstanding New Common Stock, certain other issuances of New Common Stock or convertible securities, tender or exchange offers, rights plans, certain distributions of indebtedness, shares of capital stock or other securities, cash or other property. Holders of the Warrants may exercise the Warrants at any time prior to the expiration date which is 7  1 / 2 years from the Effective Date. A holder may exercise Warrants by paying the applicable exercise price in cash or on a cashless basis. The Company may consolidate, merge, lease or otherwise transfer all or substantially all of its assets to any person so long as the Company is the surviving corporation, or, if it is not the surviving corporation, the successor entity assumes all of the Company’s obligations under the Warrant Agreement. In the event of a consolidation, merger, lease or other transfer of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets, recapitalization, reclassification, statutory share exchange or other similar transaction, the Warrants will be exercisable following the transaction for the kind and amount of consideration that the holders of the Warrants would have received had the Warrants been exercised immediately prior to the transaction.

The foregoing description of the Warrant Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the agreement, a copy of which is attached as Exhibit 4.4 to this report and incorporated herein by reference.

 

1.02 Termination of a Material Definitive Agreement

Debt Securities

On the Effective Date, pursuant to the Plan and the Confirmation Order, all outstanding obligations under the following notes issued by CSA U.S. (collectively, the “Prepetition Notes”) were cancelled and the indentures governing such obligations were terminated, except to the extent to allow the Debtors, reorganized Debtors or the relevant Prepetition Notes indenture trustee, as applicable, to make distributions pursuant to the Plan on account of claims related to such Prepetition Notes and perform certain other administrative duties or exercise certain protective rights thereunder:

 

   

Indenture dated December 23, 2004, as amended, modified, or supplemented from time to time, by and between CSA U.S., certain subsidiary and parent guarantors, and Wilmington Trust Company, pursuant to which, among other things, the 7% Senior Notes due 2012 were issued;

 

   

Indenture dated December 23, 2004, as amended, modified, or supplemented from time to time, by and between CSA USA, certain subsidiary and parent guarantors, and the original indenture trustee, Wilmington Trust Company, pursuant to which, among other things, the 8  3 / 8 % Senior Subordinated Notes due 2014 were issued.

Prepetition Credit Facility

On the Effective Date, pursuant to the Plan and the Confirmation Order, that certain Credit Agreement, dated as of December 23, 2004, as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, by and among the Company, CSA U.S., CSA Canada and Cooper-Standard Automotive International Holdings B.V. and the lenders from time to time party thereto, the agents party thereto and Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, as administrative and collateral agent (the “Prepetition Credit Facility”), was cancelled and terminated, including all agreements relating thereto, except to the extent to allow the Debtors, reorganized Debtors or the administrative agent, as applicable, to make distributions pursuant to the Plan on account of claims related to such Prepetition Credit Facility and to perform certain other administrative duties thereunder.

DIP Credit Agreement

On the Effective Date, pursuant to the Plan and the Confirmation Order, that certain Debtor-in-Possession Credit Agreement, dated as of December 18, 2009, as amended, modified, or otherwise supplemented from time to time, by and among the Company, CSA U.S., CSA Canada, METZELER Automotive Profile Systems GmbH, the lenders from time to time party thereto, the agents party thereto and Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas as administrative agent, collateral agent and documentation agent, was cancelled and terminated, including all agreements related thereto.


Equity Interests

On the Effective Date, pursuant to the Plan and the Confirmation Order, all equity interests in the Company, including common stock and any options, warrants, calls, subscriptions or other similar rights or other agreements, commitments or outstanding securities obligations, were cancelled and extinguished.

 

Item 2.03 Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation under an Off-Balance Sheet Arrangement of a Registrant

The descriptions of the Supplemental Indenture and Senior ABL Facility set forth under Item 1.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K are incorporated by reference herein.

 

Item 3.02 Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities.

Pursuant to the Plan, on the Effective Date, the Company issued an aggregate of 17,489,693 shares of Common Stock, 1,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock and 2,419,753 Warrants. In addition, on the Effective Date, the Company issued to key employees of the Company, (i) 757,896 shares of Common Stock plus, subject to realized dilution on the Warrants, an additional 104,075 shares of Common Stock as restricted stock, (ii) 41,666 shares of Preferred Stock as restricted Preferred Stock, and (iii) 702,509 options to purchase shares of Common Stock, plus, subject to realized dilution on the Warrants, an additional 78,057 options to purchase shares of Common Stock. On the day after the Effective Date, the Company issued to certain of its directors and Oak Hill Advisors L.P. or its affiliates, 26,448 shares of Common Stock as restricted stock and 58,386 options to purchase shares of Common Stock. The Company also reserved 780,566 shares of Common Stock for future issuance to the Company’s management. Additional information on the grants to key employees and directors is set forth under Item 5.02 of this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated by reference in this Item 3.02.

Consistent with the Confirmation Order and applicable law, the Company relied on Section 1145(a)(1) of the Bankruptcy Code to exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), the issuance of (i) 4,563,095 shares of Common Stock to the Backstop Purchasers in exchange for approximately $105 million in principal of the Company’s prepetition senior notes, (ii) 1,742,222 shares of Common Stock to holders of the Company’s prepetition senior subordinated notes, (iii) 2,703 shares of Common Stock to holders of the Company’s prepetition senior subordinated notes that were not eligible to participate in the rights offering and (iv) 725,926 Warrants to holders of the Company’s prepetition senior subordinated notes. Section 1145(a)(1) of the Bankruptcy Code exempts the offer and sale of securities under a plan of reorganization from registration under Section 5 of the Securities Act and state laws if three principal requirements are satisfied:

 

   

the securities must be issued under a plan of reorganization by the debtor, its successor under a plan or an affiliate participating in a joint plan of reorganization with the debtor;

 

   

the recipients of the securities must hold a claim against, an interest in, or a claim for administrative expense in the case concerning the debtor or such affiliate; and

 

   

the securities must be issued either (i) in exchange for the recipient’s claim against, interest in or claim for administrative expense in the case concerning the debtor or such affiliate or (ii) “principally” in such exchange and “partly” for cash or property.

On the Effective Date and pursuant to the Plan, the Company relied upon the exemption from registration pursuant to Section 4(2) of the Securities Act, and Rule 506 promulgated thereunder, to effect the following sales and issuances of the Company’s equity:

 

   

8,623,491 shares of Common Stock purchased by “accredited investors” pursuant to the rights offering in the aggregate amount of $185.7 million;

 

   

2,558,182 shares of Common Stock purchased by the Backstop Purchasers in the aggregate amount of $55.1 million;

 

   

1,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock purchased by the Backstop Purchasers in the aggregate amount of $100.0 million;

 

   

1,693,827 Warrants issued to the Backstop Purchasers in consideration for their agreement to backstop the rights offering.


On the Effective Date, the Company relied upon the exemption from registration pursuant to Section 4(2) of the Securities Act, and Rule 506 promulgated thereunder, and Rule 701 promulgated under the Securities Act to effect the following issuances of the Company’s equity:

 

   

757,896 shares of Common Stock plus, subject to realized dilution on the Warrants, an additional 104,075 shares of Common Stock as restricted stock;

 

   

41,666 shares of Preferred Stock as restricted Preferred Stock; and

 

   

702,509 options to purchase shares of Common Stock, plus, subject to realized dilution on the Warrants, an additional 78,057 options to purchase shares of Common Stock, with an exercise price of $25.52.

On the day after the Effective Date, the Company relied upon the exemption from registration pursuant to Section 4(2) of the Securities Act, and Rule 506 promulgated thereunder, and Rule 701 promulgated under the Securities Act to effect the following issuances of the Company’s equity:

 

   

26,448 shares of Common Stock as restricted stock; and

 

   

58,386 options to purchase shares of Common Stock with an exercise price of $25.52.

Certificate of Designations for 7% Cumulative Participating Convertible Preferred Stock

The following is a summary of the material terms of the Company’s 7% Cumulative Participating Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Preferred Stock”), contained in the certificate of designations for the Preferred Stock (the “Certificate of Designations”). The summary is generalized, does not purport to be complete and, as such, subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to the Certificate of Designations.

General . Pursuant to the Plan and in connection with the rights offering thereunder, the Backstop Purchasers agreed to purchase 1,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock, stated value $100.00 per share. As of the Effective Date, after giving effect to the issuance of the Preferred Stock, the Company has 1,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock outstanding.

Ranking.  The Preferred Stock ranks senior to the Common Stock and all other classes or series of the Company’s capital stock, except for any other class or series, the terms of which expressly provide that it ranks on a parity with the Preferred Stock. In the event of a winding-up or dissolution of the Company, holders of Preferred Stock are entitled to priority in payments from the Company in an amount equal to the greater of (x) the stated value of the Preferred Stock plus accrued and unpaid cumulative preferred dividends and (y) the conversion value of the Preferred Stock.

Dividends . Holders of Preferred Stock will be entitled to receive cumulative preferred dividends on a quarterly basis at the rate of 7% per year. Dividends may be paid in cash or “in-kind” with additional shares of Preferred Stock at the option of the Company.

In addition, shares of Preferred Stock are entitled to receive dividends to the same extent and on the same basis as dividends declared with respect to the Common Stock determined in accordance with the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Preferred Stock at the time such dividend is declared. For so long as any shares of Preferred Stock are outstanding, dividends may not be declared or paid on the Common Stock (unless paid in Common Stock) and no Common Stock may be acquired by the Company unless the full cumulative preferred dividends have been paid and, in the case of a cash dividend on or cash acquisition of the Common Stock, unless the Company shall have redeemed all shares of Preferred Stock tendered in an offer to purchase such shares.

Conversion at Option of Holders . Shares of Preferred Stock will be convertible at any time into shares of Common Stock at the option of the holders. As of the Effective Date, after giving effect to the issuance of 1,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock to the Backstop Purchasers, the Preferred Stock will initially be convertible into 4,290,788 shares of Common Stock. The initial conversion price of the Preferred Stock will be $23.30574 per share of Common Stock, subject to certain adjustments, including, among others, stock splits and reclassifications, stock dividends and distributions, tender or exchange offers, reorganization events, rights plans and certain issuances of Common Stock or derivatives.

Conversion at Option of Parent . The Company may convert the Preferred Stock at its option at any time after the third anniversary of the Effective Date if (i) the closing sale price of the Common Stock exceeded 155% of the


conversion price of the Preferred Stock for each of 30 consecutive trading days within the 45-day period prior to the notification by the Company to the holders of the Preferred Stock of its exercise of the conversion right, (ii) the Common Stock has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) or the NASDAQ Global Select Market or the NASDAQ Global Market (collectively, “NASDAQ”) and has been registered pursuant to section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and (iii) a registration statement covering resales of the Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Preferred Stock has been declared effective prior to the date of notice and will remain available for resales for at least 60 days after the conversion date, subject to certain exceptions.

Conversion Upon IPO . The Company may cause the conversion of all shares of Preferred Stock into shares of Common Stock immediately prior to the consummation of an underwritten initial public offering of the Common Stock if (i) the holders of two-thirds of the then outstanding shares of Preferred Stock approve the conversion and (ii) the Common Stock has been listed on the NYSE or NASDAQ and has been registered pursuant to section 12 of the Exchange Act.

Redemption Rights Upon Certain Transactions . Upon certain events that constitute a change of control or involve a Cash Transaction (as defined below), the holders of Preferred Stock may require the Company to redeem all or a portion of their Preferred Stock at the greater of the stated value of the Preferred Stock plus accrued and unpaid cumulative preferred dividends or the value of the shares of the Common Stock into which such shares of Preferred Stock are then convertible. If a Cash Transaction occurs prior to the fifth anniversary of the Effective Date, holders of Preferred Stock will be entitled to receive cash equal to the greater of (i), in the case of a Cash Transaction that occurs prior to the first anniversary of the Effective Date, the stated value of the Preferred Stock plus accrued and unpaid cumulative preferred dividends both multiplied by 1.175, after the first anniversary and prior to the fifth anniversary of the Effective Date, the stated value of the Preferred Stock plus accrued and unpaid cumulative preferred dividends both multiplied by 1.125 and, thereafter, the stated value of the Preferred Stock plus accrued and unpaid cumulative preferred dividends and (ii) the conversion value of the Preferred Stock as of such date. “Cash Transaction” means a merger, consolidation, share exchange or other similar transaction or a sale, lease or other transfer in one transaction or a series of related transactions of all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Company and its subsidiaries in which all of the Common Stock is converted into the right to receive cash.

Redemption at Option of the Company . From and after the sixth anniversary of the Effective Date, the Company may, at its option, redeem shares of Preferred Stock at any time, in whole or in part, for cash at the greater of (x) the stated value of the Preferred Stock plus accrued and unpaid cumulative dividends (which value will be multiplied by 1.125 if the redemption occurs prior to the seventh anniversary of the Effective Date) and (y) 75% of the conversion value of the Preferred Stock as of the second trading day prior to the redemption date. If 75% of the conversion value of the Preferred Stock is greater than the amount in (x) above, the Company may redeem the shares of Preferred Stock in part for cash equal to the redemption value of the Preferred Stock and in part for shares of Common Stock valued as of the second trading day prior to the redemption date equal to the difference between the redemption value of the Preferred Stock and 75% of the conversion value of the Preferred Stock. In order for the Company to elect to exercise this redemption right, a registration statement covering resales of the Common Stock issuable upon redemption of the Preferred Stock must have been declared effective prior to the date of notice and must remain available for resales for at least 60 days after the redemption date, subject to certain exceptions.

Voting.  Each share of Preferred Stock will carry one vote for each share of Common Stock into which such share of Preferred Stock may be converted on the record date for the determination of the stockholders entitled to vote and will be entitled to vote on any matter upon which shares of the Common Stock are entitled to vote, voting together with the Common Stock and not as a separate class. In addition, the holders of two-thirds of the outstanding Preferred Stock will have to approve certain actions, including:

 

   

changes to the Company’s Third Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation that are adverse to the rights of the Preferred Stock;

 

   

changes of the Preferred Stock (whether by merger, consolidation, reclassification or otherwise) into cash, securities or other property (except in accordance with the Certificate of Designations) or, in the case of a merger or consolidation of the Company in which the Company is not the surviving entity, the Preferred Stock may be exchanged for an equivalent number of shares of preferred stock of the surviving or resulting entity with substantially the same terms as the Preferred Stock;


   

any issuance of shares of Preferred Stock (other than the initial issuance of 1,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock on the Effective Date and additional shares issued as “in kind” dividends); provided , however , that any issuance of shares of Preferred Stock that are not offered to the existing holders of Preferred Stock on a pro rata basis relative to their holdings on the same terms as offered to other participants in the issuance shall require the approval of each holder of Preferred Stock;

 

   

the creation, authorization, issuance or increase in the amount of any equity security that ranks equally with or senior to the Preferred Stock with respect to dividend rights, rights of redemption or rights of liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Company; and

 

   

the conversion of the shares of Preferred Stock into shares of Common Stock immediately prior to the consummation of an initial underwritten public offering of shares of Common Stock.

 

Item 3.03 Material Modification to the Rights of Security Holders

The information set forth under Item 1.02 of this Current Report on Form 8-K is incorporated by reference herein.

 

Item 5.01 Changes in Control of Registrant

On the Effective Date, pursuant to the Plan and the Confirmation Order, all equity interests in the Company, including common stock and any options, warrants, calls, subscriptions or other similar rights or other agreements, commitments or outstanding securities obligations, were cancelled and extinguished. Former stockholders of the Company will receive no distributions or other consideration under the Plan. Under the Plan, the Backstop Purchasers have received or will receive 4,563,095 shares of Common Stock in exchange for approximately $105 million in principal of the Company’s prepetition senior notes, holders of the Company’s prepetition senior subordinated notes have received or will receive 1,742,222 shares of Common Stock in exchange for their prepetition senior subordinated notes, eligible holders of the Company’s prepetition senior subordinated notes received 8,623,491 shares of Common Stock purchased pursuant to a rights offering conducted pursuant to the Plan, holders of the Company’s prepetition senior subordinated notes that were not eligible to participate in the rights offering have received or will receive 2,703 shares of Common Stock, the Backstop Purchasers have received 2,558,182 shares of Common Stock and 1,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock purchased pursuant to the Plan and the equity commitment agreement pursuant to which the Backstop Parties agreed to backstop the rights offering. As a result of the emergence from bankruptcy protection, the identity of a majority of the Board is different from the Board immediately prior to the Effective Date, as described in Item 5.02 below.

 

Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers

Departure and Appointment of Directors

Pursuant to the Plan, as of the Effective Date the following directors ceased to serve on the Board: Edward A. Hasler, Gerald J. Cardinale, Gary L. Convis, Jack Daly, S.A. (Tony) Johnson, Leo F. Mullin and James A. Stern.

Pursuant to the Plan and the Third Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, as of the Effective Date the number of directors of the Company was fixed at seven. In accordance with the Plan, the initial board of the Company as of the Effective Date consists of (i) James S. McElya, the Company’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, (ii) Glenn R. August, who was nominated by Oak Hill pursuant to its Nomination Agreement, (iii) Orlando A. Bustos, who was nominated by Silver Point pursuant to its Nomination Agreement (iv) Larry Jutte, an independent director who was nominated by the Designating Parties pursuant to its Nomination Agreement in consultation with Mr. McElya, Korn/Ferry International and the official committee of unsecured creditors appointed in the Debtors’ chapter 11 cases (the “Creditors Committee”), (v) David J. Mastrocola, an independent director who was nominated by Barclays Capital pursuant to its Nomination Agreement in consultation with Mr. McElya, Korn/Ferry International and the Creditors’ Committee, (vi) Stephen A. Van Oss, an independent director who was selected by the Debtors from their then existing Board, and (vii) Kenneth L. Way, an independent director who was selected by the Debtors from their then existing Board.


Committees of the Board of Directors

It is expected that the committees of the board and the membership of each committee will be determined by the Board at its next meeting.

Compensation Arrangements

On the Effective Date, the Company adopted the 2010 Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc. Management Incentive Plan (the “Management Incentive Plan”) that was filed with the Bankruptcy Court on May 5, 2010, as part of the supplement to the Plan. This summary is generalized, does not purport to be complete and, as such, subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to the provisions of the Management Incentive Plan, which is attached as Exhibit 10.6 to this report and incorporated herein by reference. The Management Incentive Plan provides for Initial Grant Awards that were made on the Effective Date to key employees of the Company and Future Grant Awards that may be made at any time following the Effective Date to key employees and directors of the Company.

Number of Shares . The total number of shares authorized to be issued under the Management Incentive Plan as the Initial Grant Awards are as follows: (1) 4% of the Common Stock (or 757,896 shares of Common Stock, plus, subject to realized dilution on the Warrants, an additional 104,075 shares of Common Stock) to be granted as restricted stock; (2) 4% of the Preferred Stock (initially convertible into 178,783 shares of Common Stock) to be granted as restricted Preferred Stock; and (3) 3% of the equity (or 702,509 shares of Common Stock, plus, subject to realized dilution on the Warrants, an additional 78,057 shares of Common Stock) to be granted as stock options.

The total number of shares which may be issued under the Management Incentive Plan as the Future Grant Awards, to be issued incrementally, are 3% of the equity (or 702,509 shares of Common Stock, plus, subject to realized dilution on the Warrants, 78,057 shares of Common Stock). The issuance of shares or the payment of cash upon the exercise of an award or in consideration of the cancellation or termination of an award will reduce the total number of shares available under the Management Incentive Plan, as applicable. Shares which are subject to awards which terminate or lapse without the payment of consideration may be granted again under the Management Incentive Plan.

Stock Options . The exercise price of each stock option will be fair market value. Each stock option becomes vested at such times as may be designated by the Board or any committee or subcommittee thereof to which the Board delegates such duties (the “Committee”) and set forth in the applicable award agreement. Stock options granted under the Management Incentive Plan become exercisable at such time and upon such terms and conditions as may be determined by the Committee and set forth in the applicable award agreement, but in no event may a stock option be exercisable more than ten years after the date it is granted.

Restricted Stock . Until all restrictions upon the shares of restricted stock or restricted Preferred Stock awarded to a participant have lapsed at the times set forth in the applicable award agreement, such shares may not be sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of and shall not be pledged or otherwise hypothecated. The payment to the participant of any dividends or distributions declared or paid on such shares of restricted stock or restricted Preferred Stock awarded to the participant will be deferred until the lapsing of the restrictions imposed upon such shares. Any such deferred dividends or distributions may be credited during the deferral period with interest at a rate per annum as the Committee, in its discretion, may determine. Payment of any such deferred dividends or distributions, together with any interest accrued thereon, will be made upon the lapsing of the restrictions imposed on such shares and any such deferred dividends or distributions (together with any interest accrued thereon) will be forfeited upon the forfeiture of such shares.

Change of Control; Initial Grant Awards . In the event of a Change of Control (as such term is defined in the Management Incentive Plan), 50% of the then unvested portion of all outstanding Initial Grant Awards will vest (and any restrictions thereon shall lapse). The remaining outstanding Initial Grant Awards shall vest (and any restrictions thereon shall lapse) in accordance with their terms; provided however, that upon a termination of a participant’s employment by the Company and its affiliates without Cause or by the participant for Good Reason (as those terms are defined in an executive’s employment agreement if applicable, or else as defined in the Management Incentive Plan), within two years after such Change of Control, the remaining outstanding Initial Grant Awards will vest (and any restrictions thereon shall lapse) with respect to the remaining outstanding shares of such Initial Grant Awards. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee may place additional restrictions upon certain Initial Grant Awards in the applicable award agreement.

Future Grant Awards . For all outstanding Future Grant Awards, any acceleration in connection with a Change of Control shall be determined by the Committee and set forth in each award agreement.


Administration . The Management Incentive Plan will be administered by the Committee. The Committee is authorized to interpret the Management Incentive Plan, to establish, amend and rescind any rules and regulations relating to the Management Incentive Plan, and to make any other determinations that it deems necessary or desirable for the administration of the Management Incentive Plan. The Committee may correct any defect or supply any omission or reconcile any inconsistency in the Management Incentive Plan in the manner and to the extent the Committee deems necessary or desirable. The Committee has the full power and authority to establish the terms and conditions of any award consistent with the provisions of the Management Incentive Plan and to waive any such terms and conditions at any time (including, without limitation, accelerating or waiving any vesting conditions).

Initial Grant Awards . On the Effective Date, the Initial Grant Awards were made to key employees of the Company pursuant to a Form of Restricted Stock Award Agreement and Form of Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement adopted by the Board. This summary is generalized, does not purport to be complete and, as such, is subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to the provisions of the Form of Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement and Form of Restricted Stock Award Agreement, which are attached as Exhibits 10.7 and 10.8 to this report, respectively, and incorporated herein by reference. The time-based stock options, time-based restricted stock, and time-based restricted Preferred Stock vest in equal installments on each anniversary of the Effective Date for four years, while the participant remains employed (other than the CEO who did not receive any stock options and whose time-based restricted stock and time-based restricted Preferred Stock will vest in equal installments over three years).

All the named executive officers also received equity awards in respect of Warrants, which vest (or restrictions thereon lapse) and become exercisable on the later of the date on which (i) the time-based stock option or restricted stock vests (or restrictions thereon lapse) and becomes exercisable in accordance with its terms or (ii) any or all of the Warrants are exercised, in each case in an amount determined based on the number of shares issued upon the exercise of such Warrants, which shall be determined for each exercise of a Warrant by multiplying the award by the Warrant Factor (as defined below); provided that upon termination of the participant’s employment prior to full exercise or expiration of the Warrants, the award shall vest and become exercisable to the extent that the time-based stock option or time-based restricted stock vested (or restrictions thereon have lapsed) and became exercisable as of the date of such termination in accordance with its terms and in an amount determined by multiplying the award by the Deemed Warrant Factor. Warrant Factor means, at the time of each exercise of Warrants, (i) the number of shares actually issued by the Company upon such exercise divided by (ii) the total amount of outstanding Warrants. Deemed Warrant Factor means, as of the date of the participant’s termination of employment, (i) the number of shares that would have been issued by the Company if the Warrants outstanding and unexercised as of such date were deemed exercised on a net exercise basis, based on the market value of such shares as of such date, divided by (ii) the total amount of outstanding Warrants.

The unvested outstanding awards are generally canceled by the Company without consideration upon termination of employment, provided that upon termination without Cause, by the participant for Good Reason, or due to the participant’s death or Disability (generally as such terms are defined in an executive’s employment agreement if they have one, or else as defined in the Management Incentive Plan), the participant shall be deemed vested as of the date of such termination in any of the equity awards that would have otherwise vested in the calendar year in which such termination occurs.

The initial grant allocations to the named executive officers were as follows:

 

     Restricted
Common Stock
   Restricted
Common Stock
in Respect of
Warrants
   Restricted
Preferred Stock
   Stock Options    Stock
Options in
Respect of
Warrants

James S. McElya

   375,940    54,075    21,534    0    0

Edward Hasler

   61,680    9,000    3,533    110,000    13,857

Allen J. Campbell

   54,581    7,566    3,142    93,000    11,941

Keith D. Stephenson

   54,581    7,566    3,142    93,000    11,941

Michael C. Verwilst

   34,516    4,761    1,977    58,000    7,448


The stock options were granted with an exercise price equal to the Plan value of the Common Stock of $25.52 per share.

Future Grant Awards . On the day after the Effective Date, stock options and restricted stock awards were granted to the following non-employee directors in accordance with form of award agreements adopted by the Board: Orlando Bustos, Larry Jutte, David Mastrocola, Stephen A. Van Oss, and Kenneth L. Way. Each of these directors was granted 4,408 shares of restricted Common Stock and 9,731 options to purchase Common Stock (with an exercise price per share equal to the Plan value of $25.52). This summary is generalized, does not purport to be complete and, as such, is subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to the provisions of the Form of Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement and Form of Restricted Stock Award Agreement, which are attached as Exhibits 10.9 and 10.10 to this report, respectively, and incorporated herein by reference.

The time-based stock options, time-based restricted stock, and time-based restricted Preferred Stock generally vest in installments equal to 50% on the first anniversary of the Effective Date, and 25% on each of the second and third anniversaries of the Effective Date, while the directors remain in service with the Company. The equity awards vest 100% in the event of a Change of Control. Upon termination of service due to the director’s death, Disability or as the result of an involuntary removal by action of the stockholders, the awards vest on a pro-rata basis based on the following fraction, the numerator of which is the days served as a director from the later of the date of grant or the most recent anniversary of the date of grant through the termination date and the denominator of which is 365, multiplied by: 1) 50%, if such termination occurs prior to the first anniversary of the date of grant, or 2) 25%, if such termination occurs between the first and third anniversaries of the date of grant, provided that, where applicable, upon a termination due to a Termination Event of the Stockholder (as such terms are defined in the Director Nomination Agreement pursuant to which such director was nominated), the equity would vest with respect to 50% of the award if such termination occurs prior to the first anniversary and with respect to 25% of the award granted thereunder if such termination occurs between the first and third anniversaries.

Effective as of May 28, 2010, the Board also approved the following compensation to be paid to the non-employee directors: an annual cash retainer of $75,000 per year, to be paid quarterly, a committee chair fee of $10,000 per year, paid quarterly, for service as chair of a standing committee of the Board, reimbursement of travel, accommodation and other expenses for meeting fees and expenses (with no per-meeting fees for attendance), and the equity awards described above. In addition, the Amended and Restated By-laws provide for broad indemnification of directors.

Additionally, pursuant to its Nomination Agreement, Oak Hill Advisors, L.P. or its Affiliates will be receiving the compensation described above (including the equity grants pursuant to substantially similar terms and substantially similar award agreements) in lieu of Glenn R. August.

 

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

  (d) Exhibits

 

Exhibit Number

  

Exhibit Description

  4.1

   Supplemental Indenture, dated as of May 27, 2010, among CSA U.S., the Company, the subsidiaries of CSA U.S. set forth on the signature page thereto and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee under the indenture

  4.2

   Joinder to Registration Rights Agreement, dated May 27, 2010

  4.3

   Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of May 27, 2010, by and among the Company, the Backstop Purchasers and the other holders party thereto

  4.4

   Warrant Agreement, dated as of May 27, 2010, between the Company and Computershare Inc. and Computershare Trust Company, N.A., collectively as Warrant Agent

10.1

   Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of May 27, 2010, among the Company, CSA U.S., CSA Canada, the other guarantors party thereto, certain financial institutions as lenders and Bank of America, N.A., as Agent

10.2

   Director Nomination Agreement, made as of May 27, 2010, among the Company and Barclays Capital, Inc.

10.3

   Director Nomination Agreement, made as of May 27, 2010, among the Company and Silver Point Capital, L.P., on behalf of its affiliates and related funds


10.4

   Director Nomination Agreement, made as of May 27, 2010, among the Company and Oak Hill Advisors L.P., on behalf of certain funds and separate accounts that it manages

10.5

   Director Nomination Agreement, made as of May 27, 2010, among the Company and Capital Research and Management Company, as investment advisor to certain funds it manages, TCW Shared Opportunity Fund IV, L.P., TCW Shared Opportunity Fund IVB, L.P., TCW Shared Opportunity Fund V, L.P., TD High Yield Income Fund, and Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC, as investment manager on behalf of multiple clients

10.6

   2010 Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc. Management Incentive Plan

10.7

   Form of 2010 Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc. Management Incentive Plan Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement for key employees

10.8

   Form of 2010 Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc. Management Incentive Plan Restricted Stock Award Agreement for key employees

10.9

   Form of 2010 Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc. Management Incentive Plan Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement for directors

10.10

   Form of 2010 Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc. Management Incentive Plan Restricted Stock Award Agreement for directors


SIGNATURES

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 hereunto duly authorized.

 

COOPER-STANDARD HOLDINGS INC.

        /s/ Timothy W. Hefferon

Name:   Timothy W. Hefferon
Title:   Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

Dated: June 3, 2010


EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit Number

  

Exhibit Description

  4.1    Supplemental Indenture, dated as of May 27, 2010, among CSA U.S., the Company, the subsidiaries of CSA U.S. set forth on the signature page thereto and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee under the indenture
  4.2    Joinder to Registration Rights Agreement, dated May 27, 2010
  4.3    Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of May 27, 2010, by and among the Company, the Backstop Purchasers and the other holders party thereto
  4.4    Warrant Agreement, dated as of May 27, 2010, between the Company and Computershare Inc. and Computershare Trust Company, N.A., collectively as Warrant Agent
10.1    Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of May 27, 2010, among the Company, CSA U.S., CSA Canada, the other guarantors party thereto, certain financial institutions as lenders and Bank of America, N.A., as Agent
10.2    Director Nomination Agreement, made as of May 27, 2010, among the Company and Barclays Capital, Inc.
10.3    Director Nomination Agreement, made as of May 27, 2010, among the Company and Silver Point Capital, L.P., on behalf of its affiliates and related funds
10.4    Director Nomination Agreement, made as of May 27, 2010, among the Company and Oak Hill Advisors L.P., on behalf of certain funds and separate accounts that it manages
10.5    Director Nomination Agreement, made as of May 27, 2010, among the Company and Capital Research and Management Company, as investment advisor to certain funds it manages, TCW Shared Opportunity Fund IV, L.P., TCW Shared Opportunity Fund IVB, L.P., TCW Shared Opportunity Fund V, L.P., TD High Yield Income Fund, and Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC, as investment manager on behalf of multiple clients
10.6    2010 Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc. Management Incentive Plan
10.7    Form of 2010 Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc. Management Incentive Plan Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement for key employees
10.8    Form of 2010 Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc. Management Incentive Plan Restricted Stock Award Agreement for key employees
10.9    Form of 2010 Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc. Management Incentive Plan Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement for directors
10.10    Form of 2010 Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc. Management Incentive Plan Restricted Stock Award Agreement for directors

EXHIBIT 4.1

SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE

SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE (this “ Supplemental Indenture ”) dated as of May 27, 2010, among COOPER-STANDARD AUTOMOTIVE INC., an Ohio corporation (the “ New Company ”), COOPER-STANDARD HOLDINGS INC., a Delaware corporation (the “ Parent Guarantor ”), the subsidiaries of the New Company set forth on the signature page hereto (together with the Parent Guarantor, the “ Guarantors ”) and U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, a national banking association, as trustee under the indenture referred to below (the “ Trustee ”).

W I T N E S S E T H :

WHEREAS CSA Escrow Corporation (the “ Company ”) has heretofore executed and delivered to the Trustee an indenture (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified, the “ Indenture ”) dated as of May 11, 2010, providing for the issuance of the Company’s $450,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the 8  1 / 2 % Senior Notes due 2018 (the “ Securities ”);

WHEREAS pursuant to Section 9.01 of the Indenture, the Trustee, the New Company and the Guarantors are authorized to execute and deliver this Supplemental Indenture;

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the New Company, the Guarantors and the Trustee mutually covenant and agree for the equal and ratable benefit of the holders of the Securities as follows:

1. Defined Terms . As used in this Supplemental Indenture, terms defined in the Indenture or in the preamble or recital hereto are used herein as therein defined, except that the term “ holders ” in this Supplemental Indenture shall refer to the term “ holders ” as defined in the Indenture and the Trustee acting on behalf of and for the benefit of such holders. The words “ herein ,” “ hereof ” and “ hereby ” and other words of similar import used in this Supplemental Indenture refer to this Supplemental Indenture as a whole and not to any particular section hereof.

2. Agreement to Assume Obligations . The New Company hereby agrees to unconditionally assume the Company’s Obligations under the Securities and the Indenture on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Indenture and to be bound by all applicable provisions of the Indenture and the Securities and to perform all of the obligations and agreements of the Company under the Indenture.

3. Agreement to Guarantee . The Guarantors hereby agree, jointly and severally, with all existing guarantors (if any), to unconditionally guarantee the New Company’s Obligations under the Securities and the Indenture on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in Article 11 of the Indenture and to be bound by all other applicable provisions of the Indenture and the Securities and to perform all of the obligations and agreements of a guarantor under the Indenture.

4. Notices . All notices or other communications to the New Company and the Guarantors shall be given as provided in Section 13.02 of the Indenture.

5. Ratification of Indenture; Supplemental Indenture Part of Indenture . Except as expressly amended hereby, the Indenture is in all respects ratified and confirmed and all the terms, conditions and provisions thereof shall remain in full force and effect. This Supplemental Indenture shall form a part of the Indenture for all purposes, and every holder of Securities heretofore or hereafter authenticated and delivered shall be bound hereby.


6. Release of Obligations of Escrow Company . Upon execution of this Supplemental Indenture by the New Company and the Trustee, CSA Escrow Corporation is released and discharged from all obligations under the Indenture and the Securities.

7. Governing Law . THIS SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

8. Trustee Makes No Representation . The Trustee makes no representation as to the validity or sufficiency of this Supplemental Indenture.

9. Counterparts . The parties may sign any number of copies of this Supplemental Indenture. Each signed copy shall be an original, but all of them together represent the same agreement.

10. Effect of Headings . The Section headings herein are for convenience only and shall not effect the construction thereof.


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

 

COOPER-STANDARD AUTOMOTIVE INC.
By:  

/s/ Timothy W. Hefferon

  Name:   Timothy W. Hefferon
  Title:   Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary
COOPER-STANDARD HOLDINGS INC.
By:  

/s/ Timothy W. Hefferon

  Name:   Timothy W. Hefferon
  Title:   Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary
GUARANTORS:
COOPER-STANDARD AUTOMOTIVE FHS INC.

COOPER-STANDARD AUTOMOTIVE FLUID SYSTEMS MEXICO HOLDINGS LLC

COOPER-STANDARD AUTOMOTIVE NC L.L.C.
COOPER-STANDARD AUTOMOTIVE OH, LLC
CSA SERVICES INC.
NISCO HOLDING COMPANY
NORTH AMERICAN RUBBER, INCORPORATED
STANTECH, INC.
STERLING INVESTMENTS COMPANY
WESTBORN SERVICE CENTER, INC.
By:  

/s/ Timothy W. Hefferon

  Name:   Timothy W. Hefferon
  Title:   Secretary


TRUSTEE:
U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
as Trustee
By:  

/s/ James Kowalski

  Name:   James Kowalski
  Title:   Vice President

 

Acknowledged by:
CSA ESCROW CORPORATION
By:  

/s/ Timothy W. Hefferon

  Name:   Timothy W. Hefferon
  Title:   Vice President

EXHIBIT 4.2

Joinder Agreement

WHEREAS, CSA Escrow Corporation and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., as representative of the Initial Purchasers named on Schedule 1 of the Purchase Agreement (the “ Initial Purchasers ”), heretofore executed and delivered a Registration Rights Agreement (“ Registration Rights Agreement ”), dated May 11, 2010, providing for the registration and exchange of the Securities (as defined therein); and

WHEREAS, Cooper-Standard Automotive Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), and each of the Guarantors, which was originally not a party thereto, has agreed to join in the Registration Rights Agreement on the Release Date.

Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Registration Rights Agreement.

NOW, THEREFORE, the Company and each Guarantor hereby agrees for the benefit of the Initial Purchasers, as follows:

1. Joinder . Each of the undersigned signatory parties hereby acknowledges that it has received and reviewed a copy of the Registration Rights Agreement and all other documents it deems fit to enter into this Joinder Agreement (the “ Joinder Agreement ”), and acknowledges and agrees to (i) join and become a party to the Registration Rights Agreement as indicated by its signature below; (ii) be bound by all covenants, agreements, representations, warranties, indemnities and acknowledgments attributable to the Guarantors and/or the Company, as applicable, to such signatory party in the Registration Rights Agreement as if made by, and with respect to, such signatory party; and (iii) perform all obligations and duties required and be entitled to all the benefits of the Guarantors or the Company, as applicable, and of such signatory party pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement.

2. Representations and Warranties and Agreements of the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors . Each of the undersigned hereby represents and warrants to and agrees with the Initial Purchasers that it has all the requisite corporate or limited liability company power and authority, as the case may be, to execute, deliver and perform its obligations under this Joinder Agreement and to consummate the transaction contemplated hereby and that when this Joinder Agreement is executed and delivered, it will constitute a valid and legally binding agreement enforceable against each of the undersigned in accordance with its terms.

3. Counterparts . This Joinder Agreement may be signed in one or more counterparts (which may be delivered in original form or via facsimile), each of which shall constitute an original when so executed and all of which together shall constitute one and the same agreement.

4. Amendments . No amendment or waiver of any provision of this Joinder Agreement, nor any consent or approval to any departure therefrom, shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be in writing and signed by all of the parties to the Registration Rights Agreement.


5. Headings . The section headings used herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

6. Applicable Law . This Joinder Agreement, and any claims, controversy or dispute arising under or related to this Joinder Agreement, shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York without regard to conflict of law principles that would result in the application of any laws other than the laws of the State of New York.


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this agreement as of the 27th day of May, 2010.

 

COOPER-STANDARD AUTOMOTIVE INC.
By:  

/s/ Timothy W. Hefferon

  Name:   Timothy W. Hefferon
  Title:   Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary
COOPER-STANDARD HOLDINGS INC.
By:  

/s/ Timothy W. Hefferon

  Name:   Timothy W. Hefferon
  Title:   Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary
GUARANTORS:
COOPER-STANDARD AUTOMOTIVE FHS INC.

COOPER-STANDARD AUTOMOTIVE FLUID SYSTEMS MEXICO HOLDINGS LLC

COOPER-STANDARD AUTOMOTIVE NC L.L.C.

COOPER-STANDARD AUTOMOTIVE OH, LLC
CSA SERVICES INC.
NISCO HOLDING COMPANY

NORTH AMERICAN RUBBER, INCORPORATED

STANTECH, INC.
STERLING INVESTMENTS COMPANY
WESTBORN SERVICE CENTER, INC.
By:  

/s/ Timothy W. Hefferon

  Name:   Timothy W. Hefferon
  Title:   Secretary

EXHIBIT 4.3

EXECUTION VERSION

REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

by and among

COOPER-STANDARD HOLDINGS, INC.,

THE BACKSTOP PURCHASERS

and

THE OTHER HOLDERS PARTY HERETO

Dated as of May 27, 2010


Table of Contents

 

          Page
1.    Definitions    1
2.    Demand Registrations    6
3.    Shelf Registration    9
4.    Piggyback Takedowns    12
5.    Suspension Period    13
6.    Holdback Agreements    14
7.    Company Undertakings    15
8.    Registration Expenses    20
9.    Hedging Transactions    21
10.    Indemnification; Contribution    21
11.    Participation in Underwritten Offering/Sale of Registrable Securities    25
12.    Free Writing Prospectuses    26
13.    Information from Holders    26
14.    Financial Reports    27
15.    Private Placement    27
16.    Rule 144    27
17.    Transfer of Registration Rights    28
18.    Amendment, Modification and Waivers; Further Assurances    28
19.    Miscellaneous    29

 

Annex A   Plan of Distribution
Annex B   Form of Joinder Agreement


EXHIBIT 4.3

REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

THIS REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this “ Agreement ”) is made as of May 27, 2010 by and among Cooper-Standard Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), the parties identified as “ Backstop Purchasers ” on the signature page hereto and the parties identified as “ Holders ” on the signature page hereto. Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein are defined in Section 1 hereof.

RECITALS:

WHEREAS, pursuant to the Commitment Agreement dated March 19, 2010 (the “ Commitment Agreement ”) by and between the Company and the Backstop Purchasers, the Company has agreed to offer registration rights to certain holders of the Company’s New Common Stock, New Preferred Stock and Warrants on the terms and conditions set forth herein; and

WHEREAS, the Company proposes to issue the New Common Stock, New Preferred Stock and Warrants pursuant to, and upon the terms set forth in, the plan of reorganization of the Company and certain of its subsidiaries and affiliates under chapter 11 of Title 11 of the United States Code (the “ Plan ”).

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual covenants contained herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and each of the Holders hereby agree as follows:

 

  1. Definitions.

Affiliate ” of any particular Person means any other Person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with such Person.

Agreement ” has the meaning specified in the first paragraph hereof.

Automatic Shelf Registration Statement ” means an “automatic shelf registration statement” as defined in Rule 405 (or any successor rule then in effect) promulgated under the Securities Act.

Backstop Purchasers ” has the meaning specified in the first paragraph hereof.

beneficially owned , beneficial ownership ” and similar phrases have the same meanings as such terms have under Rule 13d-3 and 13d-5 (or any successor rule then in effect) promulgated under the Exchange Act, except that in calculating the beneficial ownership of any Holder, such Holder shall be deemed to have beneficial ownership of all securities that such Holder has the right to acquire, whether such right is currently exercisable or is exercisable only upon the occurrence of a subsequent condition.

Board ” means the Board of Directors of the Company.


Business Day ” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in New York City are authorized or required by applicable law or executive order to close.

Commission ” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or any successor governmental agency.

Commitment Agreement ” has the meaning specified in the Recitals.

Company ” has the meaning specified in the first paragraph hereof.

Company Demand Registration Notice ” has the meaning specified in Section 2(b) .

Company Shelf Takedown Notice ” has the meaning specified in Section 3(c) .

control ” (including the terms “ controlling ,” “ controlled by ” and “ under common control with ”) means, unless otherwise noted, the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting shares, by contract, or otherwise.

Counsel to the Holders ” means, with respect to any underwritten offering pursuant to a Demand Registration (including a Shelf Takedown or any Underwritten Shelf Takedown), the one law firm or other legal counsel selected by the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities requested to be included in such Demand Registration (or Shelf Takedown or Underwritten Shelf Takedown, if applicable).

Demand Holder ” shall mean (i) any Backstop Purchaser or (ii) any Holder, in each case that, together with its Affiliates, beneficially owns at least 5% of the outstanding shares of New Common Stock (on a fully diluted basis assuming the conversion of all New Preferred Stock and the exercise of all Warrants) as of the Effective Date, for so long as such Backstop Purchaser or Holder, in each case, together with its Affiliates continues to beneficially own at least 5% of the aggregate outstanding shares of New Common Stock (on a fully diluted basis assuming the conversion of all New Preferred Stock and the exercise of all Warrants); provided , however , that any decrease in the beneficial ownership percentage of any Demand Holder resulting from the issuance by the Company of New Common Stock, New Preferred Stock or other securities convertible into or exercisable for New Common Stock or New Preferred Stock, shall not cause any Demand Holder to cease being a Demand Holder for purposes of this Agreement; provided , further , that a Demand Holder shall cease to be a Demand Holder at such time as such Demand Holder no longer holds any Registrable Securities.

Demand Registration ” has the meaning specified in Section 2(a)(ii) .

Demand Registration Notice ” has the meaning specified in Section 2(b) .

Demand Shelf Takedown Notice ” has the meaning specified in Section 3(c) .

Determination Date ” has the meaning specified in Section 3(g) .

 

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EDGAR ” means the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System of the Commission.

Effective Date ” has the meaning assigned to such term in the Plan.

Exchange Act ” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time.

FINRA ” means the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority or any successor regulatory authority.

Follow-On Registration Notice ” has the meaning specified in Section 3(h) .

Follow-On Shelf ” has the meaning specified in Section 3(h) .

Form S-1 Shelf ” has the meaning specified in Section 3(a) .

Form S-3 Shelf ” has the meaning specified in Section 3(a) .

Free Writing Prospectus ” means any “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 promulgated under the Securities Act.

Hedging Counterparty ” means a broker dealer registered under Section 15(b) of the Exchange Act or an Affiliate thereof.

Hedging Transaction ” means any transaction involving a security linked to the Registrable Securities or any security that would be deemed to be a “ derivative security ” (as defined in Rule 16a-1(c) promulgated under the Exchange Act) with respect to the Registrable Securities or any transaction (even if not a security) which would (were it a security) be considered such a derivative security, or which transfers some or all of the economic risk of ownership of the Registrable Securities, including any forward contract, equity swap, put or call, put or call equivalent position, collar, non-recourse loan, sale of an exchangeable security or similar transaction. For the avoidance of doubt, the following transactions shall be deemed to be Hedging Transactions:

(i) transactions by a Holder in which a Hedging Counterparty engages in short sales of Registrable Securities pursuant to a prospectus and may use Registrable Securities to close out its short position;

(ii) transactions pursuant to which a Holder sells short Registrable Securities pursuant to a prospectus and delivers Registrable Securities to close out its short position;

(iii) transactions by a Holder in which the Holder delivers, in a transaction exempt from registration under the Securities Act, Registrable Securities to the Hedging Counterparty who will then publicly resell or otherwise transfer such Registrable Securities pursuant to a prospectus or an exemption from registration under the Securities Act; and

 

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(iv) a loan or pledge of Registrable Securities to a Hedging Counterparty who may then become a selling stockholder and sell the loaned shares or, in an event of default in the case of a pledge, sell the pledged shares, in each case, in a public transaction pursuant to a prospectus.

Holder ” means (i) each Person (including each Backstop Purchaser) identified on the signature page hereto, together with its Affiliates and (ii) any parties identified on the signature page of any joinder agreements executed and delivered to the Company pursuant to Section 17 hereof, together with its Affiliates.

Holder Free Writing Prospectus ” means each Free Writing Prospectus prepared by or on behalf of the relevant Holder or used or referred to by such Holder in connection with the offering of Registrable Securities.

Initial Public Offering ” means the initial underwritten public offering of New Common Stock by the Company pursuant to an effective registration statement filed by the Company with the Commission (other than on Forms S-4 or S-8 or successors to such forms) under the Securities Act, including as may result from the Initial Demand Registration.

Initial Demand Registration ” has the meaning specified in Section 2(a)(i) .

Initial Requesting Holder ” has the meaning specified in Section 2(a)(i) .

Issuer Free Writing Prospectus ” means an issuer free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act.

Lock-Up Period ” has the meaning specified in Section 6 .

Long-Form Registration ” has the meaning specified in Section 2(a)(ii) .

Losses ” has the meaning specified in Section 10(a) .

National Securities Exchange ” means any exchange registered as a national securities exchange under the terms and conditions of Section 6 and in accordance with the provisions of Section 19 of the Exchange Act (or any successor provisions then in effect).

New Common Stock ” means the shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company issued on or after the Effective Date.

New Preferred Stock ” means the shares of the Company’s 7% Cumulative Participating Convertible Preferred Stock, issued on or after the Effective Date.

Other Holders ” has the meaning specified in Section 4(c) .

Person ” means an individual, a partnership, a corporation, a limited liability company, an association, a joint stock company, a trust, a joint venture, an unincorporated organization, a governmental entity or any department, agency or political subdivision thereof or any other entity.

 

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Piggyback Takedown ” has the meaning specified in Section 4(a) .

Plan ” has the meaning specified in the Recitals.

Proceeding ” has the meaning specified in Section 10(a) .

Prospectus ” means the prospectus used in connection with a Registration Statement.

Registrable Securities ” means at any time New Common Stock (including New Common Stock issuable upon conversion of New Preferred Stock and New Common Stock issuable upon exercise of Warrants), New Preferred Stock and Warrants held or beneficially owned by any Holder, including (i) any New Common Stock issued pursuant to the Plan or upon the conversion, exercise or exchange, as applicable, of any other securities and/or interests issued pursuant to the Plan and (ii) any shares of New Common Stock, New Preferred Stock or Warrants acquired in the open market or otherwise purchased or acquired by the Holder after the Effective Date; provided , however , that as to any Registrable Securities, such securities shall irrevocably cease to constitute Registrable Securities upon the earliest to occur of: (A) the date on which such securities have been disposed of pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act; (B) the date on which such securities have been disposed of pursuant to Rule 144; (C) with respect to the Registrable Securities of any Holder, at any time that such Holder no longer holds or beneficially owns at least 2% of the outstanding New Common Stock, but only if such Holder is not an “affiliate” for purposes of Rule 144 (and has not been an “affiliate” during the preceding three months and at least one year has elapsed since the Registrable Securities were acquired from the Company or an “affiliate” of the Company); (D) the date on which such securities have been transferred to any Person, other than a Holder or a Person pursuant to Section 17 hereof; and (E) the date on which such securities cease to be outstanding. For purposes of determining the number or a percentage of Registrable Securities in this Agreement, the number or percentage of Registrable Securities shall be determined based on a fully diluted common stock equivalent basis (assuming the conversion of all New Preferred Stock and the exercise of all Warrants).

Registration Statement ” means any registration statement filed hereunder or in connection with a Piggyback Takedown.

Requesting Holder ” has the meaning specified in Section 2(a)(ii) .

Rule 144 ” means Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act (or any successor rule then in effect).

Rule 144A ” means Rule 144A promulgated under the Securities Act (or any successor rule then in effect).

Securities Act ” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to time.

Shelf Registration ” means a registration of securities pursuant to a Registration Statement filed with the Commission in accordance with and pursuant to Rule 415 promulgated under the Securities Act (or any successor rule then in effect) that, in accordance with Section 7(c) , the Company may be required to keep effective for longer than 90 days.

 

5


Shelf Takedown ” means an Underwritten Shelf Takedown, a Piggyback Takedown or another offering pursuant to a Shelf Registration.

Short-Form Registration ” has the meaning specified in Section 2(a)(ii) .

Suspension Period ” has the meaning specified in Section 5(a) .

Underwritten Shelf Takedown ” has the meaning specified in Section 3(b) .

Warrants ” means the warrants to purchase New Common Stock being issued to certain of the Holders pursuant to the Warrant Agreement, dated as of May 27, 2010, between the Company and Computershare Inc. and Computershare Trust Company, N.A., collectively as Warrant Agent as of the date hereof.

Well-Known Seasoned Issuer ” means a “ well-known seasoned issuer ” as defined in Rule 405 promulgated under the Securities Act (or any successor rule then in effect) and which (i) is a “ well-known seasoned issuer ” under paragraph (1)(i)(A) of such definition or (ii) is a “ well-known seasoned issuer ” under paragraph (1)(i)(B) of such definition and is also eligible to register a primary offering of its securities relying on General Instruction I.B.1 of Form S-3 or Form F-3 under the Securities Act.

 

  2. Demand Registrations.

(a) Requests for Registration .

(i) At any time after the Effective Date and prior to an Initial Public Offering, (A) a Holder or group of Holders that beneficially owns at least 35% of the outstanding Registrable Securities or (B) each Backstop Purchaser, for so long as such Backstop Purchaser and its Affiliates beneficially own at least 7.5% of the outstanding shares of New Common Stock (on a fully diluted basis assuming the conversion of all New Preferred Stock and the exercise of all Warrants) (in the applicable capacity pursuant to clause (A) or (B), each an “ Initial Requesting Holder ”) may request registration under the Securities Act of all or any portion of the Registrable Securities held by such Initial Requesting Holder(s) on Form S-1 (or any successor form then in effect) (the “ Initial Demand Registration ”); provided that in the case of the Initial Demand Registration such Initial Requesting Holder(s) will be entitled to make such demand only if the total offering price of the shares to be sold in such offering (including piggyback shares and before deduction of underwriting discounts) is reasonably expected to exceed, in the aggregate, $75 million. The Initial Requesting Holder may request that the Initial Demand Registration be an underwritten offering. For the avoidance of doubt, only one Initial Demand Registration may be effected pursuant to this Section 2(a)(i) .

(ii) At any time after the Initial Public Offering, any Demand Holder or group of Demand Holders (in such capacity, each a “ Requesting Holder ”) may request registration under the Securities Act of all or any portion of the Registrable Securities held by such Requesting Holder(s) (A) on Form S-1 (or any successor form then in effect) (a “ Long-Form Registration ”) or (B) on Form S-3 or any similar short-form registration (a “ Short-Form Registration ”), if available (any registration under Sections 2(a)(i) or 2 (a)(ii) , a “ Demand Registration ”); provided that the Company will not be required to take any action pursuant to

 

6


this Section 2(a) of this Agreement: (A) if within the 12-month period preceding the date of a Demand Registration Notice the Company has effected either (1) two Demand Registrations pursuant to this Section 2 or (2) one registration pursuant to a Demand Registration Request and another registration statement of the Company under the Securities Act with respect to the New Common Stock has been declared effective within the 12-month period preceding such Demand Registration Notice and at least $20 million (based on the total offering price of such shares before deduction of underwriting discounts) of the then outstanding Registrable Securities were entitled pursuant to the terms of this Agreement to be included in such registration statement; (B) in the case of each such Long-Form Registration, unless the total offering price of the shares to be sold in such Long-Form Registration (including piggyback shares and before deduction of underwriting discounts) is reasonably expected to exceed, in the aggregate, $50 million; (C) in the case of each such Short-Form Registration, unless the total offering price of the shares to be sold in such Short-Form Registration (including piggyback shares and before deduction of underwriting discounts) is reasonably expected to exceed, in the aggregate, $20 million; or (D) during the pendency of any Suspension Period. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, Section 2(a)(i) hereof and Section 3(b) hereof, the Company shall be required to conduct no more than eight Long-Form Registrations for the Backstop Purchasers and no more than twelve Demand Registrations in connection with underwritten offerings (including Long-Form Registrations, Short-Form Registrations and Shelf Registrations) in total. Any Requesting Holder may request that any offering conducted under a Long-Form Registration or Short-Form Registration be underwritten.

(b) Demand Registration Notices . All requests for Demand Registrations shall be made by giving written notice to the Company (the “ Demand Registration Notice ”). Each Demand Registration Notice shall specify (i) whether such Demand Registration shall be an underwritten offering, (ii) the approximate number of Registrable Securities proposed to be sold in the Demand Registration and (iii) the expected price range (net of underwriting discounts and commissions) of such Demand Registration. Within five Business Days after receipt of any Demand Registration Notice, the Company shall give written notice of such requested Demand Registration to all other Holders of Registrable Securities (the “ Company Demand Registration Notice ”) and, subject to the provisions of Section 2(e) below, shall include in such Demand Registration all Registrable Securities with respect to which the Company has received written requests for inclusion therein within 20 days after sending the Company Demand Registration Notice.

(c) Long-Form Registrations . A registration shall not count as one of the permitted Long-Form Registrations until both (i) it has become effective and (ii) the Requesting Holder(s) is able to register and sell pursuant to such registration at least 90% of the Registrable Securities requested to be included in such registration either at the time of the registration or within 90 days thereafter; provided that a Long-Form Registration which is withdrawn at the sole request of the Requesting Holder(s) who demanded such Long-Form Registration will count as a Long-Form Registration unless the Company is reimbursed by such Requesting Holder(s) for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Company in connection with such registration. Subject to Section 2(a) above, each Demand Holder shall be entitled to act as a Requesting Holder (whether alone or as part of a group of Requesting Holders) for up to two Long-Form Registrations in the aggregate.

 

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(d) Short-Form Registrations . Demand Registrations shall be Short-Form Registrations whenever the Company is permitted to use any applicable short form registration statement under the rules and regulations of the Securities Act, unless the underwriters, in their reasonable discretion, determine that the use of a Long-Form Registration is necessary in order for the successful offering of such Shares. Promptly after the Company has become eligible to use Form S-3 under the Securities Act, the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to make Short-Form Registrations on Form S-3 (or any successor form) available for the resale of Registrable Securities on a continuous or delayed basis.

(e) Priority on Demand Registrations . The Company shall not include in any Demand Registration any securities which are not Registrable Securities without the prior written consent of the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities requested to be included in the Demand Registration. If the Demand Registration is an underwritten offering and the managing underwriters for such Demand Registration advise the Company and applicable Requesting Holders in writing that in their opinion the number of Registrable Securities and, if permitted hereunder, other securities requested to be included in such Demand Registration exceeds the number of Registrable Securities and other securities, if any, which can be sold in an orderly manner in such offering within a price range acceptable to the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities requested to be included in the Demand Registration, the Company shall include in such Demand Registration the number of Registrable Securities which can be so sold in the following order of priority: (i)  first , the Registrable Securities requested to be included in such Demand Registration, which in the opinion of such underwriter can be sold in an orderly manner within the price range of such offering, pro rata among the respective Holders of such Registrable Securities on the basis of the number of Registrable Securities owned by each such Holder, and (ii)  second , other securities requested to be included in such Demand Registration to the extent permitted hereunder.

(f) Restrictions on Demand Registrations . In addition to the provisions of Section 2(a)(ii) of this Agreement, the Company shall not be obligated to effect (i) any Long-Form Registration within 180 days or (ii) any Short-Form Registration within 90 days, in each case, after the effective date of a previous Demand Registration or a previous registration in which the Holders of Registrable Securities were given piggyback rights pursuant to Section 4 . In addition, the Company shall not be obligated to effect any Demand Registration during the period starting with the date that is 60 days prior to the Board’s good faith estimate of the date of filing of, and ending on the date that is 90 days after the effective date of, a Company initiated registration statement, provided that the Company is actively employing in good faith all commercially reasonable efforts to cause such registration to become effective and the Company has complied with the requirements of Section 4 hereof. In the event of any such suspension or delay, the Holder of Registrable Securities initially requesting a Demand Registration that is suspended by operation of this Section 2(f) shall be entitled to withdraw such request and, if such request is withdrawn, such Demand Registration shall not count as one of the permitted Demand Registrations hereunder, and, notwithstanding the proviso in Section 2(c) , the Company shall pay all Registration Expenses in connection with such registration.

(g) Selection of Underwriters . The Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities requested to be included in a Demand Registration which is an underwritten offering shall have the right to select the investment banker(s) and manager(s) to administer the offering (which shall consist of one or more reputable nationally recognized investment banks), subject to the Company’s approval which shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed.

 

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(h) Other Registration Rights . As of the date hereof and except as provided pursuant to the Plan, the Company represents and warrants that it is not a party to, or otherwise subject to, any other agreement granting registration rights to any other Person with respect to any securities of the Company, including securities convertible, exercisable or exchangeable into or for shares of any equity securities of the Company.

 

  3. Shelf Registration.

(a) Filing . The Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to file, no later than 60 days following any written request from any Demand Holder, a Registration Statement for a Shelf Registration on Form S-1 covering the resale of the Registrable Securities on a delayed or continuous basis (the “ Form S-1 Shelf ”) (unless the Form S-1 Shelf would be required pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities Act to include any audited or unaudited consolidated or pro forma financial statements that are not then currently available, in which case, as soon as reasonably practicable after such financial statements are available) and shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cause such Form S-1 Shelf to become effective as soon as reasonably practicable thereafter. The Company shall give written notice of the filing of the Form S-1 Shelf at least 15 days prior to filing thereof to all Holders of Registrable Securities (the “ Registration Notice ”) and shall include in such Registration Statement all Registrable Securities with respect to which the Company has received written requests for inclusion therein within 10 days after sending the Registration Notice. The Company shall maintain the Form S-1 Shelf in accordance with the terms hereof. The Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to convert the Form S-1 Shelf (and any Follow-On Shelf) to a Registration Statement for a Shelf Registration on Form S-3 (the “ Form S-3 Shelf, ” and together with the Form S-1 Shelf (and any Follow-On Shelf), the “ Shelf ”) as soon as reasonably practicable after the Company is eligible to use Form S-3. The Company shall not be required to effect more than one Form S-1 Shelf. For the avoidance of doubt, the filing of the Form S-1 Shelf under this Section 3(a) shall count as a Demand Registration.

(b) Requests for Underwritten Shelf Takedowns . At any time and from time to time after the Initial Public Offering and the Shelf having been declared effective by the Commission, (i) any Backstop Purchaser that is a Demand Holder, (ii) if consented to in writing by the Backstop Purchasers that are Demand Holders, any other Demand Holder or (iii) if there are no Backstop Purchasers that are also Demand Holders, any Demand Holder, may request to sell all or any portion of their Registrable Securities in an underwritten offering that is registered pursuant to the Shelf (each, an “ Underwritten Shelf Takedown ”); provided that in the case of each such Underwritten Shelf Takedown such Demand Holder will be entitled to make such demand only if the total offering price of the shares to be sold in such offering (including piggyback shares and before deduction of underwriting discounts) is reasonably expected to exceed, in the aggregate, $20 million. For the avoidance of doubt, each Underwritten Shelf Takedown shall count as a Demand Registration.

(c) Demand Notices . All requests for Underwritten Shelf Takedowns shall be made by giving written notice to the Company (the “ Demand Shelf Takedown Notice ”). Each

 

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Demand Shelf Takedown Notice shall specify the approximate number of Registrable Securities proposed to be sold in the Underwritten Shelf Takedown and the expected price range (net of underwriting discounts and commissions) of such Underwritten Shelf Takedown. Within five Business Days after receipt of any Demand Shelf Takedown Notice, the Company shall give written notice of such requested Underwritten Shelf Takedown to all other Holders which have Registrable Securities included on such Shelf Registration (the “ Company Shelf Takedown Notice ”) and, subject to the provisions of Section 3(d) below, shall include in such Underwritten Shelf Takedown all Registrable Securities with respect to which the Company has received written requests for inclusion therein within five Business Days after sending the Company Shelf Takedown Notice.

(d) Priority on Underwritten Shelf Takedowns . The Company shall not include in any Underwritten Shelf Takedown any securities which are not Registrable Securities without the prior written consent of the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities requested to be included in such Underwritten Shelf Takedown. If the managing underwriters for such Underwritten Shelf Takedown advise the Company and the Holders of Registrable Securities included in the Shelf Takedown in writing that in their opinion the number of Registrable Securities and, if permitted hereunder, other securities requested to be included in such Underwritten Shelf Takedown exceeds the number of Registrable Securities and other securities, if any, which can be sold in an orderly manner in such offering within a price range acceptable to the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities requested to be included in the Underwritten Shelf Takedown, the Company shall include in such Underwritten Shelf Takedown the number of Registrable Securities which can be so sold in the following order of priority: (i)  first , the Registrable Securities requested to be included in such Underwritten Shelf Takedown, which in the opinion of such underwriter can be sold in an orderly manner within the price range of such offering, pro rata among the respective Holders of such Registrable Securities on the basis of the number of Registrable Securities owned by each such Holder; and (ii)  second , other securities requested to be included in such Underwritten Shelf Takedown to the extent permitted hereunder.

(e) Restrictions on Underwritten Shelf Takedowns . The Company shall not be obligated to effect more than two Underwritten Shelf Takedowns during any period of 12 consecutive months and shall not be obligated to effect an Underwritten Shelf Takedown within 60 days after the pricing of a previous Underwritten Shelf Takedown.

(f) Selection of Underwriters . The Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities requested to be included in an Underwritten Shelf Takedown shall have the right to select the investment banker(s) and manager(s) to administer the offering (which shall consist of one or more reputable nationally recognized investment banks), subject to the Company’s approval which shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed.

(g) Automatic Shelf Registration . Further, upon the Company becoming a Well-Known Seasoned Issuer, (i) the Company shall give written notice to all of the Holders as promptly as reasonably practicable, and such notice shall describe, in reasonable detail, the basis on which the Company has become a Well-Known Seasoned Issuer, and (ii) the Company shall, as promptly as practicable, register, under an Automatic Shelf Registration Statement, the sale of all of the Registrable Securities in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. The Company

 

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shall use commercially reasonable efforts to file such Automatic Shelf Registration Statement as promptly as practicable, but in no event later than 90 days after it becomes a Well-Known Seasoned Issuer, and to cause such Automatic Shelf Registration Statement to remain effective thereafter until there are no longer any Registrable Securities. The Company shall give written notice of filing such Automatic Shelf Registration Statement to all of the Holders as promptly as practicable thereafter. At any time after the filing of an Automatic Shelf Registration Statement by the Company, if the Company is no longer a Well-Known Seasoned Issuer (the “ Determination Date ”), the Company shall (A) as promptly as practicable, but in no event more than 20 days after such Determination Date, give written notice thereof to all of the Holders and (B) within 30 days after such Determination Date, file a Registration Statement on an appropriate form (or a post effective amendment converting the Automatic Shelf Registration Statement to an appropriate form) covering all of the Registrable Securities, and use commercially reasonable efforts to have such Registration Statement declared effective as promptly as reasonably practicable after the date the Automatic Shelf Registration Statement is no longer useable by the Holders to sell their Registrable Securities.

(h) Additional Selling Stockholders and Additional Registrable Securities .

(i) If the Company is not a Well-Known Seasoned Issuer, within 45 days after a written request by a Demand Holder to register for resale any additional Registrable Securities owned by such Demand Holder, the Company shall file a Registration Statement substantially similar to the Shelf then effective, if any (each, a “ Follow-On Shelf ”) (unless the Follow-On Shelf would be required pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities Act to include any audited or unaudited consolidated or pro forma financial statements that are not then currently available, in which case, as soon as reasonably practicable after such financial statements are available), to register for resale such Registrable Securities. The Company shall give written notice of the filing of the Follow-On Shelf at least 15 days prior to filing the Follow-On Shelf to all Holders of Registrable Securities (the “ Follow-On Registration Notice ”) and shall include in such Follow-On Shelf all Registrable Securities with respect to which the Company has received written requests for inclusion therein within ten days after sending the Follow-On Registration Notice. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not be required to file a Follow-On Shelf (A) if the aggregate amount of Registrable Securities requested to be registered on such Follow-On Shelf by all Holders that have not yet been registered represent less than 1% of the then outstanding New Common Stock or (B) if the Company is not then eligible for use of Form S-3 for secondary offerings and the Company has filed a Follow-On Shelf in the prior 180 days. The Company shall use all commercially reasonable efforts to cause such Follow-On Shelf to be declared effective as promptly as practicable and in any event within 90 days of filing such Follow-On Shelf. Any Registrable Securities requested to be registered pursuant to this Section 3(h)(i) that have not been registered on a Shelf or pursuant to Section 4 below at the time the Follow-On Shelf is filed shall be registered pursuant to such Follow-On Shelf.

(ii) If the Company is a Well-Known Seasoned Issuer, within ten Business Days after a written request by one or more Holders of Registrable Securities to register for resale any additional Registrable Securities owned by such Holders, the Company shall make all necessary filings to include such Registrable Securities in the Automatic Shelf Registration Statement filed pursuant to Section 3(g) .

 

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(iii) If a Form S-3 Shelf or Automatic Shelf Registration Statement is effective, within five Business Days after written request therefor by a Holder of Registrable Securities, the Company shall file a prospectus supplement or current report on Form 8-K to add such Holder as a selling stockholder and/or to include any Warrants owned by such Holder on such Form S-3 Shelf or Automatic Shelf Registration Statement to the extent permitted under the rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission.

 

  4. Piggyback Takedowns.

(a) Right to Piggyback . Whenever the Company proposes to file a Registration Statement under the Securities Act with respect to an offering of any class of equity securities (other than a Demand Registration or registrations on Form S-8 or Form S-4, a “ Piggyback Registration ”), and such registration may include the registration of Registrable Securities (together with a Piggyback Registration, a “ Piggyback Takedown ”), the Company shall give written notice to all Holders of Registrable Securities of its intention to effect such Piggyback Takedown. In the case of a Piggyback Takedown that is an offering under a Shelf Registration, such notice shall be given not less than five Business Days prior to the expected date of commencement of marketing efforts for such Piggyback Takedown. In the case of a Piggyback Takedown that is an offering under a registration statement that is not a Shelf Registration, such notice shall be given not less than 15 days prior to the expected date of filing of such registration statement. The Company shall, subject to the provisions of Section 4(b) and Section 4(c) below, include in such Piggyback Takedown, as applicable, all Registrable Securities with respect to which the Company has received written requests for inclusion therein within five days after sending the Company’s notice. Nothing in this Section 4(a) shall create an obligation on behalf of the Company to proceed with a Piggyback Takedown, and the Company may cancel any Piggyback Takedown upon written notice to the Holders of Registrable Securities requesting to include their Registrable Securities in such Piggyback Takedown. Any Holder of Registrable Securities may withdraw its request for inclusion of Registrable Shares in a Piggyback Takedown by giving written notice to the Company of its intention to withdraw from that registration within two days prior to the expected date of the commencement of marketing efforts for such Piggyback Takedown; provided , however , that the withdrawal shall be irrevocable and after making the withdrawal, a Holder shall no longer have any right to include its Registrable Securities in that Piggyback Takedown.

(b) Priority on Primary Piggyback Takedowns . If a Piggyback Takedown is an underwritten primary registration on behalf of the Company, and the managing underwriters for a Piggyback Takedown advise the Company in writing that in their reasonable opinion the number of securities requested to be included in such Piggyback Takedown exceeds the number which can be sold in an orderly manner in such offering within a price range acceptable to the Company, the Company shall include in such Piggyback Takedown the number which can be so sold in the following order of priority: (i)  first , the securities the Company proposes to sell; (ii) (A) if such Piggyback Takedown occurs within 36 months of the date hereof, second , the Registrable Securities requested to be included in such Piggyback Takedown by the Backstop Purchasers ( pro rata among the Backstop Purchasers on the basis of the number of Registrable Securities owned by each such Backstop Purchaser) and third , the Registrable Securities requested to be included in such Piggyback Takedown by Holders other than the Backstop Purchasers ( pro rata among such Holders on the basis of the number of Registrable Securities

 

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owned by each such Holder), or (B) if such Piggyback Takedown occurs after 36 months from the date hereof, second , the Registrable Securities requested to be included in such Piggyback Takedown by Holders (including the Backstop Purchasers) ( pro rata among the Holders on the basis of the number of Registrable Securities owned by each Holder); and (iii)  fourth in the case of (ii)(A) of this clause (b) or third in the case of (ii)(B) of this clause (b), other securities requested to be included in such Piggyback Takedown, if any. For the avoidance of doubt and in accordance with the priorities set forth in the preceding sentence, the full amount of Registrable Securities requested to be included and other securities included in such Piggyback Takedown may be entirely excluded from such Piggyback Takedown.

(c) Priority on Secondary Piggyback Takedowns . If a Piggyback Takedown is an underwritten secondary registration on behalf of holders of the Company’s securities that are not Registrable Securities (“ Other Holders ”), and the managing underwriters advise the Company in writing that in their opinion the number of securities requested to be included in such Piggyback Takedown exceeds the number which can be sold in an orderly manner in such offering within a price range acceptable to the Other Holders, the Company shall include in such registration the number which can be so sold in the following order of priority: (i)  first , the securities requested to be included therein by the Other Holders and the Registrable Securities requested to be included in such registration ( pro rata among the Other Holders and the Holders on the basis of the number of such securities and Registrable Securities owned by each such Other Holder or Holder, as applicable), (ii)  second , securities proposed to be included in such registration by the Company and (iii)  third , other securities requested to be included in such registration, if any. For the avoidance of doubt and in accordance with the priorities set forth in the preceding sentence, the full amount of securities proposed to be included by the Company and other securities requested to be included in such Piggyback Takedown may be entirely excluded from such Piggyback Takedown.

(d) Selection of Underwriters . If any Piggyback Takedown is an underwritten primary offering on behalf of the Company, the Company will have the sole right to select the investment banker(s) and manager(s) for the offering.

 

  5. Suspension Period.

(a) Suspension Period . Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, if the Board determines in good faith that the registration and distribution of Registrable Securities (i) would reasonably be expected to materially impede, delay or interfere with, or require premature disclosure of, any material financing, offering, acquisition, merger, corporate reorganization or segment reclassification or discontinuance of operations, which is required to be reflected in pro forma or restated financial statements that amends a historical financial statement of the Company, or other significant transaction or any negotiations, discussions or pending proposals with respect thereto, involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or (ii) would require disclosure of non-public material information, the disclosure of which would reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the Company, subject to the provisions of Section 5(b) , the Company shall be entitled to suspend, for a reasonable period of time (each, a “ Suspension Period ”), the use of any Registration Statement or Prospectus and shall not be required to amend or supplement the Registration Statement, any related Prospectus

 

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or any document incorporated therein by reference. The Company shall use all commercially reasonable efforts to amend the Registration Statement and/or Prospectus to correct such untrue statement or omission as soon as reasonably practicable unless such amendment would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on any proposal or plan of the Company to effect a merger, acquisition, disposition, financing, reorganization, recapitalization or similar transaction, in each case that is material to the Company. It is also agreed that, notwithstanding Section 7(c) hereof or any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary, each year the Company updates a Form S-1 Shelf (A) the Company may need to suspend use of the Form S-1 Shelf to the extent such registration statement has not been declared effective by the Commission prior to the time it is required to be updated under the Securities Act and (B) to the extent such registration statement undergoes Commission review, the Company will need to suspend use of the Form S-1 Shelf pending completion of such review. The Company promptly will give written notice of any such Suspension Period to each Holder that has Registrable Securities registered on a Registration Statement filed hereunder.

(b) Limitations on Suspension Periods . Notwithstanding anything contained in Section 5(a) to the contrary, the Company shall not be entitled to more than three Suspension Periods in any 12-month period, and in no event shall the number of days included in all Suspension Periods during any consecutive 12-month period exceed 90 days in the aggregate; provided , however , that the applicable time period set forth in Section 7(c) shall be extended for a length of time equal to the Suspension Period.

 

  6. Holdback Agreements.

(a) Holders of Registrable Securities . Subject to the last sentence of this Section 6(a) , in connection with any underwritten public offering of equity securities by the Company (including pursuant to any Shelf Takedown), no Holder who beneficially owns five percent (5%) or more of the outstanding shares of New Common Stock (on a fully diluted basis assuming the conversion of all New Preferred Stock and the exercise of all Warrants) shall effect any public sale or distribution of equity securities of the Company, or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for such securities, without the prior written consent of the Company, (i) in the case of an Initial Public Offering, during the seven days prior to and the 180-day period beginning on the date of the pricing of the Initial Public Offering or (ii) during the seven days prior to and the 90-day period beginning on the date of pricing of any other underwritten public equity offering (including pursuant to any Shelf Takedown) (each, a “ Lock-Up Period ”), except as part of the underwritten public equity offering, and (A) unless the underwriters managing such underwritten public equity offering by the Company otherwise agree by written consent and (B) only if such Lock Up Period (or a longer period) is applicable on substantially similar terms to the Company and the executive officers and directors of the Company; provided , however , that if (1) during the last 17 days of a Lock-Up Period, the Company releases earnings results or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs or (2) prior to the expiration of a Lock-Up Period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of a Lock-Up Period, then in each case such Lock-Up Period will be extended until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the date of release of the earnings results or the occurrence of the material news or material event, as applicable, unless the managing underwriter(s) waives, in writing, such extension; provided , further , that nothing herein will prevent any Holder from making a gift of

 

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Registrable Securities or prevent any Holder that is a partnership or corporation from making a distribution of Registrable Securities to the partners or stockholders thereof or prevent any Holder from making a transfer to an Affiliate that is otherwise in compliance with the applicable securities laws, so long as in each case such donees, distributees or transferees agree to be bound by the restrictions set forth in this Section 6 , such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value and either (x) no filing by any party (donor, donee, transferor or transferee) under the Exchange Act shall be required or shall be voluntarily made in connection with such transfer (other than a filing on Form 5 made after the expiration of the Lock-Up Period) or (y) if a filing is required or is voluntarily made, such filing discloses that such transfer did not involve a disposition for value and such donees, distributees or transferees will be bound by the restrictions set forth in this Section 6 . Each Holder agrees to execute a customary lock-up agreement in favor of the Company’s underwriters to such effect and, in any event, that the Company’s underwriters in any underwritten public offering of equity securities shall be third party beneficiaries of this Section 6 . The provisions of this Section 6 will no longer apply to a Holder once such Holder ceases to hold Registrable Securities. The provisions of this Section 6(a) will not apply in connection with any underwritten public offering of equity securities by the Company (including pursuant to any Shelf Takedown) within nine months of the date hereof in which the total offering price of the firm shares to be sold in such offering (excluding piggyback shares and before deduction of underwriting discounts) is not reasonably expected to exceed, in the aggregate, $75 million.

(b) The Company . In connection with any underwritten public equity offering (including pursuant to any Shelf Takedown), and only upon the reasonable request of the managing underwriter, the Company shall, and shall cause its executive officers and directors to, agree to a lock-up provision in an underwriting agreement or lock-up agreement, as applicable, in customary form and substance, and with exceptions that are customary, for an underwritten public offering.

 

  7. Company Undertakings.

Whenever Registrable Securities are registered pursuant to this Agreement, the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to effect the registration and the sale of such Registrable Securities as soon as reasonably practicable in accordance with the intended method of disposition thereof, and pursuant thereto the Company shall as promptly as reasonably practicable:

(a) prepare and file with the Commission a Registration Statement with regard to such Registrable Securities as soon as reasonably practicable (but in the case of a Demand Registration, not later than 60 days of its receipt of a Demand Registration Notice for a Long-Form Registration (unless the Registration Statement relating to such Demand Registration would be required pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities Act to include any audited or unaudited consolidated or pro forma financial statements that are not then currently available, in which case, promptly after such financial statements are available) and not later than 30 days of its receipt of a Demand Registration Notice for a Short-Form Registration (unless the Registration Statement relating to such Demand Registration would be required pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities Act to include any audited or unaudited consolidated or pro forma financial statements that are not then currently available, in which case, promptly after such financial statements are available)) and use commercially reasonable efforts to cause such Registration Statement to become effective as soon thereafter as is reasonably practicable;

 

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(b) before filing a Registration Statement or Prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto, furnish to the Holders whose Registrable Securities are covered by the Registration Statement copies of all such documents, other than exhibits, documents that are incorporated by reference and such documents that are otherwise publicly available on EDGAR, proposed to be filed and such other documents reasonably requested by such Holders and provide their counsel with a reasonable opportunity to review and comment on such documents;

(c) notify each Holder of Registrable Securities of the effectiveness of each Registration Statement and prepare and file with the Commission such amendments and supplements to such Registration Statement as may be necessary to keep such Registration Statement effective for a period of not less than (i) 90 days in the case of a Demand Registration that is not a Shelf Registration or if any Warrants have been registered until the date on which all the registered Warrants have been exercised for New Common Stock, (ii) in the case of a Shelf Registration, until the date on which all Registrable Securities have been sold pursuant to the Shelf Registration or have otherwise ceased to be Registrable Securities, (or, in each case, if sooner, until all Registrable Securities have been sold under such Registration Statement), and comply with the provisions of the Securities Act (including by preparing and filing with the Commission any Prospectus or supplement to be used in connection therewith) with respect to the disposition of all securities covered by such Registration Statement during such period in accordance with the intended methods of disposition by the Holders as set forth in such Registration Statement;

(d) furnish to each seller of Registrable Securities, and the managing underwriters, without charge, such number of copies of the applicable Registration Statement, each amendment and supplement thereto, the Prospectus included in such Registration Statement (including each preliminary Prospectus, final Prospectus, and any other Prospectus (including any Prospectus filed under Rule 424, Rule 430A or Rule 430B promulgated under the Securities Act and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus)), all exhibits and other documents filed therewith and such other documents as such seller or such managing underwriters may reasonably request in order to facilitate the disposition of the Registrable Securities owned by such seller, and upon request, a copy of any and all transmittal letters or other correspondence to or received from, the Commission or any other governmental authority relating to such offer;

(e) use commercially reasonable efforts (i) to register or qualify such Registrable Securities under such other securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions as any seller reasonably requests in writing, (ii) keep such registration or qualification in effect for so long as such Registration Statement remains in effect, and (iii) to do any and all other acts and things which may be reasonably necessary or advisable to enable such seller to consummate the disposition in such jurisdictions of the Registrable Securities owned by such seller ( provided that the Company shall not be required to (A) qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to qualify but for this subsection, (B) subject itself to taxation in any such jurisdiction or (C) consent to general service of process in any such jurisdiction);

 

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(f) notify each seller of such Registrable Securities, Counsel to the Holders and the managing underwriters (i) at any time when a Prospectus relating to the applicable Registration Statement is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, (A) upon discovery that, or upon the happening of any event as a result of which, such Registration Statement, or the Prospectus or Issuer Free Writing Prospectus relating to such Registration Statement, or any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omits any material fact necessary to make the statements in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or Issuer Free Writing Prospectus relating thereto not misleading or otherwise requires the making of any changes in such Registration Statement, Prospectus, Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or document, and, at the request of any such seller and subject to Section 5(a) hereof, the Company shall promptly prepare a supplement or amendment to such Prospectus or Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, furnish a reasonable number of copies of such supplement or amendment to each seller of such Registrable Securities, Counsel to the Holders and the managing underwriters and file such supplement or amendment with the Commission so that, as thereafter delivered to the purchasers of such Registrable Securities, such Prospectus or Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as so amended or supplemented shall not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (B) as soon as the Company becomes aware of any comments or inquiries by the Commission or any requests by the Commission or any Federal or state governmental authority for amendments or supplements to a Registration Statement or related Prospectus or Issuer Free Writing Prospectus covering Registrable Securities or for additional information relating thereto, (C) as soon as the Company becomes aware of the issuance or threatened issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending or threatening to suspend the effectiveness of a Registration Statement covering the Registrable Securities or (D) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification or exemption from qualification of any Registrable Security for sale in any jurisdiction, or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; and (ii) when each Registration Statement or any amendment thereto has been filed with the Commission and when each Registration Statement or the related Prospectus or Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any Prospectus supplement or any post effective amendment thereto has become effective;

(g) use commercially reasonable efforts to cause all such Registrable Securities (i) if the New Common Stock is then listed on a National Securities Exchange or included for quotation in a recognized trading market, to continue to be so listed or included, (ii) if the Registrable Securities are to be distributed in an underwritten offering and the New Common Stock is not then listed on a National Securities Exchange or included for quotation in a recognized trading market, to, as promptly as practicable (subject to the limitations set forth in the Plan), be listed on a National Securities Exchange, and (iii) to be registered with or approved by such other governmental agencies or authorities as may be necessary to enable the sellers thereof to consummate the disposition of the Registrable Securities;

(h) provide and cause to be maintained a transfer agent and registrar for all such Registrable Securities from and after the effective date of the applicable Registration Statement;

(i) in connection with any underwritten offering, enter into and perform under such customary agreements (including underwriting agreements in customary form, including

 

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customary representations and warranties and provisions with respect to indemnification and contribution) and take all such other actions as the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities being sold or the underwriters, if any, reasonably request in order to expedite or facilitate the disposition of such Registrable Securities (including effecting a stock split, a combination of shares, or other recapitalization) and provide reasonable cooperation, including causing appropriate officers to attend and participate in “ road shows ” and analyst or investor presentations and such other selling or other informational meetings organized by the underwriters, if any (taking into account the needs of the Company’s businesses and the responsibilities of such officers with respect thereto and the requirement of the marketing process); provided , that the Company shall have no obligation to participate in “ road shows ” in connection with any underwritten offering (including pursuant to a Shelf Takedown) (A) in which the total offering price of the Registrable Securities to be sold therein is less than $50 million and (B) more than twice in any consecutive 12-month period;

(j) in connection with any underwritten offering (including an Underwritten Shelf Takedown), use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain and cause to be furnished to each such Holder of Registrable Securities included in such underwritten offering and the managing underwriter(s) a signed counterpart of (i) a cold comfort letter from the Company’s independent public accountants and (ii) a legal opinion of counsel to the Company addressed to the relevant underwriters and/or such Holders of Registrable Securities, in each case in customary form and covering such matters of the type customarily covered by such letters as the managing underwriters and/or Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities included in such underwritten offering reasonably request;

(k) upon reasonable notice and at reasonable times during normal business hours, make available for inspection by any Holder of Registrable Securities covered by the applicable Registration Statement, Counsel to the Holders, any underwriter participating in any disposition pursuant to such registration, as applicable, and any other attorney or accountant retained by such Holder or underwriter, all financial and other records and pertinent corporate documents of the Company, and cause the Company’s officers, directors, employees and independent accountants to supply all information reasonably requested by any such Holder, underwriter, attorney or accountant in connection with such Registration Statement or Shelf Takedown, as applicable, provided that recipients of such financial and other records and pertinent corporate documents agree in writing to keep the confidentiality thereof pursuant to a written agreement reasonably acceptable to the Company and the applicable underwriter (which shall contain customary exceptions thereto);

(l) permit any Holder of Registrable Securities which Holder in its reasonable judgment might be deemed to be an Affiliate of the Company, Counsel to the Holders, any underwriter participating in any disposition pursuant to a Registration Statement, and any other attorney, accountant or other agent retained by such Holder of Registrable Securities or underwriter, to participate (including, but not limited to, reviewing, commenting on and attending all meetings) in the preparation of such Registration Statement and any Prospectus supplements relating to a Shelf Takedown, if applicable;

(m) in the event of the issuance or threatened issuance of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement, or of any order suspending or

 

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preventing the use of any related Prospectus or suspending the qualification of any New Common Stock included in such Registration Statement for sale in any jurisdiction, the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to (i) prevent the issuance of any such stop order, and in the event of such issuance, to obtain the withdrawal of such order and (ii) obtain the withdrawal of any order suspending or preventing the use of any related Prospectus or Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or suspending qualification of any Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement for sale in any jurisdiction at the earliest practicable date;

(n) provide a CUSIP number for the Registrable Securities prior to the effective date of the first Registration Statement including Registrable Securities;

(o) promptly notify in writing the participating Holders, the sales or placement agent, if any, therefor and the managing underwriters of the securities being sold, (i) when such Registration Statement or related Prospectus or Free Writing Prospectus or any Prospectus amendment or supplement or post effective amendment has been filed, and, with respect to any such Registration Statement or any post effective amendment, when the same has become effective and (ii) of any written comments by the Commission and by the blue sky or securities commissioner or regulator of any state with respect thereto;

(p) (i) prepare and file with the Commission such amendments and supplements to each Registration Statement as may be necessary to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act, including post effective amendments to each Registration Statement as may be necessary to keep such Registration Statement continuously effective for the applicable time period required hereunder and if applicable, file any Registration Statements pursuant to Rule 462(b) promulgated under the Securities Act; (ii) cause the related Prospectus to be supplemented by any required Prospectus supplement, and as so supplemented to be filed pursuant to Rule 424 (or any similar provisions then in force) promulgated under the Securities Act; (iii) comply with the provisions of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and any applicable securities exchange or other recognized trading market with respect to the disposition of all securities covered by such Registration Statement during such period in accordance with the intended methods of disposition by the sellers thereof set forth in such Registration Statement as so amended or in such Prospectus as so supplemented; and (iv) provide additional information related to each Registration Statement as requested by, and obtain any required approval necessary from, the Commission or any Federal or state governmental authority;

(q) cooperate with each Holder of Registrable Securities and each underwriter, if any, participating in the disposition of such Registrable Securities and their respective counsel in connection with any filings required to be made with FINRA;

(r) within the deadlines specified by the Securities Act, make all required filing fee payments in respect of any Registration Statement or Prospectus used under this Agreement (and any offering covered thereby);

(s) if requested by any participating Holder of Registrable Securities or the managing underwriters, promptly include in a Prospectus supplement or amendment such information as the Holder or managing underwriters may reasonably request, including in order to permit the intended method of distribution of such securities, and make all required filings of such Prospectus supplement or such amendment as soon as reasonably practicable after the Company has received such request;

 

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(t) in the case of certificated Registrable Securities, cooperate with the participating Holders of Registrable Securities and the managing underwriters to facilitate the timely preparation and delivery of certificates (not bearing any legends) representing Registrable Securities to be sold after receiving written representations from each participating Holder that the Registrable Securities represented by the certificates so delivered by such Holder will be transferred in accordance with the Registration Statement, and enable such Registrable Securities to be in such denominations and registered in such names as the Holders or managing underwriters may reasonably request at least two Business Days prior to any sale of Registrable Securities; and

(u) use commercially reasonable efforts to take all other actions deemed necessary or advisable in the reasonable judgment of the Company to effect the registration and sale of the Registrable Securities contemplated hereby.

Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, the Company shall be obligated to register Registrable Securities of a Holder in a Shelf Registration or in a Registration Statement on Form S-3 only to the extent permitted by applicable securities laws.

 

  8. Registration Expenses.

(a) Expenses . All fees and expenses incurred by the Company in complying with Section 2 (subject to Section 2(c) of this Agreement), Section 3(a), Section 4 , Section 6 and Section 7 of this Agreement (“ Registration Expenses ”) will be borne by the Company. These fees and expenses will include without limitation (i) Stock exchange, Commission, FINRA and other registration and filing fees, (ii) all fees and expenses incurred in connection with complying with any securities or blue sky laws (including reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of counsel in connection with blue sky qualifications of the Registrable Securities), (iii) all printing, messenger and delivery expenses, (iv) the fees, charges and disbursements of counsel to the Company and of its independent public accountants and any other accounting and legal fees, charges and expenses incurred by the Company (including any expenses arising from any special audits or “ comfort letters ” required in connection with or incident to any registration), and (v) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Registrable Securities on a National Securities Exchange.

(b) Reimbursement of Counsel . The Company will also reimburse or pay, as the case may be, the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such registration for the reasonable fees and out-of-pocket expenses of one counsel retained by the Holders of a majority of Registrable Securities included in such registration relating to any action taken pursuant to Section 2 of this Agreement within 30 days of presentation of a detailed invoice approved by such Holders.

(c) Payment of Certain Selling Expenses . Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, all underwriting fees, discounts, selling commissions and stock transfer taxes applicable to the sale of Registrable Securities and all fees and expenses of more than one counsel representing the Holders selling Registrable Securities and otherwise not covered by Section 8(b) of this Agreement shall not be borne by the Company.

 

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  9. Hedging Transactions.

(a) The Company agrees that, in connection with any proposed Hedging Transaction, if, in the reasonable judgment of Counsel to the Holders, it is necessary or desirable to have a Registration Statement under the Securities Act cover such Hedging Transaction or sales or transfers (whether short or long) of Registrable Securities in connection therewith, then the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to take such actions (which may include the filing of a prospectus supplement to include additional or changed information that is material or is otherwise required to be disclosed, including a description of such Hedging Transaction, the name of the Hedging Counterparty, identification of the Hedging Counterparty or its Affiliates as underwriters or potential underwriters, if applicable, or any change to the plan of distribution, but shall not include the filing of a post-effective amendment to a Registration Statement) as may reasonably be required to have such Hedging Transaction or sales or transfers of Registrable Securities in connection therewith covered by a Registration Statement under the Securities Act in a manner consistent with the rights and obligations of the Company hereunder.

(b) All Registration Statements in which Holders may include Registrable Securities under this Agreement shall be subject to the provisions of this Section 9 . The Hedging Counterparty shall be selected by the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities subject to the Hedging Transaction that is proposed to be effected.

(c) If in connection with a Hedging Transaction, a Hedging Counterparty or any Affiliate thereof is (or may be considered) an underwriter or selling stockholder, then it shall be required to provide customary indemnities to the Company regarding the plan of distribution and like matters.

(d) The Company further agrees to include, under the caption “ Plan of Distribution ” (or the equivalent caption), in each Registration Statement, and any related Prospectus (to the extent such inclusion is permitted under applicable Commission regulations and is consistent with comments received from the Commission during any Commission review of the Registration Statement), language substantially in the form of Annex A hereto and to include in each prospectus supplement filed in connection with any proposed Hedging Transaction language mutually agreed upon by the Company, the relevant Holders and the Hedging Counterparty describing such Hedging Transaction.

(e) In connection with a Hedging Transaction, each Hedging Counterparty shall be treated in the same manner as a managing underwriter for purposes of Section 7 of this Agreement.

 

  10. Indemnification; Contribution.

(a) Indemnification by the Company . The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Holder of Registrable Securities registered pursuant to this Agreement, such Holder’s Affiliates, directors, officers, employees, members, managers, agents and any Person, if any, who controls any such Holder (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or

 

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Section 20 of the Exchange Act), and any underwriter that facilitates the sale of the Registrable Securities and any Person who controls such underwriter (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act) to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses (“ Losses ”) to which they or any of them may become subject insofar as such Losses arise out of or are based upon any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in a Registration Statement pursuant to which Registrable Securities were registered, Prospectus, preliminary prospectus or Issuer Free Writing Prospectus included in any such Registration Statement, or in any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in the case of any Prospectus, preliminary prospectus or Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, to make the statements therein not misleading and the Company agrees to reimburse each such indemnified party for any reasonable legal or other reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such Losses (whether or not the indemnified party is a party to any proceeding); provided , however , that the Company will not be liable in any case to the extent that any such Loss arises (i) out of or is based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made therein in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of any such Holder specifically for inclusion therein, including, without limitation, any notice and questionnaire, or (ii) out of sales of Registrable Securities made during a Suspension Period after notice is given pursuant to Section 5(a) hereof. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have.

(b) Indemnification by the Holders . Each Holder severally (and not jointly) agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company and each of its Affiliates, directors, employees, members, managers, agents and each Person who controls the Company (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act), and any underwriter that facilitates the sale of Registrable Securities and any Person who controls such underwriter (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act) to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, from and against any and all Losses to which they or any of them may become subject insofar as such Losses arise out of or are based upon any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in a Registration Statement pursuant to which Registrable Securities were registered, Prospectus, preliminary prospectus, Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or Holder Free Writing Prospectus included in any such Registration Statement, or in any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in the case of any Prospectus, preliminary prospectus, Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or Holder Free Writing prospectus, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, to make the statements therein not misleading, to the extent, but only to the extent (except with respect to a Holder Free Writing Prospectus), that any such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission is contained in any written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of such Holder specifically for inclusion therein; provided , however , that the total amount to be indemnified by such Holder pursuant to this Section 9(b) shall be limited to the net proceeds (after deducting underwriters’ discounts and commissions) received by such Holder in the offering to which such Registration Statement, Prospectus, preliminary prospectus or Free Writing Prospectus relates; provided , further , that a

 

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Holder shall not be liable in any case to the extent that prior to the filing of any such Registration Statement, Prospectus, preliminary prospectus or Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, each Holder has furnished in writing to the Company, information expressly for use in, and within a reasonable period of time prior to the effectiveness of such Registration Statement or the use of the Prospectus, preliminary prospectus or Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto which corrected or made not misleading information previously provided to the Company. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which any such Holder may otherwise have.

(c) Conduct of Indemnification Proceedings . Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 10 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under this Section 10 , notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the failure so to notify the indemnifying party (i) will not relieve it from liability under Section 10(a) or Section 10(b) above unless and to the extent such action and such failure results in material prejudice to the indemnifying party and forfeiture by the indemnifying party of substantial rights and defenses; and (ii) will not, in any event, relieve the indemnifying party from any obligations to any indemnified party other than the indemnification obligation provided in Section 10(a) or Section 10(b) above. The indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party (who shall not, except with the consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party), and, except as provided in the next sentence, after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election to so assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to such indemnified party for any legal expenses of other counsel or any other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation. Notwithstanding the indemnifying party’s rights in the prior sentence, the indemnified party shall have the right to employ its own counsel (and one local counsel), and the indemnifying party shall bear the reasonable fees, costs and expenses of such separate counsel if:

(i) the use of counsel chosen by the indemnifying party to represent the indemnified party would present such counsel with an actual or potential conflict of interest;

(ii) the actual or potential defendants in, or targets of, any such action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party;

(iii) the indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party within a reasonable time after notice of the institution of such action; or

(iv) the indemnifying party shall authorize the indemnified party to employ separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party.

 

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No indemnifying party shall, in connection with any one action or separate but substantially similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general circumstances or allegations, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm of attorneys (in addition to any local counsel) for all indemnified parties. An indemnifying party shall not be liable under this Section 10 to any indemnified party regarding any settlement or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any pending or threatened claim, action, suit or proceeding in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties to such claim or action) unless such settlement, compromise or consent is consented to by such indemnifying party, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. No indemnifying party, in the defense of any such claim or litigation, shall, except with the consent of each indemnified party (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld), consent to entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement or compromise unless such settlement or compromise (x) includes as an unconditional term thereof the giving by the claimant or plaintiff therein, to such indemnified party, of a full and final release from all liability in respect to such claim or litigation and (y) does not include a statement as to, or an admission of, fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of such indemnified party.

(d) Contribution .

(i) In the event that the indemnity provided in Section 10(a) or Section 10(b) above is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party for any reason, then each applicable indemnifying party agrees to contribute to the aggregate Losses (including reasonable legal or other reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with investigating or defending same) to which such indemnifying party may be subject in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the indemnifying party on the one hand and by the indemnified party on the other from the offering of the New Common Stock. If, however, the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by applicable law, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to such amount paid or payable by such indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the indemnifying party on the one hand and the indemnified party on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such Losses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the indemnifying party on the one hand or the indemnified party on the other and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

(ii) The parties agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 10(d) were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Holders of Registrable Securities or any agents or underwriters or all of them were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 10(d) . The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the Losses referred to above in this Section 10(d) shall be deemed to include any reasonable legal or other reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim.

 

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(iii) Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 10(d) , no Person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any Person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

(iv) For purposes of this Section 10 , each Person who controls any Holder of Registrable Securities, agent or underwriter (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act) and each director, officer, employee and agent of any such Holder, agent or underwriter shall have the same rights to contribution as such Holder, agent or underwriter, and each Person who controls the Company (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act) and each officer and director of the Company shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company, subject in each case to the applicable terms and conditions of this Section 10(d) .

(v) To the extent any indemnification by an indemnifying party is prohibited or limited by law, the indemnifying party agrees to make the maximum contribution with respect to any amounts for which it would otherwise be liable under Section 10 to the fullest extent permitted by law; provided , however , that (i) no Person involved in the sale of Registrable Securities which Person is guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) in connection with such sale shall be entitled to contribution from any Person involved in such sale of Registrable Securities who was not guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation; and (ii) contribution by any seller of Registrable Securities shall be limited in amount to the net amount of proceeds received by such seller from the sale of such Registrable Securities pursuant to such Shelf Registration.

(e) The provisions of this Section 10 will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Holder of Registrable Securities or the Company or any of the officers, directors or controlling Persons referred to in this Section 10 hereof, and will survive the transfer of Registrable Securities.

(f) For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of this Section 10 shall apply to the Shelf Registration Statement contemplated by Section 9.11 of the Plan.

 

  11. Participation in Underwritten Offering/Sale of Registrable Securities.

(a) No Person may participate in any underwritten offering hereunder unless such Person (i) agrees to sell such Person’s securities on the basis provided in any underwriting arrangements in customary form entered into pursuant to this Agreement and (ii) completes and executes all questionnaires, powers of attorney, indemnities, underwriting agreements and other documents reasonably required under the terms of such underwriting arrangements; provided that no Holder of Registrable Securities included in any underwritten registration shall be required to make any representations or warranties to the Company or the underwriters (other than (A) representations and warranties regarding (1) such Holder’s ownership of its Registrable Securities to be sold or transferred, (2) such Holder’s power and authority to effect such transfer, and (3) such matters pertaining to compliance with securities laws as may be reasonably requested by the Company or the underwriters, and (B) such other representations, warranties and other provisions relating to such Holder’s participation in such offering as may be

 

25


reasonably requested by the underwriters) or to undertake any indemnification obligations to the Company with respect thereto, except as otherwise provided in Section 10(b) hereof, or to the underwriters with respect thereto, except to the extent of the indemnification being given to the underwriters and their controlling persons in Section 10(b) hereof.

(b) Each selling Holder will be deemed to have agreed that, upon receipt of any notice from the Company of the occurrence of any event of the type described in Section 7(f)(i)(A) , (B) , (C)  and (D)  or the happening of an event specified in Section 5(a) , such Holder will discontinue disposition of Registrable Securities covered by a Registration Statement, Prospectus or Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and suspend use of such Prospectus or Issuer Free Writing Prospectus until the earlier to occur of such Holder’s receipt of (i) copies of the supplemented or amended Prospectus or Issuer Free Writing Prospectus contemplated by Section 7(f)(ii) and Section 5(a) , as applicable, and (ii) (A) notice from the Company that the use of the applicable Prospectus or Issuer Free Writing Prospectus may be resumed and (B) copies, if applicable, of any additional or supplemental filings that are incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in such Prospectus or Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.

 

  12. Free Writing Prospectuses

Each Holder represents that it has not prepared or had prepared on its behalf or used or referred to, and agrees that it will not prepare or have prepared on its behalf or used or refer to, any Free Writing Prospectus, and has not distributed and will not distribute any written materials in connection with the offer or sale of New Common Stock without the prior written consent of the Company and, in connection with any underwritten offering, the underwriters. Any such Free Writing Prospectus consented to by the Company and the underwriters, as the case may be, is hereinafter referred to as a “ Permitted Free Writing Prospectus .” The Company represents and agrees that it has treated and will treat, as the case may be, each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, including in respect of timely filing with the SEC, legending and record keeping.

 

  13. Information from Holders

(a) Each selling Holder that has requested inclusion of its Registrable Securities in any Registration Statement shall furnish to the Company such information regarding such Holder and its plan and method of distribution of such Registrable Securities as the Company may, from time to time, reasonably request in writing. The Company may refuse to proceed with the registration of such Holder’s Registrable Securities if such Holder unreasonably fails to furnish such information within a reasonable time after receiving such request.

(b) Each selling Holder will promptly (i) following its actual knowledge thereof, notify the Company of the occurrence of any event that makes any statement made in a Registration Statement, Prospectus or Issuer Free Writing Prospectus regarding such selling Holder untrue in any material respect or that requires the making of any changes in a Registration Statement, Prospectus or Issuer Free Writing Prospectus so that, in such regard, it will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements not misleading and (ii) provide the Company

 

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with such information as may be required to enable the Company to prepare a supplement or post-effective amendment to any Registration Statement or a supplement to such Prospectus or Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.

 

  14. Financial Reports

(a) Until such time as the Company is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, the Company must provide to each Holder within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and regulations applicable to non-accelerated filers (as in effect on the Effective Date) with (i) all quarterly and annual financial information that would be required to be contained in a filing with the Commission on Forms 10-Q and 10-K if the Company were required to file such forms, including a “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and, with respect to annual information only, a report thereon by the Company’s certified independent accountants, and (ii) all current reports that would be required to be filed with the Commission on Form 8-K if the Company were required to file such reports.

(b) In addition, whether or not required by the Commission, the Company will, if the Commission will accept the filing, file a copy of all of the information and reports referred to in clauses (i) and (ii) of Section 14(a) with the Commission for public availability within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and regulations. In addition, the Company will make the information and reports available to securities analysts and prospective investors upon request. The Company will be deemed to have furnished the Holders with the reports referred to in clauses (i) and (ii) of Section 14(a) if the Company has either filed such reports with the Commission (and such reports are publicly available) or posted such reports on the Company’s website and issued a press release in respect thereof.

 

  15. Private Placement

Except for Section 5 , the Company agrees that nothing in this Agreement shall prohibit the Holders, at any time and from time to time, from selling or otherwise transferring Registrable Securities pursuant to a private placement or other transaction which is not registered pursuant to the Securities Act. To the extent reasonably requested by a Holder and the total price of the Registrable Securities to be sold or transferred in such sale or transfer is reasonably expected to exceed $20 million, the Company shall assist and cooperate with such Holder to facilitate such sale or transfer by providing due diligence access to potential purchasers.

 

  16. Rule 144

With a view to making available certain rules and regulations of the Commission that may permit the sale of the Registrable Securities to the public without registration, until such date as no Holder owns any Registrable Securities, the Company agrees to (a) use commercially reasonable efforts to continue to file in a timely manner all reports and other documents required, if any, to be filed by it under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations adopted thereunder and (b) make available information necessary to comply with Rule 144 and Rule 144A, if available, with respect to resales of the Registrable Securities under the Securities Act, at all times, all to the extent required from time to time to enable such Holder

 

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to sell Registrable Securities without registration under the Securities Act within the limitation of the exemptions provided by (i) Rule 144 and Rule 144A (if available with respect to resales of the Registrable Securities) (ii) Regulation S promulgated under the Securities Act, as may be amended from time to time, or (iii) any other similar rules or regulations now existing or hereafter adopted by the Commission and (c) upon the reasonable request of any Holder of Registrable Securities, the Company will deliver to such Holder a written statement as to whether the Company has complied with such information requirements, and, if not, the specific reasons for non-compliance.

 

  17. Transfer of Registration Rights.

The rights of a Holder hereunder may be transferred, assigned, or otherwise conveyed on a pro rata basis in connection with any transfer, assignment, or other conveyance of Registrable Securities to any transferee or assignee; provided that all of the following additional conditions are satisfied with respect to any transfer, assignment or conveyance of rights hereunder: (a) such transfer or assignment is effected in accordance with applicable securities laws; (b) such transferee or assignee agrees in writing to become subject to the terms of this Agreement by executing and delivering to the Company a joinder agreement in the form attached hereto as Annex B ; and (c) the Company is given written notice by such Holder within 10 Business Days of such transfer or assignment, stating the name and address of the transferee or assignee, identifying the Registrable Securities with respect to which such rights are being transferred or assigned and the total number of Registrable Securities and other equity securities of the Company beneficially owned by such transferee or assignee.

 

  18. Amendment, Modification and Waivers; Further Assurances.

(a) Amendment . This Agreement may be amended, modified, superseded, cancelled, renewed or extended, and the terms and conditions of this Agreement may be waived, only by a written instrument, (a) signed by (i) the Company, and (ii) the Holders of at least two thirds (66.67%) of the Registrable Securities; provided , that no provision of this Agreement shall be modified or amended in a manner that is disproportionately adverse to any Holder, without the prior written consent of such Holder, as applicable, or (b) in the case of a waiver, by the party hereto waiving compliance.

(b) Changes in New Common Stock or New Preferred Stock . If, and as often as, there are any changes in the New Common Stock or New Preferred Stock by way of stock split, stock dividend, combination or reclassification, or through merger, consolidation, reorganization or recapitalization, or by any other means, appropriate adjustment shall be made in the provisions hereof as may be required so that the rights and privileges granted hereby shall continue with respect to the Registrable Securities as so changed and the Company shall make appropriate provision in connection with any merger, consolidation, reorganization or recapitalization that any successor to the Company (or resulting parent thereof) shall agree, as a condition to the consummation of any such transaction, to expressly assume the Company’s obligations hereunder.

(c) Effect of Waiver . No waiver of any terms or conditions of this Agreement shall operate as a waiver of any other breach of such terms and conditions or any other term or

 

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condition, nor shall any failure to enforce any provision hereof operate as a waiver of such provision or of any other provision hereof. No written waiver hereunder, unless it by its own terms explicitly provides to the contrary, shall be construed to effect a continuing waiver of the provisions being waived and no such waiver in any instance shall constitute a waiver in any other instance or for any other purpose or impair the right of the party against whom such waiver is claimed in all other instances or for all other purposes to require full compliance with such provision. The failure of any party to enforce any provision of this Agreement shall not be construed as a waiver of such provision and shall not affect the right of such party thereafter to enforce each provision of this Agreement in accordance with its terms.

(d) Further Assurances . Each of the parties hereto shall execute all such further instruments and documents and take all such further action as any other party hereto may reasonably require in order to effectuate the terms and purposes of this Agreement.

 

  19. Miscellaneous.

(a) Successors and Assigns . All covenants and agreements in this Agreement by or on behalf of any of the parties hereto shall bind and inure to the benefit of the respective successors and assigns of the parties hereto (including any trustee in bankruptcy) whether so expressed or not. In addition, whether or not any express assignment has been made, the provisions of this Agreement which are for the benefit of purchasers or Holders of Registrable Securities are also for the benefit of, and enforceable by, any subsequent Holder of Registrable Securities. No assignment or delegation of this Agreement by the Company, or any of the Company’s rights, interests or obligations hereunder, shall be effective against any Holder without the prior written consent of such Holder.

(b) Remedies; Specific Performance . Any Person having rights under any provision of this Agreement shall be entitled to enforce such rights specifically, to recover damages caused by reason of any breach of any provision of this Agreement and to exercise all other rights existing in their favor. The parties hereto agree and acknowledge that money damages would not be an adequate remedy for any breach of the provisions of this Agreement and that any party may in its sole discretion apply to any court of law or equity of competent jurisdiction for specific performance and/or injunctive relief (without posting any bond or other security) in order to enforce or prevent violation of the provisions of this Agreement and shall not be required to prove irreparable injury to such party or that such party does not have an adequate remedy at law with respect to any breach of this Agreement (each of which elements the parties admit). The parties hereto further agree and acknowledge that each and every obligation applicable to it contained in this Agreement shall be specifically enforceable against it and hereby waives and agrees not to assert any defenses against an action for specific performance of their respective obligations hereunder. All rights and remedies existing under this Agreement are cumulative to, and not exclusive of, any rights or remedies available under this Agreement or otherwise.

(c) Notices . All notices, demands or other communications to be given or delivered under or by reason of the provisions of this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been given when (i) delivered personally to the recipient, (ii) telecopied or sent by facsimile to the recipient, or (iii) one Business Day after being sent to the recipient by

 

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reputable overnight courier service (charges prepaid). Such notices, demands and other communications shall be sent to the Company at the address set forth below and to any Holder of Registrable Securities at the address set forth on the signature page hereto (with copies sent at the address set forth below), or at such address or to the attention of such other Person as the recipient party has specified by prior written notice to the sending party.

The Company’s address is:

Cooper-Standard Holdings, Inc.

39550 Orchard Hill Place Drive

Novi, Michigan 48375

Attention: General Counsel

Fax: (248) 596-6535

with copies to:

Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP

One New York Plaza

New York, NY 10004

Attention:   Christopher Ewan
Facsimile:   (212) 859-4000

Copies of notices to the Holders shall be sent to:

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

One Bryant Park

New York, NY 10036

Attention:   Adam Weinstein
Facsimile:   (212) 872-1002

and

Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP

450 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10017

Attention:   Christopher Mayer
  Alan Dean
Facsimile:   (212) 701-5800

If any time period for giving notice or taking action hereunder expires on a day which is a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday in the State of New York or the jurisdiction in which the Company’s principal office is located, the time period shall automatically be extended to the Business Day immediately following such Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday.

(d) No Inconsistent Agreements . The Company shall not hereafter enter into any agreement with respect to its securities which is inconsistent with or violates the rights granted to the Holders of Registrable Securities in this Agreement.

 

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(e) Adjustments Affecting Registrable Securities . The Company shall not take any action, or permit any change to occur, with respect to its securities which would materially and adversely affect the ability of the Holders of Registrable Securities to include such Registrable Securities in a registration undertaken pursuant to this Agreement or which would materially and adversely affect the marketability of such Registrable Securities in any such registration (including effecting a stock split or a combination of shares).

(f) Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, and may be delivered by means of facsimile or electronic transmission in portable document format (“ pdf ”), each of which shall be deemed to be an original and shall be binding upon the party who executed the same, but all of such counterparts shall constitute the same agreement.

(g) Descriptive Headings; Interpretation; No Strict Construction . The descriptive headings of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and do not constitute a substantive part of this Agreement. Whenever required by the context, any pronoun used in this Agreement shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine or neuter forms, and the singular forms of nouns, pronouns, and verbs shall include the plural and vice versa. Reference to any agreement, document, or instrument means such agreement, document, or instrument as amended or otherwise modified from time to time in accordance with the terms thereof, and, if applicable, hereof. The words “ include ,” “ includes ” or “ including ” in this Agreement shall be deemed to be followed by “ without limitation .” The use of the words “ or ,” “ either ” or “ any ” shall not be exclusive. The parties hereto have participated jointly in the negotiation and drafting of this Agreement. If an ambiguity or question of intent or interpretation arises, this Agreement shall be construed as if drafted jointly by the parties hereto, and no presumption or burden of proof shall arise favoring or disfavoring any party by virtue of the authorship of any of the provisions of this Agreement. All references to laws, rules, regulations and forms in this Agreement shall be deemed to be references to such laws, rules, regulations and forms, as amended from time to time or, to the extent replaced, the comparable successor thereto in effect at the time. All references to agencies, self-regulatory organizations or governmental entities in this Agreement shall be deemed to be references to the comparable successors thereto from time to time.

(h) Delivery by Facsimile and Electronic Means . This Agreement, the agreements referred to herein, and each other agreement or instrument entered into in connection herewith or therewith or contemplated hereby or thereby, and any amendments hereto or thereto, to the extent signed and delivered by means of a facsimile machine or other electronic means, shall be treated in all manner and respects as an original agreement or instrument and shall be considered to have the same binding legal effect as if it were the original signed version thereof delivered in person. At the request of any party hereto or to any such agreement or instrument, each other party hereto or thereto shall re-execute original forms thereof and deliver them to all other parties. No party hereto or to any such agreement or instrument shall raise the use of a facsimile machine or other electronic means to deliver a signature or the fact that any signature or agreement or instrument was transmitted or communicated through the use of a facsimile machine or other electronic means as a defense to the formation or enforceability of a contract and each such party forever waives any such defense.

 

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(i) Arm’s Length Agreement . Each of the parties to this Agreement agrees and acknowledges that this Agreement has been negotiated in good faith, at arm’s length, and not by any means prohibited by law.

(j) Sophisticated Parties; Advice of Counsel . Each of the parties to this Agreement specifically acknowledges that (i) it is a knowledgeable, informed, sophisticated Person capable of understanding and evaluating the provisions set forth in this Agreement and (ii) it has been fully advised and represented by legal counsel of its own independent selection and has relied wholly upon its independent judgment and the advice of such counsel in negotiating and entering into this Agreement.

(k) Notification of Status . Each Holder shall provide written notice to the Company within ten Business Days from the first day on which the Holder no longer holds Registrable Securities.

(l) Governing Law . This Agreement and the exhibits, attachments and annexes hereto shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules or provisions (whether of the State of New York or any other jurisdiction) to the extent such rules or provisions would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of New York.

(m) Submission to Jurisdiction . Any action, suit or proceeding seeking to enforce any provision of, or based on any matter arising out of or in connection with, this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby must be brought in the United States District Court for the in the Southern District of New York or any New York state court, in each case, located in the Borough of Manhattan, and each party consents to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of such courts (and of the appropriate appellate courts therefrom) in any such action, suit or proceeding and irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any objection that it may now or hereafter have to the laying of the venue of any such, action, suit or proceeding in any such court or that any such action, suit or proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.

(n) Waiver of Jury Trial . Each of the parties to this Agreement hereby agrees to waive its respective rights to a jury trial of any claim or cause of action based upon or arising out of this Agreement. The scope of this waiver is intended to be all-encompassing of any and all disputes that may be filed in any court and that relate to the subject matter of this Agreement, including contract claims, tort claims and all other common law and statutory claims. Each party hereto acknowledges that this waiver is a material inducement to enter into this Agreement, that each has already relied on this waiver in entering into this Agreement, and that each will continue to rely on this waiver in their related future dealings. Each party hereto further warrants and represents that it has reviewed this waiver with its legal counsel and that it knowingly and voluntarily waives its jury trial rights following consultation with legal counsel. THIS WAIVER IS IRREVOCABLE, MEANING THAT IT MAY NOT BE MODIFIED EITHER ORALLY OR IN WRITING (OTHER THAN BY A MUTUAL WRITTEN WAIVER SPECIFICALLY REFERRING TO THIS SECTION 19(n) AND EXECUTED BY EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO), AND THIS WAIVER SHALL APPLY TO ANY SUBSEQUENT AMENDMENTS, RENEWALS, SUPPLEMENTS OR MODIFICATIONS TO THIS AGREEMENT. In the event of litigation, this Agreement may be filed as a written consent to a trial by the court.

 

32


(o) Complete Agreement . This Agreement and any certificates, documents, instruments and writings that are delivered pursuant hereto, represent the complete agreement among the parties hereto as to all matters covered hereby, and supersedes any prior agreements or understandings among the parties.

(p) Severability . In the event any one or more of the provisions contained in this Agreement should be held invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions contained herein shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby (it being understood that the invalidity of a particular provision in a particular jurisdiction shall not in and of itself affect the validity of such provision in any other jurisdiction). The parties shall endeavor in good-faith negotiations to replace the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions with valid provisions the economic effect of which comes as close as possible to that of the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions.

(q) Termination .

The obligations of the Company and of any Holder, other than those obligations contained in Section 10 hereof, shall terminate with respect to the Company and such Holder if (A) such Holder no longer holds any Registrable Securities or (B) such Holder no longer holds or beneficially owns at least 2% of the outstanding New Common Stock, but only if such Holder is not an “affiliate” for purposes of Rule 144 (and has not been an “affiliate” during the preceding three months and at least one year has elapsed since the Registrable Securities were acquired from the Company or an “affiliate” of the Company). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, this Agreement will terminate (A) at any time by a written instrument signed by each Holder or (B) simultaneously with the termination of the Commitment Agreement if the Rights Offering (as defined in the Commitment Agreement) is not consummated prior to such termination of the Commitment Agreement.

*        *        *         *        *

 

33


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

 

Cooper-Standard Holdings, Inc.
By:  

/s/ Timothy W. Hefferon

  Name: Timothy W. Hefferon
  Title: V.P., General Counsel & Secretary

Signature Page for Registration Rights Agreement


TCW Shared Opportunity Fund IV, L.P.
By: TCW Asset Management Company, its Investment Adviser
By:  

/s/ Richard H. Stevenson

  Name: Richard H. Stevenson
  Title: Senior Vice President
By:  

/s/ Chad Brownstein

  Name: Chad Brownstein
  Title: Senior Vice President
TCW Shared Opportunity Fund IVB, L.P.
By: TCW Asset Management Company, its Investment Adviser
By:  

/s/ Richard H. Stevenson

  Name: Richard H. Stevenson
  Title: Senior Vice President
By:  

/s/ Chad Brownstein

  Name: Chad Brownstein
  Title: Senior Vice President
TCW Shared Opportunity Fund V, L.P.
By: TCW Asset Management Company, its Investment Adviser
By:  

/s/ Richard H. Stevenson

  Name: Richard H. Stevenson
  Title: Senior Vice President
By:  

/s/ Chad Brownstein

  Name: Chad Brownstein
  Title: Senior Vice President
OHSF II FINANCING, LTD.
By:  

/s/ Scott D. Krase

  Name: Scott D. Krase
  Title: Authorized Person

Signature Page for Registration Rights Agreement

 


OHA STRATEGIC CREDIT MASTER FUND, L.P.
By: OHA Strategic Credit GenPar, LLC, its general partner
By:  

/s/ Scott D. Krase

  Name: Scott D. Krase
  Title: Authorized Signatory
OAK HILL CREDIT OPPORTUNITIES FINANCING, LTD.
By:  

/s/ Scott D. Krase

  Name: Scott D. Krase
  Title: Authorized Person
OHA STRATEGIC CREDIT MASTER FUND II, L.P.
By: OHA Strategic Credit GenPar, LLC, its general partner
By:  

/s/ Scott D. Krase

  Name: Scott D. Krase
  Title: Authorized Signatory
LERNER ENTERPRISES, LLC

By: OAK HILL ADVISORS, L.P.

As advisor and attorney-in-fact to Lerner Enterprises, LLC

By:  

/s/ Scott D. Krase

  Name: Scott D. Krase
  Title: Authorized Person
FUTURE FUND BOARD OF GUARDIANS
By: OAK HILL ADVSORS, L.P.
As its Investment Advisor
By:  

/s/ Scott D. Krase

  Name: Scott D. Krase
  Title: Authorized Person

Signature Page for Registration Rights Agreement


 

CAPITAL RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT

COMPANY, for and on behalf of the following

funds:

    American High-Income Trust
    American Funds Insurance Series, Asset
    Allocation Fund
    American Funds Insurance Series, High-Income Bond Fund
By:  

/s/ Abner D. Goldstine

  Name:  

Abner D. Goldstine

  Title:  

Director

 

Signature Page for Registration Rights Agreement


TD HIGH YIELD INCOME FUND
By:  

    TD Asset Management Inc.,

 

     as manager and trustee

By:  

/s/ Gregory Kocik

  Name:   Gregory Kocik
  Title:   Managing Director

 

Signature Page for Registration Rights Agreement


LORD, ABBETT & CO. LLC, as investment

advisor on behalf of multiple clients

By:  

/s/ Lawrence H. Kaplan

  Name:   Lawrence H. Kaplan
  Title:   Member & General Counsel

 

Signature Page for Registration Rights Agreement


BARCLAYS BANK PLC

by Barclays Capital, Inc., solely as agent

By:  

/s/ Jeff Psaki

  Name:   Jeff Psaki
  Title:   Managing Director

 

Signature Page for Registration Rights Agreement


SILVER POINT CAPITAL, L.P. , on behalf of its affiliates and related funds
By:  

/s/ Michael A. Gatto

Name:   Michael A. Gatto
Title:   Authorized Signatory

 

Signature Page for Registration Rights Agreement


ANNEX A

Plan of Distribution

A selling stockholder may also enter into hedging and/or monetization transactions. For example, a selling stockholder may:

(a) enter into transactions with a broker-dealer or affiliate of a broker-dealer or other third party in connection with which that other party will become a selling stockholder and engage in short sales of the common stock under this prospectus, in which case the other party may use shares of common stock received from the selling stockholder to close out any short positions;

(b) itself sell short common stock under this prospectus and use shares of common stock held by it to close out any short position;

(c) enter into options, forwards or other transactions that require the selling stockholder to deliver, in a transaction exempt from registration under the Securities Act, common stock to a broker-dealer or an affiliate of a broker-dealer or other third party who may then become a selling stockholder and publicly resell or otherwise transfer that common stock under this prospectus; or

(d) loan or pledge common stock to a broker-dealer or affiliate of a broker-dealer or other third party who may then become a selling stockholder and sell the loaned shares or, in an event of default in the case of a pledge, become a selling stockholder and sell the pledged shares, under this prospectus.

Annex A


ANNEX B

Form of Joinder Agreement

THIS JOINDER AGREEMENT is made and entered into by the undersigned with reference to the following facts:

Reference is made to the Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of [    ], 2010, as amended (the “ Registration Rights Agreement ”), by and among Cooper-Standard Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), the parties identified as “ Backstop Purchasers ” on the signature page thereto and the parties identified as “ Holders ” on the signature page thereto. “ Holder ” means (i) each Backstop Purchaser and each other Holder identified on the signature page thereto, together with its Affiliates and (ii) any parties identified on the signature page of any joinder agreements executed and delivered pursuant to Section 17 thereof, together with its Affiliates. Capitalized terms used but not defined in this Joinder Agreement shall have the meanings ascribed thereto in the Registration Rights Agreement.

As a condition to the acquisition of rights under the Registration Rights Agreement in accordance with the terms thereof, the undersigned agrees as follows:

1. The undersigned hereby agrees to be bound by the provisions of the Registration Rights Agreement and undertakes to perform each obligation as if a Holder thereunder and an original signatory thereto in such capacity.

2. This Joinder Agreement shall bind, and inure to the benefit of, the undersigned hereto and its respective devisees, heirs, personal and legal representatives, executors, administrators, successors and assigns.

3. This Joinder Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules or provisions (whether of the State of New York or any other jurisdiction) to the extent such rules or provisions would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of New York.

[ Signature Page Follows ]

Annex B


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Joinder Agreement this [    ] day of [            ], 2010.

 

(Print Name of Holder)
By:  
  Name:
  Title:

 

Address:   

 

  
  

 

  
  

 

  
  

 

  
Phone Number:   

 

  
Facsimile Number:   

 

  
Email for Notice:   

 

  
I.R.S. I.D. Number:   

 

  
Amount of Registrable Securities Acquired:   

 

  

Annex B

EXHIBIT 4.4

WARRANT AGREEMENT

dated as of May 27, 2010

between

Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc.

and

Computershare Inc.

and

Computershare Trust Company, N.A., collectively

as Warrant Agent


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

              Page

Article 1 Definitions

   1
  Section 1.01    Certain Definitions    1

Article 2 Issuance, Execution and Transfer of Warrants

   6
  Section 2.01    Issuance of Warrants    6
  Section 2.02    Global Warrants    7
  Section 2.03    Execution and Authentication of Warrants    9
  Section 2.04    Registration, Transfer, Exchange and Substitution    9
  Section 2.05    Form of Warrant Certificates    11
  Section 2.06    Surrender of Warrant Certificates    11
  Section 2.07    Restrictions on Transfer    11

Article 3 Exercise and Settlement of Warrants

   12
  Section 3.01    Exercise of Warrants    12
  Section 3.02    Procedure for Exercise    12
  Section 3.03    Settlement of Warrants    13
  Section 3.04    Delivery of New Common Stock    14
  Section 3.05    No Fractional Shares to Be Issued    15
  Section 3.06    Acquisition of Warrants by Company    15
  Section 3.07    Obligations of the Warrant Agent    15
  Section 3.08    Validity of Exercise    16
  Section 3.09    Direction of Warrant Agent    16

Article 4 Adjustments

   17
  Section 4.01    Adjustments to Exercise Price    17
  Section 4.02    Adjustments to Number of Warrants    23
  Section 4.03    Certain Distributions of Rights and Warrants    23
  Section 4.04    Shareholder Rights Plans    24
  Section 4.05    Restrictions on Adjustments    24
  Section 4.06    Deferral of Adjustments    25
  Section 4.07    Successor upon Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets    26
  Section 4.08    Adjustment upon Reorganization Event    26
  Section 4.09    New Common Stock Outstanding; Shares Reserved for Issuance on Exercise    28
  Section 4.10    Calculations    29
  Section 4.11    Notice of Adjustments    29
  Section 4.12    Warrant Agent Not Responsible for Adjustments or Validity    29
  Section 4.13    Statements on Warrants    30

Article 5 Other Provisions Relating to Rights of Warrantholders

   30
  Section 5.01    No Rights as Stockholders    30
  Section 5.02    Mutilated or Missing Warrant Certificates    30
  Section 5.03    Modification, Waiver and Meetings    31

Article 6 Concerning the Warrant Agent and Other Matters

   32
  Section 6.01    Payment of Certain Taxes    32

 

i


  Section 6.02    Certain Tax Filings    32
  Section 6.03    Change of Warrant Agent    32
  Section 6.04    Compensation; Further Assurances    34
  Section 6.05    Reliance on Counsel    34
  Section 6.06    Proof of Actions Taken    34
  Section 6.07    Correctness of Statements    34
  Section 6.08    Validity of Agreement    34
  Section 6.09    Use of Agents    35
  Section 6.10    Liability of Warrant Agent    35
  Section 6.11    Legal Proceedings    35
  Section 6.12    Other Transactions in Securities of the Company    35
  Section 6.13    Actions as Agent    36
  Section 6.14    Appointment and Acceptance of Agency    36
  Section 6.15    Successors and Assigns    36
  Section 6.16    Notices    36
  Section 6.17    Applicable Law; Jurisdiction    37
  Section 6.18    Benefit of this Warrant Agreement    37
  Section 6.19    Registered Warrantholders    37
  Section 6.20    Inspection of this Warrant Agreement    38
  Section 6.21    Headings    38
  Section 6.22    Counterparts    38
  Section 6.23    Entire Agreement    38
  Section 6.24    Severability    38

EXHIBIT A FORM OF LEGENDS

   A-1

EXHIBIT B FORM OF WARRANT CERTIFICATE

   B-1

EXHIBIT C FORM OF NEW COMMON SHARES REQUISITION ORDER

   C-1

EXHIBIT D WARRANT AGENT FEE SCHEDULE

   D-1

 

ii


WARRANT AGREEMENT

This Warrant Agreement (“ Warrant Agreement ”) dated as of May 27, 2010 is between Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), and Computershare Inc., a Delaware corporation and Computershare Trust Company, N.A., a federally chartered, limited purpose trust company (collectively, the “ Warrant Agent ,” or individually, “ Computershare ” and the “ Trust Company ,” respectively).

WITNESSETH THAT:

WHEREAS, pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Debtors’ First Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization, dated March 19, 2010, as the same may be amended, modified or restated from time to time (the “ Plan ”) relating to the reorganization under Chapter 11 of title 11 of the United States Code (the “ Bankruptcy Code ”) of the Company and certain of its direct and indirect subsidiaries, the Subordinated Holders and Backstop Parties (such parties, the “ Initial Warrantholders ”) are to be issued warrants (the “ Warrants ”) exercisable until the Expiration Date (as defined below), to purchase up to an aggregate of 2,419,753 shares of New Common Stock at an exercise price of $27.33 per share, as the same may be adjusted pursuant to Article 4 hereof (the “ Exercise Price ”);

WHEREAS, certain of the Warrants are being issued to Subordinated Holders in an offering in reliance on the exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act afforded by Section 1145 of the Bankruptcy Code, and of any applicable state securities or “blue sky” laws;

WHEREAS, certain of the Warrants are being issued to the Backstop Parties in an offering exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, and of any applicable state securities or “blue sky” laws; and

WHEREAS, the Company desires that the Warrant Agent act on behalf of the Company, and the Warrant Agent is willing to act, in connection with the issuance, exchange, transfer, substitution and exercise of Warrants.

NOW THEREFORE in consideration of the mutual agreements herein contained, the Company and the Warrant Agent agree as follows:

Article 1

Definitions

Section 1.01 Certain Definitions . As used in this Warrant Agreement, the following terms shall have their respective meanings set forth below:

Adjustment Event ” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.06 .

Affiliate ” shall mean, with respect to any specified Person, any other Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such specified Person.

 

1


Agent Members ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.02(b) .

Authentication Order ” means a Company Order for authentication and delivery of Warrants.

Backstop Parties ” means the parties identified as “Backstop Parties” in the Plan.

Beneficial Holder ” means any Person beneficially owning an interest in a Global Warrant, as evidenced by the book-entry system maintained by the Depositary (or its agent).

Board of Directors ” means the board of directors of the Company or any committee of such board duly authorized to exercise the power of such board with respect to the matters provided for in this Warrant Agreement as to which the board is authorized or required to act.

Business Day ” means any day other than a Saturday or Sunday or other than a day on which the New York Stock Exchange is authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

Capital Stock ” means any and all shares, interests, participations or other equivalents (however designated) of capital stock of the Company and all warrants or options to acquire such capital stock.

Cash ” means such coin or currency of the United States as at any time of payment is legal tender for the payment of public and private debts.

Certificated Warrant ” means a Warrant represented by a Warrant Certificate, in definitive, fully registered form.

Close of Business ” means 5:00 p.m., New York City time.

Closing Date ” means the effective date of the Plan.

Closing Sale Price ” means, as of any date:

(i) if the shares of New Common Stock or other security are listed on the New York Stock Exchange, the closing sale price per share of New Common Stock or other security (or if no closing sale price is reported, the last reported sale price) on such date on the New York Stock Exchange;

(ii) if the shares of New Common Stock or other security are not listed on the New York Stock Exchange, the closing sale price per share of New Common Stock or other security (or if no closing sale price is reported, the last reported sale price) on such date in composite trading for the principal U.S. national or regional securities exchange on which the shares of New Common Stock or other security are then listed;

(iii) if the shares of New Common Stock or other security are not listed on a U.S. national or regional securities exchange, the last quoted bid price per share of New Common Stock or other security in the over-the-counter market on the relevant date as reported by Pink OTC Markets Inc. or a similar organization; or

 

2


(iv) if the shares of New Common Stock or other security are not listed on a U.S. national or regional securities exchange or quoted as described in clause (iii) above, the market price per share of New Common Stock or other security on the relevant date as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors, subject to Section 4.10(b) hereof.

If during a period applicable for calculating Closing Sale Price, an (or another) issuance, distribution, subdivision, combination or other transaction or event occurs that requires an adjustment to the Exercise Price or Number of Warrants pursuant to Article 3 hereof, Closing Sale Price shall be calculated for such period in a manner determined by the Board of Directors to appropriately reflect the impact of such issuance, distribution, subdivision or combination or other transaction or event on the price of the New Common Stock during such period.

Company ” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.

Company Order ” means a written order signed in the name of the Company by any two officers, at least one of whom must be its Chief Executive Officer, its Chief Financial Officer, its Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, or its Controller, and delivered to the Warrant Agent.

Convertible Securities ” means options, rights, warrants or other securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for shares of New Common Stock.

Depositary ” means The Depository Trust Company, its nominees, and their respective successors.

Determination Date ” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.06 .

Effective Consideration ” means the amount paid or payable to acquire shares of New Common Stock (or in the case of Convertible Securities, the amount paid or payable to acquire the Convertible Security, if any, plus the exercise price for the underlying New Common Stock).

Equity Commitment Agreement ” means the Commitment Agreement dated as of March 19, 2010 by and between the Company and the Backstop Parties.

Exchange Act ” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

Ex-Date ” (i) when used with respect to any issuance or distribution, means the first date on which the New Common Stock trades, regular way, on the relevant exchange or in the relevant market from which the Closing Sale Price was obtained without the right to receive such issuance or distribution, and (ii) when used with respect to any subdivision, split, combination or reclassification of shares of New Common Stock, means the first date on which the New Common Stock trades, regular way, on such exchange or in such market after the time at which such subdivision, split, combination or reclassification becomes effective.

Exercise Date ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.02(b) .

 

3


Exercise Notice ” means, for any Warrant, the exercise notice set forth on the reverse of the Warrant Certificate, substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit B hereto.

Exercise Price ” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

Expiration Date ” means, for any Warrant, November 27, 2017.

Full Physical Settlement ” means the settlement method pursuant to which an exercising Warrantholder shall be entitled to receive from the Company, for each Warrant exercised, a number of shares of New Common Stock equal to the Full Physical Share Amount in exchange for payment by the Warrantholder of the Exercise Price.

Full Physical Share Amount ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.03(b) .

Fundamental Change ” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.07(a) .

Global Restricted Warrant ” means a Warrant, other than a Global Unrestricted Warrant, in the form of a permanent global Warrant Certificate, in definitive, fully registered form and bearing the Restricted Warrant Legend.

Global Unrestricted Warrant ” means a Warrant in the form of a permanent global Warrant Certificate, in definitive, fully registered form, issued pursuant to Section 1145 of the Bankruptcy Code.

Global Warrant ” means any Global Restricted Warrant or any Global Unrestricted Warrant.

Global Warrant Legend ” means the legend substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit A-1 hereto.

Initial Warrantholders ” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

Net Share Amount ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.03(c) .

Net Share Settlement ” means the settlement method pursuant to which an exercising Warrantholder shall be entitled to receive from the Company, for each Warrant exercised, a number of shares of New Common Stock equal to the Net Share Amount without any payment therefor.

New Common Stock ” means the new common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company.

Number of Warrants ” means, for a Warrant Certificate, the “Number of Warrants” specified on the face of such Warrant Certificate (or, in the case of a Global Warrant, on Schedule A to such Warrant Certificate), subject to adjustment pursuant to Article 3 .

Offer Expiration Date ” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.01(e) .

 

4


Officer’s Certificate ” means a certificate signed by any two officers of the Company, at least one of whom must be its Chief Executive Officer, its Chief Financial Officer, its Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, or its Controller.

Open of Business ” means 9:00 a.m., New York City time.

Person ” means an individual, partnership, firm, corporation, limited liability company, business trust, joint stock company, trust, unincorporated association, joint venture, governmental authority or other entity of whatever nature.

Plan ” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

Record Date ” means, with respect to any dividend, distribution or other transaction or event in which the holders of New Common Stock have the right to receive any cash, securities or other property or in which New Common Stock (or other applicable security) is exchanged for or converted into any combination of cash, securities or other property, the date fixed for determination of holders of New Common Stock entitled to receive such cash, securities or other property (whether such date is fixed by the Board of Directors or by statute, contract or otherwise).

Reference Property ” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.08(a) .

Reorganization Event ” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.08(a) .

Restricted Certificated Warrant ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.02(e) .

Restricted Securities ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.07 .

Restricted Warrant Legend ” means the legend substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit A-2 hereto.

SEC ” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

Securities Act ” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Settlement Date ” means, in respect of a Warrant that is exercised hereunder, the third Trading Day immediately following the Exercise Date for such Warrant.

Subordinated Holders ” means the holders of pre-petition claims with respect to the Company’s 8  3 / 8 % Senior Subordinated Notes due 2014 identified as “Holders of Allowed Senior Subordinated Note Claims” in the Plan.

Trading Day ” is any day during which trading in securities generally occurs on the New York Stock Exchange or, if the Common Stock is not listed on the New York Stock Exchange, on the principal United States national or regional securities exchange on which the Common Stock is then listed or, if the Common Stock is not listed on a United States national or regional securities exchange, on the principal other market (including any over-the-counter market or quotation system) on which the Common Stock is then traded.

 

5


Trigger Event ” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.03(a) .

Unit of Reference Property ” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.08(a) .

Unit Value ” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.08(c) .

Valuation Period ” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.01(d) .

Vice President ” means any vice president of the Company, whether or not designated by a number or a word or words added before or after the title “vice president”.

Voting Stock ” means Capital Stock having the right to vote for the election of directors under ordinary circumstances.

Warrant ” means a warrant of the Company exercisable for one share of New Common Stock as provided herein, and issued pursuant to this Warrant Agreement with the terms, conditions and rights set forth in this Warrant Agreement.

Warrant Agent ” means Computershare and the Trust Company, in their collective capacity as warrant agent hereunder.

Warrant Certificate ” means any certificate representing Warrants satisfying the requirements set forth in Section 2.05 .

Warrant Register ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.04(a) .

Warrantholder ” means each Person in whose name Warrants are registered in the Warrant Register.

Article 2

Issuance, Execution and Transfer of Warrants

Section 2.01 Issuance of Warrants .

(a) The Company shall execute and deliver to the Warrant Agent, for authentication and delivery to the Depositary, or its custodian, for crediting to the accounts of its participants for the benefit of the Initial Warrantholders pursuant to the procedures of the Depositary on the Closing Date, one or more Global Unrestricted Warrants, together with Authentication Orders with respect thereto. The initial aggregate Number of Warrants represented by the Global Unrestricted Warrants shall be equal to 725,926. On the Closing Date, the Warrant Agent shall, upon receipt of such Global Unrestricted Warrants and Authentication Orders, authenticate, manually countersign and deliver such Global Warrant to the Depositary, or its custodian, for crediting to the accounts of its participants pursuant to the procedures of the Depositary in accordance with Section 2.04. All such Warrants shall be dated as of the Closing Date. Each Global Warrant shall evidence one or more Warrants. Each Warrant evidenced by a Global Warrant entitles the holder, upon proper exercise and payment of the Exercise Price to receive from the Company, as adjusted as provided herein, one share of New Common Stock.

 

6


(b) The Company shall execute and deliver to the Warrant Agent, for authentication and delivery to the Initial Warrantholders, Certificated Warrants bearing the Restricted Warrant Legend (each, a “Restricted Certificated Warrant”) in the name of each Initial Warrantholder, together with Authentication Orders with respect thereto, evidencing an initial Number of Warrants equal to the number indicated next to such Initial Warrantholder’s name on Schedule II hereto (such Number of Warrants subject to adjustment from time to time as described herein) in accordance with the terms of this Warrant Agreement. The initial aggregate Number of Warrants represented by the Restricted Certificated Warrants shall be equal to 1,693,827. On the Closing Date, the Warrant Agent shall, upon receipt of such Restricted Certificated Warrants and Authentication Orders, authenticate, manually countersign and deliver such Restricted Certificated Warrants to the applicable Initial Warrantholder and register such Initial Warrantholder as the Warrantholder of such Warrants in accordance with Section 2.04. All such Warrants shall be dated as of the Closing Date.

(c) Except as set forth in Section 2.04 and Section 5.02, the Warrants delivered to the Initial Warrantholders or the Depositary (or a nominee thereof) on the Closing Date shall be the only Warrants issued or outstanding under this Warrant Agreement.

(d) All Warrants issued under this Warrant Agreement shall in all respects be equally and ratably entitled to the benefits hereof, without preference, priority, or distinction on account of the actual time of the issuance and authentication or any other terms thereof.

(e) The Company shall supply the Warrant Agent with an opinion of counsel with respect to the following: (i) Company’s organization and existence under the laws of its state of organization; (ii) the status of all future issuances of equity securities of Company covered by the appointment under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), and any other applicable federal or state statute; and (iii) that all issued Warrants, excluding any Warrants that are issued pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of Section 5 of the 1933 Act provided by Section 1145 of the Bankruptcy Code, are validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. For future issuances of Warrants, the Company agrees to supply an appropriate opinion of counsel.

Section 2.02 Global Warrants .

(a) The Warrants issued pursuant to Section 2.01(a) shall be issued in the form of one or more Global Unrestricted Warrants evidencing an aggregate Number of Warrants equal to 725,926, to be registered in the name of the Depositary, or its nominee, and delivered by the Warrant Agent to the Depositary, or its custodian, for crediting to the accounts of its participants pursuant to the procedures of the Depositary. The Company shall execute Global Unrestricted Warrants representing such aggregate Number of Warrants and deliver the same to the Warrant Agent for the authentication and delivery in accordance with Section 2.03. Any Global Warrant shall bear the Global Warrant Legend.

(b) The Warrants issued pursuant to Section 2.01(b) shall initially be issued in the form of Restricted Certificated Warrants evidencing an aggregate Number of Warrants equal to 1,693,827. However, if the Warrants are sold pursuant to an effective registration statement covering the resale of such Warrants filed with the SEC, or at any other time selected by the

 

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Company, any Restricted Certificated Warrants may be presented to the Warrant Agent by Warrantholders in exchange for one or more Global Warrants up to the aggregate Number of Warrants evidenced by Restricted Certificated Warrants then outstanding, to be registered in the name of the Depositary, or its nominee, and delivered by the Warrant Agent to the Depositary, or its custodian, for crediting to the accounts of its participants pursuant to the procedures of the Depositary. Upon such presentation, the Company shall execute Global Warrants representing such aggregate Number of Warrants and deliver the same to the Warrant Agent for the authentication and delivery in accordance with Section 2.03. The Global Warrants executed and delivered by the Company pursuant to this Section 2.02(b) shall be Global Restricted Warrants, to the extent the Warrants evidenced by such Global Warrant are Restricted Securities and subject to the provisions of Section 2.07(c). The Global Unrestricted Warrants and the Global Restricted Warrants will be identical in all respects except with respect to the number of Warrants represented thereby and the inclusion of the Restricted Legend on the Global Restricted Warrant.

(c) So long as any Global Warrant is registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee or members of, or participants in, the Depositary (the “ Agent Members ”), the Beneficial Holders shall have no rights under this Warrant Agreement with respect to such Global Warrant held on their behalf by the Depositary or the Warrant Agent as its custodian, and the Depositary may be treated by the Company, the Warrant Agent and any agent of the Company or the Warrant Agent as the absolute owner of such Global Warrant for all purposes. Accordingly, any such Beneficial Holder’s interest in such Global Warrant will be shown only on, and the transfer of such interest shall be effected only through, records maintained by the Depositary or its nominee or its Agent Members, and neither the Company nor the Warrant Agent shall have any responsibility with respect to such records maintained by the Depositary or its nominee or its Agent Members. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall prevent the Company, the Warrant Agent or any agent of the Company or the Warrant Agent from giving effect to any written certification, proxy or other authorization furnished by the Depositary or impair, as between the Depositary and its Agent Members, the operation of customary practices governing the exercise of the rights of a Warrantholder.

(d) The Beneficial Holders shall, by acceptance of a Global Warrant, agree that transfers of beneficial interests in such Global Warrant may be effected only through a book-entry system maintained by the Depositary (or its agent), and that ownership of a beneficial interest in Warrants represented thereby shall be required to be reflected in book-entry form.

(e) (e) A Global Warrant registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee shall be exchanged for Certificated Warrants only if the Depositary (A) has notified the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as or ceases to be a clearing agency registered under Section 17A of the Exchange Act and (B) a successor to the Depositary registered as a clearing agency under Section 17A of the Exchange Act is not able to be appointed by the Company within 90 days or the Depositary is at any time unwilling or unable to continue as Depositary and a successor to the Depositary is not able to be appointed by the Company within 90 days. In any such event, a Global Warrant registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee shall be surrendered to the Warrant Agent for cancellation, and the Company shall execute, and the Warrant Agent shall countersign and deliver, to each beneficial owner identified by the Depositary, in exchange for such beneficial owner’s beneficial interest in such Global

 

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Warrant, Certificated Warrants representing, in the aggregate, the Number of Warrants theretofore represented by such Global Warrant with respect to such beneficial owner’s respective beneficial interest. Any Certificated Warrant delivered in exchange for an interest in a Global Warrant pursuant to this Section 2.02(e) shall not bear the Global Warrant Legend. Any Certificated Warrant delivered in exchange for an interest in a Global Restricted Warrant pursuant to this Section 2.02(e) shall be a Restricted Certificated Warrant. Interests in the Global Warrant may not be exchanged for Certificated Warrants other than as provided in this Section 2.02(e) .

(f) The holder of a Global Warrant registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee may grant proxies and otherwise authorize any Person, including Agent Members and Persons that may hold interests through Agent Members, to take any action which a Warrantholder is entitled to take under this Warrant Agreement or the Warrant.

Section 2.03 Execution and Authentication of Warrants .

(a) Each Global Warrant and Certificated Warrant shall be executed on behalf of the Company by the Chief Executive Officer, any Executive Vice President, any Senior Vice President or any Vice President of the Company and attested by its Secretary or any one of its Assistant Secretaries. The signature of any of these officers on any Global Warrant and Certificated Warrant may be manual or facsimile.

(b) Global Warrants and Certificated Warrants bearing the manual or facsimile signatures of individuals, each of whom was, at the time he or she signed such Global Warrant and Certificated Warrant or his or her facsimile signature was affixed to such Global Warrant and Certificated Warrant, as the case may be, a proper officer of the Company, shall bind the Company, notwithstanding that such individuals or any of them have ceased to hold such offices prior to the authentication and delivery of such Global Warrants and Certificated Warrants or did not hold such offices at the date of such Global Warrants and Certificated Warrants.

(c) No Global Warrant or Certificated Warrant shall be entitled to any benefit under this Warrant Agreement or be valid or obligatory for any purpose unless there appears on such Global Warrant or Certificated Warrant a certificate of authentication substantially in the form provided for herein executed by the Warrant Agent by manual or facsimile signature, and such signature upon any Global Warrant or Certificated Warrant shall be conclusive evidence, and the only evidence, that such Global Warrant or Certificated Warrant has been duly authenticated and delivered hereunder.

Section 2.04 Registration, Transfer, Exchange and Substitution .

(a) The Company shall cause to be kept at the office of the Warrant Agent, and the Warrant Agent shall maintain, a register (the “ Warrant Register ”) in which the Company shall provide for the registration of Warrants and transfers, exchanges or substitutions of Warrants as herein provided. All Warrants issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of or substitution for Warrants shall be valid obligations of the Company, evidencing the same obligations, and entitled to the same benefits under this Warrant Agreement, as Warrants surrendered for such registration of transfer, exchange or substitution.

 

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(b) Transfers of a Global Warrant registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee shall be limited to transfers in whole, and not in part, to the Company, the Depositary, their successors, and their respective nominees. Interests of beneficial owners in a Global Warrant registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee shall be transferred in accordance with this Warrant Agreement and the procedures of the Depositary.

(c) A Warrantholder may transfer a Certificated Warrant only upon surrender of such Certificated Warrant for registration of transfer. Certificated Warrants may be presented for registration of transfer and exchange at the offices of the Warrant Agent with a written instruction of transfer in form satisfactory to the Warrant Agent, duly executed by such Warrantholder or by such Warrantholder’s attorney, duly authorized in writing. No such transfer shall be effected until, and the transferee shall succeed to the rights of a Warrantholder only upon, final acceptance and registration of the transfer in the Warrant Register by the Warrant Agent. Prior to the registration of any transfer of a Certificated Warrant by a Warrantholder as provided herein, the Company, the Warrant Agent, and any agent of the Company or the Warrant Agent may treat the Person in whose name Warrants are registered as the owner thereof for all purposes and as the Person entitled to exercise the rights represented thereby, any notice to the contrary notwithstanding.

(d) Every Certificated Warrant presented or surrendered for registration of transfer or for exchange or substitution shall (if so required by the Company or the Warrant Agent) be duly endorsed, or be accompanied by a duly executed instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Warrant Agent, by the holder thereof or such Warrantholder’s attorney duly authorized in writing.

(e) When Certificated Warrants are presented to the Warrant Agent with a request to register the transfer of, or to exchange or substitute, such Warrants, the Warrant Agent shall register the transfer or make the exchange or substitution as requested if its requirements for such transactions and any applicable requirements hereunder are satisfied. Such requirements shall include, inter alia, a signature guarantee from an eligible guarantor institution participating in a signature guarantee program approved by the Securities Transfer Association. To permit registrations of transfers, exchanges and substitutions, the Company shall execute Warrant Certificates at the Warrant Agent’s request and the Warrant Agent shall countersign and deliver such Warrant Certificates. No service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or exchange of or substitution for Warrants, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any registration of transfer of Warrants.

(f) A Certificated Warrant may be exchanged at the option of the holder or holders thereof, when presented or surrendered in accordance with this Warrant Agreement, for another Warrant Certificate or other Warrant Certificates of like tenor and representing in the aggregate a like Number of Warrants. If less than all Warrants represented by a Certificated Warrant are transferred, exchanged or substituted in accordance with this Warrant Agreement, the Warrant Certificate shall be surrendered to the Warrant Agent and a new Warrant Certificate

 

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for a Number of Warrants equal to the Warrants represented by such Warrant Certificate that were not transferred, exchanged or substituted, registered in such name or names as may be directed in writing by the surrendering Warrantholder, shall be executed by the Company and delivered to the Warrant Agent and the Warrant Agent shall countersign such new Warrant Certificate and shall deliver such new Warrant Certificate to the Person or Persons entitled to receive the same.

Section 2.05 Form of Warrant Certificates . Each Warrant Certificate shall be in substantially the form set forth in Exhibit B hereto and shall have such insertions as are appropriate or required by this Warrant Agreement and may have such letters, numbers or other marks of identification and such legends and endorsements, stamped, printed, lithographed or engraved thereon, as the Company may deem appropriate and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Warrant Agreement, such as may be required to comply with this Warrant Agreement, any law or any rule of any securities exchange on which Warrants may be listed, and such as may be necessary to conform to customary usage.

Section 2.06 Surrender of Warrant Certificates . Any Warrant Certificate surrendered for registration of transfer, exchange, substitution or exercise of Warrants represented thereby shall, if surrendered to the Company, be delivered to the Warrant Agent, and all Warrant Certificates surrendered or so delivered to the Warrant Agent shall be promptly cancelled by the Warrant Agent and shall not be reissued by the Company and, except as provided in this Article 2 in case of an exchange, transfer or substitution, or Article 3 in case of the exercise of less than all Warrants represented thereby, or Section 5.02 in case of mutilation, no Warrant Certificate shall be issued hereunder in lieu thereof. The Warrant Agent shall deliver to the Company from time to time or otherwise dispose of such cancelled Warrant Certificates as the Company may direct.

Section 2.07 Restrictions on Transfer . Any other provision of this Warrant Agreement notwithstanding:

(a) Each Warrantholder and each Beneficial Holder that owns an interest in a Global Restricted Warrant or a Restricted Certificated Warrant, by accepting the same, agrees not to sell, assign, transfer or pledge any Warrants represented by a Global Restricted Warrant or a Restricted Certificated Warrant or any New Common Stock issued upon any exercise of any such Warrants (collectively “ Restricted Securities ”) except upon satisfaction of the conditions specified in this Section 2.07 , which conditions are intended to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Securities Act and any applicable state securities laws. Each Warrantholder beneficially owning any Restricted Securities will cause any proposed purchaser, assignee, transferee or pledge of the Restricted Securities to agree to take and hold such securities subject to the provisions and conditions specified in this Section 2.07 . Each certificate representing Restricted Securities shall be stamped or otherwise imprinted with the Restricted Warrant Legend.

(b) Prior to any proposed transfer (including any transfer by means of exercising Warrants in such a manner as to cause the New Common Stock to be registered in the name of another holder), sale, assignment or pledge of any such Restricted Securities, unless there is in effect a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the proposed transfer, sale, assignment or pledge the holder thereof shall give written notice to the Company of such

 

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holder’s intention to effect such transfer, sale, assignment or pledge. Each such notice shall describe the manner and circumstances of the proposed transfer, sale, assignment or pledge in sufficient detail and shall be accompanied, at such holder’s expense, by a written opinion of legal counsel (who shall be, and whose legal opinion shall be, reasonably satisfactory to the Company) addressed to the Company to the effect that the proposed transfer of the securities may be effected without registration under the Securities Act and is in compliance with applicable state securities laws.

(c) At the request of the Warrantholder, an interest in a Global Restricted Warrant and a Restricted Certificated Warrant may be transformed into an interest in a Global Unrestricted Warrant and a Certificated Warrant, as applicable, based upon a written opinion of legal counsel (who shall be, and whose legal opinion shall be, reasonably satisfactory to the Company) addressed to the Company to the effect that a proposed transfer of the securities may be effected without registration under the Securities Act and is in compliance with applicable state securities laws. Upon receipt of written approval from the Company, the Warrant Agent shall cause such transformation to be consummated in accordance with the terms of this Section 2.07(c) .

(d) No Warrants, or shares of New Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants, shall be sold, exchanged or otherwise transferred in violation of the Securities Act or applicable state securities laws.

Article 3

Exercise and Settlement of Warrants

Section 3.01 Exercise of Warrants . At any time prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the Expiration Date, a Warrantholder shall be entitled to exercise, in accordance with this Article 3 , the full Number of Warrants represented by any Warrant Certificate then registered in such Warrantholder’s name (which may include fractional Warrants) or any portion thereof (which shall not include any fractional Warrants). Any Warrants not exercised prior to such time shall expire unexercised and all rights thereunder and all rights in respect thereof under this Warrant Agreement shall cease as of the Expiration Date.

Section 3.02 Procedure for Exercise .

(a) To exercise a Warrant (i) in the case of a Certificated Warrant, the Warrantholder must (x) surrender the Warrant Certificate evidencing such Warrant at the principal office of the Warrant Agent (or successor warrant agent), (y) deliver the Exercise Notice set forth on the reverse of the Warrant Certificate duly completed and executed at the principal office of the Warrant Agent (or successor warrant agent), together with any applicable transfer taxes as set forth in Section 6.01(b) , and (z) in the event the exercising Warrantholder does not elect for Net Share Settlement in accordance with Section 3.03 , pay to the Warrant Agent (or successor warrant agent) the Exercise Price (determined as of such Exercise Date) by federal wire, as coordinated in conjunction with the Warrant Agent, or other immediately available funds payable to the order of the Company to the account maintained by the Warrant Agent and notified to the Warrantholder in accordance with Section 6.16 or (ii) in the case of a

 

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Global Warrant, the Warrantholder must (x) comply with the procedures established by the Depositary for the exercise of Warrants and (y) in the event the exercising Warrantholder does not elect for Net Share Settlement in accordance with Section 3.03 , pay to the Warrant Agent (or successor warrant agent) an amount equal to the Exercise Price as provided in (i)(z) above.

(b) The date on which a Warrantholder complies with the requirements for exercise set forth in this Section 3.02 in respect of a Warrant is the “ Exercise Date ” for such Warrant. However, if such date is not a Trading Day or the Warrantholder satisfies such requirements after the Close of Business on a Trading Day, then the Exercise Date shall be the immediately succeeding Trading Day, unless that Trading Day falls after the Expiration Date, in which case the Exercise Date shall be the immediately preceding Trading Day (it being understood that in no event shall an Exercise Date occur following the Expiration Date).

(c) Any exercise of a Warrant pursuant to the terms of this Warrant Agreement shall be irrevocable and shall constitute a binding agreement between the holder and the Company, enforceable in accordance with its terms.

(d) The Company acknowledges that the bank accounts maintained by Computershare in connection with the services provided under this Agreement will be in its name and that Computershare may receive investment earnings in connection with the investment at Computershare risk and for its benefit of funds held in those accounts from time to time. Neither the Company nor the Warrantholders will receive interest on any deposits or Exercise Price.

Section 3.03 Settlement of Warrants .

(a) Full Physical Settlement shall apply to each Warrant unless the Warrantholder elects for Net Share Settlement to apply upon exercise of such Warrant. Such election shall be made (i) in the case of a Certificated Warrant, in the Exercise Notice for such Warrant, or (ii) in the case of a Global Warrant, in accordance with the procedures established by the Depositary for the exercise of Warrants.

(b) If Full Physical Settlement is applicable with respect to the exercise of a Warrant, then, for each Warrant exercised hereunder, on the Settlement Date for such Warrant, the Company shall cause to be delivered to the Warrantholder one share of New Common Stock (the “ Full Physical Share Amount ”), together with Cash in respect of any fractional Warrant as provided in Section 3.05 . All funds received by the Warrant Agent upon exercise of such Warrant shall be deposited by the Warrant Agent for the account of the Company in accordance with account instructions previously provided to the Warrant Agent by the Company in writing.

(c) If Net Share Settlement is applicable with respect to the exercise of a Warrant, then, for each Warrant exercised hereunder, on the Settlement Date for such Warrant, the Company shall cause to be delivered to the Warrantholder a number of shares of New Common Stock (which in no event will be less than zero) (the “ Net Share Amount ”) equal to (i) the Closing Sale Price as of the relevant Exercise Date, minus the Exercise Price (determined as of such Exercise Date), divided by (ii) such Closing Sale Price, together with Cash in respect of any fractional shares of New Common Stock or fractional Warrants as provided in Section 3.05 .

 

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Section 3.04 Delivery of New Common Stock .

(a) In connection with the delivery of shares of New Common Stock to an exercising Warrantholder pursuant to Section 3.03(b) or Section 3.03(c) , as the case may be, the Warrant Agent shall:

(1) inform the Company, within one Business Day, or as promptly as practicable within reasonable time, following the satisfaction by the exercising Warrantholder of each of the applicable procedures for exercise set forth in Section 3.02(a), of the number of shares of New Common Stock underlying the Warrants which were exercised;

(2) promptly deliver or deposit all funds delivered to the Warrant Agent upon exercise of any Warrant(s) by bank wire transfer to an account designated by the Company or as the Warrant Agent may be directed in writing by the Company;

(3) on the Settlement Date, or as promptly as practicable within reasonable time, deliver Cash to such Warrantholder in respect of any fractional shares of New Common Stock or fractional Warrants, as provided in Section 3.05 ;

(4) promptly cancel all Warrant Certificates surrendered to the Warrant Agent, destroy all such cancelled Warrant Certificates and deliver a certificate of destruction to the Company, unless the Company shall otherwise direct; and

(5) if the Number of Warrants represented by a Certificated Warrant shall not have been exercised in full, deliver a new Warrant Certificate, countersigned by the Warrant Agent, for the balance of the number of Warrants represented by the surrendered Warrant Certificate.

(b) If such shares of New Common Stock are in book-entry form at the Depositary, the Company shall (or shall cause its transfer agent to) deliver such shares of New Common Stock by electronic transfer to such exercising Warrantholder’s account, or any other account as such exercising Warrantholder may designate, at the Depositary or at an Agent Member. If such shares of New Common Stock are not in book-entry form at the Depositary, the Company shall (or shall cause its transfer agent to) deliver to or upon the order of such exercising Warrantholder a certificate or certificates, in each case with legends thereon as appropriate (as determined by the Company) and for the number of full shares of New Common Stock to which such exercising Warrantholder is entitled, registered in such name or names as may be directed by such exercising Warrantholder.

(c) Each Person in whose name any shares of New Common Stock are issued shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of such shares as of the Exercise Date or, in the case of a Warrant subject to Full Physical Settlement only, the date of payment by the Warrantholder of the Exercise Price in accordance with Section 3.03(b) , if later. However, if any such date is a date when the stock transfer books of the Company are closed, such Person shall be deemed to have become the holder of such shares at the Close of Business on the next succeeding date on which the stock transfer books are open.

 

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(d) Promptly after the Warrant Agent shall have taken the action required by Section 3.04 (or at such later time as may be mutually agreeable to the Company and the Warrant Agent), the Warrant Agent shall account to the Company with respect to any Warrants exercised (including, without limitation, with respect to any Exercise Price paid to the Warrant Agent). The Company shall reimburse the Warrant Agent for any amounts paid by the Warrant Agent in respect of a fractional share of New Common Stock or fractional Warrant upon such exercise in accordance with Section 3.05 hereof.

Section 3.05 No Fractional Shares to Be Issued .

(a) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Warrant Agreement, the Company shall not be required to issue any fraction of a Warrant or of a share of New Common Stock upon exercise of any Warrants.

(b) If any fraction of a Warrant shall be exercised hereunder, the Company shall pay the relevant Warrantholder Cash in lieu of the corresponding fraction of a share of New Common Stock valued at the Closing Sale Price on the Exercise Date in excess of the corresponding fraction of the Exercise Price. However, if more than one Warrant shall be exercised hereunder at one time by the same Beneficial Holder or holder of a Certificated Warrant, the number of full shares which shall be issuable upon exercise thereof shall be computed on the basis of all Warrants (including any fractional Warrants) so exercised. If any fraction of a share of New Common Stock would, except for the provisions of this Section 3.05 , be issuable on the exercise of any Warrant or Warrants (including any fractional Warrants), the Company shall pay the Beneficial Holder or holder of the Certificated Warrant Cash in lieu of such fractional shares valued at the Closing Sale Price on the Exercise Date.

(c) Each Warrantholder, by its acceptance of a Warrant Certificate, expressly waives its right to receive any fraction of a share of New Common Stock or a stock certificate representing a fraction of a share of New Common Stock.

Section 3.06 Acquisition of Warrants by Company . The Company shall have the right, except as limited by law, to purchase or otherwise to acquire Warrants at such times, in such manner and for such consideration as it may deem appropriate and shall have agreed with the holder of such Warrants.

Section 3.07 Obligations of the Warrant Agent . The Warrant Agent shall:

(a) examine all Exercise Notices and all other documents delivered to it by or on behalf of holders to ascertain whether, on their face, such Exercise Notices and any such other documents have been executed and completed in accordance with their terms;

(b) where an Exercise Notice or other document appears on its face to have been improperly completed or executed or some other irregularity in connection with the exercise of the Warrant exists, the Warrant Agent shall endeavor to inform the appropriate parties (including the person submitting such instrument) of the need for fulfillment of all requirements, specifying those requirements which appear to be unfulfilled;

 

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(c) inform the Company of and cooperate with and assist the Company in resolving any reconciliation problems between the Exercise Notices received and delivery of Warrants to the Warrant Agent’s account;

(d) advise the Company of (x) the instructions with respect to delivery of the shares of New Common Stock deliverable upon such exercise, subject to the timely receipt from the Depositary of the necessary information, and (y) such other information as the Company shall reasonably require; and

(e) provide to the Company, upon the Company’s request, the number of Warrants previously exercised, the number of shares of New Common Stock issued in connection with such exercises and the number of remaining Warrants.

Section 3.08 Validity of Exercise . All questions as to the validity, form and sufficiency (including time of receipt) of a Warrant exercise shall be determined by the Company in its sole discretion, which determination shall be final and binding with respect to the Warrant Agent. The Warrant Agent shall incur no liability for or in respect of and, except to the extent such liability arises from the Warrant Agent’s negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith, shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Company for acting or refraining from acting upon, or as a result of such determination by the Company. The Company reserves the absolute right to waive any of the conditions to the exercise of Warrants or defects in Exercise Notices with regard to any particular exercise of Warrants.

Section 3.09 Direction of Warrant Agent .

(a) The Company shall be responsible for performing all calculations required in connection with the exercise and settlement of the Warrants and the payment or delivery, as the case may be, of Cash and/or New Common Stock as described in this Article 3 . In connection therewith, the Company shall provide prompt written notice to the Warrant Agent of the amount of Cash and the number of shares of New Common Stock payable or deliverable, as the case may be, upon exercise and settlement of the Warrants, including, without limitation, the Net Share Amount and the Full Physical Share Amount.

(b) Any Cash to be paid, or New Common Stock to be delivered, to the Warrantholders hereunder shall be delivered to the Warrant Agent by the Company (or, in the case of New Common Stock, by the transfer agent) no later than the Business Day immediately preceding the date, or as promptly as practicable within a reasonable time, such consideration is required to be delivered to the Warrantholders.

(c) The Warrant Agent shall have no liability for any failure or delay in performing its duties hereunder caused by any failure or delay of the Company in providing such calculations or items to the Warrant Agent. The Warrant Agent shall not be accountable with respect to the validity or value (or the kind or amount) of any shares of New Common Stock or Units of Reference Property that may at any time be issued or delivered upon the exercise of any Warrant, and it makes no representation with respect thereto. The Warrant Agent shall not be

 

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responsible, to the extent not arising from the Warrant Agent’s negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith, for any failure of the Company to make any Cash payment or to issue, transfer or deliver any shares of New Common Stock or stock certificates or Units of Reference Property, or to comply with any of the covenants of the Company contained in this Article 3 .

Article 4

Adjustments

Section 4.01 Adjustments to Exercise Price . The Exercise Price for the Warrants shall be subject to adjustment (without duplication) upon the occurrence of any of the following events:

(a) The issuance of New Common Stock as a dividend or distribution to all holders of New Common Stock, or a subdivision, combination or reclassification of the outstanding shares of New Common Stock into a greater or smaller number of shares, in which event the Exercise Price shall be adjusted based on the following formula:

 

E 1  = E 0  x  

     N 0     

 
       N 1       
where:    

 

E 1   =    the Exercise Price in effect immediately after the Open of Business on (i) the Ex-Date in the case of a dividend or distribution or (ii) the effective date in the case of a subdivision, combination or reclassification;
E 0   =    the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to the Open of Business on (i) the Ex-Date in the case of a dividend or distribution or (ii) the effective date in the case of a subdivision, combination or reclassification;
N 0   =    the number of shares of New Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to the Open of Business on (i) the Ex-Date in the case of a dividend or distribution or (ii) the effective date in the case of a subdivision, combination or reclassification; and
N 1   =    the number of shares of New Common Stock equal to (i) in the case of a dividend or distribution, the sum of the number of shares outstanding immediately prior to the Open of Business on the Ex-Date for such dividend or distribution plus the total number of shares issued pursuant to such dividend or distribution or (ii) in the case of a subdivision, combination or reclassification, the number of shares outstanding immediately after such subdivision, combination or reclassification.

Such adjustment shall become effective immediately after the Open of Business on (i) the Ex-Date in the case of a dividend or distribution or (ii) the effective date in the case of a subdivision, combination or reclassification. If any dividend or distribution or subdivision, combination or

 

17


reclassification of the type described in this Section 4.01(a) is declared or announced but not so paid or made, the Exercise Price shall again be adjusted to the Exercise Price that would then be in effect if such dividend or distribution or subdivision, combination or reclassification had not been declared or announced, as the case may be.

(b) The issuance to all holders of New Common Stock of shares of New Common Stock (or Convertible Securities) at an Effective Consideration per share that is below the Closing Sale Price of a share of New Common Stock on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of the announcement of such issuance, in which event the Exercise Price will be adjusted based on the following formula:

 

 

E 1  = E 0  x

 

N 0  + C/M 

 
 

N 0  +  N A

 
where:    

 

E 1    =    the Exercise Price in effect immediately after the Open of Business on the Ex-Date for such issuance;
E 0    =    the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to the Open of Business on the Ex-Date for such issuance;
N 0    =    the number of shares of New Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to the Open of Business on the Ex-Date for such issuance;
N A    =    the number of shares of New Common Stock issued and, if applicable, issuable upon exercise, conversion or exchange of any Convertible Securities assuming full physical settlement;
C    =    the total consideration receivable by the Company on issuance and, if applicable, the exercise, conversion or exchange of any Convertible Securities assuming Full Physical Settlement; and
M    =    the Closing Sale Price of a share of New Common Stock on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of the announcement of such issuance.

Such adjustment shall become effective immediately after the Open of Business on the Ex-Date for such issuance. In the event that an issuance of such New Common Stock or Convertible Securities is announced but such New Common Stock or Convertible Securities are not so issued, the Exercise Price shall again be adjusted to be the Exercise Price that would then be in effect if the Ex-Date for such issuance had not occurred. To the extent that any Convertible Securities are not exercised prior to their expiration or shares of New Common Stock are otherwise not delivered upon exercise of such Convertible Securities, upon the expiration, termination or maturity of such Convertible Securities, the Exercise Price shall be readjusted to the Exercise Price that would then be in effect had the adjustments made upon the issuance of such Convertible Securities been made on the basis of the delivery of only the number of shares

 

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of New Common Stock actually delivered. Except as set forth in the preceding two sentences, if the application of this clause (b) to any issuance would result in an increase in the Exercise Price, no adjustment shall be made for such issuance under this clause (b). An Exercise Price adjustment will not be applicable to any issuance of shares of New Common Stock upon exercise, exchange or conversion of any Convertible Securities if the Exercise Price was fully and properly adjusted at the time the Convertible Securities were issued or if no such adjustment was required hereunder at the time the Convertible Securities were issued.

(c) The issuance of shares of New Common Stock (or Convertible Securities) at an Effective Consideration that is less than the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to the Open of Business on the date of such issuance, in which event the Exercise Price will be adjusted based on the following formula:

 

E 1  = E 0  x  

N 0  +  C/E 0

                 
  N 0  + N A                  

where:

 

E 1   =    the Exercise Price in effect immediately after the Open of Business on the date of such issuance;
E 0   =    the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to the Open of Business on the date of such issuance;
N 0   =    the number of shares of New Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to the Open of Business on the date of such issuance;
N A   =    the number of shares of New Common Stock issued and, if applicable, issuable upon exercise, conversion or exchange of any Convertible Securities assuming Full Physical Settlement; and
C   =    the total consideration receivable by the Company on issuance and, if applicable, the exercise, conversion or exchange of any Convertible Securities assuming Full Physical Settlement.

Such adjustment shall become effective immediately after the Open of Business on the date of such issuance. In the event that an issuance of such New Common Stock or Convertible Securities is announced but such New Common Stock or Convertible Securities are not so issued, the Exercise Price shall again be adjusted to be the Exercise Price that would then be in effect if the issuance had not occurred. To the extent that such Convertible Securities are not exercised prior to their expiration or shares of New Common Stock are otherwise not delivered pursuant to such Convertible Securities, upon the expiration, termination or maturity of such Convertible Securities, the Exercise Price shall be readjusted to the Exercise Price that would then be in effect had the adjustments made upon the issuance of such Convertible Securities been made on the basis of the delivery of only the number of shares of New Common Stock actually delivered. Except as set forth in the preceding two sentences, if the application of this clause (c) to any issuance would result in an increase in the Exercise Price, no adjustment shall be made for

 

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such issuance under this clause (c). An Exercise Price adjustment will not be applicable to any issuance of shares of New Common Stock upon exercise, exchange or conversion of any Convertible Securities if the Exercise Price was fully and properly adjusted at the time the Convertible Securities were issued or if no such adjustment was required hereunder at the time the Convertible Securities were issued.

(d) The issuance as a dividend or distribution to all holders of New Common Stock of evidences of indebtedness, shares of capital stock or other securities, cash or other property (excluding any dividend or distribution covered by Section 4.01(a) or Section 4.01(b) ), in which event the Exercise Price will be adjusted based on the following formula:

 

E 1  = E 0  x  

M - FMV

                 
  M                  

where:

 

E 1   =    the Exercise Price in effect immediately after the Open of Business on the Ex-Date for such dividend or distribution;
E 0   =    the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to the Open of Business on the Ex-Date for such dividend or distribution;
M   =    the Closing Sale Price of a share of New Common Stock on the Trading Day immediately preceding the Ex-Date for such dividend or distribution; and
FMV   =    the fair value of the portion of such dividend or distribution applicable to one share of New Common Stock on the Trading Day immediately preceding the Ex-Date for such dividend or distribution as determined by the Board of Directors.

Such decrease shall become effective immediately after the Open of Business on the Ex-Date for such dividend or distribution. In the event that such dividend or distribution is declared or announced but not so paid or made, the Exercise Price shall again be adjusted to be the Exercise Price which would then be in effect if such distribution had not been declared or announced.

However, if the transaction that gives rise to an adjustment pursuant to this Section 4.01(d) is one pursuant to which the payment of a dividend or other distribution on New Common Stock consists of shares of capital stock of, or similar equity interests in, a subsidiary of the Company or other business unit of the Company (i.e., a spin-off) that are, or, when issued, will be, traded or quoted on the New York Stock Exchange or any other national or regional securities exchange or market, then the Exercise Price will instead be adjusted based on the following formula:

 

E 1  = E 0  x  

M 0

                 
  M 0  + FMV 0                  

 

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where:

 

E 1   =    the Exercise Price in effect immediately after the Open of Business on the Ex-Date for such dividend or distribution;
E 0   =    the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to the Open of Business on the Ex-Date for such dividend or distribution;
FMV 0   =    the average of the Closing Sale Prices of the capital stock or similar equity interests distributed to holders of New Common Stock applicable to one share of New Common Stock over the 10 consecutive Trading Days commencing on, and including, the third Trading Day following the effective date of such spin-off (the “ Valuation Period ”); and
M 0   =    the average of the Closing Sale Prices of the New Common Stock over the Valuation Period for such dividend or distribution.

Such decrease shall be made immediately after the Close of Business on the last Trading Day of the Valuation Period for such dividend or distribution, but shall be given effect immediately after the Open of Business on the Ex-Date for such dividend or distribution; provided that in respect of any exercise during the Valuation Period, references to 10 consecutive Trading Days in the definition of Valuation Period shall be deemed replaced with such lesser number of Trading Days as have elapsed commencing on, and including, the third Trading Day following the effective date of such spin-off and the Exercise Date in determining the applicable Exercise Price. In the event that such dividend or distribution is declared or announced but not so paid or made, the Exercise Price shall again be adjusted to be the Exercise Price which would then be in effect if such distribution had not been declared or announced.

(e) The payment in respect of any tender offer or exchange offer by the Company for New Common Stock, where the cash and fair value of any other consideration included in the payment per share of the New Common Stock exceeds the Closing Sale Price of a share of New Common Stock on the Trading Day immediately following the expiration date of the tender or exchange offer (the “ Offer Expiration Date ”), in which event the Exercise Price will be adjusted based on the following formula:

 

E 1  = E 0  x  

N 0  x P

                 
  A + (P x  N 1 )                  

where:

 

E 1   =    the Exercise Price in effect immediately after the Close of Business on the Offer Expiration Date;
E 0   =    the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to the Close of Business on the Offer Expiration Date;

 

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N 0   =    the number of shares of New Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to the expiration of the tender or exchange offer (prior to giving effect to the purchase or exchange of shares);
N 1   =    the number of shares of New Common Stock outstanding immediately after the expiration of the tender or exchange offer (after giving effect to the purchase or exchange of shares);
A   =    the aggregate cash and fair value of any other consideration payable for shares of New Common Stock purchased in such tender offer or exchange offer; and
P   =    the Closing Sale Price of a share of New Common Stock on the Trading Day immediately following the Offer Expiration Date.

An adjustment, if any, to the Exercise Price pursuant to this clause (e) shall become effective immediately after the Close of Business on the Offer Expiration Date. In the event that the Company or a subsidiary of the Company is obligated to purchase shares of Common Stock pursuant to any such tender offer or exchange offer, but the Company or such subsidiary is permanently prevented by applicable law from effecting any such purchases, or all such purchases are rescinded, then the Exercise Price shall again be adjusted to be the Exercise Price which would then be in effect if such tender offer or exchange offer had not been made. Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, if the application of this clause (e) to any tender offer or exchange offer would result in an increase in the Exercise Price, no adjustment shall be made for such tender offer or exchange offer under this clause (e).

(f) If any single action would require adjustment of the Exercise Price pursuant to more than one subsection of this Section 4.01 , only one adjustment shall be made and such adjustment shall be the amount of adjustment that has the highest, relative to the rights and interests of the registered holders of the Warrants then outstanding, absolute value.

(g) The Company may from time to time, to the extent permitted by law and subject to applicable rules of the principal U.S. national securities exchange on which the New Common Stock is then listed, decrease the Exercise Price and/or increase the Number of Warrants for each Warrant Certificate by any amount for any period of at least 20 days. In that case, the Company shall give the Warrantholders at least 10 days’ prior notice of such increase or decrease, and such notice shall state the decreased Exercise Price and/or increased Number of Warrants for each Warrant Certificate and the period during which the decrease and/or increase will be in effect. The Company may make such decreases in the Exercise Price and/or increases in the Number of Warrants for each Warrant Certificate, in addition to those set forth in this Article 4 , as the Company’s Board of Directors deems advisable, including to avoid or diminish any income tax to holders of the Common Stock resulting from any dividend or distribution of stock (or rights to acquire stock) or from any event treated as such for income tax purposes.

(h) Notwithstanding this Section 4.01 or any other provision of this Warrant Agreement or the Warrants, if an Exercise Price adjustment becomes effective on any Ex-Date, and a holder that has exercised its Warrants on or after such Ex-Date and on or prior to the

 

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related Record Date would be treated as the record holder of the New Common Stock on or prior to the Record Date, then, notwithstanding the Exercise Price adjustment provisions in this Section 4.01 , the Exercise Price adjustment relating to such Ex-Date will not be made for such exercising holder. Instead, such holder will be treated as if such holder were the record owner of shares of New Common Stock on an un-adjusted basis and participate in the related dividend, distribution or other event giving rise to such adjustment.

Section 4.02 Adjustments to Number of Warrants . Concurrently with any adjustment to the Exercise Price under Section 4.01 , the Number of Warrants for each Warrant Certificate will be adjusted such that the Number of Warrants for each such Warrant Certificate in effect immediately following the effectiveness of such adjustment will be equal to the Number of Warrants for each such Warrant Certificate in effect immediately prior to such adjustment, multiplied by a fraction, (i) the numerator of which is the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to such adjustment and (ii) the denominator of which is the Exercise Price in effect immediately following such adjustment.

Section 4.03 Certain Distributions of Rights and Warrants .

(a) Rights or warrants distributed by the Company to all holders of New Common Stock entitling the holders thereof to subscribe for or purchase shares of the Company’s Capital Stock (either initially or under certain circumstances), which rights or warrants, until the occurrence of a specified event or events (a “ Trigger Event ”):

(1) are deemed to be transferred with such shares of New Common Stock;

(2) are not exercisable; and

(3) are also issued in respect of future issuances of New Common Stock,

shall be deemed not to have been distributed for purposes of Article 4 (and no adjustment to the Exercise Price or the Number of Warrants under this Article 4 will be made) until the occurrence of the earliest Trigger Event, whereupon such rights and warrants shall be deemed to have been distributed and an appropriate adjustment (if any is required) to the Exercise Price and the Number of Warrants for each Warrant Certificate shall be made under this Article 4 (subject in all respects to Section 4.04 ).

(b) If any such right or warrant is subject to events, upon the occurrence of which such rights or warrants become exercisable to purchase different securities, evidences of indebtedness or other assets, then the date of the occurrence of any and each such event shall be deemed to be the date of distribution and Record Date with respect to new rights or warrants with such rights (subject in all respects to Section 4.04 ).

(c) In addition, except as set forth in Section 4.04 , in the event of any distribution (or deemed distribution) of rights or warrants, or any Trigger Event or other event (of the type described in Section 4.03(b) ) with respect thereto that was counted for purposes of calculating a distribution amount for which an adjustment to the Exercise Price and the Number of Warrants for each Warrant Certificate under Article 4 was made (including any adjustment contemplated in Section 4.04 ):

(1) in the case of any such rights or warrants that shall all have been redeemed or repurchased without exercise by the holders thereof, the Exercise Price and the Number of Warrants for each Warrant Certificate shall be readjusted upon such final redemption or repurchase to give effect to such distribution or Trigger Event, as the case may be, as though it were a distribution under Section 4.01(d) , equal to the per share redemption or repurchase price received by a holder or holders of New Common Stock with respect to such rights or warrants (assuming such holder had retained such rights or warrants), made to all holders of New Common Stock as of the date of such redemption or repurchase; and

 

23


(2) in the case of such rights or warrants that shall have expired or been terminated without exercise by the holders thereof, the Exercise Price and the Number of Warrants for each Warrant Certificate shall be readjusted as if such rights and warrants had not been issued.

Section 4.04 Shareholder Rights Plans . If the Company has a shareholder rights plan in effect with respect to the New Common Stock, upon exercise of a Warrant the holder shall be entitled to receive, in addition to the share of New Common Stock, the rights under such shareholder rights plan, unless, prior to such exercise, such rights have separated from the New Common Stock, in which case the Exercise Price and the Number of Warrants for each Warrant Certificate shall be adjusted at the time of separation as if the Company had made a distribution to all holders of New Common Stock as described in the first paragraph of Section 4.01(d) , subject to readjustment in the event of the expiration, termination or redemption of such rights.

Section 4.05 Restrictions on Adjustments .

(a) Except in accordance with Section 4.01 , the Exercise Price and the Number of Warrants for any Warrant Certificate will not be adjusted for the issuance of New Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exchangeable for New Common Stock.

(b) Neither the Exercise Price nor the Number of Warrants for any Warrant Certificate will be adjusted:

(1) upon the issuance of any securities by the Company on the Closing Date of the Plan and pursuant to the Plan and upon the issuance of shares of New Common Stock upon the exercise of such securities;

(2) upon the issuance of any shares of New Common Stock pursuant to any present or future plan providing for the reinvestment of dividends or interest payable on the Company’s securities and the investment of additional optional amounts in shares of New Common Stock under any plan;

(3) upon the issuance of Convertible Securities or shares of New Common Stock to employees, officers, directors or consultants of the Company or its subsidiaries pursuant to management or director incentive plans or stock or stock option

 

24


compensation plans as in effect on the Closing Date or approved by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Board of Directors after the Closing Date, including, but not limited to, any employment, severance or consulting agreements, or the issuance of shares of New Common Stock upon the exercise of such Convertible Securities;

(4) for a change in the par value of the New Common Stock.

(c) In no event will the Company adjust the Exercise Price or make a corresponding adjustment to the Number of Warrants for any Warrant Certificate to the extent that the adjustment would reduce the Exercise Price below the par value per share of New Common Stock.

(d) No adjustment shall be made to the Exercise Price or the Number of Warrants for any Warrant Certificate for any of the transactions described in Section 4.01 if the Company makes provisions for Warrantholders to participate in any such transaction without exercising their Warrants on the same basis as holders of New Common Stock on a full physical settlement basis and with notice that the Board of Directors determines in good faith to be fair and appropriate.

(e) No adjustment shall be made to the Exercise Price, nor will any corresponding adjustment be made to the Number of Warrants for any Warrant Certificate, unless the adjustment would result in a change of at least 1% of the Exercise Price; provided, however, that any adjustment of less than 1% that was not made by reason of this Section 4.05(e) shall be carried forward and made as soon as such adjustment, together with any other adjustments not previously made by reason of this Section 4.05(e) , would result in a change of at least 1% in the aggregate. All calculations under this Article 4 shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest 1/100th of a share, as the case may be.

(f) If the Company takes a record of the holders of New Common Stock for the purpose of entitling them to receive a dividend or other distribution, and thereafter (and before the dividend or distribution has been paid or delivered to stockholders) legally abandons its plan to pay or deliver such dividend or distribution, then thereafter no adjustment to the Exercise Price or the Number of Warrants for any Warrant Certificate then in effect shall be required by reason of the taking of such record.

Section 4.06 Deferral of Adjustments . In any case in which Section 4.01 provides that an adjustment shall become effective immediately after (a) the Open of Business on the Ex-Date for an event, (b) on the Open of Business on the effective date (in the case of a subdivision, combination or reclassification of the New Common Stock) or (c) the Offer Expiration Date for any tender or exchange offer pursuant to Section 4.01(e) (each a “ Determination Date ”), the Company may elect to defer, until the later of the date the adjustment to the Exercise Price and Number of Warrants for each Warrant Certificate can be definitively determined and the occurrence of the applicable Adjustment Event (as hereinafter defined), (i) issuing to the Warrantholder of any Warrant exercised after such Determination Date and before the occurrence of such Adjustment Event, the additional shares of New Common Stock or other securities or assets issuable upon such exercise by reason of the adjustment required by such Adjustment Event over and above the New Common Stock issuable upon such exercise before giving effect

 

25


to such adjustment and (ii) paying to such Warrantholder any amount in Cash in lieu of any fractional share of New Common Stock or fractional Warrant pursuant to Section 3.05 . For the purposes of this Section 4.06 , the term “ Adjustment Event ” shall mean, in any case referred to in clause (a) or clause (b) hereof, the occurrence of such event, and in any case referred to in clause (c) hereof, the date a sale or exchange of New Common Stock pursuant to such tender or exchange offer is consummated and becomes irrevocable.

Section 4.07 Successor upon Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets .

(a) The Company may, without the consent of the Warrantholders, consolidate or merge with, or sell, lease, convey or otherwise transfer in one transaction or a series of related transactions all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Company and its subsidiaries to, any other Person (a “ Fundamental Change ”) so long as the Company is the surviving corporation, or, in the event that the Company is not the surviving corporation:

(1) the successor to the Company assumes all of the Company’s obligations under this Warrant Agreement and the Warrants; and

(2) the successor to the Company provides written notice of such assumption to the Warrant Agent.

(b) In case of any such Fundamental Change, such successor entity shall succeed to and be substituted for the Company with the same effect as if it had been named herein as the Company. Such successor entity thereupon may cause to be signed, and may issue any or all of the Warrants issuable pursuant to this Warrant Agreement which theretofore shall not have been signed by the Company; and, upon the order of such successor entity, instead of the Company, and subject to all the terms, conditions and limitations in this Warrant Agreement prescribed, the Warrant Agent shall authenticate and deliver, as applicable, any Warrants that previously shall have been signed and delivered by the officers of the Company to the Warrant Agent for authentication, and any Warrants which such successor entity thereafter shall cause to be signed and delivered to the Warrant Agent for such purpose.

Section 4.08 Adjustment upon Reorganization Event .

(a) If there occurs any Fundamental Change or any recapitalization, reclassification, change in the outstanding shares of New Common Stock (other than changes resulting from a subdivision or combination to which Section 4.01(a) applies) or statutory share exchange (each such event a “ Reorganization Event ”), in each case as a result of which the New Common Stock would be converted into, or exchanged for, stock, other securities, other property or assets (including cash or any combination thereof) (the “ Reference Property ”), then following the effective time of the Reorganization Event, the right to receive shares of New Common Stock upon exercise of a Warrant shall be changed to a right to receive, upon exercise of such Warrant, the kind and amount of shares of stock, other securities or other property or assets (including cash or any combination thereof) that a holder of one share of New Common Stock would have owned or been entitled to receive in connection with such Reorganization Event (such kind and amount of Reference Property per share of New Common Stock, a “ Unit of Reference Property ”). In the event holders of New Common Stock have the opportunity to

 

26


elect the form of consideration to be received in a Reorganization Event, the type and amount of consideration into which the Warrants shall be exercisable from and after the effective time of such Reorganization Event shall be deemed to be the weighted average of the types and amounts of consideration received by the holders of New Common Stock in such Reorganization Event. The Company hereby agrees not to become a party to any Reorganization Event unless its terms are consistent with this Section 4.08 .

(b) At any time from, and including, the effective time of a Reorganization Event:

(1) if Full Physical Settlement applies upon exercise of a Warrant, the Full Physical Share Amount per Warrant shall be equal to a single Unit of Reference Property;

(2) if Net Share Settlement applies upon exercise of a Warrant, the Net Share Amount per Warrant shall be a number of Units of Reference Property calculated as set forth in Section 3.03(c) , except that the Closing Sale Price used to determine such Net Share Amount on any Trading Day shall be the Unit Value for such Trading Day;

(3) the Company shall pay Cash in lieu of delivering any fraction of a Unit of Reference Property or any fractional Warrant in accordance with Section 3.05 based on the Unit Value as of the Exercise Date; and

(4) the Closing Sale Price shall be calculated with respect to a Unit of Reference Property.

(c) The value of a Unit of Reference Property (the “ Unit Value ”) shall be determined as follows:

(1) any shares of common stock of the successor or purchasing corporation or any other corporation that are traded on a national or regional stock exchange included in such Unit of Reference Property shall be valued as if such shares were “ New Common Stock ” using procedures set forth in the definition of “ Closing Sale Price ” in Section 1.01 ;

(2) any other property (other than Cash) included in such Unit of Reference Property shall be valued in good faith by the Board of Directors (in a manner not materially inconsistent with the manner the Board of Directors valued such property for purposes of the Reorganization Event, if applicable) or by a New York Stock Exchange member firm selected by the Board of Directors; and

(3) any Cash included in such Unit of Reference Property shall be valued at the amount thereof.

(d) On or prior to the effective time of any Reorganization Event, the Company or the successor or purchasing Person, as the case may be, shall execute an amendment to this Warrant Agreement providing that the Warrants shall be exercisable for Units of Reference Property in accordance with the terms of this Section 4.08 . If the Reference Property

 

27


in connection with any Reorganization Event includes shares of stock or other securities and assets of a Person other than the successor or purchasing Person, as the case may be, in such Reorganization Event, then the Company shall cause such amendment to this Warrant Agreement to be executed by such other Person and such amendment shall contain such additional provisions to protect the interests of the Warrantholders as the Board of Directors shall reasonably consider necessary by reason of the foregoing. Any such amendment to this Warrant Agreement shall provide for adjustments which shall be as nearly equivalent as may be practicable to the adjustments provided for in this Article 4 . In the event the Company shall execute an amendment to this Warrant Agreement pursuant to this Section 4.08 , the Company shall promptly file with the Warrant Agent an Officers’ Certificate briefly stating the reasons therefor, the kind or amount of cash, securities or property or assets that will comprise a Unit of Reference Property after the relevant Reorganization Event, any adjustment to be made with respect thereto and that all conditions precedent have been complied with. The Company shall cause notice of the execution of amendment to be mailed to each Warrantholder, at its address appearing on the Warrant Register, within twenty (20) Business Days after execution thereof. Failure to deliver such notice shall not affect the legality or validity of such amendment.

(e) The above provisions of this Section 4.08 shall similarly apply to successive Reorganization Events.

(f) If this Section 4.08 applies to any event or occurrence, no other provision of this Article 4 shall apply to such event or occurrence (other than Section 4.07 ).

Section 4.09 New Common Stock Outstanding; Shares Reserved for Issuance on Exercise .

(a) For the purposes of this Article 4 , the number of shares of New Common Stock at any time outstanding shall not include shares held, directly or indirectly, by the Company.

(b) The Board of Directors has authorized and reserved for issuance such number of shares of New Common Stock as will be issuable upon the exercise of all outstanding Warrants for shares of New Common Stock (assuming, for purposes of this covenant, that Full Physical Settlement applies to all Warrants exercised hereunder). The Company covenants that all shares of New Common Stock that shall be so issuable shall be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

(c) The Company agrees to authorize and direct its current and future transfer agents for the New Common Stock to reserve for issuance the number of shares of New Common Stock specified in this Section 4.09 . The Company shall instruct the transfer agent to deliver to the Warrant Agent, upon written request from the Warrant Agent substantially in the form of Exhibit C (or as separately agreed between the Warrant Agent and the transfer agent), stock certificates (or beneficial interests therein) required to honor outstanding Warrants upon exercise thereof in accordance with the terms of this Warrant Agreement. The Company shall pay to the Warrant Agent, as agent for the Warrantholders, any Cash that may be payable as provided in this Article 5 . Promptly after the date of expiration of Warrants, the Warrant Agent shall certify to the Company the aggregate Number of Warrants then outstanding, and thereafter no shares shall be required to be reserved in respect of such Warrants.

 

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Section 4.10 Calculations .

(a) Subject to Section 4.10(b) , the Company shall be responsible for making all calculations called for under this Warrant Agreement, including the Exercise Date, the Closing Sale Price, the Exercise Price, the Number of Warrants for each Warrant Certificate and the number of shares of New Common Stock or Units of Reference Property, if any, to be issued upon exercise of any Warrants. The Company shall make the foregoing calculations in good faith and, absent manifest error, the Company’s calculations shall be final and binding on Warrantholders. The Company shall provide a schedule of the Company’s calculations to the Warrant Agent, and the Warrant Agent is entitled to rely upon the accuracy of the Company’s calculations without independent verification.

(b) For purposes of the computation of any adjustments required under Article 4, fair value shall be determined by the Board of Directors in good faith; provided that if the holders of 25% or more of the outstanding Warrants shall object to any such determination, such fair value shall be determined by an independent appraiser selected by such holders and reasonably satisfactory to the Company. The fees and expenses of such independent appraiser shall be paid by the Company. The holders of Warrants shall be notified promptly of any consideration other than cash to be received or paid by the Company and furnished with a description of the consideration and the fair value thereof, as determined in accordance with the foregoing provisions.

Section 4.11 Notice of Adjustments . Whenever the Exercise Price or the Number of Warrants for each Warrant Certificate is adjusted, the Company shall promptly mail, or cause to be mailed, to the Warrantholders a notice of the adjustment in accordance with Section 6.16 . The Company shall file with the Warrant Agent such notice and an Officer’s Certificate briefly stating the facts requiring the adjustment and the manner of computing it. The certificate shall be conclusive evidence that the adjustment is correct, and the Warrant Agent shall not be deemed to have any knowledge of any adjustments unless and until it has received such certificate. The Warrant Agent shall not be under any duty or responsibility with respect to any such certificate except to exhibit the same to any Warrantholder desiring inspection thereof.

Section 4.12 Warrant Agent Not Responsible for Adjustments or Validity . The Warrant Agent shall at no time be under any duty or responsibility to any Warrantholder to determine whether any facts exist that may require an adjustment of the Exercise Price and the Number of Warrants for each Warrant Certificate, or with respect to the nature or extent of any such adjustment when made, or with respect to the method employed, herein or in any supplemental agreement provided to be employed, in making the same. The Warrant Agent shall have no duty to verify or confirm any calculation called for hereunder. The Warrant Agent shall have no liability for any failure or delay in performing its duties hereunder caused by any failure or delay of the Company in providing such calculations to the Warrant Agent. The Warrant Agent shall not be accountable with respect to the validity or value (or the kind or amount) of any shares of New Common Stock or of any securities or property which may at any time be issued or delivered upon the exercise of any Warrant or upon any adjustment pursuant to this Article 4 , and

 

29


it makes no representation with respect thereto. The Warrant Agent shall not be responsible for any failure of the Company to make any Cash payment or to issue, transfer or deliver any shares of New Common Stock or stock certificates or other securities or property or scrip upon the surrender of any Warrant for the purpose of exercise or upon any adjustment pursuant to this Article 4 , or to comply with any of the covenants of the Company contained in this Article 4 .

Section 4.13 Statements on Warrants . The form of Warrant Certificate need not be changed because of any adjustment made pursuant to this Article 4 , and Warrant Certificates issued after such adjustment may state the same information (other than the adjusted Exercise Price and the adjusted Number of Warrants for such Warrant Certificates) as are stated in the Warrant Certificates initially issued pursuant to this Warrant Agreement.

Article 5

Other Provisions Relating to Rights of Warrantholders

Section 5.01 No Rights as Stockholders . Nothing contained in this Warrant Agreement or in any of the Warrant Certificates shall be construed as conferring upon the holders of any Warrant Certificate or any Warrants, by virtue of holding Warrants, the right to vote, to consent, to receive any cash dividends, stock dividends, allotments or rights or other distributions paid, allotted or distributed or distributable to the holders of New Common Stock, to receive notice as stockholders with respect to any meeting of stockholders for the election of the Company’s directors or any other matter, or to exercise any rights whatsoever as the Company’s stockholders unless, until and only to the extent such holders become holders of record of shares of New Common Stock issued upon settlement of the Warrants.

Section 5.02 Mutilated or Missing Warrant Certificates . If any Warrant Certificate at any time is mutilated, defaced, lost, destroyed or stolen, then on the terms set forth in this Warrant Agreement, such Warrant Certificate may be replaced with a new Warrant Certificate, of like date and tenor and representing the same number of Warrants, at the cost of the applicant (including legal fees of the Company) at the office of the Warrant Agent. The applicant for a new Warrant Certificate shall, in the case of any mutilated or defaced Warrant Certificate, surrender such Warrant Certificate to the Warrant Agent and, in the case of any lost, destroyed or stolen Warrant Certificate, furnish evidence satisfactory to the Company of such loss, destruction or theft, and, in each case, furnish evidence satisfactory to the Company of the ownership and authenticity of the Warrant together with such indemnity and security as required separately by the Company and the Warrant Agent. Such indemnity and security may include, inter alia , a corporate bond of indemnity satisfactory to the Warrant Agent. Any such new Warrant Certificate shall constitute an original contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the allegedly lost, stolen, mutilated or destroyed Warrant Certificate shall be at any time enforceable by anyone. An applicant for such a substitute Warrant Certificate shall also comply with such other reasonable regulations and pay such other reasonable charges as the Company or the Warrant Agent may prescribe. All Warrant Certificates shall be held and owned upon the express condition that the foregoing provisions are exclusive with respect to the substitution for lost, stolen, mutilated or destroyed Warrant Certificates, and shall preclude any and all other rights or remedies notwithstanding any law or statute existing or hereafter enacted to the contrary with respect to the substitution for and replacement of negotiable instruments or other securities without their surrender.

 

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Section 5.03 Modification, Waiver and Meetings .

(a) This Warrant Agreement may be modified or amended by the Company and the Warrant Agent, without the consent of the holder of any Warrant, for the purposes of, among other things, (i) curing any ambiguity or correcting or supplementing any defective provision contained in this Warrant Agreement; (ii) to add or modify any other provisions in regard to matters or questions arising in this Warrant Agreement which the Company and the Warrant Agent may deem necessary or desirable; or (iii) providing for the assumption of the Company’s obligations in the case of a merger, consolidation, conveyance, sale, lease or other transfer; provided that, in each case, any such modification or amendment does not adversely affect the interests of the Warrantholders in any material respect.

(b) Modifications and amendments to this Warrant Agreement or to the terms and conditions of Warrants may also be made by the Company and the Warrant Agent, and noncompliance with any provision of the Warrant Agreement or Warrants may be waived, with the written consent of the Warrantholders of Warrants representing a majority of the aggregate Number of Warrants at the time outstanding.

(c) However, no such modification, amendment or waiver may, without the written consent or the affirmative vote of:

(1) each Warrantholder affected:

(A) change the Expiration Date; or

(B) increase the Exercise Price or decrease the Number of Warrants (except as set forth in Article 4 );

(2) two-thirds of the Warrantholders affected:

(A) impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment or delivery with respect to the exercise and settlement of any Warrant;

(B) except as otherwise expressly permitted by provisions of this Warrant Agreement concerning specified reclassifications or corporate reorganizations, impair or adversely affect the exercise rights of Warrantholders, including any change to the calculation or payment of the Full Physical Share Amount or the Net Share Amount, as applicable;

(C) reduce the percentage of Warrants outstanding necessary to modify or amend this Warrant Agreement or to waive any past default; or

(D) reduce the percentage in Warrants outstanding required for any other waiver under this Warrant Agreement.

 

31


Article 6

Concerning the Warrant Agent and Other Matters

Section 6.01 Payment of Certain Taxes .

(a) The Company shall pay any and all documentary, stamp or similar issue or transfer taxes that may be payable upon the initial issuance of the Warrants hereunder.

(b) The Company shall pay any and all documentary, stamp or similar issue or transfer taxes that may be payable upon the issuance of New Common Stock upon the exercise of Warrants hereunder and the issuance of stock certificates in respect thereof in the respective names of, or in such names as may be directed by, the exercising Warrantholders; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to pay any tax that may be payable in respect of any transfer involved in the issuance and delivery of any such stock certificate, any Warrant Certificates or other securities in a name other than that of the registered holder of the Warrant Certificate surrendered upon exercise of the Warrant, and the Company shall not be required to issue or deliver such certificates or other securities unless and until the Person or Persons requesting the issuance thereof shall have paid to the Company the amount of such tax or shall have established to the satisfaction of the Company that such tax has been paid.

Section 6.02 Certain Tax Filings . The Warrant Agent shall prepare and file with the appropriate governmental agency all appropriate tax information forms in respect of any payments made by the Warrant Agent hereunder (including, without limitation, Internal Revenue Service Form 1099-B) during each calendar year, or any portion thereof, during which the Warrant Agent performs services hereunder.

Section 6.03 Change of Warrant Agent .

(a) The Warrant Agent, or any successor to it hereafter appointed, may resign its duties and be discharged from all further duties and liabilities hereunder (except for liability arising as a result of the Warrant Agent’s own negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith) after giving 60 days’ notice in writing to the Company, except that such shorter notice may be given as the Company shall, in writing, accept as sufficient. If the office of the Warrant Agent becomes vacant by resignation or incapacity to act or otherwise, the Company shall appoint in writing a successor warrant agent in place of the Warrant Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of 60 days after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated warrant agent or by any holder of Warrants (who shall, with such notice, submit his Warrant Certificate for inspection by the Company), then the holder of any Warrants may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor warrant agent.

(b) The Warrant Agent may be removed by the Company at any time upon 30 days’ written notice to the Warrant Agent; provided, however, that the Company shall not remove the Warrant Agent until a successor warrant agent meeting the qualifications hereof shall have been appointed.

 

32


(c) Any successor warrant agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such a court, shall be a corporation or banking association organized, in good standing and doing business under the laws of the United States of America or any state thereof or the District of Columbia, and authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers and subject to supervision or examination by Federal or state authority and having a combined capital and surplus of not less than $50,000,000. The combined capital and surplus of any such successor warrant agent shall be deemed to be the combined capital and surplus as set forth in the most recent report of its condition published prior to its appointment; provided that such reports are published at least annually pursuant to law or to the requirements of a Federal or state supervising or examining authority. After acceptance in writing of such appointment by the successor warrant agent, such successor warrant agent shall be vested with all the authority, powers, rights, immunities, duties and obligations of its predecessor warrant agent with like effect as if originally named as warrant agent hereunder, without any further act or deed; but if for any reason it becomes necessary or appropriate, the predecessor warrant agent shall execute and deliver, at the expense of the Company, an instrument transferring to such successor warrant agent all the authority, powers and rights of such predecessor warrant agent hereunder; and upon request of any successor warrant agent, the Company shall make, execute, acknowledge and deliver any and all instruments in writing to more fully and effectually vest in and conform to such successor warrant agent all such authority, powers, rights, immunities, duties and obligations. Upon assumption by a successor warrant agent of the duties and responsibilities hereunder, the predecessor warrant agent shall deliver and transfer, at the expense of the Company, to the successor warrant agent any property at the time held by it hereunder. As soon as practicable after such appointment, the Company shall give notice thereof to the predecessor warrant agent, the Warrantholders and each transfer agent for the shares of its New Common Stock. Failure to give such notice, or any defect therein, shall not affect the validity of the appointment of the successor warrant agent.

(d) Any entity into which the Warrant Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Warrant Agent shall be a party, or any person succeeding to all or substantially all of the corporate trust or agency business of the Warrant Agent, shall be the successor Warrant Agent under this Warrant Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto; provided that such entity would be eligible for appointment as a successor warrant agent under Section 6.03(c) . In case at the time such successor to the Warrant Agent shall succeed to the agency created by this Warrant Agreement, any of the Warrant Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, any such successor to the Warrant Agent may adopt the countersignature of the original Warrant Agent and deliver such Warrant Certificates so countersigned, and in case at that time any of the Warrant Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor to the Warrant Agent may countersign such Warrant Certificates either in the name of the predecessor Warrant Agent or in the name of the successor Warrant Agent; and in all such cases Warrant Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Warrant Certificates and in this Warrant Agreement.

(e) In case at any time the name of the Warrant Agent shall be changed and at such time any of the Warrant Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, the Warrant Agent may adopt the countersignatures under its prior name and deliver such Warrant Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Warrant Certificates shall not

 

33


have been countersigned, the Warrant Agent may countersign such Warrant Certificates either in its prior name or in its changed name; and in all such cases such Warrant Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Warrant Certificates and in this Warrant Agreement.

Section 6.04 Compensation; Further Assurances . The Company agrees that it will (a) pay the Warrant Agent reasonable compensation for its services as Warrant Agent in accordance with Exhibit D attached hereto and, except as otherwise expressly provided, will pay or reimburse the Warrant Agent upon written demand for all reasonable expenses, disbursements and advances incurred or made by the Warrant Agent in accordance with any of the provisions of this Warrant Agreement (including the reasonable compensation, expenses and disbursements of its agents and counsel), except any such expense, disbursement or advance as may arise from its or any of their negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith, and (b) perform, execute, acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required by the Warrant Agent for the carrying out or performing of the provisions of this Warrant Agreement.

Section 6.05 Reliance on Counsel . The Warrant Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be legal counsel for the Company), and the written opinion of such counsel or any advice of legal counsel subsequently confirmed by a written opinion of such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Warrant Agent as to any action taken or omitted by it in good faith and in accordance with such written opinion or advice.

Section 6.06 Proof of Actions Taken . Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Warrant Agreement the Warrant Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any matter be proved or established by the Company prior to taking or suffering or omitting any action hereunder, such matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of bad faith on the part of the Warrant Agent, be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by an Officer’s Certificate delivered to the Warrant Agent; and such Officer’s Certificate shall, in the absence of bad faith on the part of the Warrant Agent, be full warrant to the Warrant Agent for any action taken, suffered or omitted in good faith by it under the provisions of this Warrant Agreement in reliance upon such certificate; but in its discretion the Warrant Agent may in lieu thereof accept other evidence of such fact or matter or may require such further or additional evidence as to it may seem reasonable.

Section 6.07 Correctness of Statements . The Warrant Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Warrant Agreement or in the Warrant Certificates (except its countersignature thereof) or be required to verify the same, and all such statements and recitals are and shall be deemed to have been made by the Company only.

Section 6.08 Validity of Agreement . From time to time, the Warrant Agent may apply to any officer of the Company for instruction and the Company shall provide Warrant Agent with such instructions concerning the services to be provided hereunder. The Warrant Agent shall not be held to have notice of any change of authority of any person, until receipt of notice thereof from the Company. The Warrant Agent shall not be under any responsibility in respect of the validity of this Warrant Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof or in respect of the validity or execution of any Warrant Certificates (except its countersignature thereof); nor shall it

 

34


be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Warrant Agreement or in any Warrant Certificate; nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any shares of New Common Stock to be issued pursuant to this Warrant Agreement or any Warrants or as to whether any shares of New Common Stock will, when issued, be validly issued and fully paid and nonassessable.

Section 6.09 Use of Agents . The Warrant Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself or by or through its attorneys or agents provided that the Warrant Agent shall remain responsible for the activities or omissions of any such agent or attorney.

Section 6.10 Liability of Warrant Agent . The Warrant Agent shall incur no liability or responsibility to the Company or to any holder of Warrants for any action taken in reliance on any notice, resolution, waiver, consent, order, certificate, or other paper, document or instrument believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed, sent or presented by the proper party or parties. The Company agrees to indemnify the Warrant Agent and save it harmless against any and all losses, expenses and liabilities, including judgments, costs and reasonable counsel fees, for anything done or omitted in good faith by the Warrant Agent in the execution of this Warrant Agreement or otherwise arising in connection with this Warrant Agreement, except as a result of the Warrant Agent’s negligence or willful misconduct or bad faith. The Warrant Agent agrees to indemnify the Company and save it harmless against any and all losses, expense and liabilities, including judgments, costs and reasonable counsel fees arising out of or attributable to the Warrant Agent’s refusal or failure to comply with the terms of this Warrant Agreement, or which arise out of Warrant Agent’s negligence or willful misconduct or bad faith or which arise out of the breach of any representation or warranty of the Warrant Agent hereunder, for which the Warrant Agent is not entitled to indemnification under this Warrant Agreement; provided , however , that, other than in the case of the Warrant Agent’s bad faith, the Warrant Agent’s aggregate liability during any term of this Agreement with respect to, arising from, or arising in connection with actions under this Agreement, or from all services provided or omitted to be provided under this Agreement, whether in contract, or in tort, or otherwise, is limited to, and shall not exceed, the amounts paid hereunder by the Company to Warrant Agent as fees and charges, but not including reimbursable expenses.

Section 6.11 Legal Proceedings . The Warrant Agent shall be under no obligation to institute any action, suit or legal proceeding or to take any other action likely to involve expense unless the Company or one or more Warrantholders shall furnish the Warrant Agent with reasonable security and indemnity for any costs and expenses which may be incurred, but this provision shall not affect the power of the Warrant Agent to take such action as the Warrant Agent may consider proper, whether with or without any such security or indemnity. The Warrant Agent shall promptly notify the Company in writing of any claim made or action, suit or proceeding instituted against it arising out of or in connection with this Warrant Agreement.

Section 6.12 Other Transactions in Securities of the Company . The Warrant Agent in its individual or any other capacity may become the owner of Warrants or other securities of the Company, or become pecuniarily interested in any transaction in which the Company may be interested, or contract with or lend money to the Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as

 

35


though it were not Warrant Agent under this Warrant Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the Warrant Agent from acting in any other capacity for the Company or for any other legal entity.

Section 6.13 Actions as Agent . The Warrant Agent shall act hereunder solely as agent and not in a ministerial or fiduciary capacity, and its duties shall be determined solely by the provisions hereof. The duties and obligations of the Warrant Agent shall be determined solely by the express provisions of the Warrant Agreement, and the Warrant Agent shall not be liable except for the performance of such duties and obligations as are specifically set forth in the Warrant Agreement. No implied covenants or obligations shall be read into the Warrant Agreement against the Warrant Agent. No provision of the Warrant Agreement shall require the Warrant Agent to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder, or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers, if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it. The Warrant Agent shall not be liable for anything that it may do or refrain from doing in good faith in connection with this Warrant Agreement except for its own negligence or willful misconduct or bad faith.

Section 6.14 Appointment and Acceptance of Agency . The Company hereby appoints the Warrant Agent to act as agent for the Company in accordance with the instructions set forth in this Warrant Agreement, and the Warrant Agent hereby accepts the agency established by this Warrant Agreement and agrees to perform the same upon the terms and conditions herein set forth.

Section 6.15 Successors and Assigns . All the covenants and provisions of this Warrant Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Warrant Agent shall bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns hereunder.

Section 6.16 Notices . Any notice or demand authorized by this Warrant Agreement to be given or made by the Warrant Agent or by any Warrantholder to or on the Company shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by mail first-class, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing by the Company with the Warrant Agent), as follows:

Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc.

39550 Orchard Hill Place Drive

Novi, Michigan 48375

Attention: General Counsel

Fax: (248) 596-6535

with a copy to:

Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP

One New York Plaza

New York, New York 10004

Attention:

  Gary L. Kaplan
  David L. Shaw
Fax: (212) 859-4000

 

36


Any notice or demand authorized by this Warrant Agreement to be given or made by any Warrantholder or by the Company to or on the Warrant Agent shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by mail first-class, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing by the Warrant Agent with the Company), as follows:

Computershare Trust Company, N.A.

Address: 250 Royall Street, Canton, Massachusetts 02021

Attention: General Counsel

Re: Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc. Warrant Agreement

Fax: (781) 575-4210

Any notice or demand authorized by this Warrant Agreement to be given or made to any Warrantholder shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid to the last address of such Warrantholder as it shall appear on the Warrant Register. Any notice to the owners of a beneficial interest in a Global Warrant shall be distributed through the Depositary in accordance with the procedures of the Depositary, and such notice shall be deemed to be effective at the time of dispatch to the Depositary.

Section 6.17 Applicable Law; Jurisdiction . The validity, interpretation and performance of this Warrant Agreement and of the Warrant Certificates shall be governed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to the principles of conflicts of laws thereof. The parties hereto irrevocably consent to the jurisdiction of the courts of the State of New York and any federal court located in such state in connection with any action, suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Warrant Agreement.

Section 6.18 Benefit of this Warrant Agreement . Nothing in this Warrant Agreement expressed and nothing that may be implied from any of the provisions hereof is intended, or shall be construed, to confer upon, or give to, any Person or corporation other than the parties hereto and the Warrantholders any right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this Warrant Agreement or of any covenant, condition, stipulation, promise or agreement hereof, and all covenants, conditions, stipulations, promises and agreements in this Warrant Agreement contained shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the parties hereto and their successors and of the Warrantholders.

Section 6.19 Registered Warrantholders . Prior to due presentment for registration of transfer, the Company and the Warrant Agent may deem and treat the Person in whose name any Warrants are registered in the Warrant Register as the absolute owner thereof for all purposes whatever (notwithstanding any notation of ownership or other writing thereon made by anyone other than the Company or the Warrant Agent) and neither the Company nor the Warrant Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary or be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in any Warrants on the part of any other Person and shall not be liable for any registration of transfer of Warrants that are registered or to be registered in the name of a fiduciary or the nominee of a fiduciary unless made with actual knowledge that a fiduciary or nominee is committing a breach of trust in requesting such registration of transfer or with such knowledge of such facts that its participation therein amounts to bad faith.

 

37


Section 6.20 Inspection of this Warrant Agreement . A copy of this Warrant Agreement shall be available at all reasonable times for inspection by any registered Warrantholder at the principal office of the Warrant Agent (or successor warrant agent). The Warrant Agent may require any such holder to submit his Warrant Certificate for inspection by it before allowing such holder to inspect a copy of this Warrant Agreement.

Section 6.21 Headings . The Article and Section headings herein are for convenience only and are not a part of this Warrant Agreement and shall not affect the interpretation thereof.

Section 6.22 Counterparts . This Warrant Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts on separate counterparts, each of which so executed shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument.

Section 6.23 Entire Agreement . This Warrant Agreement and the Warrant Certificates constitute the entire agreement of the Company, the Warrant Agent and the registered holders of the Warrant Certificates with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede all prior agreements and undertakings, both written and oral, among the Company, the Warrant Agent and the registered holders of the Warrant Certificates with respect to the subject matter hereof.

Section 6.24 Severability . Wherever possible, each provision of this Warrant Agreement shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision of this Warrant Agreement shall be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, such provision shall be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder of such provision or the remaining provisions of this Warrant Agreement.

Section 6.25 Damages . Neither party to this Agreement shall be liable to the other party for any consequential, indirect, special or incidental damages under any provision of this Agreement or for any consequential, indirect, penal, special or incidental damages arising out of any act or failure to act hereunder even if that party has been advised of or has foreseen the possibility of such damages.

Section 6.26 Force Majeure . Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, no party shall be liable for any delays or failures in performance resulting from acts beyond its reasonable control including, without limitation, acts of God, terrorist acts, shortage of supply, breakdowns or malfunctions, interruptions or malfunction of computer facilities, or loss of data due to power failures or mechanical difficulties with information storage or retrieval systems, labor difficulties, war, or civil unrest.

Section 6.27 Survival . All provisions regarding indemnification, warranty, liability and limits thereon shall survive the termination or expiration of this Agreement.

[ signature pages follow ]

 

38


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Warrant Agreement has been duly executed by the parties hereto as of the day and year first above written.

 

Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc.
By:  

/s/ Timothy W. Hefferon

  Name: Timothy W. Hefferon
  Title: V.P., General Counsel & Secretary
Computershare Inc. and Computershare Trust Company, N.A., collectively as Warrant Agent For both parties:
By:  

/s/ Thomas Borbely

  Name: Thomas Borbely
  Title: Manager, Corporate Actions

SIGNATURE PAGE TO WARRANT


EXHIBIT A-1

FORM OF GLOBAL WARRANT LEGEND

UNLESS THIS GLOBAL WARRANT IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION (“ DTC ”), TO COOPER-STANDARD HOLDINGS INC. (THE “ ISSUER ”), THE CUSTODIAN OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE, OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE, OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.

TRANSFER OF THIS GLOBAL WARRANT SHALL BE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS IN WHOLE, AND NOT IN PART, TO THE COMPANY, DTC, THEIR SUCCESSORS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE NOMINEES.

 

A-1-1


EXHIBIT A-2

FORM OF RESTRICTED WARRANT LEGEND

THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR ANY APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS, AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED, PLEDGED, OR HYPOTHECATED UNLESS AND UNTIL SUCH SECURITIES ARE REGISTERED UNDER SUCH ACT, AND SUCH STATE LAW, OR THE COMPANY RECEIVES A WRITTEN OPINION OF LEGAL COUNSEL (WHO SHALL BE, AND WHOSE LEGAL OPINION SHALL BE, REASONABLY SATISFACTORY TO THE COMPANY) ADDRESSED TO THE COMPANY TO THE EFFECT THAT SUCH REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED. THE TRANSFERABILITY OF THIS SECURITY IS ALSO SUBJECT TO RESTRICTIONS CONTAINED IN THE WARRANT AGREEMENT, DATED AS OF                  , 2010, BETWEEN THE COMPANY AND A WARRANT AGENT, WHICH WARRANT AGREEMENT THE COMPANY WILL FURNISH TO THE HOLDER HEREOF UPON REQUEST.

 

A-2-1


EXHIBIT B

FORM OF WARRANT CERTIFICATE

 

B-1


EXHIBIT C

FORM OF NEW COMMON SHARES REQUISITION ORDER

[Date]

Via Facsimile [                    ]

Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc.

[            ]

[            ]

 

Re: DWAC Issuance

Control No. [                    ]

Ladies and Gentlemen:

You are hereby authorized to issue and deliver the shares of New Common Stock as indicated below via DWAC. The shares are being issued to cover the exercise of Warrants under the Warrant Agreement, dated as of [                    ], 2010, between Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc., and Computershare Inc. and Computershare Trust Company, N.A., together, as Warrant Agent (the “ Warrant Agreement ”). Defined terms used but not defined herein have the meaning assigned to them in the Warrant Agreement.

 

Number of Shares:  

 

 
 

 

  Original Issue or    
 

 

  Transfer from Treasury Account    
Broker Name:  

 

 
Broker’s DTC Number:  

 

 
Contact and Phone:  

 

 

 

C-1


The Broker will initiate the DWAC transaction on (date).

 

Sincerely,

[                                                                                                     ],

as Warrant Agent

By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:

 

cc: [Insert name] via facsimile [insert fax number]

Broker

 

C-2


EXHIBIT D

Fee Schedule To Serve As Warrant Agent For Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc.

 

A. FEES FOR SERVICES *

 

$ 10,000.00     

Set –up Fee (includes first years annual maintenance fee)

$ 1,500.00     

Annual Maintenance Fee

$ 25.00 **   

Per Transfer of Warrants

$ 50.00 **   

Per Exercise of Warrants

$ 100.00 **   

Per Wire Transfer

 

* Excludes out-of-pocket expenses as described in Section C, “Items Not Covered”
** Maximum fee payable per transfer or exercise, as applicable, regardless of the number of Warrants transferred or exercised.

 

B. SERVICES COVERED

 

   

Designating an operational team to establish Warrant Agent procedures and duties, including document review, execution of legal agreement , operations management, and on-going updates and reporting

 

   

Establish Warrant issue under Cooper-Standard Holdings on Computershare’s Transfer Agent record keeping system

 

   

Coordinate Warrant exercise and transfer procedures with the Depositary Trust Company

 

   

Distribute Warrants to holders in connection with Cooper-Standard Holdings’ emergence from Bankruptcy

 

   

Process Warrant exercise and transfer requests by issuing certificates or, if applicable, through the Direct Registration System

 

   

Tracking and reporting the number of warrants issued, transferred, outstanding and exercised, as required

 

   

Processing warrants received and converted

 

   

Deposit Warrant conversion checks and incoming wire transfers daily and forward all participant funds to Cooper-Standard Holdings

 

   

Providing receipt summation of checks and wire transfers received

 

   

Issuing and mailing stock certificates, DRS share statements and warrants

 

D-1


   

Affixing legends to appropriate stock certificates, where applicable

 

   

Replace lost, stolen or destroyed securities in accordance with UCC guidelines and Computershare policy (subject to shareholder-paid fee and bond premium)

 

   

Process and post address changes plus mail confirmations if required

 

   

Obtain W-9 and W8-BEN certifications

 

   

Comply with SEC mandated annual lost shareholder search

 

   

Perform OFAC (Office of Foreign Asset Control) and Patriot Act reporting

 

   

Produce daily transfer reports and post them for online viewing

 

C. ITEMS NOT COVERED

 

   

Services associated with new duties, legislation or regulatory fiat which become effective after the date of this proposal (these will be provided on an appraisal basis)

 

   

All out-of-pocket expenses such as telephone line charges, overprinting, checks, cash management fees, postage, stationery, wire transfers, etc. (these will be billed as incurred)

 

   

Overtime charges assessed in the event of late delivery of material for mailings unless the target mail date is rescheduled

 

   

Overtime charges assessed in the event of a special request by client

 

   

Special reporting requests (including but not limited to escheatment, reconciliation and audit reports) and requests to expedite processed items outside of our standard target of 7-10 day turn around time

 

   

Requests to expedite conversion of shareholder records in less than 3 days (minimum $2,500)

 

   

Subsequent changes or updates to the certified shareholder records

 

   

Shareholder processing rush fee of $250 per presentation

 

D. ASSUMPTIONS

 

   

Proposal based upon document review and information known at this time about the transaction.

 

   

Significant changes made in the terms or requirements of this transaction could require modifications to this proposal

 

   

Assumes the use of Computershare’s QuickCert for warrant certificates

 

   

Proposal based upon approximately 500 warrant holders of record

 

E. PAYMENT FOR SERVICES

The Set-up Fee will be rendered and payable upon execution of this agreement. An invoice for any out-of-pockets and per item fees realized will be rendered and payable on a monthly basis, except for postage expenses in excess of $5,000. Funds for such mailing expenses must be received one (1) business day prior to the scheduled mailing date.

 

D-2

EXHIBIT 10.1

 

 

$125,000,000

LOAN AND SECURITY AGREEMENT

among

COOPER-STANDARD HOLDINGS INC. ,

as a U.S. Facility Guarantor and a Canadian Facility Guarantor

COOPER-STANDARD AUTOMOTIVE INC. ,

as the U.S. Borrower, a U.S. Facility Guarantor and a Canadian Facility Guarantor

COOPER-STANDARD AUTOMOTIVE CANADA LIMITED,

as the Canadian Borrower and a Canadian Facility Guarantor

THE OTHER GUARANTORS PARTY HERETO,

CERTAIN FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS,

as Lenders

BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,

as Agent

and

DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS,

as Syndication Agent

Dated as of May 27, 2010

BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC,

DEUTSCHE BANK SECURITIES INC.,

UBS SECURITIES LLC,

and

BARCLAYS CAPITAL

as Joint Lead Arrangers and Bookrunners

 

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

          Page
Section 1.    DEFINITIONS; RULES OF CONSTRUCTION    2

1.1

   Definitions    2

1.2

   Accounting Terms    54

1.3

   Uniform Commercial Code    54

1.4

   Certain Matters of Construction    54

1.5

   Interpretation (Quebec)    55
Section 2.    CREDIT FACILITIES    55

2.1

   Commitment    55

2.2

   U.S. Letter of Credit Facility    60

2.3

   Canadian Letter of Credit Facility    64
Section 3.    INTEREST, FEES AND CHARGES    67

3.1

   Interest    67

3.2

   Fees    70

3.3

   Computation of Interest, Fees, Yield Protection    71

3.4

   Reimbursement Obligations    71

3.5

   Illegality    72

3.6

   Inability to Determine Rates    72

3.7

   Increased Costs; Capital Adequacy    72

3.8

   Mitigation    73

3.9

   Funding Losses    74

3.10

   Maximum Interest    74
Section 4.    LOAN ADMINISTRATION    75

4.1

   Manner of Borrowing and Funding Loans    75

4.2

   Defaulting Lender    78

4.3

   Number and Amount of Interest Period Loans; Determination of Rate    78

4.4

   Loan Party Agent    78

4.5

   One Obligation    79

4.6

   Effect of Termination    79
Section 5.    PAYMENTS    79

5.1

   General Payment Provisions    79

 

-i-


TABLE OF CONTENTS

(continued)

 

          Page

5.2

   Repayment of Obligations    79

5.3

   Payment of Other Obligations    80

5.4

   Marshaling; Payments Set Aside    80

5.5

   Post-Default Allocation of Payments    80

5.6

   Application of Payments    82

5.7

   Loan Account; Account Stated    82

5.8

   Taxes    83

5.9

   Lender Tax Information    84

5.10

   Guarantee by U.S. Facility Loan Parties    85

5.11

   Currency Matters    88

5.12

   Currency Fluctuations    89

Section 6.

   CONDITIONS PRECEDENT    89

6.1

   Conditions Precedent to Initial Loans    89

6.2

   Conditions Precedent to All Credit Extensions    93

Section 7.

   COLLATERAL    93

7.1

   Grant of Security Interest    93

7.2

   Lien on Deposit Accounts; Cash Collateral    94

7.3

   Other Collateral    95

7.4

   No Assumption of Liability    96

7.5

   Further Assurances    96

7.6

   Certain Determinations    96

Section 8.

   COLLATERAL ADMINISTRATION    96

8.1

   Borrowing Base Certificates    96

8.2

   Administration of Accounts    97

8.3

   Administration of Inventory    98

8.4

   Administration of Equipment    99

8.5

   Administration of Deposit Accounts    99

8.6

   General Provisions    100

8.7

   Power of Attorney    101

Section 9.

   REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES    102

 

-ii-


TABLE OF CONTENTS

(continued)

 

          Page

9.1

  

General Representations and Warranties

   102

9.2

  

Complete Disclosure

   109

Section 10.

  

COVENANTS AND CONTINUING AGREEMENTS

   109

10.1

  

Affirmative Covenants

   109

10.2

  

Negative Covenants

   114

10.3

  

Financial Covenant

   124

Section 11.

  

EVENTS OF DEFAULT; REMEDIES ON DEFAULT

   124

11.1

  

Events of Default

   124

11.2

  

Remedies upon Default

   126

11.3

  

License

   127

11.4

  

Setoff

   127

11.5

  

Remedies Cumulative; No Waiver

   127

11.6

  

Judgment Currency

   128

Section 12.

  

AGENT

   128

12.1

  

Appointment, Authority and Duties of Agent

   128

12.2

  

Agreements Regarding Collateral and Field Examination Reports

   130

12.3

  

Reliance By Agent

   131

12.4

  

Action Upon Default

   131

12.5

  

Ratable Sharing

   132

12.6

  

Indemnification of Agent Indemnitees

   132

12.7

  

Limitation on Responsibilities of Agent

   132

12.8

  

Successor Agent and Co-Agents

   133

12.9

  

Due Diligence and Non-Reliance

   133

12.10

  

Replacement of Certain Lenders

   134

12.11

  

Remittance of Payments and Collections

   134

12.12

  

Agent in its Individual Capacity

   135

12.13

  

Agent Titles

   135

12.14

  

No Third Party Beneficiaries

   135

Section 13.

  

BENEFIT OF AGREEMENT; ASSIGNMENTS AND PARTICIPATIONS

   135

 

-iii-


TABLE OF CONTENTS

(continued)

 

          Page

13.1

  

Successors and Assigns

   135

13.2

  

Participations

   136

13.3

  

Assignments

   136

Section 14.

  

MISCELLANEOUS

   138

14.1

  

Consents, Amendments and Waivers

   138

14.2

  

Indemnity

   139

14.3

  

Notices and Communications

   139

14.4

  

Performance of the Loan Parties’ Obligations

   140

14.5

  

Credit Inquiries

   140

14.6

  

Severability

   141

14.7

  

Cumulative Effect; Conflict of Terms

   141

14.8

  

Counterparts

   141

14.9

  

Entire Agreement

   141

14.10

  

Relationship with Lenders

   141

14.11

  

No Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility

   141

14.12

  

Confidentiality

   142

14.13

  

Certifications Regarding Senior Note Indenture

   142

14.14

  

GOVERNING LAW

   142

14.15

  

Consent to Forum

   142

14.16

  

Waivers by Loan Parties

   143

14.17

  

Patriot Act and PCMLFTA Notice

   144

14.18

  

Reinstatement

   144

14.19

  

Nonliability of Lenders

   144

 

-iv-


LIST OF EXHIBITS AND SCHEDULES

 

Exhibit A-1    Form of Canadian Revolver Note
Exhibit A-2    Form of U.S. Revolver Note
Exhibit B    Notice of Borrowing
Exhibit C    Notice of Conversion/Continuation
Exhibit D    Assignment and Acceptance
Exhibit E    Assignment Notice
Exhibit F    Form of Intercompany Note
Exhibit G    Form of Perfection Certificate
Exhibit H    Form of Borrowing Base Certificate
Exhibit I    Form of Landlord Waiver
Exhibit J    Form of Bailee Letter
Schedule 1.1(a)    Commitments of Lenders
Schedule 1.1(b)    Contingent Obligations
Schedule 1.1(c)    Existing Letters of Credit
Schedule 1.1(d)    Investments
Schedule 6.1    List of Closing Documents
Schedule 8.5    Deposit Accounts
Schedule 8.6.1    Business Locations
Schedule 9.1.4    Corporate Names and Capital Structure
Schedule 9.1.5    Prior Corporate Names and Locations
Schedule 9.1.11    Intellectual Property
Schedule 9.1.14    Environmental Matters
Schedule 9.1.15    Restrictive Agreements
Schedule 9.1.17    Litigation
Schedule 9.1.18    ERISA Matters
Schedule 9.1.20    Labor Contracts
Schedule 10.2.1(t)    Debt
Schedule 10.2.2    Liens
Schedule 10.2.5    Loans
Schedule 10.1.10    Post-Closing Matters


LOAN AND SECURITY AGREEMENT

THIS LOAN AND SECURITY AGREEMENT (this “ Agreement ”) is dated as of May 27, 2010, among COOPER-STANDARD HOLDINGS INC. , a Delaware corporation (“ Holdings ”) as a U.S. Facility Guarantor and a Canadian Facility Guarantor (each as defined herein), COOPER-STANDARD AUTOMOTIVE INC . , an Ohio corporation (the “ U.S. Borrower ”), COOPER-STANDARD AUTOMOTIVE CANADA LIMITED , an Ontario corporation (together with its permitted successors, the “ Canadian Borrower ”, and together with the U.S. Borrower, the “ Borrowers ”), the other U.S. Subsidiaries (as defined herein) of Holdings which are and may hereafter become party to this Agreement as U.S. Facility Guarantors and Canadian Facility Guarantors, the other Canadian Subsidiaries (as defined herein) of Holdings which are or may hereafter become party to this Agreement as Canadian Facility Guarantors, the financial institutions party to this Agreement from time to time as lenders (collectively, “ Lenders ”), and BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. , a national banking association, in its capacity as collateral agent and administrative agent for itself and the Secured Parties (as defined herein) (together with any successor agent appointed pursuant to Section 12.8 , “ Agent ”).

R E C I T A L S:

A. On August 3, 2009, Holdings, the then-existing U.S. Domiciled Loan Parties filed voluntary petitions for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code (11 U.S.C. §§101-1532, as amended, the “ U.S. Bankruptcy Code ”) in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (the “ U.S. Bankruptcy Court ”), jointly administered as Case No. 09-12743(PJW) and continued in the possession of their property and in the management of their businesses pursuant to Sections 1107 and 1108 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code (the “ U.S. Bankruptcy Cases ”).

B. On August 4, 2009, the Canadian Borrower commenced proceedings, Court File No. CV-09-8307-00CL (the “ Canadian CCAA Case ”), in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Commercial List) (the “ Canadian CCAA Court ”) pursuant to the Canada’s Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-36 (the “ CCAA ”).

C. On March 26, 2010, the then-existing U.S. Domiciled Loan Parties filed their Second Amended Joint Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization (the “ U.S. Plan ”) and a disclosure statement and on April 16, 2010 the Canadian Borrower filed its Second Amended Plan of Compromise and Arrangement under the CCAA (the “ Canadian Plan ”, and together with the U.S. Plan, the “ Reorganization Plans ”).

D. The U.S. Plan proposes, among other things, to: (i) issue shares of new common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of Holdings (the “ New Common Stock ”) to holders of pre-petition claims with respect to certain senior notes, (ii) issue shares of new 7% cumulative participating convertible preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share, of Holdings (the “ New Preferred Stock ”) to the Backstop Parties (as defined below), (iii) issue New Common Stock to holders of pre-petition claims with respect to certain senior subordinated notes and (iv) offer rights to purchase additional shares to certain eligible claimholders at a purchase price of $21.54 per Share (the “ Rights Offering ”).

E. On March 19, 2010, Holdings and the backstop purchasers party thereto (the “ Backstop Parties ”) entered into that certain Commitment Agreement pursuant to which, among


other things, the Backstop Parties, in order to facilitate the Rights Offering, agreed to purchase, and Holdings agreed to sell, an aggregate number of shares of New Common Stock equal to the number of shares that were not validly subscribed for and purchased pursuant to the Rights Offering by the applicable claimholders.

F. On May 12, 2010, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court entered the order confirming the U.S. Plan (the “ U.S. Confirmation Order ”) pursuant to which, among other things, the Bankruptcy Court approved the transactions contemplated by the U.S. Plan and the Rights Offering.

G. On April 16, 2010, the Canadian CCAA Court made an order (the “ Canadian Sanction Order ”) sanctioning the Canadian Plan.

H. On the date hereof (the “ U.S. Effective Date ”), concurrently with the effectiveness of this Agreement, the U.S. Plan shall become effective in accordance with its terms.

I. On the date hereof (the “ Canadian Effective Date ”) concurrently with the effectiveness of this Agreement, the Canadian Plan shall become effective in accordance with its terms.

J. In connection with the Transactions contemplated by the Confirmation Order, the Canadian Sanction Order, the Reorganization Plans and the Rights Offering, each of the Borrowers has requested that Lenders provide a revolving credit facility to such Borrower, and Lenders are willing to provide such credit facilities on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.

K. Each Subsidiary of Holdings which is or hereafter becomes a party hereto as a U.S. Facility Guarantor is or will be affiliated, is or will be engaged in interrelated businesses, and is or will derive substantial direct and indirect benefit from extensions of credit to the U.S. Borrower.

L. Each Subsidiary of Holdings which is or hereafter becomes a party hereto as a Canadian Facility Guarantor is or will be affiliated, is or will be engaged in interrelated businesses, and is or will derive substantial direct and indirect benefit from extensions of credit to the Canadian Borrower.

NOW, THEREFORE , for valuable consideration hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:

SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS; RULES OF CONSTRUCTION

1.1 Definitions . As used herein, the following terms have the meanings set forth below:

ABL Priority Collateral : as defined in Section 7.1 .

Account : as defined in the UCC and the PPSA, as applicable, including all rights to payment for goods sold or leased, or for services rendered.

 

2


Account Debtor : a Person who is obligated under an Account, Chattel Paper or General Intangible.

Acquisition : any transaction or series of related contemporaneous transactions for the purpose of or resulting, directly or indirectly, in (a) the acquisition of all or substantially all of the assets of a Person, or of all or substantially all of any line of business or division of a Person (other than a Person that is already a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of Holdings) or other assets or properties of a Person, (b) the acquisition of all or any portion of the Equity Interests of any Person (other than a Person that is already a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of Holdings), or (c) a merger or consolidation or any other combination with another Person (other than a Person that is already a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of Holdings).

Affiliate : with respect to any Person, another Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, Controls or is Controlled by or is under common Control with the Person specified. “Control” means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a Person, whether through the ability to exercise voting power, by contract or otherwise. “Controlling” and “Controlled” have correlative meanings.

Agent : as defined in the preamble to this Agreement.

Agent Fee Letter : the agent fee letter agreement between Agent, Holdings and the Borrowers dated as of April 21, 2010.

Agent Indemnitees : Agent and its officers, directors, employees, Affiliates, agents and attorneys.

Agent Professionals : attorneys, accountants, appraisers, auditors, business valuation experts, environmental engineers or consultants, turnaround consultants, and other professionals and experts retained by Agent.

Allocable Amount : as defined in Section 5.10.3 .

Anti-Terrorism Laws : any laws relating to terrorism or money laundering, including the Patriot Act and the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Applicable Law : all laws, rules and regulations applicable to the Person, conduct, transaction, agreement or matter in question, including all applicable statutory law and common law, and all provisions of constitutions, treaties, statutes, rules, regulations, orders and decrees of Governmental Authorities.

Applicable Lenders : with respect to the U.S. Borrower, U.S. Lenders, and with respect to the Canadian Borrower, Canadian Lenders.

Applicable Loan Party Group : (i) with respect to the U.S. Borrower, the U.S. Facility Loan Parties and (ii) with respect to the Canadian Borrower, the Canadian Facility Loan Parties that are domiciled in Canada and CS Automotive LLC.

 

3


Applicable Margin : with respect to any Type of Loan and such other Obligations specified below, the respective margin set forth below, as determined by reference to the Average Quarterly Availability:

 

Level

  

Average

Quarterly

Availability

   LIBOR Loans,
Canadian BA Rate
Loans, Letter of Credit
Fees
    U.S. Base Rate Loans, Canadian
Base Rate Loans and Canadian
Prime Rate Loans
 
I   

Greater than

or equal to

$70,000,000

   3.25   2.25
II   

Greater than

or equal to

$35,000,000

but less than

$70,000,000

   3.50   2.50
III   

Less than

$35,000,000

   3.75   2.75

Until January 1, 2011, margins shall be determined as if Level II were applicable. Thereafter, the Applicable Margin shall be adjusted quarterly as of the first (1st) day of each calendar quarter, based upon the Average Quarterly Availability for the immediately preceding calendar quarter.

Approved Fund : any Person (other than a natural person) that is engaged in making, purchasing, holding or otherwise investing in commercial loans and similar extensions of credit in its ordinary course of activities, has the capacity to fund Revolver Loans hereunder and is administered or managed by a Lender, an entity that administers or manages a Lender, or an Affiliate of either.

Asset Disposition : a sale, lease, license, consignment, transfer or other disposition of Property of a Loan Party or a Subsidiary, including a disposition of Property in connection with a sale-leaseback transaction or synthetic lease.

Asset Review and Approval Conditions : with respect to any Acquisition, amalgamation or merger in respect of which the Accounts or Inventory acquired therein or thereby are requested to be included in the Canadian Borrowing Base or U.S. Borrowing Base, Agent shall have completed its review of such assets, including, without limitation, field examinations, audits, appraisals and other due diligence as Agent shall in its Permitted Discretion require; it being acknowledged and agreed that, (1) such additional assets, if any, to be included in the Canadian Borrowing Base or U.S. Borrowing Base may be subject to different advance rates or eligibility criteria or may require the imposition of additional reserves with respect thereto and (2) prior to the inclusion of any additional assets in the Canadian Borrowing Base or U.S. Borrowing Base, all actions shall have been taken to ensure that Agent has a perfected and continuing first priority security interest in and Lien on such assets (to the extent otherwise required herein).

 

4


Assignment and Acceptance : an assignment agreement between a Lender and Eligible Assignee, in the form of Exhibit D .

Assignment of Claims Act : Assignment of Claims Act of 1940, 31 U.S.C. § 3727, 41 U.S.C. § 15, as amended.

Availability : at any time, the sum of the Canadian Availability and the U.S. Availability, in each case, at such time.

Average Period Availability : for any period, an amount equal to the sum of the Availability for each day of such period (determined as of the close of business of each such day) divided by the actual number of days in such period, as determined by Agent, which determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

Average Quarterly Availability : for any calendar quarter, an amount equal to the sum of the Availability for each day of such calendar quarter (determined as of the close of business of each such day) divided by the actual number of days in such calendar quarter, as determined by Agent, which determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

Backstop Parties : as defined in the Recitals hereto.

Bank of America : Bank of America, N.A., a national banking association, and its successors and assigns.

Bank of America (Canada) : Bank of America, N.A. (acting through its Canada branch).

Bank of America Indemnitees : Bank of America and its officers, directors, employees, Affiliates, agents and attorneys.

Bank Product : any of the following products, services or facilities extended to any Loan Party or Subsidiary by a Lender or any of its Affiliates: (a) Cash Management Services; (b) products under Hedging Agreements; (c) commercial credit card and merchant card services; and (d) other banking products or services as may be requested by any Loan Party or Subsidiary, other than Letters of Credit and Excluded Products; provided , however , that for any of the foregoing to be included as an “Obligation” for purposes of a distribution under Section 5.5.1 , the Lender or Affiliate providing such Bank Product and Loan Party Agent must have previously provided written notice to Agent of (i) the existence of such Bank Product, (ii) the maximum dollar amount of obligations arising thereunder to be included as a Canadian Bank Product Reserve or U.S. Bank Product Reserve, as applicable (“ Bank Product Amount ”), and (iii) the methodology to be used by such parties in determining the Bank Product Debt owing from time to time and if Agent has received no such notice with respect to any such Bank Product, then Agent shall be permitted to assume that no such Bank Product is outstanding in connection with making distributions under Section 5.5.1 ; provided , however , that no such notice from Loan Party Agent shall be required with respect to any Bank Products provided by Bank of America or its Affiliates. The Bank Product Amount may be changed from time to time by Agent (with respect to Bank Products provided by Bank of America or its Affiliates) in its Permitted Discretion or upon written notice to Agent by the Lender or Affiliate providing the related Bank Product and Loan Party Agent. No additional Bank Product Amount may be voluntarily established or increased by the Loan Parties at any time that a Default or Event of Default exists, or if a reserve in such amount would cause an Overadvance.

 

5


Bank Product Amount : as defined in the definition of Bank Product.

Bank Product Debt : Debt and other obligations of a Loan Party relating to Bank Products.

Bankruptcy Debtors : the U.S. Domiciled Loan Parties and the Canadian Borrower.

Board of Governors : the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

Borrowed Money : with respect to any Person, any (a) obligation that (i) arises from the borrowing of money by such Person (including, for the avoidance of doubt, arising from any Permitted Securitizations of such Person), (ii) is evidenced by notes, drafts, bonds, debentures, credit documents or similar instruments, (iii) accrues interest or is a type upon which interest charges are customarily paid (excluding trade payables or administrative or general expenses owing in the Ordinary Course of Business) or (iv) was issued or assumed as full or partial payment for Property (excluding trade payables owing in the Ordinary Course of Business); (b) capitalized amount in respect of Capital Leases of such Person; (c) reimbursement obligations by such Person with respect to letters of credit issued for the account of such Person; and (d) guarantees by such Person of any of the foregoing owing by another Person.

Borrowers : as defined in the preamble to this Agreement.

Borrowing : a group of Loans of one Type that are made on the same day or are converted into Loans of one Type on the same day.

Borrowing Base : the Canadian Borrowing Base and/or the U.S. Borrowing Base, as the context requires.

Borrowing Base Certificate : a certificate, substantially in the form attached as Exhibit H or otherwise in form and substance satisfactory to Agent, by which Loan Party Agent certifies calculation of any Borrowing Base.

Business Day : any day excluding Saturday, Sunday and any other day that is a legal holiday under the laws of the State of North Carolina or the State of New York or is a day on which banking institutions located in such States are closed; and when used with reference to (i) a LIBOR Loan denominated in Dollars, the term shall also exclude any day on which banks are not open for the transaction of banking business in London, England, (ii) a LIBOR Loan denominated in Euros, any fundings, disbursements, settlements and payments in Euros in respect of any such LIBOR Loan, or any other dealings in Euros to be carried out pursuant to this Agreement in respect of any such LIBOR Loan, the term shall also exclude any day that is not a TARGET Day; and (iii) a Canadian Revolver Loan, the term shall also exclude a day on which banks in Toronto, Ontario, Canada are not open for the transaction of banking business.

Canadian Auto-Extension Letter of Credit : as defined in Section 2.3.1(e) .

Canadian Availability : as of any date of determination, the Canadian Borrowing Base as of such date of determination plus solely for purposes of calculating “Availability” in connection with the satisfaction of any Internal Specified Transaction Conditions, the Canadian Suppressed Amount on such date of determination plus the Canadian Designated Cash Amount on such date of determination minus the Canadian Revolver Exposure (calculated without duplication of any amounts reserved under the Canadian LC Reserve) on such date of determination.

 

6


Canadian Availability Reserve : the sum (without duplication) of (a) the Inventory Reserve with respect to the Canadian Domiciled Loan Parties’ Inventory; (b) the Canadian Rent and Charges Reserve; (c) the Canadian LC Reserve; (d) the Canadian Bank Product Reserve; (e) the aggregate amount of liabilities secured by Liens upon any Canadian Facility Collateral that are senior to Agent’s Liens (but imposition of any such reserve shall not waive an Event of Default arising therefrom); (f) the Canadian Priority Payables Reserve; (g) the Wage Earner Protection Act Reserve; and (h) such additional reserves (including, without limitation, dilution reserves), in such amounts and with respect to such matters, as Agent in its Permitted Discretion may establish.

Canadian BA Rate : with respect to each Interest Period for a Canadian BA Rate Loan, the rate of interest per annum equal to the average rate applicable to Canadian Dollar Bankers’ Acceptances having an identical or comparable term as the proposed Canadian BA Rate Loan displayed and identified as such on the display referred to as the “CDOR Page” (or any display substituted therefor) of Reuter Monitor Money Rates Service as at approximately 10:00 a.m. Toronto time on such day (or, if such day is not a Business Day, as of 10:00 a.m. Toronto time on the immediately preceding Business Day), plus five (5) basis points, provided that if such rate does not appear on the CDOR Page at such time on such date, the rate for such date will be the annual discount rate (rounded upward to the nearest whole multiple of 1/100 of 1%) as of 10:00 a.m. Eastern time on such day at which a Canadian chartered bank listed on Schedule 1 of the Bank Act (Canada) as selected by Agent is then offering to purchase Canadian Dollar Bankers’ Acceptances accepted by it having such specified term (or a term as closely as possible comparable to such specified term), plus five (5) basis points.

Canadian BA Rate Loan : a Canadian Revolver Loan, or portion thereof, funded in Canadian Dollars and bearing interest calculated by reference to the Canadian BA Rate.

Canadian Bank Product Reserve : the aggregate amount of reserves, as established by Agent from time to time in its Permitted Discretion to reflect the reasonably anticipated liabilities in respect of the then outstanding Bank Product Debt of the Canadian Domiciled Loan Parties and their Subsidiaries.

Canadian Base Rate : means, for any day, the rate of interest in effect for such day as publicly announced from time to time by Bank of America (Canada) in Toronto, Ontario as its “base rate” (the “base rate” being a rate set by Bank of America (Canada) based on various factors including costs and desired return of Bank of America (Canada), general economic conditions and other factors, and used as a reference point for pricing loans in Dollars made at its “base rate”, which may be priced at, above or below such announced rate.) Any change in the “base rate” announced by Bank of America (Canada) shall take effect at the opening of business on the day specified in the public announcement of such change. Each interest rate based upon the Canadian Base Rate shall be adjusted simultaneously with any change in the “base rate”. In the event that Bank of America (Canada) (including any successor or assignee) does not at any time publicly announce a “base rate”, then “Canadian Base Rate” shall mean the “base rate” publicly announced by a Schedule 1 chartered bank in Canada selected by Agent.

Canadian Base Rate Loan : a Canadian Revolver Loan, or portion thereof, funded in Dollars and bearing interest calculated by reference to the Canadian Base Rate.

Canadian Borrower : as defined in the preamble to this Agreement.

 

7


Canadian Borrowing Base : on any date of determination, an amount equal to the lesser of (a) the Maximum Canadian Facility Amount minus (x) the Canadian Priority Payables Reserve minus (y) the Wage Earner Protection Act Reserve minus (z) the Canadian LC Reserve; and (b) (1) the sum of (x) 85% of the Value of Eligible Accounts of the Canadian Domiciled Loan Parties; plus (y) the lesser of (i) 70% of the Value of Eligible Inventory of the Canadian Domiciled Loan Parties; and (ii) 85% of the NOLV Percentage of the Value of Eligible Inventory of the Canadian Domiciled Loan Parties, minus (2) the Canadian Availability Reserve.

Canadian Cash Collateral Account : a demand deposit, money market or other account established by Agent at Bank of America (Canada) or such other financial institution as Agent may select in its discretion, which account shall be for the benefit of the Canadian Facility Secured Parties and shall be subject to Agent’s Liens securing the Canadian Facility Obligations.

Canadian CCAA Case : as defined in the Recitals hereto.

Canadian CCAA Court : as defined in the Recitals hereto.

Canadian Designated Cash Amount : the aggregate amount of cash of the Canadian Domiciled Loan Parties deposited in segregated DACA Deposit Accounts with Agent.

Canadian Dollars or Cdn $: the lawful currency of Canada.

Canadian Domiciled Loan Party : each Canadian Subsidiary of Holdings now or hereafter party hereto as a Loan Party, and “ Canadian Domiciled Loan Parties ” means all such Persons, collectively.

Canadian Dominion Account : a special account established by the Canadian Domiciled Loan Parties at Bank of America (Canada) or another bank reasonably acceptable to Agent, over which Agent has exclusive control for withdrawal purposes.

Canadian Effective Date : as defined in the Recitals hereto.

Canadian Employee Plan : any material payroll practice and other material employee benefit plan, policy, program, agreement or arrangement, including retirement, pension, profit sharing, employment, individual consultant or other compensation agreement, bonus or other incentive compensation, retention, stock purchase, equity or equity-based compensation, deferred compensation, severance, sick leave, vacation, loans, salary continuation, hospitalization, health, life insurance, educational assistance or other fringe benefit or perquisite plan, policy, agreement which is or was sponsored, maintained or contributed to by, or required to be contributed to by, a Canadian Domiciled Loan Party, or with respect to which a Canadian Domiciled Loan Party has or could reasonably be expected to have any obligation or liability, contingent or otherwise, in any case, that is subject to Canadian law (and not other foreign jurisdictions).

Canadian Facility Collateral : Collateral that now or hereafter secures (or is intended to secure) any of the Canadian Facility Obligations, including Property of the U.S. Domiciled Loan Parties pledged to secure their Obligations under their guarantee of the Canadian Facility Obligations.

 

8


Canadian Facility Guarantee : each guarantee agreement (including this Agreement) at any time executed by a Canadian Facility Guarantor in favor of Agent guaranteeing all or any portion of the Canadian Facility Obligations.

Canadian Facility Guarantor : Holdings, each Canadian Subsidiary of Holdings, CS Automotive LLC, each other U.S. Subsidiary of Holdings, and each other Person (if any) who guarantees payment and performance of any Canadian Facility Obligations.

Canadian Facility Loan Party : the Canadian Borrower or a Canadian Facility Guarantor.

Canadian Facility Obligations : all applicable Obligations of the Canadian Facility Loan Parties (excluding, for the avoidance of doubt, all U.S. Facility Obligations).

Canadian Facility Secured Parties : Agent, Canadian Issuing Bank, Canadian Lenders, providers of Bank Products to Canadian Facility Loan Parties and the Lead Arrangers.

Canadian Issuing Bank : (a) Bank of America (Canada) or an Affiliate of Bank of America (Canada), as an issuer of Letters of Credit under this Agreement and (b) Deutsche Bank AG, New York Branch or an Affiliate of Deutsche Bank AG, New York Branch, as an issuer of Letters of Credit under this Agreement.

Canadian LC Obligations : the sum (without duplication) of (a) all amounts owing by the Canadian Borrower for any drawings under Letters of Credit; (b) the stated amount of all outstanding Letters of Credit issued for the account of the Canadian Borrower; and (c) all fees and other amounts owing with respect to Letters of Credit issued for the account of the Canadian Borrower.

Canadian LC Reserve : the aggregate of all Canadian LC Obligations, other than (a) those that have been Cash Collateralized; and (b) if no Default or Event of Default exists, amounts specified in clause (c)  of the definition of Canadian LC Obligations.

Canadian Lenders : Bank of America (Canada) and each other Lender that has issued a Canadian Revolver Commitment (provided that such Person or an Affiliate of such Person also has a U.S. Revolver Commitment), including Bank of America (Canada) in its capacity as a provider of Canadian Swingline Loans. Each Canadian Lender shall be a Canadian Qualified Lender.

Canadian Letter of Credit Sublimit : $500,000.

Canadian Letters of Credit : as defined in Section 2.3.1 hereof.

Canadian Multi-Employer Plan : each multi-employer plan, within the meaning of the Regulations under the Income Tax Act (Canada), but excluding, for greater certainty, any Multi-Employer Plan.

Canadian Non-Extension Notice Date : as defined in Section 2.3.1(e) .

Canadian Overadvance : as defined in Section 2.1.5 hereof.

 

9


Canadian Overadvance Loan : a Loan made to the Canadian Borrower when a Canadian Overadvance exists or is caused by the funding thereof.

Canadian Overadvance Loan Balance : on any date, the amount by which the aggregate Canadian Revolver Exposure exceeds the amount of the Canadian Borrowing Base on such date.

Canadian Pension Plan : a “registered pension plan” as defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada), and any other pension plan maintained or contributed to by, or to which there is or may be an obligation to contribute by, any Loan Party in respect of its Canadian employees or former Canadian employees, excluding, for greater certainty, a Canadian Multi-Employer Plan.

Canadian Plan : as defined in the Recitals hereto.

Canadian Prime Rate : on any date, a fluctuating rate of interest per annum equal to the rate of interest in effect for such day as publicly announced from time to time by Bank of America (Canada) as its “Canadian Prime Rate”. The “Canadian Prime Rate” is a rate set by Bank of America (Canada) based upon various factors including Bank of America (Canada)’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 rate announced by Bank of America (Canada) shall take effect at the opening of business on the day specified in the public announcement of such change.

Canadian Prime Rate Loan : a Canadian Revolver Loan, or portion thereof, funded in Canadian Dollars and bearing interest calculated by reference to the Canadian Prime Rate.

Canadian Priority Payables Reserve : on any date of determination, a reserve in such amount as Agent may reasonably determine in its Permitted Discretion, which reflects the unpaid (when due) or un-remitted (when due) payroll tax deductions, unpaid (when due) pension plan contributions, employment insurance premiums, amounts deducted for vacation pay, wages, workers’ compensation and other unpaid (when due) or unremitted (when due) amounts by any Canadian Domiciled Loan Party which would give rise to a Lien with priority under Applicable Law over the Lien of Agent.

Canadian Qualified Lender : a financial institution that is listed on Schedule I, II, or III of the Bank Act (Canada) or is not a foreign bank for purposes of the Bank Act (Canada), and if such financial institution is not resident in Canada and is not deemed to be resident in Canada with respect to any amounts received pursuant to this Agreement for purposes of Part XIII of the Income Tax Act (Canada), that financial institution deals at arm’s length with the Canadian Borrower for purposes of the Income Tax Act (Canada).

Canadian Reimbursement Date : as defined in Section 2.3.2(a) .

Canadian Rent and Charges Reserve : the aggregate of (a) all past due rent and other past due amounts owing by any Canadian Domiciled Loan Party to any landlord, warehouseman, processor, repairman, mechanic, shipper, freight forwarder, broker or other Person who possesses any Canadian Facility Collateral of any Canadian Domiciled Loan Party or could assert a Lien on such Canadian Facility Collateral under Applicable Law; plus (b) a reserve at least equal to three (3) months (or such shorter period as Agent determines in its Permitted Discretion as it will take to liquidate the ABL Priority Collateral at such location) rent and other charges that could reasonably be expected to be payable to any such Person who possesses any

 

10


Canadian Facility Collateral of any Canadian Domiciled Loan Party and could reasonably be expected to assert a Lien on such Canadian Facility Collateral under Applicable Law, unless, in any such case, such Person has executed a Collateral Access Agreement.

Canadian Revolver Commitment : for any Canadian Lender, its obligation to make Canadian Revolver Loans and to issue Canadian Letters of Credit, in the case of Canadian Issuing Bank, or participate in Canadian LC Obligations (excluding amounts specified in clause (c)  of such definition), in the case of the other Canadian Lenders, to the Canadian Borrower up to the maximum principal amount shown on Schedule 1.1(a) , or as hereafter determined pursuant to each Assignment and Acceptance to which it is a party, as such Canadian Revolver Commitment may be adjusted from time to time in accordance with the provisions of Sections 2.1.4 or 11.2 . “ Canadian Revolver Commitments ” means the aggregate amount of such commitments of all Canadian Lenders.

Canadian Revolver Commitment Termination Date : the earliest of (a) the U.S. Revolver Commitment Termination Date (without regard to the reason therefor), (b) the date on which Loan Party Agent terminates or reduces to zero (0) all of the Canadian Revolver Commitments pursuant to Section 2.1.4 , and (c) the date on which the Canadian Revolver Commitments are terminated pursuant to Section 11.2 .

Canadian Revolver Exposure : on any date, an amount equal to the sum of the Dollar Equivalent of the Canadian Revolver Loans outstanding on such date plus the Canadian LC Obligations (excluding amounts specified in clause (c)  of such definition) on such date.

Canadian Revolver Loan : a Revolver Loan made by Canadian Lenders to the Canadian Borrower pursuant to Section 2.1.1(b) , and any Canadian Swingline Loan, which Revolver Loan shall, if denominated in Canadian Dollars, be either a Canadian BA Rate Loan or a Canadian Prime Rate Loan and, if denominated in Dollars, shall be either a Canadian Base Rate Loan or a LIBOR Loan, in each case as selected by the Canadian Borrower or Loan Party Agent.

Canadian Revolver Notes : collectively, each promissory note, if any, executed by the Canadian Borrower in favor of a Canadian Lender to evidence the Canadian Revolver Loans funded from time to time by such Canadian Lender, which shall be in the form of Exhibit A-1 to this Agreement, together with any replacement or successor notes therefor.

Canadian Sanction Order : as defined in the Recitals hereto.

Canadian Security Agreement : each general security agreement among any Canadian Domiciled Loan Party and Agent.

Canadian Subsidiary : a Subsidiary of Holdings incorporated or organized under the laws of Canada or any province or territory of Canada.

Canadian Suppressed Amount : to the extent that the amount calculated pursuant to clause (b) of the Canadian Borrowing Base definition exceeds the then-current Canadian Revolver Commitment as of any date of determination, the amount of any such excess designated in writing by Loan Party Agent to Agent as “Canadian Suppressed Amount” under this Agreement; provided, that in no event shall the Canadian Suppressed Amount exceed $5,000,000 less the U.S. Suppressed Amount as of such date of determination.

 

11


Canadian Swingline Loan : any Borrowing of Canadian Prime Rate Loans made pursuant to Section 4.1.3(c).

Canadian Unused Line Fee Rate : at any date of determination, a rate per annum equal to (a) .50% when the Canadian Revolver Exposure is greater than 50% of the Canadian Revolver Commitments and (b) .75% at all other times.

Capital Expenditures : all liabilities incurred or expenditures made by a Loan Party or Subsidiary for the acquisition of any fixed assets, or any improvements, replacements, substitutions or additions thereto with a useful life of more than one (1) year that would, in any case, in accordance with GAAP, be included as additions to property, plant and equipment, but excluding (to the extent that they would otherwise be included): including, for the avoidance of doubt, any amount included in the calculation of the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio (i) any expenditures during such period made for the replacement or restoration of assets with assets of the same or similar type to the extent paid for by any identifiable proceeds of casualty insurance or condemnation awards; (ii) the purchase price of assets purchased during such period to the extent the consideration therefor consists of the proceeds of a substantially concurrent sale of assets; (iii) any expenditures for the purchase price of assets acquired in a Permitted Acquisition during such period; (iv) liabilities incurred or expenditures made to the extent such Loan Party or Subsidiary has received reimbursement in cash from a third party during such period; (v) the non-cash book value of any asset owned by any Loan Party or Subsidiary which is included as an addition to property, plant and equipment as a result of the reuse of such asset during such period without a corresponding expenditure actually having been made or liability incurred in such period; (vi) the non-cash purchase price of equipment purchased during such period to the extent the consideration therefor consists of used or surplus equipment traded in at the time of such purchase; (vii) the non-cash purchase price of equipment that is purchased during such period and substantially contemporaneously with the trade-in of existing equipment to the extent that the gross amount of such purchase price is reduced by the credit granted by the seller of such equipment for the equipment being traded in at such time; and (viii) any expenditures during such period made with the proceeds of an issuance of Equity Interests by Holdings with respect to which: (a) such proceeds shall have been received by Holdings within one-hundred eighty days (180) of such expenditure, and (b) Agent shall have received a certificate of a Senior Officer of Loan Party Agent certifying in reasonable detail as to compliance with preceding clause (a).

Capital Lease : any lease that is required to be capitalized for financial reporting purposes in accordance with GAAP.

Cash Collateral : cash or Cash Equivalents, and any interest or other income earned thereon, that is delivered to Agent to Cash Collateralize any Obligations.

Cash Collateral Account : the Canadian Cash Collateral Account and/or the U.S. Cash Collateral Account, as the context may require.

Cash Collateralize : the delivery of cash to Agent, as security for the payment of Obligations, in an amount equal to (a) with respect to LC Obligations, 105% of the aggregate amount of such LC Obligations, and (b) with respect to any inchoate, contingent or other Obligations (including Obligations arising under Bank Products), Agent’s good faith estimate of the amount due or to become due, including all fees and other amounts relating to such Obligations. “ Cash Collateralization ” and “ Cash Collateralized ” have correlative meanings.

 

12


Cash Dominion Trigger Period : the period (a) commencing on the day that an Event of Default occurs, or Average Period Availability (for a one-day period) is less than the greater of (i) $21,875,000 and (ii) 17.5% of the Commitments at such time; and (b) continuing until, during the preceding sixty (60) consecutive day period, no Event of Default has existed and Average Period Availability has been greater than the greater of (i) $21,875,000 and (ii) 17.5% of the Commitments at such time.

Cash Equivalents : (a) marketable obligations issued or unconditionally guaranteed by, and backed by the full faith and credit of, the United States or Canadian government, maturing within twelve (12) months of the date of acquisition; (b) certificates of deposit, demand deposits, time deposits and bankers’ acceptances maturing within twelve (12) months of the date of acquisition, and overnight bank deposits, in each case which are issued by (i) a commercial bank organized under the laws of the United States, Canada or any state or district of the United States or province or territory of Canada, rated A-1 (or better) by S&P or P-1 (or better) by Moody’s at the time of acquisition, and not subject to offset rights or (ii) a Lender or any Affiliate of a Lender; (c) repurchase obligations with a term of not more than thirty (30) days for underlying investments of the types described in clauses (a) and (b) entered into with any bank, Lender or any Affiliate of a Lender meeting the qualifications specified in clause (b); (d) commercial paper rated A-1 (or better) by S&P or P-1 (or better) by Moody’s, and maturing within nine (9) months of the date of acquisition; and (e) shares of any money market fund that has substantially all of its assets invested continuously in the types of investments referred to above, has net assets of at least $500,000,000 and has the highest rating obtainable from either Moody’s or S&P.

Cash Management Services : any services provided from time to time by any Lender or any of its Affiliates to any Loan Party or Subsidiary in connection with operating, collections, payroll, trust, or other depository or disbursement accounts, including automated clearinghouse, e-payable, electronic funds transfer, wire transfer, controlled disbursement, overdraft, depository, information reporting, lockbox and stop payment services.

Casualty Event : any involuntary loss of title, any involuntary loss of, damage to or any destruction of, or any condemnation or other taking (including by any Governmental Authority) of, any property of any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries. “Casualty Event” shall include but not be limited to any taking of all or any part of any Real Property of any Person or any part thereof, in or by condemnation or other eminent domain proceedings pursuant to any Requirement of Law, or by reason of the temporary requisition of the use or occupancy of all or any part of any Real Property of any Person or any part thereof by any Governmental Authority, civil or military, or any settlement in lieu thereof.

CCAA : as defined in the Recitals hereto.

CERCLA : the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. § 9601 et seq .).

Change in Law : the occurrence, after the date hereof, of (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 or application thereof by any Governmental Authority; or (c) the making or issuance of any request, guideline or directive (whether or not having the force of law) by any Governmental Authority.

 

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Change of Control : if on or at any time after the Closing Date: (a) a majority of the seats (other than vacant seats) on the board of directors of Holdings shall at any time be occupied by persons who were not (i) members of the board of directors of Holdings on the Closing Date (or appointed shortly thereafter as specifically contemplated by the U.S. Plan), (ii) nominated by the board of directors of Holdings after the Closing Date or (iii) appointed by the directors referred to in clause (i)  or (ii)  after the Closing Date, (b) any person or group (within the meaning of Rule 13d-5 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as in effect on the date hereof) other than the Permitted Holders shall own, directly or indirectly, beneficially or of record, shares representing more than 35% of the aggregate ordinary voting power represented by the issued and outstanding capital stock of Holdings, (c) Holdings shall cease to own, directly or indirectly, beneficially and of record, 100% of the issued and outstanding capital stock of the U.S. Borrower, or (d) the U.S. Borrower shall cease to own, directly or indirectly, beneficially and of record, 100% of the issued and outstanding capital stock of the Canadian Borrower.

Claims : all liabilities, obligations, losses, damages, penalties, judgments, proceedings, interest, costs and expenses of any kind (including remedial response costs, reasonable attorneys’ fees and Extraordinary Expenses) at any time (including after Full Payment of the Obligations, resignation or replacement of Agent, or replacement of any Lender) incurred by or asserted against any Indemnitee in any way relating to (a) any Loans, Letters of Credit, Loan Documents, or the use thereof or transactions relating thereto, (b) any action taken or omitted to be taken by any Indemnitee in connection with any Loan Documents, (c) the existence or perfection of any Liens, or realization upon any Collateral, (d) exercise of any rights or remedies under any Loan Documents or Applicable Law, (e) failure by any Loan Party to perform or observe any terms of any Loan Document, or (f) any actual or alleged presence or Environmental Release or threatened Environmental Release of Hazardous Materials on, at, under or from any real property owned, leased or operated by any Loan Party or Subsidiary of any Loan Party at any time (other than any such presence, Environmental Release or threatened Environmental Release resulting solely from acts or omissions by Persons other than Holdings or any of its Subsidiaries after Agent sells the applicable Real Estate pursuant to a foreclosure or has accepted a deed in lieu of foreclosure), or any Environmental Claim related in any way to any Loan Party or Subsidiary, in each case, including all costs and expenses relating to any investigation, litigation, arbitration or other proceeding (including an Insolvency Proceeding or appellate proceedings), whether or not the applicable Indemnitee is a party thereto.

Closing Date : as defined in Section 6.1 .

Code : the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

Collateral : all of each Loan Party’s right, title and interest in all Property of such Loan Party, subject to a Lien under, or purported to be subject to a Lien under, the Security Documents, that, in each case, now or hereafter secures (or is intended to secure) any of the Obligations.

Collateral Access Agreement : an agreement, in form and substance satisfactory to Agent, by which (a) for any Collateral located on premises leased by a Loan Party, the lessor waives or subordinates any Lien it may have on the Collateral, and agrees to permit Agent to enter upon the premises and remove the Collateral or to use the premises to store or dispose of the Collateral; (b)

 

14


for any Collateral held by a warehouseman, processor, shipper, customs broker or freight forwarder, such Person waives or subordinates any Lien it may have on the Collateral, agrees to hold any Documents in its possession relating to the Collateral as agent for Agent, and agrees to deliver the Collateral to Agent upon request; (c) for any Collateral held by a repairman, mechanic or bailee, such Person acknowledges Agent’s Lien, waives or subordinates any Lien it may have on the Collateral, and agrees to deliver the Collateral to Agent upon request; and (d) for any Collateral subject to a Licensor’s Intellectual Property rights, the Licensor grants to Agent the right, vis-à-vis such Licensor, to enforce Agent’s Liens with respect to the Collateral, including the right to dispose of it with the benefit of the Intellectual Property, whether or not a default exists under any applicable License; it being understood that any “Landlord Waiver” in substantially the form of Exhibit I and any “Bailee Letter” in substantially the form of Exhibit J , in any case obtained by or on behalf of any Loan Party, shall be satisfactory to Agent as a Collateral Access Agreement.

Commitment : for any Lender, the aggregate amount of such Lender’s Facility Commitments. “ Commitments ” means the aggregate amount of all Facility Commitments, which amount shall be $125,000,000 on the Closing Date.

Compliance Certificate : a certificate, in form and substance satisfactory to Agent, by which Loan Party Agent, for and on behalf of the Loan Parties, certifies compliance with Section 10.3 during a Financial Covenant Trigger Period, provides a calculation of the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio as of the last day of each month regardless of whether or not such month occurs during a Financial Covenant Trigger Period, and certifies compliance with all provisions hereof that require satisfaction of the Specified Transaction Conditions (including the calculations thereof in reasonable detail) and lists all outstanding Bank Products with Lenders (or their Affiliates) other than Bank of America (or its Affiliates).

Contingent Obligation : any obligation of a Person arising from a guarantee, indemnity or other assurance of payment or performance of any indebtedness, lease, dividend or other obligation (“ primary obligations ”) of another obligor (“ primary obligor ”) in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, including any obligation of such Person under any (a) guarantee, endorsement, co-making or sale with recourse of an obligation of a primary obligor; (b) obligation to make take-or-pay or similar payments regardless of nonperformance by any other party to an agreement; and (c) arrangement (i) to purchase any primary obligation or security therefor, (ii) to supply funds for the purchase or payment of any primary obligation, (iii) to maintain or assure working capital, equity capital, net worth or solvency of the primary obligor, (iv) to purchase Property or services for the purpose of assuring the ability of the primary obligor to perform a primary obligation, or (v) otherwise to assure or hold harmless the holder of any primary obligation against loss in respect thereof. The amount of any Contingent Obligation shall be deemed to be the stated or determinable amount of the primary obligation (or, if less, the maximum amount for which such Person may be liable under the instrument evidencing the Contingent Obligation) or, if not stated or determinable, the maximum reasonably anticipated liability with respect thereto.

Creditor Representative : under any Applicable Law, a receiver, interim receiver, receiver and manager, trustee (including any trustee in bankruptcy), custodian, conservator, administrator, examiner, sheriff, monitor, assignee, liquidator, provisional liquidator, sequestrator or similar officer or fiduciary.

 

15


CWA : the Clean Water Act, as amended, (33 U.S.C. §§ 1251 et seq .).

DACA Deposit Account : a Deposit Account subject to a Deposit Account Control Agreement.

Debt : as applied to any Person, without duplication, (a) all Borrowed Money; (b) all Contingent Obligations in respect of Borrowed Money; and (c) in the case of a Loan Party, the Obligations. The Debt of a Person shall include any recourse indebtedness of any partnership in which such Person is a general partner or joint venturer, except to the extent the terms of such Debt provide that (i) such Person shall not be liable therefor or (ii) no default with respect thereto would permit upon notice, lapse of time or both any holder of such Debt to declare a default or cause the payment thereof to be accelerated or payable prior to its stated maturity, and in any case, any recourse indebtedness shall not exceed the greater of the book value or fair market value of the properties to which recourse is given, if applicable. In addition, “Debt” shall not include (i) deferred compensation arrangements, (ii) earn-out obligations until matured or earned or (iii) non-compete or consulting obligations incurred in connection with Permitted Acquisitions not evidenced by a promissory note.

Debt to be Repaid : means Borrowed Money of each Loan Party and its Subsidiaries outstanding immediately before the occurrence of the Closing Date and required by the Reorganization Plans to be repaid on the Closing Date. For the avoidance of doubt, the obligations owing under the Existing Letters of Credit do not constitute “Debt to be Repaid”.

Default : an event or condition that, with the lapse of time or giving of notice, would constitute an Event of Default.

Default Rate : for any Obligation (including, to the extent permitted by law, interest not paid when due), 2.00% per annum plus the interest rate otherwise applicable thereto or if such Obligation does not bear interest, a rate equal to the U.S. Base Rate, plus 2.00% per annum.

Defaulting Lender : any Lender that (a) fails to make any payment or provide funds to Agent or any Borrower as required hereunder or fails otherwise to perform its obligations under any Loan Document, and such failure is not cured within three (3) Business Days, (b) notified the Loan Party Agent, Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender in writing that it does not intend to comply with any of its funding obligations under this Agreement or has made a public statement to the effect that it does not intend to comply with its funding obligations under this Agreement or generally under other agreements in which it commits to extend credit, (c) failed, within three (3) Business Days after request by Agent, to confirm that it will comply with the terms of this Agreement relating to its obligations to fund prospective Loans and participations in then outstanding Letters of Credit and Swingline Loans or (d) is the subject of any Insolvency Proceeding or has a parent company that is the subject of any Insolvency Proceeding.

Deposit Account : as defined in the UCC (and/or with respect to any Deposit Account located in Canada, any bank account with a deposit function).

Deposit Account Control Agreements : the deposit account control agreements in form and substance satisfactory to Agent executed by each lockbox servicer and financial institution maintaining a lockbox and/or Deposit Account (other than an Excluded Deposit Account) for a Loan Party, in favor of Agent and meeting the requirements set forth in Section 8.2.4 .

 

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Designated External Acquisition : an Acquisition by an External Subsidiary where: (a) some or all of the proceeds used to fund such Acquisition were transferred to such External Subsidiary by a Loan Party, (b) at the time of the transfer, the applicable Loan Party would have been prohibited by the External Specified Transaction Conditions from directly investing some or all of the amount transferred to such External Subsidiary (such amount, the “Excess Amount”), (c) the transfer was made (i) within ninety (90) days of the applicable Acquisition and (ii) for the express purpose of funding such Acquisition and (d) the External Specified Transaction Conditions have been satisfied in connection therewith as to the Excess Amount.

Designation Date : the first (1st) date after the Closing Date on which there shall occur (a) any event described in Section 11.1(i) with respect to any Borrower, or (b) an acceleration of Loans and termination of the Commitments pursuant to Section 11.2 .

DIP Agreement : that certain Debtor-In-Possession Credit Agreement dated as of December 18, 2009 (as amended, modified or supplemented), among Holdings, the U.S. Borrower, the Canadian Borrower and Metzeler Automotive Profile Systems GMBH as borrowers, the lenders party thereto, as lenders, and Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas as administrative agent, collateral agent and documentation agent and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. as syndication agent, sole lead bookrunner and sole lead arranger.

Disqualified Equity Interests : Equity Interests that (a) mature or are mandatorily redeemable or subject to mandatory repurchase or redemption or repurchase at the option of the holders thereof (including those Equity Interests that may be required to be redeemed upon the failure to maintain or achieve any financial performance standards), in each case in whole or in part and whether upon the occurrence of any event, pursuant to a sinking fund obligation on a fixed date or otherwise, prior to the date that is one hundred eighty (180) days after the scheduled Facility Termination Date (other than upon a “change of control,” provided that any such payment required pursuant to this parenthetical is contractually subordinated in right of payment to the Obligations on terms reasonably satisfactory to Agent and such requirement is applicable only in circumstances that are market on the date of issuance of such Equity Interests) or (b) are convertible or exchangeable, automatically or at the option of any holder thereof, into any Debt, other Disqualified Equity Interests or other assets, in each case, other than Qualified Equity Interests prior to the date that is one hundred eighty (180) days after the scheduled Facility Termination Date (other than upon a “change of control”, provided that any conversion or exchange required pursuant to this parenthetical is contractually subordinated in right of payment to the Obligations on terms reasonably satisfactory to Agent and such requirement is applicable only in circumstances that are market on the date of issuance of such Equity Interests); it being understood, for the avoidance of doubt, that Equity Interests issued pursuant to the U.S. Plan do not constitute Disqualified Equity Interests.

Distribution : any declaration or payment of a distribution, interest or dividend on any Equity Interest (other than payment-in-kind); any distribution, advance or repayment of Debt to a holder of Equity Interests; or any purchase, redemption, or other acquisition or retirement for value of any Equity Interest (other than by issuance of Equity Interests which are not Disqualified Equity Interests).

Document : as defined in the UCC (and/or with respect to any Document of a Canadian Domiciled Loan Party, a “document of title” as defined in the PPSA).

 

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Dollar Equivalent : on any date, with respect to any amount denominated in Dollars, such amount in Dollars, and with respect to any stated amount in a currency other than Dollars, the amount of Dollars that Agent determines using the Exchange Rate (which determination shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest error) would be necessary to be sold on such date at the applicable Exchange Rate to obtain the stated amount of the other currency.

Dollars or $ : lawful money of the United States.

Dominion Account : with respect to the Canadian Domiciled Loan Parties, the Canadian Dominion Account, and with respect to the U.S. Facility Loan Parties, the U.S. Dominion Account.

Dutch BV : Cooper-Standard Automotive International Holdings BV.

EBITDA : determined on a consolidated basis for Holdings and its Subsidiaries, net income plus (a) without duplication and to the extent deducted in determining net income, the sum of (i) interest expense, (ii) Permitted Securitization Expenses, (iii) provision for income taxes, (iv) depreciation and amortization expense, (v) non-cash charges, fees, losses or expenses (but excluding any non-cash charge, fee, loss or expense that was included in net income in a prior period and any non-cash charge, fee, loss or expense that relates to the write-down or write-off of Inventory, other than any write-down or write-off of Inventory as a result of purchase accounting adjustments in respect of any Permitted Acquisitions), (vi) cash fees (including legal fees and other similar advisory and consulting fees, administrative fees, working fees), charges, payments and expenses accrued or paid in connection with the consummation of the U.S. Plan in each case prior to December 31, 2010, (vii) non-cash fees, charges, payments and expenses accrued in connection with the consummation of the U.S. Plan (including all fresh start accounting adjustments), (viii) cash and non-cash expenses in connection with facility closures, severance, relocation, restructuring, integration and other similar adjustments (“ Facility Closings and Severance Expenses ”) in any period, (ix) any losses on the sale of discontinued operations, (x) any losses on business dispositions or asset dispositions, (xi) any extraordinary charges or losses during such period (calculated on an “after-tax” basis and in accordance with GAAP), (xii) earnings of joint ventures to the extent received in cash in any period, (xiii) non-recurring fees, expenses and charges made or incurred in respect of professional or financial advisory, investment banking, underwriting and similar services (including legal, accounting and consulting costs) to the extent relating to any offering of Equity Interests, Investments, Acquisitions, divestitures or discontinuations, in each case permitted hereunder and (xiv) intellectual property royalties to the extent received in cash , minus (b) without duplication and to the extent included in determining net income, the sum of (i) any cash payments for Facility Closings and Severance Expenses paid after the Closing Date in excess of $5,000,000 for the most recent twelve (12) calendar month period then ended on such date of determination, (ii) any extraordinary gains and non-cash items of income during such period (calculated on an “after-tax” basis and in accordance with GAAP), (iii) any gains for the sale of discontinued operations, (iv) any gains on business dispositions or asset dispositions (other than sales of inventory in the ordinary course of business) and (v) any cash payments made in respect of non-cash charges described in clause (a)(v) taken in a prior period; in each case of clauses (a)  and (b) , determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP. For purposes of the computation of the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio, EBITDA for any period shall be calculated on a Pro Forma Basis to give effect to (i) any Person or business acquired during such period pursuant to an Acquisition permitted hereby and not subsequently sold or otherwise disposed of by Holdings or any of its

 

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Subsidiaries during such period and (ii) any Subsidiary or business disposed of during such period by Holdings or any of its Subsidiaries. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for each of the calendar months set forth below, EBITDA shall be deemed to be the amount set forth opposite such month:

 

Calendar Month

  

EBITDA

May, 2009

   $ 9,396,000

June, 2009

   $ 11,468,000

July, 2009

   $ 5,987,000

August, 2009

   $ 15,858,000

September, 2009

   $ 35,114,000

October, 2009

   $ 31,098,000

November, 2009

   $ 32,935,000

December, 2009

   $ 8,221,000

January, 2010

   $ 19,090,000

February, 2010

   $ 22,364,000

March, 2010

   $ 30,380,000

April, 2010

   $ 24,504,000

Eligible Account : as determined separately for (x) the Canadian Borrower and (y) the U.S. Borrower, an Account owing to a Borrower (or a member of its Applicable Loan Party Group) that arises in the Ordinary Course of Business of such Borrower (or a member of its Applicable Loan Party Group) from the sale of goods or rendition of services, is payable in Dollars, Canadian Dollars or Mexican Pesos, and that is deemed by Agent in its Permitted Discretion to be an Eligible Account. Without limiting the foregoing, no Account shall be an Eligible Account if:

(a) it is unpaid for more than sixty (60) days after the original due date, or more than ninety (90) days after the original invoice date;

(b) fifty percent (50%) or more of the Dollar Equivalent amount of all Accounts owing to such Borrower (or a member of its Applicable Loan Party Group) by the Account Debtor are not Eligible Accounts under the foregoing clause (a);

(c) except as set forth in clause (d) below, when aggregated with other Accounts owing to such Borrower (or a member of its Applicable Loan Party Group) by the Account Debtor, it exceeds ten percent (10%) of the aggregate Eligible Accounts (or such higher percentage as Agent may establish for the Account Debtor from time to time) of each such Borrower (or a member of its Applicable Loan Party Group);

(d) when aggregated with other Accounts owing to the Loan Parties by the relevant Account Debtor or any of its respective Affiliates, it exceeds (i) twenty percent (20%) in the case of Chrysler Group, LLC, (ii) 30% in the case of General Motors Corporation and (iii) forty

 

19


percent (40%) in the case of Ford Motor Company, in each case, of the aggregate Eligible Accounts (or such higher percentage as the Required Lenders may establish for the Account Debtor from time to time) of the Loan Parties;

(e) it does not conform in any material respect with a covenant or representation herein;

(f) it is owing by a creditor or supplier who has not entered into an agreement reasonably satisfactory to Agent waiving applicable rights of set-off, or is otherwise reasonably determined to be subject to a potential offset, counterclaim, dispute, deduction, discount, recoupment, reserve, defense, chargeback, credit or allowance (but ineligibility shall be limited to the amount thereof), including, without limitation, liabilities related to the “Ford Electronic Raw Material Acquisition Program” and allowances for long term agreements;

(g) an Insolvency Proceeding has been commenced by or against the Account Debtor; or the Account Debtor has failed, has suspended or ceased doing business, is liquidating, dissolving or winding up its affairs, or is not Solvent; or such Borrower (or a member of its Applicable Loan Party Group) is not able to bring suit or enforce remedies against the Account Debtor through judicial process (unless such Account is guaranteed or supported by a guarantor or support provider reasonably acceptable to Agent, on such terms as are reasonably acceptable to Agent);

(h) the Account Debtor is organized or has its principal offices outside the United States or Canada, unless (i) such Account is contracted with the United States or Canada (as applicable) operations of such entity or (ii) the United States or Canada (as applicable) operations of such entity are responsible for payment thereof;

(i) it is owing by a Government Authority, unless in the case of the Accounts of the U.S. Borrower or any other U.S. Facility Loan Party, the Account Debtor is the United States or any department, agency or instrumentality thereof and the Account has been assigned to Agent in compliance with the Assignment of Claims Act or, in the case of any Canadian Domiciled Loan Party, the Account Debtor is the federal government of Canada or any Crown corporation, department, agency or instrumentality of Canada and the applicable Canadian Domiciled Loan Party has complied, to the satisfaction of Agent, with the Financial Administration Act;

(j) it is not subject to a duly perfected, first priority Lien in favor of Agent, or is subject to any other Lien except a Permitted Collateral Lien;

(k) the goods giving rise to it have not been delivered to and accepted by the Account Debtor, the services giving rise to it have not been accepted by the Account Debtor, or it otherwise does not represent a final sale;

(l) it is evidenced by Chattel Paper or an Instrument of any kind, or has been reduced to judgment;

(m) its payment has been extended beyond the periods specified in clause (a) above, the Account Debtor has made a partial payment, or it arises from a sale on a cash-on-delivery basis;

(n) it arises from a sale to an Affiliate, from a sale on a bill-and-hold, guaranteed sale, sale-or-return, sale-on-approval, consignment, or other repurchase or return basis, or from a sale to a Person for personal, family or household purposes;

 

20


(o) (A) the agreements evidencing such Accounts, in the case of Accounts of the U.S. Borrower or any other U.S. Facility Loan Party, are not governed by the laws of any state of the United States or the District of Columbia or Canada or any province or territory of Canada and (B) the agreements evidencing such Accounts, in the case of Accounts of any Canadian Domiciled Loan Party, are not governed by the laws of Canada or any province or territory of Canada, any state of the United States or the District of Columbia, or the laws of such other jurisdictions acceptable to Agent;

(p) it represents a progress billing or retainage, or relates to services for which a performance, surety or completion bond or similar assurance has been issued;

(q) it includes a billing for interest, fees or late charges, but ineligibility shall be limited to the extent thereof. In calculating delinquent portions of Accounts under clauses (a) and (b), credit balances more than ninety (90) days old will be excluded;

(r) it arises from sales of tooling;

(s) it is owing by NISCO or Nishikawa Rubber Company; or

(t) it is otherwise unacceptable to Agent in its Permitted Discretion.

Eligible Assignee : a Person that is (i) a Lender or a U.S. based Affiliate of a U.S. Lender, (ii) if such Person is to hold U.S. Facility Obligations, an Approved Fund; (iii) if such Person is to hold Canadian Facility Obligations, a Canadian Qualified Lender and a U.S. Lender or an Affiliate of a U.S. Lender ; (iv) any other financial institution approved by Agent and Loan Party Agent (which approval by Loan Party Agent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed, and shall be deemed given if no objection is made within five (5) Business Days after notice of the proposed assignment), that has total assets in excess of $5 billion and whose becoming an assignee would not constitute a prohibited transaction under Section 4975 of the Code or any other Applicable Law; and (v) during the continuance of any Event of Default, any Person acceptable to Agent in its discretion (excluding any Loan Party or Affiliate thereof).

Eligible Inventory : as determined separately for (x) the Canadian Borrower and (y) the U.S. Borrower, Inventory owned by a Borrower (or a member of its Applicable Loan Party Group) that Agent, in its Permitted Discretion deems to be Eligible Inventory. Without limiting the foregoing, no Inventory shall be Eligible Inventory unless it:

(a) is not packaging or shipping materials, labels, samples, display items, bags, replacement parts or manufacturing supplies;

(b) is not held on consignment, nor subject to any deposit or downpayment;

(c) is in new and saleable condition and is not damaged, defective, shopworn or otherwise unfit for sale;

(d) is not slow-moving, obsolete or unmerchantable, and does not constitute returned or repossessed goods;

(e) meets all standards imposed by any Governmental Authority in all material respects;

 

21


(f) conforms in all material respects with the covenants and representations herein;

(g) is subject to Agent’s duly perfected, first priority Lien, and no other Lien except a Permitted Collateral Lien;

(h) is located within the continental United States, in the case of Inventory of the U.S. Borrower or any other U.S. Facility Loan Party, or within Canada, in the case of Inventory of any Canadian Domiciled Loan Party, and is not consigned to any Person;

(i) is not in transit (other than, in the case of Inventory of the U.S. Borrower or any other U.S. Facility Loan Party, in transit between facilities of the U.S. Facility Loan Parties or from facilities of the Canadian Domiciled Loan Parties or, in the case of Inventory of any Canadian Domiciled Loan Party in transit between facilities of the Canadian Domiciled Loan Parties or from facilities of U.S. Facility Loan Parties);

(j) is not subject to any (i) warehouse receipt unless the warehouseman has delivered a Collateral Access Agreement or with respect to which an appropriate U.S. or Canadian Rent and Charges Reserve has been established or (ii) negotiable Document;

(k) is not subject to any License or other arrangement that restricts such Borrower’s or Agent’s right to dispose of such Inventory, unless Agent has received an appropriate Collateral Access Agreement;

(l) is not located on leased premises or in the possession of a warehouseman, repairman, mechanic, shipper, freight forwarder or other Person, unless the lessor or such Person has delivered a Collateral Access Agreement or with respect to which an appropriate U.S. or Canadian Rent and Charges Reserve has been established;

(m) is not located on leased premises (unless a Collateral Access Agreement has been obtained with respect to such premises) or in the possession of a processor;

(n) is reflected in the details of a current perpetual inventory report;

(o) does not constitute the portion of the cost of such Inventory which is attributable to intercompany profit; and

(p) does not constitute lower cost, market adjustment or reserves.

EMU Legislation : the legislative measures of the European Union for the introduction of, changeover to or operation of the Euro in one or more member states of the European Union.

Enforcement Action : any action to enforce any Obligations or Loan Documents or to realize upon any Collateral (whether by judicial action, self-help, notification of Account Debtors, exercise of setoff or recoupment, or otherwise).

Environment : ambient air, indoor air, surface water and groundwater (including potable water, navigable water and wetlands), the land surface or subsurface strata or natural resources.

Environmental Claim : any written claim, notice, demand, order, action, suit or proceeding alleging liability for or obligation with respect to any investigation, remediation,

 

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removal, cleanup, response, corrective action, damages to natural resources, personal injury, property damage, fines, penalties or other costs resulting from, related to or arising out of (i) the presence, Environmental Release or threatened Environmental Release in or into the Environment of Hazardous Material at any location or (ii) any violation or alleged violation of any Environmental Law, and shall include any written claim seeking damages, contribution, indemnification, cost recovery, compensation or injunctive relief resulting from, related to or arising out of the presence, Environmental Release or threatened Environmental Release of Hazardous Material or alleged injury or threat of injury to health, safety or the Environment.

Environmental Laws : all Applicable Laws relating to protection of human health, the protection or pollution of the Environment, the Environmental Release or threatened Environmental Release of Hazardous Material, or occupational safety or health (to the extent related to exposure to Hazardous Material), including CERCLA, RCRA and CWA, and any and all Governmental Approvals required under any Environmental Law.

Environmental Notice : a written notice (including any complaint, summons, citation, order, claim or demand) from any Governmental Authority or other Person with respect to (i) any actual or potential noncompliance with, investigation of an actual or potential violation of, litigation relating to, or potential fine or liability under any Environmental Law or (ii) any Environmental Release, environmental pollution or Hazardous Materials.

Environmental Release : any spilling, leaking, seepage, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, discharging, injecting, escaping, leaching, dumping, disposing, depositing, dispersing, emanating or migrating of any Hazardous Material in, into, onto or through the Environment.

Equity Interest : with respect to any Person, shares of capital stock of (or other ownership interests in) such Person, warrants, options or other rights for the purchase or other acquisition from such Person of shares of capital stock of (or other ownership interests in) such Person, securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of (or other ownership interests in) such Person or warrants, rights or options for the purchase or other acquisition from such Person of such shares (or such other interests), and other ownership interests in such Person (including, without limitation, partnership, member or trust interests therein), whether voting or nonvoting, and whether or not such shares, warrants, options, rights or other interests are authorized on any date of determination.

ERISA : the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974.

ERISA Affiliate : any trade or business (whether or not incorporated) under common control with a Loan Party within the meaning of Section 414(b) or (c) of the Code (and Sections 414(m) and (o) of the Code which, together with such Loan Party, is required for purposes of provisions relating to Section 412, 430 or 4980B of the Code or Title IV of ERISA to be treated as a single employer.

ERISA Event : (a) a Reportable Event with respect to a Pension Plan; (b) a withdrawal by any Loan Party or ERISA Affiliate from a Pension Plan subject to Section 4063 of ERISA during a plan year in which it was a substantial employer (as defined in Section 4001(a)(2) of ERISA) or a cessation of operations that is treated as such a withdrawal under Section 4062(e) of ERISA (other than where such Pension Plan has been merged with any Plan of a Loan Party or ERISA Affiliate); (c) a complete or partial withdrawal by any Loan Party or ERISA Affiliate from a

 

23


Multiemployer Plan or notification that a Multiemployer Plan is in reorganization; (d) the filing of a notice of intent to terminate, the treatment of a Plan amendment as a termination under Section 4041 or 4041A of ERISA, or the commencement of proceedings by the PBGC to terminate a Pension Plan or Multiemployer Plan; (e) failure of any Loan Party or ERISA Affiliate to meet the minimum funding standards under Section 412 of the Code with respect to any Pension Plan or any Multiemployer Plan, or a request by such Loan Party or ERISA Affiliate of a minimum funding waiver; (f) an event or condition which constitutes grounds under Section 4042 of ERISA for the termination of, or the appointment of a trustee to administer, any Pension Plan or Multiemployer Plan; (g) the imposition of any liability (including, without limitations, any Lien) under Title IV of ERISA, other than for PBGC premiums due but not delinquent under Section 4007 of ERISA, upon any Loan Party or ERISA Affiliate;; or (h) the occurrence of a nonexempt prohibited transaction (within the meaning of Section 4975 of the Code or Section 406 of ERISA).

Euro or : the single lawful currency of the European Union as constituted by the treaty establishing the European Community being the Treaty of Rome, as amended from time to time and as referred to in the EMU Legislation.

Event of Default : as defined in Section 11 .

Excess Amount : as defined in Section 5.12 .

Exchange Rate : on any date, (i) with respect to Canadian Dollars in relation to Dollars, the spot rate as quoted by Bank of America as its noon spot rate at which Dollars are offered on such date for Canadian Dollars, (ii) with respect to Dollars in relation to Canadian Dollars, the spot rate as quoted by Bank of America as its noon spot rate at which Canadian Dollars are offered on such date for Dollars, (iii) with respect to Euros in relation to Dollars, the spot rate as quoted by Bank of America as its noon spot rate at which Dollars are offered on such date for Euros, (iv) with respect to Dollars in relation to Euros, the spot rate as quoted by Bank of America as its noon spot rate at which Euros are offered on such date for Dollars, (v) with respect to Sterling in relation to Dollars, the spot rate as quoted by Bank of America as its noon spot rate at which Dollars are offered on such date for Sterling and (vi) with respect to Dollars in relation to Sterling, the spot rate as quoted by Bank of America as its noon spot rate at which Sterling are offered on such date for Dollars.

Excluded Contracts : any rights or interest of a Loan Party in, to or under any agreement, contract, license, instrument, document or other general intangible (referred to solely for purposes of this definition as a “ Contract ”) to the extent that such Contract, by the express terms of a valid and enforceable restriction in favor of a Person who is not a Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries, (i) prohibits, or requires any consent or establishes any other condition for, an assignment thereof or a grant of a security interest therein by a Loan Party or (ii) would give any party to such Contract other than a Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries an enforceable right to terminate its obligations thereunder, provided, however, that such security interest shall attach immediately at such time as the condition causing such abandonment, invalidation, unenforceability or breach or termination, as the case may be, shall be remedied and, to the extent severable, shall attach immediately to any portion of such Contracts that does not result in any of the consequences specified in the immediately preceding clauses (i) or (ii) including, without limitation, any proceeds of such Contracts.

 

24


Excluded Deposit Accounts : the following Deposit Accounts: (A) Deposit Accounts of any Loan Party exclusively used for payroll, payroll taxes or employee benefits, (B) cash accounts of any Loan Party the average daily balance in any month which does not exceed more than the Dollar Equivalent of $10,000 at any time for any single account, and not more than $50,000 for all accounts in the aggregate at any time and (C) accounts solely containing identifiable proceeds of assets of Holdings or any Subsidiary not constituting ABL Priority Collateral.

Excluded Products : investments held by any Lender or its Affiliates, including cash, Cash Equivalents and other products which do not constitute a monetary obligation in favor of such institution.

Excluded Tax : with respect to any Tax Indemnitee, (a) any Tax imposed on or measured by its overall net income (however denominated), franchise taxes imposed on it (in lieu of net income taxes imposed on overall net income), and branch profits taxes imposed on it, by the jurisdiction (or any political subdivision thereof) under the laws of which such recipient is organized or in which its principal office is located or, in the case of any Lender, in which its applicable Lending Office is located; (b) any Taxes imposed, deducted or withheld at the time the Lender becomes a Lender under the Agreement (or designates a new Lending Office), except, in the case of a Lender that becomes a Lender as a result of an assignment, to the extent that the assignor was entitled, at the time of the assignment, to receive additional amounts from the applicable Borrower with respect to such payments or such Lender becomes a Lender (or designates a new Lending Office) after a Designation Date pursuant to the Reallocation Agreement; (c) any Taxes imposed, deducted or withheld by reason of a present or former connection between such Tax Indemnitee and the jurisdiction imposing such Taxes (other than solely on account of the execution and performance of, the enforcement of any right under or the receipt of any payment under, this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents); (d) any Taxes imposed, deducted or withheld which are attributable to a Lender’s failure or inability, including an inability under Applicable Law, (other than as a result of a Change in Law but not including (A) any change to the extent that such change does not result in additional withholding being imposed but results in withholding being performed by a different withholding agent, and (B) in the case of any Tax Indemnitee providing a Form W-8IMY, any change that would result in no additional withholding if the Person or Persons with respect to which such Tax Indemnitee acted as an intermediary in providing the Form W-8IMY provided directly to Loan Party Agent or Agent the applicable Forms W-8 (or successor forms) certifying such Person’s or Persons’ entitlement to a complete exemption from or reduction in U.S. withholding tax), to comply with Section 5.9 ; or (e) any Taxes imposed, deducted or withheld under FATCA.

Existing Letters of Credit : means the letters of credit set forth on Schedule 1.1(c).

External Specified Transaction : any of the following: (a) a Permitted Acquisition, (b) an Investment to the extent and on the terms permitted pursuant to clause (k)  of the definition of “Restricted Investment”, (c) a Contingent Obligation to the extent and on the terms permitted pursuant to clause (j)  of the definition of “Permitted Contingent Obligation”, (d) a loan to a Person that is not a Subsidiary of Holdings to the extent and on the terms permitted pursuant to Section 10.2.5(f), (e) an Upstream Payment to the extent and on the terms permitted pursuant to clause (iv)  of the definition of “Upstream Payment”, (f) any payment with respect to any Debt, as specified in Section  10.2.6(b)(ii), (c)(ii), (d)(ii) or (e)(ii) , or (g) the incurrence of unsecured Debt to the extent and on the terms permitted pursuant to Section 10.2.1(n) and (h) a Designated External Acquisition.

 

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External Specified Transaction Conditions : with respect to the permissibility hereunder of any External Specified Transaction, the satisfaction of the following conditions (except as indicated): (a) no Default or Event of Default exists at the time of or would result from the making of such External Specified Transaction, (b) immediately after giving effect to such External Specified Transaction, Holdings and its Subsidiaries shall, on a consolidated basis, have a Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio of not less than 1.10:1.00 as calculated on a Pro Forma Basis for the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio Test Period then most recently ending, (c) immediately after giving effect to such External Specified Transaction (except with respect to the External Specified Transaction specified in clause (g)  thereof), Availability (on the date of such action or proposed action) and Average Period Availability (for the 30-day period ending on the date of such action or proposed action) as calculated on a Pro Forma Basis, shall not be less than the greater of (i) $31,250,000 and (ii) 25% of the Commitments at such time and (d) Agent shall have received a certificate of a Senior Officer of Loan Party Agent certifying as to compliance with preceding clauses (a) through (c) and demonstrating (in reasonable detail) the calculations required by preceding clauses (b) and (c): (1) with respect to External Specified Transactions involving less than $5,000,000 (whether as part of the same transaction or a series of related transactions), concurrently with delivery of the applicable financial information required pursuant to Sections 10.1.2(a), (b) or (c), as applicable and (2) for all other External Specified Transactions, not less than five (5) days prior to the effectiveness of the applicable transaction.

External Subsidiary : a Wholly-Owned Foreign Subsidiary (or any Subsidiary thereof) of Holdings which is not a Loan Party.

Extraordinary Expenses : all costs, expenses or advances that Agent may incur during a Default or Event of Default, or during the pendency of an Insolvency Proceeding of a Loan Party, including those relating to (a) any audit, inspection, repossession, storage, repair, appraisal, insurance, manufacture, preparation or advertising for sale, sale, collection, or other preservation of or realization upon any Collateral; (b) any action, arbitration or other proceeding (whether instituted by or against Agent, any Lender, any Loan Party, any representative of creditors of a Loan Party or any other Person) in any way relating to any Collateral (including the validity, perfection, priority or avoidability of Agent’s Liens with respect to any Collateral), Loan Documents, Letters of Credit or Obligations, including any lender liability or other Claims; (c) the exercise, protection or enforcement of any rights or remedies of Agent in, or the monitoring of, any Insolvency Proceeding; (d) settlement or satisfaction of any taxes, charges or Liens with respect to any Collateral; (e) any Enforcement Action; (f) negotiation and documentation of any modification, waiver, workout, restructuring or forbearance with respect to any Loan Documents or Obligations; and (g) Protective Advances. Such costs, expenses and advances include transfer fees, Other Taxes, storage fees, insurance costs, permit fees, utility reservation and standby fees, legal fees, appraisal fees, brokers’ fees and commissions, auctioneers’ fees and commissions, accountants’ fees, environmental consultants’ fees, wages and salaries paid to employees of any Loan Party or independent contractors in liquidating any Collateral, and travel expenses.

Facility Commitment : with respect to the commitment of a U.S. Lender, its U.S. Revolver Commitment and, with respect to a Canadian Lender, its Canadian Revolver Commitment; and the term “ Facility Commitments ” means, collectively, the Facility Commitments of U.S. Lenders and the Facility Commitments of Canadian Lenders. To the extent any Lender has both a U.S. Revolver Commitment and a Canadian Revolver Commitment, such Commitments shall be considered as separate Commitments for purposes of this definition.

 

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Facility Commitment Increase Effective Date : as defined in Section 2.1.4(f) .

Facility Termination Date : May 27, 2014.

FATCA : Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code and any regulations thereunder or official governmental interpretations thereof.

Federal Funds Rate : for any date, (a) the weighted average of interest rates on overnight federal funds transactions with members of the Federal Reserve System arranged by federal funds brokers on the applicable Business Day (or on the preceding Business Day, if the applicable day is not a Business Day), as published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on the next Business Day; or (b) if no such rate is published on the next Business Day, the average rate (rounded up, if necessary, to the nearest 1/100 of 1%) charged to Bank of America on the applicable day on such transactions, as determined by Agent.

Financial Administration Act : Financial Administration Act ( Canada ) and all regulations and schedules thereunder.

Financial Covenant Trigger Period : the period (a) commencing on the day that an Event of Default occurs, or Average Period Availability (for a one-day period) is less than the greater of (i) $18,750,000 and (ii) 15% of the Commitments at such time; and (b) continuing until, during the preceding sixty (60) consecutive days, no Event of Default has existed and Average Period Availability has been greater than the greater of (i) $18,750,000 and (ii) 15% of the Commitments at such time.

Fiscal Quarter : each period of three (3) calendar months, commencing on the first (1st) day of a Fiscal Year.

Fiscal Year : the fiscal year of each of the Loan Parties for accounting and tax purposes, in each case, ending on December 31 of each year.

 

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Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio : for Holdings and its Subsidiaries on any date of determination, the ratio, determined on a consolidated basis for the most recent twelve (12) calendar month period then ended on such date of determination, of (a) EBITDA minus Capital Expenditures (except those financed with Borrowed Money other than Revolver Loans), and cash taxes paid (net of cash tax refunds received during such period, which total shall not be less than $0), in each case during such period to (b) Fixed Charges during such period; provided , that, for each month set forth in the table below, Capital Expenditures (except those financed with Borrowed Money other than Revolver Loans) and cash taxes paid (net of cash tax refunds received during such period, which total shall not be less than $0) shall, in each case, be deemed to be the amount set forth below opposite such month:

 

Calendar Month

   Capital Expenditures
(except those financed with
Borrowed Money  other than
Revolver Loans)
   Cash Taxes Paid (net of
cash tax refunds received
in such  period, which total
shall not be less than $0)
 

May, 2009

   $ 1,168,000    $ 367,000   

June, 2009

   $ 2,717,000    $ (3,149,000

July, 2009

   $ 2,540,000    $ (77,502,000

August, 2009

   $ 3,827,000    $ 1,290,000   

September, 2009

   $ 4,827,000    $ 1,496,000   

October, 2009

   $ 5,015,000    $ (544,000

November, 2009

   $ 4,867,000    $ 3,239,000   

December, 2009

   $ 10,705,000    $ 6,041,000   

January, 2010

   $ 2,597,000    $ 3,460,000   

February, 2010

   $ 4,033,000    $ 24,350,000   

March, 2010

   $ 5,392,000    $ 1,562,000   

April, 2010

   $ 6,653,000    $ 4,102,000   

Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio Test Period : with respect to each calendar month, the immediately preceding twelve (12) calendar month period ending on the last day of the prior calendar month.

Fixed Charges : for any period and for Holdings and its Subsidiaries included in any applicable calculation of Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio, the sum of (calculated on a consolidated basis solely with respect to those Persons specified to be included in such calculation), without duplication:

(a) cash interest expense (net of any interest income);

(b) Permitted Securitization Expenses;

(c) scheduled principal payments in respect of Borrowed Money, as determined on the first day of the applicable period (or if such Debt was incurred on a subsequent date, on such date); but excluding, for the avoidance of doubt, (i) payments made on Revolving Loans and Swingline Loans during such period and (ii) voluntary prepayments constituting External Specified Transactions pursuant to clause (f)  of the definition of External Specified Transactions;

(d) all regularly scheduled Distributions made by Holdings in cash; and

(e) cash contributions made to any Pension Plan less (without duplication) the profit and loss statement charge (or benefit with respect to such pension funding obligations for such period);

 

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provided that, for each month set forth in the table below, the amounts referenced in clauses (a)  through (e)  above shall, in each case, be deemed to be the amount set forth below opposite such month:

 

Calendar Month

   Cash
Interest
Expense (net
of any
interest
income)
    Permitted
Securitization
Expenses
    Scheduled
Principal
Payments  Made
in respect of
Borrowed
Money
   Regularly
Scheduled

Distributions
Made by
Holdings in
cash
   Cash
Contributions
Made to any
Pension Plan,
less profit and
loss statement
charges
 

May, 2009

   $ (158,000   $ 235,000      $ 0    $ 0    $ (158,000

June, 2009

   $ 8,035,000      $ 178,000      $ 4,611,000    $ 0    $ (153,000

July, 2009

   $ 112,000      $ 126,000      $ 0    $ 0    $ 1,220,000   

August, 2009

   $ (440,000   $ 2,000      $ 0    $ 0    $ (190,000

September, 2009

   $ 1,750,000      $ (92,000   $ 1,535,000    $ 0    $ 1,865,000   

October, 2009

   $ 81,000      $ 126,000      $ 0    $ 0    $ 1,219,000   

November, 2009

   $ 106,000      $ 94,000      $ 0    $ 0    $ (85,000

December, 2009

   $ 5,788,000      $ 157,000      $ 0    $ 0    $ (562,000

January, 2010

   $ 7,000      $ 37,000      $ 0    $ 0    $ 873,000   

February, 2010

   $ 10,000      $ 88,000      $ 0    $ 0    $ (554,000

March, 2010

   $ 2,965,000      $ 78,000      $ 1,567,000    $ 0    $ 2,680,000   

April, 2010

   $ 92,000      $ 77,000      $ 0    $ 0    $ 1,077,000   

Floating Rate Loan : a U.S. Base Rate Loan, a Canadian Prime Rate Loan or a Canadian Base Rate Loan.

FLSA : the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938.

Foreign Lender : a Lender that is (i) in the case of the Canadian Borrower resident in a jurisdiction other than Canada or a province or territory thereof, and (ii) in the case of the U.S. Borrower, resident in or organized under the laws of a jurisdiction other than a state of the United States or the District of Columbia.

 

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Foreign Plan : any material employee benefit plan or arrangement (a) maintained or contributed to by any Loan Party or Affiliate that is not subject to the laws of the United States or Canada; or (b) mandated by a government other than the United States or Canada for employees of any Loan Party or Affiliate.

Foreign Subsidiary : a Subsidiary of a U.S. Domiciled Loan Party that is a “controlled foreign corporation” under Section 957 of the Code or any Subsidiary of such a Foreign Subsidiary.

FSCO : The Financial Services Commission of Ontario or like body in any other province of Canada with whom a Canadian Pension Plan is registered in accordance with Applicable Law and any other Governmental Authority succeeding to the functions thereof.

Full Payment : with respect to any Obligations (other than indemnity obligations that are not currently due and payable): (a) the full and indefeasible cash payment thereof in the applicable currency required hereunder, including any interest, fees and other charges accruing during an Insolvency Proceeding (whether or not allowed in the proceeding) and (b) if such Obligations are LC Obligations consisting of undrawn Letters of Credit, Cash Collateralization thereof (or delivery of a standby letter of credit acceptable to Agent in its discretion, in the amount of required Cash Collateral). No Loans shall be deemed to have been paid in full until all Commitments related to such Loans have expired or been terminated.

GAAP : generally accepted accounting principles in effect in the United States or, in the case of Canadian Domiciled Loan Parties, Canada, in each case, from time to time, applied consistently.

General Intangibles : as defined in the UCC (and/or with respect to any General Intangible of a Canadian Facility Loan Party, an “intangible” as defined in the PPSA).

Governmental Approvals : all authorizations, consents, approvals, licenses and exemptions of, registrations and filings with, all Governmental Authorities.

Governmental Authority : any federal, state, provincial, municipal, foreign or other governmental department, agency, commission, board, bureau, court, tribunal, instrumentality, political subdivision, or other entity or officer exercising executive, legislative, judicial, regulatory or administrative functions for or pertaining to any government or court, in each case whether it is or is not associated with the United States, a state, district or territory thereof, Canada, a province or territory thereof.

Guarantor Payment : as defined in Section 5.10.3 .

Guarantee : each guarantee agreement (including this Agreement and the Canadian Facility Guarantee) executed by a Guarantor in favor of Agent guaranteeing all or any portion of any Canadian Facility Obligation or U.S. Facility Obligation.

Guarantors : Canadian Facility Guarantors, U.S. Facility Guarantors, and each other Person (if any) who guarantees payment or performance of any Obligations.

Hazardous Materials : hazardous substances; hazardous wastes; polychlorinated biphenyls (“PCBs”) or any substance or compound containing PCBs; exposed friable asbestos;

 

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radon or any other radioactive materials including any source, special nuclear or by-product material; petroleum, crude oil or any fraction thereof; and any other pollutant or contaminant or chemicals, wastes, materials, compounds, constituents or substances, subject to regulation or which can give rise to liability under any Environmental Laws.

Hedging Agreement : an agreement relating to any swap, cap, floor, collar, option, forward (excluding contracts for the acquisition of raw materials in the Ordinary Course of Business), cross right or obligation, or combination thereof or similar transaction, with respect to interest rate, foreign exchange, currency, commodity, credit or equity risk.

Holdings : as defined in the preamble to this Agreement.

Indemnified Taxes : Taxes other than Excluded Taxes.

Indemnitees : Agent Indemnitees, Lender Indemnitees, Issuing Bank Indemnitees and Bank of America Indemnitees.

Insolvency Proceeding : any case or proceeding or proposal commenced by or against a Person under any state, provincial, federal or foreign law for, or any agreement of such Person to, (a) the entry of an order for relief under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, or any other insolvency, debtor relief, bankruptcy, receivership, debt adjustment law or other similar law (whether state, provincial, federal or foreign), including the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (Canada) and the CCAA; (b) the appointment of a Creditor Representative or other custodian for such Person or any part of (i) the ABL Priority Collateral or (ii) any material potion of its Property not constituting ABL Priority Collateral; or (c) an assignment or trust mortgage for the benefit of creditors.

Insurance Assignment : each collateral assignment of insurance pursuant to which a Loan Party assigns to Agent such Loan Party’s rights under any insurance policies as Agent deems appropriate, as security for the Obligations.

Intellectual Property : all intellectual property rights and similar Property of a Person, including inventions, designs, patents, copyrights, trademarks, service marks, trade names, domain names, trade secrets, confidential or proprietary information, customer lists, know-how, software and databases, all embodiments or fixations of any of the foregoing; all related documentation; all applications and registrations thereof; and all licenses or other rights to use, or otherwise relating to, any of the foregoing; and all books and records relating to any of the foregoing.

Intellectual Property Claim : any claim or assertion (whether in writing, by suit or otherwise) that a Loan Party’s or Subsidiary’s ownership, use, marketing, sale or distribution of any Inventory, Equipment, Intellectual Property or other Property violates another Person’s Intellectual Property.

Intercompany Equity Investments : Investments consisting of cash capital contributions made by Holdings and its Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries to their respective Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries, and capitalizations or forgiveness of any Debt owed to them by a Wholly-Owned Foreign Subsidiary and outstanding under Section 10.2.5(e) ; provided that at no time shall any such contributions, capitalizations and forgiveness be made by the Loan Parties to External Subsidiaries unless the Specified Transaction Conditions applicable to such Investment shall have been satisfied in connection therewith.

 

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Intercompany Loans : as defined in Section 10.2.5(e) .

Intercompany Note : a promissory note evidencing Intercompany Loans, duly executed and delivered substantially in the form of Exhibit F , with blanks completed in conformity herewith.

Interest Period : as defined in Section 3.1.4 .

Interest Period Loan : a LIBOR Loan or a Canadian BA Rate Loan.

Internal Specified Transaction : any of the following: (a) a Contingent Obligation to the extent and on the terms permitted pursuant to clause (i)(z) of the definition of “Permitted Contingent Obligation”, (b) an Intercompany Equity Investment (other than any investment in any Loan Party, or any investment by an External Subsidiary in another External Subsidiary) and (c) an Intercompany Loan (other than any Intercompany Loan to any Loan Party, or any Intercompany Loan by an External Subsidiary to another External Subsidiary); and it being understood for the avoidance of doubt that any transfer made by Holdings or any of its Subsidiaries to any Subsidiary as payment for goods and services in the Ordinary Course of Business shall not be an “Internal Specified Transaction”.

Internal Specified Transaction Conditions : with respect to the permissibility hereunder of any Internal Specified Transaction, the satisfaction of the following conditions: (a) no Default or Event of Default exists at the time of or would result from the making of such Internal Specified Transaction, (b) immediately after giving effect to such Internal Specified Transaction, Holdings and its Subsidiaries shall, on a consolidated basis, have a Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio of not less than 1.10:1.00 as calculated on a Pro Forma Basis for the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio Test Period then most recently ending and (c) immediately after giving effect to such Internal Specified Transaction, Availability (on the date of such action or proposed action) and Average Period Availability (for the 30-day period ending on the date of such action or proposed action) as calculated on a Pro Forma Basis, shall not be less than the greater of (i) $25,000,000 and (ii) 20% of the Commitments at such time; provided , that such Internal Specified Transaction shall be permitted irrespective of clause (b)  of this definition so long as Availability (on the date of such action or proposed action) and Average Period Availability (for the 30-day period ending on the date of such action or proposed action) as calculated on a Pro Forma Basis, shall not be less than the greater of (i) $43,750,000 and (ii) 35% of the Commitments at such time.

Inventory : as defined in the UCC and the PPSA, as applicable, including all goods intended for sale, lease, display or demonstration; all work in process; and all raw materials, and other materials and supplies of any kind that are or could be used in connection with the manufacture, printing, packing, shipping, advertising, sale, lease or furnishing of such goods, or otherwise used or consumed in a Borrower’s business (but excluding equipment).

Inventory Reserve : reserves established by Agent in its Permitted Discretion, to reflect factors that may negatively impact the Value of Inventory, including change in salability, obsolescence, seasonality, theft, shrinkage, imbalance, change in composition or mix, markdowns and vendor chargebacks.

 

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Investment : any acquisition of all or substantially all assets of a Person; any acquisition of record or beneficial ownership of any Debt or Equity Interests of a Person; any loan, advance or capital contribution to or other investment in a Person; any guarantee (or other similar arrangement having the effect of a guarantee) of any payment of amounts owing by any Person; or any purchase or ownership of a Hedging Agreement.

IRS : the United States Internal Revenue Service.

Issuing Bank Indemnitees : Issuing Banks and their officers, directors, employees, Affiliates, agents and attorneys.

Issuing Banks : U.S. Issuing Bank and Canadian Issuing Bank.

Joint Commitment Letter : the joint commitment letter agreement among the Lead Arrangers (other than Barclays Capital), Bank of America, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, UBS Loan Finance LLC, Barclays Bank PLC, Holdings and the Borrowers dated as of April 21, 2010.

Joint Fee Letter : the joint fee letter agreement among the Lead Arrangers (other than Barclays Capital), Bank of America, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, UBS Loan Finance LLC, Barclays Bank PLC, Holdings and the Borrowers dated as of April 21, 2010.

LC Application : an application by Loan Party Agent on behalf of a Borrower to an Issuing Bank for issuance of a Letter of Credit, in form and substance satisfactory to such Issuing Bank.

LC Conditions : the following conditions necessary for the issuance of a Letter of Credit: (a) each of the conditions set forth in Section 6.2 (or with respect to Letters of Credit issued on the Closing Date, in Section 6.1) ; (b) after giving effect to the issuance of a Letter of Credit for the account of the U.S. Borrower, total U.S. LC Obligations (excluding amounts specified in clause (c)  of such definition) do not exceed the U.S. Letter of Credit Sublimit and no U.S. Overadvance exists or would result therefrom; (c) after giving effect to the issuance of a Letter of Credit for the account of the Canadian Borrower, total Canadian LC Obligations (excluding amounts specified in clause (c)  of such definition) do not exceed the Canadian Letter of Credit Sublimit and no Canadian Overadvance exists or would result therefrom; (d) the expiration date of such Letter of Credit is (i) no more than three hundred sixty five (365) days from issuance, in the case of standby Letters of Credit; provided that such Letters of Credit may contain automatic extension provisions in accordance with Section 2.2.1(e) or Section 2.3.1(e) , as applicable, (ii) no more than one hundred twenty (120) days from issuance, in the case of documentary Letters of Credit, and (iii) at least fifteen (15) Business Days prior to the Facility Termination Date; (e) with respect the issuance of Letters of Credit for the account of the U.S. Borrower, the Letter of Credit and payments thereunder are denominated in Dollars, Euros or Sterling; (f) with respect to the issuance of Letters of Credit for the account of the Canadian Borrower, the Letter of Credit and payments thereunder are denominated in Dollars or Canadian Dollars; and (g) the form of the proposed Letter of Credit is reasonably satisfactory to Agent and the applicable Issuing Bank in their discretion.

LC Documents : all documents, instruments and agreements (including LC Requests and LC Applications) delivered by Loan Party Agent on behalf of a Borrower or by any other Person to an Issuing Bank or Agent in connection with issuance, amendment or renewal of, or payment under, any Letter of Credit.

 

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LC Obligations : U.S. LC Obligations and Canadian LC Obligations.

LC Request : a request for issuance of a Letter of Credit, to be provided by Loan Party Agent on behalf of a Borrower to an Issuing Bank, in form satisfactory to Agent and such Issuing Bank.

Lead Arrangers : Banc of America Securities LLC, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., UBS Securities LLC and Barclays Capital.

Lender Indemnitees : Lenders and their officers, directors, employees, Affiliates, agents and attorneys.

Lenders : as defined in the preamble to this Agreement and shall include Agent in its capacity as a provider of Swingline Loans and U.S. Lenders and Canadian Lenders and their respective permitted successors and assigns and, where applicable, Issuing Banks, and any other Person who hereafter becomes a “Lender” pursuant to an Assignment and Acceptance or a joinder agreement entered into pursuant to Section 2.1.4.

Lending Office : the office designated as such by the applicable Lender at the time it becomes party to this Agreement or thereafter by notice to Agent and Loan Party Agent.

Letter of Credit : any U.S. Letters of Credit or Canadian Letters of Credit; and each Existing Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be a “Letter of Credit” for all purposes of this Agreement.

LIBOR : for any Interest Period with respect to a LIBOR Loan, the per annum rate of interest (rounded up, if necessary, to the nearest 1/100th of 1%), determined by Agent at approximately 11:00 a.m. (London time) two (2) Business Days prior to commencement of such Interest Period, for a term comparable to such Interest Period, equal to (a) the British Bankers Association LIBOR Rate (“ BBA LIBOR ”), as published by Reuters (or other commercially available source designated by Agent); or (b) if BBA LIBOR is not available for any reason, the interest rate at which Dollar deposits in the approximate amount of the LIBOR Loan would be offered by Bank of America’s London branch to major banks in the London interbank Eurodollar market. If the Board of Governors imposes a Reserve Percentage with respect to LIBOR deposits, then LIBOR shall be the foregoing rate, divided by one (1) minus the Reserve Percentage.

LIBOR Loan : each set of LIBOR Revolver Loans having a common length and commencement of Interest Period.

LIBOR Revolver Loan : a Revolver Loan that bears interest based on LIBOR; provided , however, that a U.S. Base Rate Loan bearing interest as set forth in clause (c) of the definition of U.S. Base Rate shall not constitute a LIBOR Revolver Loan.

License : any license or agreement under which a Loan Party or Subsidiary is authorized to use Intellectual Property in connection with any manufacture, marketing, distribution or disposition of Collateral, any use of Property or any other conduct of its business.

 

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Licensor : any Person from whom a Loan Party or Subsidiary obtains the right to use any Intellectual Property.

Lien : any Person’s interest in Property securing an obligation owed to, or a claim by, such Person, whether such interest is based on common law, statute or contract, including liens, security interests, pledges, security transfers, security assignments, hypothecations, secured claims, statutory trusts, deemed trusts, reservations of title, exceptions, encroachments, easements, servitudes, rights-of-way, covenants, conditions, restrictions, leases, and other title exceptions and encumbrances affecting Property, but excluding for the avoidance of doubt, any licenses granted with respect to Intellectual Property.

List of Closing Documents : the List of Closing Documents attached hereto as Schedule 6.1.

Loan : a Revolver Loan.

Loan Account : the loan account established by each Lender on its books pursuant to Section 5.7 .

Loan Documents : this Agreement, the Other Agreements and the Security Documents.

Loan Parties : the Canadian Facility Loan Parties and the U.S. Facility Loan Parties, collectively and “ Loan Party ” means any of the Loan Parties, individually.

Loan Party Agent : as defined in Section 4.4 .

Loan Party Group : a group consisting of (i) Canadian Facility Loan Parties or (ii) U.S. Facility Loan Parties.

Loan Party Group Obligations : with respect to the Canadian Borrower and the other Canadian Facility Loan Parties, the Canadian Facility Obligations, and with respect to the U.S. Borrower and the other U.S. Facility Loan Parties, the U.S. Facility Obligations.

Loan Year : each twelve (12) month period commencing on the Closing Date and on each anniversary of the Closing Date.

Margin Stock : as defined in Regulation U of the Board of Governors.

Material Adverse Effect : (A) a material adverse effect on, the operations, business, assets, properties, liabilities (actual or contingent) or condition (financial or otherwise) of Holdings and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole; (B) a material impairment of the rights and remedies of Agent or any Lender under any Loan Document; (C) a material impairment of the ability of the Loan Parties, taken as a whole, to perform their material obligations under the Loan Documents, taken as a whole; or (D) a material adverse effect on the value of any substantial portion of the ABL Priority Collateral.

Material Contract : any agreement or arrangement to which a Loan Party or Subsidiary is party (other than the Loan Documents) (a) that is deemed to be a material contract in respect of Holdings and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, under any securities law applicable to such Loan Party or Subsidiary, including the Securities Act of 1933; or (b) for which breach, termination, nonperformance or failure to renew could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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Maximum Canadian Facility Amount : on any date of determination, the lesser of (i) the Canadian Revolver Commitments on such date and (ii) $25,000,000 (or such greater or lesser amount after giving effect to any increases or reductions in the Commitments pursuant to Section 2.1.4); it being acknowledged and agreed that at no time can the sum of the Maximum Canadian Facility Amount plus the Maximum U.S. Facility Amount exceed the Maximum Facility Amount in effect at such time.

Maximum Facility Amount : $125,000,000, or such greater or lesser amount as shall then be in effect after giving effect to any increase or reduction in the Commitments pursuant to Section 2.1.4.

Maximum U.S. Facility Amount : on any date of determination, the lesser of (i) the U.S. Revolver Commitments on such date and (ii) $100,000,000 (or such greater or lesser amount after giving effect to any increases or reductions in the Commitments pursuant to Section 2.1.4 ; it being acknowledged and agreed that at no time can the sum of the Maximum U.S. Facility Amount plus the Maximum Canadian Facility Amount exceed the Maximum Facility Amount in effect at such time.

Moody’s : Moody’s Investors Service, Inc., and its successors.

Multiemployer Plan : any employee benefit plan of the type described in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA, to which any Loan Party or ERISA Affiliate makes or is obligated to make contributions, or during the preceding five (5) plan years, has made or been obligated to make contributions, but excluding, for greater certainty, any Canadian Multi-Employer Plan.

Net Proceeds : with respect to an Asset Disposition, proceeds (including, when received, any deferred or escrowed payments) received by a Loan Party or Subsidiary in cash from such disposition, net of (a) reasonable and customary costs and expenses actually incurred in connection therewith, including legal fees and sales commissions; (b) amounts applied to repayment of Debt secured by a Permitted Lien senior to Agent’s Liens on Collateral sold; (c) transfer or similar taxes; and (d) reserves and escrows for indemnities and any other contingent liabilities, until such reserves are no longer needed (after which, any such amounts previously held as reserves or escrows shall become Net Proceeds when received).

New Common Stock : as defined in the Recitals hereto.

New Preferred Stock : as defined in the Recitals hereto.

NOLV Percentage : the net orderly liquidation value of Inventory, expressed as a percentage of the Value of Inventory expected to be realized at an orderly, negotiated sale held within a reasonable period of time, net of all liquidation expenses, as determined from the most recent appraisal of the Loan Parties’ Inventory performed by an appraiser and on terms reasonably satisfactory to Agent; it being acknowledged that there may be different NOLV Percentages for different segments of Inventory (e.g., raw materials, intermediate goods, finished goods).

 

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Notes : each Revolver Note or other promissory note executed by a Borrower to evidence any Obligations.

Notice of Borrowing : a Notice of Borrowing to be provided by Loan Party Agent to request a Borrowing of Loans, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B or otherwise in form satisfactory to Agent.

Notice of Conversion/Continuation : a Notice of Conversion/Continuation to be provided by Loan Party Agent to request a conversion or continuation of any Loans as LIBOR Loans or Canadian BA Rate Loans, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit C or otherwise in form satisfactory to Agent.

Obligations : all (a) principal of and premium, if any, on the Loans, (b) U.S. LC Obligations and other obligations of the U.S. Facility Loan Parties with respect to Letters of Credit issued for the account of the U.S. Borrower, (c) Canadian LC Obligations and other obligations of the Canadian Facility Loan Parties with respect to Letters of Credit issued for the account of the Canadian Borrower, (d) interest, expenses, fees and other sums payable by the Loan Parties under the Loan Documents, (e) obligations of the Loan Parties under any indemnity for Claims, (f) Extraordinary Expenses, (g) Bank Product Debt, and (h) other Debts, obligations and liabilities of any kind owing by the Loan Parties pursuant to the Loan Documents, whether now existing or hereafter arising, whether evidenced by a note or other writing, whether allowed in any Insolvency Proceeding, whether arising from an extension of credit, issuance of a letter of credit, acceptance, loan, guarantee, indemnification or otherwise, and whether direct or indirect, absolute or contingent, due or to become due, primary or secondary, or joint or several.

Ordinary Course of Business : the ordinary course of business of any Person, consistent with past practices or reasonable extensions thereof, and undertaken in good faith.

Organic Documents : with respect to any Person, its charter, certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws, articles of organization, limited liability agreement, operating agreement, members agreement, shareholders agreement, partnership agreement, certificate of partnership, certificate of formation, memorandum of association, voting trust agreement, or similar agreement or instrument governing the formation or operation of such Person.

OSHA : the Occupational Safety and Hazard Act of 1970.

Other Agreement : each: Note; LC Document; Fee Letter; Collateral Access Agreement; Permitted Senior Secured Debt Intercreditor Agreement (if any); Borrowing Base Certificate, Compliance Certificate; or other document or agreement (other than this Agreement or a Security Document) now or hereafter delivered by or on behalf of a Loan Party or other Person to Agent or a Lender in connection with any transactions relating hereto.

Other Taxes : all present or future stamp or documentary taxes or any other excise or property taxes, charges or similar levies arising from any payment made under any Loan Document or from the execution, delivery or enforcement of, or otherwise with respect to, any Loan Document.

Overadvance : a Canadian Overadvance or U.S. Overadvance, as the context requires.

 

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Overadvance Loan : a Canadian Overadvance Loan and/or a U.S. Overadvance Loan, as the context requires.

Participant : as defined in Section 13.2.1 .

Patriot Act : the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001, Pub. L. No. 107-56, 115 Stat. 272 (2001).

Payment Item : each check, draft or other item of payment payable to a Loan Party, including those constituting proceeds of any Collateral.

PBA : the Pensions Benefits Act (Ontario) or any other Canadian federal or provincial pension benefit standards legislation pursuant to which any Canadian Pension Plan is registered.

PBGC : the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.

Pension Plan : any employee pension benefit plan (as such term is defined in Section 3(2) of ERISA), other than a Multiemployer Plan, that is subject to Title IV of ERISA and is sponsored or maintained by any Loan Party or ERISA Affiliate or to which the Loan Party or ERISA Affiliate contributes or has an obligation to contribute, or in the case of a multiple employer or other plan described in Section 4064(a) of ERISA, has made contributions at any time during the preceding five (5) plan years, and, for greater certainty, excludes any Canadian Pension Plan or any Canadian Multi-Employer Plan.

Perfection Certificate : a certificate in the form of Exhibit G or any other form approved by Agent.

Permitted Acquisition : any Acquisition by a Loan Party which is consented to by Agent and Required Lenders or where:

(i) the business, division or operating units or other assets or properties acquired are for use, or the Person acquired is engaged, in the same or substantially similar businesses or manufacturing processes (or reasonable extensions thereof or incidental thereto) engaged in by such Borrower or Subsidiary on such date;

(ii) the External Specified Transaction Conditions shall have been satisfied in connection therewith;

(iii) in the case of the Acquisition of any Person, the board of directors or similar governing body of such Person has approved such Acquisition and such Person shall not have announced that it will oppose such Acquisition or shall not have commenced any action which alleges that such Acquisition will violate any Applicable Law;

(iv) reasonably prior to such Acquisition, Agent shall have received an acquisition summary with respect to the Person and/or business or division to be acquired, such summary to include a reasonably detailed description thereof (including financial statements for the most recent twelve (12) month period for which they are available and as otherwise available), including the basic terms and conditions of the proposed Acquisition;

 

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(v) if such Acquisition is of 100% of the Equity Interests of a Person (including via merger or consolidation) organized under the laws of Canada or any province or territory thereof or the laws of the United States or any state or district hereof, the provisions of Section 10.1.9 shall have been fully satisfied with respect to such acquired Person;

(vi) if the assets acquired in such Acquisition are intended to be included in the U.S. Borrowing Base or the Canadian Borrowing Base, prior to any such inclusion, (1) Agent and the Applicable Lenders shall be provided with such information as they shall reasonably request to complete their evaluation of any such Collateral and (2) the Asset Review and Approval Conditions shall have been satisfied;

(vii) if the Acquisition is structured as a merger or amalgamation involving a Loan Party, or, to the extent permitted pursuant to Section 10.2.7(a), a Borrower, such Loan Party (unless such Loan Party is a newly formed inactive merger Subsidiary formed for purposes of effecting such Acquisition) or, if applicable, such Borrower, shall be the surviving entity and such merger or amalgamation is permitted pursuant to Section 10.2.7(a) ; and

(viii) no Loan Party or Affiliate thereof shall, in connection with any such Acquisition, assume or remain liable with respect to any Debt or other liability (including any material tax liability or liability with respect to any Pension Plan, a Plan providing for post-employment medical or life insurance benefits, Foreign Plan or Canadian Pension Plan) of the seller or the business, person or properties acquired, except to the extent permitted by Section 10.2.1(f) .

Permitted Collateral Liens : the Liens described in Section 10.2.2(a), (c), (d), (f), (g), (i), (j), (n), (p), (q), (r), (s), (z), (aa) and (bb) .

Permitted Contingent Obligations : Contingent Obligations (a) arising from endorsements of Payment Items for collection or deposit in the Ordinary Course of Business; (b) arising from Hedging Agreements permitted hereunder; (c) existing on the Closing Date and set forth on Schedule 1.1(b) , and any extension or renewal thereof that does not increase the amount of such Contingent Obligation when extended or renewed and otherwise satisfies the Refinancing Condition; (d) incurred in the Ordinary Course of Business with respect to surety, appeal or performance bonds, or other similar obligations; (e) arising from customary indemnification obligations in favor of purchasers in connection with dispositions of Property permitted hereunder; (f) arising under the Loan Documents; (g) arising under the Senior Note Documents to the extent the underlying Senior Note Debt is otherwise permitted pursuant to Section 10.2.1(i) ; (h) arising under the Permitted Senior Secured Debt Documents to the extent the underlying Permitted Senior Secured Debt is otherwise permitted pursuant to Section 10.2.1(l) ; (i) consisting of guarantees (x) by the Loan Parties of each other’s Debt and lease and other contractual obligations permitted under this Agreement and (y) by External Subsidiaries of each other’s and each Loan Party’s Debt and lease and other contractual obligations permitted under this Agreement or (z) by any Loan Party of any Debt and lease and other contractual obligations permitted under this Agreement of any External Subsidiary; provided that at no time shall any Contingent Obligations under this sub-clause (z)  be incurred unless the Specified Transaction Conditions applicable to the incurrence of such Contingent Obligations shall have been satisfied in connection therewith; and (j) consisting of Contingent Obligations of a type not described in clauses (a)  through (i)  of this definition and not otherwise prohibited by the terms of this Agreement or the other Loan Documents so long as the Specified Transaction Conditions applicable to the incurrence of such Contingent Obligations shall have been satisfied in connection therewith.

 

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Permitted Discretion : a determination made in good faith and in the exercise of reasonable (from the perspective of a secured asset-based lender) business judgment, following either (x) consultation with the Loan Party Agent or (y) two (2) Business Days’ advance notice to the Borrowers.

Permitted Lien : as defined in Section 10.2.2 .

Permitted Holders : Barclays Bank PLC and its subsidiaries and any funds or accounts managed by Capital Research and Management Company, Lord, Abbott & Co., Oak Hill Advisors, L.P., Silver Point Capital, L.P., TCW Asset Management Company and TD Asset Management Inc.

Permitted Purchase Money Debt : Purchase Money Debt of the Loan Parties and Subsidiaries that is unsecured or secured only by a Purchase Money Lien, as long as the aggregate amount does not exceed $50,000,000.

Permitted Securitization : means any transaction or series of transactions that may be entered into by any External Subsidiary pursuant to which it may sell, convey, contribute to capital or otherwise transfer (which sale, conveyance, contribution to capital or transfer may include or be supported by the grant of a security interest) accounts receivable or interests therein and all collateral securing such receivables, all contracts and contract rights, purchase orders, security interests, financing statements or other documentation in respect of such receivables, any guarantees, indemnities, warranties or other obligations in respect of such receivables, any other assets that are customarily transferred or in respect of which security interests are customarily granted in connection with asset securitization transactions involving receivables similar to such receivables and any collections or proceeds of any of the foregoing (collectively, the “ Related Assets ”) (i) to a trust, partnership, corporation or other Person (other than Holdings or any Subsidiary, other than a Subsidiary formed solely for the purpose of, and that engages only in, Permitted Securitizations, an “ SPE Subsidiary ”), which transfer is funded in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, by the incurrence or issuance by the transferee or any successor transferee of Debt, fractional undivided interests or other securities that are to receive payments from, or that represent interests in, the cash flow derived from such receivables and Related Assets or interests in such receivables and Related Assets, or (ii) directly to one or more investors or other purchasers (other than Holdings or any Subsidiary), it being understood that a Permitted Securitization may involve (A) one or more sequential transfers or pledges of the same receivables and Related Assets, or interests therein (such as a sale, conveyance or other transfer to an SPE Subsidiary followed by a pledge of the transferred receivables and Related Assets to secure Debt incurred by the SPE Subsidiary), and all such transfers, pledges and Debt incurrences shall be part of and constitute a single Permitted Securitization, and (B) periodic transfers or pledges of receivables and/or revolving transactions in which new receivables and Related Assets, or interests therein, are transferred or pledged upon collection of previously transferred or pledged receivables and Related Assets, or interests therein, provided that any such transactions shall provide for recourse to such External Subsidiary (other than any SPE Subsidiary) only in respect of the cash flows in respect of such receivables and Related Assets and to the extent of other customary securitization undertakings (as determined in good faith by the board of directors of the appropriate External Subsidiary) in the jurisdiction relevant to such

 

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transactions (such undertakings, “ Standard Securitization Undertakings ”); provided that, for the avoidance of doubt, (1) no portion of the Debt or any other obligations (contingent or otherwise) of any External Subsidiary or SPE Subsidiary is guaranteed by any Loan Party, is recourse to or obligates any Loan Party, or subjects any property or asset of any Loan Party, directly or indirectly (other than with respect to its equity ownership interest in any External Subsidiary), contingently or otherwise, to the satisfaction of obligations incurred in such transactions; and (2) no Loan Party has any obligation to maintain or preserve the financial condition of an SPE Subsidiary or cause such entity to achieve certain levels of operating results. The “amount” or “principal amount” of any Permitted Securitization shall be deemed at any time to be (1) the aggregate principal or stated amount of the Debt, fractional undivided interests (which stated amount may be described as a “net investment” or similar term reflecting the amount invested in such undivided interest) or other securities incurred or issued pursuant to such Permitted Securitization, in each case outstanding at such time, or (2) in the case of any Permitted Securitization in respect of which no such Debt, fractional undivided interests or securities are incurred or issued, the cash purchase price paid by the buyer in connection with its purchase of receivables less the amount of collections received in respect of such receivables and paid to such buyer, excluding any amounts applied to purchase fees or discount or in the nature of interest.

Permitted Securitization Expenses : commissions, discounts, yield, other fees and charges, and any other amounts during any applicable period comparable to or in the nature of interest, in each case accrued during any applicable period in connection with Permitted Securitizations.

Permitted Senior Secured Debt : one or more issues of secured Debt incurred by any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries pursuant to Section 10.2.1(l) and designated as Permitted Senior Secured Debt by written notice to Agent so long as (i) any such Debt of a U.S. Domiciled Loan Party and/or a Canadian Domiciled Loan Party does not have a maturity prior to May 27, 2015 and (ii) in case such debt is incurred by a U.S. Domiciled Loan Party and/or a Canadian Domiciled Loan Party, such Loan Party shall have delivered such collateral documents as Agent has reasonably requested in connection with the incurrence of such Debt in order to grant to Agent a perfected second priority security interest in the Collateral other than the ABL Priority Collateral of the U.S. Domiciled Loan Parties and/or Canadian Domiciled Loan Parties, as applicable, and such documents shall be in full force and effect and (iii) in case such debt is incurred by a U.S. Domiciled Loan Party and/or a Canadian Domiciled Loan Party, the Permitted Senior Secured Debt Intercreditor Agreement is entered into and in full force and effect and, to the extent the Permitted Senior Secured Debt Collateral Agent in respect of such Debt is not a party thereto (in its capacity as Permitted Senior Secured Debt Collateral Agent in respect of such Debt), such Permitted Senior Secured Debt Collateral Agent shall become a party to the Permitted Senior Secured Debt Intercreditor Agreement on or before entering into the Permitted Senior Secured Debt Documents in respect of such Debt by executing and delivering a joinder thereto, in the form specified therein.

Permitted Senior Secured Debt Collateral Agent : each relevant Person that acts as a collateral agent, collateral trustee or in a similar capacity under the Permitted Senior Secured Debt Documents in respect of an issuance of Permitted Senior Secured Debt (and its successors and assigns in such capacity).

Permitted Senior Secured Debt Documents : all loan agreements, indentures, purchase agreements, notes, guarantees, security documents and other documents executed and delivered

 

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with respect to any Permitted Senior Secured Debt, as in effect on the date of first incurrence of such Permitted Senior Secured Debt and as the same may be amended, modified and/or supplemented from time to time in accordance with the terms hereof and the Permitted Senior Secured Debt Intercreditor Agreement.

Permitted Senior Secured Debt Intercreditor Agreement : a lien subordination and intercreditor agreement, in form and substance acceptable to the Lead Arrangers on prevailing market terms for similar transactions (as reasonably determined by the Lead Arrangers in their discretion), among Agent, the Loan Parties party to any Permitted Senior Secured Debt Document and the Permitted Senior Secured Debt Collateral Agent, as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time in accordance with the terms thereof and hereof.

Permitted Senior Secured Debt Priority Collateral : any and all Collateral other than the ABL Priority Collateral.

Permitted Senior Secured Debt Security Documents : the “Security Documents” (or similar term) as defined in the Permitted Senior Secured Debt Documents.

Person : any individual, corporation, limited liability company, unlimited liability company, partnership, joint venture, joint stock company, land trust, business trust, unincorporated organization, Governmental Authority or other entity.

Plan Documents : the U.S. Confirmation Order, the Canadian Sanction Order and the Reorganization Plans.

Plan : any material “employee benefit plan” (as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA), and any material payroll practice and other material employee benefit plan, policy, program, agreement or arrangement, including retirement, pension, profit sharing, employment, individual consulting or other compensation agreement, collective bargaining agreement, bonus or other incentive compensation, retention, stock purchase, equity or equity-based compensation, deferred compensation, change of control, severance, sick leave, vacation, loans, salary continuation, hospitalization, health, life insurance, educational assistance, or other fringe benefit or perquisite plan, policy, agreement which is or was sponsored, maintained or contributed to by, or required to be contributed to by, any Loan Party or Affiliate thereof or with respect to which a Loan Party or ERISA Affiliate has or could have any obligation or liability, contingent or otherwise, in any case, that is subject to U.S. law (and not other foreign jurisdictions) and excluding, for greater certainty, Canadian Employee Plans and Foreign Plans.

PPSA : the Personal Property Security Act (Ontario) and the regulations thereunder; provided, however, if validity, perfection and effect of perfection and non-perfection of Agent’s security interest in and Lien on any Collateral of any Canadian Domiciled Loan Party are governed by the personal property security laws of any jurisdiction other than Ontario, PPSA shall mean those personal property security laws (including the Civil Code of Quebec) in such other jurisdiction for the purposes of the provisions hereof relating to such validity, perfection, and effect of perfection and non-perfection and for the definitions related to such provisions, as from time to time in effect.

Prepetition Agreement : that certain Credit Agreement dated as of December 23, 2004 (as amended, modified or supplemented), among Holdings, the U.S. Borrower, the Canadian

 

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Borrower and Cooper-Standard Automotive International Holdings B.V. as borrowers, the lenders party thereto, as lenders, and Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas as administrative agent, Lehman Commercial Paper Inc., as syndication agent, Goldman Sachs Credit Partners L.P., UBS Securities LLC and The Bank of Nova Scotia, as co-documentation agents, and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. and Lehman Brothers Inc., as joint lead arrangers and book runners.

Pro Forma Basis : in connection with any calculation of compliance with any financial covenant or financial term under this Agreement, (a) such compliance with the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio shall be calculated giving effect to any Specified Transaction as if such Specified Transaction (and all other Specified Transactions consummated or made since the first (1st) day of the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio Test Period most recently ended) happened on the first (1st) day of the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio Test Period most recently ended, including (i) the incurrence of any Debt by any Loan Party or any of their Subsidiaries in connection with any such Specified Transaction, (ii) any repayment or redemption of other Debt of any Loan Party or any of their Subsidiaries in connection with any such Specified Transaction and (iii) the making of any Distribution by any Loan Party or any of their Subsidiaries in connection with any such Specified Transaction, (b) determinations of EBITDA shall be made giving pro forma effect to any Acquisition consummated since the first (1st) day of the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio Test Period most recently ended, with such EBITDA to be determined as if such Acquisition was consummated on the first (1st) day of the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio Test Period most recently ended, and (c) maintenance of Availability shall be calculated giving effect to such Specified Transaction, including (i) any disposition of Collateral in any such Specified Transaction and (ii) the acquisition of any additional Collateral in any such Specified Transaction which is approved by Agent for inclusion in the calculation of the Canadian Borrowing Base or the U.S. Borrowing Base, to the extent applicable. In calculating interest expense on Debt incurred under clause (a) (i) of the immediately preceding sentence, such Debt shall be deemed to have borne interest (a) in the case of fixed rate Debt, at the rate applicable thereto or (b) in the case of floating rate Debt, at the rates which were or would have been applicable thereto during the period when such Debt was or was deemed to be outstanding, in each case as reasonably calculated by Loan Party Agent.

Pro Rata : (a) when used with reference to a Lender’s (i) share on any date of (A) the total Facility Commitments to a Borrower or (B) Loans to be made to a Borrower, (ii) participating interests in LC Obligations (excluding amounts specified in clause (c)  of such definition) to such Borrower, (iii) share of payments made by such Borrower with respect to such Borrower’s Obligations, (iv) increases or reductions to the Canadian Revolver Commitments or the U.S. Revolver Commitments pursuant to Section 2.1.4 , and (v) obligation to pay or reimburse Agent for Extraordinary Expenses owed by or in respect of such Borrower or to indemnify any Indemnitees for Claims relating to such Borrower, a percentage (expressed as a decimal, rounded to the ninth decimal place) derived by dividing the amount of the Facility Commitment of such Lender to such Borrower on such date by the aggregate amount of the Facility Commitments of all Lenders to such Borrower on such date (or if such Facility Commitments have been terminated, by reference to the respective Facility Commitments as in effect immediately prior to the termination thereof) or (b) when used for any other reason, a percentage (expressed as a decimal, rounded to the ninth (9th) decimal place) derived by dividing the aggregate amount of Lender’s Commitments on such date by the aggregate amount of the Commitments of all Lenders on such date (or if any such Commitments have been terminated, such Commitments as in effect immediately prior to the termination thereof).

 

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Proceeds of Crime Act : the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (Canada) (or any successor statute), as amended from time to time, and includes all regulations thereunder.

Properly Contested : with respect to any obligation of any Person, (a) the obligation is subject to a bona fide dispute regarding amount or such Person’s liability to pay; (b) the obligation is being properly contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings promptly instituted and diligently pursued; (c) appropriate reserves have been established in accordance with GAAP; and (d) if the obligation results from entry of a judgment or other order, such judgment or order is stayed pending appeal or other judicial review or covered by insurance.

Property : any interest in any kind of property or asset, whether real, personal or mixed, or tangible or intangible.

Protective Advances : as defined in Section 2.1.6 .

Purchase Money Debt : (a) Debt (other than the Obligations, the Senior Note Debt and the Permitted Senior Secured Debt) for payment of any of the purchase price of fixed assets or the costs of improvement or construction thereof; (b) Debt (other than the Obligations, the Senior Note Debt and the Permitted Senior Secured Debt) incurred within one-hundred eighty (180) days before or after acquisition of any fixed assets, for the purpose of financing any of the purchase price, improvement or construction thereof; (c) any renewals, extensions or refinancings thereof; provided that the Refinancing Conditions are satisfied with respect thereto; and (d) to the extent not covered above, obligations under Capital Leases permitted hereunder.

Purchase Money Lien : a Lien that secures Purchase Money Debt, encumbering only the fixed assets acquired, constructed or improved with such Debt.

RCRA : the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, as amended, (42 U.S.C. §§ 6991-6991i).

RDPRM : Quebec Register of Personal and Movable Real Rights or Registre des droits personnels et reels mobiliers du Quebec.

Real Estate : all right, title and interest (whether as owner, lessor or lessee) in any real Property or any buildings, structures, parking areas or other improvements thereon.

Reallocation Agreement : the reallocation agreement dated as of the date hereof among Agent, the Lenders and each Issuing Bank transferring ownership of debt among the Lenders after a Designation Date, as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time.

Refinancing Conditions : the following conditions for Refinancing Debt: (a) it is in an aggregate principal amount that does not exceed the principal amount of the Debt being extended, refinanced or renewed, except by an amount equal to a reasonable premium or other reasonable amounts paid, and fees and expenses reasonably incurred in connection with such extension, refinancing or renewal, and by an amount equal to any existing commitments unutilized thereunder or as otherwise permitted hereunder; (b) it has a final maturity no sooner than, and a weighted average life no less than, the Debt being extended, refinanced or renewed; (c) it is subordinated to the Obligations at least to the same extent, if any, as the Debt being extended, refinanced or renewed; (d) the representations, covenants and defaults applicable to it, taken as a

 

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whole, are no less favorable to the Loan Parties than those applicable to the Debt being extended, refinanced or renewed; (e) no additional Lien is granted to secure it; (f) no additional Person is obligated on such Debt, except with respect to any additional guarantees given by additional Loan Parties hereunder; and (g) upon giving effect to it, no Default or Event of Default exists or would result therefrom.

Refinancing Debt : Debt that is the result of an extension, renewal, or refinancing of Debt permitted under Section 10.2.1 (b), (d) , (f), (h), (i) or (t).

Reorganization Plans : as defined in the Recitals hereto.

Report : as defined in Section 12.2.3 .

Reportable Event : any of the events set forth in Section 4043(b) or (c) of ERISA and regulations thereunder, excluding, however, such events as to which the PBGC by regulations has waived the requirement of Section 4043(a) of ERISA that it be notified within 30 days of the occurrence of such event.

Required Facility Lenders : at any date of determination thereof, Lenders having Facility Commitments to a Borrower representing more than 50% of the aggregate Facility Commitments to such Borrower at such time; provided , however , that if and for so long as any such Lender shall be a Defaulting Lender, the term “ Required Facility Lenders ” shall mean Lenders (excluding each Defaulting Lender) having Facility Commitments to such Borrower representing more than 50% of the aggregate Facility Commitments to such Borrower (excluding the Facility Commitments of each Defaulting Lender) at such time; provided further , however , that if all of the Facility Commitments to such Borrower have been terminated, the term “ Required Facility Lenders ” shall mean Lenders to such Borrower holding Revolver Loans to, and participating interest in LC Obligations (excluding amounts specified in clause (c)  of such definition) owing by, such Borrower representing more than 50% of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of Revolver Loans and LC Obligations (excluding amounts specified in clause (c)  of such definition) owing by such Borrower at such time.

Required Lenders : at any date of determination thereof, Lenders having Facility Commitments representing more than 50% of the aggregate Facility Commitments at such time; provided , however , that for so long as any Lender shall be a Defaulting Lender, the term “ Required Lenders ” shall mean Lenders (excluding such Defaulting Lender) having Commitments representing more than 50% of the aggregate Commitments (excluding the Commitments of each Defaulting Lender) at such time; provided further , however , that if any of the Facility Commitments have been terminated, the term “ Required Lenders ” shall be calculated using (x) in lieu of such Lender’s terminated Facility Commitment, the outstanding principal amount of the Revolver Loans by such Lender to, and participation interests in LC Obligations (excluding amounts specified in clause (c)  of such definition) owing by, such Borrower and (y) in lieu of the aggregate Commitments under such terminated Facility Commitment, the aggregate outstanding Revolver Loans to, and LC Obligations (excluding amounts specified in clause (c)  of such definition) owing by such Borrower.

Reserve Percentage : the reserve percentage (expressed as a decimal, rounded up to the nearest 1/100th of 1%) applicable to member banks under regulations issued from time to time by the Board of Governors for determining the maximum reserve requirement (including any emergency, supplemental or other marginal reserve requirement) with respect to Eurocurrency funding (currently referred to as “ Eurocurrency liabilities ”).

 

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Restricted Investment : any Investment by a Loan Party or Subsidiary, other than: (a) Investments existing on the Closing Date, and other Investments, in each case set forth on Schedule 1.1(d) ; (b) cash and Cash Equivalents; (c) loans and advances permitted under Section 10.2.5 ; (d) Investments by the U.S. Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in payroll, travel and similar advances to cover matters that are expected at the time of such advances ultimately to be treated as expenses for accounting purposes and that are made in the Ordinary Course of Business; (e) Investments constituting (i) Acquisitions by External Subsidiaries (so long as, with respect to any Designated External Acquisition, the External Specified Transaction Conditions applicable to such Acquisition shall have been satisfied in connection therewith) and (ii) Permitted Acquisitions; (f) Hedging Agreements entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business of such Loan Party or Subsidiary and for nonspeculative purposes (determined as of the date such Hedging Agreement was entered into by such Loan Party or Subsidiary) to the extent that entry into such Hedging Agreement is permitted by Sections 10.2.1(e) and 10.2.13 hereof; (g) Permitted Contingent Obligations; (h) Intercompany Equity Investments; (i) Investments arising or made under Permitted Securitizations; (j) Investments of any Person existing at the time such Person is merged into, amalgamated or consolidated with a Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries, or becomes a Subsidiary, in each case as permitted under Section 10.2.1(f) ; provided that any such Investments were not made in contemplation of such merger, amalgamation, consolidation or acquisition; (k) other Investments of a type not described in clauses (a) through (j) or (l) of this definition and not otherwise prohibited by the terms of this Agreement or the other Loan Documents so long as the Specified Transaction Conditions applicable to such Investments shall have been satisfied in connection therewith and the Loan Parties shall have complied with the collateral requirements (if any) of this Agreement (including, without limitation, those contained in Section 7 and Section 10.1.9 ) in connection with such Investment; and (l) Investments consisting of Equity Interests, obligations, securities or other property received in settlement of delinquent accounts of and disputes with customers and suppliers in the Ordinary Course of Business and owing to the U.S. Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or in satisfaction of judgments.

Restrictive Agreement : an agreement that conditions or restricts the right of any Loan Party or Subsidiary to grant Liens on any assets securing the Obligations or to declare or make Distributions.

Revolver Loan : a loan made pursuant to Section 2.1 , and any Swingline Loan, Overadvance Loan or Protective Advance.

Revolver Notes : collectively, the U.S. Revolver Notes and the Canadian Revolver Notes.

Rights Offering : as defined in the Recitals hereto.

Royalties : all royalties, fees, expense reimbursement and other amounts payable by a Loan Party or a Subsidiary under a License.

S&P : Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., and its successors.

 

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Secured Parties : Canadian Facility Secured Parties and/or U.S. Facility Secured Parties, as the context requires.

Security Documents : this Agreement, the Guarantees, Insurance Assignments, Canadian Security Agreements, Deposit Account Control Agreements and all other documents, instruments and agreements now or hereafter securing (or given with the intent to secure) any Obligations.

Senior Officer : the chairman of the board, president, chief executive officer, chief financial officer or treasurer (or, in each case, with respect to any External Subsidiary, any similarly designated officer or director under local practice).

Senior Note Debt : the Debt of the U.S. Domiciled Loan Parties outstanding under and pursuant to the Senior Note Documents, to the extent permitted hereunder.

Senior Note Documents : the Senior Notes, the Senior Note Indenture and all other documents executed and delivered with respect to the Senior Notes, in each case as in effect on the Closing Date and as the same may be modified or amended from time to time in accordance with the terms hereof.

Senior Note Indenture : the Indenture dated as of May 11, 2010 among CSA Escrow Corporation, the U.S. Borrower and the other parties thereto, as in effect on the Closing Date and as the same may be modified or amended from time to time in accordance with the terms hereof.

Senior Noteholders : the “Holders” as defined in the Senior Note Indenture.

Senior Notes : the U.S. Borrower’s 8-1/2% Senior Notes due 2018, issued pursuant to the Senior Note Indenture, as in effect on the Closing Date and as the same may be modified or amended from time to time in accordance with the terms hereof.

Settlement Report : a report delivered by Agent to the Applicable Lenders summarizing the Loans and, if applicable, participations in U.S. LC Obligations (excluding amounts specified in clause (c)  of such definition) of the U.S. Borrower and Canadian LC Obligations (excluding amounts specified in clause (c)  of such definition) of the Canadian Borrower outstanding as of a given settlement date, allocated to the Applicable Lenders on a Pro Rata basis in accordance with their Commitments.

Solvent : as to any Person, such Person (a) owns Property whose fair salable value is greater than the amount required to pay all of its debts (including contingent, subordinated, unmatured and unliquidated liabilities); (b) owns Property whose present fair salable value (as defined below) is greater than the probable total liabilities (including contingent, subordinated, unmatured and unliquidated liabilities) of such Person as they become absolute and matured; (c) is able to pay all of its debts as they mature; (d) has capital that is not unreasonably small for the business in which it is engaged or about to engage; (e) is not “insolvent” within the meaning of Section 101(32) of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code; (f) has not incurred (by way of assumption or otherwise) any obligations or liabilities (contingent or otherwise) or made any conveyance in connection therewith, with actual intent to hinder, delay or defraud either present or future creditors of such Person or any of its Affiliates; and (g) as to any Person incorporated or organized under the laws of Canada or any province or territory of Canada, is not an “insolvent person” as defined in the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act ( Canada ). “ Fair salable value ” means

 

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the amount that could be obtained for assets within a reasonable time, either through collection or through sale under ordinary selling conditions by a capable and diligent seller to an interested buyer who is willing (but under no compulsion) to purchase.

Specified Transaction Conditions : the External Specified Transaction Conditions or the Internal Specified Transaction Conditions, as applicable.

Specified Transactions : an External Specified Transaction and/or an Internal Specified Transaction, as applicable.

Sterling or £ : the lawful currency of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Subordinated Debt : Debt incurred by a Loan Party or Subsidiary that is expressly subordinate and junior in right of payment to Full Payment of all Obligations, and is on subordination terms reasonably satisfactory to Agent.

Subsidiary : any entity more than 50% of whose voting securities or Equity Interests is owned by any Loan Party or any combination of the Loan Parties (including indirect ownership by any Loan Party through other entities in which any Loan Party directly or indirectly owns 50% of the voting securities or Equity Interests). Unless the context otherwise requires, each reference to Subsidiaries herein shall be a reference to Subsidiaries of Holdings.

Supermajority Required Facility Lenders : at any date of determination thereof, Lenders having Facility Commitments to a Borrower representing more than 66 2/3% of the aggregate Facility Commitments to such Borrower at such time; provided , however , that if and for so long as any such Lender shall be a Defaulting Lender, the term “ Supermajority Required Facility Lenders ” shall mean Lenders (excluding each Defaulting Lender) having Facility Commitments to such Borrower representing more than 66 2/3% of the aggregate Facility Commitments to such Borrower (excluding the Facility Commitments of each Defaulting Lender) at such time; provided further , however , that if all of the Facility Commitments to such Borrower have been terminated, the term “ Supermajority Required Facility Lenders ” shall mean Lenders to such Borrower holding Revolver Loans to, and participating interest in LC Obligations (excluding amounts specified in clause (c)  of such definition) owing by, such Borrower representing at least 66 2/3% of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of Revolver Loans and LC Obligations (excluding amounts specified in clause (c)  of such definition) owing by such Borrower at such time.

Swingline Loan : a U.S. Swingline Loan or a Canadian Swingline Loan, as applicable.

TARGET Day : any day on which the Trans-European Automated Real-time Gross Settlement Express Transfer (TARGET) payment system (or, if such payment system ceases to be operative, such other payment system (if any) determined by Agent to be a suitable replacement) is open for the settlement of payments in Euros.

Taxes : 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.

 

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Termination Event : (a) the voluntary full or partial wind up of a Canadian Pension Plan by a Canadian Facility Loan Party; (b) the institution of proceedings by any Governmental Authority to terminate in whole or in part or have a trustee appointed to administer a Canadian Pension Plan; or (c) any other event or condition which might constitute grounds for the termination of, winding up or partial termination of winding up or the appointment of trustee to administer, any Canadian Pension Plan.

Total Revolver Exposure : as of any date of determination the sum of the Canadian Revolver Exposure and the U.S. Revolver Exposure on such date of determination.

Transactions : collectively, (a) the consummation of the Reorganization Plans and the other transactions contemplated by the Plan Documents to be consummated on the Closing Date, (b) the entering into by the Loan Parties of the Loan Documents and the Senior Note Documents to which they are or are intended to be a party, and the borrowings hereunder and thereunder on the Closing Date and application of the proceeds as contemplated hereby and thereby, (c) the issuance of the New Common Stock and New Preferred Stock, (d) the Full Payment and termination of all Debt to be Repaid and (e) the payment of the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the consummation of the foregoing that are required to be paid on the Closing Date.

Transferee : any actual or potential Eligible Assignee, Participant or other Person acquiring an interest in any Obligations.

Type : any type of a Loan (i.e., U.S. Base Rate Loan, LIBOR Loan, Canadian BA Rate Loan, Canadian Base Rate Loan, or Canadian Prime Rate Loan).

UCC : the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in the State of New York or, when the laws of any other jurisdiction govern the creation, perfection, priority or enforcement of any Lien, the Uniform Commercial Code of such jurisdiction.

Unfunded Pension Liability : as of any date, the excess of the present value of a Pension Plan’s benefit liabilities under Section 4001(a)(16) of ERISA determined on a plan termination basis in accordance with actuarial assumptions at such time consistent with those prescribed by the PBGC for purposes of Section 4044 of ERISA, over the current value of that Pension Plan’s assets, and includes any unfunded going-concern deficit or solvency deficiency as identified in an actuarial valuation report prepared for the purposes of the PBA and filed with any applicable Governmental Authority in respect of any Canadian Pension Plan.

Upstream Payment : any of the following Distributions by a Person to any holder of its Equity Interests:

(i) a Distribution by a Subsidiary of a Loan Party (other than Holdings) to such Loan Party;

(ii) a Distribution by Holdings to its then existing shareholders paid solely in Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Equity Interests);

(iii) a Distribution by a Loan Party (other than Holdings) or a Subsidiary ratably to such Person’s then existing shareholders paid solely in Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Equity Interests); and

 

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(iv) a Distribution by a Borrower to Holdings or a Subsidiary of a Borrower to its Loan Party parent and, ultimately, to Holdings to the extent promptly used by Holdings for any purpose not otherwise prohibited by the terms of this Agreement or the other Loan Documents, including to pay cash dividends to its shareholders, so long as the External Specified Transaction Conditions applicable to such Upstream Payment shall have been satisfied in connection therewith.

U.S. Auto-Extension Letter of Credit : as defined in Section 2.2.1(e) .

U.S. Availability : as of any date of determination, the U.S. Borrowing Base as of such date of determination plus solely for purposes of calculating “Availability” in connection with the satisfaction of any Internal Specified Transaction Conditions, the U.S. Suppressed Amount on such date of determination plus the U.S. Designated Cash Amount on such date of determination minus the U.S. Revolver Exposure (calculated without duplication of any amounts reserved under the U.S. LC Reserve) on such date of determination.

U.S. Availability Reserve : the sum (without duplication) of (a) the Inventory Reserve with respect to the U.S. Borrower’s Inventory; (b) the U.S. Rent and Charges Reserve; (c) the U.S. LC Reserve; (d) the U.S. Bank Product Reserve; (e) the aggregate amount of liabilities secured by Liens upon the U.S. Facility Collateral that are senior to Agent’s Liens (but imposition of any such reserve shall not waive an Event of Default arising therefrom); (f) the Canadian Overadvance Loan Balance, if any, outstanding on such date; and (g) such additional reserves (including, without limitation, dilution reserves), in such amounts and with respect to such matters, as Agent in its Permitted Discretion may establish.

U.S. Bank Product Reserve : the aggregate amount of reserves, as established by Agent from time to time in its Permitted Discretion to reflect the reasonably anticipated liabilities in respect of the then outstanding Bank Product Debt of the U.S. Facility Loan Parties and their Subsidiaries.

U.S. Bankruptcy Cases : as defined in the Recitals hereto.

U.S. Bankruptcy Code : as defined in the Recitals hereto.

U.S. Bankruptcy Court : as defined in the Recitals hereto.

U.S. Base Rate : for any day, a per annum rate equal to the greater of (a) the U.S. Prime Rate for such day; (b) the Federal Funds Rate for such day, plus 0.50%; or (c) LIBOR for a thirty (30) day interest period as determined on such day, plus 1.0%.

U.S. Base Rate Loan : any Loan that bears interest based on the U.S. Base Rate.

U.S. Borrower : as defined in the preamble to this Agreement.

U.S. Borrowing Base : on any date of determination, an amount equal to the lesser of (a) the Maximum U.S. Facility Amount minus (x) the Canadian Overadvance Loan Balance, if any, outstanding on such date minus (y) the U.S. LC Reserve; and (b) (1) the sum of (x) 85% of the Value of Eligible Accounts of the U.S. Borrower; plus (y) the lesser of (i) 70% of the Value of Eligible Inventory of the U.S. Borrower; and (ii) 85% of the NOLV Percentage of the Value of Eligible Inventory of the U.S. Borrower, minus (2) the U.S. Availability Reserve.

 

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U.S. Cash Collateral Account : a demand deposit, money market or other account established by Agent at Bank of America or such other financial institution as Agent may select in its discretion, which account shall be for the benefit of the Secured Parties and shall be subject to Agent’s Liens securing the Obligations.

U.S. Confirmation Order : as defined in the Recitals hereto.

U.S. Designated Cash Amount : the aggregate amount of cash of the U.S. Domiciled Loan Parties deposited in segregated DACA Deposit Accounts with Agent (excluding any portion thereof which is subject to a Lien in favor of a Person other than Agent or is otherwise restricted).

U.S. Domiciled Loan Party : Holdings and each U.S. Subsidiary of Holdings (other than CS Automotive LLC), in each case, now or hereafter party hereto as a Loan Party; and “ U.S. Domiciled Loan Parties ” means all such Persons, collectively.

U.S. Dominion Account : a special account established by the U.S. Facility Loan Parties at Bank of America or another bank reasonably acceptable to Agent, over which Agent has exclusive control for withdrawal purposes.

U.S. Effective Date : as defined in the Recitals hereto.

U.S. Facility Collateral : Collateral that now or hereafter secures (or is intended to secure) any of the U.S. Facility Obligations.

U.S. Facility Guarantee : each guarantee agreement (including this Agreement) at any time executed by a U.S. Facility Guarantor in favor of Agent guaranteeing all or any portion of the U.S. Facility Obligations.

U.S. Facility Guarantor : each U.S. Domiciled Loan Party (excluding CS Automotive LLC) and each other Person (if any) who guarantees payment and performance of any U.S. Facility Obligations.

U.S. Facility Loan Party : the U.S. Borrower and each U.S. Facility Guarantor.

U.S. Facility Obligations : all applicable Obligations of the U.S. Facility Loan Parties (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the Obligations of the U.S. Domiciled Loan Parties as guarantors of the Canadian Facility Obligations).

U.S. Facility Secured Parties : Agent, U.S. Issuing Bank, U.S. Lenders, providers of Bank Products to U.S. Facility Loan Parties and the Lead Arrangers.

U.S. Issuing Bank : (a) Bank of America or an Affiliate of Bank of America, as an issuer of Letters of Credit under this Agreement, (b) Deutsche Bank AG, New York Branch or an Affiliate of Deutsche Bank AG, New York Branch, as an issuer of Letters of Credit under this Agreement, and (c) Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, in its capacity as the issuer of the Existing Letters of Credit. With respect to any Letter of Credit, “U.S. Issuing Bank” shall mean the issuer thereof.

 

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U.S. LC Obligations : the sum (without duplication) of (a) all amounts owing by the U.S. Borrower for any drawings under Letters of Credit; (b) the stated amount of all outstanding Letters of Credit issued for the account of the U.S. Borrower; and (c) all fees and other amounts owing with respect to Letters of Credit issued for the account of the U.S. Borrower.

U.S. LC Reserve : the aggregate of all U.S. LC Obligations, other than (a) those that have been Cash Collateralized; and (b) if no Default or Event of Default exists, amounts specified in clause (c)  of the definition of U.S. LC Obligations.

U.S. Lenders : Bank of America and each other Lender (other than Canadian Lenders) party hereto, including Agent in its capacity as a provider of U.S. Swingline Loans.

U.S. Letter of Credit Sublimit : $44,500,000; provided , however, that the aggregate amount of U.S. LC Obligations that may be denominated in Euros and Sterling shall not exceed the Dollar Equivalent of $10,000,000 less the Dollar Equivalent of the outstanding U.S. Revolver Loans denominated in Euros.

U.S. Letters of Credit : as defined in Section 2.2.1 hereof.

U.S. Non-Extension Notice Date : as defined in Section 2.2.1(e) .

U.S. Overadvance : as defined in Section 2.1.5 hereof.

U.S. Overadvance Loan : a U.S. Base Rate Loan made to the U.S. Borrower when a U.S. Overadvance exists or is caused by the funding thereof.

U.S. Plan : as defined in the Recitals hereto.

U.S. Prime Rate : the rate of interest announced by Bank of America from time to time as its U.S. prime rate. Such rate is set by Bank of America on the basis of various factors, including its 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 rate. Any change in such 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.

U.S. Reimbursement Date : as defined in Section 2.2.2(a) .

U.S. Rent and Charges Reserve : the aggregate of (a) all past due rent and other past due amounts owing by any U.S. Facility Loan Party to any landlord, warehouseman, processor, repairman, mechanic, shipper, freight forwarder, broker or other Person who possesses any U.S. Facility Collateral or could assert a Lien on any such U.S. Facility Collateral; plus (b) a reserve at least equal to three (3) months (or such shorter period as Agent determines in its Permitted Discretion as it will take to liquidate the ABL Priority Collateral at such location) rent and other charges that could reasonably be expected to be payable to any such Person who possesses any U.S. Facility Collateral or could reasonably be expected to assert a Lien thereon under Applicable Law, unless, in any such case, such Person has executed a Collateral Access Agreement.

U.S. Revolver Commitment : for any U.S. Lender, its obligation to make U.S. Revolver Loans and to issue U.S. Letters of Credit, in the case of U.S. Issuing Bank, or participate in U.S.

 

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LC Obligations (excluding amounts specified in clause (c)  of such definition), in the case of the other U.S. Lenders, to the U.S. Borrower up to the maximum principal amount, in each case, shown on Schedule 1.1(a) , or as hereafter determined pursuant to each Assignment and Acceptance to which it is a party, as such U.S. Revolver Commitment may be adjusted from time to time in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.1.4 or 11.2 . “ U.S. Revolver Commitments ” means the aggregate amount of such commitments of all U.S. Lenders.

U.S. Revolver Commitment Termination Date : the earliest of (a) the Facility Termination Date, (b) the date on which Loan Party Agent terminates or reduces to zero (0) the U.S. Revolver Commitments pursuant to Section 2.1.4 , and (c) the date on which the U.S. Revolver Commitments are terminated pursuant to Section 11.2 .

U.S. Revolver Exposure : on any date, an amount equal to the sum of the Dollar Equivalent of the U.S. Revolver Loans outstanding on such date plus the U.S. LC Obligations (excluding amounts specified in clause (c)  of such definition) on such date.

U.S. Revolver Loan : a Revolver Loan made by a U.S. Lender to the U.S. Borrower pursuant to Section 2.1.1(a) , and any U.S. Swingline Loan, which Loan shall be denominated in Dollars and shall be either a U.S. Base Rate Loan or a LIBOR Loan, in each case as selected by Agent or Loan Party Agent.

U.S. Revolver Notes : collectively, each promissory note, if any, executed by the U.S. Borrower in favor of a U.S. Lender to evidence the U.S. Revolver Loans funded from time to time by such U.S. Lender, which shall be in the form of Exhibit A-2 to this Agreement, together with any replacement or successor notes therefor.

U.S. Subsidiary : a Subsidiary of Holdings that is organized under the laws of a state of the United States or the District of Columbia and is not a Foreign Subsidiary.

U.S. Suppressed Amount : to the extent that the amount calculated pursuant to clause (b) of the U.S. Borrowing Base definition exceeds the then-current U.S. Revolver Commitment as of any date of determination, the amount of any such excess designated in writing by Loan Party Agent to Agent as “U.S. Suppressed Amount” under this Agreement; provided, that in no event shall the U.S. Suppressed Amount exceed $5,000,000 less the Canadian Suppressed Amount as of such date of determination.

U.S. Swingline Loan : any Borrowing of Base Rate U.S. Revolver Loans made pursuant to Section 4.1.3(a).

U.S. Unused Line Fee Rate : a rate per annum equal to (a) .50% when the U.S. Revolver Exposure is greater than 50% of the U.S. Revolver Commitments and (b) .75% at all other times.

Value : without duplication of any item enumerated in the definition of Eligible Inventory or Eligible Account: (a) for Inventory, its Dollar Equivalent value determined on the basis of the lower of cost or market, calculated on a first-in, first-out basis, and excluding any portion of cost attributable to intercompany profit among the Borrowers, the other Loan Parties and their Affiliates; and (b) for an Account, its Dollar Equivalent face amount, net of any returns, rebates, discounts (calculated on the shortest terms), credits, allowances or Taxes (including sales, excise or other taxes) that have been or could be claimed by the Account Debtor or any other Person.

 

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Wage Earner Protection Act Reserve : on any date of determination, a reserve established from time to time by Agent in its Permitted Discretion in such amount as Agent determines reflects the amounts that may become due under the Wage Earner Protection Program Act with respect to the employees of any Loan Party employed in Canada which would give rise to a Lien with priority under Applicable Law over the Lien of Agent.

Wholly-Owned Subsidiary : with respect to any Person at any time, any Subsidiary, 100% of whose Equity Interests (other than, in the case of any Foreign Subsidiary, nominal directors’ qualifying shares) are at such time owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person.

1.2 Accounting Terms . Under the Loan Documents (except as otherwise specified herein), all accounting terms shall be interpreted, all accounting determinations shall be made, and all financial statements shall be prepared, in accordance with GAAP applied on a basis consistent with the most recent audited financial statements of the Loan Parties delivered to Agent before the Closing Date and using the same inventory valuation method as used in such financial statements, except for any change required or permitted by GAAP if the Loan Parties’ certified public accountants concur in such change and the change is disclosed to Agent. The Loan Party Agent, Lenders and Agent shall negotiate in good faith to amend Section 10.3 to preserve the original intent in light of such change in GAAP; provided , that until so amended Section 10.3 shall continue to be computed in accordance with GAAP prior to such change therein.

1.3 Uniform Commercial Code/PPSA . As used herein, the following terms are defined in accordance with the UCC in effect in the State of New York from time to time: “Chattel Paper,” “Commercial Tort Claim,” “Equipment,” “Goods,” “Instrument,” “Investment Property,” “Letter-of-Credit Right” and “Supporting Obligation” and, as such terms relate to any such Property of any Canadian Domiciled Loan Party, such terms shall refer to such Property as defined in the PPSA. In addition, other terms relating to Collateral used and not otherwise defined herein that are defined in the UCC and/or the PPSA shall have the meanings set forth in the UCC and/or the PPSA, as applicable

1.4 Certain Matters of Construction . The terms “herein,” “hereof,” “hereunder” and other words of similar import refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular section, paragraph or subdivision. Any pronoun used shall be deemed to cover all genders. In the computation of periods of time from a specified date to a later specified date, “from” means “from and including,” and “to” and “until” each mean “to but excluding.” The terms “including” and “include” shall mean “including, without limitation” and, for purposes of each Loan Document, the parties agree that the rule of ejusdem generis shall not be applicable to limit any provision. Section titles appear as a matter of convenience only and shall not affect the interpretation of any Loan Document. All references to (a) laws or statutes include all related rules, regulations, interpretations, amendments and successor provisions; (b) any document, instrument or agreement includes any amendments, waivers and other modifications, extensions or renewals (to the extent not prohibited by the Loan Documents); (c) any section mean, unless the context otherwise requires, a section of this Agreement; (d) any exhibits or schedules mean, unless the context otherwise requires, exhibits and schedules attached hereto, which are hereby incorporated by reference; (e) any Person includes its successors and assigns; (f) time of day mean time of day at Agent’s notice address under Section 14.3.1 ; or (g) except as expressly provided, discretion of Agent, Issuing Bank or any Lender mean the sole and absolute discretion of such Person. All calculations of Value, fundings of Loans, issuances of Letters of Credit and

 

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payments of Obligations shall be in Dollars (except as otherwise expressly provided herein) and, unless the context otherwise requires, all determinations (including calculations of Borrowing Base and financial covenants) made from time to time under the Loan Documents shall be made in light of the circumstances existing at such time. Borrowing Base calculations shall be consistent with historical methods of valuation and calculation, and otherwise satisfactory to Agent (and not necessarily calculated in accordance with GAAP). The Loan Parties shall have the burden of establishing any alleged negligence, misconduct or lack of good faith by Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender under any Loan Documents. No provision of any Loan Documents shall be construed against any party by reason of such party having, or being deemed to have, drafted the provision. Whenever the phrase “to the best of a Loan Parties’ knowledge” or words of similar import are used in any Loan Documents, it means actual knowledge of a Senior Officer of a Loan Party. Whenever any payment, certificate, notice or other delivery shall be stated to be due on a day other than a Business Day, the due date for such payment or delivery shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day, and such extension of time shall in such case be included in the computation of interest or fees, as the case may be; provided , however , that if such extension would cause payment of interest on or principal of any LIBOR Loan to be made in the next calendar month, such payment shall be made on the immediately preceding Business Day.

1.5 Interpretation (Quebec) . For purposes of any Collateral located in the Province of Quebec or charged by any deed of hypothec (or any other Loan Document) and for all other purposes pursuant to which the interpretation or construction of a Loan Document may be subject to the laws of the Province of Quebec or a court or tribunal exercising jurisdiction in the Province of Québec, (q) “personal property” shall be deemed to include “movable property”, (r) “real property” shall be deemed to include “immovable property”, (s) “tangible property” shall be deemed to include “corporeal property”, (t) “intangible property” shall be deemed to include “incorporeal property”, (u) “security interest” and “mortgage” shall be deemed to include a “hypothec”, (v) all references to filing, registering or recording under the UCC or the PPSA shall be deemed to include publication under the Civil Code of Québec, (w) all references to “perfection” of or “perfected” Liens shall be deemed to include a reference to the “opposability” of such Liens to third parties, (x) any “right of offset”, “right of setoff” or similar expression shall be deemed to include a “right of compensation”, (y) “goods” shall be deemed to include “corporeal movable property” other than chattel paper, documents of title, instruments, money and securities, and (z) an “agent” shall be deemed to include a “mandatory”.

SECTION 2. CREDIT FACILITIES

2.1 Commitment .

2.1.1 Revolver Loans .

(a) U.S. Revolver Loans to the U.S. Borrower . Each U.S. Lender agrees, severally and not jointly with the other U.S. Lenders, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, to make U.S. Revolver Loans to the U.S. Borrower on any Business Day during the period from the Closing Date to the U.S. Revolver Commitment Termination Date, not to exceed in aggregate principal amount outstanding at any time such U.S. Lender’s U.S. Revolver Commitment at such time, which U.S. Revolver Loans may be repaid and reborrowed in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement; provided , however, that such U.S. Lenders shall have no obligation to the U.S. Borrower whatsoever to honor any request for a U.S.

 

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Revolver Loan on or after the U.S. Revolver Commitment Termination Date or if the amount of the proposed U.S. Revolver Loan exceeds U.S. Availability on the proposed funding date for such U.S. Revolver Loan. Each Borrowing of U.S. Revolver Loans shall be funded by U.S. Lenders on a Pro Rata basis. The U.S. Revolver Loans shall bear interest as set forth in Section 3.1 . Each U.S. Revolver Loan shall, at the option of the U.S. Borrower, be made or continued as, or converted into, part of one or more Borrowings that, unless specifically provided herein, shall consist entirely of U.S. Base Rate Loans or LIBOR Loans. The U.S. Revolver Loans shall be repaid in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and shall be secured by all of the U.S. Facility Collateral. Each U.S. Revolver Loan shall be funded in Dollars or, at the option of the U.S Borrower, Euros and repaid in the same currency as the underlying U.S. Revolver Loan was made; provided , however, that the aggregate amount of U.S. Revolver Loans that may be denominated in Euros shall not exceed the Dollar Equivalent of $10,000,000 less the Dollar Equivalent of the outstanding U.S. LC Obligations (excluding amounts specified in clause (c)  of such definition) denominated in Euros and Sterling; provided , further , however, U.S. Revolver Loans denominated in Euros shall consist entirely of LIBOR Loans.

(b) Canadian Revolver Loans to Canadian Borrower . Each Canadian Lender agrees, severally and not jointly with the other Canadian Lenders, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, to make Canadian Revolver Loans to the Canadian Borrower on any Business Day during the period from the Closing Date to the Canadian Revolver Commitment Termination Date, not to exceed in aggregate principal amount outstanding at any time, such Canadian Lender’s Canadian Revolver Commitment at such time, which Canadian Revolver Loans may be repaid and reborrowed in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement; provided , however, that Canadian Lenders shall have no obligation to the Canadian Borrower whatsoever to honor any request for a Canadian Revolver Loan on or after the Canadian Revolver Commitment Termination Date or if the amount of the proposed Canadian Revolver Loan exceeds Canadian Availability on the proposed funding date for such Canadian Revolver Loan. Each Borrowing of Canadian Revolver Loans shall be funded by Canadian Lenders on a Pro Rata basis. The Canadian Revolver Loans shall bear interest as set forth in Section 3.1 . Each Canadian Revolver Loan shall, at the option of the Canadian Borrower, be made or continued as, or converted into, part of one or more Borrowings that, unless specifically provided herein, shall consist entirely of Canadian Prime Rate Loans or Canadian BA Rate Loans if denominated in Canadian Dollars, or Canadian Base Rate Loans or LIBOR Loans if denominated in Dollars. The Canadian Revolver Loans shall be repaid in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and shall be secured by all of the Canadian Facility Collateral. Each Canadian Revolver Loan shall be funded in Canadian Dollars or, at the option of the Canadian Borrower, Dollars and repaid in the same currency as the underlying Canadian Revolver Loan was made.

(c) Cap on Total Revolver Exposure . Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section 2.1.1 , in no event shall any Borrower be entitled to receive a Revolver Loan if at the time of the proposed funding of such Loan (and after giving effect thereto and the application of the proceeds thereof and all pending requests for Loans), the Total Revolver Exposure exceeds (or would exceed) the lesser of the Maximum Facility Amount and the Commitments.

2.1.2 Revolver Notes . The Revolver Loans made by each Lender and interest accruing thereon shall be evidenced by the records of Agent and such Lender. At the request of any Lender, the Borrower to which such Lender has extended Commitments shall deliver a Revolver Note to such Lender in the amount of such Lender’s aggregate U.S. or Canadian Revolver Commitment, as applicable.

 

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2.1.3 Use of Proceeds . The proceeds of Revolver Loans shall be used by the Borrowers solely (a) to repay, in combination with other cash of the Borrowers, the Borrowers’ and the other Bankruptcy Debtors’ existing indebtedness outstanding on the Closing Date, including the outstanding obligations under the Prepetition Agreement and the DIP Agreement (in each case, to the extent required under the Reorganization Plans), (b) to otherwise enable the Borrowers to consummate the U.S. Plan on the U.S. Effective Date, and the Canadian Borrower to consummate the Canadian Plan on the Canadian Effective Date, (c) to pay certain unsecured claims, administrative expenses and administrative claims as contemplated by the Reorganization Plans, (d) to fund certain fees and expenses associated with the consummation of the U.S. Plan and the Canadian Plan, including those relating to the credit facilities provided by the Lenders pursuant to this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, (e) to issue standby or commercial letters of credit, and (f) to finance ongoing working capital needs and other lawful general corporate purposes of the Borrowers and their Subsidiaries.

2.1.4 Reduction or Termination of Commitments; Increase of Commitments .

(a) The Canadian Revolver Commitments shall terminate on the Canadian Revolver Commitment Termination Date and the U.S. Revolver Commitments shall terminate on the U.S. Revolver Commitment Termination Date, in each case, unless sooner terminated in accordance with this Agreement. Upon at least three (3) Business Days’ prior written notice to Agent from Loan Party Agent, (i) the U.S. Borrower may, at its option, terminate the U.S. Revolver Commitments and this credit facility and/or (ii) the Canadian Borrower may, at its option, terminate the Canadian Revolver Commitment, in each case, without premium or penalty (other than funding losses payable pursuant to Section 3.9 ). If the U.S. Borrower elects to reduce to zero (0) or terminate the U.S. Revolver Commitments pursuant to the previous sentence, the Canadian Revolver Commitments shall automatically terminate concurrently with the termination of the U.S. Revolver Commitments. Any notice of termination given by the Borrowers pursuant to this Section 2.1.4 shall be irrevocable; provided , however , that notice may be contingent on the occurrence of a refinancing or the consummation of a sale, transfer, lease or other disposition of assets and may be revoked or the termination date deferred if the refinancing or sale, transfer, lease or other disposition of assets does not occur. On the Canadian Revolver Commitment Termination Date, the Canadian Borrower (and other Canadian Facility Loan Parties, if applicable) shall make Full Payment of all Canadian Facility Obligations. On the U.S. Revolver Commitment Termination Date, the U.S. Borrower (and other U.S. Facility Loan Parties, if applicable) shall make Full Payment of all U.S. Facility Obligations.

(b) So long as (i) no Default or Event of Default then exists or would result therefrom, (ii) no U.S. Overadvance or Canadian Overadvance then exists or would result therefrom, and (iii) after giving effect thereto, U.S. Availability would exceed $10,000,000, Loan Party Agent may permanently and irrevocably reduce the Maximum Facility Amount by giving Agent at least three (3) Business Days’ prior irrevocable written notice thereof from a Senior Officer of Loan Party Agent, which notice shall (1) specify the date (which shall be a Business Day) and amount of such reduction (which shall be in a minimum amount of $5,000,000 and increments of $1,000,000 in excess thereof), (2) specify the allocation of such reduction to, and the corresponding reductions of, each of the Maximum Canadian Facility Amount and/or the

 

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Maximum U.S. Facility Amount (and the respective Canadian Revolver Commitments and the U.S. Revolver Commitments in respect thereof, each of which shall be allocated to Lenders among the Borrowers on a Pro Rata basis at the time of such reduction) and (3) certify the satisfaction of the conditions specified in the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii) and this clause (iii) (including calculations thereof in reasonable detail) as of the effective date of any such proposed reduction; provided , however , that such notice may be contingent on the occurrence of a refinancing or incurrence of Debt permitted under Section 10.2.1 or consummation of a sale, transfer, lease or other disposition of assets and may be revoked or the reduction date deferred if the refinancing, incurrence or sale, transfer, lease or other disposition of assets does not occur. Without limiting the foregoing, (A) each reduction in the Maximum Canadian Facility Amount and the Canadian Revolver Commitments shall in no event exceed Canadian Availability and be in a minimum amount of $5,000,000, and (B) each reduction in the Maximum U.S. Facility Amount and the U.S. Revolver Commitments shall in no event exceed U.S. Availability and be in a minimum amount of $5,000,000.

(c) Provided no Default or Event of Default then exists or would result therefrom, upon notice to Agent (which shall promptly notify all Applicable Lenders), the Loan Party Agent may from time to time, request an increase in the U.S. Revolver Commitments or the Canadian Revolver Commitments, as applicable, by an amount not exceeding $25,000,000 in the aggregate (resulting in maximum total Facility Commitments of $150,000,000) during the term of this Agreement; provided that (i) any such request for an increase shall be in a minimum amount of $5,000,000 and (ii) the Loan Party Agent may make a maximum of two (2) such requests in the aggregate (resulting in a maximum of two (2) total increases) during the term of this Agreement. At the time of sending such notice, a requesting Borrower (in consultation with Agent) shall specify the time period within which the Applicable Lenders are requested to respond (which shall in no event be less than ten (10) Business Days from the date of delivery of such notice to such Lenders).

(d) Each Applicable Lender shall notify Agent within such time period whether or not it agrees to increase its Facility Commitment to the Loan Party Agent and, if so, whether by an amount equal to, greater than, or less than its Pro Rata Share of such requested increase. Any Applicable Lender not responding within such time period shall be deemed to have declined to increase its Facility Commitment.

(e) Agent shall notify the Loan Party Agent and each Applicable Lender of such Applicable Lenders’ responses to each request made hereunder. To achieve the full amount of a requested increase, and subject to the approval of Agent and the applicable Issuing Bank (which approvals, so long as no Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, shall not be unreasonably withheld), the Loan Party Agent may also invite additional Eligible Assignees to become Lenders pursuant to a joinder agreement in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Agent and its counsel.

(f) If the U.S. Revolver Commitments or the Canadian Revolver Commitments are increased in accordance with this Section, Agent and the Loan Party Agent shall determine the effective date (the “ Facility Commitment Increase Effective Date ”) and the final allocation of such increase. Agent shall promptly notify the Loan Party Agent and the Applicable Lenders (and any additional Lender added pursuant to Section 2.1.4(e)) of the final allocation of such increase and the Facility Commitment Increase Effective Date.

 

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(g) As a condition precedent to such increase, the Loan Party Agent shall deliver to Agent a certificate of each Loan Party dated as of the Facility Commitment Increase Effective Date (in sufficient copies for each Lender) signed by a Senior Officer of such Loan Party (i) certifying and attaching the resolutions adopted by such Loan Party approving or consenting to such increase, and (ii) in the case of the Borrowers, certifying that, before and after giving effect to such increase, (A) the representations and warranties contained in Section 9 and the other Loan Documents are true and correct in all material respects (or, with respect to representations and warranties qualified by materiality, in all respects) on and as of the Facility Commitment Increase Effective Date (except for representations and warranties that expressly relate to an earlier date, in which case such representations and warranties shall be true and correct in all material respects (or, with respect to representations and warranties qualified by materiality, in all respects) as of such earlier date), and except that for purposes of this Section 2.1.4 , the representations and warranties contained in Section 9.1.8(a) shall be deemed to refer to the most recent statements furnished pursuant to clauses (a)  and (b)  of Section 10.1.2 , and (B) no Default exists. The requesting Borrower shall prepay any Revolving Loans of such Borrower outstanding on the Facility Commitment Increase Effective Date (and pay any additional amounts required pursuant to Section 3.9 ) to the extent necessary to keep the outstanding Revolving Loans of such Borrower ratable with any revised Pro Rata Share arising from any nonratable increase in the Facility Commitments under this Section.

(h) No consent shall be required of any Lender not increasing its Facility Commitments in connection with an increase of the Facility Commitments in accordance with this Section 2.1.4 , and the Borrowers, Agent and each Lender shall enter into such amendments to the Loan Documents as may be reasonably requested by the Loan Party Agent and Agent to make conforming changes consistent with this Section 2.1.4 .

(g) This Section shall supersede any provisions in Section 14.1 to the contrary.

2.1.5 Overadvances .

(a) If at any time (a) the Canadian Revolver Exposure exceeds the Canadian Borrowing Base (a “ Canadian Overadvance ”) or (b) the U.S. Revolver Exposure exceeds the U.S. Borrowing Base (a “ U.S. Overadvance ”), the excess amount shall, subject to Section 5.2 and this Section 2.1.5 , be immediately due and payable by the Canadian Borrower or the U.S. Borrower, as applicable on demand by Agent. Unless its authority has been revoked in writing by Required Lenders, Agent may require the Applicable Lenders to honor requests for Overadvance Loans and to forbear from requiring the applicable Borrower to cure an Overadvance, (a) when no Event of Default is known to Agent, as long as (i) the Overadvance does not continue for more than thirty (30) consecutive days (and no Overadvance may exist for at least five (5) consecutive days thereafter before further Overadvance Loans are required), and (ii) the Overadvance is not known by Agent to exceed $2,500,000, with respect to the Canadian Borrower, or $5,000,000, with respect to the U.S. Borrower; and (b) regardless of whether an Event of Default exists, if Agent discovers an Overadvance not previously known by it to exist, as long as from the date of such discovery the Overadvance (i) is not increased by more than $2,500,000, with respect to the Canadian Borrower, or $5,000,000, with respect to the U.S. Borrower, and (ii) does not continue for more than thirty (30) consecutive days. In no event shall Overadvance Loans be required that would cause (i) the Canadian Revolver Exposure to exceed the aggregate Canadian Revolver Commitments or (ii) the U.S. Revolver Exposure to exceed the aggregate U.S. Revolver Commitments. All Canadian Overadvance Loans shall

 

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constitute Canadian Facility Obligations secured by the Canadian Facility Collateral and shall be entitled to all benefits of the Loan Documents. All U.S. Overadvance Loans shall constitute U.S. Facility Obligations secured by the U.S. Facility Collateral and shall be entitled to all benefits of the Loan Documents. No Overadvance shall result in an Event of Default due to a Borrower’s failure to comply with Section 2.1.1 for so long as such Overadvance remains outstanding in accordance with the terms of this paragraph, but solely with respect to the amount of such Overadvance. In no event shall any Borrower or other Loan Party be deemed a beneficiary of this Section nor authorized to enforce any of its terms. Agent agrees to use its commercially reasonable best efforts to promptly notify the Lenders of the issuance of an Overadvance Loan; provided, that Agent shall have no liability for any failure to provide any such notice.

2.1.6 Protective Advances . Agent shall be authorized, in its discretion, at any time that any conditions in Section 6 are not satisfied, to make U.S. Base Rate Revolver Loans and Canadian Prime Rate Loans, as applicable (each a “ Protective Advance ”) (a) up to an aggregate amount of $2,500,000, with respect to the Canadian Borrower, or $5,000,000, with respect to the U.S. Borrower, outstanding at any time, if Agent deems such Loans necessary or desirable to preserve or protect Collateral, or to enhance the collectability or repayment of Obligations; or (b) to pay any other amounts chargeable to the Loan Parties under any Loan Documents, including costs, fees and expenses. Each Applicable Lender shall participate in each Protective Advance on a Pro Rata basis. In no event shall Protective Advances be required that would cause (x) the outstanding U.S. Revolver Loans and U.S. LC Obligations to exceed the aggregate U.S. Commitments or (y) the outstanding Canadian Revolver Loans and Canadian LC Obligations to exceed the aggregate Canadian Commitments. Required Facility Lenders may at any time revoke Agent’s authority to make further Protective Advances to the applicable Borrower by written notice to Agent. Absent such revocation, Agent’s determination that funding of a Protective Advance is appropriate shall be conclusive. All Protective Advances made by Agent with respect to U.S. Facility Loan Parties shall be U.S. Facility Obligations, secured by the U.S. Facility Collateral and shall be treated for all purposes as Extraordinary Expenses and all Protective Advances made by Agent with respect to Canadian Facility Loan Parties shall be Canadian Facility Obligations, secured by the Canadian Facility Collateral and shall be treated for all purposes as Extraordinary Expenses. Agent agrees to use its commercially reasonable best efforts to promptly notify the Lenders of the extension of a Protective Advance; provided, that Agent shall have no liability for any failure to provide any such notice.

2.2 U.S. Letter of Credit Facility .

2.2.1 Issuance of Letters of Credit . U.S. Issuing Bank agrees to issue Letters of Credit for the account of the U.S. Borrower (“ U.S. Letters of Credit ”) from time to time until fifteen (15) days prior to the Facility Termination Date (or until the U.S. Revolver Commitment Termination Date, if earlier), on the terms set forth herein, including the following:

(a) U.S. Borrower acknowledges that U.S. Issuing Bank’s willingness to issue any U.S. Letter of Credit is conditioned upon U.S. Issuing Bank’s receipt of an LC Application with respect to the requested U.S. Letter of Credit, as well as such other instruments and agreements as U.S. Issuing Bank may customarily require for issuance of a letter of credit of similar type and amount. U.S. Issuing Bank shall have no obligation to issue any U.S. Letter of Credit unless (i) U.S. Issuing Bank receives an LC Request and LC Application at least three (3)

 

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Business Days prior to the requested date of issuance; (ii) each LC Condition is satisfied; and (iii) if a Defaulting Lender that is a U.S. Lender exists, such Defaulting Lender or the U.S. Borrower have entered into arrangements satisfactory to Agent and U.S. Issuing Bank to eliminate any funding risk associated with such Defaulting Lender (it being understood that Cash Collateralization of a Defaulting Lender’s Pro Rata share of the requested U.S. Letter of Credit is satisfactory to Agent and U.S. Issuing Bank). If U.S. Issuing Bank receives written notice from a U.S. Lender at least five (5) Business Days before issuance of a U.S. Letter of Credit that any LC Condition has not been satisfied, U.S. Issuing Bank shall have no obligation to issue the requested U.S. Letter of Credit (or any other) until such notice is withdrawn in writing by that Lender or until the Required Facility Lenders have waived such condition in accordance with this Agreement. Prior to receipt of any such notice, U.S. Issuing Bank shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any failure of LC Conditions.

(b) Letters of Credit may be requested by the U.S. Borrower only (i) to support obligations of a Loan Party or Subsidiary incurred in the Ordinary Course of Business; or (ii) for other purposes as Agent may approve from time to time in writing. The renewal or extension of any U.S. Letter of Credit shall be treated as the issuance of a new U.S. Letter of Credit, except that delivery of a new LC Application may be required at the discretion of U.S. Issuing Bank.

(c) The U.S. Borrower assumes all risks of the acts, omissions or misuses by the beneficiary of any U.S. Letter of Credit. In connection with issuance of any U.S. Letter of Credit, none of Agent, U.S. Issuing Bank or any U.S. Lender shall be responsible for the existence, character, quality, quantity, condition, packing, value or delivery of any goods purported to be represented by any Documents; any differences or variation in the character, quality, quantity, condition, packing, value or delivery of any goods from that expressed in any Documents; the form, validity, sufficiency, accuracy, genuineness or legal effect of any Documents or of any endorsements thereon; the time, place, manner or order in which shipment of goods is made; partial or incomplete shipment of, or failure to ship, any goods referred to in a U.S. Letter of Credit or Documents; any deviation from instructions, delay, default or fraud by any shipper or other Person in connection with any goods, shipment or delivery; any breach of contract between a shipper or vendor and the U.S. Borrower; errors, omissions, interruptions or delays in transmission or delivery of any messages, by mail, cable, telegraph, telex, telecopy, e-mail, telephone or otherwise; errors in interpretation of technical terms; the misapplication by a beneficiary of any U.S. Letter of Credit or the proceeds thereof; or any consequences arising from causes beyond the control of U.S. Issuing Bank, Agent or any U.S. Lender, including any act or omission of a Governmental Authority. The rights and remedies of U.S. Issuing Bank under the Loan Documents shall be cumulative. U.S. Issuing Bank shall be fully subrogated to the rights and remedies of each beneficiary whose claims against the U.S. Borrower are discharged with proceeds of any U.S. Letter of Credit issued for the account of the U.S. Borrower.

(d) In connection with its administration of and enforcement of rights or remedies under any Letters of Credit or LC Documents, U.S. Issuing Bank shall be entitled to act, and shall be fully protected in acting, upon any certification, documentation or communication in whatever form believed by U.S. Issuing Bank, in good faith, to be genuine and correct and to have been signed, sent or made by a proper Person. U.S. Issuing Bank may consult with and employ legal counsel, accountants and other experts to advise it concerning its obligations, rights and remedies, and shall be entitled to act upon, and shall be fully protected in any action

 

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taken in good faith reliance upon, any advice given by such experts. U.S. Issuing Bank may employ agents and attorneys-in-fact in connection with any matter relating to Letters of Credit or LC Documents, and shall not be liable for the negligence or misconduct of agents and attorneys-in-fact selected with reasonable care.

(e) If the U.S. Borrower so requests in any applicable Letter of Credit application, U.S. Issuing Bank may, in its discretion, agree to issue a Letter of Credit that has automatic extension provisions (each, a “ U.S. Auto-Extension Letter of Credit ”); provided that any such U.S. Auto-Extension Letter of Credit must permit U.S. Issuing Bank to prevent any such extension at least once in each twelve-month period (commencing with the date of issuance of such Letter of Credit) by giving prior notice to the beneficiary thereof not later than a day (the “ U.S. Non-Extension Notice Date ”) in each such twelve-month period to be agreed upon at the time such Letter of Credit is issued. Unless otherwise directed by U.S. Issuing Bank, the U.S. Borrower shall not be required to make a specific request to the Issuing Bank for any such extension. Once a U.S. Auto-Extension Letter of Credit has been issued, the U.S. Lenders shall be deemed to have authorized (but may not require) U.S. Issuing Bank to permit the extension of such Letter of Credit at any time to an expiry date at least 15 Business Days prior to the Facility Termination Date; provided , however , that U.S. Issuing Bank shall not permit any such extension if (A) U.S. Issuing Bank has determined that it would not be permitted, or would have no obligation at such time to issue such Letter of Credit in its revised form (as extended) under the terms hereof, or (B) it has received notice (which may be by telephone or in writing) on or before the day that is seven Business Days before the U.S. Non-Extension Notice Date (1) from Agent that the Required Lenders have elected not to permit such extension or (2) from Agent, any Lender or the U.S. Borrower that one or more of the applicable conditions specified in Section 6.2 is not then satisfied, and in each such case directing U.S. Issuing Bank not to permit such extension.

(f) By their execution of this Agreement, the parties hereto agree that on the Closing Date (without any further action by any Person), the Existing Letters of Credit as listed on Schedule 1(c) shall be deemed to have been issued by U.S. Issuing Bank under this Agreement and the rights and obligations of U.S. Issuing Bank and the account party thereunder shall be subject to the terms hereof.

2.2.2 U.S. Letters of Credit: Reimbursement and Participations .

(a) If U.S. Issuing Bank honors any request for payment under a U.S. Letter of Credit, the U.S. Borrower shall pay to U.S. Issuing Bank, on the same day (“ U.S. Reimbursement Date ”), the amount paid by U.S. Issuing Bank under such U.S. Letter of Credit, together with interest at the interest rate for U.S. Base Rate Loans from the U.S. Reimbursement Date until payment by the U.S. Borrower. The obligation of the U.S. Borrower to reimburse U.S. Issuing Bank for any payment made under a U.S. Letter of Credit shall be absolute, unconditional and irrevocable, and shall be paid without regard to any lack of validity or enforceability of any such U.S. Letter of Credit or the existence of any claim, setoff, defense or other right that the U.S. Borrower or any other U.S. Domiciled Loan Parties may have at any time against the beneficiary. Whether or not Loan Party Agent submits a Notice of Borrowing, the U.S. Borrower shall be deemed to have requested a Borrowing of U.S. Base Rate Loans in an amount necessary to pay all amounts due U.S. Issuing Bank on any U.S. Reimbursement Date and each U.S. Lender agrees to fund its Pro Rata share of such Borrowing whether or not the U.S. Revolver Commitments have terminated, any U.S. Overadvance exists or is created thereby, or the conditions in Section 6 are satisfied.

 

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(b) Upon issuance of a U.S. Letter of Credit, or in the case of the Existing Letters of Credit, on the Closing Date, each U.S. Lender shall be deemed to have irrevocably and unconditionally purchased from U.S. Issuing Bank, without recourse or warranty, an undivided Pro Rata interest and participation in all U.S. LC Obligations (excluding amounts specified in clause (c)  of such definition) relating to such U.S. Letter of Credit. If U.S. Issuing Bank makes any payment under a U.S. Letter of Credit for the account of the U.S. Borrower and the U.S. Borrower does not reimburse such payment on the U.S. Reimbursement Date, Agent shall promptly notify U.S. Lenders and each U.S. Lender shall promptly (within one (1) Business Day) and unconditionally pay to Agent, for the benefit of U.S. Issuing Bank, such U.S. Lender’s Pro Rata share of such payment. Upon request by a U.S. Lender, U.S. Issuing Bank shall furnish copies of any Letters of Credit and LC Documents in its possession at such time.

(c) The obligation of each U.S. Lender to make payments to Agent for the account of U.S. Issuing Bank in connection with U.S. Issuing Bank’s payment under a U.S. Letter of Credit shall be absolute, unconditional and irrevocable, not subject to any counterclaim, setoff, qualification or exception whatsoever, and shall be made in accordance with this Agreement under all circumstances, irrespective of any lack of validity or unenforceability of any Loan Documents; any draft, certificate or other document presented under a U.S. Letter of Credit having been determined to be forged, fraudulent, invalid or insufficient in any respect or any statement therein being untrue or inaccurate in any respect; or the existence of any setoff or defense that any Loan Party may have with respect to any Obligations. U.S. Issuing Bank does not assume any responsibility for any failure or delay in performance or any breach by the U.S. Borrower or any other Person of any obligations under any LC Documents. U.S. Issuing Bank does not make to U.S. Lenders any express or implied warranty, representation or guarantee with respect to the U.S. Facility Collateral, LC Documents or any U.S. Facility Loan Party. U.S. Issuing Bank shall not be responsible to any U.S. Lender for any recitals, statements, information, representations or warranties contained in, or for the execution, validity, genuineness, effectiveness or enforceability of any LC Documents; the validity, genuineness, enforceability, collectability, value or sufficiency of any U.S. Facility Collateral or the perfection of any Lien therein; or the assets, liabilities, financial condition, results of operations, business, creditworthiness or legal status of any U.S. Facility Loan Party.

(d) No Issuing Bank Indemnitee shall be liable to any Loan Party or other Person for any action taken or omitted to be taken in connection with any LC Documents except as a result of U.S. Issuing Bank’s actual gross negligence or willful misconduct, as determined by a final, non-appealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction. U.S. Issuing Bank shall not have any liability to any U.S. Lender if U.S. Issuing Bank refrains from any action under any U.S. Letter of Credit or LC Documents until it receives written instructions from Required Facility Lenders of the U.S. Borrower.

2.2.3 Cash Collateral . If any U.S. LC Obligations, whether or not then due or payable, shall for any reason be outstanding at any time (a) that an Event of Default exists, (b) that a U.S. Overadvance exists, (c) after the U.S. Revolver Commitment Termination Date, or (d) within twenty (20) Business Days prior to the Facility Termination Date, then the U.S. Borrower shall, at U.S. Issuing Bank’s or Agent’s request, Cash Collateralize the stated amount of all outstanding Letters of Credit issued for the account of the U.S. Borrower and pay to U.S. Issuing

 

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Bank the amount of all other U.S. LC Obligations. The U.S. Borrower shall, on demand by U.S. Issuing Bank or Agent from time to time, Cash Collateralize the U.S. LC Obligations of any Defaulting Lender that is a U.S. Lender. If the U.S. Borrower fails to provide any Cash Collateral as required hereunder, U.S. Lenders may (and shall upon direction of Agent) advance, as U.S. Revolver Loans, the amount of the Cash Collateral required (whether or not the U.S. Revolver Commitments have terminated, any U.S. Overadvance exists or is created thereby or the conditions in Section 6 are satisfied).

2.3 Canadian Letter of Credit Facility .

2.3.1 Issuance of Letters of Credit . Canadian Issuing Bank agrees to issue Letters of Credit for the account of the Canadian Borrower (“ Canadian Letters of Credit ”) from time to time until fifteen (15) days prior to the Facility Termination Date (or until the Canadian Revolver Commitment Termination Date, if earlier), on the terms set forth herein, including the following:

(a) The Canadian Borrower acknowledges that Canadian Issuing Bank’s willingness to issue any Canadian Letter of Credit is conditioned upon Canadian Issuing Bank’s receipt of an LC Application with respect to the requested Canadian Letter of Credit, as well as such other instruments and agreements as Canadian Issuing Bank may customarily require for issuance of a letter of credit of similar type and amount. Canadian Issuing Bank shall have no obligation to issue any Canadian Letter of Credit unless (i) Canadian Issuing Bank receives an LC Request and LC Application at least three (3) Business Days prior to the requested date of issuance; (ii) each LC Condition is satisfied; and (iii) if a Defaulting Lender that is a Canadian Lender exists, such Defaulting Lender or the Canadian Borrower have entered into arrangements satisfactory to Agent and Canadian Issuing Bank to eliminate any funding risk associated with such Defaulting Lender (it being understood that Cash Collateralization of a Defaulting Lender’s Pro Rata share of the requested Canadian Letter of Credit is satisfactory to Agent and Canadian Issuing Bank). If Canadian Issuing Bank receives written notice from a Canadian Lender at least five (5) Business Days before issuance of a Canadian Letter of Credit that any LC Condition has not been satisfied, Canadian Issuing Bank shall have no obligation to issue the requested Canadian Letter of Credit (or any other) until such notice is withdrawn in writing by that Lender or until the Required Facility Lenders have waived such condition in accordance with this Agreement. Prior to receipt of any such notice, Canadian Issuing Bank shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any failure of LC Conditions.

(b) Letters of Credit may be requested by Loan Party Agent for the account of Canadian Borrower only (i) to support obligations of a Loan Party or Subsidiary incurred in the Ordinary Course of Business; or (ii) for other purposes as Agent may approve from time to time in writing. The renewal or extension of any Canadian Letter of Credit shall be treated as the issuance of a new Canadian Letter of Credit, except that delivery of a new LC Application may be required at the discretion of Canadian Issuing Bank.

(c) The Canadian Borrower assumes all risks of the acts, omissions or misuses by the beneficiary of any Canadian Letter of Credit. In connection with issuance of any Canadian Letter of Credit, none of Agent, Canadian Issuing Bank or any Canadian Lender shall be responsible for the existence, character, quality, quantity, condition, packing, value or delivery of any goods purported to be represented by any Documents; any differences or variation in the character, quality, quantity, condition, packing, value or delivery of any goods from that

 

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expressed in any Documents; the form, validity, sufficiency, accuracy, genuineness or legal effect of any Documents or of any endorsements thereon; the time, place, manner or order in which shipment of goods is made; partial or incomplete shipment of, or failure to ship, any goods referred to in a Canadian Letter of Credit or Documents; any deviation from instructions, delay, default or fraud by any shipper or other Person in connection with any goods, shipment or delivery; any breach of contract between a shipper or vendor and the Canadian Borrower; errors, omissions, interruptions or delays in transmission or delivery of any messages, by mail, cable, telegraph, telex, telecopy, e-mail, telephone or otherwise; errors in interpretation of technical terms; the misapplication by a beneficiary of any Canadian Letter of Credit or the proceeds thereof; or any consequences arising from causes beyond the control of Canadian Issuing Bank, Agent or any Canadian Lender, including any act or omission of a Governmental Authority. The rights and remedies of Canadian Issuing Bank under the Loan Documents shall be cumulative. Canadian Issuing Bank shall be fully subrogated to the rights and remedies of each beneficiary whose claims against the Canadian Borrower are discharged with proceeds of any Canadian Letter of Credit issued for the account of the Canadian Borrower.

(d) In connection with its administration of and enforcement of rights or remedies under any Letters of Credit or LC Documents, Canadian Issuing Bank shall be entitled to act, and shall be fully protected in acting, upon any certification, documentation or communication in whatever form believed by Canadian Issuing Bank, in good faith, to be genuine and correct and to have been signed, sent or made by a proper Person. Canadian Issuing Bank may consult with and employ legal counsel, accountants and other experts to advise it concerning its obligations, rights and remedies, and shall be entitled to act upon, and shall be fully protected in any action taken in good faith reliance upon, any advice given by such experts. Canadian Issuing Bank may employ agents and attorneys-in-fact in connection with any matter relating to Letters of Credit or LC Documents, and shall not be liable for the negligence or misconduct of agents and attorneys-in-fact selected with reasonable care.

(e) If the Canadian Borrower so requests in any applicable Letter of Credit application, Canadian Issuing Bank may, in its discretion, agree to issue a Letter of Credit that has automatic extension provisions (each, a “ Canadian Auto-Extension Letter of Credit ”); provided that any such Canadian Auto-Extension Letter of Credit must permit Canadian Issuing Bank to prevent any such extension at least once in each twelve-month period (commencing with the date of issuance of such Letter of Credit) by giving prior notice to the beneficiary thereof not later than a day (the “ Canadian Non-Extension Notice Date ”) in each such twelve-month period to be agreed upon at the time such Letter of Credit is issued. Unless otherwise directed by Canadian Issuing Bank, the Canadian Borrower shall not be required to make a specific request to the Issuing Bank for any such extension. Once a Canadian Auto-Extension Letter of Credit has been issued, the Canadian Lenders shall be deemed to have authorized (but may not require) Canadian Issuing Bank to permit the extension of such Letter of Credit at any time to an expiry date at least 15 Business Days prior to the Facility Termination Date; provided , however , that Canadian Issuing Bank shall not permit any such extension if (A) Canadian Issuing Bank has determined that it would not be permitted, or would have no obligation at such time to issue such Letter of Credit in its revised form (as extended) under the terms hereof, or (B) it has received notice (which may be by telephone or in writing) on or before the day that is seven Business Days before the Canadian Non-Extension Notice Date (1) from Agent that the Required Lenders have elected not to permit such extension or (2) from Agent, any Lender or the Canadian Borrower that one or more of the applicable conditions specified in Section 6.2 is not then satisfied, and in each such case directing Canadian Issuing Bank not to permit such extension.

 

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2.3.2 Canadian Letters of Credit: Reimbursement and Participations .

(a) If Canadian Issuing Bank honors any request for payment under a Canadian Letter of Credit, the Canadian Borrower shall pay to Canadian Issuing Bank, on the same day (“ Canadian Reimbursement Date ”), the amount paid by Canadian Issuing Bank under such Canadian Letter of Credit, together with interest at the interest rate for Canadian Base Rate Loans from the Canadian Reimbursement Date until payment by the Canadian Borrower. The obligation of the Canadian Borrower to reimburse Canadian Issuing Bank for any payment made under a Canadian Letter of Credit shall be absolute, unconditional and irrevocable, and shall be paid without regard to any lack of validity or enforceability of any Canadian Letter of Credit or the existence of any claim, setoff, defense or other right that the Canadian Borrower or the Canadian Domiciled Loan Parties may have at any time against the beneficiary. Whether or not Loan Party Agent submits a Notice of Borrowing, the Canadian Borrower shall be deemed to have requested a Borrowing of Canadian Base Rate Loans in an amount necessary to pay all amounts due Canadian Issuing Bank on any Canadian Reimbursement Date and each Canadian Lender agrees to fund its Pro Rata share of such Borrowing whether or not the Canadian Revolver Commitments have terminated, any Canadian Overadvance exists or is created thereby, or the conditions in Section 6 are satisfied.

(b) Upon issuance of a Canadian Letter of Credit, each Canadian Lender shall be deemed to have irrevocably and unconditionally purchased from Canadian Issuing Bank, without recourse or warranty, an undivided Pro Rata interest and participation in all Canadian LC Obligations (excluding amounts specified in clause (c)  of such definition) relating to such Canadian Letter of Credit. If Canadian Issuing Bank makes any payment under a Canadian Letter of Credit for the account of the Canadian Borrower and the Canadian Borrower does not reimburse such payment on the Canadian Reimbursement Date, Agent shall promptly notify Canadian Lenders and each Canadian Lender shall promptly (within one (1) Business Day) and unconditionally pay to Agent, for the benefit of Canadian Issuing Bank, such Canadian Lender’s Pro Rata share of such payment. Upon request by a Canadian Lender, Canadian Issuing Bank shall furnish copies of any Letters of Credit and LC Documents in its possession at such time.

(c) The obligation of each Canadian Lender to make payments to Agent for the account of Canadian Issuing Bank in connection with Canadian Issuing Bank’s payment under a Canadian Letter of Credit shall be absolute, unconditional and irrevocable, not subject to any counterclaim, setoff, qualification or exception whatsoever, and shall be made in accordance with this Agreement under all circumstances, irrespective of any lack of validity or unenforceability of any Loan Documents; any draft, certificate or other document presented under a Canadian Letter of Credit having been determined to be forged, fraudulent, invalid or insufficient in any respect or any statement therein being untrue or inaccurate in any respect; or the existence of any setoff or defense that any Loan Party may have with respect to any Obligations. Canadian Issuing Bank does not assume any responsibility for any failure or delay in performance or any breach by the Canadian Borrower or any other Person of any obligations under any LC Documents. Canadian Issuing Bank does not make to Canadian Lenders any express or implied warranty, representation or guarantee with respect to the Canadian Facility Collateral, LC Documents or any Canadian Facility Loan Party. Canadian Issuing Bank shall

 

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not be responsible to any Canadian Lender for any recitals, statements, information, representations or warranties contained in, or for the execution, validity, genuineness, effectiveness or enforceability of any LC Documents; the validity, genuineness, enforceability, collectability, value or sufficiency of any Canadian Facility Collateral or the perfection of any Lien therein; or the assets, liabilities, financial condition, results of operations, business, creditworthiness or legal status of any Canadian Facility Loan Party.

(d) No Issuing Bank Indemnitee shall be liable to any Loan Party or other Person for any action taken or omitted to be taken in connection with any LC Documents except as a result of Canadian Issuing Bank’s actual gross negligence or willful misconduct, as determined by a final, non-appealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction. Canadian Issuing Bank shall not have any liability to any Canadian Lender if Canadian Issuing Bank refrains from any action under any Canadian Letter of Credit or LC Documents until it receives written instructions from Required Facility Lenders of the Canadian Borrower.

2.3.3 Cash Collateral . If any Canadian LC Obligations, whether or not then due or payable, shall for any reason be outstanding at any time (a) that an Event of Default exists, (b) that a Canadian Overadvance exists, (c) after the Canadian Revolver Commitment Termination Date, or (d) within 20 Business Days prior to the Facility Termination Date, then the Canadian Borrower shall, at Canadian Issuing Bank’s or Agent’s request, Cash Collateralize the stated amount of all outstanding Letters of Credit issued for the account of Canadian Borrower and pay to Canadian Issuing Bank the amount of all other Canadian LC Obligations. The Canadian Borrower shall, on demand by Canadian Issuing Bank or Agent from time to time, Cash Collateralize the Canadian LC Obligations of any Defaulting Lender that is a Canadian Lender. If the Canadian Borrower fails to provide any Cash Collateral as required hereunder, Canadian Lenders may (and shall upon direction of Agent) advance, as Canadian Revolver Loans, the amount of the Cash Collateral required (whether or not the Canadian Revolver Commitments have terminated, any Canadian Overadvance exists or is created thereby or the conditions in Section 6 are satisfied).

SECTION 3. INTEREST, FEES AND CHARGES

3.1 Interest .

3.1.1 Rates and Payment of Interest .

(a) The Obligations (excluding Obligations of the type specified in clause (g) of such definition) shall bear interest (i) if a U.S. Base Rate Loan, at the U.S. Base Rate in effect from time to time, plus the Applicable Margin; (ii) if a LIBOR Loan, at LIBOR for the applicable Interest Period, plus the Applicable Margin; (iii) if a Canadian Prime Rate Loan, at the Canadian Prime Rate in effect from time to time, plus the Applicable Margin, (iv) if a Canadian Base Rate Loan, at the Canadian Base Rate in effect from time to time, plus the Applicable Margin, (v) if a Canadian BA Rate Loan, at the Canadian BA Rate for the applicable Interest Period, plus the Applicable Margin, (vi) if any other U.S. Facility Obligation that is then due and payable (including, to the extent permitted by law, interest not paid when due), at the U.S. Base Rate in effect from time to time, plus the Applicable Margin for U.S. Base Rate Loans; and (vii) if any other Canadian Facility Obligation that is then due and payable (including, to the extent permitted by law, interest not paid when due), at the Canadian Prime Rate in effect from time to time, plus the Applicable Margin for Canadian Prime Rate Loans.

 

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Interest shall accrue from the date the Loan is advanced or the Obligation is incurred or payable, until paid by the applicable Borrower. If a Loan is repaid on the same day made, one (1) day’s interest shall accrue.

(b) Interest on the Revolver Loans shall be payable in the currency (i.e., Dollars, Canadian Dollars or Euros, as the case may be) of the underlying Revolver Loan.

(c) Overdue principal, interest and other amounts not paid when due shall bear interest at the Default Rate; provided , however, that during the continuation of any Event of Default, if Required Lenders in their discretion so elect, all Obligations shall bear interest at the Default Rate (whether before or after any judgment); provided further , however, that upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default under Section 11.1(a) or 11.1(i) , the Default Rate shall become immediately applicable to all Obligations without any election of the Required Lenders. Each Loan Party acknowledges that the cost and expense to Agent and Lenders due to an Event of Default are difficult to ascertain and that the Default Rate is a fair and reasonable estimate to compensate Agent and Lenders therefor.

(d) Interest accrued on the Loans shall be due and payable in arrears, (i) for any U.S. Base Rate Loan, Canadian Base Rate Loan or Canadian Prime Rate Loan, on the first (1st) day of each month; (ii) for any LIBOR Loan or Canadian BA Rate Loan, on the last day of its Interest Period and (iii) on any date of prepayment, with respect to the principal amount of Loans being prepaid. In addition, interest accrued on the Canadian Revolver Loans shall be due and payable in arrears on the Canadian Revolver Commitment Termination Date and interest accrued on the U.S. Revolver Loans shall be due and payable in arrears on the U.S. Revolver Commitment Termination Date. Interest accrued on any other Obligations shall be due and payable as provided in the Loan Documents and, if no payment date is specified, shall be due and payable on demand . Notwithstanding the foregoing, interest accrued at the Default Rate shall be due and payable on demand .

3.1.2 Application of LIBOR to Outstanding Loans .

(a) Each Borrower may on any Business Day, subject to delivery of a Notice of Conversion/Continuation and the other terms hereof, elect to convert any portion of the U.S. Base Rate Loans or the Canadian Base Rate Loans, as applicable to, or to continue any LIBOR Loan at the end of its Interest Period as, a LIBOR Loan. During the continuance of any Event of Default, Agent may (and shall at the direction of Required Facility Lenders of the applicable Borrower) declare that no Loan may be made, converted or continued as a LIBOR Loan.

(b) Whenever a Borrower shall desire to convert or continue Loans as LIBOR Loans, Loan Party Agent shall give Agent a Notice of Conversion/Continuation, no later than 11:00 a.m. at least three (3) Business Days prior to the requested conversion or continuation date. Promptly after receiving any such notice, Agent shall notify each Applicable Lender thereof. Each Notice of Conversion/Continuation shall be irrevocable, and shall specify the amount of Loans to be converted or continued, the conversion or continuation date (which shall be a Business Day), and the duration of the Interest Period (which shall be deemed to be one (1) month if not specified). If, upon the expiration of any Interest Period in respect of any LIBOR Loans, Loan Party Agent shall have failed to deliver a Notice of Conversion/Continuation with respect thereto as required above, the applicable Borrower shall be deemed to have elected to convert such Loans into U.S. Base Rate Loans (if owing by the U.S. Borrower) or Canadian Base Rate Loans (if owing by the Canadian Borrower).

 

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3.1.3 Application of Canadian BA Rate to Outstanding Loans .

(a) The Canadian Borrower may on any Business Day, subject to delivery of a Notice of Conversion/Continuation and the other terms hereof, elect to convert any portion of the Canadian Prime Rate Loans, or to continue any Canadian BA Rate Loan at the end of its Interest Period as a Canadian BA Rate Loan; provided , however that such Canadian BA Rate Loans may only be so converted at the end of the Interest Period applicable thereto. During the continuance of any Default or Event of Default, Agent may (and shall at the direction of Required Facility Lenders of the Canadian Borrower) declare that no Loan may be made, converted or continued as a Canadian BA Rate Loan.

(b) Whenever the Canadian Borrower desires to convert or continue Loans as Canadian BA Rate Loans, Loan Party Agent shall give Agent a Notice of Conversion/Continuation, no later than 11:00 a.m. at least three (3) Business Days prior to the requested conversion or continuation date. Promptly after receiving any such notice, Agent shall notify each Canadian Lender thereof. Each Notice of Conversion/Continuation shall be irrevocable, and shall specify the amount of Loans to be converted or continued, the conversion or continuation date (which shall be a Business Day), and the duration of the Interest Period (which shall be deemed to be one (1) month if not specified). If, upon the expiration of any Interest Period in respect of any Canadian BA Rate Loans, Loan Party Agent shall have failed to deliver a Notice of Conversion/Continuation with respect thereto as required above, the Canadian Borrower shall be deemed to have elected to convert such Loans into Canadian Prime Rate Loans.

3.1.4 In connection with the making, conversion or continuation of any LIBOR Loans or Canadian BA Rate Loans, Loan Party Agent, on behalf of the applicable Borrower, shall select an interest period to apply (the “ Interest Period ”), which interest period shall be thirty (30), sixty (60) or ninety (90) days; provided , however , that:

(a) the Interest Period shall commence on the date the Loan is made or continued as, or converted into, a LIBOR Loan or Canadian BA Rate Loan, and shall expire on the numerically corresponding day in the calendar month at its end;

(b) if any Interest Period commences on a day for which there is no corresponding day in the calendar month at its end or if such corresponding day falls after the last Business Day of such month, then the Interest Period shall expire on the last Business Day of such month;

(c) if any Interest Period would expire on a day that is not a Business Day, the period shall expire on the next Business Day; and

(d) no Interest Period shall extend beyond the Facility Termination Date (or, in the case of any Loan owing by the Canadian Borrower, the Canadian Revolver Commitment Termination Date, if earlier).

3.1.5 Interest Rate Not Ascertainable . If Agent shall determine that on any date for determining LIBOR, due to any circumstance affecting the London interbank market,

 

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adequate and fair means do not exist for ascertaining such rate on the basis provided herein, then Agent shall immediately notify Borrower of such determination. Until Agent notifies Borrower that such circumstance no longer exists, the obligation of Lenders to make LIBOR Loans shall be suspended, and no further Loans may be converted into or continued as LIBOR Loans.

3.2 Fees .

3.2.1 Unused Line Fee .

(a) The Canadian Borrower shall pay to Agent, for the Pro Rata benefit of Canadian Lenders, a fee equal to the Canadian Unused Line Fee Rate times the average daily amount by which the Canadian Revolver Commitments exceed the Canadian Revolver Exposure during any month. Such fee shall be payable in arrears, on the first (1st) day of each month and on the Canadian Revolver Commitment Termination Date.

(b) The U.S. Borrower shall pay to Agent, for the Pro Rata benefit of U.S. Lenders, a fee equal to the U.S. Unused Line Fee Rate times the average daily amount by which the U.S. Revolver Commitments exceed the U.S. Revolver Exposure during any month. Such fee shall be payable in arrears, on the first (1st) day of each month and on the U.S. Revolver Commitment Termination Date.

3.2.2 U.S. LC Facility Fees . The U.S. Borrower shall pay (a) to Agent, for the Pro Rata benefit of U.S. Lenders, a fee equal to the per annum rate of the Applicable Margin in effect for LIBOR Loans times the average daily stated amount of U.S. Letters of Credit, which fee shall be payable monthly in arrears, on the first (1st) day of each month; (b) to the applicable U.S. Issuing Bank, for its own account, a fronting fee equal to .125% per annum on the stated amount of each U.S. Letter of Credit issued by such U.S. Issuing Bank, which fee shall be payable monthly in arrears, on the first (1st) day of each month; and (c) to the applicable U.S. Issuing Bank, for its own account, all customary charges associated with the issuance, amending, negotiating, payment, processing, transfer and administration of U.S. Letters of Credit, which charges shall be paid as and when incurred; provided that, for the avoidance of doubt, all amounts payable pursuant to this clause (c)  with respect to the Existing Letters of Credit shall be determined in accordance with the applicable documentation thereto. During an Event of Default, if the Required Lenders so elect (pursuant to Section 3.1.1(c)) the fee payable under clause (a) shall be increased by 2% per annum.

3.2.3 Canadian LC Facility Fees . The Canadian Borrower shall pay (a) to Agent, for the Pro Rata benefit of Canadian Lenders, a fee equal to the per annum rate of the Applicable Margin in effect for LIBOR Loans times the average daily stated amount of Canadian Letters of Credit, which fee shall be payable monthly in arrears, on the first (1st) day of each month; (b) to the applicable Canadian Issuing Bank, for its own account, a fronting fee equal to .125% per annum on the stated amount of each Canadian Letter of Credit issued by such Canadian Issuing Bank, which fee shall be payable monthly in arrears, on the first (1st) day of each month; and (c) to the applicable Canadian Issuing Bank, for its own account, all customary charges associated with the issuance, amending, negotiating, payment, processing, transfer and administration of Canadian Letters of Credit, which charges shall be paid as and when incurred. During an Event of Default if the Required Lenders so elect (pursuant to Section 3.1.1(c)), the fee payable under clause (a) shall be increased by 2% per annum.

 

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3.2.4 Other Fees . The Borrowers shall pay such other fees as described in the Agent Fee Letter.

3.3 Computation of Interest, Fees, Yield Protection . All interest, as well as fees and other charges calculated on a per annum basis, shall be computed for the actual days elapsed, based on a year of three hundred sixty (360) days, or, in the case of interest based on the Canadian Prime Rate or Canadian BA Rate, on the basis of a three hundred sixty five (365) day year. Each determination by Agent of any interest, fees or interest rate hereunder shall be final, conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent manifest error. All fees shall be fully earned when due and shall not be subject to rebate, refund or proration. All fees payable under Section 3.2 are compensation for services and are not, and shall not be deemed to be, interest or any other charge for the use, forbearance or detention of money. A certificate setting forth in reasonable detail amounts payable by any Borrower under Section 3.4, 3.7, 3.9, 5.8.2 or 10.1.1(b), submitted to Loan Party Agent by Agent or the affected Lender or affected Issuing Bank, as applicable, shall be final, conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent manifest error, and the applicable Borrower shall pay such amounts to the appropriate party within ten (10) days following receipt of the certificate. For the purposes of the Interest Act (Canada), the yearly rate of interest to which any rate calculated on the basis of a period of time different from the actual number of days in the year (three hundred sixty (360) days, for example) is equivalent is the stated rate multiplied by the actual number of days in the year (three hundred sixty five (365) or three hundred sixty six (366), as applicable) and divided by the number of days in the shorter period (three hundred sixty (360) days, in the example), and the parties hereto acknowledge that there is a material distinction between the nominal and effective rates of interest and that they are capable of making the calculations necessary to compare such rates and that the calculations herein are to be made using the nominal rate method and not on any basis that gives effect to the principle of deemed reinvestment of interest.

3.4 Reimbursement Obligations . Each Borrower shall reimburse Agent for all Extraordinary Expenses incurred by Agent in reference to such Borrower or its related Loan Party Group Obligations or Collateral of its related Loan Party Group. In addition to such Extraordinary Expenses, each Borrower shall also reimburse Agent for all legal, accounting, appraisal, consulting, and other fees, costs and expenses incurred by it in connection with (a) negotiation and preparation of any Loan Documents, including any amendment or other modification thereof; (b) administration of and actions relating to any Collateral for its Obligations, Loan Documents and transactions contemplated thereby, including any actions taken to perfect or maintain priority of Agent’s Liens on any such Collateral, to maintain any insurance required hereunder or to verify such Collateral; and (c) each inspection, audit or appraisal with respect to any Loan Party within such Borrower’s related Loan Party Group or Collateral securing such Loan Party Group’s Obligations, whether prepared by Agent’s personnel or a third party (subject to Section 10.1.1(b) ). If, for any reason (including inaccurate reporting on financial statements or a Compliance Certificate), it is determined that a higher Applicable Margin should have applied to a period than was actually applied, then the proper margin shall be applied retroactively and the Borrowers shall pay to Agent, for the Pro Rata benefit of Lenders, an amount equal to the difference between the amount of interest and fees that would have accrued using the proper margin and the amount actually paid. All amounts payable by the Borrowers under this Section 3.4 shall be due and payable in accordance with Section 3.3.

 

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3.5 Illegality . If any Lender determines that any Applicable 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 Interest Period Loans, or to determine or charge interest rates based upon LIBOR or the Canadian BA 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, or Canadian Dollars through bankers’ acceptances then, on notice thereof by such Lender to Agent, any obligation of such Lender to make or continue Interest Period Loans or to convert Floating Rate Loans to Interest Period Loans shall be suspended until such Lender notifies Agent that the circumstances giving rise to such determination no longer exist. Upon delivery of such notice, the affected Borrower shall prepay or, if applicable, convert all Interest Period Loans of such Lender to Floating Rate Loans, either on the last day of the Interest Period therefor, if such Lender may lawfully continue to maintain such Interest Period Loans to such day, or immediately, if such Lender may not lawfully continue to maintain such Interest Period Loans. Upon any such prepayment or conversion, the affected Borrower shall also pay accrued interest on the amount so prepaid or converted.

3.6 Inability to Determine Rates . If Required Lenders notify Agent for any reason in connection with a request for a Borrowing of, or conversion to or continuation of, an Interest Period Loan that (a) Dollar deposits or bankers’ acceptances are not being offered to, as regards LIBOR, banks in the London interbank Eurodollar market or, as regards Canadian BA Rate, Persons in Canada, for the applicable amount and Interest Period of such Loan, (b) adequate and reasonable means do not exist for determining LIBOR or the Canadian BA Rate for the requested Interest Period, or (c) LIBOR or the Canadian BA Rate for the requested Interest Period does not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to such Lenders of funding such Loan, then Agent will promptly so notify Loan Party Agent and each Applicable Lender. Thereafter, the obligation of the Applicable Lenders to make or maintain affected Interest Period Loans, shall be suspended until Agent (upon instruction by Required Lenders) revokes such notice. Upon receipt of such notice, Loan Party Agent may revoke any pending request for a Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of an Interest Period Loan or, failing that, will be deemed to have submitted a request for a Floating Rate Loan.

3.7 Increased Costs; Capital Adequacy .

3.7.1 Change in Law . If any Change in Law shall:

(a) 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 reflected in LIBOR or the Canadian BA Rate) or any Issuing Bank;

(b) subject any Lender or any Issuing Bank to any Tax with respect to any Loan, Loan Document, Letter of Credit or participation in LC Obligations, or change the basis of taxation of payments to such Lender or such Issuing Bank in respect thereof (except for Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes covered by Section 5.8 and the imposition of, or any change in the rate of, any Excluded Tax payable by such Lender or such Issuing Bank); or

 

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(c) impose on any Lender or any Issuing Bank or the London interbank market any other condition, cost or expense affecting any Loan, Loan Document, Letter of Credit or participation in LC Obligations;

and the result thereof shall be to increase the cost to such Lender of making or maintaining any Interest Period Loan (or of maintaining its obligation to make any such Loan), or to increase the cost to such Lender or such Issuing Bank of participating in, issuing or maintaining any Letter of Credit (or of maintaining its obligation to participate in or to issue any Letter of Credit), or to reduce the amount of any sum received or receivable by such Lender or such Issuing Bank hereunder (whether of principal, interest or any other amount) then, upon request of such Lender or such Issuing Bank, the Borrower to which such Lenders or such Issuing Bank has a Commitment shall pay to such Lender or such Issuing Bank, as applicable, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or such Issuing Bank, as applicable, for such additional costs incurred or reduction suffered, in each case, in accordance with Section 3.3 .

3.7.2 Capital Adequacy . If any Lender or any Issuing Bank determines that any Change in Law affecting such Lender or such Issuing Bank or any Lending Office of such Lender or such Lender’s or such Issuing Bank’s holding company, if any, regarding capital requirements has or would have the effect of reducing the rate of return on such Lender’s, such Issuing Bank’s or holding company’s capital as a consequence of this Agreement, or such Lender’s or such Issuing Bank’s Commitments, Loans, Letters of Credit or participations in LC Obligations, to a level below that which such Lender, such Issuing Bank or holding company could have achieved but for such Change in Law (taking into consideration such Lender’s, such Issuing Bank’s and holding company’s policies with respect to capital adequacy), then from time to time the Borrower to which such Lenders or such Issuing Bank has a Commitment will pay to such Lender or such Issuing Bank, as the case may be, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate it or its holding company for any such reduction suffered, in each case, in accordance with Section 3.3 .

3.7.3 Compensation . Failure or delay on the part of any Lender or any Issuing Bank to demand compensation pursuant to this Section 3.7 shall not constitute a waiver of its right to demand such compensation, but a Borrower shall not be required to compensate a Lender to such Borrower or Issuing Bank to such Borrower for any increased costs incurred or reductions suffered more than nine (9) months prior to the date that such Lender or Issuing Bank notifies Loan Party Agent of the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions and of such Lender’s or such Issuing Bank’s intention to claim compensation therefor (except that, if the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions is retroactive, then the nine (9) month period referred to above shall be extended to include the period of retroactive effect thereof).

3.8 Mitigation . If any Lender gives a notice under Section 3.5 or requests compensation under Section 3.7 , or if a Borrower is required to pay additional amounts or make indemnity payments with respect to a Lender under Section 5.8 , then such Lender shall use reasonable efforts to designate a different Lending Office or to assign its rights and obligations hereunder to another of its offices, branches or Affiliates, if, in the judgment of such Lender, such designation or assignment (a) would eliminate the need for such notice or reduce amounts payable or to be withheld in the future, as applicable; and (b) in each case, would not subject such Lender to any unreimbursed cost or expense and would not otherwise be materially disadvantageous to such Lender. The affected Borrower shall pay all reasonable costs and expenses (including all Indemnified Taxes and Other Taxes) incurred by any Lender that has issued a Commitment to such Borrower in connection with any such designation or assignment.

 

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3.9 Funding Losses . If for any reason (other than default by a Lender) (a) any Borrowing of, or conversion to or continuation of, an Interest Period Loan does not occur on the date specified therefor in a Notice of Borrowing or Notice of Conversion/Continuation (whether or not withdrawn), (b) any repayment or conversion of an Interest Period Loan occurs on a day other than the end of its Interest Period, or (c) any Borrower fails to repay an Interest Period Loan when required hereunder, then such Borrower shall pay to Agent its customary administrative charge and to each Lender all losses and expenses that it sustains as a consequence thereof, including loss of anticipated profits and any loss or expense arising from liquidation or redeployment of funds or from fees payable to terminate deposits of matching funds. All amounts payable by the Borrowers under this Section 3.9 shall be due and payable in accordance with Section 3.3. Lenders shall not be required to purchase Dollar deposits in the London interbank market or any other offshore Dollar market to fund any LIBOR Loan, but the provisions hereof shall be deemed to apply as if each Lender had purchased such deposits to fund its LIBOR Loans.

3.10 Maximum Interest . Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any Loan Document, the interest paid or agreed to be paid under the Loan Documents shall not exceed the maximum rate of non-usurious interest permitted by Applicable Law (“ maximum rate ”). If Agent or any Lender shall receive interest in an amount that exceeds the maximum rate, the excess interest shall be applied to the principal of the Obligations of the Borrower to which such excess interest relates or, if it exceeds such unpaid principal, refunded to such Borrower. In determining whether the interest contracted for, charged or received by Agent or a Lender exceeds the maximum rate, such Person may, to the extent permitted by Applicable Law, (a) characterize any payment that is not principal as an expense, fee or premium rather than interest; (b) exclude voluntary prepayments and the effects thereof; and (c) amortize, prorate, allocate and spread in equal or unequal parts the total amount of interest throughout the contemplated term of the Obligations hereunder. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing provisions of this Section 3.10 , if any provision of any of the Loan Documents would obligate any Canadian Domiciled Loan Party to make any payment of interest with respect to the Canadian Facility Obligations in an amount or calculated at a rate which would be prohibited by Applicable Law or would result in the receipt of interest with respect to the Canadian Facility Obligations at a criminal rate (as such terms are construed under the Criminal Code (Canada)), then notwithstanding such provision, such amount or rates shall be deemed to have been adjusted with retroactive effect to the maximum amount or rate of interest, as the case may be, as would not be so prohibited by law or so result in a receipt by the applicable recipient of interest with respect to the Canadian Facility Obligations at a criminal rate, such adjustment to be effected, to the extent necessary, as follows: (i) first, by reducing the amount or rates of interest required to be paid by the Canadian Facility Loan Parties to the applicable recipient under the Loan Documents; and (ii) thereafter, by reducing any fees, commissions, premiums and other amounts required to be paid by the Canadian Facility Loan Parties to the applicable recipient which would constitute interest with respect to the Canadian Facility Obligations for purposes of Section 347 of the Criminal Code (Canada). Notwithstanding the foregoing, and after giving effect to all adjustments contemplated thereby, if the applicable recipient shall have received an amount in excess of the maximum permitted by that section of the Criminal Code (Canada), then Canadian Facility Loan Parties shall be entitled, by notice in writing to Agent, to obtain reimbursement from the applicable recipient in an amount equal to such excess, and pending such

 

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reimbursement, such amount shall be deemed to be an amount payable by the applicable recipient to the applicable Canadian Facility Loan Party. Any amount or rate of interest with respect to the Canadian Facility Obligations referred to in this Section 3.10 shall be determined in accordance with generally accepted actuarial practices and principles as an effective annual rate of interest over the term that any Canadian Revolver Loans to the Canadian Borrower remains outstanding on the assumption that any charges, fees or expenses that fall within the meaning of “interest” (as defined in the Criminal Code (Canada)) shall, if they relate to a specific period of time, be pro rated over that period of time and otherwise be pro rated over the period from the Closing Date to the date of Full Payment of the Canadian Facility Obligations, and, in the event of a dispute, a certificate of a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries appointed by Agent shall be conclusive for the purposes of such determination.

SECTION 4. LOAN ADMINISTRATION

4.1 Manner of Borrowing and Funding Loans .

4.1.1 Notice of Borrowing .

(a) Whenever a Borrower desires funding of a Borrowing of Revolver Loans, Loan Party Agent shall give Agent a Notice of Borrowing. Such notice must be received by Agent (i) on the Business Day of the requested funding date, in the case of Floating Rate Loans to the U.S. Borrower, (ii) at least one (1) Business Day prior to the requested funding date, in the case of Floating Rate Loans to the Canadian Borrower, (iii) at least three (3) Business Days prior to the requested funding date, in the case of LIBOR Loans, and (iv) at least three (3) Business Days prior to the requested funding date, in the case of Canadian BA Rate Loans. Notices received after 11:00 a.m. shall be deemed received on the next Business Day. Each Notice of Borrowing shall be irrevocable and shall specify (A) the Borrower, and the amount of the Borrowing, (B) the requested funding date (which must be a Business Day), (C) whether the Borrowing is to be made as a U.S. Base Rate Loan or a LIBOR Revolver Loan, in the case of the U.S. Borrower, or a Canadian Base Rate Loan, LIBOR Revolver Loan, Canadian Prime Rate Loan or Canadian BA Rate Loan, in the case of the Canadian Borrower, (D) in the case of Interest Period Loans, the duration of the applicable Interest Period (which shall be deemed to be one month if not specified), (E) if such Borrowing is requested for the U.S. Borrower, whether such Loan is to be denominated in Dollars or Euros and (F) if such Borrowing is requested for the Canadian Borrower, whether such Loan is to be denominated in Dollars or Canadian Dollars.

(b) Unless payment is otherwise timely made by a Borrower, the becoming due of any amount required to be paid with respect to any of the Obligations of the Loan Party Group to which such Borrower belongs (whether principal, interest, fees or other charges, including Extraordinary Expenses, LC Obligations, Cash Collateral and Bank Product Debt) shall be deemed to be a request for Revolver Loans by such Borrower on the due date, in the amount of such Obligations and shall bear interest at the per annum rate applicable hereunder to U.S. Base Rate Loans, in the case of such Obligations owing by any U.S. Facility Loan Party, or to Canadian Prime Rate Loans, in the case of such Obligations owing by a Canadian Domiciled Loan Party. The proceeds of such Revolver Loans shall be disbursed as direct payment of the relevant Obligation. In addition, Agent may, at its option, charge such Obligations of a Loan Party Group against any operating, investment or other account of a Loan Party within such Loan Party Group maintained with Agent or any of its Affiliates.

 

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(c) If a Borrower establishes a controlled disbursement account with Bank of America or any branch or Affiliate of Bank of America, then the presentation for payment of any check or other item of payment drawn on such account at a time when there are insufficient funds to cover it shall be deemed to be a request for Revolver Loans by such Borrower on the date of such presentation, in the amount of the check and items presented for payment, and shall bear interest at the per annum rate applicable hereunder to U.S. Base Rate Loans, in the case of insufficient funds owing by any U.S. Facility Loan Party, or to Canadian Prime Rate Loans, in the case of insufficient funds owing by a Canadian Facility Loan Party. The proceeds of such Revolver Loans may be disbursed directly to the controlled disbursement account or other appropriate account.

4.1.2 Fundings by Lenders . Each Applicable Lender shall timely honor its Facility Commitment by funding its Pro Rata share of each Borrowing of Revolver Loans under such Facility Commitment that is properly requested hereunder; provided , however that, except as set forth in Section 2.1.5 , no Lender shall be required to honor its Facility Commitment by funding its Pro Rata share of any Borrowing that would cause the U.S. Revolver Exposure to exceed the U.S. Borrowing Base or the Canadian Revolver Exposure to exceed the Canadian Borrowing Base, as applicable. Except for Borrowings to be made as Swingline Loans, Agent shall use its commercially reasonable best efforts to notify the Applicable Lenders of each Notice of Borrowing (or deemed request for a Borrowing) by 12:00 noon on the proposed funding date for Floating Rate Loans or by 11:00 a.m. at least two (2) Business Days before any proposed funding of Interest Period Loans. Each Applicable Lender shall fund to Agent such Lender’s Pro Rata share of the Borrowing to the account specified by Agent in immediately available funds not later than 2:00 p.m. on the requested funding date, unless Agent’s notice is received after the times provided above, in which event each Applicable Lender shall fund its Pro Rata share by 11:00 a.m. on the next Business Day. Subject to its receipt of such amounts from the Applicable Lenders, Agent shall disburse the proceeds of the Revolver Loans as directed by Loan Party Agent. Unless Agent shall have received (in sufficient time to act) written notice from an Applicable Lender that it does not intend to fund its Pro Rata share of a Borrowing or of any settlement pursuant to Section 4.1.3(b) , Agent may assume that such Applicable Lender has deposited or promptly will deposit its share with Agent, and Agent may disburse a corresponding amount to such Borrower. If an Applicable Lender’s share of any Borrowing is not received by Agent, then such Borrower agrees to repay to Agent on demand the amount of such share, together with interest thereon from the date disbursed until repaid, at the rate applicable to such Borrowing.

4.1.3 Swingline Loans; Settlement .

(a) Agent may, but shall not be obligated to, advance U.S. Swingline Loans to the U.S. Borrower, up to an aggregate outstanding amount of $17,500,000, unless the funding is specifically required to be made by all U.S. Lenders hereunder. Each U.S. Swingline Loan shall constitute a U.S. Revolver Loan for all purposes, except that payments thereon shall be made to Agent for its own account. The obligation of the U.S. Borrower to repay U.S. Swingline Loans shall be evidenced by the records of Agent and need not be evidenced by any promissory note. All U.S. Swingline Loans shall be denominated in Dollars and shall be U.S. Base Rate Loans.

(b) To facilitate administration of the U.S. Revolver Loans, U.S. Lenders and Agent agree (which agreement is solely among them, and not for the benefit of or enforceable by any Borrower) that settlement among them with respect to U.S. Swingline Loans and other U.S.

 

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Revolver Loans may take place on a date determined from time to time by Agent, which shall occur at least once each week. On each settlement date, settlement shall be made with each U.S. Lender in accordance with the Settlement Report delivered by Agent to U.S. Lenders. Between settlement dates, Agent may in its discretion apply payments on U.S. Revolver Loans to U.S. Swingline Loans, regardless of any designation by the U.S. Borrower or any provision herein to the contrary. Each U.S. Lender’s obligation to make settlements with Agent is absolute and unconditional, without offset, counterclaim or other defense, and whether or not the U.S. Revolver Commitments have terminated, a U.S. Overadvance exists or the conditions in Section 6 are satisfied. If, due to an Insolvency Proceeding with respect to the U.S. Borrower or otherwise, any U.S. Swingline Loan may not be settled among U.S. Lenders hereunder, then each U.S. Lender shall be deemed to have purchased from Agent a Pro Rata participation in each unpaid U.S. Swingline Loan and shall transfer the amount of such participation to Agent, in immediately available funds, within one (1) Business Day after Agent’s request therefor.

(c) Agent may, but shall not be obligated to, request that Bank of America (Canada) advance Canadian Swingline Loans to the Canadian Borrower, up to an aggregate outstanding amount of the Dollar Equivalent of $2,500,000, unless the funding is specifically required to be made by all Canadian Lenders hereunder. Each Canadian Swingline Loan shall constitute a Canadian Revolver Loan for all purposes, except that payments thereon shall be made to Agent for Bank of America (Canada)’s account. The obligation of the Canadian Borrower to repay Canadian Swingline Loans shall be evidenced by the records of Agent and need not be evidenced by any promissory note. All Canadian Swingline Loans shall be denominated in Canadian Dollars and shall be a Canadian Prime Rate Loan.

(d) To facilitate administration of the Canadian Revolver Loans, Canadian Lenders and Agent, on behalf of Bank of America (Canada), agree (which agreement is solely among them, and not for the benefit of or enforceable by any Borrower) that settlement among them with respect to Canadian Swingline Loans and other Canadian Revolver Loans may take place on a date determined from time to time by Agent, which shall occur at least once each week. On each settlement date, settlement shall be made with each Canadian Lender in accordance with the Settlement Report delivered by Agent to Canadian Lenders. Between settlement dates, Agent may in its discretion apply payments on Canadian Revolver Loans to Canadian Swingline Loans, regardless of any designation by the Canadian Borrower or any provision herein to the contrary. Each Canadian Lender’s obligation to make settlements with Agent, on behalf of Bank of America (Canada), is absolute and unconditional, without offset, counterclaim or other defense, and whether or not the Canadian Revolver Commitments have terminated, a Canadian Overadvance exists or the conditions in Section 6 are satisfied. If, due to an Insolvency Proceeding with respect to the Canadian Borrower or otherwise, any Canadian Swingline Loan may not be settled among Canadian Lenders hereunder, then each Canadian Lender shall be deemed to have purchased from Agent a Pro Rata participation in each unpaid Canadian Swingline Loan and shall transfer the amount of such participation to Agent, in immediately available funds, within one (1) Business Day after Agent’s request therefor.

4.1.4 Notices . Each Borrower authorizes Agent and Lenders to extend, convert or continue Loans, effect selections of interest rates, and transfer funds to or on behalf of applicable Borrowers based on telephonic or e-mailed instructions by Loan Party Agent to Agent. Loan Party Agent shall confirm each such request by prompt delivery to Agent of a Notice of Borrowing or Notice of Conversion/Continuation, if applicable, but if it differs in any material respect from the action taken by Agent or Lenders, the records of Agent and Lenders

 

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shall govern. Neither Agent nor any Lender shall have any liability for any loss suffered by a Borrower as a result of Agent or any Lender acting upon its understanding of telephonic or e-mailed instructions from a person believed in good faith by Agent or any Lender to be a person authorized to give such instructions on Loan Party Agent’s behalf.

4.2 Defaulting Lender . Agent may (but shall not be required to), in its discretion, retain any payments or other funds received by Agent that are to be provided to a Defaulting Lender hereunder, and may apply such funds to such Lender’s defaulted obligations, or readvance the funds to a Borrower to which such Lender has issued a Facility Commitment in accordance with this Agreement. The failure of any Lender to fund a Loan, to make any payment in respect of LC Obligations or to otherwise perform its obligations hereunder shall not relieve any other Lender of its obligations, and no Lender shall be responsible for default by another Lender. Lenders and Agent agree (which agreement is solely among them, and not for the benefit of or enforceable by any Borrower) that, solely for purposes of determining a Defaulting Lender’s right to vote on matters relating to the Loan Documents and to share in payments, fees and Collateral proceeds thereunder, a Defaulting Lender shall not be deemed to be a “Lender” and shall not cease to be a “Defaulting Lender” until all its defaulted obligations have been cured; provided that (i) such Defaulting Lender’s Commitment may not be increased or extended without its consent and (ii) the principal amount of, or interest or fees payable on, Loans or LC Obligations, subject to the first sentence of this Section 4.2 , may not be reduced or excused or the scheduled date of payment may not be postponed as to such Defaulting Lender without such Defaulting Lender’s consent.

4.3 Number and Amount of Interest Period Loans; Determination of Rate . For ease of administration, all Interest Period Loans of the same Type to a Borrower having the same length and beginning date of their Interest Periods and the same currency shall be aggregated together, and such Loans shall be allocated among the Applicable Lenders on a Pro Rata basis. With respect to the U.S. Borrower, no more than six (6) Borrowings of LIBOR Loans may be outstanding at any time, and each Borrowing of LIBOR Loans when made, continued or converted shall be in a minimum amount of the Dollar Equivalent of $1,000,000 or an increment of the Dollar Equivalent of $500,000, in excess thereof. With respect to the Canadian Borrower, no more than four (4) Borrowings of Interest Period Loans may be outstanding at any time, and each Borrowing of Interest Period Loans when made, continued or converted shall be in a minimum amount of $1,000,000 (or, in the case of Canadian BA Rate Loans, Cdn$1,000,000) or an increment of $500,000 (or, in the case of Canadian BA Rate Loans, Cdn$500,000), in excess thereof. Upon determining LIBOR or the Canadian BA Rate for any Interest Period requested by a Borrower, Agent shall promptly notify Loan Party Agent thereof by telephone or electronically and, if requested by Loan Party Agent, shall confirm any telephonic notice in writing.

4.4 Loan Party Agent . Each Loan Party hereby designates Cooper-Standard Automotive Inc. (“ Loan Party Agent ”) as its representative and agent for all purposes under the Loan Documents, including requests for Loans and Letters of Credit, designation of interest rates, delivery or receipt of communications, preparation and delivery of Borrowing Base and financial reports, receipt and payment of Obligations, requests for waivers, amendments or other accommodations, actions under the Loan Documents (including in respect of compliance with covenants), and all other dealings with Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender. Loan Party Agent hereby accepts such appointment. Agent and Lenders shall be entitled to rely upon, and shall be fully protected in relying upon, any notice or communication (including any Notice of Borrowing) delivered by Loan Party Agent on behalf of any Loan Party. Agent and Lenders

 

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may give any notice or communication with a Loan Party hereunder to Loan Party Agent on behalf of such Loan Party. Each of Agent, Issuing Banks and Lenders shall have the right, in its discretion, to deal exclusively with Loan Party Agent for any or all purposes under the Loan Documents. Each Loan Party agrees that any notice, election, communication, representation, agreement or undertaking made on its behalf by Loan Party Agent shall be binding upon and enforceable against it.

4.5 One Obligation . Without in any way limiting the Obligations of any U.S. Facility Loan Party with respect to its Guarantee of the Obligations of the Canadian Facility Loan Parties, the Loan Party Group Obligations owing by each Loan Party Group shall constitute one (1) general obligation of the Loan Parties within such Loan Party Group and (unless otherwise expressly provided in any Loan Document) shall be secured by Agent’s Lien upon all Collateral of each member of such Loan Party Group; provided , however, that each Secured Party shall be deemed to be a creditor of, and the holder of a separate claim against, each Loan Party to the extent of any Obligations owed by such Loan Party to such Secured Party.

4.6 Effect of Termination . On the effective date of any termination of any of the Commitments, all undertakings of the Loan Parties contained in the Loan Documents shall survive, and Agent shall retain its Liens in the Collateral and all of its rights and remedies under the Loan Documents until Full Payment of the Obligations. Sections 2.2, 2.3, 3.4, 3.6, 3.7, 3.9, 5.4, 5.8, 5.9 , 12, 14.2 and this Section 4.6 , and the obligation of each Loan Party and Lender with respect to each indemnity given by it in any Loan Document, shall survive Full Payment of the Obligations and any release relating to this credit facility.

SECTION 5. PAYMENTS

5.1 General Payment Provisions . All payments of Obligations shall be made without offset, counterclaim or defense of any kind, and in immediately available funds, not later than 12:00 noon on the due date. Any payment after such time shall be deemed made on the next Business Day. If any payment under the Loan Documents shall be stated to be due on a day other than a Business Day, the due date shall be extended to the next Business Day and such extension of time shall be included in any computation of interest and fees. Any payment of an Interest Period Loan prior to the end of its Interest Period shall be accompanied by all amounts due under Section 3.9 . Any prepayment of Loans by a Borrower shall be applied first to Floating Rate Loans of such Borrower and then to Interest Period Loans of such Borrower. All payments with respect to any U.S. Facility Obligations shall be made in Dollars or, if any portion of such U.S. Facility Obligations is denominated in Euros, then in Euros or, if any portion of such U.S. Facility Obligations is denominated in Sterling, then in Sterling. All payments with respect to any Canadian Facility Obligations shall be made in Canadian Dollars or, if any portion of such Canadian Facility Obligations is denominated in Dollars, then in Dollars.

5.2 Repayment of Obligations . All Canadian Facility Obligations shall be immediately due and payable in full on the Canadian Revolver Commitment Termination Date and all U.S. Facility Obligations shall be immediately due and payable in full on the U.S. Revolver Commitment Termination Date, in each case, unless payment of such Obligations is sooner required hereunder. Revolver Loans may be prepaid from time to time, without penalty or premium, subject to, in the case of Interest Period Loans, the payment of costs set forth in Section 3.9 . If any Asset Disposition (other than sales of Inventory in the Ordinary Course of Business) by any Loan Party constitutes the disposition of ABL Priority Collateral resulting in

 

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Net Proceeds received in any single transaction of greater than $10,000,000, then Net Proceeds equal to the greater of (a) the net book value of the applicable Accounts and Inventory, or (b) the reduction in the Borrowing Base of the applicable Borrower upon giving effect to such Asset Disposition, shall be applied to the Revolver Loans of such Borrower; provided , that, at the election of the applicable Loan Party (as notified by the Loan Party Agent to Agent on or prior to the date of the receipt of such Net Proceeds), and so long as no Default shall have occurred and be continuing, the applicable Loan Party may reinvest all or any portion of such Net Proceeds in operating assets so long as within 360 days after the receipt of such Net Proceeds, such purchase shall have been consummated (as certified by the Loan Party Agent in writing to Agent); and provided further , however , that any Net Proceeds not so reinvested shall be immediately applied as otherwise set forth in this Section 5.2. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if an Overadvance exists (including as the result of any Asset Disposition as specified in the preceding sentence), the Borrower owing such Overadvance shall, on the sooner of Agent’s demand or the first (1 st ) Business Day after such Borrower has knowledge thereof, repay the outstanding Loans in an amount sufficient to reduce the principal balance of the related Overadvance Loan to zero .

5.3 Payment of Other Obligations . Obligations shall be paid by the Borrowers as provided in the Loan Documents or, if no payment date or time for payment is specified, on demand .

5.4 Marshaling; Payments Set Aside . None of Agent or Lenders shall be under any obligation to marshal any assets in favor of any Loan Party or against any Obligations. If any payment by or on behalf of the Borrowers is made to Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender, or Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender exercises a right of setoff, and such payment or the proceeds of such setoff or any part thereof is subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside or required (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by Agent, such Issuing Bank or such Lender in its discretion) to be repaid to a Creditor Representative or any other Person, then to the extent of such recovery, the Obligation originally intended to be satisfied, and all Liens, rights and remedies relating thereto, shall be revived and continued in full force and effect as if such payment had not been made or such setoff had not occurred.

5.5 Post-Default Allocation of Payments .

5.5.1 Allocation . Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, during the continuance of an Event of Default, Agent shall apply and allocate monies to the Obligations, whether arising from payments by or on behalf of any Loan Party, realization on Collateral, setoff or otherwise, as follows:

(a) with respect to monies, payments, Property or Collateral of or from any U.S. Facility Loan Parties:

(i) first, to all U.S. Facility Obligations consisting of costs and expenses, including Extraordinary Expenses, owing to Agent;

(ii) second, to all amounts owing to Agent on U.S. Swingline Loans;

(iii) third, to all amounts owing to U.S. Issuing Bank on U.S. LC Obligations;

(iv) fourth, to all U.S. Facility Obligations constituting fees (excluding amounts relating to Bank Products) owing by the U.S. Facility Loan Parties (exclusive of any amounts guaranteed by the U.S. Domiciled Loan Parties in respect of Canadian Facility Obligations);

 

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(v) fifth, to all U.S. Facility Obligations constituting interest (excluding amounts relating to Bank Products) owing by the U.S. Facility Loan Parties (exclusive of any amounts guaranteed by the U.S. Domiciled Loan Parties in respect of Canadian Facility Obligations);

(vi) sixth, to provide Cash Collateral for outstanding U.S. Letters of Credit;

(vii) seventh, to all other U.S. Facility Obligations (exclusive of any amounts guaranteed by the U.S. Domiciled Loan Parties in respect of Canadian Facility Obligations), including Bank Product Debt; provided, that amounts constituting Bank Product Debt shall only be repayed to the extent (x) proper notice of such amounts has been provided pursuant to clause (d)  of the definition of Bank Product Debt and (y) an appropriate Reserve shall have been established with respect thereto;

(viii) eighth, to be applied in accordance with clause (b) below, to the extent there are insufficient funds for the Full Payment of all Obligations owing by the Canadian Domiciled Loan Parties; and

(ix) ninth, after Full Payment of all Obligations, the remainder to Loan Party Agent for the benefit of the U.S. Domiciled Loan Parties or such other Person(s) as shall be legally entitled thereto.

(b) with respect to monies, payments, Property or Collateral of or from any Canadian Domiciled Loan Parties, together with any allocations pursuant to subclause (viii) of clause (a) above:

(i) first, to all Canadian Facility Obligations consisting of costs and expenses, including Extraordinary Expenses, owing to Agent, to the extent owing by any Canadian Domiciled Loan Party;

(ii) second, to all amounts owing to Agent on Canadian Swingline Loans;

(iii) third, to all amounts owing to Canadian Issuing Bank on Canadian LC Obligations;

(iv) fourth, to all Canadian Facility Obligations constituting fees (excluding amounts relating to Bank Products);

(v) fifth, to all Canadian Facility Obligations constituting interest (excluding amounts relating to Bank Products);

(vi) sixth, to provide Cash Collateral for outstanding Canadian Letters of Credit;

(vii) seventh, to all other Canadian Facility Obligations, including Bank Product Debt; provided, that amounts constituting Bank Product Debt shall only be repayed to the extent (x) proper notice of such amounts has been provided pursuant to clause (d)  of the definition of Bank Product Debt and (y) an appropriate Reserve shall have been established with respect thereto;

 

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(viii) eighth, after Full Payment of all Canadian Facility Obligations, the remainder to Loan Party Agent for the benefit of the Canadian Domiciled Loan Parties or such other Person(s) as shall be legally entitled thereto.

Amounts shall be applied to each category of Obligations set forth above until Full Payment thereof and then to the next category. If amounts are insufficient to satisfy a category, they shall be applied on a pro rata basis among the Obligations in the category. Amounts distributed with respect to any Bank Product Debt shall be the actual Bank Product Debt as calculated by the methodology reported to Agent for determining the amount due. Agent shall have no obligation to calculate the amount to be distributed with respect to any Bank Product Debt, but may rely upon written notice of the amount (setting forth a reasonably detailed calculation) from Lender or Affiliate thereof providing the related Bank Product. In the absence of such notice, Agent may assume the amount to be distributed is the Bank Product Amount last reported to it. The allocations set forth in this Section 5.5.1 are solely to determine the rights and priorities of Agent and Lenders as among themselves, and may be changed by agreement among them without the consent of any Loan Party. This Section is not for the benefit of or enforceable by any Borrower.

5.5.2 Erroneous Application . Agent shall not be liable for any application of amounts made by it in good faith and, if any such application is subsequently determined to have been made in error, the sole recourse of any Lender or other Person to which such amount should have been made shall be to recover the amount from the Person that actually received it (and, if such amount was received by any Lender, such Lender hereby agrees to return it).

5.6 Application of Payments . The ledger balance in the main Dominion Account of each Borrower as of the end of a Business Day shall be applied to the Loan Party Group Obligations of such Borrower at the beginning of the next Business Day during any Cash Dominion Trigger Period. If, as a result of such application, a credit balance exists, the balance shall not accrue interest in favor of the applicable Borrower and shall be made available to such Borrower as long as no Event of Default exists. Each Borrower irrevocably waives the right to direct the application of any payments or Collateral proceeds made pursuant to Section 5.5, and agrees that Agent shall have the continuing, exclusive right to apply and reapply same against the Obligations, in such manner as Agent deems advisable.

5.7 Loan Account; Account Stated .

5.7.1 Loan Account . Agent shall maintain in accordance with its usual and customary practices an account or accounts (“ Loan Account ”) evidencing the obligations of each Borrower resulting from each Loan made to such Borrower or issuance of a Letter of Credit for the account of such Borrower from time to time. Any failure of Agent to record anything in the Loan Account, or any error in doing so, shall not limit or otherwise affect the obligation of the Borrowers to pay any amount owing hereunder. Agent may maintain a single Loan Account in the name of Loan Party Agent, and each Borrower confirms that such arrangement shall have no effect on the joint and several character of its liability for the Obligations of its Loan Party Group or, in the case of the U.S. Borrower, its guarantee of the Obligations of the Canadian Borrower.

 

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5.7.2 Entries Binding . Entries made in the Loan Account shall constitute presumptive evidence of the information contained therein. If any information contained in the Loan Account is provided to or inspected by any Person, then such information shall be conclusive and binding on such Person for all purposes absent manifest error, except to the extent such Person notifies Agent in writing within thirty (30) days after receipt or inspection that specific information is subject to dispute.

5.8 Taxes .

5.8.1 Payments Free of Taxes . All payments by or on behalf of any Loan Party to Agent, Issuing Bank or any Lender (each a “Tax Indemnitee”) with respect to any Obligation shall be free and clear of and without reduction for any Taxes. If Applicable Law requires any Loan Party or Agent to withhold or deduct any Taxes, the withholding or deduction shall be based on information provided pursuant to Section 5.9 and the applicable Loan Party or Agent shall pay the amount withheld or deducted to the relevant Governmental Authority. If the withholding or deduction is made on account of Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes, the sum payable by the Borrowers shall be increased so that the relevant Tax Indemnitee, as applicable, receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received if no such withholding or deduction (including deductions applicable to additional sums payable under this Section 5.8.1) had been made. Without limiting the foregoing, the Borrowers shall timely pay all Other Taxes to the relevant Governmental Authorities.

5.8.2 Payment . The Borrowers shall indemnify, hold harmless and reimburse the applicable Tax Indemnitee within thirty (30) days after written demand therefor (which written demand shall be made within sixty (60) days of the date the applicable Tax Indemnitee receives written demand for payment of any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes from the relevant Governmental Authority, provided , however , that a failure to provide such written demand shall not relieve the Borrowers of their obligation to indemnify, hold harmless and reimburse the applicable Tax Indemnitee, and shall not constitute a waiver of, a Tax Indemnitee’s right to be indemnified, held harmless or reimbursed hereunder), for the full amount of any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes (including those attributable to amounts payable under this Section 5.8 ) withheld or deducted by any Borrower or Agent, or paid by the applicable Tax Indemnitee, with respect to any Obligations of such Borrower, Letters of Credit or Loan Documents, whether or not such Taxes were properly asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority, and including all penalties, interest and reasonable out-of-pocket expenses relating thereto. A certificate setting forth in reasonable detail the amount and basis for calculation of any such payment or liability delivered to Loan Party Agent by the applicable Tax Indemnitee (with a copy to Agent), shall be conclusive, absent manifest error. As soon as practicable after any payment of Taxes by a Borrower, Loan Party Agent shall deliver to Agent a receipt from the Governmental Authority or other evidence of payment reasonably satisfactory to Agent.

5.8.3 Tax Refunds . If a Loan Party makes a payment of Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes to a Tax Indemnitee under Section 5.8.2 of this Agreement and either (i) the applicable Loan Party determines that there is a reasonable basis for asserting that such Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes were not correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority, unless the relevant Tax Indemnitee reasonably disagrees with such determination or (ii) the applicable Tax Indemnitee has actual knowledge that such Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes are refundable to such Tax Indemnitee by the relevant Governmental Authority (in which case such Tax Indemnitee shall within a reasonable period of

 

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time provide written notice to the applicable Loan Party of such refundable Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes) then, in each case, at the applicable Loan Party’s written request and at the applicable Loan Party’s cost and expense, such Tax Indemnitee shall make a claim for refund of such Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes (and any interest and penalties arising therefrom or with respect thereto) to such Governmental Authority in the manner prescribed by Applicable Law and shall take such other reasonable necessary actions as required by the applicable Loan Party in pursuit of such refund claim. To the extent a Tax Indemnitee actually realizes a refund for an Indemnified Tax or Other Tax, the Tax Indemnitee shall pay such refund (net of out of pocket expenses incurred to obtain such refund) to the relevant Loan Party, provided (i) no Tax Indeminitee shall be obligated to make a payment to the extent it would result in the Tax Indemnitee and its Affiliates being in a worse after Tax position than the Tax Indemnitee would have been had no Indeminified Tax or Other Tax been incurred and (ii) each Loan Party agrees to repay to the Tax Indemnitee the amount of the refund paid over (plus any penalties, interest, or other charges imposed by a Governmental Authority) in the event the Tax Indemnitee is required to repay the refund to the Governmental Authority. Nothing contained in this Section 5.8.3 shall interfere with the right of a Tax Indemnitee to arrange its tax affairs in whatever manner it thinks fit nor oblige any Lender or Agent or other Tax Indemnitee to claim any Tax refund that would cause a detriment to such Tax Indemnitee or to make available its tax returns or disclose any information relating to its Tax affairs or any computations in respect thereof or require any Tax Indemnitee to take any other action that would prejudice its ability to benefit from any other refunds, credits, reliefs, remissions or repayments to which it may be entitled.

5.9 Lender Tax Information .

5.9.1 Generally . Any Lender that is entitled to an exemption from or reduction in the rate of the imposition, deduction or withholding of any Indemnified Tax or Other Tax under the law of the jurisdiction in which a Loan Party is resident for tax purposes, or any treaty to which such jurisdiction is a party, with respect to payments under any Loan Document shall deliver to Agent and Loan Party Agent, in the manner and at the time or times prescribed by Applicable Law or reasonably requested by Agent or Loan Party Agent (other than if such Lender is not entitled under Applicable Law to do so), such properly completed and executed documentation prescribed by Applicable Law as will permit such payments to be made without the imposition, deduction or withholding of such Indemnified Tax or Other Tax or at a reduced rate. In addition, any Lender, if requested by Agent or Loan Party Agent, shall deliver such other documentation prescribed by Applicable Law or reasonably requested by Agent or Loan Party Agent as will enable Agent and Loan Party Agent to determine whether or not such Lender is subject to backup withholding or information reporting requirements.

5.9.3 U.S. Borrower . Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, if a Borrower is resident for tax purposes in the United States (i), any Lender that is a “United States person” within the meaning of section 7701(a)(30) of the Code shall deliver to Agent and Loan Party Agent IRS Form W-9 or such other documentation or information prescribed by Applicable Law or reasonably requested by Agent or Loan Party Agent certifying that such Lender is exempt from United States backup withholding and information reporting requirements, (ii) any Lender that is not a “United States person” within the meaning of section 7701(a)(30) of the Code, shall deliver to Agent and Loan Party Agent, on or prior to the date on which it becomes a party hereunder (and from time to time thereafter upon request by Agent or Loan Party Agent or upon expiration or invalidity of such Form, but only if such Lender is entitled to do so under Applicable Law), (a) IRS Form W-8BEN claiming eligibility for benefits

 

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of an income tax treaty to which the United States is a party; (b) IRS Form W-8ECI; (c) IRS Form W-8IMY and all required supporting documentation; (d) in the case of a Lender claiming the benefits of the exemption for portfolio interest under section 881(c) of the Code, IRS Form W-8BEN and a certificate showing such Lender is not (i) a “bank” within the meaning of section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, (ii) a “10 percent shareholder” of any Loan Party within the meaning of section 881(c)(3)(B) of the Code, or (iii) a “controlled foreign corporation” described in section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code; and/or (e) any other form prescribed by Applicable Law as a basis for claiming exemption from or a reduction in withholding tax, together with such supplementary documentation as may be necessary to allow Agent and the U.S. Borrower to determine the withholding or deduction required to be made, or (iii) if a payment made to a Tax Indemnitee under any Loan Document would be subject to U.S. withholding Tax imposed by FATCA if such Tax Indemnittee fails to comply with the applicable reporting requirements of FATCA, such Tax Indemnitee shall deliver to Agent and Loan Party Agent (A) a certification signed by the chief financial officer, principal accounting officer, treasurer or controller and (B) other documentation reasonably requested by Agent or Loan Party Agent sufficient for Agent or Loan Party Agent to comply with its obligations under FATCA and to determine that such Tax Indemnitee has complied with such applicable reporting requirements.

5.9.4 Lender Obligations . Each Applicable Lender and each applicable Issuing Bank shall promptly notify Loan Party Agent and Agent of any change in circumstances that would change any claimed Tax exemption or reduction. Each Applicable Lender and each applicable Issuing Bank, in each case, severally and not jointly with any other Applicable Lender and/or applicable Issuing Bank, shall indemnify, hold harmless and reimburse (within ten (10) days after demand therefor) Agent for any Taxes, losses, claims, liabilities, penalties, interest and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) incurred by or asserted against Agent by any Governmental Authority due to such Applicable Lender’s or such applicable Issuing Bank’s failure to deliver, or inaccuracy or deficiency in, any documentation required to be delivered by it pursuant to this Section. Each Applicable Lender and each applicable Issuing Bank authorizes Agent to set off any amounts due to Agent under this Section against any amounts payable to such Applicable Lender or such applicable Issuing Bank under any Loan Document.

5.10 Guarantee by U.S. Facility Loan Parties .

5.10.1 Joint and Several Liability . Each U.S. Domiciled Loan Party agrees that it is jointly and severally liable for, and absolutely and unconditionally guarantees to Agent and Lenders the prompt payment and performance of, all Obligations and all agreements of each other Loan Party under the Loan Documents. Each U.S. Domiciled Loan Party which is a U.S. Facility Guarantor agrees that its guarantee obligations as a U.S. Facility Guarantor and as a Canadian Facility Guarantor hereunder constitute a continuing guarantee of payment and not of collection, that such guarantee obligations shall not be discharged until Full Payment of the Obligations, and that such guarantee obligations are absolute and unconditional, irrespective of (a) the genuineness, validity, regularity, enforceability, subordination or any future modification of, or change in, any Obligations or Loan Document, or any other document, instrument or agreement to which any Loan Party is or may become a party or be bound; (b) the absence of any action to enforce this Agreement (including this Section 5.10 ) or any other Loan Document, or any waiver, consent or indulgence of any kind by Agent or any Lender with respect thereto; (c) the existence, value or condition of, or failure to perfect a Lien or to preserve rights against, any security or guarantee for the Obligations or any action, or the absence of any action, by Agent or any Lender in respect thereof (including the release of any security or guarantee); (d) the

 

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insolvency of any Loan Party; (e) any election by Agent or any Lender in an Insolvency Proceeding for the application of Section 1111(b)(2) of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code; (f) any borrowing or grant of a Lien by any other Loan Party, as debtor-in-possession under Section 364 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code or otherwise; (g) the disallowance of any claims of Agent or any Lender against any Loan Party for the repayment of any Obligations under Section 502 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code or otherwise; or (h) any other action or circumstances that might otherwise constitute a legal or equitable discharge or defense of a surety or guarantor, except Full Payment of all Obligations.

5.10.2 Waivers .

(a) Each U.S. Domiciled Loan Party hereby expressly waives all rights that it may have now or in the future under any statute, at common law, in equity or otherwise, to compel Agent or Lenders to marshal assets or to proceed against any Loan Party, other Person or security for the payment or performance of any Obligations before, or as a condition to, proceeding against such Loan Party. Each U.S. Domiciled Loan Party waives all defenses available to a surety, guarantor or accommodation co-obligor other than Full Payment of all Obligations. It is agreed among each U.S. Domiciled Loan Party, Agent and Lenders that the provisions of this Section 5.10 are of the essence of the transaction contemplated by the Loan Documents and that, but for such provisions, Agent and Lenders would decline to make Loans and issue Letters of Credit. Each U.S. Domiciled Loan Party acknowledges that its guarantee pursuant to this Section is necessary to the conduct and promotion of its business, and can be expected to benefit such business.

(b) Agent and Lenders may, in their discretion, pursue such rights and remedies as they deem appropriate, including realization upon the Collateral by judicial foreclosure or non-judicial sale or enforcement without affecting any rights and remedies under this Section 5.10 . If, in taking any action in connection with the exercise of any rights or remedies, Agent or any Lender shall forfeit any other rights or remedies, including the right to enter a deficiency judgment against any U.S. Domiciled Party or other Person, whether because of any Applicable Laws pertaining to “election of remedies” or otherwise, each U.S. Domiciled Loan Party consents to such action and waives any claim based upon it, even if the action may result in loss of any rights of subrogation that any U.S. Domiciled Loan Party might otherwise have had. Any election of remedies that results in denial or impairment of the right of Agent or any Lender to seek a deficiency judgment against any U.S. Domiciled Loan Party shall not impair any other U.S. Domiciled Loan Party’s obligation to pay the full amount of the Obligations. Each U.S. Domiciled Loan Party waives all rights and defenses arising out of an election of remedies, such as nonjudicial foreclosure with respect to any security for the Obligations, even though that election of remedies destroys such U.S. Domiciled Loan Party’s rights of subrogation against any other Person. Agent may bid all or a portion of the Obligations at any foreclosure or trustee’s sale or at any private sale, and the amount of such bid need not be paid by Agent but shall be credited against the Obligations. The amount of the successful bid at any such sale, whether Agent or any other Person is the successful bidder, shall be conclusively deemed to be the fair market value of the Collateral, and the difference between such bid amount and the remaining balance of the Obligations shall be conclusively deemed to be the amount of the Obligations guaranteed under this Section 5.10 , notwithstanding that any present or future law or court decision may have the effect of reducing the amount of any deficiency claim to which Agent or any Lender might otherwise be entitled but for such bidding at any such sale.

 

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5.10.3 Extent of Liability; Contribution .

(a) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary (other than as specified in Section 5.10.6 ), each U.S. Domiciled Loan Party’s liability under this Section 5.10 shall be limited to the greater of (i) all amounts for which such U.S. Domiciled Loan Party is primarily liable, as described below, and (ii) such U.S. Domiciled Loan Party’s Allocable Amount.

(b) If any U.S. Domiciled Loan Party makes a payment under this Section 5.10 of any Obligations (other than amounts for which such U.S. Domiciled Loan Party is primarily liable) (a “ Guarantor Payment ”) that, taking into account all other Guarantor Payments previously or concurrently made by any other U.S. Domiciled Loan Party, exceeds the amount that such U.S. Domiciled Loan Party would otherwise have paid if each U.S. Domiciled Loan Party had paid the aggregate Obligations satisfied by such Guarantor Payments in the same proportion that such U.S. Domiciled Loan Party’s Allocable Amount bore to the total Allocable Amounts of all U.S. Domiciled Loan Parties, then such U.S. Domiciled Loan Party shall be entitled to receive contribution and indemnification payments from, and to be reimbursed by, each other U.S. Domiciled Loan Party for the amount of such excess, pro rata based upon their respective Allocable Amounts in effect immediately prior to such Guarantor Payment. The “ Allocable Amount ” for any U.S. Domiciled Loan Party shall be the maximum amount that could then be recovered from such U.S. Domiciled Loan Party under this Section 5.10 without rendering such payment voidable under Section 548 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code or under any applicable state fraudulent transfer or conveyance act, or similar statute or common law.

(c) Nothing contained in this Section 5.10 (other than as specified in Section 5.10.6 ) shall limit the liability of any Loan Party to pay Loans made directly or indirectly to that Loan Party (including Loans advanced to any other Loan Party and then re-loaned or otherwise transferred to, or for the benefit of, such Loan Party), LC Obligations relating to Letters of Credit issued to support such Loan Party’s business, and all accrued interest, fees, expenses and other related Obligations with respect thereto, for which such Loan Party shall be primarily liable for all purposes hereunder.

5.10.4 Joint Enterprise . Each Borrower has requested that Agent and Lenders make this credit facility available to the Borrowers in order to finance the Borrowers’ business most efficiently and economically. The Borrowers and Guarantors make up a related organization of various entities constituting a single economic and business enterprise so that the Borrowers and Guarantors share an identity of interests such that any benefit received by any one of them benefits the others. The Borrowers and Guarantors render services to or for the benefit of the other Borrowers and/or Guarantors, as the case may be, purchase or sell and supply goods to or from or for the benefit of the others, make loans, advances and provide other financial accommodations to or for the benefit of the other Borrowers and Guarantors (including inter alia, the payment by the Borrowers and Guarantors of creditors of the other Borrowers or Guarantors and guarantees by the Borrowers and Guarantors of indebtedness of the other Borrowers and Guarantors and provide administrative, marketing, payroll and management services to or for the benefit of the other Borrowers and Guarantors). The Borrowers and Guarantors have centralized accounting and legal services and certain common officers and directors. The Borrowers acknowledge and agree that Agent’s and Lenders’ willingness to extend credit to the Borrowers and to administer the Collateral, as set forth herein, is done solely as an accommodation to the Borrowers and at the Borrowers’ request.

 

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5.10.5 Subordination . Each Loan Party hereby subordinates any claims, including any rights at law or in equity to payment, subrogation, reimbursement, exoneration, contribution, indemnification or set off, that it may have at any time against any other Loan Party, howsoever arising, to the Full Payment of all Obligations.

5.10.6 Exclusion . Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein or in any other Loan Document, CS Automotive LLC shall not be liable for, and does not and shall not in any manner guarantee in any respect, any Obligations of the U.S. Borrower or any other U.S. Domiciled Loan Party arising hereunder or under any of the other Loan Documents.

5.11 Currency Matters . Dollars are the currency of account and payment for each and every sum at any time due from the Borrowers hereunder unless otherwise specifically provided in this Agreement, any other Loan Document or otherwise agreed to by Agent.

5.11.1 Each repayment of a Revolver Loan or LC Obligation or a part thereof shall be made in the currency in which such Revolver Loan or LC Obligation is denominated at the time of that repayment;

5.11.2 Each payment of interest shall be made in the currency in which the principal or other sum in respect of which such interest is denominated;

5.11.3 Each payment of fees by the U.S. Borrower pursuant to Section 3.2 shall be in Dollars;

5.11.4 Each payment of fees by the Canadian Borrower pursuant to Section 3.2 shall be in Dollars;

5.11.5 Each payment in respect of Extraordinary Expenses and any other costs, expenses and indemnities shall be made in the currency in which the same were incurred by the party to whom payment is to be made;

5.11.6 Any amount expressed to be payable in Canadian Dollars shall be paid in Canadian Dollars; and

5.11.7 Any amount expressed to be payable in Euros shall be paid in Euros.

5.11.8 Any amount expressed to be payable in Sterling shall be paid in Sterling.

No payment to any Secured Party (whether under any judgment or court order or otherwise) shall discharge the obligation or liability of the Loan Party in respect of which it was made unless and until such Secured Party shall have received Full Payment in the currency in which such obligation or liability is payable pursuant to the above provisions of this Section 5.11 . To the extent that the amount of any such payment shall, on actual conversion into such currency, fall short of such obligation or liability actual or contingent expressed in that currency, such Loan Party (together with the other Loan Parties within its Loan Party Group or other obligors pursuant to any Guarantee of the Obligations of such Loan Party Group) agrees to indemnify and hold harmless such Secured Party, with respect to the amount of the shortfall with respect to amounts payable by such Loan Party hereunder, with such indemnity surviving the termination of this Agreement and any legal proceeding, judgment or court order pursuant to which the original payment was made which resulted in the shortfall. To the extent that the amount of any

 

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such payment to a Secured Party shall, upon an actual conversion into such currency, exceed such obligation or liability, actual or contingent, expressed in that currency, such Secured Party shall return such excess to the affected Loan Party.

5.12 Currency Fluctuations . On each Business Day or such other date determined by Agent, which date with respect to Letters of Credit issued by Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas in currencies other than Dollars shall be the first Business Day of each calendar month (the “ Calculation Date ”), Agent shall determine the Exchange Rate as of such date. The Exchange Rate so determined shall become effective on the first (1st) Business Day immediately following such determination (a “ Reset Date ”) and shall remain effective until the next succeeding Reset Date. On each Reset Date, Agent shall determine the Dollar Equivalent of the Canadian Revolver Exposure and the U.S. Revolver Exposure. If, on any Reset Date, (x) the Total Revolver Exposure exceeds the total amount of the Commitments on such date or (y) the Canadian Revolver Exposure on such date exceeds the Canadian Borrowing Base on such date or (z) the U.S. Revolver Exposure on such date exceeds the U.S. Borrowing Base on such date (the amount of any such excess referred to herein as the “ Excess Amount ”) then (i) Agent shall give notice thereof to the applicable Borrower and Applicable Lenders and (ii) within two (2) Business Days thereafter, the applicable Borrower shall cause such excess to be eliminated, either by repayment of Revolver Loans or depositing of Cash Collateral with Agent with respect to LC Obligations and until such Excess Amount is repaid, the Applicable Lenders shall not have any obligation to make any Loans.

SECTION 6. CONDITIONS PRECEDENT

6.1 Conditions Precedent to Initial Loans . In addition to the conditions set forth in Section 6.2 , Lenders shall not be required to fund any requested Loan, issue any Letter of Credit, or otherwise extend credit to the Borrowers hereunder, until the date (“ Closing Date ”) that each of the following conditions has been satisfied (and with respect to deliveries of Loan Documents, each such delivery shall be fully-executed (where applicable) and in form and substance satisfactory to Agent and its counsel) (subject to Section 10.1.10 ):

(a) Notes shall have been executed by each Borrower and delivered to each Applicable Lender that requests issuance of a Note. Each other Loan Document set forth on the List of Closing Documents shall have been duly executed (where applicable) by each of the signatories thereto and delivered to Agent, and each Loan Party shall be in compliance with all terms thereof. Each other instrument, document or agreement set forth on the List of Closing Documents shall have been executed (where applicable) and delivered to Agent.

(b) Agent shall have received (i) satisfactory evidence that Agent shall have a valid and perfected first priority Lien, security interest in the ABL Priority Collateral (including delivery to Agent of all instruments needed for filings or recordations necessary to perfect its Liens in the Collateral) and (ii) releases, satisfactions and payoff letters terminating all other Liens on the Collateral (including all such releases, satisfactions and payoff letters relating to the Prepetition Agreement and the DIP Agreement), other than Permitted Liens.

(c) Agent shall have received UCC, PPSA, and Lien searches and other evidence satisfactory to Agent that its Liens are the only Liens upon the ABL Priority Collateral, except Permitted Liens.

 

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(d) All filing and recording fees and taxes shall have been duly paid or arrangements satisfactory to Agent shall have been made for the payment thereof.

(e) Agent shall have received certificates, in form and substance satisfactory to it, from a Senior Officer of each Loan Party certifying that, after giving effect to the Transactions and the initial Loans and transactions hereunder, (i) the Canadian Facility Loan Parties (excluding the U.S. Facility Loan Parties), taken as a whole, and the U.S. Facility Loan Parties, in each case taken as a whole, are Solvent; (ii) no Default or Event of Default exists; (iii) the representations and warranties set forth in Section 9 with respect to such Loan Party are true and correct in all material respects (or, with respect to representations and warranties qualified by materiality, in all respects) (except for representations and warranties that expressly relate to an earlier date, in which case such representations and warranties shall be true and correct in all material respects (or, with respect to representations and warranties qualified by materiality, in all respects) as of such earlier date); (iv) the Availability condition set forth in Section 6.1(n) is satisfied, and (v) such Loan Party has complied with all agreements and conditions to be satisfied by it under the Loan Documents.

(f) Agent shall have received a certificate of a duly authorized officer of each Loan Party, certifying (i) that attached copies of such Loan Party’s Organic Documents are true and complete, and in full force and effect, without amendment except as shown; (ii) that an attached copy of resolutions authorizing execution and delivery of the Loan Documents to which such Loan Party is a party is true and complete, and that such resolutions are in full force and effect, were duly adopted, have not been amended, modified or revoked, and constitute all resolutions adopted with respect to this credit facility; (iii) all governmental and other third party approvals and consents, if any, with respect to the Reorganization Plans, this Agreement, the other Transactions and each other Loan Document have been obtained and are in effect; and (iv) to the title, name and signature of each Person authorized to sign the Loan Documents to which such Loan Party is a party. Agent may conclusively rely on this certificate until it is otherwise notified by the applicable Loan Party in writing.

(g) Agent shall have received satisfactory opinions of counsel to the Loan Parties, in each case, customary for transactions of this type (which shall cover, among other things, authority, legality, validity, binding effect and enforceability of the Loan Documents) and of appropriate local counsel (including Ontario counsel).

(h) Agent shall have received copies of the charter documents of each Loan Party, certified by the Secretary of State or other appropriate official of such Loan Party’s jurisdiction of organization.

(i) Agent shall have received good standing certificates for each Loan Party, issued by the Secretary of State or other appropriate official of such Loan Party’s jurisdiction of organization.

(j) Since December 31, 2009 no change, occurrence or development shall have occurred or become known to the Lead Arrangers that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect (other than any effect of the type that customarily occurs as a result of the commencement of a proceeding under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code or a proceeding under the CCAA).

 

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(k) Agent shall be satisfied with the amount, types and terms and conditions of all insurance maintained by the Loan Parties and their Subsidiaries; and Agent shall have received short form (if available) (i) certificates of insurance with respect to each Loan Parties’ property and liability insurance, and (ii) endorsements naming Agent as an additional insured or lender’s loss payee or mortgagee, as the case may be and as its interests may appear, under all casualty and business interruption insurance policies to be maintained with respect to the properties of the Loan Parties forming part of the Collateral, in each case, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Agent.

(l) No action, suit, investigation, litigation or proceeding pending or threatened in any court or before any arbitrator or Governmental Authority that in the Lenders’ judgment (a) could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect (other than any effect of the type that customarily occurs as a result of the commencement of a proceeding under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code or a proceeding under the CCAA); or (b) could reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the credit facilities or transactions contemplated hereby.

(m) All accrued fees and expenses of the Secured Parties (including the fees and expenses of counsel (including any local counsel) for such Secured Parties) due from the Loan Parties on or prior to the Closing Date under the Joint Commitment Letter, the Joint Fee Letter and/or the Agent Fee Letter, as applicable, shall have been paid in full in cash.

(n) Agent shall have received a satisfactory final pre-closing field examination conducted by Agent and/or a third party for the purpose of preparing a Closing Date Borrowing Base Certificate. Agent shall have received a Borrowing Base Certificate with respect to each of the Canadian Borrowing Base and the U.S. Borrowing Base, in each case, prepared as of May 27, 2010 and reflecting Inventory data as of April 25, 2010. Upon giving effect to the initial funding of Loans and issuance of Letters of Credit, and the payment by the Borrowers of all fees and expenses incurred in connection herewith and due on the Closing Date, as well as the amount of any payables stretched beyond their customary payment practices, (i) Availability (calculated without inclusion of the Canadian Designated Cash Amount or the U.S. Designated Cash Amount) shall be at least $45,000,000 and (ii) the Loan Parties and Subsidiaries shall have cash on hand of at least $45,000,000.

(o) Agent shall have received: (i) the annual (or other audited) financial statements of the Subsidiaries for the fiscal years ended 2008 and 2009; (ii) the most recent interim financial statements of Holdings and its Subsidiaries (separately for (i) the U.S. Borrower and its Subsidiaries that are U.S. Domiciled Loan Parties, (ii) the Canadian Borrower and its Subsidiaries that are Canadian Domiciled Loan Parties and CS Automotive LLC and (iii) the External Subsidiaries) as of a date not more than thirty (30) days (or such other date as Agent may agree) prior to the Closing Date; and (iii) copies of monthly 2010 projections prepared by the U.S. Borrower, which projections shall be substantially in the form of and materially consistent with the projections previously delivered to Agent and shall evidence the Loan Parties’ ability to comply with the covenants set forth in this Agreement.

(p) Agent shall have received (i) an updated sources and uses statement, including payment of all amounts under the Prepetition Agreement and the DIP Agreement (except, with respect to both the Prepetition Agreement and the DIP Agreement, as expressly set forth herein with respect to the deemed re-issuance of the Existing Letters of Credit), and all agreements

 

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related thereto, cure payments, professional fees, critical vendor payments, trustee fees, advisory fees and success payment, claims, administrative expenses and any and all other amounts to be paid under the U.S. Plan and the Canadian Plan on the respective effective dates thereunder, and fees and expenses payable to the Secured Parties on the Closing Date and (ii) evidence that all outstanding non-contingent obligations under the DIP Agreement and the Prepetition Agreement have been repaid in full in cash (to the extent contemplated by the Reorganization Plans) and the DIP Agreement and the Prepetition Agreement have been terminated.

(q) All conditions precedent to the issuance of the Senior Note Debt shall have been satisfied on terms reasonably acceptable to the Lenders in accordance with the Senior Note Documents and the Senior Note Debt, in principal amount of $450,000,000, shall have been issued, and the net proceeds thereof received by the U.S. Borrower, in accordance with the terms of the U.S. Plan and evidenced by the Senior Note Documents. Agent shall have received a certificate of a Senior Officer of Loan Party Agent certifying copies of the material Senior Note Documents attached thereto to be true, correct and complete copies thereof (such certification to be included in the certificate delivered under clause (h) or (i) of this Section).

(r) No amendment or other modification of or to either of the Reorganization Plans shall be filed or proposed since the date the U.S. Confirmation Order and the Canadian Sanction Order was originally entered which, in either case, contains modifications that are material and adverse to any of the U.S. Domiciled Loan Parties, the Canadian Borrower, any of the Loan Parties, Agent and/or Lenders (as determined by the Lead Arrangers).

(s) The U.S. Bankruptcy Court shall have entered the U.S. Confirmation Order, which shall be (i) in form and substance satisfactory to the Lead Arrangers, and (ii) in full force and effect and shall not have been reversed or modified and not be stayed or subject to a motion to stay or subject to appeal or petition for review, rehearing or certiorari and the time to appeal the U.S. Confirmation Order or to seek review, rehearing, or certiorari with respect to the U.S. Confirmation Order has expired.

(t) The Canadian Sanction Order shall be in full force and effect and shall not have been reversed or modified and not be stayed or subject to a motion to stay or subject to appeal or petition for review, rehearing or certiorari, and the time to appeal the Canadian Sanction Order or to seek review, rehearing, or certiorari with respect to the Canadian Sanction Order shall have expired.

(u) All actions by or on behalf of the U.S. Domiciled Loan Parties, the Canadian Borrower and the Reorganized Debtors (as defined in the U.S. Plan), which are necessary or appropriate to implement the Reorganization Plans and all other transactions contemplated to be taken on or prior to the Effective Date by the U.S. Plan, the U.S. Confirmation Order, the Canadian Plan and the Canadian Sanction Order shall have been effected in accordance in all respects with the terms thereof. All conditions precedent to the confirmation, consummation and effectiveness of the Reorganization Plans (other than the closing of the credit facility provided hereby) shall have been satisfied in the judgment of Agent. Concurrently with the closing of the credit facility provided hereby, each of the U.S. Plan and the Canadian Plan shall have become effective (and the U.S. Effective Date and Canadian Effective Dates shall have occurred) in accordance in all material respects with the terms of the U.S. Plan, the Canadian Plan, the U.S. Confirmation Order and the Canadian Sanction Order.

 

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(v) The U.S. Borrower shall have received gross proceeds in an amount not less than $355,000,000 from the Rights Offering (as defined in the U.S. Plan), and Agent shall have received copies certified by a Senior Officer of Loan Party Agent as being true, correct and complete copies thereof, of the executed New Capital Warrant Agreement and the executed Registration Rights Agreement (each as defined in the U.S. Plan and in the form attached to the U.S. Plan as in effect on May 27, 2010, with no changes therefrom that are material and adverse to the Bankruptcy Debtors, the Loan Parties or any Secured Party unless consented thereto by Agent) (such certification to be included in the certificate delivered under clause (h) or (i) of this Section).

6.2 Conditions Precedent to All Credit Extensions . Agent, Issuing Banks and Lenders shall not be required to fund any Loans or arrange for issuance of any Letters of Credit to or for the benefit of the Borrowers (including the initial Loans and Letters of Credit on the Closing Date), unless the following conditions are satisfied:

(a) No Default or Event of Default shall exist at the time of, or result from, such funding or issuance;

(b) The representations and warranties of each Loan Party in the Loan Documents shall be true and correct in all material respects (or, with respect to representations and warranties qualified by materiality, in all respects) on the date of, and upon giving effect to, such funding, issuance or grant (except for representations and warranties that expressly relate to an earlier date, in which case such representations and warranties shall be true and correct in all material respects (or, with respect to representations and warranties qualified by materiality, in all respects) as of such earlier date);

(c) Both immediately before and immediately after giving effect thereto, no Canadian Overadvance or U.S. Overadvance shall exist or would result therefrom and the Total Exposure would not exceed the Maximum Facility Amount; and

(d) With respect to issuance of a Letter of Credit, the LC Conditions shall be satisfied.

Each request (or deemed request, except a deemed request in connection with an Overadvance or a Protective Advance or pursuant to Section 2.2.2(a) or Section 2.3.2(a) ) by Loan Party Agent or any Borrower for funding of a Loan or issuance of a Letter of Credit shall constitute a representation by all Borrowers that the foregoing conditions are satisfied on the date of such request and on the date of such funding or issuance.

SECTION 7. COLLATERAL

7.1 Grant of Security Interest . (a) To secure the prompt payment and performance of all of its Obligations (including, without limitation, all Obligations of the Guarantors), each Loan Party hereby grants to Agent, for the benefit of the Secured Parties, a continuing security interest in and Lien upon the following Property of such Loan Party, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, and wherever located (the “ ABL Priority Collateral ”):

(i) all Accounts;

(ii) all Inventory;

 

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(iii) all Chattel Paper, including electronic chattel paper, Documents, Instruments and General Intangibles arising out of the property described in clauses (i) and (ii) above;

(iv) all Deposit Accounts, securities accounts and all money and Investment Property deposited therein or credited thereto;

(v) all letters of credit, Letter-of-Credit Rights and Supporting Obligations relating to any of the foregoing;

(vi) all Commercial Tort Claims shown on Schedule 9.1.16 (as the same may be amended or deemed amended from time to time), relating to any of the foregoing;

(vii) all Investment Property (other than Equity Interests of the Borrowers and their Subsidiaries) and all payment intangibles (including intercompany loans);

(viii) all money, whether or not in the possession or under the control of Agent, a Lender, or a bailee or Affiliate of Agent or a Lender, including any Cash Collateral;

(ix) all accessions to, substitutions for, and all replacements, products, and cash and non-cash proceeds of the foregoing, including proceeds of and unearned premiums with respect to insurance policies, and claims against any Person for loss, damage or destruction of any of foregoing; and

(x) all books and records (including customer lists, files, correspondence, tapes, computer programs, print-outs and computer records), contracts and contract rights pertaining to the foregoing;

provided however the ABL Priority Collateral shall not include any Excluded Deposit Accounts or Excluded Contracts.

(b) No Canadian Facility Loan Party or any Foreign Subsidiary shall give any security interest or guarantee in support of any Obligation of the U.S. Borrower or a U.S. Facility Guarantor. This provision is meant to comply with Section 956 of the Code and shall be interpreted in accordance therewith.

7.2 Lien on Deposit Accounts; Cash Collateral .

7.2.1 Deposit Accounts . (a) To further secure the prompt payment and performance of all of its Obligations (including, without limitation, all of the Obligations of the Guarantors), each U.S. Domiciled Loan Party hereby grants to Agent, for the benefit of the Secured Parties, and (b) to further secure the prompt payment and performance of all Canadian Facility Obligations (including, without limitation, all Canadian Facility Obligations of each Canadian Facility Guarantor), each Canadian Domiciled Loan Party hereby grants to Agent, for the benefit of the Canadian Facility Secured Parties, in each case, a continuing security interest in and Lien on all amounts credited to any DACA Deposit Account of such Loan Party, including any sums in any blocked or lockbox accounts or in any accounts into which such sums are swept. Each Loan Party hereby authorizes and directs each bank or other depository to deliver to Agent, upon request, all balances in any DACA Deposit Account maintained by such Loan Party, without inquiry into the authority or right of Agent to make such request.

 

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7.2.2 Cash Collateral . Any Cash Collateral may be invested, at Agent’s discretion, in Cash Equivalents, but Agent shall have no duty to do so, regardless of any agreement or course of dealing with any Loan Party, and shall have no responsibility for any investment or loss. To further secure the prompt payment and performance of all of its Obligations (including, without limitation, all Obligations of the Guarantors), each U.S. Domiciled Loan Party hereby grants to Agent, for the benefit of the Secured Parties, and to further secure the prompt payment and performance of all Canadian Facility Obligations, each Canadian Domiciled Loan Party hereby grants to Agent, for the benefit of the Canadian Facility Secured Parties, in each case, a continuing security interest in and Lien on all Cash Collateral held by such Loan Party from time to time and all proceeds thereof, whether such Cash Collateral is held in a Cash Collateral Account or elsewhere. Subject to Section 5.6 , Agent may apply Cash Collateral of a U.S. Domiciled Loan Party to the payment of any Obligations, and may apply Cash Collateral of a Canadian Domiciled Loan Party to the payment of any Canadian Facility Obligations, in each case, in such order as Agent may elect, as they become due and payable. Each Cash Collateral Account and all Cash Collateral shall be under the sole dominion and control of Agent. No U.S. Domiciled Loan Party or other Person claiming through or on behalf of any U.S. Domiciled Loan Party shall have any right to any Cash Collateral, until Full Payment of all Obligations, unless if the condition for establishing Cash Collateral hereunder or under any other Loan Document is in any manner satisfied or the amount of required Cash Collateral reduced, the applicable Cash Collateral (or portion thereof) relating to such condition shall at such time be paid by Agent to the Loan Party Agent. No Canadian Domiciled Loan Party or other Person claiming through or on behalf of any Canadian Domiciled Loan Party shall have any right to any Cash Collateral, until Full Payment of all Canadian Facility Obligations, unless if the condition for establishing Cash Collateral hereunder or under any other Loan Document is in any manner satisfied or the amount of required Cash Collateral reduced, the applicable Cash Collateral (or portion thereof) relating to such condition shall at such time be paid by Agent to the Loan Party Agent.

7.3 Other Collateral .

7.3.1 Commercial Tort Claims . Loan Party Agent shall each month, concurrently with the delivery of financial information required pursuant to Section 10.1.2(b), notify Agent in writing if any Loan Party has obtained during the preceding month a Commercial Tort Claim arising out of the ABL Priority Collateral in respect of which any complaint or similar filing shall have been made (other than, as long as no Event of Default exists, a Commercial Tort Claim for less than $1,000,000), and Schedule 9.1.16 shall at such time be deemed automatically amended to include such claim, and Loan Party Agent shall also take such actions as Agent deems appropriate to subject such claim to a duly perfected, first priority Lien in favor of Agent (for the benefit of Secured Parties).

7.3.2 Certain After-Acquired Collateral . Loan Party Agent shall each month, concurrently with the delivery of financial information required pursuant to Section 10.1.2(b), notify Agent in writing if any Loan Party obtains any interest in any additional ABL Priority Collateral not otherwise subject to the Lien hereunder and/or requiring additional action by Agent in order to perfect its Liens thereon, and, upon Agent’s request, shall promptly take such actions as Agent reasonably deems appropriate to effect Agent’s duly perfected, first priority Lien upon such additional ABL Priority Collateral, including obtaining any appropriate possession, control agreement or Collateral Access Agreement (it being understood that there shall be no requirement to obtain Collateral Access Agreements not obtainable with

 

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commercially reasonable efforts), as appropriate and/or executing such additional Security Documents as may be reasonably requested by Agent. If any ABL Priority Collateral is in the possession of a third party, at Agent’s request, the applicable Loan Party having rights in such ABL Priority Collateral shall obtain a Collateral Access Agreement with respect thereto, it being understood that there shall be no requirement to obtain Collateral Access Agreements not obtainable with commercially reasonable efforts and, subject in any event to Agent’s discretion, as provided in this Agreement, including making cost/benefit determinations, to determine eligibility of the related Collateral or to impose reserves with respect thereto if such ABL Priority Collateral consists of Eligible Accounts or Eligible Inventory. Notwithstanding the immediately preceding two (2) sentences, Agent shall not require any Loan Party to establish Agent’s control over any Excluded Deposit Account or deliver Collateral Access Agreements not obtainable with commercially reasonable efforts.

7.4 No Assumption of Liability . The Lien on Collateral granted hereunder is given as security only and shall not subject Agent or any Lender to, or in any way modify, any obligation or liability of the Loan Parties relating to any Collateral.

7.5 Further Assurances . Promptly upon request, and subject to the other provisions of this Section 7, Loan Party Agent shall deliver such instruments, assignments, title certificates, or other documents or agreements, and shall take such actions, as Agent deems appropriate under Applicable Law to evidence or perfect its Lien on any Collateral, or otherwise to give effect to the intent of this Agreement. Each Loan Party authorizes Agent to file any financing statement that indicates the Collateral in a manner consistent with this Agreement, and ratifies any action taken by Agent before the Closing Date to effect or perfect its Lien on any Collateral.

7.6 Certain Determinations . Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein or in any other Loan Document, this Section 7 shall not require the creation or perfection of any collateral security interests or Liens in any Property of any Loan Party if and for so long as Agent, in consultation with the Loan Party Agent, reasonably determines that the cost of creating or perfecting such security interests or Liens shall be excessive in view of the benefits to be obtained by the Secured Parties therefrom, including, without limitation, requiring delivery of physical possession of de minimis amounts of money held and used by Holdings and its Subsidiaries in the Ordinary Course of Business.

SECTION 8. COLLATERAL ADMINISTRATION

8.1 Borrowing Base Certificates . By the twentieth (20th) day of each month (or, during the Cash Dominion Trigger Period, by Wednesday of each week), or in any such case if such day is not a Business Day, on the next succeeding Business Day, Loan Party Agent shall deliver to Agent (and Agent shall promptly deliver same to Lenders) a Borrowing Base Certificate with respect to each Borrower, in each case, prepared as of the close of business of the previous month (or, if applicable, previous week), and, if a Default or an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, at more frequent times as Agent may request. All calculations of the applicable Borrowing Base in any Borrowing Base Certificate shall originally be made by Loan Party Agent and certified by a Senior Officer of Loan Party Agent, provided that Agent may from time to time in its Permitted Discretion, review and adjust any such calculation to (a) reflect its reasonable estimate of declines in value of any Collateral, due to collections received in the Dominion Account or otherwise; (b) to adjust advance rates to reflect changes in dilution, quality, mix and other factors affecting Collateral; and (c) to the extent the calculation is not

 

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made in accordance with this Agreement or does not accurately reflect the U.S. Availability Reserve and/or the Canadian Availability Reserve. Each Borrowing Base Certificate shall set forth the calculation of the U.S. Borrowing Base in Dollars and of the Canadian Borrowing Base in the Dollar Equivalent.

8.2 Administration of Accounts .

8.2.1 Records and Schedules of Accounts . Each Loan Party shall keep accurate and complete records, in all material respects, of its Accounts, including all payments and collections thereon, and shall submit to Agent sales, collection, reconciliation and other reports in form satisfactory to Agent, on such periodic basis as Agent may reasonably request. Loan Party Agent shall also provide to Agent, on or before the twentieth (20th) day of each month and, if a Default or an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, at more frequent times as Agent may request, a detailed aged trial balance of all Accounts of each Borrower as of the end of the preceding month (or shorter applicable period), specifying, to the extent requested by Agent, each Account’s Account Debtor name and address, amount, invoice date and due date, showing any discount, allowance, credit, authorized return or dispute, and including such proof of delivery, copies of invoices and invoice registers, copies of related documents, repayment histories, status reports and other information as Agent may reasonably request. If Accounts of any Borrower in an aggregate face amount of $5,000,000 or more cease to be Eligible Accounts (other than as a result of the payment thereof), Loan Party Agent shall notify Agent of such occurrence promptly after any Loan Party has knowledge thereof.

8.2.2 Taxes . If an Account of any Loan Party includes a charge for any Taxes, Agent is authorized, in its discretion, to pay the amount thereof to the proper Governmental Authority for the account of such Loan Party and to charge the Loan Party Agent therefor; provided , however , that neither Agent nor Lenders shall be liable for any Taxes that may be due from the Loan Parties or with respect to any Collateral.

8.2.3 Account Verification . Agent shall have the right during normal business hours and with reasonable frequency, in coordination and together with the Loan Party Agent, in the name of Loan Party Agent, to verify the validity, amount or any other matter relating to any material Accounts of the Loan Parties by mail, telephone or otherwise, and the Loan Party Agent shall cooperate fully with Agent in an effort to facilitate and promptly conclude any such verification process. If a Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, Agent shall have the right at any time to conduct such verifications, in the name of Agent, Loan Party Agent or any Loan Party.

8.2.4 Maintenance of DACA Deposit Accounts and Dominion Accounts . The Canadian Domiciled Loan Parties shall establish a Canadian Dominion Account (including by designating an existing Deposit Account as a “Canadian Dominion Account”). The U.S. Facility Loan Parties shall establish the U.S. Dominion Account (including by designating an existing Deposit Account as a “U.S. Dominion Account”). The Loan Parties shall (i) require each lockbox servicer of each of any Loan Party’s lockboxes (if any) to deposit all Payment Items received therein directly to a Deposit Account (other than an Excluded Deposit Account) at the related financial institution, and (ii) maintain each such Deposit Account, together with all other Deposit Accounts of the Loan Parties (other than Excluded Deposit Accounts) as DACA Deposit Accounts by obtaining an executed Deposit Account Control Agreement from each such lockbox servicer and each financial institution which maintains Deposit Accounts (other than any

 

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Excluded Deposit Accounts) for any Loan Party, which Deposit Account Control Agreement (a) establishes Agent’s dominion and control over the subject lockbox(es), if any, and/or DACA Deposit Account(s) of the Loan Parties maintained with such servicer or institution, which may be exercised by Agent during any during any Cash Dominion Trigger Period, (b) requires daily application of amounts on deposit in the subject DACA Deposit Account to a Dominion Account at Bank of America as directed by Agent during any Cash Dominion Trigger Period, and (c) waives offset rights of such servicer or bank, except for customary administrative charges; it being understood that, with respect to any Deposit Account which does not at any time comply with the foregoing requirements specified in this sentence (other than those required to be delivered on the Closing Date), no funds contained therein shall be treated as either Canadian Designated Cash Amount or U.S. Designated Cash Amount for purposes of this Agreement and the Loan Party Agent shall, at Agent’s request, within thirty (30) days, in coordination with Agent, cause replacement arrangements to be implemented with respect to the applicable accounts which are reasonably satisfactory to Agent. Neither Agent nor Lenders assume any responsibility to the Loan Parties for any lockbox arrangement, DACA Deposit Account or Dominion Account, including any claim of accord and satisfaction or release with respect to any Payment Items accepted by any bank.

8.2.5 Proceeds of Collateral; Payment Items Received . Loan Party Agent shall take all commercially reasonable steps to ensure that all payments on Accounts included in the ABL Priority Collateral or otherwise relating to ABL Priority Collateral are made directly to a DACA Deposit Account (or a lockbox relating to a DACA Deposit Account) or, during a Cash Dominion Trigger Period, a Dominion Account. If any Loan Party or Subsidiary receives cash or Payment Items with respect to any ABL Priority Collateral or any Payment Item not properly deposited by a lockbox servicer in accordance with the requirements set forth in Section 8.2.4 , it shall hold same in trust for Agent and promptly deposit same into a DACA Deposit Account or, during a Cash Dominion Trigger Period, a Dominion Account for application to the Obligations in accordance with Section 5.5 or 5.6 , as applicable.

8.3 Administration of Inventory .

8.3.1 Records and Reports of Inventory . Each Loan Party shall keep accurate and complete records of its Inventory in the United States and Canada consistent in all material respects with historical practices, and shall submit to Agent inventory and reconciliation reports (which reports shall set forth the Inventory information by location) in form reasonably satisfactory to Agent, on such periodic basis as Agent may reasonably request. Loan Party Agent shall conduct (or shall cause to be conducted) a physical inventory in the United States and Canada at least once per calendar year (and on a more frequent basis if requested by Agent when an Event of Default exists) and periodic cycle counts consistent with historical practices, and shall provide to Agent a report based on each such inventory and count promptly upon completion thereof, together with such supporting information as Agent may reasonably request. Agent may participate in and observe each physical count.

8.3.2 Returns of Inventory . No Loan Party shall return any Inventory to a supplier, vendor or other Person, whether for cash, credit or otherwise, unless (a) such return is in the Ordinary Course of Business; (b) no Default, Event of Default or Overadvance exists or would result therefrom; (c) Agent is promptly notified if the aggregate Value of all Inventory returned in any month exceeds $5,000,000, in aggregate; and (d) any payment received by a Loan Party for a return is promptly deposited to a DACA Deposit Account or a Dominion Account.

 

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8.3.3 Acquisition, Sale and Maintenance . With respect to Inventory that has been included in the calculation of the U.S. Borrowing Base or Canadian Borrowing Base, no Loan Party shall acquire or accept any such Inventory on consignment or approval and the Loan Parties shall take all commercially reasonable steps to assure that all Inventory is produced in accordance with Applicable Law, including the FLSA; except in any such case where the failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Loan Parties shall use, store and maintain all Inventory with reasonable care and caution, in accordance with historical practices and in conformity in all material respects with all Applicable Law, and shall make current rent payments (within applicable grace periods provided for in leases) at all locations where any material ABL Priority Collateral is located.

8.4 Administration of Equipment .

8.4.1 Records and Schedules of Equipment . Each Loan Party shall keep accurate and complete records of its Equipment in all material respects, consistent with historical practices.

8.4.2 Condition of Equipment . Each Loan Party shall keep its Equipment in good operating condition and repair, and shall make all necessary replacements and repairs so that the value and operating efficiency of the Equipment is preserved at all times in all material respects, reasonable wear and tear excepted, in each case in a manner consistent with historical practices.

8.5 Administration of Deposit Accounts . Schedule 8.5 sets forth all lockbox arrangements and Deposit Accounts (including Dominion Accounts) maintained by the Loan Parties in the United States and Canada as of the Closing Date. Each Loan Party shall take all commercially reasonable actions necessary to establish Agent’s control of each such Deposit Account (other than Excluded Deposit Accounts) by causing the related deposit account bank to enter into a Deposit Account Control Agreement; it being understood that, with respect to any Deposit Account which does not at any time comply with the foregoing requirements specified in this sentence (other than those required to be delivered on the Closing Date), no funds contained therein shall be treated as either Canadian Designated Cash Amount or U.S. Designated Cash Amount for purposes of this Agreement and the Loan Party Agent shall within thirty (30) days, in coordination with Agent, cause replacement arrangements to be implemented with respect to the applicable accounts which are reasonably satisfactory to Agent. The sole account holder of each Deposit Account shall be a single Loan Party and the Loan Parties shall not allow any other Person (other than Agent and, subject to any Permitted Senior Secured Debt Intercreditor Agreement, the agent specified therein) to have control (as contemplated by the UCC and the PPSA) over a DACA Deposit Account or any Property deposited therein. Each Loan Party shall promptly notify Agent of any opening or closing of a Deposit Account and, concurrently with the opening thereof, shall ensure such account (other than accounts excluded from the operation of this paragraph above) is subject to a fully executed Deposit Account Control Agreement, an original copy of which has been delivered to Agent.

 

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8.6 General Provisions .

8.6.1 Location of Collateral . All material amounts of tangible items of ABL Priority Collateral, other than Inventory in transit, shall at all times be kept by the Loan Parties at the Borrowers’ business locations set forth in Schedule 8.6.1 , except that the Loan Parties may (a) make sales or other dispositions of Collateral in the Ordinary Course of Business; (b) in the case of any U.S. Facility Loan Party, move Collateral to another location in the continental United States (so long as notice of such move is provided to Agent concurrently with delivery of the applicable financial information required pursuant to Sections 10.1.2(a), (b) or (c), as applicable) or Canada (upon thirty (30) days’ (or such lesser time as Agent shall agree in writing) prior written notice to Agent), so long as all actions shall have been taken prior to such move to ensure that Agent has a perfected first priority Lien upon all the ABL Priority Collateral and (c) in the case of a Canadian Domiciled Loan Party, move Collateral to another location in Canada (upon thirty (30) days’ (or such lesser time as Agent shall agree in writing) prior written notice to Agent) or the United States (so long as notice of such move is provided to Agent concurrently with delivery of the applicable financial information required pursuant to Sections 10.1.2(a), (b) or (c), as applicable), so long as all actions shall have been taken prior to such move to ensure that Agent has a perfected first priority security interest in and Lien upon all the ABL Priority Collateral, provided , however, that with respect to the foregoing clauses (b) and (c), if such Collateral is to be in the possession of a third party at a location not set forth on Schedule 8.6.1 , the applicable Loan Party having rights in such Collateral shall use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain a Collateral Access Agreement with respect thereto.

8.6.2 Insurance of Collateral; Condemnation Proceeds .

(a) (1) Each Loan Party shall maintain insurance with respect to the Collateral, covering casualty, hazard, theft, malicious mischief, flood and other risks, in amounts, with endorsements and with insurers (with a Best Rating of at least A7, unless otherwise approved by Agent) reasonably satisfactory to Agent. Proceeds under each policy in excess of $5,000,000 per claim shall be payable to Agent (for application by Agent (i) to payment of the Revolver Loans of the applicable Borrower or (ii) in accordance with Section 5.5 or 5.6, if applicable) to the extent arising out of the ABL Priority Collateral. (2) From time to time upon request, Loan Party Agent shall deliver to Agent the originals or certified copies of its insurance policies. Unless Agent shall agree otherwise, each policy shall include satisfactory endorsements (i) showing Agent and its successors as lender’s loss payee, as its interests may appear; (ii) requiring at least thirty (30) days prior written notice to Agent in the event of cancellation of the policy for any reason whatsoever; and (iii) specifying that the interest of Agent shall not be impaired or invalidated by any act or neglect of any Loan Party or the owner of the Property, nor by the occupation of the premises for purposes more hazardous than are permitted by the policy. If any Loan Party fails to provide and pay for any insurance, Agent may in consultation with the Loan Party Agent, but shall not be required to, procure the insurance and charge the Loan Parties therefor. Loan Party Agent agrees to deliver to Agent, promptly as rendered, copies of all material reports made to insurance companies. While no Event of Default exists, the Loan Parties may settle, adjust or compromise any insurance claim relating to the ABL Priority Collateral, as long as the proceeds in excess of $5,000,000 per claim are delivered to Agent (for application by Agent (i) to payment of the Revolver Loans of the applicable Borrower or (ii) in accordance with Section 5.5 or 5.6, if applicable). If an Event of Default exists, only Agent shall be authorized to settle, adjust and compromise claims in excess of $500,000 in the aggregate related to the ABL Priority Collateral.

 

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(b) Any proceeds of insurance (other than proceeds from workers’ compensation or D&O insurance) and any awards arising from condemnation of, in each case, any ABL Priority Collateral, or any proceeds or awards that relate to Inventory included in the ABL Priority Collateral, in any such case in excess of $5,000,000 per claim, to the extent received by any Loan Party, shall be paid to Agent (for application by Agent (i) to payment of the Revolver Loans of the applicable Borrower, with any excess amounts returned to the Loan Party Agent, or (ii) in accordance with Section 5.5 or 5.6, if applicable).

8.6.3 Protection of Collateral . All expenses of protecting, storing, warehousing, insuring, handling, maintaining and shipping any Collateral of a Loan Party Group, all Taxes payable with respect to any Collateral of a Loan Party Group (including any sale thereof), and all other payments required to be made by Agent to any Person to realize upon any Collateral of a Loan Party Group, shall be borne and paid by the Loan Parties of such Loan Party Group. Agent shall not be liable or responsible in any way for the safekeeping of any Collateral, for any loss or damage thereto (except for reasonable care in its custody while Collateral is in Agent’s actual possession), for any diminution in the value thereof, or for any act or default of any warehouseman, carrier, forwarding agency or other Person whatsoever, but the same shall be at the Loan Parties’ sole risk.

8.6.4 Defense of Title to Collateral . Each Loan Party shall at all times defend in a commercially reasonable manner its title to Collateral and Agent’s Liens therein against all Persons, claims and demands whatsoever, except Permitted Liens.

8.7 Power of Attorney . Each Loan Party hereby irrevocably constitutes and appoints Agent (and all Persons designated by Agent) as such Loan Party’s true and lawful attorney (and agent-in-fact), coupled with an interest, for the purposes and during the times provided in this Section. Agent, or Agent’s designee, may, without notice and in either its or a Loan Party’s name, but at the cost and expense of the Loan Parties within such Loan Party’s Loan Party Group:

(a) Endorse a Loan Party’s name on any Payment Item or other proceeds of Collateral (including proceeds of insurance) that come into Agent’s possession or control; and

(b) After an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, (i) notify any Account Debtors of the assignment of their Accounts, demand and enforce payment of Accounts by legal proceedings or otherwise, and generally exercise any rights and remedies with respect to Accounts; (ii) settle, adjust, modify, compromise, discharge or release any Accounts or other Collateral, or any legal proceedings brought to collect Accounts or Collateral; (iii) sell or assign any Accounts and other Collateral upon such terms, for such amounts and at such times as Agent deems advisable; (iv) collect, liquidate and receive balances in DACA Deposit Accounts or investment accounts, and take control, in any manner, of proceeds of Collateral; (v) prepare, file and sign a Loan Party’s name to a proof of claim or other document in a bankruptcy of an Account Debtor, or to any notice, assignment or satisfaction of Lien or similar document; (vi) receive, open and dispose of mail addressed to a Loan Party, and notify postal authorities to deliver any such mail to an address designated by Agent; (vii) endorse any Chattel Paper, Document, Instrument, bill of lading, or other document or agreement relating to any Accounts, Inventory or other Collateral; (viii) use a Loan Party’s stationery and sign its name to verifications of Accounts and notices to Account Debtors; (ix) use information contained in any data processing, electronic or information systems relating to Collateral; (x) make and adjust

 

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claims under insurance policies; (xi) take any action as may be necessary or appropriate to obtain payment under any letter of credit, banker’s acceptance or other instrument constituting Collateral for which a Loan Party is a beneficiary; and (xii) take all other actions as Agent deems appropriate to fulfill any Loan Party’s obligations under the Loan Documents.

SECTION 9. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

9.1 General Representations and Warranties . To induce Agent and Lenders to enter into this Agreement and to make available the Commitments, Loans and Letters of Credit, each Loan Party hereby jointly and severally with the other Loan Parties represents and warrants that:

9.1.1 Organization and Qualification . Each Loan Party and Subsidiary is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing (or equivalent) under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization. Each Loan Party and Subsidiary is duly qualified, authorized to do business and in good standing as a foreign or extra provincial, as the case may be, corporation, limited liability company, exempted company or other entity in each jurisdiction, except where failure to be so qualified, authorized or in good standing could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

9.1.2 Power and Authority . Each Loan Party is duly authorized to execute, deliver and perform the Loan Documents to which it is a party. The execution, delivery and performance by each Loan Party of the Loan Documents to which it is a party have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate (or equivalent) action of such Loan Party, and do not (a) require any consent or approval of any holders of Equity Interests of such Loan Party or any Governmental Authority, in each case, other than those already obtained; (b) contravene the Organic Documents of such Loan Party; (c) violate or cause a default under any material Applicable Law binding on such Loan Party or Material Contract of such Loan Party, except, with respect to Material Contracts, which could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; (d) require any registration or filing with, or any other action by, any Governmental Authority, except (i) such as have been obtained or made and are in full force and effect, (ii) filings necessary to perfect Liens created by the Loan Documents and (iii) consents, approvals, registrations, filings, permits or actions the failure to obtain or perform which could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; or (e) result in or require the imposition of any Lien (other than Permitted Liens) on any Property of any Loan Party or Subsidiary.

9.1.3 Enforceability . Each Loan Document is a legal, valid and binding obligation of each Loan Party party thereto, enforceable against such Loan Party in accordance with its terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and general principles of equity, regardless of whether considered in a proceeding in law or in equity.

9.1.4 Corporate Names; Capital Structure . Schedule 9.1.4 shows, for each Loan Party and Subsidiary, its name, its jurisdiction of organization, its issued Equity Interests, the holders of its Equity Interests (other than in respect of Holdings), in each case, as of the Closing Date.

 

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9.1.5 Locations . As of the Closing Date, the chief executive offices and other places of business of the Loan Parties are shown on Schedule 8.6.1 .

9.1.6 Title to Properties; Priority of Liens . Each Loan Party and Subsidiary has good and marketable title to (or valid leasehold interests in) all of its Real Estate, and good title to, or rights in, all of its personal tangible Property, in each case with respect to such Real Estate and personal Property which is material to its business, including all Property reflected in any financial statements delivered to Agent or Lenders, in each case free of Liens except Permitted Liens. Each Loan Party and Subsidiary has paid and discharged all lawful claims that, if unpaid, could become a Lien on a material portion of its Properties, other than Permitted Liens. Each Loan Party has paid and discharged all lawful claims that, if unpaid, could reasonably be expected to become a Lien on its ABL Priority Collateral, other than (x) Permitted Collateral Liens and (y) Liens permitted by Section 10.2.2(y) securing Debt in an aggregate amount not in excess of $5,000,000 so long as the applicable ABL Priority Collateral is not included in the Borrowing Base. Upon the filing of financing statements against the Loan Parties in the form approved by Loan Party Agent, and, with respect to any ABL Priority Collateral in which a security interest may only be perfected by possession or control, the taking and retention of possession or control of such ABL Priority Collateral by Agent, duly endorsed (including executed powers of transfer) where applicable, all Liens of Agent in the ABL Priority Collateral will be duly perfected, first priority Lien upon all the ABL Priority Collateral, subject only to Permitted Collateral Liens.

9.1.7 Accounts and Inventory . (a) Agent may rely, in determining which Accounts are Eligible Accounts, on all statements and representations made by or on behalf of the Borrowers with respect thereto. All Accounts included in the calculation of Eligible Accounts in any Borrowing Base Certificate are Eligible Accounts as of the date of such Borrowing Base Certificate. Borrowers warrant, with respect to each Account at the time it is shown as an Eligible Account in a Borrowing Base Certificate, that:

(i) it is genuine and in all respects what it purports to be, and is not evidenced by a judgment;

(ii) it arises out of a completed, bona fide sale and delivery of goods or rendition of services in the Ordinary Course of Business, and substantially in accordance with any purchase order, contract or other document relating thereto;

(iii) it is for a sum certain, maturing as stated in the invoice covering such sale or rendition of services, a copy of which has been furnished or is available to Agent on request;

(iv) it is not subject to any offset, Lien (other than Permitted Collateral Liens), deduction, ongoing defense, dispute or counterclaim, except as arising in the Ordinary Course of Business or otherwise disclosed to Agent; and it is absolutely owing by the Account Debtor, without contingency in any respect;

(v) no purchase order, agreement, document or Applicable Law restricts assignment of the Account to Agent (regardless of whether, under the UCC or the PPSA, the restriction is ineffective), and the applicable Borrower is the sole payee or remittance party shown on the invoice;

 

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(vi) no extension, compromise, settlement, modification, credit, deduction or return has been authorized with respect to the Account, except (i) discounts or allowances granted in the Ordinary Course of Business for prompt payment that are reflected on the face of the invoice related thereto and in the reports submitted to Agent hereunder or (ii) other discounts or allowances reflected in the Value of such Account; and

(vii) to the best of the applicable Borrower’s knowledge, (A) there are no facts or circumstances that are reasonably likely to impair the enforceability or collectability of such Account, (B) the Account Debtor had the capacity to contract when the Account arose, continues to meet the applicable Borrower’s customary credit standards, is Solvent, is not contemplating or subject to an Insolvency Proceeding, and has not failed, or suspended or ceased doing business; and (C) there are no proceedings or actions threatened or pending against any Account Debtor that could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the Account Debtor’s financial condition.

(b) Agent may rely, in determining which Inventory is Eligible Inventory, on all statements and representations made by or on behalf of the Borrowers with respect thereto. All Inventory included in the calculation of Eligible Inventory in any Borrowing Base Certificate is Eligible Inventory as of the date of such Borrowing Base Certificate.

9.1.8 Financial Statements; Solvency; Material Adverse Effect .

(a) The consolidated balance sheets, and related statements of income, cash flow and shareholder’s equity, of the Loan Parties that have been and are hereafter delivered to Agent and Lenders, and the separate consolidating balance sheets, and related statements of income, cash flow and shareholder’s equity, of the U.S. Borrower and its Subsidiaries that are U.S. Domiciled Loan Parties, the Canadian Borrower and its Subsidiaries that are Canadian Domiciled Loan Parties and CS Automotive LLC, and the External Subsidiaries, respectively, that have been and are hereafter delivered to Agent and Lenders, in each case, are and will be prepared in accordance with GAAP, and fairly present the financial positions and results of operations of such Persons at the dates and for the periods indicated, subject to year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes in the case of statements prepared other than at year-end. All projections delivered from time to time to Agent and Lenders by or on behalf of the Loan Parties and Subsidiaries have been prepared in good faith, based on assumptions believed by Loan Party Agent to be reasonable at the time delivered to Agent, in light of the circumstances at such time.

(b) Since December 31, 2009, there has been no change in the condition, financial or otherwise, of Holdings and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect (other than with respect to the U.S. Bankruptcy Cases and the Canadian CCAA Case, any effect of the type that customarily occurs as a result of the commencement of a proceeding under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code or a proceeding under the CCAA).

(c) No financial statement delivered to Agent or Lenders by or on behalf of any of the Loan Parties and Subsidiaries at any time contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omits any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements made therein, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading as of the time when made or delivered.

 

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(d) After giving effect to the Transactions, the Canadian Facility Loan Parties (excluding the U.S. Facility Loan Parties), taken as a whole, and the U.S. Facility Loan Parties, in each case taken as a whole, are Solvent

9.1.9 Taxes . Except to the extent it could reasonably be expected to not have a Material Adverse Effect, each Loan Party has timely filed all federal and state income tax returns, and all local and provincial income tax returns and other reports that it is required by law to file, and has timely paid, or made provision for the payment of, all federal and state Taxes upon it and all local and provincial and other Taxes upon it, and its income and its Properties that are due and payable, except to the extent being Properly Contested. Each Subsidiary that is not a Loan Party has timely filed all material federal, state, local and provincial income tax returns and other reports that it is required by law to file, and has timely paid, or made provision for the payment of, all material federal, state, local and provincial and other Taxes upon it, its income and its Properties that are due and payable, except to the extent being Properly Contested.

9.1.10 Brokers . There are no brokerage commissions, finder’s fees or investment banking fees payable in connection with any transactions contemplated by (i) the Transactions (except as disclosed in the U.S. Plan or Canadian Plan), or (ii) the Loan Documents.

9.1.11 Intellectual Property . Except as could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, each Loan Party and Subsidiary owns or has the lawful right to use all Intellectual Property used in the conduct of its business, without conflict with any rights of others. No Intellectual Property owned or used by a Loan Party or Subsidiary which is material to the operations or business of any Loan Party has been adjudged invalid or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction or been cancelled, in whole or in part, except where such judgment or cancellation could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. There is no pending or, to any Loan Party’s knowledge, threatened Intellectual Property Claim with respect to any Loan Party, any Subsidiary or any of their Property (including any Intellectual Property), except as could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. All Intellectual Property owned, used or licensed by, or otherwise subject to any interests of, any Loan Party or Subsidiary on the Closing Date is shown on Schedule 9.1.11 .

9.1.12 Governmental Approvals . Each Loan Party and Subsidiary has, is in compliance with, and is in good standing with respect to, all Governmental Approvals necessary to conduct its business and to own, lease and operate its Properties, except as could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. All necessary import, export or other licenses, permits or certificates for the import or handling of any goods or other Collateral have been procured and are in effect, and the Loan Parties and Subsidiaries have complied with all foreign and domestic laws with respect to the shipment and importation of any goods or Collateral, except where such noncompliance could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

9.1.13 Compliance with Laws . Each Loan Party and Subsidiary has duly complied, and its Properties and business operations are in compliance, in each case in all respects, with all Applicable Laws (including Environmental Laws), except where noncompliance could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. There have been no citations, notices or orders relating to noncompliance issued to any Loan Party or Subsidiary under any Applicable Law, except where such noncompliance could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. No Inventory has been produced in violation of the FLSA, except where such violation could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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9.1.14 Compliance with Environmental Laws . Except as disclosed on Schedule 9.1.14 or would not have and could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (i) no Loan Party’s or Subsidiary’s present or, to its knowledge, former operations, Real Estate or other Properties are subject to any federal, state or local investigation to determine whether any remedial action is needed to address any environmental pollution, Hazardous Material or environmental clean-up, (ii) no Loan Party or Subsidiary has received any Environmental Notice and (iii) no Loan Party or Subsidiary has, to its knowledge, any contingent liability with respect to any Environmental Release, environmental pollution or Hazardous Material on any Real Estate now or previously owned, leased or operated by it.

9.1.15 Burdensome Contracts . No Loan Party or Subsidiary is a party or subject to any contract, agreement or charter restriction that has resulted in or could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. No Loan Party or Subsidiary is party or subject to any Restrictive Agreement (other than (s) agreements to which an External Subsidiary is party to the extent that the restrictions or conditions therein are imposed only on such External Subsidiary and other Subsidiaries that are not Loan Parties, (t) the Loan Documents, (u) the Senior Note Documents (as in effect on the Closing Date), (v) the Permitted Senior Secured Debt Documents, (w) customary non-assignment provisions with respect to leases or licensing agreements entered into by the Loan Parties or any of their Subsidiaries in the Ordinary Course of Business, (x) any restriction or encumbrance with respect to any asset of the Loan Parties or any of their Subsidiaries imposed pursuant to an agreement which has been entered into for the sale or disposition of such assets otherwise permitted under this Agreement, (y) customary provisions in joint venture agreements and other similar agreements entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business, (z) customary restrictions in connection with Permitted Securitizations), except as shown on Schedule 9.1.15 and (aa) Restrictive Agreements permitted under Section 10.2.12. No Restrictive Agreement prohibits the execution, delivery or performance of any Loan Document by a Loan Party or Subsidiary.

9.1.16 Litigation . Except as shown on Schedule 9.1.16 , there are no proceedings or investigations pending or, to any Loan Party’s knowledge, threatened against any Loan Party or Subsidiary, or any of their businesses, operations, Properties, prospects or conditions, that (a) relate to any Loan Documents or transactions contemplated thereby; or (b) have resulted in or could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as shown on such Schedule, as amended from time to time, no Loan Party has a Commercial Tort Claim (other than, as long as no Default or Event of Default exists, a Commercial Tort Claim for less than $1,000,000). No Loan Party or Subsidiary is in default with respect to any order, injunction or judgment of any Governmental Authority that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

9.1.17 No Defaults . No event or circumstance has occurred or exists that constitutes a Default or Event of Default. No Loan Party or Subsidiary is in default, and no event or circumstance has occurred or exists that with the passage of time or giving of notice would constitute a default by any Loan Party or Subsidiary, under any Material Contract that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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9.1.18 ERISA .

(a) Schedule 9.1.18 sets forth all Plans, (including, for the avoidance of doubt and without limitation, all Pension Plans and Canadian Employee Plans) in existence as of the date hereof.

(b) Except as could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, each Plan is in compliance in all respects with the applicable provisions of ERISA, the Code, and other Applicable Laws. Except as disclosed on Schedule 9.1.18(b) , as of the Closing Date, each Plan that is intended to qualify under Section 401(a) of the Code has received a favorable determination letter from the IRS for the period for which the remedial amendment period (within the meaning of Code Section 401(b) and IRS guidance) has expired or, with respect to a new Plan or a period for which the remedial amendment period has not expired, an application for such a letter is currently being processed by the IRS with respect thereto and, to the knowledge of the Loan Parties, nothing has occurred which would prevent, or cause the loss of, such qualification. Except as could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, each Loan Party and ERISA Affiliate has made all required contributions to each Plan subject to Section 412 or 430 of the Code, and no application for a funding waiver or an extension of any amortization period pursuant to Section 412 of the Code has been made with respect to any Plan.

(c) There are no pending or, to the knowledge of the Loan Parties, threatened claims, actions or lawsuits, or action by any Governmental Authority with respect to any Plan that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. There has been no non-exempt prohibited transaction under Section 406 of ERISA or 4975 of the Code or violation of the fiduciary responsibility rules of ERISA with respect to any Plan that has resulted in or could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(d) Except as disclosed on Schedule 9.1.18(d) or could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (i) no ERISA Event has occurred and no ERISA Event could reasonably be expected to occur; (ii) (x) no Pension Plan had any Unfunded Pension Liability as of December 31, 2009, and (y) no Pension Plan has increased the amount of its Unfunded Pension Liability between December 31, 2009 and any subsequent date as of which the representations in this Section 9 are made or deemed made; (iii) no Loan Party or ERISA Affiliate has incurred any liability that remains outstanding, and no Loan Party or ERISA Affiliate could reasonably be expected to incur any liability, under Title IV of ERISA with respect to any Pension Plan (other than premiums due and not delinquent under Section 4007 of ERISA); (iv) no Loan Party or ERISA Affiliate has incurred any liability (other than a liability that has been satisfied in full), no Loan Party or ERISA Affiliate could reasonably be expected to incur any liability, and no event has occurred which, with the giving of notice under Section 4219 of ERISA would result in liability, under Section 4201 or 4243 of ERISA with respect to a Multiemployer Plan; and (v) no Loan Party or ERISA Affiliate has engaged in a transaction that could be subject to Section 4069 or 4212(c) of ERISA.

(e) With respect to any Foreign Plan, except as could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (i) all employer and employee contributions required by law or by the terms of the Foreign Plan have been made, or, if applicable, accrued, in accordance with applicable accounting practices and (ii) it has been registered as required and has been maintained in good standing with applicable Governmental Authorities.

 

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(f) Except as could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (i) the Canadian Domiciled Loan Parties are in compliance in all material respects with the requirements of the PBA with respect to each Canadian Pension Plan and in compliance with any FSCO order directed specifically at a Canadian Pension Plan; (ii) except as disclosed on Schedule 9.1.18(f) , no Canadian Pension Plan has any Unfunded Pension Liability as of January 1, 2009 with respect to the Retirement Benefit Agreement between Cooper-Standard Automotive Canada Limited and the National Automobile, Aerospace, Transportation and General Workers Union of Canada (C.A.W.) Local 876 and as of January 1, 2007 with respect to the Pension Plan for Salaried Employees of Cooper-Standard Automotive Canada Limited; (iii) no Canadian Pension Plan shall have increased its Unfunded Pension Liability, if any, between the Closing Date and any subsequent date as of which the representations in this Section 9 are deemed made; (iv); no fact or situation that may reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect exists in connection with any Canadian Pension Plan; (v) no Termination Event has occurred; (vi) all contributions required to be made by any Canadian Domiciled Loan Party or Subsidiary to any Canadian Pension Plan have been made in a timely fashion in accordance with the terms of such Canadian Pension Plan and the PBA; and (vii) no Lien has arisen, choate or inchoate, in respect of any Canadian Domiciled Loan Party or their property in connection with any Canadian Pension Plan (save for contribution amounts not yet due).

9.1.19 Trade Relations . There exists no actual or, to the knowledge of any Loan Party, threatened termination, limitation or modification of any business relationship between any Loan Party or Subsidiary, on the one hand, and any customer or supplier, or any group of customers or suppliers, which individually or in the aggregate could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. There exists no condition or circumstance that has materially impaired or could reasonably be expected to materially impair the ability of any Loan Party or Subsidiary to conduct its business at any time hereafter in substantially the same manner as conducted on the Closing Date.

9.1.20 Labor Relations . Except as described on Schedule 9.1.20 , on the Closing Date no Loan Party or Subsidiary is party to or bound by any collective bargaining agreement, management agreement or consulting agreement within the United States or Canada. Except as could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, within the United States or Canada, there are no material grievances, unfair labor practices complaints or other disputes with any union or other organization of any Loan Party’s or Subsidiary’s employees or consultants, or, to any Loan Party’s knowledge, any asserted or to the knowledge of any Loan Party, threatened strikes or work stoppages.

9.1.21 Payable Practices . No Loan Party or Subsidiary has made any material change in its historical accounts payable practices from those in effect on the Closing Date.

9.1.22 Not a Regulated Entity . No Loan Party or Subsidiary is (a) an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940; or (b) subject to regulation under the Federal Power Act, any public utilities code or any other Applicable Law regarding its authority to incur Debt.

9.1.23 Margin Stock . No Loan Party or Subsidiary is engaged, principally or as one of its important activities, in the business of extending credit for the purpose of purchasing or carrying any Margin Stock. No Loan proceeds or Letters of Credit will be used by any Loan

 

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Party or Subsidiary to purchase or carry, or to reduce or refinance any Debt incurred to purchase or carry, any Margin Stock or for any related purpose governed by Regulations T, U or X of the Board of Governors.

9.1.24 Excluded Collateral . No material Collateral consists of Property with respect to which the grant of a Lien hereunder in such Property is prohibited by Applicable Law or requires any consent of any Governmental Authority not obtained pursuant to Applicable Law.

9.2 Complete Disclosure . None of the representations or warranties made by any Loan Party in the Loan Documents as of the date such representations and warranties are made or deemed made, and none of the statements contained in each exhibit, report, statement or certificate furnished by or on behalf of any Loan Party in connection with the Loan Documents, contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omits any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements made therein, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, taken as a whole, not misleading in any material respect as of the time when made or delivered. There is no fact or circumstance that any Loan Party has failed to disclose to Agent in writing that has resulted in or could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

SECTION 10. COVENANTS AND CONTINUING AGREEMENTS

10.1 Affirmative Covenants . As long as any Commitments or Obligations (other than indemnity obligations that are not currently due and payable) are outstanding, each Loan Party, jointly and severally with the other Loan Parties, agrees that it shall, and shall cause each Subsidiary to:

10.1.1 Inspections; Appraisals .

(a) Permit Agent from time to time, subject to reasonable notice and during normal business hours (except when an Event of Default exists), to visit and inspect the Properties of any Loan Party or Subsidiary in the United States and Canada, including, without limitation, inspect, audit and make extracts from any Loan Party’s or Subsidiary’s books and records, and discuss with its officers, employees, agents, advisors and independent accountants such Loan Party’s or Subsidiary’s business, financial condition, assets, prospects and results of operations. Neither Agent nor any Lender shall have any duty to any Loan Party to make any inspection, nor to share any results of any inspection, appraisal or report with any Loan Party. The Loan Parties acknowledge that all inspections, appraisals and reports are prepared by Agent and Lenders for their purposes, and the Loan Parties shall not be entitled to rely upon them.

(b) Reimburse Agent in accordance with Section 3.4 for all charges, costs and expenses of Agent in connection with (i) examinations of any Loan Party’s books and records or any other financial or Collateral matters as Agent deems appropriate, up to two (2) times (or, during any Financial Covenant Trigger Period, three (3) times) per Loan Year; and (ii) appraisals of Inventory up to two (2) times (or, during any Financial Covenant Trigger Period, three (3) times) per Loan Year; provided , however , that if an examination or appraisal is initiated during an Event of Default, all charges, costs and expenses therefor shall be reimbursed by the Loan Parties without regard to such limits. Subject to and without limiting the foregoing, the Loan Parties specifically agree to pay Agent’s then standard charges for each day that an

 

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employee of Agent or its Affiliates is engaged in any examination activities, and shall pay the standard charges of Agent’s internal appraisal group. This Section 10.1.1 shall not be construed to limit Agent’s right to conduct examinations or to obtain appraisals at any time in its discretion, nor to use third parties for such purposes. Agent agrees, for the benefit of the Lenders, to commence examinations as referenced in this Section 10.1.1 on at least an annual basis.

10.1.2 Financial and Other Information . Keep adequate records and books of account with respect to its business activities, in which proper entries are made in accordance with GAAP reflecting all financial transactions; and to furnish to Agent and Lenders:

(a) within ninety (90) days after the close of each Fiscal Year, balance sheets as of the end of such Fiscal Year and the related statements of income, cash flow and shareholders’ equity for such Fiscal Year, on a consolidated basis (for Holdings and its Subsidiaries) and consolidating basis (separately for (i) the U.S. Borrower and its Subsidiaries that are U.S. Domiciled Loan Parties, (ii) the Canadian Borrower and its Subsidiaries that are Canadian Domiciled Loan Parties and CS Automotive LLC and (iii) the External Subsidiaries), which consolidated statements shall be audited and certified (without a “going concern” qualification or other qualification as to scope of audit) by a firm of independent certified public accountants of recognized standing selected by the Loan Parties and reasonably acceptable to Agent, and shall set forth in comparative form corresponding figures for the preceding Fiscal Year, and which unaudited consolidating statements shall set forth in comparative form corresponding figures for the preceding Fiscal Year and certified by a Senior Officer of Loan Party Agent as being prepared in accordance with GAAP and fairly presenting the financial position and results of operations at such date and for such period, subject to normal year-end adjustments and the absence of footnotes;

(b) as soon as available, and in any event within thirty (30) days after the end of each month, unaudited balance sheets as of the end of such month and the related statements of income for such month and for the portion of the Fiscal Year then elapsed, on a consolidated basis (for Holdings and its Subsidiaries) and consolidating basis (separately for (i) the U.S. Borrower and its Subsidiaries that are U.S. Domiciled Loan Parties, (ii) the Canadian Borrower and its Subsidiaries that are Canadian Domiciled Loan Parties and CS Automotive LLC and (iii) the External Subsidiaries), setting forth in comparative form corresponding figures for the preceding Fiscal Year and certified by a Senior Officer of Loan Party Agent as being prepared in accordance with GAAP and fairly presenting the financial position and results of operations for such month and period, subject to normal year-end adjustments and the absence of footnotes;

(c) as soon as available, and in any event within forty five (45) days after the end of each of the first three fiscal quarters of each fiscal year, unaudited statements of cash flows for each such quarterly period, on a consolidated basis (for Holdings and its Subsidiaries) and consolidating basis (separately for (i) the U.S. Borrower and its Subsidiaries that are U.S. Domiciled Loan Parties, (ii) the Canadian Borrower and its Subsidiaries that are Canadian Domiciled Loan Parties and CS Automotive LLC and (iii) the External Subsidiaries), setting forth in comparative form corresponding figures for the preceding Fiscal Year and certified by a Senior Officer of Loan Party Agent as being prepared in accordance with GAAP and fairly presenting the cash flows of the applicable Persons for such period, subject to normal year-end adjustments and the absence of footnotes;

 

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(d) concurrently with delivery of financial statements under clauses (a) and (c) above (or concurrently with delivery of financial statements under clause (b) above during the Cash Dominion Trigger Period), and more frequently if requested by Agent while an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, a Compliance Certificate executed by a Senior Officer of Loan Party Agent;

(e) not later than the earlier of sixty (60) days after the end of each Fiscal Year or thirty (30) days after board approval thereof, projections of the Loan Parties’ and their Subsidiaries’ consolidated (for Holdings and its Subsidiaries) and consolidating (separately for (i) the U.S. Borrower and its Subsidiaries that are U.S. Domiciled Loan Parties, (ii) the Canadian Borrower and its Subsidiaries that are Canadian Domiciled Loan Parties and CS Automotive LLC and (iii) the External Subsidiaries) (x) balance sheets and results of operations for the next Fiscal Year, month by month, and cash flow and Availability for the next Fiscal Year, on a quarterly basis and (y) balance sheets and results of operations and cash flow and Availability for the second and third Fiscal Years thereafter, on an annual basis;

(f) at Agent’s request (but in no event more frequently than once each calendar quarter, so long as no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing), a listing of each Loan Party’s trade payables, specifying the trade creditor and balance due, and a detailed trade payable aging, all in form reasonably satisfactory to Agent;

(g) promptly after the sending or filing thereof, copies of any final proxy statements, financial statements or reports that any Loan Party has generally made publicly available to its shareholders; copies of any regular, periodic and special reports (including reports on Form 8-K and 10-Q) or registration statements (other than registration statements on Form S-8) or prospectuses that any Loan Party files with the Securities and Exchange Commission; and copies of any press releases or other statements made available by a Loan Party to the public concerning material changes to or developments in the business of such Loan Party;

(h) at Agent’s request, after the sending or filing thereof, copies of any annual information report (including all actuarial reports and other schedules and attachments thereto) required to be filed with a Governmental Authority in connection with each Pension Plan or any Canadian Pension Plan; promptly upon receipt, copies of any notice, demand, inquiry or subpoena received in connection with any Plan from a Governmental Authority (other than routine inquiries in the course of application for a favorable IRS determination letter); at Agent’s request, copies of any annual report required to be filed with a Governmental Authority in connection with any other Plan or Canadian Pension Plan;

(i) such other reports and information (financial or otherwise) as Agent may reasonably request from time to time in connection with any Collateral or any Loan Party’s or Subsidiary’s financial condition or business; and

(j) upon receipt or delivery thereof by or to any Loan Party or Subsidiary, any notice of “Default” or “Event of Default” (under and as defined in the Senior Note Documents and the Permitted Senior Secured Debt Documents) and, without duplication of any report required to be provided hereunder, each material report required to be provided pursuant to the Senior Note Indenture and the Permitted Senior Secured Debt Document and, upon execution thereof, any waiver, amendment or other modification to the Senior Note Documents and the Permitted Senior Secured Debt Documents.

 

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Documents required to be delivered pursuant to Section 10.1.2 may be delivered electronically and if so delivered, shall be deemed to have been delivered on the date (i) on which the Loan Party Agent posts such documents, or provides a link thereto on the Loan Party Agent’s website on the Internet at the website address “cooperstandard.com”; or (ii) on which such documents are posted on the Loan Party Agent’s behalf on an Internet or Intranet website, if any, to which each Lender and Agent have access (whether a commercial, third-party website or whether sponsored by Agent); provided that the Loan Party Agent shall deliver paper copies of such documents to Agent or any Lender that requests the Loan Party Agent to deliver such paper copies until a written request to cease delivering paper copies is given by Agent or such Lender. Agent shall have no obligation to request the delivery or to maintain copies of the documents referred to above, and in any event shall have no responsibility to monitor compliance by the Loan Party Agent with any such request for delivery, and each Lender shall be solely responsible for requesting delivery to it or maintaining its copies of such documents.

10.1.3 Notices . Notify Agent in writing, promptly after a Senior Officer of the Loan Party’s obtaining knowledge thereof, of any of the following that affects any Loan Party or Subsidiary:

(a) the threat or commencement of any proceeding or investigation by any Governmental Authority, whether or not covered by insurance, that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;

(b) any pending or threatened labor dispute, strike or walkout, or the expiration of any material labor contract, that in any such case could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;

(c) any default under or termination of a Material Contract that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;

(d) the existence of any Default or Event of Default;

(e) any violation or asserted violation of any Applicable Law (including ERISA, PBA, OSHA, FLSA, or any Environmental Laws) that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;

(f) any Environmental Release by a Loan Party or Subsidiary or on any Real Estate of a Loan Party or Subsidiary that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; or receipt of any Environmental Notice that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;

(g) the discharge of or any withdrawal or resignation by any of the Loan Parties’ independent accountants;

(h) any Casualty Event that affects, in aggregate, Collateral with a book value in excess of the Dollar Equivalent of $5,000,000;

(i) without duplication of any notice required to be provided hereunder, each material notice required to be provided pursuant to the Senior Note Indenture or the Permitted Senior Secured Debt Documents; and

 

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(j) the occurrence of a Material Adverse Effect.

10.1.4 Landlord and Storage Agreements . Upon Agent’s commercially reasonable request, provide Agent with copies of all existing agreements, and promptly after execution thereof provide Agent with copies of all future agreements, in each case, between a Loan Party and/or a Subsidiary and any landlord, warehouseman, processor, shipper, bailee or other Person that owns any premises at which any Collateral may be kept or that otherwise may possess or handle any Collateral.

10.1.5 Compliance with Laws . Comply with all Applicable Laws, including ERISA (and analogous foreign legislation), Environmental Laws, FLSA, OSHA, Anti-Terrorism Laws, and laws regarding collection and payment of Taxes, and maintain all Governmental Approvals necessary to the ownership of its Properties or conduct of its business, unless such failure to so comply (other than failure to comply with Anti-Terrorism Laws) or to so maintain could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, if any Environmental Release occurs at or on any Real Estate of any Loan Party or Subsidiary within the United States or Canada that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, it shall act promptly and diligently to conduct any investigation and remediation of such Environmental Release required under applicable Environmental Law.

10.1.6 Taxes . Pay and discharge all Taxes prior to the date on which they become delinquent or penalties attach, unless such Taxes are being Properly Contested or where the failure to pay could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

10.1.7 Insurance . In addition to the insurance requirements set forth in Section 8.6.2 , maintain insurance with insurers (with a Best Rating of at least A7, unless otherwise approved by Agent) reasonably satisfactory to Agent, (a) with respect to the Properties and business of the Loan Parties of such type (including product liability, workers’ compensation, larceny, embezzlement, or other criminal misappropriation insurance), in such amounts, and with such coverages and deductibles as are customary for companies similarly situated; and (b) business interruption insurance in an amount not less than the amount in effect on the Closing Date, with deductibles and subject to an Insurance Assignment satisfactory to Agent.

10.1.8 Licenses . Keep each material License necessary to make, use or sell any Collateral (including the manufacture, distribution or disposition of Inventory) in full force and effect (other than any forfeiture, abandonment or dedication to the public taken in the Ordinary Course of Business).

10.1.9 Future Subsidiaries . Promptly notify Agent upon any Person becoming a Canadian Subsidiary or U.S. Subsidiary of Holdings and, if such Person is (a) a U.S. Subsidiary (other than a U.S. Subsidiary of a Foreign Subsidiary), cause it to guarantee the U.S. Facility Obligations and the Canadian Facility Obligations, or (b) a Canadian Subsidiary, cause it to guarantee the Canadian Facility Obligations, in each case, by execution and delivery of a joinder agreement in form and substance reasonably acceptable to Agent, or otherwise in form and substance satisfactory to Agent, and, whether a U.S. Subsidiary or Canadian Subsidiary, cause such Subsidiary to execute and deliver such documents, instruments and agreements and to take such other actions as Agent shall reasonably require (other than, so long as no Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, establishing Agent’s control over any Excluded Deposit

 

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Account) to evidence and perfect a first priority security interest in and Lien on all ABL Priority Collateral of such Person in favor of Agent, and to become a party to this Agreement and the other applicable Loan Documents either as a Borrower or a Guarantor, and Loan Party Agent shall deliver such legal opinions, in form and substance consistent with those delivered on the Closing Date.

10.1.10 Post-Closing Matters . The U.S. Borrower shall, and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries to, satisfy the requirements set forth on Schedule 10.1.10 on or before the date thereon specified for such requirement, in each case as such date may be extended by the Agent in its sole discretion by up to an additional 90 days, so long as the U.S. Borrower is working diligently in good faith to complete, or cause its Subsidiaries to complete, the applicable requirement as determined by the Agent in its sole discretion.

10.2 Negative Covenants . As long as any Commitments or Obligations (other than indemnity obligations that are not currently due and payable) are outstanding, each Loan Party jointly and severally with the other Loan Parties hereby agrees not to, or to permit any Subsidiary to:

10.2.1 Permitted Debt . Create, incur, guarantee or suffer to exist any Debt, except:

(a) the Obligations;

(b) Subordinated Debt;

(c) Permitted Purchase Money Debt;

(d) Borrowed Money (other than the Obligations, Subordinated Debt and Permitted Purchase Money Debt), but only to the extent outstanding on the Closing Date and not satisfied with proceeds of the initial Loans;

(e) Bank Product Debt and Debt arising out of services and products included in the definition of “Bank Product” provided by any bank or financing institution (other than a Lender) or for (and not in excess of the mark to market liability under) any Hedging Agreement provided by any banking or financial institution (other than a Lender), to the extent that such Hedging Agreement is permitted by Section 10.2.4 and 10.2.13 ;

(f) Debt or other liability that is in existence when a Person becomes (or is merged, consolidated, combined or amalgamated into) a Subsidiary or that is secured by an asset when acquired by a Loan Party or Subsidiary, as long as such Debt was not incurred in contemplation of such Person becoming (or merging, consolidating, combining or amalgamating into) a Subsidiary or such acquisition;

(g) Permitted Contingent Obligations;

(h) Refinancing Debt as long as each Refinancing Condition is satisfied;

(i) Senior Note Debt of the U.S. Domiciled Loan Parties in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $450,000,000 minus any principal payments or other reductions to principal made thereon or applied thereto, at any time outstanding;

 

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(j) intercompany Debt among Holdings and its Subsidiaries to the extent permitted by Sections 10.2.5(d) and (e) ;

(k) Debt of External Subsidiaries under lines of credit to any such External Subsidiary from Persons other than Holdings or any of its Subsidiaries, the proceeds of which Debt are used for such External Subsidiary’s working capital and other general corporate purposes; provided that the aggregate principal amount of all such Debt outstanding at any time for all such External Subsidiaries (excluding refinancings thereof by the applicable Subsidiary or another Subsidiary in the same country so long as such refinancings do not increase the amount of the applicable Debt nor provide security not applicable to such Debt upon the initial incurrence thereof) shall not exceed $50,000,000;

(l) Permitted Senior Secured Debt, provided that (1) the incurrence of such Debt is permitted under the Senior Notes (as in effect on the Closing Date and without respect to any “Suspended Covenant” provisions), (2) if applicable, a Permitted Senior Secured Debt Intercreditor Agreement shall be entered into by each Loan Party, Agent and the respective Permitted Senior Secured Debt Collateral Agent and shall be in full force and effect and (3) the Loan Parties shall have entered into such amendments or other modifications to this Agreement as Agent shall have reasonably requested in connection with the incurrence of such Debt and such documents shall be in full force and effect;

(m) additional secured Debt that is not included in any of the preceding clauses of this Section and, provided that (1) the incurrence of such Debt is permitted under the Senior Notes (as in effect on the Closing Date and without respect to any “Suspended Covenant” provisions) and (2) the aggregate principal amount of Debt outstanding under this clause (m)  shall not to exceed $25,000,000 at any time;

(n) additional unsecured Debt that is not included in any of the preceding clauses of this Section and is not secured by a Lien so long as the Specified Transaction Conditions applicable to the issuance of such Debt shall have been satisfied in connection therewith;

(o) Debt of an External Subsidiary in connection with a Permitted Securitization;

(p) Debt by and among one or more External Subsidiaries pursuant to any manual or automatic cash pooling arrangement; provided that the pool shall have at all times an aggregate cash position of at least U.S.$0, and it being understood that Dutch BV (or other External Subsidiary) may, but shall not be required to, act as an intermediary in respect of any such pool;

(q) Debt owed to any Person providing workers’ compensation, health, disability or other employee benefits or property, casualty or liability insurance, pursuant to reimbursement or indemnification obligations to such Person, in each case incurred in the ordinary course of business;

(r) Debt arising from the honoring by a bank or other financial institution of a check, draft or similar instrument drawn against insufficient funds in the ordinary course of business, provided that such Debt is extinguished within five Business Days of its incurrence;

 

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(s) Debt owed to any Person providing property, casualty or liability insurance to the U.S. Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, so long as such Debt shall not be in excess of the amount of the unpaid cost of, and shall be incurred only to defer the cost of, such insurance for the period in which such Debt is incurred and such Debt shall be outstanding only during such period; and

(t) Debt existing on the Closing Date and set forth on Schedule 10.2.1(t) .

10.2.2 Permitted Liens . Create or suffer to exist any Lien upon any of its Property, except the following (collectively, “ Permitted Liens ”):

(a) Liens in favor of Agent;

(b) Purchase Money Liens securing Permitted Purchase Money Debt permitted pursuant to Section 10.2.1(c) ;

(c) Liens for Taxes, rates, assessments or other governmental charges or levies not yet due or being Properly Contested;

(d) statutory Liens (other than Liens for Taxes or imposed under ERISA and analogous foreign legislation) arising in the Ordinary Course of Business, but only if (i) payment of the obligations secured thereby is not yet due or is being Properly Contested, (ii) such Liens do not materially impair the value or use of any material Property or materially impair operation of the business of any Loan Party or Subsidiary, and (iii) such Liens do not secure Borrowed Money;

(e) Liens (other than Liens on Inventory or Accounts) incurred or deposits made in the Ordinary Course of Business to secure the performance of surety and appeal bonds, performance bonds and other obligations of a like nature, tenders, bids, leases, contracts (except those relating to Borrowed Money), statutory obligations and other similar obligations, or arising as a result of progress payments under government contracts;

(f) Liens arising in the Ordinary Course of Business by operation of law that are subject to Collateral Access Agreements;

(g) Liens arising by virtue of a judgment or judicial order against any Loan Party or Subsidiary, or any Property of a Loan Party or Subsidiary, as long as such judgment or judicial order does not constitute an Event of Default and is being Properly Contested;

(h) easements, rights-of-way, restrictions, covenants or other agreements of record, and other similar charges or encumbrances on Real Estate (including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, licenses, easements, rights-of-way and rights in the nature of easements for sidewalks, public ways, sewers, drains, gas, steam and water mains or electric light and power, or telephone and telegraph conduits, poles, wires and cables) and land use and building restrictions, by-laws, regulations and ordinances of federal, provincial, regional, state, municipal and other Governmental Authorities, minor defects or irregularities of title and other similar encumbrances on real property imposed by law, that do not interfere in any material respect with the Ordinary Course of Business;

 

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(i) normal and customary rights of setoff upon deposits in favor of depository institutions, and Liens of a collecting bank on Payment Items in the course of collection;

(j) Liens on property of any Loan Party or its Subsidiaries with respect to Debt permitted to be incurred under Section 10.2.1(l), including (with respect to any such Debt) Liens on property of the U.S. Domiciled Loan Parties and/or Canadian Domiciled Loan Parties constituting Collateral, other than the ABL Priority Collateral, and to the extent requested by the holders thereof, second priority Liens on the ABL Priority Collateral of the U.S. Domiciled Loan Parties and/or Canadian Domiciled Loan Parties ;

(k) Liens on property of any Loan Party or its Subsidiaries with respect to Debt permitted to be incurred under Section 10.2.1(m), including (with respect to any such Debt) Liens on property of the U.S. Domiciled Loan Parties and/or Canadian Domiciled Loan Parties constituting Collateral, other than the ABL Priority Collateral;

(l) Liens on assets of External Subsidiaries that secure Debt permitted to be incurred by such External Subsidiaries pursuant to Section 10.2.1 ;

(m) Liens on cash or Cash Equivalents delivered as collateral for or as pre-funding of (and, in each case, not to exceed the amount of) obligations arising out of services and products included in the definition of “Bank Product” provided by any bank or financing institution (other than a Lender) or for (and not in excess of the mark to market liability under) any Hedging Agreement provided by any banking or financial institution (other than a Lender), to the extent that such Hedging Agreement is permitted by Section 10.2.4 and 10.2.13 ;

(n) carriers’, warehousemen’s, mechanics’, materialmen’s, repairmen’s, suppliers’ and other like Liens imposed by law (including Liens of customs and revenue authorities to secure customs duties in connection with the importation of goods), arising in the ordinary course of business and securing obligations that are not overdue by more than 60 days or are being Properly Contested;

(o) pledges and deposits made in the ordinary course of business in compliance with workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance and other social security laws or regulations;

(p) landlords’ and lessors’ and other like Liens in respect of rent not in default or being Properly Contested and the rights of any tenant, occupant or licensee under any lease, occupancy agreement or license which do not materially impair the use of the real property subject thereto for the purpose for which it is used by that Person;

(q) reservations, limitations, provisos and conditions expressed in any original grant from a Canadian Governmental Authority or other grant of real or immovable property, or interests therein;

(r) the right reserved to or vested in any Governmental Authority by the terms of any lease, license, franchise, grant or permit acquired by that Person or by any statutory provision to terminate any such lease, license, franchise, grant or permit, or to require annual or other payments as a condition to the continuance thereof;

 

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(s) Liens representing any interest or title of a licensor, lessor or sub-licensor under any lease or license entered into by the U.S. Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business;

(t) Liens securing obligations in respect of trade-related letters of credit or trade-related bankers acceptances issued in the ordinary course of business of the U.S. Borrower and its Subsidiaries, in each case covering the goods (or the documents of title in respect of such goods) financed by such letters of credit or trade-related bankers acceptances and the proceeds and products thereof;

(u) Liens on securities held by the U.S. Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries representing an interest in a joint venture to which the U.S. Borrower or such Subsidiary is a party ( provided that such joint venture is not a Subsidiary of the U.S. Borrower) to the extent that (A) such Liens constitute purchase options, calls or similar rights of a counterparty to such joint venture and (B) such Liens are granted pursuant to the terms of the partnership agreement, joint venture agreement or other similar document or documents pursuant to which such joint venture was created or otherwise governing the rights and obligations of the parties to such joint venture;

(v) Liens described on Schedule 10.2.2 which are existing on the Closing Date and which are provided by the Reorganization Plans to be outstanding on the U.S. Effective Date and on the Canadian Effective Date;

(w) Liens existing or deemed to exist on receivables and Related Assets in connection with Permitted Securitizations;

(x) Liens in respect of cash pooling arrangements permitted pursuant to Section 10.2.1(p) ;

(y) Liens on property of a Person existing at the time such Person is merged into or consolidated or amalgamated with a Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries, or becomes a Subsidiary; provided that such Liens were not created in contemplation of such merger, consolidation, amalgamation or Investment and do not extend to any assets other than those of the Person merged into or consolidated with or acquired by the Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries, and the applicable Debt secured by such Lien is permitted under Section 10.2.1(f) ;

(z) Liens in favor of customs authorities arising as a matter of Applicable Law in the Ordinary Course of Business;

(aa) Liens arising with respect to precautionary filings of UCC financing statements relating to leases of equipment or other Property;

(bb) Liens to secure any Refinancing Debt otherwise permitted to be incurred hereunder;

(cc) The replacement, extension or renewal of any Lien permitted by clauses (b) , (v)  and (y)  above upon or in the same property of the Debt secured thereby; and

(dd) Liens securing Debt permitted by Section 10.2.1(s) .

 

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For the avoidance of doubt, no statutory lien arising under Section 302, 303 or 4068 of ERISA or Section 412 or 430 of the Code shall be a Permitted Lien.

10.2.3 Distributions; Upstream Payments . Declare or make any Distributions, except (i) Upstream Payments, (ii) Distributions made in connection with the consummation of the Transactions, (iii) Distributions made in connection with and pursuant to stock option plans or other benefit plans of management or employees of the Loan Parties or any of their Subsidiaries including compensation to (or as directed by) any director (or equivalent), in each case as have been approved by the applicable board of directors (or equivalent), (iv) Distributions by a Borrower to Holdings or a Subsidiary of a Borrower to its Loan Party parent and, ultimately, to Holdings to the extent promptly used by Holdings to pay any taxes that are due and payable by Holdings as part of a consolidated, combined, unitary or similar group that includes the Loan Parties or any of their Subsidiaries, (v) with respect to the New Preferred Stock, the following shall be permitted: (A) any accompanying administrative cash payments made in respect of fractional shares when dividend payments are made as ‘payment-in-kind’ and (B) any in-kind (non-cash) redemptions of New Preferred Stock as required when dividend payments are made as ‘payment-in-kind’ (accompanied by the administrative replacement of such New Preferred Stock) and (vi) other payments not exceeding $5,000,000 in the aggregate during any fiscal year (which amounts, if not used, may be carried forward for one (1) fiscal year).

10.2.4 Restricted Investments . Make any Restricted Investment.

10.2.5 Loans . Make any loans or other advances of money to any Person, except:

(a) advances to an officer or employee for salary, travel expenses, commissions and similar items in the Ordinary Course of Business;

(b) prepaid expenses and extensions of trade credit made in the Ordinary Course of Business;

(c) deposits with financial institutions permitted hereunder;

(d) unsecured loans by the Loan Parties or Subsidiaries thereof existing on the Closing Date and set forth on Schedule 10.2.5 ; provided that any such loans by a Loan Party are evidenced by a note which has been endorsed and pledged to Agent on the Closing Date;

(e) intercompany loans and advances between and among Holdings and its Subsidiaries, and/or between Subsidiaries of Holdings (collectively, “ Intercompany Loans ”); provided that (I) at no time shall any such Intercompany Loans be made pursuant to this clause (e)  by the Loan Parties to External Subsidiaries unless the Specified Transaction Conditions applicable to Internal Specified Transaction clause (c)  shall have been satisfied in connection therewith, (II) any such Intercompany Loan made by a Loan Party to an External Subsidiary shall be evidenced by an Intercompany Note which may be in the form of a global intercompany note which shall be pledged to Agent to secure the Obligations, and (III) each Intercompany Loan made to any Loan Party by an External Subsidiary shall include (or, if not evidenced by an Intercompany Note, the books and records of the respective parties shall note that such Intercompany Loan shall be subject to) the subordination provisions attached as Annex A to the form of Intercompany Note and (IV) any transfer of funds made as payment for goods and services in the Ordinary Course of Business by any Subsidiary of Holdings to any other any Subsidiary of Holdings shall be permitted; and

 

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(f) other loans of a type not described in clauses (a) through (e) of this definition and not otherwise prohibited by the terms of this Agreement or the other Loan Documents so long as the applicable Specified Transaction Conditions shall have been satisfied in connection therewith and such loan shall be evidenced by a promissory note which in the case of any loans made by a Loan Party shall be pledged to Agent to secure the Obligations.

10.2.6 Restrictions on Payment of Certain Debt . Make any payments (whether voluntary or mandatory, or a prepayment, redemption, retirement, defeasance or acquisition) with respect to any Debt or Borrowed Money other than:

(a) the Obligations;

(b) with respect to any Subordinated Debt permitted hereunder, (i) regularly scheduled payments of principal, interest and fees, but only to the extent permitted under any subordination agreement relating to such Debt and (ii) voluntary prepayments of Subordinated Debt so long as in the case of this clause (ii), the applicable Specified Transaction Conditions have been satisfied with respect thereto;

(c) (i) regularly scheduled payments of principal, interest and fees, and mandatory prepayments of the Senior Note Debt and (ii) voluntary prepayments of the Senior Note Debt so long as in the case of this clause (ii), the applicable Specified Transaction Conditions have been satisfied with respect thereto;

(d) (i) regularly scheduled payments of principal, interest and fees, and mandatory prepayments of the Permitted Senior Secured Debt and (ii) voluntary prepayments of the Permitted Senior Secured Debt so long as in the case of this clause (ii), the applicable Specified Transaction Conditions have been satisfied with respect thereto;

(e) (i) regularly scheduled payments of principal, interest and fees, and mandatory prepayments of any other Borrowed Money or Debt permitted pursuant to Section 10.2.1 (other than the Obligations, Subordinated Debt, Senior Note Debt or Permitted Senior Secured Debt), in each case, on but not prior to the due date therefor (or for such portion or installment thereof then due) under the agreements evidencing such Debt as in effect on the Closing Date (or as amended thereafter with the consent of Agent) or refinanced in accordance with Section 10.2.1(h) , and (ii) voluntary prepayments of any other Borrowed Money or Debt permitted pursuant to Section 10.2.1 (other than the Obligations, Subordinated Debt, Senior Note Debt or Permitted Senior Secured Debt), in each case, on but not prior to the due date therefor (or for such portion or installment thereof then due) under the agreements evidencing such Debt as in effect on the Closing Date (or as amended thereafter with the consent of Agent) or refinanced in accordance with Section 10.2.1(h) so long as in the case of this clause (ii), the applicable Specified Transaction Conditions have been satisfied with respect thereto;

(f) payments of Intercompany Loans, so long as, with respect to payments made by a Loan Party to an External Subsidiary on account of Loans extended by an External Subsidiary to a Loan Party, the applicable Specified Transaction Conditions have been satisfied with respect thereto; or

 

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(g) any payment made with the proceeds of any Debt incurred to refinance such Debt, so long as the applicable Refinancing Conditions have been satisfied with respect thereto.

10.2.7 Fundamental Changes .

(a) Merge, amalgamate, combine or consolidate with any Person, or liquidate, wind up its affairs or dissolve itself, in each case whether in a single transaction or in a series of related transactions, except for (so long as no Event of Default then exists or would result therefrom and the Liens of Agent on any Collateral is not adversely affected): (1) mergers, amalgamations, combinations or consolidations of (i) any External Subsidiary with and into any Person or any Person (other than a Loan Party) with and into any External Subsidiary, (ii) any Person (in connection with a Acquisition permitted hereunder) or Canadian Facility Loan Party (other than the Canadian Borrower or a U.S. Facility Loan Party) with and into a Canadian Facility Loan Party (other than the Canadian Borrower or a U.S. Facility Loan Party), so long as the survivor of such transaction is a Canadian Facility Loan Party, (iii) any Person (in connection with a Acquisition permitted hereunder) or U.S. Facility Loan Party (other than the U.S. Borrower) with and into a U.S. Facility Loan Party (other than the U.S. Borrower), so long as the survivor of such transaction is a U.S. Facility Loan Party, (iv) (I) any Person (in connection with a Acquisition permitted hereunder) with and into a Borrower or (II) any Loan Party with and into a Borrower in the same Loan Party Group as such Loan Party, so long as, in either case, such Borrower is the surviving entity, (2) mergers and combinations on the Closing Date in connection with the release from escrow of proceeds of the Senior Notes and (3) liquidations, dissolutions or discontinuation of the business of (i) any External Subsidiary, (ii) a Canadian Domiciled Loan Party (other than the Canadian Borrower), so long as all or substantially all of its assets are transferred or otherwise Disposed of to another Canadian Domiciled Loan Party, and (iii) a U.S. Facility Loan Party (other than the U.S. Borrower), so long as all or substantially all of its assets are transferred or otherwise Disposed of to another U.S. Domiciled Loan Party; provided that, in each case set forth in this clause (a), Loan Party Agent shall, concurrently with the delivery of financial information required pursuant to Section 10.1.2(b), notify Agent of any of the forgoing which has occurred in the preceding month, and shall take all actions reasonably requested by the Agent to ensure the Agent has a perfected and continuing first priority security interest in and Lien on all ABL Priority Collateral;

(b) in the case of any Loan Party: change its name or conduct business under any fictitious name; change its tax, charter or other organizational identification number; or change its form or state, province or jurisdiction of organization, without giving Agent advance written notice thereof within 30 days (or such lesser time as Agent shall reasonably agree), and shall in addition take all actions reasonably requested by Agent to ensure Agent has a perfected and continuing first priority security interest in and Lien on all ABL Priority Collateral; or

(c) in the case of any Loan Party, have outstanding or issue any Disqualified Equity Interests otherwise prohibited hereunder.

10.2.8 Subsidiaries .

(a) Own, form or acquire any Subsidiary unless the Loan Parties shall have complied with Sections 10.1.9 (to the extent applicable) and 10.2.4 with respect to all such newly formed or acquired Subsidiaries; or

 

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(b) permit Holdings to own, form or acquire any direct Subsidiary, other than the U.S. Borrower.

10.2.9 Organic Documents . Amend, modify or otherwise change any of its Organic Documents as in effect on the Closing Date in any manner materially adverse to the Lenders; except that Holdings may amend such Organic Documents as necessary to permit one or more issuances of preferred Equity Interests, so long as such issuance is not otherwise prohibited hereunder and any applicable Specified Transaction Conditions shall have been satisfied in connection therewith.

10.2.10 Tax Consolidation . File or consent to the filing of any consolidated income tax return with any Person other than the Loan Parties and Subsidiaries.

10.2.11 Accounting Changes . Make any material change in accounting treatment or reporting practices, except as required by GAAP and in accordance with Section 1.2 ; or change its Fiscal Year.

10.2.12 Restrictive Agreements . Become a party to any Restrictive Agreement, or create or suffer to exist any encumbrance or restriction on the ability of a Loan Party to make any Distribution, except for (a) restrictions (i) under the Loan Documents, (ii) under the Senior Note Documents or any Permitted Refinancing thereof, (iii) under the Permitted Senior Secured Debt Documents so long any restrictions or conditions contained therein are on prevailing market terms for similar debt issuances (or terms more favorable to Holdings and its Subsidiaries) or any Permitted Refinancing thereof and (iv) as required under Applicable Law; (b) any Restrictive Agreement, encumbrance or restriction as in effect on the Closing Date and set forth on Schedule 9.1.15 or which would otherwise be in compliance with Section 9.1.15 ; (c) any restriction in any Purchase Money Debt agreement insofar as it relates to granting Liens on such Loan Party’s Properties securing such Purchase Money Debt permitted hereunder, provided that such restrictions apply only to the assets subject to such Purchase Money Debt; (d) customary non-assignment provisions with respect to leases or licensing agreements entered into by the Loan Parties in the Ordinary Course of Business; (e) any restriction or encumbrance with respect to any asset of the Loan Parties imposed pursuant to an agreement which has been entered into for the sale or disposition of such assets otherwise permitted under this Agreement; (f) customary provisions in joint venture agreements and other similar agreements entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business; and (g) “equal and ratable” clauses in Debt permitted by Section 10.2.2 .

10.2.13 Hedging Agreements . Enter into any Hedging Agreement, except to hedge risks arising under the Loan Documents, the Senior Note Documents, the Permitted Senior Secured Debt Documents or in the Ordinary Course of Business and, in any case, not for speculative purposes.

10.2.14 Conduct of Business . Engage in any business, other than its business as conducted on the Closing Date and reasonable extensions thereof and other businesses reasonably incidental or related thereto (including relating to manufacturing processes), and any activities incidental thereto.

10.2.15 Affiliate Transactions . Enter into or be party to any transaction with an Affiliate, except (a) transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents and the Senior Note Documents; (b) payment of reasonable compensation to officers and employees for services

 

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actually rendered and as approved by the board of directors of the Person making such payment; (c) loans and advances permitted by Section 10.2.5 , Investments permitted by Section 10.2.4, transactions permitted by Section 10.2.7 and Distributions permitted by Section 10.2.3 ; (d) payment of customary outside directors’ fees and customary directors’ indemnities as approved by the board of directors of the Person making such payment; (e) transactions to the extent expressly authorized hereunder, solely among (1) the Loan Parties, (2) the External Subsidiaries and (3) between any Loan Party and External Subsidiary; (f) transactions with Affiliates that were or are consummated in accordance with the Reorganization Plans; and (g) transactions with Affiliates in the Ordinary Course of Business, upon fair and reasonable terms fully disclosed to Agent (to the extent such transactions are material) and no less favorable than would be obtained in a comparable arm’s-length transaction with a non-Affiliate; provided that this clause (g) shall not be deemed to authorize any transaction not otherwise permitted hereunder or under any other Loan Document.

10.2.16 Plans . Establish, become party to, or admit any new participant into, any Pension Plan, Canadian Pension Plan, Multiemployer Plan, Canadian Multi-Employer Plan, Canadian Employee Plan or any Plan providing for medical or life insurance benefits with respect to terminated or retired employees, other than any in existence on the Closing Date to which any Loan Party or its Affiliate or ERISA Affiliate is a party, or amend any Pension Plan, Canadian Pension Plan, Multi-Employer Plan, Canadian Multi-Employer Plan, or any rights or entitlements, or the actuarial assumptions used thereunder, in a manner that would or would reasonably be expected to cause a material increase in any Loan Party’s or its Affiliate’s or ERISA Affiliate’s liabilities thereunder (contingent or otherwise), except and to the extent (i) required by Applicable Laws or a collective bargaining agreement, (ii) as the direct result of the consummation of any Permitted Acquisition or (iii) if consented to in writing by Required Lenders or any such event could not reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the Lenders.

10.2.17 Amendments to Senior Note Indenture . Amend, supplement or otherwise modify any document, instrument or agreement relating to the Senior Note Indenture (or any refinancing thereof otherwise permitted hereunder) if such modification (a) increases the principal balance of such Debt (in excess, in the case of any refinancing, of the amount specified therefor in the Refinancing Conditions) of, or increases any required payment of principal or interest; (b) accelerates the date on which any installment of principal or any interest is due, or adds any additional redemption, put or prepayment provisions; (c) shortens the final maturity date, the weighted average life to maturity or otherwise accelerates or increases amortization; (d) increases the interest rate; (e) increases or adds any material fees or charges or (f) modifies any covenant in a manner or adds any representation, covenant or default that is more onerous or restrictive in any material respect for any Loan Party or Subsidiary, or that is otherwise adverse in any material respect to any Loan Party, any Subsidiary or a Secured Party. Permit any Loan Party to have or assume any liability (whether primarily or as a guarantor) for any amounts due under any Senior Note Document unless such Person is or agrees to be similarly liable (both in scope and amount) for the payment of the Obligations.

10.2.18 Plan Documents . After the entry of the U.S. Confirmation Order and the Canadian Sanction Order, amend, supplement or otherwise modify any Plan Document in an manner that would materially and adversely affect the rights of the Loan Parties, Agent or the Secured Parties.

 

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10.2.19 Holding Company . Permit Holdings to (A) conduct any business, other than the ownership of Equity Interests and the general administrative and corporate duties for its Subsidiaries incidental to its ownership thereof, (B) incur or suffer to exist any material liabilities or Debts (other that the Obligations hereunder and “Obligations” under and as defined in the Senior Note Indenture and the Permitted Senior Secured Debt Documents), (C) other than as set forth in clause (A), own any material assets or (D) grant any Liens on its assets, other than Liens in favor of Agent.

10.3 Financial Covenant . As long as any Commitments or Obligations (other than indemnity obligations that are not currently due and payable) are outstanding:

10.3.1 Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio . Holdings and its Subsidiaries shall maintain a Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio (as calculated on a consolidated basis) of at least 1.1 to 1.0 for each Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio Test Period ending during any Financial Covenant Trigger Period or immediately before the commencement of any Financial Covenant Trigger Period.

SECTION 11. EVENTS OF DEFAULT; REMEDIES ON DEFAULT

11.1 Events of Default . Each of the following shall be an “ Event of Default ” hereunder, if the same shall occur for any reason whatsoever, whether voluntary or involuntary, by operation of law or otherwise:

(a) A Loan Party fails to (i) pay when and as required to be paid herein, any amount of principal of any Loan or any reimbursement obligation under any drawn Letter of Credit or deposit any funds as Cash Collateral in respect of LC Obligations, or (ii) pay within three Business Days after the same becomes due, any interest on any Loan or on any reimbursement obligation under any drawn Letter of Credit, or (iii) pay within five Business Days after the same becomes due, any other amount payable hereunder or under any other Loan Document;

(b) Any representation, warranty or other written statement of a Loan Party made in connection with any Loan Documents or transactions contemplated thereby is incorrect or misleading in any material respect when given;

(c) (x) A Loan Party breaches or fails to perform any covenant contained in Sections 8.1, 10.1.3(d), 10.2 or 10.3 , or (y) a Loan Party breaches or fails to perform any covenant contained in Sections 8.2.4, 8.2.5, 8.6.2(a)(1) or (b)  or 10.1.1(a) , and such breach or failure as referenced in this clause (y) is not cured within five (5) days after a Senior Officer of such Loan Party has knowledge thereof or receives notice thereof from Agent, whichever is sooner;

(d) A Loan Party breaches or fails to perform any other covenant contained in any Loan Documents, and such breach or failure is not cured within thirty (30) days after a Senior Officer of such Loan Party has knowledge thereof or receives notice thereof from Agent, whichever is sooner;

(e) A Guarantor repudiates, revokes or attempts to revoke, in writing, its Guarantee; a Loan Party contests the validity or enforceability of any Loan Document or any Obligations; or the perfection or priority of any Lien on any material portion of the Collateral granted or purported to be granted to Agent or any Loan Document ceases to be in full force or effect for any reason (other than a waiver or release by Agent and Lenders, or on any Collateral for which perfection is not required hereunder or under any Loan Document, or any action solely in the control of Agent);

 

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(f) Any breach or default of a Loan Party occurs under any document, instrument or agreement to which it is a party or by which it or any of its Properties is bound, relating to any Debt (other than the Obligations) in excess of the Dollar Equivalent of $25,000,000, if the effect of such breach or default is to permit the holder or holders of such Debt to cause the maturity of such Debt to be accelerated or demanded, or required to be repurchased or redeemed due to such breach;

(g) Any judgment or order for the payment of money is entered against a Loan Party in an amount that exceeds, individually or cumulatively with all unsatisfied judgments or orders against all Loan Parties, the Dollar Equivalent of $20,000,000 (in each case, net of any insurance coverage therefor which has not been denied in writing), unless a stay of enforcement of such judgment or order is in effect, by reason of a pending appeal (and, where applicable, the posting of any necessary bond) or otherwise;

(h) A loss, theft, damage or destruction occurs with respect to any Collateral if the amount not covered by insurance exceeds the Dollar Equivalent of $20,000,000;

(i) Any Loan Party generally fails to pay or admits in writing its inability or refusal to pay, in each case, its debts as they become due; an Insolvency Proceeding is commenced by a Loan Party; a Loan Party agrees to, commences or is subject to any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of its affairs (except as permitted pursuant to Section 10.2.8 ); the Canadian Facility Loan Parties (excluding the U.S. Facility Loan Parties), taken as a whole, or the U.S. Facility Loan Parties, in each case taken as a whole, are not Solvent; a Loan Party makes an offer of settlement, extension or composition to its unsecured creditors generally; a trustee is appointed to take possession of any substantial Property of or to operate any material portion of the business of a Loan Party; or an Insolvency Proceeding is commenced against a Loan Party and either (1) such Loan Party consents to institution of the proceeding, (2) the petition commencing the proceeding is not timely contested by such Loan Party, (3) the petition is not dismissed within sixty (60) days after filing, or (4) an order for relief is entered in the proceeding;

(j) (i) (A) An ERISA Event occurs with respect to a Pension Plan or Multiemployer Plan that has resulted or could reasonably be expected to result in liability of a Loan Party or ERISA Affiliate to a Pension Plan, Multiemployer Plan, the PBGC or IRS, or which would constitute or could reasonably be expected to constitute grounds for appointment of a trustee for or termination by the PBGC of any Pension Plan or Multiemployer Plan; (B) a Loan Party or ERISA Affiliate fails to pay when due any installment payment with respect to its withdrawal liability under Section 4201 of ERISA under a Multiemployer Plan; (C) the “funding target attainment percentage” (within the meaning of Code Section 430) (“FTAP”) for any plan year of a Pension Plan falls below the FTAP of such Pension Plan as of the U.S. Effective Date; or (D) the amount of unfunded post-retirement benefit liabilities, determined in accordance with ASC 715-60, that have resulted or could reasonably be expected to result in liability of a Loan Party or its Affiliate or ERISA Affiliate increases relative to the amount of such liabilities as of the Closing Date; (ii) (A) a Termination Event shall occur or any Canadian Multi-Employer Plan shall be terminated, in each case, in circumstances which would result or could reasonably be expected to result in a Canadian Facility Loan Party being required to make a contribution to or in respect of a Canadian Pension Plan or a Canadian Multi-Employer Plan or results in the

 

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appointment, by FSCO, of an administrator to wind up a Canadian Pension Plan; (B) any Canadian Domiciled Loan Party is in default with respect to any required contributions to a Canadian Pension Plan; or (C) any Lien arises (save for contribution amounts not yet due) in connection with any Canadian Pension Plan, provided the events set forth in clauses (i) and (ii), (whether or not in existence as of the Closing Date), individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;

(k) A Change of Control occurs;

(l) Any subordination provision in any Subordinated Debt in a principal amount of $25,000,000, or any subordination provision in any Guarantee by any Loan Party of any Subordinated Debt, shall cease to be in full force and effect, or any Loan Party shall contest in any manner the validity, binding nature or enforceability of any such provision or a proceeding shall be commenced by any subordinating party or any Governmental Authority having jurisdiction over any of them, seeking to establish the invalidity or unenforceability thereof; or

(m) At any time that any Permitted Senior Secured Debt is outstanding, the Permitted Senior Secured Debt Intercreditor Agreement shall cease to be in full force or effect (except in accordance with its terms) or any of the Loan Parties or the Permitted Senior Secured Debt Collateral Agent shall challenge, deny or disaffirm their respective obligations theretunder.

11.2 Remedies upon Default . If an Event of Default described in Section 11.1(i) occurs and is continuing with respect to any Loan Party, then to the extent permitted by Applicable Law, all Obligations shall become automatically due and payable and all Commitments shall terminate, without any action by Agent or notice of any kind. In addition, or if any other Event of Default exists, Agent may in its discretion (and shall upon written direction of Required Lenders) do any one or more of the following from time to time: declare any Obligations immediately due and payable, whereupon they shall be due and payable without diligence, presentment, demand, protest or notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by the Loan Parties to the fullest extent permitted by law; terminate, reduce or condition any Commitment, or make any adjustment to the Borrowing Base; require the Loan Parties to Cash Collateralize LC Obligations and Bank Product Debt, and, if the Loan Parties fail promptly to deposit such Cash Collateral, Agent may (and shall upon the direction of Required Lenders) advance the required Cash Collateral as Loans (whether or not an Overadvance exists or is created thereby, or the conditions in Section 6 are satisfied); and exercise any other rights or remedies afforded under any agreement, by law, at equity or otherwise, including the rights and remedies of a secured party under the UCC and the PPSA. Such rights and remedies include the rights to (i) take possession of any Collateral; (ii) require the Loan Parties to assemble Collateral, at the Loan Parties’ expense, and make it available to Agent at a place designated by Agent; (iii) enter any premises where Collateral is located and store Collateral on such premises until sold (and if the premises are owned or leased by a Loan Party, the Loan Parties agree not to charge for such storage); and (iv) sell or otherwise dispose of any Collateral in its then condition, or after any further manufacturing or processing thereof, at public or private sale, with such notice as may be required by Applicable Law, in lots or in bulk, at such locations, all as Agent, in its discretion, deems advisable. Each Loan Party agrees that ten (10) days notice of any proposed sale or other disposition of Collateral by Agent shall be reasonable. Agent shall have the right to conduct such sales on any Loan Party’s premises, without charge, and such sales may be adjourned from time to time in accordance with Applicable Law. Agent shall have the right to sell, lease or otherwise dispose of any Collateral for cash, credit or any combination thereof, and

 

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Agent may purchase any Collateral at public or, if permitted by law, private sale and, in lieu of actual payment of the purchase price, may set off the amount of such price against the Obligations.

11.3 License . Effective upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, Agent is hereby granted an irrevocable, worldwide, non-exclusive right and license, including the right to sub-license (without payment of Royalty or other compensation to any Person) under any and all Intellectual Property owned or sublicensable by the Loan Parties, including computer hardware and software, trade secrets, brochures, customer lists, promotional and advertising materials, labels, packaging materials and other Property, to use and exercise all other rights under such Intellectual Property in connection with advertising for sale, marketing, selling, collecting, making, having made, completing manufacture of, or otherwise exercising any rights or remedies with respect to, any Collateral. Each Loan Party’s rights and interests under such Intellectual Property, and Agent’s use thereof under this Section, shall inure solely to such Loan Party’s benefit. With respect to any trademarks or similar Property included in the license granted hereunder, Agent shall ensure that the quality of the goods and services with which it uses such trademark or similar Property shall be consistent with the quality of the goods and services as manufactured, marketed and sold by the Loan Parties.

11.4 Setoff . At any time after the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, Agent, Issuing Banks, Lenders, and any of their Affiliates are authorized, 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 Agent, such Issuing Bank, such Lender or such Affiliate to or for the credit or the account of a Loan Party against any Obligations then due, irrespective of whether or not Agent, such Issuing Bank, such Lender or such Affiliate shall have made any demand under this Agreement or any other Loan Document and although such Obligations may be contingent or unmatured or are owed to a branch or office of Agent, such Issuing Bank, such Lender or such Affiliate different from the branch or office holding such deposit or obligated on such indebtedness. The rights of Agent, each Issuing Bank, each Lender and each such Affiliate under this Section 11.4 are in addition to other rights and remedies (including other rights of setoff) that such Person may have.

11.5 Remedies Cumulative; No Waiver .

11.5.1 Cumulative Rights . All agreements, warranties, guarantees, indemnities and other undertakings of the Loan Parties under the Loan Documents are cumulative and not in derogation of each other. The rights and remedies of Agent and Lenders are cumulative, may be exercised at any time and from time to time, concurrently or in any order, and are not exclusive of any other rights or remedies available by agreement, by law, at equity or otherwise. All such rights and remedies shall continue in full force and effect until Full Payment of all Obligations.

11.5.2 Waivers . No waiver or course of dealing shall be established by (a) the failure or delay of Agent or any Lender to require strict performance by the Loan Parties with any terms of the Loan Documents, or to exercise any rights or remedies with respect to Collateral or otherwise; (b) the making of any Loan or issuance of any Letter of Credit during a Default, Event of Default or other failure to satisfy any conditions precedent; or (c) acceptance by Agent or any Lender of any payment or performance by a Loan Party under any Loan Documents in a manner other than that specified therein. It is expressly acknowledged by the Loan Parties that any failure to satisfy a financial covenant on a measurement date shall not be cured or remedied by satisfaction of such covenant on a subsequent date.

 

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11.6 Judgment Currency . If, for the purpose of obtaining judgment in any court or obtaining an order enforcing a judgment, it becomes necessary to convert any amount due under this Agreement in Dollars or in any other currency (hereinafter in this Section 11.6 called the “first currency”) into any other currency (hereinafter in this Section 11.6 called the “second currency”), then the conversion shall be made at Agent’s spot rate of exchange for buying the first currency with the second currency prevailing at Agent’s close of business on the Business Day next preceding the day on which the judgment is given or (as the case may be) the order is made. Any payment made by a Loan Party to any Secured Party pursuant to this Agreement in the second currency shall constitute a discharge of the obligations of any applicable Loan Parties to pay to such Secured Party any amount originally due to the Secured Party in the first currency under this Agreement only to the extent of the amount of the first currency which such Secured Party is able, on the date of the receipt by it of such payment in any second currency, to purchase, in accordance with such Secured Party’s normal banking procedures, with the amount of such second currency so received. If the amount of the first currency falls short of the amount originally due to such Secured Party in the first currency under this Agreement, the Loan Parties agree that they will indemnify each Secured Party against and save such Secured Party harmless from any shortfall so arising. This indemnity shall constitute an obligation of each such Loan Party separate and independent from the other obligations contained in this Agreement, shall give rise to a separate and independent cause of action and shall continue in full force and effect notwithstanding any judgment or order for a liquidated sum or sums in respect of amounts due to any Secured Party under any Loan Documents or under any such judgment or order. Any such shortfall shall be deemed to constitute a loss suffered by such Secured Party and the Loan Parties shall not be entitled to require any proof or evidence of any actual loss. If the amount of the first currency exceeds the amount originally due to a Secured Party in the first currency under this Agreement, such Secured Party shall promptly remit such excess to the Loan Parties. The covenants contained in this Section 11.6 shall survive the Full Payment of the Obligations under this Agreement.

SECTION 12. AGENT

12.1 Appointment, Authority and Duties of Agent .

12.1.1 Appointment and Authority .

(a) Each Lender appoints and designates Bank of America as Agent hereunder. Agent may, and each Lender authorizes Agent to, enter into all Loan Documents to which Agent is intended to be a party and accept all Security Documents, for Agent’s benefit and the Pro Rata benefit of the Secured Parties. Each Lender agrees that any action taken by Agent, Required Facility Lenders or Required Lenders in accordance with the provisions of the Loan Documents, and the exercise by Agent or Required Lenders of any rights or remedies set forth therein, together with all other powers reasonably incidental thereto, shall be authorized by and binding upon all Lenders. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, Agent shall have the sole and exclusive authority to (a) act as the disbursing and collecting agent for Lenders with respect to all payments and collections arising in connection with the Loan Documents; (b) execute and deliver as Agent each Loan Document, including any intercreditor or subordination agreement, and accept delivery of each Loan Document from any Loan Party or other Person;

 

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(c) act as collateral agent for Secured Parties for purposes of perfecting and administering Liens under the Loan Documents, and for all other purposes stated therein; (d) manage, supervise or otherwise deal with Collateral; and (e) take any Enforcement Action or otherwise exercise any rights or remedies with respect to any Collateral under the Loan Documents, Applicable Law or otherwise. The duties of Agent shall be ministerial and administrative in nature, and Agent shall not have a fiduciary relationship with any Lender, Secured Party, Participant or other Person, by reason of any Loan Document or any transaction relating thereto. Agent alone shall be authorized to determine whether any Accounts or Inventory constitute Eligible Accounts or Eligible Inventory, or whether to impose or release any reserve, and to exercise its Permitted Discretion in connection therewith, which determinations and judgments, if exercised in good faith, shall exonerate Agent from liability to any Lender or other Person for any error in judgment.

(b) For the purposes of creating a solidarité active in accordance with Article 1541 of the Civil Code of Québec between each Secured Party, taken individually, on the one hand, and Agent, on the other hand, each Loan Party and each such Secured Party acknowledge and agree with Agent that such Secured Party and Agent are hereby conferred the legal status of solidary creditors of each such Loan Party in respect of all Obligations owed by each such Loan Party to Agent and such Secured Party hereunder and under the other Loan Documents (collectively, the “ Solidary Claim ”) and that, accordingly, but subject (for the avoidance of doubt) to Article 1542 of the Civil Code of Québec, each such Loan Party is irrevocably bound towards Agent and each Secured Party in respect of the entire Solidary Claim of Agent and such Secured Party. As a result of the foregoing, the parties hereto acknowledge that Agent and each Secured Party shall at all times have a valid and effective right of action for the entire Solidary Claim of Agent and such Secured Party and the right to give full acquittance for it. Accordingly, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, Agent, as solidary creditor with each Secured Party, shall at all times have a valid and effective right of action in respect of the Solidary Claim and the right to give a full acquittance for same. By its execution of the Loan Documents to which it is a party, each such Loan Party not a party hereto shall also be deemed to have accepted the stipulations hereinabove provided. The parties further agree and acknowledge that such Liens (hypothecs) under the Security Documents and the other Loan Documents shall be granted to Agent, for its own benefit and for the benefit of the Secured Parties, as solidary creditor as hereinabove set forth.

12.1.2 Duties . Agent shall not have any duties except those expressly set forth in the Loan Documents. The conferral upon Agent of any right shall not imply a duty on Agent’s part to exercise such right, unless instructed to do so by Required Lenders or Required Facility Lenders in accordance with this Agreement.

12.1.3 Agent Professionals . Agent may perform its duties through agents and employees. Agent may consult with and employ Agent Professionals, and shall be entitled to act upon, and shall be fully protected in any action taken in good faith reliance upon, any advice given by an Agent Professional. Agent shall not be responsible for the negligence or misconduct of any agents, employees or Agent Professionals selected by it with reasonable care.

12.1.4 Instructions of Required Lenders . The rights and remedies conferred upon Agent under the Loan Documents may be exercised without the necessity of joinder of any other party, unless required by Applicable Law. Agent may request instructions from Required Lenders or Required Facility Lenders with respect to any act (including the failure to act) in

 

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connection with any Loan Documents, and may seek assurances to its satisfaction from Lenders of their indemnification obligations under Section 12.6 against all Claims that could be incurred by Agent in connection with any act. Agent shall be entitled to refrain from any act until it has received such instructions or assurances, and Agent shall not incur liability to any Person by reason of so refraining. Instructions of Required Lenders or Required Facility Lenders shall be binding upon all Lenders, and no Lender shall have any right of action whatsoever against Agent as a result of Agent acting or refraining from acting in accordance with the instructions of Required Lenders or Required Facility Lenders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, instructions by and consent of all Lenders shall be required in the circumstances described in Section 14.1.1 , (except as otherwise specified in such Section) and in no event shall Required Lenders or Required Facility Lenders, without the prior written consent of each Lender, direct Agent to accelerate and demand payment of Loans held by one Lender without accelerating and demanding payment of all other Loans, nor to terminate the Commitments of one Lender without terminating the Commitments of all Lenders. In no event shall Agent be required to take any action that, in its opinion, is contrary to Applicable Law or any Loan Documents or could subject any Agent Indemnitee to personal liability.

12.2 Agreements Regarding Collateral and Field Examination Reports .

12.2.1 Lien Releases; Care of Collateral .

(a) Canadian Lenders (i) authorize Agent to, and Agent shall, release any Lien or guarantee with respect to any Canadian Facility Collateral (a) upon Full Payment of the Canadian Facility Obligations; (b) that is the subject of an Asset Disposition, merger, amalgamation or other combination or transaction, or a Lien which Loan Party Agent certifies in writing to Agent is not prohibited hereunder (and Agent may rely conclusively on any such certificate without further inquiry); or (c) with the written consent of all Canadian Lenders (or such lesser number as may be required by Section 14.1 ) and (ii) authorize Agent to, and upon Agent’s reasonable determination of the appropriateness to do so, Agent shall, subordinate their Liens to any Purchase Money Lien permitted hereunder.

(b) U.S. Lenders (i) authorize Agent to, and Agent shall, release any Lien or guarantee with respect to any U.S. Facility Collateral (a) upon Full Payment of the U.S. Facility Obligations; (b) that is the subject of an Asset Disposition which Loan Party Agent certifies in writing to Agent is not prohibited hereunder (and Agent may rely conclusively on any such certificate without further inquiry); (c) with the written consent of all U.S. Lenders or such lesser number as may be required by Section 14.1 ) and (ii) authorize Agent to, and upon Agent’s reasonable determination of the appropriateness to do so, Agent shall, subordinate their Liens to any Purchase Money Lien permitted hereunder.

(c) Agent shall have no obligation to assure that any Collateral exists or is owned by a Loan Party, or is cared for, protected, insured or encumbered, nor to assure that Agent’s Liens have been properly created, perfected or enforced, or are entitled to any particular priority, nor to exercise any duty of care with respect to any Collateral.

12.2.2 Possession of Collateral .

(a) Agent and Canadian Lenders appoint each Canadian Lender as agent (for the benefit of Canadian Facility Secured Parties) for the purpose of perfecting Liens in any Canadian Facility Collateral held or controlled by such Canadian Lender, to the extent such Liens are perfected by possession or control.

 

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(b) Agent and U.S. Lenders appoint each U.S. Lender as agent (for the benefit of U.S. Facility Secured Parties) for the purpose of perfecting Liens in any U.S. Facility Collateral held or controlled by such U.S. Lender, to the extent such Liens are perfected by possession or control.

(c) If any Lender obtains possession or control of any Collateral, it shall notify Agent thereof and, promptly upon Agent’s request, deliver such Collateral to Agent or otherwise deal with it in accordance with Agent’s instructions.

12.2.3 Reports . Agent shall promptly forward to each Applicable Lender, when complete, copies of any field audit, examination or appraisal report prepared by or for Agent with respect to any Loan Party or Collateral (“ Report ”). Each Lender agrees (a) that neither Bank of America nor Agent makes any representation or warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of any Report, and shall not be liable for any information contained in or omitted from any Report; (b) that the Reports are not intended to be comprehensive audits or examinations, and that Agent or any other Person performing any audit or examination will inspect only specific information regarding Obligations or the Collateral and will rely significantly upon the applicable Loan Parties’ books and records as well as upon representations of the applicable Loan Parties’ officers and employees; and (c) to keep all Reports confidential and strictly for such Lender’s internal use, and not to distribute any Report (or the contents thereof) to any Person (except to such Lender’s Participants, attorneys and accountants) or use any Report in any manner other than administration of the Loans and other Obligations. Each Lender agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Agent and any other Person preparing a Report from any action such Lender may take as a result of or any conclusion it may draw from any Report, as well as from any Claims arising as a direct or indirect result of Agent furnishing a Report to such Lender.

12.3 Reliance By Agent . Agent shall be entitled to rely, and shall be fully protected in relying, upon any certification, notice or other communication (including those by telephone, telex, telegram, telecopy or e-mail) believed by it to be genuine and correct and to have been signed, sent or made by the proper Person, and upon the advice and statements of Agent Professionals.

12.4 Action Upon Default . Agent shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any Default or Event of Default unless it has received written notice from a Lender or Loan Party Agent specifying the occurrence and nature thereof. If any Lender acquires knowledge of a Default or Event of Default, it shall promptly notify Agent and the other Lenders thereof in writing. Each Lender agrees that, except as otherwise provided in any Loan Documents or with the written consent of Agent and Required Lenders, it will not take any Enforcement Action, accelerate Obligations under any Loan Documents, or exercise any right that it might otherwise have under Applicable Law to credit bid at foreclosure sales, UCC or PPSA sales or other similar dispositions of Collateral. Notwithstanding the foregoing, however, a Lender may take action to preserve or enforce its rights against a Loan Party where a deadline or limitation period is applicable that would, absent such action, bar enforcement of Obligations held by such Lender, including the filing of proofs of claim in an Insolvency Proceeding.

 

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12.5 Ratable Sharing . If any Lender shall obtain any payment or reduction of any Obligation, whether through set-off or otherwise, in excess of its share of such Obligation, determined on a Pro Rata basis or in accordance with Section 5.5.1 , as applicable, such Lender shall forthwith purchase from Agent, the applicable Issuing Bank and the other Applicable Lenders such participations in the affected Obligation as are necessary to cause the purchasing Lender to share the excess payment or reduction on a Pro Rata basis or in accordance with Section 5.5.1 , as applicable. If any of such payment or reduction is thereafter recovered from the purchasing Lender, the purchase shall be rescinded and the purchase price restored to the extent of such recovery, but without interest. No Lender shall set off against any DACA Deposit Account or Dominion Account without the prior consent of Agent. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the provisions of this Section 12.5 shall be subject to the express provisions of this Agreement which require, or permit, differing payments to be made to Lenders that are not Defaulting Lenders as opposed to Defaulting Lenders.

12.6 Indemnification of Agent Indemnitees . EXCEPT FOR LOSSES DETERMINED IN A FINAL, NON-APPEALABLE JUDGMENT BY A COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION TO RESULT FROM AN AGENT INDEMNITEE’S ACTUAL GROSS NEGLIGENCE OR WILLFUL MISCONDUCT, AS DETERMINED BY A FINAL, NON-APPEALABLE JUDGMENT OF A COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION, EACH LENDER SHALL INDEMNIFY AND HOLD HARMLESS AGENT INDEMNITEES, TO THE EXTENT NOT REIMBURSED BY THE LOAN PARTIES (BUT WITHOUT LIMITING THE INDEMNIFICATION OBLIGATIONS OF THE LOAN PARTIES UNDER ANY LOAN DOCUMENTS), ON A PRO RATA BASIS, AGAINST ALL CLAIMS THAT MAY BE INCURRED BY OR ASSERTED AGAINST ANY AGENT INDEMNITEE, PROVIDED THE CLAIM RELATES TO OR ARISES FROM AN AGENT INDEMNITEE ACTING AS OR FOR AGENT (IN ITS CAPACITY AS AGENT). In Agent’s discretion, it may reserve for any such Claims made against an Agent Indemnitee, and may satisfy any judgment, order or settlement relating thereto, from proceeds of Collateral prior to making any distribution of Collateral proceeds to Lenders. If Agent is sued by any Creditor Representative, debtor-in-possession or other Person for any alleged preference or fraudulent transfer, then any monies paid by Agent in settlement or satisfaction of such proceeding, together with all interest, costs and expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred in the defense of same, shall be promptly reimbursed to Agent by each Lender to the extent of its Pro Rata share.

12.7 Limitation on Responsibilities of Agent . Agent shall not be liable to Lenders for any action taken or omitted to be taken under the Loan Documents, except for losses determined in a final, non-appealable judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction to result from Agent’s actual gross negligence or willful misconduct. Agent does not assume any responsibility for any failure or delay in performance or any breach by any Loan Party or Lender of any obligations under the Loan Documents. Agent does not make to Lenders any express or implied warranty, representation or guarantee with respect to any Obligations, Collateral, Loan Documents or Loan Party. No Agent Indemnitee shall be responsible to Lenders for any recitals, statements, information, representations or warranties contained in any Loan Documents; the execution, validity, genuineness, effectiveness or enforceability of any Loan Documents; the genuineness, enforceability, collectability, value, sufficiency, location or existence of any Collateral, or the validity, extent, perfection or priority of any Lien therein; the validity, enforceability or collectability of any Obligations; or the assets, liabilities, financial condition, results of operations, business, creditworthiness or legal status of any Loan Party or Account Debtor. No Agent Indemnitee shall have any obligation to any Lender to ascertain or inquire

 

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into the existence of any Default or Event of Default, the observance or performance by any Loan Party of any terms of the Loan Documents, or the satisfaction of any conditions precedent contained in any Loan Documents.

12.8 Successor Agent and Co-Agents .

12.8.1 Resignation; Successor Agent . Subject to the appointment and acceptance of a successor Agent as provided below, Agent may resign at any time by giving at least thirty (30) days written notice thereof to Lenders and Loan Party Agent Upon receipt of such notice, Required Lenders shall have the right to appoint a successor Agent which shall be (a) a U.S. Lender or an Affiliate of a U.S. Lender; or (b) a commercial bank that is organized under the laws of the United States or any state or district thereof, has a combined capital surplus of at least $200,000,000 and (provided no Event of Default exists) is reasonably acceptable to Loan Party Agent. If no successor agent is appointed prior to the effective date of the resignation of Agent, then Agent may appoint a successor agent from among Lenders. Upon acceptance by a successor Agent of an appointment to serve as Agent hereunder, such successor Agent shall thereupon succeed to and become vested with all the powers and duties of the retiring Agent without further act, and the retiring Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations hereunder but shall continue to have the benefits of the indemnification set forth in Sections 12.6 and 14.2 . Notwithstanding any Agent’s resignation, the provisions of this Section 12 shall continue in effect for its benefit with respect to any actions taken or omitted to be taken by it while Agent. Any successor to Bank of America by merger, combination, amalgamation or consolidation, or acquisition of stock shall continue to be Agent hereunder without further act on the part of the parties hereto, unless such successor resigns as provided above.

12.8.2 Separate Collateral Agent . It is the intent of the parties that there shall be no violation of any Applicable Law denying or restricting the right of financial institutions to transact business in any jurisdiction. If Agent believes that it may be limited in the exercise of any rights or remedies under the Loan Documents due to any Applicable Law, Agent may appoint an additional Person who is not so limited, as a separate collateral agent or co-collateral agent. If Agent so appoints a collateral agent or co-collateral agent, each right and remedy intended to be available to Agent under the Loan Documents shall also be vested in such separate agent. Every covenant and obligation necessary to the exercise thereof by such agent shall run to and be enforceable by it as well as Agent. Lenders shall execute and deliver such documents as Agent deems appropriate to vest any rights or remedies in such agent. If any collateral agent or co-collateral agent shall die or dissolve, become incapable of acting, resign or be removed, then all the rights and remedies of such agent, to the extent permitted by Applicable Law, shall vest in and be exercised by Agent until appointment of a new agent.

12.9 Due Diligence and Non-Reliance . Each Lender acknowledges and agrees that it has, independently and without reliance upon Agent or any other Lenders, and based upon such documents, information and analyses as it has deemed appropriate, made its own credit analysis of each Loan Party and its own decision to enter into this Agreement and to fund Loans and participate in LC Obligations hereunder. Each Lender has made such inquiries concerning the Loan Documents, the Collateral and each Loan Party as such Lender feels necessary. Each Lender further acknowledges and agrees that the other Lenders and Agent have made no representations or warranties concerning any Loan Party, any Collateral or the legality, validity, sufficiency or enforceability of any Loan Documents or Obligations. Each Lender will, independently and without reliance upon the other Lenders or Agent, and based upon such

 

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financial statements, documents and information as it deems appropriate at the time, continue to make and rely upon its own credit decisions in making Loans and participating in LC Obligations, and in taking or refraining from any action under any Loan Documents. Except for notices, reports and other information expressly requested by a Lender, Agent shall have no duty or responsibility to provide any Lender with any notices, reports or certificates furnished to Agent by any Loan Party or any credit or other information concerning the affairs, financial condition, business or Properties of any Loan Party (or any of its Affiliates) which may come into possession of Agent or any of Agent’s Affiliates.

12.10 Replacement of Certain Lenders . If a Lender (a) is a Defaulting Lender, (b) fails to give its consent to any amendment, waiver or action for which consent of all Lenders or the Supermajority Required Facility Lenders was required, and Required Lenders, or Required Facility Lenders, as applicable, have consented, or (c) gives notice under Section 3.5 or requests compensation under Section 3.7, or if either Borrower is required to pay additional amounts or indemnity payments with respect to a Lender under Section 5.8, then, in addition to any other rights and remedies that any Person may have, Agent or Loan Party Agent may, by notice to such Lender within one hundred twenty (120) days after such event (or within one hundred twenty (120) days after receipt of a notice from such Lender claiming indemnity payments under Section 5.8), require such Lender to assign all of its rights and obligations under the Loan Documents to Eligible Assignee(s) specified by Agent or Loan Party Agent, pursuant to appropriate Assignment and Acceptance(s) and within twenty (20) days after Agent’s or Loan Party Agent’s notice, as applicable. Agent is irrevocably appointed as attorney-in-fact to execute any such Assignment and Acceptance if Lender fails to execute same. Such Lender shall be entitled to receive, in cash, concurrently with such assignment, all amounts owed to it under the Loan Documents, including all principal, interest and fees through the date of assignment but excluding any prepayment charge.

12.11 Remittance of Payments and Collections .

12.11.1 Remittances Generally . All payments by any Lender to Agent shall be made by the time and on the day set forth in this Agreement, in immediately available funds. If no time for payment is specified or if payment is due on demand by Agent and request for payment is made by Agent by 11:00 a.m. on a Business Day, payment shall be made by Lender not later than 2:00 p.m. on such day, and if request is made after 11:00 a.m., then payment shall be made by 11:00 a.m. on the next Business Day. Payment by Agent to any Lender shall be made by wire transfer, in the type of funds received by Agent. Any such payment shall be subject to Agent’s right of offset for any amounts due from such Lender under the Loan Documents.

12.11.2 Failure to Pay . If any Lender fails to pay any amount when due by it to Agent pursuant to the terms hereof, such amount shall bear interest from the due date until paid at the rate determined by Agent as customary in the banking industry for interbank compensation. In no event shall the Loan Parties be entitled to receive credit for any interest paid by a Lender to Agent, nor shall any Defaulting Lender be entitled to interest on any amounts held by Agent pursuant to Section 4.2 .

12.11.3 Recovery of Payments . If Agent pays any amount to a Lender in the expectation that a related payment will be received by Agent from a Loan Party and such related payment is not received, then Agent may recover such amount from each Lender that received it.

 

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If Agent determines at any time that an amount received under any Loan Document must be returned to a Loan Party or paid to any other Person pursuant to Applicable Law or otherwise, then, notwithstanding any other term of any Loan Document, Agent shall not be required to distribute such amount to any Lender. If any amounts received and applied by Agent to any Obligations are later required to be returned by Agent pursuant to Applicable Law, each Lender shall pay to Agent, on demand , such Lender’s Pro Rata share of the amounts required to be returned.

12.12 Agent in its Individual Capacity . As a Lender, Bank of America shall have the same rights and remedies under the Loan Documents as any other Lender, and the terms “Lenders,” “Required Lenders”, “Required Facility Lenders” or any similar term shall include Bank of America in its capacity as a Lender. Each of Bank of America and its Affiliates may accept deposits from, maintain deposits or credit balances for, invest in, lend money to, provide Bank Products to, act as trustee under indentures of, serve as financial or other advisor to, and generally engage in any kind of business with, the Loan Parties and their Affiliates, as if Bank of America were any other bank, without any duty to account therefor (including any fees or other consideration received in connection therewith) to the other Lenders. In their individual capacity, Bank of America and its Affiliates may receive information regarding the Loan Parties, their Affiliates and their Account Debtors (including information subject to confidentiality obligations), and each Lender agrees that Bank of America and its Affiliates shall be under no obligation to provide such information to Lenders, if acquired in such individual capacity and not as Agent hereunder.

12.13 Agent Titles . Each Lender, other than Bank of America, that is designated (on the cover page of this Agreement or otherwise) by Bank of America as an “Agent” or “Arranger” of any type shall not have any right, power, responsibility or duty under any Loan Documents other than those applicable to all Lenders, and shall in no event be deemed to have any fiduciary relationship with any other Lender.

12.14 No Third Party Beneficiaries . This Section 12 (other than Section 12.2.1 , 12.8 and 12.10 ) is an agreement solely among Lenders and Agent, and shall survive Full Payment of the Obligations. This Section 12 (other than Section 12.2.1 , 12.8 and 12.10 ) does not confer any rights or benefits upon the Loan Parties or any other Person. As between the Loan Parties and Agent, any action that Agent may take under any Loan Documents or with respect to any Obligations shall be conclusively presumed to have been authorized and directed by Lenders.

SECTION 13. BENEFIT OF AGREEMENT; ASSIGNMENTS AND PARTICIPATIONS

13.1 Successors and Assigns . This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Loan Parties, Agent, Lenders, and their respective successors and assigns, except that (a) no Loan Party (other than pursuant to a transaction permitted under Section 10.2.7(a)) shall have the right to assign its rights or delegate its obligations under any Loan Documents; and (b) any assignment by a Lender must be made in compliance with Section 13.3 . Agent may treat the Person which made any Loan as the owner thereof for all purposes until such Person makes an assignment in accordance with Section 13.3 . Any authorization or consent of a Lender shall be conclusive and binding on any subsequent transferee or assignee of such Lender.

 

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13.2 Participations .

13.2.1 Permitted Participants; Effect . Any Lender may, in the ordinary course of its business and in accordance with Applicable Law, at any time sell to a financial institution (“ Participant ”) a participating interest in the rights and obligations of such Lender under any Loan Documents. Despite any sale by a Lender of participating interests to a Participant, such Lender’s obligations under the Loan Documents shall remain unchanged, such Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto for performance of such obligations, such Lender shall remain the holder of its Loans and Facility Commitments for all purposes, all amounts payable by the Loan Parties within the applicable Loan Party Group shall be determined as if such Lender had not sold such participating interests, and the Loan Parties within the applicable Loan Party Group and Agent shall continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in connection with the Loan Documents. Each Lender shall be solely responsible for notifying its Participants of any matters under the Loan Documents, and Agent and the other Lenders shall not have any obligation or liability to any such Participant. A Participant of U.S. Facility Obligations or Canadian Facility Obligations that would be a Foreign Lender if it were a Lender shall be entitled to the benefits of Section 5.8 in the same manner as if the Participant acquired its interest by assignment, provided the Participant complies with the requirements of Section 5.9 as if it were a Lender. Each Lender selling a participation to a Participant shall keep a register, as agent for the Borrowers, meeting the requirements of Treasury Regulation Section 5f.103-1(c), of each such participation, specifying such Participant’s entitlement to payments of principal, interest and other amounts with respect to such participation.

13.2.2 Voting Rights . Each Lender shall retain the sole right to approve, without the consent of any Participant, any amendment, waiver or other modification of any Loan Documents other than that which forgives principal, interest or fees, reduces the stated interest rate or fees payable with respect to the applicable Loan or Facility Commitment in which such Participant has an interest, postpones the Canadian Revolver Commitment Termination Date or U.S. Facility Revolver Commitment Date, as applicable, or any date fixed for any regularly scheduled payment of principal, interest or fees on such Loan or Commitment in which such Participant has an interest, or releases the applicable Borrower, or all or substantially all of the benefits of the applicable Guarantee, or all or substantially all of the applicable ABL Priority Collateral.

13.2.3 Benefit of Set-Off . The Loan Parties agree that each Participant shall have a right of set-off in respect of its participating interest to the same extent as if such interest were owing directly to a Lender, and each Lender shall also retain the right of set-off with respect to any participating interests sold by it. By exercising any right of set-off, a Participant agrees to share with Lenders all amounts received through its set-off, in accordance with Section 12.5 as if such Participant were a Lender.

13.3 Assignments .

13.3.1 Permitted Assignments . A Lender may assign to an Eligible Assignee any of its rights and obligations under the Loan Documents, as long as (a) each assignment is of a constant, and not a varying, percentage of the transferor Lender’s rights and obligations under the Loan Documents and, in the case of a partial assignment, is in a minimum principal amount of $5,000,000 (unless otherwise agreed by Agent and Loan Party Agent, each in its discretion) and integral multiples of $1,000,000 in excess of that amount; (b) except in the case of an

 

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assignment in whole of a Lender’s rights and obligations, the aggregate amount of the Commitments retained by the transferor Lender is at least $5,000,000 (unless otherwise agreed by Agent and Loan Party Agent, each in its discretion); (c) the parties to each such assignment shall execute and deliver to Agent, for its acceptance and recording, an Assignment and Acceptance; and (d) the transferee Lender shall have executed a joinder to the Reallocation Agreement in form and substance acceptable to Agent. Nothing herein shall limit the right of a Lender to pledge or assign any rights under the Loan Documents to (i) any Federal Reserve Bank or the United States Treasury as collateral security pursuant to Regulation A of the Board of Governors and any Operating Circular issued by such Federal Reserve Bank, or (ii) counterparties to swap agreements relating to any Loans; provided , however , (i) such Lender shall remain the holder of its Loans and owner of its interest in any Letter of Credit for all purposes hereunder, (ii) the Borrowers, Agent, the other Lenders and Issuing Banks shall continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in connection with such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement, (iii) any payment by the Loan Parties to the assigning Lender in respect of any Obligations assigned as described in this sentence shall satisfy the Loan Parties’ obligations hereunder to the extent of such payment, and no such assignment shall release the assigning Lender from its obligations hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall limit the right of a Lender to pledge or assign any rights under the Loan Documents to another Lender following an acceleration of Loans and termination of Commitments pursuant to Section 11.2 in connection with implementation of the Reallocation Agreement following a Designation Date.

13.3.2 Register . Agent, acting solely for this purpose as an agent of the Borrowers, shall maintain at one of its offices a copy of each Assignment and Acceptance delivered to it and a register for the recordation of the names and addresses of Lenders, and the Commitments of and principal amounts of the Loans and LC Obligations owing to each Lender pursuant to the terms hereof from time to time (the “ Register ”). The entries in the Register shall be conclusive, and the Borrowers, Agent, Issuing Banks and Lenders shall treat each person whose name is recorded in the Register pursuant to the terms hereof as a Lender hereunder for all purposes of this Agreement, notwithstanding notice to the contrary. The Register shall be available for inspection by the Borrowers, any Issuing Bank, and any Lender (with respect to its own interest only), at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, Agent shall have no liability to the Borrowers or any other Person for the inaccuracy of any entries in the Register.

13.3.3 Effect; Effective Date . Upon delivery to Agent of an assignment notice in the form of Exhibit E and a processing fee of $3,500 (unless otherwise agreed by Agent in its discretion), the assignment shall become effective as specified in the notice, if it complies with this Section 13.3 . From such effective date, the Eligible Assignee shall for all purposes be a Lender under the Loan Documents, and shall have all rights and obligations of a Lender thereunder. Upon consummation of an assignment, the transferor Lender, Agent and the Loan Parties shall upon request by the transferring or transferee Lender make appropriate arrangements for issuance of replacement and/or new Notes, as applicable. The transferee Lender shall comply with Section 5.9 and deliver, upon request, an administrative questionnaire satisfactory to Agent.

 

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SECTION 14. MISCELLANEOUS

14.1 Consents, Amendments and Waivers .

14.1.1 Amendment . No modification of any Loan Document, including any extension or amendment of a Loan Document or any waiver of a Default or Event of Default, shall be effective without the prior written agreement of Agent (with the consent of Required Lenders) and each Loan Party party to such Loan Document; provided , however , that:

(a) without the prior written consent of Agent, no modification shall be effective with respect to any provision in a Loan Document that relates to any rights, duties or discretion of Agent;

(b) without the prior written consent of each affected Issuing Bank, no modification shall be effective with respect to any LC Obligations, Section 2.2 or Section 2.3 ;

(c) without the prior written consent of each affected Lender (except a Defaulting Lender as and to the extent provided in Section 4.2 ), no modification shall be effective that would (i) increase the Facility Commitment of such Lender; or (ii) reduce the amount of, or waive or delay payment of, any principal, interest or fees payable to such Lender; or (iii) increase the aggregate amount of all Commitments (except as set forth in Section 2.1.4 );

(d) without the prior written consent of all Lenders (except a Defaulting Lender as and to the extent provided in Section 4.2 ), no modification shall be effective that would (i) extend the U.S. Revolver Commitment Termination Date, the Canadian Revolver Commitment Termination Date or Facility Termination Date; (ii) alter Section 5.5, 7.1 (except to add Collateral) or 14.1.1 ; (iii) amend the definitions of Pro Rata, Required Lenders, Required Facility Lenders or Supermajority Required Facility Lenders; (iv) amend this Section 14.1.1 ; or (v) increase the Maximum Facility Amount (except as set forth in Section 2.1.4 );

(e) without the prior written consent of the Supermajority Required Facility Lenders having Commitments to a Borrower (except a Defaulting Lender as and to the extent provided in Section 4.2 ), no amendment or waiver shall be effective that would (x) with respect to Lenders having Facility Commitments to the Canadian Borrower, amend the definition of Canadian Borrowing Base (or, for purposes of such definition, any defined term used in such definition) or (y) with respect to Lenders having Facility Commitments to the U.S. Borrower, amend the definition of U.S. Borrowing Base (or, for purposes of such definition, any defined term used in such definition); and

(f) without the prior written consent of all Lenders having Commitments to a Borrower (except a Defaulting Lender as and to the extent provided in Section 4.2 ), no amendment or waiver shall be effective that would (x) with respect to Lenders having Facility Commitments to the Canadian Borrower, (i) increase the advance rates applicable to the Canadian Borrower, (ii) release all or substantially all of the Canadian Facility Collateral, except as currently contemplated by Section 12.2.1 , or (iii) release any Canadian Facility Loan Party from liability for any Canadian Facility Obligations, except as currently contemplated by Section 12.2.1 ; or (y) with respect to Lenders having Facility Commitments to the U.S. Borrower, (i) increase the advance rates applicable to the U.S. Borrower, (ii) release all or substantially all of the U.S. Facility Collateral, except as currently contemplated by Section 12.2.1 , or (iii) release any U.S. Facility Loan Party from liability for any U.S. Facility Obligations, except as currently contemplated by Section 12.2.1 .

 

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Notwithstanding the foregoing, upon the execution and delivery of all documentation required by Section 10.2.1(l) to be delivered in connection with the incurrence by any Loan Party of any Permitted Senior Secured Debt, upon Agent’s request, the Loan Parties and Agent shall enter into an amendment hereof, and, to the extent deemed necessary by Agent, any other applicable Loan Documents, solely for the purpose of reflecting any Liens granted in favor of Agent or any Permitted Senior Secured Debt Collateral Agent in connection with any such transaction and to make changes incidental thereto. By their execution hereof, each Lender expressly authorizes and approves Agent’s entry into such amendments.

14.1.2 Limitations . The agreement of the Loan Parties shall not be necessary to the effectiveness of any modification of a Loan Document that deals solely with the rights and duties of Lenders, Agent and/or Issuing Banks as among themselves. Only the consent of the parties to the Fee Letter, any Collateral Access Agreement, Deposit Account Control Agreement or any agreement relating to a Bank Product shall be required for any modification of such agreement, and any non-Lender that is party to a Bank Product agreement shall have no right to participate in any manner in modification of any other Loan Document. The making of any Loans during the existence of a Default or Event of Default shall not be deemed to constitute a waiver of such Default or Event of Default, nor to establish a course of dealing. Any waiver or consent granted by Agent or Lenders hereunder shall be effective only if in writing, and then only in the specific instance and for the specific purpose for which it is given.

14.1.3 Payment for Consents . No Loan Party will, directly or indirectly, pay any remuneration or other thing of value, whether by way of additional interest, fee or otherwise, to any Lender (in its capacity as a Lender hereunder) as consideration for agreement by such Lender with any modification of any Loan Documents, unless such remuneration or value is concurrently paid, on the same terms, on a Pro Rata basis to all Lenders providing their consent.

14.2 Indemnity . EACH LOAN PARTY SHALL INDEMNIFY AND HOLD HARMLESS THE INDEMNITEES AGAINST ANY CLAIMS THAT MAY BE INCURRED BY OR ASSERTED AGAINST ANY INDEMNITEE, INCLUDING CLAIMS ARISING FROM THE NEGLIGENCE OF AN INDEMNITEE; provided that, in no event shall any Loan Party have any obligation hereunder to indemnify or hold harmless an Indemnitee with respect to a Claim that is determined in a final, non-appealable judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction to result from its actual gross negligence or willful misconduct. In the case of an investigation, litigation or proceeding to which the indemnity in this paragraph applies, such indemnity shall be effective whether or not such investigation, litigation or proceeding is brought by the Loan Parties, their equity holders or creditors, a third party or an Indemnitee and whether or not an Indemnitee is otherwise a party thereto and, except for losses determined in a final, non-appealable judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction to result from an Indemnitee’s actual gross negligence or willful misconduct.

14.3 Notices and Communications .

14.3.1 Notice Address . Subject to Section 4.1.4 , all notices and other communications by or to a party hereto shall be in writing and shall be given to any Loan Party, at Loan Party Agent’s address shown on the signature pages hereof, and to any other Person at its

 

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address shown on the signature pages hereof (or, in the case of a Person who becomes a Lender after the Closing Date, at the address shown on its Assignment and Acceptance), or at such other address as a party may hereafter specify by notice in accordance with this Section 14.3 . Each such notice or other communication shall be effective only (a) if given by facsimile transmission, when transmitted to the applicable facsimile number, if confirmation of receipt is received; (b) if given by mail, three (3) Business Days after deposit in the U.S. mail (or, in the case of a Canadian Domiciled Loan Party, the Canadian mail system), with first-class postage pre-paid, addressed to the applicable address; (c) if given by personal delivery, when duly delivered to the notice address with receipt acknowledged of (d) if given by electronic mail or any other telecommunications device, when transmitted to an electronic mail address (or by another means of electronic delivery). Notwithstanding the foregoing, no notice to Agent pursuant to Section 2.1.4, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1.2, 3.1.3 or 4.1.1 shall be effective until actually received by the individual or department to whose attention at Agent such notice is required to be sent. Any written notice or other communication that is not sent in conformity with the foregoing provisions shall nevertheless be effective on the date actually received by the noticed party. Any notice received by Loan Party Agent shall be deemed received by all Loan Parties.

14.3.2 Electronic Communications; Voice Mail . Electronic mail and internet websites may be used only for routine communications, such as financial statements, Borrowing Base Certificates and other information required by Section 10.1.2 , administrative matters, distribution of Loan Documents for execution, and matters permitted under Section 4.1.4 . Agent and Lenders make no assurances as to the privacy and security of electronic communications. Electronic communication and voice mail may not be used as effective notice under the Loan Documents.

14.3.3 Non-Conforming Communications . Agent and Lenders may rely upon any notices purportedly given by or on behalf of any Loan Party even if such notices were not made in a manner specified herein, were incomplete or were not confirmed, or if the terms thereof, as understood by the recipient, varied from a later confirmation. Each Loan Party shall indemnify and hold harmless each Indemnitee from any liabilities, losses, costs and expenses arising from any non-conforming communication purportedly given by or on behalf of a Loan Party.

14.4 Performance of the Loan Parties’ Obligations . Agent may, in its discretion at any time and from time to time, at the expense of the Loan Parties of the applicable Loan Party Group, pay any amount or do any act required of a Loan Party under any Loan Documents to (a) enforce any Loan Documents or collect any Obligations; (b) protect, insure, maintain or realize upon any Collateral; or (c) defend or maintain the validity or priority of Agent’s Liens in any Collateral, including any payment of a judgment, insurance premium, warehouse charge, finishing or processing charge, or landlord claim, or any discharge of a Lien. All payments, costs and expenses (including Extraordinary Expenses) of Agent under this Section 14.4 shall be reimbursed to Agent by the Loan Parties, on demand , with interest from the date incurred to the date of payment thereof at the rate applicable to Base Rate Loans. Any payment made or action taken by Agent under this Section 14.4 shall be without prejudice to any right to assert an Event of Default or to exercise any other rights or remedies under the Loan Documents.

14.5 Credit Inquiries . Each Loan Party hereby authorizes Agent and Lenders (but they shall have no obligation) to respond to usual and customary credit inquiries from third parties concerning any Loan Party or Subsidiary.

 

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14.6 Severability . Wherever possible, each provision of the Loan Documents shall be interpreted in such manner as to be valid under Applicable Law. If any provision is found to be invalid under Applicable Law, it shall be ineffective only to the extent of such invalidity and the remaining provisions of the Loan Documents shall remain in full force and effect.

14.7 Cumulative Effect; Conflict of Terms . The provisions of the Loan Documents are cumulative. The parties acknowledge that the Loan Documents may use several limitations, tests or measurements to regulate similar matters, and they agree that these are cumulative and that each must be performed as provided. Except as otherwise provided in another Loan Document (by specific reference to the applicable provision of this Agreement), if any provision contained herein is in direct conflict with any provision in another Loan Document, the provision herein shall govern and control.

14.8 Counterparts . Any Loan Document may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original, but all of which when taken together shall constitute a single contract. This Agreement shall become effective when Agent has received counterparts bearing the signatures of all parties hereto. Delivery of a signature page of any Loan Document by telecopy or other electronic means shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of such agreement.

14.9 Entire Agreement . The Loan Documents constitute the entire contract among the parties relating to the subject matter hereof, and supersede any and all previous agreements and understandings, oral or written, relating to the subject matter hereof.

14.10 Relationship with Lenders . The obligations of each Lender hereunder are several, and no Lender shall be responsible for the obligations or Commitments of any other Lender. Amounts payable hereunder to each Lender shall be a separate and independent debt. It shall not be necessary for Agent or any other Lender to be joined as an additional party in any proceeding for such purposes. Nothing in this Agreement and no action of Agent or Lenders pursuant to the Loan Documents shall be deemed to constitute Agent and Lenders to be a partnership, association, joint venture or any other kind of entity, nor to constitute control of any Loan Party.

14.11 No Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility . In connection with all aspects of each transaction contemplated by any Loan Document, the Loan Parties acknowledge and agree that (a)(i) this credit facility and any related arranging or other services by Agent, any Lender, any of their Affiliates or any arranger are arm’s-length commercial transactions between the Loan Parties and such Person; (ii) the Loan Parties have consulted their own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent they have deemed appropriate; and (iii) the Loan Parties are capable of evaluating and understanding, and do understand and accept, the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents; (b) each of Agent, Lenders, their Affiliates and any arranger is and has been acting solely as a principal in connection with this credit facility, is not the financial advisor, agent or fiduciary for the Loan Parties, any of their Affiliates or any other Person (except as expressly set forth in Section 13.3.2), and has no obligation with respect to the transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents except as expressly set forth therein; and (c) Agent, Lenders, their Affiliates and any arranger may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Loan Parties and their Affiliates, and have no obligation to disclose any of such interests to the Loan Parties or their Affiliates. To the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law, each Loan Party

 

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hereby waives and releases any claims that it may have against Agent, Lenders, their Affiliates and any arranger with respect to any breach or alleged breach of agency or fiduciary duty in connection with any aspect of any transaction contemplated by a Loan Document.

14.12 Confidentiality . Each of Agent, Lenders and Issuing Banks agrees to maintain the confidentiality of all Information (as defined below), except that Information may be disclosed (a) to its Affiliates, and to its and their partners, directors, officers, employees, agents, advisors and representatives (provided such Persons are informed of the confidential nature of the Information and instructed to keep it confidential); (b) to the extent requested by any governmental, regulatory or self-regulatory authority purporting to have jurisdiction over it or its Affiliates; (c) to the extent required by Applicable Law or by any subpoena or other legal process; (d) to any other party hereto; (e) in connection with any action or proceeding, or other exercise of rights or remedies, relating to any Loan Documents or Obligations; (f) subject to an agreement containing provisions substantially the same as this Section 14.12 , to any Transferee or any actual or prospective party (or its advisors) to any Bank Product; (g) with the consent of Loan Party Agent; or (h) to the extent such Information (i) becomes publicly available other than as a result of a breach of this Section 14.12 or (ii) is available to Agent, any Lender, any Issuing Bank or any of their Affiliates on a nonconfidential basis from a source other than the Loan Parties. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Agent and Lenders may publish or disseminate general information describing this credit facility, including the names and addresses of the Loan Parties and a general description of the Loan Parties’ businesses, and may use the Loan Parties’ logos, trademarks or product photographs in advertising materials. As used herein, “ Information ” means all information received from a Loan Party or Subsidiary relating to it or its business that is identified as confidential when delivered. Any Person required to maintain the confidentiality of Information pursuant to this Section 14.12 shall be deemed to have complied if it exercises the same degree of care that it accords its own confidential information. Each of Agent, Lenders and Issuing Banks acknowledges that (i) Information may include material non-public information concerning a Loan Party or Subsidiary; (ii) it has developed compliance procedures regarding the use of material non-public information; and (iii) it will handle such material non-public information in accordance with Applicable Law, including federal, state, provincial and territorial securities laws.

14.13 Certifications Regarding Senior Note Indenture . Borrowers certify to Agent and Lenders that neither the execution or performance of the Loan Documents nor the incurrence of any Obligations by Borrowers violates the Senior Note Indenture.

14.14 GOVERNING LAW . THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS, UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED, SHALL BE GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, WITHOUT GIVING EFFECT TO ANY CONFLICT OF LAW PRINCIPLES (BUT GIVING EFFECT TO FEDERAL LAWS RELATING TO NATIONAL BANKS).

14.15 Consent to Forum .

14.15.1 Forum . EACH LOAN PARTY HEREBY CONSENTS TO THE NON-EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF ANY FEDERAL OR STATE COURT SITTING IN OR WITH JURISDICTION OVER THE STATE OF NEW YORK, IN ANY PROCEEDING OR DISPUTE RELATING IN ANY WAY TO ANY LOAN DOCUMENTS, AND AGREES THAT ANY SUCH PROCEEDING SHALL BE BROUGHT BY IT SOLELY IN ANY SUCH

 

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COURT. EACH LOAN PARTY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ALL CLAIMS, OBJECTIONS AND DEFENSES THAT IT MAY HAVE REGARDING SUCH COURT’S PERSONAL OR SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION, VENUE OR INCONVENIENT FORUM. EACH PARTY HERETO IRREVOCABLY CONSENTS TO SERVICE OF PROCESS IN THE MANNER PROVIDED FOR NOTICES IN SECTION 14.3.1 . Nothing herein shall limit the right of Agent or any Lender to bring proceedings against any Loan Party in any other court, nor limit the right of any party to serve process in any other manner permitted by Applicable Law. Nothing in this Agreement shall be deemed to preclude enforcement by Agent of any judgment or order obtained in any forum or jurisdiction.

14.16 Waivers by the Loan Parties . To the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law, each Loan Party waives (a) the right to trial by jury (which Agent and each Lender hereby also waives) in any proceeding or dispute of any kind relating in any way to any Loan Documents, Obligations or Collateral; (b) presentment, demand, protest, notice of presentment, default, non-payment, maturity, release, compromise, settlement, extension or renewal of any accounts, documents, instruments, chattel paper and guarantees at any time held by Agent on which a Loan Party may in any way be liable, and hereby ratifies anything Agent may do in this regard; (c) notice prior to taking possession or control of any Collateral; (d) any bond or security that might be required by a court prior to allowing Agent to exercise any rights or remedies; (e) the benefit of all valuation, appraisement and exemption laws; (f) any claim against Agent or any Lender, on any theory of liability, for special, indirect, consequential, exemplary or punitive damages (as opposed to direct or actual damages) in any way relating to any Enforcement Action, Obligations, Loan Documents or transactions relating thereto; and (g) notice of acceptance hereof. Each Loan Party acknowledges that the foregoing waivers are a material inducement to Agent and Lenders entering into this Agreement and that Agent and Lenders are relying upon the foregoing in their dealings with the Loan Parties. Each Loan Party has reviewed the foregoing waivers with its legal counsel and has knowingly and voluntarily waived its jury trial and other rights following consultation with legal counsel. In the event of litigation, this Agreement may be filed as a written consent to a trial by the court.

(a) Patriot Act Notice . Agent and Lenders hereby notify the Loan Parties that pursuant to the requirements of the Patriot Act, the Proceeds of Crime Act and other applicable anti-money laundering, anti-terrorist financing, government sanction and “know your client” policies, regulations, laws or rules (the Proceeds of Crime Act and such other applicable policies, regulations, laws or rules, collectively, including any guidelines or orders thereunder, “ AML Legislation ”), Agent and Lenders are required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each Loan Party, including its legal name, address, tax ID number and other information that will allow Agent and Lenders to identify it in accordance with the Patriot Act and the AML Legislation. Agent and Lenders will also require information regarding each personal guarantor, if any, and may require information regarding the Loan Parties’ management and owners, such as legal name, address, social security number and date of birth. Each Loan Party shall promptly provide all such information, including supporting documentation and other evidence, as may be reasonably requested by any Lender or any prospective assignee or participant of a Lender, in order to comply with the Patriot Act and/or the applicable AML Legislation, whether now or hereafter in existence.

 

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14.17 Canadian Anti-Money Laundering Legislation .

(a) If Agent has ascertained the identity of any Canadian Facility Loan Party or any authorized signatories of any Canadian Facility Loan Party for the purposes of applicable AML Legislation, then Agent:

(i) shall be deemed to have done so as an agent for each Canadian Lender, and this Agreement shall constitute a “written agreement” in such regard between each Canadian Lender and Agent within the meaning of the applicable AML Legislation; and

(ii) shall provide to each Canadian Lender copies of all information obtained in such regard without any representation or warranty as to its accuracy or completeness.

Notwithstanding the preceding sentence and except as may otherwise be agreed in writing, each Canadian Lender agrees that Agent has no obligation to ascertain the identity of the Canadian Loan Parties or any authorized signatories of the Canadian Loan Parties on behalf of any Canadian Lender, or to confirm the completeness or accuracy of any information it obtains from any Canadian Facility Loan Party or any such authorized signatory in doing so.

14.18 Reinstatement . This Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and continue to be effective should any petition be filed by or against any Loan Party for liquidation or reorganization, should any Loan Party become insolvent or make an assignment for the benefit of creditors or should a receiver or trustee be appointed for all or any significant part of such Loan Party’s assets, and shall continue to be effective or be reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time payment and performance of the Obligations, or any part thereof, is, pursuant to Applicable Law, rescinded or reduced in amount, or must otherwise be restored or returned by any obligee of the Obligations, whether as a “voidable preference”, “fraudulent conveyance”, or otherwise, all as though such payment or performance had not been made. In the event that any payment, or any part thereof, is rescinded, reduced, restored or returned, the Obligations shall be reinstated and deemed reduced only by such amount paid and not so rescinded, reduced, restored or returned.

14.19 Nonliability of Lenders . Neither Agent, any Issuing Bank nor any Lender undertakes any responsibility to any Loan Party to review or inform any Loan Party of any matter in connection with any phase of any Loan Party’s business or operations. Each Loan Party agrees, on behalf of itself and each other Loan Party, that neither Agent, any Issuing Bank nor any Lender shall have liability to any Loan Party (whether sounding in tort, contract or otherwise) for losses suffered by any Loan Party in connection with, arising out of, or in any way related to the transactions contemplated and the relationship established by the Loan Documents, or any act, omission or event occurring in connection therewith, unless it is determined in a final non-appealable judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction that such losses resulted from the actual gross negligence or willful misconduct of the party from which recovery is sought. NO LENDER SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES ARISING FROM THE USE BY OTHERS OF ANY INFORMATION OR OTHER MATERIALS OBTAINED THROUGH INTRALINKS OR OTHER SIMILAR INFORMATION TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT.

14.20 PERMITTED SENIOR SECURED DEBT INTERCREDITOR AGREEMENT . REFERENCE IS MADE TO THE PERMITTED SENIOR SECURED DEBT INTERCREDITOR AGREEMENT (TO THE EXTENT SUCH AGREEMENT IS IN EFFECT). EACH LENDER HEREUNDER (A) CONSENTS TO THE SUBORDINATION OF LIENS

 

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PROVIDED FOR IN THE PERMITTED SENIOR SECURED DEBT INTERCREDITOR AGREEMENT (TO THE EXTENT SUCH AGREEMENT IS IN EFFECT), (B) AGREES THAT, FROM AND AFTER THE EXECUTION AND DELIVERY OF THE PERMITTED SENIOR SECURED DEBT INTERCREDITOR AGREEMENT (TO THE EXTENT SUCH AGREEMENT IS IN EFFECT) BY AGENT AND THE OTHER PERSONS PARTY THERETO, IT WILL BE BOUND BY AND WILL TAKE NO ACTIONS CONTRARY TO THE PROVISIONS OF THE PERMITTED SENIOR SECURED DEBT INTERCREDITOR AGREEMENT (TO THE EXTENT SUCH AGREEMENT IS IN EFFECT), (C) AUTHORIZES AND INSTRUCTS AGENT TO ENTER INTO THE PERMITTED SENIOR SECURED DEBT INTERCREDITOR AGREEMENT (TO THE EXTENT SUCH AGREEMENT IS IN EFFECT) AS COLLATERAL AGENT AND ON BEHALF OF SUCH LENDER AND (D) AUTHORIZES AND INSTRUCTS AGENT TO ENTER INTO SUCH JOINDER AGREEMENTS AND MODIFICATIONS TO THE PERMITTED SENIOR SECURED DEBT INTERCREDITOR AGREEMENT (TO THE EXTENT SUCH AGREEMENT IS IN EFFECT) AS MAY BE CONTEMPLATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE PERMITTED SENIOR SECURED DEBT INTERCREDITOR AGREEMENT (TO THE EXTENT SUCH AGREEMENT IS IN EFFECT).

[Remainder of page intentionally left blank; signatures begin on following page]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Agreement has been executed and delivered as of the date set forth above.

 

COOPER-STANDARD HOLDINGS INC.,
as a U.S. Facility Guarantor and a Canadian Facility Guarantor

By:  

/s/ Timothy W. Hefferon

  Name: Timothy W. Hefferon
  Title: V.P., General Counsel & Secretary
COOPER-STANDARD AUTOMOTIVE INC., as the U.S. Borrower, a U.S. Facility Guarantor and a Canadian Facility Guarantor
By:  

/s/ Timothy W. Hefferon

  Name: Timothy W. Hefferon
  Title: V.P., General Counsel & Secretary
COOPER-STANDARD AUTOMOTIVE CANADA LIMITED, as the Canadian Borrower and a Canadian Facility Guarantor
By:  

/s/ Timothy W. Hefferon

  Name: Timothy W. Hefferon
  Title: Secretary
COOPER-STANDARD AUTOMOTIVE NC L.L.C., as a U.S. Facility Guarantor and Canadian Facility Guarantor
By:  

/s/ Timothy W. Hefferon

  Name: Timothy W. Hefferon
  Title: Secretary
COOPER-STANDARD AUTOMOTIVE OH, LLC, as a U.S. Facility Guarantor and Canadian Facility Guarantor
By:  

/s/ Timothy W. Hefferon

  Name: Timothy W. Hefferon
  Title: Secretary


COOPER-STANDARD AUTOMOTIVE FLUID SYSTEMS MEXICO HOLDING LLC, as a U.S. Facility Guarantor and Canadian Facility Guarantor
By:  

/s/ Timothy W. Hefferon

  Name: Timothy W. Hefferon
  Title: Secretary
CSA SERVICES INC., as a U.S. Facility Guarantor and Canadian Facility Guarantor
By:  

/s/ Timothy W. Hefferon

  Name: Timothy W. Hefferon
  Title: Secretary
NISCO HOLDING COMPANY, as a U.S. Facility Guarantor and Canadian Facility Guarantor
By:  

/s/ Timothy W. Hefferon

  Name: Timothy W. Hefferon
  Title: Secretary
NORTH AMERICAN RUBBER, INCORPORATED, as a U.S. Facility Guarantor and Canadian Facility Guarantor
By:  

/s/ Timothy W. Hefferon

  Name: Timothy W. Hefferon
  Title: Secretary
STANTECH, INC., as a U.S. Facility Guarantor and Canadian Facility Guarantor
By:  

/s/ Timothy W. Hefferon

  Name: Timothy W. Hefferon
  Title: Secretary


STERLING INVESTMENTS COMPANY, as a U.S. Facility Guarantor and Canadian Facility Guarantor
By:  

/s/ Timothy W. Hefferon

  Name: Timothy W. Hefferon
  Title: Secretary
WESTBORN SERVICE CENTER, INC., as a U.S. Facility Guarantor and Canadian Facility Guarantor
By:  

/s/ Timothy W. Hefferon

  Name: Timothy W. Hefferon
  Title: Secretary
COOPER-STANDARD AUTOMOTIVE FHS INC., as a U.S. Facility Guarantor and Canadian Facility Guarantor
By:  

/s/ Timothy W. Hefferon

  Name: Timothy W. Hefferon
  Title: V.P. & Secretary
CS AUTOMOTIVE LLC, as a Canadian Facility Guarantor
By:  

/s/ Timothy W. Hefferon

  Name: Timothy W. Hefferon
  Title: Secretary


AGENT AND LENDERS :

 

BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as Agent and a U.S. Lender

By:  

/s/ David Ritchay

Title:  

Senior Vice President

BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. (acting through its Canada branch), as a Canadian Lender
By:  

/s/ Medina Sales de Andrade

Title:  

Vice President


DEUTSCHE BANK AG, NEW YORK BRANCH, as a U.S. Lender and a Canadian Lender

By:  

/s/ Carin Keegan

Title:  

Director

By:  

/s/ Erin Morrissey

Title:  

Vice President

 


DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS, as an LC Issuer

By:  

/s/ Carin Keegan

Title:  

Director

By:  

/s/ Erin Morrissey

Title:  

Vice President

 


UBS LOAN FINANCE LLC, as a U.S. Lender

By:  

/s/ Irja R. Otsa

Title:  

Associate Director Banking Products Services, U.S.

By:  

/s/ Mary E. Evans

Title:  

Associate Director Banking Products Services, U.S.

UBS AG CANADA BRANCH, as a Canadian Lender

By:  

/s/ Irja R. Otsa

Title:  

Associate Director Banking Products Services, U.S.

By:  

/s/ Mary E. Evans

Title:  

Associate Director Banking Products Services, U.S.

 


BARCLAYS BANK PLC, as a U.S. Lender and a Canadian Lender

By:  

/s/ Kevin Cullen

Title:  

Director

EXHIBIT 10.2

Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc.

DIRECTOR NOMINATION AGREEMENT

This Director Nomination Agreement (this “ Agreement ”) is made as of May 27, 2010 (the “ Effective Time ”), among Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”) and Barclays Capital, Inc., a Connecticut Corporation (the “ Stockholder ”). Unless otherwise specified herein, all of the capitalized terms used herein are defined in Section 6 hereof.

WHEREAS , the Company has entered into a Commitment Agreement, dated as of March 19, 2010 (the “ Commitment Agreement ”), with the Stockholder and the parties identified on Schedule I thereto whereby the Stockholder has agreed to participate in the Rights Offering on the terms and conditions set forth therein; and

WHEREAS, the Company has agreed to permit the Stockholder, for so long as the Stockholder together with its Affiliates Beneficially Own at least 7.5% of the Outstanding Equity, to have the right to designate one person for nomination for election to the board of directors of the Company (the “ Board ”) as further set forth in Section 2(a) and on the other terms and conditions set forth herein.

NOW, THEREFORE , in consideration of the mutual covenants contained herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties to this Agreement hereby agree as follows:

Section 1. Term . This agreement shall commence at the Effective Time and continue until the earlier of (i) termination of this Agreement at the election of the Stockholder by written notice to the Company and (ii) immediately prior to the annual meeting of stockholders of the Company held during the calendar year 2013 (the date of such meeting, the “ Expiration Date ”).

Section 2. Board of Directors .

(a) Nominees .

(i) Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, including Section 2(a)(ii), from and after the Effective Time and until the earlier to occur of the Expiration Date or the Termination Event, for so long as the Stockholder together with its Affiliates Beneficially Own 7.5% or greater of the Outstanding Equity, the Stockholder shall have the right to designate one person to be nominated for election to the Board (a “ Nominee ”). The Nominee (i) if selected by the Stockholder pursuant to Section (2)(a)(ii), shall be selected by the Stockholder in reasonable consultation with (but without the need for the approval of) the Company’s Chief Executive Officer (the “ CEO ”) and the Search Firm and (ii) shall be an Independent Director. As of the Effective Time, David J. Mastrocola shall be the Nominee of the Stockholder designated pursuant to this Section 2(a)(i) , and a written notice in connection with such nomination shall not be required.


(ii) In connection with each annual meeting of stockholders or equityholders occurring prior to the Expiration Date, the Stockholder agrees that a committee of Independent Directors shall determine whether the Nominee will be nominated for election to the Board; provided that if such committee determines that the Nominee will not be nominated for election to the Board at any such annual meeting of stockholders or equityholders, the Stockholder shall have the right to designate a Nominee in accordance with the terms of Section 2(a)(i) for election to the Board at such annual meeting, and such Nominee may include the previous Nominee.

(iii) Notice . The Company shall provide the Stockholder with notice that the Nominee will not be nominated for election to the Board by the committee of Independent Directors pursuant to Section 2(a)(ii) no less than 90 days prior to such annual meeting. The Stockholder shall provide the Company with notice of designation of any Nominee pursuant to Section 2(a)(ii) within 30 days after receiving a notice from the Company (such notice to be given by the Company no more than 120 days and no less than 90 days prior to the applicable annual meeting), informing the Stockholder of the date of the applicable annual meeting, and such notice shall not be subject to compliance with the advance notice requirements set forth in the By-Laws.

(b) With respect to the board of directors, board of managers or similar governing body of any subsidiary of the Company on which substantially all of the Directors (other than the Nominee) serve as a director, manager or other similar position, at the request of the Stockholder, the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the election or appointment, as the case may be, of the Nominee as a director, manager or otherwise, as applicable, of each such subsidiary.

(c) The Nominee designated hereunder by the Stockholder shall be nominated for election as a Director. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to ensure that the Nominee designated pursuant to Section 2(a)(i) or Section 2(a)(ii), as applicable, is elected as a Director at every meeting of the stockholders of the Company called with respect to the election of members of the Board.

(d) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, if the Stockholder together with its Affiliates cease to Beneficially Own at least 7.5% of the Outstanding Equity, whether as a result of dilution, Transfer or otherwise, then the rights of the Stockholder under this Section 2 shall terminate automatically (the “ Termination Event ”). Within three Business Days after the occurrence of the Termination Event (i) that results from a Transfer of Common Stock by the Stockholder, the Stockholder shall notify the Company of such event and (ii) that results from any other event or occurrence, the Company shall notify the Stockholder of such event (in each case, a “ Termination Notice ”).

(e) If a vacancy occurs because of the death, disability, disqualification, resignation or removal of a Nominee, the Stockholder shall be entitled to designate such person’s successor in accordance with Section 3(c) .

(f) If a Nominee is not nominated or elected to the Board because of such Nominee’s death, disability, disqualification, withdrawal as a nominee or is for any other reason


unavailable or unable to serve on the Board, the Stockholder shall be entitled to promptly designate another Nominee in accordance with the applicable provisions of Section 2 and the director position for which such Nominee was nominated shall not be filled pending such designation.

(g) The Company shall pay the reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Nominee in connection with his services provided to or on behalf of the Company and/or its subsidiaries, including attending meetings. A Nominee shall be entitled to compensation paid to other non-employee Directors.

(h) If a Director nominated by Oak Hill Advisors L.P. or any of its Affiliates is designated as a member of the initial compensation (or equivalent) committee, the Company shall take all necessary steps to cause either (i) the Nominee or (ii) a nominee designated by Silver Point Capital, L.P. or any of its Affiliates to be designated as a member of such committee. Any material decisions or actions of the Board’s compensation (or equivalent) committee shall require the approval of the entire Board.

(i) For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of this Agreement shall not limit any rights the Stockholder may have as a stockholder of the Company pursuant to Delaware law, the Certificate of Incorporation or the By-Laws.

Section 3. Company Obligations .

(a) The Company shall assure that: (i) the Nominee designated pursuant to Section 2(a)(i) or Section 2(a)(ii), as applicable, is included in the Board’s slate of nominees to the stockholders for each election of Directors; and (ii) such Nominee is included in the proxy statement prepared by management of the Company in connection with soliciting proxies for every meeting of the stockholders of the Company called with respect to the election of members of the Board and at every adjournment or postponement thereof, and on every action or approval by written consent of the stockholders of the Company or the Board with respect to the election of members of the Board. For the avoidance of doubt, the Stockholder shall not be entitled to nominate Directors pursuant to this Agreement for election at the annual meeting of stockholders of the Company held during the calendar year 2013.

(b) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Company shall not be obligated to cause to be nominated for election to the Board or recommend to the stockholders the election of any Nominee: (i) who fails to submit to the Company on a timely basis such questionnaires as the Company may reasonably require of its directors generally and such other information as the Company may reasonably request in connection with the preparation of its filings under the Securities Laws; or (ii) if the Board or the nominating committee (if any) determines in good faith, after consultation with outside legal counsel, that (a) a Nominee would not qualify as an Independent Director or (b) such action would constitute a breach of its fiduciary duties or applicable law or violate the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation; provided, however , that upon the occurrence of either (i) or (ii) above, the Company shall promptly notify the Stockholder of the occurrence of such event and permit the Stockholder to provide an alternate Nominee sufficiently in advance of any Board action, the meetings of the stockholders called or written action of stockholders with respect to such election of nominees

 

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and the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to perform its obligations under Section 3(a) with respect to such alternate Nominee ( provided that if the Company provides at least 45 days advance notice of the occurrence of any such event such alternative nominee must be designated by the Stockholder not less than 30 days in advance of any Board action, notice of meeting of the stockholders or written action of stockholders with respect to such election of nominees), and in no event shall the Company be obligated to postpone, reschedule or delay any scheduled meeting of the stockholders with respect to such election of Nominees.

(c) At any time a vacancy occurs because of the death, disability, disqualification, resignation or removal of a Nominee, then the Board, or any committee thereof, shall not fill such vacancy until the earliest to occur of: (i) the Stockholder’s designation of a successor Nominee (which successor Nominee shall be designated in accordance with Section 2(a) ) and the Board’s appointment of such successor Nominee to fill the vacancy; (ii) the Stockholder’s failure to designate a successor Nominee within 20 Business Days after receiving notification of the vacancy from the Company; or (iii) the Stockholder’s specifically waiving in writing its rights under this Section 3(c) .

(d) The Company shall purchase directors’ and officers’ liability insurance in an amount as determined by the Board; provided that upon the Termination Event the Company shall take all actions reasonably necessary to extend such directors’ and officers’ liability insurance coverage for a period of not less than six years from the Termination Event in respect of any act or omission occurring at or prior to such event.

(e) For so long as any Director nominated to the Board pursuant to the terms of this Agreement serves as a Director of the Company, the Company shall not amend, alter or repeal any right to indemnification or exculpation covering or benefiting any Director nominated pursuant to this Agreement, including but not limited to Article IX of the Certificate of Incorporation and Article VIII of the By-Laws (whether such right is contained in the Certificate of Incorporation, By-Laws or another document). Furthermore, after any Director nominated to the Board pursuant to the terms of this Agreement serves as a Director, no amendment, alteration or repeal of any right to indemnification or exculpation covering or benefiting any Director nominated pursuant to this Agreement will serve to reduce the indemnification or exculpation obligations of the Company with respect to any such former Director.

(f) From and after the Effective Time and until the earlier to occur of the Expiration Date or the Termination Event: (i) other than the CEO and the Directors nominated pursuant to this Agreement and the Other Nomination Agreements, as applicable, all Directors nominated or appointed, as the case may be, by the Company for election to the Board shall be Independent Directors and shall be designated by a committee of Independent Directors in consultation with the CEO and (ii) the Board shall consist of seven Directors.

 

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Section 4. Termination . Upon the earlier to occur of the Expiration Date or the Termination Event, this Agreement shall be automatically terminated and of no further force and effect, and no party hereto shall have any surviving obligations, rights, or duties hereunder after such termination, provided that the Company shall be obligated to comply with Section 2(g) , Section 3(d) and Section 3(e) .

Section 5. Other Nomination Rights . The Company hereby represents to the Stockholder that it has not granted any nomination rights other than those provided for in this Agreement and the Other Nomination Agreements. The Company hereby agrees with the Stockholder that, until the earlier to occur of the Expiration Date or the Termination Event, it shall not grant any nomination rights other than those provided for in this Agreement and the Other Nomination Agreements.

Section 6. Definitions .

Affiliate ” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such first Person.

Agreement ” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.

Beneficially Own ” has the meaning ascribed to it in Rule 13d-3 and 13d-5 (or successor rules then in effect) promulgated under Exchange Act.

Board ” has the meaning set forth in recitals.

Board Observer ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(i) .

Business Day ” means any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, legal holiday or other day on which commercial banks in New York, New York are authorized or required by applicable law to close.

By-Laws ” means the Company’s By-Laws, as in effect on the date hereof, as the same may be amended from time to time.

CEO ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(i) .

Certificate of Incorporation ” means the Company’s Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as in effect on the date hereof, as the same may be amended from time to time.

Common Stock ” means the common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company.

Company ” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.

Director ” has the meaning set forth in the By-Laws.

 

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Effective Time ” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.

Exchange Act ” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

Expiration Date ” has the meaning set forth in Section 1 .

Independent Director ” means a Director that is an “independent director” as such term is defined from time to time in the NYSE’s listing standards (or the principal national securities exchange on which Common Stock is then traded) and is not an “affiliate” or an “associate” (as such terms are defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act) or any member of the “immediate family” (as such term is defined in Rule 16a-1 of the Exchange Act) of a director or executive officer of the Company or the Stockholder and shall not have (or have had during the past three years) any employment arrangement or other material commercial arrangement with any such person. For the avoidance of doubt, ownership of a 5% or less limited partnership interest in any fund managed by the Stockholder shall not be considered to constitute a material commercial arrangement.

Nominee ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(i) .

Observation Election ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(i) .

Other Nomination Agreements ” means the nomination agreements between the Company and (i) Silver Point Capital, L.P. or its affiliates, (ii) Oak Hill Advisors, L.P. or its affiliates and (iii) Capital Research and Management Company or its affiliates, TCW Asset Management Company or its affiliates, TD Asset Management Inc. or its affiliates, and Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC or its affiliates, each entered into on the date hereof.

Outstanding Equity ” means, at any time, the issued and outstanding Common Stock of the Company (assuming the conversion of all outstanding shares of Preferred Stock).

Person ” means an individual, a partnership, a corporation, a limited liability company, an association, a joint stock company, a trust, a joint venture, an unincorporated organization and a governmental entity or any department, agency or political subdivision thereof.

Preferred Stock ” means the Company’s 7% Cumulative Participating Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company.

Reinstatement Notice ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(d) .

Rights Offering ” has the meaning assigned thereto in the Commitment Agreement.

Search Firm ” means Korn/Ferry International, or such other executive search firm that is mutually acceptable to the Stockholder and the Company.

Securities Act ” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to time.

 

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Securities Laws ” means the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, and the rules promulgated thereunder.

Stockholder ” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.

Termination Event ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(d) .

Termination Notice ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(d) .

Transfer ” means any sale, transfer, assignment or other disposition of (whether with or without consideration and whether voluntary or involuntary or by operation of law) of Common Stock and/or Preferred Stock.

Section 7. No Assignment; Benefit of Parties; No Transfer . No party may assign this Agreement or any of its rights or obligations hereunder and any assignment hereof will be null and void except that the Stockholder may assign this Agreement to an Affiliate. This Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns for the uses and purposes set forth and referred to herein. Except as explicitly set forth herein, nothing contained in this Agreement shall confer or is intended to confer on any third party or entity that is not a party to this Agreement any rights under this Agreement.

Section 8. Remedies . The Company and the Stockholder shall be entitled to enforce their rights under this Agreement specifically, to recover damages by reason of any breach of any provision of this Agreement and to exercise all other rights existing in their favor. The parties hereto agree and acknowledge that a breach of this Agreement would cause irreparable harm and money damages would not be an adequate remedy for any such breach and that, in addition to other rights and remedies hereunder, the Company and the Stockholder shall be entitled to specific performance and/or injunctive or other equitable relief (without posting a bond or other security) from any court of law or equity of competent jurisdiction in order to enforce or prevent any violation of the provisions of this Agreement.

Section 9. Notices . Any notice provided for in this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be either personally delivered, or mailed first class mail (postage prepaid, return receipt requested) or sent by reputable overnight courier service (charges prepaid) to the Company at the addresses set forth below and to the Stockholder at the addresses set forth below. Notices shall be deemed to have been given hereunder when delivered personally, three days after deposit in the U.S. mail and one day after deposit with a reputable overnight courier service.

 

The Company’s address is:    Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc.
   39550 Orchard Hill Place Drive
   Novi, Michigan 48375
   Attention:    General Counsel
   Facsimile:    (248) 596-6535

 

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with copies to:

   Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP
   One New York Plaza
   New York, NY 10004
   Attention:    David L. Shaw
   Facsimile:    (212) 859-4000
The Stockholder’s address is:    Barclays Capital, Inc.
   745 Seventh Avenue
   New York, NY 10019
   Attention:    Sarah Thompson and Timothy Bass
   Facsimile:    (646) 758-2257
with copies to:    Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
   450 Lexington Avenue
   New York, New York 10017
   Attention:    Christopher Mayer
      Timothy Graulich
   Fax: (212) 701-5800

Section 10. Adjustments . If, and as often as, there are any changes in the Common Stock or Preferred Stock by way of stock split, stock dividend, combination or reclassification, or through merger, consolidation, reorganization, recapitalization or sale, or by any other means, appropriate adjustment shall be made in the provisions of this Agreement, as may be required, so that the rights, privileges, duties and obligations hereunder shall continue as so changed.

Section 11. No Strict Construction . The language used in this Agreement shall be deemed to be the language chosen by the parties hereto to express their mutual intent, and no rule of strict construction shall be applied against any party.

Section 12. No Third-Party Beneficiaries . Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended or shall be construed to confer upon, or give to, any person or entity other than the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns, except as set forth in Section 2(g) and Section 3(d) , any remedy or claim under or by reason of this Agreement or any terms, covenants or conditions hereof, and all of the terms, covenants, conditions, promises and agreements contained in this Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns.

Section 13. Further Assurances . Each of the parties hereby agrees that it will hereafter execute and deliver any further document, agreement, instruments of assignment, transfer or conveyance as may be necessary or desirable to effectuate the purposes hereof.

Section 14. Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, and may be delivered by means of facsimile or electronic transmission in portable document format, each of which shall be deemed to be an original and shall be binding upon the party who executed the same, but all of such counterparts shall constitute the same agreement.

 

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Section 15. Governing Law . All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of this Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules or provisions (whether of the State of Delaware or any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Delaware.

Section 16. Mutual Waiver of Jury Trial . The parties hereto hereby irrevocably waive any and all rights to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or related to this Agreement. Any action or proceeding whatsoever between the parties hereto relating to this Agreement shall be tried in a court of competent jurisdiction by a judge sitting without a jury.

Section 17. Complete Agreement; Inconsistent Agreements . This Agreement represents the complete agreement between the parties hereto as to all matters covered hereby, and supersedes any prior agreements or understandings between the parties.

Section 18. Severability . In the event any one or more of the provisions contained in this Agreement should be held invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions contained herein shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby (it being understood that the invalidity of a particular provision in a particular jurisdiction shall not in and of itself affect the validity of such provision in any other jurisdiction). The parties shall endeavor in good-faith negotiations to replace the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions with valid provisions the economic effect of which comes as close as possible to that of the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions.

Section 19. Amendment and Waiver . Except as otherwise provided herein, no modification, amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement shall be effective against the Company or the Stockholder unless such modification is approved in writing, in the case of an amendment, by the Company and the Stockholder, and in the case of a waiver, by each party against whom the waiver is to be effective. The failure of any party to enforce any of the provisions of this Agreement shall in no way be construed as a waiver of such provisions and shall not affect the right of such party thereafter to enforce each and every provision of this Agreement in accordance with its terms.

[SIGNATURE PAGES FOLLOW]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF , the parties hereto have executed this Agreement on the day and year first above written.

 

 

Company:

COOPER-STANDARD HOLDINGS INC.

By:  

/s/ Timothy W. Hefferon

Name:  

Timothy W. Hefferon

Title:  

V.P., General Counsel & Secretary

Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc.

Signature Page to Director Nomination Agreement


 

Stockholder:

BARCLAYS CAPITAL, INC.

By:  

/s/ Jeff Psaki

Name:  

Jeff Psaki

Title:  

Managing Director

Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc.

Signature Page to Director Nomination Agreement

 

EXHIBIT 10.3

Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc.

DIRECTOR NOMINATION AGREEMENT

This Director Nomination Agreement (this “ Agreement ”) is made as of May 27, 2010 (the “ Effective Time ”), among Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”) and Silver Point Capital, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, on behalf of its affiliates and related funds (the “ Stockholder ”). Unless otherwise specified herein, all of the capitalized terms used herein are defined in Section 6 hereof.

WHEREAS , the Company has entered into a Commitment Agreement, dated as of March 19, 2010 (the “ Commitment Agreement ”), with the Stockholder and the parties identified on Schedule I thereto whereby the Stockholder has agreed to participate in the Rights Offering on the terms and conditions set forth therein; and

WHEREAS, the Company has agreed to permit the Stockholder, for so long as the Stockholder together with its Affiliates Beneficially Own at least 7.5% of the Outstanding Equity, to designate one person for nomination for election to the board of directors of the Company (the “ Board ”) on the terms and conditions set forth herein.

NOW, THEREFORE , in consideration of the mutual covenants contained herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties to this Agreement hereby agree as follows:

Section 1. Term . This agreement shall commence at the Effective Time and continue until the earlier of (i) termination of this Agreement at the election of the Stockholder by written notice to the Company and (ii) immediately prior to the annual meeting of stockholders of the Company held during the calendar year 2013 (the date of such meeting, the “ Expiration Date ”).

Section 2. Board of Directors .

(a) Nominees .

(i) Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, from and after the Effective Time and until the earlier to occur of the Expiration Date or the Termination Event, for so long as the Stockholder together with its Affiliates Beneficially Own 7.5% or greater of the Outstanding Equity, the Stockholder shall have the right to designate one person to be nominated for election to the Board (a “ Nominee ”) by giving written notice in advance of the applicable meeting of stockholders or equityholders, as set forth in Section 2(a)(ii) and Section 3 . A Nominee designated pursuant to this Section 2(a)(i) need not be an Independent Director; provided that if a Nominee would not qualify as an Independent Director, the Stockholder may only designate such person as a Nominee with the prior consent of Barclays Capital, Inc. (“ Barclays ”). Barclays may irrevocably waive its rights pursuant to the preceding sentence at any time upon written notice to the Stockholder. Additionally, the Stockholder may irrevocably waive its rights to designate a Nominee who would not qualify as an Independent Director at any time upon written notice to Barclays and the Company, in which event Barclays will be


deemed to have automatically irrevocably waived its rights pursuant to the second sentence of this Section 2(a)(i) . If Barclays consents to the designation by the Stockholder of a Specified Nominee who would not qualify as an Independent Director and withholds such consent in connection with a subsequent nomination by the Stockholder of such Specified Nominee, Barclays shall pay such Specified Nominee $100,000. Barclays agrees to act reasonably in the exercise of the foregoing consent right; provided that the burden of demonstrating any lack of reasonableness shall be borne by the Stockholder. As of the Effective Time, Orlando A. Bustos shall be the Nominee of the Stockholder designated pursuant to this Section 2(a)(i) , and a written notice in connection with such nomination shall not be required.

(ii) Notice . The Stockholder shall provide the Company with notice of designation of any Nominee pursuant to Section 2(a)(i) within 30 days after receiving a notice from the Company (such notice to be given by the Company no more than 120 days and no less than 90 days prior to the applicable annual meeting), informing the Stockholder of the date of the applicable annual meeting, and such notice shall not be subject to compliance with the advance notice requirements set forth in the By-Laws.

(b) With respect to the board of directors, board of managers or similar governing body of any subsidiary of the Company on which substantially all of the Directors (other than the Nominee) serve as a director, manager or other similar position, at the request of the Stockholder, the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the election or appointment, as the case may be, of the Nominee as a director, manager or otherwise, as applicable, of each such subsidiary.

(c) The Nominee designated hereunder by the Stockholder shall be nominated for election to serve as a Director. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to ensure that the Nominee is elected as a Director at every meeting of the stockholders of the Company called with respect to the election of members of the Board.

(d) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, if the Stockholder together with its Affiliates cease to Beneficially Own at least 7.5% of the Outstanding Equity, whether as a result of dilution, Transfer or otherwise, then the rights of the Stockholder under this Section 2 shall terminate automatically (the “ Termination Event ”). Within three Business Days after the occurrence of the Termination Event (i) that results from a Transfer of Common Stock by the Stockholder, the Stockholder shall notify the Company of such event and (ii) that results from any other event or occurrence, the Company shall notify the Stockholder of such event (in each case, a “ Termination Notice ”). The Stockholder shall cause the Nominee to execute and deliver a resignation notice prior to becoming a Director which shall be effective automatically upon delivery of a Termination Notice, but only if such Termination Notice was properly delivered. If a Termination Notice was improperly delivered by either the Stockholder or the Company, the party with knowledge that such Termination Notice was improperly delivered shall notify the other party (a “ Reinstatement Notice ”). Upon receipt by the other party of the Reinstatement Notice, such Director shall be promptly reinstated as a Director of the Company and shall be entitled to all notices of meetings of the Board and its committees, among other things, issued during such interim period. The Company will provide such reinstated Director with such information as he or she may reasonably request with regard to any business conducted by the Board during such period.

 


(e) If a vacancy occurs because of the death, disability, disqualification, resignation or removal of a Nominee, the Stockholder shall be entitled to designate such person’s successor in accordance with Section 3(c) .

(f) If a Nominee is not nominated or elected to the Board because of such Nominee’s death, disability, disqualification, withdrawal as a nominee or is for any other reason unavailable or unable to serve on the Board, the Stockholder shall be entitled to promptly designate another Nominee in accordance with the applicable provisions of Section 2 and the director position for which such Nominee was nominated shall not be filled pending such designation.

(g) The Company shall pay the reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Nominee in connection with his services provided to or on behalf of the Company and/or its subsidiaries, including attending meetings. A Nominee shall be entitled to compensation paid to other non-employee Directors.

(h) If a Director nominated by Oak Hill Advisors L.P. or any of its Affiliates is designated as a member of the initial compensation (or equivalent) committee, the Company shall take all necessary steps to cause either (i) the Nominee or (ii) a nominee designated by Barclays or any of its Affiliates to be designated as a member of such committee. Any material decisions or actions of the Board’s compensation (or equivalent) committee shall require the approval of the entire Board.

(i) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Stockholder may elect at any time in its sole discretion to designate a Board observer (the “ Board Observer ”) in addition to any Nominee that the Stockholder may be entitled to designate hereunder to attend all meetings of the Board or any committees thereof, in a non-voting capacity by the giving of written notice to the Company of such election (“ Observation Election ”), provided , however , that a Board Observer designated by the Stockholder shall not attend any meetings of any committees of the Board when a Nominee of the Stockholder attends such meetings. In connection therewith, the Company shall simultaneously give the Board Observer copies of all notices, consents, minutes and other materials, financial or otherwise, which the Company provides to the Board, provided that (i) if the Board Observer does not, upon the request of the Company, before attending any meetings of the Board, execute and deliver to the Company a confidentiality agreement reasonably acceptable to the Company, the Board Observer may be excluded from access to any material or meeting or portion thereof if the Board determines in good faith that such exclusion is reasonably necessary to protect highly confidential proprietary information of the Company or confidential proprietary information of third parties that the Company is required to hold in confidence, or for other similar reasons; (ii) such representative may be excluded from access to any material or meeting or portion thereof if the Board determines in good faith that such exclusion is reasonably necessary to preserve the attorney-client privilege; and (iii) no failure of the Company to provide any materials hereunder shall prohibit the Board from taking any action proposed to be taken at any meeting of the Board or by written consent.

 

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(j) For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of this Agreement shall not limit any rights the Stockholder may have as a stockholder of the Company pursuant to Delaware law, the Certificate of Incorporation or the By-Laws.

Section 3. Company Obligations .

(a) The Company shall assure that: (i) the Nominee is included in the Board’s slate of nominees to the stockholders for each election of Directors; and (ii) the Nominee is included in the proxy statement prepared by management of the Company in connection with soliciting proxies for every meeting of the stockholders of the Company called with respect to the election of members of the Board and at every adjournment or postponement thereof, and on every action or approval by written consent of the stockholders of the Company or the Board with respect to the election of members of the Board. For the avoidance of doubt, the Stockholder shall not be entitled to nominate Directors pursuant to this Agreement for election at the annual meeting of stockholders of the Company held during the calendar year 2013.

(b) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Company shall not be obligated to cause to be nominated for election to the Board or recommend to the stockholders the election of any Nominee: (i) who fails to submit to the Company on a timely basis such questionnaires as the Company may reasonably require of its directors generally and such other information as the Company may reasonably request in connection with the preparation of its filings under the Securities Laws; or (ii) if the Board or the nominating committee (if any) determines in good faith, after consultation with outside legal counsel, that such action would constitute a breach of its fiduciary duties or applicable law or violate the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation; provided, however , that upon the occurrence of either (i) or (ii) above, the Company shall promptly notify the Stockholder of the occurrence of such event and permit the Stockholder to provide an alternate Nominee sufficiently in advance of any Board action, the meetings of the stockholders called or written action of stockholders with respect to such election of nominees and the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to perform its obligations under Section 3(a) with respect to such alternate Nominee ( provided that if the Company provides at least 45 days advance notice of the occurrence of any such event such alternative nominee must be designated by the Stockholder not less than 30 days in advance of any Board action, notice of meeting of the stockholders or written action of stockholders with respect to such election of nominees), and in no event shall the Company be obligated to postpone, reschedule or delay any scheduled meeting of the stockholders with respect to such election of Nominees.

(c) At any time a vacancy occurs because of the death, disability, disqualification, resignation or removal of a Nominee, then the Board, or any committee thereof, shall not fill such vacancy until the earliest to occur of: (i) the Stockholder’s designation of a successor Nominee (which successor Nominee shall be designated in accordance with Section 2(a) ) and the Board’s appointment of such successor Nominee to fill the vacancy; (ii) the Stockholder’s failure to designate a successor Nominee within 20 Business Days after receiving notification of the vacancy from the Company; or (iii) the Stockholder’s specifically waiving in writing its rights under this Section 3(c) .

 

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(d) The Company shall purchase directors’ and officers’ liability insurance in an amount as determined by the Board; provided that upon the Termination Event the Company shall take all actions reasonably necessary to extend such directors’ and officers’ liability insurance coverage for a period of not less than six years from the Termination Event in respect of any act or omission occurring at or prior to such event.

(e) For so long as any Director nominated to the Board pursuant to the terms of this Agreement serves as a Director of the Company, the Company shall not amend, alter or repeal any right to indemnification or exculpation covering or benefiting any Director nominated pursuant to this Agreement, including but not limited to Article IX of the Certificate of Incorporation and Article VIII of the By-Laws (whether such right is contained in the Certificate of Incorporation, By-Laws or another document). Furthermore, after any Director nominated to the Board pursuant to the terms of this Agreement serves as a Director, no amendment, alteration or repeal of any right to indemnification or exculpation covering or benefiting any Director nominated pursuant to this Agreement will serve to reduce the indemnification or exculpation obligations of the Company with respect to any such former Director.

(f) From and after the Effective Time and until the earlier to occur of the Expiration Date or the Termination Event: (i) other than the Company’s Chief Executive Officer (the “ CEO ”) and the Directors nominated pursuant to this Agreement and the Other Nomination Agreements, as applicable, all Directors nominated or appointed, as the case may be, by the Company for election to the Board shall be Independent Directors and shall be designated by a committee of Independent Directors in consultation with the CEO and (ii) the Board shall consist of seven Directors.

Section 4. Termination . Upon the earlier to occur of the Expiration Date or the Termination Event, this Agreement shall be automatically terminated and of no further force and effect, and no party hereto shall have any surviving obligations, rights, or duties hereunder after such termination, provided that the Company shall be obligated to comply with Section 2(g) , Section 3(d) and Section 3(e) .

Section 5. Other Nomination Rights . The Company hereby represents to the Stockholder that it has not granted any nomination rights other than those provided for in this Agreement and the Other Nomination Agreements. The Company hereby agrees with the Stockholder that, until the earlier to occur of the Expiration Date or the Termination Event, it shall not grant any nomination rights other than those provided for in this Agreement and the Other Nomination Agreements.

Section 6. Definitions .

Affiliate ” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such first Person.

Agreement ” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.

Barclays ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(i) .

 

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Beneficially Own ” has the meaning ascribed to it in Rule 13d-3 and 13d-5 (or successor rules then in effect) promulgated under Exchange Act.

Board ” has the meaning set forth in recitals.

Board Observer ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(h) .

Business Day ” means any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, legal holiday or other day on which commercial banks in New York, New York are authorized or required by applicable law to close.

By-Laws ” means the Company’s By-Laws, as in effect on the date hereof, as the same may be amended from time to time.

CEO ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3(f) .

Certificate of Incorporation ” means the Company’s Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as in effect on the date hereof, as the same may be amended from time to time.

Common Stock ” means the common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company.

Company ” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.

Director ” has the meaning set forth in the By-Laws.

Effective Time ” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.

Exchange Act ” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

Expiration Date ” has the meaning set forth in Section 1 .

Independent Director ” means a Director that is an “independent director” as such term is defined from time to time in the NYSE’s listing standards (or the principal national securities exchange on which Common Stock is then traded) and is not an “affiliate” or an “associate” (as such terms are defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act) or any member of the “immediate family” (as such term is defined in Rule 16a-1 of the Exchange Act) of a director or executive officer of the Company or the Stockholder and shall not have (or have had during the past three years) any employment arrangement or other material commercial arrangement with any such person. For the avoidance of doubt, ownership of a 5% or less limited partnership interest in any fund managed by the Stockholder shall not be considered to constitute a material commercial arrangement.

Nominee ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(i) .

Observation Election ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(h) .

 

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Other Nomination Agreements ” means the nomination agreements between the Company and (i) Barclays or its affiliates, (ii) Oak Hill Advisors, L.P. or its affiliates and (iii) Capital Research and Management Company or its affiliates, TCW Asset Management Company or its affiliates, TD Asset Management Inc. or its affiliates, and Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC or its affiliates, each entered into on the date hereof.

Outstanding Equity ” means, at any time, the issued and outstanding Common Stock of the Company (assuming the conversion of all outstanding shares of Preferred Stock).

Person ” means an individual, a partnership, a corporation, a limited liability company, an association, a joint stock company, a trust, a joint venture, an unincorporated organization and a governmental entity or any department, agency or political subdivision thereof.

Preferred Stock ” means the Company’s 7% Cumulative Participating Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company.

Reinstatement Notice ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(d) .

Rights Offering ” has the meaning assigned thereto in the Commitment Agreement.

Securities Act ” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to time.

Securities Laws ” means the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, and the rules promulgated thereunder.

Specified Nominee ” means a Nominee who is not either an employee or an accounting, tax, or legal consultant of the Stockholder or any of its Affiliates or OHorizons LLC.

Stockholder ” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.

Termination Event ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(d) .

Termination Notice ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(d) .

Transfer ” means any sale, transfer, assignment or other disposition of (whether with or without consideration and whether voluntary or involuntary or by operation of law) of Common Stock and/or Preferred Stock.

Section 7. No Assignment; Benefit of Parties; No Transfer . No party may assign this Agreement or any of its rights or obligations hereunder and any assignment hereof will be null and void except that the Stockholder may assign this Agreement to an Affiliate. This Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns for the uses and purposes set forth and referred to herein. Except as explicitly set forth herein, nothing contained in this Agreement shall confer or is intended to confer on any third party or entity that is not a party to this Agreement any rights under this Agreement.

 

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Section 8. Remedies . The Company and the Stockholder shall be entitled to enforce their rights under this Agreement specifically, to recover damages by reason of any breach of any provision of this Agreement and to exercise all other rights existing in their favor. The parties hereto agree and acknowledge that a breach of this Agreement would cause irreparable harm and money damages would not be an adequate remedy for any such breach and that, in addition to other rights and remedies hereunder, the Company and the Stockholder shall be entitled to specific performance and/or injunctive or other equitable relief (without posting a bond or other security) from any court of law or equity of competent jurisdiction in order to enforce or prevent any violation of the provisions of this Agreement.

Section 9. Notices . Any notice provided for in this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be either personally delivered, or mailed first class mail (postage prepaid, return receipt requested) or sent by reputable overnight courier service (charges prepaid) to the Company at the addresses set forth below and to the Stockholder at the addresses set forth below. Notices shall be deemed to have been given hereunder when delivered personally, three days after deposit in the U.S. mail and one day after deposit with a reputable overnight courier service.

 

The Company’s address is:    Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc.
   39550 Orchard Hill Place Drive
   Novi, Michigan 48375
  

Attention:

   General Counsel
   Facsimile:    (248) 596-6535
with copies to:   

Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP

One New York Plaza

New York, NY 10004

  

Attention:

   David L. Shaw
  

Facsimile:

  

(212) 859-4000

The Stockholder’s address is:   

Silver Point Capital, L.P.

  

Two Greenwich Plaza, 1st Floor

  

Greenwich, CT 06830

  

Attention:

  

Jeffrey M. Forlizzi

  

Facsimile:

  

(203) 542-4100

with copies to:

  

Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP

  

450 Lexington Avenue

  

New York, New York 10017

  

Attention:

  

Christopher Mayer

     

Timothy Graulich

  

Fax: (212) 701-5800

Section 10. Adjustments . If, and as often as, there are any changes in the Common Stock or Preferred Stock by way of stock split, stock dividend, combination or reclassification, or through merger, consolidation, reorganization, recapitalization or sale, or by any other means, appropriate adjustment shall be made in the provisions of this Agreement, as may be required, so that the rights, privileges, duties and obligations hereunder shall continue as so changed.

 

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Section 11. No Strict Construction . The language used in this Agreement shall be deemed to be the language chosen by the parties hereto to express their mutual intent, and no rule of strict construction shall be applied against any party.

Section 12. No Third-Party Beneficiaries . Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended or shall be construed to confer upon, or give to, any person or entity other than the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns, except as set forth in Section 2(g) and Section 3(d) , any remedy or claim under or by reason of this Agreement or any terms, covenants or conditions hereof, and all of the terms, covenants, conditions, promises and agreements contained in this Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns.

Section 13. Further Assurances . Each of the parties hereby agrees that it will hereafter execute and deliver any further document, agreement, instruments of assignment, transfer or conveyance as may be necessary or desirable to effectuate the purposes hereof.

Section 14. Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, and may be delivered by means of facsimile or electronic transmission in portable document format, each of which shall be deemed to be an original and shall be binding upon the party who executed the same, but all of such counterparts shall constitute the same agreement.

Section 15. Governing Law . All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of this Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules or provisions (whether of the State of Delaware or any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Delaware.

Section 16. Mutual Waiver of Jury Trial . The parties hereto hereby irrevocably waive any and all rights to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or related to this Agreement. Any action or proceeding whatsoever between the parties hereto relating to this Agreement shall be tried in a court of competent jurisdiction by a judge sitting without a jury.

Section 17. Complete Agreement; Inconsistent Agreements . This Agreement represents the complete agreement between the parties hereto as to all matters covered hereby, and supersedes any prior agreements or understandings between the parties.

Section 18. Severability . In the event any one or more of the provisions contained in this Agreement should be held invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions contained herein shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby (it being understood that the invalidity of a particular provision in a particular jurisdiction shall not in and of itself affect the validity of such provision in any other jurisdiction). The parties shall endeavor in good-faith negotiations to replace the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions with valid provisions the economic effect of which comes as close as possible to that of the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions.

 

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Section 19. Amendment and Waiver . Except as otherwise provided herein, no modification, amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement shall be effective against the Company or the Stockholder unless such modification is approved in writing, in the case of an amendment, by the Company and the Stockholder, and in the case of a waiver, by each party against whom the waiver is to be effective. The failure of any party to enforce any of the provisions of this Agreement shall in no way be construed as a waiver of such provisions and shall not affect the right of such party thereafter to enforce each and every provision of this Agreement in accordance with its terms.

[SIGNATURE PAGES FOLLOW]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF , the parties hereto have executed this Agreement on the day and year first above written.

 

Company:

COOPER-STANDARD HOLDINGS INC.

By:  

/s/ Timothy W. Hefferon

Name:  

Timothy W. Hefferon

Title:  

V.P., General Counsel & Secretary

Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc.

Signature Page to Director Nomination Agreement

 


 

Stockholder:

SILVER POINT CAPITAL, L.P., on

behalf of its affiliates and related funds

By:  

/s/ Michael A. Gatto

Name:  

Michael A. Gatto

Title:  

Authorized Signatory

Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc.

Signature Page to Director Nomination Agreement

 


BARCLAYS CAPITAL, INC., solely for

the purposes of Section 2(a)(i)

By:  

/s/ Jeff Psaki

Name:  

Jeff Psaki

Title:  

Managing Director

Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc.

Signature Page to Director Nomination Agreement

EXHIBIT 10.4

Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc.

DIRECTOR NOMINATION AGREEMENT

This Director Nomination Agreement (this “ Agreement ”) is made as of May 27, 2010 (the “ Effective Time ”), among Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”) and Oak Hill Advisors L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, on behalf of certain funds and separate accounts that its manages (the “ Stockholder ”). Unless otherwise specified herein, all of the capitalized terms used herein are defined in Section 6 hereof.

WHEREAS , the Company has entered into a Commitment Agreement, dated as of March 19, 2010 (the “ Commitment Agreement ”), with the Stockholder and the parties identified on Schedule I thereto whereby the Stockholder has agreed to participate in the Rights Offering on the terms and conditions set forth therein; and

WHEREAS, the Company has agreed to permit the Stockholder, for so long as the Stockholder together with its Affiliates Beneficially Own at least 7.5% of the Outstanding Equity, to designate one person for nomination for election to the board of directors of the Company (the “ Board ”) on the terms and conditions set forth herein.

NOW, THEREFORE , in consideration of the mutual covenants contained herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties to this Agreement hereby agree as follows:

Section 1. Term . This agreement shall commence at the Effective Time and continue until the earlier of (i) termination of this Agreement at the election of the Stockholder by written notice to the Company and (ii) immediately prior to the annual meeting of stockholders of the Company held during the calendar year 2013 (the date of such meeting, the “ Expiration Date ”).

Section 2. Board of Directors .

(a) Nominees .

(i) Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, from and after the Effective Time and until the earlier to occur of the Expiration Date or the Termination Event, for so long as the Stockholder together with its Affiliates Beneficially Own 7.5% or greater of the Outstanding Equity, the Stockholder shall have the right to designate one person to be nominated for election to the Board (a “ Nominee ”) by giving written notice in advance of the applicable meeting of stockholders or equityholders, as set forth in Section 2(a)(ii) and Section 3 . As of the Effective Time, Glenn August shall be the Nominee of the Stockholder designated pursuant to this Section 2(a)(i) , and a written notice in connection with such nomination shall not be required.

(ii) Notice . The Stockholder shall provide the Company with notice of designation of any Nominee pursuant to Section 2(a)(i) within 30 days after receiving a notice from the Company (such notice to be given by the Company no more than 120 days and no less than 90 days prior to the applicable annual meeting), informing the Stockholder of the date of the applicable annual meeting, and such notice shall not be subject to compliance with the advance notice requirements set forth in the By-Laws.

 


(b) With respect to the board of directors, board of managers or similar governing body of any subsidiary of the Company on which substantially all of the Directors (other than the Nominee) serve as a director, manager or other similar position, at the request of the Stockholder the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the election or appointment, as the case may be, of the Nominee as a director, manager or otherwise, as applicable, of each such subsidiary.

(c) The Nominee designated hereunder by the Stockholder shall be nominated for election to serve as a Director. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to ensure that the Nominee is elected as a Director at every meeting of the stockholders of the Company called with respect to the election of members of the Board.

(d) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, if the Stockholder together with its Affiliates cease to Beneficially Own at least 7.5% of the Outstanding Equity, whether as a result of dilution, Transfer or otherwise, then the rights of the Stockholder under this Section 2 shall terminate automatically (the “ Termination Event ”). Within three Business Days after the occurrence of the Termination Event (i) that results from a Transfer of Common Stock by the Stockholder, the Stockholder shall notify the Company of such event and (ii) that results from any other event or occurrence, the Company shall notify the Stockholder of such event (in each case, a “ Termination Notice ”). The Stockholder shall cause the Nominee to execute and deliver a resignation notice prior to becoming a Director which shall be effective automatically upon delivery of a Termination Notice, but only if such Termination Notice was properly delivered. If a Termination Notice was improperly delivered by either the Stockholder or the Company, the party with knowledge that such Termination Notice was improperly delivered shall notify the other party (a “ Reinstatement Notice ”). Upon receipt by the other party of the Reinstatement Notice, such Director shall be promptly reinstated as a Director of the Company and shall be entitled to all notices of meetings of the Board and its committees, among other things, issued during such interim period. The Company will provide such reinstated Director with such information as he or she may reasonably request with regard to any business conducted by the Board during such period.

(e) If a vacancy occurs because of the death, disability, disqualification, resignation or removal of a Nominee, the Stockholder shall be entitled to designate such person’s successor in accordance with Section 3(c) .

(f) If a Nominee is not nominated or elected to the Board because of such Nominee’s death, disability, disqualification, withdrawal as a nominee or is for any other reason unavailable or unable to serve on the Board, the Stockholder shall be entitled to promptly designate another Nominee in accordance with the applicable provisions of Section 2 and the director position for which such Nominee was nominated shall not be filled pending such designation.

(g) The Company shall pay the reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Nominee in connection with his services provided to or on behalf of the Company and/or its


subsidiaries, including attending meetings. A Nominee shall be entitled to compensation paid to other non-employee Directors, provided , that if the Nominee is an employee of the Stockholder or its Affiliate, at the option of the Stockholder and subject to the approval of the Board, such compensation (or its economic equivalent) shall instead be paid to the Stockholder or its Affiliates referred to in Section 2(d) pursuant to this Agreement.

(h) If a Director nominated by Silver Point Capital, L.P. or Barclays Capital, Inc. or any of their Affiliates is designated as a member of the initial compensation (or equivalent) committee, the Company shall take all necessary steps to cause the Nominee to be designated as a member of such committee. Any material decisions or actions of the Board’s compensation (or equivalent) committee shall require the approval of the entire Board.

(i) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Stockholder may elect at any time in its sole discretion to designate a Board observer (the “ Board Observer ”) in addition to any Nominee that the Stockholder may be entitled to designate hereunder to attend all meetings of the Board or any committees thereof, in a non-voting capacity by the giving of written notice to the Company of such election (“ Observation Election ”), provided , however , that a Board Observer designated by the Stockholder shall not attend any meetings of any committees of the Board when a Nominee of the Stockholder attends such meetings. In connection therewith, the Company shall simultaneously give the Board Observer copies of all notices, consents, minutes and other materials, financial or otherwise, which the Company provides to the Board, provided that (i) if the Board Observer does not, upon the request of the Company, before attending any meetings of the Board, execute and deliver to the Company a confidentiality agreement reasonably acceptable to the Company, the Board Observer may be excluded from access to any material or meeting or portion thereof if the Board determines in good faith that such exclusion is reasonably necessary to protect highly confidential proprietary information of the Company or confidential proprietary information of third parties that the Company is required to hold in confidence, or for other similar reasons; (ii) such representative may be excluded from access to any material or meeting or portion thereof if the Board determines in good faith that such exclusion is reasonably necessary to preserve the attorney-client privilege; and (iii) no failure of the Company to provide any materials hereunder shall prohibit the Board from taking any action proposed to be taken at any meeting of the Board or by written consent.

(j) For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of this Agreement shall not limit any rights the Stockholder may have as a stockholder of the Company pursuant to Delaware law, the Certificate of Incorporation or the By-Laws.

Section 3. Company Obligations .

(a) The Company shall assure that: (i) the Nominee is included in the Board’s slate of nominees to the stockholders for each election of Directors; and (ii) the Nominee is included in the proxy statement prepared by management of the Company in connection with soliciting proxies for every meeting of the stockholders of the Company called with respect to the election of members of the Board and at every adjournment or postponement thereof, and on every action or approval by written consent of the stockholders of the Company or the Board with respect to the election of members of the Board. For the avoidance of doubt, the Stockholder shall not be entitled to nominate Directors pursuant to this Agreement for election at the annual meeting of stockholders of the Company held during the calendar year 2013.

 

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(b) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Company shall not be obligated to cause to be nominated for election to the Board or recommend to the stockholders the election of any Nominee: (i) who fails to submit to the Company on a timely basis such questionnaires as the Company may reasonably require of its directors generally and such other information as the Company may reasonably request in connection with the preparation of its filings under the Securities Laws; or (ii) if the Board or the nominating committee (if any) determines in good faith, after consultation with outside legal counsel, that such action would constitute a breach of its fiduciary duties or applicable law or violate the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation; provided, however , that upon the occurrence of either (i) or (ii) above, the Company shall promptly notify the Stockholder of the occurrence of such event and permit the Stockholder to provide an alternate Nominee sufficiently in advance of any Board action, the meetings of the stockholders called or written action of stockholders with respect to such election of nominees and the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to perform its obligations under Section 3(a) with respect to such alternate Nominee ( provided that if the Company provides at least 45 days advance notice of the occurrence of any such event such alternative nominee must be designated by the Stockholder not less than 30 days in advance of any Board action, notice of meeting of the stockholders or written action of stockholders with respect to such election of nominees), and in no event shall the Company be obligated to postpone, reschedule or delay any scheduled meeting of the stockholders with respect to such election of Nominees.

(c) At any time a vacancy occurs because of the death, disability, disqualification, resignation or removal of a Nominee, then the Board, or any committee thereof, shall not fill such vacancy until the earliest to occur of: (i) the Stockholder’s designation of a successor Nominee (which successor Nominee shall be designated in accordance with Section 2(a) ) and the Board’s appointment of such successor Nominee to fill the vacancy; (ii) the Stockholder’s failure to designate a successor Nominee within 20 Business Days after receiving notification of the vacancy from the Company; or (iii) the Stockholder’s specifically waiving in writing its rights under this Section 3(c) .

(d) The Company shall purchase directors’ and officers’ liability insurance in an amount as determined by the Board; provided that upon the Termination Event the Company shall take all actions reasonably necessary to extend such directors’ and officers’ liability insurance coverage for a period of not less than six years from the Termination Event in respect of any act or omission occurring at or prior to such event.

(e) For so long as any Director nominated to the Board pursuant to the terms of this Agreement serves as a Director of the Company, the Company shall not amend, alter or repeal any right to indemnification or exculpation covering or benefiting any Director nominated pursuant to this Agreement, including but not limited to Article IX of the Certificate of Incorporation and Article VIII of the By-Laws (whether such right is contained in the Certificate of Incorporation, By-Laws or another document). Furthermore, after any Director nominated to the Board pursuant to the terms of this Agreement serves as a Director, no amendment, alteration or repeal of any right to indemnification or exculpation covering or benefiting any Director nominated pursuant to this Agreement will serve to reduce the indemnification or exculpation obligations of the Company with respect to any such former Director.

 

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(f) From and after the Effective Time and until the earlier to occur of the Expiration Date or the Termination Event: (i) other than the Company’s Chief Executive Officer (the “ CEO ”) and the Directors nominated pursuant to this Agreement and the Other Nomination Agreements, as applicable, all Directors nominated or appointed, as the case may be, by the Company for election to the Board shall be Independent Directors and shall be designated by a committee of Independent Directors in consultation with the CEO and (ii) the Board shall consist of seven Directors.

Section 4. Termination . Upon the earlier to occur of the Expiration Date or the Termination Event, this Agreement shall be automatically terminated and of no further force and effect, and no party hereto shall have any surviving obligations, rights, or duties hereunder after such termination, provided that the Company shall be obligated to comply with Section 2(g) , Section 3(d) and Section 3(e) .

Section 5. Other Nomination Rights . The Company hereby represents to the Stockholder that it has not granted any nomination rights other than those provided for in this Agreement and the Other Nomination Agreements. The Company hereby agrees with the Stockholder that, until the earlier to occur of the Expiration Date or the Termination Event, it shall not grant any nomination rights other than those provided for in this Agreement and the Other Nomination Agreements.

Section 6. Definitions .

Affiliate ” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such first Person.

Agreement ” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.

Beneficially Own ” has the meaning ascribed to it in Rule 13d-3 and 13d-5 (or successor rules then in effect) promulgated under Exchange Act.

Board ” has the meaning set forth in recitals.

Board Observer ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(i) .

Business Day ” means any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, legal holiday or other day on which commercial banks in New York, New York are authorized or required by applicable law to close.

By-Laws ” means the Company’s By-Laws, as in effect on the date hereof, as the same may be amended from time to time.

CEO ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3(f) .

 

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Certificate of Incorporation ” means the Company’s Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as in effect on the date hereof, as the same may be amended from time to time.

Common Stock ” means the common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company.

Company ” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.

Director ” has the meaning set forth in the By-Laws.

Effective Time ” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.

Exchange Act ” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

Expiration Date ” has the meaning set forth in Section 1 .

Independent Director ” means a Director that is an “independent director” as such term is defined from time to time in the NYSE’s listing standards (or the principal national securities exchange on which Common Stock is then traded) and is not an “affiliate” or an “associate” (as such terms are defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act) or any member of the “immediate family” (as such term is defined in Rule 16a-1 of the Exchange Act) of a director or executive officer of the Company or the Stockholder and shall not have (or have had during the past three years) any employment arrangement or other material commercial arrangement with any such person. For the avoidance of doubt, ownership of a 5% or less limited partnership interest in any fund managed by the Stockholder shall not be considered to constitute a material commercial arrangement.

Nominee ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(i) .

Observation Election ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(i) .

Other Nomination Agreements ” means the nomination agreements between the Company and (i) Silver Point or its affiliates, (ii) Barclays Capital, Inc. or its affiliates and (iii) Capital Research and Management Company or its affiliates, TCW Asset Management Company or its affiliates, TD Asset Management Inc. or its affiliates, and Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC or its affiliates, each entered into on the date hereof.

Outstanding Equity ” means, at any time, the issued and outstanding Common Stock of the Company (assuming the conversion of all outstanding shares of Preferred Stock).

Person ” means an individual, a partnership, a corporation, a limited liability company, an association, a joint stock company, a trust, a joint venture, an unincorporated organization and a governmental entity or any department, agency or political subdivision thereof.

Preferred Stock ” means the Company’s 7% Cumulative Participating Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company.

 

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Reinstatement Notice ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(d) .

Rights Offering ” has the meaning assigned thereto in the Commitment Agreement.

Securities Act ” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to time.

Securities Laws ” means the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, and the rules promulgated thereunder.

Stockholder ” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.

Termination Event ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(d) .

Termination Notice ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(d) .

Transfer ” means any sale, transfer, assignment or other disposition of (whether with or without consideration and whether voluntary or involuntary or by operation of law) of Common Stock and/or Preferred Stock.

Section 7. No Assignment; Benefit of Parties; No Transfer . No party may assign this Agreement or any of its rights or obligations hereunder and any assignment hereof will be null and void except that the Stockholder may assign this Agreement to an Affiliate. This Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns for the uses and purposes set forth and referred to herein. Except as explicitly set forth herein, nothing contained in this Agreement shall confer or is intended to confer on any third party or entity that is not a party to this Agreement any rights under this Agreement.

Section 8. Remedies . The Company and the Stockholder shall be entitled to enforce their rights under this Agreement specifically, to recover damages by reason of any breach of any provision of this Agreement and to exercise all other rights existing in their favor. The parties hereto agree and acknowledge that a breach of this Agreement would cause irreparable harm and money damages would not be an adequate remedy for any such breach and that, in addition to other rights and remedies hereunder, the Company and the Stockholder shall be entitled to specific performance and/or injunctive or other equitable relief (without posting a bond or other security) from any court of law or equity of competent jurisdiction in order to enforce or prevent any violation of the provisions of this Agreement.

Section 9. Notices . Any notice provided for in this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be either personally delivered, or mailed first class mail (postage prepaid, return receipt requested) or sent by reputable overnight courier service (charges prepaid) to the Company at the addresses set forth below and to the Stockholder at the addresses set forth below. Notices shall be deemed to have been given hereunder when delivered personally, three days after deposit in the U.S. mail and one day after deposit with a reputable overnight courier service.

 

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The Company’s address is:   

Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc.

39550 Orchard Hill Place Drive

Novi, Michigan 48375

   Attention:    General Counsel
   Facsimile:    (248) 596-6535

with copies to:

  

Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP

One New York Plaza

New York, NY 10004

   Attention:    David L. Shaw
   Facsimile:    (212) 859-4000
The Stockholder’s address is:   

Oak Hill Advisors, L.P.

1114 Avenue of the Americas, 27 th Floor

New York, New York

   Attention:    Glenn August
   Facsimile:    (212) 838-8411

with copies to:

  

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

One Bryant Park

New York, New York 10036

   Attention:    Adam Weinstein
   Fax:    (212) 872-1002

Section 10. Adjustments . If, and as often as, there are any changes in the Common Stock or Preferred Stock by way of stock split, stock dividend, combination or reclassification, or through merger, consolidation, reorganization, recapitalization or sale, or by any other means, appropriate adjustment shall be made in the provisions of this Agreement, as may be required, so that the rights, privileges, duties and obligations hereunder shall continue as so changed.

Section 11. No Strict Construction . The language used in this Agreement shall be deemed to be the language chosen by the parties hereto to express their mutual intent, and no rule of strict construction shall be applied against any party.

Section 12. No Third-Party Beneficiaries . Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended or shall be construed to confer upon, or give to, any person or entity other than the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns, except as set forth in Section 2(g) and Section 3(d) , any remedy or claim under or by reason of this Agreement or any terms, covenants or conditions hereof, and all of the terms, covenants, conditions, promises and agreements contained in this Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns.

Section 13. Further Assurances . Each of the parties hereby agrees that it will hereafter execute and deliver any further document, agreement, instruments of assignment, transfer or conveyance as may be necessary or desirable to effectuate the purposes hereof.

 

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Section 14. Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, and may be delivered by means of facsimile or electronic transmission in portable document format, each of which shall be deemed to be an original and shall be binding upon the party who executed the same, but all of such counterparts shall constitute the same agreement.

Section 15. Governing Law . All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of this Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules or provisions (whether of the State of Delaware or any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Delaware.

Section 16. Mutual Waiver of Jury Trial . The parties hereto hereby irrevocably waive any and all rights to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or related to this Agreement. Any action or proceeding whatsoever between the parties hereto relating to this Agreement shall be tried in a court of competent jurisdiction by a judge sitting without a jury.

Section 17. Complete Agreement; Inconsistent Agreements . This Agreement represents the complete agreement between the parties hereto as to all matters covered hereby, and supersedes any prior agreements or understandings between the parties.

Section 18. Severability . In the event any one or more of the provisions contained in this Agreement should be held invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions contained herein shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby (it being understood that the invalidity of a particular provision in a particular jurisdiction shall not in and of itself affect the validity of such provision in any other jurisdiction). The parties shall endeavor in good-faith negotiations to replace the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions with valid provisions the economic effect of which comes as close as possible to that of the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions.

Section 19. Amendment and Waiver . Except as otherwise provided herein, no modification, amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement shall be effective against the Company or the Stockholder unless such modification is approved in writing, in the case of an amendment, by the Company and the Stockholder, and in the case of a waiver, by each party against whom the waiver is to be effective. The failure of any party to enforce any of the provisions of this Agreement shall in no way be construed as a waiver of such provisions and shall not affect the right of such party thereafter to enforce each and every provision of this Agreement in accordance with its terms.

[SIGNATURE PAGES FOLLOW]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF , the parties hereto have executed this Agreement on the day and year first above written.

 

Company:
COOPER-STANDARD HOLDINGS INC.
By:  

/s/ Timothy W. Hefferon

Name:  

Timothy W. Hefferon

Title:  

V.P., General Counsel & Secretary

Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc.

Signature Page to Director Nomination Agreement


Stockholder:

OAK HILL ADVISORS, L.P.,

on behalf of certain funds and separate accounts that it manages

By:  

/s/ Scott D. Krase

Name:  

Scott D. Krase

Title:  

Authorized Signatory

Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc.

Signature Page to Director Nomination Agreement

EXHIBIT 10.5

Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc.

DIRECTOR NOMINATION AGREEMENT

This Director Nomination Agreement (this “ Agreement ”) is made as of May 27, 2010 (the “ Effective Time ”), among Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”) and Capital Research and Management Company, as investment advisor to certain funds it manages, TCW Shared Opportunity Fund IV, L.P., TCW Shared Opportunity Fund IVB, L.P., TCW Shared Opportunity Fund V, L.P., TD High Yield Income Fund, and Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC, as investment manager on behalf of multiple clients (the “ Stockholders ”). Unless otherwise specified herein, all of the capitalized terms used herein are defined in Section 6 hereof.

WHEREAS , the Company has entered into a Commitment Agreement, dated as of March 19, 2010 (the “ Commitment Agreement ”), with the Stockholders and the parties identified on Schedule I thereto whereby the Stockholders have agreed to participate in the Rights Offering on the terms and conditions set forth therein; and

WHEREAS, the Company has agreed to permit the Stockholders, for so long as the Stockholders, together with their respective Affiliates Beneficially Own in the aggregate at least 7.5% of the Outstanding Equity, to have the right to designate one person for nomination for election to the board of directors of the Company (the “ Board ”) as further set forth in Section 2(a) and on the other terms and conditions set forth herein.

NOW, THEREFORE , in consideration of the mutual covenants contained herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties to this Agreement hereby agree as follows:

Section 1. Term . This agreement shall commence at the Effective Time and continue until the earlier of (i) termination of this Agreement at the election of the Stockholders by written notice to the Company and (ii) immediately prior to the annual meeting of stockholders of the Company held during the calendar year 2013 (the date of such meeting, the “ Expiration Date ”). Any Stockholder may terminate its rights and obligations under this Agreement as to itself at any time upon notice to the other Stockholders and the Company.

Section 2. Board of Directors .

(a) Nominees .

(i) Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, including Section 2(a)(ii), from and after the Effective Time and until the earlier to occur of the Expiration Date or the Termination Event, for so long as the Stockholders together with their respective Affiliates Beneficially Own in the aggregate 7.5% or greater of the Outstanding Equity, the Stockholders shall have the right to designate by a majority vote of the Common Stock held by such Stockholders one person to be nominated for election to the Board (a “ Nominee ”). The Nominee (i) if selected by the Stockholders pursuant to Section (2)(a)(ii), shall be selected by the Stockholders in reasonable consultation with


(but without the need for the approval of) the Company’s Chief Executive Officer (the “ CEO ”) and the Search Firm and (ii) shall be an Independent Director. As of the Effective Time, Larry Jutte shall be the Nominee of the Stockholders designated pursuant to this Section 2(a)(i) , and a written notice in connection with such nomination shall not be required.

(ii) In connection with each annual meeting of stockholders or equityholders occurring prior to the Expiration Date, the Stockholders agree that a committee of Independent Directors shall determine whether the Nominee will be nominated for election to the Board; provided that if such committee determines that the Nominee will not be nominated for election to the Board at any such annual meeting of stockholders or equityholders, the Stockholders shall have the right to designate a Nominee in accordance with the terms of Section 2(a)(i) for election to the Board at such annual meeting, and such Nominee may include the previous Nominee.

(iii) Notice . The Company shall provide the Stockholders with notice that the Nominee will not be nominated for election to the Board by the committee of Independent Directors pursuant to Section 2(a)(ii) no less than 90 days prior to such annual meeting. The Stockholders shall provide the Company with notice of designation of any Nominee pursuant to Section 2(a)(ii) within 30 days after receiving a notice from the Company (such notice to be given by the Company no more than 120 days and no less than 90 days prior to the applicable annual meeting), informing the Stockholders of the date of the applicable annual meeting, and such notice shall not be subject to compliance with the advance notice requirements set forth in the By-Laws.

(b) With respect to the board of directors, board of managers or similar governing body of any subsidiary of the Company on which substantially all of the Directors (other than the Nominee) serve as a director, manager or other similar position, at the request of the Stockholders, the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the election or appointment, as the case may be, of the Nominee as a director, manager or otherwise, as applicable, of each such subsidiary.

(c) The Nominee designated hereunder by the Stockholders shall be nominated for election as a Director. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to ensure that the Nominee designated pursuant to Section 2(a)(i) or Section 2(a)(ii), as applicable, is elected as a Director at every meeting of the stockholders of the Company called with respect to the election of members of the Board.

(d) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, if the Stockholders together with their respective Affiliates cease to Beneficially Own in the aggregate at least 7.5% of the Outstanding Equity, whether as a result of dilution, Transfer or otherwise, then the rights of the Stockholders under this Section 2 shall terminate automatically (the “ Termination Event ”). Within three Business Days after the occurrence of the Termination Event (i) that results from a Transfer of Common Stock by a Stockholder, such Stockholder shall notify the Company and the other Stockholders of such event and (ii) that results from any other event or occurrence, the Company shall notify the Stockholders of such event (in each case, a “ Termination Notice ”).


(e) If a vacancy occurs because of the death, disability, disqualification, resignation or removal of a Nominee, the Stockholders shall be entitled to designate such person’s successor in accordance with Section 3(c) .

(f) If a Nominee is not nominated or elected to the Board because of such Nominee’s death, disability, disqualification, withdrawal as a nominee or is for any other reason unavailable or unable to serve on the Board, the Stockholders shall be entitled to promptly designate another Nominee in accordance with the applicable provisions of Section 2 and the director position for which such Nominee was nominated shall not be filled pending such designation.

(g) The Company shall pay the reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Nominee in connection with his services provided to or on behalf of the Company and/or its subsidiaries, including attending meetings. A Nominee shall be entitled to compensation paid to other non-employee Directors.

(h) For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of this Agreement shall not limit any rights the Stockholders may have as a stockholder of the Company pursuant to Delaware law, the Certificate of Incorporation or the By-Laws.

Section 3. Company Obligations .

(a) The Company shall assure that: (i) the Nominee designated pursuant to Section 2(a)(i) or Section 2(a)(ii), as applicable, is included in the Board’s slate of nominees to the stockholders for each election of Directors; and (ii) such Nominee is included in the proxy statement prepared by management of the Company in connection with soliciting proxies for every meeting of the stockholders of the Company called with respect to the election of members of the Board and at every adjournment or postponement thereof, and on every action or approval by written consent of the stockholders of the Company or the Board with respect to the election of members of the Board. For the avoidance of doubt, the Stockholders shall not be entitled to nominate Directors pursuant to this Agreement for election at the annual meeting of stockholders of the Company held during the calendar year 2013.

(b) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Company shall not be obligated to cause to be nominated for election to the Board or recommend to the stockholders the election of any Nominee: (i) who fails to submit to the Company on a timely basis such questionnaires as the Company may reasonably require of its directors generally and such other information as the Company may reasonably request in connection with the preparation of its filings under the Securities Laws; or (ii) if the Board or the nominating committee (if any) determines in good faith, after consultation with outside legal counsel, that (a) a Nominee would not qualify as an Independent Director or (b) such action would constitute a breach of its fiduciary duties or applicable law or violate the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation; provided, however , that upon the occurrence of either (i) or (ii) above, the Company shall promptly notify the Stockholders of the occurrence of such event and permit the Stockholders to provide an alternate Nominee sufficiently in advance of any Board action, the meetings of the stockholders called or written action of stockholders with respect to such election of nominees and the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to perform its obligations under

 

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Section 3(a) with respect to such alternate Nominee ( provided that if the Company provides at least 45 days advance notice of the occurrence of any such event such alternative nominee must be designated by the Stockholders not less than 30 days in advance of any Board action, notice of meeting of the stockholders or written action of stockholders with respect to such election of nominees), and in no event shall the Company be obligated to postpone, reschedule or delay any scheduled meeting of the stockholders with respect to such election of Nominees.

(c) At any time a vacancy occurs because of the death, disability, disqualification, resignation or removal of a Nominee, then the Board, or any committee thereof, shall not fill such vacancy until the earliest to occur of: (i) the Stockholders’ designation of a successor Nominee (which successor Nominee shall be designated in accordance with Section 2(a) ) and the Board’s appointment of such successor Nominee to fill the vacancy; (ii) the Stockholders’ failure to designate a successor Nominee within 20 Business Days after receiving notification of the vacancy from the Company; or (iii) the Stockholders’ specifically waiving in writing its rights under this Section 3(c) .

(d) The Company shall purchase directors’ and officers’ liability insurance in an amount as determined by the Board; provided that upon the Termination Event the Company shall take all actions reasonably necessary to extend such directors’ and officers’ liability insurance coverage for a period of not less than six years from the Termination Event in respect of any act or omission occurring at or prior to such event.

(e) For so long as any Director nominated to the Board pursuant to the terms of this Agreement serves as a Director of the Company, the Company shall not amend, alter or repeal any right to indemnification or exculpation covering or benefiting any Director nominated pursuant to this Agreement, including but not limited to Article IX of the Certificate of Incorporation and Article VIII of the By-Laws (whether such right is contained in the Certificate of Incorporation, By-Laws or another document). Furthermore, after any Director nominated to the Board pursuant to the terms of this Agreement serves as a Director, no amendment, alteration or repeal of any right to indemnification or exculpation covering or benefiting any Director nominated pursuant to this Agreement will serve to reduce the indemnification or exculpation obligations of the Company with respect to any such former Director.

(f) From and after the Effective Time and until the earlier to occur of the Expiration Date or the Termination Event: (i) other than the CEO and the Directors nominated pursuant to this Agreement and the Other Nomination Agreements, as applicable, all Directors nominated or appointed, as the case may be, by the Company for election to the Board shall be Independent Directors and shall be designated by a committee of Independent Directors in consultation with the CEO and (ii) the Board shall consist of seven Directors.

 

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Section 4. Termination . Upon the earlier to occur of the Expiration Date or the Termination Event, this Agreement shall be automatically terminated and of no further force and effect, and no party hereto shall have any surviving obligations, rights, or duties hereunder after such termination, provided that the Company shall be obligated to comply with Section 2(g) , Section 3(d) and Section 3(e) .

Section 5. Other Nomination Rights . The Company hereby represents to the Stockholders that it has not granted any nomination rights other than those provided for in this Agreement and the Other Nomination Agreements. The Company hereby agrees with the Stockholders that, until the earlier to occur of the Expiration Date or the Termination Event, it shall not grant any nomination rights other than those provided for in this Agreement and the Other Nomination Agreements.

Section 6. Definitions .

Affiliate ” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such first Person.

Agreement ” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.

Beneficially Own ” has the meaning ascribed to it in Rule 13d-3 and 13d-5 (or successor rules then in effect) promulgated under Exchange Act.

Board ” has the meaning set forth in recitals.

Board Observer ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(h) .

Business Day ” means any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, legal holiday or other day on which commercial banks in New York, New York are authorized or required by applicable law to close.

By-Laws ” means the Company’s By-Laws, as in effect on the date hereof, as the same may be amended from time to time.

CEO ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(i) .

Certificate of Incorporation ” means the Company’s Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as in effect on the date hereof, as the same may be amended from time to time.

Common Stock ” means the common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company.

Company ” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.

Director ” has the meaning set forth in the By-Laws.

 

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Effective Time ” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.

Exchange Act ” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

Expiration Date ” has the meaning set forth in Section 1 .

Independent Director ” means a Director that is an “independent director” as such term is defined from time to time in the NYSE’s listing standards (or the principal national securities exchange on which Common Stock is then traded) and is not an “affiliate” or an “associate” (as such terms are defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act) or any member of the “immediate family” (as such term is defined in Rule 16a-1 of the Exchange Act) of a director or executive officer of the Company or the Stockholders and shall not have (or have had during the past three years) any employment arrangement or other material commercial arrangement with any such person. For the avoidance of doubt, ownership of a 5% or less limited partnership interest in any fund managed by the Stockholders shall not be considered to constitute a material commercial arrangement.

Nominee ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(i) .

Observation Election ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(h) .

Other Nomination Agreements ” means the nomination agreements between the Company and (i) Oak Hill Advisors, L.P. or its affiliates, (ii) Barclays Capital, Inc. or its affiliates and (iii) Silver Point Capital, L.P. or its affiliates, each entered into on the date hereof.

Outstanding Equity ” means, at any time, the issued and outstanding Common Stock of the Company (assuming the conversion of all outstanding shares of Preferred Stock).

Person ” means an individual, a partnership, a corporation, a limited liability company, an association, a joint stock company, a trust, a joint venture, an unincorporated organization and a governmental entity or any department, agency or political subdivision thereof.

Preferred Stock ” means the Company’s 7% Cumulative Participating Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company.

Reinstatement Notice ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(d) .

Rights Offering ” has the meaning assigned thereto in the Commitment Agreement.

Search Firm ” means Korn/Ferry International, or such other executive search firm that is mutually acceptable to the Stockholder and the Company.

Securities Act ” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to time.

 

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Securities Laws ” means the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, and the rules promulgated thereunder.

Stockholder ” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.

Termination Event ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(d) .

Termination Notice ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(d) .

Transfer ” means any sale, transfer, assignment or other disposition of (whether with or without consideration and whether voluntary or involuntary or by operation of law) of Common Stock and/or Preferred Stock.

Section 7. No Assignment; Benefit of Parties; No Transfer . No party may assign this Agreement or any of its rights or obligations hereunder and any assignment hereof will be null and void except that a Stockholder may assign this Agreement to an Affiliate. This Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns for the uses and purposes set forth and referred to herein. Except as explicitly set forth herein, nothing contained in this Agreement shall confer or is intended to confer on any third party or entity that is not a party to this Agreement any rights under this Agreement.

Section 8. Remedies . The Company and the Stockholders shall be entitled to enforce their rights under this Agreement specifically, to recover damages by reason of any breach of any provision of this Agreement and to exercise all other rights existing in their favor. The parties hereto agree and acknowledge that a breach of this Agreement would cause irreparable harm and money damages would not be an adequate remedy for any such breach and that, in addition to other rights and remedies hereunder, the Company and the Stockholders shall be entitled to specific performance and/or injunctive or other equitable relief (without posting a bond or other security) from any court of law or equity of competent jurisdiction in order to enforce or prevent any violation of the provisions of this Agreement.

Section 9. Notices . Any notice provided for in this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be either personally delivered, or mailed first class mail (postage prepaid, return receipt requested) or sent by reputable overnight courier service (charges prepaid) to the Company at the addresses set forth below and to the Stockholders at the addresses set forth below. Notices shall be deemed to have been given hereunder when delivered personally, three days after deposit in the U.S. mail and one day after deposit with a reputable overnight courier service.

 

The Company’s address is:   

Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc.

39550 Orchard Hill Place Drive

Novi, Michigan 48375

   Attention:    General Counsel
   Facsimile:    (248) 596-6535

 

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with copies to:   

Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP

One New York Plaza

New York, NY 10004

   Attention:    David L. Shaw
   Facsimile:    (212) 859-4000
The Stockholders’ addresses are:   

Capital Research And Management Company

333 South Hope Street, 55 th Floor

Los Angeles, California 90071

   Attention:    Kristine M. Nishiyama
   Facsimile:    (213) 615-0430
  

TCW Shared Opportunity Fund IV, L.P.

TCW Shared Opportunity Fund IVB, L.P.

TCW Shared Opportunity Fund V, L.P.

11100 Santa Monica Boulevard, Suite 2000

Los Angeles, California 90025

   Attention:    Richard Stevenson
   Facsimile:    (310) 235-5965
  

TD High Yield Income Fund

161 Bay Street, 33rd Floor

Toronto, Ontario M5J 2T2

   Attention:    Ben Chim
   Facsimile:    (416) 982-4296
  

Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC

90 Hudson Street

Jersey City, New Jersey 07302

   Attention:    John Forst, Esq.
   Facsimile:    (201) 827-3719
with copies to:   

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

One Bryant Park

New York, New York 10036

   Attention:    Adam Weinstein
   Facsimile:    (212) 872-1002

Section 10. Adjustments . If, and as often as, there are any changes in the Common Stock or Preferred Stock by way of stock split, stock dividend, combination or reclassification, or through merger, consolidation, reorganization, recapitalization or sale, or by any other means, appropriate adjustment shall be made in the provisions of this Agreement, as may be required, so that the rights, privileges, duties and obligations hereunder shall continue as so changed.

Section 11. No Strict Construction . The language used in this Agreement shall be deemed to be the language chosen by the parties hereto to express their mutual intent, and no rule of strict construction shall be applied against any party.

 

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Section 12. No Third-Party Beneficiaries . Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended or shall be construed to confer upon, or give to, any person or entity other than the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns, except as set forth in Section 2(g) and Section 3(d) , any remedy or claim under or by reason of this Agreement or any terms, covenants or conditions hereof, and all of the terms, covenants, conditions, promises and agreements contained in this Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns.

Section 13. Further Assurances . Each of the parties hereby agrees that it will hereafter execute and deliver any further document, agreement, instruments of assignment, transfer or conveyance as may be necessary or desirable to effectuate the purposes hereof.

Section 14. Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, and may be delivered by means of facsimile or electronic transmission in portable document format, each of which shall be deemed to be an original and shall be binding upon the party who executed the same, but all of such counterparts shall constitute the same agreement.

Section 15. Governing Law . All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of this Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules or provisions (whether of the State of Delaware or any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Delaware.

Section 16. Mutual Waiver of Jury Trial . The parties hereto hereby irrevocably waive any and all rights to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or related to this Agreement. Any action or proceeding whatsoever between the parties hereto relating to this Agreement shall be tried in a court of competent jurisdiction by a judge sitting without a jury.

Section 17. Complete Agreement; Inconsistent Agreements . This Agreement represents the complete agreement between the parties hereto as to all matters covered hereby, and supersedes any prior agreements or understandings between the parties.

Section 18. Severability . In the event any one or more of the provisions contained in this Agreement should be held invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions contained herein shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby (it being understood that the invalidity of a particular provision in a particular jurisdiction shall not in and of itself affect the validity of such provision in any other jurisdiction). The parties shall endeavor in good-faith negotiations to replace the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions with valid provisions the economic effect of which comes as close as possible to that of the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions.

Section 19. Amendment and Waiver . Except as otherwise provided herein, no modification, amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement shall be effective against the Company or the Stockholder unless such modification is approved in writing, in the case of an amendment, by the Company and the Stockholder, and in the case of a waiver, by each party against whom the waiver is to be effective. The failure of any party to enforce any of the provisions of this Agreement shall in no way be construed as a waiver of such provisions and shall not affect the right of such party thereafter to enforce each and every provision of this Agreement in accordance with its terms.

 

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[SIGNATURE PAGES FOLLOW]

 

-10-


IN WITNESS WHEREOF , the parties hereto have executed this Agreement on the day and year first above written.

 

Company:

COOPER-STANDARD HOLDINGS INC.

By:  

/s/ Timothy W. Hefferon

Name:  

Timothy W. Hefferon

Title:  

V.P., General Counsel & Secretary

Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc.

Signature Page to Director Nomination Agreement


 

Stockholders:

CAPITAL RESEARCH AND

MANAGEMENT COMPANY, for and on

behalf of certain funds it manages

By:  

/s/ Abner D. Goldstine

Name:  

Abner D. Goldstine

Title:  

Director

Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc.

Signature Page to Director Nomination Agreement


 

TCW SHARED OPPORTUNITY FUND IV, L.P.
By:  

TCW Asset Management Company,

its Investment Adviser

By:  

/s/ Richard H. Stevenson

Name:  

Richard H. Stevenson

Title:  

Senior Vice President

By:  

/s/ Chad Brownstein

Name:  

Chad Brownstein

Title:  

Senior Vice President

TCW SHARED OPPORTUNITY FUND IVB, L.P.
By:  

TCW Asset Management Company,

its Investment Adviser

By:  

/s/ Richard H. Stevenson

Name:  

Richard H. Stevenson

Title:  

Senior Vice President

By:  

/s/ Chad Brownstein

Name:  

Chad Brownstein

Title:  

Senior Vice President

TCW SHARED OPPORTUNITY FUND V, L.P.
By:  

TCW Asset Management Company,

its Investment Adviser

By:  

/s/ Richard H. Stevenson

Name:  

Richard H. Stevenson

Title:  

Senior Vice President

By:  

/s/ Chad Brownstein

Name:  

Chad Brownstein

Title:  

Senior Vice President

Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc.

Signature Page to Director Nomination Agreement


 

TD HIGH YIELD INCOME FUND
By:   TD Asset Management Inc.,
  as manager and trustee
By:  

/s/ Gregory Kocik

Name:  

Gregory Kocik

Title:  

Managing Director

Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc.

Signature Page to Director Nomination Agreement


 

LORD, ABBETT & CO. LLC,

as investment manager on behalf of multiple clients

By:  

/s/ Lawrence H. Kaplan

Name:  

Lawrence H. Kaplan

Title:  

Member & General Counsel

Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc.

Signature Page to Director Nomination Agreement

EXHIBIT 10.6

2010 COOPER-STANDARD HOLDINGS INC.

MANAGEMENT INCENTIVE PLAN

1. Purpose of the Plan

The purpose of the Plan is to aid the Company and its Affiliates in recruiting and retaining key employees and directors of outstanding ability and to motivate such key employees and directors post-emergence from Chapter 11 to exert their best efforts on behalf of the Company and its Affiliates by providing incentives through the granting of Awards. The Company expects that it will benefit from the added interest which such key employees and directors will have in the welfare of the Company as a result of their proprietary interest in the Company’s success.

2. Definitions

The following capitalized terms used in the Plan have the respective meanings set forth in this Section:

Act : The Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or any successor thereto.

Affiliate : With respect to an entity, any entity directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with, such first entity.

Agreement : The written agreement between the Company and a Participant evidencing the grant of an Award and setting forth the terms and conditions thereof.

Award : An Option, Restricted Stock Award, or Restricted Preferred Stock Award granted pursuant to the Plan.

Board : The Board of Directors of the Company.

Cause : Cause means (i) in the case of a Participant whose employment with the Company or an Affiliate is subject to the terms of an employment agreement between such Participant and the Company or such Affiliate, which employment agreement includes a definition of “Cause”, the term “Cause” as used in the Plan or any Agreement shall have the meaning set forth in such employment agreement during the period that such employment agreement remains in effect; and (ii) in all other cases, (1) the Participant’s willful failure to perform duties or directives which is not cured following written notice, (2) the Participant’s commission of a (x) felony or (y) crime involving moral turpitude, (3) the Participant’s willful malfeasance or misconduct which is demonstrably injurious to the Company or its Affiliates, or (4) material breach by the Participant of the restrictive covenants, including, without limitation, any non-compete, non-solicitation or confidentiality provisions to which the Participant is bound.

 

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Change of Control : The occurrence of any of the following events after the Effective Date:

(i) the sale or disposition, in one or a series of related transactions, of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company to any “person” or “group” (as such terms are defined in Sections 13(d)(3) and 14(d)(2) of the Act) or (ii) any person or group is or becomes the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Act), directly or indirectly, of greater than or equal to 50% of the total voting power of the voting stock of the Company, including by way of merger, consolidation or otherwise.

Notwithstanding anything in the Plan or an applicable Agreement, if an Award is considered deferred compensation subject to the provisions of Code Section 409A, and if the payment of compensation under such Award would be triggered upon an event that otherwise would constitute a “Change of Control” but that would not constitute a change of control for purposes of Code Section 409A, then such event shall not constitute a “Change of Control” for purposes of such Award.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Change of Control shall not be deemed to occur as a result of (x) the Company’s emergence from Chapter 11 as contemplated by the Plan of Reorganization, (y) the execution and delivery of the Commitment Agreement or (z) the consummation of the transactions provided in the Commitment Agreement and/or the Plan of Reorganization (or otherwise contemplated by the Commitment Agreement and/or the Plan of Reorganization to occur prior to or on or about the Effective Date); provided that the foregoing exception shall not apply if a Backstop Purchaser (A) enters into any written shareholder or voting agreement (other than the Commitment Agreement, the Ancillary Agreements or the Plan of Reorganization), (B) purchases or acquires pre-petition claims with respect to the Senior Subordinated Notes (including the purchase or acquisition of any such pre-petition claim held by any other Backstop Purchaser or its affiliates, but excluding any purchase or acquisition by a Backstop Purchaser or its affiliates in its broker/dealer, market making, flow trading or other non-proprietary trading activities), or (C) assigns the Commitment Agreement or its obligations thereunder pursuant to Section 12 of the Commitment Agreement, in the case of each of clauses (A), (B) and (C), only if such action would result in such Backstop Purchaser having beneficial ownership of greater than or equal to 50% of the total voting power of the Company’s voting power upon emergence. For purposes of clarification, (i) neither (a) the agreements and arrangements involving Backstop Purchasers that are contemplated by the Commitment Agreement or the Plan of Reorganization to occur or exist prior to, on or about the Effective Date nor (b) any agreements or arrangements by Backstop Purchasers at any time prior to, on or after the Effective Date to dispose of any or all of their securities of the Company shall be taken into account in determining whether such Backstop Purchasers constitute a “group” for purposes of determining whether a Change of Control has occurred and (ii) the acquisition by any person of any equity interest

 

2


in the Company at any time following the issuance of Backstop Purchaser Shares, Rights Offering Shares and Warrants (including the Backstop Purchaser Warrants) pursuant to the Plan of Reorganization (other than any acquisition from any Backstop Purchaser that is agreed to between such Backstop Purchaser and its transferee or assignee and consummated on or about the Effective Date) shall not be deemed a transaction provided for in the Commitment Agreement or the Plan of Reorganization. Capitalized terms used in this paragraph and not defined in the Plan shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Commitment Agreement.

Code : The Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and any successor thereto. Reference in the Plan to any section of the Code shall be deemed to include any regulations or other interpretive guidance under such section, and any amendments or successor provisions to such section, regulations or guidance.

Commitment Agreement : The Commitment Agreement dated as of March 19, 2010 by and between the Company and the Backstop Purchasers.

Committee : The Board or any committee to which the Board delegates duties and powers hereunder.

Common Stock : The shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company.

Company : Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc., a Delaware corporation.

Disability : Disability means (i) in the case of a Participant whose employment with the Company or an Affiliate is subject to the terms of an employment agreement between such Participant and the Company or such Affiliate, which employment agreement includes a definition of “Disability”, the term “Disability” as used in this Plan or any Agreement shall have the meaning set forth in such employment agreement during the period that such employment agreement remains in effect; and (ii) in all other cases, the Participant becomes physically or mentally incapacitated and is therefore unable for a period of six (6) consecutive months or for an aggregate of nine (9) months in any twenty-four (24) consecutive month period to perform the Participant’s duties (such incapacity is hereinafter referred to as “Disability”). Any question as to the existence of the Disability of the Participant as to which the Participant and the Company cannot agree shall be determined in writing by a qualified independent physician mutually acceptable to the Participant and the Company. If the Participant and the Company cannot agree as to a qualified independent physician, each shall appoint such a physician and those two physicians shall select a third who shall make such determination in writing. The determination of Disability made in writing to the Company and the Participant shall be final and conclusive for all purposes of the Agreement.

Effective Date : The effective date of the Plan is the Emergence Date.

Emergence Date : The effective date of the Plan of Reorganization.

 

3


Employment : The term “Employment” as used herein shall be deemed to refer to a Participant’s employment if the Participant is an employee of the Company or any of its Affiliates or to a Participant’s services as a non-employee director, if the Participant is a non-employee member of the Board. For the avoidance of doubt, a Participant’s Employment shall be deemed to remain in effect so long as the Participant is either an employee of the Company or any of its Affiliates or a non-employee member of the Board.

Equity: The Common Stock, the Preferred Stock, and the Warrants.

Fair Market Value : On a given date, (i) the closing price of a Share on the date in question (or, if there is no reported sale on such date, on the last preceding date on which any reported sale occurred) on the principal stock market or exchange on which the Shares are quoted or traded or (ii) if the Shares are not quoted or traded on a stock market or exchange, the Fair Market Value of the Shares will be as determined in good faith by the Committee.

Future Grant : Awards that may be granted at any time after the Emergence Date in accordance with the terms of the Plan.

Good Reason : Good Reason means (i) in the case of a Participant whose employment with the Company or an Affiliate is subject to the terms of an employment agreement between such Participant and the Company or such Affiliate, which employment agreement includes a definition of “Good Reason”, the term “Good Reason” as used in the Plan or any applicable Agreement shall have the meaning set forth in such employment agreement during the period that such employment agreement remains in effect; and (ii) in all other cases, (1) a substantial diminution in the Participant’s position or duties; adverse change of reporting lines; or assignment of duties materially inconsistent with the Participant’s position; (2) any reduction in the Participant’s base salary or annual bonus opportunity; (3) any reduction in the Participant’s long-term cash incentive compensation opportunities, other than reductions generally affecting other senior executives participating in the applicable long-term incentive compensation programs or arrangements; (4) the failure of the Company or an Affiliate to pay the Participant any compensation or benefits when due under any employment agreement between the Participant and the Company or such Affiliate; (5) relocation of the Participant’s principal place of work in excess of fifty (50) miles from the Participant’s then principal place of work or (6) any material breach by the Company or an Affiliate, as applicable, of the terms of any employment agreement between the Participant and the Company or such Affiliate; provided that none of the events described in (1) through (6), above, shall constitute Good Reason unless the Company or its Affiliate, as applicable, fails to cure such event within 10 calendar days after receipt from the Participant of written notice of the event which constitutes Good Reason.

Initial Grant: Awards granted on the Emergence Date in accordance with the terms of the Plan.

 

4


Option : A non-qualified stock option granted pursuant to Section 6.

Option Price : The purchase price per Share of an Option, as determined pursuant to Section 6(a).

Participant : With respect to the Initial Grant, a key employee of the Company or its Affiliates, who is selected to receive an Initial Grant, as set forth on Exhibit A. With respect to the Future Grant, a key employee or director of the Company or its Affiliates who is selected by the Committee to participate in the Plan.

Person : A “person”, as such term is used for purposes of Section 13(d) or 14(d) of the Act (or any successor section thereto).

Plan : The 2010 Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc. Management Incentive Plan.

Plan of Reorganization : The second amended Chapter 11 plan of reorganization, filed by the Company on March 26, 2010 in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.

Preferred Stock : The shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company designated as 7% Cumulative Participating Convertible Preferred Stock in the Company’s Certificate of Designations for the 7% Cumulative Participating Convertible Preferred Stock.

Restricted Preferred Stock : The shares of Preferred Stock granted pursuant to the Restricted Preferred Stock Awards.

Restricted Stock : The shares of Common Stock granted pursuant to the Restricted Stock Awards.

Restricted Stock Awards : Awards of Restricted Stock granted pursuant to Section 7.

Restricted Preferred Stock Awards : Awards of Restricted Preferred Stock granted pursuant to Section 7.

Share : A share of Common Stock, Preferred Stock, Restricted Stock or Restricted Preferred Stock, as applicable.

Warrants : Warrants to purchase shares of Common Stock having the terms as set forth in the Warrant Agreement dated as of May 27, 2010 between the Company and Computershare Inc. and Computershare Trust Company, N.A.

3. Shares Subject to the Plan

The total number of Shares which shall be issued under the Plan as the Initial Grant is as follows: (1) 4% of the Common Stock (or 757,896 shares of Common Stock, plus, subject to realized dilution on the Warrants, an additional 104,075 shares of Common Stock) to be granted as Restricted Stock; (2) 4% of the Preferred Stock (convertible into 178,783 shares of

 

5


Common Stock) to be granted as Restricted Preferred Stock; and (3) 3% of the Equity (or 702,509 shares of Common Stock, plus, subject to realized dilution on the Warrants, an additional 78,057 shares of Common Stock) to be granted as Options. The total number of Shares which may be issued under the Plan as the Future Grant, to be issued incrementally, is 3% of the Equity (or 702,509 shares of Common Stock, plus, subject to realized dilution on the Warrants, 78,057 shares of Common Stock). The issuance of Shares or the payment of cash upon the exercise of an Award or in consideration of the cancellation or termination of an Award shall reduce the total number of Shares available under the Plan, as applicable. Shares which are subject to Awards which terminate or lapse without the payment of consideration may be granted again under the Plan.

4. Administration

The Plan shall be administered by the Committee, which may delegate its duties and powers in whole or in part to any subcommittee thereof. The Committee is authorized to interpret the Plan, to establish, amend and rescind any rules and regulations relating to the Plan, and to make any other determinations that it deems necessary or desirable for the administration of the Plan. The Committee may correct any defect or supply any omission or reconcile any inconsistency in the Plan in the manner and to the extent the Committee deems necessary or desirable. The Committee shall have the full power and authority to establish the terms and conditions of any Award consistent with the provisions of the Plan and to waive any such terms and conditions at any time (including, without limitation, accelerating or waiving any vesting conditions). The Committee shall require payment of any amount it may determine to be necessary to withhold for federal, state, local or other taxes as a result of the exercise, grant or vesting of an Award. Unless the Committee specifies in an Agreement or otherwise, the Participant may elect to pay a portion or all of the minimum statutory required withholding taxes by (a) delivery in Shares or (b) having Shares withheld by the Company from any Shares that would have otherwise been received by the Participant. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no outstanding Award may be amended pursuant to this Section 4 without compliance with Section 12(b).

5. Limitations

No Award may be granted under the Plan after the tenth anniversary of the Effective Date, but Awards theretofore granted may extend beyond that date.

6. Terms and Conditions of Options

The Committee may grant Options to any Participant it selects; provided that, in the case of the Initial Grant, such Participant’s name is set forth on Exhibit A. Options granted under the Plan shall be subject to the following terms and conditions and to such other terms and conditions, not inconsistent therewith, as the Committee shall determine and set forth in an Agreement between the Company and the Participant:

 

  (a) Option Price .

Initial Grant : The Option Price shall be the Fair Market Value of a Share on the Emergence Date.

 

6


Future Grants : The Option Price shall be determined by the Committee, but shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date the applicable Option is granted.

No Option may be amended, and neither the Committee nor the Company may take any other action the effect of which is, to reduce the Option Price other than (i) adjustments made pursuant to Section 8 that do not constitute modifications under Treasury Regulation §1.409A-1(b)(5)(v)(B), or (ii) in connection with a transaction which is considered the grant of a new option for purposes of Code Section 409A, provided that the new Option Price is not less than the Fair Market Value of a Share on the new grant date.

 

  (b) Vesting . Subject to Section 8(b), each Option shall become vested at such times as may be designated by the Committee and set forth in the applicable Agreement.

 

  (c) Exercisability . Options granted under the Plan shall be exercisable at such time and upon such terms and conditions as may be determined by the Committee and set forth in the applicable Agreement, but in no event shall an Option be exercisable more than ten years after the date it is granted.

 

  (d)

Exercise of Options . Except as otherwise provided in the Plan or in an Agreement, an Option may be exercised for all, or from time to time, any part, of the Shares for which it is then exercisable. For purposes of Section 6, the exercise date of an Option shall be the later of the date a notice of exercise is received by the Company and, if applicable, the date payment is received by the Company pursuant to clauses (i), (ii), (iii), (iv) or (v) of the following sentence. The Option Price for the Shares as to which an Option is exercised shall be paid to the Company in full at the time of exercise at the election of the Participant (i) in cash or its equivalent (e.g., by check), (ii) to the extent permitted by the Committee, in Shares having a Fair Market Value equal to the aggregate Option Price for the Shares being purchased and satisfying such other requirements as may be imposed by the Committee; provided , that such Shares (x) have been held by the Participant for no less than six months (or such other period, if any, as established from time to time by the Committee in order to avoid adverse accounting treatment applying generally accepted accounting principles) and (y) are not subject to a security interest or pledge, (iii) partly in cash and, to the extent permitted by the Committee, partly in such Shares, (iv) if approved by the Committee and subject to such rules as the Committee prescribes, by having the Company withhold a number of Shares otherwise deliverable upon exercise of the Option having a Fair Market Value equal to the aggregate Option Price for the Shares being purchased, or (v) if there is a public market for the Shares at such time and if the Committee has authorized or established any required plan or program, through the delivery of irrevocable instructions to a broker to sell Shares obtained upon the exercise of the Option and to deliver promptly to the Company an amount out of the proceeds of such Sale equal to the aggregate Option Price for the Shares being purchased. No Participant shall have any rights to dividends or other rights of a shareholder with respect to Shares subject to an Option until

 

7


  the Participant has given written notice of exercise of the Option, paid in full for such Shares and, if applicable, has satisfied any other conditions imposed by the Committee pursuant to the Plan.

 

  (e) Attestation . Wherever in this Plan or any Agreement a Participant is permitted to pay the Option Price of an Option or taxes relating to the exercise of an Option by delivering Shares, the Participant may, subject to procedures satisfactory to the Committee, satisfy such delivery requirement by presenting proof of beneficial ownership of such Shares, in which case the Company shall treat the Option as exercised without further payment and shall withhold such number of Shares from the Shares acquired by the exercise of the Option.

7. Restricted Stock Awards and Restricted Preferred Stock Awards

 

  (a) Grant . As part of the Initial Grant, the Committee shall grant Restricted Stock Awards and Restricted Preferred Stock Awards to any Participant it selects, (provided that such Participant’s name is set forth on Exhibit A), which shall be evidenced by an Agreement between the Company and the Participant. In addition, subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee may determine to whom and when any Future Grants of Restricted Stock Awards and/or Restricted Preferred Stock Awards will be made, which shall be evidenced by an Agreement between the Company and the Participant. Each Agreement shall contain such restrictions, terms and conditions as the Committee may, in its discretion, determine and (without limiting the generality of the foregoing) such Agreement may require that an appropriate legend be placed on Share certificates. Awards of Restricted Stock and Restricted Preferred Stock shall be subject to the terms and provisions set forth below in this Section 7.

 

  (b) Rights of Participant . A stock certificate or certificates with respect to the Shares of Restricted Stock or Restricted Preferred Stock shall be issued in the name of the Participant as soon as reasonably practicable after the Award is granted provided that the Participant has executed an Agreement evidencing the Award, the appropriate blank stock powers and, in the discretion of the Committee, an escrow agreement and any other documents which the Committee may require as a condition to the issuance of such Shares; provided that the Committee may determine instead that such Shares shall be evidenced by book-entry registration. If a Participant shall fail to execute the Agreement evidencing a Restricted Stock Award or Restricted Preferred Stock Award, or any documents which the Committee may require within the time period prescribed by the Committee at the time the Award is granted, the Award shall be null and void. At the discretion of the Committee, any certificates issued in connection with a Restricted Stock Award or Preferred Restricted Stock Award shall be deposited together with the stock powers with an escrow agent (which may be the Company) designated by the Committee. Unless the Committee determines otherwise and as set forth in the applicable Agreement, upon delivery of the certificates to the escrow agent or the book-entry registration, as applicable, the Participant shall have all of the rights of a stockholder with respect to such Shares, including the right to vote the Shares and subject to Section 7(e), to receive all dividends or other distributions paid or made with respect to such Shares.

 

8


  (c) Non-transferability . Until all restrictions upon the Shares of Restricted Stock or Restricted Preferred Stock awarded to a Participant shall have lapsed in the manner set forth in Section 7(d), such Shares shall not be sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of and shall not be pledged or otherwise hypothecated.

 

  (d) Lapse of Restrictions . Except as set forth in Section 8(b), restrictions upon Shares of Restricted Stock or Restricted Preferred Stock awarded hereunder shall lapse at such time or times and on such terms and conditions as the Committee may determine. The applicable Agreement shall set forth any such restrictions.

 

  (e) Treatment of Dividends . The payment to the Participant of any dividends or distributions declared or paid on such Shares of Restricted Stock or Restricted Preferred Stock awarded to the Participant shall be deferred until the lapsing of the restrictions imposed upon such Shares. Any such deferred dividends or distributions may be credited during the deferral period with interest at a rate per annum as the Committee, in its discretion, may determine. Payment of any such deferred dividends or distributions, together with any interest accrued thereon, shall be made upon the lapsing of the restrictions imposed on such Shares and any such deferred dividends or distributions (together with any interest accrued thereon) shall be forfeited upon the forfeiture of such shares.

8. Adjustments Upon Certain Events

Notwithstanding any other provisions in the Plan to the contrary, the following provisions shall apply to all Awards granted under the Plan:

 

  (a) Generally . In the event of any change in the outstanding Shares after the Effective Date by reason of any Share dividend or split, reorganization, recapitalization, merger, consolidation, spin-off, combination, combination or transaction or exchange of Shares or other corporate exchange, or any distribution to shareholders of Shares other than regular cash dividends, or any other transaction which in the judgment of the Board necessitates an adjustment to prevent dilution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be made under the Plan, the Committee shall make such substitution or adjustment, in such manner as it deems equitable, as to (i) the number or kind of Shares or other securities issued or reserved for issuance pursuant to the Plan or pursuant to outstanding Awards, (ii) the Option Price and/or (iii) any other affected terms of such Awards.

Unless the Committee determines otherwise, any such adjustment to an Award that is exempt from Code Section 409A shall be made in a manner that permits the Award to continue to be so exempt, and any adjustment to an Award that is subject to Code Section 409A shall be made in a manner that complies with the provisions thereof. Further, the number of Shares subject to any Award payable or denominated in Shares must always be a whole number. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of a stock dividend (other than a stock dividend declared in

 

9


lieu of an ordinary cash dividend) or subdivision or combination of the Shares (including a reverse stock split), if no action is taken by the Board or Committee, adjustments contemplated by this subsection that are proportionate shall nevertheless automatically be made as of the date of such stock dividend or subdivision or combination of the Shares.

 

  (b) Change of Control .

(i) Initial Grant Awards . In the event of a Change of Control after the Effective Date, 50% of the then unvested portion of all outstanding Initial Grant Awards shall vest (and any restrictions thereon shall lapse). The remaining outstanding Initial Grant Awards shall vest (and any restrictions thereon shall lapse) in accordance with their terms; provided however, that upon a termination of a Participant’s Employment by the Company and its Affiliates without Cause or by the Participant for Good Reason within two years after such Change of Control, the remaining outstanding Initial Grant Awards shall vest (and any restrictions thereon shall lapse) with respect to the remaining outstanding Shares of such Initial Grant Awards. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee may place additional restrictions upon certain Initial Grant Awards in the applicable Agreement.

(ii) Future Grant Awards . For all outstanding Future Grant Awards, any acceleration in connection with a Change of Control shall be determined by the Committee and set forth in each Agreement.

(iii) Awards Generally . If and to the extent determined by the Committee in the applicable Agreement or otherwise, any outstanding Awards then held by Participants which are unexercisable or otherwise unvested or subject to lapse restrictions may be deemed exercisable or otherwise vested or no longer subject to lapse restrictions, as the case may be, as of immediately prior to a Change of Control and the Committee may, but shall not be obligated to, with respect to some or all of the outstanding Awards (A) cancel such Awards for fair value (as determined in the sole discretion of the Committee) which, in the case of Options, may equal the excess, if any, of the value of the consideration to be paid in the Change of Control transaction to holders of the same number of Shares subject to such Options (or, if no consideration is paid in any such transaction, the Fair Market Value of the Shares subject to such Options) over the aggregate exercise price of such Options or (B) provide for the issuance of substitute Awards that will substantially preserve the otherwise applicable terms of any affected Awards previously granted hereunder as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion or (C) provide that for a period of at least 15 days prior to the Change of Control, any such Options shall be exercisable as to all shares subject thereto and that upon the occurrence of the Change of Control, such Options shall terminate and be of no further force and effect.

 

10


9. No Right to Employment or Awards

The granting of an Award under the Plan shall impose no obligation on the Company or any Affiliate to continue the Employment of a Participant and shall not lessen or affect the Company’s or Affiliate’s right to terminate the Employment of such Participant. No Participant or other Person shall have any claim to be granted any Award, and there is no obligation for uniformity of treatment of Participants, or holders or beneficiaries of Awards. The terms and conditions of Awards and the Committee’s determinations and interpretations with respect thereto need not be the same with respect to each Participant (whether or not such Participants are similarly situated).

10. Successors and Assigns

The Plan shall be binding on all successors and assigns of the Company and a Participant, including without limitation, the estate of such Participant and the executor, administrator, beneficiary or trustee of such estate, or any receiver or trustee in bankruptcy or representative of the Participant’s creditors.

11. Nontransferability of Awards

Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, an Award shall not be transferable or assignable by the Participant otherwise than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution. An Award exercisable after the death of a Participant may be exercised by the legatees, personal representatives or distributees of the Participant in accordance with the terms of such Award.

12. Amendments and Termination

 

  (a) Authority to Amend or Terminate . The Board may amend, alter or discontinue the Plan, but no amendment, alteration or discontinuation shall be made, (i) without the approval of the shareholders of the Company, if such action would (except as is provided in Section 8 of the Plan), increase the total number of Shares reserved for the purposes of the Plan or (ii) without the consent of a Participant, if such action would diminish any of the rights of the Participant under any Award theretofore granted to such Participant under the Plan; provided, however, that the Board may amend the Plan in such manner as it deems necessary to permit the granting of Awards meeting the requirements of the Code or other applicable laws. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board may not amend the provision of Section 6 that restricts the repricing of Options.

 

  (b) Survival of Authority and Awards . To the extent provided in the Plan, the authority of (i) the Committee to amend, alter, adjust, suspend, discontinue or terminate any Award, waive any conditions or restrictions with respect to any Award, and otherwise administer the Plan and any Award and (ii) the Board or Committee to amend the Plan, shall extend beyond the date of the Plan’s termination. Termination of the Plan shall not affect the rights of Participants with respect to Awards previously granted to them, and all unexpired Awards shall continue in force and effect after termination of the Plan except as they may lapse or be terminated by their own terms and conditions.

 

11


13. International Participants

With respect to Participants who reside or work outside the United States of America, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, amend the terms of the Plan or Awards (including granting restricted stock units payable in cash or stock, in lieu of restricted stock) with respect to such Participants in order to conform such terms to the requirements of local law or to address local tax, securities or legal concerns.

14. Choice of Law; Severability

The Plan shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware without regard to conflicts of laws.

If any provision of the Plan or any Agreement or any Award (a) is or becomes or is deemed to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, or as to any Person or Award, or (b) would disqualify the Plan, any Agreement or any Award under any law deemed applicable by the Committee, then such provision shall be construed or deemed amended to conform to applicable laws, or if it cannot be so construed or deemed amended without, in the determination of the Committee, materially altering the intent of the Plan, such Agreement or such Award, such provision shall be stricken as to such jurisdiction, Person or Award, and the remainder of the Plan, such Agreement and such Award shall remain in full force and effect.

15. No Guarantee of Tax Treatment

Notwithstanding any provisions of the Plan, the Company does not guarantee to any Participant or any other Person with an interest in an Award that (a) any Award intended to be exempt from Code Section 409A shall be so exempt, (b) any Award intended to comply with Code Section 409A shall so comply, (c) any Award shall otherwise receive a specific tax treatment under any other applicable tax law, nor in any such case will the Company or any Affiliate indemnify, defend or hold harmless any Person with respect to the tax consequences of any Award.

16. Transferability

Each Award granted under the Plan shall not be transferable other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution, except as specifically approved by the Committee.

17. General Restrictions

Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, the granting of Awards under the Plan and the issuance of Shares in connection with such Awards, shall be subject to all applicable laws, rules and regulations, and to such approvals by any governmental agencies or national securities exchanges as may be required, and the Company shall have no liability to deliver any Shares under the Plan or make any payment unless such delivery or payment would comply with all applicable laws and the applicable requirements of any securities exchange or similar entity.

 

12


18. Committee

No member of the Committee shall be liable for any action, failure to act, determination or interpretation made in good faith with respect to the Plan or any transaction hereunder. The Company hereby agrees to indemnify each member of the Committee for all costs and expenses and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, any liability incurred in connection with defending against, responding to, negotiating for the settlement of or otherwise dealing with any claim, cause of action or dispute of any kind arising in connection with any actions in administering the Plan or in authorizing or denying authorization to any transaction hereunder.

19. Effectiveness of the Plan

The Plan shall be effective as of the Effective Date.

 

13


2010 Cooper –Standard Holdings Inc. Management Incentive Plan

Exhibit A

 

Participant
McElya, James    Chairman, CEO
Hasler, Edward    President
Campbell, Allen    VP, CFO
Stephenson, Keith    President, Int’l
Hefferon, Timothy    VP, Gen Counsel
Verwilst, Michael    VP, M&A
Dickens, Kimberly    VP, HR
Yantz, Helen    VP, Controller
Emmi, Joseph    VP, MD, Asia Pac
O’Loughlin, Brian    VP, IT
Johnson, Lawrence    Group VP, Operations N Am
Thurmond, Mack    Group VP, Finance N Am
Otremba, Lyle    VP, Sales & Eng
Talaga, Michael    Group VP, Operations Eur
Johnson, Robert    VP, Tax
Dong, Glenn    VP, Treasurer
Kilbourn, Mark    VP Supply Chain Mgt
King, Gerald    VP, HS&E
Deykes, Douglas    VP, Internal Audit
Char, Bradley    VP HR Systems & Process
Wenzl, Sharon    VP, Corp. Comm.
Puhlmann, Manfred    President, Eur
Herzog, Rolf    MD, Operations, Eur
Brinkman, Uwe    Group VP, Sales & Eng Eur
Hofmann, Axel    Group VP, HR Eur
Marques, Reinaldo    Group VP, MD Brazil
Reserved - Europe    VP, Finance Eur
Total (27)   

 

14

EXHIBIT 10.7

2010 COOPER-STANDARD HOLDINGS INC. MANAGEMENT INCENTIVE PLAN

NONQUALIFIED STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

THIS AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), is made effective as of the day of , 2010 (the “Date of Grant”), between Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and the individual whose name is set forth on the signature page hereof (the “Participant”):

R E C I T A L S :

WHEREAS, the Company has adopted the 2010 Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc. Management Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), which Plan is incorporated herein by reference and made a part of this Agreement. Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the same meanings as in the Plan; and

WHEREAS, the Committee has determined that it would be in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders to grant the Options provided for herein to the Participant pursuant to the Plan and the terms set forth herein.

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants hereinafter set forth, the parties agree as follows:

1. Definitions . Whenever the following terms are used in this Agreement, they shall have the meaning specified below unless the context clearly indicates to the contrary.

(a) “Deemed Warrant Factor” shall mean, as of the date of termination of the Participant’s Employment, (i) the number of Shares that would have been issued by the Company if the Warrants outstanding and unexercised as of such date were deemed exercised on a net exercise basis, based on the market value of such Shares as of such date, divided by (ii) the Total Warrant Amount.

(b) “Options” shall mean the Time Option and the Option in Respect of Warrants to purchase Shares granted under this Agreement.

(c) “Option in Respect of Warrants” shall mean an Option with respect to which the exercisability is governed by Section 3(b).

(d) “Time Option” shall mean an Option with respect to which the exercisability is governed by Section 3(a).

(e) “Total Warrant Amount” shall mean 2,419,753, as may be adjusted from time to time as provided in the Warrant Agreement dated as of May 27, 2010 between the Company and Computershare Inc. and Computershare Trust Company, N.A.

(f) “Warrant Factor” shall mean, at the time of each exercise of Warrants, (i) the number of Shares actually issued by the Company upon such exercise divided by (ii) the Total Warrant Amount.


2. Grant of the Options . The Company hereby grants to the Participant the right and option to purchase, on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth and subject to adjustment as set forth in the Plan, (i) a Time Option to purchase any part or all of an aggregate number of Shares set forth on the signature page hereof, and (ii) an Option in Respect of Warrants to purchase any part or all of an aggregate number of Shares set forth on the signature page hereof. The purchase price of the Shares subject to the Options shall be $        .00 per Share (the “Option Price”). The Options are intended to be non-qualified stock options, and are not intended to be treated as options that comply with Section 422 of the Code.

3. Vesting .

(a) Time Option . 1

(i) Subject to Section 4(a) and to the Participant’s continued Employment with the Company or its Affiliate, the Time Option shall vest with respect to twenty-five percent (25%) of the Shares initially covered by the Time Option as of each of the first four anniversaries of the Date of Grant.

(ii) Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event of a Change of Control while the Participant remains in Employment with the Company or its Affiliate, 50% of the then unvested portion of the Time Option shall, to the extent outstanding, immediately become fully vested and exercisable, and the remaining 50% of such portion shall vest in accordance with Section 3(a)(i); provided, however, that upon termination of the Participant’s Employment by the Company and its Affiliates without Cause or by the Participant for Good Reason, in each case within two years after a Change of Control, the remaining unvested portion of the Time Option shall, to the extent outstanding, immediately become fully vested and exercisable.

(b) Option in Respect of Warrants . Subject to the Participant’s continued Employment with the Company or its Affiliate, the Option in Respect of Warrants shall vest and become exercisable on the later of the date on which (i) the Time Option vests and becomes exercisable in accordance with its terms or (ii) any or all of the Warrants are exercised, in each case in an amount determined based on the number of Shares issued upon the exercise of such Warrants, which shall be determined for each exercise of a Warrant by multiplying the Option in Respect of Warrants by the Warrant Factor; provided that upon termination of the Participant’s Employment prior to full exercise or expiration of the Warrants, the Option in Respect of Warrants shall vest and become exercisable to the extent that the Time Option vested and became exercisable as of the date of such termination in accordance with its terms and in an amount determined by multiplying the Option in Respect of Warrants by the Deemed Warrant Factor.

(c) Termination of Employment . Subject to the provisos in Sections 3(a)(ii) and (b), if the Participant’s Employment with the Company and its Affiliates terminates for any reason, the Options shall, to the extent not then vested, be canceled by the Company without consideration, and the vested portion of the Options shall remain exercisable for the period set forth in Section 4(a); provided

 

1 The CEO will have ratable vesting over three years rather than four.


that upon termination of the Participant’s Employment by the Company and its Affiliates without Cause, by the Participant for Good Reason, or due to the Participant’s death or Disability, the Participant shall be deemed vested as of the date of such termination in any Shares subject to the Options that would have otherwise vested in the calendar year in which such termination occurs.

4. Exercise of Option .

(a) Period of Exercise . Subject to the provisions of the Plan and this Agreement, the Participant may exercise all or any part of the vested portion of the Option at any time prior to the earliest to occur of:

(i) the tenth anniversary of the Date of Grant;

(ii) the first anniversary of the date of the Participant’s termination of Employment due to death, Disability, retirement at normal retirement age under the Company’s or its Affiliate’s qualified retirement plan, by the Company and its Affiliates without Cause, by the Participant for Good Reason, or in connection with a Change of Control; and

(iii) 90 days following the date of the Participant’s termination of Employment by the Company and its Affiliates for Cause or by the Participant without Good Reason.

(b) Method of Exercise .

(i) Subject to Section 4(a), the vested portion of an Option may be exercised by delivering to the Company at its principal office written notice of intent to so exercise; provided that such portion may be exercised with respect to whole Shares only. Such notice shall specify the number of Shares for which such portion is being exercised and shall be accompanied by payment in full of the Option Price. The payment of the Option Price may be made at the election of the Participant (i) in cash or its equivalent (e.g., by check), (ii) to the extent permitted by the Committee, in Shares having a Fair Market Value equal to the aggregate Option Price for the Shares being purchased and satisfying such other requirements as may be imposed by the Committee; provided that such Shares have been held by the Participant for no less than six months (or such other period, if any, as established from time to time by the Committee in order to avoid adverse accounting treatment applying generally accepted accounting principles), (iii) partly in cash and, to the extent permitted by the Committee, partly in such Shares or (iv) if there is a public market for the Shares at such time and if the Committee has authorized or established any required plan or program, through the delivery of irrevocable instructions to a broker to sell Shares obtained upon the exercise of an Option and to deliver promptly to the Company an amount out of the proceeds of such sale equal to the aggregate Option Price for the Shares being purchased. The Participant shall not have any rights to dividends or other rights of a stockholder with respect to Shares subject to an Option until the Participant has given written notice of exercise of the Option, paid in full for such Shares and, if applicable, has satisfied any other conditions imposed by the Committee pursuant to the Plan.


(ii) Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan or this Agreement to the contrary, the Options may not be exercised prior to the completion of any registration or qualification of the Options or the Shares under applicable state and federal securities or other laws, or under any ruling or regulation of any governmental body or national securities exchange that the Committee shall in its sole discretion determine to be necessary or advisable.

(iii) Upon the Company’s determination that an Option has been validly exercised as to any of the Shares, the Company shall issue a certificate or certificates in the Participant’s name for such Shares; provided that the Committee may determine instead that such Shares shall be evidenced by book-entry registration. However, the Company shall not be liable to the Participant for damages relating to any delays in issuing any such certificates to the Participant, any loss of any such certificates, or any mistakes or errors in the issuance of any such certificates or in any such certificates themselves; provided that the Company shall correct any such errors caused by it.

(iv) Subject to Section 7, in the event of the Participant’s death, the vested portion of the Options shall remain exercisable by the Participant’s executor or administrator, or the Person or Persons to whom the Participant’s rights under this Agreement shall pass by will or by the laws of descent and distribution as the case may be, to the extent set forth in Section 4(a). Any heir or legatee of the Participant shall take rights herein granted subject to the terms and conditions hereof.

5. No Right to Continued Employment . The granting of the Options evidenced hereby and this Agreement shall impose no obligation on the Company or any of its Affiliates to continue the Employment of the Participant and shall not lessen or affect the Company’s or its Affiliate’s right to terminate the Employment of the Participant.

6. Legend on Certificates . The certificates representing the Shares purchased by exercise of the Options, if applicable, shall be subject to such stop transfer orders and other restrictions as the Committee may deem advisable under the Plan or the rules, regulations, and other requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, any stock exchange upon which such Shares are listed, and any applicable Federal or state laws, and the Committee may cause a legend or legends to be put on any such certificates to make appropriate reference to such restrictions, including reference to the fact that all Shares acquired hereunder shall be subject to the terms of a stockholders agreement, if any.

7. Transferability . The Options may not be assigned, alienated, pledged, attached, sold or otherwise transferred or encumbered by the Participant otherwise than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution, and any such purported assignment, alienation, pledge, attachment, sale, transfer or encumbrance shall be void and unenforceable against the Company or any Affiliate; provided that the designation of a beneficiary shall not constitute an assignment, alienation, pledge, attachment, sale, transfer or encumbrance. No such permitted transfer of an Option to heirs or legatees of the Participant shall be effective to bind the Company unless the Committee shall have been furnished with written notice thereof and a copy of such evidence as the Committee may deem necessary to establish the validity of the transfer and the acceptance by the transferee or transferees of the terms and conditions hereof. During the Participant’s lifetime, the Options are exercisable only by the Participant.

 


8. Withholding . The Participant may be required to pay to the Company or any Affiliate, and the Company and its Affiliates shall have the right and are hereby authorized to withhold, any applicable withholding taxes in respect of the Options, their exercise or any payment or transfer under or with respect to the Options and to take such other action as may be necessary in the opinion of the Committee to satisfy all obligations for the payment of such withholding taxes.

9. Securities Laws . Upon the acquisition of any Shares pursuant to the exercise of the Options, the Participant will make or enter into such written representations, warranties and agreements as the Committee may reasonably request in order to comply with applicable securities laws or with this Agreement.

10. Notices . Any notice necessary under this Agreement shall be addressed to the Company in care of its Secretary at the principal executive office of the Company and to the Participant at the address appearing in the personnel records of the Company for the Participant or to either party at such other address as either party may hereafter designate in writing to the other. Any such notice shall be deemed effective upon receipt thereof by the addressee.

11. Choice of Law . THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE WITHOUT REGARD TO CONFLICTS OF LAWS.

12. Options Subject to Plan . By entering into this Agreement, the Participant agrees and acknowledges that the Participant has received and read a copy of the Plan, the Commitment Agreement and the Plan of Reorganization. The Options are subject to the Plan. The terms and provisions of the Plan as they may be amended from time to time are hereby incorporated herein by reference. In the event of a conflict between any term or provision contained herein and a term or provision of the Plan, the applicable terms and provisions of the Plan will govern and prevail.

13. Signature in Counterparts . This Agreement may be signed in counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement.

 

COOPER-STANDARD HOLDINGS INC.

By:  

 

 

Agreed and acknowledged as of the

date first above written:

 

Participant:

Time Option:            Shares

Option in Respect of Warrants:            Shares

EXHIBIT 10.8

2010 COOPER-STANDARD HOLDINGS INC. MANAGEMENT INCENTIVE PLAN

RESTRICTED STOCK AWARD AGREEMENT

THIS AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), is made effective as of the      day of     , 2010 (the “Date of Grant”), between Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and the individual whose name is set forth on the signature page hereof (the “Participant”):

R E C I T A L S :

WHEREAS, the Company has adopted the 2010 Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc. Management Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), which Plan is incorporated herein by reference and made a part of this Agreement. Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the same meanings as in the Plan; and

WHEREAS, the Committee has determined that it would be in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders to grant the Restricted Shares provided for herein to the Participant pursuant to the Plan and the terms set forth herein.

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants hereinafter set forth, the parties agree as follows:

1. Definitions . Whenever the following terms are used in this Agreement, they shall have the meaning specified below unless the context clearly indicates to the contrary.

(a) “Deemed Warrant Factor” shall mean, as of the date of termination of the Participant’s Employment, (i) the number of Shares that would have been issued by the Company if the Warrants outstanding and unexercised as of such date were deemed exercised on a net exercise basis, based on the market value of such Shares as of such date, divided by (ii) the Total Warrant Amount.

(b) “Restricted Shares” shall mean the grant of Time Restricted Stock, Time Restricted Preferred Stock and Restricted Stock in Respect of Warrants described in Section 2.

(c) “Restricted Stock in Respect of Warrants” shall mean the grant pursuant to which the lapsing of Transfer Restrictions is governed by Section 4(b).

(d) “Time Restricted Stock” shall mean the grant of Restricted Stock pursuant to which the lapsing of Transfer Restrictions is governed by Section 4(a).

(e) “Time Restricted Preferred Stock” shall mean the grant of Restricted Preferred Stock pursuant to which the lapsing of Transfer Restrictions is governed by Section 4(a).

(f) “Total Warrant Amount” shall mean 2,419,753, as may be adjusted from time to time as provided in the Warrant Agreement dated as of May 27, 2010 between the Company and Computershare Inc. and Computershare Trust Company, N.A.

(g) “Transfer Restrictions” is defined in Section 3.


(h) “Warrant Factor” shall mean, at the time of each exercise of Warrants, (i) the number of Shares actually issued by the Company upon such exercise divided by (ii) the Total Warrant Amount.

2. Grants . The Company hereby grants to the Participant (i) [    ] Shares of Common Stock as Time Restricted Stock and [    ] Shares of Preferred Stock as Time Restricted Preferred Stock and (ii) [    ] Shares of Common Stock as Restricted Stock in Respect of Warrants on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement. The Participant’s rights with respect to the Restricted Shares will remain forfeitable at all times prior to the applicable Lapse Dates described in Section 4.

3. Restrictions on Transfer . Prior to the applicable Lapse Date, the Participant will not be entitled to sell, transfer, or otherwise dispose of or pledge or otherwise hypothecate or assign the Restricted Shares (collectively, the “Transfer Restrictions”); provided, however, that in no event will the Participant, after the applicable Lapse Date, be entitled to transfer, sell, pledge, hypothecate or assign the Shares of Restricted Stock except as provided for in a stockholders agreement, if any.

4. Lapsing of Restrictions .

(a) Time Restricted Stock and Time Restricted Preferred Stock . 1

(i) Subject to Section 4(a) and the Participant’s continued Employment with the Company or its Affiliate, the Transfer Restrictions on the Shares of Time Restricted Stock and the Time Restricted Preferred Stock shall lapse, and such Shares shall no longer be subject to forfeiture, with respect to twenty-five percent (25%) of the Shares of the Time Restricted Stock and the Time Restricted Preferred Stock on each of the first four anniversaries of the Date of Grant (each such anniversary, a “Lapse Date”).

(ii) Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event of a Change of Control while the Participant remains in Employment with the Company or its Affiliate, the Transfer Restrictions on the Shares of Time Restricted Stock and Time Restricted Preferred Stock shall lapse with respect to 50% of such Shares then outstanding and such Shares shall no longer be subject to forfeiture, and the Transfer Restrictions on the remaining 50% of such Shares shall lapse, and such Shares shall no longer be subject to forfeiture, in accordance with their terms as set forth in (i) above; provided, however, that upon termination of the Participant’s Employment by the Company and its Affiliates without Cause or by the Participant for Good Reason, in each case within two years after a Change of Control, the Transfer Restrictions shall immediately lapse with respect to the remaining outstanding Shares of the Time Restricted Stock and Time Restricted Preferred Stock and such Shares shall no longer be subject to forfeiture.

(b) Restricted Stock in Respect of Warrants . Subject to the Participant’s continued Employment with the Company or its Affiliate, the Transfer Restrictions shall lapse on the Restricted Stock in Respect of Warrants, and such Shares shall no

 

1 The CEO will have ratable vesting over three years rather than four.


longer be subject to forfeiture, on the later of the date on which (i) the Transfer Restrictions on the Time Restricted Stock lapse or (ii) any or all of the Warrants are exercised, in each case, in an amount determined based on the number of Shares issued upon the exercise of such Warrants, which shall be determined for each exercise of a Warrant by multiplying the Restricted Stock in Respect of Warrants by the Warrant Factor; provided that upon termination of the Participant’s Employment prior to full exercise or expiration of the Warrants, the Transfer Restrictions shall lapse on such Restricted Stock in Respect of Warrants, and such Shares shall no longer be subject to forfeiture, to the extent that the Transfer Restrictions have lapsed with respect to the Time Restricted Stock as of such date in accordance with their terms and in an amount determined by multiplying the Restricted Stock in Respect of Warrants by the Deemed Warrant Factor.

(c) Termination of Employment . Subject to the provisos in Sections 4(a)(ii) and 4(b), if the Participant’s Employment with the Company and its Affiliates terminates for any reason, the Restricted Shares shall, to the extent that the Transfer Restrictions have not yet lapsed, be canceled by the Company without consideration; provided that upon termination of the Participant’s Employment by the Company and its Affiliates without Cause, by the Participant for Good Reason, or due to the Participant’s death or Disability, any Transfer Restrictions that would have otherwise lapsed with respect to the Restricted Shares in the calendar year in which such termination occurs shall be deemed to have lapsed, and such Shares shall no longer be subject to forfeiture, as of the date of such termination.

5. Delivery of Restricted Shares . A stock certificate or certificates with respect to the Restricted Shares shall be delivered to the Participant as soon as practicable following the date on which the Transfer Restrictions on such Restricted Shares have lapsed, free of all restrictions hereunder; provided that the Committee may determine instead that the Restricted Shares shall be evidenced by book-entry registration. However, the Company shall not be liable to the Participant for damages relating to any delays in issuing any such certificates to the Participant, any loss of any such certificates, or any mistakes or errors in the issuance of such certificates or in such certificates themselves; provided that the Company shall correct any such errors caused by it. Any such certificate or certificates shall be subject to such stop transfer orders and other restrictions as the Committee may deem advisable under the Plan or the rules, regulations, and other requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, any stock exchange upon which such Shares are listed, and any applicable Federal or state laws, and the Committee may cause a legend or legends to be put on any such certificates to make appropriate reference to such restrictions.

6. Dividends and Voting Rights . Subject to Section 12, upon issuance of the Restricted Shares, the Participant shall generally have all of the rights of a stockholder with respect to the Restricted Shares, including, with respect to the Time Restricted Stock and Time Restricted Preferred Stock, the right to vote the Shares and, with respect to the Restricted Shares, the right to receive all dividends or other distributions paid or made with respect thereto; provided, however, that any such dividends or distributions shall be subject to the same Transfer Restrictions, forfeiture and vesting schedule as the Restricted Shares and shall not be paid to the


Participant unless and until such Transfer Restrictions lapse. Any such deferred dividends or distributions shall be credited during the deferral period with interest at a rate per annum as the Committee, in its discretion, may determine. Payment of any such deferred dividends or distributions, together with interest accrued thereon, shall be made upon the lapsing of the Transfer Restrictions on the Restricted Shares, and any such deferred dividends or distributions (together with any interest accrued thereon) shall be forfeited upon the forfeiture of such Restricted Shares.

7. No Right to Continued Employment . The granting of the Restricted Shares evidenced hereby and this Agreement shall impose no obligation on the Company or any of its Affiliates to continue the Employment of the Participant and shall not lessen or affect the Company’s or its Affiliate’s right to terminate the Employment of the Participant.

8. Withholding . The Participant may be required to pay to the Company or any Affiliate, and the Company and its Affiliates shall have the right and are hereby authorized to withhold, any applicable withholding taxes in respect of the Restricted Shares or any transfer under or with respect to the Restricted Shares and to take such other action as may be necessary in the opinion of the Committee to satisfy all obligations for the payment of such withholding taxes.

9. Securities Laws . Upon the acquisition of any Shares pursuant to the Restricted Shares, the Participant will make or enter into such written representations, warranties and agreements as the Committee may reasonably request in order to comply with applicable securities laws or with this Agreement.

10. Notices . Any notice necessary under this Agreement shall be addressed to the Company in care of its Secretary at the principal executive office of the Company and to the Participant at the address appearing in the personnel records of the Company for the Participant or to either party at such other address as either party may hereafter designate in writing to the other. Any such notice shall be deemed effective upon receipt thereof by the addressee.

11. Choice of Law . THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE WITHOUT REGARD TO CONFLICTS OF LAWS.

12. Restricted Shares Subject to Plan . By entering into this Agreement, the Participant agrees and acknowledges that the Participant has received and read a copy of the Plan, the Commitment Agreement and the Plan of Reorganization. The Restricted Shares are subject to the Plan. The terms and provisions of the Plan as they may be amended from time to time are hereby incorporated herein by reference. In the event of a conflict between any term or provision contained herein and a term or provision of the Plan, the applicable terms and provisions of the Plan will govern and prevail.

13. Signature in Counterparts . This Agreement may be signed in counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement.

 

COOPER-STANDARD HOLDINGS INC.
By:  

 

 

Agreed and acknowledged as of the

date first above written:

 

Participant:

Time Restricted Stock:                 Shares

Time Restricted Preferred Stock:                 Shares

Restricted Stock in Respect

            of Warrants:                                         Shares

EXHIBIT 10.9

2010 COOPER-STANDARD HOLDINGS INC. MANAGEMENT INCENTIVE PLAN

NONQUALIFIED STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

THIS AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), is made effective as of the          day of             , 2010 (the “Date of Grant”), between Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and the individual whose name is set forth on the signature page hereof (the “Participant”):

R E C I T A L S :

WHEREAS, the Company has adopted the 2010 Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc. Management Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), which Plan is incorporated herein by reference and made a part of this Agreement. Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the same meanings as in the Plan; and

WHEREAS, the Committee has determined that it would be in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders to grant the Options provided for herein to the Participant pursuant to the Plan and the terms set forth herein.

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants hereinafter set forth, the parties agree as follows:

1. Definitions . Whenever the following terms are used in this Agreement, they shall have the meaning specified below unless the context clearly indicates to the contrary.

(a) “Options” shall mean the Time Option to purchase Shares granted under this Agreement.

(b) “Time Option” shall mean an Option with respect to which the exercisability is governed by Section 3(a).

2. Grant of the Options . The Company hereby grants to the Participant the right and option to purchase, on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth and subject to adjustment as set forth in the Plan, a Time Option to purchase any part or all of an aggregate number of Shares set forth on the signature page hereof. The purchase price of the Shares subject to the Options shall be $            .00 per Share (the “Option Price”). The Options are intended to be non-qualified stock options, and are not intended to be treated as options that comply with Section 422 of the Code.

3. Vesting .

(a) Time Option . Subject to Section 4(a) and to the Participant’s continued Employment with the Company or its Affiliate, the Time Option shall vest with respect to fifty percent (50%) of the Shares initially covered by the Time Option as of the first anniversary of the Date of Grant, and with respect to twenty-five percent (25%) of the Shares initially covered by the Time Option as of the second anniversary of the Date of Grant, and with respect to twenty-five percent (25%) of the Shares initially covered by the Time Option as of the third anniversary of the Date of Grant, (each a “Vesting Date”).

 


(b) Change of Control . Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event of a Change of Control while the Participant remains in Employment with the Company or its Affiliate, 100% of the then unvested portion of the Options shall, to the extent outstanding, immediately become fully vested and exercisable.

(c) Termination of Employment . Upon termination of the Participant’s Employment with the Company or its Affiliate due to the Participant’s death, Disability or as the result of an involuntary removal by action of the stockholders, the Participant shall be deemed vested with respect to the portion of the Shares subject to the Options granted hereunder, based on the following fraction, the numerator of which is the days served as a director from later of the Date of Grant or the most recent Vesting Date through the termination date and the denominator of which is 365, times:

1) 50%, if such termination occurs prior to the first Vesting Date, or

2) 25%, if such termination between the first and third Vesting Dates;

provided however, upon termination of the Participant’s Employment with the Company or its Affiliate due to a Termination Event of the Stockholder (as such terms are defined in the Director Nomination Agreement made as of May 27, 2010, among Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc., a Delaware corporation and [            ]), the Participant shall be deemed vested with respect to the 50% of the Shares subject to the Options granted hereunder if such termination occurs prior to the first Vesting Date and with respect to an additional 25% of the Shares subject to the Options granted hereunder if such termination occurs between the first and third Vesting Dates.

4. Exercise of Option .

(a) Period of Exercise . Subject to the provisions of the Plan and this Agreement, the Participant may exercise all or any part of the vested portion of the Option at any time prior to the earliest to occur of:

(i) the tenth anniversary of the Date of Grant;

(ii) the first anniversary of the date of the Participant’s termination of Employment due to death or Disability or in connection with a Change of Control; and

(iii) 90 days following the date of the Participant’s termination of Employment with the Company or its Affiliate for any reason other than death or Disability or in connection with a Change of Control.

(b) Method of Exercise .

(i) Subject to Section 4(a), the vested portion of an Option may be exercised by delivering to the Company at its principal office written notice of intent to so exercise; provided that such portion may be exercised with respect to whole Shares only. Such notice shall specify the number of Shares for which such portion is being exercised and shall be accompanied by payment in full of the Option Price. The payment of the Option Price may be made at the election of the Participant (i) in cash or its equivalent (e.g., by check), (ii) to the extent permitted


by the Committee, in Shares having a Fair Market Value equal to the aggregate Option Price for the Shares being purchased and satisfying such other requirements as may be imposed by the Committee; provided that such Shares have been held by the Participant for no less than six months (or such other period, if any, as established from time to time by the Committee in order to avoid adverse accounting treatment applying generally accepted accounting principles), (iii) partly in cash and, to the extent permitted by the Committee, partly in such Shares or (iv) if there is a public market for the Shares at such time and if the Committee has authorized or established any required plan or program, through the delivery of irrevocable instructions to a broker to sell Shares obtained upon the exercise of an Option and to deliver promptly to the Company an amount out of the proceeds of such sale equal to the aggregate Option Price for the Shares being purchased. The Participant shall not have any rights to dividends or other rights of a stockholder with respect to Shares subject to an Option until the Participant has given written notice of exercise of the Option, paid in full for such Shares and, if applicable, has satisfied any other conditions imposed by the Committee pursuant to the Plan.

(ii) Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan or this Agreement to the contrary, the Options may not be exercised prior to the completion of any registration or qualification of the Options or the Shares under applicable state and federal securities or other laws, or under any ruling or regulation of any governmental body or national securities exchange that the Committee shall in its sole discretion determine to be necessary or advisable.

(iii) Upon the Company’s determination that an Option has been validly exercised as to any of the Shares, the Company shall issue a certificate or certificates in the Participant’s name for such Shares; provided that the Committee may determine instead that such Shares shall be evidenced by book-entry registration. However, the Company shall not be liable to the Participant for damages relating to any delays in issuing any such certificates to the Participant, any loss of any such certificates, or any mistakes or errors in the issuance of any such certificates or in any such certificates themselves; provided that the Company shall correct any such errors caused by it.

(iv) Subject to Section 7, in the event of the Participant’s death, the vested portion of the Options shall remain exercisable by the Participant’s executor or administrator, or the Person or Persons to whom the Participant’s rights under this Agreement shall pass by will or by the laws of descent and distribution as the case may be, to the extent set forth in Section 4(a). Any heir or legatee of the Participant shall take rights herein granted subject to the terms and conditions hereof.

5. No Right to Continued Employment . The granting of the Options evidenced hereby and this Agreement shall impose no obligation on the Company or any of its Affiliates to continue the Employment of the Participant.

6. Legend on Certificates . The certificates representing the Shares purchased by exercise of the Options, if applicable, shall be subject to such stop transfer orders and other


restrictions as the Committee may deem advisable under the Plan or the rules, regulations, and other requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, any stock exchange upon which such Shares are listed, and any applicable Federal or state laws, and the Committee may cause a legend or legends to be put on any such certificates to make appropriate reference to such restrictions, including reference to the fact that all Shares acquired hereunder shall be subject to the terms of a stockholders agreement, if any.

7. Transferability . The Options may not be assigned, alienated, pledged, attached, sold or otherwise transferred or encumbered by the Participant otherwise than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution, and any such purported assignment, alienation, pledge, attachment, sale, transfer or encumbrance shall be void and unenforceable against the Company or any Affiliate; provided that the designation of a beneficiary shall not constitute an assignment, alienation, pledge, attachment, sale, transfer or encumbrance. No such permitted transfer of an Option to heirs or legatees of the Participant shall be effective to bind the Company unless the Committee shall have been furnished with written notice thereof and a copy of such evidence as the Committee may deem necessary to establish the validity of the transfer and the acceptance by the transferee or transferees of the terms and conditions hereof. During the Participant’s lifetime, the Options are exercisable only by the Participant.

8. Withholding . The Participant may be required to pay to the Company or any Affiliate, and the Company and its Affiliates shall have the right and are hereby authorized to withhold, any applicable withholding taxes in respect of the Options, their exercise or any payment or transfer under or with respect to the Options and to take such other action as may be necessary in the opinion of the Committee to satisfy all obligations for the payment of such withholding taxes.

9. Securities Laws . Upon the acquisition of any Shares pursuant to the exercise of the Options, the Participant will make or enter into such written representations, warranties and agreements as the Committee may reasonably request in order to comply with applicable securities laws or with this Agreement.

10. Notices . Any notice necessary under this Agreement shall be addressed to the Company in care of its Secretary at the principal executive office of the Company and to the Participant at the address appearing in the personnel records of the Company for the Participant or to either party at such other address as either party may hereafter designate in writing to the other. Any such notice shall be deemed effective upon receipt thereof by the addressee.

11. Choice of Law . THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE WITHOUT REGARD TO CONFLICTS OF LAWS.

12. Options Subject to Plan . By entering into this Agreement, the Participant agrees and acknowledges that the Participant has received and read a copy of the Plan, the Commitment Agreement and the Plan of Reorganization. The Options are subject to the Plan. The terms and provisions of the Plan as they may be amended from time to time are hereby incorporated herein by reference. In the event of a conflict between any term or provision contained herein and a term or provision of the Plan, the applicable terms and provisions of the Plan will govern and prevail.


13. Signature in Counterparts . This Agreement may be signed in counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement.

 

COOPER-STANDARD HOLDINGS INC.
By:  

 

 

Agreed and acknowledged as of the

date first above written:

 

Participant:
Time Option:   Shares

EXHIBIT 10.10

2010 COOPER-STANDARD HOLDINGS INC. MANAGEMENT INCENTIVE PLAN

RESTRICTED STOCK AWARD AGREEMENT

THIS AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), is made effective as of the day of         , 2010 (the “Date of Grant”), between Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and the individual whose name is set forth on the signature page hereof (the “Participant”):

R E C I T A L S :

WHEREAS, the Company has adopted the 2010 Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc. Management Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), which Plan is incorporated herein by reference and made a part of this Agreement. Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the same meanings as in the Plan; and

WHEREAS, the Committee has determined that it would be in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders to grant the Restricted Shares provided for herein to the Participant pursuant to the Plan and the terms set forth herein.

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants hereinafter set forth, the parties agree as follows:

1. Definitions . Whenever the following terms are used in this Agreement, they shall have the meaning specified below unless the context clearly indicates to the contrary.

(a) “Restricted Shares” shall mean the grant of Time Restricted Stock described in Section 2.

(b) “Time Restricted Stock” shall mean the grant of Restricted Stock pursuant to which the lapsing of Transfer Restrictions is governed by Section 4(a).

(c) “Transfer Restrictions” is defined in Section 3.

2. Grants . The Company hereby grants to the Participant [    ] Shares of Common Stock as Time Restricted Stock on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement. The Participant’s rights with respect to the Restricted Shares will remain forfeitable at all times prior to the applicable Lapse Dates described in Section 4.

3. Restrictions on Transfer . Prior to the applicable Lapse Date, the Participant will not be entitled to sell, transfer, or otherwise dispose of or pledge or otherwise hypothecate or assign the Restricted Shares (collectively, the “Transfer Restrictions”); provided, however, that in no event will the Participant, after the applicable Lapse Date, be entitled to transfer, sell, pledge, hypothecate or assign the Shares of Restricted Stock except as provided for in a stockholders agreement, if any.


4. Lapsing of Restrictions .

(a) Time Restricted Stock . Subject to the remainder of this Section 4 and the Participant’s continued Employment with the Company or its Affiliate, the Transfer Restrictions on the Shares of Time Restricted Stock shall lapse, and such Shares shall no longer be subject to forfeiture, with respect to fifty percent (50%) of the Shares of the Time Restricted Stock on the first anniversary of the Date of Grant, with respect to twenty-five percent (25%) of the Shares of the Time Restricted Stock on the second anniversary of the Date of Grant, and with respect to twenty-five percent (25%) of the Shares of the Time Restricted Stock on the third anniversary of the Date of Grant, (each such anniversary, a “Lapse Date”).

(b) Change of Control . Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event of a Change of Control while the Participant remains in Employment with the Company or its Affiliate, the Transfer Restrictions on the Shares of Time Restricted Stock shall lapse with respect to 100% of such Shares then outstanding and such Shares shall no longer be subject to forfeiture.

(c) Termination of Employment . Upon termination of the Participant’s Employment with the Company or its Affiliate due to the Participant’s death, Disability or as the result of an involuntary removal by action of the stockholders, the Transfer Restrictions shall immediately lapse with respect to the portion of the Restricted Shares granted hereunder, based on the following fraction, the numerator of which is the days served as a director from the later of the Date of Grant or the most recent Lapse Date through the termination date and the denominator of which is 365, times:

1) 50%, if such termination occurs prior to the first Lapse Date, or

2) 25%, if such termination between the first and third Lapse Dates

and such Shares shall no longer be subject to forfeiture as of the date of termination; provided however, upon a termination of the Participant’s Employment with the Company or its Affiliate due to a Termination Event of the Stockholder (as such terms are defined in the Director Nomination Agreement made as of May 27, 2010, among Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc., a Delaware corporation and [    ] ), the Transfer Restrictions shall immediately lapse with respect to 50% of the Restricted Shares granted hereunder if such termination occurs prior to the first Lapse Date and with respect to 25% of the Restricted Shares granted hereunder if such termination occurs between the first and third Lapse Dates.

5. Delivery of Restricted Shares . The Company shall not be liable to the Participant for damages relating to any delays in issuing any such certificates to the Participant, any loss of any such certificates, or any mistakes or errors in the issuance of such certificates or in such certificates themselves; provided that the Company shall correct any such errors caused by it. Any such certificate or certificates shall be subject to such stop transfer orders and other restrictions as the Committee may deem advisable under the Plan or the rules, regulations, and other requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, any stock exchange upon which such Shares are listed, and any applicable Federal or state laws, and the Committee may cause a legend or legends to be put on any such certificates to make appropriate reference to such restrictions.

 


6. Dividends and Voting Rights . Subject to Section 12, upon issuance of the Restricted Shares, the Participant shall generally have all of the rights of a stockholder with respect to the Restricted Shares, including the right to vote the Shares and the right to receive all dividends or other distributions paid or made with respect thereto; provided, however, that any such dividends or distributions shall be subject to the same Transfer Restrictions, forfeiture and vesting schedule as the Restricted Shares and shall not be paid to the Participant unless and until such Transfer Restrictions lapse. Any such deferred dividends or distributions shall be credited during the deferral period with interest at a rate per annum as the Committee, in its discretion, may determine. Payment of any such deferred dividends or distributions, together with interest accrued thereon, shall be made upon the lapsing of the Transfer Restrictions on the Restricted Shares, and any such deferred dividends or distributions (together with any interest accrued thereon) shall be forfeited upon the forfeiture of such Restricted Shares.

7. No Right to Continued Employment . The granting of the Restricted Shares evidenced hereby and this Agreement shall impose no obligation on the Company or any of its Affiliates to continue the Employment of the Participant.

8. Withholding . The Participant may be required to pay to the Company or any Affiliate, and the Company and its Affiliates shall have the right and are hereby authorized to withhold, any applicable withholding taxes in respect of the Restricted Shares or any transfer under or with respect to the Restricted Shares and to take such other action as may be necessary in the opinion of the Committee to satisfy all obligations for the payment of such withholding taxes.

9. Securities Laws . Upon the acquisition of any Shares pursuant to the Restricted Shares, the Participant will make or enter into such written representations, warranties and agreements as the Committee may reasonably request in order to comply with applicable securities laws or with this Agreement.

10. Notices . Any notice necessary under this Agreement shall be addressed to the Company in care of its Secretary at the principal executive office of the Company and to the Participant at the address appearing in the personnel records of the Company for the Participant or to either party at such other address as either party may hereafter designate in writing to the other. Any such notice shall be deemed effective upon receipt thereof by the addressee.

11. Choice of Law . THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE WITHOUT REGARD TO CONFLICTS OF LAWS.

12. Restricted Shares Subject to Plan . By entering into this Agreement, the Participant agrees and acknowledges that the Participant has received and read a copy of the Plan, the Commitment Agreement and the Plan of Reorganization. The Restricted Shares are subject to the Plan. The terms and provisions of the Plan as they may be amended from time to time are hereby incorporated herein by reference. In the event of a conflict between any term or provision contained herein and a term or provision of the Plan, the applicable terms and provisions of the Plan will govern and prevail.

 


13. Signature in Counterparts . This Agreement may be signed in counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement.

 

COOPER-STANDARD HOLDINGS INC.
By:  

 

 

Agreed and acknowledged as of the date first above written:

 

Participant: