UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 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): August 23, 2016

 

 

WESTLAKE CHEMICAL CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   001-32260   76-0346924

(State or other jurisdiction

of incorporation)

 

(Commission

File Number)

 

(I.R.S. employer

Identification No.)

2801 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite 600

Houston, Texas

  77056
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (713) 960-9111

 

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 

¨ 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-4(c))

 

 

 


Item 1.01. Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

On August 23, 2016, Westlake Chemical Corporation (“ Westlake ”) and certain of its subsidiaries entered into a credit agreement (the “ Credit Agreement ”), by and among Westlake, the other borrowers and guarantors referred to therein, the lenders from time to time party thereto (collectively, the “ Lenders ”), the issuing banks party thereto and JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, as Administrative Agent. Under the Credit Agreement, the Lenders have committed to provide an unsecured revolving credit facility in an aggregate principal amount of up to $1 billion. The Credit Agreement replaces Westlake’s existing $400 million senior secured third amended and restated credit facility, dated as of July 17, 2014 (the “ Existing ABL Credit Agreement ”), by and among Westlake, the financial institutions party thereto, as lenders, Bank of America, N.A., as agent, and Westlake Chemical Corporation and certain of its subsidiaries, as borrowers. The Credit Agreement became effective in accordance with its terms on August 23, 2016, and the Existing ABL Credit Agreement was terminated on August 23, 2016. A copy of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.

Any borrowings under the Credit Agreement will bear interest, at Westlake’s option, at either (a) LIBOR plus a spread ranging from 1.00% to 1.75% that will vary depending on the credit rating of Westlake or (b) ABR plus a spread ranging from 0.00% to 0.75% that will vary depending on the credit rating of Westlake. The Credit Agreement also requires an undrawn commitment fee ranging from 0.10% to 0.25% that will vary depending on the credit rating of Westlake. The Credit Agreement will mature on August 23, 2021.

The Credit Agreement includes a $150 million sub-limit for letters of credit, and any outstanding letters of credit will be deducted from availability under the facility. The Credit Agreement also provides for a discretionary $50 million commitment for swingline loans to be provided on a same-day basis. Westlake may also increase the size of the facility, in increments of at least $25 million, up to a maximum of $500 million, subject to certain conditions and if certain Lenders agree to commit to such an increase.

The obligations of Westlake under the Credit Agreement are guaranteed by current and future material domestic subsidiaries of Westlake, subject to customary exceptions. The Credit Agreement contains customary affirmative and negative covenants, including a quarterly total leverage ratio financial maintenance covenant. The Credit Agreement also contains customary events of default and if and for so long as an event of default has occurred and is continuing, any amounts outstanding under the Credit Agreement will accrue interest at an increased rate, the Lenders can terminate their commitments thereunder and payments of any outstanding amounts could be accelerated by the Lenders.

The Credit Agreement is filed as Exhibit 10.1 to this report and is incorporated herein by reference. The foregoing summary does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Credit Agreement.

 

Item 1.02. Termination of a Material Definitive Agreement.

The information set forth in Item 1.01 regarding the termination of the Existing ABL Credit Agreement is incorporated herein by reference. Westlake did not incur any costs or penalties with respect to the termination of the Existing ABL Credit Agreement. For more information regarding the terms and conditions of the Existing ABL Credit Agreement, please see Westlake’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on July 17, 2014, which is incorporated herein by reference.

 

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

The information set forth in Item 1.01 above is incorporated herein by reference.


Item 8.01. Other Events.

In connection with the termination of the Existing ABL Credit Agreement, Westlake Chemical OpCo LP (“ OpCo ”), North American Pipe Corporation, Westech Building Products, Inc., Westlake Development Corporation and Westlake NG IV LLC (collectively, the “ Released Subsidiaries ”) were unconditionally released or discharged as guarantors of Westlake’s securities that were previously issued pursuant to each of the second supplemental indenture dated as of November 1, 2007, third supplemental indenture dated as of July 2, 2010, fourth supplemental indenture dated as of December 2, 2010, fifth supplemental indenture dated as of December 2, 2010 and sixth supplemental indenture dated as of July 17, 2012 (each as amended, supplemented or modified from time to time), each among Westlake, the subsidiary guarantors party thereto and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. (as successor to JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, the “ Trustee ”), each of which supplements that certain Indenture dated as of January 1, 2006 (as amended, supplemented or modified from time to time, the “ Base Indenture ”), among Westlake, the subsidiary guarantors party thereto and the Trustee. OpCo was also unconditionally released or discharged as a guarantor of Westlake’s securities issued pursuant to that certain eighth supplemental indenture dated as of August 10, 2016, among Westlake, the subsidiary guarantors party thereto and the Trustee, which supplements the Base Indenture. As a result, each of the Credit Agreement and each series of Westlake senior notes issued under the Base Indenture will benefit from guarantees by the same subsidiary guarantors.

In addition, the new notes that Westlake expects to issue in connection with the exchange offers pursuant to which Westlake will offer to issue new senior notes in exchange for Axiall Corporation’s and Eagle Spinco Inc.’s existing notes are expected to be guaranteed by the same subsidiary guarantors as the Credit Agreement and will not be guaranteed by the Released Subsidiaries. For more information regarding the exchange offer, please see Westlake’s Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on August 8, 2016 and August 22, 2016, each of which is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(d) Exhibits

The following exhibits are furnished herewith:

 

Exhibit No.

  

Description

10.1    Credit Agreement dated as of August 23, 2016, by and among Westlake Chemical Corporation, the other borrowers and guarantors referred to therein, the lenders from time to time party thereto, the issuing banks party thereto and JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, as Administrative Agent, relating to a $1 billion senior unsecured revolving credit facility.
99.1    Press Release of Westlake, dated August 24, 2016.


SIGNATURE

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

 

WESTLAKE CHEMICAL

CORPORATION

By:  

/s/ Albert Chao

  Albert Chao
  President and Chief Executive Officer

Date: August 24, 2016


EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit
No.

  

Description

10.1    Credit Agreement dated as of August 23, 2016, by and among Westlake Chemical Corporation, the other borrowers and guarantors referred to therein, the lenders from time to time party thereto, the issuing banks party thereto and JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, as Administrative Agent, relating to a $1 billion senior unsecured revolving credit facility.
99.1    Press Release of Westlake, dated August 24, 2016.

Exhibit 10.1

EXECUTION VERSION

 

 

CREDIT AGREEMENT

dated as of

August 23, 2016

among

WESTLAKE CHEMICAL CORPORATION,

The Other Borrowers Referred to Herein,

The Guarantors Referred to Herein,

The Lenders Party Hereto

The Issuing Banks Party Hereto

and

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK,

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

as Administrative Agent.

 

 

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK,

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,

as Sole Bookrunner and Sole Lead Arranger,

BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. and WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,

as Co-Syndication Agents

and

CITIBANK, N.A., DEUTSCHE BANK SECURITIES INC.,

GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA and PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,

as Co-Documentation Agents.

 

 

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

     P AGE  
ARTICLE I   
DEFINITIONS   

SECTION 1.01. Defined Terms

     1   

SECTION 1.02. Classification of Loans and Borrowings

     24   

SECTION 1.03. Terms Generally

     24   

SECTION 1.04. Accounting Terms; GAAP

     25   
ARTICLE II   
THE CREDITS   

SECTION 2.01. Commitments

     25   

SECTION 2.02. Loans and Borrowings

     25   

SECTION 2.03. Requests for Revolving Borrowings

     26   

SECTION 2.04. [Reserved.]

     27   

SECTION 2.05. Swingline Loans

     27   

SECTION 2.06. Letters of Credit

     28   

SECTION 2.07. Funding of Borrowings

     32   

SECTION 2.08. Interest Elections

     33   

SECTION 2.09. Termination and Reduction of Commitments; Mandatory Repayments

     34   

SECTION 2.10. Repayment of Loans; Evidence of Debt

     35   

SECTION 2.11. Prepayment of Loans

     36   

SECTION 2.12. Fees

     36   

SECTION 2.13. Interest

     37   

SECTION 2.14. Alternate Rate of Interest

     38   

SECTION 2.15. Increased Costs

     38   

SECTION 2.16. Break Funding Payments

     39   

SECTION 2.17. Payments Free of Taxes

     40   

SECTION 2.18. Payments Generally; Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of Set-offs

     44   

SECTION 2.19. Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders

     45   

SECTION 2.20. Defaulting Lenders

     46   

SECTION 2.21. Increased Commitments, Additional Lenders

     47   
ARTICLE III   
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES   

SECTION 3.01. Organization; Qualification

     49   

SECTION 3.02. Authorization; Validity; Enforceability

     49   

SECTION 3.03. Governmental Approvals; No Conflicts

     49   

SECTION 3.04. Financial Condition; No Material Adverse Change; Projections

     49   

SECTION 3.05. Reserved.

     50   

SECTION 3.06. Litigation and Environmental Matters

     50   

SECTION 3.07. Compliance with Laws and Agreements

     50   

SECTION 3.08. Investment Company Status

     50   

SECTION 3.09. Taxes

     50   

SECTION 3.10. ERISA

     50   

 

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     P AGE  

SECTION 3.11. Disclosure

     51   

SECTION 3.12. Sanctions

     51   

SECTION 3.13. Margin Regulations

     51   

SECTION 3.14. [Reserved.]

     51   

SECTION 3.15. [Reserved.]

     51   

SECTION 3.16. USA PATRIOT Act

     51   

SECTION 3.17. Intellectual Property Matters

     51   
ARTICLE IV   
CONDITIONS   

SECTION 4.01. Effective Date

     52   

SECTION 4.02. Each Credit Event

     53   

SECTION 4.03. First Borrowing by Each Eligible Subsidiary

     53   
ARTICLE V   
AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS   

SECTION 5.01. Financial Statements; Ratings Change and Other Information

     54   

SECTION 5.02. Notices of Material Events

     56   

SECTION 5.03. Existence; Conduct of Business

     56   

SECTION 5.04. Payment of Obligations

     56   

SECTION 5.05. Maintenance of Properties; Insurance

     56   

SECTION 5.06. Books and Records; Inspection Rights

     56   

SECTION 5.07. Compliance with Law; Maintenance of Licenses

     57   

SECTION 5.08. Use of Proceeds and Letters of Credit

     57   

SECTION 5.09. [Reserved]

     57   

SECTION 5.10. Further Assurances

     57   
ARTICLE VI   
NEGATIVE COVENANTS   

SECTION 6.01. Indebtedness

     58   

SECTION 6.02. Liens

     59   

SECTION 6.03. Fundamental Changes

     59   

SECTION 6.04. Investments, Loans, Advances, Guarantees and Permitted Acquisitions

     60   

SECTION 6.05. Sale and Leaseback Transactions

     61   

SECTION 6.06. Restricted Payments

     61   

SECTION 6.07. Use of Proceeds; Anti-Corruption Laws and Laws Against Sanctioned Persons

     61   

SECTION 6.08. [Reserved.]

     61   

SECTION 6.09. Financial Covenant

     61   
ARTICLE VII   
EVENTS OF DEFAULT   

SECTION 7.01. Events of Default

     62   

SECTION 7.02. Application of Funds

     64   
ARTICLE VIII   
THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT   

 

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     P AGE  
ARTICLE IX   
MISCELLANEOUS   

SECTION 9.01. Notices

     66   

SECTION 9.02. Waivers; Amendments

     68   

SECTION 9.03. Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver

     69   

SECTION 9.04. Successors and Assigns

     70   

SECTION 9.05. Survival

     74   

SECTION 9.06. Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness; Electronic Execution

     74   

SECTION 9.07. Severability

     74   

SECTION 9.08. Right of Setoff

     75   

SECTION 9.09. Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Consent to Service of Process

     75   

SECTION 9.10. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL

     75   

SECTION 9.11. Headings

     76   

SECTION 9.12. Confidentiality

     76   

SECTION 9.13. Material Non-Public Information.

     76   

SECTION 9.14. Interest Rate Limitation

     77   

SECTION 9.15. USA PATRIOT Act

     77   

SECTION 9.16. Acknowledgement and Consent to Bail-In of EEA Financial Institutions

     77   

SECTION 9.17. Judgment Currency

     78   

SECTION 9.18. Appointment of Process Agent

     78   

SECTION 9.19. No Fiduciary Duty

     78   
ARTICLE X   
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF ELIGIBLE SUBSIDIARIES   

SECTION 10.01. Legal Existence and Power

     79   

SECTION 10.02. Legal and Governmental Authorization; No Contravention

     79   

SECTION 10.03. Binding Effect

     79   

SECTION 10.04. Taxes

     79   
ARTICLE XI   
GUARANTY   

SECTION 11.01. The Guaranty

     79   

SECTION 11.02. Guaranty Unconditional

     80   

SECTION 11.03. Discharge Only Upon Payment In Full; Reinstatement In Certain Circumstances

     80   

SECTION 11.04. Waiver by the Guarantors

     80   

SECTION 11.05. Subrogation

     81   

SECTION 11.06. Release of Subsidiary Guarantors

     81   

SCHEDULES :

  

Schedule 2.01A – Commitments

  

Schedule 2.01B – Swingline Commitments

  

Schedule 2.01C – Letter of Credit Commitments

  

Schedule 2.06 – Existing Letters of Credit

  

EXHIBITS :

  

Exhibit A – Assignment and Assumption

  

Exhibit B – Borrowing Request

  

Exhibit C – U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate

  

 

iii


     P AGE

Exhibit D – Election to Participate

  

Exhibit E – Election to Terminate

  

Exhibit F – Joinder Agreement

  

 

iv


CREDIT AGREEMENT dated as of August 23, 2016 among WESTLAKE CHEMICAL CORPORATION, the other BORROWERS party hereto from time to time, the GUARANTORS party hereto from time to time, the LENDERS party hereto from time to time, the Issuing Banks from time to time party hereto, and JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Administrative Agent.

The parties hereto agree as follows:

ARTICLE I

Definitions

SECTION 1.01. Defined Terms . As used in this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings specified below:

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

Additional Lender ” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 2.21(a).

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

Administrative Agent ” means JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., in its capacity as administrative agent and Issuers for the Lenders hereunder, or, as applicable, such Affiliates thereof as it shall from time to time designate for the purpose of performing its obligations hereunder in such capacity, including with respect to any Loan denominated in an Alternative Currency, J.P. Morgan Europe Limited and any successor thereto appointed pursuant to Article VIII.

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

Affected Lender ” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 2.19(b).

Affiliate ” means, with respect to a specified Person, another Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, Controls or is Controlled by or is under common Control with the Person specified, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise.

Agent Party ” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.01(d)(ii).

Alternate Base Rate ” means, for any day, a rate per annum equal to the greatest of (a) the Prime Rate in effect on such day, (b) the NYFRB Rate in effect on such day plus  1 2 of 1% and (c) the Adjusted LIBO Rate for a one month Interest Period denominated in U.S. Dollars on such day (or if such day is not a Business Day, the immediately preceding Business Day) plus 1%, provided that the Adjusted LIBO Rate for any day shall be based on the LIBO Rate at approximately 11:00 a.m. London time on such day. Any change in the Alternate Base Rate due to a change in the Prime Rate, the NYFRB Rate or the Adjusted LIBO Rate shall be effective from and including the effective date of such change in the Prime Rate, the NYFRB Rate or the Adjusted LIBO Rate, respectively.


Alternate Currency ” means Canadian Dollars, Euros, Pounds Sterling and each other currency (other than U.S. Dollars) that is requested by a Borrower and approved in writing by the Administrative Agent and each Lender.

Alternate Currency LC Exposure ” means, at any time, the sum of (a) the aggregate undrawn amount of all outstanding Letters of Credit issued in an Alternate Currency at such time plus (b) the aggregate amount of all LC Disbursements in Alternate Currencies that have not yet been reimbursed by or on behalf of the Borrowers at such time. The Alternate Currency LC Exposure of any Lender at any time shall be its Applicable Percentage of the total Alternate Currency LC Exposure at such time.

Alternate Currency Loan ” means a Loan that is made in an Alternate Currency pursuant to the applicable Notice of Borrowing.

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

Alternate Currency Sublimit ” means $250,000,000.

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

Applicable Rate ” means, for any day, with respect to any Eurodollar Revolving Loan or ABR Loan, or with respect to the undrawn commitment fees payable hereunder, as the case may be, the applicable rate per annum determined as set forth below under the caption “Eurodollar Revolving Loans”, “ABR Loans” or “Undrawn Commitment Fee”, as the case may be, based upon the ratings by Fitch, Moody’s and S&P, respectively, applicable on such date to the Public Debt Rating:

 

     Pricing Level I    Pricing Level II    Pricing Level III    Pricing Level IV    Pricing Level V

Public Debt Rating

   >  A- / A3 / A-    BBB+ / Baa1 /
BBB+
   BBB / Baa2 /
BBB
   BBB- / Baa3 /
BBB-
   <  BB+ / Ba1 /
BB+

Eurodollar Revolving Loans

   100.0 bps    112.5 bps    125.0 bps    150.0 bps    175.0 bps

ABR Loans

   0.0 bps    12.5 bps    25.0 bps    50.0 bps    75.0 bps

Undrawn Commitment Fee

   10.0 bps    12.5 bps    15.0 bps    17.5 bps    25.0 bps

The foregoing pricing shall be based on the senior, unsecured non-credit enhanced long-term indebtedness for borrowed money of the Company issued by S&P, Moody’s and Fitch (the “ Public Debt Rating ”).

For any date of determination, (a) if the Company shall maintain a Public Debt Rating from only two of S&P, Moody’s and Fitch then the higher of such Public Debt Ratings shall apply, unless there is a split in Debt Ratings of more than one Pricing Level, in which case the pricing level shall be determined by reference to a Public Debt Rating that is one pricing level lower than the higher of the Company’s two Public Debt Ratings, (b) if the Company shall maintain a Public Debt Rating from only one of S&P,

 

2


Moody’s and Fitch, then that single Debt Rating shall apply, (c) if the Company shall maintain a Public Debt Rating from all three of S&P, Moody’s and Fitch and there is a difference in such Public Debt Ratings, (i) if there is a difference of only one pricing level between the highest and lowest of such Public Debt Ratings, the pricing level shall be determined by reference to the higher Public Debt Rating, and (ii) if there is a difference of more than one pricing level between any of the Public Debt Ratings, and if two Public Debt Ratings are equivalent and the third Public Debt Rating is lower, the pricing level shall be determined by reference to the higher Public Debt Rating; otherwise the pricing level shall be determined by reference to a Public Debt Rating that is one pricing level below the highest of the Company’s three Public Debt Ratings and (d) if the Company shall fail to maintain any Public Debt Rating from any of S&P, Moody’s and Fitch, then Pricing Level V shall apply. As of the date hereof, Pricing Level III is in effect.

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

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

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

Axiall Acquisition ” means the acquisition by the Company, directly or through a Wholly-Owned Consolidated Subsidiary, of all of the outstanding Equity Interests of Axiall Corporation pursuant to the Axiall Acquisition Agreement.

Axiall Acquisition Agreement ” means the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of June 10, 2016, among the Company, Lagoon Merger Sub, Inc. and Axiall Corporation, as amended from time to time.

Axiall Acquisition Closing Date ” means the date on which the Axiall Acquisition shall have been consummated.

Axiall Notes means the 4.625% Senior Notes due 2021 of Eagle Spinco Inc. and the 4.875% Senior Notes due 2023 of Axiall Corporation.

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

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

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

 

3


from the jurisdiction of courts within the United States or from the enforcement of judgments or writs of attachment on its assets or permit such Person (or such Governmental Authority or instrumentality) to reject, repudiate, disavow or disaffirm any contracts or agreements made by such Person.

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

Board of Directors ,” when used with reference to the Company or another Loan Party, means the Board of Directors or comparable governing body of the Company or such Loan Party, as the case may be, or any committee thereof duly authorized, with respect to any particular matter, to act by or on behalf of the Board of Directors or comparable governing body of the Company or such Loan Party, as the case may be.

Borrower DTTP Filing ” means an HM Revenue & Customs’ Form DTTP2, duly completed and filed by the relevant Borrower within the applicable time limit, which contains the scheme reference number and jurisdiction of tax residence provided by the Lender to such Borrower and the Administrative Agent.

Borrowers ” means the Company and each Eligible Subsidiary that becomes a borrower hereunder by delivering an Election to Participate to the Administrative Agent in compliance with the terms of this Agreement.

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

Borrowing Request ” means a request by the applicable Borrower for a Revolving Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.03, and substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto or such other form as the Administrative Agent may approve from time to time.

Bridge Facility ” refers to the commitments outstanding under a $1,765,000,000 bridge facility established pursuant to that certain Commitment Letter, dated as of June 10, 2016, among the Company, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Deutsche Bank AG Cayman Islands Branch and Goldman Sachs Bank USA.

Business Day ” means any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in New York City are authorized or required by law to remain closed; provided that, when used in connection with a Eurodollar Loan (including any Alternate Currency Loans), the term “Business Day” shall also exclude any day on which banks are not open for dealings in U.S. Dollar deposits (or, in the case of an Alternate Currency Loan, dealings in deposits for the Alternate Currency pertaining to such Alternate Currency Loan) in the London interbank market; provided , further , that in the case of an Alternate Currency, (i) if such Alternate Currency is the Euro, such day shall also be a TARGET Day and (ii) otherwise, such day shall be a day on which banks are open for foreign exchange business in the principal financial center of the country of such Alternate Currency.

Canadian Dollars ” refers to lawful money of Canada.

Capital Lease Obligations ” of any Person means the obligations of such Person to pay rent or other amounts under any lease of (or other arrangement conveying the right to use) real or personal property, or a combination thereof, which obligations are required to be classified and accounted for as capital leases on a balance sheet of such Person under GAAP, and the amount of such obligations shall be the capitalized amount thereof determined in accordance with GAAP.

 

4


CDOR ” has the meaning given to such term in the definition of LIBO Rate.

CFC ” any Subsidiary that is (i) a “controlled foreign corporation” within the meaning of the Code, (ii) a partnership one or more partners in which is a “controlled foreign corporation” or (iii) disregarded as an entity separate from its owner within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 301.7701-3 and is a direct Subsidiary of an entity described in clauses (i) or (ii), above.

CFC Holdco ” means a Subsidiary (i) that is (x) organized under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia or (y) disregarded as an entity separate from its owner within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 301.7701-3 and (ii) substantially all of the assets of which constitute the Equity Interests of entities that are CFCs.

Change in Control ” means (a) the acquisition of ownership, directly or indirectly, beneficially or of record, by any Person or group (within the meaning of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules of the SEC thereunder as in effect on the date hereof), of Equity Interests representing more than 35% of the aggregate ordinary voting power represented by the issued and outstanding Equity Interests of the Company; or (b) during any period of 24 consecutive calendar months, the majority of the members of the Board of Directors of the Company shall no longer be composed of individuals (i) who were members of the Board of Directors of the Company on the first day of such period or (ii) whose election or nomination to the Board of Directors of the Company was approved by individuals referred to in clause (i) above constituting, at the time of such election or nomination, at least a majority of the Board of Directors of the Company or, if directors are nominated by a committee of the Board of Directors of the Company, constituting at the time of such nomination, at least a majority of such committee.

Change in Law ” means the occurrence after the date of this Agreement or, with respect to any Lender, such later date on which such Lender becomes a party to this Agreement, of (a) the adoption of or taking effect of any law, rule, regulation or treaty, (b) any change in any law, rule, regulation or treaty or in the interpretation or application thereof by any Governmental Authority or (c) compliance by any Lender or any Issuing Bank (or, for purposes of Section 2.15(b), by any lending office of such Lender or by such Lender’s or such Issuing Bank’s holding company, if any) with any request, guideline or directive (whether or not having the force of law) of any Governmental Authority made or issued after the date of this Agreement; provided that, notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, (x) the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and all requests, rules, guidelines or directives thereunder or issued in connection therewith and (y) all requests, rules, guidelines or directives promulgated by the Bank for International Settlements, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (or any successor or similar authority) or the United States or foreign regulatory authorities, in each case pursuant to Basel III, shall be deemed to be a “Change in Law,” regardless of the date enacted, adopted or issued.

Changeover Date ” has the meaning specified in Section 6.09.

Charges ” has the meaning specified in Section 9.14.

Class ” when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the Loans comprising such Borrowing, are Revolving Loans or Swingline Loans.

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

Commitment ” means, with respect to each Lender, the commitment of such Lender to make Revolving Loans and to acquire participations in Letters of Credit and Swingline Loans hereunder, expressed as an amount representing the maximum aggregate amount of such Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure hereunder, as such commitment may be (a) reduced from time to time pursuant to Section 2.09, (b) increased from time to time pursuant to Section 2.21 or (c) reduced or increased from time to time

 

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pursuant to assignments by or to such Lender pursuant to Section 9.04. The initial amount of each Lender’s Commitment is set forth on Schedule 2.01, or in the Assignment and Assumption pursuant to which such Lender shall have assumed its Commitment, as applicable. The initial aggregate amount of the Lenders’ Commitments is $1,000,000,000.

Communications ” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.01(d)(ii).

Company ” means Westlake Chemical Corporation, a Delaware corporation.

Connection Income Taxes ” means Other Connection Taxes that are imposed on or measured by net income (however denominated) or that are franchise Taxes or branch profits Taxes.

Consolidated EBITDA ” means, for any period, Consolidated Net Income for such period plus (a) without duplication and to the extent deducted in determining such Consolidated Net Income, the sum for such period of (i) Consolidated Net Interest Expense, (ii) consolidated income tax expense, (iii) all amounts attributable to depreciation and amortization, (iv) all other non-cash charges, any impairment charges, any charges resulting from the application of fair value accounting and any charges resulting from the application of purchase accounting or changes in accounting principles ( provided that any cash payment made with respect to any non-cash charge added back in computing Consolidated EBITDA for any prior period, or that would have been added back had this Agreement been in effect during such prior period, shall be subtracted in computing Consolidated EBITDA for the period in which such cash payment is made), (v) all fees, costs and expenses, incurred or payable during such period in connection with the Transactions, the Axiall Acquisition, any acquisition, disposition, issuance or repayment of indebtedness, issuance of equity securities, refinancing transaction or amendment or other modification of or waiver or consent relating to any debt instrument, in each case whether or not successful, including, for the avoidance of doubt, if the Axiall Acquisition Closing Date has occurred, by Axiall Corporation or a Subsidiary thereof, (vi) cash restructuring, severance and similar charges, including costs associated with discontinued operations or exiting businesses (provided that the aggregate amount of addbacks made pursuant to this clause (a)(vi) shall not exceed (1) for the first four fiscal quarters of the Company following the Closing Date, $75,000,000 and (2) thereafter, $50,000,000, in each case for the period of four consecutive fiscal quarters most recently ended prior to the determination date), (vii) the amount of net cost savings, operating expense reductions, other operating improvements and acquisition synergies projected by the Company in good faith to be realized during such period (calculated on a pro forma basis as though such items had been realized on the first day of such period) as a result of actions taken or to be taken in connection with any acquisition or disposition by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, any operational changes or headcount reductions, net of the amount of actual benefits realized during such period that are otherwise included in the calculation of Consolidated EBITDA from such actions, provided that (A) a duly completed certificate signed by a Financial Officer of the Company shall be delivered to the Administrative Agent together with the Compliance Certificate required to be delivered pursuant to Section 5.01(c), certifying that (x) such cost savings, operating expense reductions and synergies are reasonably expected and factually supportable as determined in good faith by the Company, and (y) such actions are to be taken and are to be realized within 18 months after the consummation of the acquisition, disposition or operational change, (B) no cost savings, operating expense reductions and synergies shall be added pursuant to this clause (vii) to the extent duplicative of any expenses or charges otherwise added to Consolidated EBITDA, whether through a pro forma adjustment or otherwise, for such period and (C) projected amounts (and not yet realized) may no longer be added in calculating Consolidated EBITDA pursuant to this clause (vii) to the extent occurring more than 18 months after the specified action taken in order to realize such projected cost savings, operating expense reductions and synergies, (viii) non-cash stock-based compensation, (ix) non-cash write-downs or write-offs (including non-cash inventory write-downs and write-off of goodwill, intangibles or long-lived assets), (x) if the Axiall Acquisition Closing Date has occurred, $25,000,000 with respect to the settlement of personal

 

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injury claims for Eagle Nantrim LLC incurred prior to the date hereof for such period and (xi) other extraordinary, unusual or non-recurring cash charges, and minus (b) without duplication and to the extent included in determining such Consolidated Net Income, any non-cash items or any extraordinary, unusual or non-recurring items increasing Consolidated Net Income for such period, all determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP. For the purposes of calculating Consolidated EBITDA for any period, if at any time during such period the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary shall have made any acquisition or disposition, Consolidated EBITDA for such period shall be determined giving pro forma effect thereto in accordance with Section 1.04.

Consolidated Indebtedness ” means, for any date of determination, the consolidated Indebtedness of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries at such date, determined in accordance with GAAP and on a pro forma basis with such pro forma adjustments as are appropriate and consistent with Section 1.04.

Consolidated Net Income ” means, for any period, the consolidated net income of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period, determined in accordance with GAAP and on a pro forma basis with such pro forma adjustments as are appropriate and consistent with Section 1.04.

“Consolidated Net Interest Expense” means, for any period, (a) the consolidated interest expense of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries determined in accordance with GAAP (including imputed interest under Capital Lease Obligations and all debt discount and expense amortized in such period) but excluding (i) the effect of any mark-to-market valuation or revaluation of any Indebtedness and (ii) expense arising from the early extinguishment of Indebtedness to the extent otherwise includable in interest expense minus (b) the consolidated interest income of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, determined in accordance with GAAP. For the purposes of calculating Consolidated Net Interest Expense for any period, if at any time during such period the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary shall have made any acquisition or disposition, Consolidated Net Interest Expense for such period shall be determined giving pro forma effect thereto and to any related incurrence or repayment of Indebtedness in accordance with Section 1.04.

Consolidated Net Tangible Assets ” of any Person means the aggregate amount of assets of such Person (less applicable reserves and other properly deductible items) after deducting therefrom (to the extent otherwise included therein) all goodwill, trade names, trademarks, patents, unamortized debt discount and expense and other like intangibles, all as set forth on the books and records of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis and in accordance with GAAP.

Consolidated Revenues ” means, for any date of determination, the consolidated revenue of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries at such date, determined in accordance with GAAP and on a pro forma basis with such pro forma adjustments as are appropriate and consistent with Section 1.04.

Consolidated Subsidiary ” shall mean, as to any Person, each Subsidiary of such Person (whether now existing or hereafter created or acquired) the financial statements of which shall be (or should have been) consolidated with the financial statements of such Person in accordance with GAAP.

Consolidated Total Assets ” means, on any date, the aggregate amount of assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.

Contingent Obligation ” shall mean as to any Person, any obligation of such Person guaranteeing or intended to guarantee any Indebtedness (“primary obligations”) of any other Person (the “primary obligor”) in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, including, without limitation, any obligation of such Person, whether or not contingent, (a) to purchase any such primary obligation or any property constituting direct or indirect security therefor, (b) to advance or supply funds (x) for the purchase or

 

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payment of any such primary obligation or (y) to maintain working capital or equity capital of the primary obligor or otherwise to maintain the net worth or solvency of the primary obligor, (c) to purchase property, securities or services primarily for the purpose of assuring the owner of any such primary obligation of the ability of the primary obligor to make payment of such primary obligation or (d) otherwise to assure or hold harmless the holder of such primary obligation against loss in respect thereof; provided, however, that the term Contingent Obligation shall not include endorsements of instruments for deposit or collection in the ordinary course of business nor any Guarantee. The amount of any Contingent Obligation shall be deemed to be an amount equal to the stated or determinable principal amount of the primary obligation in respect of which such Contingent Obligation is made or, if not stated or determinable, the maximum reasonably anticipated liability in respect thereof (assuming such Person is required to perform thereunder) as determined by such Person in good faith.

Control ” means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a Person, whether through the ability to exercise voting power, by contract or otherwise. “ Controlling ” and “ Controlled ” have meanings correlative thereto.

Credit Party ” means the Administrative Agent, each Issuing Bank, the Swingline Lender or any other Lender.

CV II Loan ” means that certain loan incurred by Westlake International Holdings II C.V. pursuant to that certain credit agreement, dated as of August 10, 2016, among the financial institutions from time to time parties thereto and Bank of America, N.A., as agent, and as in effect on the date hereof, without giving effect to any subsequent amendments, modifications or supplements thereto (including, for the avoidance of doubt, an increase in the principal amount of indebtedness thereunder or an extension of the maturity date thereto).

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

Defaulting Lender ” means any Lender that (a) has failed, within two (2) Business Days of the date required to be funded or paid, to (i) fund any portion of its Loans, (ii) fund any portion of its participations in Letters of Credit or Swingline Loans or (iii) pay over to any Credit Party any other amount required to be paid by it hereunder, unless, in the case of clause (i) above, such Lender notifies the Administrative Agent in writing that such failure is the result of such Lender’s good faith determination that a condition precedent to funding (specifically identified and including the particular default, if any) has not been satisfied, (b) has notified the Company or any Credit Party in writing, or has made a public statement to the effect, that it does not intend or expect to comply with any of its funding obligations under this Agreement (unless such writing or public statement indicates that such position is based on such Lender’s good faith determination that a condition precedent (specifically identified and including the particular default, if any) to funding a loan under this Agreement cannot be satisfied) or generally under other agreements in which it commits to extend credit, (c) has failed, within three Business Days after request by a Credit Party, acting in good faith, to provide a certification in writing from an authorized officer of such Lender that it will comply with its obligations (and is financially able to meet such obligations) to fund prospective Loans and participations in then outstanding Letters of Credit and Swingline Loans under this Agreement, provided that such Lender shall cease to be a Defaulting Lender pursuant to this clause (c) upon such Credit Party’s receipt of such certification in form and substance satisfactory to it and the Administrative Agent, or (d) has become the subject of (A) a Bankruptcy Event or (B) a Bail-In Action.

 

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Dollar Amoun t ” means, at any time:

(i) with respect to any Dollar-Denominated Loan, the principal amount thereof then outstanding;

(ii) with respect to any Alternate Currency Loan, the principal amount thereof then outstanding in the relevant Alternate Currency, converted to U.S. Dollars in accordance with Section 2.09(d); and

(iii) with respect to any LC Exposure, (A) if denominated in U.S. Dollars, the amount thereof and (B) if denominated in an Alternate Currency, the amount thereof converted to U.S. Dollars in accordance with Section 2.09(d)(ii).

Dollar-Denominated Loan ” means a Loan that is made in U.S. Dollars pursuant to the applicable Notice of Borrowing.

Domestic Subsidiary ” means any Subsidiary of the Company (other than any CFC Holdco) that is organized under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia.

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

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

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

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

Election to Participate ” means an Election to Participate substantially in the form of Exhibit D hereto.

Election to Terminate ” means an Election to Terminate substantially in the form of Exhibit E hereto.

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

Electronic System ” means any electronic system, including e-mail, e-fax, IntraLinks ® , ClearPar ® , Debt Domain, Syndtrak and any other Internet or extranet-based site, whether such electronic system is owned, operated or hosted by the Administrative Agent and or any Issuing Bank and any of its respective Related Persons or any other Person, providing for access to data protected by passcodes or other security system.

 

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Eligible Institution ” means any financial institution having capital and surplus in excess of $200,000,000 the deposits of which are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law and which is subject to supervision and examination by federal or state banking authorities. If such depository institution publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of the aforesaid supervising or examining authority, then the combined capital and surplus of such corporation shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so published. For the purposes of this Agreement, Goldman Sachs Lending Partners LLC shall be deemed to be an Eligible Institution.

Eligible Subsidiary ” means any Wholly-Owned Consolidated Subsidiary of the Company that is also a Restricted Subsidiary as to which an Election to Participate shall have been delivered to the Administrative Agent and as to which an Election to Terminate shall not have been delivered to the Administrative Agent. Each such Election to Participate and Election to Terminate shall be duly executed on behalf of the relevant Wholly-Owned Consolidated Subsidiary and the Company in such number of copies as the Administrative Agent may reasonably request. The delivery of an Election to Terminate shall not affect any obligation of an Eligible Subsidiary theretofore incurred. The Administrative Agent shall promptly give notice to the Lenders of the receipt of any Election to Participate or Election to Terminate.

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

Environmental Liability ” means any liability, contingent or otherwise (including any liability for damages, costs of environmental remediation, corrective action or compliance, indemnities, fines or penalties), of the Company or any Subsidiary whether or not of a kind required by GAAP to be set forth on a financial statement or in the notes thereto, in each case, resulting from or related to any violation of or noncompliance with any Environmental Law or Environmental Permit, any Hazardous Material, or any contract pursuant to which liability is assumed or imposed with respect to any of the foregoing.

Environmental Permit ” means all permits, licenses, franchises, certificates, approvals and other similar authorizations of Governmental Authorities relating to or required by Environmental Laws for the operation of the business of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

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

ERISA ” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to time.

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

ERISA Event ” means (a) any “reportable event”, as defined in Section 4043 of ERISA or the regulations issued thereunder with respect to a Plan (other than an event for which the 30 day notice period is waived); (b) the failure to satisfy the minimum funding standard with respect to a Plan within

 

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the meaning of Section 412 of the Code or Section 303 or 304 of ERISA, whether or not waived; (c) a determination that any Plan is in “at risk” status (as defined in Section 303(i)(4) of ERISA or Section 430(i)(4) of the Code; (d) the filing pursuant to Section 431 or Section 304 of ERISA of an application for the extension of any amortization period; (e) the failure to timely make a contribution required to be made with respect to any Plan or Multiemployer Plan that would result in the imposition of an encumbrance under Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA; (f) the filing under Section 4041(c) of ERISA of a notice of intent to terminate any Plan or the termination of any Plan under Section 4041(c) of ERISA; (g) the filing pursuant to Section 412(d) of the Code or Section 303(d) of ERISA of an application for a waiver of the minimum funding standard with respect to any Plan; (h) the incurrence by the Company of any ERISA Affiliate of any liability under Title IV of ERISA with respect to the termination of any Plan; (i) the receipt by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate from the PBGC or a plan administrator of any notice relating to an intention to terminate any Plan or Plans or to appoint a trustee to administer any Plan; (j) the incurrence by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate of any liability with respect to withdrawal or partial withdrawal from any Plan or Multiemployer Plan; (k) the receipt by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate of any notice, or the receipt by any Multiemployer Plan from the Company or any ERISA Affiliate of any notice, concerning the imposition of Withdrawal Liability or a determination that a Multiemployer Plan is, or is expected to be, insolvent or in reorganization or in “endangered” or “critical” status within the meaning of Title IV of ERISA; or (l) any Foreign Benefit Event.

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

Euro ” means the single currency of those members of the European Union from time to time which adopt a single, shared currency.

Eurodollar ” when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the Loans comprising such Borrowing, are bearing interest at a rate determined by reference to the Adjusted LIBO Rate. All Alternate Currency Loans shall bear interest at a rate determined by reference to the applicable Adjusted LIBO Rate for the applicable Alternate Currency.

Event of Default ” has the meaning assigned to such term in Article VII.

Exchange Act ” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and any successor statute.

Excluded Subsidiary ” means any Subsidiary of the Company that is any of (i) a Foreign Subsidiary (including a CFC Holdco), (ii) an Immaterial Subsidiary, (iii) prohibited by applicable law, regulation or by any contractual obligation with bona fide third parties existing on the Effective Date or on the date such Person becomes a Subsidiary (as long as such contractual obligation was not entered into in contemplation of such Person becoming a Subsidiary) from providing a guarantee pursuant to Article XI hereunder or that would require a governmental (including regulatory) or third party consent, approval, license or authorization in order to grant such guarantee (to the extent that the Company has used commercially reasonable efforts to obtain such consent, approval, license or authorization), (iv) a Domestic Subsidiary that is a direct or indirect subsidiary of a Foreign Subsidiary, (v) a captive insurance company, (vi) a not-for-profit Subsidiary, (vii) an Unrestricted Subsidiary, (viii) an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, (ix) Westlake Chemical OpCo LP and any subsidiary thereof, (x) North American Pipe Corporation, Westech Building Products, Inc., Westlake NG IV LLC and Westlake Development Corporation, and (xi) a non-wholly owned Domestic Subsidiary acquired after the Closing Date that would have a separate reporting obligation pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act in respect of the Company’s debt that has been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and that is not exempt from such reporting obligations under Rule 12h-5 of the Exchange Act. Notwithstanding the foregoing, after the later of (i) 10 Business Days after

 

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the Axiall Acquisition (and in any event not later than January 31, 2017) and (ii) October 15, 2016, no Subsidiary shall be an Excluded Subsidiary if such Subsidiary Guarantees other Indebtedness of the Company in excess of $40,000,000 or such lesser amount required by the “Additional Guarantees” section or other corresponding provision in debt securities issued by the Company pursuant to that certain Indenture, dated as of January 1, 2006, among the Company, certain guarantors party thereto and the trustee indicated therein (as amended, amended and restated or otherwise modified).

Excluded Taxes ” means any of the following Taxes imposed on or with respect to a Recipient or required to be withheld or deducted from a payment to a Recipient, (a) Taxes imposed on or measured by net income (however denominated), franchise Taxes, and branch profits Taxes, in each case, (i) imposed as a result of such Recipient being organized under the laws of, or having its principal office or, in the case of any Lender, its applicable lending office located in, the jurisdiction imposing such Tax (or any political subdivision thereof) or (ii) that are Other Connection Taxes, (b) in the case of a Lender, U.S. Federal and United Kingdom withholding Taxes (excluding (x) the portion of United Kingdom withholding Taxes with respect to which the applicable Lender is entitled to claim a reduction under an income tax treaty (and has demonstrated such entitlement in accordance with applicable law to the reasonable satisfaction of an applicable withholding agent), and (y) United Kingdom withholding Taxes on payments made by any guarantor under any guarantee of the obligations) imposed on amounts payable to or for the account of such Lender with respect to an applicable interest in a Loan, Letter of Credit or Commitment pursuant to a law in effect on the date on which (i) such Lender acquires such interest in the Loan, Letter of Credit or Commitment (other than pursuant to an assignment request by the Company under Section 2.19(b)) or (ii) such Lender changes its lending office, except in each case to the extent that, pursuant to Section 2.17, amounts with respect to such Taxes were payable either to such Lender’s assignor immediately before such Lender acquired the applicable interest in a Loan, Letter of Credit or Commitment or to such Lender immediately before it changed its lending office, (c) Taxes attributable to such Recipient’s failure to comply with Section 2.17(f) and (g) and (d) any Taxes imposed under FATCA.

Existing Letters of Credit ” has the meaning specified in Section 2.06(k).

FATCA ” means Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code, as of the date of this Agreement (or any amended or successor version that is substantively comparable and not materially more onerous to comply with), any intergovernmental agreement entered into between the United States and the government of another country in order to implement the requirements of such Sections of the Code, any current or future regulations or official interpretations thereof and any agreement entered into pursuant to Section 1471(b)(1) of the Code.

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

Financial Covenant ” means the covenant contained in Section 6.09.

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

Financial Statements ” means the financial statements to be furnished pursuant to Sections 5.01(a) and (b).

Fitch ” means Fitch, Inc. and any successor thereto.

 

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Foreign Benefit Event ” means the incurrence of any liability by the Company or any Subsidiary with respect to any Foreign Pension Plan other than underfunded or unfunded liabilities permitted under applicable law.

Foreign Lender ” means (a) if the applicable Borrower is a U.S. Person, a Lender that is not a U.S. Person, and (b) if the applicable Borrower is not a U.S. Person, a Lender that is resident or organized under the laws of a jurisdiction other than that in which the applicable Borrower is resident for tax purposes.

Foreign Pension Plan ” means any benefit plan that under applicable law is required to be funded through a trust or other funding vehicle other than a trust or funding vehicle maintained exclusively by a Governmental Authority.

Foreign Subsidiary ” means any Subsidiary of the Company which is not a Domestic Subsidiary.

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

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

Guarantee ” of or by any Person (the “ guarantor ”) means any obligation, contingent or otherwise, of the guarantor guaranteeing or having the economic effect of guaranteeing any Indebtedness of any other Person (the “ primary obligor ”) in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, and including any obligation of the guarantor, direct or indirect, (a) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for the purchase or payment of) such Indebtedness or to purchase (or to advance or supply funds for the purchase of) any security for the payment thereof, (b) to purchase or lease property, securities or services for the purpose of assuring the owner of such Indebtedness of the payment thereof or (c) to maintain working capital, equity capital or any other financial statement condition or liquidity of the primary obligor so as to enable the primary obligor to pay such Indebtedness; provided , that the term Guarantee shall not include endorsements for collection or deposit in the ordinary course of business or customary and reasonable indemnity obligations in effect on the Effective Date or entered into in connection with any acquisition or disposition of assets permitted under this Agreement (other than such obligations with respect to Indebtedness).

Guarantors ” means the Company and each Subsidiary Guarantor.

Hazardous Materials ” means all explosive or radioactive substances or wastes and all substances, wastes or other pollutants, in each case that are regulated pursuant to any Environmental Law as “hazardous” or “toxic” or words of similar import, including petroleum or petroleum distillates, asbestos or asbestos containing materials, polychlorinated biphenyls and radon gas.

HMRC DT Treaty Passport scheme ” means the Board of H.M. Revenue and Customs Double Taxation Treaty Passport scheme.

Immaterial Subsidiary ” means, at any date of determination, a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company that, together with all other Immaterial Subsidiaries, did not have on the last day of the most recent fiscal quarter for which financial statements have been delivered pursuant to Section 5.01(a) or (b), as applicable, (x) total assets that equaled or exceeded 5% of the Consolidated Total Assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries at such date or (y) revenues that equaled or exceeded 5% of Consolidated Revenues of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries.

 

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

Increased Commitments ” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 2.21(b).

Indebtedness ” of any Person means, without duplication, (a) all obligations of such Person for borrowed money, (b) all obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or similar instruments, (c) all obligations of such Person in respect of the deferred purchase price of property, which purchase price is due more than six months after the date of placing the property in service or taking delivery and title thereto (excluding (1) current accounts payable incurred in the ordinary course of business and (2) any customary earn-out obligations), (d) all Indebtedness of others secured by (or for which the holder of such Indebtedness has an existing right, contingent or otherwise, to be secured by) any Lien on property owned or acquired by such Person, whether or not the Indebtedness secured thereby has been assumed, (e) all Guarantees by such Person of Indebtedness of others, (f) all Capital Lease Obligations of such Person, (g) obligations under or in respect of a Qualified Receivables Financing and (h) all obligations, contingent or otherwise, of such Person in respect of bankers’ acceptances. The Indebtedness of any Person shall include the Indebtedness of any other entity (including any partnership in which such Person is a general partner) to the extent such Person is liable therefor as a result of such Person’s ownership interest in or other relationship with such entity, except to the extent the terms of such Indebtedness provide that such Person is not liable therefor. For all purposes hereof, the Indebtedness of a Borrower and its Restricted Subsidiaries shall exclude (a) Contingent Obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business and not in respect of borrowed money; (b) deferred or prepaid revenues; (c) purchase price holdbacks in respect of a portion of the purchase price of an asset to satisfy warranty or other unperformed obligations of the respective seller or purchase price adjustment in connection with any acquisition or disposition in connection with this agreement and (d) all obligations, contingent or otherwise, of such Person as an account party in respect of letters of credit and letters of guaranty other than obligations for payments arising in respect of drawn letters of credit or letters of guaranty.

Indemnified Party ” has the meaning specified in Section 9.03(b).

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

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

Information ” has the meaning specified in Section 9.12.

Information Memorandum ” means the Confidential Information Memorandum dated August 2016 relating to the Company and the Transactions.

Interest Election Request ” means a request by the applicable Borrower to convert or continue a Revolving Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.08.

Interest Payment Date ” means (a) with respect to any ABR Loan (other than a Swingline Loan), the fifteenth (15 th ) day of each March, June, September and December, (b) with respect to any Eurodollar Loan, the last day of the Interest Period applicable to the Borrowing of which such Loan is a part and, in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing with an Interest Period of more than three months’ duration, each day prior to the last day of such Interest Period that occurs at intervals of three months’ duration after the first day of such Interest Period and (c) with respect to any Swingline Loan, the day that such Loan is required to be repaid.

 

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

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

IRBs ” means the $10,889,000 in original principal amount of Calcasieu Parish Public Trust Authority Waste Disposal Revenue Bonds issued pursuant to the Indenture of Trust, dated December 1, 1997, between Calcasieu Parish Public Trust Authority, as issuer, and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (formerly known as The Chase Manhattan Bank), as trustee.

IRS ” means the United States Internal Revenue Service.

Issuing Bank ” means JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and any other Lender that agrees to act as an Issuing Bank and is designated by the Company as an Issuing Bank, each in its capacity as the issuer of Letters of Credit hereunder, and its successors in such capacity as provided in Section 2.06(i). Each Issuing Bank may, in its discretion, arrange for one or more Letters of Credit to be issued by Affiliates of each Issuing Bank, in which case the term “Issuing Bank” shall include any such Affiliate with respect to Letters of Credit issued by such Affiliate. Each reference herein to an “Issuing Bank” shall be deemed to be a reference to the relevant Issuing Bank.

Joinder Agreement ” means a Joinder Agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit F hereto.

LC Disbursement ” means a payment made by an Issuing Bank pursuant to a Letter of Credit issued by it.

LC Exposure ” means, at any time, the sum of (a) the aggregate undrawn amount of all outstanding Letters of Credit at such time plus (b) the aggregate amount of all LC Disbursements that have not yet been reimbursed by or on behalf of the Borrowers at such time. The LC Exposure of any Lender at any time shall be its Applicable Percentage of the total LC Exposure at such time.

 

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

Lenders ” means the Persons listed on Schedule 2.01A and any other Person that shall have become a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption or an agreement entered into pursuant to Section 2.21, other than any such Person that ceases to be a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption. Unless the context otherwise requires, the term “Lenders” includes the Swingline Lender and the Issuing Banks.

Letter of Credit ” means any letter of credit issued pursuant to this Agreement.

Letter of Credit Commitment ” means, with respect to each Issuing Bank, the commitment of such Issuing Bank to issue Letters of Credit hereunder. The initial amount of each Issuing Bank’s Letter of Credit Commitment is set forth on Schedule 2.01C, or if an Issuing Bank has entered into an Assignment and Assumption, the amount set forth for such Issuing Bank as its Letter of Credit Commitment in the Register maintained by the Administrative Agent. The initial aggregate amount of the Issuing Banks’ Letter of Credit Commitments is $150,000,000.

LIBO Rate ” means, with respect to any Eurodollar Borrowing (i) denominated in Canadian Dollars, the rate per annum equal to the Canadian Dealer Offered Rate (“ CDOR ”), or a comparable or successor rate approved by the Administrative Agent, as published on the applicable Reuters screen page (or such other commercially available source providing such quotations as may be designated by the Administrative Agent from time to time) at or about 10:00 a.m. (Toronto, Ontario time) on the first day of such Interest Period (or such other day as is generally treated as the rate fixing day by market practice in such interbank market, as determined by the Administrative Agent) (or if such day is not a Business Day, then on the immediately preceding Business Day), provided that if CDOR shall be less than zero, such rate shall be deemed to be zero for the purposes of this Agreement, in each case for one, two, three or six months (or, with the consent of each Lender, twelve months), as the applicable Borrower may elect; and (ii) for any other applicable currency and for any Interest Period, the London interbank offered rate as administered by ICE Benchmark Administration (or any other Person that takes over the administration of such rate for the relevant currency for a period equal in length to such Interest Period as displayed on pages LIBOR01 or LIBOR02 of the Reuters screen that displays such rate (or, in the event such rate does not appear on a Reuters page or screen, on any successor or substitute page on such screen that displays such rate, or on the appropriate page of such other information service that publishes such rate from time to time as selected by the Administrative Agent in its reasonable discretion; in each case the “ LIBO Screen Rate ”) at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, two Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period; provided that if the applicable currency is Pounds Sterling, the applicable rate fixing time shall be at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, the day of commencement of such Interest Period; provided , further , that if the LIBO Screen Rate shall be less than zero, such rate shall be deemed to be zero for the purposes of this Agreement; provided , further , that if the Screen Rate shall not be available at such time for such Interest Period (an “ Impacted Interest Period ”) with respect to the applicable currency then the LIBO Rate shall be the Interpolated Rate; provided that if any Interpolated Rate shall be less than zero, such rate shall be deemed to be zero for purposes of this Agreement.

LIBO Screen Rate ” has the meaning assigned to it in the definition of “LIBO Rate.”

Lien ” means, with respect to any asset, (a) any mortgage, deed of trust, lien, pledge, hypothecation, encumbrance, charge or security interest in, on or of such asset, (b) the interest of a vendor or a lessor under any conditional sale agreement, capital lease or title retention agreement (or any financing lease having substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing) relating to such asset and (c) in the case of securities, any purchase option, call or similar right of a third party with respect to such securities.

 

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Loan Documents ” means this Agreement, any document entered into by an Issuing Bank and a Borrower in favor of such Issuing Bank and relating to a Letter of Credit, any Joinder Agreement, and any promissory notes delivered pursuant to Section 2.10(e).

Loan Parties ” means the Borrowers and the Guarantors.

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

Material Adverse Effect ” means any event or circumstance that would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect (a) on the business, assets, property or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole, or (b) upon the validity or enforceability against the Company or another Loan Party of any of the Loan Documents to which it is a party or a material impairment of the rights or remedies of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders thereunder.

Material Agreement ” means any agreement or arrangement to which a Person is a party or is bound as of the date thereof (other than the Loan Documents), without duplication, that is deemed to be a material contract under any securities law applicable to such Person, including the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Material Indebtedness ” means Indebtedness (other than the Loans and Letters of Credit and Nonrecourse Indebtedness) of any one or more of the Company and its Subsidiaries in an aggregate principal amount exceeding the Threshold Amount.

Material Restricted Subsidiary ” has the meaning set forth in clause (h) of Article VII.

Maturity Date ” means the fifth anniversary of the Effective Date (or, if such date is not a Business Day, the immediately preceding date that is a Business Day).

“Maximum Rate ” has the meaning specified in Section 9.14.

Moody’s ” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. and any successor thereto.

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

Nonrecourse Indebtedness ” means, with respect to a Person, Indebtedness for borrowed money (or the portion thereof) in respect of which recourse for payment (except for customary exceptions for fraud, misapplication of funds, environmental indemnities, violation of “special purpose entity” covenants, bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or other similar events and other similar exceptions to recourse liability until a claim is made with respect thereto, and then in the event of any such claim, only a portion of such Indebtedness in an amount equal to the amount of such claim shall no longer constitute “Nonrecourse Indebtedness” for the period that such portion is subject to such claim) is contractually limited to specific assets of such Person encumbered by a Lien securing such Indebtedness.

NYFRB ” means the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

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

 

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Obligations ” means all advances to, and debts, liabilities, and obligations of, the Borrowers arising under any Loan Document, whether direct or indirect (including those acquired by assumption), absolute or contingent, due or to become due, now existing or hereafter arising and including interest that accrues after the commencement of any proceeding as a result of a Bankruptcy Event by or against any Borrower.

Other Connection Taxes ” means, with respect to any Recipient, Taxes imposed as a result of a present or former connection between such Recipient and the jurisdiction imposing such Tax (other than connections arising from such Recipient having executed, delivered, become a party to, performed its obligations under, received payments under, received or perfected a security interest under, engaged in any other transaction pursuant to or enforced any Loan Document, or sold or assigned an interest in any Loan, Letter of Credit or Loan Document).

Other Currency ” has the meaning specified in Section 9.17.

Other Taxes ” means all present or future stamp, court or documentary, intangible, recording, filing or similar Taxes that arise from any payment made under, from the execution, delivery, performance, enforcement or registration of, from the receipt or perfection of a security interest under, or otherwise with respect to, any Loan Document, except any such Taxes that are Other Connection Taxes imposed with respect to an assignment (other than an assignment made pursuant to Section 2.19).

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

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

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

PATRIOT Act ” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.15.

Payee ” has the meaning specified in Section 9.17.

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

Permitted Encumbrances ” means:

(a) Liens imposed by law for Taxes that are not yet due or are being contested in compliance with Section 5.04;

(b) carriers’, rail carriers’, landlords’, warehousemen’s, mechanics’, materialmen’s, repairmen’s and other like Liens imposed by law, arising in the ordinary course of business and securing obligations that are not overdue by more than 60 days or are being contested in compliance with Section 5.04;

 

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(c) pledges and deposits made in the ordinary course of business in compliance with workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance and other social security laws or regulations;

(d) deposits to secure the performance of bids, tenders, trade contracts, leases, statutory obligations, surety and appeal bonds, indemnity, performance or other similar bonds and other obligations of a like nature, in each case in the ordinary course of business;

(e) judgment liens in respect of judgments that do not constitute an Event of Default under clause (k) of Article VII;

(f) reservations, exceptions encroachments, licenses, easements, zoning restrictions, rights-of-way and similar encumbrances on real property imposed by law or arising in the ordinary course of business that do not secure any monetary obligations and do not in the aggregate materially detract from the value of the affected property or interfere with the ordinary conduct of business of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries;

(g) Liens in favor of a banking or other financial institution arising as a matter of law or in the ordinary course of business under customary general terms and conditions encumbering deposits or other funds maintained with a financial institution (including the right of set-off) and that are within the general parameters customary in the banking industry or arising pursuant to such banking institution’s general terms and conditions;

(h) Liens on specific items of inventory or other goods (other than fixed or capital assets) and proceeds thereof of any Person securing such Person’s obligations in respect of bankers’ acceptances issued or created for the account of such Person to facilitate the purchase, shipment or storage of such inventory or other goods in the ordinary course of business; and

(i) Liens encumbering reasonable customary initial deposits and margin deposits and similar Liens attaching to commodity trading accounts or other brokerage accounts incurred in the ordinary course of business and not for speculative purposes.

Permitted Investments ” means:

(a) direct obligations of, or obligations the principal of and interest on which are unconditionally guaranteed by, the United States of America (or by any agency thereof to the extent such obligations are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States of America), in each case maturing within one year from the date of acquisition thereof;

(b) investments in commercial paper maturing within 270 days from the date of acquisition thereof and having, at such date of acquisition, the highest credit rating obtainable from S&P or from Moody’s;

(c) investments in certificates of deposit, banker’s acceptances and time deposits maturing within 180 days from the date of acquisition thereof issued or guaranteed by or placed with, and money market deposit accounts issued or offered by, any domestic office of any commercial bank organized under the laws of the United States of America or any State thereof which has a combined capital and surplus and undivided profits of not less than $500,000,000;

(d) fully collateralized repurchase agreements with a term of not more than 30 days for securities described in clause (a) above and entered into with a financial institution satisfying the criteria described in clause (c) above;

 

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(e) money market funds that (i) comply with the criteria set forth in SEC Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, (ii) are rated AAA by S&P and Aaa by Moody’s and (iii) have portfolio assets of at least $5,000,000,000;

(f) cash held in foreign currencies and instruments equivalent to those referred to in clauses (a) through (e) above denominated in any other foreign currency comparable in credit quality and tenor to those referred to above; and

(g) (i) other investments similar to the foregoing clauses (a) through (f) or in funds which invest principally in such investments and (ii) investments in investment-grade rated marketable securities that are fixed-income instruments and readily convertible into cash, in each case, made in the ordinary course of business that comply with the Company’s investment guidelines.

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

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

Pounds Sterling ” refers to lawful money of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Prime Rate ” means the rate of interest per annum publicly announced from time to time by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.(or any replacement Administrative Agent) as its prime rate in effect at its office located at 270 Park Avenue, New York, New York (or the principal office of any such replacement Administrative Agent); each change in the Prime Rate shall be effective from and including the date such change is publicly announced as being effective.

Proceedings ” has the meaning specified in Section 9.03(b).

Projections ” means the annual forecasts (to include forecasted consolidated, as well as consolidating by business segment in accordance with the Company’s customary practices, balance sheets, income statements and cash flow statements) of the Company and its Subsidiaries delivered to the Administrative Agent.

Public Debt Rating ” has the meaning specified in the definition of “Applicable Rate”.

Public-Sider ” means a Lender whose representatives may trade in securities of the Company or its controlling person or any of its Subsidiaries while in possession of the financial statements provided by the Company under the terms of this Agreement.

Qualified Receivables Financing ” means the securitization of accounts receivables and related assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries on customary market terms (including, without limitation, Standard Securitization Undertakings and a Receivables Repurchase Obligation) as determined in good faith by the Company to be in the aggregate commercially fair and reasonable to the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole.

Receivables Repurchase Obligation ” means any obligation of a seller of receivables in a Qualified Receivables Financing to repurchase receivables arising as a result of a breach of a representation, warranty or covenant or otherwise, including as a result of a receivable or portion thereof becoming subject to any asserted defense, dispute, offset or counterclaim of any kind as a result of any action taken by, any failure to take action by or any other event relating to the seller.

 

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

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

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

Required Currency ” has the meaning specified in Section 9.17.

Required Lenders ” means, at any time, Lenders having Revolving Credit Exposures and unused Commitments representing more than 50% of the sum of the total Revolving Credit Exposures and unused Commitments at such time; provided that for purposes of declaring the Loans to be due and payable pursuant to Article VII, and for all purposes after the Loans become due and payable pursuant to Article VII or the Commitments expire or terminate, then, as to each Lender, clause (a) of the definition of Swingline Exposure shall only be applicable for purposes of determining its Revolving Credit Exposure to the extent such Lender shall have funded its participation in the outstanding Swingline Loans; provided further that for the purpose of determining the Required Lenders needed for any waiver, amendment, modification or consent, any Lender that is an Affiliate of the Borrower shall be disregarded.

Responsible Officer ” means, as to any Loan Party, the president, any vice president, the controller, the chief financial officer, chief risk officer, the treasurer or any assistant treasurer of such Loan Party. Any document or certificate hereunder that is signed by a Responsible Officer of a Loan Party shall be conclusively presumed to have been authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of such Loan Party and such Responsible Officer shall be conclusively presumed to have acted on behalf of such Loan Party.

Restricted Payment ” means any dividend or other distribution (whether in cash, securities or other property) with respect to any Equity Interests in the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, or any payment (whether in cash, securities or other property), including any sinking fund or similar deposit, on account of the purchase, redemption, retirement, acquisition, cancellation or termination of any such Equity Interests in the Company or any option, warrant or other right to acquire any such Equity Interests in the Company.

Restricted Subsidiaries ” means each Subsidiary of the Company that is not an Unrestricted Subsidiary.

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

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

S&P ” means Standard & Poor’s Ratings Group and any successor thereto.

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

 

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Sanctioned Person ” means, at any time, (a) any Person listed in any Sanctions-related list of designated Persons maintained by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the U.S. Department of State, the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, or Her Majesty’s Treasury of the United Kingdom, (b) any Person located, organized or resident in a Sanctioned Country or (c) any Person owned or controlled by any such Person or Persons described in the foregoing clauses (a) or (b).

Sanctions economic or financial sanctions or trade embargoes imposed, administered or enforced from time to time by (a) the U.S. government, including those administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury or the U.S. Department of State, or (b) the United Nations Security Council, the European Union or Her Majesty’s Treasury of the United Kingdom.

SEC ” means the Securities and Exchange Commission of the United State of America or any Governmental Authority succeeding to any of its principal functions.

Spot Rate ” means, for any currency (including any Alternate Currency), as applicable, on any day, the average of the Administrative Agent’s spot buying and selling rates for the exchange of such currency and U.S. Dollars as of approximately 11:00 a.m. (London time) on such day.

Standard Securitization Undertakings ” means representations, warranties, undertakings, covenants, indemnities and guarantees of performance entered into by the Company or any Subsidiary which the Company has determined in good faith to be customary in a Qualified Receivables Financing.

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

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

Subsidiary ” means any subsidiary of the Company.

Subsidiary Guarantor ” means each Subsidiary that is not an Excluded Subsidiary.

Swingline Commitment ” means as to any Lender (i) the amount set forth opposite such Lender’s name on Schedule 2.01B hereof or (ii) if such lender has entered into an Assignment and Acceptance, the amount set forth for such lender as its Swingline Commitment in the Register maintained by the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 9.04(b)(ii)(C).

 

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Swingline Exposure ” means, at any time, the aggregate principal amount of all Swingline Loans outstanding at such time. The Swingline Exposure of any Lender at any time shall be the sum of (a) its Applicable Percentage of the total Swingline Exposure at such time other than with respect to any Swingline Loans made by such Lender in its capacity as a Swingline Lender and (b) the aggregate principal amount of all Swingline Loans made by such Lender as a Swingline Lender outstanding at such time (less the amount of participations funded by the other Lenders in such Swingline Loans).

Swingline Lender ” means JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. in its capacity as a lender of Swingline Loans hereunder.

“Swingline Loan ” means a Loan made pursuant to Section 2.05.

TARGET Day ” means 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 the Administrative Agent to be a suitable replacement) is open for the settlement of payments in Euros.

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

Threshold Amount ” means $75,000,000.

Total Alternate Currency Revolving Credit Exposures ” means, the sum of the outstanding principal amount of all Lenders’ Alternate Currency Loans and their Alternate Currency LC Exposure at such time.

Total Leverage Ratio ” means, with respect to the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, as of any date, the ratio of (x) Consolidated Indebtedness on such date (excluding any Indebtedness from the CV II Loan on the date hereof) (net of unrestricted cash and cash equivalents (but excluding any proceeds of the CV II Loan) of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries in excess of $50,000,000) to (y) Consolidated EBITDA of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries for the most recently ended four consecutive fiscal quarter period ending on or prior to such date for which financial statements have been delivered to the Administrative Agent pursuant to Sections 5.01(a) and (b), as applicable.

Total Revolving Credit Exposure ” means, the sum of the outstanding principal amount of all Lenders’ Revolving Loans, their LC Exposure and their Swingline Exposure at such time; provided , that clause (a) of the definition of Swingline Exposure shall only be applicable to the extent Lenders shall have funded their respective participations in the outstanding Swingline Loans.

Transactions ” means the execution, delivery and performance by the Loan Parties of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, the borrowing of Loans, the use of the proceeds thereof and the issuance of Letters of Credit hereunder.

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

 

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UK Borrower ” means any Borrower (i) that is organized or formed under the laws of the United Kingdom or (ii) payments from which under this Agreement or any other Loan Document are subject to withholding Taxes imposed by the laws of the United Kingdom.

Unrestricted Subsidiaries ” means, collectively, Westlake International Services Corporation, Westlake Chemical Finance Corporation, Westlake Chemical (China) Corporation, Westlake International II LLC, Westlake Chemical Partners GP LLC, Westlake Chemical OpCo GP LLC, Westlake Chemical Partners LP and any Subsidiary of an Unrestricted Subsidiary formed or acquired after the Effective Date. The Company may not designate any additional Subsidiaries as Unrestricted Subsidiaries. The Company may, at any time, by written request to the Administrative Agent, designate an Unrestricted Subsidiary as a Restricted Subsidiary.

U.S. Dollars ” or “ $ ” refers to lawful money of the United States of America.

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

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

Westlake Eighth Supplemental Indenture ” means the Eighth Supplemental Indenture dated August 10, 2016 among the Company and the guarantors party thereto, and The Bank of New York Mellon, N.A. relating to the 3.600% Senior Notes due 2026 and the 5.000% Senior Notes due 2046.

Wholly-Owned Consolidated Subsidiary ” means, with respect to any Person at any time, any Consolidated Subsidiary all of the shares of capital stock or other ownership interests of which (except directors’ qualifying shares) are at the time directly or indirectly owned by such Person at such time.

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

Write-Down and Conversion Powers ” means, with respect to any EEA Resolution Authority, the write-down and conversion powers of such EEA Resolution Authority from time to time under the Bail-In Legislation for the applicable EEA Member Country, which write-down and conversion powers are described in the EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule.

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

SECTION 1.03. Terms Generally . The definitions of terms herein shall apply equally to the singular and plural forms of the terms defined. Whenever the context may require, any pronoun shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter forms. The words “include”, “includes” and “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase “without limitation”. The word “will” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect as the word “shall”. Unless the context requires otherwise (a) any definition of or reference to any agreement, instrument or other document herein shall be construed as referring to such agreement, instrument or other document as from time to time amended, supplemented or otherwise modified (subject to any restrictions on such amendments, supplements or modifications set forth herein), (b) any reference herein to any Person shall be construed to include such

 

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Person’s successors and assigns, (c) the words “herein”, “hereof” and “hereunder”, and words of similar import, shall be construed to refer to this Agreement in its entirety and not to any particular provision hereof, (d) all references herein to Articles, Sections, Exhibits and Schedules shall be construed to refer to Articles and Sections of, and Exhibits and Schedules to, this Agreement and (e) the words “asset” and “property” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect and to refer to any and all tangible and intangible assets and properties, including cash, securities, accounts and contract rights.

SECTION 1.04. Accounting Terms; GAAP . Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all terms of an accounting or financial nature shall be construed in accordance with GAAP, as in effect from time to time; provided that, if the Company notifies the Administrative Agent that the Company requests an amendment to any provision hereof to eliminate the effect of any change occurring after the date hereof in GAAP or in the application thereof on the operation of such provision (or if the Administrative Agent notifies the Company that the Required Lenders request an amendment to any provision hereof for such purpose), regardless of whether any such notice is given before or after such change in GAAP or in the application thereof, then such provision shall be interpreted on the basis of GAAP as in effect and applied immediately before such change shall have become effective until such notice shall have been withdrawn or such provision amended in accordance herewith; provided , further , all leases of a Borrower and the Restricted Subsidiaries that would have been treated as operating leases for purposes of GAAP prior to the issuance by the Financial Accounting Standards Board on February 25, 2016 of an Accounting Standards Update (the “ ASU ”) shall continue to be accounted for as operating leases for purposes of all financial definitions and calculations hereunder notwithstanding the fact that such leases are required in accordance with the ASU to be treated as Capital Lease Obligations in the financial statements to be delivered pursuant to Section 5.01. Notwithstanding any other provision contained herein, all terms of an accounting or financial nature used herein shall be construed, and all computations of amounts and ratios referred to herein shall be made, without giving effect to any election under Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification 825 (or any other Financial Accounting Standard having a similar result or effect) to value any Indebtedness or other liabilities of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries at “fair value”, as defined therein. For the purpose of calculating Consolidated EBITDA and Consolidated Net Income for any period, if during such period the Company or any Subsidiary shall have made a material acquisition or material disposition (with materiality calculated in accordance with Article 11 of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended), each of Consolidated EBITDA and Consolidated Net Income shall be calculated giving pro forma effect (in accordance with Article 11 of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended) thereto as if such material acquisition or disposition occurred on the first day of such period.

ARTICLE II

The Credits

SECTION 2.01. Commitments . Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, each Lender agrees to make Revolving Loans (which may be denominated in U.S. Dollars or an Alternate Currency as the Borrowers elect pursuant to Section 2.02) to the Borrowers from time to time during the Availability Period in an aggregate principal amount that will not result (after giving effect to any application of proceeds of such Borrowing pursuant to Section 2.10) in (a) such Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure exceeding such Lender’s Commitment, (b) the Total Alternate Currency Revolving Credit Exposures exceeding the Alternate Currency Sublimit or (c) the Total Revolving Credit Exposures exceeding the total Commitments. Within the foregoing limits and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Borrowers may borrow, prepay and reborrow Revolving Loans.

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

 

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

(c) At the commencement of each Interest Period for any Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing, such Borrowing shall be in an aggregate amount that is not less than the Dollar Amount of $5,000,000. At the time that each ABR Revolving Borrowing is made, such Borrowing shall be in an aggregate amount that is an integral multiple of $1,000,000 and not less than $1,000,000; provided that an ABR Revolving Borrowing may be in an aggregate amount that is equal to the entire unused balance of the total Commitments or that is required to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as contemplated by Section 2.06(e). Each Swingline Loan shall be in an amount that is an integral multiple of $1,000,000 and not less than $1,000,000. Borrowings of more than one Type and Class may be outstanding at the same time; provided that there shall not at any time be more than a total of 12 Eurodollar Revolving Borrowings outstanding.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, no Borrower shall be entitled to request, or to elect to convert or continue, any Borrowing if the Interest Period requested with respect thereto would end after the Maturity Date.

SECTION 2.03. Requests for Revolving Borrowings . To request a Revolving Borrowing, the applicable Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of such request by telephone (a) (i) in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing denominated in U.S. Dollars, not later than 12:00 p.m., Houston, Texas time, or (ii) in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing denominated in an Alternate Currency, not later than 10:30 a.m., London time, in each case three Business Days before the date of the proposed Borrowing or (b) in the case of an ABR Borrowing, not later than 12:00 p.m., Houston, Texas time, one Business Day before the date of the proposed Borrowing; provided that any such notice of an ABR Revolving Borrowing to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as contemplated by Section 2.06(e) may be given not later than 11:30 a.m., Houston, Texas time, on the date of the proposed Borrowing. Each such telephonic Borrowing Request shall be irrevocable and shall be confirmed promptly by hand delivery or telecopy to the Administrative Agent of a written Borrowing Request in a form approved by the Administrative Agent and signed by the applicable Borrower. Each such telephonic and written Borrowing Request shall specify the following information in compliance with Section 2.02:

(i) the aggregate principal amount of the requested Borrowing;

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

(iii) the currency and aggregate principal amount (in such currency) of such Borrowing;

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

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

 

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(vi) the location and number of the applicable Borrower’s account to which funds are to be disbursed, which shall comply with the requirements of Section 2.07.

If no election as to the Type of Revolving Borrowing is specified, then the requested Revolving Borrowing shall be a Eurodollar Borrowing with an Interest Period of one (1) month. If no Interest Period is specified with respect to any requested Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing, then the applicable Borrower shall be deemed to have selected an Interest Period of one month’s duration. Promptly following receipt of a Borrowing Request in accordance with this Section, the Administrative Agent shall advise each Lender of the details thereof and of the amount of such Lender’s Loan to be made as part of the requested Borrowing.

SECTION 2.04. [Reserved.]

SECTION 2.05. Swingline Loans . (a) Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, from time to time during the Availability Period, the Swingline Lender may, in its sole discretion, make Swingline Loans to the Borrowers in an aggregate principal amount at any time outstanding that will not result in (i) the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Swingline Loans made by the Swingline Lender exceeding the Swingline Lender’s Swingline Commitment, (ii) the Swingline Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure exceeding its Commitment or (iii) any Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure exceeding its Commitment; provided that a Swingline Lender shall not be required to make a Swingline Loan to refinance an outstanding Swingline Loan. Within the foregoing limits and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Borrowers may borrow, prepay and reborrow Swingline Loans. Swingline Loans may be borrowed in U.S. Dollars only.

(b) To request a Swingline Loan, the applicable Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of such request by telephone (confirmed by telecopy), not later than 1:00 p.m., Houston, Texas time, on the day of a proposed Swingline Loan. Each such notice shall be irrevocable and shall specify the requested date (which shall be a Business Day) and amount of the requested Swingline Loan. The Administrative Agent will promptly advise the Swingline Lender of any such notice received from the applicable Borrower. The Swingline Lender shall make the requested Swingline Loan available to the applicable Borrower by means of a credit to an account of the applicable Borrower with the Administrative Agent designated for such purpose (or, in the case of a Swingline Loan made to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as provided in Section 2.06(e), by remittance to the applicable Issuing Bank) by 3:00 p.m., Houston, Texas time, on the requested date of such Swingline Loan.

(c) The Swingline Lender may by written notice given to the Administrative Agent require the Lenders to acquire participations in all or a portion of its Swingline Loans outstanding. Such notice shall specify the aggregate amount of Swingline Loans in which Lenders will participate. Promptly upon receipt of such notice, the Administrative Agent will give notice thereof to each Lender, specifying in such notice such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of such Swingline Loans. Each Lender hereby absolutely and unconditionally agrees, promptly upon receipt of such notice from the Administrative Agent (and in any event, if such notice is received by 1:30 p.m., Houston, Texas time, on a Business Day no later than 5:00 p.m. Houston, Texas time on such Business Day and if received after 1:30 p.m., Houston, Texas time, on a Business Day shall mean no later than 9:00 a.m. Houston, Texas time on the immediately succeeding Business Day), to pay to the Administrative Agent, for the account of such Swingline Lender, such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of such Swingline Loans. Each Lender acknowledges and agrees that its obligation to acquire participations in Swingline Loans pursuant to this paragraph is absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance whatsoever, including the occurrence and continuance of a Default or reduction or termination of the Commitments, and that each such payment shall be made without any offset, abatement, withholding or reduction whatsoever. Each Lender shall comply with its obligation under this paragraph by wire transfer of

 

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immediately available funds, in the same manner as provided in Section 2.07 with respect to Loans made by such Lender (and Section 2.07 shall apply, mutatis mutandis , to the payment obligations of the Lenders), and the Administrative Agent shall promptly pay to the Swingline Lender the amounts so received by it from the Lenders. The Administrative Agent shall notify the Company of any participations in any Swingline Loan acquired pursuant to this paragraph, and thereafter payments in respect of such Swingline Loan shall be made to the Administrative Agent and not to the Swingline Lender. Any amounts received by the Swingline Lender from the applicable Borrower (or other party on behalf of the applicable Borrower) in respect of a Swingline Loan after receipt by the Swingline Lender of the proceeds of a sale of participations therein shall be promptly remitted to the Administrative Agent; any such amounts received by the Administrative Agent shall be promptly remitted by the Administrative Agent to the Lenders that shall have made their payments pursuant to this paragraph and to the Swingline Lender, as their interests may appear; provided that any such payment so remitted shall be repaid to the Swingline Lender or to the Administrative Agent, as applicable, if and to the extent such payment is required to be refunded to the applicable Borrower for any reason. The purchase of participations in a Swingline Loan pursuant to this paragraph shall not relieve the applicable Borrower of any default in the payment thereof.

(d) The Company may replace the Swingline Lender at any time by providing a written notice thereof to such Swingline Lender, with a copy to the Administrative Agent; provided that the successor Swingline Lender shall have agreed to serve in such capacity and is an Eligible Institution. The Administrative Agent shall notify the Lenders of any such replacement of the Swingline Lender. At the time any such replacement shall become effective, the Company shall pay all unpaid interest accrued for the account of the replaced Swingline Lender pursuant to Section 2.13(a). From and after the effective date of any such replacement, (x) the successor Swingline Lender shall have all the rights and obligations of the replaced Swingline Lender under this Agreement with respect to Swingline Loans made thereafter and (y) references herein to the term “Swingline Lender” shall be deemed to refer to such successor or to any previous Swingline Lender, or to such successor and all previous Swingline Lender, as the context shall require. After the replacement of the Swingline Lender hereunder, the replaced Swingline Lender shall remain a party hereto and shall continue to have all the rights and obligations of a Swingline Lender under this Agreement with respect to Swingline Loans made by it prior to its replacement, but shall not be required to make additional Swingline Loans.

SECTION 2.06. Letters of Credit . (a)  General . Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Borrowers may request the issuance of Letters of Credit (which may be denominated in U.S. Dollars or an Alternate Currency as the Borrowers elect pursuant to Section 2.06(b)) as the applicant thereof for the support of its or its subsidiaries’ obligations, in a form reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent and the applicable Issuing Bank, at any time and from time to time during the Availability Period. In the event of any inconsistency between the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the terms and conditions of any form of letter of credit application or other agreement submitted by the applicable Borrower to, or entered into by the applicable Borrower with, the applicable Issuing Bank relating to any Letter of Credit, the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall control.

(b) Notice of Issuance, Amendment, Renewal, Extension; Certain Conditions . To request the issuance of a Letter of Credit (or the amendment, renewal or extension of an outstanding Letter of Credit), the applicable Borrower shall hand deliver or telecopy (or transmit by electronic communication, if arrangements for doing so have been approved by the applicable Issuing Bank) to the applicable Issuing Bank and the Administrative Agent (reasonably in advance of the requested date of issuance, amendment, renewal or extension, but in any event no less than three (3) Business Days or such shorter period as the applicable Issuing Bank and the Administrative Agent shall agree to) a notice requesting the issuance of a Letter of Credit, or identifying the Letter of Credit to be amended, renewed or extended, and specifying the date of issuance, amendment, renewal or extension (which shall be a Business Day), the date on which

 

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such Letter of Credit is to expire (which shall comply with paragraph (c) of this Section), the amount and currency of such Letter of Credit, the name and address of the beneficiary thereof and such other information as shall be necessary to prepare, amend, renew or extend such Letter of Credit. If requested by the applicable Issuing Bank, the applicable Borrower also shall submit a letter of credit application on such Issuing Bank’s standard form in connection with any request for a Letter of Credit. A Letter of Credit shall be issued, amended, renewed or extended only if (and upon issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of each Letter of Credit, the applicable Borrower shall be deemed to represent and warrant that), after giving effect to such issuance, amendment, renewal or extension (i) (x) the aggregate undrawn amount of all outstanding Letters of Credit issued by the applicable Issuing Bank at such time plus (y) the aggregate amount of all LC Disbursements made by such Issuing Bank that have not yet been reimbursed by or on behalf of the Borrowers at such time shall not exceed its Letter of Credit Commitment, (ii) no Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure shall exceed its Commitment and (iii) the Total Alternate Currency Revolving Credit Exposure shall not exceed the Alternate Currency Sublimit. The Company may, at any time and from time to time, reduce the Letter of Credit Commitment of any Issuing Bank with the consent of such Issuing Bank; provided that the Company shall not reduce the Letter of Credit Commitment of any Issuing Bank if, after giving effect of such reduction, the conditions set forth in clauses (i) through (iii) above shall not be satisfied. Promptly after its delivery of any Letter of Credit or any amendment to a Letter of Credit to the beneficiary thereof, the Issuing Bank shall also deliver to the Company a true and complete copy of such Letter of Credit or amendment.

(c) Expiration Date . Each Letter of Credit shall expire (or be subject to termination by notice from the applicable Issuing Bank to the beneficiary thereof) at or prior to the close of business on the earlier of (i) the date one year after the date of the issuance of such Letter of Credit (or, in the case of any renewal or extension thereof, one year after such renewal or extension, which renewals or extensions, subject to clause (ii) hereof, may be automatic pursuant to the terms of such Letter of Credit so long as such Issuing Bank shall have the right to prevent such renewals or extensions at least once in each twelve months 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 in each such twelve-month period to be agreed upon at the time such Letter of Credit is issued; provided that such Issuing Bank shall provide notice to the Company at least thirty (30) days prior to such non-extension notice date if such Issuing Bank determines not to extend an auto-extension Letter of Credit) and (ii) the date that is five Business Days prior to the Maturity Date; provided that any Letter of Credit issued in connection with the IRBs may have an expiration date of not later than five Business Days prior to the Maturity Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, each Issuing Bank agrees that a Letter of Credit issued in connection with the IRBs may, at the applicable Borrower’s request, permit the automatic reinstatement of all or a portion of the stated amount thereof after any drawing thereunder, and the applicable Borrower shall not be required to make a specific request to permit such reinstatement.

(d) Participations . By the issuance of a Letter of Credit (or an amendment to a Letter of Credit increasing the amount thereof) and without any further action on the part of the applicable Issuing Bank or the Lenders, each Issuing Bank hereby grants to each Lender, and each Lender hereby acquires from such Issuing Bank, a participation in such Letter of Credit equal to such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the aggregate amount available to be drawn under such Letter of Credit. In consideration and in furtherance of the foregoing, each Lender hereby absolutely and unconditionally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the Issuing Banks, such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of each LC Disbursement made by the Issuing Banks and not reimbursed by the Borrower on the date due as provided in paragraph (e) of this Section, or of any reimbursement payment required to be refunded to the Borrower for any reason. Each Lender acknowledges and agrees that its obligation to acquire participations pursuant to this paragraph in respect of Letters of Credit is absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance whatsoever, including any amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit or the occurrence and continuance of a Default or reduction or termination of the Commitments, and that each such payment shall be made without any offset, abatement, withholding or reduction whatsoever.

 

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(e) Reimbursement . If an Issuing Bank shall make any LC Disbursement in respect of a Letter of Credit, the applicable Borrower shall reimburse such LC Disbursement by paying to the Administrative Agent an amount equal to such LC Disbursement not later than (i) 1:30 p.m., Houston, Texas time in the case of LC Disbursements denominated in U.S. Dollars or (ii) 1:30 p.m., London time in the case of LC Disbursements denominated in an Alternate Currency, in each case on the date that such LC Disbursement is made, if the applicable Borrower or the Company shall have received notice of such LC Disbursement prior to (i) 11:00 a.m., Houston, Texas time in the case of LC Disbursements denominated in U.S. Dollars or (ii) 11:00 a.m., London time in the case of LC Disbursements denominated in an Alternate Currency, in each case, on such date, or, if such notice has not been received by the applicable Borrower or the Company prior to such time on such date, then not later than 1:30 p.m., Houston, Texas time (1:30 p.m., London time in the case of LC Disbursements in an Alternate Currency), on the Business Day immediately following the day that the applicable Borrower or the Company receives such notice, if such notice is not received prior to such time on the day of receipt; provided that if such LC Disbursement is not less than $1,000,000 and denominated in U.S. Dollars, the applicable Borrower may, subject to the conditions to borrowing set forth herein, request in accordance with Sections 2.03 or 2.05 that such payment be financed with an ABR Revolving Borrowing or Swingline Loan in an equivalent amount and, to the extent so financed, the applicable Borrower’s obligation to make such payment shall be discharged and replaced by the resulting ABR Revolving Borrowing or Swingline Loan. If the applicable Borrower fails to make such payment when due, the Administrative Agent shall notify each Lender of the applicable LC Disbursement, the payment then due from the applicable Borrower in respect thereof and such Lender’s Applicable Percentage thereof. Promptly following receipt of such notice, each Lender shall pay to the Administrative Agent its Applicable Percentage of the payment then due from the applicable Borrower, in the same manner as provided in Section 2.07 with respect to Loans made by such Lender (and Section 2.07 shall apply, mutatis mutandis , to the payment obligations of the Lenders), and the Administrative Agent shall promptly pay to the applicable Issuing Bank the amounts so received by it from the Lenders. Promptly following receipt by the Administrative Agent of any payment from the applicable Borrower pursuant to this paragraph, the Administrative Agent shall distribute such payment to the applicable Issuing Bank or, to the extent that Lenders have made payments pursuant to this paragraph to reimburse the applicable Issuing Bank, then to such Lenders and the applicable Issuing Bank as their interests may appear. Any payment made by a Lender pursuant to this paragraph to reimburse the applicable Issuing Bank for any LC Disbursement (other than the funding of ABR Revolving Loans or a Swingline Loan as contemplated above) shall not constitute a Loan and shall not relieve the applicable Borrower of its obligation to reimburse such LC Disbursement.

(f) Obligations Absolute . Each Borrower’s obligation to reimburse LC Disbursements as provided in paragraph (e) of this Section shall be absolute, unconditional and irrevocable, and shall be performed strictly in accordance with the terms of this Agreement under any and all circumstances whatsoever and irrespective of (i) any lack of validity or enforceability of any Letter of Credit or this Agreement, or any term or provision therein, (ii) any draft or other document presented under a Letter of Credit proving to be forged, fraudulent or invalid in any respect or any statement therein being untrue or inaccurate in any respect, (iii) payment by an Issuing Bank under a Letter of Credit against presentation of a draft or other document that does not comply with the terms of such Letter of Credit, or (iv) any other event or circumstance whatsoever, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing, that might, but for the provisions of this Section, constitute a legal or equitable discharge of, or provide a right of setoff against, such Borrower’s obligations hereunder. Neither the Administrative Agent, the Lenders nor the Issuing Banks, nor any of their Related Parties, shall have any liability or responsibility by reason of or in connection with the issuance or transfer of any Letter of Credit or any payment or failure to make any payment thereunder (irrespective of any of the circumstances referred to in the preceding sentence), or

 

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any error, omission, interruption, loss or delay in transmission or delivery of any draft, notice or other communication under or relating to any Letter of Credit (including any document required to make a drawing thereunder), any error in interpretation of technical terms or any consequence arising from causes beyond the control of the applicable Issuing Bank; provided that the foregoing shall not be construed to excuse such Issuing Bank from liability to the applicable Borrower to the extent of any direct damages (as opposed to special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages, claims in respect of which are hereby waived by the applicable Borrower to the extent permitted by applicable law) suffered by the applicable Borrower that are caused by such Issuing Bank’s failure to exercise care when determining whether drafts and other documents presented under a Letter of Credit comply with the terms thereof. The parties hereto expressly agree that, in the absence of gross negligence or willful misconduct on the part of the applicable Issuing Bank (as finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction), such Issuing Bank shall be deemed to have exercised care in each such determination. In furtherance of the foregoing and without limiting the generality thereof, the parties agree that, with respect to documents presented which appear on their face to be in substantial compliance with the terms of a Letter of Credit, the applicable Issuing Bank may, in its sole discretion, either accept and make payment upon such documents without responsibility for further investigation, regardless of any notice or information to the contrary, or refuse to accept and make payment upon such documents if such documents are not in strict compliance with the terms of such Letter of Credit.

(g) Disbursement Procedures . The applicable Issuing Bank shall, promptly following its receipt thereof, examine all documents purporting to represent a demand for payment under a Letter of Credit. The applicable Issuing Bank shall promptly notify the Administrative Agent and the applicable Borrower by telephone (confirmed by telecopy) of such demand for payment and whether such Issuing Bank has made or will make an LC Disbursement thereunder; provided that any failure to give or delay in giving such notice shall not relieve the applicable Borrower of its obligation to reimburse such Issuing Bank and the Lenders with respect to any such LC Disbursement.

(h) Interim Interest . If the applicable Issuing Bank shall make any LC Disbursement, then, unless the applicable Borrower shall reimburse such LC Disbursement in full on the date such LC Disbursement is made, the unpaid amount thereof shall bear interest, for each day from and including the date such LC Disbursement is made to but excluding the date that the reimbursement is due and payable at the rate per annum then applicable to ABR Revolving Loans (or, in the case of LC Disbursements in an Alternate Currency, at the rate per annum then applicable to Eurodollar Loans in such Alternate Currency for an Interest Period of one month) and such interest shall be due and payable on the date when such reimbursement is payable; provided that, if the applicable Borrower fails to reimburse such LC Disbursement when due pursuant to paragraph (e) of this Section, then Section 2.13 shall apply. Interest accrued pursuant to this paragraph shall be for the account of the applicable Issuing Bank, except that interest accrued on and after the date of payment by any Lender pursuant to paragraph (e) of this Section to reimburse such Issuing Bank shall be for the account of such Lender to the extent of such payment.

(i) Replacement of Issuing Bank . Any Issuing Bank may be replaced at any time by written notice from the Company to the Administrative Agent and the replaced Issuing Bank. The successor Issuing Bank may be an existing Issuing Bank that agrees to assume the replaced Issuing Bank’s commitment to issue Letters of Credit. The Administrative Agent shall notify the Lenders of any such replacement of an Issuing Bank. At the time any such replacement shall become effective, the Company shall pay all unpaid fees accrued for the account of the replaced Issuing Bank pursuant to Section 2.12(b). From and after the effective date of any such replacement, (x) the successor Issuing Bank shall have all the rights and obligations of the replaced Issuing Bank under this Agreement with respect to Letters of Credit to be issued thereafter and (y) references herein to the term “Issuing Bank” shall be deemed to refer to such successor or to any previous Issuing Bank, or to such successor and all previous Issuing

 

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Banks, as the context shall require. After the replacement of an Issuing Bank hereunder, the replaced Issuing Bank shall remain a party hereto and shall continue to have all the rights and obligations of an Issuing Bank under this Agreement with respect to Letters of Credit issued by it prior to such replacement, but shall not be required to issue additional Letters of Credit.

(j) Cash Collateralization . If any Event of Default shall occur and be continuing, on the Business Day that the Company receives notice from the Administrative Agent or the Required Lenders (or, if the maturity of the Loans has been accelerated, Lenders with LC Exposure representing greater than 50% of the total LC Exposure) demanding the deposit of cash collateral pursuant to this paragraph, the Borrowers shall deposit in an account with the Administrative Agent, in the name of the Administrative Agent and for the benefit of the Lenders, an amount in cash equal to 103% of the LC Exposure as of such date; provided that the obligation to deposit such cash collateral shall become effective immediately, and such deposit shall become immediately due and payable, without demand or other notice of any kind, upon the occurrence of any Event of Default with respect to the Borrowers described in clause (h) or (i) of Article VII. Such deposit shall be held by the Administrative Agent for the satisfaction of the LC Exposure. The Administrative Agent shall have exclusive dominion and control, including the exclusive right of withdrawal, over such account. Other than any interest earned on the investment of such deposits, which investments shall be made at the option and sole discretion of the Administrative Agent and at the Borrowers’ risk and expense, such deposits shall not bear interest. Interest or profits, if any, on such investments shall accumulate in such account. Moneys in such account shall be applied by the Administrative Agent to reimburse the Issuing Banks for LC Disbursements for which they have not been reimbursed and, to the extent not so applied, shall be held for the satisfaction of the reimbursement obligations of the Borrowers for the LC Exposure at such time. If the Borrowers are required to provide an amount of cash collateral hereunder as a result of the occurrence of an Event of Default, such amount (to the extent not applied as aforesaid) shall be returned to the Borrowers within one (1) Business Day after all Events of Default have been cured or waived.

(k) Existing Letters of Credit . On the Effective Date, each Issuing Bank that has issued a letter of credit listed on Schedule 2.06 hereto (the “ Existing Letters of Credit ”) shall be deemed, without further action by any party hereto, to have sold to each Lender, and each Lender shall be deemed, without further action by any party hereto, to have purchased from such Issuing Bank, a participation in such Existing Letter of Credit and the related LC Exposure to the extent of its Applicable Percentage. On and after the Effective Date, each Existing Letter of Credit shall constitute a Letter of Credit for all purposes hereof. An Existing Letter of Credit may contain a statement to the effect that such Existing Letter of Credit is issued for the account of a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company; provided , however , that notwithstanding such statement, the Company shall be the actual account party for all purposes of this Agreement for such Existing Letter of Credit and such statement shall not affect the Company’s reimbursement obligations hereunder with respect to such Existing Letter of Credit.

SECTION 2.07. Funding of Borrowings . (a) Each Lender shall make each Loan to be made by it hereunder on the proposed date thereof solely by wire transfer of immediately available funds of the applicable currency by 12:00 noon, Houston, Texas time, to the account of the Administrative Agent most recently designated by it for such purpose by notice to the Lenders; provided that Swingline Loans shall be made as provided in Section 2.05. Except in respect of the provisions of this Agreement covering the reimbursement of Letters of Credit, the Administrative Agent will make such Loans available to the applicable Borrower by promptly, but in no event later than 2:00 p.m. Houston, Texas time, crediting the funds so received in the aforesaid account of the Administrative Agent to an account of the applicable Borrower maintained with the Administrative Agent in New York City and designated by the applicable Borrower in the applicable Borrowing Request; provided that ABR Revolving Loans made to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as provided in Section 2.06(e) shall be remitted by the Administrative Agent to the applicable Issuing Bank.

 

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(b) Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from a Lender prior to the proposed date of any Borrowing that such Lender will not make available to the Administrative Agent such Lender’s share of such Borrowing, the Administrative Agent may assume that such Lender has made such share available on such date in accordance with paragraph (a) of this Section and may, in reliance upon such assumption, make available to the applicable Borrower a corresponding amount. In such event, if a Lender has not in fact made its share of the applicable Borrowing available to the Administrative Agent, then the applicable Lender and the applicable Borrower severally agree to pay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand such corresponding amount with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is made available to the applicable Borrower to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at (i) in the case of such Lender, (x) the greater of the Federal Funds Effective Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation for amounts denominated in U.S. Dollars or (y) the greater of the applicable LIBO Rate (if such amount is denominated in an Alternate Currency) and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation for amounts denominated in such Alternate Currency, or (ii) in the case of the applicable Borrower, the interest rate applicable to ABR Loans (for U.S. Dollar amounts) or the interest rate applicable to Eurodollar Loans for the applicable Alternate Currency for an Interest Period of one month (for Alternate Currency amounts). If such Lender pays such amount to the Administrative Agent, then such amount shall constitute such Lender’s Loan included in such Borrowing.

SECTION 2.08. Interest Elections . (a) Each Revolving Borrowing initially shall be of the Type specified in the applicable Borrowing Request and, in the case of a Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing, shall have an initial Interest Period as specified in such Borrowing Request. Thereafter, the applicable Borrower may elect to convert such Borrowing to a different Type or to continue such Borrowing and, in the case of a Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing, may elect Interest Periods therefor, all as provided in this Section. The applicable Borrower may elect different options with respect to different portions of the affected Borrowing, in which case each such portion shall be allocated ratably among the Lenders holding the Loans comprising such Borrowing, and the Loans comprising each such portion shall be considered a separate Borrowing. This Section shall not apply to Swingline Borrowings or Eurodollar Borrowings in an Alternate Currency, which may not be converted or continued.

(b) To make an election pursuant to this Section, the applicable Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of such election by telephone by the time that a Borrowing Request would be required under Section 2.03 if the applicable Borrower were requesting a Revolving Borrowing of the Type resulting from such election to be made on the effective date of such election. Each such telephonic Interest Election Request shall be irrevocable and shall be confirmed promptly by hand delivery or telecopy to the Administrative Agent of a written Interest Election Request in a form approved by the Administrative Agent and signed by the applicable Borrower.

(c) Each telephonic and written Interest Election Request shall specify the following information in compliance with Section 2.02:

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

(e) If the applicable Borrower fails to deliver a timely Interest Election Request with respect to a Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing prior to the end of the Interest Period applicable thereto, then, unless such Borrowing is repaid as provided herein, at the end of such Interest Period such Borrowing shall be converted to a Eurodollar Borrowing with an Interest Period of one (1) month’s duration. Notwithstanding any contrary provision hereof, if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing and the Administrative Agent, at the request of the Required Lenders, so notifies the applicable Borrower or the Company, then, so long as an Event of Default is continuing (i) no outstanding Revolving Borrowing may be converted to or continued as a Eurodollar Borrowing and (ii) unless repaid, each Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing shall be converted to an ABR Borrowing at the end of the Interest Period applicable thereto.

SECTION 2.09. Termination and Reduction of Commitments; Mandatory Repayments . (a) Unless previously terminated, the Commitments shall terminate on the Maturity Date.

(b) The Company may at any time terminate, or from time to time reduce, the Commitments; provided that (i) each reduction of the Commitments shall be in an amount that is an integral multiple of $1,000,000 and not less than $25,000,000 and (ii) the Company shall not terminate or reduce the Commitments if, after giving effect to any concurrent prepayment of the Loans in accordance with Section 2.11, (i) the Total Revolving Credit Exposures would exceed the total Commitments or (ii) the Total Alternate Currency Revolving Credit Exposures would exceed the Alternate Currency Sublimit.

(c) The Company shall notify the Administrative Agent of any election to terminate or reduce the Commitments under paragraph (b) of this Section at least three (3) Business Days prior to the effective date of such termination or reduction, specifying such election and the effective date thereof. Promptly following receipt of any notice, the Administrative Agent shall advise the Lenders of the contents thereof. Each notice delivered by the Company pursuant to this Section shall be irrevocable; provided that a notice of termination of the Commitments delivered by the Company may state that such notice is conditioned upon the effectiveness of other credit facilities or the closing of a specified transaction, in which case such notice may be revoked by the Company (by notice to the Administrative Agent on or prior to the specified effective date) if such condition is not satisfied. Any termination or reduction of the Commitments shall be permanent. Each reduction of the Commitments shall be made ratably among the Lenders in accordance with their respective Commitments.

(d) Determining U.S. Dollar Amounts; Related Mandatory Prepayments .

(i) The Administrative Agent shall determine the Dollar Amount of each Alternate Currency Loan as of the first day of each Interest Period applicable thereto and, in the case of any such Interest Period of more than three months, at three-month intervals after the first day thereof, and shall promptly notify the Company and the Lenders of each Dollar Amount so determined by it. Each such determination shall be based on the Spot Rate (1) on the date of the related Notice of Borrowing for purposes of the initial such determination for any Alternate Currency Loan and (2) on the fourth Business Day prior to the date as of which such Dollar Amount is to be determined, for purposes of any subsequent determination.

 

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(ii) The Administrative Agent shall determine the Dollar Amount of the LC Exposure related to each Letter of Credit as of the date of issuance thereof and at three-month intervals after the date of issuance thereof. Each such determination shall be based on the Spot Rate (1) on the date of the related Notice of Issuance, in the case of the initial determination in respect of any Letter of Credit and (2) on the fourth Business Day prior to the date as of which such Dollar Amount is to be determined, in the case of any subsequent determination with respect to an outstanding Letter of Credit.

(iii) Each determination of a Dollar Amount pursuant to clauses (i) or (ii) above shall be conclusive in the absence of manifest error. If after giving effect to any such determination of a Dollar Amount, (1) the Total Revolving Credit Exposure exceeds the aggregate amount of the Commitments or (2) the Total Alternate Currency Revolving Credit Exposure exceeds the Alternate Currency Sublimit, the Borrowers shall in each case, within five Business Days, prepay outstanding Loans (as selected by the Company and notified to the Lenders through the Administrative Agent not less than three Business Days prior to the date of prepayment) or take other action to the extent necessary to eliminate any such excess.

SECTION 2.10. Repayment of Loans; Evidence of Debt . (a) Each Borrower hereby unconditionally promises to pay (i) to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender the then unpaid principal amount of each Revolving Loan made to it on the Maturity Date and (ii) to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Swingline Lender the then unpaid principal amount of each Swingline Loan made to it on the earlier of the Maturity Date and the tenth (10th) Business Days after such Swingline Loan is made; provided that on each date that a Revolving Borrowing is made, the applicable Borrower shall repay all Swingline Loans then outstanding and the proceeds of any such Borrowing shall be applied by the Administrative Agent to repay any Swingline Loans outstanding.

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

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

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

(e) Any Lender may request that Loans made by it be evidenced by a promissory note. In such event, the Borrower shall prepare, execute and deliver to such Lender a promissory note payable to such Lender and its registered assigns and in a form approved by the Administrative Agent. Thereafter, the Loans evidenced by such promissory note and interest thereon shall at all times (including after assignment pursuant to Section 9.04) be represented by one or more promissory notes in such form, unless such assignee elects not to receive a note (in which case such assignor shall return to the Company

 

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any note issued to it, or in the case of any loss, theft or destruction of any such note, a lost note affidavit in customary form). Upon either (a) payment in full of the Loans evidenced by any such promissory note or (b) the assignment of such Loans and Revolving Commitments in accordance with Section 9.01 hereof, each such promissory note shall be promptly returned to the Company by the payee named therein or in the case of any loss, theft or destruction of any such promissory note, a lost note affidavit in customary form.

SECTION 2.11. Prepayment of Loans . (a) Each Borrower shall have the right at any time and from time to time to prepay any Borrowing in whole or in part, without premium or penalty, subject to prior notice in accordance with paragraph (b) of this Section and subject to Section 2.16.

(b) The applicable Borrower or the Company shall notify the Administrative Agent (and, in the case of prepayment of Swingline Loans, the Swingline Lender) by telephone (confirmed by telecopy) of any prepayment hereunder (i) in the case of prepayment of a Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing denominated in U.S. Dollars, not later than 12:00 p.m., Houston, Texas time, three Business Days before the date of prepayment, (ii) in the case of prepayment of a Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing denominated in an Alternate Currency, not later than 10:30 a.m., London time, three Business Days before the date of prepayment, (iii) in the case of prepayment of an ABR Revolving Borrowing, not later than 11:00 a.m., New York City time, one Business Day before the date of prepayment or (iv) in the case of prepayment of a Swingline Loan, not later than 1:30 p.m., Houston, Texas, on the date of prepayment. Each such notice shall be irrevocable and shall specify the prepayment date and the principal amount of each Borrowing or portion thereof to be prepaid; provided that, if a notice of prepayment is given in connection with a conditional notice of termination of the Commitments as contemplated by Section 2.09, then such notice of prepayment may be revoked if such notice of termination is revoked in accordance with Section 2.09 (subject to any break funding payments required by Section 2.16). Promptly following receipt of any such notice relating to a Revolving Borrowing, the Administrative Agent shall advise the Lenders of the contents thereof. Each partial prepayment of any Revolving Borrowing shall be in an amount that would be permitted in the case of an advance of a Revolving Borrowing of the same Type as provided in Section 2.02. Each prepayment of a Revolving Borrowing shall be applied ratably to the Loans included in the prepaid Borrowing. Prepayments shall be accompanied by accrued interest to the extent required by Section 2.13.

SECTION 2.12. Fees . (a) The Company agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender an unused commitment fee, which shall accrue at the Applicable Rate on the daily amount of the unused Commitment (excluding, for these purposes, clause (b) of the definition of “Swingline Exposure”) of such Lender during the period from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the date on which such Commitment terminates. Accrued unused commitment fees shall be payable in arrears on the fifteenth (15 th ) day of each March, June, September and December of each year and on the date on which the Commitments terminate, commencing on the first such date to occur after the date hereof. All unused commitment fees shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days and shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day).

(b) The applicable Borrower agrees to pay (i) to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender (other than a Defaulting Lender) a participation fee with respect to its participations in Letters of Credit, which shall accrue at the same Applicable Rate used to determine the interest rate applicable to Eurodollar Revolving Loans on the average daily amount of such Lender’s LC Exposure (excluding any portion thereof attributable to unreimbursed LC Disbursements) during the period from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the later of the date on which such Lender’s Commitment terminates and the date on which such Lender ceases to have any LC Exposure, and (ii) to each Issuing Bank with respect to Letters of Credit issued by it a fronting fee, which shall accrue at a rate per annum of 0.125% on the average daily amount of the LC Exposure (excluding any portion thereof

 

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attributable to unreimbursed LC Disbursements) during the period from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the later of the date of termination of the Commitments and the date on which there ceases to be any LC Exposure, as well as such Issuing Bank’s standard fees with respect to the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit or processing of drawings thereunder. Participation fees and fronting fees accrued through and including the fifteenth (15 th ) day of March, June, September and December of each year shall be payable on the third Business Day following such day, commencing on the first such date to occur after the Effective Date; provided that all such fees shall be payable on the date on which the Commitments terminate and any such fees accruing after the date on which the Commitments terminate shall be payable on demand. Any other fees payable to an Issuing Bank pursuant to this paragraph shall be payable within 10 days after demand. All participation fees and fronting fees shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days and shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day).

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

(d) All fees payable hereunder shall be paid on the dates due, in immediately available funds, to the Administrative Agent (or to the applicable Issuing Bank, in the case of fees payable to it) for distribution, in the case of undrawn commitment fees and participation fees, to the Lenders. Fees paid shall not be refundable under any circumstances.

(e) Notwithstanding the foregoing, and subject to Section 2.20, the Company shall not be obligated to pay any amounts to any Defaulting Lender pursuant to this Section 2.12.

SECTION 2.13. Interest . (a) The Loans comprising each ABR Borrowing (including each Swingline Loan) shall bear interest at the Alternate Base Rate plus the Applicable Rate.

(b) The Loans comprising each Eurodollar Borrowing (including all Alternate Currency Loans) shall bear interest at the Adjusted LIBO Rate for the Interest Period in effect for such Borrowing plus the Applicable Rate.

(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, if upon the occurrence and during the continuance of any Event of Default under paragraph (a), (b), (h) or (i) of Article VII any principal of or interest on any Loan or any fee or other amount payable by a Borrower hereunder is not paid when due, whether at stated maturity, upon acceleration or otherwise, such overdue amount shall bear interest, after as well as before judgment, at a rate per annum equal to (i) in the case of overdue principal of any Loan, 2% per annum plus the rate otherwise applicable to such Loan as provided in the preceding paragraphs of this Section 2.13 or (ii) in the case of any other amount, 2% per annum plus the rate applicable to ABR Loans as provided in paragraph (a) of this Section 2.13.

(d) Accrued interest on each Loan shall be payable in arrears on each Interest Payment Date for such Loan and, in the case of Revolving Loans, upon termination of the Commitments; provided that (i) interest accrued pursuant to paragraph (c) of this Section 2.13 shall be payable on demand, (ii) in the event of any repayment or prepayment of any Loan (other than a prepayment of an ABR Revolving Loan prior to the end of the Availability Period), accrued interest on the principal amount repaid or prepaid shall be payable on the date of such repayment or prepayment and (iii) in the event of any conversion of any Eurodollar Revolving Loan prior to the end of the current Interest Period therefor, accrued interest on such Loan shall be payable on the effective date of such conversion.

(e) All interest hereunder shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days, except that interest computed by reference to the Alternate Base Rate at times when the Alternate Base Rate is based

 

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on the Prime Rate or CDOR, or if the Loans are denominated in Pounds Sterling, shall be computed on the basis of a year of 365 days (or 366 days in a leap year), and in each case shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day). The applicable Alternate Base Rate, Adjusted LIBO Rate or LIBO Rate shall be determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with the terms hereof, and such determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

SECTION 2.14. Alternate Rate of Interest . If at least two (2) Business Days prior to the commencement of any Interest Period for a Eurodollar Borrowing:

(a) the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error) that adequate and reasonable means do not exist for ascertaining the Adjusted LIBO Rate or the LIBO Rate, as applicable, for such Interest Period; or

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

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

SECTION 2.15. Increased Costs . (a) If any Change in Law shall:

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

(ii) impose on any Lender or an Issuing Bank or the London interbank market any other condition, cost or expense (other than Taxes) affecting this Agreement or Loans made by such Lender or any Letter of Credit or participation therein; or

(iii) subject any Recipient to any Taxes (other than (A) Indemnified Taxes, (B) Taxes described in clauses (b) through (d) of the definition of Excluded Taxes and (C) Connection Income Taxes) on its loans, loan principal, letters of credit, commitments, or other obligations, or its deposits, reserves, other liabilities or capital attributable thereto;

and the result of any of the foregoing shall be to increase the cost to such Lender of making, continuing, converting or maintaining any 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 to reduce the amount of any sum received or receivable by such Lender or such Issuing Bank (whether of principal, interest or otherwise) then, upon request of such Lender or Issuing Bank, the applicable Borrower will pay to such Lender or such Issuing Bank, as the case may be, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or such Issuing Bank, as the case may be, for such additional costs incurred or reduction suffered.

 

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

(c) A certificate of a Lender or an Issuing Bank setting forth the amount or amounts necessary to compensate such Lender or such Issuing Bank or its holding company in reasonable detail, as the case may be, as specified in paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section shall be delivered to the applicable Borrower or the Company and shall be conclusive absent manifest error; provided that such Lender or such Issuing Bank shall not seek compensation under paragraphs (a) or (b) of this Section unless such Lender or such Issuing Bank is making such claims from similarly situated borrowers under similar credit facilities. The applicable Borrower shall pay such Lender or such Issuing Bank, as the case may be, the amount shown as due on any such certificate within thirty (30) days after receipt thereof.

(d) Failure or delay on the part of any Lender or an Issuing Bank to demand compensation pursuant to this Section 2.15 shall not constitute a waiver of such Lender’s or such Issuing Bank’s right to demand such compensation; provided that the applicable Borrower shall not be required to compensate a Lender or an Issuing Bank pursuant to this Section 2.15 for any increased costs incurred or reductions suffered more than 90 days prior to the date that such Lender or such Issuing Bank, as the case may be, notifies the applicable Borrower or the Company 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; provided further that, if the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions is retroactive, then the 90-day period referred to above shall be extended to include the period of retroactive effect thereof.

SECTION 2.16. Break Funding Payments . In the event of (a) the payment of any principal of any Eurodollar Loan other than on the last day of an Interest Period applicable thereto (including as a result of an Event of Default), (b) the conversion of any Eurodollar Loan other than on the last day of the Interest Period applicable thereto, (c) the failure to borrow, convert, continue or prepay any Eurodollar Loan on the date specified in any notice delivered pursuant hereto (regardless of whether such notice may be revoked under Section 2.11(b) and is revoked in accordance therewith), (d) [reserved] or (e) the assignment of any Eurodollar Loan other than on the last day of the Interest Period applicable thereto as a result of a request by the applicable Borrower pursuant to Section 2.19, then, in any such event, the applicable Borrower shall compensate each Lender for the loss, cost and expense attributable to such event. In the case of a Eurodollar Loan, such loss, cost or expense to any Lender shall be deemed to include an amount determined by such Lender to be the excess, if any, of (i) the amount of interest which would have accrued on the principal amount of such Loan had such event not occurred, at the Adjusted LIBO Rate that would have been applicable to such Loan, for the period from the date of such event to the last day of the then current Interest Period therefor (or, in the case of a failure to borrow, convert or continue, for the period that would have been the Interest Period for such Loan), over (ii) the amount of interest which would accrue on such principal amount for such period at the interest rate which such Lender would bid were it to bid, at the commencement of such period, for dollar deposits of a comparable amount and period from other banks in the eurodollar market. A certificate of any Lender setting forth

 

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any amount or amounts that such Lender is entitled to receive pursuant to this Section shall be delivered to the applicable Borrower and shall be conclusive absent manifest error. The applicable Borrower shall pay such Lender the amount shown as due on any such certificate within 15 days after receipt thereof.

SECTION 2.17. Payments Free of Taxes . (a) Any and all payments by or on account of any obligation of any Loan Party under any Loan Document shall be made without deduction or withholding for any Taxes, except as required by applicable law. If any applicable law (as determined in the good faith discretion of an applicable withholding agent) requires the deduction or withholding of any Tax from any such payment by a withholding agent, then the applicable withholding agent shall be entitled to make such deduction or withholding and shall timely pay the full amount deducted or withheld to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable law and, if such Tax is an Indemnified Tax, then the sum payable by the applicable Loan Party shall be increased as necessary so that after such deduction or withholding has been made (including such deductions and withholdings applicable to additional sums payable under this Section 2.17) the applicable Recipient receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such deduction or withholding been made.

(b) Payment of Other Taxes by the Loan Parties . The Loan Parties shall timely pay to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable law, or at the option of the Administrative Agent timely reimburse it for, Other Taxes.

(c) Evidence of Payments . As soon as practicable after any payment of Taxes by any Loan Party to a Governmental Authority pursuant to this Section 2.17, such Loan Party shall deliver to the Administrative Agent the original or a certified copy of a receipt issued by such Governmental Authority evidencing such payment, a copy of the return reporting such payment or other evidence of such payment reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.

(d) Indemnification by the Loan Parties . The Loan Parties shall jointly and severally indemnify each Recipient, within 10 days after demand therefor, for the full amount of any Indemnified Taxes (including Indemnified Taxes imposed or asserted on or attributable to amounts payable under this Section) payable or paid by such Recipient or required to be withheld or deducted from a payment to such Recipient and any reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such Indemnified Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority. A certificate as to the amount of such payment or liability delivered to the applicable Loan Party or the Company by a Lender (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), or by the Administrative Agent on its own behalf or on behalf of a Lender, shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

(e) Indemnification by the Lenders . Each Lender shall severally indemnify the Administrative Agent, within 10 days after demand therefor, for (i) any Indemnified Taxes attributable to such Lender (but only to the extent that any Loan Party has not already indemnified the Administrative Agent for such Indemnified Taxes and without limiting the obligation of the Loan Parties to do so), (ii) any Taxes attributable to such Lender’s failure to comply with the provisions of Section 9.04(c) relating to the maintenance of a Participant Register and (iii) any Excluded Taxes attributable to such Lender, in each case, that are payable or paid by the Administrative Agent in connection with any Loan Document, and any reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority. A certificate as to the amount of such payment or liability delivered to any Lender by the Administrative Agent shall be conclusive absent manifest error. Each Lender hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent to set off and apply any and all amounts at any time owing to such Lender under any Loan Document or otherwise payable by the Administrative Agent to the Lender from any other source against any amount due to the Administrative Agent under this paragraph (e).

 

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(f) Status of Lenders . (i) Any Lender that is entitled to an exemption from or reduction of withholding Tax with respect to payments made under any Loan Document shall deliver to the Company and the Administrative Agent, at the time or times reasonably requested by the Company or the Administrative Agent, such properly completed and executed documentation reasonably requested by the Company or the Administrative Agent as will permit such payments to be made without withholding or at a reduced rate of withholding. In addition, any Lender, if reasonably requested by the Company or the Administrative Agent, shall deliver such other documentation prescribed by applicable law or reasonably requested by the Company or the Administrative Agent as will enable the Company or the Administrative Agent to determine whether or not such Lender is subject to backup withholding or information reporting requirements. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the preceding two sentences, the completion, execution and submission of such documentation (other than such documentation set forth in Section 2.17(f)(ii)(A), (B) and (D) below) shall not be required if in the Lender’s reasonable judgment such completion, execution or submission would subject such Lender to any material unreimbursed cost or expense or would materially prejudice the legal or commercial position of such Lender.

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

(C) any Foreign Lender shall, to the extent it is legally entitled to do so, deliver to the Company and the Administrative Agent (in such number of copies as shall be requested by the recipient) on or prior to the date on which such Foreign Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of the Company or the Administrative Agent), executed originals of any other form prescribed by applicable law as a basis for claiming exemption from or a reduction in U.S. Federal withholding Tax, duly completed, together with such supplementary documentation as may be prescribed by applicable law to permit the Borrowers or the Administrative Agent to determine the withholding or deduction required to be made; and

(D) if a payment made to a Lender under any Loan Document would be subject to U.S. Federal withholding Tax imposed by FATCA if such Lender were to fail to comply with the applicable reporting requirements of FATCA (including those contained in Section 1471(b) or 1472(b) of the Code, as applicable), such Lender shall deliver to the Company and the Administrative Agent at the time or times prescribed by law and at such time or times reasonably requested by the Company or the Administrative Agent such documentation prescribed by applicable law (including as prescribed by Section 1471(b)(3)(C)(i) of the Code) and such additional documentation reasonably requested by the Company or the Administrative Agent as may be necessary for the Borrowers and the Administrative Agent to comply with their obligations under FATCA and to determine that such Lender has complied with such Lender’s obligations under FATCA or to determine the amount to deduct and withhold from such payment. Solely for purposes of this clause (D), “FATCA” shall include any amendments made to FATCA after the date of this Agreement.

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

(g) Additional United Kingdom Withholding Tax Matters.

(i) Subject to (ii) below, each Lender and each UK Borrower which makes a payment to such Lender shall cooperate in completing any procedural formalities necessary for such UK Borrower to obtain authorization to make such payment without withholding or deduction for Taxes imposed under the laws of the United Kingdom.

 

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(ii) (A) A Lender on the Effective Date that (x) holds a passport under the HMRC DT Treaty Passport scheme and (y) wishes such scheme to apply to this Agreement, shall provide its scheme reference number and its jurisdiction of tax residence to each UK Borrower and the Administrative Agent; and

(B) a Lender which becomes a Lender hereunder after the day on which this Agreement closes that (x) holds a passport under the HMRC DT Treaty Passport scheme and (y) wishes such scheme to apply to this Agreement, shall provide its scheme reference number and its jurisdiction of tax residence to each UK Borrower and the Administrative Agent, and

(C) Upon satisfying either clause (A) or (B) above, such Lender shall have satisfied its obligation under paragraph (g)(i) above.

(iii) If a Lender has confirmed its scheme reference number and its jurisdiction of tax residence in accordance with paragraph (g)(ii) above, the UK Borrower(s) shall make a Borrower DTTP filing with respect to such Lender, and shall promptly provide such Lender with a copy of such filing; provided that, if:

(A) each UK Borrower making a payment to such Lender has not made a Borrower DTTP Filing in respect of such Lender; or

(B) each UK Borrower making a payment to such Lender has made a Borrower DTTP Filing in respect of such Lender but:

(1) such Borrower DTTP Filing has been rejected by HM Revenue & Customs; or

(2) HM Revenue & Customs has not given such UK Borrower authority to make payments to such Lender without a deduction for tax within 60 days of the date of such Borrower DTTP Filing;

and in each case, such UK Borrower has notified that Lender in writing of either (1) or (2) above, then such Lender and such UK Borrower shall co-operate in completing any additional procedural formalities necessary for such UK Borrower to obtain authorization to make that payment without withholding or deduction for Taxes imposed under the laws of the United Kingdom.

(iv) If a Lender has not confirmed its scheme reference number and jurisdiction of tax residence in accordance with paragraph (g)(ii) above, no UK Borrower shall make a Borrower DTTP Filing or file any other form relating to the HMRC DT Treaty Passport scheme in respect of that Lender’s Commitment(s) or its participation in any Loan unless the Lender otherwise agrees.

(v) Each UK Borrower shall, promptly on making a Borrower DTTP Filing, deliver a copy of such Borrower DTTP Filing to the Administrative Agent for delivery to the relevant Lender.

(vi) Each Lender shall notify the Company and Administrative Agent if it determines in its sole discretion that it is ceases to be entitled to claim the benefits of an income tax treaty to which the United Kingdom is a party with respect to payments made by any UK Borrower hereunder.

 

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(h) Treatment of Certain Refunds . If any party determines, in its sole discretion exercised in good faith, that it has received a refund of any Taxes as to which it has been indemnified pursuant to this Section 2.17 (including by the payment of additional amounts pursuant to this Section 2.17), it shall pay to the indemnifying party an amount equal to such refund (but only to the extent of indemnity payments made under this Section 2.17 with respect to the Taxes giving rise to such refund), net of all out-of-pocket expenses (including Taxes) of such indemnified party and without interest (other than any interest paid by the relevant Governmental Authority with respect to such refund). Such indemnifying party, upon the request of such indemnified party, shall repay to such indemnified party the amount paid over pursuant to this paragraph (h) (plus any penalties, interest or other charges imposed by the relevant Governmental Authority) in the event that such indemnified party is required to repay such refund to such Governmental Authority. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this paragraph (h), in no event will the indemnified party be required to pay any amount to an indemnifying party pursuant to this paragraph (h) the payment of which would place the indemnified party in a less favorable net after-Tax position than the indemnified party would have been in if the Tax subject to indemnification and giving rise to such refund had not been deducted, withheld or otherwise imposed and the indemnification payments or additional amounts with respect to such Tax had never been paid. This paragraph shall not be construed to require any indemnified party to make available its Tax returns (or any other information relating to its Taxes that it deems confidential) to the indemnifying party or any other Person.

(i) Survival . Each party’s obligations under this Section 2.17 shall survive the resignation or replacement of the Administrative Agent or any assignment of rights by, or the replacement of, a Lender, the termination of the Commitments and the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all obligations under any Loan Document.

(j) Defined Terms . For purposes of this Section 2.17, the term Lender includes any Issuing Bank and the term applicable law includes FATCA.

SECTION 2.18. Payments Generally; Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of Set-offs . (a) The applicable Borrower shall make each payment required to be made by it hereunder (whether of principal, interest, fees or reimbursement of LC Disbursements, or of amounts payable under Section 2.15, 2.16 or 2.17, or otherwise) prior to 1:00 p.m., Houston, Texas time, on the date when due, in immediately available funds, without set off or counterclaim (but without prejudice to the applicable Borrower’s rights with respect to any Defaulting Lender). Any amounts received after such time on any date may, in the discretion of the Administrative Agent, be deemed to have been received on the next succeeding Business Day for purposes of calculating interest thereon. All such payments shall be made to the Administrative Agent at its offices at 270 Park Avenue, New York, New York, except payments to be made directly to an Issuing Bank or Swingline Lender as expressly provided herein and except that payments pursuant to Sections 2.15, 2.16, 2.17 and 9.03 shall be made directly to the Persons entitled thereto. The Administrative Agent shall distribute any such payments received by it for the account of any other Person to the appropriate recipient promptly following receipt thereof. If any payment hereunder shall be due on a day that is not a Business Day, the date for payment shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day. If any payment on a Eurodollar Loan becomes due and payable on a day other than a Business Day, the maturity thereof shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day unless the result of such extension would be to extend such payment into another calendar month, in which event such payment shall be made on the immediately preceding Business Day. In the case of any payment of principal pursuant to the preceding two sentences, interest thereon shall be payable at the then applicable rate for the period of such extension.

(b) If at any time insufficient funds are received by and available to the Administrative Agent to pay fully all amounts of principal, unreimbursed LC Disbursements, interest and fees then due hereunder, such funds shall be applied (i) first, towards payment of interest and fees then due hereunder,

 

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ratably among the parties entitled thereto in accordance with the amounts of interest and fees then due to such parties, and (ii) second, towards payment of principal and unreimbursed LC Disbursements then due hereunder, ratably among the parties entitled thereto in accordance with the amounts of principal and unreimbursed LC Disbursements then due to such parties.

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

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

(e) If any Lender shall fail to make any payment required to be made by it pursuant to Sections 2.06(d) or 2.06(e), 2.07(b), 2.18(d) or 9.03(b), then the Administrative Agent may, in its discretion and notwithstanding any contrary provision hereof, apply any amounts thereafter received by the Administrative Agent for the account of such Lender to satisfy such Lender’s obligations under such Sections until all such unsatisfied obligations are fully paid, and/or (ii) hold such amounts in a segregated account over which the Administrative Agent shall have exclusive control as cash collateral for, and application to, any future funding obligations of such Lender under any such Section, in the case of each of clause (i) and (ii) above, in any order as determined by the Administrative Agent in its discretion.

SECTION 2.19. Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders . (a) If any Lender requests compensation under Section 2.15, or if a Borrower is required to pay any Indemnified Taxes or additional

 

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amounts to any Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to Section 2.17, then such Lender shall use reasonable efforts to designate a different lending office for funding or booking its Loans hereunder or its participation in any Letter of Credit affected by such event, or to assign its rights and obligations hereunder to another of its offices, branches or Affiliates, if, in the judgment of such Lender, such designation or assignment (i) would eliminate or reduce amounts payable pursuant to Sections 2.15 or 2.17, as the case may be, in the future and (ii) would not subject such Lender to any unreimbursed cost or expense and would not otherwise be disadvantageous to such Lender. The Company hereby agrees to pay all reasonable costs and expenses incurred by any Lender in connection with any such designation or assignment; provided , that such Lender is generally seeking compensation from similarly situated borrowers under similar credit facilities (to the extent such Lender has the right under such similar credit facilities to do so).

(b) If (i) any Lender requests compensation under Section 2.15, or (ii) any Borrower is required to pay any Indemnified Taxes or additional amounts to any Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to Section 2.17, or (iii) any Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender (any such Lender referred to in clause (i), (ii) or (iii) above being hereinafter referred to as an “ Affected Lender ”), then the Company may, in addition to any other rights the Company may have hereunder or under applicable Law, at its sole expense and effort, upon notice to such Lender and the Administrative Agent, require such Lender to assign and delegate at par plus accrued interests and fees, without recourse (in accordance with and subject to the restrictions contained in Section 9.04), all its interests, rights (other than its existing rights to payments pursuant to Sections 2.15 or 2.17) and obligations under this Agreement to an assignee that shall assume such obligations (which assignee may be another Lender, if a Lender accepts such assignment); provided that the Company shall have received the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent (and if a Commitment is being assigned, the Issuing Banks), which consent shall not unreasonably be withheld, such Lender shall have received payment of an amount equal to the outstanding principal of its Loans and participations in LC Disbursements and Swingline Loans, accrued interest thereon, accrued fees and all other amounts payable to it hereunder, from the assignee (to the extent of such outstanding principal and accrued interest and fees) or the applicable Borrower (in the case of all other amounts) and (iii) in the case of any such assignment resulting from a claim for compensation under Section 2.15 or payments required to be made pursuant to Section 2.17, such assignment will result in a reduction in such compensation or payments. A Lender shall not be required to make any such assignment and delegation if, prior thereto, as a result of a waiver by such Lender or otherwise, the circumstances entitling the Company to require such assignment and delegation cease to apply.

SECTION 2.20. Defaulting Lenders . Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, if any Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender, then the following provisions shall apply for so long as such Lender is a Defaulting Lender, to the extent permitted by applicable Law:

(a) fees shall cease to accrue on the unfunded portion of the Commitment of such Defaulting Lender pursuant to Section 2.12(a);

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

(c) if any Swingline Exposure or LC Exposure exists at the time such Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender then:

 

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(i) all or any part of the Swingline Exposure and LC Exposure of such Defaulting Lender (other than the portion of such Swingline Exposure referred to in clause (b) of the definition of such term) shall be reallocated among the non-Defaulting Lenders in accordance with their respective Applicable Percentages but only (x) to the extent that such reallocation does not, as to any non-Defaulting Lender, cause such non-Defaulting Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure to exceed its Commitment and (y) if the conditions set forth in Section 4.02 are satisfied at such time;

(ii) if the reallocation described in clause (i) above cannot, or can only partially, be effected, the Borrowers shall within one Business Day following notice by the Administrative Agent (x) first, prepay such Swingline Exposure and (y) second, cash collateralize for the benefit of the Issuing Banks only the Borrower obligations corresponding to such Defaulting Lender’s LC Exposure (after giving effect to any partial reallocation pursuant to clause (i) above) in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 2.06(j) for so long as such LC Exposure is outstanding;

(iii) if the Borrowers cash collateralize any portion of such Defaulting Lender’s LC Exposure pursuant to clause (ii) above, the Borrowers shall not be required to pay any fees to such Defaulting Lender pursuant to Section 2.12(b) with respect to such Defaulting Lender’s LC Exposure during the period such Defaulting Lender’s LC Exposure is cash collateralized;

(iv) if the LC Exposure of the non-Defaulting Lenders is reallocated pursuant to clause (i) above, then the fees payable to the Lenders pursuant to Sections 2.12(a) and 2.12(b) shall be adjusted in accordance with such non-Defaulting Lenders’ Applicable Percentages; and

(v) if all or any portion of such Defaulting Lender’s LC Exposure is neither reallocated nor cash collateralized pursuant to clause (i) or (ii) above, then, without prejudice to any rights or remedies of the Issuing Banks or any other Lender hereunder, all letter of credit fees payable under Section 2.12(b) with respect to such Defaulting Lender’s LC Exposure shall be payable to the Issuing Bank until and to the extent that such LC Exposure is reallocated and/or cash collateralized; and

(d) so long as such Lender is a Defaulting Lender, the Swingline Lender shall not be required to fund any Swingline Loan and the Issuing Banks shall not be required to issue, amend or increase any Letter of Credit, unless it is satisfied that the related exposure and the Defaulting Lender’s then outstanding LC Exposure will be 100% covered by the Commitments of the non-Defaulting Lenders and/or cash collateral will be provided by the Borrowers in accordance with Section 2.20(c), and Swingline Exposure related to any newly made Swingline Loan or LC Exposure related to any newly issued or increased Letter of Credit shall be allocated among non-Defaulting Lenders in a manner consistent with Section 2.20(c)(i) (and such Defaulting Lender shall not participate therein).

In the event that the Administrative Agent, the Company, the Swingline Lender and each Issuing Bank each agrees that a Defaulting Lender has adequately remedied all matters that caused such Lender to be a Defaulting Lender, then the Swingline Exposure and LC Exposure of the Lenders shall be readjusted to reflect the inclusion of such Lender’s Commitment and on such date such Lender shall purchase at par such of the Loans of the other Lenders (other than Swingline Loans) as the Administrative Agent shall determine may be necessary in order for such Lender to hold such Loans in accordance with its Applicable Percentage.

SECTION 2.21. Increased Commitments, Additional Lenders . (a) From time to time after the Closing Date, the Company may, upon at least three (3) days’ notice to the Administrative Agent (which shall promptly provide a copy of such notice to the Lenders), increase the aggregate amount of the Commitments by an amount not less than $25,000,000 (the amount of any such increase, the “ Increased Commitments ”).

 

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(b) To effect such an increase, the Company may designate one or more of the existing Lenders or other financial institutions reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent, each Issuing Bank and the Swingline Lender which at the time agree to (i) in the case of any such Person that is an existing Lender, increase its Commitment and (ii) in the case of any other such Person (an “ Additional Lender ”), become a party to this Agreement with a Commitment of not less than $10,000,000. For the avoidance of doubt, existing Lenders are under no obligation to commit to any Increased Commitments.

(c) Any increase in the Commitments pursuant to this Section 2.21 shall be subject to satisfaction of the following conditions:

(i) at the time of and immediately after giving effect to such increase, all representations and warranties of the Company contained in Article III shall be true and correct in all material respects (except to the extent qualified by materiality, Material Adverse Effect or a similar qualifier, in which case it shall be true and correct in all respects, and except to the extent that any such representation and warranty expressly relates to an earlier date, in which case such representation and warranty shall be true and correct in all material respects as of such earlier date);

(ii) at the time of such increase, no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing or would result from such increase;

(iii) the Company shall be in pro forma compliance with the financial covenant in Section 6.09; and

(iv) after giving effect to such increase, the aggregate amount of all increases in Commitments made pursuant to this Section 2.21 shall not exceed $500,000,000.

(d) An increase in the aggregate amount of the Commitments pursuant to this Section 2.21 shall become effective upon the receipt by the Administrative Agent of (i) an agreement in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent signed by the Company, by each Additional Lender and by each other Lender whose Commitment is to be increased, setting forth the new Commitments of such Lenders and setting forth the agreement of each Additional Lender to become a party to this Agreement and to be bound by all the terms and provisions hereof, (ii) such evidence of appropriate legal authorization on the part of the Borrowers with respect to the Increased Commitments and such opinions of outside counsel for the Loan Parties addressed to the Additional Lenders (covering customary legal matters for an unsecured bank loan financing) and (iii) such evidence of the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in subsection (c) above as the Administrative Agent may reasonably request.

(e) Upon any increase in the aggregate amount of the Commitments pursuant to this Section 2.21, (i) the respective LC Exposure of the Lenders shall be redetermined as of the effective date of such increase in proportion to their respective Commitments after giving effect to such increase and (ii) the outstanding Loans shall be reallocated as of the effective date of such increase such that as of the date of such increase, all outstanding Loans are funded by the Lenders in proportion to their respective Commitments after giving effect to such increase.

 

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ARTICLE III

Representations and Warranties

The Company, on behalf of itself and the other Loan Parties, represents and warrants to the Lenders that:

SECTION 3.01. Organization; Qualification . Each of the Company and the other Loan Parties is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing (or, in each case, the foreign equivalent, if applicable) under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, has all requisite power and authority to carry on its business as now conducted, except where such failure to be in good standing (or, in each case, the foreign equivalent, if applicable) would not reasonably be expected to, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, and, except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, is qualified to do business in, and is in good standing (or, in each case, the foreign equivalent, if applicable) in, every jurisdiction where such qualification is required.

SECTION 3.02. Authorization; Validity; Enforceability . The Transactions are within each Loan Party’s corporate or other organizational powers and have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate and other organizational action. This Agreement and the other Loan Documents have each been duly executed and delivered by the Loan Parties party thereto and constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Loan Parties party thereto, enforceable against such Loan Party in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and subject to general principles of equity, regardless of whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law.

SECTION 3.03. Governmental Approvals; No Conflicts . The Transactions (a) do not require any consent or approval of, registration or filing with, or any other action by, any Governmental Authority, except (i) such as have been obtained or will be obtained prior to being required or made and are in full force and effect, (ii) such filings as may be required with the SEC to comply with disclosure obligations or (iii) the absence of which would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (b) will not violate any applicable law or regulation or the charter, by-laws or other organizational documents of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or any order of any Governmental Authority, except for any violation of any applicable law or regulation that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (c) will not violate or result in a default under any indenture, agreement or other instrument binding upon the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, except for any violation or default that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, and (d) will not result in the creation or imposition of any Lien on any asset of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries.

SECTION 3.04. Financial Condition; No Material Adverse Change; Projections . (a) The Company has heretofore furnished to the Lenders its consolidated balance sheet and consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income, changes in stockholders’ equity and cash flows (i) as of and for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, reported on by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent public accountants, and (ii) as of and for the fiscal quarter and the portion of the fiscal year ended June 30, 2016, certified by its chief financial officer. Such financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position and results of operations and cash flows of the Company and its Consolidated Subsidiaries as of such dates and for such periods in accordance with GAAP, subject to year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes in the case of the statements referred to in clause (ii) above.

 

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(b) Since December 31, 2015, there has been no material adverse effect on the business, assets, property or condition, financial or otherwise, of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

SECTION 3.05. Reserved .

SECTION 3.06. Litigation and Environmental Matters . (a) Except as disclosed in the Company’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015 filed with the SEC, there are no actions, suits or proceedings by any Person or before any arbitrator or Governmental Authority pending against or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened in writing against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (i) as to which there is a reasonable likelihood of an adverse determination and that, if adversely determined, would reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect (other than matters fully covered by insurance as to which the insurer has been notified as of such action, suit or proceeding and has not issued a notice denying coverage thereof) or (ii) challenge the validity or enforceability of this Agreement or the Transactions.

(b) Except with respect to any other matters that, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its Subsidiaries (i) are and, since January 1, 2013, have been in compliance with applicable Environmental Law and have obtained and are, and, since January 1, 2013, have been, in compliance with all Environmental Permits, (ii) have not become subject to any Environmental Liability and (iii) have not received written notice of any claim alleging any Environmental Liability of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries the subject matter of which has not been fully resolved.

SECTION 3.07. Compliance with Laws and Agreements . Each of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries is in compliance with all laws, regulations and orders of any Governmental Authority applicable to it or its property and all indentures, agreements and other instruments binding upon it or its property, except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. No Default has occurred and is continuing.

SECTION 3.08. Investment Company Status . None of the Loan Parties is required to be registered as an “investment company within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

SECTION 3.09. Taxes . Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries has timely filed or caused to be filed all Tax returns and reports required to have been filed and has paid or caused to be paid all Taxes required to have been paid by it, except (a) Taxes that are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which the Company or such Subsidiary, as applicable, has set aside on its books adequate reserves or (b) to the extent that the failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

SECTION 3.10. ERISA . (a) No ERISA Event has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur that, when taken together with all other such ERISA Events that have occurred, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Except either as disclosed in any public filing or as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (i) the present value of all accumulated benefit obligations under each Plan (based on the assumptions used for purposes of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 87) did not, as of the date of the most recent financial statements reflecting such amounts, exceed by more than the Threshold Amount the fair market value of the assets of such Plan, and (ii) the present value of all accumulated benefit obligations of all underfunded Plans (based on the assumptions used for purposes of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 87) did not, as of the date of the most recent financial statements reflecting such amounts, exceed by more than the Threshold Amount the fair market value of the assets of all such underfunded Plans.

 

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(b) From and after the date on which the Company and its Subsidiaries have or are liable with respect to any Foreign Pension Plan (in each case in this clause (b)): Each Foreign Pension Plan is in compliance in all respects with all requirements of law applicable thereto and the respective requirements of the governing documents for such plan except where the failure to comply could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, with respect to each Foreign Pension Plan, none of the Company, its respective Affiliates or any of its respective directors, officers, employees or agents has engaged in a transaction that would subject the Company or any Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, to a tax or civil penalty that, individually or in the aggregate, exceeds the Threshold Amount. Except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, with respect to each Foreign Pension Plan, reserves have been established in the Financial Statements in respect of any material unfunded liabilities in accordance with applicable law or, where required, in accordance with ordinary accounting practices in the jurisdiction in which such Foreign Pension Plan is maintained. Except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, the aggregate unfunded liabilities with respect to such Foreign Pension Plans would not reasonably be expected to result in liability of the Company and its Subsidiaries in an aggregate amount exceeding the Threshold Amount.

SECTION 3.11. Disclosure . Neither the Information Memorandum nor any of the other reports, financial statements, certificates or other written information (other than projections, other forward looking information and information of a general economic or industry specific nature) furnished by or on behalf of the Company to the Administrative Agent or any Lender in connection with the negotiation of this Agreement or delivered hereunder (as modified or supplemented by other written information so furnished), when taken as a whole, contains any material misstatement of fact or omits to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not materially misleading; provided that, with respect to projected financial information, the Company represents only that such information was prepared in good faith based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable at the time prepared (it being understood and agreed that actual results may vary materially from the projections).

SECTION 3.12. Sanctions . The Company has implemented and maintains in effect policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance by the Company, its Subsidiaries and their respective directors, officers, employees and agents with Anti-Corruption Laws and applicable Sanctions, and the Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with Anti-Corruption Laws and applicable Sanctions in all material respects. None of the Company, any Subsidiary or, to the knowledge of the Company, any of their respective directors, officers or employees, or, to the knowledge of the Company, any agent of the Company or any subsidiary that will act in any capacity in connection with or benefit from the loan facility established hereby, is a Sanctioned Person.

SECTION 3.13. Margin Regulations . None of the Loan Parties or any of their Restricted Subsidiaries is engaged principally, or as one of its important activities, in the business of extending credit for the purpose of buying or carrying margin stock (within the meaning of Regulation U issued by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System).

SECTION 3.14. [Reserved.]

SECTION 3.15. [Reserved.]

SECTION 3.16. USA PATRIOT Act . To the extent applicable, the Company and each Subsidiary are in compliance, in all material respects, with the USA PATRIOT Act.

SECTION 3.17. Intellectual Property Matters . Each Loan Party owns or is licensed or otherwise has the right to use all of the patents, trademarks, contractual franchises, licenses, permits, rights of way,

 

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authorizations and other rights that are reasonably necessary to the current conduct of its businesses, without any known conflict with the rights of any other Person, except where the failure to own or otherwise have such right would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

ARTICLE IV

Conditions

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

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

(b) Concurrently with the execution of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents executed on the Effective Date, the Company’s Third Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of July 17, 2014, among the Company and certain subsidiaries of the Company, the financial institutions named therein, and Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time prior to the date hereof) shall have been terminated and all amounts outstanding thereunder shall have been repaid, and all security interests and guarantees granted in connection therewith terminated and released, as applicable.

(c) The Administrative Agent shall have received a written opinion (addressed to the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks, the Swingline Lender and the other Lenders and dated the Effective Date) of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, counsel for the Loan Parties, in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent. The Company hereby requests such counsel to deliver such opinion.

(d) The Administrative Agent shall have received such documents and certificates as the Administrative Agent or its counsel may reasonably request relating to the organization, existence and good standing of the Loan Parties, the authorization of the Transactions and any other legal matters relating to the Loan Parties, this Agreement, the other Loan Documents or the Transactions, all in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and its counsel, including (i) copies of such Loan Party’s charter (or equivalent formation document) and by-laws (or equivalent organizational document), and any amendments thereto, certified in each instance by its Secretary or Assistant Secretary (or analogous Person with respect to such Eligible Subsidiary), (ii) copies of the resolutions or similar authorizing documentation of the governing body of such Loan Party authorizing such Loan Party to enter into and perform its obligations under the Loan Documents, certified by its Secretary or Assistant Secretary (or analogous Person with respect to such Loan Party), (iii) a good standing certificate (or the equivalent thereof, if any, in any foreign jurisdiction) from the jurisdiction of formation of such Loan Party and (iv) a customary certificate of the Secretary or Assistant Secretary of such Loan Party (or analogous Person with respect to such Loan Party) certifying the names and true signatures of such Loan Party’s authorized persons, officers and employees authorized to sign this Agreement and the other documents to be delivered by such Loan Party hereunder.

(e) The Administrative Agent shall have received a certificate, dated the Effective Date and signed by the President, a Vice President or a Financial Officer of the Company, confirming compliance with the conditions set forth in paragraph (b) of Section 4.01 and paragraphs (a) and (b) of Section 4.02.

 

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(f) The Administrative Agent shall have received all fees and other amounts due and payable on or prior to the Effective Date, including, to the extent invoiced at least three (3) Business Days prior to the Effective Date, reimbursement or payment of all out of pocket expenses required to be reimbursed or paid by the Borrowers hereunder.

(g) The Administrative Agent shall have received all documentation and other information reasonably requested by each Lender that is required for compliance with the PATRIOT Act or other “know your customer” and anti-money laundering rules and regulations (which requested information shall have been received by the Effective Date to the extent requested by the Lenders at least five Business Days prior to the Effective Date).

(h) The Administrative Agent shall have received (i) satisfactory audited consolidated financial statements of the Company for the two most recent fiscal years ended prior to the Effective Date as to which such financial statements are available and (ii) satisfactory unaudited interim consolidated financial statements of the Company for each quarterly period ended subsequent to the date of the latest financial statements delivered pursuant to clause (i) of this paragraph as to which such financial statements are available.

Promptly upon the satisfaction of the foregoing conditions precedent, the Administrative Agent shall notify the Company and the Lenders of the Effective Date, and such notice shall be conclusive and binding. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the obligations of the Lenders to make Loans and of the Issuing Banks to issue Letters of Credit hereunder shall not become effective unless each of the foregoing conditions is satisfied (or waived pursuant to Section 9.02) at or prior to 3:00 p.m., New York City time, on September 15, 2016 (and, in the event such conditions are not so satisfied or waived, the Commitments shall terminate at such time).

SECTION 4.02. Each Credit Event . The obligation of each Lender to make a Loan on the occasion of any Borrowing, and of an Issuing Bank to issue, amend, renew or extend any Letter of Credit, is subject to the satisfaction of the following conditions:

(a) The representations and warranties of the Company set forth in this Agreement shall be true and correct in all material respects (except to the extent qualified by materiality, Material Adverse Effect or a similar qualifier, in which case it shall be true in correct in all respects) on and as of the date of such Borrowing or the date of issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of such Letter of Credit, as applicable (except to the extent that any such representation and warranty expressly relates to an earlier date, in which case such representation and warranty shall be true and correct in all material respects as of such earlier date).

(b) At the time of and immediately after giving effect to such Borrowing or the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of such Letter of Credit, as applicable, no Default shall have occurred and be continuing.

Each Borrowing and each issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of a Letter of Credit shall be deemed to constitute a representation and warranty by the Company on the date thereof as to the matters specified in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section.

SECTION 4.03. First Borrowing by Each Eligible Subsidiary .

(a) The obligation of each Lender to make a Loan, and the obligation of an Issuing Bank to issue a Letter of Credit, on the occasion of the first Borrowing by or issuance of a Letter of Credit for the account of each Eligible Subsidiary that has become a Borrower hereunder is subject to the receipt by the Administrative Agent of the following documents:

 

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(i) an opinion of counsel for such Eligible Subsidiary covering customary legal matters for an unsecured bank loan financing; and

(ii) receipt by the Administrative Agent of: (i) copies of such Eligible Subsidiary’s charter (or equivalent formation document) and by-laws (or equivalent organizational document), and any amendments thereto, certified in each instance by its Secretary or Assistant Secretary (or analogous Person with respect to such Eligible Subsidiary), (ii) copies of the resolutions or similar authorizing documentation of the governing body of such Eligible Subsidiary authorizing such Eligible Subsidiary to enter into and perform its obligations under the Loan Documents, certified by its Secretary or Assistant Secretary (or analogous Person with respect to such Eligible Subsidiary), (iii) a good standing certificate (or the equivalent thereof, if any, in any foreign jurisdiction) from the jurisdiction of formation of such Eligible Subsidiary and (iv) a customary certificate of the Secretary or Assistant Secretary of such Eligible Subsidiary (or analogous Person with respect to such Eligible Subsidiary) certifying the names and true signatures of such Eligible Subsidiary’s authorized persons, officers and employees authorized to sign this Agreement and the other documents to be delivered by such Eligible Subsidiary hereunder.

(b) Following the giving of any Election to Participate, if the designation of such Eligible Subsidiary obligates the Administrative Agent or any Lender to comply with “know your customer” or similar identification procedures in circumstances where the necessary information is not already available to it, the Company shall, promptly upon the request of the Administrative Agent or any Lender, supply such documentation and other evidence as is reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent or any Lender in order for the Administrative Agent or such Lender to carry out and be satisfied it has complied with all necessary “know your customer” or other similar checks under all applicable laws and regulations; it being understood that such “know your customer” and other similar checks under all applicable laws and regulations shall have been satisfied prior to any extension of credit to an Eligible Subsidiary that has become a Borrower hereunder.

(c) Any extension of credit to an Eligible Subsidiary that has become a Borrower hereunder which is not organized under the laws of the United States or any political subdivision thereof shall not contravene any law or regulation applicable to each Lender extending such credit nor violate any internal policy applicable to the Lender extending such credit.

ARTICLE V

Affirmative Covenants

Until the Commitments have expired or been terminated and the principal of and interest on each Loan and all fees payable hereunder shall have been paid in full and all Letters of Credit shall have expired or terminated, in each case, without any pending draw, and all LC Disbursements shall have been reimbursed, the Company (on behalf of itself and the other Loan Parties) covenants and agrees with the Lenders that:

SECTION 5.01. Financial Statements; Ratings Change and Other Information . The Company will furnish to the Administrative Agent for transmission to each Lender by the Administrative Agent, including Public-Siders:

(a) within 90 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company, its audited consolidated balance sheet and related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income, changes in stockholders’ equity and cash flows as of the end of and for such year, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the previous fiscal year, all reported on by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP or other independent public accountants of recognized national standing (without a “going concern” or like qualification commentary or exception and without any qualification or exception as to the scope of

 

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such audit) to the effect that such consolidated financial statements present fairly in all material respects the financial condition and results of operations of the Company and its Consolidated Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP consistently applied;

(b) within 45 days after the end of each of the first three fiscal quarters of each fiscal year of the Company, its consolidated balance sheet and consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income and cash flows as of the end of and for such fiscal quarter and the then elapsed portion of the fiscal year, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the corresponding period or periods of (or, in the case of the balance sheet, as of the end of) the previous fiscal year, all certified by one of its Financial Officers as presenting fairly in all material respects the financial condition and results of operations of the Company and its Consolidated Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP consistently applied, subject to normal year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes;

(c) concurrently with any delivery of financial statements under clause (a) or (b) above, a certificate of a Financial Officer of the Company (i) (x) certifying that, to such Financial Officer’s knowledge, no Default has occurred and is continuing or, (y) if, to such Financial Officer’s knowledge, a Default has occurred and is continuing, specifying the details thereof and any action taken or proposed to be taken with respect thereto, (ii) setting forth reasonably detailed calculations demonstrating compliance with Section 6.09, (iii) stating whether any change in GAAP or in the application thereof has occurred since the date of the audited financial statements referred to in Section 3.04 and, if any such change has occurred, specifying the effect of such change on the financial statements accompanying such certificate and (iv) providing unaudited consolidating financial information that presents in reasonable detail available to the Company’s management the differences between the consolidated cash, indebtedness and EBITDA relating to the Company and its Subsidiaries, on the one hand, and the consolidated cash, indebtedness and EBITDA relating to the Unrestricted Subsidiaries (if any) on the other hand;

(d) promptly after the same become publicly available, copies of all periodic and other reports, proxy statements and other materials filed by the Company with the SEC under the Exchange Act, or any Governmental Authority succeeding to any or all of the functions of the SEC, or with any national securities exchange, or distributed by the Company to its shareholders generally, as the case may be, other than non-material disclosures;

(e) promptly after Moody’s, S&P or Fitch shall have announced a change in the rating established or deemed to have been established for the Public Debt Rating, written notice of such rating change; and

(f) reasonably promptly following any request therefor, such other information regarding the operations, business affairs and financial condition of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, or compliance with the terms of this Agreement, as the Administrative Agent, at the request of any Lender, may reasonably request; provided that in no event shall the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary be required to disclose information (x) to the extent that such disclosure to the Administrative Agent or such Lender violates any bona fide contractual confidentiality obligations by which it is bound, so long as (i) such obligations were not entered into in contemplation of this Agreement or any of the other Transactions and (ii) such obligations are owed by it to a third party, or (y) as to which it has been advised by counsel that provision of such information to the Administrative Agent or such Lender would give rise to a waiver of attorney-client privilege.

Information required to be delivered pursuant to clause (a), (b) or (f) of this Section shall be deemed to have been delivered if such information, or one or more annual or quarterly reports containing such information, shall be available on the website of the Company or the SEC. Information required to be delivered pursuant to this Section may also be delivered by electronic communications pursuant to procedures approved by the Administrative Agent.

 

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SECTION 5.02. Notices of Material Events . The Company will furnish to the Administrative Agent and each Lender prompt written notice, after a Responsible Officer becomes aware of such event, of the following events:

(a) the occurrence of any Default;

(b) the filing or commencement of any action, suit or proceeding by or before any arbitrator or Governmental Authority against or affecting the Company that, in the good faith judgment of the Company, if adversely determined, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;

(c) the occurrence of any ERISA Event that, alone or together with any other ERISA Events that have occurred, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; and

(d) any Environmental Liability that has or would reasonably be expected to result in, a Material Adverse Effect.

Each notice delivered under this Section shall be accompanied by a statement of a Financial Officer or other executive officer of the Company setting forth the details of the event or development requiring such notice and any action taken or proposed to be taken with respect thereto.

SECTION 5.03. Existence; Conduct of Business . The Company will, and will cause each of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve, renew and keep in full force and effect its legal existence and the rights, licenses, permits, privileges and franchises material to the conduct of its business; provided that the foregoing shall not prohibit any action permitted under Section 6.03; provided , further , that this Section 5.03 shall not require the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary to preserve or maintain any rights, licenses, permits, privileges and franchises if the Company (other than the legal existence of the Company) shall reasonably determine that the failure to maintain and preserve the same would not reasonably be expected, in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.

SECTION 5.04. Payment of Obligations . The Company will, and will cause each of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, pay its obligations, including Tax liabilities, that, if not paid, could have a Material Adverse Effect before the same shall become delinquent or in default, except where (a) the validity or amount thereof is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings, (b) the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary has set aside on its books adequate reserves with respect thereto in accordance with GAAP or (c) the failure to make payment pending such contest would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

SECTION 5.05. Maintenance of Properties; Insurance . The Company will, and will cause each of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, (a) keep and maintain all property material to the conduct of its business in good working order and condition (ordinary wear and tear and casualty and condemnation events excepted), except to the extent any failure to do so would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, and (b) to the extent available on commercially reasonable terms, maintain, with financially sound and reputable insurance companies, insurance in such amounts and against such risks as are customarily maintained by companies engaged in the same or similar businesses operating in the same or similar locations.

SECTION 5.06. Books and Records; Inspection Rights . The Company will, and will cause each of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, keep proper books of record and account in which true and correct entries in all material respects are made of all dealings and transactions in relation to its business and activities to

 

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the extent required by GAAP. The Company will, and will cause each of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, permit any representatives designated by the Administrative Agent or any Lender, upon reasonable prior notice, to visit and inspect its properties subject to any applicable restrictions or limitations on access to any facility or information that is classified or restricted by contract or by law, regulation or governmental guidelines or in accordance with any applicable safety procedures, to examine the books of accounts of the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary, and to discuss its affairs, finances and condition with its officers and (only during the continuance of an Event of Default) its independent accountants, all at such reasonable times upon reasonable advance notice and as often as reasonably requested; provided , however , that prior to the occurrence and continuance of an Event of Default, such visitations and inspections shall be no more frequent than once per fiscal year and shall be at the sole cost and expense of the Administrative Agent or such Lender.

SECTION 5.07. Compliance with Law; Maintenance of Licenses . The Company shall comply, and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries to comply with all requirements of law of any Governmental Authority having jurisdiction over it or its business (including the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act and all Environmental Laws and Environmental Permits, including those relating to the generation, handling, use and disposal of any Hazardous Material), except to the extent that the failure to do so would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company shall, and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries to, take prompt and appropriate action to respond to any material non-compliance with Environmental Laws and Environmental Permits. The Company has implemented and maintains in effect policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance by the Company, its Subsidiaries and their respective directors, officers, and employees, and agents with Anti-Corruption Laws and applicable Sanctions. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary shall violate the provisions of any Material Agreement, except to the extent that the failure to do so would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company shall, and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries to, obtain and maintain all licenses, permits, franchises, and governmental authorizations necessary to own its property and to conduct its business as conducted on the Effective Date, including all Environmental Permits, except to the extent that the failure to do so would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

SECTION 5.08. Use of Proceeds and Letters of Credit . The proceeds of the Loans will be used only for (i) the financing of the consideration and related fees and expenses in connection with the Axiall Acquisition and (ii) general corporate purposes, including for working capital, the issuance of Letters of Credit, and permitted acquisitions.

SECTION 5.09. [Reserved] .

SECTION 5.10. Further Assurances .

(a) Upon the formation or acquisition of any new direct or indirect Subsidiary other than an Excluded Subsidiary by any Loan Party, or any determination that (i) an Immaterial Subsidiary ceases to be an Immaterial Subsidiary or (ii) an Excluded Subsidiary guarantees other Indebtedness of the Company as contemplated by the last sentence of the definition of “Excluded Subsidiary”, then in each case the Company shall, at its sole expense, within 10 Business Days after such formation or acquisition or determination, or such longer period as the Administrative Agent may agree in its sole discretion, cause each such Subsidiary to duly execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent a Joinder Agreement guaranteeing the other Loan Parties’ obligations under the Loan Documents; provided that with respect to (1) Lagoon LLC and (2) any Subsidiary that will need to execute a Joinder Agreement pursuant to this Section 5.10(a) as a result of the Axaill Acquisition, notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall in each case cause such Subsidiary to duly execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent such Joinder Agreement by the later of (i) 10 Business Days after the Axiall Acquisition or (ii) October 15, 2016.

 

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(b) The Loan Parties shall execute and deliver, or cause to be executed and delivered, to the Administrative Agent and/or any Lender such documents and agreements, and shall take or cause to be taken such actions, as the Administrative Agent may, from time to time, reasonably request to carry out the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents.

ARTICLE VI

Negative Covenants

Until the Commitments have expired or terminated and the principal of and interest on each Loan and all fees payable hereunder have been paid in full and all Letters of Credit have expired or terminated, in each case, without any pending draw, and all LC Disbursements shall have been reimbursed, the Company (on behalf of itself and the other Loan Parties) covenants and agrees with the Lenders that:

SECTION 6.01. Indebtedness . The Company will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, create, incur, assume or permit to exist any Indebtedness, except:

(a) Indebtedness created hereunder (including any Indebtedness incurred pursuant to Section 2.21);

(b) Indebtedness existing on the date hereof, the Axiall Notes and any notes issued in exchange thereof (including any guarantees therefor);

(c) Indebtedness of the Company to any Restricted Subsidiary and of any Restricted Subsidiary to the Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary;

(d) Guarantees by the Company of Indebtedness of any Restricted Subsidiary and by any Restricted Subsidiary of Indebtedness of the Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary;

(e) Indebtedness of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary incurred or issued to finance the acquisition, construction, repair, replacement or improvement of any fixed or capital assets, including Capital Lease Obligations, mortgage financings or purchase money obligations and any Indebtedness assumed in connection with the acquisition of any such assets or secured by a Lien on any such assets prior to the acquisition thereof; provided that (i) such Indebtedness is incurred prior to or within 180 days after such acquisition or the completion of such construction, repair, replacement or improvement and (ii) the Indebtedness secured thereby does not exceed the cost of acquiring, constructing, repairing, replacing or improving such fixed or capital asset;

(f) Indebtedness incurred by a Person prior to the time (a) such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary, (b) such Person merges into or consolidates with the Company or a Restricted Subsidiaries or existing at the time of a sale or transfer of the properties of a Person as an entirety or substantially as an entirety to the Company or any Subsidiary or (c) another Restricted Subsidiary merges into or consolidates with such Person (in a transaction in which such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary), which Indebtedness was not incurred in anticipation of such transaction and was outstanding prior to such transaction, and extensions, renewals or replacements thereof (or successive extensions, renewals and replacements thereof);

(g) Indebtedness in respect of a Qualified Receivables Financing;

(h) any extension, renewal and replacement (or successive extensions, renewals or replacements) in whole or in part of any Indebtedness referred to in the foregoing clauses (a) through (g), inclusive, that do not increase the outstanding principal amount (or accreted value, if applicable) thereof except by an amount equal to unpaid accrued interest and premium thereon plus other amounts paid, and fees and expenses incurred, in connection with such extension, renewal or replacement and by an amount equal to any existing commitments unutilized thereunder; and

 

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(i) other Indebtedness; provided that at the time the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary incurs such Indebtedness (and giving pro forma effect thereto), (x) the Company is in compliance with the Financial Covenant and (y) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing.

SECTION 6.02. Liens . The Company will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, create, incur, assume or permit to exist any Lien on any property or asset now owned or hereafter acquired by it, except:

(a) Permitted Encumbrances;

(b) any Lien on any property or asset of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary existing on the date hereof;

(c) Liens securing Indebtedness permitted under Sections 6.01(g);

(d) Liens of or upon (x) any property of, or shares of Equity Interests or Indebtedness of, a Person existing at the time such Person becomes a Subsidiary, is merged with or into or consolidated with the Company or any Subsidiary, or is otherwise acquired by the Company or any Subsidiary, or existing at the time of a sale or transfer of the properties of a Person as an entirety or substantially as an entirety to the Company or any Subsidiary, or (y) any shares of Equity Interests or Indebtedness of a Joint Venture, and in each case not created or incurred in contemplation of such event; provided that (i) the obligation to which such Lien relates is not purchase money Indebtedness and (ii) such Lien does not attach to other property of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries;

(e) any extension, renewal or replacement (or successive extensions, renewals or replacements) in whole or in part of any Lien existing at the date of this Agreement or any Lien referred to in the foregoing clauses (a) through (d), inclusive, but only to the extent that the principal amount (or accreted value, if applicable) of Indebtedness secured thereby does not exceed the principal amount of Indebtedness (or accreted value, if applicable) so secured at the time of such extension, renewal or replacement except by an amount equal to unpaid accrued interest and premium thereon plus other amounts paid, and fees and expenses incurred, in connection with such extension, renewal or replacement and by an amount equal to any existing commitments unutilized thereunder; and

(f) Liens not otherwise permitted by this Section 6.02 securing Indebtedness and other obligations (including Liens securing Indebtedness incurred pursuant to Section 6.01(e) and 6.01(i)) in an aggregate principal amount at any time outstanding not to exceed on the date of incurrence thereof an amount equal to 10.0% of Consolidated Net Tangible Assets at such time.

SECTION 6.03. Fundamental Changes . (a) The Company will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, merge into or consolidate with any other Person, or permit any other Person to merge into or consolidate with it, or sell, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of (in one transaction or in a series of transactions) all or substantially all of their consolidated assets, taken as a whole, or liquidate or dissolve, except that, if at the time thereof and immediately after giving effect thereto no Default shall have occurred and be continuing (i) any Person may merge into or consolidate with a Loan Party in a transaction in which such Loan Party is the surviving corporation, provided , if the Company is party to such merger or consolidation, either (A) the Company shall be the continuing or surviving Person or (B) if the Person formed by or surviving any such merger, consolidation or disposition is not the Company, the successor Person shall expressly assume all the obligations of the Company under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents to which the Company is a party pursuant to documentation reasonably

 

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satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, (ii) any Person may merge or consolidate into any Restricted Subsidiary in a transaction in which the surviving entity is a Restricted Subsidiary, provided , if the Company is party to such a merger, the Company shall be the surviving entity, (iii) any Restricted Subsidiary may liquidate, dissolve, or sell, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of its assets to a Borrower or to another Loan Party, (iv) any Restricted Subsidiary may liquidate or dissolve or merge into, or sell, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of its assets to another Person if the Company determines in good faith that such liquidation or dissolution, merger or disposition is in the best interests of the Company and is not materially disadvantageous to the Lenders; provided that any such merger involving a Person that is not a wholly owned Subsidiary immediately prior to such merger shall not be permitted unless also permitted by Section 6.04;

provided that the restrictions in this Section 6.03(a) shall not apply to the Restricted Subsidiaries if, at the time it enters into such transaction and giving pro forma effect thereto, (x) the Company is in compliance with the Financial Covenant and (y) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing.

(b) The Company will not, and will not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, engage to any material extent in any business other than businesses of the type conducted by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries on the date of execution of this Agreement and businesses reasonably related, ancillary or incidental thereto.

SECTION 6.04. Investments, Loans, Advances, Guarantees and Permitted Acquisitions . The Company will not, and will not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, purchase or acquire any Equity Interests, indebtedness or other securities of any other Person, make any loans or advances to, Guarantee any Indebtedness of, or make any investment in, or purchase or otherwise acquire (in one transaction or a series of transactions) any assets of any other Person constituting a business unit, except:

(a) Permitted Investments and purchases of assets in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice;

(b) investments by the Company in the capital stock of its Restricted Subsidiaries;

(c) loans or advances made by the Company to any Restricted Subsidiary and made by any Restricted Subsidiary to the Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary;

(d) Guarantees constituting Indebtedness permitted by Section 6.01;

(e) the purchase or other acquisition (in one transaction or a series of transactions) of all or substantially all of the property and assets or business of another Person or assets constituting a business unit, line of business or division of such Person;

(f) the Axiall Acquisition and any redemption or exchange of the Axiall Notes; and

(g) Investments consisting of Indebtedness, Liens, fundamental changes, and Restricted Payments permitted by Sections 6.01, 6.02, 6.03 and 6.06, respectively;

provided that the restrictions in this Section 6.04 shall not apply to the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries if, at the time it enters into such transaction and giving pro forma effect thereto, (x) the Company is in compliance with the Financial Covenant and (y) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing.

 

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SECTION 6.05. Sale and Leaseback Transactions . Neither the Company nor any of its Restricted Subsidiaries shall, directly or indirectly, enter into any arrangement with any Person providing for the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary to lease or rent property that the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary has sold or will sell or otherwise transfer to such Person, except for sale and leaseback transactions with respect to which the obligations of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries do not exceed $150,000,000, in the aggregate, at any time; provided that the restrictions in this Section 6.05 shall not apply to the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries if, at the time it enters into such transaction and giving pro forma effect thereto, (x) the Company is in compliance with the Financial Covenant and (y) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing.

SECTION 6.06. Restricted Payments . The Company will not, and will not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to declare or make any Restricted Payment, except (a) the Company may declare and pay dividends with respect to its Equity Interests payable solely in additional shares of its common stock, (b) Restricted Subsidiaries may declare and pay dividends with respect to their Equity Interests ratably or on a basis more favorable to the Loan Parties or a Restricted Subsidiary holding such Equity Interests; (c) the Company may make Restricted Payments pursuant to and in accordance with equity subscription agreements, stock option agreements, shareholders’ agreements or similar plans or agreements for current or former directors, officers, management or employees of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries and (d) payments to dissenting stockholders of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary pursuant to requirements of law made pursuant to or in connection with a consolidation, merger or transfer of assets in connection with a transaction not prohibited by this Agreement; provided that the restrictions in this Section 6.06 shall not apply to the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries if, at the time it makes such Restricted Payment (or, in the case of a public dividend, at the time of declaration if such Restricted Payment is made no later than 60 days after such declaration) and giving pro forma effect thereto, (x) the Company is in compliance with the Financial Covenant and (y) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing; provided , further , Restricted Payments made and/or declared by Westlake Chemical OpCo LP on account of its Equity Interests made to its equity holders on either a pro rata basis or on a basis more favorable to a Loan Party or a Restricted Subsidiary of a Loan Party shall be permitted.

SECTION 6.07. Use of Proceeds; Anti-Corruption Laws and Laws Against Sanctioned Persons . No part of the proceeds of any Loan or any Letter of Credit will be used by a Borrower to purchase or carry any margin stock (within the meaning of Regulation U issued by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System). No Borrower will request any Borrowing or Letter of Credit, and no Borrower shall use, and shall procure that the Subsidiaries and its or their respective directors, officers and employees shall not use the proceeds of any Borrowing or Letter of Credit (A) in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization of the payment or giving of money, or anything else of value, to any Person in violation of any Anti-Corruption Laws, or (B) for the purpose of funding, financing or facilitating any activities, business or transaction of or with any Sanctioned Person, or in any Sanctioned Country, or in any other manner, in each case as would result in the violation of any Sanctions applicable to any party hereto.

SECTION 6.08. [Reserved.]

SECTION 6.09. Financial Covenant . The Company will not permit the Total Leverage Ratio as of the last day of any fiscal quarter of the Company to exceed:

(a) from the Effective Date to the date the Company delivers a certificate to the Administrative Agent certifying that the commitments under the Bridge Facility have been terminated in full (the “ Changeover Date ”), 3.00 to 1.00; provided that the Total Leverage Ratio, for the purposes of this Section 6.09(a), shall be determined without netting unrestricted cash and cash equivalents of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries as otherwise provided for in such definition);

 

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(b) from the Changeover Date to December 31, 2017, 3.50 to 1.00; and

(c) thereafter, 3.00 to 1.00.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth herein, until the earlier of (A) the Axiall Acquisition Closing Date and (B) the date on which the Axiall Acquisition Agreement terminates or expires, any Indebtedness incurred by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries pursuant to the Westlake Eighth Supplemental Indenture shall be disregarded for the purpose of determining compliance with this Section 6.09 to the extent that, and so long as, the cash proceeds of such Indebtedness is subject to mandatory redemption on customary terms by the holders of such Indebtedness if the Axiall Acquisition Agreement terminates or expires without consummation of the Axiall Acquisition. For the avoidance of doubt, the cash proceeds from the Indebtedness described in the preceding sentence shall not be netted as contemplated by the definition of Total Leverage Ratio.

ARTICLE VII

Events of Default

SECTION 7.01. Events of Default . If any of the following events (“ Events of Default ”) shall occur and be continuing:

(a) any Borrower shall fail to pay any principal of any Loan or any reimbursement obligation in respect of any LC Disbursement when and as the same shall become due and payable, whether at the due date thereof or at a date fixed for prepayment thereof or otherwise;

(b) any Borrower shall fail to pay any interest on any Loan or any fee or any other amount (other than an amount referred to in clause (a) of this Article) payable under this Agreement, when and as the same shall become due and payable, and such failure shall continue unremedied for a period of five (5) Business Days;

(c) any representation or warranty made, or deemed made pursuant to Sections 2.06(b) or 4.02, by or on behalf of any Loan Party or any Restricted Subsidiary in or in connection with this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any amendment or modification hereof or thereof or waiver hereunder or thereunder, or in any report, certificate, financial statement or other document furnished pursuant to this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any amendment or modification hereof or thereof or waiver hereunder or thereunder, shall prove to have been incorrect in any material respect when made or deemed made;

(d) any Loan Party shall fail to observe or perform any covenant, condition or agreement contained in Sections 5.02, 5.03 (with respect to any Loan Party’s existence) or 5.08 or in Article VI;

(e) any Loan Party shall fail to observe or perform any covenant, condition or agreement contained in this Agreement (other than those specified in clause (a), (b) or (d) of this Article), and such failure shall continue unremedied for a period of thirty (30) days after notice thereof from the Administrative Agent to the Company (which notice will be given at the request of any Lender);

(f) any Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary shall fail to make any payment (whether of principal or interest and regardless of amount) in respect of any Material Indebtedness, when and as the same shall become due and payable and after expiration of all grace or cure periods;

 

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(g) any event or condition occurs that results in any Material Indebtedness becoming due prior to its scheduled maturity or that enables or permits (after the giving of all notices and the expiration of all grace periods) the holder or holders of any Material Indebtedness or any trustee or agent on its or their behalf to cause any Material Indebtedness to become due, or to require the prepayment, repurchase, redemption or defeasance thereof, prior to its scheduled maturity; provided that this clause (g) shall not apply to (i) secured Indebtedness that becomes due as a result of the voluntary sale or transfer of the property or assets securing such Indebtedness, (ii) regularly scheduled amortization payments with respect to Material Indebtedness or (iii) customary non default mandatory prepayments with respect to Material Indebtedness in connection with asset sales, casualty or condemnation events, equity issuances or debt issuances;

(h) an involuntary proceeding shall be commenced or an involuntary petition shall be filed seeking (i) liquidation, reorganization or other relief in respect of any Borrower or any Restricted Subsidiary that is not an Immaterial Subsidiary (a “ Material Restricted Subsidiary ”) or its debts, or of a substantial part of its assets, under any Federal, state or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or similar law now or hereafter in effect or (ii) the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian, sequestrator, conservator or similar official for the Borrower or any Material Restricted Subsidiary or for a substantial part of its assets, and, in any such case, such proceeding or petition shall continue undismissed for 60 days or an order or decree approving or ordering any of the foregoing shall be entered;

(i) any Borrower or any Material Restricted Subsidiary shall (i) voluntarily commence any proceeding or file any petition seeking liquidation, reorganization or other relief under any Federal, state or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or similar law now or hereafter in effect, (ii) consent to the institution of, or fail to contest in a timely and appropriate manner, any proceeding or petition described in clause (h) of this Article, (iii) apply for or consent to the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian, sequestrator, conservator or similar official for any Borrower or any Material Restricted Subsidiary or for a substantial part of its assets, (iv) file an answer admitting the material allegations of a petition filed against it in any such proceeding, (v) make a general assignment for the benefit of creditors or (vi) take any action for the purpose of effecting any of the foregoing;

(j) any Borrower or any Material Restricted Subsidiary shall become unable, admit in writing its inability or fail generally to pay its debts as they become due;

(k) one or more judgments for the payment of money (not covered by insurance as to which the insurer has been notified of such judgment and has not issued a notice denying coverage thereof) in an aggregate amount in excess of the Threshold Amount shall be rendered against any Borrower or any Material Restricted Subsidiary and the same shall remain undischarged for a period of 60 consecutive days during which execution shall not be effectively stayed, or any action shall be legally taken by a judgment creditor to attach or levy upon any assets of any Borrower or any Material Restricted Subsidiary to enforce any such judgment;

(l) an ERISA Event shall have occurred that, when taken together with all other ERISA Events that have occurred, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; or

(m) a Change in Control shall occur; or

(n) except as permitted pursuant to Section 11.07, the guarantee of any Guarantor under Article XI shall for whatever reason be terminated or cease to be in full force and effect, or the validity or enforceability thereof shall be contested by any Loan Party;

then, and in every such event (other than an event with respect to a Borrower described in clause (h) or (i) of this Article), and at any time thereafter during the continuance of such event, the Administrative

 

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Agent may, and at the request of the Required Lenders shall, by notice to the Company, take either or both of the following actions, at the same or different times: (i) terminate the Commitments, and thereupon the Commitments shall terminate immediately, and (ii) declare the Loans then outstanding to be due and payable in whole (or in part, in which case any principal not so declared to be due and payable may thereafter be declared to be due and payable), and thereupon the principal of the Loans so declared to be due and payable, together with accrued interest thereon and all fees and other obligations of the Borrowers accrued hereunder, shall become due and payable immediately, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by the Borrowers; and in case of any event with respect to a Borrower described in clause (h) or (i) of this Article, the Commitments shall automatically terminate and the principal of the Loans then outstanding, together with accrued interest thereon and all fees and other obligations of the Borrowers accrued hereunder, shall automatically become due and payable, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by the Borrowers.

SECTION 7.02. Application of Funds . The order and manner in which the Administrative Agent’s and the Lenders’ rights and remedies are to be exercised shall be determined by the Administrative Agent or the Required Lenders in their sole and absolute discretion. Regardless of how a Lender may treat payments for the purpose of its own accounting, for the purpose of computing the Obligations hereunder, payments received during the existence of an Event of Default shall be applied first , to costs and expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent and each Lender (to the extent that each Lender has a right to reimbursement thereof pursuant to the Loan Documents), second , to the payment of accrued and unpaid interest on the Loans to and including the date of such application, third , to the payment of the unpaid principal of the Obligations, and fourth , to the payment of all other amounts (including fees) then owing to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders under the Loan Documents, in each case paid pro rata to each Lender in the same proportions that the aggregate Obligations owed to each Lender under the Loan Documents bear to the aggregate Obligations owed under the Loan Documents to all Lenders, without priority or preference among the Lenders.

ARTICLE VIII

The Administrative Agent

Each of the Lenders, Issuing Banks and the Swingline Lender hereby irrevocably appoints the Administrative Agent as its agent and authorizes the Administrative Agent to take such actions on its behalf and to exercise such powers as are delegated to the Administrative Agent by the terms hereof, together with such actions and powers as are reasonably incidental thereto.

The bank serving as the Administrative Agent hereunder shall have the same rights and powers in its capacity as a Lender as any other Lender and may exercise the same as though it were not the Administrative Agent, and such bank and its Affiliates may accept deposits from, lend money to and generally engage in any kind of business with the Company or any Subsidiary or other Affiliate thereof as if it were not the Administrative Agent hereunder.

The Administrative Agent shall not have any duties or obligations except those expressly set forth herein. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, (a) the Administrative Agent shall not be subject to any fiduciary or other implied duties, regardless of whether a Default has occurred and is continuing, (b) the Administrative Agent shall not have any duty to take any discretionary action or exercise any discretionary powers, except discretionary rights and powers expressly contemplated hereby that the Administrative Agent is required to exercise in writing as directed by the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary under the circumstances as provided in Section

 

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9.02), and (c) except as expressly set forth herein, the Administrative Agent shall not have any duty to disclose, and shall not be liable for the failure to disclose, any information relating to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that is communicated to or obtained by the bank serving as Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates in any capacity. The Administrative Agent shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it with the consent or at the request of the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary under the circumstances as provided in Section 9.02) or in the absence of its own gross negligence or willful misconduct. The Administrative Agent shall be deemed not to have knowledge of any Default unless and until written notice thereof is given to the Administrative Agent by a Loan Party or a Lender, and the Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for or have any duty to ascertain or inquire into (i) any statement, warranty or representation made in or in connection with this Agreement, (ii) the contents of any certificate, report or other document delivered hereunder or in connection herewith, (iii) the performance or observance of any of the covenants, agreements or other terms or conditions set forth herein, (iv) the validity, enforceability, effectiveness or genuineness of this Agreement or any other agreement, instrument or document, or (v) the satisfaction of any condition set forth in Article IV or elsewhere herein, other than to confirm receipt of items expressly required to be delivered to the Administrative Agent.

The Administrative Agent shall be entitled to rely upon, and shall not incur any liability for relying upon, any notice, request, certificate, consent, statement, instrument, document or other writing believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or sent by the proper Person. The Administrative Agent also may rely upon any statement made to it orally or by telephone and believed by it to be made by the proper Person, and shall not incur any liability for relying thereon. The Administrative Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be counsel for the Loan Parties), independent accountants and other experts selected by it, and shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it in accordance with the advice of any such counsel, accountants or experts.

The Administrative Agent may perform any and all its duties and exercise its rights and powers by or through any one or more sub-agents appointed by the Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent may perform any and all its duties and exercise its rights and powers through their respective Related Parties. The exculpatory provisions of the preceding paragraphs shall apply to any such sub-agent and to the Related Parties of the Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent, and shall apply to their respective activities in connection with the syndication of the credit facilities provided for herein as well as activities as Administrative Agent.

Subject to the appointment and acceptance of a successor Administrative Agent as provided in this paragraph, the Administrative Agent may resign at any time by notifying the Lenders, the Issuing Banks and the Company. Upon any such resignation, the Required Lenders shall have the right, in consultation with the Company and subject to the consent of the Company (so long as no Event of Default under Sections 7.01(a), (b), (h) or (i) has occurred and is continuing at such time), to appoint a successor. If no successor shall have been so appointed by the Required Lenders and shall have accepted such appointment within 30 days after the retiring Administrative Agent gives notice of its resignation, then the retiring Administrative Agent may, on behalf of the Lenders and the Issuing Banks, appoint a successor Administrative Agent which shall be an Eligible Institution. Upon the acceptance of its appointment as Administrative Agent hereunder by a successor, such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring Administrative Agent, and the retiring Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations hereunder. The fees payable by the Company to a successor Administrative Agent shall be the same as those payable to its predecessor unless otherwise agreed between the Company and such successor. After the Administrative Agent’s resignation hereunder, the provisions of this Article and Section 9.03 shall continue in effect for the benefit of such retiring Administrative Agent, its sub agents and their respective Related Parties in respect of any actions taken or omitted to be taken by any of them while it was acting as Administrative Agent.

 

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Each Lender acknowledges and agrees that the extensions of credit made hereunder are commercial loans and letters of credit and not investments in a business enterprise or securities. Each Lender further represents that it is engaged in making, acquiring or holding commercial loans in the ordinary course of its business and has, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender and based on such documents and information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Agreement as a Lender, and to make, acquire or hold Loans hereunder. Each Lender shall, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender and based on such documents and information (which may contain material, non-public information within the meaning of the United States securities laws concerning the Company and its Affiliates) as it shall from time to time deem appropriate, continue to make its own decisions in taking or not taking action under or based upon this Agreement, any related agreement or any document furnished hereunder or thereunder and in deciding whether or to the extent to which it will continue as a Lender or assign or otherwise transfer its rights, interests and obligations hereunder.

Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, none of the Lead Arranger, Bookrunner, Co-Syndication Agents or Co-Documentation Agents listed on the cover page hereof shall have any powers, duties or responsibilities under this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents, except in its capacity, as applicable, as the Administrative Agent or a Lender hereunder.

ARTICLE IX

Miscellaneous

SECTION 9.01. Notices . (a) Except in the case of notices and other communications expressly permitted to be given by telephone (and subject to paragraph (b) below), all notices and other communications provided for herein shall be in writing and shall be delivered by hand or overnight courier service, mailed by certified or registered mail or sent by telecopy, as follows:

(i) if to any Loan Party, to it c/o Westlake Chemical Corporation, 2801 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite 600, Houston, Texas 77056, Attention of L. Benjamin Ederington (Telecopy No. 713.629.6239), with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, One Liberty Plaza, New York, NY 10006 Attention of Duane McLaughlin (Telecopy No. 212-225-3999);

(ii) if to the Administrative Agent, to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., 10 South Dearborn, Floor L2S, Chicago, IL 60603, Attention of Bianca Hernandez, email: jpm.agency.cri@jpm.com (Telecopy No. (844-490-5663)), with a copy to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., 10 South Dearborn, Floor L2S, Chicago, IL 60603, Attention of Katy Tyler, Email: jpm.agency.cri@jpmorgan.com (Telecopy No. (844-490-5663));

(iii) if to an Issuing Bank, to it at, in the case of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Ground floor, 1 st to 6 th floors, Platina 3, Kodbis, Floor 03 Bengaluru, 560 103, India, Attention of Bindu Devegowda, Email: bindu.devegowda@chase.com (Telecopy No. (214-307-6874));

(iv) if to the Swingline Lender, to it at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., 10 South Dearborn, Floor L2S, Chicago, IL 60603, Attention of Bianca Hernandez, Email: jpm.agency.cri@jpmorgan.com (Telecopy No. (844-490-5663)); and

(v) if to any other Lender, to it at its address (or telecopy number) set forth in its Administrative Questionnaire.

 

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Notices sent by hand or overnight courier service, or mailed by certified or registered mail, shall be deemed to have been given when received; notices sent by facsimile shall be deemed to have been given when sent (except that, if not given during normal business hours for the recipient, shall be deemed to have been given at the opening of business on the next business day for the recipient). Notices delivered through Electronic Systems, to the extent provided in paragraph (b) below, shall be effective as provided in said paragraph (b).

(b) Notices and other communications to the Lenders, the Issuing Bank and the Swingline Lender hereunder may be delivered or furnished by using Electronic Systems pursuant to procedures approved by the Administrative Agent; provided that the foregoing shall not apply to notices pursuant to Article II unless otherwise agreed by the Administrative Agent and the applicable Lender. The Administrative Agent or the Loan Parties may, in their discretion, agree to accept notices and other communications to them hereunder by electronic communications pursuant to procedures approved by them; provided that approval of such procedures may be limited to particular notices or communications.

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

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

(d) Electronic Systems.

(i) Each Loan Party agrees that the Administrative Agent may, but shall not be obligated to, make Communications (as defined below) available to the Issuing Banks and the other Lenders by posting the Communications on Debt Domain, IntraLinks, Syndtrak, ClearPar or a substantially similar Electronic System.

(ii) Any Electronic System used by the Administrative Agent is provided “as is” and “as available.” The Agent Parties (as defined below) do not warrant the adequacy of such Electronic Systems and expressly disclaim liability for errors or omissions in the Communications. No warranty of any kind, express, implied or statutory, including any warranty of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement of third-party rights or freedom from viruses or other code defects, is made by any Agent Party in connection with the Communications or any Electronic System. In no event shall the Administrative Agent or any of its Related Parties (collectively, the “ Agent Parties ”) have any liability to the Company or the other Loan Parties, any Lender, any Issuing Bank, the Swingline Lender or any other Person or entity for damages of any kind, including direct or indirect, special, incidental or consequential damages, losses or expenses (whether in tort, contract or otherwise) arising out of the Company’s, any Loan Party’s or the Administrative Agent’s transmission of communications through an Electronic System other than as a result of willful misconduct or gross negligence by such person as determined by a final, non-appealable order of a court of competent jurisdiction. “ Communications ” means, collectively, any notice, demand, communication, information,

 

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document or other material provided by or on behalf of any Loan Party pursuant to any Loan Document or the transactions contemplated therein which is distributed by the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any Issuing Bank by means of electronic communications pursuant to this Section, including through an Electronic System.

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

(b) Subject to Section 9.02(c) below, neither this Agreement nor any provision hereof may be waived, amended or modified except pursuant to an agreement or agreements in writing entered into by the Loan Parties and the Required Lenders or by the Loan Parties and the Administrative Agent with the consent of the Required Lenders; provided that no such agreement shall (i) increase the Commitment of any Lender without the written consent of such Lender, (ii) reduce the principal amount of any Loan or LC Disbursement or reduce the rate of interest thereon, or reduce any fees payable hereunder, without the written consent of each Lender affected thereby, (iii) postpone the scheduled date of payment of the principal amount of any Loan or LC Disbursement, or any interest thereon, or any fees payable hereunder, or reduce the amount of, waive or excuse any such payment, or postpone the scheduled date of expiration of any Commitment, without the written consent of each Lender affected thereby, (iv) change Section 2.18(b) or (c) in a manner that would alter the pro rata sharing of payments required thereby, or amend or waive any other provisions of this Agreement requiring pro rata treatment of Lenders, without the written consent of each Lender affected thereby, (v) change any of the provisions of this Section or the definition of “Required Lenders” or any other provision hereof specifying the number or percentage of Lenders required to waive, amend or modify any rights hereunder or make any determination or grant any consent hereunder, without the written consent of each Lender, or (vi) release all or substantially all of the value of the guarantees provided by the Guarantors under Article XI hereunder (except as permitted pursuant to Section 11.07); provided further that no such agreement shall amend, modify or otherwise affect the rights or duties of the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or the Swingline Lender hereunder without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks or the Swingline Lender, as the case may be; provided further that no such agreement shall amend or modify the provisions of Section 2.07 or any letter of credit application and any bilateral agreement between a Borrower and an Issuing Bank regarding such Issuing Bank’s Letter of Credit Commitment or the respective rights and obligations between a Borrower and such Issuing Bank in connection with the issuance of Letters of Credit without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent and such Issuing Bank, respectively.

(c) if the Administrative Agent and the Company acting together identify any ambiguity, omission, mistake, typographical error or other defect in any provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, then the Administrative Agent and the Company shall be permitted to amend, modify or supplement such provision to cure such ambiguity, omission, mistake, typographical error or other defect, and such amendment shall become effective without any further action or consent of any other party to this Agreement.

 

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SECTION 9.03. Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver . (a) The Borrowers will pay all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket costs and expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent and its Affiliates (without duplication) associated with the preparation, due diligence, administration, syndication and enforcement of this Agreement and all other Loan Documents, including, without limitation, the reasonable legal fees and expenses of the Administrative Agent’s counsel (but limited to one counsel to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders taken as a whole and, if necessary, of one local counsel in any relevant jurisdiction (and, in the case of a conflict of interest where the party affected by such conflict notifies the Company of the existence of such conflict and thereafter retains its own counsel, of another firm of counsel for each such affected party in each relevant jurisdiction)). The Borrowers will also pay the reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses of the Administrative Agent and each Lender in connection with the enforcement of any of the Loan Documents related to this Agreement (but limited, in the case of legal expenses, to one counsel to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders taken as a whole and, if necessary, of one local counsel in any relevant jurisdiction (and, in the case of a conflict of interest where the party affected by such conflict notifies the Company of the existence of such conflict and thereafter retains its own counsel, of another firm of counsel for each such affected party in each relevant jurisdiction)).

(b) Each Borrower also agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank, the Swingline Lender and each other Lender and each of their respective affiliates and their respective officers, directors, employees, agents, advisors and other representatives (each, an “ Indemnified Party ”) from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, liabilities and reasonable and documented expenses (including, without limitation, the legal expenses of one firm of counsel for all Indemnified Parties, taken as a whole, and if necessary, of a single local counsel in each appropriate jurisdiction (which may include a single special counsel acting in multiple jurisdictions (and, in the case of a conflict of interest where the Indemnified Party affected by such conflict notifies you of the existence of such conflict and thereafter retains its own counsel, of another firm of counsel for each such affected Indemnified Party in each relevant jurisdiction)) that may be incurred by or asserted or awarded against any Indemnified Party, in each case arising out of or in connection with or by reason of (including, without limitation, in connection with any investigation, litigation or proceeding or preparation of a defense in connection therewith) (a) any aspect of the transactions contemplated herein, (b) this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, or any use made or proposed to be made with the proceeds thereof, or (c) the actual or alleged presence of Hazardous Materials relating to any property owned, leased or operated, at any time, by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any Environmental Liability relating to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, except to the extent (i) such claim, damage, loss, liability or expense is found in a final, non-appealable judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction to have resulted from such Indemnified Party’s (A) gross negligence or willful misconduct or (B) material breach of its obligations under this Agreement or the other Loan Documents; (ii) arising out of any claim, actions, suits, inquiries, litigation, investigation or proceeding that does not involve an act or omission of the Borrowers or any of their respective affiliates and that is brought by an Indemnified Person against any other Indemnified Person (other than any claim, actions, suits, inquiries, litigation, investigation or proceeding in its capacity as an agent or arranger under this Agreement) as determined in a final, non-appealable judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction; or (iii) any settlement is entered into by such Indemnified Party without the Company’s written consent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld) but if there is a judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction in any such proceeding, or if the Company consents to such settlement, each Borrower agrees to indemnify and hold harmless such Indemnified Party in the manner set forth above. In the case of any claim, litigation, investigation or proceeding (any of the foregoing, a “ Proceeding ”) to which the indemnity in this paragraph applies, such indemnity shall be effective whether or not such Proceeding is brought by a Borrower, its equity holders or creditors, or an Indemnified Party (subject to (ii) above) and whether or not an Indemnified Party is otherwise a party thereto. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, (i) no Indemnified Party shall be liable for any indirect, special, punitive or consequential damages in

 

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connection with its activities relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document and (ii) no Indemnified Party shall be liable for any damages arising from the use by others of information or other materials obtained through an Electronic System, other than for direct, actual damages resulting from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Indemnified Party as determined by a final, non-appealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction. No Borrower shall, without the prior written consent of an Indemnified Party (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), effect any settlement of any pending or threatened Proceedings against an Indemnified Party in respect of which indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such Indemnified Party unless such settlement (i) includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Party from all liability or claims that are the subject matter of such Proceedings and (ii) does not include any statement as to any admission of fault by or on behalf of such Indemnified Party. This Section 9.03(b) shall not apply with respect to Taxes other than any Taxes that represent losses, claims or damages arising from any non-Tax claim.

(c) To the extent that a Borrower fails to pay any amount required to be paid by it to the Administrative Agent, the applicable Issuing Bank or the Swingline Lender under paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section, each Lender severally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, the applicable Issuing Bank or the Swingline Lender, as the case may be, such Lender’s Applicable Percentage (determined as of the time that the applicable unreimbursed expense or indemnity payment is sought) of such unpaid amount; provided that the unreimbursed expense or indemnified loss, claim, damage, liability or related expense, as the case may be, was incurred by or asserted against the Administrative Agent, the applicable Issuing Bank or the Swingline Lender in their capacity as such.

(d) [Reserved.]

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

SECTION 9.04. Successors and Assigns . (a) The provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby (including any Affiliate of any Issuing Bank that issues any Letter of Credit), except that (i) the Borrowers may not assign or otherwise transfer any of their rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of each Lender (and any attempted assignment or transfer by a Borrower without such consent shall be null and void) and (ii) no Lender may assign or otherwise transfer its rights or obligations hereunder except in accordance with this Section. Nothing in this Agreement, expressed or implied, shall be construed to confer upon any Person (other than the parties hereto, their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby (including any Affiliate of any Issuing Bank that issues any Letter of Credit), Participants (to the extent provided in paragraph (c) of this Section) and, to the extent expressly contemplated hereby, the Related Parties of each of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks and the Lenders) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this Agreement.

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

(A) the Company, provided that, the Company shall be deemed to have consented to an assignment unless it shall have objected thereto by written notice to the Administrative Agent within 10 Business Days after having received notice thereof; provided that no consent of the Borrower shall be required for an assignment to a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender, an Approved Fund or, if an Event of Default pursuant to

 

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paragraphs (a), (b), (h) and (i) under Article VII has occurred and is continuing at the time of such assignment, any other assignee (other than an Ineligible Institution), but the Administrative Agent shall nonetheless send notice of such assignment to the Company;

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

(C) each Issuing Bank; and

(D) the Swingline Lender.

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

(A) except in the case of an assignment to a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender or an assignment of the entire remaining amount of the assigning Lender’s Commitment or Loans of any Class, the amount of the Commitment or Loans of the assigning Lender subject to each such assignment (determined as of the date the Assignment and Assumption with respect to such assignment is delivered to the Administrative Agent) shall not be less than $5,000,000 unless each of the Company and the Administrative Agent otherwise consent, provided that no such consent of the Company shall be required if an Event of Default pursuant to paragraphs (a), (b), (h) and (i) under Article VII has occurred and is continuing at the time of such assignment;

(B) each partial assignment shall be made as an assignment of a proportionate part of all the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement, provided that this clause shall not be construed to prohibit the assignment of a proportionate part of all the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations in respect of one Class of Commitments or Loans;

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

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

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

 

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Approved Fund ” means any Person (other than a natural person) that is engaged in making, purchasing, holding or investing in bank loans and similar extensions of credit in the ordinary course of its business and that is administered or managed by (a) a Lender, (b) an Affiliate of a Lender or (c) an entity or an Affiliate of an entity that administers or manages a Lender.

Ineligible Institution ” means (a) a natural person, (b) a Defaulting Lender or its Lender Parent, (c) a company, investment vehicle or trust for, or owned and operated for the primary benefit of, a natural person or relative(s) thereof; provided that, such company, investment vehicle or trust referenced in this clause (c) shall not constitute an Ineligible Institution if it (x) has not been established for the primary purpose of acquiring any Loans or Commitments, (y) is managed by a professional advisor, who is not such natural person or a relative thereof, having significant experience in the business of making or purchasing commercial loans, and (z) has assets greater than $25,000,000 and a significant part of its activities consist of making or purchasing commercial loans and similar extensions of credit in the ordinary course of its business; or (d) the Borrower or any of its Affiliates.

(iii) Subject to acceptance and recording thereof pursuant to paragraph (b)(iv) of this Section, from and after the effective date specified in each Assignment and Assumption the assignee thereunder shall be a party hereto and, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, have the rights and obligations of a Lender under this Agreement, and the assigning Lender thereunder shall, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, be released from its obligations under this Agreement (and, in the case of an Assignment and Assumption covering all of the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement, such Lender shall cease to be a party hereto but shall continue to be entitled to the benefits of Sections 2.15, 2.16, 2.17 and 9.03). Any assignment or transfer by a Lender of rights or obligations under this Agreement that does not comply with this Section 9.04 shall be treated for purposes of this Agreement as a sale by such Lender of a participation in such rights and obligations in accordance with paragraph (c) of this Section.

(iv) The Administrative Agent, acting for this purpose as a non-fiduciary agent of the Borrowers, shall maintain at one of its offices a copy of each Assignment and Assumption delivered to it and a register for the recordation of the names and addresses of the Lenders, and the Commitment of, and principal amount (and stated interest) of the Loans and LC Disbursements owing to, each Lender pursuant to the terms hereof from time to time (the “ Register ”). The entries in the Register shall be conclusive absent manifest error, and the Borrowers, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks, the Swingline Lender and the other 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, the Issuing Banks, the Swingline Lender and any other Lender, at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice.

(v) Upon its receipt of (x) a duly completed Assignment and Assumption executed by an assigning Lender and an assignee or (y) to the extent applicable, an agreement incorporating an Assignment and Assumption by reference pursuant to an Electronic System as to which the Administrative Agent and the parties to the Assignment and Assumption are participants), the assignee’s completed Administrative Questionnaire (unless the assignee shall already be a Lender hereunder), the processing and recordation fee referred to in paragraph (b) of this Section and any written consent to such assignment required by paragraph (b) of this Section, the Administrative Agent shall accept such Assignment and Assumption and record the information contained therein in the Register; provided that if either the assigning Lender or the assignee shall have failed to make any payment required to be made by it pursuant to Sections

 

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2.06(d) or 2.06(e), 2.07(b), 2.18(d) or 9.03(b), the Administrative Agent shall have no obligation to accept such Assignment and Assumption and record the information therein in the Register unless and until such payment shall have been made in full, together with all accrued interest thereon. No assignment shall be effective for purposes of this Agreement unless it has been recorded in the Register as provided in this paragraph.

(c) Any Lender may, without the consent of the Company, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks or the Swingline Lender, sell participations to one or more Persons that are not Ineligible Institutions (a “ Participant ”) in all or a portion of such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and the Loans owing to it); provided that (A) such Lender’s obligations under this Agreement shall remain unchanged; (B) such Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto for the performance of such obligations; and (C) the Borrowers, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks, the Swingline Lender and the other Lenders shall continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in connection with such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement. Any agreement or instrument pursuant to which a Lender sells such a participation shall provide that such Lender shall retain the sole right to enforce this Agreement and to approve any amendment, modification or waiver of any provision of this Agreement; provided that such agreement or instrument may provide that such Lender will not, without the consent of the Participant, agree to any amendment, modification or waiver described in the first proviso to Section 9.02(b) that affects such Participant. The Borrowers agrees that each Participant shall be entitled to the benefits of Sections 2.15, 2.16 and 2.17 (subject to the requirements and limitations therein, including the requirements under Sections 2.17(f) and 2.17(g) (it being understood that the documentation required under Section 2.17(f) shall be delivered to the participating Lender and the information and documentation required under 2.17(g) will be delivered to the Company and the Administrative Agent)) to the same extent as if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to paragraph (b) of this Section; provided that such Participant (A) agrees to be subject to the provisions of Section 2.19 as if it were an assignee under paragraph (b) of this Section; and (B) shall not be entitled to receive any greater payment under Section 2.15 or 2.17, with respect to any participation, than its participating Lender would have been entitled to receive, except to the extent such entitlement to receive a greater payment results from a Change in Law that occurs after the Participant acquired the applicable participation. Each Lender that sells a participation agrees, at the Company’s request and expense, to use reasonable efforts to cooperate with the Company to effectuate the provisions of Section 2.19(b) with respect to any Participant. To the extent permitted by law, each Participant also shall be entitled to the benefits of Section 9.08 as though it were a Lender; provided that such Participant agrees to be subject to Section 2.18(c) as though it were a Lender. Each Lender that sells a participation shall, acting solely for this purpose as a non-fiduciary agent of the Borrowers, maintain a register on which it enters the name and address of each Participant and the principal amounts (and stated interest) of each Participant’s interest in the Loans or other obligations under the Loan Documents (the “ Participant Register ”); provided that no Lender shall have any obligation to disclose all or any portion of the Participant Register (including the identity of any Participant or any information relating to a Participant’s interest in any Commitments, Loans, Letters of Credit or its other obligations under any Loan Document) to any Person except to the extent that such disclosure is necessary to establish that such Commitment, Loan, Letter of Credit or other obligation is in registered form under Section 5f.103-1(c) of the United States Treasury Regulations. The entries in the Participant Register shall be conclusive absent manifest error, and such Lender shall treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Participant Register as the owner of such participation for all purposes of this Agreement notwithstanding any notice to the contrary. For the avoidance of doubt, the Administrative Agent (in its capacity as Administrative Agent) shall have no responsibility for maintaining a Participant Register.

(d) Any Lender may at any time pledge or assign a security interest in all or any portion of its rights under this Agreement to secure obligations of such Lender, including any pledge or assignment to

 

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secure obligations to a Federal Reserve Bank, and this Section shall not apply to any such pledge or assignment of a security interest; provided that no such pledge or assignment of a security interest shall release a Lender from any of its obligations hereunder or substitute any such pledgee or assignee for such Lender as a party hereto.

SECTION 9.05. Survival . All covenants, agreements, representations and warranties made by the Loan Parties herein and in the certificates or other instruments delivered in connection with or pursuant to this Agreement shall be considered to have been relied upon by the other parties hereto and shall survive the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the making of any Loans and issuance of any Letters of Credit, regardless of any investigation made by any such other party or on its behalf and notwithstanding that the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank, the Swingline Lender or any Lender may have had notice or knowledge of any Default or incorrect representation or warranty at the time any credit is extended hereunder, and shall continue in full force and effect as long as the principal of or any accrued interest on any Loan or any fee or any other amount payable under this Agreement is outstanding and unpaid or any Letter of Credit is outstanding and so long as the Commitments have not expired or terminated. The provisions of Sections 2.15, 2.16, 2.17 and 9.03 and Article VIII shall survive and remain in full force and effect regardless of the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, the repayment of the Loans, the expiration or termination of the Letters of Credit and the Commitments or the termination of this Agreement or any provision hereof.

SECTION 9.06. Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness; Electronic Execution . (a) This Agreement may be executed in counterparts (and by different parties hereto on different counterparts), each of which shall constitute an original, but all of which when taken together shall constitute a single contract. This Agreement, the other Loan Documents and any separate letter agreements with respect to (i) fees payable to the Administrative Agent and (ii) the reductions of the Letter of Credit Commitment of any Issuing Bank constitute the entire contract among the parties relating to the subject matter hereof and supersede any and all previous agreements and understandings, oral or written, relating to the subject matter hereof. Except as provided in Section 4.01, this Agreement shall become effective when it shall have been executed by the Administrative Agent and when the Administrative Agent shall have received counterparts hereof which, when taken together, bear the signatures of each of the other parties hereto, and thereafter shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns.

(b) Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Agreement by telecopy, emailed pdf or any other electronic means that reproduces an image of the actual executed signature page shall be effective as delivery of an original executed counterpart of this Agreement. The words “execution,” “signed,” “signature,” “delivery,” and words of like import in or relating to any document to be signed in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby shall be deemed to include Electronic Signatures, deliveries or the keeping of records in electronic form, each of which shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as an original executed signature, physical delivery thereof or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case may be, to the extent and as provided for in any applicable law, including the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, the New York State Electronic Signatures and Records Act, or any other similar state laws based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act; provided that nothing herein shall require the Administrative Agent to accept electronic signatures in any form or format without its prior written consent.

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

 

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SECTION 9.08. Right of Setoff . If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, each Lender and each of its Affiliates is hereby authorized at any time and from time to time, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to set off and apply any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final) at any time held and other obligations at any time owing by such Lender or Affiliate to or for the credit or the account of any Loan Party against any of and all the obligations of such Loan Party now or hereafter existing under this Agreement held by such Lender, irrespective of whether or not such Lender shall have made any demand under this Agreement and although such obligations may be unmatured. The rights of each Lender under this Section are in addition to other rights and remedies (including other rights of setoff) which such Lender may have.

SECTION 9.09. Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Consent to Service of Process . (a) This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the law of the State of New York.

(b) Each party hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally submits, for itself and its property, to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of the State of New York sitting in the Borough of Manhattan, and of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York sitting in the Borough of Manhattan, and any appellate court from any thereof, in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, or for recognition or enforcement of any judgment, and each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees that all claims in respect of any such action or proceeding may be heard and determined in such New York State or, to the extent permitted by law, in such Federal court. Each of the parties hereto agrees that a final judgment in any such action or proceeding shall be conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by law. Nothing in this Agreement shall affect any right that the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks, the Swingline Lender or any Lender may otherwise have to bring any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement against a Loan Party or its properties in the courts of any jurisdiction.

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

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

SECTION 9.10. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL . EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT, THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER THEORY). EACH PARTY HERETO (A) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER AND (B) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT AND THE OTHER PARTIES HERETO HAVE BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION.

 

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

SECTION 9.12. Confidentiality . Each of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks, the Swingline Lender and the Lenders agrees to maintain the confidentiality of the Information (as defined below), except that Information may be disclosed (a) to its and its Affiliates’ directors, officers, employees and agents, including accountants, legal counsel and other advisors (it being understood that the Persons to whom such disclosure is made will be informed of the confidential nature of such Information and instructed to keep such Information confidential), (b) to the extent requested by any Governmental Authority (including any self-regulatory authority, such as the National Association of Insurance Commissioners), (c) to the extent required by applicable laws or regulations or by any subpoena or similar legal process, (d) to any other party to this Agreement, (e) in connection with the exercise of any remedies hereunder or any suit, action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or the enforcement of rights hereunder, (f) subject to an agreement containing provisions substantially the same as those of this Section to (i) any assignee of or Participant in, or any prospective assignee of or Participant in, any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement or (ii) any actual or prospective counterparty (or its advisors) to any swap or derivative transaction relating to a Borrower and its obligations, (g) with the consent of the Company or (h) to the extent such Information (x) becomes publicly available other than as a result of a breach of this Section or (y) becomes available to the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank, the Swingline Lender or any Lender on a non-confidential basis from a source other than the Borrower. For the purposes of this Section, “ Information ” means all information received from the Borrowers relating to the Company or its business, other than any such information that is available to the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender on a non-confidential basis prior to disclosure by the Borrowers and other than information pertaining to this Agreement routinely provided by arrangers to data service providers, including league table providers, that serve the lending industry; provided that, in the case of information received from a Borrower after the date hereof, such information is clearly identified at the time of delivery as confidential. Any Person required to maintain the confidentiality of Information as provided in this Section shall be considered to have complied with its obligation to do so if such Person has exercised the same degree of care to maintain the confidentiality of such Information as such Person would accord to its own confidential information.

SECTION 9.13. Material Non-Public Information .

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

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

 

76


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

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

SECTION 9.15. USA PATRIOT Act . Each Lender that is subject to the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)) (the “ PATRIOT Act ”) hereby notifies the Loan Parties that pursuant to the requirements of the PATRIOT Act, it is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each Loan Party, which information includes the name and address of the Loan Parties and other information that will allow such Lender to identify each Loan Party in accordance with the PATRIOT Act.

SECTION 9.16. Acknowledgement and Consent to Bail-In of EEA Financial Institutions . Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any Loan Document or in any other agreement, arrangement or understanding among any such parties, each party hereto acknowledges that any liability of any EEA Financial Institution arising under any Loan Document may be subject to the write-down and conversion powers of an EEA Resolution Authority and agrees and consents to, and acknowledges and agrees to be bound by:

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

(b) the effects of any Bail-In Action on any such liability, including, if applicable:

(i) a reduction in full or in part or cancellation of any such liability;

(ii) a conversion of all, or a portion of, such liability into shares or other instruments of ownership in such EEA Financial Institution, its parent entity, or a bridge institution that may be issued to it or otherwise conferred on it, and that such shares or other instruments of ownership will be accepted by it in lieu of any rights with respect to any such liability under this Agreement or any other Loan Document; or

(iii) the variation of the terms of such liability in connection with the exercise of the write-down and conversion powers of any EEA Resolution Authority.

 

77


SECTION 9.17. Judgment Currency . If, under any applicable law and whether pursuant to a judgment being made or registered against any Borrower or for any other reason, any payment under or in connection with this Agreement is made or satisfied in a currency (the “ Other Currency ”) other than that in which the relevant payment is due (the “ Required Currency ”) then, to the extent that the payment (when converted into the Required Currency at the rate of exchange on the date of payment or, if it is not practicable for the party entitled thereto (the “ Payee ”) to purchase the Required Currency with the Other Currency on the date of payment, at the rate of exchange as soon thereafter as it is practicable for it to do so) actually received by the Payee falls short of the amount due under the terms of this Agreement, such Borrower shall, to the extent permitted by law, as a separate and independent obligation, indemnify and hold harmless the Payee against the amount of such short-fall. For the purpose of this Section, “rate of exchange” means the rate at which the Payee is able on the relevant date to purchase the Required Currency with the Other Currency and shall take into account any premium and other costs of exchange.

SECTION 9.18. Appointment of Process Agent . Each Loan Party organized in a jurisdiction outside the United States covenants and agrees to designate irrevocably and appoint without delay an agent for service of legal process reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and to deliver promptly to the Administrative Agent evidence in writing of such other agent’s acceptance of such appointment within 10 Business Days (or such other time period as the Administrative Agent may reasonably agree) of becoming a Loan Party hereunder.

SECTION 9.19. No Fiduciary Duty . The Administrative Agent, the Lead Arranger and Bookrunner, each Co-Syndication Agent, each Co-Documentation Agent, each Lender and their respective Affiliates (collectively, solely for purposes of this paragraph, the “ Lenders ”), may have economic interests that conflict with those of the Loan Parties, their stockholders and/or their respective affiliates. Each Loan Party agrees that nothing in this Agreement and any related documents or otherwise will be deemed to create an advisory, fiduciary or agency relationship or fiduciary or other implied duty between any Lender, on the one hand, and the Loan Parties, their stockholders or their respective affiliates, on the other. Each Loan Party acknowledges and agrees that (i) the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and any related documents (including the exercise of rights and remedies hereunder and thereunder) are arm’s-length commercial transactions between the Lenders, on the one hand, and the Loan Parties, on the other, and (ii) in connection therewith and with the process leading thereto, (x) no Lender has assumed an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Loan Parties, their stockholders or their respective affiliates with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby (or the exercise of rights or remedies with respect thereto) or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether any Lender has advised, is currently advising or will advise any of the Loan Parties, their stockholders or their respective Affiliates on other matters) or any other obligation to the Loan Parties except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement and any related documents and (y) each Lender is acting solely as principal and not as the agent or fiduciary of the Loan Parties, their management, stockholders, creditors or any other Person. Each Loan Party acknowledges and agrees that it has consulted its own legal and financial advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate and that it is responsible for making its own independent judgment with respect to such transactions and the process leading thereto. Each Loan Party agrees that it will not claim that any Lender has rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owes a fiduciary or similar duty to any of the Loan Parties, in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto.

ARTICLE X

Representations and Warranties of Eligible Subsidiaries

Each Eligible Subsidiary shall be deemed by the execution and delivery of its Election to Participate to have represented and warranted as of the date thereof that:

 

78


SECTION 10.01. Legal Existence and Power . It is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization and is and will continue to be a Wholly-Owned Consolidated Subsidiary of the Company.

SECTION 10.02. Legal and Governmental Authorization; No Contravention . The execution and delivery by it of its Election to Participate and its promissory notes, and the performance by it of this Agreement and its promissory notes, are within its legal powers, have been duly authorized by all necessary legal action, require no action by or in respect of, or filing with, any Governmental Authority and do not materially contravene, or constitute a material default under, any provision of applicable law or regulation or of its organizational documents or of any agreement, judgment, injunction, order, decree or other instrument binding upon the Company or such Eligible Subsidiary or result in the creation or imposition of any Lien on any asset of the Company or any of its Consolidated Subsidiaries.

SECTION 10.03. Binding Effect . This Agreement constitutes a valid and binding agreement of such Eligible Subsidiary and its promissory notes, if and when executed and delivered in accordance with this Agreement, will constitute valid and binding obligations of such Eligible Subsidiary.

SECTION 10.04. Taxes . Except as disclosed in such Election to Participate, there is no income, stamp or other tax of any country, or any taxing authority thereof or therein, imposed by or in the nature of withholding or otherwise, which is imposed on any payment to be made by such Eligible Subsidiary pursuant hereto or on its promissory notes, or is imposed on or by virtue of the execution, delivery or enforcement of its Election to Participate or of its promissory notes.

ARTICLE XI

Guaranty

SECTION 11.01. The Guaranty . (a) The Company hereby unconditionally guarantees to the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Lenders, the full and punctual payment (whether at stated maturity, upon acceleration or otherwise) of the principal of, and interest and fees on, each Loan made to and each LC Disbursement incurred by any Eligible Subsidiary as a Borrower pursuant to this Agreement, and the full and punctual payment of all other amounts payable by any Eligible Subsidiary as a Borrower under this Agreement (including all interest which accrues after the commencement of any case or proceeding in bankruptcy after the insolvency of, or for the reorganization of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, whether or not allowed in such case or proceeding). This Guaranty is a guaranty of payment and is not merely a guaranty of collection. Upon failure by any Eligible Subsidiary to pay punctually any such amount, the Company shall forthwith on demand pay the amount not so paid at the place and in the manner specified in this Agreement.

(b) Each Subsidiary Guarantor hereby unconditionally guarantees to the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Lenders, the full and punctual payment (whether at stated maturity, upon acceleration or otherwise) of the principal of, and interest and fees on, each Loan made to and each LC Disbursement incurred by any Borrower (excluding itself, if applicable) pursuant to this Agreement, and the full and punctual payment of all other amounts payable by any Borrower under this Agreement (including all interest which accrues after the commencement of any case or proceeding in bankruptcy after the insolvency of, or for the reorganization of a Subsidiary Guarantor or any of its subsidiaries, whether or not allowed in such case or proceeding). This Guaranty is a guaranty of payment and is not merely a guaranty of collection. Upon failure by any Borrower to pay punctually any such amount, each Subsidiary Guarantor shall forthwith on demand pay the amount not so paid at the place and in the manner specified in this Agreement.

 

79


SECTION 11.02. Guaranty Unconditional . To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the obligations of each Guarantor hereunder shall be unconditional and absolute and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, shall not be released, discharged or otherwise affected by:

(a) any extension, renewal, settlement, compromise, waiver or release in respect of any obligation of any Borrower under this Agreement or any promissory note, by operation of law or otherwise (except to the extent the foregoing expressly releases a Guarantor’s obligations under this Article XI);

(b) any modification or amendment of or supplement to this Agreement or any promissory note (other than any modification, amendment or supplement of this Article XI effected in accordance with Section 9.02);

(c) any release, impairment, non-perfection or invalidity of any direct or indirect security for any obligation of any Borrower under this Agreement or any promissory note;

(d) any change in the legal existence, structure or ownership of any Borrower, or any insolvency, bankruptcy, reorganization or other similar proceeding affecting any Borrower or its assets or any resulting release or discharge of any obligation of any Borrower contained in this Agreement or any promissory note;

(e) the existence of any claim, set-off or other rights which such Guarantor may have at any time against any Borrower, the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any other Person, whether in connection herewith or any unrelated transactions, provided that nothing herein shall prevent the assertion of any such claim by separate suit or compulsory counterclaim;

(f) any invalidity or unenforceability relating to or against any Borrower for any reason of this Agreement or any promissory note, or any provision of applicable law or regulation purporting to prohibit the payment by any Borrower of the principal of or interest on any Loan or any other amount payable by it under this Agreement; or

(g) any other act or omission to act or delay of any kind by any Borrower, the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any other Person or any other circumstance whatsoever which might, but for the provisions of this paragraph, constitute a legal or equitable discharge of or defense to a Guarantor’s obligations hereunder (in each case other than payment in full of the obligations guaranteed hereunder).

SECTION 11.03. Discharge Only Upon Payment In Full; Reinstatement In Certain Circumstances . Except as otherwise permitted hereunder, each Guarantor’s obligations hereunder shall remain in full force and effect until the Commitments shall have terminated and the principal of and interest on the Loans, the LC Disbursements and all other amounts payable by the Borrowers under this Agreement shall have been paid in full. If at any time any payment of the principal of or interest on any Loan or any other amount payable by any Borrower under this Agreement is rescinded or must be otherwise restored or returned upon the insolvency, bankruptcy or reorganization of any Borrower or otherwise, each Guarantor’s obligations hereunder with respect to such payment shall be reinstated at such time as though such payment had been due but not made at such time.

SECTION 11.04. Waiver by the Guarantors . Each Guarantor irrevocably waives acceptance hereof, presentment, demand (except as provided in Section 11.01), protest and any notice not provided for herein, as well as, solely for purposes of this Article XI, any requirement that at any time any action be taken by any Person against any Borrower or any other Person.

 

80


SECTION 11.05. Subrogation . Upon making any payment with respect to any Borrower hereunder, each Guarantor shall be subrogated to the rights of the payee against such Borrower with respect to such payment; provided that each Guarantor shall not enforce any payment by way of subrogation unless all principal and interest on the Loans to such Borrower and all other amounts payable by such Borrower under this Agreement have been paid in full in cash.

SECTION 11.06. Release of Subsidiary Guarantors . If at any time (x) all or substantially all of the Equity Interests of any Subsidiary Guarantor are sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of to a Person other than the Company or its Subsidiaries or (y) a Subsidiary Guarantor no longer satisfies the requirements to be a Subsidiary Guarantor pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, then in each case such Subsidiary Guarantor shall be automatically released from its guarantee under this Article XI and all of its obligations under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents to which it is a party, and thereafter such Person shall no longer constitute a Subsidiary Guarantor under the Loan Documents. At the request of the Company, the Administrative Agent shall, at the Company’s expense, execute such documents as are necessary to acknowledge any such release in accordance with this Section 11.07.

[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]

 

81


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

 

WESTLAKE CHEMICAL CORPORATION, as Borrower
By:  

/s/ Albert Chao

  Name: Albert Chao
  Title: President and Chief Executive Officer

 

[Signature Page to Westlake Revolving Credit Agreement]


WESTECH BUILDING PRODUCTS (EVANSVILLE) LLC

By Westech Building Products, Inc., its Manager

NORTH AMERICAN SPECIALTY PRODUCTS LLC

By North American Pipe Corporation, its Manager

By:  

/s/ Robert Buesinger

  Name: Robert Buesinger
  Title: President

 

[Signature Page to Westlake Revolving Credit Agreement]


WESTLAKE CHEMICAL CORPORATION GEISMAR HOLDINGS, INC.

GVGP, INC.

WESTLAKE CHEMICAL INVESTMENTS, INC. WESTLAKE GEISMAR POWER COMPANY LLC

By Westlake Vinyls Company LP, its Manager

By GVGP, Inc., its General Partner

WESTLAKE LONGVIEW CORPORATION

WESTLAKE MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.

WESTLAKE NG I CORPORATION

WESTLAKE OLEFINS CORPORATION

WESTLAKE PETROCHEMICALS LLC

By Westlake Chemical Investments, Inc., its Manager

WESTLAKE PIPELINE INVESTMENTS LLC

By Westlake Chemical Investments, Inc., its Manager

WESTLAKE POLYMERS LLC

By Westlake Chemical Investments, Inc., its Manager

WESTLAKE PVC CORPORATION

WESTLAKE RESOURCES CORPORATION

WESTLAKE STYRENE LLC

By Westlake Chemical Investments, Inc., its Manager

WESTLAKE SUPPLY AND TRADING COMPANY

WESTLAKE VINYL CORPORATION

WESTLAKE VINYLS COMPANY LP

By GVGP, Inc., its General Partner

WESTLAKE VINYLS, INC.

WPT LLC

By Westlake Chemical Investments, Inc., its Manager

By:  

/s/ Albert Chao

  Name: Albert Chao
  Title: President

 

[Signature Page to Westlake Revolving Credit Agreement]


JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., as Administrative Agent, Lender, Issuing Bank and Swingline Lender
By:  

/s/ Laurie C. Tuzo

  Name: Laurie C. Tuzo
  Title: Managing Director

 

[Signature Page to Westlake Revolving Credit Agreement]


BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as Lender
By:  

/s/ Lindsay Kim

  Name: Lindsay Kim
  Title: Vice President

 

[Signature Page to Westlake Revolving Credit Agreement]


WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Lender
By:  

/s/ Ashley Walsh

  Name: Ashley Walsh
  Title: Director

 

[Signature Page to Westlake Revolving Credit Agreement]


CITIBANK, N.A., as Lender
By:  

/s/ Jyothi Narayanan

  Name: Jyothi Narayanan
  Title: Vice President

 

[Signature Page to Westlake Revolving Credit Agreement]


DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, as Lender
By:  

/s/ Yvonne Tilden

  Name: Yvonne Tilden
  Title: Director
By:  

/s/ Ross Levitsky

  Name: Ross Levitsky
  Title: Managing Director

 

[Signature Page to Westlake Revolving Credit Agreement]


GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA, as Lender
By:  

/s/ Ryan Durkin

  Name: Ryan Durkin
  Title: Authorized Signatory

 

[Signature Page to Westlake Revolving Credit Agreement]


PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Lender
By:  

/s/ Christian S. Brown

  Name: Christian S. Brown
  Title: Managing Director

 

[Signature Page to Westlake Revolving Credit Agreement]


BRANCH BANKING & TRUST COMPANY, as Lender
By:  

/s/ Matt McCain

  Name: Matt McCain
  Title: Senior Vice President

 

[Signature Page to Westlake Revolving Credit Agreement]


CAPITAL ONE, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Lender
By:  

/s/ Mark McCullough

  Name: Mark McCullough
  Title: Senior Vice President

 

[Signature Page to Westlake Revolving Credit Agreement]


BMO HARRIS BANK N.A., as Lender
By:  

/s/ Jason Deegan

  Name: Jason Deegan
  Title: Vice President

 

[Signature Page to Westlake Revolving Credit Agreement]


ROYAL BANK OF CANADA, as Lender
By:  

/s/ Sinan Tarlan

  Name: Sinan Tarlan
  Title: Authorized Signatory

 

[Signature Page to Westlake Revolving Credit Agreement]


SUNTRUST BANK, as Lender
By:  

/s/ Justin Lien

  Name: Justin Lien
  Title: Director

 

[Signature Page to Westlake Revolving Credit Agreement]


UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH, as Lender
By:  

/s/ Denise Bushee

  Name: Denise Bushee
  Title: Associate Director
By:  

/s/ Darlene Arias

  Name: Darlene Arias
  Title: Director

 

[Signature Page to Westlake Revolving Credit Agreement]


SCHEDULE 2.01A

Commitments

 

Lender

   Commitment      Applicable Percentage  

JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.

   $ 150,000,000         15.000000000

Bank of America, N.A.

   $ 105,000,000         10.500000000

Wells Fargo Bank, National Association

   $ 105,000,000         10.500000000

Citibank, N.A.

   $ 95,000,000         9.500000000

Deutsche Bank AG New York Branch

   $ 95,000,000         9.500000000

Goldman Sachs Bank USA

   $ 95,000,000         9.500000000

PNC Bank, National Association

   $ 95,000,000         9.500000000

Branch Banking & Trust

   $ 50,000,000         5.000000000

Capital One, National Association

   $ 50,000,000         5.000000000

BMO Harris Bank N.A.

   $ 40,000,000         4.000000000

Royal Bank of Canada

   $ 40,000,000         4.000000000

SunTrust Bank

   $ 40,000,000         4.000000000

UBS AG, Stamford Branch

   $ 40,000,000         4.000000000
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

TOTAL

   $ 1,000,000,000         100.000000000
  

 

 

    

 

 

 


SCHEDULE 2.01B

Swingline Commitments

 

Swingline Lender

   Swingline Commitment  

JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.

   $ 50,000,000   
  

 

 

 

TOTAL

   $ 50,000,000   
  

 

 

 


SCHEDULE 2.01C

Letter of Credit Commitments

 

Issuing Bank

   Letter of Credit Commitment  

JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.

   $ 150,000,000   
  

 

 

 

TOTAL

   $ 150,000,000   
  

 

 

 


SCHEDULE 2.06

Existing Letters of Credit

None.


EXHIBIT A

ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION

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

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

 

1.    Assignor:   

 

2.    Assignee:   

 

      [and is an Affiliate/Approved Fund of [ identify Lender ] 1 ]
3.    Borrower(s):   

 

4.    Administrative Agent:    JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as the administrative agent under the Credit Agreement
5.    Credit Agreement:    The Credit Agreement dated as of August 23, 2016 among Westlake Chemical Corporation, the other Borrowers referred to therein, the Guarantors referred to therein, the Lenders parties thereto, and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent.

 

1   Select as applicable.


6. Assigned Interest:

 

Facility Assigned 2

   Aggregate Amount of
Commitment/Loans for
all Lenders
     Amount of
Commitment/Loans
Assigned
     Percentage Assigned of
Commitment/Loans 3
 
   $         $           %   
   $         $           %   
   $         $           %   

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

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

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

 

ASSIGNOR

 

[NAME OF ASSIGNOR]

    By:  

 

  Title:

ASSIGNEE

 

[NAME OF ASSIGNEE]

    By:  

 

  Title:

 

2   Fill in the appropriate terminology for the types of facilities under the Credit Agreement that are being assigned under this Assignment (e.g., “Revolving Commitment,” “Tranche A Commitment,” “Tranche B Commitment,” etc.)
3   Set forth, to at least 9 decimals, as a percentage of the Commitment/Loans of all Lenders thereunder.

 

2


[Consented to and] 4 Accepted:

 

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., as

Administrative Agent

By

 

 

 

Title:

[Consented to:] 5

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., as

Issuing Bank and Swingline Lender

By

 

 

 

Title:

[                                     ], as

Issuing Bank

By

 

 

 

Title:

WESTLAKE CHEMICAL CORPORATION

By

 

 

Title:

 

4   To be added only if the consent of the Administrative Agent is required by the terms of the Credit Agreement.
5   To be added only if the consent of the Company and/or other parties (e.g. Swingline Lender, Issuing Banks) is required by the terms of the Credit Agreement.

 

3


ANNEX 1

STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR

ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION

1. Representations and Warranties .

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

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

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

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


EXHIBIT B

[FORM OF]

BORROWING REQUEST

JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.,

as Administrative Agent

for the Lenders referred to below

10 South Dearborn

Chicago, Illinois 60603

Attention: Bianca Hernandez

E-mail: jpm.agency.cri@jpmorgan.com

With a copy to:

E-mail: Bianca.e.hernandez@jpmorgan.com

Re: Westlake Chemical Corporation

[Date]

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Reference is hereby made to the Credit Agreement dated as of August 23, 2016 (as the same may be amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “ Credit Agreement ”), among Westlake Chemical Corporation (the “ Company ”), the other Borrowers referred to therein, the Guarantors referred to therein, the Lenders from time to time party thereto, the Issuing Banks from time to time party thereto, and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent (in such capacity, the “ Administrative Agent ”). Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to such terms in the Credit Agreement. The undersigned Borrower hereby gives you notice pursuant to [Section 2.03] 1 [Section 2.05] 2 of the Credit Agreement that it requests a Borrowing under the Credit Agreement, and in connection therewith the Borrower specifies the following information with respect to such Borrowing requested hereby:

 

1. Aggregate principal amount of Borrowing: 3                     

 

2. Date of Borrowing (which shall be a Business Day):                     

 

3. Type of Borrowing (ABR or Eurodollar):                     

 

4. Interest Period (if a Eurodollar Borrowing): 4                     

 

5. Applicable Currency:                     

 

 

1   To be included in the case of a Revolving Borrowing request only.
2   To be included in the case of a Swingline Borrowing request only.
3   Not less than applicable amounts specified in Section 2.02(c) of the Credit Agreement.
4   Which must comply with the definition of “Interest Period” and end not later than the Maturity Date.


6. Location and number of the Borrower’s account or any other account designated by the Borrower in accordance with Section 2.07 of the Credit Agreement to which proceeds of Borrowing are to be disbursed:                     

[ Signature Page Follows ]


The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the conditions to lending specified in Section[s] 4.02 of the Credit Agreement are satisfied as of the date hereof.

 

Very truly yours,
[            ], as Borrower
By:  

 

Name:  
Title  


EXHIBIT C-1

[FORM OF]

U.S. TAX COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE

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

Reference is hereby made to the Credit Agreement dated as of August 23, 2016 (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “ Credit Agreement ”), among Westlake Chemical Corporation, the other Borrowers referred to therein, the Guarantors referred to therein, the Lenders party thereto, and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent.

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.17 of the Credit Agreement, the undersigned hereby certifies that (i) it is the sole record and beneficial owner of the Loan(s) (as well as any Note(s) evidencing such Loan(s)) in respect of which it is providing this certificate, (ii) it is not a bank within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, (iii) it is not a ten percent shareholder of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 871(h)(3)(B) of the Code and (iv) it is not a controlled foreign corporation related to the Borrower as described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code.

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

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

 

[NAME OF LENDER]
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:

Date:                               , 20[        ]


EXHIBIT C-2

[FORM OF]

U.S. TAX COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE

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

Reference is hereby made to the Credit Agreement dated as of August 23, 2016 (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “ Credit Agreement ”), among Westlake Chemical Corporation, the other Borrowers referred to therein, the Guarantors referred to therein, the Lenders party thereto, and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent.

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.17 of the Credit Agreement, the undersigned hereby certifies that (i) it is the sole record and beneficial owner of the participation in respect of which it is providing this certificate, (ii) it is not a bank within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, (iii) it is not a ten percent shareholder of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 871(h)(3)(B) of the Code, and (iv) it is not a controlled foreign corporation related to the Borrower as described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code.

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

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

 

[NAME OF PARTICIPANT]
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:

Date:                               , 20[        ]


EXHIBIT C-3

[FORM OF]

U.S. TAX COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE

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

Reference is hereby made to the Credit Agreement dated as of August 23, 2016 (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “ Credit Agreement ”), among Westlake Chemical Corporation, the other Borrowers referred to therein, the Guarantors referred to therein, the Lenders party thereto, and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent.

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

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

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

 

[NAME OF PARTICIPANT]
By:  
  Name:
  Title:

Date:                               , 20[        ]


EXHIBIT C-4

[FORM OF]

U.S. TAX COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE

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

Reference is hereby made to the Credit Agreement dated as of August 23, 2016 (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “ Credit Agreement ”), among Westlake Chemical Corporation, the other Borrowers referred to therein, the Guarantors referred to therein, the Lenders party thereto, and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent.

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.17 of the Credit Agreement, the undersigned hereby certifies that (i) it is the sole record owner of the Loan(s) (as well as any Note(s) evidencing such Loan(s)) in respect of which it is providing this certificate, (ii) its direct or indirect partners/members are the sole beneficial owners of such Loan(s) (as well as any Note(s) evidencing such Loan(s)), (iii) with respect to the extension of credit pursuant to this Credit Agreement or any other Loan Document, neither the undersigned nor any of its direct or indirect partners/members is a bank extending credit pursuant to a loan agreement entered into in the ordinary course of its trade or business within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, (iv) none of its direct or indirect partners/members is a ten percent shareholder of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 871(h)(3)(B) of the Code and (v) none of its direct or indirect partners/members is a controlled foreign corporation related to the Borrower as described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code. The undersigned has furnished the Administrative Agent and the Borrower with IRS Form W-8IMY accompanied by one of the following forms from each of its partners/members that is claiming the portfolio interest exemption: (i) an IRS Form W-8BEN-E or IRS Form W-8BEN or (ii) an IRS Form W-8IMY accompanied by an IRS Form W-8BEN-E or IRS Form W-8BEN from each of such partner’s/member’s beneficial owners that is claiming the portfolio interest exemption. By executing this certificate, the undersigned agrees that (1) if the information provided on this certificate changes, the undersigned shall promptly so inform the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, and (2) the undersigned shall have at all times furnished the Borrower and the Administrative Agent with a properly completed and currently effective certificate in either the calendar year in which each payment is to be made to the undersigned, or in either of the two calendar years preceding such payments.

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

 

[NAME OF LENDER]
By:  
  Name:
  Title:

Date:                               , 20[        ]

 

1


EXHIBIT D

[FORM OF]

ELECTION TO PARTICIPATE

                              , 20         

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.

  as Administrative Agent for the Lenders

  named in the Credit Agreement dated as of

  August 23, 2016 among Westlake

  Chemical Corporation, the other Borrowers

  referred to therein, the Guarantors referred

  to therein, the Lenders party thereto, and

  JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as

  Administrative Agent (as amended,

  amended and restated, supplemented,

  waived or otherwise modified from time

  to time, the “ Credit Agreement ”)

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Reference is made to the Credit Agreement described above. Terms not defined herein which are defined in the Credit Agreement shall have for the purposes hereof the meaning provided therein.

The undersigned, <NAME OF ELIGIBLE SUBSIDIARY>, a <JURISDICTION OF FORMATION> <TYPE OF ENTITY>, hereby elects to be an Eligible Subsidiary for purposes of the Credit Agreement, effective from the date hereof until an Election to Terminate shall have been delivered on behalf of the undersigned in accordance with the Credit Agreement. The undersigned confirms that the representations and warranties set forth in Article X of the Credit Agreement are true and correct in all material respects as to the undersigned as of the date hereof (except to the extent such representations and warranties expressly relate to an earlier date, in which case they are true and correct in all material respects as of such earlier date), and the undersigned hereby agrees to perform all the obligations of an Eligible Subsidiary under, and to be bound in all respects by the terms of, the Credit Agreement, including without limitation Section 11.08 thereof, as if the undersigned were a signatory party thereto.

[Tax disclosure pursuant to Section 10.04 of the Credit Agreement]

The address to which all notices to the undersigned under the Credit Agreement should be directed is:

 

D-1


This instrument shall be governed by and construed in accordance with and the laws of the State of New York.

 

Very truly yours,
<NAME OF ELIGIBLE SUBSIDIARY>
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:

The undersigned hereby confirms that <NAME OF ELIGIBLE SUBSIDIARY> is an Eligible Subsidiary for purposes of the Credit Agreement described above.

 

WESTLAKE CHEMICAL CORPORATION
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:

Receipt of the above Election to Participate is hereby acknowledged on and as of the date set forth above.

 

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.,

    as Administrative Agent

By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:

 

D-2


EXHIBIT E

[FORM OF]

ELECTION TO TERMINATE

                              , 20         

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.

  as Administrative Agent for the Lenders

  named in the Credit Agreement dated as

  of August 23, 2016 among Westlake

  Chemical Corporation, the other

  Borrowers referred to therein, the

  Guarantors referred to therein, the

  Lenders party thereto, and JPMorgan

  Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative

  Agent (as amended, amended and

  restated, supplemented, waived or

  otherwise modified from time to time,

  the “ Credit Agreement ”)

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Reference is made to the Credit Agreement described above. Terms not defined herein which are defined in the Credit Agreement shall have for the purposes hereof the meaning provided therein.

The undersigned, <NAME OF ELIGIBLE SUBSIDIARY>, a <JURISDICTION OF FORMATION> <TYPE OF ENTITY>, hereby elects to terminate its status as an Eligible Subsidiary for purposes of the Credit Agreement, effective as of the date hereof. The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that all principal and interest on all promissory notes of the undersigned and all other amounts payable by the undersigned pursuant to the Credit Agreement have been paid in full on or prior to the date hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Election to Terminate shall not affect any obligation of the undersigned under the Credit Agreement or under any promissory notes heretofore incurred.

 

E-1


This instrument shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

 

Very truly yours,
<NAME OF ELIGIBLE SUBSIDIARY>
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:

The undersigned hereby confirms that the status of <NAME OF ELIGIBLE SUBSIDIARY> as an Eligible Subsidiary for purposes of the Credit Agreement described above is terminated as of the date hereof.

 

WESTLAKE CHEMICAL CORPORATION
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:

Receipt of the above Election to Terminate is hereby acknowledged on and as of the date set forth above.

 

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.,

    as Administrative Agent

By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:

 

E-2


EXHIBIT F

[FORM OF]

JOINDER AGREEMENT

Reference is made to the Credit Agreement, dated as of August 23, 2016 (as amended, amended and restated, supplemented, waived or otherwise modified from time to time, the “ Credit Agreement ”) among Westlake Chemical Corporation, the other Borrowers referred to therein, the Guarantors referred to therein, the Lenders party thereto and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent. Terms defined in the Credit Agreement are used herein with the same meanings.

NOW, THEREFORE, the Administrative Agent and [    ] (the “ New Guarantor ”) in its capacity as a Guarantor, hereby agree as follows:

1. Joinder as Guarantor . In accordance with Section 5.10(a) of the Credit Agreement, the New Guarantor by its signature below becomes a Guarantor under the Credit Agreement with the same force and effect as if originally named therein as a Guarantor, but in any event subject to the same terms, provisions and limitations set forth in Article XI of the Credit Agreement. The New Guarantor hereby agrees to all the terms and provisions of the Credit Agreement applicable to it as a Guarantor. Each reference to a Guarantor in the Credit Agreement shall be deemed to include the New Guarantor.

2. Representations and Warranties . The New Guarantor represents and warrants that each of the representations and warranties set forth in the Credit Agreement and applicable to the undersigned is true in all material respects on and as of the date hereof, except to the extent any such representation and warranty (i) expressly relates to an earlier date in which case such representation and warranty shall be true and correct in all material respects as of such earlier date or (ii) is qualified by materiality, in which case such representation and warranty shall be true and correct in all respects.

4. Severability . Any provision of this Joinder Agreement which is prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions hereof, and any such prohibition or unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction.

5. Counterparts . This Joinder Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original. Delivery of an executed signature page to this Joinder Agreement by facsimile or electronic transmission shall be as effective as delivery of an original executed counterpart of this Joinder Agreement.

6. No Waiver . Except as expressly supplemented hereby, the Credit Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.

7. Notices . All notices, requests and demands to or upon the New Guarantor, the Administrative Agent or any Lender shall be governed by the terms of Section 9.01 of the Credit Agreement.

8. Governing Law . THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

[Signature Pages Follow]

 

F-1


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

 

[    ], as a Guarantor
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., as Administrative Agent
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:

 

F-2

Exhibit 99.1

 

LOGO

 

 

Westlake Chemical Concludes Revolving Credit Agreement

HOUSTON, August 24, 2016 / — Westlake Chemical Corporation (NYSE: WLK) announced today the completion of a new $1 billion unsecured revolving credit agreement. This new revolving credit facility will have a five year maturity date and replaces the previous asset-based revolving facility which has been terminated. This new revolving credit facility provides for working capital and general corporate purposes for the company.

“We are pleased to have completed this agreement as it increases our company’s financial flexibility and provides the liquidity to fund our growth,” said Albert Chao, Westlake’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “This is a strong statement of support from our banks, and we appreciate their ongoing confidence in us.”

About Westlake Chemical Corporation

Westlake Chemical Corporation is an international manufacturer and supplier of petrochemicals, polymers and building products with headquarters in Houston, Texas. Westlake’s range of products includes: ethylene, polyethylene, styrene, propylene, caustic, VCM, PVC suspension and specialty resins and PVC building products including pipe and specialty components, windows, fence, deck and film. For more information, visit Westlake’s Web site at www.westlake.com .

Forward-Looking Statements

Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking statements that involve certain risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties relate to the risks and uncertainties inherent in the petrochemicals, polymers and building products industries discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements, like all statements in this press release, speak only as of the date of this press release (unless another date is indicated). We do not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.


Contacts

Westlake:

Investor Inquiries:

Mr. Steve Bender

713-960-9111

investorrelations@westlake.com

Media Inquiries:

Mr. Ben Ederington

713-960-9111

mediarelations@westlake.com